A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Muchly appreciated. ^.^ I'll just remind you that constructive criticism isn't necessary at this time, because I'm a lot better at writing than I was when I typed these first parts of the story out… hehe. Thanks so much for reading! Now, let's get on with chapter two. I'm not especially fond of this part, but I suppose no writers are happy with all their work…

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Chapter Two: In Which Lily Receives a Note With No Written Name



"Oy! Evans!"

Lily turned around to see a tall, well-built boy with long, black hair walking toward her, book bag swinging from his shoulder. It was Sirius, one of James's "handsome" friends.

"What?" she said, not wanting to be late for Charms.

"I want to ask you something."

Lily's eyes widened. "Oh, no… not you, too…"

Sirius laughed softly and shook his bangs out of his eyes. "It's nothing like that… I was wondering why you turned James down at breakfast."

"What? You saw that?"

"No, but James told me."

"Oh. Why?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm his friend."

"Er… but…"

"Well, he wanted me to ask you why you turned him down. But don't tell him I told you. I promised I wouldn't…"

"Why, the filthy little—oh, why did I turn him down? I don't like him. I hate him, in fact."

Sirius frowned. "Er… you… hate him?"

Lily didn't hesitate to nod.

He rubbed his neck with the palm of his hand. "Er… he won't like me for telling him that…"

"Well, that's too bad, because it's the truth, isn't it? Besides, I tell him that practically every day!" and with that, she turned around and walked away, toward the marble staircase.

She stopped abruptly in her tracks when she heard Sirius call, "Oh, and Remus says hello."

* * *

During Charms, Lily was feeling very happy, even though James had spoiled her morning. Her ceramic sculpture of a little girl was now politely shaking hands with Ellen's.

Another reason she was in a good mood was because whenever Remus caught Lily looking at him, instead of pretending he hadn't noticed, he would make eye contact and smile.

"Do you like him? That bookworm?"

"Er… no, of course I don't."

"Good, because if his hair was greasier, and his nose more hooked, he'd be Snape's twin…"

"No he would not! He and Snape are very different!"

Ellen raised an eyebrow at Lily as their little sculptures gave each other a high-five. "Whatever you say…"

* * *

Lily walked quickly onto the empty Qudditch pitch, broom in hand, as the sun began to set. She had a football that she'd brought from home under her left arm.

She mounted her broom, and kicked up off the ground. A surge of pleasure filled her chest as she zoomed once around the field, and then stopped to a hover just in front of the goal posts. She got out her wand, pointed it to the football and muttered, "Allisio," and it zoomed out of her arms, made a U-turn, and started to pelt toward the left hoop. Lily quickly swerved toward it and blocked the ball with ease.

"Bravo!" came a voice from down on the ground. "Excellent, Lily!"

She scanned the pitch with her eyes, and spotted Remus Lupin, who was clapping heartily.

Lily soared downward toward him. "Thanks! I know, I have gotten better, haven't I?" She touched the ground and dismounted her broom.

"Better? You're amazing! That looked really difficult!"

Lily blushed slightly.

"No offence, but last year you couldn't block a thing! How many hours a week did you practice over the summer?" Remus asked excitedly.

"I tried to get eight hours a week, but it usually ended up only being five or six."

"Well, I don't see why you need to practice now." He smiled. "You're really excellent. Are you going to try to make the house team this year?"

"Definitely. I have a really good feeling about this one. I'm gonna make it!"

"I bet you will." He beamed at her.

Lily looked down and grinned.

"Do you play much Qudditch?" she asked, looking at him again.

"Me?" he said, laughing and sweeping his hair out of his face as the wind blew it there. "No, no. I can't play to save my life. I can fly, though. I've never fallen or crashed. … Whoa… nice broom," he said, spotting it. "A Cleansweep Eleven…"

"Yeah, I got it for Christmas last year. It's the newest model… you wanna try it?" she asked, holding it out for him.

Remus looked like he was going to die of happiness. "Yeah, I wanna try! Thanks!" he said breathlessly as he took it from her.

Lily watched him soar upwards, and then she noticed that the football was still zooming through the goal posts at great speed.

* * *

"How was practice?" asked Ellen, at dinner.

"Excellent. Magnificent! Better than I ever hoped!"

Ellen made a face that said "Okay…" but Lily didn't notice.

"Oh, look. It's Snivellus," said James, a few feet away.

Snape came walking, shoulders forward, into the Hall.

"What's the matter, Snape? Cat got your tongue?" asked Sirius.

Snape ignored them and sat down. Lonely and friendless were two words that described him best.

Ellen seemed to be thinking the same. "It's too bad he doesn't have any friends."

"Er, okay, go talk to him."

Ellen's eyes widened. "No, no, I meant, er, too bad we don't want to do anything about the fact that he doesn't have any friends."

Lily chuckled and returned to her mashed potatoes.

A minute later, Ellen handed her a piece of folded parchment. Lily looked at her quizzically, but Ellen shrugged and jerked her head toward the marauders, who were busy looking at an old, worn piece of parchment.

Lily opened it, frowning. It read, in small, neat writing:

Lily,
Meet me in the common room tonight at midnight. We need to talk.

"What's that all about?" asked Ellen, who had glanced at it over her shoulder.

"I don't know. There's no name," she said, staring at it.

"Do you think it's Potter?" she asked, looking at him.

"I don't know."

"Who do you think it is?"

"I don't know."

"Er, who could it be?"

"I don't know, Ellen. I mean, I have a few guesses, but…" she left her sentence hanging as Remus smiled at her from across the table, a couple yards away.