YEAH!!! Lots of reviews! Sorry this chapter took 4ever to write! I wanted to update sooner, but what will be will be! I had school off Fri!!! Yeah! But tech week for one of my performances is this week, so I hope I have time to update, but don't count on it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, including:

Dark-Egyptian- thanks for all your reviews, sorry you didn't like
chapter 6. Y not? Your eh thing is great! That's really cool (!

Laura- I know James is so great, but even he has only so much self-
control. that's as much as I'm saying! Glad you like it!

LogicalRaven- I know it is crazy! But "true love" will make you do
insane things, even lay off Snape- lol! Just wait and see. Snape
will get what's coming to him!

gurl down under- I love James- he's such a sweetie!

Here it is, and as always pls REVIEW!!!!!!!

Ch 9

Dancing Snape

For once in his life James was glad to be in bed with his curtains around him. Sirius had been at him the whole evening. His snide remarks about what a coward James was had not improved James' mood. James was not about to screw things up with Lily just to please his best mate.

The next day was Monday, which did not improve James' temper. He ate breakfast with the Marauders, staring sullenly into his porridge while the other boys talked. They sensed his ill humor though as did Lily, who didn't approached him all morning.

Throughout the day Sirius continued his jabs at James' honor, and by the time they arrived at Care of Magical Creatures, there last class of the day, James could feel his temper rising to the surface, ready to explode. As luck would have it Snape was also in the class.

James was finding hard to ignore both Snape and Sirius and was definitely not paying attention to the lesson. "Mr. Potter," came Professor Mattifax's voice, "I can tell you have been paying attention. What is the difference between a doxy and a fairy?" Remus gave James a small shove.

"Uhhhh." said James a loss, realizing just how stupid he was looking. He looked to Remus for some help, but Professor Mattifax broke in as if reading his mind.

"Mr. Lupin, please refrain from giving Mr. Potter help. An answer Mr. Potter, if you please."

"I don't know," mutter James scowling.

"It troubles me to think of how my class must bore you, but please, at least pretend to pay attention. Yes, Mr. Severus," the Professor turned his attention to Snape who had been waving his hand feverishly in the air.

"The doxy is covered in thick black hair, it has an extra pair of arms and legs, and has small beetle like wings. The fairy has larger wings, more similar to insects, and look like miniature humans," he said with a sneer in James' direction.

Class was over and the Marauders headed back to the castle. "Not going to defend yourself?" asked Sirius. James did not reply, he just stared at the ground and walked faster.

That was when Snape shouted in their direction: "why are you walking back to the castle so quickly Potter. Are you scared of me, or are you looking for your mudblood girlfriend?"

It was too much for James. He stopped and suddenly turned back to face Snape. Before Snape knew what was happening his wand was flying through the air and he was floating feet from the ground.

"TARANTALLEGRA!" cried James and Snape's feet move in a wild uncontrolled dance five feet in the air. The students returning from Care of Magical Creatures gathered to watch at some distance. Even Sirius stayed at a distance from the look of fury on James's face.

Lily looked down the hill and laughed out loud. Snape was doing an odd little dance, obviously egged on by a wand. Her dislike for Snape had grown since he had called her a mudblood in her fifth year when she had tried to help him. Her smiled faded as Snape's tormentor came out from behind a tree. It was James!

/How could he?/ she thought. /He promised to stop being so cruel. How could I be so stupid to actually think he could change?/ Well she wasn't going to save Snape this time. But she would have to deal with James!

That evening after dinner she followed James into the common room. "What was that?" she asked, trying to stay calm.

"What?" said James, looking genuinely confused.

"Playing innocent are we? I saw what you were doing to Snape today! I thought you said you'd stop that."

"But." James tried to interrupt.

"You lied to me James. I can't believe I fell for you good boy act!"

"Lily be fair!" cried James. "I've kept my promise. Snape's just bad- he gets what's coming to him!"

"What?" she yelled. "Witches and wizards deserve to be picked on because they're 'bad'? You and that evil wizard Voldemort are really two of a kind! I don't know how you became a Gryffindor, you belong in Slytherin!"

"Come on Lily! That's harsh! I just."

"I DON'T CARE JAMES! YOU'RE HORRID AND MEAN AND YOU LIED TO ME! STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!" She finished her rampage yelling loud enough for everyone to hear and stormed up the steps to her dormitory.

James just stood in the middle of the commons room looking flabbergasted. Sirius approached him from a corner, "You must have done something really horrible to piss her off this bad mate! What happened?"

"She caught me having a little fun with Snape this afternoon." "And.?" Asked Sirius.

"She compared me to Voldemort and said I belonged in Slytherin!" said James, still sounding stunned.

Sirius looked surprised. "I meant what else did you do? You picking on Snape is old news!"

James looked at Sirius as if he were ignorant and returned to his own dormitory.

James didn't come down all night. The Marauders grew tired of waiting for him to join them and went up on their own. James was lying on top of a messy bed and had not bothered to draw his curtains. His arms were folded over his stomach and he was staring at the ceiling; he didn't look up when his friends entered. On the floor laid the last snitch he had stolen, its wings, for once, were motionless.

