Chapter 1
Welcome Home Lily Evans
" D- she's hot!" Lily was used to hearing that as she walked up and down the Hogwarts halls. She had just returned there after two years away, to see the world her stepmother had said. In fact, it was her first day back, and God, it was good to be home. She had yet to meet up with her old best friends, the mauraders.
Sirius and Remus were like brothers to her, Peter was annoying but rather nice, and James, oh James. They had gone out once, but James broke it of after he found older women like him. If he had a chance with a second or even a desperate third year he would take it. Lily had changed a lot since being a first year. Her bouncy, curly, red hair was no longer cut short, now it was long and very sexy. Her emerald green eyes somehow had more depth to them. She had a lot more, how to say this, "curves." And after six months each in London, Paris, Rome and New York her fashion sense was truely amazing. Today she wore a knee-length silk halter
dress. There were black and white swilrs filing in the amazing pattern. In her hair was a black, silk, carnation, but the way her red hair simply fell on her shoulders made her look truley amazing. Her butt wagged from side to side as she passed the "jaw-dropped" males. She knew they were all watching her. As she rounded the next bend she spotted Sirius, who was trying to get the attention of a blonde across the hall. All the maruaders liked a good snog. However, it was usually James and Sirius who got them. Remus could have gotten snogged more times than the two above, however, he had a serious nature, and preferred long-term relationships than "kiss and runs," as he called them. Peter just never attracted the kinds of girls who wanted to snog him. The blonde walked over to Sirius, and Lily knew that he was using his good ol'e maruader's charm. If he hadn't spotted Lily, he and the blonde would have been in a closet in about a minute. However, he did spot Lily. "LILS" he cried as he rushed over to Lily and picked her up in a tight bear hug. Anyone could tell it wasn't a romantic hug, but the blonde looked hurt all the same. "Too bad," Lily thought to herself as she saw the pouting ravenclaw. " God, Lily, I've missed you so much, how've ya been with your evil stepmum?" Sirius asked as he put her back down on the ground. " I've been doing okay, so how's things been around here?" Lily asked, and then she whispered slyly " Still quite the Ladies man, I see." Sirius grinned and nodded, " As are all of the mauraders, with the exeption of Peter of course." He stood back to look at Lily "Jesus, you've changed so much, James is gonna have a hard time saying no to you!" "I know I've changed, Sirius, I'm hoping for the better." Sirius nooded. "Now, take me to the common room, Sirius!" They rushed past the blonde who looked even more hurt that Sirius hadn't even bothered to say good bye. Lily had a stich in her stomache by the time they reached the common room. "Squiggly- wiggley" Sirius muttered quickly to the to the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open and Sirius bellowed "LILY'S BACK!" Immediatly Remus, Peter and James rushed over to greet her. She pulled Remus in to a hug, he whispered something into her ear and she giggled. Remus pulled away and kissed her (brotherly) on the cheek " Glad you're back, Lils." Then she pulled plump little Peter in a hug. " Good to see you again Lily," he said blushing. He'd never really even been hugged by a girl before. Lily pulled away and straigthned up to see James.
They had left on a rather sour note. After a tense pause "So, Lily, we've missed you" James spoke first. He looked a little hurt that he hadn't been hugged. But then again he didn't really deserve a hug, James thought to himself. " Yhea, I've missed you guys too." There was an arkward pause. "Lily, listen, about our first year, I'm really, real-" But James was interrupted by high pitched screaming, it was coming from the stairs and rapidly coming closer. They could hear words intermingled with the screaming. "LILY, LILY, LILY" Arabella came rushing from up the stairs and jumped on Lily. The two tumbled to the floor. Lily's red hair whooshed out, and James thought to himself, that she looked rather, not rather, very attractive like that. Arabella's bleached hair looked rather dull compared to Lily's amazing locks. " You're
back, Lily, you're back!" Arabella was screaming. "Yhea, I'm back Arabella." Lily said laughing. Arabella stopped screaming and looked slightly hurt, Lily couldn't fighure out why though. "God, Lily, you weren't away that long, it's Bella, you know I hate Arabella!" That explained it. " Sorry Bella, it's just that I've been forced to call everyone by their real names when I referred to you guys. Maria insists it's not proper to be called anything but your real name. Seriously, I'd be grounded for a year if I ever called her something other that Maria." "It's all right Lil's, I forgive you" Bella replied jovialy. Sirius looked
bored, so he grabbed Lily by the waist and tackled her to the floor, she hadn't been expecting it. "PILE ON!" Bella bellowed at the top of her lungs. Almost everyone in the common room piled on top of Lily, Sirius and Bella. After a few moments the heaped up bodies started to get up. Sirius and Lily lay motionless at the bottom. (This has happened to me before, at a sleepover) "Smooth, Bella, you knocked 'em out" Bella hit the speaker in the back of the head, but did look genuinelly worried. Hurridly, James picked Lily up and put her on the large sofa. Munguldus walked over to James carrying a large pitcher of Ice cold water. James threw half of this water on Sirius, who was still lying on the floor. He shook his head and slightly raised himself up. Sirius scowled as he saw James leaning over Lily, who of course, had the couch. He could see James was tenderly soaking a rag in the water and then pressing it on her face. Sirius' scowl changed to a smile as he realized "James likes Lily, James likes Lily" he screamed. James looked over his shoulder and shouted, " I do not, but she's a lady, and deserves more than what you deserve" James half-joked to Sirius. Sirius pretended to look really mad. Than as if he had just rembered why he had passed out he grabbed Bella and started tickleing her. You could hear him yelling "How dare you kill the precious Lillian. How dare you! You will be executed!" They both shrieked on the floor laughing. Any other
house would have thought they were going out, the Gryffindors, however knew better. Sirius loved to flirt, and Bella didn't really mind either. As they were rolling about on the floor, Lily's eyelids fluttered and she woke up. She smiled as she saw James standing over her, looking worried. Then she saw the rest of the house and
pretended she was just happy to be awake. (Of course, they all saw though this, as they did with James excuse for helping Lily. The house knew that these two were meant for each other.) " Are you all right Lily, do you think you need me to take you down to the hospital wing?" James said breathlessly. Than seeing Munguldus and Sean making googily eyes at him and Lily he said "I mean cuz if you were hurt then you, uhh, should go, uhh, there, I guess" trying to cover up his concern. I do not like Lily, she is, well, she is smart, beautiful, kind, talented. What was he thinking? He did not like Lily. "Thanks James, but I think I'll be all right. I'll just watch Sirius and Bella." They were still rolling around on the floor. James shrugged his shoulders. "I'm going upstairs, see you guys later." He stepped on Sirius head as he walked by. Munguldus and Sean took up James empty seat. " Hey, Lil's" Munguldus said. Lily leaned over and hugged him and then went over and hugged Sean. She sat and talked with them for a while. But after she started to fall asleep on the couch while they talked about qudditch, Sirius picked her up and carried her to her dorm.
