so it's been, like a year. i would say sorry, but i doubt i have any readers anymore and you don't want my silly pathetic useless apologies because you don't even know me. but i must say one thing about this chapter, yes its fairly short (incredibly short.) but i think it's one i can actually admit to sorta liking, well a short little one at least. 8P well. ENJOY IT LOVELY READERS IF YOU EXIST IN THIS WORLD.

Lily blinked open her eyes to a room full of empty beds and sunshine. It was Saturday, a week since the dance, and she had slept in. She rolled over and looked at her clock – it was 12:27 pm. She yawned as she sat up in bed and suddenly her dream came rushing back to her. She dreamt that she was with James, at the dance, and that she had really told him how she felt and then they slow danced a bit and then they kissed. If Lily had had this dream even 3 months ago, she wouldn't have called it a dream. She would have said it was a nightmare. But ever since James had kissed her – ever so briefly, mind you – she had felt her feelings shifting inside of her. Or maybe they were just surfacing from her always thinking that she hated James. Looking back now, she never truly hated him, she just thought he was arrogant, immature, and egotistical. But she still never truly hated him, she just thought she did. And now, here she was. Only months into fifth year and already she thinks she just may like him. Possibly. Okay, so she really liked him, only she hated admitting that to herself. Lily got out of bed and got dressed, in a pair of jeans and a yellow t shirt with a grey cardigan, then she grabbed her wand and headed down to the great hall.

As she walked in, she saw that Avery and Taylor were sitting together, but that Mia was sitting alone quite a ways away from them. Mia still hadn't gotten over what had happened last week, with Taylor and her somewhat harsh words toward Mia's feelings for Peter. Sure, Peter wasn't exactly what you would call... attractive, but if Mia liked him well then wasn't that good for the both of them? Lily was trying to picture Mia and Peter as a couple, and she had to admit, they could make a pretty cute couple, in their own weird way. Lily decided that she was going to go and try to talk to Mia, but as she started to walk towards her, Mia stood up and left the great hall. Lily sighed, and then headed over to Avery and Taylor who were unusually quiet.

"Hey." Lily said while she sat down next to Avery and started filling up a plate of food.

"Hey Lils.." mumbled Avery while staring down at the table. At this, Lily looked to Taylor to see if she knew anything about Avery's behaviour, but was met with a pretty sad looking Taylor as well, which was a horrible contrast to her normally sunny, happy self.

"Okay, what's going on with you two? What's wrong?" asked Lily as she skeptically looked between her friends.

"Nothing." Taylor and Avery said in unison. That earned each of them a quizzical look from Lily, and a brief silence.

"Tell me." Lily stated. It was so much a statement as it was a command, but not a demanding command, more of a polite command, if thats possible.

Taylor took a deep breath, let out a sigh, and said, "Avery can go first." Avery just stared at Taylor for a moment, shock and indignation written on her face. She then gave an exasperated sigh, and returned her stare towards the table before finally speaking.

"It's nothing really, I mean, it's rather stupid. But last week, at the dance, when I was with Frank... I, um, I may have done some things I regret. Deeply regret." Avery sighed, and the other girls just stared at her expectantly. Avery didn't notice, well if she did she didn't care, and she remained silent.

"Well? What did you do?" asked Taylor, clearly irritated about how long this was taking yet you could tell she was intrigued.

"I may have, accidentally, in the moment, possibly, potentially, kinda maybe kissed Frank?" Avery squeaked out all in one breath, her voice getting higher the more she talked. Taylor and Lily eyes both widened, and their jaws dropped.

"I didn't want to! But, its just... isawremusandskyeandgotkindas ortajealousandididn'tknowwhattodosoipanickedandk issedhim!" Avery said everything so fast it was hard to comprehend her, that Lily and Taylor had no idea what she had said. Lily blinked once, and then asked Avery to repeat what she had said only slower.

Avery's eyes widened, and she blushed furiously and then swiftly stood up and left without repeating what she had said.

"Well that was rather odd and confusing." Taylor bluntly stated.

"You're telling me... now, what's going on with you?"

Taylor sighed heavily, "It's Damian. He's been avoiding me ever since the dance, and I have no idea why."

Lily just looked at her friend for a moment before deciding what to say. "Maybe he's afraid or something? I dont know, guys are stupid. I mean you think they want to stick around and talk to you and finally make a break through in your relationship but really they just leave you right away whenever one of their friend's calls out their name. Maybe Damian isn't looking for a relationship with you, and so he's trying to avoid you because he probably thinks you do?"

"Wow, that kinda makes sense... but he's the one that kissed me?"

"Well yeah, but he's a guy. Guys don't need to have feelings for a girl in order to kiss them..."

"That's true... Guys are jerks." After Taylor's comments, both girls smiled and laughed a little.

OOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

"Proooongs..Proooooooooongs. PRONGS. ... PRONGSIE BOY."

"W-what?" said James as Sirius ripped him out of his reverie.

"Have you seen Moony? I think he's avoiding me, because I want him to finish my history of magic homework for me."

