Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter.
L.E.
L.E.
He was doodling again.
He seemed to do that a lot these day. He just couldn't get her out of his mind. She haunted him like the essay due for Potions was haunting him. He had to keep rewriting it because of all the doodles.
She had to notice how much he had changed for her. How could she not? It was as obvious as his love for her, but she just didn't seem to care. He wasn't hexing people "just because he could." He didn't start things with Snivellus. He deflated his "big head." The habit of running a hand through his hair was harder, but he was trying. Since being made Head Boy, he had taken on his responsibilities like never before. He tried not to pester her, but sometimes he couldn't help himself. He loved to see those eyes lock on him, even if they were glaring at him…
And he was lost in thought again.
She was trying with all her might to ignore the staring.
It was slightly unnerving. Alright, forget slightly. It was disgruntling. It made her uncomfortable. She wished he would give up already. She had made herself perfectly clear at the end of fifth year: with a choice between him and the Giant Squid, the slimy creature would always win. And she didn't mean the boy.
This year, though, she could see that things had changed. He really did deflate his overly large ego, and he wasn't constantly asking her out. She wondered, idly, if it ever meant anything.
She pushed the thought out of her mind as she turned back to her Transfigurations homework. She had never been excellent at Transfigurations. That was the only class that she was outshone in. Strangely, by James Potter.
And she was back off track again.
He wandered into the Great Hall with Remus and Sirius. Peter, the slowpoke he was, was still working on his homework in the Gryffindor common room. James glanced around quickly before seeing her sitting at the middle of the table, eating dinner with her head over a piece of parchment. Her red hair was falling over her shoulder, preventing him form seeing her face.
"James?" Remus sounded slightly concerned. James realised that he was about to walk into the table. He shook his head to try to clear it as he sat down.
All throughout dinner, he stared. He wanted her to look up at him, but she was concentrating on the dratted parchment. He wondered what she was doing.
"Hello? Earth to James Potter?" Sirius was waving his hands in front of James's face. James dragged his eyes, quite unwillingly, away from Lily and turned to face his friends.
"What?"
"Either go over there and talk to her or pay attention." Sirius was annoyed. That much was evident.
"Sorry."
Sirius sighed. "It's alright, mate. I know you can't help yourself."
"What were you saying? I heard the part about McGonagall screaming."
"Yeah, so, anyway…" Sirius launched back into the story and James listened half-heartedly. Every now and then he would sneak a glance, until she got up and left the Great Hall.
She came down to breakfast the next morning wondering why she had had that dream last night. She wondered why it felt familiar.
In her dream, she was getting married. Married to a tall man with untidy black hair that never seemed to lay flat. A tall man with glasses and bright hazel eyes that seemed to melt her heart. He seemed so happy, so excited that she was sure that in her dream, she was someone else.
"Lily, would you pay attention? I have asked you three times now for help with this Potions essay. You are the only person I know who would be relatively good at this. You promised you would help. Now, you're just staring off into space and I-"
"Mary, I can only help you if you stop talking!"
"Sorry," Mary McDonald said, unabashed by her sudden outburst. "I had to get you to pay attention." She paused, and looked at Lily with suspicious eyes. "What's the matter with you this morning? You walked here with me and you didn't seem to be listening at all to my rants about Black."
"What were you ranting about him for?" She tried to change the subject, but to no avail.
"If you were listening to me, you would have known. Now, spill. I know something's wrong. You can't fool me. I'm your best friend, and have been for seven years."
"Well…" She hesitated. She knew she would be teased, and she wasn't in the mood for the "Finally, I wondered when…"
"Just tell me, Lily! I won't make fun of you. I can see that you're not in the mood."
"You're quiet sure you won't tease me?" she asked with a smirk. She knew her friend better than that. Mary could never resist.
"Well… alright. I might tease you. Just a little. But, you know me. You know I mean well." Mary's voice burned with curiosity.
"Alright. Fine." Lily leaned in closer. Mary leaned forward. She knew that if Lily was whispering, then it was something good. "I had this dream last night…"
He really needed to talk to her.
She was unknowingly driving him crazy, which, in turn, was driving his friends up a wall.
"Just go talk to her! I can't stand it when you pretend to pay attention," Sirius said, as if he had wanted to say this for days.
"I agree, though I don't feel as strongly as Padfoot here does," Remus said with a laugh.
"Well, he's getting on my nerves," Sirius grumbled.
"I'm sorry," said James, also chuckling, "and you're right. I do need to talk to her." He frowned. "She seems to be avoiding me lately. I've no idea why, though." He frowned again, told his friend he'd be right back, and turned to go find Lily.
When she finished telling Mary about her dream, Mary was full-on gaping. When she finally came to her senses, she smirked.
"What did I say two years ago? You came fuming into our room, ranting and raving about what a 'bullying-toe-rag-git' Potter was. Remember what I said?"
"Yes, yes, Mary. You said, 'Someday, Lily, you're going to eat your words.'"
"You really should listen to me more. But that's not the point right now! You fancying James Potter! That's what's important!"
"Mary! Wait a moment. I never- never- said I fancied him."
"Lily," Mary said, getting quite annoyed and exasperated with her best friend, "if only you could have seen your face when you told me that you were marrying him! You looked like… like… like Potter when he looks at you!"
"Mary, this is getting out of hand. He doesn't fancy me! Just like I don't fancy him!" Lily said, slightly frightened by the look on Mary's face.
"Alright. That's it. You're going to talk to him. Right now." Mary stood up, pulled her friend up by the arms, and proceeded to push Lily all the way into the hallway.
"Mary! Mary, would you let go! Get off me! Mary! Mary, if you don't-"
Mary had shoved her right into James Potter.
As he shoved the Map into his back pocket, he looked up into her emerald green eyes.
"Uh, I think I forgot something in the Great Hall. I'll see you later, Lily," Mary said, as she rushed into the Great Hall.
"Mary, wait! I-" Lily turned towards him, with big eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "Excuse me."
"Wait!" James surprised both himself and Lily as he reached out and put a hand on her arm to keep her from leaving.
She turned around slowly to face him, and he could see in her eyes that she was surprised, and not just by his grabbing her.
"Lily."
"What?"
"Look me in the eye, Lily." She was determinedly looking everywhere but his eyes.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to the hazel eyes that were staring at her with such intensity, that her thoughts went haywire.
"What's up with you lately, Lily? You haven't spoken a word to me all week. What did I do wrong?"
She heard none of this, though. All she could think about was how the way he was looking at her now was the same way he had looked at her in her dream. Maybe, she did fancy him, and maybe her subconscious knew somewhere that he fancied her, too.
"Lily?" James was waiting for an answer.
"Sorry?"
"Are you mad at me? What happened between us?"
"What… You think I'm… I'm not… How can I…"
"Lily, what are you trying to say?"
"I'm…" She took a deep breath, fought back the fear and cowardice that was threatening to overrule the courage, and said, "I'm trying to say that… that I fancy you. I've been avoiding you lately because I was afraid that it would ruin our friendship and I really can't stand not talking to you, but I wasn't sure if you fancied me, and I cannot handle rejection, even though-" But she was cut off by James.
He had put a finger on her lips to keep her from talking. He moved in closer, so they were only an inch away from each other, and looked her right in the eye.
"Lily, I fancy you, too. I have since forth year. How could I not?" With that, he leaned down and kissed her. It was the sweetest thing she had ever tasted.
From then on, they were inseparable. Together, they took the world by storm, and never looked back.
AN: Please click review!