-Hey, all! I'm terribly sorry- I removed this from my "one-shots" category, as it's technically not a one-shot, and I'm not sure just how far I want to run with this one. Sorry for any confusion this might have caused! Thanks for reading, and please enjoy! Oh, and I own nothing. Characters, no. Scene, no. Air, no. How does one own air? Anyways, all things Potter-verse belong to JKR!

o.O.o

-Today was James' fifteenth birthday. He glanced up from his plate of eggs and bacon down the table, towards where Lily sat, talking and laughing with her friends as if it was just any other day. Any other normal, ordinary day. Which, to her, it was, he sighed. He watched with hot eyes as she hugged her friends, got up, and walked to the other side of the room, neatly wrapped packages in hand. Apparently it was someone else's birthday, too. As she walked by, people turned to smile at her, or exchange a few words. Which was completely normal, of course- everyone liked Lily. She was a saint; gorgeous, funny, popular, charming, unfailingly kind… a veritable angel amongst the Hogwarts population. She had a knack for people, too. She always knew when something was up, when comfort or space was needed, she knew what to say or do in every situation. And, of course, her talent for giving out the perfect birthday gifts was legendary. He watched as she hugged a second-year boy, smiling from ear to ear, announced loudly, "Happy birthday, McLager!", and handed him a box. He opened it, and his eyes grew wide. He spun around to gaze, open-mouthed, at Lily, and gasped, "How did you know?" Still grinning, she shrugged and walked back to her friends. McLager's expressive thanks filled the Great Hall as she sat down between her friends.

James glared at the boy. Sure, it wasn't his fault that Evans was such a nice person, but really- to give a present to a boy she didn't even know, and not to him? He'd known her since the first year!

"James, mate," chortled Sirius, "You might want to stop glaring at McLager. I think he just wet himself."

"I wasn't glaring!" James quickly retorted, oblivious to the incredulous looks from his friends. "I'm just… happy that he got what he wanted." From Lily, his traitorous mind added. If it was from anyone but Lily, it wouldn't have mattered. But since it was…

"If it bothers you that much, James, go ask her where yours is," Sirius suggested.

"That… might not be a good idea," Remus cautioned.

"And why not?" Sirius shot back. "He'd get his answer, wouldn't he?"

"More like he'd get something thrown at him," Remus scoffed, then turned to James.

"Seriously-" he ducked, as bread rolls whizzed past him from all sides at alarming speeds. "No pun intended, no pun intended!" he yelped. "But really, James, I wouldn't ask her outright. Your point-blank question method has a record of getting… confrontational." His gaze wandered to James' eyebrows. "At least wait til you've recovered from her last hexing before you try it again." He added. James absent-mindedly reached up to his eyebrows, which were still in the process of growing back. They hadn't figured out how to switch back the color-charm, either; earlier this morning, they had been a bright, revolting neon yellow, but thankfully, they had switched to a pale aquamarine.

"But I want a present! It's not fair! She even gives them out to the Slytherins, for Pete's sake. It's my birthday!" he whined.

"Then go get it," Sirius grinned.

"Don't do it," Remus warned.

James wavered for a moment between Sirius' eager grin and Remus' dire prediction, then stiffened his shoulders and set off to confront the girl of his dreams.

"Hey, Evans," he smiled as he reached her table.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked awkwardly, as none of the girls made a move to invite him, but simply sat, gaping at his audacity.

"Of course," Lily was the first to recover, graciously offering him the seat beside her.

"Thanks," he smiled, pleased at how well it was going. There was an awkward silence for a moment, as the girls sized him up, and he tried to think of the best way to proceed.

"Sooo…," he started. "It's my birthday," he said finally, sweat pooling a bit on his upper lip as the girls continued to stare at him wordlessly. Lily looked at him evenly.

"Oh, is it? Well, happy birthday, then," and with that, she turned back to the conversation he had interrupted.

"Wait," he interjected, feeling a bit desperate. Lily glanced sideways at him.

"Yes, Potter?" she asked.

"Well, it's just," he began, wishing that he had just kept his mouth shut and followed Remus' advice- why did he never do that?-,"you normally give out birthday presents to everyone, and-"

"And you were wondering where yours was?" she finished for him. "Well, Potter, I didn't know it was your birthday. And, even if I did, I don't make it a habit of giving out presents to arrogant little toerags such as yourself." She tried to turn back to the girls surrounding her, but they were now all leaning in, intent on hearing every word of the newest confrontation between Potter and Evans. She sighed and turned to face him fully, resigned to a Potter-filled morning debacle.

"Geez, Evans," he sighed dramatically, "you'd think I was the worst guy on earth, the way you treat me. I'm really not that bad, once you get to know me. And," he arched his eyebrows, "I am not little." The girl sitting to the left of Lily giggled. Lily gave him a pointed look. "Look," he started, exasperated with the situation, "I really don't care about a present or whatever."

"Then why did you come over here and bother me about it?" Lily asked, hands on her hips. Remus, who had moved to a position behind Lily's back, was mouthing, "Abort! Abort!". Sirius, next to him, raised his hands, clasped in the air, and was cheering silently.

"Ok, so maybe it is. But, Evans! You give birthday presents to everyone else except me. Why do you hate me so much?" She glared at him.

"I've already explained a hundred times at least, Potter- you're a bully, and so full of yourself I'm surprised you haven't exploded already." Potter rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I know that one. You've told me one hundred and thirty-seven times, by the way. Now, cut the shit. What's the real reason?" She stared at him open-mouthed for a few seconds, then shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Potter," she stated, looking anywhere but at him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have homework I need to be doing." And with that, she pushed past him, rushed from the table and out of the Great Hall.

"What was that all about?" Remus asked, he and Sirius striding up to James where he sat, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Dunno…" James murmured, not taking his eyes off the door Lily had stormed out of seconds before. "But I mean to find out."

o.O.o

Back in her dorm, Lily stared at the small, neatly wrapped package lying innocuously on her bedspread. "Well, guess I won't be needing that anymore," she muttered under her breath, and tossed it into the trashcan. Glancing back at it, she wavered, then, resolute, turned on her heel and walked out the door.