Author's Notes: C'mon, PLEASE REVIEW! I'm still determined to finish this story but I may stop if I don't get reviews. PLEASE! Just click the button at the bottom of the screen and type what you thought of the chapter or story… it's not all that hard. All I want is for you to tell me what you thought or else you won't get an ending. Anyway, here's another chapter and I hope you enjoy it. This one should be pretty long if all goes as planned. And I'm sorry if I don't get chapters up very often because school started again and everything… and I might have a tad bit of writers block here and there but I have most of the story planned already. So PLEASE Review! Thanks!

Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it again? Oh fine, I don't own Harry Potter. Only Amanda and Bianca. That should be pretty clear by now, so don't sue me… please.

Lily and James walked down the corridors in silence for the most part. Once in a while one would speak but the conversation wouldn't get too far. Lily felt a little awkward.

Here she was, walking the corridors with the one person she would never have wanted to walk with, but yet for some reason it wasn't bothering her.

Why am I enjoying this? Lily thought to herself, This is never something you would enjoy, Evans, ever. Not even now that you're forced to share the Head Tower with him…

The next few minutes seemed to pass by very slowly, and Lily couldn't stand the silence, so she decided to ask James about the one thing that had been on her mind for the longest time.

"James?" she asked, James looked at her. "Earlier, when you said you'd try harder this year… what did you mean?"

"You mean you don't know?" James asked as though it was obvious

"No." Lily said

"I thought you'd figure it out." James said

"Well I didn't, so what did you mean?" Lily asked again

"Think about it." James said

Lily did what she was told. She thought about everything he had said to her this year, and some things he had said in previous years, too.

For the first few minutes she couldn't figure it out, but then it hit her.

"So that's what this is about…" she said quietly

"I told you that you could figure it out." James said

"But… why? Why do you keep trying when you keep failing?" she asked

"Because you're the greatest person I've ever met, and if it takes a lifetime for me to win your heart… it'll be worth it in the end. Why waste my time on any other girl when you're the only one I care about?" James said

Lily was touched. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. But she still didn't quite understand.

"But why only focus on me? Life is too short to revolve your life around one person." Lily said

"Lily, without you, I have no life." James said

Neither one of them could think of anything else to say. They continued to walk in silence for the rest of their prefect duties.

The next morning went on pretty normal, at least until breakfast. Amanda had left the Gryffindor Tower before Bianca and when Lily and Bianca headed to breakfast Amanda was nowhere in sight.

"Where could she be?" Lily asked

"I dunno…" Bianca mumbled looking all over the Great Hall for her friend.

The two girls looked for a couple minutes but were interrupted by the Marauders.

"Hello, ladies." Sirius said as they approached, the whole group were cracking up

"We don't have time for small talk, Black, we're looking for Amanda." Bianca said

"Where is she?" Sirius asked, his voice now filled with concern

"If we knew that do you really think we'd be looking for her?" Lily asked

"No." Sirius said

"Alright then, let us look for her." Bianca said

"Can we help?" Sirius asked

"No." Lily said, "C'mon Bianca."

The two left the Great Hall and searched the corridors alone.

The were running for the most part, but when they passed the Hospital Wing and Lily glanced inside, she stopped.

"What are you doing?" Bianca asked, gasping for breath

"She's in here!" Lily shouted rushing in the room

"What?!" Bianca said as she followed Lily

"Amanda! What are you doing here?" Lily said as she reached Amanda, she but she wasn't in the bed, she was next to it.

Amanda didn't answer. She just looked at the person in the bed.

Lily looked down and at once recognized Amanda's very unconscious brother, Zach.

"Oh no, what happened?" Bianca asked

"I don't know… all I know is that it was those good-for-nothing Marauders." Amanda said

"What did they do?" Bianca asked

"How do you know it was them?" Lily asked

"There were a few fifth years that witnessed it. The Marauders played some prank on a group of third years and Zach just happened to be one of them… and here he is, unconscious and unaware of anything." Amanda said

"I can't believe I trusted him…" Lily said

"Who?" Bianca asked

"James." Lily said

"When did you too become best buddies?" Amanda said, "Last I checked you hated him."

