Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. Not even April. She is owned by Jen, because she is Jen…ehe. Some random teachers and students are mine, but they don't count. Oh yeha, I own Vanessa… but you can have her.

AN: I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOo sorry this has taken so long to write and get up… Very, very sorry. I beg your forgiveness. And Jen, your request comes true in this chapter… only in a more humiliating way…

Little Eagle

"Out. Out! He needs rest!" Madame Pippy shooed everyone away from James's bed.

"Get better, prongs bud." Sirius patted James's shoulder. James was still unconscious.

"We'll come back later," Lily said, and followed April out. Sirius, Remus and Peter were behind her.

"We'll see you guys later." Sirius said, and Lily turned around.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To get his broom and robes." Sirius told her. "Do you want to come?"

"No. It's okay." Lily gulped. "I think I'll just go and get him some books and stuff…"

"Alright. We'll see you in the common room." Sirius walked off, Peter close behind.

"He'll be okay Lily," Remus patted her shoulder.
"I know." Lily smiled weakly. "At least he'll get a second shoot at the match."

"Yeah." Remus hurried off to find Peter and Sirius.

"You like him." April said flatly.

"Remus? No!"

"No. James." April smiled. "I won't tell anyone."

"Good. Sirius would never let me live it down if he knew." Lily sighed. "I just knew when he fell off his broom."

"Well, at least you're friends with him. He knows you. He likes you."

"I wish… I wish he liked me though."

"Have you seen the way he looks at you?" April asked.

"No. What way?"

"He adores you. And you like him. And there's a ball coming up…"

"And who do you want to go with?" Lily laughed.

"I'm already going with someone. He asked me this morning."

"Who?"

"Peter…" April muttered.

"Who?"

"Peter." April blushed.

"I didn't think he could get anyone to like him. I thought he'd given Vanessa a love potion."

"I just couldn't say no. He looked so pitiful. Don't ask me why."

"I won't. Let's just drop this topic and go to Hogsmead, so I can get James something. A book of pranks or something like that."

"Okay." April nodded, and the two headed in the direction of the one eyed witch. (it is a one eyed witch right? Or am I confused?)

"Here you go James." Lily sat down in a chair next to James's bed and put something silently on his bedside table. "The book of pranks you wanted last time we were in Zonko's." She grimaced, looking at the piles of gifts from friends and fanclubs. Lots of roses. James didn't like roses. And lots of chocolate. Lots of chocolate. "James Potter, if you don't wake up, I will never speak to you again. I mean it."

"Bit of a contradiction don't you think?" James's eyes were open.

"You're awake!" Lily kissed his cheek lightly before wrapping him in a massive bear hug.

"Don't squeeze so hard," James wheezed.

"Sorry."

"Oh god. Who sent those?" James glared at the roses.

"Lets see." Lily picked up a bunch and peered at the card. "To darling Jamesie, You simply must get well in time for the ball. It would be horrid if you missed it. I thought your quidditch match was horrid, especially that Charles Tomas. Get well soon, love, Mandy M."

"Oh dear lord." James moaned.

"What's the bet that Tomas is found dead in one of the corridors before the day's out?" Lily asked.

"Lily, do me a favor."

"Sure. Anything for poor, sick little Jamesie."

"Shut up." James glared at her. "Get rid of all the roses."

"Okay." Lily raised her wand and transfigured them piles of roses into air. "Better?"

"Yeah. Thanks Lil."

"He's awake!" About fifty girls came running into the hospital wing.

"Save me!" James muttered to Lily.

"Out! Out! All of you! Out!" Lily shouted.

"Why? You're allowed in!" Snapped one girl, Patrica Morgan a Hufflepuff fifth year (Lily, James and co. are sixth years, k?)

"James is not well. A large amount of noise could send him into a relapse that might last for several weeks. And the ball is next week." Lily snapped. "Now out!"

"Yes! Out out out out!" Madame Pippy hustled in. "Honestly, I leave for a moment, and you all come running in. Get out!" She spotted Lily getting up to leave, "not you dear. You can stay if you want."

"Thanks." Lily sat down again and took James's hand.

"So what's this about a ball?" He asked, grinning wickedly. "And how many pranks should we play?"

"Oh James!" Lily laughed, "Is that all you think about?"

"Yes." He smiled again and Lily's heart thumped uncomfortably in her chest.

"So prongs, who're you taking to the ball?" Sirius flopped down on his bed and James sat down on his.

"Sarah McKenzie." James grinned goofily.

"You have got to be kidding!" Sirius exclaimed. "She is the bitchiest seventh year around!"

