Black Lily

Chapter one Negative

"I can't cope with this. Really, it's just too much. We'll never pull it off." Lily put down her guitar, and unplugged it. Mariella glared at her, but put down her drum sticks.

"You are so negative. We're great! And Dumbledore only asked for a few songs at the ball." Lily nodded, but still looked apprehensive. Mariella and Genevieve looked at each other, and rolled their eyes. Rose looked irritated.

"Lily, what is your problem? Why do you think that we can't do it? Are we that bad? Or are you just too good for us." Lily felt her face turn red. She did, in fact, feel the exact opposite. When the three had heard her practicing, and asked her to join their band, which was a secret, she had been so touched. After hearing them play though, she had felt so small, and as though she was the clumsiest musician on earth. She sighed.

"It's not that. I'm sorry, it's just that... well, it's tomorrow and I'm, well..." Genevieve smiled in sudden understanding.

"You're frightened? Don't be. You kick ass." Mariella and Rose nodded in agreement, and Lily flushed happily. She loved her friends, even though they couldn't talk to her in the corridors, by her insistence. Lily picked up her book bag, and Banished her guitar back to her wardrobe.

"I have to get to class. See you later." She left the abandoned, Silenced classroom, and headed for the Transfiguration classroom. She opened the door, and walked in, her head lowered, hair obscuring her eyes. She sat at her usual seat at the back, so she was hidden from every one, opened her bag, and began to take out her books, ink, quills, ink and parchment. She shyly twirled a quill between her fingers. Suddenly, she remembered that she hadn't yet taken off her make up, or her nail varnish. Just as she was about to remove it with magic, Professor McGonagall walked into the class room. She smiled at the class.

"Settle down now, settle down. Mr. Potter, don't do that." Lily swallowed, suppressing a groan. She tentatively raised her hand, keeping her face hidden.

"Pr... Professor? May, may I be excused for a moment, please?" Professor McGonagall looked concerned.

"Why, yes, of course Miss Evans." She got up, and walked down the isle, keeping her hands and face hidden. Sirius Black sniggered, and pushed his bag into her way. She tripped, and flung out a hand to catch her self. Jet black nail varnish with acid green tips glinted in the light. Sirius blinked.

"Evans, what...?" she snatched her hand away, and tore to the door. Then stopped. Why should she hide who she was? Slowly, she turned back, raising her head. People stared at her. Lily Evans, the sweet, innocent book worm, was looking around, eyes lined with kohl, dark eye shadow bruising her eyelids, her lips stained a dark colour by lipstick.

"Actually Professor, I think I'll stay." She walked calmly back to her seat, and sat down, a new look of confidence on her face.

~

"Oh my god, did you see her?"

"She looked so awful. How can some one so pale possibly think that they can wear such dark make up?" Lily sighed, and drained her pumpkin juice. She stared at the distorted reflection in the bottom of the goblet. She swallowed. She had removed the make up start after class, but James Potter had stared at her as she walked past him, as though unable to believe that she knew how to apply eyeliner in a straight line. She had one straight back to Gryffindor tower, and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon, evening and night. Tonight was the night of the Muggles Ball, and she was terrified. The Muggles ball was to last for three nights, and Dumbledore had secretly asked the Unholy Angels to play on the first night. They, Mariella, Genevieve and Rose had decided that they were going to go in full rock chick glory, and, a little unwillingly, Lily had agreed. Some how she had got herself involved with this, and she couldn't back out of it. Not that she wanted to of course. Tonight, people were going to learn that Lily Monique Evans was no mere bookworm, a sweet innocence. She was a fallen angel. A letter dropped onto her plate, and, glancing around, she opened it

Yo, Lils, Dumbledore's got us permission to practice ALL DAY. So we're excused from classes. Whoho!! Meet us in the usual place.

MGR.

PS. You do know you don't need to wear make up especially for us. We don't need confirmation that you're one of us.

Lily smiled, and giggled as she folded the letter and put it away. Hurriedly, she finished her breakfast, and headed for the door. James Potter stood in her way.

"Evans, what's going on with you?" she blinked. The handsome Seeker only ever spoke to her to either ask her out for a joke, or to tease her.

"What are you talking about?" He folded his arms, and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not stupid. Some thing's changed about you, and I'm going to find out what." That was it. She wasn't gong to pretend to be nice little Lily right now, she was busy. She snarled, her voice going into its natural low, musical tone, not the whisper she usually used.

"Sod off Potter, you know bugger all." She stalked past him, ignoring the shocked, intrigued look on his face.

She burst through the door, grinning.

"Mariella, bring out the drinks, I finally did it!" Mariella grinned, twirling her drum sticks.

"No way. You told Potter where to go?"

"Yes!!"

"DUDE!!!!" the four friends laughed. Lily picked up her guitar which had just appeared, and plugged it in, strummed the four strings with a plectrum, and looked up.