Chapter 2 There's a ball?
Lily woke up still wearing the black and white halter dress. But she was tucked in under the covers and the black carnation in her hair had been set aside on her oak night stand. She sat up in bed and looked around at the other beds, they were all made and no one but her was in the room. "All by myself" Lily thought. The bright Saturday sun glowed in from the large window next to her bed. "Might as well get up," she pulled the covers of her legs and hopped down from the bed. Ten minutes later she was making her way downstairs wearing a pink terry cloth matching workout set and a white tank top underneath. She had pulled her hair back so all but one or two strands were out of her face. She wasn't planning on
working out, she just like the way it looked. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she heard a whistle, "Looking nice today Lily" It was Remus. "Thankyou, you aren't looking to shabby either" Lily replied. "Hey, where is everyone?" The common room was nearly empty exept for Remus, a few first years and one or two seventh years. "Let's see Sirius and James were hauled away earlier by two Ravenclaw girls, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were snogging in some cupbard. Peter, Sean,
Munguldus and Arabella are out on the quidditch pitch flying. Your girlfriends, I have no idea where they are. Go check down in the great hall. Lunch is out now." Remus replied, not taking is eyes of his defense against the dark arts homework. "It's lunch time already? why didn't you wake me up?" Lily asked suprised. "I tried, Lily, you don't wake up when you don't want to, I'm telling 'ya."
Remus looked sincere. "Lup, wait, I need to talk to you." Lily said anxiously. Remus motioned his head towards the nearest chair and closed up his books. Lily sat down and started to twiddle with a piece of hair. " Remus, how many girlfriends has James had since me?" Remus watched her as she spoke, he wasn't suprised by her question. "Lily, he has only had a couple girlfriends since you" Lily smiled maybe she did have a chance with him. "Lily, listen, he's a good guy really, but he's kissed about every 5th, 4th, and 3rd year girl in the school, and even some good looking 2nd years." Lily's heart plummeted. "He has? What about Sirius?" She couldn't let Remus know she was dissapointed about James. Remus knew that she wasn't "in love" with Sirius. Maybe he would think she didn't like James either. That, of course, wasn't the case. Remus was good at spotting thins out like that. " Sirius has kissed about the same. Why do you want to know?" Remus was just leading her on, Lily would tell him about James when she was ready. "No reason, just wondering 'ya know. How about you Remus, how many girls have you snogged?" Remus looked taken aback, but he answered her anyway. " For your information, Lily, I haven't snogged anyone!" Lily was suprised, she knew he wasn't lieing by the look in his eye. "I've kissed about three girls, but I haven't snogged anyone." Lily giggled as he said that. " Good for you Re! Now, I'm gonna go down to the Great Hall, have a bite to eat and then go find my Ravenclaw friends." Lily got up from the table and skipped to the portrait hole, she opened it up and walked in to the hall. She was about to descend the spiral staircase to the main hallways when she heard a giggling
sound from a nearby corner. Being the Gryffindor that she was she went to go investigate. As she got closer to the laughing she saw two people, obviously "having fun." She was about to turn around when she heard "James, you are so good at that" there was more giggling and Lily couldn't help her self she had to find out who was snogging who. The two lovers realized someone was watching, and jumped up. James, his usually messy hair now twice as untidy was standing next to a tall blonde Ravenclaw. Her buttons on her shirt were practically all undone, as were James. "James" she said as she nodded to him and turned around, then under her breath she whispered "slut." James stood frozen as he saw Lily leave, God, why couldn't they have gone found a closet, like Sirius and Natalie. Lily is never gonna talk to me again he thought. I hate Potter, I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. I cannot believe what I just saw. That little slut makes me want to barf! Lily was fuming as she came down the steps to the great hall. She brushed her hair out of her face and realized that she was crying. I better go find a bathroom she thought. Lily couldn't remember which doors were bathrooms or not. Some down here weren't labeled. There was an oak looking door to the right of the stairs, she would try that one. If it wasn't a bathroom then it would just be a janitors closet. She