Each of the boys went and sat on his own bed. Sirius looked oddly happy. "So," he asked, rubbing his hands together expectantly, "what's on the agenda for tonight?" No one replied, but Sirius seemed determined to not let this dampen his spirits. "What should we do? Explode a few toilets, go get a snack. I'm open to suggestions."

"Nothing," came a lone sullen voice from James' bed.

"What?" asked Sirius incredulously. "You're finally free! What more do you want?"

"I want Lily damn it! And I no longer have her, no thanks to you."

"What did I do?" protested Sirius, but it was in vain: James had already drawn his bed curtains shut.

In her dormitory Lily was equally miserable. Now she was all-alone. She'd driven everyone off. She felt so isolated all alone in the room. /But I can't go down now/ she thought forlornly. /James might still be there!/ Not only was James gone now, but she had just begun to realize how much she missed Torri and Marie. She hadn't admitted it before, but now, as she lay sobbing on her bed, she finally let herself see how much she needed them.

/I guess girls just need their girl friends./ she thought with momentary bitter hatred for herself. /How could I have screwed things up so badly/ She lay on her bed crying and feeling utterly hopeless until nearly midnight when the other girls returned. She heard them through her curtains, giggling and gossiping and a pang in her chest made her bury her face in her pillow and try, without success, to not begin bawling again. Finally the lights turned out and she could hear only steady breathing. She found she had been holding her breath to stop herself from howling and, parting the curtains, she raced down to the common room.

She knew he wouldn't be there. But she confessed to herself in the darkness that she had hoped he would. She wished she hadn't seen what he did this afternoon, that she hadn't blown up or that it had never happened at all. She wanted him to be there with her, holding her as she cried on the couch.

At long last she cried herself to sleep, still on the couch, still wishing the day had only been a dream.

James ran downstairs, he was going to miss breakfast again! /Damn Padfoot for screwing up my alarm clock/ he thought as he ran into the common room. Before he knew what was happening he realized he was out of control. He slid across the room and slammed into the side of the fireplace. Turning he rubbed his head and did a double take. Was it his imagination or was that Lily sleeping on the couch.

Someone had clumsily draped a blanket over her, and her mouth was open just the tiniest bit. Her closed eyes were red and swollen, and he could tell she had been crying. He felt guilty and protective at the same time. He wanted to go tuck the blanket around her and kiss her innocent face.

/But it's not my fault we're not together anymore/ he though, grinding his jaw. Suddenly he felt unexplainably mad, and he left the room and stalked down to lunch.

Lily woke up with a massive headache. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, wondering why it was so bright. Leaning against the couch back she look lazily around the room. He brain was wildly trying to piece together the events from the night before.

She was tired, /crying takes a lot out of you/ she thought. She felt better though, still rather depressed, but she knew she couldn't cry another drop. Her mouth was dry and her nose stopped up. /I really need a personal day/ she said to herself.

Lily Abigail Evans had never skipped a day of school in her life. She had never even skipped a class. She had thought of it, her friends had done it, but the consequences always seemed too high to her. She loved small pranks and schemes and had secretly admired the Marauders for their brave reckless airs. Perhaps that was why she had always gone out of her way to get them. They were what she was too scared to be, and she had always been ashamed of being afraid. Now she was tired of being such a coward. It wasn't that big of a deal, she had already missed half a day of classes. It was worth it to get a detention if she didn't have to see James or Marie or Torri, or anyone, for that matter, all day.

She threw off the blanket and took a shower in the dormitory bathrooms, something she hadn't done since she became a prefect. It didn't matter because it was deserted. She took a long scalding shower. The steam and heat helped clear out her sinuses.

She returned to her room and decided to write letters. No studying for her today! She wrote on to Julie, her parents, and other muggle friends and relatives. Though she couldn't tell them what was really going on, with each letter she felt a kind of weight being lifted off her shoulders.

As she rolled up the scroll to her family she felt very sad again. She missed them. She missed her room, waking up when she had a cold to find tea and peanut butter toast waiting for her downstairs. Suddenly she wanted tea and peanut butter toast badly. She set aside her letters and took out a book she had wanted to finish for ages.

She had been reading for several hours when a large crack in her room caused her to start and reach wildly for her wand. It had sounded as though someone had just apperated in her room, but she didn't see anyone. Only when she heard a small squeaking voice did she think to look down.

There on the floor was a frightened looking house elf. "We is sorry for disturbing you!" She whimpered.

Lily blushed, "Don't worry about it. What did you come up her for?"

"To straighten your beds Miss! Is there anything else I can do for you you?"

Lily began to shake her head then stopped, a smile slowly spreading across her lips, "Would it be too much trouble for you to get me some tea and peanut butter toast."

Ok- I know I didn't put enough effort into the house elf, but it was the end of the story.

I know Lily's a real goody-goody, but we love her anyway!!!

One final thing to say: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!!!

Next chapter: More friendship stuff, but I'm not going into all the details!

Coming up: A big event, the climax of the story. You may be able to guess what I'm talking about! We'll see!