Lily looked up to see the one face she definitely didn't want to see at that point. James Potter. She hadn't wanted him to see how right he was, especially since he didn't seem to want to make up with her. Merlin knew she wasn't in the mood to be hurt again. Looking him straight in the eye, she took a deep breath to try to control her tears, and was about to push past him when she felt herself being enveloped in a bone crushing hug.

Internally cursing herself for being such a wimp, Lily burst into tears, sobbing into James Potter's shoulder as he stroked her back reassuringly. After she calmed down a little, she pulled back and looked into the warm hazel eyes in front of her with a brittle smile.

'I'm sorry, James. I didn't mean it about… him being a marauder. I was just-' Lily broke out in fresh sobs as she recalled how unnecessary the whole fight was.

"And I… might have overreacted. It's not like you haven't made your feelings about Sirius and me clear for awhile now."

Lily's eyes widened slightly as she saw the genuine hurt and disappointment on the face of the boy in front of her. She felt compelled to be honest.

'I haven't thought that way about you for awhile now… James' she looked up at him shyly as she spoke, 'You're not a jerk, you're a nice guy, you're someone I respect and… and… care for'

A slow smirk spread across James' face as he took in this information.

"So you care for me, eh Evans?"

'As a mate, you prat!' Lily responded almost out of habit than anything else. Besides she didn't fancy James Potter. Much.

"Sure… as a friend" James gave her an exaggerated wink before turning serious.

"So… why were you crying just now? Missed me too much?"

Lily whacked him on the shoulder, smiling slightly at his cockiness. She had missed him terribly, but there was no need for him to know that.

'Not everything has to do with you Potter'

"Everything worthwhile does"

Lily couldn't help but let out a giggle at his crooked grin. Merlin, he was cute. She sobered slightly as she remembered the Amos incident outside the common room, though. She was dreading telling Em about that.

"Lils… what's wrong?"

'I- Amos just asked me to the dance' Lily's voice was quiet as she tried to read the sudden hard expression on her best friend's face.

"I'm so surprised to hear you say that Lils. Really." James' voice was toneless, his features blank.

'B-but… how did you know?' Lily was flabbergasted. Maybe James was a good spy after all. Either that or he had actually learned something in Divination.

"Lils… he broke up with Hestia when he found out she wasn't Head Girl."

Lily's eyes widened as she caught the irritated look on James' face.

'I- but- how do you know that?'

"Hestia told me when Sirius and I BOTH met her over the summer. She was a mess."

'B-but… he told me-" Lily's cheeks were reddening. Now not only did she have to tell Emmeline she had been wrong about Amos liking her, she would have to tell her she'd been wrong about Black too. Lily would count herself lucky if she wasn't cursed into the middle of the next century, at the rate things were going.

"Right, well telling you he'd dumped his long term girlfriend just because she didn't get the post you had wasn't exactly going to help his chances any, was it?"

'Oh, Merlin- I've really screwed up this time, haven't I? Why do you put up with me?'

"Because you're cute when you're screwing up." James grinned at her, "Besides I think Professor McGonagall was going to retire early if we didn't make up soon. I don't think she has the constitution to handle both me and Sirius in a bad mood."

Lily let out a small giggle. What was wrong with her? She never giggled! Lily made fun of gigglers! It had been true, though – the previous week had been a chaotic one for the school. Whenever any of the marauders were upset, they usually cheered themselves up by pulling a good prank. James and Sirius had both been in foul moods all week. Professors had been on the verge of canceling classes as poultry appeared out of nowhere in the middle of classrooms, loud offensive music blaring in the halls, usually with some anti-Slytherin digs thrown in. And the Slytherins had taken to their common room, refusing to emerge for fear of being made to tap dance against their will, do a full monty, have random pies flying in their faces, be levitated over the quidditch pitch- No school had the resources to withstand the damage caused by an irate James Potter and Sirius Black, that was for sure.

Lily was upset. She had spent a week apologizing to Emmeline about the whole Amos/Sirius misunderstanding, and Em had taken it pretty hard. She had forgiven Lily, but would purse her lips and be silent whenever Black's name was mentioned. And with good reason, Lily supposed. Black wasn't like James – once a girl turned him down, he didn't ask again. He was dancing with almost every available girl in the room. Even James had told her that it would probably be better for Emmeline to try to move on. 'Once a Marauder decides to give up, there's no looking back', he had said. Somehow, the way he said it made Lily's stomach flip in fear.

It of course didn't help things that Amos had asked Dominique to the dance – and she had accepted. Throughout the dance, she and Amos had been making snarky comments to Lily and Emmeline as they stood off to one side, nursing their punch. When Lily had been asked to dance by Barty Crouch, a Ravenclaw prefect, she had been relieved to escape, and Emmeline had urged her to go, but couldn't help glancing every few minutes at her dejected friend.

'Look at zee poor girl, Amos… vy don't you ask her for a quick dance? It vould make her day' Dominique's statement of supposed concern was delivered with an unmistakable touch of malice.

"But darling… I'd never want to dance with anyone but you. After being with you all other beauty pales…"

'Cherie, you know you can dance with me all night, just make this girl's day, hmmm' Dominique's veela like eye had rested on a black haired marauder, walking towards the refreshments table. If she could get rid of Amos of a few minutes, Dominique was sure she could finally land James Potter.

Mumbling a hasty excuse to her partner, Lily made her way towards her friend. If those prats were upsetting her, Lily was going to hex every hair off their perfectly coiffed heads.

James reached the trio first, though. Lily stopped short as she saw James whisper something to Emmeline and lead her to the dance floor. She had a hard time stifling her smile as she watched the slackened jaws and wide eyes of Dominique Gauthier and Amos Diggory.

AN: Hope this makes up for the previous short chapter. you know the drill hint