A/N: Hello! Thank you for the reviews. J I worked hard to take your advice and apply it here. I also tried to make Lily's fame a little clearer. I'm not exactly sure what a Mary Sue is lol, so could I get a little guidance to avoid that? I don't want this to turn out a horribly disastrous fic. Thanks again!

This time, for some reason, I found it incredibly hard to keep Lily in the same character as I portrayed her in the last chapter. So sorry if she's a tad off, I've never written anything like this before and I'm still getting used to it.

Unpredictable

Chapter 2: Rumours and Bert Skeeter

It's something unpredictable

But in the end is right

I hope you had the time of your life

~Good Riddance (Time of your Life)

By Green Day

Other than the time of my parents' death, I had never felt even remotely murderous. I was actually usually calm and collective, and could control my anger easily enough. But Sirius Black was pushing me to that point, and he was pushing me fast.

Don't get me wrong, I really don't mind what other people think of me. They have their opinions, and I have mine. But, when it involves the messy haired boy that I refuse to notice, I think it's getting a bit too personal. And it was taking everything I had not to let my fist get too personal with Sirius's face.

'Sirius, sweetheart?' I called innocently across the room, where I presumed he was telling a group of Seventh Years about the latest scoop on Monsieur James and moi.

His head snapped up and I could easily tell what was going through his mind. 'Did Lily just call me sweetheart?'

'Yes, Sirius, I called you sweetheart, now get your fat arse over here!' I snapped.

A look of realization dawned on his face, and he made his way cautiously over to my table.

'Yes, sugar muffin?' he said, nervous but forcing sickly sweetness.

'So, I hear I fancy James Potter now, eh?'

I was pulling a sarcastic Lily and he bloody well knew it.

'Really? I heard that too!'

'What a coincidence!'

'Yeah, what!'

'Looks like Hogwarts has it's own personal journalist, doesn't it?'

'Looks like it.'

'I'd really like to meet him or her, do you know who it is?'

'Um…nope! Not a clue.'

'Oh, what a pity. I had a surprise for whoever it was.'

'Really?!'

I inwardly laughed; I knew that would get him.

'Yup. Looks like I'll have to keep it all for myself, then.'

There was a moment of silence while the gears turned in his brain. Suddenly, he yelled, 'I know who it is, I know who it is!'

'Who?'

'ME!'

In a flash my hand had gripped the collar of his robe, my teeth bared. Again, I'm usually calm and collective.

'I had a feeling it might be you. I wonder what would make me think that, hm?'

'Yeah, I wonder,' Sirius squeaked in a voice quite unlike his own. 'Can I have my surprise now?'

I sighed impatiently and let go of Sirius. 'I swear, sometimes I cannot believe how thick you are!' I cried out in agitation.

'Sirius, what on earth did you do now?'

I whipped around to see that Liz had just entered the Common Room, and was looking sternly at Sirius. He let out a short girlish scream before sprinting off to the safety of his dorms.

Like I mentioned before, Liz isn't stupid. So when Sirius started the rumours, she knew that I would get incredibly peeved if she mentioned anything. I'd been more than surprised when she hadn't mentioned it at all, before I realized that she was just giving me time to cool off. She could be at my throat sooner or later.

As for the intelligence of our other dorm mates, I wasn't so sure. There was only four other 6th Years, besides Liz and I. Heather Cecelia, Gillian Hawks, and Arleen Donnelly were people whom I definitely did not get along with. Not only were they highly egotistical, snobby, and pretty (well… at least they thought they were), they had been after James, Sirius, and Remus for as long as anyone could remember; even before the hormones kicked in. They were just mutant like that. Not that I care that they sought after the Marauders, of course, I just couldn't help but feel sorry for any guy they wanted, even if it happened to be James and his friends.

The last was Jen Niles, whom I had never actually talked to. She was quiet and always kept to herself, preferring to be hidden behind a book rather than out on a trip to Hogsmeade. Sometimes I thought she was doing the same as I was; she was pushing everyone away, she was hating everyone. Only I turned out to be a little luckier and still had one friend with me…

By that same evening, the whole school was talking about me in whispered voices behind cupped hands, or pointing at me and exchanging words I couldn't hear. Liz and I were at a table in the corner of the Common Room, but I could still feel all eyes on me. Sick and tired of it, I threw down my quill and turned to Liz.