"Who?" Remus had walked in.
"James is taking Sarah McKenzie to the ball."

"That bitch?" Remus curled his lip. "I thought you had taste."

"You're just jealous." James was annoyed.

"What of?" Sirius asked. "She's a cow."

"No she's not! She's wonderful!" James snarled, and stormed out. He didn't want to fight with Sirius and Remus, not on his first night out of the hospital wing, but he didn't like people critizing him, or saying he had no taste.

"What's up, Prongs?" Peter was coming up the stairs as James was storming down them.

"I'm taking Sarah McKenzie to the ball." James answered, "And Sirius and Remus are calling her a bitch."

"She is a bitch!" Peter told him coldly, "I'm not surprised they were calling her one."

"She's not!" James shoved Peter aside and stormed into the common room. He spotted Lily talking to April in the corner. "At least Lily will support me." He muttered, and walked over to her.

"It's nice to see you up." Lily said to him, as he sat down next to her.

"Yeah." James said.

"What is wrong with you?" Lily asked.

"Sirius, Remus and Peter are calling my date to the ball a bitch."

"Who are you taking?" Lily felt her heart go cold.

"Sarah McKenzie."

"WHAT? You are taking the bitch queen from hell?" Lily was furious.

"What is everyone's problem with her?" James yelled. "She's beautiful!"

"And that excuses her from everything she's ever done?" Lily spat. "You are so shallow."

Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily and April weren't talking to James. And neither were any of the other Gryffindors. James was a practical outcast, and he was feeling it. He had to spend more and more time with Sarah, and he was beginning to understand why everyone thought she was a bitch. But he wouldn't back down. He was lonely, and playing pranks wasn't getting him anywhere. At the full moon, three days before the ball, he'd gone to the willow, but he hadn't gone in. He just couldn't face his friends. So on the night of the ball he was getting ready, Sirius, Remus and Peter acting as if he wasn't there. He got ready as fast as he could, and he went to the great hall to meet Sarah.

"You look great, Lily." April said, as they walked down. Sirius and Remus had gone down to meet their dates, Peter had gone as well for some reason, and Lily was going stag.

"So do you." Lily smiled, and the two looked at their robes. Lily was wearing beautiful green robes, and April was wearing deep purple ones. Once they reached the hall Lily felt April stiffen beside her.

"That dickhead." April choked. Peter was standing in the entrance hall, holding Vanessa's hand and kissing her.

"Don't go. I have a plan." Lily grabbed April's arm as April turned to go, and she whispered something in her ear. April laughed and nodded.

"I'd just like to say something before we start." Lily had gone up on stage, and asked the band that was playing if she could say something. They had agreed. Lily whispered something to her wand, and pointed it to a wall. The entire population of Hogwarts looked at the wall, and suddenly a close-up of April and Peter. April punched Peter, and knocked him out. All the little decorations were suddenly showing April punching Peter and knocking him out. Everyone was laughing, and they looked over to where Peter was lying knocked out on the floor and April smiling happily. For the rest of the evening, all you had to do was look at the decorations, and you could see April knocking Peter out. It was very amusing.

"Go and get me a drink." Sarah ordered a random Gryffindor. The Gryffindor refused, and Sarah slapped her. James gaped at her. Then he remembered last year, when Sarah had had the Slytherin first years as her slaves, and how she'd bribed people to do her homework. How she'd called Lily a whore, and had put her in the hospital wing for being friends with James, Sirius, Remus and Peter. And the year before that, when she'd demanded that the house elves be punished for leaving her washing uncleaned, even though the entire school was in mourning, because one of the teachers -Professor Bued- had been murdered by Voldemort the day before.

"I have to apologise." He said to himself, and went to find his friends. His real friends. But then he saw Lily, dancing with someone, laughing, kissing. His stomach twisted into a cold knot. Lily saw him, and looked down at the ground. Then Charles Tomas, the boy she'd been dancing with, patted her arm, and she laughed and started dancing again.

She's dancing with him? The boy who hit the bludger that nearly killed me? James though bitterly to himself. The bludger hadn't nearly killed him, and Sirius had done the same thing more than once, and nobody -not even the person he had hit- had blamed him James was lying to himself, and he knew it. She can't even look at me anymore.

"James! There you are!" Sarah had come up behind him and had grabbed his arm. "Lets dance!"

"Yes. Let's." James turned away, and took Sarah's hand.

If he'd stayed a moment longer, he would have seen Lily step away from Charles, shake her head, and run out of the great hall. But he didn't.

Long enough? Does it make up for my non-postingness? Hope you liked it!

Fire Lizid.