"You're coming with us, like it or not." Alice commands.

Marlene, Alice, and some other girls are going to do something or other today. Frankly, I am not in the mood. I'd rather stay here and sulk. But, knowing Alice, she will fight me until I either accept her invitation or outlast her. Usually, the latter prevails.

"You need to get out, do something social." Marlene supports Alice's efforts.

"Even if I hadn't just been called the most offensive slur I know of and lost a childhood friend I wouldn't go to your frivolous party or whatever you two are wasting your time with. I don't know over half of those girls, and most of them I wouldn't want to know anyways." I retort.

"You need new friends." Alice states.

"I have plenty of friends." I reply.

"Fine, don't go with us, but you will be spending the day in the common room." Alice compromises.

I sigh. "Fine. Maybe I'll meet my soulmate. I can see it now."

Despite being completely ready, neither girl leaves. "I promise I'll go to the damn common room, ok?"

Marlene rolls her eyes and exits, motioning for Alice to follow, which she does.

"I bet my soulmate will be the first person I talk to." I call sarcastically as they walk out the door.

I throw on some jeans, a yellow shirt, and some old ill fitting tennis shoes before heading down to the common room. As I descend the stairs I trip at least twice. I'm not particularly coordinated in the morning.

I enter the common room with a book in hand to find it packed. How am I supposed to spend the day in a room filled to the brim with people? On top of that, I'm not too keen on some of them. A lot of them, actually. For a moment I think about going back to my room to sulk the day away and paying James and Sirius to lie to Marlene and Alice. Then, I remember something. The corner James showed me shouldn't be crowded in the slightest, given that nearly no one knows of its existence.

Upon entering the secret space I see none other than James Potter. Well, I shouldn't have said that while soulmate thing. Too late to turn back now, he sees me.

"Well hello there Lily. I trust you had a good nights sleep?" James greets me with sarcasm practically dripping from his words.

"Sure did." I respond. Two can play that game, Potter.

"What brings you here?" James inquires.

"Alice and Marlene are making me stay in the common room." I reply.

"Ah. Would you care to join me?" He offers.

"I suppose I've got nothing better to do." I answer.

Killing time isn't the real reason I'm staying. I hate to admit it, but James is fun to be around, when he's not pulling those idiotic pranks and tormenting my best friend. Former best friend.

"Good, because I've got a very important question for you." James replies.

I sigh. "What, Potter?" I ask.

"Actually it's not a question." James clarifies.

"Get to the point." I command, frustrated at his tendency to dance around the subject. I suspect he could do it for hours.

"I'm expecting more signs of affection." He says.

At first I don't know what the hell he's talking about. I knew it wasn't a good idea to give him a a short lived hug. The fragile fun aesthetic is wearing off quickly.

"Well, you don't have a very good grasp on reality. That was the most you'll ever get out of me." I clearly state.

"I don't know about that. I'll bet you ten galleons we'll have a baby and I'll name him or her 'Actual Proof I Had Sex With Lily Evans Potter'. Catchy name, don't you think?" James retorts.

"I'll take that bet, but if you somehow win we would never name the baby that." I compromise.

"Well, you're not really taking the bet than, are you?" James pouts.

"Don't fret, you won't have the chance to sulk about it because we are never going to have a child. And if we did, we'd name him something much more sensible." I attempt to reason with him.

"Like what? Harry?" James suggests.

"Sure. If we have a son, we'll name him Harry. Deal?" I resolve.

"Deal." James agrees.

"But we're never having a kid." I restate.

"Sure, if you don't want kids that's fine." James replies.

"No, I mean we won't be together and therefore will never have the chance to have a child named Harry." I retort.

James sighs. "Oh Lils, you know we'd be absolutely perfect together."

"No, actually, I don't." I respond.

"But it's still true. And since it's true, no one can ever take that away from you." James insists.

"Sure it is sweetie." I say sarcastically.

James gasps. "You called me sweetie!"

"I didn't mean-" I begin to oppose, but James cuts me off.

"I am Lily Evans' sweetie!" James sings out.

"Shut up!" I demand.

"Never! I am Lily Evans' sweetie! I am Lily's sweetie! I, James Potter, a man who has only before been called such names as toerag and bloody idiot by Lily Evans, am now her sweetie! Oh joyous-" I finally cut his rant of happiness by shoving a handkerchief in his mouth.

"Where the hell did you get that?" James asks after removing the handkerchief out from his mouth.

"I dunno, just found it lying around." I reply, nonchalantly.

"You shoved something that could've been used to wipe piss off of something and hasn't been washed since into my mouth?!" James yells, attempting to cleanse his tongue with his own handkerchief.

"No. If it had been used to wipe off piss and hadn't been washed you'd taste the piss. It's probably just been up someone's nose." I retort.

We sit in silence for a few minutes. I read my book, he studies the handkerchief. I suspect he's examining it for unclean substances, as if he could really tell if there were some sort of harmful bacteria. Come to think of it, I don't think he knows what bacteria is. It seems that in James' case ignorance truly is bliss.

"You'll be fine." I attempt, albeit not with very much enthusiasm, to comfort him.

"That's easy for you to say, a crazed redhead didn't just shove a dirty cloth into your mouth!" James yells.

"It's not dirty. That's my handkerchief, and it just so happens that I washed it last night." I reply.

James gasps. "You are truly evil, Evans."

"As if you didn't know, Potter." I retort.

"So, you seem to be doing alright with the whole Snivilus thing." James changes the subject. He clearly isn't too angry with me, otherwise he'd still be flaming mad.

"I guess so. I haven't really been alone since I had a good cry, so it's hard to tell if I'm really fine. It might just be that there's so many distractions from the pain that I haven't really been feeling it." I explain, more so to myself than to James.

"Maybe that's the best coping mechanism for you. Distracting yourself from the pain instead of wallowing in it." James wonders out loud. "I'd hate to see you wallowing in self pity, Evans."

"Gee thanks. That just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside." I respond, oozing sarcasm.

We sit in silence for awhile, with me reading and James fiddling with some trinket he probably picked up in Hogsmeade last month.

"I think Alice and Marlene are back. You can go, if you'd like." James notices.

"Nah, I think I'll just stay here. They're probably just going to get something they forgot, anyways."

"Oh. Never mind then." James replies, a bit disappointed.

"And I'd honestly rather stay here." I confess.

"I knew it." James gloats.

"Actually, I've changed my mind." I retort before heading back up to my dorm.

"Hey Lils. How was one excruciating hour in the common room?" Marlene asks.

"Fine. What silly outing took twenty minutes?" I reply.

"Well, it's time for breakfast." Alice intercepts the passive aggressive off between Marlene and I.

"Like I didn't know that. It's at the same time everyday." I respond.

"Haha." Alice rolls her eyes at me.

"Let's get a move on, people." Marlene ushers us out the door.

"So, who'd you talk to first?" Alice inquires.

"Potter, unfortunately." I reply.

"Now you're doomed to marry him and have little Potter children. Oh, woe is Lily." Marlene chides.

"Very funny. He does help pass the time." I confess.

"So does shagging him, I'd wager." Marlene mumbles.

"Nope." I say, heading straight out the door. Like James Potter is or will ever be the highlight of my day.