"Shall we, my friends?" With a nodded count down, she launched into the first chords of the music.

~

"I swear Sirius; some thing is going on with Evans. And for once, I don't have a bloody clue!" James stalked up and down the corridor, an exasperated expression on his face. Sirius continued to suck a sugar quill, eyebrows raised at his friends' obvious confusion.

"Why do you care Prongs? This is Evans, not Jacqueline." Peter Pettigrew sniggered at the mention of Jacqueline. She was a Ravenclaw sixth year who had begun to basically stalk James in his second year. James glared at them.

"Shut up. I swear, if she comes near me again, I'll, I'll......." He stopped, his head cocked to on side, listening. He spun around, and walked away, still listening. He could hear music, and a strange, haunting voice. James followed the sound, and stopped outside a classroom. When he tried the door, he found it was spelled shut. The sound of drums, electric guitars and singing floated out, muffled by layers of Silencing spells. He listened to the singing voice. Behind his glasses, James' eyes grew wide.

"No way Evans, no way..." he was sure he had heard the wrong voice. It wasn't her, Evans didn't play rock music. She didn't even like it. He walked back to his friends, confidant he was right.

"JAMES!!! WHAT DO MUGGLES WEAR TO ROCK CONCERTS????" he rolled his eyes. Sirius was acting stupid, again.

~

"Maz, I can't!! Please, god, don't make me." Lily was standing frozen. Her hair was scruffy, her top ripped and held with a few safety pins, and her leather skirt short. She sported lace up, black ankle boots with spike heels, and black tights with a few rips in them. Mariella looked at her in admiration.

"Lily, nice outfit. Couldn't have done better myself. Now, what's all the fuss about?" Lily gripped her guitar tightly.

"I can't do it... I can't play and I can't sing." Genevieve laughed, and then realized that she was serious. She stared at the red head incredulously.

"Bloody hell, you're serious. You really think you cant, don't you? Lily, we wouldn't be us with out you. Unholy Trinity was good, yeah, but we're great with you. You make us fantastic. Maz can play drums like she was born with sticks in her hands, Rose plays that... keyboard thing like a pro, and I'm ok on bass. But the fact is that none of us can sing in tune, and we sure as hell can't play an acoustic like you can." Lily glowed at the praise, her brilliant green eyes shining.

"You guys are the best." Rose smiled.

"It's all true and all." They grinned at each other. Lily raised an eye brow, and tuned her guitar.

"Now ladies, shall we go and frighten our friends?" Hands were extended, the nails painted black, dark, metallic blue, blood red and brilliant silver, and clasped.

~

"You don't think that this band that Dumbledore hired have backed out, do you?" Peter looked nervous, fiddling with the hem of his tee shirt. Sirius shrugged, flicking his hair out of his eyes.

"Don't know. Do you think its muggle music, or was that just a joke?" they looked around. Some the Slytherins had turned up in full dress robes. James grinned.

"I hope it is. They'll look so stupid if it is, and they're wearing that." There was a slight commotion at the back of the hall, as four girls walked in. Remus eyes grew wide as they settled on the girl carrying an acoustic guitar.

"Bloody hell, James, that's Evans. In a leather mini skirt. And a ripped up top. In stilettos." Sirius' face broke into a slow grin.

"And she looks a hell of a lot better like that then in her uniform..." James raised an eyebrow.

"Why have they showed up dressed like that? Carrying guitars..." the Marauders looked at each other, "No, no way, not possible, this is Evans..." The four girls walked up to the stage, where they began to set up drums, a keyboard and the guitars in a casual, professional manner. Dumbledore coughed, and the student body turned to face him.

"I suppose you're wondering what is going on. Well, as this was a Muggle ball, I decided we should get Muggles to play. And I heard about this group of girls, who obviously make up a band. Lily Evans, Mariella Burns, Genevieve Honey and Rose McEwen are all Muggle born, and they are Unholy Angels." He clapped, and bowed to the girls, who grinned, and waved at him. Mariella yelled across the hall.

"Dude, you didn't need to explain! And you forgot that we're all hot!" Lily hit her over the head with one of her drumsticks, before she stepped up to the microphone, and looked around. Her voice echoed around the hall, and it wasn't the voice that every one was used to. They all thought of Lily as a quiet girl, with a soft, sweet, high voice. This voice was low and husky, with a clear musical note in it. The song was haunting, and James recognised it as the one they had been practicing earlier.

"Don't try to hide, I'll always find you,

Don't try to rule, I'll just defy you,

And if you leave darkness parts our way..." the others joined in on their respective instruments, and Lily began to play, her plectrum flying over the strings. Sirius was grinning. The music was bold, and like nothing they were used to. McGonagall was looking shocked, and disbelieving that her favourite student could possibly be a rock musician. The muggle born students in the room were whooping and dancing wildly, with Sirius right in the middle of them, swinging Patricia Patil around with him. James was staring up at the stage, awe struck. Lily's cheeks were tinged red, and she would have been laughing if she hadn't been singing.

