Title: False Perfection

Summary: Lily thinks her life is perfect- a great boyfriend, great friends, good grades, and pretty much anything a sixteen-year-old girl could want. But maybe her life isn't so perfect. Maybe the missing piece is the person she'd least expect it to be…R/R!

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Everything's J.K.'s except a few characters, some of the plot, and most of the events…

Wow! 18 reviews from 14 reviewers! Yay! Lol! Thanks to the following!!! ;)…

Lilyflower8602: Why 2 minutes and 34 seconds? Hmm…you'll see some time!! ;) Oh, and about Cordelia and Evan? Only time will tell…;)

Kidfun7: Will do! ;)

tania: I'm glad you think so! ;)

YoukaiTaiji-ya (formerly known as ChaChaChica): Glad you loved the first chapter, if not the rest! That is, if you got around to reading them…;)

George: You are quite the nice person! ;) Thanks for the chapter-by-chapter breakdown! I really appreciate it! Hopefully I can use your critique to make the next chapters all the better! ;)

kristatwen: I know! Sirius is crazy and all, but I've got something planned for future chapters! ;)

fluffe123232002: Hey Heather! Of course I'll email you when I update! Either email, or I'll tell ya on MSN! ;)

PranksterQueen: Glad you think so! ;)

Senna: I'm trying! ;)

Liz: Thanks for both of your posts! I'll email you as soon as this is posted!

duckmiso: Maybe I'll check Sin out! Thanks for reviewing! ;)

mystikalolo: Thank you! ;)

Phoenix28: I'm glad you see it, too! And thanks for the wonderful review!

Lawwwren: Thank you for all three of your reviews! They really made me proud to have you as a reviewer! ;)

Author's Note: Is it just me, or do I use ;) -- that guy entirely too much!?!? Probably just me…I'm sooo sorry it's taken me so long to update! It's been what? 6 months? Crazy! Again, very sorry! Anyway, here's more! Hope you like it! This is by far the longest chapter I've written for this story! Or rather, am about to write! ;)

CHAPTER 7: JEOPARDY

The first Quidditch match of the season was on its way to Hogwarts. Gryffindor would be pitted against Ravenclaw, and both thought their own would conquer (This was back when Ravenclaw had a pretty good team, so Slytherin and Gryffindor didn't have too much more talent.). The Slytherins, of course, would be cheering for Ravenclaw, and the Hufflepuffs were evenly divided between the two.

Both teams could be seen training for the leering match. If one wasn't on the pitch, the other was, with the exception of class times. If anyone was nervous though, it was Lily. It was, after all, her first match ever, and she wanted it to go well. She was slightly worried that she would end up making a fool of herself in front of the entire school, but told no one this, with the exception of Andrea.

The day of the match, the team was eating breakfast, and going over their tactics for the battle.

"Right. Well, I think you all pretty much got the idea," James concluded after a good half hour of a very repetitive one-sided conversation. The rest of the team just nodded, either completely bored by the whole speech, or too nervous to do much more.

The team stood, gathering their brooms and such, preparing to head out to the pitch. As they did so, they received whispers of good luck from various students, mainly Gryffindors. Lily, of course, received a good luck kiss on the cheek from Evan. Then, they walked together, in an unintentionally organized fashion, their faces set. The Slytherins hissed as they passed, but then, that was expected.

When the team reached the corner of the pitch, they all stopped to survey their surroundings. Some of the new players looked a little nervous, unsure as to why they were just standing there. Others were used to James' manner before a game, and waited for him to say something.

"Hmm.……..The ground's a fair bit moist, but not so much that we won't get a good takeoff. The skies are clear of clouds and birds, so it shouldn't be too hard to spot the Snitch. The Sun's a bit bright, today, though, so try not to get blinded. It'll move west as we play on, so watch out for it! Hopefully, you all remember the plays we've been practicing. If not, don't worry too much about it. Just do what you feel is right, and we can work on it later. This is, after all, only our first game," James informed the team. They all nodded, signifying that they were at least awake, if not listening, and waited for more.

