Disclaimer: I think that somebody should make up a song about not owning the Harry Potter books.


Chapter Five

A New Hope

Lily mulled over everything when she went to sleep that night. How could she start fancying Potter? He was…Potter! He was arrogant and annoying and trouble-making and…

So wonderful.

But how could he be dating Gwen Nelson! Despite the fact that she was beautiful and intelligent and an Animagi (she had not hesitated to reveal it to them all in Transfiguration one day; apparently, Gwen had a heart tattooed on her left arse cheek, because when she was a unicorn it was very obvious), she was also evil and conniving and annoying and self-centered!

Gwen was so vain. Once, when Lily was sitting in the Gryffindor seventh year girls' dormitory on Rosie's bed, playing Wizards' Chess with her, Lily noticed that Gwen had been standing in front of the full-length mirror next to her bed for fifteen minutes straight. Looking only at herself.

"I wonder if she wears makeup to hide warts or anything," Rosie had muttered to Lily, and the two girls collapsed in silent giggles.

Lily decided that it was out of the question to tell James anything. He was not, not going to go for an average-looking red-haired girl with green eyes who was highly temperamental after he'd been with Gwen Nelson. And Lily wasn't going to humiliate herself trying to get him to do just that.

She could try to get Gwen to leave. But James might be in despair and not want to date anyone else. But still, at least Lily wouldn't have to watch him dote over her all the time.

Or…

Lily smiled from underneath the covers of her four-poster double bed in her quiet Head Girl dormitory. She had an idea.


"Who do you think?" she asked Rosie, slathering jam onto her toast.

The two girls were looking around at all the seventh year boys in the Great Hall. Rosie felt silly, because she had a date with an attractive Hufflepuff seventh year already, but Lily insisted on her help.

"How about that Ravenclaw boy, Paul Adams?" Rosie asked. "He's the Quidditch Captain of Ravenclaw—plays Seeker, you know. He's a prefect, rarely gets in trouble…girls like him. You know him?"

Lily was surprised that Rosie had chosen for her a member of another Quidditch team, because Rosie was a very competitive and biased person when it came to sports—quite unlike her usual demeanor.

Lily supposed that she was putting aside all of that for the good of mankind.

Not that Lily trying to get back at James was all for the good of mankind.

Though, really, it was. Because when Lily Evans was mad, everyone paid.

"Yeah, I know him. I met him in a prefect meeting."

"And…?"

"He was nice."

Rosie sighed in exasperation and slapped her hand to her forehead. "Okay. Let's look at it this way. You're in love with James—"

"I never said I was in love with him!"

Rosie raised an eyebrow. "So this isn't in the name of love? That's pathetic, Lily."

"I know. Keep going."

"Okay, so you have a fancy for James Potter, and now you need to find yourself a new boy. Instead of thinking of it as a boy that you want only to get back at Potter with, think of it as a boy that you want to get over Potter with."

"Oh. So I was being selfish?"

"No," Rosie replied. "And yes. Just try not to use the poor bloke. Maybe you can forget about Potter while you're with him and live happily ever after."

"Yeah…" Lily said. "Yes! Okay. That's good."

Rosie nodded in approval.

"Er, so, Rosie… How do I go up to him?"

Rosie smacked her hand to her forehead again.


Lily (and Rosie) had planned it all out. That Tuesday afternoon, when they had Double Charms with the Ravenclaws, Lily waited by the classroom door for Paul Adams to go in, and then followed him.

He found himself a seat, and Lily hovered over the one to the left of him. "Hello. Could I sit here?"

He looked up at her and smiled—attractive smile, she noted. "Yeah, sure."

She took the seat, slung her bag over the bag of the chair, and slid her textbook and some spare parchment into the desk. "I'm Lily Evans. We've met for prefect meetings, but haven't really talked before."

"Paul Adams," he said, holding out a hand to shake, which she did. "You're the Head Girl."

Just then, the late bell rang, and Professor Flitwick tapped his wand on the desk for attention and announced that they would be performing minor Memory Charms on their partners. (Partners in Professor Flitwick's class were determined by who was sitting next to whom, and desks in his classroom were grouped in twos. So, naturally, Lily and Paul were partnered.)

"But, of course," the little old Professor added, "you will also learn how to undo the Charm, which is very simple on minor Memory Charms, which only take away memory of the past hour. All you have to do is—"

Lily already knew. She'd read it in the text. So she took this time to study Paul. He was tall, even while sitting, and Lily guessed that he was only a little bit shorter than James, if not the same height. He had neat, light brown hair and curious blue eyes, along with a smattering of cute, light freckles across his nose and upper cheeks. He listened dutifully to Professor Flitwick's speech, turning to the necessary pages in his book to further his learning.

Lily looked over at James, who was sitting further back in class with Gwen. He had amused the blonde with something, and she was stifling a giggle. James raised his eyes and met Lily's, but for only a part of a nanosecond, for she turned around abruptly to face the front.

Once they were given the incantations for taking and restoring a small amount of memory, the partners all stood and faced one another.

"Ladies first," Paul said, grinning.

He is very polite, Lily noted.

She successfully took and restored his memory, being the Charms geek that she was, and when he lowered his wand after restoring her own memory, there was a gasp from the back of the room, and Lily turned to see Gwen faint.

Right into James's arms.

She aimed that perfectly before she was out cold, Lily mused angrily.

