Lily fell back onto her four-poster bed, breathing heavily. After that dreadful conversation with Severus on top of the awkward event with James Potter…she basically wanted to curl up with some strawberry ice cream and read…for the rest of her life. How was she ever going to show her face again? The walk back up to the common room had been bad enough. A pudgy first year had offered her two sickles and a knut for 'all the gossip with you and James Potter!' A sixth year blonde had stormed up to her sobbing; demanding to know what James had ever done to deserve such heartache and trauma in his life. In spite of herself, Lily had laughed at that for a good 4 seconds before yet another fellow student reminded her that she had no reason to be laughing. It had been Melinda Doris; Hogwarts' biggest and most secretly hated person.
Even McGonagall must loathe her after the rumour she spread about her and Dumbledore 'getting steamy' in the staff room over Christmas break. While Dumbledore had cheerily taken the gossip, even adding preposterous tales to it, McGonagall had been fuming. The 550 points taken off the house that year had sunk Gryffindor into last place…and not just last place, as Slughorn had so happily reminded her over a box of crystallised pineapple, celebrating Slytherin's victory, but 'the first ever Hogwarts house to finish with a grand total of zero points at the end of the year!' If Melinda spread something about you, you were ruined; reputation gone in the whispering of those lip-gloss clad lips over a crystal ball in Divination.

So, when Lily had seen Melinda speedily coming her way, she'd known that she was in trouble. "Lily! Lily Evans!" She had shouted. "Is it true? Are you and James Potter finally going out? Oh, Lily this is so brilliant! I'm so happy for you! Y'know, if you ever need anyone to talk to, about your relationship I mean, I'll be there for you. My lips are sealed!" Lily had scoffed and walked on, ignoring the shouts. "You know where I am Lily!"

Here she was now, fully despairing and for the first time in her life, considering leaving Hogwarts and running away. Lily dismissed the thought; to do so she would have to leave her dorm and that was never going to happen.

"Lily!" She had fallen asleep, without even realising. Wow, she thought, things must be bad. "Lily Marie Evans wake up right now and tell your best friends what the bloody hell happened to you today!" She moaned, turning over and stuffing her face onto the pillow. "Go away…" She muttered. "Don't wanna talk about it…" There was silence, and Lily closed her eyes, waiting for the girls to leave again.
"Aguamenti." A voice whispered.

Lily sat up right as the jet of water hit her face. "ALICE!" She screamed. Her uniform was sopping wet, along with her hair. "I can't believe you just did that!" Wiping her eyes, Lily glared at the girls before her. Alice was smiling sheepishly, wand still raised. Her cheeks were red and her short, brown hair was mussed. "Sorry Lil', Marlene made me do it."
"I DID NOT!" Marlene said, though her face was contorted as she attempted to hold in the laughter. Her hair was looking rather mussed too, as was her entire uniform by the looks of it.
"Had a good day I see Marly?" Lily smirked, forgetting for a moment she was angry with them. "A good date, I should really say."
"What?" Hestia shouted, turning to the now flushing blonde. "A date with who?"
Marlene bit her lip. "How'd you find out Lily?"
Lily looked away. "Potter told me."
"Ooooh Potter told you, did he?" Hestia giggled. She was a good head and a half taller than the others, and she looked down at Lily, winking.
"Oh shut up Hestia, don't you want to know where Marlene was all day?" Lily was desperately trying to keep the subject away from her and James.
"Yeah," Alice said. "Where were you?"
"Ikindofmaybewenttotheroomofr equirementwithblack." Marlene said in one breath, staring intently at her shoes.
"Sorry, what was that?" Lily asked sweetly. Marlene grimaced. "Don't make me say if again!"
Lily, Alice and Hestia stared at Marlene.
"Uh fine!" She shouted. "I was with Sirius Black okay!"
They all burst out laughing and Lily ran a hand through her hair, reminding her it was still soaking.
"Alice, dry me right now." Alice smiled and waved her wand. Lily felt a warm breeze rush over her and found her clothes were nice and dry once more. "Thanks."

"Anyway," Hestia began, "What's this I hear about Lily and James snogging in a broom closet on the seventh floor?"
"Third, actually." Lily corrected before widening her eyes. "And we weren't snogging!"
"Really?" Alice asked. "Frank told me a couple of his friends saw you ambush Potter, and drag him in there." She wiggled her eyebrows as Lily turned beetroot.
"Not what I heard," Marlene grinned. "Though, I did get it from Black. Lily, I don't think your pure little ears could handle it." Lily shivered.
"That bad?" She whimpered.
"Oh yeah," Marlene nodded. "Like, very graphic." Hestia sniggered.
"Oh merlin…" Lily sighed, returning to her bed. "I am never leaving this room again. I trust you all will bring me food."
Marlene scoffed. "No way. I cannot wait for you to leave…it's going to be brilliant!" Lily threw a pillow at her.
"Hestia, Alice, if you are true friends you will just kill me right now." Lily moaned.
They grinned and shook their heads. "Just great, fan-bloody-tastic."