A/N - Right, first thing you should know is that I'm not going to be updating this story regulary. I've lost most of my interest in it, and the only reason I DO update it is because of the people who are waiting on Author Alert for me. So if they're gone, I'm gone too. The reason for this is, I've got a new story, A Splitsecond Decision, which is WAY more longer, and has captured my interest more firmly than this story ever has. I'm sorry, if this has disappointed you, but I'll never give this story up, I'll continue to update it, but sparodically.

Secondly, I've been changing a few things in each chapter, nothing major, but few different actions and all, and I've just reloaded Chapter 1. Go check it out.

Onward.

A week later, Lily was back on track, with Alice right beside her. The rest of the students generally avoided her, the news of Lily Evans having knocked the Gryffindor God James Potter senseless having spread like wildfire and this suited Lily just fine.

The last thing she needed at the moment was people gawking at her in disbelief, as if she had some sort of scar on her forehead that set her apart from everyone else.

Besides, she already had Alice, and Lily was already wondering after a week of her company, how she had managed to survive all these years alone.

Alice had naturally brought the sunlight with her wherever she went, and you could not help but smile back when she beamed at you.

Full of witty remarks, and an ability to run a side commentary on anything, Lily felt like Alice was God's own way of apologizing to Lily for years of suffering.

But right now, it was Lily's ears that were suffering the most.

"And that's Timothy Graham, his parents invited mine to the Annual Moon dance Festival at their manor, it was awesome, they had moonbeams instead of lamps everywhere, and they had sprites as waiters! Can you believe that?"

"Oh! Look! There's Gabriel Chang! Her coming out ball was simply spectacular! If I had my mother throw me one like that, I would never have to worry about marriage proposals!"

"Oh my gosh, is that Amanda Zeomon? Look at that awful thing she's wearing, something the cat dragged in-"

Lily nodded continuously with a bemused smile. She was fast becoming accustomed with Alice's gibbering ways. Her voice just lulled in the background, and Lily would eventually rise out of a stupor to add her own comments if the subject was interesting enough.

Both girls were walking across the courtyard, with bags slung across their backs, and dodging around harried students who rushed about in an effort to get to their classes.

Alice, disagreeing with a point Lily had just made, was so caught up in gesturing forcefully in the air that she, not watching where she was going, ended up crashing into someone.

Books, notes, quills and swear words flew, and two people ended up on the ground with everything strewn about them; one a female, nursing her head and swearing in quite colourful language, and the other a lanky, kind faced boy, shaking his head and muttering about his 'godforsaken clumsiness'.

Alice, quite angry at being shoved down and getting her designer shoes dirty, looked straight at the unfortunate boy, while he, intent on making amends, looked up at the same time.

It was, Lily mussed, like watching one of those sappy, romantic stories that her mother had loved watching, where the two stars were so mesmerised by one another, they were completely unaware of their surroundings.

Highly entertaining.

Her mother had been disappointed when Lily hadn't grabbed a tissue like she had, but instead exploded into peals of laughter.

The boy shakily cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

Alice giggled nervously.

Lily rolled her eyes.

"I-I-I'm F-f-rank. F-frank L-Longbottom. You must be around n-new here."

Alice smiled weakly and said, "Alice. Alice Longbo – I meant, Shardon."

Lily stifled a laugh.

Frank smoothed down his hair.

"T-terribly sorry for the accident. Its just that McGonagall had piled so much on us, and Slughorn insisted I finish the five essays that I hadn't passed up before, because I was stuck in the hospital wing with a broken ankle, and I think Madame George has gotten enough of me, she says she's going to make me my own private room, and so, I was in a hurry and I am terribly sorry for banging into you!"

Alice dazedly nodded.

Lily had a feeling that Frank could have declared that he was the King of Timbuktu, or that he liked eating cockroaches and Alice would have still nodded at him with that lovesick expression on her face.

Frank, feeling relived that she hadn't begun throwing things at him or cursing him out of existence, finally gave Alice a relaxed grin.

"I suppose you're a Fourth Year too then? How about I show around the secret passages? They are bound to be interesting!"

