January 5 - James

You're standing in a doorway.

"Are you sure?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe in what I hoped was a casual manner. "You seem pretty annoyed to me."

Lily, trapped in the Transfiguration classroom where we had just held a Prefect's Meeting, sighed and shifted her bag to her other shoulder. "I'm annoyed, Potter, because I want to go upstairs and finish my Potions essay, and you're blocking the way. I wasn't annoyed with you until you became annoying. Move."

I obliged, withering only a bit under a glare which would have made Peter wet himself. "So then," I began, slinging my arm around her shoulders. She sighed, but didn't shrug me off. "What are you doing this weekend?"

"An essay for McGonagall," she told me, not looking up. "Then I thought I'd go skinny dipping with the Giant Squid. He pines for me if I don't visit, you see. After that I've a date with Filch scraping frogspawn off the ceilings of all of the dungeons, and then Bellatrix Black and I are going to have a picnic where we braid each other's hair and gossip about boys."

"Ah," I said, smiling. "So it seems as though you're all booked up."

"I am," she said, squirming out from under my arm. "So don't ask, okay?"

"But I haven't asked yet today," I informed her.

"I am aware Potter. I was enjoying it."

"Ouch Lilyflower," I said, holding my hand to my heart.

"Would you stop it with that stupid nickname?" she snapped, quickening her pace. I just lengthened my stride, grateful that I was so much taller than she.

"I thought you didn't mind."

"You know full well that I mind, you prat. You're annoying."

"So you are annoyed."

"Bloody hell," she snapped, stopping dead. "Shut up."

"Seriously though, Lily," I said, dropping my joking tone. "What's wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing," she spat, and began walking again.

"Lily stop," I called, jogging after her.

"You wish," she muttered. "Potter, would you just leave me alone?"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

She stopped again, then turned slowly, not meeting my eyes. "Look Potter," she informed my shoes, "I don't like you. I don't want to be around you, I don't want to see you. I just want you to leave me alone. Do you think you can do that?"

"Uh," I muttered, stunned. Normally, if she wasn't friendly or joking, she was at least angry, which was alright because it meant she felt something. But her tone was completely flat when she spoke, and I was momentarily speechless. "I guess. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it Potter," she said, hiking her bag up on her shoulder. "I'll see you around."

A/N: I just wanted to thank all of the people who have been reading and especially those who are reviewing. I'm up to over 1,000 hits for June already (May numbers were nearing 5,000). Also, I wanted to especially thank KaseyO and FaithfulHPReader, who I'm pretty sure review every single chapter.

_alice