The Flirting Game

By…Me!

Disclaimer: Nothing except the plot and all the characters that have been made up are mine.

Author's Note: Okay, sooo this is a new idea of mine. Make that 2 Lily and James fics I'm workin' on. I hope I can keep up. I'm not sure if this one is going to last. I'm kind of experimenting on it, if it's good or not. I'm also not that sure on the plot line, and I've only got seven pages of this. I hope you guys like it! Thanks!

-Elle

Chapter One:

I was walking down a corridor in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school I went to, just minding my own business. I'm a witch, you see. At this point of my life, everything was going well. I had a boyfriend, many other friends, popularity, and good grades; everything a person could ask for. I was in my sixth year when this all started; when I personally think I became a woman.

I was walking toward the library, planning on finishing up an essay that was due in History of Magic when I heard two people whispering and some movements. Being the curious gossip queen I was, I couldn't help but eavesdrop.

I stopped in the hallway and silently pried open the door, just enough to get a view of what was going on. What I saw shocked me. James, my boyfriend, the love of my life, and Jennifer, my arch enemy, were in each other's arms, quite close. The space lessened and soon they were making out, heading toward a desk.

"James…" I whispered, watching them French-kiss with such intensity.

I felt an overpowering wave of jealousy rush over my body. Anger was beginning to boil deep inside. And my throat was getting tight.

I remembered just how the night before James had kissed me with the same intimate feeling. How could he do this to me? After all I had told him. After all I had let him do to me. How could he just drop it? Forget about me?

Maybe what Sam, my best friend, had been telling me since I had been seeing James was true: he just wanted to screw me.

Others, like Remus Lupin, had also warned me not to fall for him, but I did. Head over heals. And all James did was see it as a chance to get laid. That's all I was: some easy bitch.

I could stand no longer to watch this love affair. My anger was raging too much to just slink away into shadows and pretend nothing happened. But that's exactly what did happen. I tore down the corridor, tears streaming down my face.

To this day, I still have no idea why I did that. I could have ended it right then; skipped all the following drama. But, I loved him. At least, I thought I did. He was my first boyfriend. I didn't know what I wanted. I did have most of my firsts with James. I learned things about kissing and sex with him, one of the worst yet best ways to learn.

However, I'm somewhat glad I did run away that night. The events following helped me mature in every way possible.

I ran into the Gryffindor common room in tears, causing many faces, including Remus', to turn my way.

The common room immediately grew silent, which burst me into tears again.

No one tried to comfort me. No one chased after me as I sprinted up the boys' stairs.

I swung the seventh year boys' dorm door open. Later, Sirius tells me, I looked demented with mascara smears. The color in my face was drained out from shock.

Paul Grant, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Robert Frost (a/n: heh heh), other seventh years, all stared at me with mouths wide open.

"He kissed her!!" I shrieked, breaking down once again.

Sirius immediately stood up and rushed over to me, hugging me tightly. I grasped him back. It felt like he was the only thing left keeping me from blowing up.

I think right about then Paul and Robert left quietly, not wanting to be a part of it, closing and locking the door on their way out.

After a few minutes of just crying in Sirius' arms, he led my weak body (and shattered spirit) over to his bed. I wonder why I went to Sirius when I found James kissing another girl. I never had thought of Sirius as a good friend, but I guess things can change. Perhaps the reason I went to James' dorm was to see if what I saw was some cruel joke and that when I got there, James would be laying on his bed waiting for me. I was lost and still in shock.

"Who kissed who?" Sirius questioned, closing the curtains around us.

I felt my throat start to tighten again. I forced myself to swallow.

"Lils, come on. You can tell me," Sirius said, draping his arms around my shoulders taking me into a friendly and comforting hug. He was my support rock.

"James. I saw him…" I whispered.

"Saw him what? Kissing? Kissing who?"

"J-Jennifer!" I cried hysterically, collapsing again.

"What!? Lily…I'm…so sorry…"

"About what? There's nothing to be sorry about. I was stupid enough to fall in love with a…a player! I should've known! I should've listened!" I exclaimed in despair.

"You aren't stupid. James is just insecure with some things."

Sure, I was thinking, My ass. James was not only secure with himself; he was the biggest fucking asshole in the world. Why had I been so stupid? He just wanted to screw me, the younger, sixth year girl. I was just an object to him. That was all.

"I don't know what I'm going to do… I still love him," I said. Sirius took his arms off of me.

"You're going to suck it up, forget about James, and move on, Lils. You can do it!" He smiled and punched my shoulder playfully.

"I can't believe this. Did you know he was cheating on me?" I asked, my lips quivering.

"Not specifically with Jennifer, but I knew he wasn't just sleeping with you…" Sirius admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" I asked in frustration, standing up.

"I – I don't think you would've believed me! And plus, it would've hurt you! I didn't – "

"This has hurt me enough! Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this!?" I whispered slumping back down onto the bed.

Fury again was building up. I knew I had to take it out on someone or something. If I didn't soon, I would go on an anger rampage.