"Running from the demons that follow,

Every time I say his name,

I can't believe that I let him lead me,

So far into the dream,

I'm losing my way,

Trying to escape the nightmares,

That he left behind, when I was alone,

I cried out into the night, searching for my answer,

The answer was there before me,

Smiling at me, so uninnocent

Nothing left for me to hide,

You see the me deep down inside,

I some times see the you who you are." James didn't know, but he thought that as she sang the words, she was looking at him. He found that he desperately wanted her to be looking at him. The Lily that stood before them was so different. She was shining, beautiful, happy. Her voice echoed hauntingly in James' mind. A thought dawned on him that surprised and warmed him. He, James Harold Potter, was in love with Lily Evans, had been for years, and had never realized it.

~

This was amazing. She had never realized what fun it would be. As she finished the last chords of the guitar solo from their last song, silence rang out across the hall. She looked around, lowering her hand from the guitar, plectrum held loosely between her fingers and thumb. The applause came, loudly in a great wave. The three other girls stepped forward to the front of the stage, and holding hands, they bowed together, holding their hands above their heads when they straightened. Lily looked around, smiling and laughing. They stepped down off the stage, and put their instruments at the back of the hall. The witch band that Dumbledore had hired to play for the rest of the night stepped up, and Lily went over to the drinks table. She pulled a face at what they had.

"Cheap swill isn't it?" she blinked, and looked around. Sirius Black and James Potter grinned at her. She smiled.

"Not exactly what I wanted, yeah." Sirius smiled, and held out a flask, his eyes glittering evilly. She took it, and sipped, noticing that the boys were waiting for her reaction. The flask contained some of the strongest Firewhiskey that money could buy. She knew they were expecting her to chock and splutter. Instead, she took a long swig, and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

"Hm, not bad. I've had better, but not bad." They stared at her, opened mouthed. She rolled her eyes.

"Please, I'm not an innocent; I do know how to handle a drink." She smiled, and handed the flask back. She looked around, and pulled a face.

"This place blows. Lets go some place else." James raised an eyebrow, and slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Where to, my angel of surprises?" she snaked an arm around his waist, and smiled.

"I know a place in Hogsmeade..."

*

"Bloody hell Evans, where did you hear about this place?" she laughed, and dragged them into the bar. She grinned at the bar tender.

"Yo, Xavier!! How are you my friend?" the man looked up, and his blue eyes crinkled with laughter.

"Lilith, my devil, how are you?" she laughed, and swung the boys into the bar.

"I'm fine. I've got friends with me!!" he groaned. She giggled, and pushed James and Sirius toward the bar stools.

"Could I get... three vodka shots, a gin and tonic, and a double fire whiskey." She looked at her friends "What will you guys have?"

"Oh, just get the whole bottle of Firewhiskey love, it'll be easier."

"You heard the man Xavier." He nodded, and set about getting their order. James stared at her.

"Bloody hell, how much???"

"How much what? Can I drink, or the price?"

"Both."

"I don't know, and nothing, he never charges me." Just as they were about to ask why, they saw that she had removed the safety pins from her top, and the soft curves of her breasts could be seen through the holes in the sheer black material. James felt his mouth go dry. Sirius had a small smile playing on his lips, and he raised his eyes flirtiously to Lily's.

"I can see why love." She smiled, and winked at the young man behind the bar, as he handed her her drinks. The music around them throbbed, and the people on the dance floor moved in the same way that the Muggle born students had in the great hall. Lily seemed at home here, casually downing the shots before moving onto the gin and tonic. A man came up behind her, and tapped her on the shoulder. She smiled, and went onto the dance floor with him. James watched her go, then turned to Sirius, and yelled above the music.

"She is definitely not right."

The man she was dancing with was a good dancer, admittedly, but he seemed to have hands with minds of their own. Lily quickly moved to the next guy who beckoned to her. Then the next. None of the guys she was dancing with seemed right tonight. She knew that she had drinks waiting for her, and she wanted them. But the men wouldn't let her leave. Finally, she had had enough. She began to push her way through the crowd. An arm grabbed her around the waist, and hauled her back. She struggled, and as the arm tightened, she began to panic. She struggled harder, to no avail. Suddenly, she found herself being pulled backward, and when she looked around, she saw the angry face of James. He was glaring at the man. She realized that even with three inch heels on, James was still a lot taller then her, and he was also taller then the man who he had pulled her away from. She leaned back against him, and looked levelly at the man, who backed away quickly. The two went back to the bar, where Lily downed the whiskey and finished her gin and tonic, then called for a drink that neither boy had heard of.

"A what??"

"Intergalactic Gargleblaster. Bloody good drink, you only need one. Hey, Xav', two more for my friends." The girl and bar tender smirked at each other as he handed out the drinks. She held up her glass to the boys.