opened the door, and out fell Sirius and Natalie. Sirius was in mid-kiss as he looked up at Lily. Hastily he got of off Natalie, it was too late. "Why do I keep walking in on my friends snogging," tears were freely streaming down Lily's face " first Potter and now you." She ran up the marble stairs. "Potter?" Sirius thought outloud. " Listen Natalie, hate to just leave you, but I kinda have to go. Bye!" He turned around not waiting for a reply and leaped up the stairs after Lily. "Lily, Lily wait. C'mon, wait up Lily!" Lily was ignoring him, Sirius knew it. He wasn't sure why she was so upset with him. She had caught him "having fun" before. He reached the Fat Lady, "squiggly-wiggly" the portrait swung open. Lily was hugging Remus when Sirius stepped in. Remus just looked confused, but he gave Sirius a "smooth" kinda look. Sirius shrugged but said "Lily c'mon what the matter? You've caught me snogging millions of times." He did look genuinly worried. "And what about Potter? Don't tell me you walked in on him too?" Lily looked at Sirius and nodded her head. "Lily, if you still like James why don't you just tell us? We can set you up, 'ya know. A nice date to Hogsmede!" Lily glared at Sirius. "I do not like James Potter! In fact, I fully despise and loathe that horrible, immature thing that sleeps around with every girl in the school." James had just stepped through the portrait hole as she said this. " You know what Lily, you have no right to say that. Absolutly no right. Things didn't work out between us, you don't think that I would never date anyone else after you. I have dated other people, you know. Get over it, get over me, and get over us!" James face turned a deep red as he shouted the final words. " Oh, yhea, I brought up your Ravenclaw friends, thought they might like to see you." James opened up the common room door and five tense-looking girls walked in. A chourus of "Hey, Lils" and "Good to see you again" filled the room. They looked ashen faced, obviously they had heard James yelling. "C'mon girls, let's go upstairs." Lily marched of, the Ravenclaw's aprrehensivly following her. " Dude, that was harsh! I mean, so much for breaking it to her lightly!" Sirius glared at James. He had a habit of taking Lily's side, even when she was wrong. Remus nodded behind. " Oh, so calling me those names behind my back is allowed now. As long as I don't do it to her. So much for you two being my best friends!" " James, listen to me, she just spent two years away from us, with her EVIL, I repeat, EVIL step mum. She walks in to find us snogging some wierd girls. AND, she obviously still likes you. And you know what, you still like her too!"
Sirius got up, "I'm hungry, see you guy's later." James stared after his best friend, he moved his head over and glanced at Remus, he shrugged his shoulders. Meanwhile, Lily was sitting up on her bed trashing James. "You know what he just turned 15 and has already kissed half the girl population of the school. I mean, who does that?" Her Ravenclaw friends didn't want to talk about James. Mary, and Lindsey rolled their eyes. Both had been Lily's closest confidants. "Okay Lily, we haven't talked to you in a while, but I have got to tell you. GET OVER HIM! He is sooo not worth you. He doesn't deserve you. Just get over him, you should see how hot some of the other guys at this school are!" Mary stared at Lily. She had this power when she spoke. "I know you're right, Mary, it's just I remember the night that he kissed me. He pulled me over to.. oh where was it... oh yhea, it was out in the gardens, and we sat down on a bench and he lent over and kissed me. It was like, we would be together forever." Lily had a far away look in her eye. Almost as if she wasn't sitting in the dorm room but back at the garden on that December night. "Snap out of it Lily!" Lindsey shouted "and then do you remember what he did to you the next day? He broke up with you. He said ' I don't like you romanticly anymore, sorry' remember that?" Lily shook her head, as if she was trying to get the memory out of her head. "Well, I remember it, you cried for about two days! Don't let Potter get to you anymore! Don't let him break your heart again! You deserve better." Lindsey was screaming at the top of her lungs (almost). Pretty much their whole conversation was audible down in the common room. Remus stared at James who was in turn staring up the stair way to girls dormitory. He looked ready to kill. "You know what, Remus, I think that she does this to me on purpose. She did it before she left too, remember that." " What does she do on purpose?" Remus asked. "She get's the whole school against me. She's got those five Ravenclaws, who will get the rest of Ravenclaw house to turn against me. The Ravenclaw's will get some the Hufflepuffs to turn against me. And then most of the Slytherins hate me
already! And you know what, she gets practically all of Gryffindor against me too. I've had enough. Sirius is gonna take her side, like he always does. He doesn't even stand up for his own best friend. Peter and you just don't take any side.
Smart, really, but not exactly showing support to me, is it?" James stared at Remus waiting for a reply. "James, I don't take a side because I agree with both of you. What you said to her was harsh. It was truley and utterly mean. But she shouldn't get the rest of the school mad at you, it's between you and her. No one else. I don't see why you just can't go up there and talk to her?" Remus was right, he was always right.
