Enjoy!

"You did what?" demanded Eleanor Harvey, her sky blue eyes round with innocent shock.

"Shh," Lily muttered, glancing at Madam Pince, the ancient librarian prowling between the rows of books. It was a Monday afternoon and the sixth-year Gryffindors had a free-period which most were taking advantage of by working in the library: all except Potter, Black and Lupin who managed to receive Outstandings in every class despite their lack of studious behaviour.

Lily was currently sitting at a table under the window with her two best friends: the sweet yet naïve Eleanor, and Sarah Taylor, a stunning yet haughty girl who could be a real bitch when rubbed the wrong way.

"Don't tell us to 'shh'," said Sarah, swishing her long black hair over her shoulder and glaring at her friend. "Do you realise how demeaning and unflattering that bet is?"

"Potter was being an arrogant arse as usual, and this time I didn't want him to get away with it. I'm not going to fall for him Sarah, don't worry. I'll just put him through hell until July then break it to him nicely that I'm really not interested."

Eleanor groaned and rolled her eyes. "You know James is the most gorgeous boy in the school, why don't you just go out with him?"

Lily raised an eyebrow at her friend and shook her head despairingly. Ever since the three girls had met in first year they had been unlikely friends: the short, slightly rounded Eleanor with her big blue eyes, pale skin and silky blonde hair, so innocent to the world and all of its iniquity, and the tall, startling thin Sarah with her tanned skin, high cheekbones and strong nose, with a frosty air that made her feared and worshipped, along with Lily, who seemed a combination of the two and often played peacekeeper to their bickering which ended more often than not in Eleanor's tears.

Glaring at Lily with her dark eyes, Sarah finally sighed and then a grin played across her face. "Well, don't you want to know what I was doing while you two were out on dates this weekend?"

"Pinned beneath another one of the Ravenclaw Quidditch players?" asked Lily cattily, obviously not responding well to her friends' less than supporting air about the bet.

"No," said Sarah, shooting Lily a glare which she missed as she was gazing down at her Potions essay. "I got a piercing."

"Another one!" Lily and Eleanor cried in unison turning their attention immediately to her.

"Yep, two actually, and you'll never guess where," Sarah said, a grin playing on her thin lips.

"I really don't want to know," Lily said. "Can't we leave you alone for one weekend without you getting some body part tattooed or pierced?"

Sarah just bit her lip, still grinning and looked quickly around the library before undoing the buttons of her two-sizes-too-small blouse stretched tightly across her chest.

"Oh lovely," Lily breathed sarcastically once Sarah had showed them the two silver rings now pierced through her nipples. "You should attach a chain between them or something. Merlin, Sarah. Why did you have to go and do that?"

"Oh, stop mothering me Lily," Sarah said, pushing her chair back and putting her books haughtily into her bag. "I'll see you two skanks in Transfiguration." She blew them both a kiss and stalked off. You could almost feel the temperature rise a few degrees as she left.

--

"Oo, look who's coming," breathed Sarah once Lily and Eleanor had joined her in Transfiguration. Lily looked up and spotted the three terribly popular Gryffindor sixth years and their official groupie, Peter Pettigrew.

"Look," squealed Eleanor. "They're coming our way."

It was true, James had spotted their table and strode casually over, greeting them with a mock bow. Lily looked back down at her textbook and said, "Well if it isn't the famous four."

"I believe you are getting your literature mixed up my dear. It is the Famous Five and the Fantastic Four. Although I must say, we are a bit of both."

Lily gasped at his arrogance and looked up at him incredulously.

"You seem to know a lot about muggle children's books, Potter. Your highest form of reading?" Sarah asked scathingly.

"Well, he has to read up on muggles as he's planning on dating one," said Sirius, speaking for the first time in a deep, bored voice. Feeling her face go hot, Lily turned back down towards her textbook but not before she glimpsed James bristling and shooting his best friend an extremely nasty look.

"See you later, Evens," James said and they strode off, looking for a place to sit.

"Sorry about him," someone said quietly, and Lily looked up. Remus was still standing by her and she smiled warmly at him. "Sirius. He's just jealous. He'll get over it."

"What, Sirius wants James all for himself does he? Got a little crush?" Sarah said malevolently. Obviously hearing, Sirius' head snapped up and his lip curled.

"Sarah, shut up! Thank you Remus, you're a good friend," said Lily.

Remus nodded, not sure what she meant. Was he a good friend of hers or of James'?

"I hate that guy," muttered Sarah once Remus had walked away and sat down with his friends. "He's such an arse."

"Remus?" inquired Eleanor, her blue eyes very round. "But he's so sweet!"

"No," said Sarah tossing her hair back and licking her red lips. "Sirius…but Remus does bug me too. He's too nice. A bit gay if you ask me."