"Trust me guys, this is a ride you wont be forgetting soon." Tilting her head back, she downed the drink. Instantly, a feeling of warmth and a slight dizziness came over her. She giggled.

"Ooo, 'Ats betta." The boys chuckled, their faces flushed by the strong alcohol that they had just consumed. The music changed, and Lily pulled a face.

"Aww, Xavier, thassa recordin of Unholy Angels. I shound crap." James threw his arm around her shoulders.

"Ahh, no, you don't. You shound fab. Look fab too." She chuckled as he nuzzled her neck.

"Lesh get outa here Potter, Black. Hogwarts be misshin us shoon." They giggled, and stumbled out of the door.

~

When they got back, the Common room was empty. Sirius passed out on the sofa, snoring loudly, and James and Lily stood leaning against each other, giggling.

"Jamesh, jamesh, you ish drunk. Take your handsh off thoshe." They giggled. They looked at each other a little hazily. Then their lips met, and they forgot about giggling.

Chapter Two Never good

Lily woke up with the worst hang over she had ever had. Not only was her head pounding, but her body was slightly sore. She sat up, and moan faintly as the room span. She looked around blearily, and froze.

"Holy crap..." she stared at James, who was lying next to her, sleeping. She quickly performed the anti- hangover charm, a faint bubble of panic in her throat. She hurriedly pulled on her underwear and a shirt that she found slung over one of the chairs. It was too big, so she assumed it was James'. She was in the Head boy's private chambers. The realization of what had happened weighed on her, and she sank into a chair. James raised his head, and looked around, smacking his lips sleepily. His eyes snapped wide open when he saw Lily. He sat bolt up right, the sheet falling away from his body, revealing his hard, muscled torso.

"Evans, what are you doing here?" he saw that the mascara she had been wearing was running; she was crying silently. He frowned, then he remembered. He scrabbled around, and put on his slender glasses. Hurriedly, he pulled on some boxers and a pair of trousers. Lily just sat where she was, shaking and holding herself. He walked over to her, and crouched in front of her, so that he could see her face.

"Lily? Lily, I'm sorry." She looked up, her eyes burning.

"Oh, that's going to help, isn't it? Bloody hell Potter, you're so dumb, I'm surprised you don't fall off your broom." With that, she dressed, and left the room, going back to the Head girls rooms. In mechanical movements, James performed a charm for his hangover, finished dressing, and slowly walked down to the common room. Sirius and Remus were already downstairs. They looked up as James walked in, and immediately saw something was wrong. He sat down, and stared blankly at the carpet. Remus walked over and sat next to him.

"Prongs? Hey, James, what's wrong? Hangover?"

"God Moony, its worse then that. I don't think she'll ever forgive me..." Sirius looked up, interested.

"Why, what did you do, kiss her?" James looked up, pained.

"Oh god, you didn't, did you? You know how she is about you some times."

"It's more then that Sirius. Much more then that..."

"You can't mean..."

"Cant I?" His friends stared at him as he buried his head in his hands.

"Oh god, it's so screwed up. She'll never forgive me. Why the fuck did I get so drunk?" Sirius looked a little tentative as he patted his friend awkwardly on the shoulder. He wasn't one of the worlds best sympathy givers.

"Look mate, it doesn't really matter now, does it? What's happened happened, and its not as though she's special, is it?" as still as James had been before, he was a fast. He grabbed Sirius by the front of his robes, and slammed him into the floor.

"Don't say that! She is bloody special, she's Lily!" Remus stared at the two best friends.

"James, are you alright?" James got up, and looked at his friends, his eyes haunted.

"I don't know. I don't know if I'm alright. I'm in love with her."

~

Rose looked up as Lily walked into the room, black eyes flashing.

"Girl, where have you been? You just vanished, and now you turn up in last nights clothes. Why did you space on us?" Lily merely shook her head, and sat down, picking up her hair brush, and staring at it blankly. As her three friends watched in horror, she broke down into dry sobs. Mariella flew to her side, and flung her arms around her.

"Lily! What's the matter??"

"Why did I do it? Do I have no self control? Why did I get so horribly drunk?"

"You have a hangover? That's not bad Lily."

"No! I... James... I- I..."

"No way." Genevieve stared in shock. "You... with Potter??"

"I wish I hadn't." Genevieve walked over to her trunk, flung it open, and pulled out a box. She opened it, took out a little tray of pills, popped one out of the foil and handed it to Lily.

"Here, take it." Lily took it, and stared at it.

"What is it?"

"Morning after pill." Lily blushed, and swallowed it dry.

"God, that's disgusting."

"You shouldn't have taken it dry then, your fault." Genevieve shrugged, and put the box back. Lily sighed, and scrubbed at her eyes.

"Jesus Christ, I am such an idiot. No self control, total wastrel..." Rose rolled her eyes.

"I've said it before, I'll say it again. NEGATIVE. Look at it this way; you're not a virgin any more." Lily turned bright red, grabbed her towel, and fled to the bathroom. Mariella turned to the black girl, and grinned.

