Lily woke up the next day with streaks down her face. Yes, they were from crying. Yes, there were even marks on her sheets from her tears. No, she could not show them to you because the house elves probably already got them and cleaned for her.

She wasn't even hungry, so Lily skipped breakfast. Besides, she didn't want to show up at the Great Hall and have everyone there 'oooh' and 'aaah' over this week's Hogwarts scandal.

So, instead, Lily went to the library. (I mean, duh.) And it was Sunday, so she didn't have any classes.

She plopped down in the large brown chair that she has claimed for her own. Honestly, she felt like crying again.

Instead, she read fairytales about pretty blonde girls who have no issues getting a fantastic guy to love her. So much so, he would risk his life. Why couldn't she have a man like that?

She blew a hair out of her face, frustrated with her circumstances.

At that moment, James Potter was also very frustrated with his circumstances. "I just don't even understand why she would be upset with me." James huffed, placing his hands on his chest for emphasis.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Maybe next time you shouldn't drag the actual girl you fancy into you're girl problems." He leaned in closer. "Especially with Tiffany. She's bad news…" He eyed Sirius, making sure he heard him.

James kept looking up towards the tall doors leading into the Great Hall, hoping Lily would show up for breakfast. Peter saw him watching.

"She's not thick, James. Would you want to face the school after what's being said about her?" He squeaked.

James exhaled slowly. No, he would not. He brought his attention to the Slytherin table, just in time to see Snape glaring at him. "Bloody hell." He mumbled, nudging Sirius so he saw the upset Slytherin.

Sirius chuckled. "He's fancied Lily forever, mate." James shrugged. This was true. "Oi!" Sirius yelled, and Snape moved his glare over to Sirius, before dropping his gaze to his breakfast.

James chuckled, but turned serious. "So where could I find her?" He looked over his three friends, stopping at Remus. "I bet you would know, Remus." He did his lopsided smile, inching closer to his unsure friend.

"And personally, I think you should tell me. Her and I have some unfinished business." James begged, ignoring Sirius's raised eyebrow. Remus avoided James's eyes. "Mate…"

Lily was reading Hogwarts, A History (again) when she heard someone approaching her. "Go away, Remus." She didn't even look up. "Can I please just be alone?" She flipped to her favorite section; 'Secrets of the Castle'.

Little did she know, it was the exact person she did not want to see.

"Um… Hello." James mumbled meekly. Lily clenching her fists was her only response.

James walked around to the brown chair across from Lily's. She didn't look up from her book, "Remus." She growled through gritted teeth. James nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

She snapped her head up to him. "It wasn't a question, Potter." James flinched.

"I'm so sorry, Lily." He said tenderly, avoided her fierce eyes. "I shouldn't have pulled you into my mess of a life. I'm no good at apologies…"

Lily was taken aback by his gentle nature. This was a side of James she had never seen before. "You called me Lily." She said quietly. She had never before appreciated her name as much as she did at that moment. She wanted him to say it again.

He nodded, bringing his brown eyes back up to hers. "I did." He added bluntly.

"Apology accepted."

"Really?" James asked, shocked.

"Yes, James." Lily's face held a small smile. James's heart skipped a beat. She said his name! He grinned broadly and scooted his chair a bit closer to hers.

"Say it again." His grin widened, making goose bumps rise over Lily's skin.

She leaned forward, so close, that their noses were almost touching. James's smiled disappeared as he watched the red head.

She smiled and whispered, "James."

But before James could even react, Lily had reopened her book and leaned back into the chair, curling up in a ball, trying to hide her devious smile.

He stayed in the same spot for a moment, before leaning back in his chair and chuckling. Who knew Lily Evans was such a tease?

Lily was actually happy, before she realized just because her and James were fine again, didn't mean her problems were solved. Her expression saddened.

James wasn't thick, he knew what she was still upset about. He needed to fix things. It was killing him, seeing her upset like this.

"I'm going to fix this, Lily." He said as head jumped out of his seat and made his way over to the way he came in. Lily looked at him, a twinkle in her eye.

"And that's a promise."

James walked quickly over to the Gryffindor common room, ignoring a group of Ravenclaws trying to give him a high five. He marched through the painting and up to the demon girl herself; Tiffany Rogers.

"Rogers, we need to talk." She looked at him with an innocent expression, making James roll his eyes and pull her over to the corner of the common room, away from her annoying and perky friends.

"What's new, Potter?" She asked, checking her bright pink nails for imperfection, pretending talking to James Potter wasn't a big deal. (It was a HUGE deal, in case you weren't aware.)

"What's new?" James asked mockingly through clenched teeth. "How about you apologize, Rogers? How about you tell everyone the truth."

She looked up from her fingers. "James, James, James." She smiled and edged towards him. "She's really not worth it, honey." She pat him on the back. "And besides, that would be such a reputation screw-up."

James was worried smoke was going to start coming out of his ears. He glared at her, without saying a word, then turned on his heel and left.

