'Ello. Thanks for the reviews! Yeah, I know Trewlawney wasn't there in Lily and James's time thanks to the 5th book, but I actually wrote this before it came out. So I just thought I'd apologise for not clearing that up, but. . . y'know, I didn't know. LoL.

Anyways! I have lots of lovely coursework I have to do, so I have to be quick. Byyyyye. Oh, and review? Again? Ta!

James' POV

"Oh my God. . ." Sirius whispered, as we sat around a table in the Three Broomsticks.

"What?" I asked.

Lucky me had been stuck with the corner seat. Which meant I could see nothing.

"I can't believe this. . .!" Sirius said.

"What?"

"There's just no way. . .!"

"What?!" I demanded, lying across the table and forgetting any worries about drawing attention to us.

"James," Lorredana sighed and rolled her eyes. "Here." She moved aside and pulled me next to her, then pointed discreetly to where Lily and Snape were sat.

Why hadn't I got Lorredana's seat?

"What am I looking at?" I asked blankly.

They were drinking. Snape's head was resting on one arm. Lily looked bored.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Uhhh. . ." I looked at them blankly and shook my head. "What am I watching for?"

"James, come on," Lorredana sighed and twirled her finger around the rim of the glass. "He so likes her."

"What?" I cried, leaning over the table again.

"Sit down," Sirius hissed, tugging the back of robes. "They'll see you."

"You are so wrong," I snapped at Lorredana.

"I am so not," she retorted. "See? Even Sirius agrees."

I looked towards Sirius, my eyebrows raised.

"Well. . ." he said slowly, looking thoughtful. ". . . Yeah."

"But why do you think that?" I demanded.

"Oh wow," Lorredana suddenly smirked, crossing her arms and looking at me slyly. "You like her!"

"I do not," I insisted, but I could feel my face growing hot.

Oh, damn it. Damn. . . everything.

"Awww!" was all Lorredana said. And she said that rather sarcastically.

"Laurie, shut up. I do not like-" Then I realized I was talking pretty loudly, so coughed and lowered my voice. "I do not like Lily."

"No. . ." Sirius said, shaking his head. "Of course you don't like her James. You lo-"

I glared at him.

It shut him up.

It made him snort into his butterbeer, but it shut him up.

"Look, can we get back to the original topic here? There's no way in the name of Merlin that Snape can like Lily!"

"Aww, you're jealous!" Lorredana exclaimed.

"I. Am. Not."

"But he so does," Lorredana finished with a shrug. "You are sooooooo cute, y'know? Bless your little heart."

Lily's POV

I smiled and nodded at Severus, who went to buy more drinks.

Then the smile dropped. I mean, I like him and everything, but he's a little boring.

Or maybe he's just blanking me. I'm a 'Mudblood' after all, and this is his social time, not our studying time.

And then I noticed James.

He was sitting at a table in the corner, arguing about something with Lorredana, while Sirius sat back in his chair and watched them with amusement.

So they're arguing?

That's always a good sign. For Tess, I mean.

I looked up and grinned when Severus appeared again, and then realized that James was now glaring at him.

Oh yes. Severus isn't exactly James' best friend, is he?

Tough luck.

James' POV

Needless to say, I left pretty soon after that.

There's only so many of Lorredana's jibes you can take. And it's only a matter of time before you get sick of watching Lily and Snape acting all cozy.

But you know what?

I don't care. I survived when she went out with Sirius, I can survive now.

Sirius; best friend. Snape; worst enemy.

It can't be that much of a difference, right?

What about that saying. . .? There's only a fine line between love and hate.

Or something.

What am I talking about?

"James, would you slow down?" Sirius yelled down the street of Hogsmeade I was striding through/#.

I turned to face him, blinking the sun out of my eyes. "Or, you could hurry up," I suggested.

"Why did you just leave?"

"Because Lorredana is annoying."

"Oooh. . . See, I would have thought it would have been because of Lil-"

"So where's Lorredana now?" I interrupted.

Sirius shrugged, turning back to the Three Broomsticks, as if it could explain. "I think she went to talk to Lily. . .?"

Honestly, my jaw dropped.

"What? But. . . w-why?"

"How should I know? Come on then, young Prongs. . . I want to go practice for the next Quidditch game. You swore this morning you would, but did you take up on your word? Nooooo. . ."

Sirius continued to yak on as he led us back to the school, while I was busy trying to send brainwaves to Lorredana, to tell her to shut up for once in her life.

Lily's POV

Severus and I made small talk, while I watched James, Sirius and Lorredana out of the corner of my eye.

And then suddenly James stormed out.

Strange.

Sirius said something to Lorredana, who shrugged, and then he followed James.

"Lily?" Severus questioned.

"Sorry," I smiled, facing him again. "Carry on, what were you saying?"

"I was saying-"

"Hi Lily! Severus. Do you mind if I sit here? Thanks. See, James just ditched me, and you know, I was planning on spending the day with him, so don't know where my friends are. . ." Lorredana babbled, pulling up a seat.

Huh. Rude.

