Chapter 5: The Trouble with Love

"You son of a bitch!" Lily screamed. She was oblivious to the people around her.

"Lily, look-" Amos was sitting in a corner of the room with Ella in his lap.

"I am looking! I go off to talk to Professor Dumbledore and I find you snogging my best friend!" she shouted even louder.

"Lily-"

"You shut up!" Lily rounded on Ella. "And you! Slut! You were the one that told me not to get with him! You hyprocrytical hoe!"

Ella rolled her eyes. Lily was trying very hard to hold her tears back.

"You're my best friend! We knew each other since our 1st year!" Lily said. She was still shouting, but she had an unbelieving tone in her voice.

"Yes," Ella replied. "And ever since our first year I was known as Lily Evan's best friend or the girl who's always following Lily. I'm sick and tired of it, Lily! I'm sick and tired of you getting good grades, you getting all the guys, YOU getting ALL THE ATTENTION! For once in your life, Lily, what you want, doesn't want you back. He wants ME. Sweetie, you gotta get what you want, so I did."

"You bitch!" Lily said. Ella laughed. "And I almost thought I loved you," Lily said to Amos. "I never want to talk to you again!" She turned around and walked back to the Common Room.

***

James pushed through the crowd to get to Lily. He was just a few feet away from her. He examined the scene. Amos and Ella had been caught. Lily walked past James. She looked so calm. How the hell can she act like that? Most girls would've cried a long time ago. But Lily was strong and brave, and of course, hiding her feelings. James followed Lily outside. Lily was about seven feet in front of James.

"Lily!" James screamed.

Lily didn't stop, but turned her head back to see who was following her. James could see tears falling down her cheeks.

"Look Potter," she shouted, "I'm not in the mood to snap back at your stupid comments at the moment."

"Lily, hold on! Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine and dandy, Potter. Now will you leave me alone so I can walk back to my room?"

"Fine, I'm walking with you."

"Whatever."

James and Lily walked to the Gryffindor Common Room in silence. James sat down on the recliner in front of the fire. Lily ran upstairs. Twenty minutes later, James heard something being dragged down the step leading into the girls' dormitories. The next minute, he saw a trunk floating in mid-air, and Lily pointing her wand at the trunk, her face covered by a pile of clothes and stuffed animals.

"Where are you going?" James asked. He got up and walked over to Lily. He took the pile out of her hands.

"Oh, I'm going to be sleeping in the Head bedrooms for the rest of the year," Lily said. "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. C'mon, we better get your stuff over there before the rest of the school sees us."

Lily led the way to the Head Room. The Head Room was a mini-Common Room for the Head Boy and Girl, plus prefects, to have meetings. The Head Room was also connected to two bedrooms for the Head Boy and Girl. They brought her things to one of the bedrooms and went back into the mini-Common Room. It was decorated in red and gold, for the Gryffindor colors. Lily sat down on the couch and opened the book she had brought down. James sat across from her, staring at her.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Lily asked, looking up from her book.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

Lily looked at the ground. "Um, yeah, I'm fine," she answered a little too quickly.

James gave her an unconvinced look. Lily looked at him and back to the ground.

"Okay, okay, I'm not fine," Lily said. She looked up, but refused to look at his eyes.

"I'm angry, in shock, confused…" she said. James kept quiet.

"It's funny…I actually thought I loved him." James laughed. "I always believed that love was a many splendored thing…you can't deny the joy it brings.  The guy would give you a dozen roses and a diamond ring. And you would live out your dreams; it would be like a fairy tale. It'll make you hear a symphony and you would want the world to see. But I didn't know it was like a drug and it could make you blind. It could fool you every time."

"I was a fool, it's true," Lily continued. "I played the game by all the rules. Now my world's a deeper blue. I'm sadder…but I'm wiser too…. Every time I turn around, I think I got it all figured out…. My heart keeps callin'…and I keep on fallin' over and over again. This sad story always ends the same…me standing in the pouring rain. It seems no matter what I do…it tears my heart in two."

"The trouble with love," James finally spoke. "It can tear you up inside. Make your heart believe a lie. But it's stronger than your pride. Love doesn't care how fast you fall, but you can't refuse the call. You got no say at all. That's the trouble with love."

James looked into her eyes. They were filled with so much pain. Lily's face looked thoughtful.

"You're talking like it's happened to you before," Lily said.

James smiled at her. "I think I have a faint idea of what's goes on." She smiled back at him.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now," James said. He got up and walked to the door. Lily's eyes followed him.

I swear I'll never love again, Lily thought. I swear my heart will never mend. Love isn't worth the pain. But then I hear it call my name…

"Lily?" James said from the doorway. Lily looked up at him, realizing he was still there.

"Good night," he said. Lily smiled at him, and he walked out the door.