A/N: I can't think of anything worthwhile to say. There'll be some stuff in the final Author's Note that I want EVERYONE to read. OK then; on with the chapter.

BTW, I reached 100 reviews thanks to the last chapter and you guys of course! Thanks so much. Gryffindorhealer101, you were reviewer number 100!

Disclaimer: I own Courtney, Gabby, Emily and Butter the cat.

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Who's That Girl?

Chapter 11: Love Conquers All

Later that night.

Talk in the Gryffindor common room that night centred around Christmas and the promised break from work. The thought of Christmas approaching had always made Lily smile. There was something about Christmas that created a magic that no wand, witch or wizard could ever reproduce. Not this year.

Lily sat at a table beside the window that gave her a beautiful view of the lake. She could see Hagrid's hut, the huge willow tree and the place they'd sat at when she agreed to go to Hogsmeade with James. She had Prominent Wizarding Families Through-Out History clutched in her arms.

The inky, blackness of the lake coupled with the glowing crescent moon gave the Hogwarts grounds the look of land that had never been touched by human hands. It calmed her and gave her the courage to do what she had to.

James walked over and sat opposite her, also staring out the window. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Lily nodded. "Mmhmmm"

He turned to look at her. "Of course, it's not as beautiful as a certain red-headed Gryffindor that I know. Nothing ever could be."

Lily bit her lip and sighed, dropping her eyes to the table. She'd hoped she could put it off for a few days at least, but no, it was better to get it over and done with. She was already too attached to him anyway.

"James-"

"Yeah, I know, don't say that. It makes you uncomfortable. But it has to be said, Lils, you can't deny the truth." James laughed as he said this, amused by her stubbornness.

Lily opened her mouth and closed it quickly. What was she going to say? She should have prepared something. She was going to hurt him. He'd been after her for so long and she was going to hurt him, without any good reason. He'd think she'd been stringing him along. He'd hate her for the rest of his life.

"Lily? Are you alright?" he asked, frowning. "What's with the book? Is that the one you bought in Hogsmeade?"

Lily took a deep breath. 'Courage', she thought to herself and tried again. This time, the words came.

"James, there's something important I have to tell you."

James recoiled a bit, slightly wary. "What is it?"

Still looking at the table, Lily decided she was just going to come right out and say it. "I want us to break up."

James was silent for a few moments. He was very confused. Leaning across the table towards her, he said quietly so no one would overhear, "Where did this come from?"

"I did a lot of thinking today, James. I came to the conclusion that nothing has changed between us and, no matter how hard we try, nothing ever will change. There's no point continuing with a pointless relationship that will do nothing but make us hate each other more."

"How can you say any of that? Lots of things have changed! We aren't 'enemies' anymore, are we? We don't hate each other anymore! In fact, I think you actually grew to like me!" James said all this in a furious whisper as his temper rose.

"Listen, you should go and beg Emily's forgiveness. You're better off with her. I was stupid to stand in the way of that."

Lily turned back to the window, pretending he had left her presence.

"How did you get these ridiculous ideas in your head?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does matter! You can't do this without a good reason!" James exclaimed loudly.

The common room quietened suddenly and every head turned to look in the direction of the window and the Head Girl.

James glanced over and saw everyone staring. "What?" he said fiercely and sidled across the table a tiny bit to get a better look at Lily's face as everyone went back to their business. "Lily. I want you to look me in the eyes and say that you don't like me and that you want to break up with me."

She should have known this would happen. What was she going to do now? She could lie to the table top, but not to his face; never to his face. But what choice did she have?

Lily squeezed her eyes closed for a moment then opened them and looked into the eyes of the man who could possibly be the love of her life. Trembling, Lily gripped the book tighter still and said softly, "I don't like you and I want to break up with you."

James' face went from depicting anger to shock in a moment as what she'd said sank in. He didn't register the tears in her eyes or her getting up and leaving the common room.

James sat up and rested his chin in his palm as Sirius, Remus, Gabby and Courtney joined him.

"What happened? You two looked to be having a very heated conversation from the other side of the room," said Remus.

With his other hand, James dug the phoenix necklace out of a pocket and turned it over his fingers. He gave a huge sigh and said sadly, "Lily broke up with me."

"What?"

"You heard me."

Gabby laid a hand on his shoulder. "Did she give you a reason?"

James gave a harsh laugh and tried his hardest not to let tears slip from his eyes. "She said we were in a 'pointless relationship' 'cause we weren't getting anywhere. She claimed that we still hated each other and that I should go back to Emily. Can you believe that? Why would she say that?" he looked up at the girls when he asked the last question.

