Note: Thanks Tantan for the review… and STOP PRETENDING TO BE HIGH ON KILLER PYTHONS! SAW THE HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE TRAILER SOOOOOOOOOOOOO COOL! I wanna see it more than ever… Anyway here's the next chappy…

Chapter Eight: Not Him Again!

Lily jumped aboard the Hogwarts Express to go home. The Marauders walked in after her.

'Go away, Potter,' she snapped.

'Ooh, grouchy, aren't you?' James replied. He seated himself opposite Lily. 'So Evans… doing anything interesting over the holidays?'

'None of your business.'

'Evans, come on, go to the Ball with me! And stop being a grumpy puss.'

'I'm not going to the Ball with you. Piss off!' What Ball? thought Lily.

'As you wish, Evans.' He grinned and left the compartment. Aleisha slipped in, and stopped for a chat with James.

'What's up?' she asked Lily after James had left.

'That Potter git,' she sighed.

'Don't you find him… attractive?'

'Er… duh no!'

'Well, I do… he asked me to the Ball just then, you know.'

'What Ball?'

'The Ball. The Hogwarts 20th Anniversary Ball.'

'Oh, right.'

'You haven't got a date yet, right?'

'Nah, Pothead just asked me, but I refused. I'd rather kiss a toilet seat than go with him.'

'Why didn't you say yes? Lots of girls are dying to go with him. That means he likes you.' Aleisha gave Lily an unimpressed look.

'Enough talk. We're nearly there.' Lily stared out of the window deep in thought.

Thank goodness I've got a few Potter-free weeks. No taunting, no pranks!

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'Ahh, finally, the Muggle world!' Lily stepped off the train and greeted her family once she had walked through the barrier.

'Hi Mum! Hi Dad! Umm… hi, Petunia.' She greeted her sister unenthusiastically.

'Riff raff nonsense,' muttered Petunia again. She stuck her nose high in the air. In the car, Lily tried to make conversation.

'So how was Almenda High?'

'I don't talk to riff raff like you.'

'Well, as it seems like I'm going to be spending the next three weeks with you, you really might try to be nicer,' said Lily, pretending to look hurt. 'I can always curse you…' She pulled out her wand threateningly and waved it around. 'Now, what was that pimple spell again?' Lily grinned as Petunia tried to back away, scared.

'So Lily, uh, how was your school? Almenda was okay, the food was quite nice. There's a very handsome boy there, Vernon Dursley,' she said hurriedly. Lily spent the rest of the time talking about Hogwarts to Petunia, who didn't look interested but listened just for the sake of it so she wouldn't get cursed.

'Put that thing away, we're having dinner,' said Petunia, as she went into the house, Lily still gripping her wand. She didn't bother to tell Petunia that you weren't allowed to do magic outside of school.

'Oh, come on, don't be a spoil-?' Petunia gave the wand a frightened look.

'I- er, I'll be upstairs, er, washing my hands, uh, getting ready for dinner,' she stammered. Lily grinned. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Who could it be? She had just gotten home. Thinking it must be one of her out of school friends, or one of the next-door neighbours, she skipped down happily. She opened the door. There was a bowed, untidy black head.

'Hi, Lily.' The boy lifted his head and smiled at Lily. It was none other than James Potter.

'James! What are you doing here?' burst out Lily angrily. Her Potter-free weeks were spoiled now.

'Your parents invited my foster family over for dinner. I live down the street.' James pointed to the signpost pointing down Garinge Lane. Lily rolled her eyes.

'Mum!' she called. 'The family's here!' Her mum bustled over to the door.

'Hello,' she said, wiping her hands on her apron and shaking James' hand.

'Hello. I'm James Potter. I go to school with Lily, and I'm part of the family you invited over to dinner. They're my foster family.'

'Oh, poor dear, you lost your parents!'

'Umm… yeah.'

'Please come in. Where's the rest of your – er – family?'

'They're coming. I thought I might be a bit early. I didn't expect Lily to be here, but she can show me around, can't she?' Lily opened her mouth to protest but her mum cut in.

'I-'

'Of course Lily will show you around. Right, Lily, darling?'

'Yes, Mum,' groaned Lily. She slammed the door shut just as James stepped in.

'Watch it, Ev- I mean, Lily.' He grinned his cheeky grin. Mrs. Evans bustled away to cook dinner. Petunia came running down the stairs at that moment.

'Lily, have you seen my- ooh!' For Petunia had just spotted James. She batted her eyelashes.

'I'm Petunia,' she said in a much faker, higher-pitched voice.

'Ah – James Potter.'

'I'll just go put on my… dress.' Petunia ran up the stairs again to her room. Lily and James exploded out in laughter.

'I'll just go put on my… dress,' Lily mocked.

'Show me your room,' prompted James.

'No – a girls' room is… private.'

'Well, show me the rest of your place.'

'Okay. Living room. Hallway. Kitchen. Study. Bathroom/toilet. Upstairs is my room, my mum's and dad's room, Petunia's room and the second bathroom.'

