It was quite late, but James was still in the library with Sirius, looking for books on Invisibility Potions. All too soon, Madame Pince came over to send them off.
"Out!" she said. "I need to close this place down."
"Oh, just five more minutes," Sirius said, smiling charmingly down at her. Madame Pince grudgingly let them stay a bit longer.
James moved down the shelves, looking for any books that might come in useful. He pulled one out, and was about to find Sirius so that they could leave, when he discovered that they weren't the only two people left in the library.
A girl about his age was sitting at a table behind him, half hidden by volumes and volumes of books as big as paving stones piled up around her. She was flicking through the yellowing pages of a heavy brown book, occasionally writing things down, and sucking thoughtfully at the end of her quill after each paragraph. Her long, red hair covered most of her face, and she had a light sprinkling of freckles on her nose. As her eyes moved up and down the paper, James noticed that they were a startling green color, like emeralds or the sea when the sun shone directly onto it. He stared at her, seemingly transfixed.
"James? Uh, James?" James jerked out of his daydream, and turned to look at Sirius who was waving a hand in front of his face.
"What?"
"I've called you five times already but you keep staring off into space. Ready to go?"
"Yeah." He looked over at the girl again. He had seen her before, he realized. She did extremely well in one subject, Charms... or was it Potions? Maybe Divination. He couldn't quite remember.
"Do you know who she is?" James asked Sirius, nodding his head over to her. As he spoke, she began packing up, cramming as many volumes as she could into her bag and walking towards the exit, red hair hanging over her like a curtain.
Sirius glanced over at where he was looking. "Lily Evans," he said. "She's been in Gryffindor with us for years... she's Head Girl, came top of Charms last year."
So it was Charms. "How come I've never seen her before?" James wondered, watching as she left the room.
Sirius shrugged. "You probably have, just haven't really noticed her before... she's kind of easy to forget, if you know what I mean. She's quiet, keeps to herself... I don't think she has any friends. Kind of a pity. She could be quite pretty if she wanted."
Madame Pince came up behind them, looking irritable. "When you boys are quite finished," she snapped, "I have to close up. Now."
"Just leaving," Sirius said. "Come on, James."
They headed out of the library. Sirius began talking about their first Quidditch match for the year (Gryffindor vs Slytherin), but James' mind was elsewhere. Why, he thought to himself, in all his six years in Hogwarts, had he failed to really notice Lily Evans?
He vowed to keep an eye out for her.
*****
It was almost two weeks later. James had already memorized every move, every habit and every detail about Lily Evans, and realized why he had never really seen her before. Or rather, why it was that when he looked at her, his eyes seemed to slide straight past and towards someone else.
She sat in the far back corner of every class, next to no one. She never put her hand up, and the teacher never called on her to answer a question or to demonstrate something to the class, even in Charms which was easily her best subject.
In corridors, she kept right in the shadows, red hair hanging over her face like a veil. She was never seen without the company of at least half a dozen books hanging from her side, and whenever she spoke to anyone she never looked straight at them, her eyes hovered somewhere between their navel and their chest.
At meals, she sat in the corner furthest away from everyone, eating her food without looking up. She separated all the green vegies first, and drank after every three bites.
In the common room, she would take the armchair furthest away from the fire and stay up late into the night reading, and stroking her brown kitten, Fluffer McKitty who would sit on her lap purring. Then at about twelve o'clock, she would get up and stretch, Fluffer McKitty would fall to the ground, and they would both make their ways up the girls' staircase to their dormitory.
She didn't have any friends, never got any owls, only spoke if she was spoken to, had a small scar on her right hand, and held her quill incorrectly.
All this James noticed in just two weeks, although they had never exchanged a single word between themselves. Although he didn't know it then, he had already fallen in love, simply by watching her.
*****
It was an unusually warm October day, especially for Halloween. Every single third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh year were out enjoying a day at Hogsmeade, third years chattering excitedly as it was their first time.
James was halfway there when he realized that he'd forgotten his money back in his dormitory and ran back to get it.
"Hurry, won't you?" Sirius called after him. "Zonko's closes early today and I need to stock up on more Stink Pellets."
"Yeah," James said. "I'll meet you there okay?"
