Hello everyone! I just wanted to apologize for being MIA. It was spring break and I ended up working every day. Anyways here is the next chapter and I hope you guys like it! This was a particular favorite for me to write because I so love the relationship between Lily and the other Marauders.

Disclaimer: I would be JK'ing if I said I was Rowling. (I'm sorry. I couldn't help it.)

Lily sat staring out the bay window. The light drifted into the library, dust falling through the air. It was a quiet afternoon. Most students were out and about on campus. Maybe taking a walk down by the black lake. Lily, however, sat in her window, watching them from above.

The summer had taken a toll on Lily. She hadn't understood what had suddenly caused her world to come crashing down. But it started with her appetite. She didn't want to eat. Nothing seemed appealing. Then it moved to her sleeping. She couldn't sleep. Most nights she would lay awake, staring at the ceiling, no particular thought holding her there. Yet she couldn't seem to stop. She didn't feel like herself. Studying became a chore. She used to love it. Well, things used to be a lot different.

Petunia had barely spoken three words to her throughout their last summer together. That is outside of the speech she gave her when she arrived home.

"This is your fault. God, if maybe you had been here, or I don't know, actually cared about the family, then maybe it could have been you and not them in that car crash!"

Her words felt like ice in Lily's veins.

"Vernon and I are getting married and you're not invited. After the wedding we will sell the house and I will send you your half of the inheritance. Leave me alone after that. Don't ruin my life with Vernon with your freakish- Well with you."

Lily had never felt so alone. And things at Hogwarts weren't much better. Even James Potter had given up on her. James. Their relationship had come to an end last year. After the incident, James had never spoken another word to her. She had tried, in her own way. Lingered around him a little longer. Pausing in the doorway out of class. Giving him opportunities to act, but he never took them. He wouldn't even look at her. And now, they were head boy and girl together.

"Merlin, I was so stupid," Lily thought to herself.

She hated how her heart at sped up when James had opened the compartment door at the beginning of the year. She hated the hope that had grown within her, for the split second, where she still thought he might love her like he once claimed to have done. But mostly, she hated how much it hurt when it turned out he didn't.

Lily let out a small whimper as she tried to cover the tears that were quickly gathering in her eyes. She wiped them away, embarrassed she was having such a hard time over James Potter, of all people.

"Ahem," came a cough from behind her.

Lily's hair flew through the air as she turned to see where the noise had come from. Not two feet away stood a tall lanky figure with shoulder length black hair: Sirius Black.

"Hello Evans," he said carefully.

"Black," Lily said cautiously.

She wondered how long he had been standing there and how much he had seen or heard. He had a cryptic look on his face, as if he were going against his better judgement or breaking some rule he would rather not break. Which was an interesting thought, that Sirius Black had a rule he didn't want to break. He walked over to the bay window and sat down opposite of Lily, offering a coy smile.

"You know, most people don't spend their free time holed up in the library. They go and have fun with their friends," he said.

"Yes, well I'm not most people," Lily said simply.

"Ha!" Sirius barked, "No Evans, you sure as hell aren't most people."

Lily stared out the window. She wasn't sure why, maybe it was because she felt so lonely, but it was comforting to have him sit with her. She didn't look at him. Slightly afraid it would hurt more when he got up to leave.

"So, what are you doing in here?" Sirius asked.

"I should ask you the same thing. I wasn't even aware you knew where the library was," Lily said retorted.

"Well, well, well. I happen to be here because I am a great student and prime example for all students of Hogwarts to follow and worship," He puffed out his chest and Lily smiled slightly.

"I like the library. It's quiet and I can think. Plus, there's no one to impress in the library. People don't come here to be entertained by other people," Lily said softly.

"I can understand that," Sirius said seriously.

Lily was surprised that Sirius was being so nice. They really hadn't talked much throughout their years at Hogwarts. They had been in separate worlds, only connected through James. And when he left, the connection was gone. Forever.

Sirius stood to leave and Lily's eyes widened. She inhaled loudly. He looked down at her, his face perplexed. And then, to Lily's surprise, his face smoothed over into a comforting smile and he sat back down beside her.

"So have you heard about the new quidditch rules some idiot is trying to get passed?" he asked.

Lily shook her head and grinned. He was going to stay.

"It's complete crap! It would change the whole game! And not for the better. If it passes, that guy is going to hear from me," he said indignantly.

"Don't you want the game to change? Like a new challenge or something?" Lily asked innocently.

Sirius looked at Lily with bewilderment on his face.

