Something from me:

FINALLY, there is going to be some action and a little bit of l/j sweetness in this chapter so, read on!

Chapter 6: Confusion

The next few days found Lily renewing her old friendships and making new ones. The more time she spent with Andrew, the less reserved and uncomfortable she was. So comfortable that after a week of meetings, Lily still hasn't found out that Tami is Andrew's girlfriend. Andrew didn't say anything to Lily for fear that she might get mad at Tami. Tami, and everyone else, kept their mouths shut because they thought Lily already knew of that fact. But there is one more reason for Tami's silence on the subject.

Casual meetings with Remus and his friends introduced her to James Potter. James, charming as always to anyone but Lily, Jess and Nat, cannot help but attract her. Tami and Andrew have been together for almost two years. But they have never known a challenge to their relationship like what Tami's attraction to James offered.

James and Sirius were the most sought-after guys at Hogwarts. Although they were certainly in a position of power over the ladies, they were brought up as gentlemen. They, as far as the public knows, have never acted as otherwise. This was something that Tami found even more magnetizing; she has seen too many 'indecent' men that James' easy and decent manner was a welcome change.

It seems that James' fascination with Lily ended after it became obvious to him that she was after Andrew. To him, if Lily wants Andrew, she can have Andrew. It's not as though he was in love with her. His feelings on that night at the feast proved to be nothing more than infatuation. He turned his attentions somewhere else. He turned his attentions to someone who was giving him her attention in return. Tami Villan's beautiful looks and playful attitude were perfect for him.

The Saturday after their arrival, James Potter asked Tami for a walk around the lake. Tami agreed. At four in the afternoon, they met in the entrance hall and strolled down the grounds to the lake.

Whatever excuse Tami gave, it worked. But then again, Andrew was busy talking to Lily, Remus, and the other prefects about the Foundation. An hour has passed and Tami still wasn't back at the meeting. She was the one who kept the written computations for the budget. The group needed her, and she was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, Nikki, a Ravenclaw prefect remembered her saying that she wanted to get some fresh air.

Andrew had never been the jealous type. But knowing Tami like he did, he suspected that she did more than 'get some fresh air'. He adjourned the meeting with the excuse that Tami's presence is needed for its continuance. As soon as the others began piling out, he grabbed his robe and went for the door.

He was already half-way out the door when he heard Lily call his name. He gave a quick turn, impatient for his search for Tami to start.

"What?" he snapped.

"I was thinking. Maybe you'd like some help with looking for Tami?" she said, unsure of his response.

"Lily…"

"I mean, I know the castle more than you do…"

He sighed exasperatedly. He knew Lily wasn't going to budge. He might as well let her go with him. Surely there was no harm in it?

Lily wanted to take this opportunity to finally talk to Andrew about what happened two years ago. She led him down to the lake, telling him that the lake is a favorite for taking walks. Tami would probably be there. Andrew agreed, and soon they were easily talking about random things.

They got to the shoreline, near a clump of trees. Behind that clump of trees was the perfect place to sit, talk, or do whatever you want in peace. Lily discovered it in her second year, and it has been her favorite spot.

She led Andrew to that spot. Her plan was all laid out: take Andrew to 'her spot' and get an explanation for what happened. She didn't think anyone else knew about her place of serenity until…

"Tami!" Andrew cried incredulously. Lily whipped her head in the direction his eyes were following. There, sitting on big boulder, were Tami and-

"Potter? What are you doing here? Wait, are you and Tami…?" Lily questioned them oblivious to their discomfort.

"Tami…" was all Andrew could muster, at least for a moment. "Explain." He demanded.

"James and I were just-" she started, and then stopped. She couldn't bear the look on Andrew's face. She buried her head into her hands and ran crying to the castle.

"Ok, now it's my turn to ask questions," said James. "What the hell are you doing here and what did Tami have to explain?"

Andrew was too angry to say anything. Instead, he broke James' nose, then turned and walked away. James fell to the ground. Lily was aghast; she kept turning her head wildly from the retreating Andrew to the hurt James.

"What happened?" she finally asked James while kneeling down to him.

"Honestly Evans, I have no idea. You and that- that- thing barged in on us and then Tami freaked out," said James in a ragged voice.

"Well, whatever the matter is, you have to be taken to Hospital Wing before you can do anything else." Lily said. She conjured a stretcher, made James get into it, and levitated both to the Hospital Wing. Then she went to find Andrew or Tami, whoever she will find first.

She searched everywhere but found no one she wanted to find. At last, giving up her search until the next day, she went up to her dorm. She went straight for the bathroom, hardly noticing other people's expressions at her haggard look.

And as she took a long, warm bath, she reflected on everything that happened that day, and the events that might have led to it. After half an hour of pondering, she still couldn't make sense out of Andrew and Tami's behavior.

Sure, Andrew and Tami seemed to hang around a lot, but Andrew couldn't have been…no…he couldn't have been…jealous. Tami was just a friend…right? Yet no matter how much she convinced herself of otherwise, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was right the first time.

Lily got out of the bath, feeling refreshed but still nervous. The events of the day seemed to have drained her energy. She climbed on to her bed, and as she closed her eyes, she thought of only one thing: Potter.

He looked so pained, lying there on the ground. He's eyes were so intense. And his hair…I always thought hair as messy as his would be rough and brittle. I guess I was wrong. I wonder if he's alright… And with that thought, she drifted off to sleep.

Something from me:

Thanks to LilyandJames4eva and truefairy lights for their reviews and continuous support. You have no idea how much that means to me, and how much that contributes to the continuance of this fic.

If you, dear readers, are also reading my other fics, you are in for some news. I have decided to concentrate on this fic for a while. I've already plotted chapters 7-14 of this fic and there are going to be major happenings. So, I'm going to put all else on hold until I have posted said chapters. Take note that the story does not end at chapter 14. I don't know how long this is going to be it's definitely not more than 25. Bye for now!