I'm pretty sure I should be shot. Why do I suck at updating things? I went back to this and realized that I last updated it when I was moving to Hawaii, which was a good year ago. I'm pretty terrible at being alive. Therefore, I'll understand if you totally hate me and this story. -_- I lost my flash-drive and had none of this...and I really didn't want to rewrite it (because I honestly wouldn't remember what I wrote). Anyway, here is the next chapter in the story. I really...REALLY hope you enjoy it.

Harry Potter is not mine; this includes all the characters you recognize from the actual series.

Chapter Eight: You're So Vain

There was no way in bloody hell I was ever going to be able to face James Potter again.

No way.

Not only had I had a fantasy about him-but I had dreamed that he...that he... I kept my head low as I passed through the dungeons on my way to Potions.

Potions...where James would be...

I had done a perfectly amiable job avoiding him. Because I would rather be put under an Unforgivable curse than have to look at his face after that dream. Passing by a large glass case showcasing the successes of Slytherin's Quidditch team, I quickly checked my reflection, severely self-conscious of my haggard and red-faced appearance. But my reflection showed no sign of the embarrassment that had taken over my mind and so, with great effort I pushed myself through the open door to Slughorn's classroom.

The room was already full, thank Merlin. I had walked exceptionally slow, hoping that all the seats near the back would have been occupied and I would have a reason to continuing avoiding James. Lucky for me, his popularity deemed it nearly impossible that any seat be left empty this late, and I happily nestled into a chair in the front.

Potions was easily one of my favorite classes-and not just because Professor Slughorn absolutely adored me. It seemed like everything in Potions just made sense and it was the one class that made me feel most like the witches I saw on Halloween before I had heard of Hogwarts. With a cauldron and a bottle of eye of newt how couldn't I?

The girl beside me looked at me with mild curiosity as I slammed my Potions book open and giggled to myself. I gave her the best smile I could muster and she turned her attention off me and back to the front of the classroom where Slughorn had finally entered.

"Good morning class!" Slughorn said a little too enthusiastically for my taste. He grinned largely at me and then turned around and began writing something on the board behind him. I pulled out my quill to begin writing down whatever Slughorn said-verbatim.

"Now," Slughorn exclaimed putting the chalk down. "Who can tell me what potions these three ingredients make up?"

I glanced at the board. Arnica Montana...Blood root...Witch Hazel...

"Wolfsbane." The girl beside me answered aloud and Slughorn smiled and nodded in her direction.

"Very good, Miss Cammolie, is it? Yes, very good. And what does each plant do exactly? Anyone...?"

A hand rose in the back but Slughorn's attention turned when the chamber door opened and James rushed in looking frazzled. Slughorn's eyes narrowed slightly. He had never being too keen on tardiness.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Potter." He said icily. "Would you care to tell us what these three ingredients of the wolfsbane potion are used for?"

Without missing a beat James replied, "Arnica Montana is a poisonous plant that deflects the effects of the transformation, Blood Root also known as Sanguinaria calms the taker down and Witch Hazel-hamamelis- heals them." Clearly satisfied with his own answer, James moved to the back of the classroom leaving Slughorn and the rest of the class to stare at him in slight awe. It had never made sense to me how James and his friends could get away with everything around the Professors-mischief and tardiness included-but they were smart and there was really nothing the Professors could do about it.

Even Slughorn, who had never really cared for James, couldn't help but look slightly impressed. He continued on, asking what exactly the wolfsbane potion was for. Sirius howled in the back and the class irrupted in giggles.

"Very nice, Mr. Black." Slughorn replied sourly with a trace of a smile on his face. Even the Head of Slytherin house couldn't help but be appeased with those four. Behind me I could hear James, Peter and Remus snickering, and could imagine the large, proud smile that would undoubtedly be on Sirius' face. "The Wolfsbane potion does not cure lycanthropy, however it does prevent the dementia often associated with the painful transformation from human to werewolf. Today we are going to make some Wolfsbane. Please split into groups of two and come up to the front for your ingredients. The potion is on page one-hundred."

I glanced at the girl beside me and gave her yet another small smile that appeared to be more of a grimace than a smile. But she appeared not to be offended and offered to get the supplies from the front of the classroom.

Her name was Dru Cammolie, a Ravenclaw seventh year with dark hair and a dark complexion. I had only seen her in passing, but I did recall that she was quite intelligent-she was a Ravenclaw, after all- and from what James had said, she was quite the Quidditch player. For the most part, she pretty much stayed under the radar. There was nothing particularly special about her; she was plain looking, albeit her rather grim expression. We had shared classes for years but we weren't particularly close, being that we both kept to ourselves mostly.

