Okeedokey...here's chappy four!

WindWriter17- I'd like to say thank you SO MUCH for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me as you're my one and only reviewer! SNAPS FOR WINDWRITER17!!! Merci once again!

-Il Pleut

In Which We Get Everyone Ticked Off

James Potter awoke bright and early to the sound of his own melodious snoring.

'Oh my God. I am SO thankful Lily didn't hear that.' He thought, rolling off of his bed groggily.

"Rise and Shine Snores. Your public awaits." Lily said, waltzing into the room.

James rubbed his eyes, embarrassed. "Tell me you didn't hear that."

"I will hear whatever you want me to hear, and I will not hear whatever you don't want me to hear." Lily said in a sing song voice.

James groaned and stomped off to the shower.

Lily grinned to herself. Today and the rest of the week promised to be rather eventful.

It was breakfast in the Great Hall as usual.

Dumbledore stood to make morning announcements, as usual.

The mail flew in, delivered by owls, as usual.

There were arguments and insults flying back and forth, as usual.

There were two groups of people sitting together. Most Unusual.

The Marauders and The Pink Ladies, were sitting together.

"Excuse me, may I please have your attention." Dumbledore said quietly.

"The headmaster is speaking, and unless you wish to loose house points, I suggest you quiet down so he can continue speaking." Professor McGonagall said firmly.

The Great Hall quieted down fast.

"I would like to thank Miss Evans and Mister Potter for their great ideas on the dance. Which is why I stand before you now. As you all know, it will be a muggle outfitted dance, couples only. Miss Evans here had the great idea to make it like a muggle 'homecoming dance'? Was it? And have the student population at Hogwarts elect a Homecoming court. Your choices for the court will be out of only the seventh years. You will see before you," he clapped, and little sheets of paper appeared before each and every person in the Great Hall, "you will see before you, the ballot. First, we will have nominations. Please write the name of a girl and a boy that you would like to see in the Court."

There was much scribbling.

Lily glanced next to her, and peeked over at what James was writing.

Nominations

Boy: James Potter

Girl: Lily Evans

She rolled her eyes, and scribbled on her paper.

Nominations

Boy: Remus Lupin

Girl: Alyssa Monagan

She didn't think it would be right to choose herself. After all, there was no hope in her winning.

"That was so COOL how he clapped and everything just...appeared!" Tara was saying excitedly later that day.

"Okay, Tara, I know you're just a little bit excited about going to the dance with Lupin, but can we tone down the happiness please? It's giving me a headache." Mariel said, fervidly working on her potions essay some more, "I mean, this is due tomorrow. And you haven't even STARTED."

"Yes I have. I've finished too." Tara said, whipping out a roll of parchment, and unrolling it, proving it to be four feet long. And in her tiny writing, that was about an eight foot essay in Mariel's writing.

"Oh shut up. When did you get the time to finish it? With all the making out you've been doing with Lupin."

"Well, FYI Miss Prissy Pants. All the times that you thought we were...hmm...what were your words? 'Making Out', we were actually working on our Potions essay in the LIBRARY. If you ever went IN there you would have seen us."

"Well ExCUSe me for Assuming!"

"You're excused. Don't let it happen again."

Mariel slammed her quill down on the parchment.

"Is that the best you can do?"

"Cut it out you guys." Alyssa said, trying to get a start on the potions essay.

"No it's not actually. You're just jealous that I'm going to the dance with Remus, and YOU'RE stuck with Pettigrew!" Tara said triumphantly.

"Jealous! Jealous my-"

"You GUYS! PLEASE!" Alyssa said, a little bit louder.

"Oh you KNOW it! You are just SO depressed that you're stuck with Peter Pettigrew, and I get the best looking one of the bunch."

"Well Sirius isn't that bad looking." Alyssa commented without thinking.

"Oh so you're saying that Remus is ugly?"

"No I'm not saying that. Would you stop snapping at us Tara? Geez! I mean, it's only our third day back, and you're already snapping at us!"

"EXACTLY" Mariel chimed in.

"Well it's not MY fault that you two are both jealous."

"Tara you're very lucky I need to finish this essay by tonight otherwise I would have pounded you to the ground by now." Alyssa said, chewing on her quill.

By this time, Mariel too had picked her quill up again, "Me too."

"Oh Come ON. You know I could take both of you."

