Hello, readers here it is the next chapter to my fic. This chapter does provide more clues as to why Lily is behaving the way she is. The next few chapters will explain all though.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the wonderful world known as Potterdom. It is all J.K.R's.

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Chapter 23: A Cousin Knows These Kind Of Things

James searched the halls until he felt he knew the castle like the back of his hand. He had gone to her dance studio first her favorite place to go. Then he made his way to the astronomy tower. Lily loved to go up there and watch the stars. He was about to turn up to the tower when he heard someone run down a hallway. Lily. He ran toward the sound of feet pounding when the sound stopped. James looked around quickly and saw a few open classrooms. James ran down the hallway checking each and everyone of the rooms. James was just about to give up when suddenly he heard, voices? Yes he wasn't going crazy he was hearing quiet whispering. He ran towards the door and when he got to the door way he saw, Sirius?

"Sirius? Is that you?" breathed James.

Sirius turned and carefully hid Lily but let James glimpse the presence of a girl in his arms. "Have you seen Lily?"

"Nope, she's your girlfriend not mine Jamesie poo," and with that James started running out of the room once more.

Where is she!? James' anger from what happened started to deteriorate. It was replaced by worry. I wonder if she's hurt? She looked very upset when she ran out. I hope she didn't do anything crazy. No she wouldn't do that. I've got to find her I'm going crazy!

James swept though the halls all night. Not stopping for anything or anyone. He ran straight past Filch and kept on running though Filch screamed as loud as possible for him to stop. Being the troublemaker he was he knew that he had not been seen just heard. He had hid in the shadows trying not be seen in the moonlight that shone though the windows.

It was dawn before James gave up and trudged up to his dorm and was greeted by Remus and Sirius going down to breakfast.

"James! Where have you been? Were you and Lily out all night!? What in the world were you doing that you were out all freakin night!!!" screeched Remus.

James walked right by him and Sirius over to his bed on which he fell. He was tired and ached in places he didn't even know he had. Sirius and Remus just stared at their friend. Only Sirius had known where he was last night. Only he had no idea he would have been out all night. He walked over to Remus and motioned for him to follow him the two walked into the common room and decided to let James sleep for an hour while they were at breakfast before their first class. Which happened to be Defense Against the Dark Arts. The two proceeded down the corridor to the great hall and as soon as they got there both began to pile mountains of food on their plates.

Finally after satisfying his tummy long enough to talk Remus spoke trying to make words come out of his mouth instead of the noises he was getting while trying to eat and talk at the same time. " 'o wha' do ya' recon' appen' to Jame',"

Sirius looked at his friend in a puzzled look then replied. "Don' kno' le' 'im be," Remus shrugged and then stuffed his face with some more hash browns.

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James entered the D.A.D.A room a little late but Professor Slander was a nice guy and always cut James some slack. James had hoped to get a seat next to Lily but the only one open was in the back and he carefully slide in trying not to draw to much attention to himself. He craned his neck to see who had taken his seat next to Lily and then was going to make a mental note on payback. However, he couldn't get a good look, the person he could tell was a guy, that was enough to make him mad. Maybe if it was Avril he wouldn't have been so grossly upset but instead some stinking filth of a man was sitting next to his precious Lily. James felt his face burning, and quickly tried to cover it up but his attempt was feeble. His face hot and red James tried to take notes and listen to the lecture going on in front of the room, only he couldn't because every time he tried to write he would hear them whispering about something up front, and burn his quill to ashes.

It was a good time later until James finally calmed himself down enough to make it through class without lashing out at who ever was sitting in HIS seat. Classes were over but not before an essay was assigned. Then he got up and couldn't believe it! The guy who had been sitting next to Lily had turned around to reveal… Sirius!?

James was in shock. Sirius was the low life who had stolen his seat next to his girl? He was so confused. Lily left through the door not even second glancing at him. Sirius however was a different story. James grabbed him and dragged him to an abandoned hallway. "What the hell are you doing with Lily? Do you know that I was looking for her all night, why do you think I came in so early this morning? And then I find you sitting next to her and whispering what did she say!?"

"Yo, Prongs chill man your scaring me we were just talking and I didn't even think you would show up. She was telling me what she thought on the professors lecture and how accurate it was," said Sirius as James let him out of his grasp and slowly backed away. Just then two other figures rushed around the corner.

"James what are you doing?" asked Remus as he ran over to James and Avril over to Sirius.

"I, I, you know when," started James but he couldn't say it.

"He was upset because he caught me sitting next to Lily apparently they had a fight, and James thought she had said something to me about it."

"Padfoot? How did you know we had a fight?" asked James staring hard at his Sirius.

"Well, you see I sort of found her last night and helped her back to the common room. She was scared James, scared of you what did you do to her!?"

screamed Sirius.

"That's it I don't know. I told her she was spending to much time down in the dance studio and not enough with the people who care about her. I don't know why but she freaked and but a charm on me it took me a while to undo it and by the time I was free she was gone. I looked all night, I wanted to apologize and talk but I couldn't find her and I poured myself into bed sometime this morning. I don't know what happened, the next thing I know is I see her with you this morning and it made my blood boil when it seemed she could talk to you and not me," said James taking a deep breath. "I don't know what happened."

"I think I do," said Avril speaking for the first time since her and Remus' arrival. "James did Lily ever, I am not sure that this is mine to tell," Avril said as she looked up into James' eyes. "I have to talk to Lily first to see if its what I think it is. If it is James it wasn't your fault because you obviously don't know. I have to go talk to her. See if she is okay. I'll be back a little later and hopefully with Lily," she walked over to Remus and Sirius, and said in a low whisper "keep an eye on him, I'll be back soon," then she walked over to James and hugged him. "It'll be okay, I know it will," James nodded and Avril was off.

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Avril approached the door to her and Lily's shared dorm and walked in slowly opening the door. "Lils? You in here?"

"I'm here," said Lily quietly. She was sitting on the window seat staring out at the Hogwarts grounds. She turned when she saw Avril enter her cheeks were tear stained.

Avril rushed over to her and engulfed her into a hug. "Shhh, its okay he doesn't understand. It's okay he doesn't know what kind of pain you've gone through what I've gone through," Lily looked up at Avril and saw the tears that cascaded from her now blurry eyes.

Lily had forgotten how it had affected Avril too. The loss of a loved one. Avril was the only one who didn't blame her for the death of Lily's mother.

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There it is!! I'm sorry to leave it there like that. Trust me I will make it worth the wait. I promise!! Please review! Thank you for reading!

~*~Midnight~*~