Author's Note: This isn't meant to be a long story (hopefully :P). I'm still working on the others.

Chapter 2

Why? That was the one question that repeated itself in his mind. There had been no hints she was unhappy. If anything she had encouraged advances in their relationship.

James trudged back to the school, focusing on keeping one foot in front of the other, not bothering to keep his eyes ahead. A prickling sensation in his eyes made he realize he was on the brink of tears and he angrily forced them back. She had just laughed! Laughed as if she relished hurting him…which she probably did, James bitterly surmised.

A hard brush against his shoulder caused him to look up at the person he had collided into. Her things tumbled to the ground as did the girl.

"Omph," she gasped unintentionally, as she fell to the ground with the momentum of the impact. She frowned; looking put out as her parchments flew in various directions and began to soak up the dew. She had worked hard on those. Her vibrant dark eyes narrowed in annoyance at the perpetrator.

"Sorry," James mumbled, catching her gaze for only a second before bending down to help her collect her parchment.

Lily pushed herself off the ground, shaking off the dew from her clothes and huffed at his rudeness. He could have offered a hand to help her up, but instead he went for her papers. She let it pass – at least he was helping her. It wasn't entirely his fault she had fallen either.

He handed her the final piece before turning towards the castle. Lily caught a slight glistening in his eye that could only be from unshed tears. Instead of heading towards the lake like she originally intended, she made a quick decision, and hurried to catch up to James's retreating figure.

"Hey wait!" she called out behind him. He didn't even look back at her, causing Lily to frown. "Gr…boys," she groused under her breath, jogging the last few feet to walk next to him. "Thanks for the help."

He shrugged, shoving his hands into the pocket of his robes. "Not a big deal."

Lily could sense his dismissal, but she ignored it. "So what's wrong with you?" she asked, trying to keep her breath steady. He was walking faster than she could keep up with at a normal pace. Inconsiderate prat, but something wasn't right. If anything, his gentlemanly behavior was renowned if Bertha Jorkins's gossip was to be believed. Then again, Bertha had also said James was a marvelous kisser from firsthand experience.

James gave her a sharp look laced with annoyance. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing." She smiled cheekily. "But as your fellow Head, I thought it would be common curtsey for me to have a leg up on the gossip competition that's sure to follow your broken-hearted look into the Great Hall."

Lily couldn't tell whether he was amused at her cheeky humor or annoyed. Maybe it was both.

James's face searched hers (for what she wasn't sure) while he continued his brisk walk, finally reaching the doors to the great castle. "Aren't you supposed to be shy?"

She laughed. "Says who?" Lily noted that he didn't open the door for her, instead leaving her to fend for herself to prop the heavy door open. She didn't let it bother her. There was obviously something wrong with him.

"You never really say anything. I don't see you in the Great Halls for meals very often nor Hogsmeade during the weekends. No one I've talked to can ever tell me where you are when there's Head business to attend to." He ticked off the reasons on his fingers.

"Should I be flattered that you've obviously gone to great lengths to find such detailed information about me?" She batted her eyelashes at him, her voice light with sarcasm. "Especially when you have a girlfriend too." She pretended to sound scandalized and amazed.

James flinched.

Lily didn't miss the action and dropped the teasing. "Ah, I see. Girl problems then Potter?"

He whirled around, staring hard at her, his fists clenched, and mouth set in a furious scowl. "And you would know about that wouldn't you? You birds are all the same – get what you want and then you leave. You think it's some sort of game and it makes me sick."

Lily wisely chose not to comment that the particular stereotype he was referring to was more commonly used to describe blokes.

"Why don't you mind your own damn business Evans! You were always good at being invisible. Don't let your best trait go to waste," he snarled before storming off.

She sighed. And she thought she had problems.