A/N : All recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of JK Rowling. Sasha and Evangeline belong to me. No copyright infrigement is intended. Ooh, and I forgot to put this at the beginning of the last chapter, but obviously it applies then too. Please review, I'm not very happy with this chapter and would be so glad for some advice. x

After a restless sleep, Lily woke feeling shattered already. The dream she had gnawed away at her anxiousness. She had a blazing row with James, in the dream, over something petty, she couldn't even remember what, but it wasn't pleasant. With sunlight the memory was becoming more hazy and dreamlike. Finally she opened her eyes and swung her legs out of bed. She stuck her feet into two owl slippers and shuffled into the bathroom. She peered into the mirror, she had purple bags forming and a spot had come through over night on her cheek. "Bloody great. First day and I look god damn awful." She poked her skin with her wand to reduce the swelling and dabbed on some concealor. She shoved a toothbrush in her mouth and started swirling it around as she got dressed single-handedly. Finally she swept a brush through her hair and made her way downstairs.

"Fine. Don't wait for me." Lily was grumbling, for neither of her friends had waited for her. She could tell it was going to be a bad day.

She navigated the corridors and finally reached the great hall. She made her way inside to join her two friends, who were surrounded by the marauders.

Sasha and Remus were sitting opposite each other having an intense conversation. As Lily drew nearer she was eager to find out what was going on so she slid on the bench next to Remus and listened in.

"So Grindlewald was the leader of the first war? And he recruited the giants?"

"Yeah that's right."

Lily rolled her eyes. Both Sasha and Remus were taking History of Magic, and they had a catch up test that afternoon. Instead she watched the other three marauders and Evangeline. Peter seemed to be having trouble cutting his food. Every time his knife touched a piece of his meal, it softened and bent, meaning he couldn't cut it at all. James was shaking with silent mirth while Sirius was leaning on the table with tears streaming down his face.

"Careful James, he might start using his fingers." Lily had a half smile. The last time Peter had tried to eat with his fingers they were stuck to James' head within ten minutes.

James fixed her with a horrified look. "I hadn't thought of that" He muttered the counter curse under his breath and Peter finally resumed eating.

"How come you didn't wait for me?" Lily tried to sound neutral but her anger was bubbling away under the surface. It wasn't fair. She had always been such a good friend, and now they had just dumped her to hand around with the Marauders.

"Lils, we tried to wake you up but you wouldn't budge. You slept all the way through first period."

"Shit! Really? Oh no! What did I miss?"

"Don't worry Lily, it was just a study period, everyone was in the common room."

"What time is it now?" Lily asked, feeling abashed, she had leapt to a conclusion, just like she always did. She raised her head to look through the enchanted ceiling and her question was answered. The sky was a brilliant cold blue; and fluffy clouds hovered on the edge of her vision.

"One o'clock." Suddenly Lily was ravished, and pulled a plate of chicken pie towards her and dug in.

When the bell rang the teens made their way to Potions class. Lily liked potions and was good at it. She was especially favoured by her professor, Horace Slughorn. They lined up in alphabetical order, just as the magically flashing notice on the door instructed.

"Oho, my little protégées have returned, please enter and sit where I tell you. Slughorn was booming, as always and his waistcoat strained as his large belly.

"Now, Mr Abbot you will be sitting here." The man showed Jeremy Abbot towards a desk at the front of the classroom. "Next, Mr Black. Yes very good, you sit there" He motioned towards the second desk. "Now Mr Diggory, over here. And, Oho! Very good, Miss Evans sits here. Finally, Mr Malfoy at the back."

The students sat down.

"Now for your partners, we will continue in alphabetical order. First, with Mr Abbot, Mr Goyle, I think. Next, Miss Langhorne with Mr Black." Sirius grinned as a pretty Ravenclaw sat next to him. "With Mr Diggory, I think Mr Nott, and Miss Evans with Mr Potter. Don't look at me like that Miss Evans; I'm sure you can handle him!" Slughorn was beaming genially, and after he directed the last pair to their desk ("Miss Toole next to Mr Malfoy, please"), they were ready to start. For once Lily didn't concentrate at all in potions. She was very conscious of the warmth Potter was emitting, and their close quarters. James was also feeling uncomfortable, they were pressed together on a narrow bench, and it was all he could do not to slip his hand into hers. Instead he whispered "Hey Evans, go out with me?"

Lily started then glared. "No. Never."

Finally, after a long lesson spent taking notes on the Wolfsbane potion, they were dismissed to move onto Charms. Lily was glad the lesson had ended, it was growing ever more awkward, and at least in charms she was partnered with Evangeline. At last, after an even longer lesson, they were sent back to the common room with a load of homework. Lily started work straight away, pausing for only half an hour to grab some food. She worked solidly until at eight o'clock she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Potter!"

"We have to patrol, tonight, Evans, remember?"

She rose and they walked out of the portrait hole in silence. They ambled towards the charms corridor chatting forcedly about quidditch, for James was chaser on the Gryffindor team, and Lily loved to watch, and was a fair keeper. The chat dwindled to almost nothing and Lily found herself wishing she could really talk to him. She got on well with the other marauders, so why was it that James left her tongue-tied? She had hated him from first year, why should this year be any different? He was still the same egocentric arse. Kind of. James has improved, she thought, fairly. But still. No chance. They walked slowly and turning the corner towards home were met with the sight of two robes fighting. Lily shook her head, it wasn't two robes, it was two students. And that certainly wasn't fighting. The were kissing. James gave her an enormous wink and walked up to the pair, tapping one of the robes on the shoulder.

"What have we here? Two students, out of bed, and well past curfew. I'm sorry I'll have to deduct points."

A girl untangled herself and had the decency to look abashed while her boyfriend looked on with an unconcerned, air.

"I don't think so James, it's almost 11, they should get a detention."

"I think points are plenty, Evans. For every detention we get its twenty points down the drain."

"How many did you get last year? At last count, 37. Now isn't the time to start preaching, Potter."

"But Evans, they're in Gryffindor."

"You were, and still are. We have to be impartial Potter, remember what McGonagall said."

"I don't care. This doesn't merit a detention."

"Yes it does."

The two students who were meant to be disciplined were watching with bewildered faces. Their Head Boy and Girl were arguing. Over a detention. James turned to the students.

"20 points from Gryffindor, and if we catch you again it'll be double detention."

The students sloped off. Lily waited until their echoing footsteps had faded into nothing and exploded.

"James Potter! That wasn't fair! That was a joint decision you shouldn't have just dismissed them!"

"It was a stupid argument and –"

"You completely undermined me! I might as well have run around naked with a feather boa wrapped around me! I have no more authority!"

"Evans, our arguing was undermining –"

"No, Potter, it wasn't! You make things deliberately difficult!"

Lily stormed off, her cheeks blazing as red as her hair. Angry tears pricked at her eyes and ball of tension in her stomach twinged unpleasantly, tighter than ever. Roughly she swept away her tears and stormed through the portrait hole and up stairs, ready to cry her eyes dry over her falling out with James. She was incredibly upset. She just didn't know why.

Review, sil vous plait? Please? Por favor? x