"Hey, Lily, wait," James called after her. She turned around and smiled. She loved the way he said her name. It made her feel warm inside.

"Hey James. What is t?" she said as he caught up to her.

"Um, well, I was wondering if you could help me with the Charms homework," he said as they walked into the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Why don't you ask Scarlett?"

"I did," he said as her heart turned upside down, " But Professor Flitwick gave us harder work because we are ahead of their class."

"Oh, okay. Yeah, I can help you. I think I already finished it, like a couple of days ago," she said with a small grin.

"Thanks," he said kissing her cheek softly. What did that mean. Did he like her, or just as a friend? As these thoughts were running through her head, James was talking to her.

"Lily, earth to Lily. Can you help me NOW?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Yeah, just let me go get it from my, um, dorm," she said as she ran upstairs.

"What do you mean he kissed you?" Kitty asked. They were supposed to be sleeping, but Lily had so much to tell. They were sitting in the window seats of the Bay window that looked over the lake.

"He said thanks, and then softly kissed my cheek," she gushed.

"Oh, then that might not mean anything," Kitty said as if nothing really happened.

"What do you mean?"

"When a guy, especially one with a girlfriend, kisses you on the cheek, it doesn't really mean anything, just that he probably likes you as a good friend. Sorry Lils," Kitty said as she hugged her. Lily never let anyone call her Lils except Kitty. It was like a name Kitty made for her. Like Lily started calling her Kitty. Her real name was Mary Katharine, and that was just her first name.

"Thanks Kitty. I just want to ask you something I thought of, out of the blue. Why do you let other people call you Kitty?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, I only let you call me Lils, because it doesn't sound right coming from other people, but I thought only I could call you Kitty," Lily explained

"oh, well, I dunno. Maybe they heard you call me that, and they just assumed. I don't call you Lils all the time. You only call me Kitty," she explained.

"Okay, whatever," Lily said as she crawled into bed.

"Hey, Lily, I just wanna say thanks, again," James said as he laughed

"Okay, your welcome then," she said. They were walking to their first class, Potions.

"Yeah, okay. Bye," he said as he went to go stand outside the dungeon with Scarlett. They had Potions with Hufflepuff today.

"So, what did he say?" Kitty asked her when she walked up.

"Where's Sirius?" Right when she said that, Kitty pointed to Sirius going to Professor Dumbledore's office, by Professor Mcgonagall.

"What happened?" Lily said as she laughed. She wasn't surprised though.

"I actually don't know," Kitty said. Just then, their Professor, let them come in.

"So, Lily, are you going on the next Hogsmeade trip?" Scarlett asked her during Potions. They were to be in groups of three, and Scarlett wanted to join hers and Kitty's group. Lily gave Kitty a look, and Kitty gave her a pitiful one back.

"Um, yeah, I might," Lily answered very cautiously.

"Oh, good then! Amos is going too, and you both would have a ball together," Scarlett said as if she were Lily getting asked out by James. But then again, Lily didn't want to go with Amos.

"Um, Scarlett? I don't like Amos," Lily said

"You don't? Why? What's not to like?"

"Um, I don't really know, I just don't like him. If you think he is so nice, why don't you go out with him?"

"Because I have a boyfriend silly. You know, that guy you are practically best friends with," Scarlett said in her ditzy voice.

"Well, why don't you set him up with Maralin?" Lily asked. Scarlett looked as if she was about to cry. Kitty gave her a look that said to shut up. Lily mouthed the word why to her. 'I'll explain later' she mouthed back. Lily nodded

"Oh, I'm sorry Scarlett. Fine, I just don't like him, okay?"

"Fine, who do you like?" Lliy's heart stopped. She looked at Kitty, who was biting her lip. She then averted her eyes toward James, but she knew she couldn't tell Scarlett. Scarlett had the biggest mouth in the world.

"Um, nobody," Lily managed to say.

"I think you are lying."

"Am not. I don't like anyone. I don't care what you say," Lily said. She felt her heart go up and down, knowing James would never like her. Scarlett studied her face.

"Why do you hang out with James?"

"What?"

"Why do you hang out with James? I thought you hated his guts. If you can't give me a reason, then I don't think you should talk to him ever again," Scarlett said smugly, as if she was marrying him. Lily couldn't believe her ears. Was Scarlett telling her who to hang out with?

"Fine, you want to know who I like? I like James. There you go. Now go and spread it all around-"

"Please clean up your things. Class is just about over," the Professor said

"What ! You like James?" Scarlett exclaimed very loudly. The whole class became quiet. They all looked at Lily, even James. He looked straight into her eyes.

"So, Lily Evans likes James Potter. Well, you get away from him," Scarlett whispered the last sentence to her. All Lily could do was swallow. Hard.

&

By the time dinner was over, the whole school knew Lily liked James.

"Lily, why didn't you tell?" Sirius asked

"Because I DON"T like him. He was just the first person I could think of," Lily lied

"Really? I don't think so," Scarlett said as she came up behind them. She walked to the end of the table where James was eating with Remus and his other friend, Peter Pettigrew.