James should go up to her dormitory and talk it out with her. He shouldn't have blown up on her. But James was big headed and stubborn. He was not going to be the one to apologize. Sirius on the mean time had gone down to the great hall and then back again. He needed to just take a break from his stupid friends. Lily was acting like some freaky, love-sick psychopath who was nursing a crush on her first love. And James was, well, acting like himself, which overall was not good a thing. Sirius opened the door to the common room and saw that Remus was still working and
James was pouting on the couch. "Hey, guys we have quidditch practice in half an hour. I'll go round up the team." Sirius just had to talk about something. He hated it when there was a wierd silence between his friends. "Yhea, I'll help you. Sirius, you get Bella, she's with Lily in the dormitory, and there is no way that I'm going in there. Oh yhea, if Catherine Spinnet is in there get her too. I'll go get Mung and Sean." James was dead serious about not seeing Lily. He wasn't sure if he was just mad, or there was something else. "Alright, I'm going" Sirius replied. He ran up the stairs to the girls dormitory and poked his head through the door. The girls were sitting on the floor talking aboutt boys. "He's alright, but I prefer quidditch players. There's just something cool
about them" Nicole, a fifth year Gryffindor said. "Yhea, I know, quidditch player's are just the best." Sirius joked, auctally he wasn't joking. The girls jumped when he spoke. "Bella and Catherine we've got practice, let's go." Bella and a tall brunnette walked out with Sirius. "Bye babes, see ya lator." Catherine, the tall brunnette, called out. "Yhea, chicas, stay hot!" Cried Sirius, moking Catherine. They walked down the staircase and greeted Munguldus, Sean, James, and Remus. Remus had decided to come along to practice commentating. That was his job, it was his way of being on the team. Lily loved watching quidditch, she hadn't seen it in such a long time. She would have gone down and watched them practice. However, James was there, so that meant no Lily. Instead, she decided she would just stay with the Ravenclaw's. They all trooped down to the Ravenclaw common room talking about new trends, fashions, and upcoming balls. In fact, there was a ball coming up at the end of the week. The Halloween Ball. First was a feast followed by a grand ball, opened by the head boy and girl. Lily, of course, had no idea about this ball, seeing as it was her second day at Hogwarts. "So, Lily, what are you wearing to the Halloween ball?" asked Melanie. "Dress? Ball? What are you guys talking about?" replied Lily. "The Halloween Ball, Lily, c'mon, don't tell me you didn't know about it?" Christine asked with a touch of worry on her voice. "No, I had no idea we had a ball! I mean, I don't have anything to wear, or, or, a date!" "Don't worry Lily, a date is easy. Any guy would want to go with you. And a dress, hmm.. oh yhea, we can get the marauders to take you to Hogsmede, so you can buy a dress!" Annie said, still thinking. "I guess... as long as James doesn't go with them. " Lily said, as they climbed down a set of stairs and approached a oriental tapestry. "Woddlesworth" murmerd the girls. The tapestry rolled up to reveal a door. The girls climbed in through it and approached an empty couch. They plopped down as Lindsey, Annie, and Mary's boyfriends came over. "So, Lily, it's good to see you again" said Daniel Bakers, he was in her herbology class when they were in first year. "Hey, it's Daniel isn't it?" Daniel nodded. "So are you taking.. Annie to the Halloween Ball?" He had moved over and sat down next to Annie as she said this. "You bet! I wouldn't miss it for the world. So what lucky guy's are taking you lot to the Ball?" he asked. "Mike" said Lindsey motioning to the blonde next to her. "Drew" Mary nodded to a dark black haired boy. "Carlos" "Chris" "So, Lily who's the lucky guy taking you?" Asked Drew. "No one, for now that is. I didn't know about the ball untill twently minutes ago" replied Lily. "No dress either, then?" "Yep, I'm gonna make Sirius and Remus take me to Hogsmede, tommorow. I'm hoping they'll give me good advice about good or bad dresses. Speaking of Sirius and Remus, I better go and tell them about tommorow. I'll see you guys later. Bye!" Lily couldn't stand being the only single one of the group. So she crept up from the couch and made her way to the door. A few seconds later she was ouside the
Great Hall, as she climbed the steps the large front doors opened. In trudged the Gryffindor quidditch team. "Remember, first match is on next Tuesday, we have practice again.tommorow"
said a burly 7th year, named Michael. Munguldus and Sean were reserves for the team. James was seeker, Sirius was beater along with Arabella Figg, the three chasers were Catherine Spinnet, Charles Goodrich, Tina O'Riely, and the keeper was Michael Bottomly. The team was the best since, along time; they had won the cup for the past two years. It was rumored that the team who won the cup this year, might get to go on a trip. However, they did not know for sure, they could only hope. "Sirius!" Cried Lily rushing down the steps. " Oh, Sirius, you know how the
Halloween Ball is on Friday? Well, I-" She was interrupted by Sirius. "Lily, darling, I would love to go with you, only I already have a date!" Sirius said this like every girl wanted him. "Eww...Sirius, you know I'm not asking you to go with me. I need you and Remus to take me to Hogsmede tommorow so I can go to buy a ball dress." "Oh, sure, the Mauraders have run low on dung bombs. I'll tell James and you can inform Remus and Peter. We need to go early because Zonko's is having a sale. "Sirius, James isn't going with us. I just can't stand to see him." Lily spoke firmly. "James is a Maurader, therefore, he IS coming." Replied Sirus more firmly. Lily scowled and turned to find Peter and Remus.
Chapter 3
Lily woke up bright and early the next morning. This morning all the girls were still asleep. Lily quietly changed in to a pair of Khaki shorts and a white shirt with the words "Johnny Spa" in blue. She walked out of the dorm and downstairs to see the Mauraders including James waiting on the couches. "Took you long enough" he said coldly, Sirius shot him a look, as did Lily, but her look had pure venom in it. "James, shutup. I didn't want you to come with us. Just because my friends made a lack of judgement about you, doesn't mean that I will. So shut up and mind your own buisness. Let's go." Lily looked at Sirius for directions, he wasn't moving any time soon. " Listen, I don't really give a crap what you two are having problems with. If you hate each other, than just ignore the other one. If you love the other one ask him or her on a date. Just stop your stupid bickering because quite frankly I've had enough." He turned on his heel and Remus and Peter followed him. Lily and James their jaws dropped gazed after Sirius. "Lily, let;s make a deal. Whenever we are in each others presence we will ignore each other." James said solemnly. "Good, I don't want to talk to you, Potter." She spat his last name as if it were dirt. They shook hands looking as if it would kill them. Then they ran to catch up with Sirius, Remus and Peter who were already by a statue for one eyed witch. "Way-ward" said Peter quietly as the Lily and James rushed to his side. The hump of the witch swung open and the five climbed inside.
