Hi everyone! This is my first "publish" on and i'm really nervous about what you will think. I wrote this more than a year ago, but finally I have posted it. Hope you enjoy!

Emmy

Only A Dare?

"Lily! Lily Evans! Damn where is that girl?" James voice floated over to a girl with long auburn hair and flashing emerald eyes. She was huddled under a tree near the Forbidden Forest as she had been for nearly an hour.

So now he comes looking for me! She thought in a huff. Took him long enough; oh, I bet he enjoyed gloating! Well I'll show him…James Potter doesn't know whom he's messing with, this time!

Lily stood from her cover sure James would be able to make out her silhouette against the water. "I'm over here!" she screamed.

Ok, Ok I'll stop! I know you are probably wondering what happened to put Lily in such a huff. It's a long story, you sure you want to know? Well it all started with a simple dare…

It had been late one night in early March. James and his friends had been forced to go to bed after yet another one of their pranks caused devastation. The four; being James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter; did not mind too much. (Hey, the joke had already happened. They were ready for a good old-fashioned laugh!)

"That was great!" said Sirius after yet another round of recounting the event that ended in howls of uncontrolled laughter. " Evan's didn't like it much, though, did she Prongs?"

James rolled over in bed to face his best friend. "Oh you know Lily…" he began. They did know Lily, and they also knew about his crush on her since their fourth year.

"First name basis, I see," commented Remus quietly. They knew about her answer too: …No. And it was not just plain no, but 'No! You arrogant fool! I would never in my life go out with you!'

James threw a pillow at Remus. "Shut it, Money!" He didn't like the way this conversation was going.

Why Lily? James thought to himself. Of all the girls to fancy! Why did I choose her? Why couldn't it of been Jane or Aundry? Why her?

James knew why it was Lily. Because of the way her hair swishes when she walks. Because of the way her eyes flash when she is mad. Because of the way she answers questions in class. Because –

"OY! Prongs I dare you!" Sirius said.

"Dare me to do what?" asked James, clearly bewildered and not back to his normal state of mind as of yet.

"I dare you to ask Evans out!" replied Sirius, a look of triumph across his face.

James slumped back in bed. "I've done that a million times already! Padfoot, you know that!"

"Yeah, but this time it will be different!" Sirius pressed on. "You can be a perfect gentleman, I bet anything even Evan's won't be able to resist!"

"Well…" James was a bit hesitant. After all, this was the girl he had wanted for practically four years! But the daring part of him didn't want to back down. It was a dare and James Potter never said no to a dare!

"Is Prongs scared?" teased Peter, speaking for the first time in nearly an hour.

That's what threw James over the line. "NO! I'm not! Fine, Sirius! I'll do it! I'll make Lily Evans fall for me if it's the last thing I do!" And so it began. James Potter, practically overnight, changed from a crazy prankster to a perfect little man. He didn't give up his jokes, oh no, he and his friends just had some means of doing them without a certain Lily Evans ever hearing about them…

"Hi, James!" It was three weeks later and James and Lily had become a known 'item.' Whispers still circulated about the guy that was James Potter only a month before, but James along with Sirius, who seemed especially supportive of the pair, swore their prankster days were over.

James turned. He smiled. "Hello, Lily-me-love." He pulled her toward him and kissed her softly. Lily giggled and blushed, looking around to see if anyone had seen their greeting.

"James!" she scolded gently, " How many times do I have to tell you? We can't…," she blushed a deeper shade of magenta, "you know… in the halls! It's against the rules!"

"What are you gonna do, little miss prefect?" James laughed. "Expel me?" Lily gave James a look, but chuckled too.

The couple began to walk slowly down the corridor, arm in arm. "So there's a dance coming up…" began James.

"Yes," replied Lily a little too quickly. Her heart was thumping in her chest and she was sure the passer-byres could hear it loud and clear.

"…and I was wondering if you wanted to go…" James was getting really nervous. What if she says no? What i… He had completely forgotten about the dare. He had forgotten it would end the night of the dance. He had forgotten…

"Yes" answered Lily breathlessly. Oh My God! James is asking me out! OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!!

"…if you would like to go with me?" James finished. He let out a deep sigh and looked down at the girl beside him. "Of course I understand if you don't—"

But no sooner had he spoken that Lily kissed him. She kissed him in the corridor, in front of teachers ("Miss Evans! You know better!"), in front of students ("My God! I wish my man would kiss me like that."), in front of the entire school!

And as the entire body of people had frozen, two people came striding toward the couple that was still tightly embraced. "Just a bit of love in the air!" called Sirius to the on lookers, " No need to cause confusion! Keep going, on to classes! You too, Grint!"

When Lily and James finally pulled apart, they found an empty corridor and two people smirking at them. "Well, it's nice to know you get along so wonderfully!" commented Remus. With that, the four, laughing, joined the general stream of the school and went to class.

Well the months are going by rather quickly, …where was I, oh yeah…. So James got dared to make Lily fall for him, and all was going well. It seemed only a matter of time before the dance was over and James had won the bet. But a lot depended on those few hours, maybe too much…

Lily descended the stairs that lead to the Gryffindor common room. She could just make out James and his buddies nervously standing around. Lily herself was aware of the fluttery feelings in her stomach that she was sure had nothing to do with what she had eaten, heck she hadn't even touched a bit to eat since that morning.

