Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. Except Leighna, Corinne, Hope, and Karen, I guess. The rest all belong to the wonderful, awesome, and brilliant Jo Rowling.

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Chapter Two: In love?

………

Later, she had told the whole story to Leighna, Karen, Corinne, and Hope, making them promise not to tell anyone. They all sympathized with her.

"What a jerk!" said Corinne.

"Glad I'm not in Gryffindor!" said Hope.

"He is an arrogant prat!" Leighna said.

"I can't believe he made you do that!" Karen agreed.

"Guys, you don't think…you don't think he's really in love with her, do you?" Alice voiced her concern.

She, Leighna, Karen, Hope, and Corinne all looked at Lily.

Lily looked up from the book she had been reading, not really paying attention to the conversation, but feeling everyone's eyes on her. "What?"

"Do you think James really likes you?"

Lily snorted. "No! He's just a spoiled brat who has everything he wants, and finally there's one thing he can't have, so naturally, he wants it."

………

…Meanwhile…

"Lily kissed me. Lily kissed me. Lily kissed me. Hey guys! Lily kissed me!"

"Prongsie. Calm down! We were all there, remember?"

"Lily kissed me!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Wormy. Go get Prongs' Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk. And the map." When Peter gave him the cloak and map, Sirius shoved them into James's hands. "You need to go to the kitchen and get something to eat."

"Padfoot, we just ate breakfast," Remus protested.

"Moony, trust me. Only food can solve this. Go, Prongsie."

"Lily kissed me."

Sirius took on the tone of someone talking to a young child. "That's right, Prongs. And she'll never do it again if you don't go to the kitchens right now."

When he was gone, Sirius turned to Remus. "You don't think…you don't think he's actually in love with her, do you?"

"I don't know, Padfoot. It would seem that way." Remus returned to the book he was reading about werewolves.

Sirius wiped away a mock tear. "Our little Jamesie is growing up."

………

James grabbed his broom and quietly flew up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. He and Sirius had learned the hard way in second year that they couldn't walk up the stairs. He carefully got off his broom at the top and tiptoed over to the door marked 'Sixth Year Gryffindor Girls.'

He could hear Leighna's voice, "Do you think James really likes you?"

Lily answered, "No! He's just a spoiled brat who has everything he wants, and finally there's one thing he can't have, so naturally, he wants it."

James's eyes widened. What? Is she crazy? Of course I really like her; why else would I have enchanted mistletoe to follow her around so I could kiss her? Why else would I give her flowers every Valentine's Day, even though she always throws them either in the fire or out the window?

James quickly got back on his broom and flew down the stairs. He got off and walked up his own stairs.

"That was quick; did you find a new short-cut or something?" Sirius said when James walked in the door. When James didn't answer, he looked up from his broom that he was polishing, and seeing the look on James's face, said, "Prongs?"

Hearing the tone of Sirius's voice, Remus looked up from his book. "What happened, Prongs?"

When James finally spoke, it was in a flat tone. "She does hate me. She thinks I'm just a spoiled brat. She doesn't think I really like her." He walked over to his bed and just sat there, staring at the floor.

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look. "Okay, Prongsie, now you really need to go to the kitchens."

James didn't answer, just continued to stare at the floor.

………

Karen, Leighna, and Corinne were walking Hope back to the Ravenclaw dormitories after supper. Lily declined the offer to go because she was at a particularly exciting part in the book she was reading, and Alice didn't go because she wanted to talk to Lily.

"Lily, do you…do you like James?"

Lily looked up quickly. "Like James Potter? Are you crazy? What gave you that idea?"

"Well…you agreed to kiss him awful fast."

"Alice, you're my best friend! Did you think I wouldn't do anything I possibly could to change your hair back? You would do the same for me. But I guess if you want red and green hair, I can go ask them to change it back for you."

"No, that's okay. I guess you're right." Alice fell silent for awhile, but she finally said the thing on her mind. "Well, also, after you kissed him you blushed. And you kinda…stared at him."

This time Lily didn't even look up from her book. "I was getting over the shock of having to kiss him. That's all. I don't like James Potter. Never have, never will. End of conversation."