" D- she's hot!" Lily was used to hearing that as she walked up and down the Hogwarts halls. She had just returned there after two years away, to see the world her stepmother had said. In fact, it was her first day back, and God, it was good to be home. She had yet to meet up with her old best friends, the mauraders.
Sirius and Remus were like brothers to her, Peter was annoying but rather nice, and James, oh James. They had gone out once, but James broke it of after he found older women like him. If he had a chance with a second or even a desperate third year he would take it. Lily had changed a lot since being a first year. Her bouncy, curly, red hair was no longer cut short, now it was long and very sexy. Her emerald green eyes somehow had more depth to them. She had a lot more, how to say this, "curves." And after six months each in London, Paris, Rome and New York her fashion sense was truely amazing. Today she wore a knee-length silk halter
dress. There were black and white swilrs filing in the amazing pattern. In her hair was a black, silk, carnation, but the way her red hair simply fell on her shoulders made her look truley amazing. Her butt wagged from side to side as she passed the "jaw-dropped" males. She knew they were all watching her. As she rounded the next bend she spotted Sirius, who was trying to get the attention of a blonde across the hall. All the maruaders liked a good snog. However, it was usually James and Sirius who got them. Remus could have gotten snogged more times than the two above, however, he had a serious nature, and preferred long-term relationships than "kiss and runs," as he called them. Peter just never attracted the kinds of girls who wanted to snog him. The blonde walked over to Sirius, and Lily knew that he was using his good ol'e maruader's charm. If he hadn't spotted Lily, he and the blonde would have been in a closet in about a minute. However, he did spot Lily. "LILS" he cried as he rushed over to Lily and picked her up in a tight bear hug. Anyone could tell it wasn't a romantic hug, but the blonde looked hurt all the same. "Too bad," Lily thought to herself as she saw the pouting ravenclaw. " God, Lily, I've missed you so much, how've ya been with your evil stepmum?" Sirius asked as he put her back down on the ground. " I've been doing okay, so how's things been around here?" Lily asked, and then she whispered slyly " Still quite the Ladies man, I see." Sirius grinned and nodded, " As are all of the mauraders, with the exeption of Peter of course." He stood back to look at Lily "Jesus, you've changed so much, James is gonna have a hard time saying no to you!" "I know I've changed, Sirius, I'm hoping for the better." Sirius nooded. "Now, take me to the common room, Sirius!" They rushed past the blonde who looked even more hurt that Sirius hadn't even bothered to say good bye. Lily had a stich in her stomache by the time they reached the common room. "Squiggly- wiggley" Sirius muttered quickly to the to the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open and Sirius bellowed "LILY'S BACK!" Immediatly Remus, Peter and James rushed over to greet her. She pulled Remus in to a hug, he whispered something into her ear and she giggled. Remus pulled away and kissed her (brotherly) on the cheek " Glad you're back, Lils." Then she pulled plump little Peter in a hug. " Good to see you again Lily," he said blushing. He'd never really even been hugged by a girl before. Lily pulled away and straigthned up to see James.
They had left on a rather sour note. After a tense pause "So, Lily, we've missed you" James spoke first. He looked a little hurt that he hadn't been hugged. But then again he didn't really deserve a hug, James thought to himself. " Yhea, I've missed you guys too." There was an arkward pause. "Lily, listen, about our first year, I'm really, real-" But James was interrupted by high pitched screaming, it was coming from the stairs and rapidly coming closer. They could hear words intermingled with the screaming. "LILY, LILY, LILY" Arabella came rushing from up the stairs and jumped on Lily. The two tumbled to the floor. Lily's red hair whooshed out, and James thought to himself, that she looked rather, not rather, very attractive like that. Arabella's bleached hair looked rather dull compared to Lily's amazing locks. " You're
back, Lily, you're back!" Arabella was screaming. "Yhea, I'm back Arabella." Lily said laughing. Arabella stopped screaming and looked slightly hurt, Lily couldn't fighure out why though. "God, Lily, you weren't away that long, it's Bella, you know I hate Arabella!" That explained it. " Sorry Bella, it's just that I've been forced to call everyone by their real names when I referred to you guys. Maria insists it's not proper to be called anything but your real name. Seriously, I'd be grounded for a year if I ever called her something other that Maria." "It's all right Lil's, I forgive you" Bella replied jovialy. Sirius looked
bored, so he grabbed Lily by the waist and tackled her to the floor, she hadn't been expecting it. "PILE ON!" Bella bellowed at the top of her lungs. Almost everyone in the common room piled on top of Lily, Sirius and Bella. After a few moments the heaped up bodies started to get up. Sirius and Lily lay motionless at the bottom. (This has happened to me before, at a sleepover) "Smooth, Bella, you knocked 'em out" Bella hit the speaker in the back of the head, but did look genuinelly worried. Hurridly, James picked Lily up and put her on the large sofa. Munguldus walked over to James carrying a large pitcher of Ice cold water. James threw half of this water on Sirius, who was still lying on the floor. He shook his head and slightly raised himself up. Sirius scowled as he saw James leaning over Lily, who of course, had the couch. He could see James was tenderly soaking a rag in the water and then pressing it on her face. Sirius' scowl changed to a smile as he realized "James likes Lily, James likes Lily" he screamed. James looked over his shoulder and shouted, " I do not, but she's a lady, and deserves more than what you deserve" James half-joked to Sirius. Sirius pretended to look really mad. Than as if he had just rembered why he had passed out he grabbed Bella and started tickleing her. You could hear him yelling "How dare you kill the precious Lillian. How dare you! You will be executed!" They both shrieked on the floor laughing. Any other
house would have thought they were going out, the Gryffindors, however knew better. Sirius loved to flirt, and Bella didn't really mind either. As they were rolling about on the floor, Lily's eyelids fluttered and she woke up. She smiled as she saw James standing over her, looking worried. Then she saw the rest of the house and
pretended she was just happy to be awake. (Of course, they all saw though this, as they did with James excuse for helping Lily. The house knew that these two were meant for each other.) " Are you all right Lily, do you think you need me to take you down to the hospital wing?" James said breathlessly. Than seeing Munguldus and Sean making googily eyes at him and Lily he said "I mean cuz if you were hurt then you, uhh, should go, uhh, there, I guess" trying to cover up his concern. I do not like Lily, she is, well, she is smart, beautiful, kind, talented. What was he thinking? He did not like Lily. "Thanks James, but I think I'll be all right. I'll just watch Sirius and Bella." They were still rolling around on the floor. James shrugged his shoulders. "I'm going upstairs, see you guys later." He stepped on Sirius head as he walked by. Munguldus and Sean took up James empty seat. " Hey, Lil's" Munguldus said. Lily leaned over and hugged him and then went over and hugged Sean. She sat and talked with them for a while. But after she started to fall asleep on the couch while they talked about qudditch, Sirius picked her up and carried her to her dorm.