"She was a virgin? At seventeen??" Genevieve threw a pillow at her.

"God Maz, not every ones a slag like you!"

~

"You have to talk to her."

"And say what? 'Hi lily, oh, by the way, last night was a mistake and I don't give a shit? Like that's going to happen Sirius."

"Fine, be complicated. That's what I would do." James glared at his friend.

"Yeah, well, I'm not a bastard like you."

"Hey!!"

"Oh for gods sake just shut up you two! James, calm down, and Sirius, you are not helping." James and Sirius raised their eye brows at each other.

"Remus, you never yell."

"Well you two are so bloody aggravating that I can't think of any other way to bloody contact you!"

"I think its you who need to calm down..."

"GAHH!!!!" Remus stormed out of the Common room, cursing. Sirius tutted.

"We've had a bad effect on him James. A very bad effect."

"But for the better, I would say."

"Definitely. Used to be him tagging along, telling us that we shouldn't be doing it because McGonagall would kill us..."

"... Now it's him tagging along, telling us that we shouldn't be doing this because Lily would murder us if she caught us..."

"... An eat our livers in front of us. Ah yes, that's it." The two grinned at each other.

"I still say you need to talk to her though..."

"Bloody hell Sirius!!"

~

Lily walked into breakfast with Rose, Mariella and Genevieve holding her arms and pushing her.

"I don't want to be here!"

"Do we look like we care whether you want to be here or not? Because if we do, sorry, but you are WRONG!"

"But Maz..."

"Do I look like I care? Sit, now." Lily rolled her eyes, and sat down, sulking slightly.

"I hate you three."

"That's nice Lils. Now shut up, and glare at the nice Slytherin Bastard." Lily smiled slightly at the quip at Snape. Doing as she was told, she looked up, and glared at the Slytherin, who attempted to sneer, but failed as Rose flicked her wand at a milk jug, which emptied itself on his head. The black girl grinned.

"Ah, revenge. So nice."

"Yeah. What exactly did he do to you again Rose?"

"Well, he breathed in the air that could be used for decent people, he eats the same food as us, he-"

"Exists? Hi ladies." The four turned, and looked up at the Marauders, Sirius in front of them all, grinning.

"Thought we'd join you for breakfast." Mariella raised her eye brows, and looked pointedly from James to Lily.

"Hmm, yeah, I don't think that would be the best idea, do you Gene?"

"No, I don't. Do you Rose?"

"Nope. You Lils?"

"I don't care, I'm leaving." Lily stood up, looked at James, bit her lip and tore out of the room. Mariella glared at Sirius.

"Well done Asshole. We had just got her acting normal, and you go and screw it up. You deserve a medal. Where the hell is he going??" James was running out of the hall, after Lily. Sirius shrugged, and sat down.

"No idea."

"Oh aren't you bloody smart?"

"More then you'd know sweet heart." Mariella rolled her eyes, and pulled a packet of cigarettes out of her robes pocket, pulled one out, put it between her lips, and lit it. Genevieve rolled her eyes, and drained her goblet.

"3, 2, 1..."

"MISS BURNS! HOW DARE YOU SMOKE IN THE GREAT HALL??"

"Bingo." Professor McGonagall stormed over, eyes flashing. Mariella calmly blew smoke out of her mouth, and stubbed the cigarette out on the bench she was sitting on.

"Here we go..."

~

"Lily, will you stop!" she carried on running, until she came to a dead end.

"Damn it! Why on earth couldn't I remember that this was a dead end?? I am so stupid!" she knew James was right behind her, but she carried on kicking the wall.

"That is the best way to break your foot..."

"I don't care."

"Lily..."

"SHUT UP! I DON'T CARE, ALRIGHT?? JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!! CANT YOU EVEN DO THAT POTTER??" she screamed at him, eyes flashing angrily. He stopped, and blinked.

"So, we're back to surnames then? Would have thought we were past that by now..."

"Shut up. If you tell any one about last night, I swear, I will kill you. And that is the mildest thing I will do to you, alright?"

"Lily, I-" she pulled her wand out of her pocket, and pointed it at his throat.

"Stay away from me Potter. You may be James Potter, but there is no way in hell I will let you get under my skin or into my life. I have worked to long and bloody hard for you to start screwing things up any more then you have done." She walked past him, and down the corridor, trembling. She never lost her temper, never. What was it about him that got to her? He was just Potter, the annoying git who had set out to annoy her from day one. She sighed, and tugged her bag further up her shoulder. Potions didn't start for at least half an hour, so she had time to kill. She turned on her heel, and headed out side. She knew where she was going if she had spare time.

~

"'Talk to her James, it wouldn't hurt. She needs you to talk to her.' Bull shit Padfoot. You need to be introduced to an amazing thing known as a brain." James sighed as he walked back to the great hall, kicking the suits of armour he past, ignoring their protests.