"Tara. You're making me mad really fast." Alyssa commented dryly.

"Why? I never said anything! All I said, was that Remus-"

"That's it." And now it was Alyssa's turn to slam her quill down, "if you don't stop talking about Remus Lupin and how wonderful he is, and how we're jealous, I swear on my own LIFE I will pound you into a pulp. And don't get me wrong, you are one of my best friends. But I will do it." Alyssa said, deathly quiet.

"Uh huh. I'm calling out you're bluff Alyssa." Tara said, never losing her perkiness.

"You think she's playing, she's not." Mariel said, not taking her eyes off the paper in front of her."

"Whatever." Tara said, flicking her hair.

"THANK you." Alyssa said, thankfully, and sitting back down.

"You ARE jealous though." Tara said, without realizing it.

"That's it. You. Me. Outside. NOW." Alyssa said, rolling up her parchment angrily, and grabbing Tara's wrist in a vice-like grip. "Mariel, watch my stuff."

Mariel nodded indifferently, and continued to write.

"WHAT is your PROBLEM?" Alyssa asked angrily once outside the common room.

"I don't HAVE a problem."

"Oh really? Because it seems to me that Lupin means more to you than we do. I mean, I respect that and all, but you never Shut UP about him."

"And you never talk about Black. Doesn't that strike you as odd? The fact that you and Mariel AND Lily NEVER talk about your dates to the dance?"

"Don't bring Mariel and Lily into this Tara. You have NO right to do that! And anyway, You're the one with the problems!!"

"Um, it seems to ME that I'M the one that's finished with the potions essay that YOU are just barely STARTING"

"Well at least I can every once in a while spare some of my precious TIME with my best friends!"

"So can I!"

"But that's just the POINT Tara! You're never THERE anymore! We TRY to talk to you, and you're not listening. All you ever talk about now is HIM! REMUS LUPIN! EVER THINK THAT WE GET TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT HIM ALL DAY LONG!?!"

Tara's eyes started to well up with tears, "Well you SHOULDN'T! I mean, YOUR date to the dance is a TOTAL player! He will NEVER be faithful to you Alyssa!"

"I don't CARE Tara! It's a ONE TIME THING! I don't EXPECT him to be in LOVE with me after this. I don't EXPECT him to ask me out after this! I don't EXPECT him to ask me to marry him after this! It's a ONE TIME THING! GET IT INTO YOUR THICK HEAD! THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE MARAUDERS WOULD EVER HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH US!"

"Or so you think." Tara said quietly.

"No, Tara. I know it." Alyssa said dangerously. She turned back toward the common room.

"YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO ADMIT THAT YOU'RE JEALOUS OF ME!" Tara yelled at her, truly angry now.

"Jealous? Jealous, really? ME jealous? TARA ARE YOU ON DRUGS?" Alyssa yelled back at her, turning back around to face Tara.

By this time a small crowd had gathered to watch the yelling match.

"Yes, YOU JEALOUS! Remus is the BEST LOOKING ONE OF THE WHOLE GROUP AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"Whatever you say Tara."

"I mean, Lily doesn't DESERVE the attention of James. All he does is try to get her attention, and she never repays it!"

"Like I said, don't bring Lily into this."

"Why not? We've exhausted the topic of you!"

"Fine. Diss Lily in front of ALL OF THESE PEOPLE. But I'm telling you now, she will make your life a living-"

"I DON'T CARE! She's ALWAYS BEEN BETTER THAN ME! ALL OF YOU! I'm SICK OF IT! Oh I'm Lily Evans, Prefect! Oh I'm Lily Evans, Head GIRL! She's ALWAYS BEEN AHEAD OF ME! I mean, she even got POTTER!"

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought it was just a few minutes ago that we were BRAGGING about LUPIN!"

"I AM! Lupin IS the best! Evans doesn't DESERVE the attention of ANYONE!"

"What? Because she's smarter than you? Because she takes the TIME and EFFORT to DO her homework? Because she CARES about the job that she gets? Because she's more focused on school than boys right now? OH yeah. Of course she doesn't deserve the attention of ANYONE. I don't know how you can STAND there and INSULT YOUR BEST FRIEND!"

"I never said Lily was my best friend!"

"Umm YEAH you did TARA!"

"No I didn't!"