'HEY LIZ!' I shouted, so everyone could hear me. Those who weren't looking at me, now suddenly were; any other time I would have told them to mind themselves, but currently it was exactly what I wanted. 'HOW'RE YOU?'

Liz stared at me with a confused look, but didn't say anything and yelled at the top of her lungs, as well. 'HI LILY! I'M OKAY, YOU?'

'FINE. DID YOU HEAR THAT NEW RUMOUR THAT SIRIUS BLACK IS SPREADING ABOUT? THAT JAMES POTTER LIKES LILY EVANS?'

Now Liz got the hint, and she nodded. 'YES, DON'T YOU FIND IT QUITE STRANGE THAT JUST BECAUSE A GIRL IS WELL-KNOWN THE WHOLE SCHOOL HAS TO FOLLOW HER LOVE LIFE, OR LACK THEREOF?'

'AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WHAT I FIND INCREDIBLY AMAZING IS THAT A FEW SIMPLE COMPLIMENTS TOWARDS A BOY BY A GIRL CAN BE TWISTED INTO HER COMPLETELY FANCYING HIM.'

By now almost everyone understood what we were getting at, and those who didn't were soon informed by their friends. Some were blushing and others were purposely not looking towards me. But one girl, one particularly nasty girl, was sidling towards me.

Heather and her mates, Gillian and Arleen, glared down at me.

'So, Lily,' she said in a drawing voice; I shivered, how hadn't this girl been put into Slytherin? 'I heard you've… gotten with James.'

Ugh! Had she not just heard everything I said?!

Still, I wanted to smile when I heard the jealousy and anger in her voice. I always knew she was jealous of me because of my "reputation", but this was just so much better.

'I haven't gotten with anyone,' I said coolly, 'least of all James Potter. Really now, darling, I'm not that desperate… unlike others.'

Liz made a strangling noise as she turned her laugh into a cough, keeping her eyes down on her homework. I smiled mock-charmingly at Heather, as she scowled furiously at me, her cheeks a bright patch of red.

'You think you're so bloody perfect, don't you Lily?' she spat. 'Well I'm sorry to take the spotlight off of you, but I promise you that James Potter will be mine.'

'Go ahead,' I said, shrugging; I knew my nonchalance would get her even more livid. 'It's not like I want him.'

She made a strange noise that sounded oddly like a dog growling before she stalked off, Arleen and Gillian following her like a duckling follows its mother. The atrocious things people did to be popular… Or I should probably say, the atrocious things people follow around to be popular…

'Nice, Lily,' Liz said, bursting into laughter as soon as Heather was out of earshot.

I grinned. At least something in my day had gone right.

'Oh, you horrible Lily!' Liz mocked Heather, in a high squeaky voice, causing me to start laughing. 'How dare you steal my knight and shining armour away from me? How dare you steal James Potter, how dare you!'

'What about me?'

I whipped around and nearly toppled out of my seat upon seeing James right behind my chair.

'Don't scare me like that, you git!' I cried angrily.

'Sorry,' he said distractedly. He looked awfully nervous…

'What's going on?' I asked him cautiously. Why did I have to ask? I probably didn't even want to know…

'Er…nothing.'

'Doesn't seem like nothing.'

'Well it is.'

'It is something?'

'No.'

'You don't lie very well.'

'Neither do you.'

'I'm not lying.'

'Good point.'

'Very.'

'Well…'

'Well what?'

'Well, I think I'll just be going--'

'No, you're not leaving.'

'Wow, this may be the first time Lily has ever asked you to stay around her, James.'

'Shut up, Liz.'

'I'm just stating fact!'

'Anyway, Potter, tell me what's wrong! I know it obviously has to be bad if you're acting like this.'

'Studying his emotional habits now, eh?'

'LIZ!'

I turned menacingly towards my friend, but James interrupted us by sighing heavily.

'Okay…' He caught Liz's eye and they exchanged a look.

Oh. So that's what was wrong. Yes, that was a very BIG something wrong. I groaned. Why tonight of all nights?!

'Tell them to go away!' I said desperately. 'Just… frighten them off or something!'

'I tried!' James said. 'I even went and got McGonagall! She's in the middle of threatening him right now, but he won't give up until he's seen you!'

Professor McGonagall was the strictest teacher I had ever had the displeasure to meet. True, she was head of my house and Deputy Headmistress, but that didn't mean I actually had to enjoy being taught by her--not that I absolutely, positively hated her. We just… didn't get along very well, you could say.

