Disclaimer: Mine: nada. JK: everything

AN: a review would be nice. pretty please? it would take just, what, 30 seconds? and it makes me so happy! I have 3. :( even a flame would be appriecianted.

I really really hate this chapter. Its crap. but I've spent so long trying to rewrite it, and I'm so bored of it, i just want to get on with the rest of the story. You get the gist anyway...

Lily stormed home, hot tears pricking at her eyelids. She didn't know why she had got so angry, after all, all the Marauders had done was help her. It was just... she felt so

So insecure, like the bottom had just dropped out of her world. Choking down a sob, she pushed open the door of her house, dumped Michael in the living room and ran up to her room. Not even bothering to close the door, she dropped onto her bed, curled up, and cried.

She didn't even know why she was crying, she never felt sorry for herself, but she cried non the less, for her lost ambitions, her lost hopes and dreams, for her best friend. She cried for the sister she had lost, for the parents who she hardly ever saw and didn't understand her, for the world which she had grown up in, yet knew was held in so much contempt by wizards. She cried for her childhood innocence and happiness, and for the first time ever, she wished that she had never heard of Hogwarts.

Eventually, she picked herself up, feeling tired and dazed and slightly repulsed with herself. It wasn't like her to wallow in self-pity. A memory suddenly lodged its self in her brain, and abandoning any other sensible plans to go and check on Michael, she got up and rooted to the back of her wardrobe and grabbed an old battered shoebox, covered in photos and stickers. Inside, it had been painstakingly decorated, with a small diary, a necklace, a stack of photos, several letters, but best of all, a pair of satin pointe shoes.

She had saved up for weeks for them, and bought them cheaper several sizes too big, but had planned to save them until they fitted her. She took them softly out of the box and slipped them on her feet, lacing them up around her ankles and relaxing in their familiar comfort. She stripped off her jeans and top, replacing them with an old pair of shorts and a plain strap top; her hair tied messily back in a ponytail. She flicked her CD player with her wand, playing something classical, a piece from Swan Lake. It had been ages since she had danced, but as she rose onto her points and began some simple exercises, she felt it all come flooding back to her. She felt alive again.

Half an hour later, she was practising some of the harder movements, when a movement behind her caught her eye. Stopping, she spun around. James Potter was sitting on the other side of the window on his broom, a cold look on his face.

Curious, and feeling slightly guilty over how she had treated him earlier, she opened the window slightly and leant out, trying to ignore the fact she was half dressed, hot, sweaty and with hair all over the place.

"I just came to ask you what Mcgonagall set us for homework this summer." He said brusquely. "That's why we're here."

Lily took a deep breath.

"I'msorryiyelledatyouearlier." She said in a rush. A slightly bemused expression crossed James' face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get a word of that. Could you speak more slowly?"

She gritted her teeth, staring fixedly at the tail of his broom.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier," she muttered. "I didn't mean any of those things I said, Its just that meeting my old friends had brought back some painful memories, and I was, well, a bit, stressed. I was out of order." She raised her eyes and looked pleadingly at him. "I was actually really glad you came and defended me. I'm sorry, I was wrong."

She held her hand out nervously.

"Quits?"

James didn't answer. A slow smile was spreading itself across his face.

"The wonderful perfect Lily Evans apologising and wanting to call it quits with the unscrupulous arrogant scoundrel James Potter?" He mock bowed. "I'm honoured."

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Stow it Potter." She hissed

"Sorry." He straightened up and shook her hand.

"Quits," he said solemnly, then broke out into a smile.

"So...." He said, stretching and leaning back on his broom. "I never knew you danced," he remarked, gesturing to her dishevelled figure.

Lily smiled sadly. "I don't. It was one of the things I gave up to come to Hogwarts. I used to love it, but today has been the first time I've danced in 6 years."

James looked shocked. "You gave stuff UP to come to Hogwarts?"

Lily almost laughed at the expression on James face.

"I gave a lot of stuff up to come to Hogwarts. My friends for one, and all my lessons and ideas and dreams... dancing isn't much compared to that. Not to mention that I've completely estranged my family..." She broke off, suddenly realising what she was doing – she was baring her soul to James Potter!

She quickly changed the subject, blurting out the first thing that came into her head.

"Where're Sirius and Remus?" she asked, and then paused suddenly, as if realising something she hadn't noticed before.

"And speaking of which, where's Peter?"

There was an awkward pause.

"We're not actually sure," he said quickly, almost apologetically.

"He's been really quiet all summer, not answering our letters or anything, and we reckon he must have got a girlfriend."

Lily almost laughed at the mental image of the plump little Pettigrew trying to impress a girl.

"But its not like him..." said James thoughtfully. "Normally, he'd tell us. He's just gone really quiet..." he trailed off.

Lily wasn't personally too bothered by the lack of his presence. He was more of a tagger on than a true marauder, not nearly as clever or good looking, but his absence clearly seemed to bother the others, so maybe there was more to him than met the eye.

"Anyway, I'd better go," said James finally, breaking the silence. "I'll see you on the Hogwarts express, right? Save me a seat?"

"Yeah, sure," said lily absentmindedly, still pondering over the problem of Peter, before she realised what she had said.

"What th-"

"Knew you loved me really Evans - see you there!" He grinned cheekily and flew off before Lily could retort.

AN: Pretty please? a reveiw? just to show me that there is a point in continueing this story? becuase no one seems to be interested. :(

Kris

PS. see that pretty button over there? the one marked reveiew? well, if you ju-

sorry. rambling now. I'll shut up.