I do not own Harry Potter. Sigh.

But Marcel and Penny are both my own creation.

Sorry its kind of going slow, I promise I actually do have interesting things ready for the next few chapters!

Okay, and on with the story:

Chapter 3: Jealousy?

POV: Lily Evans

I skipped breakfast the next morning, grabbing a piece of toast, saying my "good mornings" to Marcel and Penny, then hurried to the library to start on my homework due on Monday. I rushed through the hallways, practically smacking into a couple of first years as I entered the library. Madam Pince clicked her tongue when I ran in, but said nothing more on the matter. I sat down in a secluded corner in the back and took out my Charms textbook to begin working on the twelve inch long essay we had to write.

I was left alone for a while, but eventually breakfast had to end and I could hear people entering the library to do some studying as well.

"'Lo, Lily," I heard a voice say. I turned around from where I was seated and saw Reagan MacDougal, a sixth year Ravenclaw, with his friend Marlene Gates, who was a fellow Gryffindor sixth year.

"Hey Reagan, Marlene," I said to them both.

"May we join you?" Marlene asked me.

"Of course," I replied, moving my things off the table so they could sit.

"What're you doing? It's only the first weekend of school and already studying?" Reagan said, grinning.

"Of course," I repeated with a hint of a smile on my face as I rapidly jotted down my sentences.

Marlene sighed. "Well, same old Lily, always studious, always ahead of the game." She smiled.

"I haven't seen you around at all, Lily! I know it's only the first week, but still," said Reagan.

"Well, I've been busy with my head duties and schoolwork," I replied to him.

"Lily," Marlene said, shaking her head. "Always with the school things."

"So did you guys want something?" I asked, trying not to sound rude, but I really wanted to finish my essay while the thoughts were still running through my mind.

"No, sorry. We just saw you and we haven't really spoken to you all year, so we thought we'd say hello," Marlene explained.

"Do you mind if we do some homework here with you?" asked Reagan.

"Sure, why not?" I told them, thinking that just so long as they don't distract me too much.

"Cool." They took out their own quills and parchment and began pulling out books to research for their own papers they needed to write.

We worked silently for a while, but the silence eventually listening to only the sounds of our quills scratching the parchment and the faint noises of other students in the library talking became annoying, so we began talking about our classes and our summers.

Reagan apparently went to Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. I was pretty jealous after he gave a long explanation in minute detail of his amazing thirty day summer trip with his parents, siblings, and cousins.

Marlene's summer wasn't as exciting: she simply stayed at home and hung out with friends. Marlene was lucky, though, living in a wizard village, so she was able to see friends and see magic happening. I was jealous of even her.

Then when they asked of my summer, I told them I did homework.

They both snorted, trying to cover it up with either a cough or a sneeze, and continued on with their work, trading answers and asking me questions as well.

POV: James Potter

I had watched as Lily ran in, said hello to her roommates, and disappeared with a piece of toast in her hand. I assumed that she was heading to the library and upon further inspection, my assumption was proven correct.

I drifted through the library and walked through the aisles, pretending to look for a book while peeking surreptitiously around for Lily. Near the back seemed like a good place to start looking, considering she liked peace and quiet and I had seen her in the back many times before, so I headed down the aisle. Finally, I heard her talking quietly with a subtle irritation that I was sure only I could tell was there from the countless times I had heard her attempting to be patient with me but letting it slip. Ah, how I loved that girl so.

I pulled a book from the shelf and peeped through the opening finding Lily with Marlene Gate, a sweet sixth year, and, with a twinge of jealousy, Reagan MacDougal, an annoying Ravenclaw that I officially envy because he was talking with my Lily, though I would never call her that to her face. Reagan had had a crush on Lily when he was in the fourth year and we were in the fifth year; that had been a difficult time for me because I was always worried that the jerk was going to ask her out and she would say yes, but he luckily didn't have enough courage to.