I banged my head on the table, and repeated over and over, 'Why, why, why, why, why?'

'C'mon, Lily, it's not that bad,' Liz said, trying to soothe me by putting a comforting hand on my arm.

That was perfectly well and good for her to say--she didn't have people with highly dangerous quills chasing her!

'Fine,' I said, sighing. 'Where the hell is this bloody brute?'

James led Liz and me down to the Entrance Hall where McGonagall, dressed in her nightgown, was pointing a stern finger at a man in purple robes.

'I'm warning you, sir! You had better leave this grounds this instant, or I will be forced to take this to Dumbledore--'

The man was about to respond when his eye caught me walking down the stairs. He grinned and dodged McGonagall, making her even more flustered, and ran up to greet me.

'Hello there, Miss Evans!' he said, shaking my hand. 'I'm Bert Skeeter, reporter for the Daily Prophet.'

I inwardly sighed. The reporters weren't as frequent as they had been several years ago, but some still showed up and hassled me.

'Anywho,' Bert chirped, rummaging around in his pocket. 'Oh pollywog, I know it's in here somewhere… Aha!'

I grimaced as he pulled out an acid green quill. I knew only too well what a Quick-Quotes Quill was--it was the highly dangerous quill I had before mentioned, one of my most powerful enemies, and could start rumours faster than Sirius could spread them.

Bert saw my face and obviously mistook it, for the next thing he said was, 'Yes, my pride and beauty. I only hope to one day pass it on to my eldest daughter, Rita.'

Okay, I was definitely going to have nightmares about whomever Rita Skeeter was tonight.

'Um…okay,' I said hesitantly.

McGonagall seemed to have regained her composure, and stormed up the stairs, grabbing Bert Skeeter by the collar. I had never seen her so angry, and with the Marauders around, that was certainly making a statement.

'LISTEN HERE, YOU FILTHY SCOUNDREL!' she barked, shaking her fist that was tightly clutching his robe, causing him to gurgle in a strangling sort of way. 'MISS EVANS IS NOT TO BE BOTHERED BY ANYONE! SHE IS A STUDENT AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, DUMBLEDORE STRICTLY PROHIBITED ANY MORE OF YOU REPORTERS COMING ANYWHERE NEAR HOGWARTS OR HER!'

Fear was etched all over Bert's face; even James and Liz were shocked, as I snuck a glance at their faces. I wanted to speak up, but my mouth was opening and closing, I couldn't make a single sound no matter how hard I tried. I knew, from experience, that even if I said not one single word, the reporters could make up a whole magazine of filth based on me.

'Uh, Professor McGonagall?' I said as gently as I could; I didn't think it would be the best time to get on the Transfiguration teachers nerves.

Breathing deeply through her flaring nostrils, McGonagall swooped down on me like a hawk.

'Yes, Miss Evans?' she said, through thin lips.

'W-well,' I said, choosing my words very carefully, 'I don't particularly think t-that violence is going to do any help, P-Professor. I was thinking, maybe, we could meet Mr Skeeter halfway, and allow him just one question?' I turned to look at Bert pointedly. 'And then he'll leave…?'

Bert nodded vigorously. 'One question, then I'll leave pronto.'

There was an apprehensive silence as McGonagall debated. I knew I had won her over. I mean, I wasn't a Prefect for nothing, you know.

I turned and smiled at Liz, who was still ghostly white and staring wide-eyed at McGonagall; I couldn't understand why, but McGonagall was Liz's mentor. I hesitantly turned to James, who was smiling at me. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to McGonagall.

'Fine,' she said after a while. 'One question, and I am staying to listen.'

It looked like Christmas had come early for Bert. He whipped out some parchment, sucked on the end of the quill, and spread the parchment on a step (where the quill was perfectly balanced on its tip) before standing back up to face me.

'So, Miss Evans, please remind us why you are famous.' He quickly looked at McGonagall before looking at me again, and added, 'Which is not a question, may I point out,' though I thought that was more directed towards the professor.

Humph. You would figure a reporter would come up with something sneaky like that.

'As if anyone doesn't know,' I muttered. I cleared my throat and said louder and in a monotone voice (I had said it so many times in the past that I had every interviewing question and answer memorized), 'Over four years ago, my family was the first to be attacked by a dark wizard after over a century and a half of nearly total peace in the wizarding world.'

