"Oh no! I'm going to be late! Prefects are not late to classes, especially their first classes of the year!!" Lily sped down the corridors and whipped around corners, her long, red hair flailing behind her. She finally reached the depths of the dungeons and stopped right in front of the door to her first class. She held a stitch in her side as she caught her breath and then fixing her hair quickly. She flattened her clothing with her hands before opened the large, oak door and slipping into the rather cold classroom, looking flushed and very out of breath.

Luckily for her, Professor Kloric, the potions master, was busy kindling the fire. He was a tall man with short, balding brown hair, piercing gray eyes, and a rather long, pointed nose.

Lily took a seat in the only empty one, which just happened to be beside James. She didn't even give him a glance as she took out her books, quills, ink, and rolls of parchment. She folded her hands together and set them in her lap, waiting for class to begin.

James was quite used to being ignored by Lily but that didn't stop him from talking to her. "Perfect Prefects aren't supposed to be late to classes. It sets a bad example for the others students." He grinned at her and she didn't bather to look his way. Remus, who was sitting on the other side of James, elbowed him in his side. Remus noticed how out of it you seemed and told James.

"Nonsense. I spoke to her earlier this morning and she said she was fine," James said to his dear friend who just happened to be the one who gave him the password to the prefects' bathroom. James already knew that Lily wasn't herself. He simply pretended not to notice since she had told him off before. He turned back to her and saw that she had laid her head down on her arms that were folded over each other one the table top.

Lily had been staring off into space, making sure she was looking away from the Slytherins whom they had double potions with. Suddenly James' face appeared in front of her as he put his head down as well, and as surprised as she was she didn't even flinch.

His hazel eyes were filled with concern just as they had been earlier in the bathroom. The two of them seemed to just stare at each other, not speaking at all until Lily finally said something, "What is it you want from me?" James looked hurt and showed it as he answered in an offended voice.

"I'm just worried about you Lils." She simply stared at him, her usually bright and livid eyes were dull and almost lifeless. Now James was even more worried. She hadn't said a thing about him calling her 'Lils'.

"What happened to you over the summer Evans? I mean first you don't give me a detention when last year you handed them out to me for all the things the teachers didn't catch me doing. And now, you don't try to beat me when I call you 'Lils'!"

"What do you care?" She snapped back at him and turned her head the other way. Professor Kloric had finished with the fire and turned around to see Lily with her head down.

"Miss Evans! I will not have you sleeping in my class. If you're not feeling well go up to the hospital wing." He looked at her sternly as she raised her head and nodded. James quickly raised his hand.

"Professor, could I take her up there? She seems a bit weak." Lily shot him a dirty look that Professor Kloric either didn't see or chose to ignore as he dismissed them with a simple wave of his hand.

Lily got out of her seat and exited the classroom followed by James. Lily was walking away rather quickly and James was trying his best to keep up with her.

"I care," he started as he finally reached her, grabbing her wrist and stopping, causing her to spin around and face him, "because you're my friend and I'm worried about you." Lily stared up at him, her eyes blank with no sign of emotion.

"Yeah, because you've suddenly taken an interest in how I feel," she retorted coldly.

"Lily," he gaped at her in disbelief, "When have I not cared how you felt?" Lily scoffed, "That's easy. About every time you've picked on that poor Slytherin, Serverus, and not ever taken time to notice how I hate that. And all the times you've ever asked me out. You've never cared how that made me feel!" She was almost yelling now and was having a hard time keeping her voice down. Oddly enough, it seemed as though no one in any of the classrooms could hear them.

"You've never told me it bothered you," he responded simply.

"I shouldn't have to! But since you seem to want to know now, I'll tell you! It makes me feel hated. In fact I know I'm hated! All your little fan girls despise me. They're practically set out to kill! There are plenty of girls in this school who are madly in love with you. Why not stalk one of them? Why me?"

James smiled and shook his head as if this was the stupidest question she could have ever asked him. "Because Lily," he smiled down at her while he tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and then letting his fingers run down her cheek bone, "Because you are the one that I love. I love everything about you. Your flaming red hair and gorgeous green eyes that shine no matter if you're happy or angry. I love those rare smiles you give me and the way you yell at me when I do something wrong or stupid. But mostly, I love the way you don't hate me no matter how bad I annoy you or how much of an arrogant prat I am."

Lily's expression had softened with each of his words until she was looking up at him in a way she never had before. Her eyes were full of appreciation and respect, instead of anger. For once in her whole life, Lily felt truly special.

His grip on her arm loosened and he looked down at her with loving eyes. "Now would you like to tell me what's bothering you?" He sounded very hopeful and just as Lily opened her mouth to answer a very sweet and gently voice came from beside them.

