James turned around, and looked at her in shock. Lily smiled sweetly, and gestured towards the seat.

"That was mean." James said, before he sat down. Lily laughed, and nodded.

"Maybe we should start over. I'm Lily Evans." she said, as she stuck her hand out. James kissed it.

"And I'm James Potter." he said. Lily looked at her hand. "I kind of just wanted to do that." Lily laughed.

"Well- you just made a very weird first impression." she said. "And you can't take it back." James shrugged.

"Now you'll never forget me." he said.

"I wasn't likely to, before this conversation."

"So… Ms. Evans, who are you?" James asked. Lily smiled.

"I love that question." she said. "I mean- you used my name, which is all that you're supposed to know about me at this point, then you asked. That's the best question in the world, because its so broad. There is no focus."

"You're very Zen, you know that?" James asked. Lily looked at him.

"I- I always thought that my depiction of Buddhism was somewhat faulty. I mean- that whole 'non-violence' thing- well, you know, living with E.J- its impossible." she said. James laughed.

"I have to admit that I just cheated." he said. Lily looked at him, and nodded.

"Tell me, oh honest one." she said.

"E.J told me about you wanting to be a Buddhist, so… I got some muggle books about it, as a topic that we could talk about on our date." Lily looked at him.

"I thought you weren't going to ask me out." she said.

"I didn't. I did this two years ago. I was hoping that we'd eventually go out." Lily's eyebrows furrowed.

"I was still fat then." James nodded.

"I was hoping that you'd go out with me."

"And what are you hoping now?" Lily asked.

"That we can be good enough friends, without E.J having to be here." Lily nodded.

"That's good." she said. "Because… seeing as you were the bane of my existence for the past year, you'll have a lot of apologizing and groveling to do." James laughed.

"Well- if we can be friends, then I'll do what it takes." he said.

"Whatever it takes?" Lily asked. James looked at her, like she was crazy, but nodded all the same. "Okay- you know what I want you to do."

"No, I really don't." James said. Lily nodded.

"Dance, magic boy." she said. James laughed.

"You know, for about six years, I would've done anything to be in this cart with you, but now- I'm not so sure." he teased. Lily laughed.

"Ouchie… start dancing." Lily said, as she threw candy at him. James shook his head, and looked at her. "It'll make me feel better." she pouted. James groaned loudly, then stood up. "Sing 'Cauldron of Love', please." James got up, and started to sing cauldron of love. "That's my favorite magic song." James looked at her.

"My girlfriend can't even make me do things like that." he said.

"So what? I'm already your special friend." Lily said. James nodded. "So- now I wanna know why or how you liked me back then. I didn't even like me, really."

"I mean- I didn't just fancy you, because you're pretty- and you always were… trust me. A lot of girls start off lumpy… but when you came back for fifth year, you were double trouble… and then- my affections became sort of- well, public. I always kind of admired you from afar, and, you're a lot different than I expected. I only knew that you were brilliant, but- you really are a lot different than I expected."

"How?"

"You're not uptight. You would think that you were the uptight one in the group." James said. "No one would know that E.J was the uptight one." Lily nodded.

"I know. She seems so thrown together. If anyone knew that she has like the worst case of OCD. Actually- no, they just wouldn't believe it." Lily looked up, and caught James staring at her.

"You still haven't answered my question." he said. Lily gave him the questioning brow. "Who is Lily Evans?"

"James Potter's new friend." Lily said. James smiled and raised his eyebrow. "Soon to be former friend, if he doesn't quit bothering me." James laughed.

"So- that doesn't inspire much confidence. Is that how you'd define yourself?" he asked. Lily smiled. "What one word would you use to define yourself?"

"I don't know… I think that I'd use the word dexterous." James smiled.

"You'd call yourself handy?" Lily nodded.

"Yeah-… and I'm dexterous in both senses of the word. I can build a fire, I know… and I know how to fish. Plus, I speak three languages, I have wonderful people skills, and I can handle psychotic people." James nodded.

"You've been living with E.J." James said, at the same time that Lily said, "I've been living with E.J."

"Jinx." Lily said. James looked at her questioningly. "It means that you owe me a butterbeer." James nodded.

"Why?"

"Because we said the same thing at the same time."

"Okay- I'll remember that bit." Lily laughed.

"See- if you'd have told me all of this when you asked me out, I would've said yes. You should've been smarter." she said. James laughed. "Now, you and Remus are gonna be at war for who gets to be my platonic soul mate. Secret is… you're winning." James laughed.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"I won't point out that you just have." James playfully glared at her. "What- I said that I wouldn't point it out."

"Why didn't you go out with me before?" Lily bit her lip.

"You were a prat." she blurted. James nodded.

"And you're prepared to make that assumption, without really having known me?" he asked.

"You don't want to know… I mean, it seems like you've changed." Lily said. "I didn't really know you… but what I do know, is that you're the reason that I lost all of the weight."

