Title: Somewhere I Belong

Summary: Due to a prophecy, two people get thrown together long before they even know they're magical.

Disclaimer: I just own the plot and anybody unfamiliar.

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For as long as she could remember James had hated her. Despised her for being called his sister. She wasn't. She never would be. He had had a sister once. Virginia Potter. That would be the only one to him. Lily could never take her place no matter how hard she tried.

And he made it oh so clear to her. Never would he call her by her first name. Never would she be allowed to speak to him as if he was truly her brother. He made her call him sir. Sir James Potter. He forced her to do his bidding whenever they were alone. She cleaned his room. Did his homework. If they had to wash the dishes together James would sit on the kitchentable, watching Lily slave away. He felt like she deserved it somehow.

For ten years she did everything he wanted. She didn't know what else to do. As James had reminded her so often, she was only here by invitation. And invitations could be withdrawn. She didn't want to go 'looking for another doorstep' as James so eloquently put it. Then something truly magical happened. Her first Hogwarts letter came. James wasn't the only one who would become a fully trained wizard! Of course he was outraged. He literally forbid her to go, though in the presence of his parents he was nice enough towards her. She did go, naturally. Part of her was hoping for another home, a place to stay at when James was at the mansion. Not that she didn't love her so-called parents. She did more than anything. It was James she couldn't stand. James with his ordering around, his bullying, calling her a piece of vermin.

Surprisingly, Hogwarts changed him. He hung out with his friends in some stupid little club called the Marausers or something, and he never acknowledged her. She liked it. She loved not having his attention focused on her, and she did everything she could to make it stay that way. Occasionally he'd grab her robes, pull her into a deserted classroom and forced her to do his homework but all in all the first five years at Hogwarts were great. She still had to come home for the holidays though, but even then he wasn't as tough on her as he used to be. She relaxed more, began to enjoy herself really. Maybe whatever phase James had been going through was finally over.

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In sixth year, having become a prefect, she had met up with the Ravenclaw prefect. His name was Amos Diggory, and he was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. His dark hair and grey eyes, together with his soft emotional side, made Lily's heart beat faster. She had never been in love, and though she was still shy (due to James' tauntings about her looks) he seemed to like her back. They had been spending more and more time together, first sitting next to each other in prefect meetings, but after a while they were often seen talking in the hallways after classes. She felt happier than she had done in a long time. He complimented her about her hair, her beautiful eyes, and she felt her self-confidence blossoming. Because she was so infatuated with Amos she never noticed the sudden change in behaviour some boys had. They seemed to see her in a whole different light. More and more boys began asking her out, hopefully looking at her, but she turned them all down. Even James and his little buddies had seen the new side of her, and though they weren't exactly craving attention from girls they always tried to get hers.

"Carrot"

She would hear James whisper when he was walking behind her.

"Nice ass…ets"

Sirius would whistle as he was walking by.

She felt humiliated. She knew the reason they were doing this. It was to make her feel uncomfortable. James probably felt she was getting too much of the attention he so desperately wanted himself (his whole "hello, Quidditch player...handsome boy...I deserve it!" attitude was rather annoying really) because the tauntings would become worse every day.

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The absolute low had been the evening before they would head back home for Christmas. Lily had been working in the library with Amos, occasionally holding hands and smiling at each other, and she came back to the Common Room happy and blushing.

Immediately James stepped in her way. His hazel eyes travelled up and down her body and a wolfish grin appeared on his face.

"Hello there..."

"Hi"

She mumbled softly, lowering her head. What did he want? Why did he always have to ruin her evenings?

"Have you found a cure for his illness yet?"

"Whose illness? What illness?" Don't go there Lily. Just don't. You know they'll make fun of you.

"Amos' of course"

James said, seemingly surprised that she hadn't known who he was talking about.

"What do you mean?" Ohh she could bite her own tongue.

"Well"

James smirked.

"He must be either blind, stupid or both to hang around with freakshow Evans..."

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The next day, Lily was sitting in a compartment, chatting to her friend Miranda Turpin (a Ravenclaw who like her was a prefect) and her roommates Emilia Brown and Olivia Spinnet. For a few hours now she had wanted to bring up the subject of James harrassing her again, but since all girls were rather smitten with either him or Sirius Black she had been forced to realise they would never believe her. She sighed, thinking about her 'brother'. What had she ever done to deserve this? Didn't he realise she much rather had her own parents than his? Why had he changed back, started to taunt her again, when only a few months ago he had been actually rather pleasant? Why couldn't he just leave her and Amos alone?

"What if someone treats your boyfriend horribly?"

She suddenly said, feeling a blush creeping up her cheeks when the girls stopped chattering and watched her interestedly.

"Ooooh"

Emilia cooed.

"Who is it? Is it that gorgeous Hufflepuff Jason Finch-Fletchley? I heard he has a really big..."

"Emmy!"

Lily felt herself blushing even more.

"No...it's not him. It's just...someone who has been annoying me ever since I started seeing Amos..."

"Well it's easy then"

Miranda, a blondehaired girl, said.

"He's absolutely smitten with you..."

A/N:

Okay...next chapter will probably be more interesting but I had to get this show on the road. Thanks to whoever wrote Chance (duba?) and Hot for Teacher (erak) for getting me interested in the L/J world in the first place. Erak I looooooooove scenes like you wrote in the 3rd (?) chapter of HfT.

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Oh, first one who can tell me all of the names I stole from HP books gets a cookie! Now be nice and hit that review button! I appreciate honesty, even if it's not put in soothing words ;)