Alice beamed at him and feverently nodded her head.

"How exciting! I've never heard of these secret passages! Do they require a password? Or is there some sort of action you have to do?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. Just yesterday afternoon, she had shown Alice all the passageways, including the ones leading to Hogsmeade.

Alice, finally remembering that Lily was still standing there, turned to Lily with hopeful eyes.

"You don't mind, do you Lily?"

Shaking her head, Lily waved Alice off and walked towards the Lake.

Aah, young love.

On the other side of the courtyard, a boy with hazel eyes watched Lily's departure, and determined to make amends, excused himself from his friends and jogged after her.

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James Potter rounded a corner, and then slowed down his pace to a swagger, as he made his way towards the Lake, where he had seen Evans head towards.

Being stuck in the Hospital Wing in a full body cast didn't leave much to do, so James spent his time thinking about what had gone on for the past few weeks.

School had just barely started, and he and Evans had already ripped each other up, though she had a one-up on him… not that he was keeping score or anything.

It was a kind of twisted routine, one that had been going on for the past three years, and it didn't look like either of them was going to stop anytime soon.

But it hadn't always been like this. Once upon a time, he and Evans had actually been close.

In First Year, James had been the one who had shown Lily across the barrier.

A small smile appeared on James Potter's face as he remembered the first time he had seen Lily Evans.

Flashback

A petite, eleven year old Lily Evans bit her lip as she surveyed the chaos going around her at King Cross Station. It would be practically impossible for her to reach to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, if she could even find it in the first place.

Clutching the trolley, she pushed with all her might, and looked back mournfully at the cars parked nearby, wishing that her parents didn't have to rush off to work, so that they could have helped her.

Passer-bys gave the redheaded girl curious glances before hurrying on their way. It wasn't everyday that you saw a pale child with brilliant green eyes carrying around an owl and a trunk.

Just as Lily was about to give up all hope, she rammed her trolley into someone else's.

As her owl cage fell down, and Eleanor began shrieking inside, Lily bit back tears at the hopelessness of the situation, and bent down to pick up the cage and soothe her indignant owl.

"Oh, terribly sorry there Miss, I didn't see where I was going. I was just too excited you know? New school and all, been waiting for an invitation to there for practically ages!!"

Lily looked puzzled. Were all the boys she had known just uncouth, or was this one just marvelously polished?

To her delight, the messy haired boy in front of her was pushing a trolley with a trunk and an owl on top too.

"Oh!", squealed Lily, "Are you off to Hogwarts too?"

The boy hurriedly shushed her, looking around warily.

"Careful 'bout that. We can't let the Muggles know about this, or there'd be Hell to pay from the Ministry. And Dad would kill me 'specially! Imagine, son of the Advisor, expelled before he set foot in school!"

Lily's eyes widened. Naturally, she had picked up a few (hundred) books to provide her with knowledge of the Wizarding World, and one that had interested her immensely were the one about politics. 'Soaring with the Elite' it was called, and filled with EVERY detail about the current 'Royals'.

"You must be James Potter! I've read ALL about you, well, about your father. Is it true that you're descendents of Gryffindor?"

"No time for that now! The train leaves in 10 minutes!! Here's what you have to do to get through to Platform 9 and ¾."

As he nudged Lily in the right direction, she amusedly noted that his tone had been nonchalant, but he had blushed a bright red.

Maybe the Potters weren't as arrogant as the books had printed them after all.

End Flashback

And they had actually hit off right then. Everything had seemed to be just fine, their year runningn by smoothly. They were all what they were supposed to be; young children relishing in the sweet delight of not having adult responsibilities.

And then, Voldermort struck.

James shook his head slowly. It would not do in this times to think of more depressing incidents, they all needed the cheer that they could gather.

He rounded another corner, stepping out of the way and politely nodding at two passing Fifth Year Ravenclaws, and stepped out to the Hogwarts Grounds, breathing in deeply, as a gust of fresh, cold air brushed across his face.

Spotting the long, swaying red hair some distance from him, James took determined strides in that direction, not noticing the cool, gray calculating eyes following his progress.