Chapter Nineteen (Part Two)

Lily didn't understand what had happened that day. Sure, it started out like it usually did: waking up, having breakfast, and that's when all the similarities to the other days stopped.

And you know who caused the problem? James Potter, that's who. After breakfast, he just strolled up to her, and without ruffling his hair, winking at her, or playing with his snitch, he said casually: "You alright, Lily?"

That one, simple every-day sentence felt as if someone had punched severely and heavily Lily's stomach.

She had stopped in her tracks, and gasped: "What did you say, Potter?"

Of course it didn't sound as clear as that: it came out all in one breath. Potter had blinked.

"Sorry Lily; couldn't make out head nor tail what you just said."

She had expected him to ask her out, so Lily stared at him, wordlessly. Then Potter grinned at her: not his usual I'm-The-Best smirk, but a true smile; which first started off in his eyes, and then he curled the corners of his lips upwards.

"Y-You called m-me Lily," she had stammered, and heard the soft giggles from Pertida and Sandie. Oh, how she wished she could turn and glare at them! But for some strange, odd reason, Lily felt her eyes mesmerized by Potter 's.

"Honestly, hasn't this feud gone on long enough? Why don't we make-up?"

Lily really wanted to, but then a certain memory came back to her…

Lily sat underneath the big tree. Sandie was reading next to her, at what book, Lily couldn't tell. For she was glaring at the four figures that were walking towards her: The Marauders.

She didn't really know anything about them, except that they pull the most horrible pranks on people.

Lily was thirteen, and she was very self-conscious. She hid her body away in large, bulky clothing and cloaks, unable to bear the thought of boys looking at her when she was so thin.

Suddenly she felt as if she was being picked up.

"Lily!" screamed Sandie, horrified.

She was in the air, and she knew the people who did this to her. Lily then remembered she had put down her wand.

"Let me go!" She bellowed, her face turning red. The Marauders came closer, laughing. The only Marauder who wasn't laughing was a sandy-haired boy.

"Come on Evans, do you really think we'll let you down?" Potter called up to her. Unlike other girls, Lily didn't think twice that James Potter knew her name.

"Let me go, you horrible pigs! Let me GO!"

"Let me go," Black mimicked Lily, "let me GO!"

Lily was starting to crumble, but she still refused to openly grovel and cry. She wasn't like every other girl.

"What are you going to do with me?"

She looked down to Sandie, thinking she wasn't helping her. But she realized that Black had her in the air, beneath where Lily was.

Potter grinned evilly.

"Oh, we'll think of something fun, Evans. We will."

Lily screamed.

"Because you'll never change, Potter. That's a fact that'll remain."

000

"Come on mate, cheer up."

James stared at Sirius with a dull light in his eyes, while in Transfiguration. "Did you see that expression on her face?" he said, tiredly.

Sirius, who had never seen James so sad and worn-out before, shook his head.

"She loathed me, Sirius! I've been practising to be nicer to her, but she just doesn't want to accept the change!"

Sirius' eyebrows furrowed. "Practising?" he echoed, shooting James an enquiring look.

"I can't tell you," Sirius' black-haired best friend declared, as he gazed in the direction where Evans, Cross and Hart were sitting.

He had a nasty feeling it was one of the three girls who were 'helping' him. "But James," Sirius whined, "I'm your best friend!"

James let out a low, half-hearted chuckle. "There are some secrets I can't tell, even to a best friend."

000

Hermione was worried. Worried about James. He was unusually distant in classes today and he hardly smiled.

When they entered Potions, Hermione didn't even think of any insults as she headed her way to sit with Black.

They got out their cauldron and ingredients. Their task was to make a Polyjuice Potion, and Hermione felt extremely pleased that she had already made it, in her second year. The task was to take a whole month.

Fighting back her pride, Hermione whispered: "I'm concerned about James. Why is he acting so…down?"

Sirius gave Hermione a brief look, before replying in a cold tone; "It clearly has to do with Evans, Hart."

Hermione nodded her head. "Yes, I suspected the same thing. Can't you see how she's tearing up his heart?"

Sirius' head bobbed. "Yeah. Look where they are, James isn't even talking to Evans, but he usually does, non-stop."

Hermione glanced where they were. She bit her lip, with anxiety. "We should do something about this, Black. It's not right, for James' sake."

"What about Evans sake?" Sirius remarked.

The girl sighed. "I think James is in more trouble then Ev-Lily. If we don't act fast, then…I don't think he'd ever be the same."

000

Lily was determined not to talk to Potter. Calling her real name earlier had definitely stirred something inside Lily, and she was not at all guilty for saying that horrible comment to him.

But to see Potter so sad was another matter.

"Pass me those roots," she ordered, and Potter obeyed, with no complaint. He was oddly less enthusiastic than usual.

Like Potions they had before, Potter had been chatting to Lily without taking a breath. He kept saying: If you had the chance to go out with me…I hope I grow up into…I hate Death-Eaters…I love Quidditch, don't you?

But to see Potter so quiet was unnerving.

When Potions ended, Lily cornered Potter. His face –if Lily had the choice to compare it to a colour- was the lightest of greys.

"What's the matter?" she gushed out, "And why are you trying to make me look like the bad guy, here?"

Potter looked at her, blankly. Finally he answered, but in an alien voice, "Don't you know, Lily? Why can't you give me a chance to know me, because I have changed."

And with that he left, leaving a gob-smacked Lily Evans in his wake.

A/n: I'm back! I don't really have an excuse why I haven't updated so long…just ran out of ideas, but they've come back to me! I know the chapters are short but remember: isn't it best to have short chapters and short updates, instead of long chapters and ever so long updates? Remember to check out my new story: I'm No Longer Ginny Weasley – hasn't yet been edited by my beta, but it will be, shortly. Thanks for keeping faith in my story!