I watched as Lily smiled at his comments and chatted with him like they were old friends (though I guess they had known each other for six years now) and internally sighed. Why couldn't we have that kind of relationship? Why does she hate me so much? Reagan and Marlene quizzed Lily on some spells we had learned from previous years and I decided I would leave, having done enough spying. I narrowed my eyes and glared at Reagan once more before turning and leaving the library, but stopped when I heard Reagan make an attempt at a joke.

At this point Lily laughed loudly, a beautiful, musical laugh, trying to muffle the noise with her hand. My face contorted into an angry expression: what was so interesting and funny about what Reagan had just said? It was a meek attempt, nothing special. I have said jokes a hundred times better than his own, and yet Lily only glares whenever I say mine, though it might be because mine are from Sirius who probably isn't a good influence on me. Even as I thought of how much I hate Reagan MacDougal and his ability to climb over Lily's hate-wall that sadly I am stuck behind, I couldn't help the corners of my mouth twitched up when I saw Lily's beautiful smile lighting up her pale pretty face as she looked in my direction, probably seeing if Madam Pince had heard her laugh and was going to throw her out of the library for being too noisy.

But, even after she had made sure, she stared over at the bookshelf I was hiding behind for a few more moments and I could've sworn she looked me directly in the eyes and smiled a little. But then again, I was probably hallucinating.

POV: Lily Evans

I smiled at Potter. Smiled! What in bloody hell was wrong with me? I don't know.

Reagan had said something funny about Professor Slughorn and I laughed, loudly, so I looked up to make sure Madam Pince wasn't coming. Maybe I was filled with relief that it wasn't her, so she couldn't kick me out of the library? But my eyes glanced up and I saw James looking in my direction from behind the shelf and I saw him smiling, so I couldn't help but smile back. Then I turned to Marlene who had begun speaking and took a quick peek back at the shelf to see if he was still there, but he had left. Hopefully he hadn't seen me. This in no way means that I like him anymore than I used to.

After finishing my essay, which took a while since Marlene and Reagan were there, I went to eat lunch. I was starved since I had skipped out on breakfast. Arriving a little earlier than everyone else, I was able to grab a seat and load my plate immediately. Marcel and Penny soon arrived and came to sit down across from me, gossiping as usual.

"Hey," Marlene said coming to sit down next to me. "Can I sit here?"

"Sure," I replied. I was surprised since normally Marlene sat next to her best friends Alice and Frank, who were other sixth years and totally in love but pretended not to be.

She sat down and a few moments later, Frank Longbottom and Alice Resing followed.

"Hello Marlene," Alice brightly stated.

"Afternoon, Alice, Frank," Marlene said, acknowledging them both.

"Where were you this morning?" Frank asked her.

"Hanging out with Lily and Reagan," replied Marlene, as if it were something expected.

"Ah. So how have you been Lily? How are your NEWT classes?" Alice asked me while Frank absentmindedly played with her fingers.

"I've been alright and since it is only the first week of school classes haven't been too bad; mostly just procedures and things of the like, although we have gotten quite a bit of homework and a ton of reading assignments."

"And this is only the beginning." Frank grimaced.

I laughed a little. "Yes, but I'm not too worried. It is only the exams I'm going to be real stressed about."

Alice nodded in agreement.

Marlene, Alice, and Frank talked throughout lunch, while I ate listening and occasionally adding my own thoughts to the conversation. They were having it over the Death Eaters and the devastation they have caused. All three extremely detested Voldemort and his little clan, which I was grateful for considering I am Muggle-born and probably on Voldemort's hit-list for being so.

Lunch came to an end and I looked around the Great Hall, looking for Marcel or Penny who seemed to have disappeared. I found them in the common room, gossiping in a corner with their school books on their laps and blank parchement lying next to them. I waved and they smiled at me as I walked up the steps to replace some books I had used earlier and to retrieve more books I would need for other homework.

