DISCLAIMER:Anything you recognize isn't mine besides I am a poor college student who owns nothing so suing me would be pointless.

BLPoS

A Different Lily

BLPoS

Beep beep beep. Lily's alarm went off at seven like it did every morning. Any moment Lily would hit the off button and grudgingly get out of the warm cocoon she had made for herself. She would then grab her uniform and bathroom bag and be ready to go to breakfast at seven twenty. She would use the ten minutes before breakfast to check her homework. She would eat a sensible breakfast instead of the glazed pastries that seemed to get more and more appetizing with every bite of oatmeal she took. She wouldn't dally after she ate like the rest of her classmates. She would be the first at the door to her class. This had been her routine since her first day at Hogwarts so it came as a surprise when seven oh five rolled around and Lily remained fast asleep. In fact all that could be seen of the sixth year prefect was her arm dangling off of the bed and her alarm clock knocked onto the floor. Seven came and went and still Lily slept.

Lily's roommate Nikki was the polar opposite of Lily when it came to her morning schedule. Nikki was use to waking up to an empty dorm room, rushing through her morning rituals, and then shoving a few bites of whatever into her mouth as she sat at the house tables talking for longer that she should. She was usually one of the last to enter the classroom. So when Nikki woke up at seven thirty to find a sleeping Lily she knew Sirius' spell had worked. "Lily … Lily it's time to get up. Lily it's seven thirty."

Two emerald green eyes opened slowly and blinked a few times before they seemed to take in their surroundings. Lily jerked awake and started running around the room collecting things.

Nikki's eyes widened as she took in Lily's frantic behavior. Feeling sympathy toward the redhead Nikki grabbed Lily by the shoulders and said, "Calm down." Nikki watched as Lily took a few deep breathes. "Are you okay now?"

Lily looked down confused as she answered, "Surprisingly, yes. I should be freaking out … but I'm not." Lily's nose wrinkled slightly as she shrugged her shoulders, "Weird."

"Well best not think on it," Nikki said quickly changing the subject in case Lily somehow managed to find out about Sirius' spell. "I'm starving let's hurry so we can eat."

Nikki and Lily had kept up a constant stream of chatter on their way to the great hall when suddenly Lily said, "Why did you wake me up when you don't like me?" Lily looked like the question surprised her as much if not more than Nikki. Lily turned scarlet as she apologized, "I'm so sorry. You don't have to answer that."

Nikki came to a halt in front of the Great Hall and laughed. Lily looked beyond horrified. "I don't not like you, Lily. Hell I don't even know you, but from what I've seen of you so far I like."

Lily smiled as they started walking again. "Sorry, I just assumed … I mean I know that the other girls in our room have a problem with me, except for Alice of course."

"They're just jealous, you know, because a certain Quidditch captain only has eyes for you."

Lily blushed and shushed Nikki as they seated themselves next to the Marauders. James looked surprised to see Lily next to him. Lily simply smiled then burst into quiet giggles with Nikki. "Alright, Evans? Nikki?"

"Oh we're fine, James. Lily here just … ow what was that for Lily?"

Everyone looked questioningly over at Lily who quickly shoved a pastry into her mouth and motioned that she couldn't talk.

A loud bark of laughter escaped from Sirius, "You're alright Evans. I never knew you were this funny."

"I'm mot mormally," she said with her mouth full. Sirius just smiled wider at this.

James was staring strangely at Lily but before he could comment Alice ran up to Lily and monopolized her attention. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Lily you will never believe-" Alice suddenly stopped talking and took in her surroundings. "Lily, why are you sitting with these guys?"

Lily looked around in confusion again. "I'm not sure. Would you believe me if I said I just felt like it?" Remembering that Alice hadn't woken her up this morning when she had overslept Lily asked, "Hey, why didn't you wake me up this morning?"

Alice looked shyly at the rapt interest on their audiences faces then whispered to Lily, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about … privately."

"Okay." Lily got up from the table and started walking away then stopped and turned back, "You coming Nikki?"

Nikki looked questioningly at Sirius. They shared a small private moment quickly before Nikki turned back to Lily. "Sure. See you in class boys."

BLPoS

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter walked into Professor Slughorn's class as the bell was ringing only to discover that Lily, Alice, and Nikki weren't there yet. James slowed to a stop with Sirius as Peter and Remus settled at an unoccupied worktable. "Do you think Lily has been a little weird today, Sirius? I mean look," James gestured to the class that Lily was very noticeably absent from, "Lily's never late. Ever."

Sirius nodded in agreement. "I guess you're right but Alice looked like she had something important to say so maybe they just got caught up."

"And what was with Lily and Nikki being all buddy buddy?"

"I dunno, mate. I'm not good at understanding women, you know that. It's probably some stupid lady thing." The two boys moved to take their seats. "I'm gunna sit with Whitmore today."

"Nikki?" James examined Sirius for a minute before his facial expression turned disapproving. "You're not trying to hook-up with her are you because with the both of you on the team and everything I don't think it's a good idea. Besides I think she can do better."

Sirius looked offended. "Better than me?"

"Than a womanizing dog? Yeah, I think she can."

Sirius pushed James and headed to his seat as Nikki, Lily, and Alice slipped into the room. Sirius was about to call Nikki over to his table when Lily stepped in front of her and headed straight for James Potter's potion table. The usual pre-potion chatter quieted to a murr-murr as Lily turned to talk to James. "Hi James, aren't you excited about today's lesson?"

James stared in shock for a moment before he could answer, "Umm … I'm not sure, should I be?"

The class began to return to normal as they waited for the professor to arrive. Lily seemed affronted that James didn't know today's lesson. "How could you not know that today is the day we learn about Amortentia?"

"You're excited about that?"

