Lily was standing in front of the two boys. She didn't expect for this school project to end up into some dramatic series. She just wanted to get a good grade and pass Slughorn's class. But here she stood, having to make a decision between the two of them. She knew it would come eventually. She just didn't prepare for it to happen so soon.
"So who is it going to be, Lils?" asked James.
She didn't want to choose. She knew that if she did pick one over the other, one would get hurt. She didn't anyone to get hurt. For some reason, this was all a big deal to the two of the boys. She was only going to have to say yes to be one of their dates to the Valentine's Day Hogsmeade Trip for seventh years.
Lily was on the verge of just running away. She thought she could do that. But she didn't know if she was fast enough to outrun the fast, quidditch player, James Potter.
She didn't care. She ran for it. Lily ran out the door. She could hear their two voices screaming after her. But she didn't hear any footsteps after her. That is what she wanted, wasn't it? For none of them to run after her so she wouldn't have to deal with them right now. Lily had this weird feeling. Did she really want none of them run after her? Maybe she could have made the decision based upon if they chased after her. But they didn't.
Lily walked up to her dorm, calmly wiping the tears from her eyes that were about to spill out. She dropped onto her bed. It was only nine thirty. Her friends were already in bed, knowing that Lily had patrol duties every night. She was going to patrol the castle with James at ten, after she worked with him and Severus on their Potions project for Slughorn. The two boys had both brought up the topic of the Valentine's Day Hogsmeade Trip. Lily said she'd rather study in the library that day, when both of them asked at the same time if she would want to be their dates.
Suddenly, there was a tapping noise. Lily got up. She couldn't tell where it was coming from. Then the tapping noise came again. She saw a shadow by her window. She walked over to her window and opened it.
"Potter?"
"Ahh, so we're back to last names, Evans?"
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to apologize… For making you have to choose."
She could tell there was a tone of sincerity in his voice.
"Where's Snape?"
Hold on. Did she just call her best friend, Snape. She has never called him by his last name before, unlike everyone else.
"He's still in the class. After you left, I went to the quidditch shed, grabbed my broom, and flew up here."
"Did he ask you where you were going?"
"No. I looked back when I was by the door, and he was just standing there. Looking at the floor."
"So he's still there?"
"Unless he went back to his room. Either way, I'm still going back to the room to check if he cleaned up or not."
"You've changed. You really have."
"Honestly, it's all for you."
"James, please… Not now."
"I'm sorry, Lily. I really am… For everything."
There was a long silence.
"Do you mind? …If I – you know…come with you?"
"On – on this broomstick?"
"Yeah. Well, for patrolling duties. Besides, I don't want to have to deal with Sn – Severus right now. I'll just talk to him tomorrow."
"Oh? And you'd rather deal with me right now?"
She smiled.
"Watch it, Potter."
"Well come on then!"
Lily climbed out of the window. James offered his hand, and she took it. He moved closer to the window and she positioned herself on the broom. She realized she had to wrap her arms around him.
"You know, you don't have to do it. Unless you want to stay alive," he said.
Lily hit him in the back of his head then wrapped her arms around his waist. She knew he was grinning now. They flew around the night sky for a while. Lily couldn't help herself and just laughed with James. She had never felt so invincible before.
Now she felt a little guilty for thinking that.
"James, don't forget about our patrol duties!" she screamed.
"Blimey, Lily! I'm right in front of you!"
"Sorry." She said quietly.
"S' alright, Evans."
James hadn't called her that in a while.
He flew them down to the quidditch shed. He told her to stay there while he put his broom away. He came out after a few minutes.
"You alright?" he asked.
Lily nodded in response.
They walked together back to the castle in silence.
They were now on the top floor.
"Bloody hell, I should've brought my sweater." Whispered Lily with a shiver.
"Wanna use mine?"
She stopped and looked at him.
"Don't worry. I didn't do anything to it."
He took his sweater off and handed it to Lily. It was big on her. It made James chuckle.
"Don't you look adorable?"
"Oh shut up."
They continued walking. After catching a few couples snogging here and then, and taking away a few house points, they decided to walk back to Slughorn's room, where they had both left Snape.
Lily stopped in front of the door. She opened it and peaked inside. It was empty. She walked over to the desk they had been using earlier.
"James! It's empty!" she cried over her shoulder.
He walked in the room and over to her.
Lily noticed there was a small piece of parchment on the desk. It was signed from Snape.