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Chapter Eleven: Purebloods and Mudbloods

"Lily, what's wrong?" James asked as he came through the portrait and went to join her on the couch. She looked really pissed off; he couldn't remember ever seeing her this pissed off. I don't think even I've made her that angry, James thought, wondering what in the hell could have ticked her off that much.

When Marlene had returned looking slightly frazzled, angry and confused, James had demanded to know what was wrong. Marlene had only mumbled something about Kada Connersby and that he should go talk to her, so he gave a message to Sirius to tell his teacher that he wasn't feeling good.

"Nothing James, I just want to be alone," Lily replied, So I can think of another twenty ways to curse Kada Connersby, She viscously thought.

"Well to bad, because I'm not going to leave you alone." James said gruffly, taking her in his arms against her will. She struggled but got nowhere – Lily Evans was strong, but James was stronger. He held her against him until she stopped struggling, then he started running his hand through her hair to calm her down a little. Maybe she'll actually tell me what's going on if she's calm, James thought.

He was surprised when Lily broke out in tears. Lily rarely cried, and if she did then there was a good reason behind it. These were angry, hurt tears. Even though he had rarely seen her cry he already knew the differences.

"Lily what the hells going on?" he asked hoarsely, still holding her. She didn't reply for several minutes, and James thought it would be best if he just let her cry it out.

Finally, around seven minutes later, she stopped.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong now?" James asked. Lily sighed.

"I'm just really frustrated okay?" Lily replied, struggling to move again. She didn't want to leave the safety of James's arms, but she was afraid that if she stayed then she would tell him everything.

For some odd reason Lily didn't want James to know. She didn't want him thinking she was already possessive, when they had barely been dating for four days. Since she realized her feelings for James, her world had turned upside down; she actually felt the hole of loneliness in her heart close up. She was afraid of losing him once she finally realized her feelings. Lily hated to admit it – but she was scared that Kada was right.

"Does it have something to do with Kada Connersby?" James asked, his voice extremely grave sounding.

"It doesn't matter," Lily sighed. James raised her chin so that he was looking into her eyes.

"Yes it does," he said, kissing away her tears. "So don't say it doesn't, please tell me Lily,"

She shook her head, her eyes welling up again when he kissed her. How could she explain to him that in less then a month she had realized that he was her everything, and she was afraid of losing him and not being good enough to be with him?

After another moment of thought, Lily sighed, giving up.

"Alright," she said, sniffing. "Kada told me some stuff, that you were only with me to fool around and that I wasn't good enough or whatever because I was a Mudblood. She said to stay away from you because she was going to end up with you,"

"What!" James bellowed, his face turning white with rage. "I can't believe her! Lily that's not true, it's not true!"

Lily looked into his eyes and believed it was true. "So blood doesn't matter to you?"

"Fuck Lily it never did!"

"Ok, don't get mad at me." Lily replied, pulling away slightly. James took a deep breath.

"I'm not mad at you, I'm enraged at Kada. I can't believe she said that, she really does belong in Slytherin."

"Tell me about it," Lily sighed. She slid her hand up to his heart and felt it beating. Beating for her? She wondered, resting her head on his chest with her hand still over his heart.

He held her closer, almost disappearing in her scent of lilacs. He couldn't believe that someone would tell his Lily the blood mattered to him when it didn't and never would. The Potter's were different from other Pureblood families; they didn't act as if they were superior to other Half-blood or those who came from Muggle families. The Potter's were well liked, by wizards and Muggles.

"Lily, listen to me," James said, cupping her chin again and gazing into her eyes, "I know its only been four days and I might be moving too fast for you, but I love you. I always have, and I will never do anything to hurt you. I'm sorry if I have in the past, I was an asshole, but I never meant any of my pranks to hurt you,"

Lily felt her eyes well up with tears, again, and she allowed one to drop down her cheek.

"I think I love you too," she whispered, softly, "But I don't want to get hurt," she added.

"I promise I won't hurt you," he repeated, kissed her again, this time softly and sweetly.

XXXX

James and Lily finally surfaced for lunch. They had missed only one class, Muggle Studies for Lily and Divination for James.

"Where were you two?" Sirius asked with a smirk on his face, obviously unaware of the whole Kada ordeal.

James shrugged and sat down with Lily beside him, they were still holding hands. Lily tossed Kada her most darkest look that made people cower in fright, then turned back to face her friends.

Since Lily and James had officially hooked up, their groups of friends seemed entwined. They walked together, talked together, and hung out together.