"Here." Dru said, placing down the cauldron full of ingredients. I nodded and flipped my book open to page one hundred.

"Shall I measure it? I must admit that I've practiced this potion before." I said sheepishly, hoping I didn't come off sounding snobbish. Drusella smiled kindly.

"I have, too."

We began measuring out our ingredients. I had just poured the Blood Root into the cauldron when Drusella nudged me gently.

"If you care, James Potter is staring at you."

I tried not to look. I gave her a nonchalant shrug. It wasn't very believable but Drusella shrugged and didn't press the issue farther. We worked in silence, only speaking to exchange comments on the result of our potion which Slughorn seemed very pleased by. He congratulated us on a job well done and went to check on Marlene McKinnon and her best friend Mary Tudor who, from the disgruntled sounds they were making, weren't having such an easy time.

The potion bubbled and fizzed in front of us, then drowned out by the loud chatter that filled the classroom. Potions was a fairly relaxed class in comparison to most. Slughorn wasn't nearly as stern as Professor McGonnagal or Madam Hooch, who I was glad never to have to meet the good graces of since our flying lessons first year. Madam Pomfrey, who always acted as if all the students were about to drop dead any minute, was enough for me.

I sat in contemplative silence considering what was left to do at this point. The Hogsmeade trip was coming up at Halloween which was only two weeks away and I still hadn't spoken to Hestia about Eric Johnson. In fact, I hadn't seen her since the Quidditch game.

I looked around the classroom but there was no sign of Hestia at all. It was odd. Hestia's worst nightmare was missing class-and she always swore that the only refutable excuse for missing class would be due to a bed ridden illness or death. But Hestia was nowhere to be found. And while she certainly did not favor Potions quite like I did, it wasn't like Hestia to skip class. I wondered if she was sick.

She looked perfectly healthy at the game.

I pushed the thought aside, turning my attention to Slughorn who had finished checking the students' work and began instructing us on our mistakes and improvements.

I searched for Hestia after class. I had twenty five minutes in between Potions and Ancient Runes. I checked the Great Hall and I made a quick detour to the library. I checked the Gryffindor common room and asked Jennika Hastings if she had seen her, but no one had seen her since she left for breakfast this morning.

I had just decided to give up and make my way to the South hall when a blurry of black and gray barreled into me at a surprising speed. I fell to the floor with an oof. Hestia grinned down at me.

"Someone asked me to Hogsmeade." She said excitedly, before jotting out a hand to help me up. I brushed off my skirt and glanced at her, feeling dread seep through me slowly. Hestia was asked out a lot. There would only be one reason why she would be this excited...

"Who-"

"I still can't believe he asked me!" She was almost bouncing. "He came right up to me in the common room and threw his arm across my shoulder and said, 'Hestia, you're gonna be my date to Hogsmeade on Halloween.' And of course, I said yes. He's just so cute, how could I not? And I know that you and Alice don't think he's my type or that I'm his type, but he did ask me, didn't he? Yes, I get it, he's a player, but come on, he's just so cute, I can't help but be excited. Lily, have you been listening to a word I've said?"

Technically, yes. But I didn't want to. My pulse was beginning to race and in my mind flashed visions of ringing Sirius Black's neck until his face was so blotchy and purple that no girl on the face of the planet would ever want him again. My best friend beamed at me, rocking on the balls of her feet.

I gave her an uneasy smile. The bell chimed loudly overhead and Hestia grabbed my arm and began pulling me toward the South Hall, continuing her rant.

It was hard not to tune her out. Under any other circumstance, I loved listening to Hest ramble on and on about a boy, and under any other circumstance I would have been just as excited picking out the perfect outfit or describing just how well the date would turn out. But this was Sirius Black, the guy that swore to me he wouldn't ask her out.

We entered the classroom. Most of the seats were filled-leave it to Hufflepuffs to always be early-but the back half of the room was empty: strictly marauder territory. Hestia grabbed a seat all the way at the end of the last row and pointed at the seat in the corner for me to sit down.

"I want to save Sirius a seat." She said, a beautiful smile on her face. I didn't groan, although I really really wanted to. So now not only would I have to deal with seeing James after that awful dream, but I would have to deal with Hestia and Sirius flirting and giggling beside me. I tried to keep my temper in check when Sirius and his friends entered the room. He walked up to the back row slowly, smiling perfectly at Hestia and avoiding my eyes. She had her back turned to me, her complete attention on the back stabbing traitor, so I could safely glare at him.

