Remus avoided talking to the Potter siblings for days because of what happened. He had put the blame on himself too much, and ended up isolating himself. Charlotte's been trying to get in contact with Remus, but couldn't find him. She hated that Remus was feeling a tremendous amount of guilt, and even more self-loathing.

There was only one place Charlotte thought of where Remus Lupin visited often. Even more than her brother, Sirius, or Peter did. It was the library. It was on a Wednesday after dinner was over that Charlotte found him there. The fourteen year old sat by himself alone at the table reading a book like he always did. It seemed that he was hiding himself behind the pages rather than being absorbed into them like how he always read something that interested him.

Charlotte hesitantly approached to Remus. Only if he was up to talking to her without being afraid or ashamed.

"Reading anything good?" She asked him curiously.

Remus heard the familiar voice, and his green eyes looked at her for a moment. He was about to make an escape for the exit, but Charlotte stopped him.

"Please, stop running away from me, Remus." She gently pleaded him.

He slowly sat back down in his seat, and closed the book setting it on the table. Charlotte sat in the empty chair next to him. She noticed that he had barely made any eye contact with her.

"A lot worse could've happened on that night, you know?" She said quietly in a voice that only he could hear. They've been forbidden to discuss it in public. There were a few people at the library today.

"I do," Remus acknowledged. "And thank Merlin it didn't," Finally, he had looked at her. "But you-"

"I'm fine," Charlotte assured him.

"But-"

"But nothing, Remus," She firmly said. "I am fine. See?"

Charlotte used her hands to scan her body up and down that she was indeed fine. The scar wasn't visible because it was concealed from the clothing she wore. It was something she was grateful for that nobody saw it.

"Severus and I are still alive."

"If it weren't for Sirius none of this would have happened." He scowled at his best friend.

"I know he's a total git," She became nervous at her confession. "Maybe this is partially my fault, too. I started it as well..."

He looked at her confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"I was worried when Severus was getting suspicious about you, and I didn't know what else to do. How to hide it from him for any longer. I didn't want to warn you about it because I didn't want you to get worried, so I went to Sirius. I just wanted him to talk to Sev about it, not do something like this." She explained.

"That prank was on Sirius's part. In no way were you involved with that. The prank was his own doing. For future reference, I suggest you go to your brother rather than Sirius. Hell, even Peter."

"I know I should've gone to James, but he was unavailable. He was out with his girlfriend." She rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't have minded if you talked to me about Severus, too. This wasn't your fault, Charlotte," To hear that from Remus comforted her. "Sirius should've known better than to prank Severus even if it was for his own amusement. He had no idea what could've been at risk."

"I hope you're not too mad at Sev for what he did to you." She wanted to know if he truly was. What he did was out of defense and protection. Not his fault.

"I'm not. He did what was necessary."

She was curious how that spell felt to him, but she didn't want him to relive any of that. She knew Severus used his Sectumsempra spell. James didn't even know about it because Severus couldn't get anymore hate and bullying from him. It was only for his protection that Charlotte kept it as a secret.

"What will you do when Sirius returns?"

"I don't know," Remus answered, sighing. "I rather not deal with him so soon."

"I reckon you should do the same," Charlotte agreed. "It'll be a while for me to forgive him. Please, don't put more hate on yourself, Remus. I know you weren't yourself. I hope we can still be friends."

Remus was surprised. "You still want to be friends with me?"

"Yes, of course!" She chuckled. "And please reconcile with my brother, too. He's worried about you like I am."

"I will, and I'm relieved we can still be friends," Then Charlotte happily hugged him. Remus hugged her, but his arms were softly around her to not give her pain from her wound. "At least there's one good decent Slytherin."

She let go of him to point out. "There's Sev, too."

"He's questionable." He debated, and she rolled her brown eyes.

"Ugh! Don't start to sound like James now! You just need to know him. He actually doesn't mind you. Sometimes."

Remus didn't know what to say for that.

Then Charlotte risen from her chair. "I should get going. I have to meet my friends," There was a small and annoyed groan from her. "Well, this was a lovely chat, Remus, and don't forget about James."

"I won't." He insisted, and watched her leave.

There was no way he felt like he deserved their friendship after everything that had happened.

But after their encounter, he knew why Sirius fancied her.


There was hardly ever a time when Lily Evans haven't seen James Potter and his friends together. It was such an odd and strange sight. It was rare for them to be seen not together. Something had to have happened with them to be separated.

Remus secluded himself from his friends. He was always together with Potter and Pettigrew. Pettigrew was minding his own business, and so was Potter, but he was also dating one of her best friends named, Alice. Lily already told Alice that she was ridiculous for dating a toe rag like Potter.

She didn't know what it was, but she also didn't know why it had bothered her so much.

Who cares about Potter? Only his blind worshippers do.

