This was originally a oneshot, but it ended up being a much too long, so I've divided it into about three chapters, possibly four. Lily has finally agreed to go out with James, but the aftermath did not go according to plan.. Can things be fixed?

"I still can't believe it backfired so badly."

A slight moan.

"Oh, don't start again, for the love of Merlin."

"I'm just saying, Lily. I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

A snort.

"Neither did I, Gwen, believe me."

A pause.

"Lily, come on, you've spent the past two days crying. Isn't there anything at all I can do?"

Amid another bout of tears, Lily hiccoughed and paused, shaking back her dark red hair to glance up at her friend. Gwendolyn's brown eyes were wide and sincere, clearly upset at her suffering. Far from feeling consoled by her friend's evident concern, Lily only felt worse. She did not deserve affection; she had done something incredibly cruel.

"I didn't mean to do it, Gwendolyn," she moaned, her green eyes glistening with tears as she hiccoughed.

Gwendolyn wrapped an arm sympathetically around her shoulder. "I know," she said soothingly. "I know you didn't actually expect this happen. I mean, you've despised him for so long!"

Lily did not appear comforted by this statement; she gave a tiny moan.

"Look," said Gwendolyn bracingly. "Maybe if you try and explain that to him –"

"How can I?" interrupted Lily, her mournful voice rising in desperation. "He won't even look at me! Black pulls him away whenever I try to get near, looking at me like I'm something he just found on his shoe. I mean, what am I supposed to do, short of kidnapping him?" She hiccoughed again. "I don't think that would go down too well."

Gwendolyn smiled wryly. "No, perhaps not."

Lily groaned and buried her face in hers hands. "I never expected that tables to turn like this, Gwen," she said, shaking her head slightly.

"I don't think anyone did," said Gwendolyn dryly.

"It was that blasted Gertie Hepsettia!" exclaimed Lily angrily. "She wound me right up, and I know it was just out of jealousy, but I shouldn't have let it get to me! And she knew James was standing behind me, and she let me say all those things! She let me … " Lily fell silent, shaking her head. "No," she said softly, her fair and freckled face streaked with tears. "I still shouldn't have said it. It was my fault. What am I going to do, Gwen?" she asked, resting her head mournfully on her friend's shoulder.

Gwendolyn glanced around the room, as though searching for an answer. Finally, she said, "Listen, what about Remus? Why don't you ask him to-"

"Tried," came Lily's bleak reply from her shoulder.

"Was he mean?" asked Gwendolyn sharply.

"No, no," replied Lily, wiping her eyes. "You know Remus, doesn't have a mean bone in his body. No, he just was a bit distant with me, and said that whatever it was, James wouldn't want to know. And then he left. And James has barely said one word to me for the past two days, and we're Head Boy and Girl!" Lily gave a tiny scream of despair. "What am I going to do, Gwen! It's not even Christmas, I can't spend all year with him hating me!" She broke in sobs again, burying her face in her hands once more.

"Well, he's spent the last three years with you hating him," muttered Gwendolyn dryly under her breath.

Lily surfaced. "I heard that," she choked out irritably.

Gwendolyn rolled her eyes. "Alright," she said, getting up and moving towards the dormitory door. "I'll go talk to James."

"No," said Lily, sitting up and looking desolately at Gwendolyn. "He'll know you're talking for me, and he won't listen. In fact, he'll probably just hate me even more."

Gwendolyn hesitated, watching Lily sink miserably back onto her bed. There was something unsettling about the whole situation; Lily was always so calm and collected, so sure of herself. Lily was the one they went to in times of need, and now here she was in floods of tears, over the one person she'd never given a second thought to, unless it was a thought of a painful death. Gwendolyn sighed. She must really like him.

"Fine," Gwendolyn replied, hand hovering over the brass handle. "I'll talk to Remus. Ah ah," she said, holding up a finger as Lily opened her mouth to protest. "Not another word. You stay here. I'll be back soon." And before Lily could say anything, she was gone.

Reviews are always welcome ;) I'll have the next chapter up within a few days, and it should be longer and more explanatory. It also contains a bit of Sirius and Remus, for any of you fans out there ;)