However, before James could even open his mouth, the doors to the front of the school opened at students poured out, anxious for the game to start.

"Right! Best be getting off to the locker rooms to change! Hurry up now!" James ordered, and of course, the team went. Lily didn't even have anything to say about his ordering them about. But then again, she did look a little bit sick at the prospect of her very first Quidditch game. She had hardly said a word all morning!

The announcer for the game that day was a Hufflepuff by the name of Davey Gudgeon, which was the best the teachers could do for the match. If they had picked a student from any other house, there would have of course been biased commentating. This Hufflepuff in particular was impartial to both teams, though maybe wasn't the most, well, knowledgeable about Quidditch.

Remus, Sirius, and Peter were seated with their fellow Gryffindors. They had come to the match with Patrick, Andrea, and Evan, as they were all in the same year. Though they hadn't invited her, Cordelia came along anyway, and there was no protest.

Lily waited nervously behind the wooden gates to the pitch with the rest of her teammates. She looked around at her new teamsters (A/N: lol! Sorry to interrupt and all, but I looked 'teammate' up in my computer thesaurus thing, and I thought that was hilarious! So I put it in ;)), hoping to see some sort of reassurance in their expressions, but instead found looks of confidence, something she didn't feel at the moment. She looked up at James, who was at least a foot taller than her, and somehow managed to catch his eye. He looked startled to see her staring at him at first, but then grinned slightly, and she grinned back. She somehow felt a bit better about the upcoming match, and relaxed a bit. Not a lot, but it was a start.

From behind the gates, they could hear the commentating start...

"Welcome, fellow classmates of Hogwarts, to a beautiful Saturday afternoon here on the Quidditch pitch!" There were loud cheers from all around the stands. It was clear that Davey had been practicing for this moment. However, this was as far as he'd gotten in his speech. He figured that after a sentence or two, he'd get the hang of it and be fine. However, it seemed that the Whomping Willow had hit him a little too hard in the head the year before, because he was absolutely flustered.

"Um, we, of course, are, um, here...to watch...Quidditch! Yes that's it! Quidditch! And it's a, um, lovely morning! Oh wait, I already said that, didn't I?!? Ohhhhhh!!!" Davey was quite upset with himself. Lily felt so bad for him. It was, after all, his first time commentating. However, she was a bit glad by this show. Maybe then if she messed up, it wouldn't be so bad compared to Davey's abysmal commentating! She nearly slapped herself for being so horrid, but that was before Davey started to speak again, "Um, well...We have Gryffindor pitted against Ravenclaw, as I'm sure you all know! And...here are the Ravenclaws!" Davey looked like he was about to vomit, as he turned pale and had a sickly look on his face. However, he took a few breaths, and this seemed to calm him down.

"And it's Davies, the captain of the team, as well as their ever-excellent Beater!" Davey exclaimed. Cheers sounded from the crowd. Or rather, two-thirds of the crowd.

Lily half-smiled, glad that Davey had gotten over his slightly awkward beginning. However, she heard a scoff coming from her left, where she knew James was standing. She wasn't sure if this was because he wasn't glad that Davey had regained his composure, or whether he was a bit miffed at the line about Samuel Davies' skills, though she was leaning toward the latter.

"And Ravenclaw's other beater, Gregory Deadmarsh! Quite a morbid name, but I think his skills will prove the opposite!" More cheers were heard, and Davies seemed to gain more confidence. He continued, getting quite excited, "And their Chasers! Stephanie Nash, Darryl Sutter, and Bradley Conrad! I've heard they're quite the line, and today's game will be an example of that!" Davey was bouncing in his seat now, practically giddy, "And the Ravenclaw Keeper, Graham Dredge! Following close behind, it's, last, but not least, Daniel Hopkins! I have been informed that he is one of Hogwarts greatest Seekers since...well, since a long time ago!"

