A/N: FINALLY! MY EXAMS ARE OVER! I REALLY HOPE I DID OK! ANYWAY, IT'S BEEN QUITE A WHILE SINCE I UPDATED SO I THOUGHT I SHOULD, HOPEFULLY THIS CHAPTER ISNT GOING TO BE AS ANGSTYAS THE REST BUT HEY! I'LL JUSTSEE WHAT MY BRAIN COMES UP WITH! THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY REVIEWERS, I CHERISH YOU ALL! YOU ARE THE REASON I WRITE! ANYWAY, ENOUGH WITH THE SENTIMENTS! HERE'S CHAPTER 17!

Chapter 17

Lily awoke slowly to an aching pain in her neck. She looked out of the window at the sky; a fresh pink dusting of light was just making itself known.

"Ugh, it's not even dawn yet…why am I here? Oh god, I must've fallen asleep on the sofa." She spoke quietly to herself, her voice laced with sleep. She rolled her head around to try and ease some of the stiffness in her neck, it didn't work. She sighed and made her way up to her room, at least she had a chance to get a few hours in a proper bed.

-(-(-(-)-)-)-

Lily awoke once again but this time she felt better. The pain in her neck had subsided to a dull ache and to be truthful she was looking forward to herself. Today was the day she would forget about James Potter forever and find herself a man. She gathered up her things and made her way into the bathroom.

Lily sighed happily, she always did love showers, they always allowed her to think clearly and today was no exception. Right now she was thinking about her mystery man that would make her forget all about that unruly James Potter. The problem was trying to find a likely candidate, but this posed no threat to Lily, she had always liked solving things.

'Yes, I think someone from Ravenclaw. They're all bright, sensitive and they have a few good looking ones…not that looks are important though Lily.' She mentally reprimanded herself for showing signs of shallowness.

'Being shallow will get you no where and is also a trait of one certain raven haired boy who shall remain nameless.'

Lily nodded to herself in approval and stepped out of the shower, fresh and ready to face the day.

-(-(-(-)-)-)-

James woke up groggily. Finally it was a decent hour. He had been awake almost every half hour since he managed to drift into his uneasy sleep. His stomach rumbled reminding him about the lack of food consumption the day before. He groaned and rolled out of bed and headed for the shower.

He stripped off his boxers as he stepped into the cubicle and under the shower head. As the hot water rolled down his naked body he felt some of the fogginess leave him. The fogginess but not the pain. He sighed to himself.

'I'm just going to have to act normal and completely ignore her; I can't even look at her. It's like twisting the knife.'

And so that was his plan.

-(-(-(-)-)-)-

Lily sat with Roxie and Jess and Alice at breakfast. They were sitting around and casually talking about the Hogsmeade trip. Well, when I say talking I really mean speaking so quickly and high pitched that only those included in the conversation would be able to understand.

"I can't believe you're going out with Sirius! He's the most eligible bachelor Hogwarts has ever seen!" Jess squeaked to Roxie.

"Babe, that is he used to be the most eligible bachelor Hogwarts has ever seen. He's all mine now." Roxie replied back feigning a casual indifference.

"But still, I can't believe you said yes, what the hell changed your mind?" Alice asked in awe.

"Well, you know that chick that he got with that night at the flaming bolt? Well, she made another appearance and well, let's just say she isn't the nicest person if she thinks you're on her territory. She was rude to me, I was rude to her, Sirius was rude to her back, and then she threatened me and before I could get a word out Sirius threatened her." Roxie explained while counting the events off on her fingers.

"Oh my, what did he threaten the other girl with?" Said Lily, speaking for the first time.

"Well, he said, and I quote, 'I don't normally threaten girls, but if you even try to harm one hair on Roxie's head, I will make sure that you will receive that and worse right back at you, understand?'" Roxie shuddered pleasantly from the memory.

"Aww, that is so sweet, well kind of." Alice chimed in.

"Yeah I know. I've got the best boyfriend in the world." She said dreamily which is very un-Roxie like.

"No way dude, I have the best boyfriend in the world!" Exclaimed Alice over the top. "Frank's so sweet and nice!"