Sirius nodded and continued on to Hogsmeade with Remus and Peter while James ran off in the opposite direction.
He reached the portrait, said the password and stepped into the common room which seemed to be empty. Everyone was either at Hogsmeade or outside enjoying the sunshine.
He was half-way up the staircase to the boys' dormitories when he heard a voice coming from behind an armchair.
"Now hold still, Fluffer McKitty, we'll get there in a minute," it said softly. "Don't you want to sing Happy Birthday first?"
James peered over the arm chair and suddenly caught sight of Lily sitting cross- legged on the floor with Fluffer McKitty on her lap. In front of her was a tiny cake with a candle burning brightly on it, and beside her was a single, solitary parcel. She didn't seem to notice James was watching her.
"Shall we sing together?" she said in the same soft voice. "On the count of three now, one...two... three:
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday, dear me
Happy birthday to me."
She blew out the candle. "We'll have some cake later on, Fluffer. I'll open the presents now... is this one from you?" She picked up the one, lonely parcel from beside her. "How nice...whatever could it be?" She began to remove the wrapping paper, talking all the while. "It's something squarish, something hard, it sounds hollow..." she pulled aside the last of the wrapping paper, and help up a small, brown, wooden jewelry box. "Oh, it's lovely! How did you know I wanted one of these, Fluffer McKitty?" She bent down and kissed her kitten between the eyes. Fluffer purred and nestled nearer. She stroked him, sighing gently as she surveyed her one and only birthday present. "At least you remembered my birthday, even if no one else did," she murmured.
She suddenly got up and James quickly ran the rest of the way up the stairs before she could see him, thinking hard. He had an idea.
*****
"...you have defied the odds and garnered triumph through your own efforts. Your future is limitless and I shall always be proud of you, my Chinese Cinderella." Lily reached the last page of the book, and closed it with a sigh. It had been such a wonderful story. She checked her watch. "It's getting late, Fluffer McKitty. We should be going up to bed."
She gathered up the book and her cat, and made her solitary way up the staircase to her dormitory. She put Fluffer McKitty down on her bed, and was about to get changed when her eyes fell upon her jewelry box, her only gift for today.
Well, what did you expect? she asked herself as she began to undress. Did you really think Petunia would send you anything? Mum and dad are dead now, they have been for years... the pang of guilt that hand been haunting her for the past four years hit her again. If it hadn't been for her, they might still be alive...
She shook her head. It was no time to be feeling sorry for herself. She drew the curtains around her bed, climbed in, and laid her head on the pillow, drawing Fluffer McKitty up closer to her. Her head hit something hard.
"What could that be?" she muttered, reaching behind her. Her hand closed on something and she brought it out to see. Then, "Oh!"
It was a small box, wrapped in colorful birthday paper and tied with ribbon. So someone had remembered her birthday!
Carefully, she pulled off the wrapping paper and took the lid off the box.
"Oh, Kitty!" she gasped. In the box were a set of earrings, not ordinary ones but small circles that seemed to be made of fire. "Who sent this to me?" She looked around for a card, but couldn't find one.
She put the earrings on. They looked lovely on her.
"I have a friend, Kitty," she murmured as she fell back into her pillow and slept.
*****
It was late at night, and Lily, as usual, was in her armchair away from the fire reading. The common room was empty except for her and the cat, and an odd sort of chill had settled over the castle grounds, telling them that Autumn was soon drawing to an end. Lily looked at the fire. It's warmth didn't reach her way at the back of the common room. It looked so inviting.
What would it matter? Lily thought. There's no one else in here anyway. I'll just go a bit closer...
She picked up her book and Fluffer McKitty, and took the nearest chair to the fire that she could fine. It felt so much better to be close to it, now she felt warmer and didn't have to squint through half-darkness to see the words... she settled down, feeling comfortable.
Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her and looked to see what it was. There was no one there. That's weird, she thought to herself as she turned back to her book. But then, a lot of weird things had been happening lately...
Little candied hearts with U R SWEET written on them were suddenly finding their way into the pockets of her robes and cloak. Sometimes, her books would slide off the table for no reason, and when she straightened to put them back on, she would find flowers on there instead. Once she had opened her Transfiguration book to do some homework and found a piece of parchment pressed between the pages. She had turned it over to find a poem that read:
Friends are the rarest gems of all
But the most precious are the ones
Who sparkle inside and out...