Chapter 2 There's a ball?
Lily woke up still wearing the black and white halter dress. But she was tucked in under the covers and the black carnation in her hair had been set aside on her oak night stand. She sat up in bed and looked around at the other beds, they were all made and no one but her was in the room. "All by myself" Lily thought. The bright Saturday sun glowed in from the large window next to her bed. "Might as well get up," she pulled the covers of her legs and hopped down from the bed. Ten minutes later she was making her way downstairs wearing a pink terry cloth matching workout set and a white tank top underneath. She had pulled her hair back so all but one or two strands were out of her face. She wasn't planning on
working out, she just like the way it looked. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she heard a whistle, "Looking nice today Lily" It was Remus. "Thankyou, you aren't looking to shabby either" Lily replied. "Hey, where is everyone?" The common room was nearly empty exept for Remus, a few first years and one or two seventh years. "Let's see Sirius and James were hauled away earlier by two Ravenclaw girls, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were snogging in some cupbard. Peter, Sean,
Munguldus and Arabella are out on the quidditch pitch flying. Your girlfriends, I have no idea where they are. Go check down in the great hall. Lunch is out now." Remus replied, not taking is eyes of his defense against the dark arts homework. "It's lunch time already? why didn't you wake me up?" Lily asked suprised. "I tried, Lily, you don't wake up when you don't want to, I'm telling 'ya."
Remus looked sincere. "Lup, wait, I need to talk to you." Lily said anxiously. Remus motioned his head towards the nearest chair and closed up his books. Lily sat down and started to twiddle with a piece of hair. " Remus, how many girlfriends has James had since me?" Remus watched her as she spoke, he wasn't suprised by her question. "Lily, he has only had a couple girlfriends since you" Lily smiled maybe she did have a chance with him. "Lily, listen, he's a good guy really, but he's kissed about every 5th, 4th, and 3rd year girl in the school, and even some good looking 2nd years." Lily's heart plummeted. "He has? What about Sirius?" She couldn't let Remus know she was dissapointed about James. Remus knew that she wasn't "in love" with Sirius. Maybe he would think she didn't like James either. That, of course, wasn't the case. Remus was good at spotting thins out like that. " Sirius has kissed about the same. Why do you want to know?" Remus was just leading her on, Lily would tell him about James when she was ready. "No reason, just wondering 'ya know. How about you Remus, how many girls have you snogged?" Remus looked taken aback, but he answered her anyway. " For your information, Lily, I haven't snogged anyone!" Lily was suprised, she knew he wasn't lieing by the look in his eye. "I've kissed about three girls, but I haven't snogged anyone." Lily giggled as he said that. " Good for you Re! Now, I'm gonna go down to the Great Hall, have a bite to eat and then go find my Ravenclaw friends." Lily got up from the table and skipped to the portrait hole, she opened it up and walked in to the hall. She was about to descend the spiral staircase to the main hallways when she heard a giggling
sound from a nearby corner. Being the Gryffindor that she was she went to go investigate. As she got closer to the laughing she saw two people, obviously "having fun." She was about to turn around when she heard "James, you are so good at that" there was more giggling and Lily couldn't help her self she had to find out who was snogging who. The two lovers realized someone was watching, and jumped up. James, his usually messy hair now twice as untidy was standing next to a tall blonde Ravenclaw. Her buttons on her shirt were practically all undone, as were James. "James" she said as she nodded to him and turned around, then under her breath she whispered "slut." James stood frozen as he saw Lily leave, God, why couldn't they have gone found a closet, like Sirius and Natalie. Lily is never gonna talk to me again he thought. I hate Potter, I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. I cannot believe what I just saw. That little slut makes me want to barf! Lily was fuming as she came down the steps to the great hall. She brushed her hair out of her face and realized that she was crying. I better go find a bathroom she thought. Lily couldn't remember which doors were bathrooms or not. Some down here weren't labeled. There was an oak looking door to the right of the stairs, she would try that one. If it wasn't a bathroom then it would just be a janitors closet. She
