Potter and Evans

Never!

'I DON'T LIKE HIM!' Lily Evans suddenly erupted into the empty corridor where her and one of her best friends had been arguing for the past few minutes.

'Okay, okay. You don't like him. I was just saying that maybe you should at least give him a chance. Try to be friends maybe?' Marlene McKinnon tried to reason.

'He's just constantly pestering me to go out with him. I'd have to be an idiot to go out with someone that desperate! Plus he already has half the girls in the school drooling over him. Why can't he just pick one of them?'

'Because he only wants you,' Marlene muttered under her breath, half hoping it was loud enough for Lily to hear.

If she had heard though, she acted like she hadn't. 'He's so full of himself. He walks around the corridors hexing people like he owns the damn place! Him and his friends think it's the funniest thing in the world!' Lily scoffed, before taking a huge breath to continue, 'I'm pretty much the only person that doesn't want to go out with him, and he can't except that: he thinks that everyone has to like him. He's going to carry on pestering until I finally say yes, and not that I ever would, but if I did, he'd probably dump me the next week anyway! He'd be crazy to think I'd ever actually go out with him! I've never met someone so immature. He's an idiotic, arrogant toe-rag!' Lily took yet another deep breath and looked expectingly into Marlene's eyes, waiting for her reply that never came. 'Mar?' No answer. 'Look, I'm sorry for snapping, Mar. I just-'

'No. I get it. I shouldn't have pushed you. I'm sorry.'

'What's with the sudden interest with him anyway?' Lily said, with a small smile creeping up on her lips as she tried to lighten the mood, 'it's as if you have a crush on him.'

Marlene looked uncomfortable at Lily's last words, and as she began to walk away from Lily and down the corridor towards the Gryffindor dorms, she quietly said 'Try to put yourself in his shoes, Lils'.

Lily stood there, perplexed. 'Um...okay? I'll see yo-' She started, but when she looked up again, Marlene was already turning the corner.

As Lily glumly watched Marlene's robes sweep out of sight, she wondered what was going on with her. Didn't they both hate, well maybe not hate, but dislike James Potter? The idea of Marlene having a crush on him popped into her mind again, but no, if she did, then why would she be trying to convince Lily to like him? Plus, Lily was pretty sure that Marlene and Sirius has a 'thing' going on. Anyway, since when were Marlene and James even friends?

And more to the point, why did she suddenly want Lily and James to be together so badly?

—

As Lily entered the common room, she did a quick scan of who was in there. It was empty except for a few third years sitting by the fire and Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew huddled in a corner.  That probably meant that Marlene had gone into their dorms since it was now after curfew. Great. Lily would have to stay in the common room to not look as though she had been following her.

Lily found her favourite spot on a squashy armchair near the steady heat of the fire, and picked up the book beside her. Just as she did this, James came through the portrait. She glanced up at him as he entered and noticed that he didn't look like his usual self. His eyes had lost their usual spark of enthusiasm, and that stupid smirk he always wore was gone. He barely even lifted his head from the ground as he made his away across the room. She was sure that he didn't even notice her - not that she was complaining.

Instead of walking over to his friends, or as they called themselves, the 'Marauders', he made his way to the boys dormitories and began walking up the steps.

Sirius looked at him and shouted 'Prongs! Over here!', but all James could do was turn around with a weak smile and say something about being tired, before continuing his way up the stairs. 

—

James' POV

'Sorry, Padfoot. I'm not feeling too well. I think I'm going to have an early night.'

'Alright, Jamsie. Feel better.' Sirius smiles, blowing a kiss towards me.

I give my best attempt at a smile, then hurry to my dorm, fighting the urge to release my emotions until I'm alone.

I make it to my dorm before they have a chance to take too much control.

The truth is, I try to play off Lily's rejection like it doesn't bother me, but it hurts deep down. Of course from the outside it's easy to play it off, except I think maybe Sirius and the boys can see through it sometimes, but I don't want them to know it bothers me. It's not that I think it makes me seem weak, it's that there are people with bigger problems than a girl not liking them back. Sirius has his family, Remus has his furry-little-problem, and Peter has the bullies and teasing.

Is that really what Lily thinks of me though?

I know I'm stupid for thinking I ever had a shot with her. I always knew it would never happen, but now I know for sure. It's just that she's perfect in every possible way. She's different to other girls in an unexplainable way. I've never felt this way before.

I have to stop thinking of her like that though.

She hates me. She actually hates me.