Even in the dim light, Lily could see James rolling his eyes and smiling at her. Lily smiled shakily back, and waited for the Gryffindor introductions.

"First we have James Potter, Gryffindor Captain, and the team's Seeker! (A/N: I am thoroughly confused about what position James plays! I honestly don't remember! So whatever! He's a Seeker in this story!) From what I've heard from the girls in the common room, he's not only charming and an overall nice guy, but an amazing Quidditch player as well!"

Lily knew that there were girls who liked James, especially after the many chocolates he'd received the year before on Valentine's Day, so this didn't come as much of a surprise to her. She looked over at James, and noted that he didn't seem too surprised either, as he had a rather cocky grin on his face. But Lily only got a glimpse of it as James pushed open the gate and flew out onto the pitch.

"And now, the Gryffindor Beaters! Misters Scottie Upshall and Brooks Laich! Scottie is a seventh-year, and Brooks, a sixth-year! Together, they are a threat to any team! And the Chasers!" Lily picked up her broom, and mounted, taking a deep breath before doing so. "First we have Amanda Upshall, little sister to Beater Scottie! She is a fifth-year, and this is her fourth year on the team! Next we have Stephen Gilroy! He is a fifth-year as well, and I can tell you right now, that several Hufflepuffs believe he is on his way to breaking the Hogwarts all-time points record!"

Lily looked at Stephen, amazed. He had never said a word about his playing skills, though Lily could see in practices that he was a very good player. She only hoped she could be half as good as him.

"And the final Gryffindor Chaser, new to the team, just joined this year- sixth-year Lily Evans! Lily beat out several amazing Chasers to win her position on this team, and I'm betting James Potter has high expectations for her!" Lily gulped, and flew out onto the pitch. It was like a dream. A blur of images surrounded her. The green grass below, the gorgeous sky above...and between it all, the faces of her fellow classmates. Kids she'd known since first year, she found somehow intimidating. Even Andrea and Evan seemed to shadow her from their spot in the stands.

She quickly snapped out of her reverie, and flew towards the center of the pitch, where both teams were getting in their positions. Lily took her position as well, and nervously stared up at Madame Hooch, the referee for the match. Madame Hooch looked to both sides of her, at both teams to see if everyone was ready. Then she blew her whistle and threw the Quaffle up into the air.

For a moment, the red ball seemed to be suspended in the air, and Lily stared at it, as if in slow motion. But then, within a second, a blur of red shot past her.

"And it's Stephen Gilroy who initially takes possession of the...Quaffle, is it? Right! Well, Gilroy speeds down the wing, and passes to Amanda Upshall, who diques around Bradley Conrad, and passes to..."

Lily took hold of the Quaffle. It took her a moment to realize it, but she soon got over it, and pointed her broom towards the opposition's goal posts. She swerved around the Ravenclaw Chasers, and narrowly missed a Bludger sent her way by Gregory Deadmarsh.

She was very close to Dredge, the Ravenclaw Keeper. He smiled slowly, as if he knew what she was going to do. This frightened Lily, so she did the only thing that came to mind, and threw the Quaffle to her left. Luckily, Stephen was there to catch it, and he quickly threw it into the center hoop.

"And Gryffindor scoooorrrrrrreees! The Gryffindor Lions take a 10-0 lead over Ravenclaw! This match is shaping up to be quite exciting!"

And the match went on. Gryffindor was playing an amazing match, but Ravenclaw was holding their own. Within an hour of play, the score was tied 120-120. Davey was getting tired.

"And that Ravenclaw girl...what's her name? Well, whatever it is, she sends a bludger to what's-his-face, who careens around the thingamajig and flies to the..." This is where he fell asleep. His snores could be heard throughout the stadium, since he was so close to the microphone.

A Hufflepuff girl who was quite the chatterbox could be seen telling people around her about how nervous Davey was the night before, and how she had helped him late into the night, rehearsing for his commentating, which was probably why he was so tired now. She tended to speak in run-on sentences, and no one could get her to shut up.