'How sad, how sad. I am sincerely sorry of your great lost.'

I snorted. No he wasn't.

Bert ignored me and continued. 'I can only guess that it was hard for you.'

He said it in a way that suggested I should continue into depth, but before I could answer, McGonagall growled threateningly, 'Skeeter…'

'Oh right!' Bert laughed nervously. 'The question, the question…'

He began to visibly sweat, and I could understand why. If I had McGonagall hovering over me like that, I would pull out a blade and commit seppuku* right there without hesitation, rather than have her cold eyes glaring at me.

I watched him warily. His eyes flicked towards Liz and James, who were standing protectively on either side of me now, and I gulped; I had a nauseating gut feeling that they would be featured in the article.

'Could you please tell me who your friends are?'

My jaw dropped. I knew it! Honestly, I understood these reporters more than they did themselves.

'No comment,' I said evenly, although I could only guess what the Quick-Quotes Quill was making of that.

Grabbing Liz by one hand and James by the other, I dragged them up the stairs until we were out of audible range of Bert Skeeter. I was shaking in anger and didn't trust myself to speak. I knew I would regret anything I said if I tried.

Reporters could insult me, lie about me, slander me, and I didn't care. But to go to my best friend? I pitied journalists, I really did; they had nothing better to do but to snoop into other people's business. But Skeeter… he'd gone too far.

I looked up upon feeling a hand slip into mine and smiled at Liz; she knew I didn't want to hear any sympathetic rubbish, I didn't need any sympathetic rubbish.

'Thanks,' I mouthed.

She smiled.

And we walked in silence back to Gryffindor Tower, James in tow, feeling his eyes on me all the while.

Yes, I admit it, I can get very sentimental and mawkish. Once, for Liz's thirteenth birthday, I threw a huge party (alright, so no one came besides the Marauders and I, and only the boys because Liz, unfortunately, was friends with them) and bawled my eyes out because 'my precious baby' had become a young woman; afterwards, I had sat her down in a corner and had given her a mothering talk on hormones, boys, and sex. Liz still can't reminisce about the speech without tears of laughter.

When we got back to the Common Room, Sirius was still in his dorm, which was probably for the better. I didn't want to risk my chances of losing it on him and strangling him to death. Liz and I turned to our dorms, ready for a long night of sleep, when I remembered about--

'Potter?'

He turned around. He'd been heading off to his own bed. 'Mm?' he said sleepily.

'Sorry,' I muttered, 'about tonight. Skeeter. I know he's going to--'

James shrugged and cut me off. 'Don't worry about it. G'night.'

Maybe it was because people had the habit of aggravating me that night and I was to the point of frustration, or maybe it was just because I was so bloody tired, but it irritated me that he wasn't angry. He should be angry! I had probably just swept him up in a whole mess of rumours and magazines and newspapers, and I wouldn't be surprised if people went around teasing us for weeks afterwards…

I groaned as I fell back onto my bed, not even bothering to change.

That night only proved what I thought about not knowing people. You could grow up with someone or be friends with them for your whole life or be married to them for years and years--and in the end they did the most foolish things that would be no surprise to you if you really knew them.

Like journalists. You would think that you basically knew their character well enough for them to interview you. They would seem charming and nice enough, but in the end all they would want was a few words to completely deform and publicize.

And there went the trust. If you don't know someone, you can't trust them. If you think you know someone, you think you can trust them. Yet you can't; and the worst part is, you don't know it.

Mhm. Exactly my point.

* * *

Something that bothers me more than even James's antics, is the sun spilling through the dorm window and peeking through my curtains, falling right onto my face. Sure it's beautiful, but let's see how you would like it if something bright and annoying woke you from your Rita-Skeeter-less dreams at seven on a Sunday.

I moaned and turned over, but I could still feel its exasperatingly known warmth on the back of my neck. Didn't I ever get a break around here?!

Throwing back my quilt, I climbed out of bed, stretching and yawning. I was in no mood to face the day. I could already tell that I was cross, and nothing had even happened yet.

Liz was like me, a light sleeper, and I heard her opening her curtains as I closed the door behind me, robed with clothes in hand, to set out for the prefects bathroom. I stumbled down the stairs and blinked sluggishly at the empty Common Room, before somehow making my way towards and out of the portrait hole.

'Watch where you're going, dear!' the Fat Lady in the portrait shrieked as I walked headfirst into a wall.

