DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters, places, etc., the creation of them belongs to the one and only almighty JK Rowling whom we all envy and can only imitate but never duplicate...

A/N: Yes, me again, anyways, we're letting James and Sirius wonder around Diagon Alley (or not, since I'm not writing about them) while I write about Lily's summer... lucky her...

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Lily glared at a tiny black and white photograph James had given her in the precious few days they spent talking to each other. She missed magic, Hogwarts, her friends, even lessons. Lily's family were Muggles, her parents were proud of her for being a witch, but her younger sister Petunia was jealous. She was very happy she remembered to bring a Quoting Quill home, she loved keeping a journal, but hated writing in it. She got to mutter to herself, keep it, read it later, and laugh at herself. Placing the tip of it on her paper she began to dictate, or rant, to it.

Lily: "Happy vacation. Or not so happy. I really miss... can I admit it? Out loud! I miss James. He made me feel beautiful when I caught him watching me... but he doesn't love me. I know he doesn't. He hates me and just wants to make me fall for him, go out with me for a day, leave me in a ditch somewhere...

But I already fell for him. How could I not? James Potter... Sometimes I have to force myself to call him Potter just to keep him from staying too close to me... I would say he lied to me that day in the forest, except that he really did transform... is that some `I am so cool that Lily won't dare tell Dumbledore' thing that he has? Did he realize that I loved him already and didn't need to rise that?

Poor James. He wanted to talk to me, but his parents saw him so I was able to leave. I probably would have broken right then and confessed that I love him... I wonder if I can win him over... He's a Gryffindor, right? Braves and loyal... I'm either going to cry hysterically or send him an owl about it if this keeps up..."

Lily read what she had written, or, as she saw it, her quill at written, and she became very angry at herself, or it, for revealing her love so openly. In an evil fit of rage she ripped her quill in half, slight excess ink spilling over her hands, then she continued breaking it into pieces, trying to remove all of the anger she felt for being so clueless about her life. It was reduced to bits before she realized she had just destroyed her only Quoting Quill.

Luckily, tomorrow being her birthday, she was able to convince her mum and dad to let her go into Diagon Alley to buy another one, as an early birthday present from them....

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(a/n: I skipped some time with James and Sirius, they purchased a gift for Lily and I didn't feel like writing that whole part)

Lily was walking out of the quills shop where she had bought two new Quotes Quills, just in case, and was ready to go home when she saw the reason for her quill destroying session and his best friend walking out of a side alley. They saw her and walked quickly over.

James: "Lily!"

Lily: "Hi James, Sirius."

Sirius: "I need a new quill, James, no, it's boring picking on out, you talk to Lily while I get one."

Lily: "Do I get the impression he's trying to leave us alone?"

James: "Yeah, he's scared of you..."

Lily: "Seriously?"

James: "No, Markly... oops, sorry, I forgot, you're not Snuffles..."

Lily: "You just made no sense... explain?"

James: "Do I ever? Seriously/Sirius, then you called him Mark once and I used that in the pun instead of Sirius once, then I christened him Snuffles at the end of term feast..."

Lily: "You normally make more sense than that."

James: "Thanks, I think..."

Lily: "But is he really afraid of me?"

James: "Never, Sirius isn't afraid of anything..."

Lily: "What's he doing here anyways? What are you doing here?"

James: "And what are you doing here?"

Lily: "Buying a new Quoting Quill, I... well... had a rather angry moment and completely broke my old one."

James: "Why?"

Lily: "It was quoting me..."

James: "That's what it's supposed to do..."

Lily: "I know... you never answered my question, why are you and Sirius here together?"

James: "He's with me because his mum and brother, and father for that matter, were driving me crazy so he ran away. He's living with me until he either goes back home, which will never happen, or gets his own house..."

Lily: "Poor Sirius..."

James: "Poor me, stuck with him... but it's alright I have... three? Four I think, charmed or transfigured object in the guest room... A pillow that hits anyone who sleeps in the bed's head, that type of thing..." Lily laughed.

Lily: "You would..."

James: "They haven't been tested..."

Lily: "Poor Sirius... I'm sure he'll get you back for it, though, poor James then."

James: "Thanks for the sympathy... just wait until we get to Hogwarts..."

Lily: "I'll make sure to put some nice charms on my belongings, don't worry, they'll probably just turn your hair pink for a few days..."

James: "Pink?!?"

Lily: "Or maybe lavender, I can't decide which will look better on you..."

James: "But pink..."

Lily: "Or I'll come up with something better. So, why are you here?"

James: "Happy Birthday Tomorrow!" He held out a small model of a tiger in his hand. Lily took it.

James: "It reminded me of you... It'll stop growling and start purring after a while..."

Lily: "Thank you! It's so sweet..." She paused for a moment unsure of what to do, then threw her arms around James's neck, pulling back rather faster than James would have liked.

Lily: "Um... I was wondering if, when we get back to school, if we could be friends... I don't think I could stand a romantic relationship with you at the moment, but it's too much work to be mad at you..." Lily felt bad, but she did not want to be involved with James. She hated herself for letting herself fall in love with him and hoped that being his friend would keep her from falling further.

James: "I was never mad at you, if you wanted to talk to me for two minutes a year it would be better than having you mad at me..."

Lily: "Well then, you've had your time this year... I think you'll have to expand that into more than two minutes, I want to hear about your pranks over the summer... Will you owl me?"

