A/N: Technically, Lily's birthday is January, but for this to work I needed it to be during the end of the school year. Sorry for if being incorrect.

--Disaster

[X]

"Happy birthday Lily!"

She smiled at everyone in the Common Room and thanked them all as they disappeared out of the portrait hole for breakfast. Pat stood next to her with her arm around Lily's waist. She gave her a hug and offered to walk with her down to the Great Hall.

"Actually, I'm not that hungry. I'm just going to hang around up here till it's time to start our for Hogsmede. Come get me when you're ready," Lily said.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Pat asked.

Lily hesitated for a moment,

"No…I take that back. I'll come."

She slipped her shoes on and followed Pat out of the hole.

"What changed your mind?" Pat asked as they walked down the many staircases.

"Potter and the cronies came in," Lily replied.

Pat laughed and Lily even gave a little smile as they entered the Great Hall. Out of habit, Lily glanced over at the Slytherin table. Severus was sitting at it surrounded by his Death Eater friends. His head was down on the table but none of them even seemed to notice how miserable he was.

That's what he gets, Lily thought, With friends like that he'll never get anywhere in life. I've made him too soft for that kind of life. Hopefully now that we're not friends anymore he'll be able to quit that life that he' s already picked. He can't have been branded or whatever. He'll leave and then we can be friends again. Until then I'm not going to be able to do any of that no matter what happens. Ever. I can' t talk to him anymore and I don't want to. He's a disgrace to me now. I can't believe him.

She sat down with Pat at the table and nibbled on a piece of toast as Pat ate her oatmeal. James and his friends appeared but didn't bother to try and talk to her. She was thankful for that. She felt horrible for hitting James last night. When she had been upstairs crying she shed many tears over hurting him as well as Severus in the same night. James deserved it all the same but she shouldn't have hit him and she knew it. Still feeling horrible, she took another piece of toast and sighed.

"Well what's the plan for today? I didn't really want to go out," Lily said.

"I know," Pat shrugged, "But you know friends come and go, Lils. I think you should get out and celebrate your birthday either way. Just let him go. He obviously wasn't the friend you thought he was. You can come and have a great day with the girls."

Lily made a face,

"I don't really want to be with them. How about just you and me?"

"Okay," Pat smiled, "That sounds good."

Lily nodded and looked up at the sound of rushing wings. An owl came swooping down and perched in front of Lily. Smiling, she removed the letter and unfurled the Muggle paper,

Lily,

We hope you have an amazing birthday, darling. We'll see you in a week and we'll celebrate our way. We've sent you some more money so you can get yourself a treat while you're out. Send Severus our hello's.

Love, Mummy and Daddy

Lily flipped it over, searching. She looked up at Pat with tears in her eyes,

"Petunia didn't send me a letter."

Pat cleared her throat and looked up at the heavy swarm of owls.

"Oh you don't know that. Maybe she just forgotten to put it on the owl or something. I'm sure she has one for you…" Pat coughed.

Lily shoved the seat back.

"I can't believe her! I'm her sister!" Lily looked outraged.

"Lily please calm down. Why don't you look at the back of your parents letter? Maybe hers is on the back." Pat suggested quickly.

Lily flopped back down on the seat. She spotted a PS down at the bottom and read:

PS: Its your birthday, freak.

Petunia

A tear streaked down Lily's face. She ripped off the bottom part of the letter and stood up. She marched over to the fire near the staff table and chucked it into the flames. She watched it eat Petunia's letter with satisfaction. She walked back over to Pat who was staring at her.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do something like that," Lily whispered.

Pat grinned,

"I'm glad you did."

Laughing, the two girls hooked arms and walked out of the Great Hall to join the line getting checked off by Filch to head down to the wizarding village. They chatted with a few other people as they waited to be set free into the dazzling sunlight outside. Soon Lily and Pat were checked off the list and the two walked out into the bright sunlight and began the walk towards the village.

"Hmm…doesn't it feel great today?" Lily asked as she inhaled the sweet summer air.

"It really does," Pat smiled, eyeing her watch.