Like you do.
She hadn't recognized the writing which was tall and spidery, and spent the entire night wondering who would bother to send her such a thing. And everyday, she could feel a pair of eyes watching her, but when she turned around no one was paying the least bit of attention to her, except for James Potter who had given her a half-smile once. She had been too startled to return it, and quickly bent her head and hurried away from those eyes that seemed to follow her everywhere.
She turned a page in her book, when suddenly, a voice behind her said, "Sirius? Is that you?"
She turned around. James Potter was standing behind her with a tired look on his face. He looked startled to find her there.
"Oh... sorry," he said. "I thought you were someone else."
"It's alright," she murmured. She turned back and quickly hid her face behind her book. She could hear him take the seat beside her. What was he doing? She watched from the corner of her eye.
"What are you reading?" he asked after a while.
"A book."
He smiled. "I can see that. What's it called?"
She showed him the cover. Gone With the Wind.
"Is it good?"
Why was he talking to her? "Yes."
More silence. Then, "I was surprised to see you up here."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "You're usually by yourself, back in that corner over there."
Lily felt insulted. She knew she didn't have any friends. He didn't have to rub it in. She buried her face back into her book, frowning.
"Have you done your Charms homework yet?"
"No," she said, wondering where he was getting at.
"You'd better get started soon. It's quite hard."
Lily was feeling really annoyed now. First of all he had made that comment about her always being by herself, now he was insulting her intelligence by telling her that Charms was hard when she was the best Charms student in the whole year. The essay was meant to be on Enticing Charms. She had already mastered them three years ago.
"Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me next trip?"
Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. Now he wanted her to go out with him after he had just insulted her? The jerk.
Lily opened her mouth to tell him to get lost, but instead, she found herself saying, "I'd like to go to Hogsmeade with you." What? Where had that come from? That wasn't what she wanted to say! No! No, no, no, no, no! She tried to tell him this but found her throat was stuck.
"Great!" he was smiling now. "It's on next Monday. I'll meet you down here at three o'clock, okay?"
Lily unstuck her throat just in time to see him going up the staircase to the boys dormitories. What had gotten into her?
Suddenly, the incredibility of the situation sunk in. She, Lily Amelia Evans, had just been asked out by James Potter. James Potter. Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. The guy half the girls at school had a crush on. He hadn't asked Lydia Peterson or Janice what's-her-name. He had asked her. Lily.
Her life just got weirder every day.
*****
It was Monday, time for her trip to Hogsmeade with James. Lily was standing in front of the mirror, brushing her hair.
I wish it were longer, she found herself thinking. Longer, and less frizzy. And I wish my eyes weren't so--
Wait a minute. I don't care about how I look. Why am I going to all this bother of looking nice just for this little date with James? And it's not even a date, really, just an outing...
She pulled her hair out of her eyes and looked at her reflection. She looked different without it hanging over her face. Older somehow, more mature...
She let it flop back into place. Somehow, she couldn't help noticing how plain and ordinary she looked. She caught sight of some lipstick standing on Chantel Mavison's bedside table. Chantel wouldn't mind if she--
Stop it! "What is wrong with you, Evans?" she muttered. It was just a stupid date, that was all, with a boy she barely even knew. So what if he had a great smile, and nice eyes, and a really, really sweet laugh...
"I am not going to turn into one of those stupid girls who giggle at every boy they see," she said aloud.
Fluffer McKitty meowed in agreement.
*****
Lily went down the stairs at three o'clock. James was there, waiting for her as promised. He smiled when he saw her come down.
"Hi," he said. "Ready to go?"
Lily nodded. They walked together to the village in silence, Lily carefully keeping her distance, watching to make sure he didn't get too close.
"Do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer?" James asked once they were there.
"Alright," Lily said awkwardly. She wondered why she had agreed to go with him in the first place.
When they entered the Three Broomsticks, nearly every head turned to stare at them. Lily could feel her face growing hot. Of course. They were all wondering why perfect, popular James Potter was in Hogsmeade with a nobody but her. Why hadn't she just stayed back in the common room where she belonged?