"Hey, pretty girl." Sirius said, putting an arm around her shoulders. I tried not to yack and looked helplessly at Remus and Peter for some guidance, but both boys had their heads closely together, whispering about something. James strolled in a few minutes later, just before Professor Babbling rushed in in a flurry of black robes and blond hair.

I averted my eyes right away, staring at the front of the classroom. I half hoped that James would look as incredulous at the couple beside us, but if he was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead, he dropped down into the seat beside Peter and looked positively at ease.

When Sirius turned his attention to say something to James, Hestia glanced over at me with a large smile on her face. Her eyes twinkled with excitement and she mouthed, "He's soo cute" before turning to face the front of the classroom as Professor Babbling began her lesson.

It was hard to pay attention to runes with the giggling and laughing beside me. And as hard as I tried to concentrate on the chapter, all I could think about was that conversation with Sirius in the Gryffindor common room.

"...Hestia Jones isn't the kind of girl I had in mind..."

Right, which was exactly why he had his hand clenched around hers under their desks. If there hadn't been a classroom of people around us I would have...

Sirius' head turned a fraction and for the briefest second, a smile played at his lips in my direction. No, not a smile. A smirk.

His brows raised as if offering me a challenge.

I stared back in disbelief, but then he was whispering with James again. I glanced at Hestia, hoping that she would have noticed, and she would break from whatever awful spell Black had a habit of casting over girls and come back to reality. Our reality. But she was smiling, her attention not on me and not on Babbling who was, true to her name, babbling on and on about something that was completely lost to me.

James caught my eye and he grinned at me, crossing his eyes. I looked away at once, memories of the dream flooding my mind.

How long could one hour last? Pretty long. For the rest of the class, Hestia and Sirius kept flirting and touching each other, and James kept trying to get my attention with silly faces. By the time the bell rang, I couldn't get out of the room fast enough, even tripping over Hestia's feet as we both tried to leave our seats.

I heard Hestia call out to me, followed by James, but I didn't stop and I didn't look behind. I was out before even the Hufflepuffs at the front had a chance to finish packing up their bags, and zoomed quickly past a startled looking Professor Babbling.

Madam Pince gave me a wary expression when I threw the doors to the library open hastily. I ignored her, rushing to the back of the library and began looking over my Herbology homework that was due this afternoon.

I hid out in the library until my stomach began protesting loudly, drawing the interest of a group of fifth year girls that were sitting at a table near. I glanced at my watch. Lunch started half an hour ago, and if I wanted anything good before Herbology, I would have to book it downstairs. Stuffing my things back into my bag, I quickly walked out of the library, slowing my pace as I passed by Madam Pince who, fortunately, smiled happily at me as I pushed open the doors.

Unfortunately, Hestia was sitting with the marauders at our usual table at lunch. Again, she looked like she had just won ten million galleons as she waved me over. Begrudgingly, I made my way to where she sat chatting excitedly with Sirius about something or other, and slid into a spot in front of Alice.

I mouthed at her, "What the hell?" to which she only replied with a weak shrug, and went back to looking over Frank's copy of The Daily Prophet.

After a moment, Sirius kissed Hestia's cheek and motioned at his boys to follow him out of the Great Hall. "They have some top secret business to attend to." Hestia said by ways of explanation. She turned her full attention on me.

"I still can't believe it!" She said. Alice didn't look up. She was staring hard at the paper in her hands.

I smiled weakly and Hestia went on, not noticing.

"He has an apartment, did you know that? It's a little flat in London-isn't that so cosmopolitan? And he wants to buy this motorcycle he saw in Wizard Monthly. It's gorgeous, Lily. Can't you just imagine him in a black leather jacket riding on a big motorcycle with the wind blowing through his hair? Oh, it's absolutely delicious sounding, isn't it?"

I nodded mutely. But again, Hestia didn't seem to notice my silence. If she did, she clearly wasn't bothered by it.

"He promised me that he would take me for a ride. I've never been on a motorcycle before, unless you count my cousin Daniel's little one, but this will be completely different. And his flat isn't too far from where my dad lives, so I'll get to visit him some time this winter break. Oh! You should come, too! We can spend a few days in London right before Christmas and do some shopping. Sirius says that the boys are over all the time, so it'll be like one great big party. Speaking of parties, do you think it'll be alright if we threw one after we get back from Hogsmeade on Friday?"

"We have the Halloween feast that night." I said softly, trying to keep my temper in check. Hestia's brows furrowed cutely.

"Oh, I forgot. And you have to go as Head Girl, don't you?"

