Lily spent the next few days in a daze. She wasn't paying attention to her professors, and they were noticing this odd behaviour. All she could think about was James. She hadn't talked to him in days and he avoided her look every time they met in a hallway or corridor. She felt awful for how she behaved. He was just trying to be affectionate and she pushed him away. Now he was gone and it was her fault. It was a drizzling Saturday afternoon, a whole week since she'd talked to James. The sky beckoned a bleak grey tint. She sat in the window seat of her dormitory.

"Are you alright Lily?" Aurora asked her worriedly.

Lily had a delayed reaction and answered quickly, "Huh? Oh Yes, I'm fine, just relaxing a bit," she lied somewhat awkwardly.

Aurora frowned, "Look Lily," she sighed, "Just because you're having problems with James doesn't mean you have to lie to us," she said placing a hand to her heart.

Lily smiled weakly, "I know…I'm sorry. I just want to be alone a while." Aurora nodded and left Lily alone. Lily stared at the Quidditch pitch. The flags of Gryffindor and Slytherin adorned the stands, along with tons of cheering fans. She could see James riding on his broom, circling the pitch. Her eyes fixed on his movements and then she snapped out of it suddenly. The Slytherin players flew high and low, cheered on by their fellow students. Lily shuddered as she thought of Narcissa Black. The look of daggers she'd given Lily when she saw her and James kiss in the Great Hall was something she would never forget. Lily had been frightened when Narcissa had threatened her in the prefect's bathroom earlier, but this was different. Lily could feel the hatred that was almost seeping from her pale skin. And to think that she was in league with Snape and they deliberately tried to hurt James…she hated them even more. She felt slightly sick watching the game so she decided to head down the Owlery to send her parents a letter. She usually sent one now and then and had forgotten to do it for this month. While walking she crossed paths with Remus Lupin in the hallway. He was the only one there, as the whole school was at the game. He saw her and smiled.

"Lily," he said, a little awkward. James had probably told him about their fight.

Lily pasted on a smile, "Remus," she said, just as awkward as him.

They paused, and then it was Lily who finally spoke, "So, er—why aren't you at

the game?" she asked in a high voice.

Remus looked at her accusingly, "I should ask you the same thing…" he said, looking at the floor. There was another long pause in which both of them wanted to say something, but thought better of it.

"Look, Remus…I know James has probably told you about our—row—and I would appreciate it if we didn't mention it just yet," Lily pleaded. Remus looked at her as if he didn't even hear what she said. He had a hard, determined look in his eyes.

"Don't condemn him Lily, he's mad about you," he said softly, "He might be a little tempered, yes, but it doesn't mean he doesn't care about you. He felt awful for how he had yelled at you that day…and he thinks that you hate him for it—is that true?" Remus asked, a bit doubtful. Lily felt a lump form in the back of her throat. She turned away from him silently.

"No," she whispered and walked away. She arrived back at the deserted Gryffindor common room and settled down on the squashy red armchair. She thought about what Remus had said. Of course she didn't condemn James, she still had feelings for him and wanted him close to her, holding her. The fire crackled and she looked around instinctively, just as she had done when she and James first kissed…a tiny tear escaped the corner of Lily's eye. She hastily wiped it away as an owl fluttered into her lap. It hooted and stuck out a talon. Lily untied the letter from its leg and read it closely as the bird flew away. It read:

Dear Lily,

I must see you—meet me in the courtyard in fifteen minutes.

-James

Lily read the note twice, wondering if the words were what they actually seemed. James wanted to meet her, now? Lily's emotions rose and her heart began to flicker uncontrollably. He still wanted her, and how she wanted to see him as well. A large smile spread across her face. She hastily ran a hand through her hair and looked at her haphazard face in the mirror. Deciding that she had no time to do anything she ran out the door and down the corridor excitedly. She was rounding the corner of the entrance hall when she heard a bunch of girls giggling nearby. As she came around the corner Narcissa's pallid face came into direct view with hers. Lily stopped abruptly to see that it was her friends that were giggling and pointing at something. Narcissa stopped laughing to give Lily a look of venom as she fingered a shiny gold necklace in her neck.

"Lily," she said silkily, "What brings you here?" she asked almost too sweetly.

"Nothing that concerns you, Narcissa," Lily muttered, gritting her teeth.

Narcissa smiled, "Oh I think it does concern you, Lily. You see, your 'boyfriend'—if he is in fact still your boyfriend, has just given me this," she said, showing off her new necklace, "He said he bought it for you but he doesn't want you anymore, and that he'd rather give it to someone who actually appreciates him," she finished with a mock-frown. Lily suddenly felt sick to her stomach. It felt like someone had ripped out her insides. Her cheeks flushed and she tried to keep the contents of her stomach down. That's what James had bought for her in Hogsmeade that day, the necklace. And now, after a little fight he gave it to Narcissa? Is that all that Lily meant to him? Maybe he was meeting her to tell her it was over, that he didn't want her anymore. Her eyes filled with tears and her heart with rage. How dare he? How dare he play with her emotions like that? She would give him something to remember. She swallowed hard and stormed out of the front entrance. A tailwind of fury seemed to recede behind her as she marched to the courtyard. He was waiting there, looking at her as she approached him, a murderous look on her tear-stained face.

"Lily, what—" he started to say.

"Don't 'Lily' me you wretched excuse for a human being!" she spat.

"Okay, what happened to you? Did I do something?" James asked innocently.

Lily gritted her teeth, "Oh look at you—acting all innocent when you know perfectly well why you called me here tonight!" she shouted, her chest rising and falling heavily.

James held out a hand to steady her, "What? Lily why are you so angry? I thought—"

"You thought wrong Potter! You thought that I was stupid enough to believe that you still wanted to be together? Well I don't! And you can run off with your new girlfriend to the ball because your old one is no more!" She shrieked maniacally.

James looked at her incredulously, "My new—what? Lily, you're—"

"Don't," Lily hissed, "Don't you utter my name, you foul creature. I saw the necklace James, and what you did with it. I want nothing to do with you, and actually, I'm going with someone else to the ball."

James was looking at Lily like she was from another planet, "What necklace? You're mad—you're bloody mad!" he yelled.

Lily laughed sarcastically, "I'm mad! You must think I'm so daft that I don't notice anything!"

"Well you're acting really foolish right now!" James shouted angrily.

"You're just mad because I dumped you, and because you have to go to the ball alone, poor Potter—not so cool now are you?" she mocked him evilly.

James' face contorted with rage, "You know what? Fine! Go with someone else, and we're through! And maybe you WILL see me at the ball with my new date!"

"Fine!" Lily shrieked, angry tears streaming down her face. James turned with a swish of his robes and stormed off, cursing under his breath. Lily sat by the fountain in the courtyard and sobbed wildly, part of her angry because she knew didn't want it to end this way.

A/N: Oh no! Another fight! Man it's bad, but don't worry there's still hope! Please review and thanks.