Thanks for the reviews! I feel so loved. Right.... Sooo, this chapter is going to be slightly different, I think, okay? It'll start out with Lily's journal, which we haven't ever seen... Just for something different, capiche?

Sooo.. review.... And read on!

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognize is not mine...

What You Don't Know

Chapter 14

February 1, 1974

I don't know what to think. Everything is so different, so confusing. I really like him, and actually spending time with him only increases that. But it's the strangest thing... Sometimes when I'm in the room with him, I feel as though... As though he knows I like him, and he's okay with that- maybe even that he returns my feelings. But then I realize that he doesn't. It's like there are all these unspoken feelings circling in the room, just waiting, creating a strange tension...

But I might just be crazy.

It could just all be in my head.

It's funny to think back on it all. I couldn't honestly say why I like him. Sure, he's funny, and nice, and sweet, and smart, and he laughs-- but so do a lot of people. And he is rather cute, but there are other cute boys.

He makes me feel happy.

Is that all there is to it? He's James. Maybe that's part of it, too. It's just so right. And whenever I'm with him, I really do feel happy.

Especially now.

But even before... It was kind of crazy, but I did just like being around him. And then, later, I'd think about it, and just couldn't wrap my mind around it. He was obnoxious, arrogant, rude, and loud... But I liked him anyway. It didn't make any sense. Even now, I can realize his bad qualities, and they just don't matter.

I think I'm spending way too much time pondering this.

But I've always spent too much parchment on James Potter.

I remember every summer since fourth year- granted, only two years, I've promised myself that I wouldn't like him when school started up again. Then the second I'd see him, I'd completely forget that promise.

And it's not that he's incredibly hot.

I can really think of about ten people who are "hotter" than him. But it doesn't matter. Isn't that crazy? I mean, he's tall. But his hair is just so messy all the time. And he has really large, nice hazel eyes. But he's also kind of scrawny, even with all that Quidditch. But he has just a nice face. Because it's his face. So even though it's not hot, or sexy, or even really cute, per se, it is, because it belongs to him?

I really make no sense.

Lily closed her journal as the door to the sixth-year girls dormitory opened, and Alice walked in.

'Hi,' Lily greeted her. 'How's Frank?'

It was funny- ever since Alice started really going out with Frank, it was like adding how's Frank was a must onto every greeting. It was just taken for granted that the two had been together prior to anytime Lily ever saw her friend.

'He's wonderful, and how's James?'

'I have absolutely no idea,'

Alice pouted. 'Come on, Lily. You already admitted to liking him,'

'Sure, but that doesn't mean we have some psychic connection that allows me to know how he feels at all times. In fact, it doesn't even mean that we're dating.'

'Not yet, that is,'

'Shut up, Alice,'

'I'm encouraging you,'

'No, you're depressing me,'

'That's a lie. So what were you writing about?'

Lily couldn't bring herself to answer.

'James it is then,' Alice said cheerfully.

Lily groaned. 'Why are you so horribly cheerful?'

'Frank,' Alice returned promptly. 'Just being around him makes me happy,'

Lily could only laugh.

'You don't want to know,'

'Sure I do,' Sirius begged.

'Sirius, be reasonable. Do you really want to know what they all thought of you when they first met you?' Remus asked, looking up from his book with a raise of his eyebrows.

Sirius looked pensive. 'Yes,' he said.

'All right. We thought you were incredibly sexy, dashing, and handsome,' Lily said, rolling her eyes.

'Really?' Sirius asked, his eyes lighting up.

'Nope,' Lily said, and burst into laughter.

'It's actually what she thought of James,' Remus said, his nose back in his book. Lily and James both turned red.

'Er. Let's not talk about first year, okay-dokey?' James muttered.

'Why not?' Sirius asked immediately.

'They didn't get along in first year,' Peter said.

'Sure we did,' Lily said quickly.

'We just... got off to a bad start,' James said.

'Exactly,' Lily agreed.

Alice, Sirius, Peter, Frank, and Remus started at the pair of them. 'What to you mean, a bad start?'

