Lily Evans was having a nightmare. In fact she had this same dream most nights. In the dream it was a huge crowd of people led by Severus pointing at her and shouting "FREAK. FILTHY MUDBLOOD. STUPID BITCH." over and over again. She started to cry and scream in her sleep. James heard her from his Head Boy's room and got up, walking over to her Head Girl's room. James hated hearing her scream and cry like she did almost every night. But what he hated most was not knowing why, but he wouldn't dare ask her. She was just starting to look at him like he was another human being, and he didn't plan on jeopardizing that for anything. He opened the door to her room and laid down on her bed next to her, holding her and comforting her until she stopped crying. He held her every time this happened, hoping that he was providing some comfort. Although she never knew about this – until tonight.

This particular night Lily awoke and opened her eyes while James was still holding her. She sleepily looked up at him, not processing in her mind that he was in her bed or even that his arms were around her. However, he didn't even process that she had woken up either. So instead of jumping up and leaving - he stayed where he was, holding her and whispering over and over again. "It's ok, everything is ok, you're ok, Lily."

Lily stared up at him. "W-What are you doing here, Potter?" She said sleepily, rubbing her eyes to wake herself up.

Panic overtook him as his heart started beating a million miles a minute. He sat up, releasing her from his arms, trying to come up with an excuse. "Well- I, um- You-" He shook his head in an attempt to gather his thoughts, "You were screaming, I—well… I came in to check on you and thought I'd stay," He said, waiting for her to find her wand and send a good hex his way.

Lily sat up, looking down as she realised why she has been screaming. "Oh... Okay..." She said. "Thanks, anyway." She looked up at him and smiled a little in her half-awake state. When she had first woken up, she had quite enjoyed him holding her - even if she didn't want to admit it to herself.

He looked at her curiously. This was not what he was expecting, but James didn't want to argue. Being on the wrong end of one of her hexes was an experience he didn't want to repeat. "You're welcome..." He said sheepishly as he looked away. Before he could stop himself, curiosity got the better of him. "What do you dream about that scares you so much?"

Lily froze. But he didn't take his eyes off of her, and so he noticed how she seemed to freeze up. She had never wanted to tell anyone what she had nightmares about because in her head she had convinced herself that it was just a silly fear. "Ermm... It doesn't matter... It's just a silly dream - that's all..." Lily said, trying to avoid having to answer his question.

He scratched his head, deciding on whether or not to press the matter further. "Alright, whatever you say, Evans," he said with a shrug. He pushed himself off the bed, standing up. "Well since you're not screaming anymore, I'll just go ahead and leave…" He said, hoping she'd allow him to remain there with her.

Lily looked up at him and reached her hand out. "No... Stay..." She said quickly. A smile grew quickly on his face as she felt her hand on his. The girl then realised how much of an idiot she must look like and quickly lowered her hand, staring down at her blanket. "I mean you can go if you want but I'd like it if you stayed... But it's obviously your choice and such..." Lily added, rambling on.

He couldn't believe it. She was asking him to stay. He turned back to the bed, a sheepish grin on his face. He loved how she managed to be absolutely beautiful no matter what time of day it was. He sat on the bed, folding his hands in his lap and crossing his ankles. "I'll stay, then."

Lily smiled a little, thankful that the darkness was mostly covering her blush. She didn't really know why she had asked him to stay, she just liked being there with him. It felt a lot nicer with him there rather than just being all on her own. "Thank you, James." She said, even surprising herself a little when she used his first name. He bit the inside of his cheek and blushed at her use of his first name. She'd never called him by his name before, and he found he rather liked it.

He just nodded, wanting so badly to wrap an arm around her, but he was certain she'd find that far too forward so he reigned himself in. "Not a problem, Lily. Your wish is my command."

She giggled a little at his comment, finding it cute... Lily couldn't help but lean in and gently rest her head against his shoulder. Warmth just seemed to radiate pleasantly from him so she was finding it very hard to resist. He sighed, giving in and wrapping an arm around her, persuading himself it was out of comforting her rather than just wanting to be close to her. Lily sighed happily, but desperately trying to convince herself that she was not enjoying his arm around her.

Lily then thought of something and was quite curious to know the answer... "James... Even if I was screaming or whatever, why would you care?" She said, trying her best not to offend him.

He looked at her curiously, shrugging. "I've been asking you out at least once a week since second year... Why wouldn't I care?" He replied in an honest tone.

"Well... I guess I just never thought you were serious about it... I always thought it was just the chase to you... That whenever I said yes you'd just get bored and lose interest..." She said, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry..." Lily said, her voice taking on a more quiet tone.

James wasn't sure how she could possibly think that little of him. He'd had plenty of opportunity to waver from her, not that he really realised it. It was more of Sirius pointing out lost chances - but James wasn't interested in any other bird. He just looked away, his confidence torn. "Do you really think that poorly of me?" He asked in a quiet tone, similar to hers.

