Disclaimer- I don't own any of these characters except for Ava and Grace, everything else is JK Rowling's. Sounds familiar, eh? ; )


~Chapter 3*


"I could never really love you simply because simply because

Yes I could never really love you simply because of the trust

You've lost my trust"

- "Simply Because"
Rooney



"Lily!" James screamed, rushing over to the limp body on the floor.

"Sod off Potter, I think you've done enough already," jeered Malfoy as he pushed James back and picked up Lily gingerly. He began to make his way towards the hospital wing.

"I never meant-" started James, all the colour drained from his normally optimistic face. He looked over towards his friends for some kind of answer or even just reassuring.

"We know, James," interrupted Sirius with a sympathetic look, "we know."

"I- I have to go see her. I need to explain, I have to apologize."

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"I said no Mr. Potter, you aren't getting in there."

"Please, Madam Pomfry, just give me 2 minutes, I need to see Lily."

"No!"

"But you let Malfoy in there!"

"He's an exception."

James would have retaliated, but he didn't think a solid wood door would have put up much of a fight. Instead, he leaned against the wall behind him
and gave a heavy sigh as he let his body drop down to the floor.

"I'm such an idiot!" James said out loud to himself out of frustration, hitting his head against the wall.

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"How is she doing?" Malfoy asked, hunching over and shoving his hands into his pockets.

"She'll be fine, love. Good as new in no time at all." answered Madam Pomfry as she transferred sterile looking bottles from one cabinet to another. "Look, she's just starting to wake up now."

Malfoy's cold, blue eyes quickly moved from the plump nurse and settled on the stirring figure in the hospital bed. Lily gave a dazed expression at first, but then her eyes slightly widened as if remembering what had happened and why she was there.

"I'll leave you two alone," said Madam Pomfry softly as she slipped out of the room.

"Lily.."

"Yes?"

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you for while now," began Malfoy, almost looking nervous. "Would you. would you go to the Halloween ball with me?"

Lily took in a sharp breath of surprise, this was certainly unexpected. " What about James?" she thought " I guess if he cared that much he would be here right now instead of Lucius. It's like he wants to control me, he can be so immature sometimes. And to think I was actually beginning to trust him."

"Lily? So what do you say, will you go with me?"

She paused for another moment. "Alright," she sighed. "But don't let me regret this," warned Lily as an afterthought with an apprehensive tone.

"You won't," a broad smile broke across his face that seemed rather out of place. "I promise. I should probably get to my classes, I'll see you later."

Malfoy kissed Lily's cheek and walked swiftly towards the door, leaving Lily wondering if she did the right thing.

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A few hours later, Lily walked out of the hospital wing very well rested, only to be bombarded by James.

"Lily, I've been trying to speak with you all day."

"Oh really?" replied Lily

"Yes," began James, not catching the sarcastic tone in her voice. " Lily, I'm so sorry, you have no idea how much. I was only trying to protect you.."

"Protect me?! Why would I need to be protected, if anything you are making things worse. I was perfectly fine until you began to "protect" me. Contrary to popular belief, James, I'm a big girl. I'm 16 for Merlin's sake, I can take care of myself!" retorted Lily.

"No, you don't understand, I overheard Malfoy talking the other night and...."

"I don't want to hear another one of your stories, they won't work on me anymore," interrupted Lily, for the second time now. She began to walk away from him, her back stiff and getting more frustrated by the minute.

"Lily! Wait!" pleaded James, but it had no affect on her, she had her mind made up. No matter how much it killed James inside he knew he would have to accept it.

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The next weekend was planned for a trip to Hogsmead. Ava, Lily, and Grace were planning on going shopping for their dress robes for the Halloween Ball, while the Marauders had other plans. No trip would be complete for them without practically buying out the contents of Honeydukes and Zonkos.

"James, you're going to have to get over her someday, you can't keep moping around here like Qudditch was suddenly outlawed," Sirius said to James as he, James, Peter, and Remus were walking on their way from Herbology.

"Not that that would stop him," added Peter insightfully.

"Thanks for the encouragement there, Wormtail," shot back Sirius. Peter looked down, suddenly preoccupied with his shoes.

"I suppose," sighed James. "But I really hate to leave things like they were, she just won't forgive me."

"Well that's all you can do, mate," said Remus sympathetically.

"I actually thought I was getting somewhere with her though, I was such an idiot."

"You never actually made it clear why you had that fight with Malfoy in the first place," questioned Sirius. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class, Mr. Potter?"

James recalled what he had heard under the invisibility cloak that night, leaving the other three Marauders in shock. They just couldn't believe that Lily Evans could be connected to Voldermort in any way at all and the fact that Malfoy was tailing her made thing so much more surreal.

"I'm sure that if you told Lily that then she would understand," explained Remus after hearing James.