After awhile, Alice spoke again. "Lily, can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course, Alice. You know you can tell me anything and I won't tell anyone."

Alice's voice dropped to a whisper. "I think I like Frank Longbottom."

Lily squealed. "That's so awesome. He stares at you all the time!"

Alice rolled her eyes, but blushed. "I think you're exaggerating, Lils."

"No I'm not! Especially during History of Magic. When all the rest of us are staring out the window and trying not to fall asleep, he stares at you!"

"You stare out the window during History of Magic? I thought you took notes!"

"Don't change the subject!"

"Anyway, it doesn't matter; he's going out with Corinne." Alice looked kind of sad at the thought.

"You know that'll be over within the week!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Do you think our Corinne will ever find a guy she actually likes?"

"I don't know." Just then Corinne, Leighna, and Karen got back.

Karen started to rummage around under her bed. "I wonder where I put those chocolate frogs? I'm starving!"

"Karen! We just ate supper! What took you guys so long, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing. We just ran into Frank," answered Corinne.

Lily giggled. "You snogged with Frank with Leighna and Karen watching?"

"No! I broke up with him."

Lily shot Alice a look. "So how'd he take it?"

Leighna said dramatically, "He was heartbroken."

Corinne rolled her eyes. "No he wasn't. He knows my reputation. He had to know it wouldn't last long. Besides, he likes Alice."

Alice choked on the chocolate frog she had stolen from Karen.

Corinne rolled her eyes. "Come on. He stares at you all the time during History of Magic!" Lily giggled and Alice blushed. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Lily and Alice said at the same time.

………

"Do you think he'll ever eat again?"

"He has to eat sometime, Sirius."

"Maybe he's trying to kill himself."

"Guys, I'm right here." James was staring out the window like he had been for the last hour, listening to Sirius and Remus talk about him. Peter was oddly missing.

"Yeah, er…I'm gonna go get some butterbeer from Hogsmeade. I'll be back."

When Sirius was gone, James spoke. "Moony, I think I was in love with her."

"Was?"

"Well, what's the point anymore? She hates me."

"I'm sure you just heard wrong. That's what you get for eavesdropping. And anyway, remember what she said this morning? She doesn't hate you."

"She thinks I'm an arrogant prat."

"Prongs, I hate to break it to you, but you are kind of a little bit of an arrogant prat, don't you think?" When James didn't answer, he continued. "I mean, don't get me wrong, but you bewitched mistletoe to follow the poor girl around! And you turned her best friend's hair red and green and made her kiss you to turn it back! I mean, if I were her, I might be kinda mad at you, too." When James still didn't answer, he added, "Cheer up, Prongs. Like you said, you'll get her eventually."

James snorted. "Yeah, I doubt that. Why would Miss Perfect Prefect Evans ever go out with a prat like me?"

"James, did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, you could try to stop being such a prat?"

"How do you propose I do that?"

"Well, you could stop hexing innocent bystanders. I know that bugs her a lot. And you could stop showing off so much. And you could stop bewitching mistletoe and hexing her friends. And you could-"

"Stop messing up your hair to look like you just got off your broom." Sirius threw a bottle of butterbeer into both Remus and James's laps, and then opened his own. "I'm guessing we're talking about Lily?"

"Yeah. I was giving him ideas for not being such an 'arrogant prat' and 'bulling toe-rag' as Lily so eloquently put it."

As James drank the warm butterbeer, he started to feel slightly happier. "Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'm going to bed." As he was drifting off to sleep to dream about Lily, his friends started talking about him again.

"So what was that all about?"

"He thinks he's in love with Lily, but he thinks he should give up on her 'because she hates him.'"

"Our Prongsie really has it bad for this girl, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. Do you think Lily will ever give him a chance?"

"I don't know. Do you think he'll actually eat tomorrow?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Food is all you think about, isn't it?"

"You know me well, Moony, you know me well."

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I got this chapter up relatively quick, I think. The next chapter or two should be up within the week.

Please review and tell me what you think!