Author's note: Thanks for the reviews everyone! They REALLY keep me motivated to keep writing, and I reviewed stories, if I missed you I apologize, and tell me, and I'll be sure to do so! Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Oh, and I'm trying to keep this funny, but they are going though a time where dark things were happening, so bear with me, I am trying my best.

Emeralds didn't compare to Lily's eyes. Deep and ever changing, they were amazing. James Potter was currently lost in them; he didn't see a way out. He knew it was a mistake catching her eyes with his own, but it was an accident. She had been walking down the staircase, and he turned just in time to catch a glimpse of those lovely bright green orbs, and he was hooked. They might not have been so captivating if they looked away from the hazel eyes staring into them…but they weren't…although, maybe the would be, he couldn't deny they were beautiful. Maybe it was shock, or maybe it was just the James Potter never got to look into those eyes unless they were glaring at him, or maybe, just maybe it was something more, but whatever it was, he couldn't look away. They were growing closer, nearing his own. He could feel his heart pounding in his throat. The silent staring between the two might have continued if someone hadn't tapped Lily's shoulder and caused her to look away.

"Are you ready Lily?" At that moment in time James Potter had never wanted to pummel anyone more that he did Jonathan Avery. The Slytherin's smug face didn't help either. He was standing next to Lily at the bottom of the staircase, his hand on her shoulder and a self-satisfied smile gracing his face. Lily looked startled, and disoriented, as though she was coming back from another world, she soon looked up at the tall boy next to her and smiled though. And it was that smile that broke James' heart, he didn't understand why, but at the moment that smile came across her lips, his stomach plummeted, and a pain shot through his chest. It was over in a moment, but he still felt the ghost pain of it for some time afterwards. He didn't know why it had hurt him, he was over Evans, he had made himself get over her, why should he care if she was ruining her life with some Slytherin not even worthy of her time.

"Yes, Jon…I'm ready." Out of the corner of his eye, James saw her smile softly at Avery, and glance at him. In any romantic comedy, at this time both of them would realize that they loved each other, and would never love another soul as much as they did each other, as long as they live…and so on. However, this is Lily and James that we are talking about, so do you honestly think that's what's going to happen?

"Nice boy toy Red, he the male version of Barbie?" James looked at the couple still standing at the base of the stairs, a smirk on his face.

Lily's face turned red and she stepped away from Avery, placing her hands on her hips, she began to tell James Potter just what she thought of him. "Shut up Potter." Ok, well maybe not, but that's only because her thoughts were still tumbling around from their previous staring contest.

James grinned. "Only one way I'm going to do that Evans." Lily's face turned as red as her face, "Why you…"

Knowing what she was thinking, and guessing what she was about to say, James cut in, "I'll shut up when you learn to shut that trap of yours." Lily glared at him, and James knew that he was about to get a tongue lashing…but at least that made things back to normal…him and Evans gazing into each other's eyes was not in any way normal.

"You…you arrogant little pig! I can't believe you would tell me to shut up when it's you that can never stop bragging about yourself. That ego gets any bigger Potter you're not going to get off the ground with your stupid broom!" And…and…let's go Jon."

James smirked at the angry red head pulling Jonathan Avery out of the common room. "Run out of things to say Red? That's a first."

Lily whipped around so fast the Avery got smacked it the face with her hair (something James found quite amusing). "Shut up Potter! I've had it with you! You're a big-headed little toerag, and if I knew I wouldn't get locked up in Azkaban I'd…well I'd…I'd do something you wouldn't like!" Whether she was blushing because she was being so uncommonly tongue-tied, or she was just about to explode from anger, James couldn't tell, but Lily's face was rivaling her hair. James leaned up against the couch behind him, and crossed his arms casually across his chest.

"Red…if you blow up I don't think male-Barbie is going to ask you out on another date."

At this the Slytherin finally got his head and burst in, "Now you see here Potter-"

James smoothly cut into his speech (something he personally thought he was getting good at…interrupting people that is) "I'll tell you what I see…I see a red headed traitor that's about to either explode or blow chunks over us all, so I do believe I shall be leaving you all soon. And I see a very large blonde rat standing next to her, that I do hope very much, gets the blunt of whatever explosion occurs. And with that being said, I bid you all a not so fond farewell."

With a mocking bow, and a sweep of an imaginary hat, James Potter sauntered out of the common room through the portrait hole.

Lily felt like sinking in to floor, and she knew her face wasn't going back to normal yet, so she did the only thing she could think of. She looked at the still glaring Slytherin and chanced a weak smile, "I swear I won't explode."

She was relieved to hear the Slytherin start laughing. Laughing weakly she looked towards the portrait that James Potter had just gone though, 'well at least things are back to normal now…'

James Potter walked quickly away from the common room. If he knew that he was putting as much distance between himself and Lily Evans, he didn't allow himself to think about it. However, his thoughts were on a certain red-haired Gryffindor.

