DISCLAIMER:

I don't own the Harry Potter series, or any of the canon characters... Although I do wish I owned James Potter :)

"Potter!!"
Lily Evans' voice rang out through the Gryffindor Common room, sharp, shrill and furious. She marched across the room towards him, her hair standing on end, cheeks flushed crimson, her emerald green eyes blazing with anger, with a large leather-bound book tucked under her arm.

James, the Potter in question, exchanged a covert glance with his best friend, Sirius Black. He lay sprawled on the couch, his long lean limbs draped carelessly every which way. Smiling slightly, he returned his gaze to the well worn pages of his copy of "Quidditch Through the Ages'.

Then, she loomed in front of him, casting a shadow across the pages of his book.
"Evans, I would appreciate if you moved out of the way, I'm trying to read'. His dark hair flopped into his hazel eyes, as he glanced up at the red-head, with a look of studied annoyance.

"Potter!" she hissed, her breathing sharp and fast. Anger was coming off her like heat waves, scorching anyone who got too close, but James was used to Lily. He wasn't afraid of her fiery temper.

"THIS isn't funny!! Fix it!"
James looked up at her, eyes wide, the very picture of innocence.

"What's wrong, Evans, my sweet?"
Lily took a breath, trying to calm herself before she did anything stupid... like strangling James Potter - something that would surely get her expelled.

"You know very well what I'm talking about, Potter, you arrogant prat!"
Angrily, she pulled the Transfiguration book out from under her arm, and flicked to a random page. She pushed the heavy book towards James.

Instead of listing various spells and incantations, and proper techniques for turning teapots into tortoises, all the words in the book had been transformed to spell.... GO OUT WITH ME EVANS. GO OUT WITH ME EVANS.... over and over and over again. Not a page had been spared.

"Change it back Potter!! We have an exam tomorrow morning and some of us would like to pass"
James paused.
"I think you've got another admirer, Evans dear, which is unsurprising as you are exquisite, because I most definately do not have the breains to pull something liek this off'

"I'm warning you, Potter!'
James picked up the offending book and passed it to Sirius.
"Does this look like my handiwork, Padfoot?'
Sirius glanced at the book, scoffing.
"Please, it has you written all over it"

James smirked, his hazel eyes sparkling.
"I think you may be right there Padfoot"
Lily sighed dramatically.
"Potter, I know it's your work, and you know that this is your work... so why this whole charade?'

"Just trying to prolong our conversation, Evans dear. Listening to you speak makes my life worth living"

Lily Evans rolled her eyes.
"Just fix the book Potter"
James smiled.
"You know that I don't work that way Evans... and I'm disappointed that you think I'd give in so easily".

Lily threw her hand in the air, groaning with frustration.

"I give up!" She cast her eyes around the common room.
"Can I borrow somebody's Tranfiguration text book, until whatever spell Potter put on mine wear off?"

Ellen Wood, one of the girls Lily shared a dormitory with, handed Lily a textbook.

"Anything to keep you from murdering James... He's so handsome" Ellen grinned at James before returning to her place by the fire, once again burying herself in Arithmancy homework.

Lily rolled her eyes in disgust. Potter wasn't THAT good-looking.

She opened the textbook, eager to get back to studying for her exam, but once again instead of spells and enchantments, all Lily could see were the same words repeating over and over, like the ravings of a madman.
GO OUT WITH ME EVANS. GO OUT WITH ME EVANS. GO OUT WITH ME EVANS.

"POTTER!!!!" She screeched unable to control herself any longer. "Do you have nothing better to do but make my life miserable?!!!"

"Oh... I have plenty of things to do... it's just that you won't let me do them!" James winked, his voice dripping with sexual innuendo..

Sirius snorted with laughter. "Good one mate!"

"SIRIUS!!! Stay out of this! I cannot believe you enchanted all the Transfiguration books in this room, just to irritate me!!!"
"I never said that I enchanted every book"

"Let's not play this game again Potter"
"What game? It's the truth..."
"Honestly Potter!!! You expect me to believe..."

And then it dawned on Lily.

"POTTER!!! You put a spell on ME!! I cannot believe you!!!" Lily shrieked in exasperation.

Sirius chortled. "Apparently, the brightest witch at Hogwarts... and it takes her this long to catch on!!"

Lily glared at Sirius, her vision blurring with anger,

"Tell me the counter-curse Potter!"

"Certainly..."

Lily breathed a sigh of relief

"If you agree to go out with me"
Lily's face began to heat up once more, when an idea hit her.

"Ok" she replied

"What?" James sputtered in disbelief.

"I said I'd go out with you" Lily spoke, her voice calm, for the fist time that evening.

James stared at her, unable to speak.

Lily stared back, waiting for him to speak.

"So Potter.. do we have a deal? Do you want to go out with me or not?" she demanded impatiently.

"Of course" James replied eagerly.

Then apprehension and suspicion clouded his face.
"How do I know you wont go back on your end of the deal? You do, after all, detest me"

"Oh rubbish... you're the one who's been telling me that it's all an act and that I'm just denying our love"

Lily marched up to the couch upon which James was still sprawled and planted herself right in the middle, dropping the Transfiguration textbook onto the couch..

She leaned over towards James, whispering...

"Would I be doing this, if I truly detested you, James"
And then her lips were on his. Lily marvelled at how soft his lips were, not at all like she had expected. She shivered as his hands tangled their way into her hair and settled gently at the base of her neck. Without knowing what she was doing, Lily pulled James closer deepening the kiss. Their bodies were close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his well- muscled, Quidditch toned body. Fireworks exploded behind Lily's eyelids and a warm sensation spread through her body. Her stomach dropped as though she had just fallen from a great height. The kiss grew more intense, Lily's breathing growing rapid.
And then she remembered who she was kissing and why.

She pulled away firmly. The whole common room was silent, all eyes on Lily and James.

James stared at her with wide, shocked eyes.
"Lily..." His voice was somehow softer and more gentle than before.

"Hang on Potter", she shushed him distractedly.

She grabbed the textbook lying by her side, and flicked it open.

It was all there. No more 'Go out with me Evans' but real, substantial Transfiguration work.

Lily breathed a sigh of relief, and laughed to relieve the tension.

She bent over towards James, her lips almost at his ear.

"Looks like someone lost control of their magic" she whispered. her voice, low and seductive. "I thought that only happened to untrained wizards"
"I can't help it if you make me lose control"

"Now if you will excuse me, I have some studying to do"

"Not at all Evans you cruel woman"

James' voice sounded teasing as per usual, but for a second, Lily thought she could see hurt in his deep hazel eyes. And then it was gone.

She grabbed her Transfiguration book and began moving towards the other side of the common room, where the fire and her favourite squashy armchair waited for her.
"Evans!"

She turned around at the sound of James' voice.

He smirked at her. "Well played, Evans. Well played"

She smiled at him, her first true smile of the day.
"Likewise, Potter. Likewise"