"You aren't?" James shook his head causing Lily to look incredulous, "I don't believe that. You cannot honestly say that you aren't interested in smelling what you are most attracted to."

James had yet to answer when Professor Slughorn came in, "Good day class, Ms. Evans – Oh!" Professor Slughorn looked quickly between James and Lily before smiling cheekily at Lily, "I hope you won't be focused on anything other than your potion today, Ms. Evans, although it appears like you'll have you hands full." Slughorn winked at Lily before continuing on with the class.

Lily ducked her head in embarrassment. "That's mortifying."

James laid his head on the desk as Slughorn continued with the instructions. "It's alright, one time Madame Hooch walked into the boy's locker room while I was in the shower, saw me completely starkers. Now that was right embarrassing."

Lily giggled then turned back to listen to Slughorn. James and Lily drifted into silence as the class proceeded. James was sure that something was wrong with Lily. Lily was never this relaxed. It bothered him a little. He was happy that she was more open and relaxed around him, but it just seemed kind of … off because Lily wouldn't behave like this. James brushed off Lily's bizarre behavior as he started working on his potion. He wouldn't admit it to Lily but he was kind of excited to find out what the potion would smell like to him.

James and Lily didn't really speak much for the majority of the class; in fact, the majority of the class didn't speak as they all tried to brew Amortentia. James thought that this would be an easy potion to make, after all a fourth year Ravenclaw spiked Remus' pumpkin juice with it last year. James was wrong. He had very nearly ruined his potion twice and literally held his breathe as he inserted the Erumpent horn. James sighed with relief as he finished his potion. He looked over at Lily to see if she was done yet only to find her nose practically touching her potion as she smelt it. She leaned back in her chair looking confused so James asked, "What does yours smell like?"

Lily smiled, an out of place care free smile, and took another whiff of her potion. "It smells like rosewood, the Hogwart's Library, and-"

"What does the Hogwart's Library even smell like? Musty, dusty, parchment?"

Lily looked at James with what he would latter describe as pity. "Of course it doesn't. How could you think that?" James smiled seeing Lily so passionate about the library hoping she would continue on her little rant. "Besides the smell of the books themselves there is the smell of the lemon wood polish used to clean the tables and the faint hint of orchid that comes from Madame Pince's desk. The books themselves don't just smell of must and parchment. They also contain a hint of ink that leaves a slight sting in your nose. It is the smell of knowledge and experience. Of new lives and fantastic adventures. Even the manner in which we are to conduct ourselves in the library is special, everyone whisper in small little groups. It's magical."

James stared at Lily with wide eyes for a moment before composing himself. "Wow, I didn't know you thought about the library that much." James saw Lily's face fall and immediately tried to back-peddle, "It's not a bad thing. I think it's cool that you are into your own thing. You even had me thinking about giving the whole book thing another chance." Lily brightened up at his words so James pushed farther, "Did you smell anything else?"

Lily got the same look of confusion on her face as before, "I don't know what it is really … it smells kind of like warmth. Does that make sense? Probably not … hmmm … it's like if you were laying on the grass in summer with the sun warming your skin. If you closed your eyes and inhaled that is what the smell reminds me of." Lily let a nervous chuckle slip past her lips. "Oh Merlin I must sound mental."

"No I get it. I smelt a campfire in mine from my summer trips with my friends and when I smelt the campfire it brought all of those memories back."

"What else did you smell?"

"I smelt jasmine and … detergent? I think."

"Detergent? Like for washing clothes?"

James grinned and leaned close to Lily. "Yeah. Weird, right? Thing is I don't even know why I'm smelling washing soap."

Lily was about to answer when an arm wrapped in the smell of James' detergent scent fell onto his shoulder. "Prongs, mate, you'll never guess-"

James cut Sirius off. "It's you! Why am I smelling you?"

Sirius seemed confused for a moment before he burst into laughter. "I knew you always had a thing for me Prongsie. It is unfortunate that this had to come out know that I live with you. I only want …"

James tuned Sirius out and tried to understand why he smelt Sirius in his potion. "Hey!" James tugged on Sirius' shirt. "This is my shirt."

Sirius looked down then back up at James. "Oh yeah all of mine are dirty and this one still smelt like your mom's laundry, which by the way is one of the smells I have in my potion and …"

Lily's laughter cut Sirius off. James turned his wide eyes from Sirius to Lily as a disgruntled Sirius watched Lily dissolve into giggles. "You two are hilarious, do you know that? I swear, the looks on James' face when he thought he smelt you and then you," the rest of her words were lost in giggles.

Sirius patted James on the back, "Right, well when the bird's start loosin' it I leave."

Lily was quieting herself as James turned back to her. "I'm glad you found that amusing."

"Highly."

James smiled at Lily and Lily smiled back. Again James was hit by the feeling that this wasn't right. He felt like something was off. He had been steadily collecting every little out of character thing she did today and it seemed that it was all too much to be "some girl thing" or whatever Sirius said. "I couldn't believe that I got to class before you today."

"I know me too, but Alice had to tell me that her and Frank spent their first night together last night and," Lily froze in horror, "Oh no I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Please don't say anything, okay?"

James smiled at Lily. "Don't worry. I'm a good secret keeper."

Professor Slughorn called the class to attention and then dismissed everyone who had completed their potion and delivered a vile to his desk. Lily and James both got up to turn in their potion. Lily handed hers to the professor first and then turned to James as he handed his to Slughorn. "I'll see you tonight for my cooking lesson."

And with a wave she was gone leaving an extremely excited, terribly confused James Potter in her wake.

BLPoS

A/N: I have finally updated. I know that I have been slacking, but this story has given me problems. I will try to have the next chapter up in two weeks. Please tell me what you think. Here is the title of the next chapter is Mistakes. That is the only spoiler I will give about the next chapter.