Shorter chapter today. Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Chapter 3

Of course Sirius didn't break up with Mary. He couldn't bring himself to do it. But James kept seeing Emily Spears and began to care less and less what Sirius did with his love life.

And he didn't really have time to care as school was around the corner. And in turn, Lily Evans had no time to really spend any time with Frank Longbottom after news of an illness concerning her mother.

Lily arrived to the platform on time, instantly in pursuit of her friends, as she knew Frank would be off dealing with Head Boy business. She found Alice, Sarah, Diane, and Mary standing in their usual spot. Sirius was standing near Mary, occasionally adding a word or two to the conversation.

"It's been so long!" Diane said happily, hugging Lily.

"Your dress is cute," Sarah told her.

"Thanks. My mother made it for me," Lily told them.

"Evans, where's Longbottom?" Sirius asked her.

"Oh…I don't know. Off doing Head Boy things I suspect."

"Oh, yeah? Head Boy? Who's Head Girl?" Sirius asked intrigued. Mary turned to look at her boyfriend as a means to stop him, but he kept on going.

"Umm…Elizabeth Newmark," Lily said. "Ben was so mad he didn't Head Boy, I heard."

"Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't want someone living with Mary," Sirius said, putting his arm around his girlfriend.

"Sirius—"
"I trust Frank. I trust Elizabeth. I'm not worried," Lily said positively.

"Good for you!" Mary said proudly. "Sirius, why don't you go take our bags over to the cargo car?"

Sirius forced a smile and grabbed one of his bags, trudging away.

"You shouldn't be so hard on him," Lily advised Mary. "He was just looking out for me…I think."

"You think what you want," Mary replied.

"Well, well, well," Diane said staring off into the distance. Lily turned to see what Diane was looking at and found James Potter and Emily Spears in a romantic embrace at the end of the platform. "Look what James Potter found over holiday."

"It's like they're glued together," Sarah said, watching James and his new girlfriend kiss.

"It won't last," Alice said.

"Why not?" Lily asked her, intrigued.

"Please, Lily," Alice scoffed. "He loves you and everyone knows it. Him. Frank. Snape. It's like a club."

Sirius returned and noticed that all five of the girls were gawking at his best friend and his new girlfriend kiss.

"It's not like the five of you don't do that," Sirius grumbled. Lily whirled around and glanced at Siirus.

"What's going on with that?" Lily asked Sirius.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sirius said, glancing at James and Spears in almost disgust while he picked up his and Mary's baggage once more.

"Tell me," Lily insisted, smiling.

"What? Are you mad because he got tired of waiting for you to break up with Longbottom—again?"

"No, I'm just curious about Emily Spears. I mean, I hear things about her," Lily said, laughing slightly. "How long have they been together?"

"Let's just say she provided him with some comfort after his father died and I don't see it going any further than that," Sirius said to Lily. Lily smirked at him and then broke out into full laughter.

"What's so funny?" Frank's voice sounded. Lily stopped laughing immediately and turned to see Frank standing proudly in his full Hogwarts robes already with his Head Boy badge pinned to it.

"Nothing," Lily answered. "You look very handsome."

"But I heard you say something about Potter and—" Frank trailed off and looked around to where the other four girls were still staring to see James and Emily still going at it.

"Oh…," he murmured. He turned back to Lily who was slightly embarrassed by the situation.

"Something you wanna tell me? Jealous a bit?" he jested.

"It just took me by surprise, that's all," Lily noted. Frank nodded and then looked back at Emily and James again.

"You cannot possibly be mad over this," Lily chastised him.

"I'm not!" Frank shrugged. "I mean…I just…Potter likes you, Lily. Everyone knows. Spears has to know on some level."

"Oh my Merlin," she sighed. "He likes me. But I don't like him. So why are you worried?"

"I just…I don't want you to leave me," Frank said to her, pulling her in close for a kiss.

"I would never," she insisted.

"Good," he said. "Ok, I gotta get back to work. I'll see you on the train."

"Bye," she said to him.

She watched Frank leave and in her ear, Sirius whispered, "Jealous."

Mary pulled Sirius away from Lily and he went on with his business.

"Don't listen to him," Mary said to her.

"I'm not jealous," Lily said defiantly.

"I know you're not," Mary said to her.

Lily turned to her and said, "Let's just get on the train."