'You and Lily fell into the lake,' Alice pointed out.

'We both laughed about it,' Lily countered.

'... Until you got to the Great Hall and got sent to your dormitories straight after the sorting because you were so wet and even though you were fed there you missed out on the feast and both of you blamed each other and after that you two pranked each other constantly, and even Sirius thought you two went a bit far, until Lily accidentally burned his Charms textbook, and Remus' pajama bottoms, and strung up Peter's pants in the Great Hall. Then Peter dyed my hair purple and I was on Lily's side forever, and then Sirius read Hestia's journal aloud to the Great Hall, and so she---'

'We get the point,' Lily interrupted Alice hastily.

'And that's where this bad relationship came about,' Peter said thoughtfully.

'Why didn't you hate Sirius or Peter or Remus?' James asked suddenly, turning to look at Lily.

'Well, they were justified in pranking me. I accidentally did stuff to them before they did anything to me,'

'I was justified in doing stuff to you!' James pointed out indignantly. 'You charmed my textbooks to be invisible for a day,'

'That was after you sent me in the wrong direction for transfiguration,' Lily reminded him.

'Why did you ask a fellow first year for directions?'

'Because you said you were sorry for being rude the first night and asked if I needed help finding my class!' Lily said in exasperation.

There was a silence, during which Sirius was doubled over in silent laughter, and Alice was giggling behind her hand.

Finally James said, quietly, 'I'm sorry,'

'So am I,' Lily said, a smile playing about her mouth at the expression of remorse on his face.

'They were some good pranks, weren't they?' James said.

'Mine were best,'

'I don't think so,'

They grinned at each other.

'They were,' Lily insisted.

'Were not. Mine were better.'

'Mine were more original,'

'Mine got you madder,'

'Mine were meaner,'

'Mine were better,'

'Mine were!'

James started tickling her. 'I don't think so. Mine were the best,'

'She's very ticklish, you know,' Alice observed, watching the now screaming Lily wriggling away from James.

'Apparently,' James said to her, then, to Lily, 'say it! Say it! Mine were better!'

'No!' Lily gasped out, still shrieking with laughter. 'Stop... Stop... Please.. Or.... Or I won't except your apology...'

'You already did,'

'I take it back,' Lily managed to say, sliding off the couch.

James grinned proudly. 'I win,'

'What are you doing, Lily?' Hestia asked later that night when she came upon Lily, sitting alone on her bed, pictures scattered around her.

'Making a photo album,' Lily said, glancing up, and brushing hair from her face. 'See, look, here's one of the three of us during the summer before second year. Remember, we were staying over at Alice's house?'

'That was fun.' Hestia shot Lily a devilish grin. 'Remember when you swore you wouldn't care about James Potter anymore, and that he could say what he wanted,'

'Er. Faintly,'

'You were so made because on the train ride home he told you that you were ugly and that he would rather date Narcissa Black than you,' Hestia grinned.

'You're laughing?!? I don't believe you. And hey, that was mean,'

'Sure it was. But it got you so upset. You told him that you wouldn't date him in a million years.'

'Even if he was the last person alive,' Lily said, smiling. 'Yup, that I remember,'

'Do you still think that?'

'Don't be silly. That would be a weird thing to think.'

'Aha. You like him, don't you?'

'Um.'

'You do, you do! It's been so obvious! Almost as obvious as that he likes you!'

'Um. No, he doesn't,'

'Yes, he does,'

'Hestia.... Don't do that. It's mean,'

'No, it's not. You two are in love and will get married and live happily ever after!'

'I highly doubt that,'

'Well, you're the only one,'

Okay..... Sorry that chapter was a short one. Suffering from semi writers block. Yeah, James and Lily need to talk... dun dun dun... next chapter, for sure!!! PLEASE review and suggestions might help me get some ideas. Yay. Thanks so much, guys! You all rock....

Cheerios!

-- AROD --

And sorry the formatting is being so screwed up. It's driving me nuts. Hopefully it worked better this time, because if it didn't, I think I'm going to cry.... Please review to make me happier!!!