Lily spent most of her time in Honeydukes, spending the birthday money her parents had sent her. She was loaded with her favorite sweets when she and Pat reappeared at noon. Lily's stomach growled and she looked longingly towards the castle where lunch was sure to be waiting. Most of the students were heading down towards the Three Broomsticks for lunch instead of heading towards the castle.

"How about a butterbeer?" Pat asked, grabbing Lily's wrist and pulling her along.

"Sure…?"

Pat yanked Lily into the crowded pub and gazed around the tables. She spotted the Marauders on a table near the window. James waved towards her and she nodded slightly.

"Here's some money," Pat said, "My treat. I'll go find us a seat."

"Aw, thanks Pat," Lily beamed, giving her friend a hug.

"Don't say that just yet." Pat muttered as Lily pushed her way towards the counter.

She shoved her way through the crowd to reached James's table. She sat down in one of the two extra chairs. She found herself next to Sirius and knew this wasn't a coincidence.

"You know she hit me last night?" James asked.

"Yes. She bawled about that almost as much as she did Snape," Pat replied.

"Really?" his eyes had lit up.

"Well of course. She really does like you, Potter. She just won't admit it. Besides, its Lily. She hates being wrong and she's wrong that she doesn't like you. She really does. And she's going to hate me after this. She hates you right now as it is. He was her best friend. I don't understand why that is, but he was. I respect her for that. Pulling her over to the person that caused the brutal ending to that friendship isn't going to be the best birthday present of all time, you know." she answered.

"He's got something good in store for her," Sirius winked.

Pat rolled her eyes and stood up in her chair. Lily spotted her, smiled, and began to push her way over. She was still smiling until she saw who Pat had chosen to sit with. Her smile vanished quickly.

Typically, she thought sourly.

"I don't want to sit here Pat," she said coldly.

"Just listen to what he has to say," Pat pleaded, "You owe him for hitting him last night."

Lily turned a slight shade of pink, sat down next to Pat, and stared at the ceiling waiting for him to start speaking.

"Its too loud in here," James called over to her, "Will you come with me outside? I think you might have left a mark last night so you shouldn't be too worried about getting away from me."

He was still smirking when Lily stomped out the doors with him.

"What do you want from me, Potter?" she snapped.

"I want you to listen." he said.

"Go."

"I didn't mean for that to happen yesterday. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean for it to end the way that it did. I didn't expect him to call you that, or for Sirius to act the way he did, or for any of it to happen anyway. It wasn't supposed to go that way. It was supposed to be a jinx and then move on. I didn't mean for any of the things to happen that we did do. I should have left him alone when you told me to. And I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I ruined your birthday. I'm sorry I ended the friendship between you and Snape--"

Lily threw her arms around James's neck and hugged him tight,

"Its not your fault. Well not all of it anyway. We were on edge as it was anyway, James. He has this…I don't know. Some kind of stupid plan in mind that has to do with You-Know-Who. I don't wan to have anything to do with someone like that. I'm done being his friend until he comes to his senses and lets it go. Thank you for apologizing. That's all I could have asked for from you."

James hugged her back quickly, just happy to be this close to her.

"Thanks…but I got something for you." he said.

Lily pulled back and eyed him uncertainly.

"Its nothing bad this year," he rolled his eyes.

"Sure…" she muttered.

He laughed and pulled a little silver box out of his pocket. She held her hand out and he placed it on her palm. She gave him another uncertain look and tore the paper off the little box. It was made of white satin. She opened it up and gasped.

"Oh…"

A small, gold heart shaped locket was nestled into the white fabric. An L.E. was intertwining around a lily that were charmed to flow like gently waves hitting a bank.

"James…this is…beautiful. I- I don't want to say," she whispered.

"Want me to help you put it on?"

"Please."

James walked around behind her and did the small clasp around her neck. Lily pulled her long red hair out of the thing gold chain and turned to smile at him.

"This is so amazing. Thank you so much," she smiled.

He shrugged,

"I felt the need to out do Pat this year,"

Lily laughed and gave him another hug. He hugged her back gently and thought,

Wow. I might have a chance again after all.