"Why?" James asked, as he watched her intently. Lily groaned, and looked at him.

"Okay- do you remember the last two days of school… in fourth year? When I used to look like Bessie- Big Bertha." James looked at her.

"You weren't… fat. You were just a bit… lumpy. But- that's okay, I liked it." he said, with a genuine smile. Lily raised her eyebrow.

"Well- if you liked it so much, why did you laugh?"

"What are you talking about? I would never laugh at you." James said. "I had a bit of a crush on you then." Lily groaned in frustration.

"Yes, you did. You laughed when Susan called me a cow."

"Susan called you a cow?" James asked. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Susan called me a cow, and that's why E.J turned her into a rabbit." she said. "And- you laughed… that's why I was so embarrassed… not because of Susan's comment, but because you laughed at me."

"I didn't laugh at you, Lily." James said. Lily nodded.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't." Lily nodded, and James shook his head. "I wouldn't laugh at you. Especially since we were friends."

"We weren't even! You used to say hi and bye."

"Well- why didn't you say anything to me?"

"Oh I'm sorry. When was I supposed to say something, when you were with your friends, or when you were laughing at how fat I was?" Lily said scornfully.

"You really don't believe me." James said, before he got up and left.

"Better off anyway." Lily mumbled to no one. A minute later, James walked in with an irritated Sirius.

"Sirius, at the end of fourth year- do you remember what happened, before E.J and Moony walked up to us?" Sirius shook his head.

"No, Prongs. All I remember is that……… I told you the joke about the witch, the vampire, and the muggle." he said. James nodded.

"Do you remember what happened with Lily and Susie?" he asked. Sirius shook his head.

"All that happened was- I saw Lily run away, then E.J walked up to us, so… we never found out."

"I didn't laugh at you, Lily." James said.

"Is that all?" Sirius asked. James rolled his eyes, then shooed him away.

"Wow… now I feel bad." Lily said. "Well- you still bullied Snape. That was mean."

"No… I don't care about that. He said something that was way out of line." James said.

"What was it? What could've been that bad, for you to humiliate him?" Lily asked. James looked at his hands.

"He said something about E.J. That's why I don't like him… and I could tell that it bothered her, no matter how much she denied it." When he looked up, Lily was looking at him with a soft look.

"What did he say to her?"

"That… he said that if she failed, she'd have to be a prostitute like the rest of her people." Lily looked shocked.

"Now I feel really stupid." James shook his head.

"Don't. I mean… every time you were around me, something bad was happening."

"Now I feel bad. Are you saying that I'm your bad luck magnet?" James shook his head frantically.

"No- I'm just saying that we were near each other at the wrong time…always." he said. Lily laughed.

"See Jamie Potte-"

"Do not call me that." James said. Lily laughed.

"And if I do?" she asked teasingly, and somewhat flirtatiously.

"Don't make me hex you, Evans." James joked. Lily laughed.

"Try me." she said. "How come you let E.J call you that?"

"Because she hates her mum and dad's nicknames for her… and I was the one who named her E.J. So- she named me Jamie. Its supposed to be an E.J and Jamie thing."

"So then, how come everyone calls her E.J?"

"'Cause she hates any other nickname that can come of her name."

"What is her name?" Lily asked. James looked at her and laughed.

"Eris." he said. Lily shook her head.

"I know that. I meant her full name." she said.

"Oh- she'll kill me if I tell you… so don't tell her, okay?"

"Okay- I won't. What is it?" Lily asked.

"Eris Aphrodite Jasmathes Potter." Lily nodded.

"Its nice." she said. "Why does she hate it?"

"Because her mother calls her Jazzy, and her dad calls her Eris."

"So… you love your cousin?" James laughed, but shook his head. Lily's eyes widened.

"I haven't thought of her as my cousin since we met. I mean- when we met she- I was seven, and she was six. She was crazy then too. She's been like my sister since we were kids… my parents love her. More than they love me, I think." James said. Lily laughed. "What about you and Petunia?" Lily exhaled. "C'mon, it can't be that bad." Lily nodded.

"It is. He hates me because our parents dying- that was my fault."

"How could it-?"

"Dark Mark." Lily said, cutting him off. They sat in silence for a while.

"Oi." James finally said. Lily nodded.

"Oi." she echoed.

"Listen Lily- its not your fault that you're more special than your sister. With great power comes great responsibility. And… maybe it wouldn't've changed anything- you being a witch or not. Voldemort hates all muggles alike." James said.

"Thank you. Even though I'm afraid it is my fault… I needed to hear someone say that it isn't." Lily said. James smiled at her, and Lily graced him with a smile returned. They sat in silence again, until the silence was broken by the compartment door opening.

"James honey." a black haired Ravenclaw prefect walked in. She had chilly blue eyes, and a conniving air. She looked at Lily, then smiled at James.

"Kay." James greeted. "Kay, this is Lily. Lily, this is Kay. She's my girlfriend."