James didn't seem to notice all the looks they were getting. "I'll get us the drinks," he said. "You find a table for us, okay?"
Lily nodded and moved through the crowded restaurant to a table near the back, trying to ignore the people who were still staring. She had just seated herself down when four massive Hufflepuff girls she had never spoken to before in her life approached her. Their leader, a girl with blond ringlets, had her arms folded across her chest. She did not look happy.
"So," she said. "Here with James, are you?"
"Yes," Lily said guardedly.
"I just want you to know," the girl said, "that James belongs to Leona." She jerked her thumb back to a brown-haired girl behind her, who was slightly shorter than her but three times wider.
"He does?"
"Yes. They've been going together for weeks. Months. Maybe even years." She pushed her face up close to Lily's and breathed all over it. "So don't get in the way. Or--" She slammed her hand down. The whole table shook. "Got that?"
Lily nodded wordlessly. The Hufflepuffs disappeared just as James arrived with the Butterbeer. This date was turning out to be much more trouble than it was worth.
"Who were they?" James asked, sitting down and opening a Butterbeer.
Lily thought it was best not to answer. She clutched the Butterbeer to her lips and didn't answer.
"So. You any good at small talk?"
Lily shook her head and smiled slightly.
"You should do that more."
"Do what?"
"Smile. You're pretty when you smile."
Lily blushed and stopped smiling.
"Have you heard about the new law the ministry just passed around? They've authorized the use of Unforgivable Curses on any suspected Death Eater."
"I heard about that," Lily said. Her voice was barely audible above the chattering and laughter going on in the restaurant.
"I think it's wrong," James said. "How are we any different from them if we do to them what they do to us?"
Lily was about to answer when she stopped. Her throat caught. She saw again, her parents lying on the floor, their expressions blank and empty. The Death Eater had given a high-pitched, cruel laugh as he and the Dementer Apparated away. Lily and Petunia had watched, terrified, hidden in a linen closet. The Death Eaters had done that. They had done it all.
"They deserve it," Lily said suddenly. "They all do."
"Do you think so?" James asked. "Do you think anyone deserves 'Avada Kadavra'?"
"Yes," Lily said defiantly. "They kill innocent people....Muggles and Muggle-borns, they ally themselves with terrible creatures like Dementors and Giants, they want to change it so that every witch and wizard is a pure blood, they kill whole families for no reason at all, they make us all live in terror, wondering where they're going to strike next..."
Lily's voice trailed off and she was horrified to find she had tears in her eyes. She blinked them back angrily. Why had she gone off like that? She never spoke unless she could help it, why had she gone off into that stupid, stupid speech? James must think she was mad to stick up for the Ministry. She knew many wizards had disagreed with the idea and set up protests against it. She put her tankard of Butterbeer down on the table and stared at it so she avoid looking at James' eyes.
"I still think it's wrong," James said quietly. "We know enough curses and hexes to be able to take them to Azkaban. If anyone deserves that place, it's them."
They sat in silence for a while.
"I have to go back to the castle," Lily muttered. "Finish my Transfiguration essay."
"I have to do that too," James said. "Or McGonagall'd do her nut."
Despite herself, Lily found another small smile escape her. James smiled back.
"Shall we go back to the castle?"
"Okay," she said, getting up. They left the Three Broomsticks and started walking back to the castle, fresh snow crunching under their shoes.
"I've never heard you talk as much as you did in the Three Broomsticks," James said. "You never speak in class."
"What's there to say that hasn't already been said?"
James smiled. "True...but still, it'd be nice to hear your voice sometimes."
Suddenly, there was a loud bang from one of the nearby stores. Lily jumped and slipped on the snow. James caught her in his arms.
"Careful," he said. He looked back. "That's the new Zonko's. It's a pretty wild place. We could go there next trip if you want."
Next trip? When would that be?
James set Lily back on her feet and they both started walking again.
Ten minutes later, they were back in the common room.
"Thanks for the Butterbeer," she said. "And for...everything else." Behind her curtain of red hair, she was slightly flushed.
"My pleasure," James said. "We could do that essay together, if you want."
"No... I can do it on my own." She gave him a hesitant half-smile. "Goodbye."