"Oh shut up, you don't feel anything you stupid lumps of metal." Peter came around the corner just as James was yelling at one of the suits of armour.

"FOR FUCKS SAKE, YOU DON'T EVEN FEEL IT! I AM NOT IN THE BLOODY MOOD TO HAVE AN ARGUMENT WITH A BLOODY TIN CAN THAT SOME BASTARD DIED IN!!!"

"Um, James? It doesn't feel it. Really, there is no need." James looked up, and saw his friend.

"Oh god Peter, this is all going wrong."

"What's going on with you and Evans?"

"Take a wild guess mate." For a moment, Peter looked lost in thought, and James began to wonder if he was searching for that one brain cell that he seemed to possess, then Peters eyes widened.

"Oh."

"Exactly." James sighed, kicked the armour once more, and slouched over to his friend. Peter patted him on the arm.

"Don't worry about it. It'll all come right in the end. You'll see." James ran his fingers through his unruly hair, and smiled slightly.

"You really believe that don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Optimism. I should remember to have optimism." His smaller friend chuckled.

"It helps. So, what did you think about that music last night?"

"Bloody good, if you like loud guitars and drums."

"Sirius loved it."

"Definitely." They grinned at each other. James rolled his head on his neck.

"We'd better get to Potions."

"Damn. I was hoping that you'd forget about that. Professor Tehran hates me."

"Wormtail, she hates every one." They walked down to the dungeons, Peter stopping James from attacking suits of armour every few steps. When they arrived at the dungeon, James pushed the door open, already apologising.

"Sorry we're late Professor-" they stopped. There was no one in there. Peter blinked, and then laughed.

"Oh! I'd forgotten! Dumbledore said there were no classes today, courtesy of Unholy Angels performance last night."

"We need to do some thing about your memory Pete. But later. I'm going flying!" James raced out of the dungeons, and up to Gryffindor Tower and to his rooms. He grabbed his broom, and flew out of the window, executing a wronski feint as soon as he was clear of the stone, nose diving the ground. At the last second, just as he heard some one scream, he pulled up, laughing. He flew in a straight line, spiralling toward the lake. James Potter was in his element. He stopped at the edge of the water, panting slightly, still laughing. He then noticed that very few people were looking at him. He frowned, and got off the broom.

"Hey, what's every body looking at.

"Evans." He raised his eyebrows, and looked out to the lake. Right in the middle, was what appeared to be a tornado of water. Lily was standing a little way off, on the water. Her arms were raised and her hair was flying about.

"Bloody hell, what's she doing??"

"No idea. Some thing she learned in the Isle of man, maybe."

"She's standing on the bloody water!!!"

"Exactly." Finally, the tornado died down, and Lily just stood, looking at where it had been. Then she turned and walked back to shore. The giant squid raised a tentacle, and slammed it into the water creating a huge wave, but the water merely glanced off Lily, as though there was a globe around her that protected her. She stepped onto dry land, and looked around at the people. When she saw James, she turned on her heel and walked away. James sighed, and got back on his broom, flying over to a large oak tree where the Sirius and Remus were lounging about. He jumped of the broom, and flopped down with a sigh.

"She really hates me. I mean, more then before." Sirius winced.

"That's got to be bad. You must be crap."

"SIRIUS!!"

"Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist." James groaned, and closed his eyes.

"This is too bloody much for me right now."

~

"This is too bloody much for me right now." Lily sighed, and leaned against a wall. Rose smiled sympathetically, and handed her a bottle of fire whiskey.

"Angel, you have made my day." She raised the bottle to her lips, and drank. Genevieve pulled a face.

"Bit early in the day, isn't it?" Mariella laughed.

"It's NEVER too early in the day."

"True." Lily sighed and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. Mariella held out a cigarette.

"Maz, I don't smoke."

"Time you started then." Mariella put the cigarette between her lips, lit it, and then held it out again.

"Go on Lils, try it, it won't kill you." Lily sighed, took the cigarette, put it between her lips as she had seen Mariella do, and inhaled. Her friends burst out laughing as she started coughing.

"Oh, sorry, I should have told you not to inhale before you're used to it." Lily glared at her friends through streaming eyes.

"I- I h- ha- hate you- you!"

"Yeah, we love you too baby." Lily took a deep breath, and finally stopped coughing.

"You did that on purpose Burns."

"Oh well, she worked it out pretty quickly, didn't she?"

"You're evil. I know no one else as evil as you."

"Two words: Lucius Malfoy."

"Two more words: Severus Snape."

"Another two: Over there." Genevieve pointed, and they all turned and saw the Two Evil Bastards, or TEB. Lily grinned, and winked at her friends.

"Watch and be amazed Chiquita's. Watch and learn." Lily wriggled out of her school jumper, loosened off her house tie, and undid the top buttons of her fitted shirt. She tapped her skirt with her wand.

"Reducio." The skirt shortened, and Lily grinned.