"Alice, you're mistaken I believe I have the best boyfriend ever." Jess stated matter-of-factly while looking at her nails in mock-boredom.

Roxie suddenly got a mischievous flash in her eyes.

"Which reminds me Jess. Why were you and Remus the only seventh years not to come to Hogsmeade this weekend?" Roxie lifted an inquiring eyebrow while smiling sweetly.

"We decided to stay behind so that we could have a quiet conversation with just Remus and me!" Jess said defensively but Roxie didn't miss the slight darkening of her friends eyes as she recalled the day.

"Really? Well Jess, for one thing I don't think it would have been a quiet conversation considering you just got slightly turned on by thinking of it…" Jess opened her mouth to protest but Roxie got there first.

"And don't try to deny it because I can see it in your eyes. And secondly I don't think 'oh Remus, harder…faster…I want all of you' counts as a conversation." Roxie smiled innocently as Jess turned a shade beetroot while imitating a goldfish. As the colour in her face started to drain back to normal Jess smiled impishly.

"Actually Roxie, just because you may have to tell Sirius what you want doesn't mean I have to tell Remus. Believe me, he knows me far to well for that." Her impish smile remained on her face while the other girls all looked at each other and then peeled into another round of giggles.

"Ooh, so scandalous!" Squealed Alice.

"Well, you just have to be talking about me then if it's scandalous." Sirius beamed down on the gossiping girls and took his place next to Roxie.

"Morning Rox, you have a good sleep?" He asked tenderly while brushing a stray tendril of hair behind her ear.

"I had a wonderful sleep thank you. And yourself…"

Lily blocked out the conversation between the couple and turned to talk to Jess. She was about to make a joke about Roxie's change in attitude around Sirius when she stopped and saw her engrossed in conversation with Remus.

Instead she spoke to Alice.

"Can you believe how different Roxie is around Sirius? She's so tame, and she blushes! Roxie never blushes!" Lily said in a shocked voice.

"Yeah, that's what love does to you, makes you do things that seem completely out of the ordinary to others, even though it feels natural to yourself." Alice replied dreamily.

"Love? Love? Alice, they've been going out for less then twenty four hours. How can it be love?

"Lily, when you're going out with some one all it means is that's its official. For everyone else to see, to declare your feelings out loud, if you will. But feelings don't suddenly develop over night for anyone it's a gradual process, and the longer that process is let to run the deeper they become. Now how long have Sirius and Roxie been after each other?" She asked gently.

Lily's brow furrowed.

"I don't know, about three years, maybe longer?"

"Exactly, that's a long time in the process, don't you think?"

"Yes, I guess you're right Alice." Lily smiled and looked at her best friend while she sat with Sirius. 'They really are a match made in heaven…or hell' She chuckled to herself and turned back to Alice.

"Look Lily, I've got to go, Frank is waiting for me to go for a walk, but promise me something." She said softly.

"Ok." She replied cautiously.

"Think about what I just said. It may help you in the long run." And with that said and a small wink Alice sauntered off to meet with Frank Longbottom, her boyfriend in the year below.

And once again, Lily was alone.

-(-(-(-)-)-)-

It was nearly the end of lunch when Lily made her way down from the library intending to get into the Great Hall when a commotion started up at the entrance.

James Potter and Sirius Black were having a play fight right in the middle of the entrance, blocking everyone. Roxie was laughing along joyfully and spurring on Sirius. Jess and Remus looked on in amusement, holding an almost parental look in their eyes.

It was as if nothing had changed. How dare he?! Well, if James could act normal, so could Lily.

Before any of the professors had a chance, Lily marched right up to the two boys who were still rolling around laughing and delivering ineffective blows to each other. It was as if their strength had been numbed by the laughing.

"POTTER! BLACK! WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Lily shouted over the top of the crowd and boys on the floor. At once everyone stopped, the crowd dispersed quicker then smoke in air when they saw Lily's thunderous face.

The two fighting boys looked at each other and then at Lily. Still chuckling to themselves. Sirius sat back on his elbows casually, as if he wasn't in the middle of the entrance to the Great Hall.

