The next morning Lily wouldn't even so much as look at James, by breakfast the whole school seemed to know what had happened between them.
"Oi Prongs" said Sirius at the breakfast table, "What've we got first this morning?"
"What, uh potions" said James, who hadn't eaten anything and who had noticed that Lily hadn't either.
"Oh yeah I'm partnered with Zoe. Do you think she'll go out with me?" said Sirius
"Uh Yeah" said James not taking his eyes off Lily, "and if she does, don't be stupid and ruin the best thing that ever happened to you"
"Oh-kay, wow she's really got you depressed. You should try and talk to her in potions, she's your partner isn't she?" said Sirius
"Yeah but she won't talk to me" said James.
In potions that morning Professor Slughorn was late as usual. James went and sat in his seat next to Lily, she stiffened as he sat down. Before he could say anything to her two girls from Ravenclaw came up to him.
"Hi James, um can I ask you something" giggled one of the girls
"Sure"
"I was just wondering if it's true that you're now going out with Bella?"
James automatically looked at Lily, who was pretending not to listen.
"Uh no that's definitely not true" he said
"Oh does that mean you're single?" asked the other girl
"I hope not but you better ask Lily"
"Lily so… is it over between you two?"
"As far as I'm concerned my ex-boyfriend can do whatever he wants" said Lily frostily
James felt as if his heart had just been ripped out. 'how could I have been so stupid? Now I've lost the only girl I've ever loved, the only girl I could imagine being with for more than a few hours, the only girlI've ever cared about'
"So you don't have a date for the ball?" said one of the Ravenclaw girls
Before James could think of a polite way to let them down gently, Professor Slughorn came in and started the lesson. Lily didn't say anything to James all lesson except,
"Pass the hemlock root"
When the bell rany at the end of the lesson, James took his time clearing up so he could talk to Lily who was also still clearing up.
"Uh about last night" he started nervously
"What about it?" snapped Lily
"I want to explain"
"Don't bother, you don't have to"
"Wh-what?" asked James confused
"I mean we only went out for a few weeks it was hardly the romance of the century and Bella is pretty and she's a slut so I think you two will make a great couple."
"Don't say that" said James sadly, "I don't give a damn about Bella. I don't even know what happened one minute I was waitng for you and then the next …"
"And then you saw that you would get more from a tart like Bella" shouted Lily
"No it wasn't like that I swear" said James frantically
"What was it like then?"
"She uh wanted help with transfiguration and then the next I knew she was on my lap"
"Bullshit" shouted Lily "that's a pathetic excuse, even for you"
"It's the truth I swear, please believe me sweetheart" pleaded James
"Don't you dare call me that" said Lily "and like I said we only went out for 3 weeks it's not as if we were serious"
"No you don't believe that we had something special I felt it and I know you felt it too"
"You don't know anything, just stay away from me" said Lily before storming back.