That was until Davies sent a Bludger hurtling Lily's way. He seemed to like her as a target, since she was racking up points for her team, and getting many assists for the goals.

The Bludger hit Lily straight in the stomach. Lily wasn't even paying attention, so this was very unexpected for her. Naturally, she dropped the Quaffle in her hands, and started to slide off her broomstick.

Meanwhile, James had finally spotted the Snitch, and noticed from the corner of his eye that Daniel Hopkins had seen it as well. But James had the advantage: he was at least twenty feet closer to the golden ball than Daniel.

Just as James was speeding towards the ball, he noticed Lily slide off her broom. He was torn between winning the match and saving one of his best Chasers. He looked at the Snitch, and then at Lily, and back and forth, and to and fro.

He had to make his decision fast, because he was nearing the point where it would be impossible to save Lily, if he kept going straight.

Finally, he turned his broomstick downwards, and sped to Lily's aid. He grabbed the redhead by the sleeve, and noticed they were very close to the ground now. James helped Lily onto his broom, not noticing the gasps from the crowd around him.

James looked up and saw Daniel Hopkins close his fingers around the Snitch, and he winced. They had lost the match.

Yes, you dolt, but you saved Lily! James thought. It certainly was better than winning any game. And now she would be grateful forever, and maybe...

No! She'll never like you, James! She's with Evan! She'd never leave him for you!

James flew slowly down to the ground, with Lily barely holding onto his robes for support. She was winded from the Bludger.

A crowd of teachers and students awaited him on the grass. Evan held Lily, who was shaking. James got off his broom, and immediately saw Sirius, Peter, and Remus, who smiled at him.

"I'm so proud of you Jamesie! You saved someone's life! And Lily's, no less!" Sirius cried, overjoyed. He then glared suspiciously, "And I thought you hated her..."

Remus shook his head, "I never thought I'd see the day James Potter put Quidditch second. But you proved me wrong James."

Sirius nodded, "Ravenclaw may have won points-wise, but it was a moral victory for the Gryffindor Lions."

Peter nodded, "Great flying, James! You would've beat Hopkins even if you were forty feet behind him."

James shook his head, "Thanks guys."

Just then, Professor McGonagall walked over, "Well done, Mister Potter. Miss Evans will reside in the hospital wing if you wish to visit her later." James nodded, and Professor McGonagall turned and walked away.

"You coming, James?" Remus asked, as he, Sirius, and Peter turned towards the castle.

"I'll be there in a second," James responded. He walked over to Lily and Evan, who was holding his broomstick.

Lily and Evan turned towards James, and they both smiled.

"Thanks for saving me, James," Lily grinned, "But we lost."

"You're worth more than any game, Miss Evans," James smiled, "Evan, you take care of her now. Make sure she doesn't fall off of anything else! I won't always be there to save her."

Evan smiled, "Of course James. Thanks for saving her. I don't know what I would've done if you didn't save her."

Probably kill me, James thought. But he smiled, and took the broomstick from Evan's hands, "I should probably be getting inside. Sirius will probably be holding a victory party in the common room."

Lily's brow furrowed, "But, we lost!"

"Yeah, but you know Sirius," James rolled his eyes, and mimicked, "'It was a moral victory for the Gryffindor Lions.'"

Evan and Lily laughed, but both stopped when Lily clutched her stomach, and winced in pain.

"We should get you inside, girlie," Evan stated, as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the castle, "See you later, James!"

"Yeah, I'll see you..." James called after them. He then turned, broomstick in hand, and walked towards the locker room, where he took a long, hot shower, and thought about the day's events.

And about how stupid he was to think that he would ever have a chance with the Lily Evans.

~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^

Well, that was the long-awaited (yeah, right) seventh chapter! I hope you guys liked it! I don't know why it took me so long to get up, but it did! And now it's here! Sealed, signed, and delivered! Well, not quite signed yet...

~*~*Shree*~*~

There we go! Please review! Cyaz! ;)