"What's the problem Lily flower?" he asked nonchalantly, before breaking into another fit of giggles.

"What's the problem? The problem is that you are blockingthe way into the Great Hall because you were fighting. People need to get in and this is in no way setting a good example to the first years or anyone as a matter of fact…and don't call me Lily flower." She replied stiffly.

"Sorry Lily petal, didn't realise that we would upset you by having fun. We'll add that to our list of Do's and Don'ts." James replied for Sirius. Lily's back stiffened visibly.

"I never said you weren't allowed to have fun, but it is pretty obvious that you are not meant to play in the Great Hall." She responded dangerously quietly.

"Is that so?" James repeated slowly, challenging her to a verbal duel.

"Look Potter, this may be all farts and giggles to you, but considering I am Head Girl maybe you should take me seriously."

"Haha, you said farts" Sirius cut in over the top obviously trying to relieve the tension. Lily sent her best death glare in his direction effectively shutting him up. As if he hadn't heard what Sirius had said James carried on his dangerous conversation with Lily.

"So, then, when was it exactly we went back to last name basis Evans?"

"The moment you decided to annoy the hell out of me. Now, I suggest you get up off the floor before I decide take points of your house."

"It's your house as well Evans; you wouldn't take points off your own house."

"Just watch me." She replied coldly.

"Fine, have it your way." And with that he got up pulling Sirius up with him. Lily walked away and was almost out of hearing distance when she heard James voice again. He was intentionally speaking for her to hear.

"Say Sirius, does the Lily flower have thorns?"

"What? No, roses have thorns, why?"

"Because that Lily does." He stated simply and walked away from the once again gathering crowd.

-(-(-(-)-)-)-

Lily's eyes burned with unshed tears but she refused to cry for James Potter anymore. She was above his petit little arguments and barbs. She was above him.

She sat down at the Gryffindor table and started to dish out her lunch when someone came down and sat opposite her.

"Leave me alone Potter, I don't want to hear it." She said wearily.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not James Potter." Returned a shy and well spoken voice. Lily looked up only to be faced by a handsome boy with dusky grey eyes.

Rubin Malvaez

"Rubin?" Lily questioned perplexed.

"Yes, um, sorry I didn't know you knew me that well, not that you know me well but, you know, knew my name and such." He rambled on giving Lily time to go over things in her head.

'Okay, I have a devilishly handsome, shy, well spoken boy from…Ravenclaw! Speaking to me…this is it Lily, it's time to pull out all the stops, though not as heavily as at the beginning of the year, and flirt with this boy so I can hopefully claim him to be my ticket away from James Potter.' With that sorted in her head she realised that he had just finished talking and she did something she had never really done before.

Lily giggled and fluttered her eye lashes and replied, 'Of course I know you, silly, we do Ancient Runes together, well, not together but we're in the same class." Lily carried on smiling and bit her bottom lip flirtatiously while constantly thinking. 'Oh. My. God. That sounded so stupid.'

Rubin didn't seem to notice the uncharacteristic sentence of Lily's; in fact he seemed to be lapping it up.

"Look, um, I know we haven't really spoken much, but you see, I'm, um having a spot of trouble in Runes and I was just wondering whether you could help me, say tonight, or tomorrow or some other time." He looked away sheepishly. He was obviously not very good at this. Lily hesitated, should she? Wouldn't she be using him? His voice once again punctured her thoughts.

"I love the way you handled Potter by the way. He really does need taking down a peg or two."

Lily's mind was made up.

"I'd love to help you Rubin, how about tomorrow after dinner. I'll meet you right here and we can walk up together." She replied while subtly playing with her hair.

"Yes! Um, yes, I think that'll work. Brilliant, I'll see you then." And with that he walked away and Lily's plan started to fall into place.

A/N: SO THE PLOT THICKENS! A NEW CHARACTER IS SET, WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME OF THIS? MWAH HA HA! YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO STAYED TUNED AND FIND OUT! LOL!

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL OF MY REVIEWERS! I LOVE EVERY ONE OF YOU!

I'LL HOPEFULLY UPDATE SOONER THEN I HAVE BEEN!

LUV YA!

SNAKE XX