He was going to the Great Hall. It was almost lunch time, and he had some explaining to do.

He sat at the Gryffindor table, waiting for everyone to pile into the Great Hall. He made no eye contact with anyone, just stared at the empty platters that would soon fill with food. He sat far away from where he and his friends usually sit, hoping they would understand that he wished to be alone.

The Great Hall filled up quickly. When the platters of food finally filled, the Great Hall usually got quiet for a good five minutes, since everyone filled their plates and took their first bites.

This was James's chance. He stood up silently and walked up to where the sorting ceremony takes place.

He coughed, making the attention of the silent Great Hall be turned towards him. He could hear laughs coming from the Slytherin table. He expected to see Snape, but he wasn't there… He didn't have time to worry about that little git.

"I know there has been a lot said about me and Lily Evans this weekend," He started, scanning the room, "And none of it is true. Tiffany made it up, and…" The laughing got louder.

James shot a glare in their direction. "If it was true, would I, James Potter, have stood up here and said it wasn't true?" His expression dared someone to prove him wrong.

It was true, really. The arrogant, self-absorbed, 'player', James Potter would not have stood up there and said this if it was true.

"Great!" He clapped his hands together and smiled. "I would very much appreciate it if you also left Lily alone." He turned around to meet Professor Dumbledore face to face.

"I'm sorry sir, it needed to be said." The Professor nodded.

"That it did."

James smiled and walked down the middle of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, avoiding eye contact, but holding his head a bit higher than he was before.

When he passed Peter, Sirius, and Remus, they all smiled and nodded. He did the right thing. James let out a breath.

Lily was still breathing hard minutes after James left. Did he have any idea the affect he had on her? She was still a little angry with him, to be honest.

Okay. She was a lot angry with him. She was looking at her book, but not reading. She needed air. She closed the book and paused. Should she take it with her? Nah. Well… Nah. She lay it down on the chair, and left the library, expecting to return later. "Potter." She sighed, realizing she was back to calling him Potter again.

She was walking around the perimeter of the castle when she ran into him. His back was turned, and he was hunched over so she couldn't tell what he was doing.

"Severus!" Lily smiled, until she remembered how angry he was with her. "Severus we need to talk!" She demanded as she walked up to him.

His head snapped up so quickly, Lily was afraid he broke it. He scrambled something into his robes and turned around.

"Oh, hello Lily." He forced a smile. She was suspicious as to what he was doing before she got there, but she immediately felt the need to apologize to her closest friend.

"Severus, I'm sorry." Lily pleaded. "James and I… I mean, I would never… You know that…" She didn't feel like she needed to finish her sentences.

"It's fine… It's just… I thought we were supposed to be friends?" Snape said. "Best friends?"

"We are, Sev. But I don't like some of the people you're hanging round with! I'm sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he's creepy! D'you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?"

Lily had reached a pillar and leaned against it, looking up into the thin, sallow face.

"That was nothing," said Snape. "It was a laugh, that's all—"

"It was Dark Magic, and if you think that's funny—"

"What about the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?" demanded Snape. His color rose again as he said it, unable, it seemed, to hold in his resentment.

"What's Potter got to do with anything?" said Lily.

"They sneak out at night. There's something weird about that Lupin. Where does he keep going?"

"He's ill," said Lily. "They said he's ill—"

"Every month at the full moon?" said Snape.

"I know your theory," said Lily, and she sounded cold. "Why are you so obsessed with them anyway? Why do you care what they're doing at night?"

"I'm just trying to show you they're not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are."

The intensity of his gaze made her blush.

"They don't use Dark Magic, though." She dropped her voice. "And you're being really ungrateful. I heard what happened the other night. You sneaking down that tunnel by the Whomping Willow, and James Potter saved you from whatever's down there—"

Snape's whole face contorted and he spluttered, "Saved? Saved? You think he was playing the hero? He was saving his neck and his friends' too! You're not going to—I won't let you—"

"Let me? Let me?"

Lily's bright green eyes were slits. Snape backtracked at once.

"I didn't mean—I just don't want to see you made a fool of—He fancies you, James Potter fancies you!" The words seemed wrenched from him against his will. "And he's not… everyone thinks… big Quidditch hero—" Snape's bitterness and dislike were rendering him incoherent, and Lily's eyebrows were traveling farther and farther up her forehead.

"I know James Potter is an arrogant toerag." She said, cutting across Snape. "I don't need you to tell me that. But Mulciber's and Avery's idea of humor is just evil. Evil, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them."

Lily noticed him genuinely smiling ever since she insulted James. He smiled goofily, "Okay." She doubted he heard anything she said about his awful friends. They began a conversation about Potions class.

Meanwhile, James was walking back to the library to meet up with Lily when he saw her talking to Snape outside.

He was smiling and staring at her in a way James really didn't like. His face heated up, and he turned back to the Great Hall and motioned his friends over.

"Boys, we need to teach Snape a lesson."

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