Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I only own the plot.

Author's Note: As always I'm sorry for the long delay in the update. Finals are closing in on me. So that has taken up most of my time. I only have about a week of school left! Then I'll be free to finish this story up once summer starts! I promise the next update will be in the early part of June! Maybe if I have enough time it will be before June 4th! Anyone else completely obsessed with the fact that the movie comes out in like 18 days?? I'm stoked!! It's the next best thing to getting the 6th book! Anywho, on to the chapter! Hope you guys enjoy Chapter Eight!

Deceitful Love

Chapter Eight: Dealing With Reality

"What the hell is going on? Why is she kissing McKinnon? She's in love with me not that conceited asshole!" James said in hysterics.

"Calm down, James. Maybe there's more to it than you think." Remus commented, always the rational one.

"Calm down? Calm down? You want me to calm down while the love of my life is sitting over there with some bastard's tongue half way down her throat? Could my life get any worse?"

"Ok, James, now you're just being melodramatic. Sit down and just take a few breaths. Also, let me remind you that you're now James Potter again. You're not Jason, the guy Lily thinks she loves." Sirius said.

James sat down looking thoroughly displeased. He knew his friends were right, but he was just so angry and confused he didn't know what to do. This was one of those times in life that James wished he wasn't a guy. He wished he didn't have to stay manly and tough. He wanted to just break down and cry and let out his frustrations. But he wasn't a little kid anymore. He had to face this like a man.

"What am I going to do?" James asked his friends.

"We'll think of something, James." Peter said, "We always come up with something. We're the Marauders! And you're our leader! You always keep us going, so that's what we're going to do for you."

"For once in his life, Pete knows what he's talking about, James. We're here for you buddy." Sirius replied.

James gave his friends the smallest fragment of a smile and a slight nod. His line of vision was then drawn over to the Ravenclaw table. Lily and Ewan had left the hall. James just continued to stare at their vacant seats at the Ravenclaw table. James heaved a sigh.

"Guys, I'm going to head back to the dormitory before classes. I'll see you in Charms." James said slowly. They all nodded their head at him and watched him slowly walk out the Great Hall.

Remus sighed. "James has really got it bad. I honestly don't think there's much hope for him. What do you suppose we should do?"

"I don't know, but you guys should have seen him over the summer. After their first date he was completely smitten with her. James has gone on a million dates before and he's never come back looking the way he did. We've got to get Lily and James together. Lily is the one. She's the real deal for him. We've got to pull through." Sirius replied sincerely.

"So where do we start?" Peter asked.

"Well, first we better go to Charms. We can't be any help to James if we're in detention for being late!" Remus said as they quickly ran to Flitwick's room.

James could do nothing but stare at the ceiling in the dormitory. His entire body was sprawled out on his four poster bed. The entire summer and school year thus far were flashing through his head. Every moment with Lily was like a distant memory to him. He truly loved her. James couldn't believe his life had been turned upside down like this. Why had everything become so complicated? Why couldn't everything be like the fairy tales that he used to hear when he was little? Boy meets Girl. Boy and Girl fall in love and life happily ever after. That was how he wanted things to be. He longed to hold Lily and smell her strawberry scent from her shampoo. Where was his happily ever after?

James lay down and just stared some more. He refused to get up and go to Charms. Charms would just mean seeing Lily. He didn't think he'd be able to hand seeing Lily. Not yet. He promised himself he would go to Transfiguration, which was after Charms. At least he wouldn't have to pay attention in that class. He could just focus on his current dilemma.

Sirius wasn't paying much attention to the lesson in Charms. James hadn't shown up and Sirius was worried. James was known to make some bad decisions when he was confused or stressed. James could be pretty stupid sometimes. Sirius just hoped James hadn't thrown himself off the Astronomy Tower or something. So to try to take his mind off things, he glanced over and his lovely girlfriend. He smiled. That always seemed to do the trick.

The class came to an end after an extremely long time, or so it felt to nearly everyone in the class. Lily couldn't help but notice that Jason had been absent from that class. True, she was angry at him, but she was still concerned. In order to give her mind a rest, Lily finally gave in and walked over to Sirius.

"Sirius, where's Jason?" Lily inquired.

"He went back to America last night. Why?"

"I was just wondering…Does that mean Potter is back?"

