Lily returned to Hogwarts in all sorts of good cheer. Her eyes twinkled, her hair swayed, and despite the slight chill in the air, her cheeks radiated with pink warmth. She held her new dress and her friends walked with theirs right beside her. Lily walked with a spring in her step and pulled her robes close to her to stay warm.

"Wow, the end of October is bringing quite the chill to my bones," she said, looking at Aurora. Aurora nodded in agreement. Alice pulled her brown sweater close to her...it looked rather large and not girly actually, Lily thought.

She spun around to face Alice, "Alice! Whose sweater is that! It certainly isn't yours!" she asked mischievously.

Alice blushed furiously as she spoke, "It's Frank's...he gave it to me on my way out the door," she explained, turning beet red.

"Frank Longbottom? Alice, is that who you're going to the ball with?" Lily asked, anxiously. Alice nodded.

"Aw, congratulations honey," Lily said hugging her, "I always knew you guys had a thing for each other," she said sweetly. Alice just nodded timidly. They arrived back in the castle just in time for a late lunch. They walked, exhausted, into the Gryffindor common room to find James sitting there on a couch alone. As soon as Lily entered he stood up, his familiar hand shooting up to the back of his head. He's so cute, Lily thought, smiling. As if on cue, Alice and Aurora rushed upstairs, leaving Lily alone with James. There was a sixth year girl sitting in a corner reading, and a couple of second year boys playing wizards chess on a table near the fireplace. James walked over to Lily and stood before her.

"So, how was your day?" James asked, pecking a kiss on her cheek.

Lily twitched at his action and slightly backed up, "Erm, it was fine," she said looking at the floor nervously and touching the back of her neck with her free hand, "actually I bought a dress," she explained, now looking up at him.

James' face lit up, "Really? That's wonderful, can I see it?" he asked eagerly, prying the ends of the dress bag open.

Lily slapped his hands away, "No no no, you—of all people—cannot see this till the big day," she said in her best 'warning' tone of voice.

"The big day? Come on, it's not as if we're getting married, Lily," James said incredulously.

Lily furiously blushed and looked away once again, "Yes...but still, I want it to be a surprise," she whimpered. James' expression softened.

"Alright, fine. But only because it's you," he said warmly, kissing her but once again. Lily's reaction was somewhat similar to the previous one.

James quirked an eyebrow, "Why do you keep doing that?"

"What?" Lily asked shaking her head.

"That little tug you do whenever I kiss you or touch you," James said suspiciously.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about. Honestly James, I think you're hungry. Why don't we go eat lunch together?" Lily asked, trying extra hard to smile. She did know what he was talking about, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't used to someone touching her like that; He sent jolts down her spine. He considered this for a moment before smiling and agreeing. Lily went upstairs to put her dress away and returned seconds later, her face beaming. James stared breathlessly at her unparalleled beauty. She wore almost no make-up and yet she was easily the most attractive girl in the whole school—well, to James at least. She grinned and took his hand as they walked out the door. They walked down from the seventh floor to the Great hall. Murmurs of their relationship had no doubt begun to spread somewhat. Even the people in the portraits lining the grand staircase seemed surprised. Every step, every hallway, every corridor, Lily heard whispers and hushed sounds as they walked by. People stared, trying to look as if they weren't and Lily felt her face grow hot. Her skin began to prickle and her nerves were buzzing with something she couldn't fathom. James must have noticed her discomfort because he looked at her sideways.

"Are you alright, you look slightly ill," he asked, putting a hand to her forehead. She moved it away slightly, blaming it on the cold weather. He seemed to buy it for the most part, because continued walking down the Great Hall. If everything seemed bad before, it was nothing compared to the looks that greeted them in the Great Hall. They slowly inched forward to the Gryffindor table, hand in hand. Lily saw some girls frowning at them, and others cooing. A swish of long dark hair came into view as Narcissa Black scowled at them from a distance. As they approached, her face snapped into a fake smile.

"Hello James," she said seductively, her cat-like eyes gleaming with venom.

"Hey Narcissa, how's it going?" James said pleasantly.