Lily frowned a little, sad that she'd caused him to feel like that. "I'm sorry - I don't think poorly of you... It's more I think poorly of myself... Because, well, I just don't get how anyone could like an ugly bookworm like me - let alone the guy that pretty much the whole school idolises..." She said.

He looked back to her, staring for a moment or two. He turned in such a way that he was facing her and lifted a hand to her face, pushing the hair out of her eyes. "Don't you notice how you turn heads wherever you go?" He asked, his voice quiet still. "You've got these beautiful green eyes and gorgeous red hair. If that's not captivating, then I don't know what is." He let his gaze drop to her lips as he smiled mischievously. "And the most perfect lips I've ever seen…" James said in a teasing tone before recapturing the seriousness. "Beyond that you're kind, hard headed, intelligent, diligent and funny... you're the perfect girl." He finished, not believing he had actually said all that. It just sort of rolled out of his mouth.

Lily blushed a deep red, looking up into his warm chocolatey-brown eyes. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see that her cheeks were indeed brighter than they were usually. She couldn't believe that he actually thought things like that about her. Her heart was nagging at her to tell him that she kinda' liked him back but her head was telling her that she shouldn't reveal her feelings or she'd just get hurt. In the end she just settled for the most lame response she could've said after he'd just complimented her. "T-thankyou, James... But I'm not that great..." She said modestly.

He shrugged, leaning against the headboard and wrapping his arm around her again, settling into a comfortable position. He didn't honestly expect her to return any of the feelings. James was just glad she wasn't kicking him out by the tip of her wand. He shook his head. Of course she disagreed. She wouldn't be so amazing if she weren't so incredibly modest. She wasn't like Emmeline who knew she was a knock out. "You are to me." He replied honestly, squeezing her lightly.

Lily leant into him gently, enjoying being so close to him. She then hesitantly reached up, wrapping one arm around his neck which she was trying to convince herself was for her comfort only. She giggled softly at his comment, finding it just the slightest, tiniest bit cute~. "Well then you're very silly..." She said, smiling comfortably into his chest.

He smiled, still not entirely believing this was happening. He froze for a moment as she found a way to bring herself closer to him, his heart beating a million miles a minute as he fought to control himself. There was only so much a seventeen year old boy could deal with. He started breathing again, trying to keep it as normal as possible as he played with the ends of her hair. Lily sighed, enjoying him playing with her hair. "I've been called worse." He said.

Lily bit her lip - knowing that it had been her that had called him some of those names. "I'm sorry... For being so mean to you for the past however many years..." She said, feeling truly bad. She just wished that there could be some way that she could make it up to him...

He threw his head back and let out a bark of a laugh. He cupped her face and pulled her up to eye level, looking into her beautiful big green eyes. "There's no need to be sorry. I had it coming, most of the time," He said in a jovial tone as he brushed her cheek with his thumb. Lily giggled. He smiled, he had always loved that sound. He found his eyes dropped to her lips again, and he tried to avert his gaze, but failed.

As she opened her eyes she found him staring at her lips and couldn't help but notice how gorgeous his eyes were. She kept telling herself that she shouldn't but she went on anyway. Lily couldn't believe she actually had the guts to do this as she found herself leaning towards him. A moment passed quietly, he barely noticed she'd opened her eyes before she leant towards him. She wondered if he was going to reject her with this but all thoughts vanished as her lips connected with his softly.

He froze, all thoughts gone that concerned anything but her. He stopped breathing for a moment. Lily Evans had her lips on his. She was kissing him. She leaned in, and kissed HIM. Lily Evans was kissing HIM. He cupped the back of her head, returning the kiss carefully, not wanting the moment to end. Lily kept kissing him gently, not wanting to ever have to break away from him.

However, in her mind she dreaded the moment when he asked her why she had done that and she had to explain her feelings to him. She never really was very good with explaining her own feelings... She slowly drifted back into reality, still in complete bliss from his amazing lips on hers. Lily smiled into the kiss and ran her fingers through his hair using the arm already looped around his neck.

James grasped her hips with his hands moving her in such a way that she was above him, her beautiful red hair cascading around him. His lips never left hers as the kiss became more passionate and desperate on his end. He encircled her waist in his arms, holding her close. He focused his attention on her bottom lip as she smiled, sucking on it carefully before breaking the kiss. He just looked up to her, his eyes wide in amazement. "Merlin..." Was all he could say.

Lily bit her lip, trying to avoid his gaze. She had never really acted on impulse before. Everything for her was highly organised and planned out and colour co-ordinated. That way she was never left like this, struggling to find words to say - to explain what had just happened or how she was feeling at that exact moment. She looked up into his warm eyes and couldn't help but wonder what this was like for him. Was this just another kiss from another girl to him or was it as amazing for him as it was for her...? She couldn't decide just yet...