"I love it when my spells work right." She tapped the heels of her school shoes, which promptly became high. She stood up, and tossed her hair. Mariella grinned, and passed Lily her book bag, leaving it open.

"We're watching hunny, we're watching." Lily smiled, and walked over to the place where Snape and Malfoy were standing, placing her feet one in front of the other. As she passed them, she 'accidentally' dropped her bag. The books spilled out. She placed one carefully manicured, black nail varnished hand to her collar.

"Ohh, damn it. I am so incredibly clumsy!" Lily dropped to her knees, and began to pick up her books. She knew very well that from the angle she was leaning at, Snape and Malfoy could see down her top. She heard Snape cough.

"Err, here, let me help you there..." she blinked, and let her mouth form a small 'o' as she took the book he held out.

"Oh, oh thank you." She smiled her smile at him, and she had to stifle a triumphant giggle as he turned red. She put all the books back into her bag, smiling when ever Snape handed her one. She brushed off her skirt, and stood up. She staggered slightly, and was caught by Malfoy. She looked up at him, and made her cheeks go a little red, and batted her eyelashes a few times.

"Ohh, thank you. Gosh, I'm just so silly, aren't I?" Malfoy looked flustered, and she could hear cackling from her friends. She twirled a strand of hair around her index finger, biting one side of her lip. Malfoys grey eyes were wide as he ran them over her, taking in the open shirt, short skirt, and slender legs in the sheer black tights.

~

"What's attracted his highnesses attention this time?" James flapped a hand at Sirius, who was looking over toward the school, a grin on his face.

"Will you take a look at this! Evans playing Malfoy and Snape!" James sat up, and stared in the direction that Sirius was grinning in. Lily was looking up at Malfoy, and both he and Snape were slightly red. Her entire body language indicated flirtation. James was jealous. He watched as Lily smiled, and ran a finger tip down Malfoys' face.

"Ok, this is too much." Before his friends could stop him, he got up and stormed over to the red head.

"Enough Evans." Lily looked at him, a brief emotion flickering in her eyes.

"Telling me what to do Potter?" Her eyes were challenging, "Or are you just worried that I'll corrupt your boyfriends?" as soft and inviting as her attitude had been, it was harsh now. Snape looked rather shocked. James raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you wish Evans. Bet you're thinking that getting me jealous is a great way of getting me in bed. Yours this time, maybe?" as soon as he had said the words, he knew he was an idiot. An angry scream tore from her throat, and she pulled her arm back and suddenly James' world was full of stars. He staggered, and landed on his back. Lily kicked him hard in the side, making him curl up.

"Speak to me again Potter, and you will wish that your mammy had never kissed your Da." In her anger, her rarely to never heard Manx accent came back thickly.

"I am warning you. This time, I will make sure that you end up wishing you were a eunuch." She delicately stepped over him, and walked up to the castle, her head held high. The people who had witnessed her punch James stepped out of her way quickly. James sighed, and sat up slowly. Mariella walked up behind him, grabbed a hand full of his hair, and yanked his head back. She looked up at the two Slytherins.

"Shoo." The look she gave them was enough to make them leave. Mariella looked at James, who was beginning to feel like he was choking.

"You know what Potter, You are a bleeding idiot." James swallowed with difficulty.

"You think I don't know that. My mouth opens, and I have no control over what shit comes out of it." Mariella sighed.

"You know she wasn't joking. Remember her last boyfriend, that Ravenclaw lad? Year above us."

"Oh yeah. Cheated on her didn't he?"

"Yep. Ever wonder why his voice never broke?" James eyes widened.

"No way..."

"Yes way."

"That's... urgh, unthinkable."

"Our little Lily is very good at making up spells." Mariella let go of his hair, and he slowly raised his head, wincing.

"James, do you love her?" he froze.

"What?"

"I've seen the way you look at her. You've been looking at her like that since our first year. As though she was the moon and stars, the most perfect being ever created, and you wanted her all for yourself." James sighed, pushed his glasses up and rubbed his eyes.

"You are amazingly perceptive."

"Answer the question." Mariella's blue eyes were fixed on him piercingly. James' hazel ones looked back.

"Yes."

"You're a bloody fool. You couldn't have found a better way to loose her." She stood up, and looked down at him.

"If you ever want her to see you in any other way, you need to look past the Lily that every one thinks they know. You need to stop being a bastard." James stood up, ready to defend himself, but she carried on before he could open his mouth. "The Lily we know is amazing. She's powerful, more powerful then you can imagine. She has this way of making all of us smile, and it's like her laugh is infectious. She likes to just lie in the sun, letting it wash over her, calming her, and none of you blind gits ever saw it. Only we saw it, and we're the supposed bitches of the school. When that bastard Avery was tormenting Rose because she's black, who do you think stood up to him, even though she's tiny and he's huge? Lily did, because Rose is her friend. She did more then you could imagine for Rose. Maybe all you see to Lily is a piece of ass; if that's the case, stay away from her, or what she would do to you would look like a pin prick compare to what I'd do to you." James blinked.

