A/N Okay, so I was writing my story 'Those Green Eyes' (please check that out as well!) and I hit a wall, so I felt like writing this, erm, prequel to it if you like. It's not the best thing I've ever written, but I was fed up of my story and wanted to write something else. So here it is. R&R please!
"Go on mate, just do it now! No point being scared, just get it over with," Sirius urged me.
"No, maybe he should think things through first," argued Remus.
"Where does thatever get anybody?"
"I'm just saying, rushing into things won't help!"
It was 4 o'clock on a gorgeous sunny day, but me, Sirius and Remus were stood in the common room, arguing. I had explained to the two of them that today was the day. I was going to summon all my Gryffindor courage, and ask Lily Evans on a date. To my 13 year old self, even as a confident Marauder, that seemed like the hardest thing a boy could ever do. Sneak out at night and dress all the suits of armour in dresses? Easy. Put a Bat-Bogey hex on Snivelly? Simple. But asking Lily Evans, the love of my life, to Hogsmeade? So terrifyingly daunting, I'm rather ashamed of myself. I'm supposed to be a Gryffindor. I'm supposed to be a Potter! Potters aren't afraid of girls! But when it came to this one girl, I was more afraid than I'd ever been. True, I didn't really think she would turn me down. Yeah, she hadn't been that warm to me in the past, but I was sure she'd give me a shot, at least. I was still scared as hell though, and my friends weren't making it any better.
I didn't let on I was scared when I was talking to Sirius and Remus of course. I'd never live it down, especially from Sirius. He thought nothing of asking a girl out, but he's never felt the same way about anyone as the way I feel about Lily.
"James, stop being a loser and go ask the damn girl out! I don't see why you like Evans so much anyway! There's some way hotter girls after you Prongs!" Sirius said with a grin.
"Shut up Padfoot, or I'll find something to do to you that'll make no girl, hot or not, want you ever again!" I snarled. "Not that it's the most important thing with a girl, but she's gorgeous! And she's smart, funny…."
"….And she hates the ground you walk on…."
"She does not hate the ground I walk on, you idiot!" I leapt on him, and tackled him to the floor. I had him pinned down and pointed my wand in his face. "Say you're sorry, or you get the Bat-Bogeys! Remember last time?" I said, with a wicked grin. I leaned right in close to him, hoping I looked intimidating.
"Ok, god James, just get off me"
"Say sorry!"
"Fine, I'm sorry – " I loosened my grip a little and began to stand up. " – to say this, but you might want to get a breath mint before you talk to Evans."
"Mangy dog."
"Bad breath deer."
"IT'S A STAG!" I roared, pulling back my wand to cast the Bat-Bogey Hex. Believe me, I would've done it – I have before. With rather amusing consequences.
"GUYS!" Remus shouted. "Just shut up, okay?"
"Ooooooh," me and Sirius mocked together.
"Touchy, much?" I teased.
"No, you're just giving me a headache! I wanted to do my Transfiguration essay this morning, but James, you asked me to help you with what to say to Lily, so I though, oh I'll just do my homework later, but I come down here and you talk for HOURS about the shade of Lily's hair, then her eyes, then how pretty she looked yesterday, then you two start arguing! I'm just really –" he ranted, finally running out of breath, his face going red.
"Woah, Moony settle down! We were only messing on! Go get back to your Transfiguration, if it's so damn important to you! Sheesh, I didn't know guys had their time of the month!" I said, grinning, as Moony's face darkened even more.
" IT IS NOT MY TIME OF THE MONTH!"
"Oh yeah, remember James? That was last week!"
"Oh, I do remember now you mention it! Didn't he get all stressed out because I let that Snitch fly around the common room while he was doing his Charms?"
"Yeah, then he said we weren't respecting his needs to study."
We hadn't yet noticed that Moony had actually left the room.
I caught up with Lily after Potions and tapped her on her shoulder. Although I was sure Sirius was joking, I'd brushed my teeth anyway, just in case we should engage in any, erm…activities, involving mouths.
"Oh, hey Potter." She muttered unenthusiastically.
"Hey Lils!"
"For the last time, Potter, please don't call me Lils. It's Lily, or nothing," she said, her eyes narrowing at me. This wasn't going as well as I'd hoped.
"Okay then, hey Nothing," I joked, trying to lighten the mood. I knew it was a crappy joke, but I thought she might at least smile.
"Can't you go one second without trying to crack a lousy joke James?" she said, exasperatedly. I was surprised she'd used my first name, as it was usually Potter. "Didn't you have something to say? I've got a lot of homework to do, I was just going to the library."