opened the door, and out fell Sirius and Natalie. Sirius was in mid-kiss as he looked up at Lily. Hastily he got of off Natalie, it was too late. "Why do I keep walking in on my friends snogging," tears were freely streaming down Lily's face " first Potter and now you." She ran up the marble stairs. "Potter?" Sirius thought outloud. " Listen Natalie, hate to just leave you, but I kinda have to go. Bye!" He turned around not waiting for a reply and leaped up the stairs after Lily. "Lily, Lily wait. C'mon, wait up Lily!" Lily was ignoring him, Sirius knew it. He wasn't sure why she was so upset with him. She had caught him "having fun" before. He reached the Fat Lady, "squiggly-wiggly" the portrait swung open. Lily was hugging Remus when Sirius stepped in. Remus just looked confused, but he gave Sirius a "smooth" kinda look. Sirius shrugged but said "Lily c'mon what the matter? You've caught me snogging millions of times." He did look genuinly worried. "And what about Potter? Don't tell me you walked in on him too?" Lily looked at Sirius and nodded her head. "Lily, if you still like James why don't you just tell us? We can set you up, 'ya know. A nice date to Hogsmede!" Lily glared at Sirius. "I do not like James Potter! In fact, I fully despise and loathe that horrible, immature thing that sleeps around with every girl in the school." James had just stepped through the portrait hole as she said this. " You know what Lily, you have no right to say that. Absolutly no right. Things didn't work out between us, you don't think that I would never date anyone else after you. I have dated other people, you know. Get over it, get over me, and get over us!" James face turned a deep red as he shouted the final words. " Oh, yhea, I brought up your Ravenclaw friends, thought they might like to see you." James opened up the common room door and five tense-looking girls walked in. A chourus of "Hey, Lils" and "Good to see you again" filled the room. They looked ashen faced, obviously they had heard James yelling. "C'mon girls, let's go upstairs." Lily marched of, the Ravenclaw's aprrehensivly following her. " Dude, that was harsh! I mean, so much for breaking it to her lightly!" Sirius glared at James. He had a habit of taking Lily's side, even when she was wrong. Remus nodded behind. " Oh, so calling me those names behind my back is allowed now. As long as I don't do it to her. So much for you two being my best friends!" " James, listen to me, she just spent two years away from us, with her EVIL, I repeat, EVIL step mum. She walks in to find us snogging some wierd girls. AND, she obviously still likes you. And you know what, you still like her too!"
Sirius got up, "I'm hungry, see you guy's later." James stared after his best friend, he moved his head over and glanced at Remus, he shrugged his shoulders. Meanwhile, Lily was sitting up on her bed trashing James. "You know what he just turned 15 and has already kissed half the girl population of the school. I mean, who does that?" Her Ravenclaw friends didn't want to talk about James. Mary, and Lindsey rolled their eyes. Both had been Lily's closest confidants. "Okay Lily, we haven't talked to you in a while, but I have got to tell you. GET OVER HIM! He is sooo not worth you. He doesn't deserve you. Just get over him, you should see how hot some of the other guys at this school are!" Mary stared at Lily. She had this power when she spoke. "I know you're right, Mary, it's just I remember the night that he kissed me. He pulled me over to.. oh where was it... oh yhea, it was out in the gardens, and we sat down on a bench and he lent over and kissed me. It was like, we would be together forever." Lily had a far away look in her eye. Almost as if she wasn't sitting in the dorm room but back at the garden on that December night. "Snap out of it Lily!" Lindsey shouted "and then do you remember what he did to you the next day? He broke up with you. He said ' I don't like you romanticly anymore, sorry' remember that?" Lily shook her head, as if she was trying to get the memory out of her head. "Well, I remember it, you cried for about two days! Don't let Potter get to you anymore! Don't let him break your heart again! You deserve better." Lindsey was screaming at the top of her lungs (almost). Pretty much their whole conversation was audible down in the common room. Remus stared at James who was in turn staring up the stair way to girls dormitory. He looked ready to kill. "You know what, Remus, I think that she does this to me on purpose. She did it before she left too, remember that." " What does she do on purpose?" Remus asked. "She get's the whole school against me. She's got those five Ravenclaws, who will get the rest of Ravenclaw house to turn against me. The Ravenclaw's will get some the Hufflepuffs to turn against me. And then most of the Slytherins hate me
already! And you know what, she gets practically all of Gryffindor against me too. I've had enough. Sirius is gonna take her side, like he always does. He doesn't even stand up for his own best friend. Peter and you just don't take any side.
Smart, really, but not exactly showing support to me, is it?" James stared at Remus waiting for a reply. "James, I don't take a side because I agree with both of you. What you said to her was harsh. It was truley and utterly mean. But she shouldn't get the rest of the school mad at you, it's between you and her. No one else. I don't see why you just can't go up there and talk to her?" Remus was right, he was always right.
