Hello, and welcome to the first PatronumAlexis9 fanfic! In case you haven't read our bio, PA9 is the collaboration account of BellaAlexis29 and Patronum394. This is just a short oneshot that might continue into a series following the Marauders. Please enjoy!
"James, I told you, I will never go out with you," Lily Evans rolled her eyes as James Potter asked her out for the third time that day.
"Well, just think about it," James smiled. One day, he thought, one day she will say yes.
"Fine, I will," Lily shook her head. As James and his mates walked away, Lily turned toward her own friend. "He's hopeless." she muttered. "Utterly hopeless."
"He's just persistent," Lily's best friend Anna laughed. "It just proves how much he likes you!"
"Okay, I get it. Potter likes me. But that doesn't change the fact that he is an arrogant pig." Lily stomped her foot.
"How so?" Anna asked.
"Look at him. He struts around, acting like he owns the place, just because he's a Chaser on the Quidditch team! I mean, come on. He always has that windswept hair, as if he had been flying around on a broom all day to get to class. And even if he did, I wouldn't be surprised! I don't think he and I have ever had a conversation in which he didn't bring up Quidditch. And what he does to poor Severus! I mean, Severus isn't an angel either, but still, dangling him in the air isn't the way you treat a person! It's absolutely absurd!" Lily finished dramatically.
"Are you done yet?" Anna smirked.
"Yes," Lily retorted, "as a matter of fact, I am."
"Merlin, Lily, you talk about Potter all the time, and yet you refuse to go out with him?" Anna teased.
"Well, I..." Lily's face flushed. "It's not like I'm complimenting him or anything. I mean, well..."
"Evans," Potter had reentered the Common room, "I didn't know you talked about me. Are you sure you don't want to go out with me?"
"I'm absolutely positive, Potter." Lily shot Anna a very deadly glance that clearly said I'll kill you later for not telling me he was here.
"Well, you might want to give my proposal a little thought before you completely reject it," Potter beamed.
"And why might that be?" Lily asked.
"There's a Hogsmeade visit coming up rather soon, and it would be absolutely dreadful if you had to go alone," James teased.
"I wouldn't be going alone, I'd have Anna with me." Lily crossed her arms as a triumphant smile crossed over her face.
"Erm, well... about that, I erm..." Anna stuttered.
"You didn't tell her?" James clucked his tongue with mock disapproval. "Why, Miss Anderson here is visiting Hogsmeade with our dear friend Padfoot."
Lily looked back and forth between Anna and Sirius Black, both of whom looked very awkward, and rather sheepish as well.
"Sirius Black, huh?" Lily was taken aback. "Why would you not tell me?"
"I just, erm... never really had the chance." Anna looked down at her feet; she was blushing a rather furious shade of red, as was Sirius.
"So, are you two, like, officially dating now or something? Merlin, Anna, I didn't even know you liked Black!" Lydia was shocked.
"Well, we're not exactly dating, erm... it's more like, um... a, well, I guess it's an outing." Anna blushed even more now than before. "Sirius asked me to go with him after supper, and, well, I said yes."
"Oh." Lily was speechless.
"And I'm sure you wouldn't want to third wheel, would you?" Potter grinned. "Therefore, I ask you again, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
After a long, meaningful pause, Lily exhaled in defeat. "Fine."
"Wait, really?" James was taken aback. "Like, you're actually going out with me? Like, on a date? As in, girlfriend/boyfriend?"
Lily rolled her eyes, "Don't push it."
"Okay." James smiled, causing Lily to blush.
One of James' friends, Remus Lupin, who had been quietly watching this conversation as it progressed, finally chimed in and said, "Aw... Prongs, you got her to blush!" This was followed by a chorus of "Oohs" and "Aahs", which was harmonized perfectly by the sound of a low growl, coming from Lily.
"You need to stop." Lily scowled.
"Don't be like that, Lily!" James protested as he strode over to her and took her hand in his.
Pulling away, Lily glared directly into James' hazel eyes. "Don't you even think of trying anything."
Lupin smirked as he said, "Hey, James, I call godfather." Lily groaned.
"Just for that, Padfoot gets to be godfather..." James retorted.
"Hey!" Lily punched James' arm.
"... if anything happens." James finished, eyeing Lily cautiously.
"Let me make it clear how big of an 'if' that is." Lily crossed her arms. "The odds of anything happening are about the same as the odds of meeting a nice Hungarian Horntail."
"So, that's a little chance, right?" Sirius grinned.
"Cut it out, Padfoot." James glared at him sternly. "It's just a date. You don't need to make such a big deal about it."
That basically got everyone to shut up.
After a moment or two of awkward silence, Lily took James by the arm. "Come on." she whispered. The pair walked outside of the Common Room and Lily lead James to the nearby large stone gargoyle.
"Why do you keep asking me out?" Lily asked after a second.
"Because I love you."James smiled. "I love you to the moon and back." James placed his arms around Lily's waist and pulled her closer... closer until she could feel his heartbeat.
"Ahem." The pair looked up, both blushing furiously as Lily swiftly shoved herself out of James's hold. Standing in front of them was Severus- Lily's old-time friend and James' usual victim- in pranks only.
"Hate to interrupt, but can you keep the public displays of affection to a minimum? Or somewhere no one can see you two?" He shook his head and mumbled, "Honestly."
James and Lily stood slightly more distanced than before, both sharing a thought about what might have happened if Severus hadn't been there.
In Transfiguration, their Gryffindor friends wondered what had happened to them, but shrugged it off.
James shot Lily a small smile while turning a porcelain elephant into a feather and accidentally turned his partner into a parrot. Lily snorted and started laughing hysterically, and the rest of the class joined in.
After that, James couldn't stop teasing her about how cute it was when she snorted while laughing.