"Whatever. I need to finish my potions essay. Can't keep Mariel waiting? Or do you have a bone to pick with her too? Any cutting remarks you'd like to say about her?"

"Don't make me start Alyssa."

"Oh Please DO! This should be good. Let's see how many bogus things you can come up with to INSULT your BEST FRIENDS!"

"I NEVER SAID THEY WERE MY BEST FRIENDS!"

"Whatever Tara."

"Before you go, tell Lundi that she needs to get her nose out of the books if she wants to be pretty and popular like me."

"Mariel is plenty pretty, and she's more popular than You!"

"Psh. Yeah, right. Whatever you say Monagan."

"Oh now you can't even call us by our first names?? NOW I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IF YOU'RE ON DRUGS!"

"You don't deserve to be called by your first names."

"You sound like the Marauders."

"Well maybe they had the right idea."

Alyssa rolled her eyes, clearly not wanting to leave her potions essay unattended for much longer.

"Look, Tara. I am sick and tired of arguing with you. It is the THIRD day of school! Do we REALLY need to be THIS mad at each other?"

"Well if you would just ADMIT that you're jealous-"

"And if you would just SHUT UP when we ask you to then we wouldn't BE in this position!"

"Well I guess that's it then! I don't want to talk to you anymore if all you're going to do is ask me to shut up!" Tara said, tears of anger flowing out of her eyes.

"You know what Tara? That's fine with me. I have a potions essay that matters more to me than you do right now. So if you'll excuse me." She turned on her heel, and shoved through the crowd into the common room.

Tara looked angrily down at the floor. "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" she yelled at the congregation of people. "GO AWAY! THERE IS NO SHOW YOU IDIOTS!" she screamed at them, running through the crowd and away from the Gryffindor common room.

Lily and James were sitting in two of the four chairs in front of the big fire, talking. James was in a chair, Lily was sitting on the couch. They knew it was late at night, but neither of them could sleep.

"It's not that I'm bragging, I mean, I'm just stating a fact. I am your best choice of a dance partner." James said, arrogantly.

Lily ran a hand through her hair. She had put up with this all day, and she was tired of it.

"Changing the subject Potter, you do like me right?"

"What? I never said that." James said casually.

"Yes you did. Last night. I want to know, because otherwise I won't go to the dance with you."

"I never said anything of the sort last night. Why WOULD I? I mean, Me, James Potter, like YOU, Lily Evans? Au Contraire!"

Lily rolled her eyes, "Whatever Potter. I don't feel like getting into a yelling match with you. I'm already in a bad mood."

James found that it was the time to be serious.

"You're really messed up about Tara huh?"

Lily nodded. Then she pulled her feet up on the couch, and curled up into a ball against the back.

James stood, and moved next to her.

"I just can't believe she said all that stuff about me! She had NO right to go spreading untrue rumors. Just because she was mad at Tara. I never even-she never-" Lily trailed off, willing herself not to cry.

'I won't cry. Not in front of Potter. It would just be too weird. But then the past few days have been really weird...'

"Want me to talk to her?"

"No. If that's really how she feels about me, then she can go on about her happy life without me."

Silence reigned for a few minutes.

"Potter, what were some of the other rumors that you heard about me?"

"There were a lot of them...and I know they were probably all lies."

"I know. What were they?" Lily asked again.

"I dunno if you want to know Lils." James said quietly, not realizing what he had just called her.

Luckily, Lily didn't either, "I don't care. What were they?"

James looked at her sadly, then began a long list of the rumors he had heard, "One was that you were not a natural red head. That one isn't so bad right? Another one was that your parents are so poor you live with your grandparents. Another one was that you wouldn't be at the dance because you would look really bad in a muggle dress. Another one was that... Anyway. That's the majority."

"What was that last one?" Lily asked, feeling tears about to fall down her cheeks.

"You don't want to know Lily."

"Yes I do. What was it?"

"That you slept with me." He said quietly.

Lily was shocked that Tara felt that much hate towards her.

"She said that's why I smelled like you..." he trailed off sadly.

"Lily Evans does not cry. Lily Evans is totally independent. Lily Evans doesn't need a shoulder to cry on, or a hand to hold." Lily said to herself, as if trying to convince herself not to cry.

"It's Okay Lily. I won't tell anyone." James said comfortingly.