Then, I headed for the library with a new stack of books to finish up the rest of my homework due on Monday and Tuesday.

POV: James Potter

So I've officially decided that I will tell Lily that I have stopped loving her. If I do, then we can become acquaintances, then friends, then good friends, then we date, then we become an official "couple", and then we finally marry and have a bunch of beautiful green-eyed, red-haired mini-Lily's running around.

Therefore, when I saw Lily entering the library (nothing out of the ordinary), I decided to approach her and tell her my statement (the no longer loving her thing, not the rest of course). Little did I know that she would be ambushed by Reagan MacDougal once more, but this time without Marlene, which just made the green monster come out.

I was being a creeper once again and hiding behind a bookcase, listening to my love and this annoying child talking.

"So, how is being Head Girl going?" Reagan asked as he set his books down, loudly, on the table and stealing the seat next to Lily.

"It's alright. Not too bad at the moment, but it is only the first week of school and all the rule-breakers are normally pretty good the first week or two. I can only hope it isn't going to be horrible with the Marauders on some sort of tightened rope since not only is Remus prefect, but James is Head Boy."

I beamed when Lily began talking about my friends and me even though she was saying that we were trouble-makers, which, to be perfectly honest, we are.

"Well, don't you think that could give his friends a looser rope because they have connections to get out of detention? I mean, are you sure he wouldn't abuse his power?" Reagan asked.

I glared at Reagan, sending him daggers with my eyes. Trying to turn Lily against me, is he?

But then, what Lily said truly made my heart do cartwheels; she said, "No, I don't think James would do something like that. I believe that he is a good person deep, deep down inside and I don't believe he would betray Professor Dumbledore's trust in him by giving in to those mischievous friends of his."

And again, it might have just been my imagination, but how she said mischievous made her sound a bittle, a tad bit admiring, which made me beam even more than I already had been. Ha! Take that Reagan MacDougal! I wanted to shout, but of course I didn't.

That's when I decided I would confront her later with my announcement, sometime when she wasn't with Reagan and also I realized I should probably run over my decision with my friends, so I left the library, wanting to no longer eavesdrop, and escaped to the Black Lake where my friends and I always lounged by a beech tree.

They were all there when I arrived, Remus working on his homework, Peter copying while laughing at a joke Sirius had just said.

"Ah, Prongs!" Sirius said as I approached.

"Okay, so I have something to tell you all. I need all ears now," I told them.

Peter looked up immediately, his eyes wide and bulging out with need to hear my news, and Remus finished up his sentence before reluctantly looking up. Sirius was purposely looking the other way, so I whacked him on the head with one of his textbooks.

"Okay, okay, you have my full attention, Prongs, mate," Sirius said, grinning, turning to face me.

I took a deep breath in and ruffled my hair before speaking. "As you all know, I have been in love with Lily Evans since first year. Well, that feeling is over. I have decided that I am over her and I was only in it for the chase. I no longer love her and am ready to move on," I told them, lying easily.

I could tell Sirius and Remus both didn't believe me, though, while Peter, on the other hand, did. Sirius and Remus knew me too well.

"Really?" Peter asked.

"Yes, Wormtail, it is true," I told him.

Sirius snorted. "Right, sure is, Prongs. You keep telling yourself that."

I nodded. "I will keep telling myself that, Padfoot. Because it is true."

Remus shook his head and continued on with his work.

"Moony, what I'm saying is straight from the heart, all an honest confession," I told him as he rolled his eyes at me, clearly seeing right through my lie as if it were transparent.

"So how did you come up with that excuse? The only in it for the chase thing?" Sirius asked me, leaning his head in with a mock serious expression on his face.

"Last year, when I asked Lily out for the billionth time, she told me that she was annoyed that I kept harassing her and she told me that she knew I was both teasing her and only in it for the chase. I pondered that and realized that, no, I was not teasing her, but yes, I was only in it for the chase."

