A/N: So many people like this fic. I am in awe of the power of reviews. If you would like to know, chocolate fondant is my latest dessert craze. Like chocolate muffins/cake. MUST be served warm. When you cut into it, all this chocolate sauce drools out. ((Drools)) Heaven. Extremely good with vanilla ice cream! If you want the recipe, just tell me and I'll send it to you.

Sorry to Green-eyed 4ever, Beatrix B and nice.girls.rarely.make.history, I can't reply to you guys here, but thanks for the suggestions! ((Gives both of you chocolate fondant))

Chapter 3: Operation Lily, Day One

Lily woke up and stared at the canopy of her bed. She didn't want to get up today. She really didn't want to get up and face the world today. And it didn't help she had nothing to confide in.

The witch smiled. Oh yes she did.

Summoning up all her willpower, she sat up and got out of bed, yawning and stretching her arms. The dawn's gentle rays filtered through the single window, the sunlight caressing the velvet window bench.

Lily was glad for this room. Her room. She had discovered it by accident one night in her first year, hidden by a portrait of Joan of Arc. A four poster double bed dominated the room, a wardrobe to the left of it and a desk with a chair to the right of it. Close to the desk was a window that looked out Hogwarts' grounds and from the privacy and silence of her room Lily could look out and watch the Quidditch matches.

Next to the mahogany wardrobe was a door leading to the private bathroom. A porcelain claw footed bath was in the middle, a frosted glass window bringing in all the light that was needed.

And it was all hers. Her haven. It was close to everything it seemed, but especially close to the library.

When Lily's eyes fell upon the desk in the corner, she noted with a smile that the house elves had left her a cup of hot chocolate. The helpful little elves had taken a shine to Lily Evans, someone who was so remarkably like themselves. They made sure she was without any want, and they knew her every whim and wish.

She stood up, pulling on the dressing gown that had been laid over the back of the chair. She cradled the hot cup of chocolate with her cold hands, sipping at the sweet liquid with a smile. Lily walked over to the wardrobe, and with her free hand opened the doors.

She found her school robes instantly, and one hand slid into the right hand pocket, where she always kept her journal. When the redhead didn't feel the familiar leather under her fingertips, she frowned. She went to check the other pocket, even though she doubted it would be there. Lily Evans was a creature of habit, and also a perfectionist. If her diary was not in her right robe pocket, chances were it would not be anywhere else.

Lily sank into the soft cushions of the window bench, green eyes faraway, but empty. She felt defeated and so alone. But she was not going to cry over a book. She was stronger than that. She would find Rose, all she had to do was retrace her steps.

Taking another sip of hot chocolate, Lily thought back to yesterday morning, when she had last written in her journal.

Flashback…

"Here." His voice was soft and his eyes were gentle behind the wire rimmed glasses as he handed Lily her textbooks. "Sorry about bumping into you like that."

Lily bit her lip and frowned. Could he have…?

She dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come. No, James Potter would never do that. Would he? No, he wouldn't. Perhaps Felicity or Diana had it, and they were laughing over her silly musings as she sat here.

No, they wouldn't do that. They were far too mean to just do that. Once they'd glimpsed over who it belonged too, they'd laugh over it, than throw it into the common room fire.

For some weird reason, Lily could live with this, but couldn't contemplate the teasing that would accompany having James Potter read her diary. Besides, James was far too noble to do something like that. Right?

o0o

"Prongs, mate, wake up!"

Sirius clicked his fingers in front of James' eyes, but unseen to the other Marauders at the table, he also sent a rather violent kick to the wizard's leg.

"Sirius," James whined, rubbing his now sore leg. "It's too early in the morning to be kicking people."

"Au contraire. It's never too early to be kicking."

Remus snorted into his cereal, looking up from the book that lay open in his lap. "I don't suppose it's too early to be snogging either, is it, Padfoot?"

