James didn't get to speak to Remus that night. After the lesson Remus disappeared, James went to the Common Room but there was sign of him, nor was there in the dormitory. As James was heading down from there back into the common room he came across a red-faced Lily who was furiously shooing a first year off a couch before sitting there herself. All thoughts of Remus vanished as he went to comfort her, unsure why he felt the need to do so.

"Hey Evans, what's up?"

Lily faced him and the first thing he noticed was that her normally shining emerald eyes were full of water.

"Potter, go away. Don't you have some food to poison down at the Feast or something like that?"

The Feast, he'd completely forgotten about that too!

"No," he answered. "I don't feel like going, I'd much rather stay here with you."

"Yeah? Well I don't want to stay with you."

Even though she said this, James couldn't help but notice that she made no attempt to move.

"Well that's good." He commented with a slight smile. "Because you weren't the sole reason I came up her. I was actually looking for Remus." He looked at her, trying to judge her reaction.

She looked at him with a stony glare. "What do you want him for?" she asked coldly.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting lately," he saw Lily's eyes widen. "But if you don't want me to know where he is then I can't tell him, can I?"

He could tell she was choking down the shock as she said her next comment.

"You mean Mr 'I'm-too-good-to-apologize' Potter actually wants to make amends?"

"Yep, that's right," James answered, ignoring the sarcasm that had so obviously been there.

"Well what a shame he's not here then. He's gone home for a few days."

Home? James knew it was a full moon and he was fairly certain that Lily knew about Remus from what she had said earlier that day. But then if she knew and before had been a deliberate attempt to get through to him then she knew James knew then she didn't need to play along with the cover story. Unless she didn't know and he was just hoping that the whole scene before had been dedicated to him, but why would he want that? This was so confusing!

"Oh," he said eventually for lack of anything better.

He sat in silence, every-so-often looking sideways at Lily who was still looking angry, staring at the flames of the fire.

Lily wanted to be left alone and the Feast had seemed like the perfect chance to be just that and then Potter had come and ruined it for her, just like he ruined everything. And then, to top of a rubbish day, he hadn't taken the hint, he'd stayed there while everyone had gone to the Great Hall and now kept looking at her. What was with that?!

'If he looks at me once more I swear on Merlin's grave I'm going to…Right, that's it!'

"What are you looking at?" Lily snapped.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I'm just wondering what's up with you."

"What's up with me?" she asked loudly, glad there was no one around to see her lose her temper. "Hmm, I wonder? Could it possibly be that there's an arrogant little creep sat beside me who keeps looking at me, putting me off my thoughts?"

"It could be," he said in that ever-cheerful voice Lily hated. "But you were angry before I got her so it makes sense that it's not me that's the problem.

She had no response, it was true she was, but she wasn't about to tell him that, nor was she going to tell him the reason.

"No, I wasn't," she said lamely after a moments silence.

"Yes, you were, I saw you."
"I wasn't," she said defiantly but even as she said it a tear rolled its way down her face.

She brushed it away quickly, hoping he hadn't seen it. No such luck.

"Evans, what's the matter?" he asked her again, more gently this time.

"It's nothing," she said as more tears escaped. "I just had a fight with Alex, that's all."
"A fight," he frowned at her. "About what?"

She looked at him, his eyes showed a concern she'd forgot he had. It was warming and soothing, she couldn't resist answering.

"That stupid debate," she muttered darkly and began telling him the entire story:

"I'll see you in a few days," Remus told Lily as she embraced him in a tight hug.

"Yeah, good luck." She whispered to his retreating figure. It waved before turning a corner.

With a sad smile Lily turned around to find her faces inches from Alex's She nearly jumped but the look on Alex's face kept her grounded; anger and hate mixed one.

"Merlin Als, you scared me."

"Don't 'Als' me," Alex said in a vicious whisper. "What was all that about?" About how I'm 'nasty for at least 3 days a month'?"

Lily giggled, half with nerves and half with relief. "I was just joking with you Alex, calm down. You'd have said the same thing about me if you'd thought of it."

"No," Alex said. "I wouldn't." Lily knew she was lying. "And that wasn't a joke. That was a spiteful little comment, something I'd have expected form Cissy or a Slytherin, not you."

Lily's face reddened in anger. "You're comparing me to a Slytherin?" She all but shouted. "I'm nothing like them."

"Oh, I don't know." Alex said, equally as loud but in a drawling voice. "You're obviously not against using your friends to suit your needs and you're quite good at keeping secrets from us too."
"What are you talking about now?" Lily asked shortly, having lost her patience a while back.

"Remus," was all Alex said. Lily gasped and Alex continued. "You didn't tell me you were going out with him."

Relief crossed Lily's features once more. "I'm not going out with Remus, or anyone else for that matter. And even if I was, it would be none of your business."

"Say you're not," Alex said looking unconvinced. "You are hiding something, I can tell. I will find out Evans, don't think I won't."
She walked away then so Lily stormed up to Gryffindor tower.

"That was the worst of it," Lily cried, the tears falling freely and openly by now. "She called me Evans. Alex never calls me Evans, only…" Lily trailed off as she realised who she was talking to and what she was doing.

"Only I do," James finished, oblivious to why she had stopped.

"Yeah," was Lily's quiet answer.

James felt so much sympathy towards her at that moment that he wrapped his arms around her. She cried into his shoulder but he ignored the dampness spreading through his robes, just taking in her closeness instead. 'Merlin, what's up with me today?' He thought, bewildered by his attitude towards her.

"I've missed this you know?" Lily's mumbled words sounded. She looked up into his eyes. "Us hanging out, I mean, being nice to one another."
James nodded. "Well I never did understand why we stopped anyway,"

"What?" she cried jumping to her feet immediately. "That's because you're so dense that nothing will get through. Honestly Potter, I can't believe you sometimes."

She stormed upstairs, angrier with herself more than James. James remained seated staring after her perplexedly.

"Girls," he muttered quietly. "They're so crazy sometimes."

A/N: I know this is a pointless chapter, and believe me, I had NO fun writing it, but it was the only way I could think to introduce the fact that Alex and Lily are fighting and to do a bit of niceness between James and Lily like Chrissy wanted. So anyway, there it is. I don't think there'll be anymore until the weekend, unless I get bored again tonight.

Rae