AN: Well, hello there all! Yes… I do know that I haven't posted another chapter in Difference of a Choice. I have two good (I hope) reasons for not having it done.
I'm moving, and it's sort of taking my life and hitting it repeatedly with a baseball/cricket bat. Well… on the bright side, at least I get a pool.
And I have some serious writing block on Difference of a Choice, so I needed to write something new.
I don't own the cover image either, it's owned by deviantartist, emmilinne.
"Something There"- A Lily and James fic
"James Potter, never, in a million years, will I ever go out with you! Get. A. Clue!" Lily Evans yelled out, for the entire Great Hall to hear. Of course, the inhabitants of the Great Hall were paying very little attention to this event, as it had happened nearly daily for three and a half years.
"B-but, Evans!"
"No 'buts', Potter. Go. Away."
The boy in question sighed and walked away, off to join his friends at the opposite end of the table.
There was a thump and a very alarmed "Ow!" that resounded from the person sitting next to Lily.
"Alice," Lily sighed, "What did you drop this time?"
"My History of Magic book." The girl in question was nursing a sore foot, which had apparently been attacked by the book. "But that's not the point!"
Lily blinked, completely taken off guard by the sudden change in their conversation, "Huh?"
Alice rolled her eyes, "James. You were too hard on him again."
Lily huffed at the black-haired boy's name and her demeanor closed off. "I was not! He is an immature, idiotic, toe-rag who is obviously not worth my time! Plus, he only is doing this to prove a point."
"You're wrong."
Lily gave a disbelieving snort, so Alice continued. "Lil, he's really matured since he got the Head Boy position, his grades are in the top ten in nearly every class-actually he is top in Transfiguration, and, Lily, would someone who has only been doing this to prove a point keep asking for nearly four years?" Alice turned away to eat her supper, signifying the end of their conversation.
Lily could only sit there and blink.
(Two Weeks Later)
Lily was sitting outside near the Herbology greenhouses, taking the sights of Hogwarts during fall. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and smiled, autumn had always been her favorite season, that natural smell that always lingered in the atmosphere was one of her favorites.
Opening her eyes, she saw James Potter coming her way across the grounds. Apparently he hadn't seen her yet, so she scrambled behind one of the larger plants surrounding the greenhouse. She watched him approach silently, if he found her snooping, it would be the end of her!
He sat down on the same bench she had been on only moments before, and look out over the grounds, unknowingly repeating Lily's actions from a few minutes prior.
"Why her?" He suddenly said, jolting Lily out of her thoughts, she thinking he was speaking to her. "Why? Out of all the girls in this whole bloody castle, why was it her I had to fall for?"
Lily relaxed after realizing that he wasn't talking to her, though her curiosity couldn't help but pique. Who was he talking about?
There was a sudden gust of wind, causing leaves to scatter everywhere. Lily had to snatch her hat off her head before it too, went flying off with the wind.
"There are some days, some few days, when I wish I could go back to when we hated each other, back to when everything was black and white." A laugh escaped Potter's mouth, "Suppose it's a bit late for that, huh?"
Lily mentally ran through names in her head, who did Potter hate? And more importantly, who hated him back.
The Slytherins, obviously, but who else? The only other name she could come up with was, hers.
It was true, they had mutually hated each other up until the beginning of fourth year, when James had just turned around and asked her ou- Wait? Did she just call him James? Merlin, she must be losing it!
"Then there are the days," James continued (There she was, off calling him James again.), "Where I hope nothing more than for her to finally agree to out with me, oh who am I kidding? I'd be over the moon if she'd just hold my hand." The boy took off his glasses and rubbed a hand over his face. "Merlin, if Sirius heard me say that, he'd think I was going barmy. But he just doesn't get it… he doesn't understand how merely thinking about her can make me smile, how hearing her laugh can brighten my day, no matter what."
Lily was gripping the poor plant in front of her as if her life depended on it. He couldn't be talking about her, he simply couldn't. He's James Potter for pete's sake!
"Oh, Lily…" James unknowingly confirmed her inner thoughts.