'Yeah,' I mumbled in response, shaking my head and continuing my way down the hall.

It took me twice as much time to reach the fifth floor because of my state of sleepiness. When I finally located the fourth door to the left of the Boris the Bewildered statue, I said the password ("Hunkey-doodle") and entered quickly before I somehow managed to walk into another concrete object.

'Oof.'

So much for that.

'Hey, watch it,' I said, trying to unsuccessfully stand up. I felt someone firmly grab me under the arms and pull me upright.

'Oh, sorry, Lily,' said a voice. A familiar voice.

Shaking my head and blinking, I struggled to life my head. 'Wha-?'

James Potter's face was barely an inch from mine.

I was having a bit of trouble getting things straight this morning, but I wasn't that muddled. As if James was on fire, I jumped away from him and landed on my arse, a few feet away.

'Are you okay?' said James, his eyes widening. He was by my side in a second, trying to help me up again.

'GEROFF!' I shouted, waving my arms wildly. 'GET OFF ME, GET OFF ME!'

Did I mention that I wasn't a morning person?

I jumped up, now fully awake and scowling at James.

'What are you doing here?'

James cast an amused glance at the bathtub behind us, then looked back at me with a small smile.

'I'm guessing the exact same reason that you're here,' he said, and my scowl deepened.

'Well get out so I can shower!'

He shrugged, ignoring my temper as he always did. 'I'm done anyway. See you at breakfast, Lily.'

He left promptly and I locked the door behind him. I pulled off my dressing gown and set it aside with my clean clothes, before sitting down beside the faucets of the tub.

When I had lived with Mum and Daddy, we did have a relatively big house. We weren't poor, not at all, we just weren't rich. But when I began to stay with Liz, I had to adjust to things being much more luxurious, which is harder than you might think. Not only did I have to begin wearing big fluffy dresses and atrocious hats and shoes, I had to make sure I always remembered my manners; from please and thank you's, to making sure I ate with the right silverware.

I said her family was very high-class, sure; but when I said high-class, I meant high-class. Grade A, top meat high-class. (Except without so many womanising words, of course.) Her home is probably the biggest house--mansion--that I have ever seen, let alone been in. The prefects' bath, which is relatively the size of a small pool, was about the size of the sink at Liz's.

I sighed, thinking about my holidays at the Franks residence, as I slid into the bath now filled with steaming water and scented bubble bath. It's not that I didn't enjoy my time there or that I was ungrateful, it's just hard to spend so much time with people you don't trust.

Sometimes it was so much trouble hating and not trusting everyone, that I seriously thought about dropping my concealment. But then I remembered those cloaked visitors and Daddy's face as he shut the closet door…

No, I would always distrust everyone. I had to. It's the only thing that would protect me from being hurt.

* * *

Liz was fully bathed and dressed when I walked back into the dorm an hour later. Heather, Gillian, and Arleen were still sleeping, but Jen had already gone down to breakfast.

'Hey,' I said, tossing my dirty clothes into a hamper.

'Hi,' said Liz, smiling.

I stared at her. I knew her far better than she thought, if she was thinking that she could fool me with that fake smile.

'Ready to go to breakfast?'

'NO!' Liz shouted before she could contain herself. My suspicion grew. 'Uh, I mean, why don't I have a house-elf bring us up some food? We can have breakfast in bed!'

'No thanks,' I said, even though the proposal sounded inviting; I wanted to find out what Liz knew. 'C'mon, let's go.'

I stood, waiting for her to follow, but she stayed put on the bed.

'Let's go,' I repeated.

Liz bit her lip before tentatively shaking her head. 'N-no, I don't think that would be such a good idea.'

'Why not?'

She sighed and reached a hand under her mattress, pulling out a copy of the Daily Prophet.

Of course! How could I have forgotten? Bert Skeeter would surely have put something in the paper just the day after he interviewed me.

I unfolded the heavyweight and searched pages for any sign of me. I found the article (second page, not bad after all these years) with a black-and-white picture of me smiling at something the photograph didn't show.

'Well…' I said, taking an encouraging breath, and I began to read.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! I'm going to explain more as I go on, and I'm still hoping it'll get better.

Special Thanks:

Irish Lass

Legwarmerz

Lazy Lady

Darcel

Manatees 'R' Us

kitty228806

S. C. Hardy

Mako-Shadows

Scarlett*eyes

Jaws