Yes, I had to. I also had to plan out the entire dinner, get all the decorations, plan the menu for the House Elves as well as be present. And James and I had spent the last week going through hundreds of permission slips for the Hogsmeade trip, making lists of who was allowed to go and who was to stay put at the castle.

"Well, I suppose we could do something small, you know, in the Gryffindor common room. I was hoping James would let us hold it in the Heads' dorm because you know there's a lot more room in there. They really set you guys up, didn't they? I kind of wish I was Head Girl so I could live in that dorm."

I rubbed my eyes wearily. I hadn't even touched my food when the bell rang. Across the table, Alice gathered her belongings silently and followed Frank out of the Great Hall. Hestia continued as we made our way out of the castle to the Herbology greenhouse.

"He's really romantic, you know."

I found our table in the Herbology classroom as Hestia waggled her fingers across the stretch of classroom at Sirius. My head was pounding. I didn't know how much one girl could talk about a boy, especially mynormally quiet and shy best friend. But Hestia hadn't stopped to breathe since the Great Hall. She kept grinning and giggling in Sirius' direction.

"I'll bet." I replied lamely.

"No, he really isn't a bit the git that we thought he was. He kept complimenting me throughout Ancient Runes."

Had he? I hadn't noticed. I bent over to reach into my bag and rolled my eyes.

"You know what would be really romantic? If he and I were Head Boy and Girl. Really, Lily, you don't put that privacy to good use. Then he and I could lounge around in our knickers all day."

I shot my head up, staring at her incredulously.

Wait a minute.

"Hest, you've only been dating him for a few hours!"

She whipped her head around, looking at me as if she was really noticing me for the first time.

"Yes, well, he's really attractive, and come on, it isn't as if I'm a virgin or anything..."

I scrunched up my nose. "It doesn't matter! He's a player, and you know it! How can you think about sleeping with him when you know he's shagged half the girls in Hogwarts?"

Hestia frowned, blinking. "Lily, I'm telling you, he isn't so bad when you get to know him."

"That's just it!" I spat. "I don't want to know him."

"Lily," she said reproachfully, shooting a look across the greenhouse before settling back on me again. I felt the anger bubbling up inside of me like acid, and it began pouring over the sides as Hestia fixed me with a stern look. A look that a mother might give her child when they were throwing a tantrum. "You really don't know him at all. He's a good guy. You're being arrogant."

"Arrogant?" I scoffed, disbelievingly. Was my best friend really picking some boy over me? I couldn't believe it. "I'm the arrogant one? I'll have you know that that boy whom you supposedly know so well told me that you weren't his type at all!"

She stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Here it came. Diarrhea of the mouth. "The other day, in the Gryffindor common room. I told him that you had a crush on him and you know what? He said you weren't his type! He said he didn't want to go out with you."

"You told him not to go out with me?" She screeched. I blinked. I had said it but before I could backtrack, Hestia was rounding on me again. "So much for a best friend! Why can't you just be happy for me?"

I gaped at her. "You really think you'll be happy with Sirius Black?" I chortled. "Please, he's just using you." And he was. He had to.

"Oh, because it's so impossible for a great guy to like me? You're the one who kept turning down a perfectly good bloke who was obviously mad for you! Wouldn't you call that arrogance?"

I froze, Hestia's words feeling like a harsh slap across the cheek. James had always been a soft zone for Hestia and me; something she only joked about. Having it thrown my face, I began getting hysterical. "And you think that just because Black has picked you this week that you actually mean something to him? If so, than you obviously don't know him as well as you thought."

"Look," she hissed loudly enough for the rest of the class to hear, who had all turned to watch us, "just because you can't stop being a loser, doesn't mean I have to!"

She grabbed her bag off the floor and stormed out, ignoring Professor Sprout who called after her. Immediately, I felt all eyes on me and wished, for the thousandth time that day, that the floor would open and gobble me up.

I'll just go ahead and let it be known that I actually love Sirius (if you couldn't tell by the penname). I even love what a douchebag he is. Hey, let's not lie to ourselves...lots of girls like the good looking douchebag at school...or wherever. And I like Hestia, as well, but I wanted to show the differences between how popularity affected Lily and her best friend.

Also, if you've ever read my (terrible) story: Tears In Heaven, you'll recognize Miss Drusella Cammolie. I usually hate OC's, especially when they are paired off with major characters (such as the Marauders), but I wanted to represent someone different than the other characters. Besides, some reviewers said they really liked her, and she'll play a decent role in this story, as well.

Next Chapter will be soon. 3