No, no, no, no, no! He's J-James Pott—Alice's words from two weeks before came back to her, "…would someone who has only been doing this to prove a point keep asking for nearly four years?"
She released the poor plant from her clutches in favor of twisting her scarf. Why? Why did Alice have to be so bloody right?! James Potter, James Potter, sworn enemy, arrogant toe rag, immature Potter, had fallen for her. She didn't think she could take hearing any more, and flew out from behind her hiding spot… straight into James Potter himself.
James had stood, stretching after a lengthy time sitting here thinking, some of it out loud. At least, he was standing, before a red and brown blur ran straight into him, plowing him over. "Omph!" He exclaimed, hitting the ground, hard.
The person that, oh-so-rudely plowed him over, stood up extremely quickly. Much quicker than James, even with all his Quidditch training.
"S-sorry, Ja—Potter." His eyes snapped up to see the face of an extremely flustered Lily Evans, the very girl that had been on his mind.
"Nah," He said, standing up and brushing himself off. "It's fine, Lily."
As soon as he finished his sentence, there was a sharp intake of breath coming from Lily. "What?" James asked.
"It's just…" She paused, as if thinking something over, "You've never called me Lily before, not Lily-flower or some other stupid name, but Lily."
His eyes widened, usually he had time between his time thinking about Lily, and actually talking to Lily. He tried to stay calm, play it off. "So? I mean, Evans, we've been coming here to school together for six and a half years, I am actually aware of your first name." He chuckled, hoping she'd believe him.
She gave him a brief disbelieving look, before it changed into something much warmer, no emotion he'd ever seen on her face. At least when it was directed at him. "I suppose you're right," She paused, turning to walk away. "James." She finished before walking off.
If she'd have turned around, she'd have seen James have emotions of pure joy and shock upon his features. If he'd thought that he'd be over the moon if she held his hand, he was wrong, he was feeling practically giddy that she'd just said his name. Of course, she'd said it before, yet always in a condescending tone, or maybe a reprimanding tone, but never, never, in as warm a tone as she had just used.
"I think I'm in love with her…" He whispered to the wind. Yet of course, she couldn't feel the same way… she'd said so enough times. But that tone… "Stop it Potter, don't get your hopes up, she may be the angel of your dreams, but she sees you as the devil incarnate."
Why did he have to fall for her? The one girl that would never love him back.
Later that night, Lily sat in the common room, homework in hand. She had been thinking about her encounter with Pott—Oh alright—James. If she didn't get this out of her head, she'd never be able to finish her extra credit for charms. After reading the same sentence for the umpteenth time, she sighed and snapped the book shut.
"Something wrong, Lil?" Asked Alice, who was struggling over a potions essay to her left.
"I… I don't know." Lily admitted, for truly, she didn't. She stole a glance over at the group of four, the Marauders, they called themselves. She saw Remus Lupin, sitting himself in-between James and Black, probably to separate the two of them. She noticed Peter Pettigrew on the floor, carefully writing the last few lines of an essay. She saw Sirius Black goofing off, probably re-telling their latest prank, or something.
Then there was James, he was holding his precious transfiguration book in his lap, laughing at whatever joke Black was telling.
"What? Think they're planning something—oh, how did you say it? 'Malicious towards fellow students'?" Alice questioned, following her gaze towards the boys.
Lily shook her head, "No, nothing as horrible as that." Or maybe it was? She looked back over to them, before forcefully tearing her gaze away from James. Merlin, she was staring at him now! She, Lily, was staring at a boy. Not just any boy either, James Potter!
"Lil?"
"I'm fine." She smiled, and Alice gave her one last searching look, before turning back to her essay.
Oh, Merlin, she was staring again. Her emerald eyes glanced over towards the Marauders again, only this this time to meet the Hazel eyes of James Potter, staring back. Widening, her eyes, which finally decided to listen to her brain, flicked back to the pages of her book.
Slowly, her eyes made the trek back towards the dark haired boy. Thankfully, this time he wasn't looking, he seemed to be helping Sirius act out their latest prank. It had been aimed at Peeves, and was actually quite funny.