Sirius raised his eyebrows, but said nothing more on the subject, switching it to some good-looking Ravenclaws he saw passing them earlier.

I tuned him out, sighing and looking towards the castle where I knew Lily would be in the library, studying her cute little brains out with that dreadful Reagan MacDougal, thinking wistfully how one day it could be me up there.

POV: Lily Evans

By Sunday morning, I was completely finished with all my homework and my reviewing. It seemed quite sad, now that I think about it, that I spent my entire day Saturday reviewing and studying. Since I had stayed up late last night, finishing up my transfiguration paper, I felt it was a day for me to sleep in, something I rarely do. I slept past breakfast, which I didn't mind too much, and when I awoke, it was practically time for lunch. The portrait swung open as I headed down the large marble staircase, arriving at the Great Hall as others were entering. I looked around and saw Penny and Marcel sitting down already, heads bent together, talking as usual. I briskly walked over to them and sat down on the other side of the table.

"Hello," I said casually, making myself noticed to them.

They both immediately snapped their minds out of the conversation and focused on me.

"Oh, good morning, Lily," Marcel said cheerfully. Then she furrowed her eyebrows and moved her lips like she was mouthing something. "I mean, good afternoon." She put emphasis on afternoon. I wanted to laugh when I realized that her face had contorted into an expression of concentration as she tried to think whether it was morning or afternoon. Marcel might have been placed in Gryffindor because she is brave, but she would definitely not ever be placed in Ravenclaw for her intelligence since that is something she is greatly lacking. That and common sense.

"Hello Lily," Penny told me, smiling politely.

We made small talk, discussing our papers and various other things. Just as we were running out of topics, the Marauders came and sat down next to us. I groaned internally.

"What's the matter, Evans?" Sirius asked with an expression of superiority on his face.

Oops, I had not meant to groan out loud. "Nothing," I answered quickly as he sat down by me, James taking the seat across from him.

"Come on, there must be something wrong. Girls don't groan like that for nothing. You must be really annoyed by something." Sirius sneaked a side glance at James who was glowering at him.

"Just realized I have some homework I left undone. I have to go." I stuffed a few things into my mouth, chewed quickly, swallowed, and left the Great Hall.

"Wait, Evans, Prongs has something to tell you!" Sirius called after me.

I pretended like I hadn't heard him and continued my speed-walk, leaving the castle completely and aiming for the Black Lake.

POV: James Potter

I think I could kill Sirius. No, seriously (no pun intended).

He shouts out to Lily, "Wait, Evans, Prongs has something to tell you!" I want to punch him. Actually, I do. Well, I didn't really punch him, but I did hit his head pretty hard. He looked at me with a "what-did-I-do-wrong?" expression and I simply glared, then turned away to focus on my food, pointedly ignoring him.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Sirius said as we left the Great Hall. "You told us you had something to tell her, so I was just simply speaking the truth."

I glared once more. I wanted to just tell her, let it be a shock, a complete surprise. But now, thanks to Sirius, she has forewarning and knows that I have something to tell her. What if she thinks I had been planning this lie out for a while because of Sirius? What if she thinks I had been planning on asking her out? Which, by the way, would have been the first time this year, something I am proud to admit. What if for some reason she is mad at me because of what Sirius said? I wouldn't know why she would be mad, but knowing Lily, anything is possible. I groaned as I headed to the common room, where I saw Lily heading in from outside. She was slowly walking up the steps to the castle where she was quickly greeted by Reagan MacDougal. I glared at him as they both disappeared into the castle, where I could no longer see them.

What is Reagan's problem? Why is he always talking to her?

Why does she like talking to him? What if she likes him?

I sighed out loud and then grabbed my homework, realizing I should probably get started if I wanted to finish any of it.

Okay, so I know the title is only in it for a little bit, but I really didn't know what to put, so yeah.

And I'm sorry if you don't like it. Please review; I like constructive criticism .

Anyways, that's all

Hope you liked it

-Mai