Her flame gold hair fell over her face slightly, just a strand. Lily tried to blow it out of her face but the lock was staying where it was. She didn't break her gaze from the book she was reading to tuck the hair behind her ear with her delicate, pale fingers. Her green emerald eyes were focused on the words that filled the page; she had no idea she was being watched.
Sirius hardly ever went in the library but he saw that Evans had gone in so he decided to follow. It was something in the way that she moved; it was like she was about to start dancing at any moment, it was hypnotising. Black had secretly nursed this feeling for a while; he didn't really know what to do with it. He'd tried to take it out on Snivillus but that hadn't worked. He'd tried to put it in to the Qudditch pitch but that hadn't worked. He was utterly clueless. He absent-mindedly fingered book spines as he looked at her, half pulling them out then replacing one. Then one pulled away easier than the others and crashed to the ground.
The slam reverberated around the library.
Sirius had never felt more embarrassed in his life. Lily Evans looked up from her book to see where the noise had come from only to see an inwardly cringing Sirius slowly and awkwardly pick up the book he had dropped. He replaced it hurriedly and then left the library in the same manner.
That was a situation he never wanted to be in ever again. He bombed his way to the Gryffindor common room and grabbed his best friend, James Potter.
"Quidditch pitch. Now." stated Sirius, not making eye contact.
"Okay…" said James, half wanting to ask why his mate was acting so flustered but that wasn't what mates did so he left it. Remus and Peter came down with the two and for the next hour Quidditch was all that filled the space in Black's mind but Lily Evans was always at the horizon.
Eventually the boys came down and Black had regained composure and was back to his usual buoyant self. Then there she was; standing in the courtyard with a couple of friends. Sirius almost halted on the spot, ready to run in the opposite direction. The fact that no one else knew was the only reason he kept going.
Lily flicked her hair back and turned slightly as she did it, enough to catch sight of the boys.
"Did you find that book you were looking for in the library, Sirius?" she smiled. His heart stopped, she had said his name.
"You were in the library?" scoffed James, "Why?" He tried to hold back laughter. His best friend never went in the library. Ever. Sirius looked in James' direction at a loss of what to say.
"Just because you think our education is a joke doesn't mean your friends have to, Potter!" Lily snapped, stepping closer to the pack of teenage boys.
"We can't all be swots like you" retorted James.
Lily shook her in almost disbelief. "You just think you're it, don't you Potter?" She took a small step forward.
"Yeah, I do" laughed James, looking around his friends who laughed at his characteristic arrogance. He stepped closer to Lily, hands in pockets.
"Well, you're not. You're an arrogant, stupid toe-rag." She stepped forward with every word until she was an inch away from James Potter's face.
He staggered back, clutching his chest, an appalled look on his face. "You wound me, Evans!" He spluttered a few times then the marauders all burst in to raucous laughter, even though Sirius' was more controlled than the rest of them.
Lily stormed back to her friends and they left swiftly, telling her how stupid James was. The boys quietened down and swaggered their way to the Great Hall for dinner.
Later that night Sirius lay with his hands behind his head, curtains closed, in his bed. He'd put on a show at dinner and in the common room but in his bed he could be himself. She had said his name. His name had come from her perfect raspberry lips and it sounded like heaven. He smiled to himself. He turned on to his side, closed his eyes and filled his dreams with Lily Evans.