'Well that worked well. Everything is back to normal. Evans and me are fighting again, just like we should be. I must have just been daydreaming when I was staring at her eyes. They aren't that amazing anyways. They're just green. Just green, just amazing shades of green swirling and---stop, they are just normal green eyes, and that's all there is to it. Nothing special about them at all, just green eyes. Beautiful green eyes…but that's it.'

As much as James Potter was trying to convince himself that staring into Lily Evan's eyes was just something that had happened, and was nothing of importance, he had one problem. He couldn't get them out of his mind. They way they seemed so deep, and the way the colors all blended, and the way he could see all these things even from a distance, and annoyingly how much he wanted to see them from a closer view. He couldn't get her face out of his head either. Sure he was focusing on her eyes, but he did notice the soft smile playing on her lips, and of course he noticed the way it made her eyes sparkle. He also noticed he couldn't ignore the way his stomach was doing flip-flops the whole time. He kept reminding himself that he was over the "red headed demon" and that fifth year was just a severe lapse of judgment. Just like Sirius had told him. His mind began to fill with the memory of that day after the "incident" at the lake. Sirius had dubbed it affectionately 'the fight heard 'round the world.'

"Prongs, I really do fear that as your best friend I do believe you are making a complete ass of yourself."

James ignored his best friend and continued to walk towards the common room, his head was buzzing with the words she had said to him... 'You're just as bad as him...' Was he really as bad as Snape? He would never call her that; he cared about her…why couldn't she see that? Maybe he should stop caring…that was it…he'd show her she lost her chance with him, and then she would be sorry.

"You're right Padfoot, how about we make Lily Evans a new target; we'll make sure she knows she lost her chance with a Marauder."

He was pleased to see Sirius' dog-like grin fill his face.

Almost running into a wall, he looked at his surroundings. He hadn't realized he walked so far; he was outside the doors of the great hall. He could see the lawns of the great magical school spread out before him. 'I might not care about Evans, but no one should have to put up with Jonathan Avery. I wonder if she really likes him…how can she like him' Shaking his head, he told himself that he didn't care who Evans liked. He walked out of the castle smiling; a plan began to form in his mind.

"I'm really sorry Jon; I shouldn't have started anything with Potter." Lily looked up at the tall Slytherin walking next to her. They had just left the common room and had started walking towards the front doors. Lily liked the feeling of him by her side; they were so close that their hands brushed each other every so often. Quick glances at the walls told her that the portraits found Lily Evans, and Jonathan Avery walking together, a thing of interest. She had to admit even to herself, that she never would have imagined likening a Slytherin, especially Jonathan Avery. But she also knew he had changed, he was quieter this year, and not nearly as cocky as he had been last year.

He grinned at her, and Lily felt her heart start to beat faster. "Its fine, Potter started it anyways." He put his arm around her, and she could feel the blush beginning to form on her cheeks.

"He always does." She growled, thinking of all the fights her and Potter had been in. He knew just what buttons to push with her, and he always pushed them. It seemed to her that his life goal was to see her go off the deep end. 'He wasn't always like that.' A voice in her head whispered, Lily ignored it.

Jon chuckled, "I assumed that anyways. He's an ass Lily. Don't let him get to you. He and Black just like to think the whole school worships the ground they walk on."

'Easier said than done, Potter doesn't leave me alone so that I can ignore him…' Lily thought, she nodded and Jon, and smiled though.

Feeling a little brave, Lily leaned into Jon's side; she was pleased to feel his arm tighten around her shoulders. Allowing herself to think back to the incident in the common room, she realized there was a possibility Jon saw her staring at Potter like she was. She looked up at his strong profile; she was really beginning to like him. Whatever it was that Andrea and Elise had against the Slytherin, must be a misjudgment. He had been a perfect gentleman so far, although it did bother her that he didn't try to defend her against Potter, until he was insulted too, but he must have just been shocked at how rude the big-headed prat was.

"So what was with you and Potter starting at each other like that?"

'Oh no.'

"Oh…umm…well he had something on his chin and it was funny looking so I was staring at it." She grinned, secretly beginning to breathe again.

'Nice save Evans.'

Jon laughed, and Lily found herself taken back by the coldness of it. 'I just imagined that,' She thought, laughing with him.

"So where do you want to go?" She looked into his eyes, and a part of her (that she quickly suppressed) told her that the cold blue was nothing compared to the hazel she had gazed into earlier.

"I doesn't matter…surprise me." She answered grinning. Jon smiled back at her, the smile not quite reaching the icy eyes she had just gotten done looking at. 'I wonder why', she reflected still smiling at him.

"Ok Lily, I'll surprise you…I'm good at surprises."

She smiled up at him, "I like surprises."

He grinned, this time it reached his eyes, "Good." His arm tightened around her, she breathed deeply.

Everything was going great she thought leaning into Jon's side, loving the feeling of his strong arm around her, only one this was troubling her mind…she couldn't quite put in the back of her mind the way she felt looking into James Potter's eyes.

I know it's REALLY short, but I wanted to get something up, and I really don't have time to write more, but I promise there will be an update tomorrow at the latest.-

Please review, reviews motivate me a lot!