(A/N) Chapter 3 is finally finished! And Brittany didn't come steal my notebook, so all my awful first drafts can stay unread like I want them to!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! We didn't hit 10 though, but I'll live with it.

princessdza - I'm so glad you like it so far! Thanks for the compliments; they made my day! I don't mind if you add my story to your C2 community. I, in my ignorance, don't know what a C2 community is, but it sounds good so I'm not bothered.

rockergurl13 - I hate Snape too, as I hope you can tell. Thank you for keeping an eye out for my story!

Chaosblazen - No! Not bad grammer! Anything but that! (cowers in fear)

Now, on with the story!

Chapter Three – Learning

"Hey girl, you've got a smart way about you

That makes me wish that I was smart enough for you

Hey girl, you've got a fine laugh,

And I think that I could get used to that

But you're already used to laughing at me."

Dashboard Confessional – Hey Girl

That evening, just after supper,found James sulking in the common room. He had thought Lily would be happy that he had helped her and cursed that slimy git Snape. Instead, he'd received a long lecture on how the redhead "never needed his help and never will." What is it with her? He thought. All I ever do is try to show her how much I care, and she just keeps finding reasons to get mad at me!

"Why so stormy Potter?" James looked up to see Alli coming over had just entered the portrait hole.

"Evans!" He told her, shaking his head as she sat down next to him.

"She gave you the old 'I don't need anyone's help,' did she?" Alli asked understandingly.

James nodded. "I just don't understand her! I'm trying to help her and she blows up in my face! Why?"

I wonder if Lily would consider it a breach of our friendship if I explain her reasoning to James, Alli thought. I mean, the poor guy has no clue what he's done wrong. I should at least try to help him out.

"Well," she began. "Lily doesn't want to be thought of as needing other people to protect her. She's proud of the fact that she can defend herself, and believe me, if you hadn't done something nasty to Snivellus, she surely would have. She particularly doesn't like you helping her because she thinks you're just trying to show off."

"But I'm not trying to show off!" James interrupted, feeling slightly hurt that Lily would think that.

"I know you're not," Alli told him. "But either Lily doesn't know or refuses to."

"What do I do now?" James moaned, leaning back and putting his head on the back of the couch to stare at the ceiling.

"If I were you, I would apologize to her, and tell her that you won't try to help her again unless she asks." Alli advised. "She'll be more likely to listen to you if you're playing the game by her rules. I know it probably doesn't make much sense, but trust me. And you actually have to keep your promise. Otherwise she'll just get pissed at you."

"I wouldn't say that and then go back on my word!" James said, defending himself again. "I'm not that lousy!"

"Yes, I know that too." Alli said, looking out the window next to her. "But the next time there's a situation like that, you might forget because you want to help her so much. I did that once, when these boys were hitting on her. It's wasn't pretty. You've just gotta let her do things her way. If you do that, she'll be able to see that you respect her wishes. Ok?"

James nodded, and then added, "You didn't have to help me you know."

"For the third time in the past couple minutes, I'm saying I know. You just looked like you could use it. Do me a favor though, and don't tell her I gave you advice. That'd get her mad at me." Alli got up to leave, and James slid over slightly.

"Right, I'll stay silent." James took the opportunity to look out the window to see what his friend had been looking at. Sirius was flying outside.

"Good, thanks." Alli started to walk away, but looked back. "I think Remus and I are the only two people that keep you from screwing your life over."

"What, so I couldn't make it on my own?" James asked, grinning.

Alli pretended to think. "Uhh … no! Good luck lover-boy; you'll need it."

XXXXXX

Half an hour later when Lily entered the Gryffindor common room, James was ready and waiting.

"Hey, Lily!"

Lily jumped at this sudden use of her first name. "What Potter?" She snapped.

"I just wanted to apologize." He said, trying his hardest to focus on what he was saying and not those gorgeous (and now quite wide) green eyes staring at him. "I didn't need to defend you, and I won't do it again unless you ask me to."

Lily's eyes got, if possible, wider. Was he seriously apologizing to her? What happened to the "I'm-too-good-to-ever-need-to-apologize-to-anyone" ego? Now what was she going to say to him? She couldn't snap again, not after he had just apologized.

"Um, thanks for the apology." She said carefully. "I guess I over-reacted slightly."

"Look, Lily, I know we've never been very friendly." James said, impulsively adding to his small speech. "But we're the new heads, and we're going to have to work together a lot this year, and it's gonna be really hard if we're fighting all the time. Do you think that there's any chance we can be friends this year?"