Sirius waved hello at a group of seven girls as they flounced past to the Hufflepuff table, all of whom he had dated over the past few weeks. "Good morning Jasmine, Emma, Kathleen, Ingrid, Rachel, Nicola and Laura!"

One of the brunettes turned around. "It's Imogen. Not Ingrid."

He brushed it off and waved a non committal good bye. "Good morning, love."

One of Peter's eye brows rose. "Imogen? As in Imogen Harris? You went out with Imogen Harris?"

Sirius shrugged it off, leaving Peter dumbfounded. "She's not much, really. The Hufflepuff pickings are slim this year."

Remus moaned. "You say that every year."

"So I may. If you must go out with one of those, Moony, I suggest Emma, or Jasmine. Those are the only two I remember," Sirius stated, winking at two Slytherin girls as they sashayed over to their table.

"Man whore," James muttered.

Sirius glared at his best friend. "I prefer ladies' man."

"Wow, Padfoot. Can you teach me how to do that?"

"Of course, Wormtail. Now observe. See that delicious blonde Gryffindor walking this way? Name's Melanie Robinson – got a temper on her and a sweet pair of legs. Go on, tell her hello."

Peter waved a tentative hand in Melanie's general direction. "Hello, Melanie."

She looked at him with a look of disgust plain on her pretty face. "Who are you?"

Sirius quickly butted in, moving in front of Peter. "Pardon my friend's forwardness; Peter's never been in the company of such a beautiful woman before."

Melanie smiled, melting completely at Sirius' compliment. "Well, that's alright, if he's your friend."

Sirius smiled roguishly back. "Still got a date to Hogsmeade on Saturday, Mellie love?"

She winked, "Always." Melanie stooped down and pecked Peter on the cheek. "Bye Peter."

The boy watched on in rapt shock as she walked further down the table, slipping besides Felicity and Diana. Sirius turned around from ogling Melanie's ass at Remus' continued sound of choking.

"Padfoot, don't you have a date with Diana Mackenzie on Saturday?" James ventured to ask.

He waved it off. "Leanne's at 9:00am in Zonkos, Melanie at 12:00pm in Honeydukes, Georgina at 3:00pm behind that stationary shop-"

"Quills and Things," Remus interrupted.

"Georgina at 3:00pm behind Quills and Things – Thank you, Moony – and the crowning achievement, Diana at 6:00pm in Three Broomsticks."

One of James' eyebrows rose in surprise. "Leanne, Melanie, Georgina and Diana all in one day? Padfoot, you are going to the extreme of extremes on tomorrow."

Sirius grinned, leaning back and made a steeple with his fingers. "I know. Isn't it fantas-" But his words trailed off as he fell over, forgetting for a moment that the Great Hall benches had no back.

James made the most awful faces trying not to collapse in laughter, Remus had buried his face in his book and Peter was still looking at Melanie, in his own little world where pigs flew and trees sprouted girls who fawned over him.

As the bell sounded for the start of lessons, James started. In two seconds flat, he had his bag flung over one shoulder and speeding out of the Great Hall doors before Remus could blink.

Peter had broken out of his trance and was also looking after James with a funny look in his eyes. "Wow. James really likes History of Magic."

To which Sirius slapped him upside the head.

o0o

"Lily! Lily, wait!"

She studiously ignored the calling of her name, thinking it must be someone or another going to tease her again.

"Lily!"

She only stopped when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Sighing, she turned around, expecting to meet the blue eyes of Felicity or perhaps the dark brown of Diana.

When she met the hazel eyes of James Potter, she almost screamed.

Lily bit her lip and turned around, continuing on her whisper laced way to the History of Magic classroom. "What is it?"

James played with the idea of linking arms with her, but decided that would only freak her out and cause her more teasing and bullying. He settled with falling into step beside her, talking animatedly.

Lily was not listening. Her mind seemed to have frozen, only able to think one thing. He's talking to me. James Ian Potter is talking to me. Oh god, he's touching me. I swear I just felt his hand brush my leg. I can't breathe.