He was standing on one foot, hopping around the room, making a total fool of himself. Glancing around at the other people there, she noticed that most of the younger years were roaring with laughter at the dramatic story, while the older years were a bit more reserved, but still laughing nonetheless.
"Hey, Evans," A voice shocked her out of her own little world, startling her so much that she threw her book at its owner. "Ouch! Hey!" Sweet Merlin, it was James. "A guy tries to ask a question, and this is what he gets!"
She blushed and wished she had her book to hide behind. Though, if she had her book, she probably wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. "What?" She managed to squeak out.
"I was just wondering if you wanted to play McGonagall. After all, you do have such a wonderful impression of her!" James stated dramatically, causing her to send him a slight glare.
"Alright, I'll do it."
"Oh, well if that's what you wa—" He started dejectedly, then stopped, "Wait, what?"
"I said, 'I'll do it'."
"You will?"
"Deaf as well as dumb are we?" Lily grinned at him, when they were arguing like this it was easier to forget about her heart, which she was surprised no one could hear, it was beating that loud.
"No!" He gave her a half-hearted glare, "Here, Professor, take my hand." He held out his hand to her. Which, heart pounding, she took gingerly, only to be pulled over the couch and onto the floor.
"Oh, but Professor Minnie! You must remember never to trust a poltergeist!" James yelled, obviously back in character, of course, two can play at that game.
"PEEVES!" She screeched, in her best impression of their Professor, making James jump. "Get back here!"
James grinned that annoyingly cute grin, and cackled, "Why of course Minnie! But you have to catch me first!" He ran around the common room again, this time, with a fake-angry red-head chasing him.
Alice moved over to sit with the Marauders after Lily took her impromptu acting job. "Have any of you guys noticed anything different about Lily recently?"
She got three different variations of dissent from the boys, "Ugh, are none of you observant!?"
"Oi!" "I beg your pardon?" "Huh?"
"Oh for Merlin's sake…" She felt like banging her head on a wall, "I think Lily is starting to fancy James."
"What? No!" Sirius turned on Alice with a glare, one that, of course, got sent strait back at him.
"Actually, I have noticed her staring at James more than her usual suspicious looks… and the fact that she agreed to go along with the 'acting'… I think Alice is on to something."
"Moony!"
"And just what exactly, Sirius Black, had you so against this?" The brunette said glaring at Sirius from her seat next to Remus.
"I just… I dunno…" He ended with a shrug, he glanced over to his best friend and the red-head chasing him.
As Sirius was watching, Lily had caught James and gave him a fake reprimand. After which, she sent all the younger years to bed, claiming she needed some peace and quiet.
As soon as the last young student had meandered up towards the dorms, she turned sharply, and for the second time that day, ran into James Potter.
Mumbling apologies, she blushed and turned away, intending to head to her own bed. Before she could though, she felt a strong grip on her arm, along with a voice saying, "Evans, wait."
She turned back towards James, heart racing again at the physical contact. "Yes, Potter?"
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as if mentally preparing himself for something. "If I'm gonna do this, I'll do it right." He mumbled.
He opened his eyes and smiled at her, before bending down, taking her hand, and giving it a slight kiss. This action alone caused chills to run down Lily's spine.
"Lily, would you like to go on a date with me this weekend?"
She smiled at him so brightly, that it threw him off guard, "James," She said, then leaned in and gave him a small peck on the cheek, "Yes, I would love to go out with you."
Disclaimer: I don't own the books, or the characters.
AN: Well, there's that finished. So far, I'm pretty proud of it, it being my first attempt at writing anything near romance. Nonetheless I hope it was good and believable, if not… well, I'll do better next time. I can honestly say that I love writing the Marauders era.
Anyway, I promise I will get back to Difference of a Choice soon, but the next update on that won't come until at least November. I'll be to busy painting walls and unpacking boxes for anything else. 'THINK POOL, THINK POOL.'
As always,
NINJA OUT