James: "Only if you'll reply..."

Just then Sirius walked out of the quill shop.

Sirius: "Happy birthday tomorrow, Evans."

Lily: "Lily."

Sirius: "First name basis now?"

Lily: "Yeah, unless you like calling me Evans..."

Sirius: "No, Lily's fine..."

James: "And you can call him Snuffles..."

Lily: "Snuffles?"

James: "Yes."

Sirius: "No."

Lily: "To change the subject... what do you want to do when you graduate, Sirius?"

Sirius: "Well... I've always had this desire to get blamed for something, be brought off by aurors to the Ministry, but since I didn't do anything they can't convict me, but they'll think they can. I would laugh while they escorted me off... Ever since Prongs told me how he laughed when Filch brought him in front of Dumbledore for some stupid something he didn't do, I've wanted to do that too... only in front of the Ministry aurors..."

James: "You would..."

Lily: "What about you, James?"

James: "I want to fight Voldemort. Other than that, I want to die somehow to do with the color green... under a green quilt, by someone with green eyes, with someone with green eyes, by a stupid green poison. I'd even be happier dying by the killing spell than not by something green..."

Lily: "Killing spell?"

James: "Green light..."

Lily: "Such nice goals, James... I can think of some pretty gruesome deaths. How about your toes and finger turn green, rot, and begin dropping off, followed by your hands, feet, legs, arms, until you die..."

James: "If that ever happens I expect all my food to be checked for potions, charms, transfiguration, anything magic! If anything is found I want you to blame Lily, OK, Sirius?"

Sirius: "You'll have to think of a different death for him, Lily, this one will get you thrown into Azkaban."

James: "You're all so supportive..." He turned to a random person passing on the streets.

James: "Excuse me, ma'am, but my friends are being cruel and heartless and I was wondering if you ever read about James Potter dying of limb decay that you can alert the Ministry that perhaps Lily Evans is behind it?"

Random Person Off Street: "I'll try to remember..." She walked off, looking confused.

James: "See? Even random people off the street are better than you..."

Sirius: "We're all secretly infatuated with you, if that helps..."

James: "Sirius. Are you Padfoot?"

Sirius: "No, I'm Sirius."

James: "Good!"

Lily: "Actually... I think most of the school has had a crush on either you or Sirius at some point..."

Sirius: "He did NOT need that ego boost..."

James: "Did I say I wanted any of them? You can add to my list of goals: marry a beautiful girl with green eyes..."

Lily: "So that's why you're after me..."

James: "No. It's just one of the things that makes you the most perfect person I've ever met..."

Sirius: "Hey!"

James: "Sirius. Padfootly, do you actually want to be that for me?"

Sirius: "Now that you put it that way..."

James: "Yes."

Lily: "Someday I'm going to understand you two..."

James: "We just had a perfectly normal conversation, you should hear the ones we've had before, I didn't even understand them..."

Sirius: "I did!"

James: "The sugar high ones?"

Sirius: "You mean that ones about fluffy pink bunnies??"

James: "Those were worse... who should we turn into what next?"

Sirius: "Just wait until I'm seventeen, you'll never be able to trust food from me again..."

James: "From you? Compared to me... let's get Remus and Peter!"

Lily: "I better go back home, my mum will be expecting me, it's my birthday tomorrow..." James hugged her good bye, and after an awkward look between Sirius and Lily she hugged him too.

Lily: "If I'm going to be your friend, James, I might as well be friendly with Sirius too..."

James: "Happy birthday!"

Sirius: "Tomorrow." Lily laughed at them and went back home.

Like Lily knew she would be, her mum (a/n: yes, I am using the British spelling of `mom' but I decided it's more fun this way, it confused me greatly...) was waiting for her.

Lily's mum: "Lily! Welcome home! Did you have fun? Where's you get that?" the last was directed at the tiger still held gently in her left hand.

Lily: "I met a friend of mine from Hogwarts, he gave it to me for an early birthday present..."

Petunia: "Is he your boyfriend?"

Lily: "Not exactly..."

Lily's mum: "But he gave you a birthday present... why didn't you mention him being your friend earlier?"

Petunia: "Is he cute?"

Lily: "We had a major argument, but I forgave him today... He's cute in a just got off a broomstick way..."

Petunia: "He rides a broom?"

Lily: "He's Seeker..."

Lily's mum: "Seeker?"

Lily: "In Quidditch..."

Petunia: "What's his name?"

Lily: "James Potter..."

Lily's mum: "Why did he give you a toy tiger for you birthday anyways?" Lily was definitely now getting annoyed with her family's interest in her life.

Lily: "He thought I'd like it, maybe?"

Petunia: "But Lily! You're seventeen, it's just a stupid little toy tiger..." At those words it growled at her, showing its small, but pointed teeth.

Lily: "You'll have to ask James why..."

Lily's mum: "First name basis... are you sure you're just friends?"

Lily: "Yes, Mum."

Petunia: "But you said he's cute..."

Lily: "He is. But unfortunately he's also the most conceited boy in school, and he is chasing after my affection, so I decided that rather than run from him, which will just make him chase me, that I would just be his friend so that he is at least semi-happy, then he'll get over it and leave me alone."

Lily's mum: "But dear, he can't be all that bad..."

Lily: "No, that's why I'm his friend. And I'm going up to my room to finish writing with my new quills..." She turned, went upstairs and began to compose a letter to James...