"You don't think I've tried that?!" said James, running a hand through his already untidy hair. "She just won't hear me out."

"Well there's always Hogsmead this weekend," suggested Sirius.

"I don't think a change of atmosphere would really make her suddenly want to forgive me," sighed James.

"Well you never know, Lily certainly is mysterious," implied Remus.

"Mysterious- yes. Stupid- defiantly not," James said hopelessly.

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Ava, Grace, and Lily were all sitting comfortably on Lily's bed in their dorm, discussing the unbelievable events that had taken place that week. Including Lily accepting Malfoy's invitation to the ball.

"So wait," asked Ava again, finding it hard to believe that Lily and Malfoy would be going to the Halloween Ball together. " You and Lucius Malfoy will be enjoying a pleasant evening together on a night that you should be with James?"

"James?!" asked Lily, not believing what had just passed through her ears. "The ignorant marauder that seems that it is his duty to protect me from the world? You have got to be kidding me. I can't stand even looking at him, let alone go to the ball with him."

"I think you're being unreasonable Lily," explained Ava softly. "It was just an accident you know, James has tried to apologize for that so many times, you just won't listen to him."

Lily just rolled her eyes. The truth , even if she didn't want to accept it, was that she wanted to forgive James, but her being angry with him just gave her an excuse to keep him at arm's length. She had this fear of getting close to him, to anyone for that matter, which was why she was always turning down his offers of going out. Because giving into someone and letting them control your feelings, as she had earlier figured out, just gave them the chance to hurt you and throw your whole life off track. And that was the last thing she needed right now, to fall in love with James Potter.

"So Hogsmead this weekend," said Grace, breaking the tension like she usually did. "We'll have to look into Madam Malkin's, I heard she got in a new shipment of dress robes that were to die for."

"Defiantly," added Lily, looking forward to getting her mind off of the drama at Hogwarts and to relaxing at the wizard's village.

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The girls bustled into Three Broomsticks with their hands full of shopping bags, they sat themselves down at a table and gave their orders to Madam Rosmerta. They were then engrossed in deep conversation, with the occasional arise of laughter, making the marauders (who were occupying a near by table) extremely interested in what they were discussing. The next thing James saw made his heart race, Ava and Grace left the table, heading towards the wash room, leaving Lily alone sipping on her butterbeer contently.

"Go on Prongs," encouraged Sirius, also seeing the opportunity. "This is your chance."

James stood up and strutted his way over to Lily, a little too cocky then he intended. She rolled her eyes, noticing his sudden advancement towards her. James took a seat across from Lily and gave her one of his mischievous smirks.

"Is there something I can help you with Potter, or did you just have the sudden urge to come over here," she questioned.

"Actually," he began, the smile disappearing from his face. "I came to apologize, and explain what happened in the Great Hall."

"If it will stop you from continuously bugging me, then by all means, go ahead," she sighed in frustration.

"Well, I guess I'll start from the beginning," he began.

"Good choice," Lily interrupted.

James ignored this and kept going. " I over herd Malfoy talking to Snape when I was walking in the halls one night, and he was saying something about you being in Voldermort's prophecy. So Malfoy's father wants him to start reporting your wear abouts to him. I just wanted him to stay away from you Lily, I never meant to hurt you, I would rather go face to face with a rouged hippogriff."

"That was a lovely performance, Potter, but here's the catch. Do you actually think that I would fall for another one of your stories? I find it hard to believe that Malfoy was stalking me, in fact he asked me to the Halloween Ball."

"What?" James asked, shocked. "What did you say?"

"I said yes."

" Why?! Are you thick?! Can't you see that he's trying to get close to you to impress his father?"

"Because unlike you James, Malfoy isn't full of himself, and he doesn't create far fetched stories, but most of all," She paused as if wanting to emphasize her point. "I can trust him." And with that Lily stood up and walked away, leaving James to go over the last words she said.

Ava and Grace walked out of the bathroom, looking rather confused as to why Lily was walking out the door. Their confusion was dissolved though when they saw James sitting at their table looking crestfallen. They quickly walked out the door, interested in what he said that made Lily so mad.

James walked back over to the marauders, they didn't have to ask how it went, his dismal expression said all they needed to know.

"It's hopeless," James finally managed to get out, shaking his head. He felt as if his heart had been torn to shreds by a particularly violent whomping willow. "Hopeless."


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a/n: So there it is, chapter 3. Sorry it ended kind of suddenly, but I promise the next chapter will be good, and I'll post it soon. Scouts honour. Lets just say that Lily is given a reason to trust James again, maybe even feel a little more. *wink wink nudge nudge* ; )

Thanks for all the awesome reviews, they mean a lot. Please review this as well if you have the chance! And thanks Fei Fei for getting me out of my writers block, and helping me to get rid of pages 4 through 10. Hehe.


Thanks for reading!

~Padfoot356*