"I failed my Transfiguration test. . ." I mumbled.

And it's Snape's fault. Yes it is. Damn him.

"Oh," she replied sympathetically. "Well. . . It's not that bad. . ."

"It is. Because it was a practice for the main exam, and it gave us a foundation mark. If I don't pass with a-"

"I know, I know. You won't make Head Girl. . ." she trailed off, looking thoughtful. "Lils, you're going to get it. No, seriously, you will. You've been working really hard. . ."

"Obviously not hard enough," I muttered.

"Yes, you have, And hey, I can help you with your homework. . . I've not done that in awhile. And I'm sure Helen will help you. And. . . James is a whizz at Transfiguration, right? He'll be sure to give you a hand. . ."

I sat up and gave her a small smile. "Thanks. . ." I said quietly.

She grinned and pulled me into a hug. "Don't mention it. I'm sorry for being so jealous-"

"I'm sorry for being such a cow-"

"Lily!" a girl from our dorm burst in and interrupted us, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "What happened with you and Snape?"

I frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Because James is going crazy! I swear if he doesn't kill him, it'll be a miracle!"

James' POV

"You dirty mouthed tosser!"

I dunno what I was saying; I was more focusing on sending as many curses as I could towards Snape.

I can not believe that, after all of this time of tutoring her, he goes and calls her a Mudblood.

And he made the mistake of calling her a Mudblood in front of me.

Oh, he'll pay.

"You're filth, you know that?" I snapped, as I towered over him. He was lay sprawled on the floor while I was above him, my wand pointing at his forehead.

Well it wasn't touching his forehead, of course. . . Ugh, come on. My wand would be tainted.

"Dirty, greasy, disgusting, filth. You think being a pureblood makes up for any of that? Well, think again. I swear, I'd use the Unforgivables right now if I had the power to-"

"James!" Lily's voice suddenly cried, and I turned slightly, still keeping my wand over Snivellus.

"What?" I asked, my voice softening a little.

"Stop it! Just let him go. . ."

"He called you a-!"

"Yeah, I know. But, it's okay. Anyway, how did you find out? You weren't in the library. . ." Lily trailed off, looking a little suspicious.

I rounded on Snape again. "YOU CALLED HER A MUDBLOOD IN THE LIBRARY, TOO?!"

As a reply, Snape glared at me.

"That's it. You are so dead."

Lily's POV

I stared desperately at James and Severus, wondering what the hell I should do.

I mean. . . James was Head Boy. I didn't want him to get in trouble.

But! Luckily - or unluckily, or James put it later on - Dumbledore walked past. And apparently, he's so used to James and Snape fighting that he didn't even bat an eyelid.

He simply stooped down, pulled Severus to his feet (as he was still laid sprawled on the floor) and pointed him in the direction of the Slytherin Common Room.

Then, after he made sure that Severus had gone and the crowd that had started to gather cleared, he walked off.

He hadn't even said a single word.

That guy is. . . peculiar. But I like him.

By his expression, James didn't feel the same way.

"What's wrong?" I asked, raising my eyebrows as I walked over to him.

"What's wrong? Lils, he called you a-! He called you that twice and he didn't even get punished for it!"

"Well. . ."

"It's not fair Lily. It's not. You know what this is about, don't you?"

Um. . . should I?

"Er, he doesn't get as many bonus points on his exam papers because I failed my test?" I guessed.

James sighed. "No. It's about - you failed your test? Because of him?"

"James, please don't kill him. I don't want my boyfriend to be sent to Azakaban."

He rolled his eyes. "Lil, he still likes you."

I blinked. "Who?" Yes, utterly stupid as it sounds, I did say that.

James sighed in frustration. "Snape."

"What about him?"

"He's crazy for you!"

"Oh, yeah right!" I burst out laughing. And then I couldn't stop. It's just such a ridiculous idea.

"Ask anyone. . ." James insisted.

I sighed and turned to Tess, who was in a conversation with Sirius a few meters away from us.

"Yo! Tess! Why is Snape calling me a Mudblood?"

Because he hates all muggle borns my mind was waiting to hear.

"Because he fancies you and is bitter that you're going out with James," both Tess and Sirius replied as one.

I stared, before slowly turning back to James.

"See," he smirked.

"But. . . but. . . how do you know that?"

James shrugged. "I dunno." Then he suddenly threw an arm over my shoulders, and began to lead me away. "But. . . who cares? You're mine. I love you, y'know that? Now. . . let's go help you pass that Transfiguration test."

I grinned.

But as we walked away, I didn't see both Tess and Sirius watching our retreating backs sadly.

Sirius' POV

Oh, puke.

He 'loves her'.

Yeah, excuse me while I go throw up.

I stared at them as the loved up pair strode away, then felt like hitting myself when I realized I was as bad as Snape.

They're happy, I thought silently to myself. Leave them alone.

However. . . I couldn't help thinking that this little relationship was making a lot of people UNHAPPY.

Well, there's this Tess for a start. She obviously has a soft spot James.

