"B-but your best friend has an enormous crush on me… don't you see something wrong in this situation?"
"Evans, I didn't ask you to marry me. Just a snog or two. Besides, don't you hate him?"
"Nah, I don't."
"He'll be glad to hear that. He'll also be glad to hear that you turned down a snog with me. Proud, even."
"YOU BASTARD! Sirius Black! You…. prat!"
I couldn't believe it.
Potter had used his wily, albeit effective, ways to manipulate me into telling… the truth. The toe-rag. Yes, I considered him a decent human being (after all, he'd really stepped it up as Head Boy this year) but that did not mean I would have said no to a snog with, I'd have to say, the most attractive boy at school.
"What would you have done if I'd've said yes?"
Sirius didn't reply, but his smirk told me all I needed to know: he would have had no scruples against snogging his best mate's crush. Until he'd been murdered by James Potter, at least. Potter got jealous quite quickly, I'd learnt that from my failed date with Gideon Prewett. Good to know that butterbeer, when thrown, really splashes.
"Wait... did you say I was a bastard? I'm not a bastard. I am as legitimate as they come, unfortunately. Probably would have been a compliment, had it been true, would only have been half a Black. Cheers, Evans."
And he bloody walked away. I will never understand boys.
"So, Lily, I heard that you, uh, don't hate Prongs."
"Prongs? Who's... Remus, what are you talking about?"
"Oh.. right. James. James Potter. You don't hate him."
I was majorly ticked off. All week (well, yesterday and today) the Marauders (Peter, now Remus) had sidled up to me in the most public of places (today it was the library, yesterday the Potions dungeon) and began pestering me about my love for James (sometimes Peter is really annoying).
"No, I don't."
Potter pulled out the chair next to mine and sat down, patting my hand on the desk. "That's nice to hear."
"Go. away." Remus chuckled, muttered something about a Transfiguration essay and wandered off. But Potter lingered, his right hand still on top of mine. "I said 'go away'."
He smiled and looked into my eyes for the first time since he'd arrived. They were really quite hazel behind his glasses. Overall, he was looking quite handso- Was I admiring Potter? Was I? Merlin, what was wrong with me? When had I started thinking of Potter as... (dare I say it?) attractive... and fanciable. And I did. Fancy him, I mean. I didn't know when, or how, or what had instigated this feeling, but I knew that I knew and that Potter probably knew (because why else would his hand be STILL ON TOP OF MINE?!). And it was happening. It was. His eyes sparkled and his mouth twitched.
"Lily Evans.."
"Yes, James?"
"Lily... did you just call me James?"
"Uh, yes?"
"Right." James beamed, "Lily Evans, will you go out with me?"
I knew what I should have said (an apologetic no), I knew what I would have said three weeks earlier (a resolute no) and I knew what Sirius, Remus and Peter wanted me to say (they were all standing in the corner of the library nodding their heads furiously). But I ignored all three and went with my gut (and the butterflies occupying it at that point in time).
I smiled in return.
"Yes, James Potter, I think I will."