"So Lily, we haven't really been talking lately," Ellie commented, her almond eyes practically screaming 'I have a secret to tell you'.

"We should all have a girls night out or something," Lily said, smiling. She felt much better after being comforted by James, and what he said certainly had lightened her spirits.

"When?" Ellie asked, her face glowing.

"Well how about Friday night, the ball is on Saturday and we can…prep." Lily suggested, grabbing a sandwich from the plate and munching on it as they talked.

James, his hand on Lily's knee, was talking to Sirius, Remus, and Peter about Quidditch. Once he had realized that Lily wanted to talk with her friends without any…interference.

"Gryffindor plays Slytherin tomorrow," Sirius was saying, "Do we have a game plan Prongs?"

"Of course!" James replied, smiling his dashing smile.

"Care to share it?"

"The walls have ears Padfoot," James reminded him, looking over at the Slytherin table where dirty looks were being thrown at them.

Lily continued to eat her lunch while Ellie, Alice, and Marlene all chatted about what they would do on Friday night.

"We'll have it in the Head's Quarters, so Kada doesn't bother us." Lily told them, pushing her plate away.

"Won't James be around then?" Ellie asked with a slight smirk on her face.

Lily looked at James expectantly.

"I'll spend the night in my old dorm with Sirius, Remus, and Peter," James reassured them, winking at Sirius.

"What was that wink for?"

"No reason, no reason," James replied, grinning.

"Well it's settled then, girls night in the Head's Quarters on Friday," Lily said, shaking her head at James before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," she whispered.

"No problem," he smiled.

Kada glared at her from a little a ways down the table.

XXXX

For Lily it seemed that the days were dragging by very slowly, but finally Friday evening arrived and she sat in the Head's common room with her friends. James had brought them crates of Butterbeer and junk food, even Muggle junk food.

Lily didn't know how he did it, but she was grateful that they had something to munch on.

"Ellie, tell us how things are going with Sirius," Lily demanded as she painted her nails. They were seated in the common room in front of the fire with their pyjamas already on.

"They're just going," Ellie sighed, "He only asked me to the ball because Remus suggested it," she added, glaring at Marlene. "Remus thought it would be good if we all went together."

"That's why I'm landed with Peter," Alice said with a distasteful look on her face. "I really wish Frank was still at Hogwarts,"

"It's ok Alice, you don't have to dance with him or anything. Just hang out," Lily said with a sympathetic look on her face, "I mean, poor Peter. He's the odd man out, don't you think? He's nothing like Remus or Sirius or…James," Lily's face went all dreamy when she said James's name.

"Lily, wake up," Marlene ordered, brushing back a piece of her hair. "I, personally, don't trust Peter. Put your hair up, I'm going to do your makeup."

"Why?" Lily asked, putting her dark red hair into a ponytail like Marlene asked.

"Because I'm bored, and I haven't put makeup on someone since the summer time."

"No I mean why do you not trust Peter?" Lily asked again.

"Oh, I don't know. I just don't, there is something about him," Marlene shrugged.

"Well, I think Peter just feels left out," Alice commented, passing the bowl of Muggle popcorn around.

"Yeah, that's why he's resorted to hanging out with Ledaria Smirth." Ellie mumbled, grabbing from the bowl of popcorn as it was passed to her. She stuffed it the handful of popcorn into her mouth and chewed loudly.

"Ledaria Smirth? Isn't she in Slytherin?" Lily questioned. Ellie nodded her head.

"I've seen them around a few times," Ellie managed to say with her mouth still relatively full of popcorn.

"That doesn't mean anything really," Alice told her. Lily shrugged it off.

"Well, if he has found a girlfriend, I'm glad. He needs one," she said as Marlene applied blush on Lily's face.

"But from Slytherin? I don't think Sirius, James or Remus know about this. I mean they would be livid if they found out, notice how none of them have touched anyone from Slytherin?" Marlene pointed out. Lily sighed.

"Look Marlene, it's probably nothing. Don't worry about it, I mean sure, Peter's a little weird but he's not a bad guy. James, Sirius and Remus all have good taste in character." She told her.

"But I still think he can't be trusted,"

Lily rolled her eyes, "Give it up guys, your worrying about nothing."

(A/N)Thanks to everyone who reviewed! To my faithful readers: I am really enjoying writing this story, and I'm really happy to see that so many of you like it too! Thanks to Alex C. Potter, Cora-leanna, BlazeAngleDragon, and WhiteCamellia for reviewing! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!