Suddenly James began to turn, but froze when he caught sight of the person before him. God she is gorgeous! Self-consciously, his hand moved to his hair in an effort to flatten it down. Lily smiled and then giggled at James attempts to make himself more presentable. It broke the ice.

"Oh, James, it's hopeless! You should know that by now!" Lily swept past the congregating group and up to her date.

He smiled at her sheepishly and pulled her into a brief hug of greeting. Before letting her go, James whispered in her ear. "You look amazing."

Lily blushed. "Well you don't look to bad yourself, Potter." She tugged on his tie in mock Professor McGonagall. James smiled thanks, offered Lily his arm and they were off.

The dance was going very well, considering that the only thing that had happened was that Sirius had managed to sneak in some alcohol, but the teachers were kindly overlooking the matter. James and Lily had been at each other's side for the whole night; only sitting down to grab a butterbeer before heading back to the dance floor.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter were taking their separation from James quite well. They had been absent from most of the beginning of the dance in order to sneak in the --er—drinks, but upon return Sirius and Peter enjoyed their find immensely (Remus couldn't indulge himself because of his—well—his condition.) The two had taken to ambling around the dance floor doing what ever entered their heads. (Around 10:45 they were doing hand stands and back flips across the room.) Remus was laughing along at the spectacles his friends were making of themselves along between dancing with girls from their year.

"Having fun?" asked James around 11:45. He and Lily were dancing to about their fifteenth dance since they had last sat down.

Lily looked up at James and smiled, "I'm having the best time of my life!" James smiled happy that Lily was happy.

Suddenly Sirius ambled up to them. "Hi guys! Having fun, I see. James good choice in women, Lily sure does have a fine a—"

"Sirius I think you've had a bit too much to drink," broke in James not a bit too soon. He tried to guide Lily away from him.

Sirius took no heed on what James had just said nor a hint that he, at the moment, was not wanted. "O'course it was because a me and that dare that got you here in the first place!"

James lunged at Sirius, but Lily got to him first. "What! Sirius what did you say?" She had pulled away from James and was staring at Sirius, hands on her hips.

"No, really Lily. Sirius is just drunk—" James tried to pull her away from his friend giving Sirius a look that clearly meant Shut the hell up!

Lily pushed James away, "No James, I want to know what Sirius said! Sirius, Tell Me!!!"

" Yeah well I dared James here to get you to go out with him, simple enough. Seemed like I did him a favor though." Sirius smiled to himself, gave a wave of farewell and strode away from the now furious couple.

Lily stared at the spot Sirius had stood, a look of udder shook written across her face.

"Lily—"

"DON'T TALK TO ME! I CAN'T BELIVE YOU JAMES POTTER!" Lily screamed. She glanced back at the spot where Sirius had stood and ran.

She ran and James watched the girl he cared for more than even he knew leave him…alone. He stood in silence for a minute, maybe five… James was not sure how long, he had lost track of time just as he had lost Lily. Lost Lily! Lily…

Then without warning, without thought, James tore after her.

James searched around for Lily, finally seeing her figure against the lake and her voice beckoning him over. God, I'm gonna kill Sirius. What am I going to do?? James thoughts were filling his head as he sprinted over to Lily.

"Lily, listen—" James began.

"No, James, you listen!" Lily looked at him, an angry glint in her eyes that were nevertheless becoming. "I can't believe I fell for that! yoU KNOW I REALLY THOUGHT YOU CARED! yES, I THOUGHT jAMES POTTER, THE BIGGEST GIT ALIVE, CARED ABOUT ME! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? BET YOU HAD A GOOD GLOAT! hOW STUPID COULD I HAVE BEEN? bUT NOW I SEE IT WAS only SOME STUPID DARE! WHAT WERE YOU BETTING, HUH JAMES? dID YOU BET THAT MOTERCYCLE OF SIRIUS'S? OR MAYBE THAT DUM BROOM OF YOURS?" tears were streaming down her face, "I…i oh… James!" Lily could go on no further. Emotions overtook her and she fell into a heap, sobbing ruthlessly.

James ran over to Lily. "Lily, baby, stop crying. I deserved that! God Lily, I'm so sorry!"

Lily lifted her face from her hands. Her eyes bore into his. "Only a dare? James, only a dare? All that we went through that was only because of some stupid dare?" she was practically begging him to tell her no.

James couldn't look at Lily. He stood. His hand moved self-consciously threw his hair, just as he had done mer hours before. "Lily it was a dare." As much as he didn't want to he turned to face her. "But it wasn't only a dare. Lily it was us!"

"What us is there James? How can there be an 'us' involved if you were dared to do it?" Lily spoke in a dead sort of voice.

James couldn't stand her like this. He went over to her and grabbed her hands in his, begging her to believe him. "Lily, there was an us! Everything, Everything I ever said or did I meant! Lily I meant every word! Lily…" James didn't know what he was saying, "Lily I'm in love with you!"

It seemed as if time had frozen. Lily stared at James, hardly able to believe her ears. James stared at Lily, hardly able to believe his mouth. But the words sounded so right. He knew what he wanted to do.

James pulled Lily to her feet; her hands still clasped in his. "Lily will you marry me?"

I'm sure you can imagine what she said…if you can't, go find out who Harry Potter is.