Cheryl looked at her in shock. She couldn't believe the nerve of Courtney Brewster.

"I don't believe this," she muttered to herself.

Courtney looked at Cheryl, trying hard not to roll her eyes at her. She made a most sincere face and prompted Cheryl.

"Well, Cher'?"

"Don't call me Cher', you-" she couldn't go on.

Courtney couldn't hide her sigh. "Think it about this way, Cheryl. I'm just doing the both of us a big favor here. Just tell me what's really going on in the dorm room every day. I mean, we both know that Lily Evans isn't what she seems, right?"

Cheryl raised her eyebrows. That was true… she couldn't help but think. But still…

"Wrong," she snapped, and turned her back at Courtney, who was staring at her back, wishing that looks could kill.

Then again, Courtney thought, I could try a different method…

"Cheryl! Cheryl!"

Cheryl turned around and sighed with open exasperation.

"What is it now, Courtney?"

"Call me Court."

Cheryl waved her off. "Whatever."

She was about to walk on further when Courtney called out her name once more.

They were only about a metre apart when Courtney said something totally unexpected and threw Cheryl off guard.


"Can I come to your dorm room sometime today or tonight?"


Cheryl frowned. What was this girl up to now?

As if reading her mind, Courtney proclaimed that although Cheryl wouldn't do her a favor, she would still like to be friends with Cheryl.

Cheryl wouldn't agree in the first place, but Courtney looked so upset and sincere that Cheryl relented in the end.

"All right," she said reluctantly, and walked off, seriously wondering what Courtney was thinking about.

Meanwhile, Courtney was thinking about a lot of things. Like how she would ruin Lily Evan's life in one day.

"Wow!" Courtney gushed falsely.

Cheryl smiled a bit grudgingly.


"Cheryl? Could you please get a drink for me? I'm a bit thirsty now."

Cheryl nodded and proceeded to the kitchen.

"This is it," Courtney mumbled, as she rummaged through her backpack and brought a minute thing… a minute digital camera.

See, she thought as she tried wiping off the smirk on her face before Cheryl came back, being a half-Muggle does have its advantages.

It was all over school. Pictures of Lily wearing home clothes in her dorm room. Daring home clothes. Guys were whistling and practically drooling all over her long legs and the girlfriends were busy smacking their partners' heads and shaking their own heads at the atrocity of Lily Evans.

Lily was walking along the long corridor by herself that day. Everyone else seemed to be doing everything else, except accompanying her. The Marauders were off to meet some teacher, who wanted to chastise them on the practical jokes they always seem to be playing on the soft-spoken Herbology teacher. Cheryl and Melissa went to class a bit earlier to catch up on some homework, and Jamie was waiting for the scolding to be over and done with, so she could walk to class with Remus.

So, there she was, huddling her books close to herself, and slowly humming a slow song, when a few girls walked past her and started clicking their tongues at her. Instead of their usual morning greeting, they glared at her so hard, Lily wondered innocently if they were among the few who still did not approve of her new relationship with James.

Oh, well, she thought. I can't please everyone.

But as she walked further down, and more people started staring in shock at her, Lily started to panic. What in the world was the matter? Why was everyone staring at her like a freak?

With hands slightly trembling, she passed by a notice-board and paused to check out the new messages on the board. As Head-Girl, she was supposed to get informed of the newest and latest changes in everything.

It was as if someone knocked her heart askew. It certainly didn't feel in place anymore. Who did this? She couldn't think of anything else; she didn't even remember herself almost rubbing her eyes out, rushing into the nearest bathroom to try to wash the non-stop flowing tears away. And when she couldn't, she didn't even remember herself vomiting in disgust inflicted upon herself and the person who did this to her, before she fainted dead away.

"Is she all right?" James yelled over the din.

Madam Pomfrey frowned in dissatisfaction as she looked at James. What a messy boy, she thought. James definitely didn't look good. His hair was all over the place and his clothes were so disheveled that they looked in need of an efficient washing machine at that instant.

"Who?"

"Lily. Lily Evans." James's heart had hurt so much when he had heard about what happened. It was still hurting; the hurting never did stop.

"She's fine. I've given her a tranquilizer."

James wasn't really satisfied with that answer. He proclaimed that he wanted to see her. At first, Madam Pomfrey frowned with immense displeasure and was about to shoo him away. But that was before she saw the tears hidden deep in his eyes. She knew that sort of tears. It was like a river, waiting for the dam gates to be open, so the water could be lashed out. That was when she conceded and let him in.

Of course, she had to tell him that it was only for five minutes.

Even though she suspected that she wouldn't have the heart to chase him out of the ward even if he took more time that that.

"Lily?" James called out softly, hoping that his soft pleas would somehow reach out to her. He really needed her to listen and he really needed some kind of reassurance from her that she was all right.

He had to call her name a few more times before she really flinched in pain. James, wasting no time, quickly took hold of both her hands and squeezed with some force, trying hard not to hurt her with this newfound strength of his.

"Lily, please. Wake up. Tell me you're all right. Just tell me anything."

"James?" Lily found it hard to open her eyes. They felt so heavy… that she was so tempted to make the eyelids meet again by shutting her eyes.

"Lily, please. Don't go back to sleep."

"Okay." It was a feeble attempt to reassure James, but that was all he needed.

"Are you all right? I heard all about it."

Lily squinted to adjust to the brightness of the room. After she could see, she forced her mind to concentrate on what James was talking about. But once she did, she wished she didn't.

"Oh, James… they all know…" she started to cry, as silent tears trickled down her porcelain face.

"I know, I know. But listen to me, Lily. It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does…" her soft cries had turned to louder sobs. And James, at that time, didn't know what else to say or do.

So all he did was hug her, though afraid of breaking her bones because she was so much thinner than he was.


Lily didn't want any hugging, so she started to protest, though it was as weak as her voice sounded. James stopped her by saying softly to her hair, "I know you want to be alone. But right now, I just need to hug you. Just to know you're there. I need to know that no matter what happens, you're here with me."

That was all Lily needed to cry like a river. And once the dam gates were broken with such strong forces, it wasn't long, till the two rivers meet as one long tributary, which flowed to the ocean.

A/N: I think a few parts of the chapter were kind of lame, what do you think? Give me your reviews!!!