"Don't put her down for it, Amanda. She didn't do anything." Bianca said

"Stay out of it!" Amanda snapped

"Amanda! Calm down! Why are you yelling at us?" Lily asked

Amanda took a deep breath, "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have. I'm just so frustrated right now."

There was a short silence.

"You guys should get to class… I already informed Dumbledore I won't be attending classes today." Amanda said

"Oh yeah, we have double potions first." Bianca said

"We'll see you later, Amanda. See ya, Zach." Lily said as she left the room

Lily and Amanda walked through the corridors and into the dungeons when the heard the familiar voices of James and Sirius behind them, but they didn't stop.

"Hey! Lily, Wait!" James shouted

Lily groaned but turned around anyway

"Did you find Amanda?" Sirius asked as they caught up

"Yes, we did. Great place to find her in too. Nothing like a stroll through the Hospital Wing!" Lily said sarcasticly

"She's in the Hospital Wing?!" Sirius said concerned

"Oh, yeah! And you'll never guess who she's visiting!" Lily said

Sirius sighed in relief, "Who?"

"Hmm… remember that group of poor, innocent third years you played that funny little prank on?" Lily said

Sirius and James smiled, "Yeah…" James said, "What about 'em?"

"Well one of those third years just happened to be Zach Clearwater, Amanda's little brother. And now poor little Zach is unconscious in the bloody Hospital Wing!" Lily said

Sirius and James shot each other panicked glances.

"He's unconscious?" James asked

"Mhmm. All thanks to you four. So congratulations, Potter, you just lost all hope of winning my heart." Lily said as she turned away and walked quickly into the Potions classroom.

James just stared at the spot where Lily had stood. He didn't blink, he just stared.

Sirius looked at him, but didn't say anything.

"Tell Havins I'm sick." James muttered as he turned away and ran down the corridor.

"You're late." Professor Havins, the new potions teacher, said as Sirius, Peter, and Remus entered the classroom

"Sorry, Professor." Sirius said as he and his friends found a table towards the back of the room, conveniently right in back of Lily and Bianca's.

"I don't tolerate late students, Black. 30 points from Gryffindor." Professor Havins said

"But, that's not fair!" Sirius protested

"One more word and it'll be 60." Professor Havins said

Sirius sighed and sat back down in his seat.

"Where is the Potter boy?" Professor Havins asked

"He wasn't feeling well, so he went to the Hospital Wing." Sirius said, he then glared at Lily who glared back

"I see. Well who will bring Potter's homework to him when class is over?" Professor Havins said

"I will." Lily said

"Evans. Good." He said

The rest of the class went by very slowly and Professor Havins was torture.

By the time the class was over Lily couldn't bare to go on. She took James's homework and headed toward the Head Tower with Bianca.

"Before I get there I'm going to stop by Dumbledore's office." Lily said

"Why?" Bianca asked

"Because, I can't stand anymore professors right now." Lily said

After they left Dumbledore's office (He approved Lily to take the rest of the day off.) Bianca left Lily and Lily continued to the Tower.

When she got there she said the password ('Beatle juice') and entered.

James was indeed there, but his back was towards her. He was staring into the fire.

Lily stood there, holding pieces of parchment, which contained James's homework assignments. She didn't want to go further into the Common Room. She didn't want to face James.

In truth James hadn't lost all hope of getting Lily to like him. In truth Lily already liked him, more then she thought she did. She couldn't stand to see James hurt… but after what he did she didn't know what to do.

It wasn't his fault… Lily thought to herself, But if I forgive him Amanda will hate me… think about it, Evans, it's either him or her. Amanda would always forgive me, but if I lose James now I don't know if I'll get him back.

Lily slowly approached where James sat. James didn't budge.

"J-James?" Lily said quietly

James looked at her.

"Here's your potions homework," she said as she handed it to him.

"Thanks." He said very coldly and quietly

"Look, James… what I said earlier… I didn't mean it." Lily said

"Which part?" James asked

"I don't know… all of it. The part where you've lost all hope in winning my heart." Lily said

"Really?" James asked

Lily nodded

"Good. But that's not my problem." James said, turning his attention to the flames again.

"What is?" Lily asked

"My mom's dying."