Lily looked up into his hazel eyes, shocked by a request that wasn't for a date. She saw something in them that she didn't recognize in them, but she quickly pushed it aside.

"Ok," she said, sighing. "You're right. It would be easier if we didn't fight." She held out her hand to shake. James felt his arm tingle when his hand touched hers.

"Friends, then?" He asked.

"Friends," she nodded.

XXXXXX

"Guess what!" James exclaimed, jumping on Sirius' bed.

"I don't wanna guess." Sirius mumbled.

"Why?" James asked, looking confused.

It was Remus, not Sirius, who explained. "Because the last time you said that, you dumped a bucket of cold water on him."

"Yes, well that was because he wouldn't get up." Peter said in James' favor.

"Lily actually agreed to be my friend." That got their attention. All arguments were forgotten, and all eyes turned James' way.

"What happened?" Peter asked.

James explained the whole thing, starting with the Defense against the Dark Arts happenings and ending with the conversation he had just had with Lily.

"So let me get this straight," said Sirius. "You had a conversation with Lily Evans that didn't involve her yelling at you or smacking you?"

"That would be what he said." Remus pointed out sarcastically.

"Don't you guys realize," said James. "This is a breakthrough! Maybe now I'll have a better chance with her."

"And," said Peter, "since you were made Head Boy and she's Head Girl, you'll be able to spend more time with her."

"And she's agreed to be your friend so she can't complain about it." Sirius told them, spoiling the moment.

"Who said she would have complained about it?" James asked, glaring at Sirius.

"Shutting up," said Sirius quickly, seeing the look on his best friend's face.

XXXXXX

The Private Diary of Lily Evans

September 1st

I don't believe this. I think I've officially gone crazy. Insanity must be somewhere in my family genes.

I just agreed to be friends with James Potter.

James Potter, for crying out loud! I've definitely inherited the family legacy of complete idiocy. What was I thinking? He just looked at me with this look on his face, and I found myself saying ok. What have I gotten myself into?

Well, it might not be too bad, I guess … Ok, who am I kidding? He kept on staring at me all through Transfiguration this afternoon! This is so not good! I'm giving him what he wants! I'm letting him get closer to me! I may have agreed to be his friend, but I haven't agreed to going out with him. Any funny business and he gets it!

His hair did look nice today though. Oh my god! Did I just write that? And, damn it! It's one of Alli's permanent quills. I can't even scratch it out; if I try the quill's ink dries up before I can even touch the paper. God, Alli is so evil! And, oh god! Must go hide diary! I wouldn't put it past Alli to steal it and read everything I wrote! Write later!

Lily

XXXXXX

"Hey, Lily! What's this I hear about you being friends with James Potter now?"

Lily jumped and quickly shoved her diary under her pillow. "Hello to you too, Alli."

Alli sat next to her grinning. "What, you writing something about your new 'friend' in your diary?"

"You are so evil!" Lily yelled, grabbing her pillow and trying to hit her friend. Alli dodged the first attack, but the second one hit her face dead on.

"So, you friends with him or what?" Alli asked, seizing another pillow and attempting to hit back.

"Only because he's now Head Boy, and we'll have to work together anyway." Lily told her, dodging.

"Do I sense a different set of motives?" Alli asked slyly, copying what Julie had said earlier.

"Are you suggesting that I like Potter?" Lily shrieked, whacking Alli over the head.

"Possibly," said Alli, ducking to miss an extremely hard second blow.

"You're sick!" Lily screeched. "How could you think something like that? He's my enemy, for god's sake!"

"What the hell?" Both Alli and Lily froze. Julie had just walked in with one of their roommates, Alice Farrow.

"She started it," said Lily and Alli simultaneously, pointing at each other.

"My guess is that Alli actually started it." Julie said, to angry yells from across the room. "She's never been one to notice when she's driving Lily up a wall."

"Julie, I suggest we back away slowly." Alice said, starting to back towards the door. "Splendid idea," Julie nodded and followed her.

Alli looked at Lily. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I do believe I am," said Lily, grinning evilly and fluffing her pillow.

"Attack!" They screamed, and lunged for their two friends. Absolute pillow-fight chaos ensued.

"What the hell?" This time Rebecca Woodstone, the last of the roommates, walked in. The other four girls collapsed into giggles.

(A/N) Well, there's chapter 3! Hope you liked it! Push the purple button and let me know what you thought! My goal is to get to 15 reviews this time, so start reviewing!