"Yeah, he is actually."

"Then why wasn't he in class? Isn't he taking Jason's place as Head Boy? You'd think he'd know to set a good example to the students. Or you'd at least think he'd make some triumphant return and be Mr. High-And-Mighty again." Lily bitterly replied.

"Lily, you have no idea what James is going through! Give him a break!" Sirius said before stalking off too angry to care that he had just left her standing there.

"Lily, what was that all about?" Lynn asked walking up behind Lily.

"All I did was ask your boyfriend what happened to Jason."

"What did Sirius say?"

"Jason went back to America."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I'm going to the dormitory real fast. I forgot my Transfiguration essay."

"Alright, see ya, Lils." And Lily was off in a flash.

Lily ran up to the Gryffindor common room. She felt like crying. She had messed things up so much. She had lost the love of her life. She had kissed some other guy the very next morning. She had ruined her reputation because of that. The whole school probably pictured her as some little whore. Imagine what Potter might do to her when he found out? He probably still hadn't changed. Why did all this shit have to happen to her? She sat on one of the couches for a few minutes before she was going to head off to Transfiguration.

James decided the time had come to face the world. He grabbed his things and slowly walked down the stairs. The last person James expected to see in the common room was Lily and there she was. She was sitting on the couch and looked to be deep in thought. James just stared at her. He loved the way she bit her lip when she was perplexed. He loved everything about her. But then reality struck. Lily Evans hated him.

Lily could sense that she was being watched. She spun around and found herself looking in the eyes of James Potter.

"What do you want, Potter?" Lily sneered at him. James just stared at her. "Potter, quit looking at me as if I've grown two extra heads! It's starting to really freak me out."

"Wha? Oh, sorry." James mumbled.

"What? No insults? Nothing about my horrible red hair? Hmmm?" Lily asked, "I know we haven't seen each other for a few months but there has to be some part of me that has deteriorated or gotten uglier since you last saw me."

"You actually look beautiful." James said, then realizing that was one of the worst things he could have said.

"Beautiful? What are you playing at, Potter? Trying to get on my good side? Possibly get me to become another notch on your bedpost? Well, I don't know what you're up to but I certainly don't want to deal with it today!" Lily yelled before storming out of the common room.

Smooth, James. Real smooth.

Lily ran into the Transfiguration room and sat down next to Lynn.

"What's the matter, Lily? You look a little hacked off." Lynn asked.

"I ran into Potter in the common room."

"I should have known."

"He's so infuriating! You know what he said to me?"

"A called you carrot top or something of that nature?"

"No, he said I was beautiful."

"Oh yes, it's such a horrible thing to be called beautiful from a hot guy like James!"

"For one James is not hot and I thought you'd understand me!"

"Sorry, Lils. I just don't get what's so wrong about James calling you beautiful."

"Lynn, James and I have hated each other since first year! Today he's suddenly back from wherever the hell he was and he called me beautiful! He's just messing with my mind!" Lily screamed.

"Calm down, maybe he just actually thinks you're beautiful and wants to stop this petty fighting you guys have been doing for the past six years."

"Lynn, you obviously don't understand!" Lily yelled and left the room as quickly as she had entered it.

Lily could not believe she had just yelled at her best friend over James Potter. Since when did things get this messed up. Well, ever since Jason had broken up with her. Ugh, Lily had to find someone who stood on neutral ground. The first person that came to mind was Ewan. She didn't really know him that well other than the fact that he had liked her for ages. And the fact that she had snogged him that morning in front of the entire school. So yes, that was who Lily was turning to in her hour of need.

Lily found Ewan in the corridor on the second floor. He saw her walking toward him and he smiled.

"Hey Lily." He said. She didn't say anything. She just grabbed his arm and pulled him into the nearest closet and snogged him senseless.

Oh yes. This was better than facing reality.

Things just keep on getting worse for James. I feel so bad for the guy! But I can relate to his feelings and Lily's! Things will hopefully start looking up for him in the next two chapters. I personally like this chapter and hope you did too! I would also like to remind you guys to review as always! And if you've been reading this story and have never reviewed, I want to encourage you to do so! And I know there have got to be some of you out there because I used to do that! I'd read a story, adore it, never review and that was that! But I would really love to hear from every single one of you that reads this! It would really mean a lot to me! Thanks! 3