"Excuse me, I'm a new 6th year here and I'm a bit lost. I was wondering if one of you could help me to the Potions classroom. And seeing as how you're a prefect," she said referring to Lily, "I really hoped you could."

They both turned their heads slowly and their eyes rested on a girl who was a little over five and a half feet tall, average sized, and had rather pale skin. Her long, wavy black hair cascaded around her and down to her lower back, and her bangs hang loosely in front of amazing green eyes. Lily instantly recognized her as the girl she had passed on her way to the bathroom and also as the girl in her nightmares. She was much older but she was unmistakable.

Lily's mouth opened in a silent scream and she stumbled backwards, falling over her own feet. She looked up at the girl in horror who, in return, looked down at her in confusion. As did James.

The girl stepped forward to try and help Lily up, but Lily backed away until she was trapped against the wall. James walked over to her and then knelt down beside her.

"Lily, what in the.." he was cut off by the stammers Lily was managing to make, "She-she's…she's…I….my dreams…" The look of horror was still displayed across her face. Suddenly the girl, who was standing a few feet away, had a new expression on her face. Instead of looking confused an understanding smile spread across her lips.

"So you're the one. I knew this was going to happen sometime but I hadn't expected it to be with one of the students here." James looked up at the girl with the same confused look. The girl noticed this and smiled wider.

"Let me explain. My name is Jade Stone and you," referring yet again to Lily, "are remembering my worst memory of my past. Your nightmares are showing you the time when I was young and my father abandoned me in Knockturn Alley, not the best place to do it but a place where almost no one would notice."

"My father was a wonderful man, but he had no choice except to leave me there. You see, he knew he was going to die soon and decided to leave me somewhere alone rather than have me live with my horrid mother. She was a witch, who was ashamed of her powers and acted like a mother. And on top of that she just didn't care about me."

"My father knew I could take care of myself but he'd also contacted his brother, my uncle, in his last living hours. My uncle then went searching for my thoughts, because my thoughts would lead him to me. And he soon found me, that's why my eyes flashed red. Not because I'm some evil demon but because that's what happens when someone taps into your thoughts."

"After he found me I lived with him and he home schooled me until now. I had decided I wanted to go here because I wanted to have classes and friends and live away from my uncle for a while since I would have to be leaving him as soon as I was old enough. He agreed to let me go and that's why I'm here."

Lily's facial expression had slowly turned from horrified, to sympathetic, and then to understanding. But James was more confused than ever.

"You'd been having nightmares? Is that why you were acting this way?" Lily looked over at him sheepishly and nodded. "Yes…well not completely. The nightmares just made me lose sleep. There are other things…" She smiled nervously and gave a weak laugh.

James stared at her in disbelief. He shook his head, not wanting to seem as though he thought she was stupid for fretting a nightmare. "What else was bothering you?"

Lily cheeks suddenly turned a deep crimson, "That's…um…not important." She then looked up at James. "How have you been entering my dreams though?" She obviously wanted to change the subject and both James and Jade noticed this.

"Well actually," came Jade's gentle voice, "I'm not sure. I suppose it has something to do with me trying to get rid of my worst memories. It was a complex spell my uncle taught me, but he told me in order to get rid of them my memories would have to go to someone else."

James looked up at her, as if he was thinking very hard about something. "But if you've passed them on to Lily, then how do you still remember them?"

Jade smiled again, "Since she has never finished seeing the memories I cannot fully pass them to her. Until she sleeps completely through the nightmare I'll still have the memories and she'll continue to dream them. But as soon as she does then we'll both forget them. I never meant for them to be sent to her though. I wanted to send them to my mother and have her always remember them but direct sending is much too difficult for me." She laughed nervously and hoped they understood. But then a single pair of running footsteps could be heard, echoing through the empty halls.

Authors Note: Okay, last time I posted this someone asked me if Jade would just tell Lily her worst secret that openly and in front of James. Well I told her that Jade felt that whoever was receiving her memories deserves to know everything about them. And being a girl that sends her memories to a random person she didn't mind having James know too. So in other words, she's a very open girl!

I also have a reveiw responce to the only one that reveiwed -tear-:

Snowflake- Don't worry, I'll remember that I'm great and gifted. And you're right, I did put a lot of time into it. I must've written everything over three times. In a notebook, again in the notebook, and then on the computer. So I'm glad you noticed!! Thanks for the reveiw!

Everyone remember that I LOVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM!! But I hate people just telling me it sucks and not telling me why...so constructive critism equalsgood

saying it sucks with no reason equalsbad

Sarah