Just wanted to say thanks for all the reads, and my new follower! :) so...continue reading. I hope you'll like this next one, it's definitely the longest so far. Disclaimer: I really wished I own Mr. Potter and his crew.

Try Me

James hadn't meant to stumble into the girl's lavatory on purpose, especially the vacant one. And he certainly hadn't meant to intrude on an overwhelmed Lily. He was just on his merry way to Transfiguration when he heard an odd noise coming from within the bathroom. So, being the type of person he was, he decided to investigate. The peculiar sound he had heard happened to be Lily crying. It made him feel uneasy, he had never seen Evans cry before. Fortunately, she hadn't noticed that he was there. Not wanting to cause her anymore trouble, James started backtracking out the bathroom. Now if I walk quietly enough, I think I –

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" shrieked the infamous Moaning Myrtle.

James rolled his head back in frustration. He had been so close. Lily let out a fast yelp and spun around promptly to see what Myrtle, who had now disappeared into a stall, had been talking about. Her eyes immediately widened at the sight of James, and color rose to her cheeks, but it rapidly faded away.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" she snapped, wiping her eyes in a hurry.

"I don't know," answered James honestly. Lily glared at him.

"Searched for me on that bloody map of yours, did you?" she accused half-heartedly. Astonished of Lily's language, but even more so of Lily's knowledge of the Marauders Map, James chocked on his own words.

"How—did you—what,"

"I saw you and your friends looking at it last week in the common room I reckon you four were planning that prank on Professor Slughorn," she remarked.

James couldn't help but smile, "Awfully clever, wasn't it?" Lily scoffed.

"It landed you two detentions."

"Oh Evans, it's what we live for. Although," James said thoughtfully, "it's not nearly as fun as hexing Ol' Snivellous –"

"It has been six years, Potter. His name is Severus…" she coldly cuts in, but her voice cracked on the last couple of words. Not wanting to give James another chance at seeing her crying, Lily turned her back to him.

"Just go James," she whispered, just audible enough for him to hear. From the end of the bathroom, he could barely out Moaning Myrtle's giggling, and through the paneling of the mirrors on the side of the room, James saw Lily's face. The sight of Lily this way startled him: her shoulders were hunched her ginger hair matted against her face, and her eyes lacked their usual feisty gleam. Ever since 1st year, James always had a place in his heart for her. And he just couldn't stand seeing a wilting Lily.

James took a step forward as he said, "It's about him, isn't it?"

Unconsciously, Lily nodded. But her eyes were somewhere else, some distance far away. "He's just so different. He's changed so much," she murmured.

"I'm here for you, Evans," he continued softly. "I can help," he said more fiercely, which broke Lily out of her trance.

It took a moment for Lily to register what James had said, and turned to face him.

"Thank you for the offer Potter, but you wouldn't understand…" she said sadly. The relationship between her and Severus was much too complicated. James took a step closer, they were only a few feet apart from each other.

"I wouldn't?" James tested.

Lily shook her head in reply. "Look, I'm sorry but I'm already late for class," she rushed as she looked at her watch, "I've already missed a good portion of Charms-" she raced on. Lily gathered her bag and reached fro her books.

"Try me," James interrupted, blocking Lily's path to the door.

Irritated, Lily rolled her eyes and said, "I don't have time for this," and stepped around James into the doorway, but James was a step ahead of her. He blocked the entrance, his hair messier than ever.

By now Lily was frustrated with James for delaying her and for prying into her private life. Lily drew out her wand and pointed at James, who visibly tensed.

"That's thoughtful, but I can take care of myself," James eyed her wand, "Now, please move or I'll hex you into oblivion," she said with a forced smile.

James threw his hands up in defeat, even though he had his wand with him. An angry Evans was something he tried to avoid . Often. Lily pushed past him and made her way downstairs. But before she stepped down the stairs, she heard James say,

" You start to wonder if it's all your fault. If the reason why he's changed, is because of you. And you know that deep down inside him. He's still there but he's locked up and he is trying to escape. And you keep trying to get him back, but the more you try the more he distances himself. And you're torn, because you know that he's almost all gone. All you can do is hope he's happy. Happier without you, and you know he will never be,"

Lily wasn't aware of the newly forming tears in her eyes, or how long she'd been holding her breath, She had never, all the years she's known him, heard James speak with such a broken voice, but he spoke the truth. Every word of it. It stunned Lily to know that James had the very same feelings she had. No one had ever connected with her on that level before, not even Alice.

With a pang of guilt, Lily hesitated before saying, "I'm sorry—I never realized-"

James shook his head to silence her.

"It's fine. Just remember that you aren't the only one,"

An awkward silence erupted, but Lily broke it promptly by asking a question that had been eating at her brain.

"Who… who is it?" she looked into James's eyes, and for the first time she saw how spectacular they truly were. James expression saddened and he swallowed hard.

"Peter," he replied faintly.

Lily gasped in shock. The four of them were inseparable, how could one be drifting away? But she knew better than to press on.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said quietly. James shrugged, unsure what to say or do.

"Thank you, James," Lily finally said, walking down the stairway again.

James gave a small smile.

"Anytime… Lily,"

And with that they walked separate directions, not knowing of the hardships that were to come, nor the relationship that was about to begin.

So, read and review! did you hate it? did you love it? want to request an idea or pairing? message me! it will make my day! :) Thanks again, and stay tuned? what do you want me to write next?

-hsdc