Lily smiled shakily at him, and then, leaning her head on his shoulder, she cried.

James was shocked at first, but then he began to realize that she was first and foremost, a friend. He put his arms around her and drew her into a hug.

"It's okay Lily." James said soothingly.

"No...no it's not. This school will believe anything." She sobbed into his chest.

"Well you can ignore it...right? I mean, I do all the time."

Lily nodded, and sobbed again.

"Did I ever do anything to deserve this?" She asked mainly to herself.

"No. You didn't. Tara doesn't deserve someone as good as you."

Lily laughed, pulling away and giving James a shaky smile.

"Sorry about that." She said, hiccupping.

"About what?" James asked.

"That." Lily said, pointing at his shirt, which had a wet spot on the front where Lily's tears had made contact with his shirt.

"Naw, it's cool. After all, you're my friend, and what are friends for if not to lend a shoulder to cry on?"

"Thanks." Lily said.

"No Prob."

They sat there in comfortable silence. Punctured only by sniffles from Lily.

"Well I think I'll turn in." Lily said, finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I was just thinking that." James agreed, although he was thinking nothing of the sort.

"No you weren't." Lily retorted.

"Yeah, you're right. I wasn't. Actually. I was thinking that if you were me, and Tara were one of my friends, I wouldn't have taken that from them. I would have hunted them down and beat them up. But you handled it very maturely. I respect that."

Lily nodded, "Thank you."

"Again, no prob. Now let's get some sleep so you can brace those comments in the hallways."

Lily nodded again, "yeah...sleep..." she said without really registering what she was saying.

'To think that just this morning I hadn't a care in the world...' she thought sadly.

They both trudged in through their separate doors, collapsed on their separate beds, and fell asleep right there, in their school clothes.

It was History of Magic the next day, and the nerves of The Pink Ladies were close to snapping.

I can't TAKE it anymore! Mariel scribbled fiercely on a piece of parchment, and passed it over to Lily and Alyssa.

Yeah I know Mariel, me neither.

Did we even DO anything to really deserve this?

Well apparently her highness Tara thinks we did. Have you HEARD the rumors that are spreading around about us? I think the only people who DON'T believe them are our dates to the dance!

Don't tell me...Tara said you guys slept with them right?

Yeah. As IF! I'd never in my LIFE sleep with Black...that's just...disgusting.

Tell me about it.

We need to do SOMEthing about it! We can't just let her have her way! I mean, NONE of the rumors are TRUE!

Yeah, you can say that again...any ideas?

Aside from grinding up Tara's head in a food processor? No.

Yeah, Pity murder is illegal.

(Laughs) No seriously guys, we really need to think of something.

A way to get back at Her Majesty over there? Look at her, lording over everyone.

Lily glanced up at Tara across the way, flicking her hair, having it catch the light just right to attract the attention of every boy in the room. She bent down low over the paper, pretending to take notes.

Have you guys realized that we are now the dirt on the shoe of the giant just because of Tara?

Wow thanks for including me! And anyway, she doesn't call us by our first names anymore. I don't think we should do her the same courtesy...

Alyssa, if I could SPELL her last name, I'd call her by her last name. But I can't.

Could we call her WORLDS BIGGEST PRAT?

Sorry Lils, that post is occupied by Potter.

Oh right! I almost forgot! NOT!

(Laughs)

Spare me the courtesy of INCLUDING me why don't you!

Mariel, we'll get back to you...I have to talk to Alyssa...Okay?

Oh FINE...as if I won't be able to read it later!

You WON'T! Lily wrote, and grinning, she took out another piece of parchment.

Alyssa...what were some of the rumors you heard about yourself?

Why?

I want to see how creative Tara was so that we can be...MORE creative.

Lils, you're evil...

Tell me something I DON'T know.

Well they weren't that bad...aside from the Black thing...that's what really ticked me off. I mean, I feel really bad for Mariel, because honestly, Pettigrew isn't the coolest pickle in the jar, or the hottest log in the fire...

Yeah I know. But just the fact that people BELIEVED her! I mean, don't they KNOW us better?

School is a prison, and the attendees are prison inmates. We are the cattle, penned up in a meadow... DYING for information about what's happening with the others that we can't see across the field. We believe anything we hear. You know that.

See? Now your getting all philosophical on me...