Lily still hated Potter with every fiber of her being. The so-called Quidditch Hero. Most girls would consider him the most hottest wizard in school. Lily felt bad for those girls who thought of that. They should really raise their standards better. There were far other good looking boys in school like her own boyfriend for example. Potter was the most conceited and arrogant person she had ever had the displeasure to know.

What in the world was Alice thinking when she agreed to go out with him? Alice could do so much better than him! Lily also knew that Alice had a major crush on him, so of course she would jump at the opportunity.

"What are you staring at Potter for, Lily?" Niall asked her while he's chewing a mouthful of chicken.

Her boyfriend's question made her snap out of it, and focus on eating her lunch. "I wasn't staring at him!" She said defensively.

"Yes, you were. More so than usual these days," He swallowed his food, and took a drink of his pumpkin juice. "Are you wondering about what happened to him and his mates a few days ago? Everyone's been talking about it-"

"No. Potter is the least person on my mind," Lily lied, and she knew that she was. But if the truth was revealed, it meant that she actually cared for the arrogant toe rag. As if. "I don't care what happened."

"Me neither, to be quite honest. There have been rumors what happened. One of them is Potter and Snape went out to have a duel in the Forbidden Forest. Black could've gotten badly injured from it. That's why he hasn't been at school."

"Potter may do reckless things, but surely he can't be that daft, and Sev would know better to go in the forest. Also, Potter's little sister was there. I highly doubt he would bring her with him."

"Charlotte, isn't it?" Lily nodded for confirmation to his answer while she was eating. "Maybe it wasn't Potter who took her," He said thoughtfully. "Maybe it was Snape. She seems awfully clingy to him. That relationship is so bizarre to me."

"They're just friends." Lily didn't like that Niall had called Charlotte clingy. The girl was just a second year after all trying to fit in, and it was with an older Slytherin. It also was a Potter and a Snape which definitely made the pairing rather unusual.

"Friends?" He scoffed. "I didn't think that Snape had any."

"He has me!" Lily pointed out being offended. She looked at him with her green eyes flashed and being narrowed down.

"Why? How can you put up with him? He's nothing, but a slimy and greasy Slytherin!"

"Now you're sounding like Potter!" She exclaimed being disgusted. At how Niall seemed to have forgotten she was a best friend of Severus's, and Niall was the person she loves, but sometimes could turn into the person she hates.

"Everyone's been asking! We just don't understand how you can be friends with him. You can do a lot better!"

"I don't need to do a lot better, Niall!" Lily snapped right back which made him cower under his girlfriend's fierce wrath and rage. "I'm quite satisfied with the friends I do have, thank you very much! If you keep this attitude up, I won't be satisfied with the boyfriend I have, and I will do much better than you!"

That had made Niall shut up, and resumed to uncomfortably eat his food.

Lily noticed that the few people who sat near to them had tittered to themselves being amused at the scene. They happened to be the witnesses of their little spat. Once Lily glared at them, they all became quiet as if they were scolded by their mother. They continued minding their own business then.

With her mind not focusing on Potter, she saw where her Slytherin best friend was. He'd usually be in his so-called group of friends she didn't like, but he surprisingly wasn't. He was with Charlotte Potter, and they were talking animatedly. It looked like Charlotte was doing the talking mostly with him chiming in every now and then, but that's how it always was when he was with Lily. Lily noticed how often Severus and Charlotte were together. She knew that Potter's little sister bugged him, but it was now as if something had changed. Severus was around Charlotte more often, and even seemed to be protective of her.

Maybe Severus was finally starting to come around to have a Potter as a friend. Maybe he was seeing her as a little sister.


Lily was heading for the entrance to the Gryffindor common room alone after classes were over. She was getting a break from Niall who was with his friends. She heard some familiar giggling behind her. It was Alice and her annoying boyfriend, James Potter.

They were always together. And it was nauseating.

Lily thought she vented on and on about Potter that it would've knocked sense into Alice to break up with him, but she won't. It was like a dream had came true for her.

The 'lovely' couple was right there with her, unfortunately. She wanted to go far away from them. She didn't know why, but it made her sick to witness them acting sweet like that. Potter never took an interest in Alice before, so why now? Unless if there was some sordid agenda. Lily refused to let Potter hurt her best friend like that if it were the case. She was curious, and had to find out.

"Lemon drops." Lily said the password to the portrait of the Fat Lady, and it swung forward.

"Ladies first." Potter allowed herself and Alice to enter.

"Isn't he such a gentleman?" Alice squealed to her as they walked through the round hole in the wall.

"I don't think I'd say that..." Lily muttered, narrowing her eyes at Potter who just made that stupid smirk at her.

"You don't know Jamie like I do." Alice looked lovingly at her boyfriend, and he did the same.