"There's nothing wrong with being gay, Sarah. You say it like an insult or something," said Lily softly, turning a page in her textbook and not glancing up. "And besides, if you hate Sirius so much, why did you sleep with him?"

Sarah shrugged and examined her nails. "He was willing…and able. Best shag I've had in this place; he's the only bloke with experience."

"You really shouldn't sleep around so much," Eleanor began but at that moment the bell rang and Professor McGonagall began teaching the lesson.

---

"Ah, my Lily-flower, our propinquity makes me swoon."

"Go away, James," said Lily who had been busy buttering a roll in the great hall, but looked up as James sauntered over. She rolled her eyes and tried not to smile at his antics – it would only egg him on.

"I get the feeling you are aggravated by me, Evens. Why, you look at me as if I have impetigo!" James said in mock distress, clapping a hand to his heart and sitting gracefully down in front of her.

The corner of Lily's mouth twitched and James noticed, which, as Lily knew it would, only encouraged him further.

"Indeed, you look perturbed by my gregarious nature, Lily, and that just won't do."

"What's going on?" Eleanor whispered to Sarah, her eyes flashing between the two.

Sarah shrugged, seemingly uninterested. "It's how smart people argue…they use lot's of big words."

Putting down her roll, Lily brushed her hands rid of crumbs and looked at James condescendingly. "Does this usually work, Potter?" When James only proceeded to give her a politely quizzical look, she continued. "You win a girl's heart by using expansive vocabulary?"

"Why is it not working?" James said, grinning roguishly so his eyes lit up.

"Big words don't turn a girl on James," said Sarah, grinning playfully at him. "However, big –"

"Sarah!" cut in Lily before she could say the next word. "For goodness sake!"

"I'm just saying," Sarah said, focusing her attention back on her sandwich, but smiling all the same.

"Christmas party on Saturday," said Remus, breaking the awkward silence. "Are you girls going?"

"No," sighed Eleanor. "My parents are making me come home for Christmas. Sarah and Lily are staying though."

Lily shot Eleanor an angry look for giving away that information. She was looking forward to a few weeks free of Potter and his cronies, but James would stay now that he knew Lily was. Sure enough, "You're staying Lily? Well, that settles it. I can't bear to be apart from my girlfriend for more than a few hours. I better write to Mum and tell her I'm not coming home."

"I'm not your girlfriend, Potter," Lily said but her heart wasn't in the argument. Now she wished she could go home for Christmas, but it would be even worse there. Her own sister, Petunia, hadn't spoken a word to her for six years. She had even claimed not to be Lily's sister anymore. For years, Lily couldn't understand it; she thought maybe Petunia was afraid of magic, but no it wasn't that either. The truth was, she was jealous as hell. The sisters were in fact twins, as different in appearance as you could get, but they were close. Extremely close. When Lily's letter arrived, Petunia waited expectantly for her own, knowing that it would come as everything Lily did, so did Petunia, and vice versa. However, she waited in vain, and come September Lily went off to Hogwarts on her own.

"Evens?"

Lily looked up, realising she had blocked out her classmate's voices and couldn't remember what they were talking about. "Sorry, what?"

"Never mind," James said, looking at her strangely, like he was trying to figure her out. Blushing, Lily realised he must have made a jibe at her, something she never ignored.

---

"I didn't write to my mother," James said later that evening, plopping himself down in an armchair by the sofa where Lily was curled up, her thoughts straying to her unwelcoming home.

"Oh, good," Lily muttered, still gazing at the fire. "So you're leaving for Christmas, then?"

"Nah, Mum wrote a few weeks ago and told me I couldn't come as they're having the house renovated. They're going down to our villa in the South of France for Christmas."

Lily didn't say anything but she thought even harder. That was one of the things she didn't like about Potter. He would constantly slip his wealth or Seeker abilities into conversation, almost without noticing he was doing it. His arrogance was unbelievable.

"You know, some people say you're a lesbian," James said, interrupting her train of thought. Spluttering, Lily sat up.

"Excuse me?"

"Well they do…"

"I am not gay!"

"Yea well, I know that," James said, smirking at his ability to get her talking.

"I went out with Daniel Mooreson last year," Lily said pointedly, as if to prove she was straight.

"You gave him two black eyes."

"Oh!" Lily protested. "He tried to maul me, if you haven't forgotten. And anyway, you're just as bad! You broke his cheek the next day."

James winced. "I got a month's worth of detentions for that. Besides, it's different. It's okay for blokes to fight but a girl fighting is just unattractive. Unless, you know, it's two girls…and they're naked."

"You're unbelievable, Potter. I don't know why I even bother talking to you."

"Oh don't deny it," James said, grinning and ruffling his hair. "You can't resist me."

"Keep dreaming."

"Most certainly will!"

Right well I'm going on holiday. Please review and I'll post when i get back. bye! (review review review)