Contrary to popular belief, James wasn't oblivious. He was just oblivious to girls who weren't Lily. So he noticed that she felt uncomfortable. He didn't understand why, of course. To James, he had just been kissed by the girl he'd been chasing after since he was in his second year. He just gazed up to her, wondering how to approach how she was feeling, wondering if that's even what she wanted. Was she so uncomfortable to the point where she'd kick him out? It wouldn't surprise him, or so he thought rather dismally. He reached up brushing her hair behind her ears, "I'm sorry- I didn't mean to- Are you ok?" he asked, clearly worried about her.

Lily realised how stupid she must've looked. She reached up, placing a finger on his lips to gesture being quiet. "Don't say you didn't mean to, it makes me feel even worse... Like you didn't want it or it was an accident or something..." She said, resting her head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. She would've tried to have said something a bit nicer but she didn't know what to do just then...

James reached to the hand she placed near his mouth, pulling it away but not before placing a kiss on her hand. He didn't want to make her feel worse. Hell, he didn't want her to feel bad, period. He looked up, somewhat confused by her. "I've wanted to kiss you since second year." He said strongly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…" He said, holding her close as he kissed the top of her head. Lily smiled slightly at how polite he was being. She had never known him to be such a gentleman. "Where's your head, right now, Lily? Is it back to normal in the morning or..." He didn't dare voice what he was thinking.

"My head's right here, James. I'm completely awake, don't worry." She said, reassuring him as she held his hand. Lily took a deep breath as she set out to explain why she was acting like that. "I'm sorry for being like this..." She explained quietly. "...It's just kind of over-whelming for me. Because I never act on impulse and... it was my first kiss..." Her cheeks heated up at the mention of her first kiss, causing her to look down at their linked hands so as to avoid his gaze. He was completely dumbfounded when she mentioned that it was her first kiss. There had to be loads of other blokes who were interested in her, there just had to be! He shrugged it off as he noticed the colour rise in her cheeks. "Really? I'm your first kiss..." he said in awe. Lily looked up at him, surprised that he sounded so happy to be her first kiss.

James then also looked to their intertwined hands, giving hers a small squeeze in a reassuring manner. He was so happy, so content to just be close to her. He kissed one of her pink cheeks. "Don't apologize." He whispered, a grin spreading across his face. He then shook his head, regaining his thoughts. "Lily, that's not what I meant. I want to know whether or not me kissing you, and being able to tell you everything I've wanted to for years now is just a one-time thing, or if… you'll be my girl…" He asked as his own cheeks turned a reddish colour. "I just want to know what you're thinking."

She didn't know what to say... The feelings that she was having were all so sudden that she didn't quite know what to make of them. However, she still went ahead and did the most unlike-Lily thing ever. "I'd like to be 'your girl'..." She whispered quietly as she rested her head back down on his shoulder. "I mean, only if you'd like me to of course... Because it's your choice and such..." She added, rambling on a bit as her cheeks began heating up again for the millionth time that very early morning. He loved the way she rambled on, and how her cheeks just glowed whenever she did.

James grinned as he pulled her into his lap, making Lily giggle. He gave her a light squeeze, smiling like an idiot into her hair. Whether she knew it or not, she had just made him the happiest man on the planet. He placed a light kiss in the crook of her neck and smiled against her skin. "Then you're my girl." He replied, his voice full of joy. "Thank you..." He whispered.

She was now his girl and it felt a million times better than she thought it would. Everything he did seemed to just make her happier - the way he held her, the way he kissed her and smiled against her soft skin. It was just the most incredible feeling to her, to be there with him. A few days ago if she'd been told that she'd be dating James Potter she would've laughed and found it hilarious! But right then, there was no guy that she'd rather be with. Lily wrapped both of her arms around his neck and hugged him. Things couldn't get better, at least not at that point in time, for James Potter. He revelled in how amazing it felt to finally get everything he'd ever wanted. She was hugging him, she wanted to be kissed by him. He had to be dreaming, but even if he was, he never wanted to wake up. "No, thank you..." She whispered in his ear as she smiled.

He kissed her cheek, grinning from ear to ear. "What for?"

"Oh, just being you really.." She said, giggling softly as she looked up and stared into his eyes. They were warm and chocolatey and they made her feel happy - like she could stare straight into his soul and know that she was wanted. That he actually loved her and it wasn't just some silly crush. It was at that moment that Lily decided she loved this boy too. That she didn't want it to just be a quick date - she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. "I love you, James." She whispered as she rested her forehead against his and stared into the eyes of her new lover.

~Fin~

I hope you like it! I'm not very good at writing fanfic so please could I ave your opinions and stuff? It would really help! Thank you 3