"God, I hate her," Lily said

"So, you do like him," Sirius said.

"Fine, I do, but don't say anything. If anyone asks or blah, I just like him as a friend," Lily said. He and Kitty agreed that they would tell people that.

As Lily was walking to the common room, she heard a voice call after her.

"Lily, Lily..." Lily turned around and saw Kitty running after her.

"Hey. I thought you were-"

"Lily, come see what's going on!" Kitty grabbed Lily's arm and dragged her to the Great Hall. There, she saw James and Amos fighting.

"Why are they fighting?" Lily whispered in Kitty's ear.

"Because, Amos came up to James and punched him because he thinks something happened between the two of you," Kitty said

"But nothing-"

"That's what James said, but Amos said that Scarlett told-"

"Scarlett?" Lily started scanning the crowd for her.

"Looking for James, Evans?" she heard Scarlett say behind her.

"No, I was looking for you," Lily said glaring at Scarlett.

"Why? I thought you liked James?" Scarlett's friends sniggered behind her.

"No, I don't. I just wanted-"

"What is going on here?" Professor Mcgonagall said as she pushed through the crowd

"I expect you to act more like a Head Boy. Mr. Potter, I hope you will think next time you decide to-"

"But, Professor-"

"I don't think Professor Dumbledore was finished talking Mr. Potter."

"I'm sorry Professor."

"As I was saying, I think I will have to take 50 points from-"

"50! Professor, I didn't even start it! Amos came up to me and-"

"I have already taken care of Mr. Diggory, so please, I would like you to let me speak, Mr. Potter!" Professor Dumbledore was getting angry.

"Um, Professor, may I go? I didn't really do-"

"Ms. Evans, please stay here. I would like to know how you fit in here."

"I actually, um, don't know. I was on the way to the, um, common room, when, Kitty, um, came up to me, and-"

"Okay then Ms. Evans, you may go."

"What happened?" Kitty was waiting outside the door for her.

"Nothing to me. I didn't stay long enough to-"

"God dammit!"

"Prongs, what happened?" Sirius asked. They were a little down the hall from them.

"That bastard-"

"James! There you are! I'm so sorry. Are you-"

"Scarlett, where the hell did you get the idea that Evans and I slept with each other? Why the hell did you tell Amos that?" James yelled at her

"James, I, I..." Scarlett started to pretend to cry.

"Scarlet, I'm sick of this. Why did you do that?"

"Well, because she likes you, and Amos likes her, and-"

"She doesn't like James," Sirius interrupted

"Yes she does. She told me in Potions."

"Did she stutter?"

"What?"

"Did she pause or anything in her sentence?" James asked.

"Um, I don't think she did," Scarlett said," Why?"

"That means she doesn't like James. She gets nervous around that stuff. Like when she like Remus last year," Sirius explained.

"That's what you think Black. She does too like James, and so now that I told her to stay away from him-"

"You did what!" James exclaimed. They had started walking again, so Lily and Kitty had to hide behind a statue.

"James, don't get mad," Scarlett said as she put her arms around him. He just pushed her off. They were far enough ahead that Lily and Kitty could start following them.

"Scarlett, why would you do that?"

"Because, I thought you would stop loving me, and marry her and-"

"Marry her?"

"Well, if we broke up, then, well you would probably go out with her and marry her. But if we didn't, then you would-"

"Why would I think about getting married now? Scarlett, I'm sick of your shit. You are right, we are going to break up," James said. He gazed at her for a moment, and then stormed off. Sirius followed him. Scarlett just stood there and cried.

"So, are you happy?" Maralin asked Lily in the morning.

"What are you talking about?"

"You so know. You love James, and he broke up with Scarlett last night."

"Well, I thought you two hated each other," Kitty butted in

"That is our business," she said, and then walked away.

"Goodness," Lily said. Ever since she woke up, people had been coming up to her to tell her that Scarlett and James had broken up.

"Yeah. I wish everyone would-"

"Hey," Sirius cut off what Kitty was going to say," Have any of you seen James?"

"No."

"Oh, well-"

"Sirius, can I talk to you?" James came running up to them. He looked at Lily, but just stared into her eyes, like he was looking for something to read.

"So, Evans, you are happy right?" Scarlett had stopped her in the hall on the way to class from lunch

"Scarlett, shut up."

"Why? You have your love now. You should be happy."

"As I told you before, I don't like James. Why can't you get that in your filthy, shitty head?" Lily stormed off.

"Kitty, I need help," Lily said as they went to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Why is that Lils?"

"Because, nobody will leave me alone. Its like they all blame me for James and Scarlett's break-up," Lily explained. Kitty didn't say anything.

"What? What do you know?"

"Well, James and Scarlett made up. Sirius told me not to tell you because he knew you would get mad and all, so I didn't, but I think you should know," Kitty said with a sorry face.

"Um, it's okay. I. I'm fine. It will, be, okay," Lily said slowly

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, positive," Lily said looking at the floor