"Uhh...he's probably in the library."

And with that, Sirius swept out of the common room, a look of determination on his face.

James sighed, and returned to his thoughts as they were before they were so rudely interrupted.

Was Lily actually going to say that she liked me? Or was it something completely different..? I just can't make myself understand it all. She always seemed so deadset on rejecting me, but this year...this year everythings so different. Of course I'm ecstatic about that, but part of me feels like maybe I dreamt it all or am just reading way toooo deep into it...But she did kiss me back, that first night back from summer holidays. So there's obviously something there...

James continued on in his deep train of thought while lying on his stomach on one of the crimson common room couches. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice Lily walk in and sit on the couch opposite of him, obviously wanting to talk to him. James just continued staring at the floor lost in his thoughts, while Lily stared expectantly at him. This continued on for a few moments, before Lily cleared her throat.

Twice.

...

Now three times.

Eventually, she decided to try out her voice. She was extremely nervous, but she was able to manage a rather shaky, "J-James...?"

James still didn't notice

"James?"

Still nothing.

"James?"

At this point, Lily was getting very frustrated and feeling very idiotic. So she decided to try one more time, hopefully in an effective manner.

"JAMES POTTER!"

This proved successful, as it snapped James out of his reverie as he jumped slightly and moved into a sitting position. Both James and Lily just stared at each other for a moment, James greatly resembling a deer in headlights and Lily looked as if she was suppressing a laugh behind a small, shy smile.

"So..what's all this about?"

"I just...wanted to talk, if thats alright with you."

"Alright...What exactly is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Um...well, you know, the other week, at the dance...how we, you know..were talking and then..and then you had to go because Sirius called you over, and you left...and stuff..." As Lily said this, she was averting her eyes away from James and was quite visibly nervous as she was fiddling with her fingers. Her voice had broken on the word 'left' and it seemed as if she wasn't going to continue.

"Yes? Did you want to.. continue that conversation?" prompted James.

"I...I believe so, maybe...yes." Lily paused for a moment, took a deep breath and then continued. "What I had been trying to tell you was that, I...I maybe don't hate you as much as I have maybe let on over the past few years. And I would like to apologize for all the things I've said, and done to you...And I was kinda hoping that, possibly, we could just... start..over?" As Lily was saying all this, her face had turned a brilliant shade of scarlet, and her words seemed to hang in the air for a moment.

James was just staring at Lily opened mouthed, yet also somewhat smiling, if thats at all possible.

"Are you...are you repenting all your sins to me, Lily Evans?" James said, with a huge smug smirk plastered to his face.

Lily look quite annoyed at this comment, but had to agree since technically, that is what she was doing. Even if she wouldn't call it 'repenting her sins'. She gave a small nod.

James looked like he might burst into song, or get up and do some awful happy dance, or maybe even spontaneously combust. But he instead said,

"So is this your way of asking to be friends?"

"Um..yes. If that's alright with you, of course."

"Are you mental? Of course it's all right with me! You think I would spend 5 years of my life trying to get you to even merely have a civilized conversation with me just to turn you down when you want to be friends with me? Merlin Lilyflower, for someone who's practically a genius you sure are thick."

"I would not call what you did trying to 'merely have a civilized conversation'. You asked me out at least once a day, every day, and each time you found a way to make an even bigger ass of yourself than before. And don't call me thick."

James just smirked at her, as if reliving all the past incidents in their..'relationship', if you will. After a moment, James broke the somewhat awkward silence between them by saying,

"So we're friends now, right?"

"That is correct."

"And friends hang out, right?"

"...Right."

"There's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up. Wanna go with me? I can already see what you're thinking, and no it's not a date...well it could be if thats what you wanted." At this comment, James smirked at Lily and she just rolled her eyes and so he continued on, "you could just come along with me and Sirius, Remus, and Peter, if you liked."

Lily pondered this (well, she pretended to, but James didn't know that) for a moment before saying, "Sure. I suppose it couldn't be aboslute hell, if Remus is there." She smiled as she mentioned Remus, because she knew it would bother James. It did, because he looked rather annoyed at this comment. Lily started to leave, but James quickly stopped her.

"WAIT. If we're friends now, we're on a first name basis, right? You haven't called me Potter at all during this whole conversation."

"Yes, James. We're on a first name basis." Lily rolled her eyes and continued to walk away, towards the dormitory.

James just smiled to himself and dreamily sank into the back of the couch. He definitely couldn't believe the turn this year had taken.

YAY for authors notes. woo. okay, so yes this update took like a year (or more) but i can honestly say that ive started working on it again, and i will (hopefully) be updating at least once a week, but im not gonna update just for the sake of updating... if everything i write is crap then im gonna hold out until i come up with something worth putting up 8P obviously... hahah well i hope i still have readers, if not i hope i can maybe get some new ones, yes? and just so you all know this.. when i get reviews, i tend to update quicker. its a proven fact. 8D so pleease,

R&R!

- HazelEyes8D