That was the point, Oh grazing cow. (laughs)

Wow...a Cow? I'm THAT beautiful? Thank you! No but really Alyssa. Are any of the rumors that were spreading about you true?

Just one...and it's the one that ended up hurting the most in the long run...

You didn't!

I did... I accidentally ran over road kill.

Oh see, I thought you actually...you know...Black.

NO WAY! I would NEVER! YOU KNOW ME BETTER THAN THAT LILS!

I know, that's why I thought it couldn't be true...but you re-ran over road kill? Accidentally right? That's not that bad...at least it wasn't alive, and at least it wasn't on purpose.

Yeah. Thank God.

(laughs)

So what about the rumors about you? Any of them true?

Yeah, the one about Potter is totally true.

WHAT?? YOU SLEPT WITH HIM?? LILY EVANS!

Not THAT one you dummy! The one about how we're going to the dance together as a couple in love...except for that love bit and the couple bit...that's true.

Well then it's not really true because your not a couple in love.

Thank Goodness for that! I mean, could you EVER imagine me Marrying Potter?

(shivers) No way man. That'd be like me falling in love with Black!

That I could see... 'Do you Sirius Black take Alyssa Monagan to be your lawfully wedded wife?' (laughs) I could TOTALLY see that!

Well then I could totally see you and Potter hooking up and having kids. 'It's a BOY!'

NEVER! EW! ALYSSA MONAGAN!

(laughs) You KNOW it's going to be true! I have seer blood! I fore saw it!

Whatever Alyssa...I am not going to believe that lie about the seer blood thing.

You do that. But I know that you're going to marry Potter, settle down, have a baby, and die.

I'm going to die? Really now? Oh do TELL!

You really want to know how your going to die?

OH yeah. That way I can avoid it. NO WAY ALYSSA! I'm not going to believe it.

Then DON'T believe it then!

(laughs) watch me! Anyway, if you DO have seer blood in you, and you can tell what's going to happen in the future with such clarity, what is going to happen in two minutes?

Joseph whatsisface over there... you know...Slytherin chap? He'll drop his quill, and when he bends down to pick it up, he'll accidentally trip Tara, who had gotten up to get a new ink well. She in turn will fall on her face and break her nose (much to the 'sorrow' of her ex-friends) someone will notify Binns, he will excuse her to the hospital wing, and Binns will dismiss us all early on account of the disarray of the class. Oh, and you will look at me in amazement.

What a load of-

At that moment, there was a commotion on the other side of the room.

Joseph Jenkins had dropped his quill and bent down to pick it up. He had tripped Tara who had stood up to get another ink well. She shrieked and fell down, landing flat on her face, and breaking her nose. Binns acted like nothing happened.

"Professor Binns sir, Tara broke her nose." Joseph said in a slow drawl, helping Tara up, who was still screaming bloody murder.

Professor Binns looked up, "Very well, Miss...Miss...you may be excused to go to the hospital wing."

He continued on about the impact of humans on the mythical races.

The class was in an uproar.

"Class." He said, looking up, "I cannot teach with you in the state that you are. You may be excused."

Lily's jaw dropped and she looked at Alyssa in amazement.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?" She said, truly shocked.

"I told you...Seer blood. I'm the best in my family so far...I mean, I don't have to retreat into hiding to prophesize, and I don't have to speak as another person...and I don't freeze up...it's just something that comes naturally to me. I mean, it's like a see the day in my minds eye, five minutes ahead of what I'm doing. It's...weird."

"You guys, I'm going to high tail it up to the Common room...I'll meet you there."

"Sure." Lily and Alyssa said at the same time.

Mariel left.

"Can you see other things? Like what others are doing now? Or can you see something other than here?"

"Like where? I mean, I can tune into a Quidditch match going on even if it's on the other side of the world...if I wanted to."

"Wow...that is SO cool...So you can see that far into the future? That you can tell me what happens with my life?"

"Yeah. Its' really sad...I'm not going to tell you anymore. Anyway, you can't prevent the future...it'll end up happening anyway you put it. I know." She finished sadly.

Lily put an arm comfortingly around Alyssa's shoulders. "Come on, let's catch up with Mariel."

And they walked out of the classroom an hour earlier than class regularly let out.

A/N: So hope you liked that!! Reviews sil vous plait!!!

Tanaqui