"Have you ever played quidditch?" he asked.

"To be truthful, I don't know that much about it." She said.

"Well, Lily Evans, let me educate you," he said excitedly, "The first thing to know about Quidditch is that it is a gift form Merlin himself. The second thing to know about quidditch is that the blanket-blank-blanks suck and we never go for them. Now the rules in Quidditch are simple. Whatever team has the most points when the golden snitch is caught, wins. There's the quaffle, which is what James chases after it's red. There's the bludger, which is what I chase after. The bludger pretty much tries to break as many of your bones as possible. Usually the chasers bones," Lily looked sick, "But as beater, I keep the bludgers away from the chasers. And then there's the snitch. Which is worth 150 points and when that's caught the game comes to an end. James is a chaser, he tries to throw the quaffle through the hoops and score points. He's also the captain of the team, which means that he also has to keep an eye on everyone. It's a lot of responsibility. But James was made for that sort of thing."

"So, is our team any good?" Lily asked.

"Have you ever been to a match?" he asked jokingly.

"No."

"WHAT? YOU'RE A SEVENTH YEAR!" he roared.

"Shh, we're in the library!" Lily whispered, "I didn't go first year because I didn't want to sit alone. And then James made the team and he always made such a big spectacle when he saw me. I was afraid he would do something stupid or embarrass me."

Sirius laughed, "Alright, I'll give you that. Poor bloke might have fallen off of his broomstick if he saw you cheering in the stands. But you're friends now, aren't you?"

"I don't know," Lily wanted to say, but instead she simply shrugged.

"Then promise me you'll go to the next game," he said excitedly.

"Ok, I promise," she said with a nod.

"You can sit with Remus and Peter," he exclaimed.

"Do you think they would mind?" She hesitantly.

"They would mind you skipping out on them," he said with cheeky grin, "Besides this will give you an opportunity to see why James is always late to head meetings. As captain he's kind of responsible for all of our performances in a way. Great leader really."

"I know," Lily said a little too quickly.

Sirius gave her a strange look and she went back to looking out the window. She was about to say something when she heard someone inhale sharply behind the bookcase. James came running out with a furious look on his face. Sirius gave a sheepish smile and turned away from Lily.

"Sirius, I was just looking for you. Remus needs you. Now," James tone was cold and controlled, "Lily, I'm sorry for bothering you."

Lily watched as James practically pulled Sirius out of the aisle towards the library door. She could see them leave in silence. Her heart falling with every step.

"Next Saturday then?" Sirius called over his shoulder.

Lily beamed and nodded at him as James tugged on him even faster. James seemed as if he wanted nothing to do with Lily. But, Sirius had been surprisingly pleasant. She wondered why James didn't want Sirius to talk to her. She knew Remus well enough to know he was the kind of person to come and find Sirius on his own. He wouldn't send James as an owl. It was one of his pet peeves. So why had James lied? Did he really hate her that much?

James flew through the air, not really watching what the other players were doing. As captain, he should be paying more attention to try-outs. But to be truthful he was pretty confident in his choices already and was just holding tryouts to see if anyone surprised him. He had Sirius run drills as his mind drifted back to their conversation earlier.

"Stay away from her," James had practically growled as soon as they left the library, "We agreed to leave her alone."

"No mate, you decided to leave her alone," Sirius said.

James punched him in the stomach and Sirius kicked him in the shin. They grabbed each others collars and tumbled to the ground.

"She needs a friend," Sirius barked.

"She needs us out of her life!"

"You didn't see her," Sirius flipped James onto his back and pushed him down forcefully, "She about cried when I went to walk away."

"You didn't see her lying in the hospital bed! You didn't see how dead she looked."

"You need to let that go!" Sirius yelled while James kicked off of him.

"I can't let it go! Every time I close my eyes I see her lying there. I see her hair swimming in blood. Her pale face haunts my dreams. I CAN'T let it go."

"You need to forgive yourself. For her sake," Sirius shoved James into the wall looked him in the eye and shook his head, "Just watch her in class tomorrow and tell me she's ok."

James flew around the field, watching the players. As he suspected, no one stood out compared to his original picks. Sirius about fell off of his broom laughing at a second year who had been particularly cocky fall. He wingardium leviosa'd him just before he hit the ground. James sighed. Tomorrow he would have to watch Lily very closely.

Review because its the civil thing to do and only Slytherins wouldn't. (Gryffindors would be brave enough to. Ravenclaws would be smart enough to. Hufflepuffs would find a reason to. But Slytherin's would just slither away...)