All usual disclaimers apply.

A/N: My apoligies for not getting this out when I promised. Its been hectic, and I've been trying. Thanks and kudos to those he reviewed last chapter: PRPLESOCKERSTAR (whose story Weasley and Jackson, but soon to be retitled, I have already reccomended) COSMOPOLITAN (check out I Know That You Sleep With My Boyfriend, its pretty great) and LAURATAY, ANNNA, and RIN. They're all my heroes.

Lily had been unusually busy all day, so she hadn't gotten a chance to talk to James. But that was all right, Lily decided. She could talk to him tonight after the Order meeting.

Dumbledore had decided that tonight's meeting would be held at Hogwarts. Lily and James thought it was a little unusual; they had never held them at Hogwarts before, but they both figured that Dumbledore had a good reason. He had said that he had something very urgent discuss with them, and it was of the utmost importance that they attended. Lily, James, and Sirius had promised that they would be there.

"Ah," Dumbledore said softly as the last few Order members straggled in, "Welcome. What I tell you tonight must, as always, never leave your lips. You see, very recently, a Prophecy was spoken unto me, concerning the now inevitable defeat of Lord Voldemort. It spoke of a child, whose parents met certain, ah, requirements."

There was a brief flash of fury in Dumbledore's eyes as he continued to speak, "Unfortunately, the Prophecy reached Voldemort, and he set out to kill one of those that it spoke of."

Every thought in the room turned to Alice. Albus Dumbledore's mouth turned up at the corners, but only slightly, as he announced, "However, he failed. Alice, please come out." There was a simultaneous gasp from every person in the room. "Frank, please come, as well."

Frank and Alice entered the room then; Alice drew in a shallow breath and Frank's hand found its way around Alice's, their fingers intertwined. Everybody knew. No one knew where to look.

I can do this, Alice told herself, I can face him. She breathed shakily as she looked at all her friends' shocked faces, James most shocked of all. She was staring at James, wondering what he was going to do. What was she supposed to say? She began to feel a little dizzy and her breaths became shallower and shallower. And then, she felt Frank's strong, loving hand, grasp her own, and just like always; his presence reminded Alice that they would be alright. They could do this.

For a moment, Lily forgot to breathe. How could she possibly remember to do something as inconsequential as filling one's lungs with air when she was standing before her supposedly dead best friend? Happiness swelled inside her until it felt like she was going to burst. She would have run over to hug her friend, if the shock hadn't frozen her in place.

Without thinking, she glanced at James to see his reaction; a habit that she had developed during the past weeks. All good feelings deflated. Alice was back. James' Alice was back. Sure, she was Frank's Alice, too. But she had never really chosen, had she? And James had said that he loved her; so he could take her back, forgive her for cheating. And even if he didn't, Lily couldn't fall for her best friends ex-boyfriend. A single tear slid down her cheek as she was thinking that it might be too late.

Why had things become so complicated?

James couldn't really grasp what was going on at first. Dumbledore had something to show them, he told the others what James already knew about the prophecy. Then he was calling two people out of a room. The first person he saw was Alice. Alice. She looked straight at him; her expression unreadable. James wasn't sure exactly how he felt exactly either. His long-lost lover was standing right in front of him, why was it that he felt like he had lost something instead of gained?

The second person emerged then; Frank. Blood boiled under James' skin, and the anger put a dark expression on his face. Frank tried to steal Alice from James; he had probably won her heart already.

James couldn't understand his own feelings, he was supposed to be starting new, moving on, And James knew, that a rather large part of his heart still loved Alice, and even that part was torn between itself. Should he run towards her and embrace her? Or should he give up and let himself waste away because she may not be his anymore? And even though part of him still cared for her, another part wanted someone else. Part of him felt like he needed this someone else. But he couldn't have her; he shouldn't want her to make him feel this way. And it was just too…complicated.

He would forget her; and Alice, and hopefully he could banish all these feelings. When he saw Frank slip his hand around Alice's; anger dominated all other feelings raging inside him. James couldn't take it anymore; he left.

He was so lost and angry and confused, he was sure that he was the only person alive who felt this way. He was wrong, someone else did understand his feelings exactly, and she was closer to James than he realized.

Too bad she was the someone he was now avoiding.

A/N: Not my best, I know. Review anyway? You know you want to...