'Very nice,' James complimented. Petunia came hurrying down again, nearly tripping over her feet in order to see James.

'Come with me,' she said sweetly. Lily pretended to throw up behind her back. 'To see my bedroom.'

'Let's see Lily's first.' James grinned his usual evil grin. Lily was about to protest again, but Petunia was showing James upstairs.

'Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot,' said Lily, banging her head in unison on a nearby table.

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Petunia was angry with James because he seemed to take an interest in Lily instead of herself, but she still liked him.

'Come on, stop mulling about in Lily's room,' she complained. James was looking through Lily's photo albums. He was about to turn a page, but Lily covered it with her hands.

'What? Afraid, Evan- I mean, Lily?' Lily blushed and quickly flicked over the page but James was too quick for her and got a glance at one of the photos on the page. It was her holding hands with another boy. James' heart went cold.

'Well,' he said coolly. 'I think we'll go take a look at Petunia's room now.' He dumped the photo album carelessly on the floor and walked out of the room. Lily knew he was being cold on purpose. She frowned and picked up the album, putting it back into her drawer, following Petunia and James.

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In Petunia's room, James was sitting glumly on the bed, not taking very much interest in the photos Petunia was showing him. She sat behind him pointing out photos. Suddenly, she leaned over and kissed James on the mouth. James looked horrified. Petunia was practically eating his face. Lily tried to stifle a giggle unsuccessfully. James broke off and glared at Petunia.

'What the hell do you think you're doing?' He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and spat on the carpet. 'Ugh!' He walked out briskly.

'But-' Petunia tried to follow him but he had slammed the door close, grabbed Lily on the way out and set a Locking Spell. Petunia hammered on the door uselessly.

'You really hate my sister, huh?'

'Duh! Eww, she had really bad breath.'

'Ha, ha. You know, she had a crush on you, right?'

'Why else would she have kissed me?' Lily kept silent. James wandered into her room again.

'James,' she said in a warning tone.

'Oh, what, Evans?' he snapped. 'You want me to stay out of everywhere! Let me have peace and quiet for once! Go!' He pointed a finger at the door.

'This is my room, you know.'

'Oh, yeah. Sorry. I didn't realise where I was.'

'You're pretty stupid, then.' Lily grabbed the pink flowery curtains that she hated. She tore them in half then stomped on them with her big combat boots.

'Ev- Lily! Reparo!'

'When have you become a smart ass, Potter?' James ruffled his unruly black hair. He grinned.

'Always have been. You're just too obsessed in your books, Lily.'

'Stop calling me that! Why can't you just call me Evans?'

'Well, it's not polite, and I'm a gentleman.' Lily laughed. James sighed deeply and stared at her.

'Why are you looking at me like I'm naked?' snapped Lily.

'Well, honestly, Evans, I'd like to.' James just flashed his white teeth.

'Oh, shut up, let's go downstairs.' Lily ran down the stairs, James following her.

When will she ever want me like she used to? he wondered.

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Lily sat down at the dinner table, deep in thought.

'Lily, pass the potatoes,' said James. Lily didn't hear him. 'Lily, pass the potatoes!' Petunia grabbed the bowl and slammed them down in front of James.

'Potatoes. Happy?'

'Whatever.' All of them ate in silence.

'So, Mr. Harrison, how is your company going?' asked Mrs. Evans politely.

'Very good, thankyou, computers are selling fast,' said Mr. Harrison. James was called James Potter because he had chosen to keep his father's surname.

'Gravy, Lily,' called James from the other end of the table.

'Wha-what?'

'Lily!' her mother scolded.

'Uh… pardon, Pothe-James?' James grinned.

'Gravy.'

'I don't have it.'

'It's right in front of your nose. You've been dipping your bread in it every few seconds,' James laughed, his warm, sparkling hazel eyes dancing with amusement.

'Oh… right.' She picked up the gravy and walked over to James.

'Thankyou, Lily darling,' he smiled.

'Don't call me that!' hissed Lily.

'What? I thought I was pretty clever myself, thinking up that name!'

'Out!' As soon as dinner finished, James and his family left.

'Thank goodness,' sighed Lily, leaning against the door.

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'Lily, wake up!' called Mr. Evans from the kitchen. 'You've got to get a move on!'

'Why? It's Saturday morning!' called back Lily.

'We're going to the zoo!'

'Fine!' Lily leapt out of bed and splashed her face with cold water. A voice behind her startled her.

'Good morning, darling.'

'James Potter! What the hell are you doing here?'

'Coming early? Duh, I'm coming with you to the zoo!' Lily's mind was screaming,

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

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'And here's the butterfly house. We only keep the best.'

'Pweetiful!' squeaked a little girl.

'Not as "pweetiful" as you, Lily darling,' grinned James.

'Oh, shut up,' Lily snapped. She rolled her eyes. Why did James always make her feel like that?

Note: Sorry for the extra long chappie and for not posting for a while I had school! Cyaz!

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