And just when I started to allow myself to think what if, she walked into his life.

It was love at first sight that I could plainly see and just to make sure I hadn't missed it, James would regal me of Lily tales.

"Oh, Sir, you should have seen what she said when Flitwick's back was turned..."

"Sirius you would have died at the expression on Filch's face..."

And the of course, inevitable, the omnimous, "I think I love her."

James didn't love girlfriends, at least never that I coul tell. It was Belle is really nice. Sarah is so fascinating. Killie is so spontaneous. But the closest anyone had ever come was "I really like this girl."

But Lily Evans, well, by his own admission, was like no one he'd ever met. It was just so much more.

That's when I knew I was doomed. When James Potter stops being articulate, he's fallen hard.

So it seemed my best friend had gotten the intangible concept of love figured out at about the same time I did. Life's a cruel bitch like that.

I wanted to hate her.

"No you don't," Remus scolded me. He was mostly teasing but that be mature growl was present in his voice.

"But Remus!" I whined, trying to sound desperate. My heart can't deal with the facade, so I sigh, deeply, darkly. "This bites," I admonish, trying for pity this time.

I don't even need to look at Remus's face to know it doesn't work.

It'd be so much simpler if I could just hate her. If Lily somehow managed to be a disgusting Slytherin snake. That way she could just become the bitchy girlfriend. But noooooo! She's gotta have a great personality, a kickin' sense of humor and she can handle her own share of mischief.

"She reminds me a lot of you," Remus said. My jaw dropped completedly. "Well, a female you," Remus amends. "And she's a lot shorter and--"

"Why do I bother talking to you?"

"Because Peter has never had a girlfriend and you can't go to him for relationship advice."

"Yeah, well, you've never had a boyfriend."

"Neither have you."

to be continued

~story index~