Narcissa twisted a strand of her hair in her sallow fingertips, "I saw you playing Quidditch the other day, you were very good," she said smoothly, her eyes darting from James to Lily and back again.

James modestly smiled (well, however modest he could be), "Thanks, I have another game coming up," he said.

"I know...do you like my new haircut?" She said, taking in every bit of Lily's awestruck expression.

"Yeah, it's nice," James said, "See you around," he finished, and then pushed a hand to Lily's back to usher her forward. They found a place near the end of the table and sat down to eat.

Lily stared incredulously at James, her face contorted, "Narcissa Black! How can you talk to filth like that? She's the most vile, evil, horrible person I've ever met!" Lily spat, looking to James for his reaction. James looked at her in disappointment and a smile played on the corner of his lips.

"Lily, come now. Just because I talked to her doesn't mean she's going to take me away from you or anything," he said, tapping her nose with the end of his finger.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Honestly James, just use your head sometimes. It's nothing like that, only that she's wickedly fake!" she exclaimed loudly.

James looked amusingly at her, "Okay, what do you mean?" he asked.

Lily lowered her voice and spoke slowly, "Well nothing in particular but...who she spends her time with. That's what I have a problem with," James waited for her to elaborate, "it actually involves your—accident—I think I know who did it. I think it was—"

"Snape," James stated, looking expressionlessly at his food.

Lily's jaw dropped, "What? You know—but why don't you—"

"Report him?" James asked, cutting her off once again. He looked up at her exhaustedly, "because Lily, I can't. You only know half of the things that Sirius and I have done to him and those alone are enough for me to be condemned along with him. Also, if he were caught, who knows what old Snivelly would do to me...or you," he said, the last part of his sentence hinting at fear.

"But James, I saw them talking in Potions a few days ago, and I remember I was thinking about you and then I heard your name. I thought I was imagining it but it was them! They were plotting against you!" Lily said, her eyebrows knitting in irritation. Instead of anger, a look of adoration crossed James' face.

He looked touched, "You were thinking about me in Potions...that was before we went out..." he said tenderly. Colour rushed to Lily's face and she looked at him, all the thoughts temporarily vanishing from her mind. She could see his hazel eyes behind his glasses, looking at her as if they were staring right through her and he could sense her every feeling. Not caring about who was watching or who was sitting near them, James smoothly grasped her neck and brought his lips onto hers, sending an electric shock through Lily's body. She felt eyes on her, and they weren't James. She jerked back suddenly and sure enough, Narcissa's seething eyes burned through to her, all the way from the Slytherin table.

James looked hurt, "Lily what's wrong? Are you uncomfortable with me or something?" he asked, confused.

Lily bit her lip, "No, James it's not that...it's just that I..."

"What?" he asked again, a tone of anger apparent in his voice.

"I don't know...I can't—I can't do things like that when anyone's there. I don't want them to know—" Lily fumbled.

"What? That we're going out? Because I'm sure they know now!" James' voice was rising slightly. A few heads turned.

"No, obviously they know but—but—" she stammered.

"But what?" James yelled, now definitely angry.

Lily gathered up some strength as she hissed at James, "James, you pillock! Keep your bloody voice down!"

"I most definitely will not! Every time I hold your hand, kiss you and touch you it looks as if you'd rather be anywhere but near me!" James spat. He paused momentarily and looked at her calmly now, his voice choked and sullen, "In fact...I think the only time you really kissed me was our first kiss..." he whispered, and then stalked off. Lily's eyes filled with tears. She stood up amidst the gawking stares of her peers and ran out the same way, but not after him. She ran again, just as she did when Snape had insulted her. She ran to the edge of the lake and sat down on the flat rock. Tears flowed from her stinging eyes like a dam being released. She was partly crying out of embarrassment, hurt, anger and most of all confusion. She didn't know why she resisted James. Was Alice right? Was she 'emotionally unavailable' ? She knew she had real feelings for James...or she wouldn't be crying. She couldn't help but move when he touched her; it was so unlike anything she'd ever felt before that it scared her. Why? Lily thought, Why?

A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you're enjoying it so far, stay tuned for More Lily/James fun. Oh, and please review! I live off feedback! Thanks a Bunch.