As hard as she tried, Lily couldn't avoid running into James Potter and Emily Spears. They were snogging on the train, in the carriage in front of her on their way to the castle, at the feast, on the way up to the Gryffindor tower, in the common room, and even the next morning at breakfast.

But classes were something she could look forward to. No Emily Spears there. Slughorn's class was first for her on Monday mornings. A class in where she and Alice were the only two girls, as it was a NEWT level class in which many of the girls couldn't get into.

"Now that holiday is over, you all are mine," Slughorn said menacingly to them, smiling slightly. "First thing first. I've assigned you partners for the year. No questions asked. First up…Snape and…Black."

"No!" Sirius and Snape both protested loudly. Slughorn glared at both of them and then with a swish of his wand, automatically switched Sirius's seat right next to Snape.

"Lupin and…Bertram. Pettigrew and McKinnon. Potter and Evans."

"What?" Lily asked immediately.

"Miss Evans, did I not make myself clear when I said no questions asked?"

"Sorry," Lily said quietly. James walked over to sit next to her and for the rest of the class, she didn't even look at him.

The class ended and although she tried to pack her things up as soon as possible, James spoke to her.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"What?"

"It's not gonna be awkward," he said straightforwardly.

"Awkward? Why would it be awkward? What would be awkward, I should say," she sputtered.

"Because…I used to like you and…rumors are running rampant that you are a little…jealous of Emily and…I just want to say that it won't be awkward."

"I am not jealous of Emily Spears. Never have been. Never will be!" she said coldly.

"Not what I hear."

"I have a boyfriend. Why would I want you?"

"Evans, I'm just telling you, not what I hear," he repeated.

"From who?" she asked irately, finishing packing up her things. James began walking away, knowing full well that she would have to catch up.

"James Potter, answer me," she demanded.

"From people," he shrugged as they walked up the stairs. "Apparently you started staring pretty hard when you first saw us? I don't stare at you and Frank."

"No, you just try to sabotage us!" she countered angrily. James turned round and stared at her.

"Everything I said about him and his family is true and you know it," he replied. He was making her angrier by the minute.

"That is not the issue!" she argued. "I cannot believe that you think that I am jealous of your relationship with Emily Spears. It's ludicrous!"

James smiled and kept on walking.

"Why do you keep doing that?" she nearly yelled running after him.

"You wouldn't be following me trying to convince me that you weren't jealous if you weren't," he said.

"What?"

"I'm not going to repeat it. It just seems like you're trying awful hard to prove something that doesn't really need to be proven."

"You were the one that brought this godforsaken thing up!"

"Unfortunately, yes, I was," James agreed.

"Look, I am not jealous! I promise you! Go ask Frank! Ask him how in love we are!" Lily insisted.

"Yes, please, hide behind your boyfriend like usual. Let him fight your battles," he said passively.

"Excuse you!"

"Like you didn't know that he came to me last term and threatened me so I'd stay away from you. Very nice act, Evans," James said.

"What? He what?" she asked. "That's a lie!"

"It is not! Peter was there when he did it!" James told her, as they rounded the corner of the corridor.

"Potter! That's ridiculous! We were broken up! Why would he've threatened you?"

"Because even though you screamed at me to let Snape go, you wanted me. And everyone knew it," he replied. "Even him! And when Frank Longbottom wants what he wants, he gets what he wants! Girls included!"

"You little-!" Lily stumbled. She stopped whatever she was saying as they had just reached Professor McGonagal's classroom, meeting her at the door.

"Ahh…Potter. Evans. Good. You're partners this term. Please sit together."

James turned around and grinned at Lily before walking into the class.

"My life is over," Lily muttered.

"What was that Miss Evans?" McGonagal asked.

"Nothing."

The day didn't get any better for Lily. In each of her classes, she was partnered with a Marauder.

"I knew I should've taken Muggle Studies," she grumbled to Alice later that night.

"It's not that great of a class," Alice said knowledgably. "Frank and I basically sat there and mocked the professor the entire time."

"You have it with Frank?"

"Yeah. He said he's taking the class just for you, you know?" Alice reminded her. "He wants to take it so he can figure out your family's peculiar customs."

"They're not peculiar. Frank's just ignorant."

Alice laughed and said, "Well, we're partners for the class. So I'll try and help him out if need be."

"Thanks I guess."