James Potter, The Horrible Ex.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Alice, it was just he was worried about them all. Once, when they were dating, Caroline told him that she became very viciously angry if someone broke her heart. Then, he thought it was cute. But, now that he was on the receiving end of it, he had no idea what she would do considering she was a supporter of You Know Who. But, he knew she was working on something. She never hung out with Lily and her friends. And,. Now she was being extra friendly. Something was up and James didn't like it one bit.

"We are all going to dinner." Sirius told them, "Care to join us?"

Marlene nodded enthusiastically. The rest of the girls followed. Caroline retreated back and James joined her.

"What do you think you are doing with those girls?" He asked angrily.

"Well, a little bird told me that you pined for Lily Evans for years before you chose me." She said in a sing -song voice. "I am here to turn her against you….."

""It won't work…" James shrugged. "And, I don't care for Evans."

"We'll see when you hear her telling you that she hates you."

"Joke's on you." James grinned, "She's been telling me that since I met her."

"Not lately, though."

James's grin was wiped off his face as he realized she was telling the truth. Lily hadn't said that in a while.

"Whatever." He regained his composure. "Like I care."

But, he did care. He hadn't looked at Lily in almost a year. But when he was coming in this morning, he saw her again. And, now that he didn't have a girlfriend anymore. He looked at her as she walked the stairs and she looked beautiful. And, boy was she beautiful.

After a few moments, he increased his pace and joined his friends in the Great Hall, securing a place between Sirius and Mary.

"Well, Captain." Mary said, pleasantly. "I heard that you are a single man now."

"Yeah." James smiled. "I am,"

"Well, be careful." She laughed, "Girls are going crazy with the news."

"I am sure they are not." James replied.

"Oh, how did James Potter become so humble?" Alice turned towards him.

James simply smiled. How could he tell her that his heart was torn apart this summer when the woman he loved admitted to his face that she would hurt anyone to survive. And, he had been afraid to ask how much time or power or protection offered would it take for her to kill him too.

At night, they were friends. By morning, all four women shared Caroline's hatred of James Potter.

He didn't know what Caroline had said to them, but they didn't look at him. They didn't sit near him in class. They didn't answer his passing hellos in the hallways. Before, he had thought it was some girl code that Caroline had enforced. So, it didn't matter to him that much, and he was busy anyway. He got the real reason on a full moon night.

He was out with Remus. It was a little odd with only one wolf around. It was much easier to handle Remus now that they had the experience of dealing with two wolves. It was a little odd without her. Even though James hated her. He didn't hate her. He said he didn't miss her. But, he missed her. He said he hadn't ever loved her. But, he did. She was the first girl he had truly loved.

"Come on, Moony!" He undid his tie, "I'll see you at the Whomping Willow."

Both Padfoot and Moony ran ahead. James had to change out of his robes, he had been in detention along with Peter. And, neither of them wanted to explain to their parents the torn robes as they had to before. They had learned that the hard way.

After changing their clothes, they took separate routes to the Whomping Willow so the chance of being in detention again would be either one of them. And, if they were lucky, no one would be in detention tomorrow. But, James Potter's luck had run out a few weeks ago. As he was a few feet away from the main doors of the school, he was stopped by a familiar face.

"Hey! Potter!" He turned around.

It was Lily. Odd, wasn't it? All this year he had been James. And, now suddenly, he returned to being that obnoxious Potter.

"Where do you think you are going?" She asked.

"Where does it look like?" James was tired of it. "Out!"

He was tired of being treated like a dirtbag when he was the one who was right.

"It's after hours!" She said, shrilly.

"And, I know." James replied. "Good night, Evans."

"Hold it!" She said, commandingly.

She was, after all, the head girl.

"What?" James asked, exasperatedly.

He could hear Lupin's howling in the distance.

"You can't go out, it's against the rules." She told him.

"So, go, tell on me." He approached her dangerously. "Go, wake up McGonagall after the detention I served because your friend Alice spilled all the potions and blamed me!"

Lily's eyes widened.

"Oh, you think I don't know who did it?" He asked. "You think I don't notice all that? The sad part is I did all that shit when I was a kid! And, you are playing pranks as a Headgirl."

He sneered at her. She blushed red.

"Come back to reality, Evans." He was standing very near. "Other people have shit to get done than play ridiculous pranks."

Oh, how the tables had turned. James Potter lecturing Lily Evans on being serious. He walked away.

"Yeah, like you do." She sneered back. "Pick on little kids and abuse innocent women."

"What?" He turned again.

He wasn't sure if he had heard right. Did she say abuse women?

"You can't leave, Potter." She raised her wand. "Or I am…."

"Or what?" He came back, his eyes narrow as slits.

"I am going to tell Professor everything." She pointed her wand at him, as if to protect herself. "And, I mean….everything."

"Go ahead."

"I swear, I will hex you, Potter."

She thought she was protecting all women outside. What she didn't know was that Caroline was a convincing woman with a bunch of lies up her sleeves. Everything she said could easily be proven wrong. Maybe, in the deepest corner of her heart, Lily knew James to be innocent. That's why she hadn't told McGonagall everything Caroline said till now.

With a swift move James held her wand in his hand.

"Try hexing me now." He broke her wand into two and threw it on the floor.

"You broke my wand." She gasped.

"Congratulations." He said, "You can see."

He rushed out the door and within seconds a stag was standing in his place. He trotted and hopped away to the Whomping Willow. He knew he was being awful to Lily. But, she deserved it.