Then there's me, who. . . Well, I never fully got the chance to get over Lily, did I? Tuh. Why do I have to care about my friends so much? Next girl I like, I'm keeping. James can just go throw himself off a cliff.

Okay, that was bitter.

Remus still thought that if James was totally serious about Lily, and shared EVERYTHING with her, his little wolfy secret would soon come out, and the whole school would be turned against him. So he wasn't too happy with them being so cozy.

Peter is apparently in love with Tess, who likes James, so. . . Yeah. Peter hates James, and is annoyed that he gets all the luck in the romance department. I'd second that thought, but Peter bugs me.

And. . . erm. . . Hey, Snape isn't happy either. Yeah so Snape has never been a little ray of sunshine, but that's not the point.

See? All of these people unhappy, just 'cause two people decided to go out.

God, our lives are like a cheap soap opera.

God, Lily's hot.

"They're cute together aren't they?" Tess asked, a little wistfully, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Perfect together."

"Hmm. Well. . . I'm happy for them."

"Oh, I know, me too."

Lily's POV

And that's how things continued. Even though we never exchanged words, Snape and I decided that he wouldn't be my tutor anymore. James helped me instead.

True, this had it's disadvantages. I had to admit, I got a lot more work done when Snape was teaching me. But! I'm not complaining.

And I did pass my Transfiguration end of year exam. With extremely pleasing results, if I do say so myself.

James got amazing results for his NEWTs. I would have been quite jealous if I wasn't so happy for him, actually.

And then. . . by the last week. . . I was painfully aware that the school year was drawing to a close. That James' life at Hogwarts was drawing to a close.

In just five days, he'd be free. He could leave forever, without looking back. He could do whatever he wanted with his life, thanks to his exam results.

. . . And I had to stay here for another year . . .

And those five days passes surprisingly quickly.

Until. . . eventually. . . it was the night before we had to get on the Hogwarts Express and leave.

"Lil?"

I'd been lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Then Helen poked her head through the parting in the curtains around my bed and looked at me.

"James is waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs. He says he wants to see you before to tomorrow," she said quietly, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

I groaned. "Oh great. So I can get all emotional and make a show of myself." I rolled over and stuffed my head in my pillow. "Leave me here to die," I said dramatically, though the effect wasn't as good as I intended as my words were slightly muffled.

"C'mon," Helen grinned, pulling my arm. "He knows you're here."

"Damn."

"Lily," she said warningly.

"Helen," I replied in the same tone.

"Get up. You know you want to see him, anyway."

"Yeah. I know."

"So why are you still sat here?"

I rolled my eyes in reply and jumped off my bed. As I walked out of the door, I kicked a stray shoe towards my bed. I still hadn't packed. I have to stop putting things off.

I walked quickly to the top of the stairs, where I saw James immediately. It was quite late, and most people had hit the sack early, preparing for that hideously long train ride the next day.

So James was one of the only few in the Common Room. He was stood with his back to me, facing the fire. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, and was gently rocking back and forward on his feet.

"Hi," I said, to let my presence know.

James turned slowly, and grinned.

Oh, sigh. He's just so good looking.

"I thought you were going to stay in that stupid dorm all night," he stated, as I started to walk down the stairs towards him.

I shrugged. "Yeah, well. . . Y'know. Packing."

"You haven't packed?"

"No. You mean you have?"

James snorted. "Nope. That can wait until I have a spare two minutes in the morning."

I smiled, finally reaching him.

He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on the top of my head. "Ooh, I'm gunna miss you, Lils," he sighed.

I nodded slightly. "I know. Why'd you have to be older than me, James?"

He shook his head slowly instead of replying, and gently pushed me away. I frowned, until he kissed me lightly.

"I have something for you," he said, putting a hand back into the pocket of his robe.

When he pulled out a jewellery box, I thought for one terrifying, heart stopping, 'Oh-My-God-James-Has-Gone-Crazy' moment that he was going to propose.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I love the guy and everything, but I hadn't even finished school.

But I was wrong. The box was bigger than a ring box. Longer. As if it held a necklace, or something.

"Your bracelet?" I asked, as I opened the box.

It was this chunky silver bracelet that James and Sirius both have. Sirius' made him look as if he were a gangster of some sort, and James' just looked right on him. But. . . not really my piece of jewellery.

"Yup," James replied, taking it out of it's box and wrapping it around my wrist. Jesus, that thing is heavy. "To remember me by."

I laughed quietly. "James, it's not as if we're never going to see each other again."

James smiled and shrugged. "Ah, well. You not going to forget me, Lils?"

"Ptsh. Like I could forget you, James Potter."

James grinned and kissed me. Then, when he pulled away, he kissed the top of my head and walked away slowly.

"I'll see you later, Lily," he promised, before making his way up to bed.

I nodded and smiled, looking down at the bracelet that was adding about three tons to my arm.

So he didn't want me to forget him?

As if. . .

The End

We-ell that's the last chapter of this!!! Thanks SO much to anyone and everyone who's read and reviewed. Hope you enjoyed it.

Yes there is a sequel. It's called "Up Close and Extremely Personal" and you should be able to find it on my stories authored page.

Lauren

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