James was running away and he heard Sirius yelling, "James! Aw, c'mon James, wait up!" James ignored him and kept walking. He walked all the way up to the 'Shrieking Shack' where Remus always transformed once a month. "James, just listen to me!" Sirius said once he caught up to James.

"Okay, Sirius, why did you kiss Lily?" James said. "How can you explain that? You know I like her, and I've been waiting to ask her out since the beginning of the year."

"James, she asked me out, gave me this whole long story." Sirius said. "I figured the only way for her to get over me was to go out with me, right?"

"Unless she falls in love with you." James pointed out. "Or you fall in love with her."

"Please, Prongs. I'm not about to fall in love with Evans." Sirius said rolling his eyes. "And if I'm the worst boyfriend ever, she'll get over me. Maybe she'll even start to like her new friend."

"Who?" James asked with a quizzical look.

"You, dumb butt!" Sirius said. "Now do you get it, James?"

"Yeah, yeah I get it." James said nodding slowly. "Nice plan, Padfoot." James hit Sirius lightly and ran back down to talk to Lily some more. 'Besides,' Sirius thought whistling. 'Lily's kind of cute.' Sirius went back down to find James talking to Lily.

"So, you're not mad about the whole Sirius and me thing?" Lily asked suspiciously.

"Why would I be?" James asked.

"Oh, uh, I don't know." Lily said, not wanting to reveal that she knew James liked her.

"Hey, beautiful." Sirius said and kissed Lily on the lips. James gave Sirius a look, and Sirius just winked. "You don't mind if me and James here take a walk to Jonko's for a second, do you?"

"But you just went to Jonko's. And you were just with Harry." Lily complained. Then she realized if she complained too much, or kept him on a short leash, Sirius might dump her. "And if I didn't have to talk to Sara and Norma, I'd be very upset." Lily smiled to show she was joking. "I guess I'll see you in a bit, Sirius."

"Uh, yeah maybe." Sirius said. "If I don't take too long in Jonko's."

"You always take forever at Jonko's, Padfoot." James said laughing.

"Don't worry, Lily, I'll make sure he comes back soon." Remus said. "When should we meet you guys here? Half an hour?"

"30 minutes?" Sirius said upset. "I guess that will be enough. Bye, beautiful." Sirius kissed Lily again and James looked away. He knew it was all fake, but did Sirius have to kiss her that much?

"Bye." Lily said in a breathy voice. The boys left so Lily turned to see what her friends were doing. They were fake making out pretending to be Sirius and Lily. "Okay, you can cut it out." Lily said, pushing them apart.

"Sorry Lils, but he kisses you, and you forget all reasoning." Norma said.

"And you don't realize that he's taking advantage of you." Sara said. "He kisses you, then leaves to find James. Comes back, kisses you, says he has to go-and you let him- he kisses you and leaves again."

"Totally not boyfriend material." Norma agrees.

"What, do you hate Sirius now or something?" Lily said. "You encourage me to go out with him, and when I do, you think he's horrible?"

"No, he's not horrible" Norma said. "Just not a good boyfriend."

"Okay, it's only been two minutes, and you can tell already?" Lily said.

"Unfortunately, yes." Sara said. "This relationship will burn and crash before it even takes off."

"It already has, Sara." Lily said. "Will you just support me on this?"

"All we're saying is that you'd do better with someone else." Norma said. "You're too good for him."

"So who do you guys think I should go out with? James?" Lily said. The three friends looked at each other for a minute, and then burst out laughing. "Could you imagine, me and James?"

"Now that is a relationship that will burn and crash before it takes off." Sara said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay." Norma said, trying to calm down enough to talk. "I just pictured The Prat Prince telling Lily she has the 'honor' of going out with him." That made the friends laugh even harder.

"Don't worry about that relationship crashing and burning, okay guys?" Lily said. "Cause it's never going to take off!" They laughed and walked down the street together.

Inside Jonko's Joke Shop, James Potter watched Lily and her friends laugh about what they had just said through the window. Hearing every word they had said, James felt himself being crushed inside. Lily's words burned in his memory. "Don't worry about that relationship burning and crashing, okay you guys? Cause it's never going to take off!" Sirius called James over to look at something and he left the window, but not before taking one last look at Lily. 'One day, Lily,' he vowed to himself. 'I swear, one day you will love me Lily Evans.'