"Er—professor," James said, holding Gwen's upper body off the floor.

"Oh, dear! Miss Nelson!" Professor Flitwick bounced forward and felt her forehead. "It seems that you took too much memory, Mr. Potter."

"How much, exactly?"

"About ten years' worth. She needs to go to the Hospital Wing." At the astounded look on the tall boy's face, he added, "It's nothing Madam Pomfrey can't restore! You aren't yet a fully trained Obliviator, so the spell didn't wipe all of her memory. Just Levitate her and take her to the Hospital Wing, please, Mr. Potter."

But James had already scooped up the rest of Gwen in his arms, her head resting on his chest. Lily felt jealousy claw at her insides as James nodded to Professor Flitwick, who was already on his way back to his spot in the front of the room, and left.

Lily coughed and turned back to Paul, who still looked surprised. "But Flitwick told him to Levitate her."

She almost rolled her eyes. "Potter is just showing off." But that's not all he's doing.

Paul shrugged, and they continued their Memory Charms until the bell rang, talking casually in between memory wipes about their favorite classes, teachers, N.E.W.T.s, and even Quidditch, a subject to which Paul contributed more.

The bell rang, and they left class together to go to dinner. Lily was wondering if she should ask him to Hogsmeade, trying to remember what Rosie had told her to say…but before she could—

"Hey, Lily, go to Hogsmeade with me this Halloween?" Paul asked, grinning down at her as they entered the Great Hall.

"Er—yes! I will. Thank you for asking."

"Okay then."

"Okay."

"Okay."

The two of them stood there awkwardly for a moment, and Lily was just about to say she had to get to her own table, James entered the Great Hall from behind them.

"Ah, evening Evans. Adams." He looked at the other boy with raised eyebrows. "Having a nice little chat?"

"Yeah, we were. I'd better go, though. See you, Lily."

He walked to the Ravenclaw table to join his friends (he had quite a few of those, Lily noticed), leaving James and Lily alone together.

"You're friendly with Adams?" James asked.

"We're going to Hogsmeade together," Lily said, turning and starting for the Gryffindor table.

"You what?" he asked incredulously, following.

"Hogsmeade, Potter."

He paused. "Why?"

"I don't know, Potter, why do people usually go to Hogsmeade together?"

"To snog in Madam Puddifoot's. Hey, I was just thinking, how does the name 'Lily Adams' sound? Sort of sounds the same, doesn't it?"

"Speaking of that, where's the new Mrs. Potter?"

"Oh, she's just having a pleasant time in the Hospital Wing," James said sarcastically. "Staying for observation."

"Yeah, I bet now she regrets faking it."

Before James could reply, Lily found a seat as far away from the one Sirius had already reserved for him. James flopped into said seat angrily.

"Potatoes?" Sirius inquired, gesturing to the food already set around them. "Or maybe some pork chops. They're excellent today."

"This wasn't supposed to happen," James growled.

"What, the food tasting good?" Sirius asked through a mouthful of corn.

James banged his head against his knuckles.

"What wasn't supposed to happen, Prongs?" Remus asked.

"Lily," James said, gesturing vaguely down the table at the red-haired girl. "She's got a date."

"Who is it?" Peter chimed in.

"Paul Adams," James snarled.

Sirius made a strange noise beside him and was suddenly beating his chest, wheezing. Finally, a brussel sprout launched itself from his throat and struck the passing Severus Snape in the head. The greasy boy made to pull out his wand, but spotted Professor Slughorn nearby and walked on.

"Paul Adams? She's going out with him! He's been Ravenclaw Seeker since second year! She can't do that!"

"Well, she is. And this wasn't supposed to happen. Now she'll go fall for him and—"

"Wait, Prongs," Remus interrupted. "You keep saying it wasn't supposed to happen, like you had a plan. What is the plan, and how was this not supposed to happen?"

James sighed and drove the heels of his palms into his closed eyes. "I don't like Gwen. I like Lily."

"Ah." Remus nodded. Sirius threw up his hands in exasperation. Peter squeaked.

"I mean, Gwen is okay once you get used to her. But Lily…wow. I just. I want her, not Gwen! And I thought that maybe dating Gwen would make her like me, but obviously it isn't."

"You're completely wasting an attractive girl," Sirius muttered, shaking his head.

"Have you thought of maybe telling Lily how you feel?" Remus suggested, taking on his usual helpful tone. "Instead of just asking her out, I mean. If you tell her why you like her, then maybe she'll like you back."

"No, no," James said, kneading his hands into face even more. "She likes him now."

"Look, Prongs," Sirius said, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulder. "You know how girls are. She's probably trying to make you jealous back."

James lifted his head hopefully. "You think so? Hey, maybe that's it! Maybe she really does think I'm dashing. I'm a genius!" Sirius rolled his eyes and shook his head amusedly. "Well, wait," James said, dropping his head back into his hands. "Lily's brutally honest. She would have told me."

Sirius made to say something else, but James stood up and walked from the Great Hall, the Marauders looking after. But there were also a pair of green eyes following him.

James was completely doomed.


A/N: I think somebody asked for a fainting Gwen? Well, I tried to fit it in as best I could (good idea, really), but I dunno. I know it's random and has nothing to do with the story, but Mary Sues DO faint all the time.

This chapter was hastily written and sort of...guh, so I hope you didn't expect something great.