Courtney and Gabby exchanged bewildered glances. They had absolutely no idea.

"James," Courtney said slowly, "She can't be serious. Ever since she agreed to go out with you, you're all she can talk about! Gabby and I have been falling asleep for the past two weeks with tales of your intelligence, good-looks, sense of humour and all around perfection! It has been becoming exceedingly annoying."

James gave a short, reluctant laugh and his mouth turned up at one corner. "I guess she changed her mind about that pretty fast." He rubbed one eye with the heel of his hand.

"Gee, mate," Sirius said, "I'm sorry."

James shook his head silently and, feeling that he wouldn't be able to stem the tears any longer, left his concerned friends and went upstairs to his dorm, where he closed the curtains around his bed and hid away for the rest of the night.

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The weeks before Christmas drifted slowly and silently by, like the snowflakes that fell from the sky.

James and Lily were as far apart as the North Pole and the South and yet both yearned to reach the Equator, where everything was warm and fiery. They didn't speak or look at each other. Things were much like they had been before Lily had realised her feelings for him.

The teachers noticed a certain depression that surrounded the two students. Their friends, once so happy as a group, now suffered as they supported the one they'd originally been with.

Two days before the students were to leave for their Christmas break, Lily patrolled the corridors after hours. She'd already handed out two detentions and wasn't against giving out more. She was much more opposed to rule breaking now than she had been when she was with James. He'd brought out something in her that she'd stifled many years ago; something in her that wanted her to have fun and break the rules.

Lily looked up and somehow found herself outside the mirror room she and James had visited the night of her detention. She was shocked that it had appeared again, as she hadn't seen it since.

Lily looked around to see if anyone was about before she opened the door and entered. Everything was exactly as she remembered and she approached a mirror on the side of the room.

In it, she saw James buying her the necklace with the phoenix on. She wished she still had it. Lily watched as James kissed her neck and she could have sworn she felt his mouth on her while standing there in the room.

Breaking away, Lily walked to the big mirror at the end of the room and sat at its base, watching the same picture she'd seen the last time she'd been here. As it faded from sight, Lily's eyes welled with tears and she cried again for the love she had lost and could never have back.

"Why are you crying Lily?"

Lily gasped and spun on the floor. Off to the side, leaning against the wall between two mirrors, was James. The invisibility cloak hung limp in his grasp.

She hastily wiped her eyes and was about to stand but James walked over and sat beside her.

They were silent for a while until finally, James asked again, "Why were you crying?"

"No reason really."

"What, you mean like when you broke up with me?"

The silence took hold and engulfed them again but then Lily said, "I'm sorry I hurt you James."

James shrugged, not knowing quite what to say in response to this. "Can you tell me why you broke up with me?"

Lily looked at him. "I thought I already did."

"I mean the real reason."

Lily sighed. "You always could read me like an open book."

James laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

Staring up at the mirror, Lily told him the truth and was thankful that he listened in silence. When she was done he had a look of incredulity on his fine features and then his lips turned up at the edges and he laughed loudly.

Hastily, she clapped a hand to his mouth. "Shhhh! A teacher might hear you!"

As he had done the night of her detention, James kissed her palm before she took it back. "Lily, why didn't you talk to me about all this?"

She shrugged helplessly and stared at the floor.

James pushed up under her chin so he could look her in the eyes. "Lily, my parents may be important and rich, but my happiness means more to them than all that. They wouldn't care if I married a muggle, a squib or a dog, for that matter, so long as I'm happy. They certainly wouldn't have any qualms about me marrying you."

"Marrying?" Lily squeaked.

James chuckled softly. "Yes, marrying, for that is what I want to do, eventually."

"But-"

He pressed a finger to her lips to quieten her. "No 'buts'. I will marry you Lily Marion Evans… unless, you have any major objections?"

Lily opened her mouth to reply but when the words caught in her throat, she just shook her head instead.

James smiled gently. "Good."

He eased his lips over hers and it was, without a doubt, the sweetest kiss Lily had ever experienced.

James pulled back after a moment. "By the way," he said, and reached into his jeans pocket. He pulled out the necklace. "I can give you this now."

He reached around and clipped it in place, then returned to the pleasurable pastime of kissing her.

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Author's Note: VERY IMPORTANT! Following this chapter is the Epilogue which will be posted on Boxing Day; exactly one year to the day of the commencement of this fic. I am considering writing a sequel to this which will follow Lily and James' life after Hogwarts. It will feature their wedding, Harry's birth and, of course, their untimely demise. So, what do you guys think? Would you read it?

Now, you all leave me some more reviews!