Severus and I were having a wonderfully interesting conversation, for her information, and she just interrupted.

"James just left?" I asked, praying to God I didn't sound too hopeful. You know, for Tess.

"Uh-hmm. . ." Lorredana nodded, smiling slyly.

"Oh."

"It was funny though. . . he was just telling me about someone he liked and. . . whoosh, he was gone," Lorredana said, shrugging and looking bored.

Well. . . If James was talking about someone he liked to Lorredana. . . It could hardly be Lorredana, could it?

Oh, I don't know. I don't care.

"He talking 'bout Tess?" I asked, while Severus slouched in his seat and looked out of the window.

"Who?" Lorredana asked bluntly.

Little stuck-up cow. 'Who?'

"Tess," I repeated. "She's. . . oh, never mind."

"Okay! Well, no."

"Oh. Well. . . hmmm. . ."

Well I couldn't ask who he was talking about. Talk about obvious.

"You know, as fascinating as it is, talking about Potter's love life," Severus suddenly remarked, standing up and grabbing his cloak. "I think I'm going to leave now."

"Oh, don't leave," I said, looking up at him.

"No, I. . ."

. . . Don't like Lorredana either? Hardly surprising.

"Well, I'll come too," I shrugged. "I mean. . ."

I mean I don't want to be stuck with her for the rest of the afternoon.

"Yeah. Do you mind?" I asked, tossing my hair over my shoulder.

If he minded, that was too bad. I was leaving with him.

"Um. . . no, I don't mind," he said, looking at me doubtfully.

Lorredana raised her eyebrows at carried on drinking her butterbeer. "Well. Okay then. You two. . . have fun."

Sirius' POV

Flying. . . is the best.

Seriously. Toss me a broom and it'll clear my head.

Or make me see things in a new light.

I thought it'd do the same for James, but nope. He's still stressed about Lily and Snape.

I don't know why he didn't just admit it to Lorredana. It was so obvious.

Sure, if he admitted it to Lorredana, it would be news all around school within an hour.

But it's going to be news all around the school within an hour anyway. That's just the sort of person Lorredana is.

Besides. . . I wasn't too happy about Lily going out for a drink with Snape either.

I broke up with Lily for James. James.

And there is no way on this earth I gave that girl up for my worst enemy.

No way.

Lily's POV

I went back to the Common Room later that day, to find neither Tess nor Helen were there.

"Hey," I said, joining a group of girls from my year. "Do you know where Tess is? Or Helen?"

"Tess and Helen? Nope," one of them - Becky - said. Then she raised her eyebrows and smiled. "But James Potter and Sirius Black are riiiight over there," she added, pointing slyly towards the fire.

I looked at her queerly. "Hmm. And that would interest me because. . .?"

"Oh come on Lily," another - Kirsten - sighed. "You spend more time with the 7th years than with any of us."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do. Not that that's bad, you lucky thing," Morgan replied enviously.

"I know. You went out with Sirius Black, didn't you?" Becky murmured.

Ugh. Bring up my and Sirius' history.

If they dare mention-

"And James! The poor thing, his dad just being killed and everything. . . bet he needs a shoulder to cry on, huh Lils?" Kirsten said.

"You know, I'm going to go up to my dorm. If Tess and Helen show up, tell them I'm up there, okay?" I gave them a strained smile and headed up the stairs before they could say anything else.

Well this is just great. So everyone thinks I only want to spend time with the 7th years.

Not that I care. Just so long as I get Head Girl. . .

And James. Why wasn't I the shoulder James could cry on?

Oh yeah. Because I messed that up. Just when I realised I liked him. . . He was just opening up to me. . .

And I blew it. I mentioned Tess.

James' POV

"Prongs!" Sirius yelled, slamming the door to our dorm open.

I frowned and glanced up from some crap I was writing for my Head Boy stuff. "Um. . . hello?"

"Why on earth won't you ask her out?" he demanded, grabbing a chair and sitting on it back to front in front of me.

Ah, onto the wonderful subject of Lily.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Be. . . -cause. . . I don't know."

He had a point.

Why didn't I?

Maybe because if I did and found out she didn't like me, then besides being embarrassed, then I'm going to be. . . er. . . unhappy.

And suicidal, maybe.

"Look, you need to get over this little 'ooh-what-if-she-rejects-me?' stint," Sirius said firmly, though he managed to mimic me with a lot of waving of his hands.

I looked at him quizzically. The way that boy can read me is terrifying.

"Okay. . ." I said, shaking my head.

"You think I broke up with her for you to sit around and whine? No! I didn't! So get your arse out there and talk to her. And you may think I'm being harsh with your dad just dying and everything-"

"Actually, I wasn't even thinking that, but thanks."

"-but. . . look, Snape likes her now. What if she goes out with him?"

Oh please.

"Lily's not that stupid," I said, rolling over on my bed.

"Really? Then how come she went to the Three Broomsticks with him?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows.

My face stared at him, and I'm not sure if it was over come with horror, or repulsion, or what, but it made him nod superiorly.

"Yeah. So. . . I'd get in there as quick as I could, mate."