A/N:

Another chapter tonight. Woot. Go me. Anyways, I'd like to apologize for the blue eyes mistake? James apparently has hazel eyes. I will at some point go back and change this so that it is accurate, but for now please bare with me? I don't think its mentioned anymore, but if it is, please, please bare with me. Thanks for the reviews! They are so fun and nice and good to read. They keep me going, so keep 'em coming.

Once Lily was halfway up the stairs, she realized she'd forgotten her cloak. She hurried back down the steps, and spotted her cloak exactly where she'd left it, but no sign of Severus. She grabbed her cloak and hurried back up the stairs. Once she approached the portrait hole, she quickly gave the fat lady the password and climbed through the portrait hole.

The second she stepped through the portrait hole, all eyes were on her. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were all sitting on the couch, and their particular stares were accusing. Everyone else just stared at her with mild interest and wonder. Emma Warren whispered into Melinda Drake's ear, then started giggling. Marlene and Alice stepped quickly on either side of Lily

"Lily, come on. Let's get out of here," they gave her a light push. Lily frowned

"No…What's going on?"

Marlene shook her head

"No. Lily, it doesn't matter. Come on, let's just go upstairs." Lily shook her head

"No! What's going on? Stop sheltering me!" And then Sirius' voice came from behind her.

"You said you didn't speak to him anymore."

Lily swiveled around.

"Excuse me?" she asked, completely confused as to what he was talking about.

"You said, and I quote, 'He's chosen his path, and I've chosen mine. I don't think we could ever be friends again. I'm not talking to him ever again. Not after what he said.' Lily froze; those were the exact words she had said to Sirius, almost a half a year after the mudblood scene by the lake. Lily took a deep breath.

"He was around…I was upset. We talked...why is that such a big deal?"

Sirius stood up

"Lily! He thinks of you as scum! Are you aware of what the word mudblood means?" The tension in the room grew larger as Sirius' voice grew louder. "Dirty blood, Lily. That's what it means! It means that he thinks that you are dirty. Filthy. Disgusting. No matter how much he tries to hide it, Lily, that's what he thinks!" Lily's throat was closing in on her, how was she supposed to listen to this? She was trying to keep her shaking down to a minimum, but it was becoming increasingly harder.

"We were just talking, Sirius…" Sirius shook his head

"Right. Lily, you know…I really don't know you as well as I thought I did. This is crap, Lily. Total. Crap." He took off towards the boys' dormitory, and she watched with anguish as he went.

Lily stood there, shaking, not able to believe that Sirius was that mad because she was TALKING to Severus. She hadn't meant to hurt anybody. She hadn't meant for any of this.

"You've stooped to whole new low, Lily Evans." She knew that voice. She knew it well. She closed her eyes, bracing herself to hear what James had to say. "You didn't say anything. Not even when I asked if you were happy. You let me kiss you…and you didn't say one word."

Now she was very confused. What did her being happy have anything to do with talking to Severus? She opened her eyes and looked at him; pain was etched all over his face.

"James…" she said taking a couple steps towards him. "What are you talking about?" She reached out a hand to touch his face, but he pulled back quickly

"Don't touch me." Lily was shocked and hurt.

"James…What did I do? We were just talking!" She was desperate now. Sirius, one of her best friends, was angry at her. And now the love of her life? She couldn't bear this.

"Lily, someone saw you!" Lily was frustrated now, and hot, frustrated, angry tears were streaming down her face.

"Saw me WHAT?" She cried, throwing her hands up in the air. James looked away from her face.

"Saw you kiss him, Lily. You kissed him. Right after you kissed me. Lily…how could you?" Lily felt as if all the air had left her body. Kissed him? She hadn't kissed him; she'd given him an innocent hug!

"I…I didn't…No…" she stuttered, but she couldn't even string a sentence together.

"Lily…" James shook his head "I walked these halls with you, and I heard them call you mudblood. I heard all those stupid Slytherins call you mudblood, and I wanted to die, Lily. You of all people do not deserve to be called anything but perfect or amazing." He took a deep breath.

"Lily, I held you that night. Do you remember? The night you came in after that day by the lake. You were crying, and I held you. And you said to me…" But he didn't have to finish the sentence, because she knew exactly what she had said.

"If my blood's so dirty, why do you love me?" She finished emotionlessly, trying her best to keep breathing.

"Do you remember what I said?" he said, just as emotionlessly. Lily closed her eyes trying her hardest not to flat out cry.

"Because you're so much more than magic to me."

James nodded slowly

"I will never forget the look on your face, Lily. He made you think that you were less than perfect. Less than amazing. Now, you tell me something, Lily Evans. Have I ever made you feel anything but amazing?" Lily shook her head slowly. "Then screw you!" he yelled, overturning the chessboard that Remus and Peter had been playing on. "I did nothing wrong. I don't deserve this from you."

He pushed past her, quickly following Sirius' lead, and went up to the boys' dormitory. Lily stood there, hardly breathing, and watched the chess pieces rolling across the floor. The entire common room was staring at her open-mouthed. And because she couldn't hold it in anymore, she started, full out, noisily, crying.

She hadn't kissed him, she hadn't. She'd given him a hug. That was it! An innocent hug! She'd talked to him for less then 5 minutes! She'd been upset. Why were they punishing her for something she didn't even do?

Then a cool arm linked with hers, and a kind voice was saying, "Lily, it's alright. Come on…let's go back up the dormitory. We'll get some sleep, and everything will be alright in the morning."

She trusted the voice for now, even though deep down inside she knew everything would not be alright in the morning. Not by a long shot.