"Oh, you going to do the Potions? I was just going to do that actually," I lied. There was no way I was planning on doing that dumb essay. "Can I come with you? Maybe we could help each other?"
"You mean, maybe I can help you?" She said, smiling for the first time since we'd started talking.
"Well, yeah, basically. You know I'm no good at Potions! And you know you can't resist someone in need. You feel like you have to help!" I teased. I smiled from within – we were almost flirting!
"When it comes to people like you James, you need all the help you can get!"
We continued with the friendly banter all the way along the corridor and then walking up three sets of stairs, and I loved it. Our arms kept touching, and then when she dropped a book, I picked it up and our hands touched when I gave it back to her… a tingle went up my spine as we both stood there facing each other, a little longer than necessary. Then, when she realised what she was doing, she turned red and whipped her head around so I couldn't see her face. As her river of hair swept past me, I could smell the shampoo she used and also the smell that was just so… Lily. We continued walking towards the library, in an awkward silence.
"So, Potter," she began. I noticed the return of my last name, and my heart dropped slightly. "Er… maybe we could –"
"Lily," I said, cutting her off. "I know what you're about to say, but I think I'd better say it. I'm the guy after all."
She looked confused, but she stopped and let me continue.
"I really like you. And I know you like me too. You were going to ask me to Hogsmeade right?" She opened her mouth, her eyebrows raised and her face darkening, her deep green eyes suddenly piercing into me, a look of rage on her face (although I didn't realise this at the time, obviously) but I kept talking, needing to get this out. I'd been thinking of the best way to do this all day, and I wouldn't let myself off easy by letting Lily do the asking. Of course, I was ecstatic that Lily had finally realised she liked me – you know, in that way, but I felt like I needed to ask her.
"So, erm, well, you see." I babbled. This was not going the way I had planned.
"You, me, Hogsmeade – next weekend."
I cringed and cursed silently to myself as soon as this had slipped out of my mouth. I hadn't meant it to come out that way, almost like a statement. I had meant to ask her, sweetly, wittily, presenting her with the single red rose that I had been planning to transfigure from the large piece of grass in my pocket. I had meant her to look amazed, and fall into my arms and give me a huge kiss and say of course she would come to Hogsmeade with me. But things never go how you plan, do they?
"Potter, you stupid, big-headed idiot!" she bellowed, nearly bursting my eardrums. People all around us were ogling, making me feel more embarrassed than I had ever been in my whole life. It was excruciating. I knew Lily wouldn't be exactly thrilled with the way I had just stated that we were going on a date, but I didn't think she'd start yelling. I mean, she liked me, didn't she?
"We were finally getting on well, then you just assume I fancy the pants off of you, just because we were talking like civilized people?" I was redder than Lily's hair by this time and felt like I was about to cry. James Potter! About to cry!
"So, what were you going to ask me then?" I asked, confused.
"I was going to ask if we could maybe do the homework later! I realised I'd said I'd meet Alice in the dorm, so I thought we could do the homework together after dinner! But then you, like the freak you are Potter, assumed it meant we were going on a date?!"
I knew she wouldn't take that well. But I didn't mean to!
"Well, let me tell you one thing Potter," she snarled. "I wouldn't date you if you were the last guy on the planet. On any planet! IN ANY FREAKING UNIVERSE!"
"Oh come on Lils, you know you love me!" I said jokily, trying to lighten the moment. I heard the winces all around as people saw Lily's face. I was scared to say the least. To say that her face at that moment haunts my nightmares is more appropriate.
She seemed unsure about what to say next. I think she wasn't sure what angered her in my last sentence the most.
"DO. NOT. CALL. ME. LILS!"
"But, Lily I, erm," I babbled once again, as Lily began to turn away. "Want, f-f-flower?" I managed to force out of my mouth. I couldn't believe it. Not only was James Potter almost crying, he was stuttering. Stuttering!
I took out the piece of grass and tried to perform the spell to transfigure it, my hand shaking.
I've never had a problem with Transfiguration before. Transfiguration is one of the many things I do, and always have, prided myself on. Why would my wand (or my brain) choose NOW to fail me, of all times?
What happened you ask? As I held the piece of grass out in front of me and performed the spell, it turned into a dead, brown, shrivelled rose. Flies began to swarm around it immediately, and if possible, I began to feel even more lame than I had felt ten seconds ago.
Then she ran away, cursing me as she went.
So, that went well.
As did the many other times I tried to ask her out.
I can tell she still totally wants me.
A/N Arrogant little James :) I know James came out, kind of, less confident and arrogant than in the books, but I still think he came out rather well.
R&R please! (And please read 'Those Green Eyes')