"Lils! It's o-k! Everything's going to pass! Just break up with him and move on! You've got to!"

"I can't. I – I love him. I think he loves me in return. I think he just…just kissed Jennifer to prove his love for me. That he didn't feel anything for Jennifer!" I said, trying to force myself into believing it.

"Lily…it's not like that –,"

"Yes," I interrupted. "It is. I'm – I'm sure that's why he did it. Yes, that's why."

I stood up, happy but miserable at the same time. I was fooling myself. James didn't kiss her for that reason, and I knew it. I just needed an excuse; an excuse for him. He did love me, right? I thought so. But I still had the sinking feeling.

"Thank you so much, Si. You helped! I know he loves me though. I know it!" I exclaimed, with the most determination I could muster.

"You're fooling yourself Lily. That's all I'm saying."

For the first time, I saw Sirius look at me with care and concern. Almost as if he felt something for me.

No, I thought, He doesn't like me! But, what if he did? Did I like him? Maybe as a friend. I wasn't sure.

"Thanks for caring, Si, but I think I can take care of myself!"

With that, I walked out of the dorm room, with an utmost feeling of confidence, which wasn't saying much.

Later, feeling somewhat better, I was sitting in the common room taking to Sam.

My feelings were a bit higher. I had convinced myself James indeed loved me. Though, deep down, I knew he did not. I was just an object to him.

James walked in, looking somewhat wiped out. Immediately, the image of he and Jennifer crossed my mind.

My throat started to tighten, but I forced myself to swallow and smile.

He saw me, brushed a piece of beautiful black hair away from his eyes, and sauntered over, grinning.

"Hey, baby!" he said smoothly, sitting down and kissing my lips.

"Hey, sweetie. You look so tired! Where were you?" I asked.

I knew damn well where he had been. But, I loved him so much I couldn't believe it. I was in denial. I knew he loved me as well. He would never hurt me.

"Quidditch practice. You know, I wanted to sharpen up on my moves," he lied.

"Oh. You'll do wonderful in this weekend's game, like always!"

We both grinned.

James pulled me close and kissed me again. I kissed him back.

"Do you love me?" I asked.

James stopped kissing me and gave me a quizzical expression.

Please, I thought, Say yes! I need you!

In reality, I knew what he was thinking. No, he was thinking, I don't love you at all. You're just an object to me, and I don't care about you.

Just thinking about that made my eyes water.

"Of course I love you, Lily!" James said. "Why do you ask?"

There, I told myself, He loves you! He was just kissing Jennifer to make sure he loves me! There's nothing to worry about!

I should've said something about Jennifer, but I couldn't bring myself up to it. I was willing to forget it. It hadn't meant anything, right?

"Just making sure. That's all," I replied.

"You should always know I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you!"

He smiled reassuringly and put his arm around me.

I smiled back and snuggled into his warm chest.

This is how it always should be, I thought, This is how it will be! Forever.

James and I sat there staring into the fire. We were both lost in thought. At least, I was.

I sat and pondered my relationship with James: how in love we were and how we would stay that way. In my eyes, it was too good to be true. James was running his fingers down my back and through my hair.

The common room door opened a couple minutes later revealing the tall blonde I loved to hate: Jennifer Cross.

I didn't feel James tense up, but I sure did.

She looked a bit flushed, but maybe it was just my imagination.

I watched as she sat down across from James and me and began flirting with some younger guy, who had been talking to his friends. The boy immediately blushed a deep crimson as his friends gawked.

I made a face in disgust.

James must've felt me tense up when Jennifer came in, because he asked,

"What's wrong?"

He led nothing on. He acted no different than the last time I'd talked to him.

"N-nothing. Look, you want to go up to my dorm room? I don't think anyone's up there…"

I hoped he would say yes, so things could go back to normal. Plus, everyone knew James would never skip a chance to mess around.

"I'd rather not. I'm quite sleepy, actually. Practicing wore me out…" James answered, yawning.

My heart dropped like a stone. I couldn't take much more.

You're being paranoid, I told myself. It was an act of love. I knew it. Everything would be fine.

"It's ok," I said aloud. "I guess I'm tired too. In fact, I'm going to bed. Goodnight!"

I kissed James for a long time, and then ran all the way up the stairs.

Sam was already in bed, asleep. I guessed she had gone up sometime when James and I were cuddling.

So I crawled into my bed. However, I did not fall asleep.

I was in thought; thought about James. This hadn't been the only night he'd been "too tired" to mess around. Maybe every night he was "too tired", he'd been with other girls.

No, I thought, He wasn't! Don't think of that!

But I couldn't help myself. As the night progressed, my suspicion increased.

I was scared about the relationship. I loved him so much. I was sure he was "the One", but I couldn't stand cheating boyfriends and girlfriends.

Maybe, I thought, If I started cheating on him or started to flirt with one of his friends, he would get jealous and stop cheating on me. Yes, that would work.

I smiled to myself, proud that I had the answer to the problem, and fell asleep.

Author's Note 2: Hope you liked this. Tell me if you did so I'll post more. ;)

-Elle