James should go up to her dormitory and talk it out with her. He shouldn't have blown up on her. But James was big headed and stubborn. He was not going to be the one to apologize. Sirius on the mean time had gone down to the great hall and then back again. He needed to just take a break from his stupid friends. Lily was acting like some freaky, love-sick psychopath who was nursing a crush on her first love. And James was, well, acting like himself, which overall was not good a thing. Sirius opened the door to the common room and saw that Remus was still working and
James was pouting on the couch. "Hey, guys we have quidditch practice in half an hour. I'll go round up the team." Sirius just had to talk about something. He hated it when there was a wierd silence between his friends. "Yhea, I'll help you. Sirius, you get Bella, she's with Lily in the dormitory, and there is no way that I'm going in there. Oh yhea, if Catherine Spinnet is in there get her too. I'll go get Mung and Sean." James was dead serious about not seeing Lily. He wasn't sure if he was just mad, or there was something else. "Alright, I'm going" Sirius replied. He ran up the stairs to the girls dormitory and poked his head through the door. The girls were sitting on the floor talking aboutt boys. "He's alright, but I prefer quidditch players. There's just something cool
about them" Nicole, a fifth year Gryffindor said. "Yhea, I know, quidditch player's are just the best." Sirius joked, auctally he wasn't joking. The girls jumped when he spoke. "Bella and Catherine we've got practice, let's go." Bella and a tall brunnette walked out with Sirius. "Bye babes, see ya lator." Catherine, the tall brunnette, called out. "Yhea, chicas, stay hot!" Cried Sirius, moking Catherine. They walked down the staircase and greeted Munguldus, Sean, James, and Remus. Remus had decided to come along to practice commentating. That was his job, it was his way of being on the team. Lily loved watching quidditch, she hadn't seen it in such a long time. She would have gone down and watched them practice. However, James was there, so that meant no Lily. Instead, she decided she would just stay with the Ravenclaw's. They all trooped down to the Ravenclaw common room talking about new trends, fashions, and upcoming balls. In fact, there was a ball coming up at the end of the week. The Halloween Ball. First was a feast followed by a grand ball, opened by the head boy and girl. Lily, of course, had no idea about this ball, seeing as it was her second day at Hogwarts. "So, Lily, what are you wearing to the Halloween ball?" asked Melanie. "Dress? Ball? What are you guys talking about?" replied Lily. "The Halloween Ball, Lily, c'mon, don't tell me you didn't know about it?" Christine asked with a touch of worry on her voice. "No, I had no idea we had a ball! I mean, I don't have anything to wear, or, or, a date!" "Don't worry Lily, a date is easy. Any guy would want to go with you. And a dress, hmm.. oh yhea, we can get the marauders to take you to Hogsmede, so you can buy a dress!" Annie said, still thinking. "I guess... as long as James doesn't go with them. " Lily said, as they climbed down a set of stairs and approached a oriental tapestry. "Woddlesworth" murmerd the girls. The tapestry rolled up to reveal a door. The girls climbed in through it and approached an empty couch. They plopped down as Lindsey, Annie, and Mary's boyfriends came over. "So, Lily, it's good to see you again" said Daniel Bakers, he was in her herbology class when they were in first year. "Hey, it's Daniel isn't it?" Daniel nodded. "So are you taking.. Annie to the Halloween Ball?" He had moved over and sat down next to Annie as she said this. "You bet! I wouldn't miss it for the world. So what lucky guy's are taking you lot to the Ball?" he asked. "Mike" said Lindsey motioning to the blonde next to her. "Drew" Mary nodded to a dark black haired boy. "Carlos" "Chris" "So, Lily who's the lucky guy taking you?" Asked Drew. "No one, for now that is. I didn't know about the ball untill twently minutes ago" replied Lily. "No dress either, then?" "Yep, I'm gonna make Sirius and Remus take me to Hogsmede, tommorow. I'm hoping they'll give me good advice about good or bad dresses. Speaking of Sirius and Remus, I better go and tell them about tommorow. I'll see you guys later. Bye!" Lily couldn't stand being the only single one of the group. So she crept up from the couch and made her way to the door. A few seconds later she was ouside the
Great Hall, as she climbed the steps the large front doors opened. In trudged the Gryffindor quidditch team. "Remember, first match is on next Tuesday, we have practice again.tommorow"
said a burly 7th year, named Michael. Munguldus and Sean were reserves for the team. James was seeker, Sirius was beater along with Arabella Figg, the three chasers were Catherine Spinnet, Charles Goodrich, Tina O'Riely, and the keeper was Michael Bottomly. The team was the best since, along time; they had won the cup for the past two years. It was rumored that the team who won the cup this year, might get to go on a trip. However, they did not know for sure, they could only hope. "Sirius!" Cried Lily rushing down the steps. " Oh, Sirius, you know how the
Halloween Ball is on Friday? Well, I-" She was interrupted by Sirius. "Lily, darling, I would love to go with you, only I already have a date!" Sirius said this like every girl wanted him. "Eww...Sirius, you know I'm not asking you to go with me. I need you and Remus to take me to Hogsmede tommorow so I can go to buy a ball dress." "Oh, sure, the Mauraders have run low on dung bombs. I'll tell James and you can inform Remus and Peter. We need to go early because Zonko's is having a sale. "Sirius, James isn't going with us. I just can't stand to see him." Lily spoke firmly. "James is a Maurader, therefore, he IS coming." Replied Sirus more firmly. Lily scowled and turned to find Peter and Remus.
Chapter 3
Lily woke up bright and early the next morning. This morning all the girls were still asleep. Lily quietly changed in to a pair of Khaki shorts and a white shirt with the words "Johnny Spa" in blue. She walked out of the dorm and downstairs to see the Mauraders including James waiting on the couches. "Took you long enough" he said coldly, Sirius shot him a look, as did Lily, but her look had pure venom in it. "James, shutup. I didn't want you to come with us. Just because my friends made a lack of judgement about you, doesn't mean that I will. So shut up and mind your own buisness. Let's go." Lily looked at Sirius for directions, he wasn't moving any time soon. " Listen, I don't really give a crap what you two are having problems with. If you hate each other, than just ignore the other one. If you love the other one ask him or her on a date. Just stop your stupid bickering because quite frankly I've had enough." He turned on his heel and Remus and Peter followed him. Lily and James their jaws dropped gazed after Sirius. "Lily, let;s make a deal. Whenever we are in each others presence we will ignore each other." James said solemnly. "Good, I don't want to talk to you, Potter." She spat his last name as if it were dirt. They shook hands looking as if it would kill them. Then they ran to catch up with Sirius, Remus and Peter who were already by a statue for one eyed witch. "Way-ward" said Peter quietly as the Lily and James rushed to his side. The hump of the witch swung open and the five climbed inside.
