James trudged up the stairs and approached the Fat Lady with Sirius in tow. Today had not been a good day. He had managed to piss of Lily worse than he ever had before and was at fault for ending her friendship with her best friend. Even from his friends' standards that was pretty terrible. He had never screwed up so bad with the girl he liked most. She probably hated him for destroying her friendship with Snape.

James was so wrapped up in his own misery he hadn't even noticed that someone was pacing outside the door; someone with greasy black hair and a hooked nose.

"What are you doing Snivellus?" Sirius sneered. Snape whirled around to face the two boys.

"I'm waiting for Lily," Severus snapped.

"I don't think she wants to talk to you," James said defiantly. "She's been crying all afternoon in the common room."

"Don't pretend you care for her, Potter," Snape spat at James. "I know what she is to you, just another conquest that you can cross off your list."

"You're one to talk, she's in there crying because of you not me. You don't understand how you hurt her. I'd be surprised if she ever talked to you again." James stared down Snape fiercely. "You disgust me." James barely had time to react before the fist collided with his face. He heard the crack of his nose breaking. Sirius drew his wand and was ready to fire a curse but James grabbed his arm. "No don't," James said weakly, his other hand trying to staunch the blood pouring from his nose. "I suppose he's already lost his best friend today, don't think he needs to loose and eye as well." Sirius lowered his want and glowered at Snape in disgust. James and Sirius entered the port hole, leaving poor Serverus Snape in the corridor alone.

The first thing James noticed was Lily in the corner of the common room, surrounded by many girls, including her best friends Mary, Alice, Marlene, and Dorcus. Her eyes were red, evidence of her crying. Lily looked up as she saw Sirius and James enter. She and James's eyes met for a second before she looked back down. Even in the glumness of the situation, James couldn't help but admire her. Lily was popular from anyone's standard, as evidence of the crowd of many girls surrounding her. She was gorgeous, well liked and kind to everyone. James was popular for different reasons. He and the Marauders were the school's bad boys, the pranksters. In addition James was very good looking and the all star Gryffindor quidditch player. From a gir'ls point of view, he was irresistible.

As James and Sirius sat down in the armchairs by the fire, Mary, one of Lily's closest friends came to meet them.

"How is she?" James asked, still looking worriedly at Lily.

"I suggest you stay away from her until things die down a bit, but what happened to you?" Mary asked looking over James, whose hand was still covering his bleeding nose as the blood dripped down his face onto his robes.

"Snape's out in the corridor, waiting for Lily. He wasn't too happy to see me," James grimaced.

"I can tell." Mary winced as she surveyed him. "You should really see Madame Pomfry."

"And risk seeing Snape again? I'll pass," James said. "I'll just get Remus to fix it or something."

Later that night, James was still nursing his broken nose. Remus had been able to get the bleeding to stop but he hadn't been able to fix it. It was about 11:00 and James had officially decided that he couldn't take it anymore. He went downstairs to go see Madame Pomfry. It was then that he saw a person curled up by the fire. James stopped in his tracks, his pain vanishing in his nose as he saw who it was. Lily Evans was sitting with her back to him facing the fire. Her long red hair tumbled down her back and she was hugging her knees, staring blankly ahead.

"Lily?" James asked timidly. Lily turned and looked at James. Her eyes were still puffy, and her bottom lip was trembling, but she didn't say anything biting. James assumed this meant he was clear to approach her. He went and sat down beside her, his broken nose immediately forgotten. She turned to him.

"You look awful," she managed to say. James guessed that he hadn't gotten all the blood off of his face and robes.

"You don't look so great either," James said. Lily managed a small smile, but it did not meet her eyes.

"Mary told me that Severus broke your nose," Lily said.

"Nah I'm alright, it's nothing really," James said. Lily half smiled because she knew James was lying.

"I could fix it for you if you would like," Lily offered.

"Oh Evans, I don't know if I can trust you," James teased. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Don't be stupid, Potter," she said. James reluctantly turned toward Lily's wand. Their eyes met for a minute before Lily dropped her gaze. She bit her lip in concentration as she prepared to do the spell, something that drove James mad. "Episky," she said. James grunted as he felt a crack in his nose, but then the pain quickly subsided.

"Thanks," James said. The two sat in silence watching the fire crackle. Finally James broke the silence. "Listen Lily, I'm sorry about today, I really am. I was a jerk and I embarrassed you. I know you hate me-" Lily cut James off from his ramble.

"I don't hate you, James. Sometimes you can be an arrogant toe rag, but deep down I know you have a heart, the way you stand up for your friends and protect them. How could I hate you for that? And it's Severus who I'm mad at, what he did was unforgivable. I mean I always knew this would happen at some point but I never thought it would be like this and so sudden..." Lily trailed off as she got choked up again. James sat next to her awkwardly. He really wanted to comfort Lily, to put his arm around her, but he didn't know if that would make her more upset. Instead he opted to reach out his hand for hers. She grasped it as if it was the only thing keeping her from breaking down again.

"James," Lily whispered.

"Yes Lily?" James asked.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry for overreacting today. Maybe we could just try to be friends." She gazed up at him.

"I would love that," James agreed. Lily smiled a real smile that reached her sparkling green eyes. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before each returned to their separate dormitories.

James lay in bed for hours after thinking of Lily. She didn't hate him, and she wanted to be friends, how could things get better? Maybe, just maybe if James could learn to control his ego and not be an "arrogant toe rag" as Lily called him, she could fall for him just as he had fallen for her.