An Unlikely Romance

"Lily!" A girl with mouse-brown waved Lily over to a seat beside her in the Great Hall.

"Hey, Alice," Lily said gloomily

"What's wrong? You normally like ol' Sluggy's class," Alice Smith, Lily's best friend at Hogwarts, asked.

"I'm sitting with Bellatrix Black and Severus Snape."

Alice gave her a sympathetic look. "Wow, that is bad. Why didn't you sit with Sirius, Remus and James?"

"Alice, I do not want James staring at me the whole year!"

"Why not? Why do you care if he stares at you?"

"I just do. It's really unnerving and I can never concentrate."

Alice smiled. "Lily, could you possibly like-"

"NO!" Lily was becoming very annoyed with Alice. "I am not in love with that self-centered jerk! We have been in the same school for a little more than five years and my feelings about him have never changed."

"Oh... why can't you be a little more open-minded; he really likes you." Alice was still smirking.

"Right, which is why he insults me and does all he can to annoy me," Lily replied. Why did people keep bugging her about James Potter?

Alice merely smiled. Lily rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "So, now I am sitting with Snape and Bellatrix."

"I still think even if you do hate Potter you should have sat with Remus and Sirius."

"Why?" Lily asked.

"Because Remus Lupin is one of the coolest guys I've ever met. I've had a crush on him since like, first year."

"Really?" Lily asked, her eyebrows raised. "Well, then, why did you go out with Frank?"

"Oh, Frank, I felt bad. He is a sweet soul and I couldn't bear to make him feel bad," Alice said, looking as saintly as possible.

Lily had finally found the reason for Alice's sudden rapture for Lupin. Frank Longbottom was standing just behind them, his face falling at Alice's every comment. Lily rolled her eyes. "Anything you say, Alice."

Frank walked up to Lily, pretending that Alice didn't exist. "Hey, Lily, how was your summer?"

"Relatively fun, how about yours?" Lily asked as kindly as she could, trying to soften the verbal blows her usually good-natured friend had knowingly struck. When Alice was your friend she was one of the most loyal people Lily knew; when she was not, she could be vicious. Over the summer, Alice and Frank had got into some sort of disagreement that was still unclear to Lily. Lily knew how Frank felt. She and Alice had got into a fight a while ago and it was horrible.

"Interesting enough," Frank replied, still trying to pretend that Alice wasn't there. "I forgot my Ancient Runes book and I was wondering if I could borrow yours."

"Course you can," Lily said shuffling through her already messy bag and couldn't find it. "Darn. Accio Ancient Runes book," she muttered Summoning the book out of her bag.

"Thanks."

"Anytime. See you, Frank," Lily muttered, feeling already depressed. "Alice, it's the first day and I'm already a mess." She sighed. "And what you did to Frank was not good."

Alice opened her mouth to give Lily a retort, but she was cut off by a familiar voice. "So, I'm one of the coolest guys here and you've had a crush on me since first year? Wow, you learn something everyday."

Alice turned crimson and Lily smiled and made room for Remus Lupin.

"Well," Alice began, "Frank and I are in a fight and I want to make him jealous."

"So, I'm not the coolest guy in the school?"

"Don't worry, I think you're awesome, Remus," Lily said, grinning at him.

"Cheers, Lily," Remus said, smiling. "Just don't let James hear you say that or he'll kill you. Or me. By the way, how was your summer?"

"Randomly fun, what about you?"

"Funnily random," Remus answered. "Alice, why are you and Frank in a fight?"

Alice muttered something under her breath.

"In other words, she doesn't know, but she's too proud to admit it," Lily explained to Remus.

"Yes, Alice does have that problem."

"Will you guys stop talking about me as if I'm not here?!" Alice cried.

"Hey, Lils," Sirius said, plunking down by Remus. "You trying out for Quidditch? Me and Jamesie are on the team."

"James and I," Remus corrected.

"You're trying out, Moony?" Sirius asked, surprised.

"I give up," Remus said, laughing.

"Well, don't give up on Qudditch that soon," Sirius said, grinning.

"I might try out for Chaser," Lily said. "I haven't really given it much thought."

"Well, you'd be good," Sirius told her.

"How do you know?"

"James said that you had a good build for a Chaser or a Seeker and considering how much he looks at your build, I'm trusting his judgment."

Lily glared. "James Potter should keep his eyes to himself. Tell him that, will you, Sirius?" Lily grabbed her books, still annoyed with Potter's comment. "Well, we better get going to the next class or we'll be late."

It was only the first day back and Lily was already fuming about a certain James Potter.