"So, it's Jamie now, eh?" She teased her term of endearment.

"Oh, stop it, Lily!" Alice reproached her, and kissed her boyfriend before going to the girls' dormitories. Potter kissed her right back, and made it deep and long that Lily had to look away in disgust.

Once Alice was out of earshot, Lily immediately rounded onto James Potter, and he backed away in surprise.

"What act are you playing here?" Lily demanded.

"What do you mean?" He asked being confused.

"All of a sudden you've taken a liking to one of my best friends when you never have before. Any time the two of you are near me, it's like you act sickeningly sweet to her. Only I can see that."

"Jealous, aren't you?" Potter made that stupid and smug looking smirk of his face.

"No!" Lily exclaimed as if it were ridiculous, but she felt her cheeks getting red. She hoped she wasn't blushing.

Lily was being protective of her best friend. That's all.

However, since Potter's been in a relationship, she had been looking at him differently. That was something she always denied, but it was true. She always wondered what Alice could possibly see in him. Then those thoughts would lead her questioning what it would be like to be in Alice's shoes.

To be held by James Potter, to be kissed by him, to hear him laugh at whatever she said...

Lily instantly brushed those thoughts off when she realized what she was doing. She couldn't be falling for someone like Potter. Could she? Since day one she had hated him. That first day they met each other on the train.

But why was she suddenly falling for him?

Get yourself together, Lily, She mentally scolded herself, You don't fancy James Potter. That'd be absurd.

His smug looking smirk spread wider into a grin being amused. "Your face says otherwise, Evans."

"Shut up," She scowled at him, but it was like that didn't phase him. He didn't take any offense to that. "I just want to know what your intentions are for Alice."

"My intentions?" He asked the grin slowly fading as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Are you using her or what?" Then she told him threateningly. "If I would know that you've hurt her, Potter, I swear you'd regret the day you were born!"

His hazel eyes met her green ones.

It was rare for Lily to have any eye contact with him. It was only when she was really angry with him, but now it strangely felt...different. In a way she didn't know how to explain it.

"I don't have any negative intentions towards Alice, Evans." Potter said, but Lily couldn't help to doubt him.

"How can I believe you?"

"Go ask Alice if you want." He sighed with a shrug.

"I can't do that. She's completely smitten by you for whatever reason. Love has her blind," Lily rolled her eyes. "How can I know that you didn't give her a love potion or something?"

That's when Potter was actually offended. "You think I'd do something like that?"

She shrugged. "Why not? I wouldn't put it past you. You were involved with what happened to Severus that other day, weren't you? You and your band of followers? You've even dragged your sister along-"

"I didn't take my sister-"

"Right, Potter," She rolled her eyes again, still disbelieving him. "Something bad had to have happened that even made Black not to show up to school for a week now. What happened with him?"

"Sorry, Evans, but that's none of your business," He said, crossed his arms, and humored her. "I never knew you were so interested in me. First, my love life, and now my personal life, too?"

She narrowed her green eyes at him, and said in her defense. "Only for Alice's well being. I could care less about you."

Potter took a few steps closer to her. "Then why did you want to know what happened the other day that involved Snape? How did you know my sister was involved, too?"

Lily found it impossible to avoid his eyes now when he was intensely looking at her. "That's just what I've been hearing..."

The smug smirk returned once again. "Maybe you do care about me after all."

"As if," Lily scoffed, pushing him away from her, and he only chuckled. "But out of all the stories I've been hearing, they all involved one thing. The Forbidden Forest. You do reckless things, Potter, but what were you lot thinking to be at the forest?"

"Having a tea party, of course, but Snape ruined everything," He joked. "Sorry we didn't invite you."

Lily was frustrated, and decided to give up. Their conversation was going nowhere which was to be expected. It was like she wasted her time.

"Whatever, Potter. Don't tell me. That's fine. I guess there's no reason why you should. It's not like we're friends." Lily was about to go to her dorm, but he stopped.

"But what if we can be?" He asked when her back was to him. He sounded hopeful.

Lily turned to him. "We can't. You always bully Severus-"

Potter rolled his hazel eyes. "It's not bullying-"

"Of course you'd say that!" She snapped. "If you'll just leave him alone-"

"You should leave him alone," He countered. "Snape isn't good for you, Evans, and he'll hurt you in the end. It's like what I always tell Charlotte-"

"Really? Now, you're trying to ruin her friendship with him, too?" She shook her head at him in disapproval. "Goodbye, Potter."

James watched her go feeling like there was nothing else he could do to change her mind.

As Lily was leaving, she could hear him ask himself.

"Why won't they believe me?"


Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. I wasn't sure if anyone was still interested in this story. Please review to let me know! They're really encouraging! I've always wanted to write some James and Lily scenes, and let that relationship develop. I hope you guys really like this chapter! :)