"Do you get this passionate over all your friends?"

"No, just Lily." James looked at her, a thought dawning on him.

"You're not....?" Mariella grinned.

"Gay? Gees, you're faster then most on the uptake. Yeah, I am. By the way, tell Sirius to back off, because unless he wants to turn himself into a girl, he has no chance." She smiled, and walked away.

~

Lily stood on the roof, looking out over the grounds. She wiped at her eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears that poured down her cheeks.

"I hate this. He's going to hold it over my head for the rest of my life. I won't be able to escape." She looked at the ground that was so far away, yet so close. It would be over in a moment. An evil little voice in her mind said. You would probably die from shock before you were half way down. Go on. One little step and Potter won't be able to do anything to you any more. No more pain. No more being the 'Mudblood' to the Slytherins. One little step, just one. She took a shaky step toward the edge of the roof.

"Lily." She stopped for a moment, then took another step. Two more steps and she would be there.

"Lily." A hand rested on her shoulder. She turned her head.

"Sirius?" he raised his eyebrows.

"What are you doing Evans?" Lily blinked up at him. What was he doing here?

"None of your business Black." She glared at him as he pulled her back from the roof edge. He pushed her down slightly, making her sit with her back against on of the chimneys that came out of the roof. She continued to glare at him. How dare he interfere with her life?!

"Oh, I think it is my business. I can't let the worlds next rock star kill her self before she's finished her seventh year, can I?"

"Piss off Black." He flopped onto the roof.

"No can do Lily. If I leave, you may well take the opportunity to jump." Lily crossed her arms sulkily.

"I don't need a baby sitter." Sirius raised an eyebrow, and didn't reply. Lily picked at the nail varnish on her finger nails, glaring at them.

"I hate you. I hate you, I hate Potter, I hate Remus and I hate Pettigrew."

"I can't help but notice that Remus is the only one who has his first name used."

"He's the only nice one among you." Lily sighed, scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, and looked out at the grounds again. The wind rushed around the roof, and Lily shivered. Her shirt wasn't exactly warm.

"Here, you're cold." Sirius pulled off his jumper and handed it to her. She took it, gave him the smallest of smiles and put it on.

"This is way too big."

"At least you'll be warm now though."

"True. And you'll be cold."

"I'll survive, but it's nice to know you care."

"I don't, just stating a fact." She could tell that he didn't believe her, and she found that she didn't quite believe it herself.

"How did you get up here so fast?" He grinned.

"I 'borrowed' James' broom."

"Will he notice it's gone?"

"Meh."

"Ah." She pulled a face as the wind blew her hair all over her face.

"Why is he such a git?"

"Who, James?"

"No, Snape. Of course James!" Sirius chuckled, and shook his head.

"Because he's such a stupid git, he doesn't know how to act around you."

"Me? What have I got to do with it?" He looked at her.

"Because the only reason he acts this way is because he's trying to impress you, and screwing up royally." Lily didn't know what to say. Impress her? James Potter? He had to be wrong.

"Well, he's really gong about it the wrong way. I haven't been this upset since.. Since Jim Morrison died!"

"Who's Jim Morrison."

"Never mind. To hard to explain." Sirius shifted his position so that he was closer to her.

"Look, Lily, I'm probably not the one who should be telling you, but James is crazy about you, though he has a bloody odd way of showing it. Feel free to hate him if you want, but remember that. You're both bloody stubborn, and you're probably going to hold a grudge against him, but remember that. Now, get on the broom, I'm taking you back down to the ground, I don't trust you up here." He stood, and held out his hand to help her up. She scrabbled up, and, as elegantly as she could, swung her self onto the broom behind him. She shrieked and clung to him as he rose and nose dived the ground quickly.

"I HATE YOU SIRIUS BLACK!!!" he merely laughed, and pulled up. She fell off the broom rather then dismounted. He was still laughing, and Lily found herself giggling at the fact that he was still on the broom, and she was sprawled on the ground. She got up and dusted herself off as he joined her on the ground. She smiled.

"Thank you. For stopping me."

"Don't mention it." Then Lily did something she had never done before. She hugged Sirius. Not by way of trying to seduce him, but as a thank you. He was surprised, but hugged her back.

A short distance away, two pairs of eyes watched, both glaring at the dark haired boy who was hugging the tiny red head.

~

When Sirius flew back to his friends, James was standing, arms folded, legs akimbo, eyes flashing behind his glasses.

"You call yourself my friend Black?" Sirius jumped off the broom.

"Yeah, I do."

"Then why are you such a bastard?? I trusted you!" James felt his body tremble with anger. The look of bewilderment on Sirius face just made him angrier.

"James, what are you-"

"Like you don't know! You and Lily! I saw you!" Sirius turned pale as he realized what his friend was talking about.