C'est La Vie!

Its just after lunch and Alice and Lily (the protagonist of our interesting tale) have got a free period and head to the lake to gossip and do the other annoying stuff that teenage witches usually do.

Alice immediately spots James and the rest of his group sitting under the birch tree and lazilydiscussing something thatwithoutany doubt was bound to be a prank. It seemed like James had spotted them too, for he suddenly straightened up and started frantically pressing his hair down to make it less messy. It was common knowledge that his windswept "look" didn't exactly impress Lily Evans.

"There's James…"said Alice casually.

"So?", Lily said in a would be uninterested voice although she had turned slightly pink.

"O.. COME ON!" exclaimed Alice abandoning all pretence," don't tell me you haven't considered his offer at least once out of the 100,000 times he's asked you out! He has even stopped hexing innocent passersby!"

"look Alice.. I DONOT like him! IF I do hex me!"

"BANG!", exclaimed Alice.

Just as she said so the marauders lead by James (with his snitch), mischievous looking Sirius and harassed looking Remus and Peter shuffled up to them.

"Hello there Evans", said James airily, apparently his new strategy was to play hard to get.

"Not now Potter.."

"When then?", with a slight note of desperation, his new strategy had worked for exactly 5 minutes. He was playing with his snitch again.

"oooo let me think..NEVER?"

"ok ok.. will you stop with the pretence? I KNOW you like me…Hey some might even say you love me…", he trailed off looking at her slyly.

As James lazily let go of his snitch again, an infuriated Lily lunged at it, caught it and flung it with all her might behind her.

As Lily started to say "shut the hell…" she was interrupted by a dull 'THUNK' followed by a 'THUD'

All of them immediately looked around for the source of the sound and found Snape out cold flat on his back. The snitchhad flownout of sight.

"You really DO love me!" exclaimed James, mesmerized.

Lily threw James a dirty look and hurried over to Snape, whom nobody noticed since it happened all too often.

"Was it something I said?" asked James innocently as Sirius guffawed.

Lily pointed her wand at Snape and said "Enervate!"

Snape's eyes flew open.

"Are you alright?" asked Lily catching hold of his robes trying to pull him up.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" bellowed Snape wrenching himself away from her.

"NOW NOW SNIVELLUS!" yelled Sirius from where he was standing, "how many times have we told you to mind your manners around the ladies?..especially around the one true love of James's life?"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Lily and James together.

A small crowd had started to gather around them. During this shouting match, Snape had pulled himself up and drew his wand out. ButSirius and Jameswere ready. Peter looked around terrified.

"petrifi-"

"STUPEFY!" yelled Lily cutting Sirius off and got Snape square on his chest. Snape fell back and found himself in the reclining position once again.

"That was quick Evans" said James looking slightly impressed. "But I think you have done enough to prove you want me. What say you and I-"

"levicorpus!" said Lily pointing her wand at James who did not see it coming. He was immediately swept by invisible hands off his feet and was dangling upside down looking utterly shocked, his glasses hanging precariously on the tip of his nose. Sirius looked amused, while peter had clapped his hand on his mouth in an overly dramatic way. Remus looked like he was fighting an inner battle.

"Evans I-"

"YOU," cut in Lily "Will refer to me as ma'am!"

"Ma'am?" asked James bewildered

"Good boy.." said Lily curtly "AND you WILL stop bothering me and picking on Snape!"

The crowd was watching them bemused and some 1st years here and there were sniggering quietly.

"Lily.. Let him down. You're a prefect.." said Alice half heartedly trying to bite back a grin. Lily, whose face showed nothing but rage ignored her,.

"Awww.. don't be like that! If you would just open your mind to the possibility that I'm not as bad as you think I am,.. I'm actually.."

"A horrible, no good, egotistical, sanctimonious pig?"

"A horrible, no good, egotistical, sanctimonious stag actually" murmured Sirius. Lily looked at him sharply.

"What?"

"Er.." said Sirius a little unnerved "I said-' A horrible, no good, egotistical, sanctimonious…. its sad actually"

"Wow! good save!" murmured Remus in Sirius's ear, "that didnt even make sense!"

"SOD OFF!" retorted Sirius

"Gladly!"

Remus turned around and started to walk away when he heard an uncomfortably familiar voice-

"Remus GET BACK HERE! Evans put potter down, NOW!" said McGonagall imperiously.

"Uh-oh!" said 5 voices in unison.