"Well, here we are," James said, looking up at the classroom door. He smiled at Lily, making the witch's heart melt. "Ladies first."

She blessed him with one of her rare smiles, gliding past him silently. She took her usual seat at the front of the room, her mind blissfully blanking out the hissed insults and whispered rumours.

The rumours were bad when they started, and they were getting worse. For some strange reason, the girls thought that Lily had an abusive father/mother/sister (which she didn't), not a virgin (which she was), held snogging sessions every night in the second floor closet (which no one would attend if she did) and that she had a habit of stealing people's boyfriends (which was preposterous).

But when Felicity and Diana fed them this, they swallowed the lie and gagged on the truth. Which was unfair to Lily, but nobody particularly cared about Lily.

Suddenly, Professor Binns floated through the wall, looking disgruntled, annoyed and confused. How he encompassed all three at the same time, nobody knew, but everybody knew that it was his usual expression.

"Good morning class."

"Good morning, Professor Binns," chorused Gryffindor and Ravenclaw alike.

"Today we will be learning about the four founders of Hogwarts, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin. Godric was-"

By that time, half the class was asleep, and the other half were barely awake. Lily simply tuned the monotonous voice out – she had had a lot of practise with Petunia – and gazed into the fire, thoughts invariably wrapped up about Felicity, James, Diana and all the trouble all three were going to put her in.

Felicity liked James. Only problem was that Lily was beginning to think she did too. Felicity wouldn't stand for competition, especially a competition that had Lily's name on it. It was instinctive that the blonde would do everything in her power to beat the redhead down. Felicity was hell bent on beating the spirit out of Lily, but spirit was one thing that Lily would never be without.

Her reputation was scarred, her name pulled through the mud, but her spirit was unbreakable.

Unfortunately, spirit was the one thing that Felicity wanted out of her school. And whatever Felicity wanted, Felicity got. Boys drooled over her, girls wanted to be like her; in short, the entire school was eating out of Felicity's hand.

Little Lily Evans was no one to stand up to this force.

She bit down on her quill and chewed, a rather disgusting habit, she knew, but she couldn't break it. During her musings, a small square of parchment fluttered onto her desk, clearly a note.

Lily sighed. The only notes she had ever gotten implored her to 'Please pass to Felicity/Diana'. In History of Magic, Felicity and Diana liked to sit close to Lily. This was because Professor Binns was never watching nor listening to idle whispers, and they could taunt the young witch freely without fear of reprimands.

Even as she waited, the normal sapphire ink that was all the rage with the girls in Hogwarts didn't appear on the front. Intrigued, she opened the note to find that, in emerald ink, it was addressed to her.

I'm surprised you aren't asleep yet. Sirius is snoring like a dog beside me, Remus looks fairly lacklustre too. You're the only person who looks alive in this room. Vibrant.

Lily blushed. She had no idea who sent it, but she was intensely grateful to that person. With a small, sad smile, Lily folded the note and was about to slip it into her pocket when it flew out of her hands.

She watched with dumbfounded horror as Diana giggled over her stolen artefact with Felicity, whispering madly.

"Give it back," she hissed, though even had she screamed bloody murder no one would have noticed judging from the way they were studiously ignoring her.

Lily couldn't help it. The deep well of rage and hate started bubbling inside her, ire rising up her throat. Her temper was rearing its head at last, and she couldn't say she wasn't enjoying it. Fire roared in the grate, and so it mimicked its actions in Lily's eyes.

"Give. It. Back." She bit out once more, struggling not to explode completely.

Finally, Felicity looked up at her, sneering. "Who's gonna make me, Lily?" she mocked. "You and whose army?"

And like that, everything disappeared. The fire blew out, her temper and courage exhausted. Lily's spirit once more retreated into darkness, leaving her cowering.

Lily turned away, burying her head in her arms as their laughter rang in her ears. Tears rained down her cheeks in hot despair.

James watched in horror. Operation Lily, Day One was not a success.