Hate Is A Strong Word (A Jily Fanfic)//FINISHED!

The Unexpected Match-up

We are approaching the end of the story and I'm pretty excited. I'm going to start posting a little more often now that I have the story done so I can have the whole thing finished and published. Thank you so much for sticking with the story guys!

Lily
The Christmas Ball for the Seventh years was only a week away. Snow had already covered the grounds in a white blanket. Although Christmas was a time of joy and cheer, Lily was stressed out of her mind.

Homework was bad enough. Studying for Newts had begun to take up a lot of her free time. Classes were piling her with homework that she would stay up until the dead of the night to finish.

Head Girl duty had become even tougher. She was creating schedules for the prefects, patrolling certain nights, and preparing everything for the Ball. The work had become extra hard from one main reason- she wasn't speaking to James.

The word of their fight had spread throughout the entire school faster than she had anticipated. It seemed even the First years knew of the whole situation. Potions had become an awkward affair. They worked in silence, not looking at one another. Every once in a while, she would mutter what she wanted him to grab her, but that was about it.

Also, although Lily preferred not to admit it, her Charms scores had dropped slightly.

Lily was sitting in History of Magic when she got asked to the Ball for the third time. Two other Ravenclaw boys had already asked her to go with them, but she had turned them down. This boy was from Hufflepuff. He did have a sweet smile and light blonde hair, but yet Lily preferred darker hair...

"So, will you go with me?" he asked her again.

"Um...well..." she stuttered. He really was nice, but she couldn't even focus on an answer since she had just caught James staring at them out of the corner of her eye. "Sorry no," she finally managed to say.

He looked a little hurt and disappointed.

"Look, I am just so busy with all of the preparation that I really don't have plans to go with anyone. It's not you personally," she said. That seemed to have helped a little, but the look of disappointment still showed on his face.

Lily turned to grab her bag when she saw James again. He was grinning at the Hufflepuff boy's hurt expression as if it made his day. Lily glared at him. How had she ever thought that he was kind?

It may have been worse than when they were younger. At least, when she had been younger, she had thought poorly of him, but had stood her ground against him. Now, she had let him in. Let him see her deepest feelings. She had let herself feel things for him. She had been a fool. And she hated herself for it. She hated him, too.

"Um Lily," a voice said from beside her. She turned to see Remus who, she realised, had been staring at her. She had been holding her quill so tightly that her knuckles were white.

"Oops," she muttered under her breath. Lily didn't know how she felt towards Remus. He was her friend, but he must also have been part of the prank meant to cause fatal harm to Severus. Yet, she couldn't see Remus agreeing to something so horrible.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked her with true concern in his voice.

"Fine," she said quietly.

"You just turned that poor boy down," he said, gesturing to the blonde Hufflepuff boy who had returned to sit with his friends.

"I wasn't interested," Lily said as she put her notes and quill back into her bag.

"So you're not planning to go with anyone?" Remus asked again.

"No," Lily said through gritted teeth. She could see what he was trying to do. She didn't want to talk about James.

"So you wouldn't want to go with me?" he asked seriously.

"What?" Lily asked alarmed. That's not where she had expected him to go with the conversation. Seeing her shocked expression, he laughed.

"No, no. As friends," he said.

"Oh," she said, relieved. He laughed again, but he waited for her answer.

"Why?" Lily asked again. It was an honest question.

"Because I don't want you to have to go by yourself," he said matter-of-factly. Lily tried to keep a straight face, but a hint of a smile had appeared.

"Fine." She tried for a voice that suggested she didn't care, but even she could hear the appreciation in her tone. Remus smiled at her.

"I have black dress robes. Is that okay?"

"That's perfect."

Remus nodded to her. By this time, the class had ended and people were beginning to leave. Lily stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. She gave Remus a small smile before walking out of the class.

James
James had watched as the Hufflepuff boy had asked Lily to the upcoming ball. He had also watched as the poor boy had been refused. He couldn't help but smile. Every time a boy approached Lily, a fear would gather in his chest that she would accept one of their offers, but she hadn't so far. It gave him a little hope.

He had watched her talk to Remus, which had also welled up other feelings in his chest. Why would she talk to Remus, but not him?

After class, James practically ran to Remus to see what he had talked to Lily about.

"What did she say to you?" he asked expectantly.

"We didn't talk about you if that's what you're asking," Remus said. James felt a rush of disappointment go through him. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Then what did you talk about?" James asked him. They had begun to walk to Charms. Sirius and Peter were trailing behind them.

"Well," Remus slowly said, "I think you should know that I'm taking her to the Ball."

James stopped walking on the spot, causing Peter to run into him. He was staring at Remus in pure shock. He felt confused and dumbfounded.

"What?" he said in a shaky voice.

"As friends of course," Remus reassured him.

"Still!" James blurted out. The tones of anger and betrayal were clear in his voice. "You know that I like her! You know that the reason we split is because I was protecting you! It's just cruel for you to take her."

"I'm taking her as a favour to you," Remus retorted hotly. "That way, if she goes with me, she can't go with any other of the guys who like her."

Understanding washed over James like a crashing wave. Remus had stopped Lily from having the chance to move on to another guy. At least for the time being. "I'm so sorry, Remus. I don't know how to thank you."

Remus only rolled him eyes.