A/N: I would specially like to thank Amythestpony for her wonderful ideas. She really helped me out of a potential writer's block. This chapter (and all chapters before and after this) is dedicated to her because she has had…..similar experiences.

P.S. Thanks for being so patient! My computer broke, so it was kinda hard to update…..on my 'profile' (if you want to call it that) I tried to tell you……but yea.

It was only a day until Theresa, Liz, and Beth came back to school. The day after that, classes started again. Lily figured she was going to have a lot of apologizing to do; and she hoped that her friends would take her back. In the meantime, she had to unassociate herself from the popular group of kids. No more talking to Alicia, or James. But James seemed too nice to not talk to him anymore. So maybe she would keep one friend from the popular group; because he was a real friend. She spent the day in her dorm, and the common room; trying to plan out what she would say to her friends the next day. She even started writing letters to them; and writing out her speech. But she wouldn't even get to finish the first sentence when she would decide that she hated it, and throw is out. She groaned as she crumpled up and threw her latest speech into the fire; just as James walked into the common room.

"What's the matter?" He asked, sitting down next to her.

"I'm…..trying to figure out….how to apologize, but nothing I say seems good enough. They're never going to want me as a friend again; I'm a terrible friend, why would they want me back?"

"You're beating yourself up too much. You told me yourself; you wanted to end the whole 'clique' thing, so that's why you started getting closer to the more popular people. That's as good of a reason as any; and I think they would understand where you're coming from. They are going through the same thing, anyway. Since first year most kids have been 'labeled' the same exact way; and treated the exact same way by everyone else. They should realize that you had a good intention; just a bad way to go about it." Lily thought James was the nicest person ever. He had actually convinced her not to worry; that everything was going to be all right. And she figure that he was going to be the only person to do that.

Lily went up to her dorm a little later, and decided to get a head start on apologizing, and write a letter to at least one of her ex-best friends.

Dear Theresa,

I hope that you actually opened this letter, after seeing you decided to write you the last night of break. I want you to know that I'm terribly sorry for everything I did. I made a terrible mistake, and I don't want to make it again. Please let me explain myself in front of you, Liz, and Beth. It would mean a lot to me. After that, though if you still find reason to hate me, I invite you to go on ahead hating me. I'd loose three great friends and I'd be the idiot of the century for letting three wonderful things just slip through my fingers. I really hope that you can forgive me.

Forever Yours,

Lily Evans

She wrote similar letters to Liz and Beth, and within no time at all; was walking down to the owlery to send the letters on their way. She turned around to go back to the Gryffindor Common room, and saw James standing in the doorway. She jumped a little, because she hadn't realized he was there.

"James-what are you doing here? I thought you were still in the common room…."

"Yea, I decided to take a walk, and I saw you come in here. I figured I'd wait until you were done so we could walk back to the common room together." James Potter- wanted to walk with HER. She couldn't believe her ears. But then the last couple of days events flooded back to her.

"Okay, sure." They started their walk, and just halfway through they saw Mrs. Norris turning the corner a few steps ahead of them. Lily and James looked at each other, both with panicking faces. They couldn't be caught out after hours! They didn't even know it was after hours. They had their reputations to save.

"This way," James whispered quickly, and started to sprint down the corridor to their left. Lily followed him, and was toe to toe with him in a matter of seconds. He turned a corner sharply, and she followed. They ran up a couple of staircases and down various corridors. Lily had no idea where she was, but she thought James looked like he did. He skidded to a stop just in front of a tapestry.

"Ladies first," He said, holding it up to reveal that the wall dipped in; almost like someone took an ice cream scoop and scooped out the wall in that part; so that Lily and James had room to hide behind the tapestry. There wasn't much room, but they both fit. They heard a meow and the pitter-patter if a cat walking down the corridor. They both let out a sigh of breath, not realizing that they had actually been holding their breath.

"That was close," Lily said, looking at James, and realizing for the first time how close they were. Her hands were on his chest, and his were around her waist. There wasn't any space at all between them.

"Yeah, I know," James realized where her and his hands were, and didn't seem to mind in the least bit. Lily; oddly was a little relieved about that. She really did like him, and she didn't want him to squirm at the thought of her touching him, or he touching her.

"Why'd you run anyway? I thought you were the big prankster; getting caught after hours must be something you do daily."

"Oh, well, you were with me for one, and I don't need another detention; my only free night is kept open for quidditch practice." Lily loved the way he smiled; like he was now. It wasn't an arrogant type of smile, more like a wry, kind of comforting grin.

"Oh," was all she could think of to say. After a long, awkward pause she asked, "Do you think we can move now?"

"Oh, yeah. Let's get out of here," James agreed, as they tried to get out from behind the tapestry.

Lily was almost sad that that…….curious….encounter with James Potter had ended. It was almost at the good part. But she knew now that she really did like him, maybe even loved him; and she doubted that he would ever feel the same about her. After all, they had just become friends….really close friends.

James went back to his dorm that night with a lot on his mind. Did he like Lily, or did he not? (That is the question! Lol) He couldn't stop thinking about her, and when he eventually fell asleep he dreamt about her.