"See you," James said. He watched as she scrambled up the staircase to the girls' dorms.
He shook his head. There's more to that girl than meets the eye.
*****
Lily was walking down the corridor after Charms when she suddenly heard voices coming from an empty classroom and stopped to listen.
"Who does she think she is, practically plastering herself onto him--"
"She's quite good at Charms, maybe she put an Entrancing Charm on him--"
"What's her name anyway?"
"Dunno... Rosie or Daisy or something."
"Lily, actually. Lily Evans."
"What are you, the expert on her or something? I have an idea. Why don't we..."
The voices faded off. Lily strained to listen. Nothing.
Suddenly, the door swung open and the four Hufflepuff girls that had threatened her at The Three Broomsticks tumbled out.
"Ha!" their leader cried, pointing her finger out dramatically. "I knew it! Spy!"
They advanced on her. Lily backed down the corridor.
"So," the leader said. "We warned you not to go near James, but you did, didn't you?"
"No, I didn't!" Lily said.
"Liar!" the girl roared. "I told you what was going to happen if you did..." She punched her massive fist into the palm of her hand and looked at her threateningly.
"Maybe we're going a bit too harsh on her, Hattie," one girl said, chewing on her hair and nervously looking around. "Just make her promise not to go near him again."
"No way!" Hattie exclaimed. "We warned her the first time. Now she has to pay..." she pulled her wand out, probably to give Lily a magical wedgie.
Lily suddenly looked past them and waved frantically. "Hi, Professor McGonagall!" she said.
The Hufflepuff girls whirled around. Lily ran. She sprinted around a corner, having no idea where she was heading. She could hear pounding footsteps behind her, meaning the Hufflepuffs had realized her little joke and were now after her.
Panting and clutching at a stitch at her side, she staggered over to the entrance of the Prefects' bathroom.
"Bath balls, bath balls," she said. "Hurry!" The doors creaked open and she stumbled in. She could just hear Hattie's outraged yells as the doors shut behind her. She leaned against them and slid slowly down to the ground, breathing hard.
*****
James was in the Prefects bathroom, doing laps in the in the bath tub. He hummed to himself as he hoisted himself out and tied a white towel around him.
He hadn't seen Lily since Hogsmeade... well he had, but only in classes and in the common room. He hadn't spoken a word to her and she hadn't said anything to him either...he frowned. For a moment there, he'd thought she liked him. But then she'd clam up again and...
Suddenly, the door of the bathroom flew open with a bang. James promptly forgot about what he was doing and dropped his towel. Lily had suddenly burst in, red faced and breathing hard. The doors slammed shut behind her. James could hear someone yelling after her. Still panting, she slid down the door and onto the floor, leaning against the them with her eyes shut. Then they flickered open and she looked around. She saw James. Her jaw dropped.
"Oh..." she said, her hand flickering up to her mouth. A red tinge appeared on both cheeks and slowly began creeping its way up her face. "Oh, my..."
"Can I help you, Lily?" he asked, grabbing a new towel and covering himself up again. About five minutes too late.
"I'm sorry," she said, reaching behind her and fumbling for the door handle. "Terribly sorry." Then she twisted the handle and ran right back out again to the common room.
Oh. My. God, she thought as she ran.
She had just seen James Potter naked.
*****
It was later that evening and Lily was curled up in her usual armchair in the back of the common room, reading and stroking Fluffer McKitty who was purring on her lap. She had just turned a page in her book when she heard someone coming up behind her.
"Don't you ever get tired of reading?" James asked as he slid down in the seat beside her.
Lily could feel her face heat up when she saw him. Although after what she saw that afternoon it wasn't exactly surprising. "I like reading," she muttered, ducking her head behind her book again and pretending to read. She was really watching to see what James was going to do next.
"Don't you do anything else for fun?"
"Like what?"
"Practice dueling?"
"No."
"Exploding Snap?"
"No."
"Wizarding Chess?"
"No."
"Running races?"
"No."
"That's sort of hard to believe after the way you went rampaging on me in the bathroom this afternoon," he said teasingly.
Lily turned even redder, if that were possible, and hid behind her book. "That was an accident. I didn't even know you were in there."
James grinned. "Maybe I should see you naked to even things up."
Lily's face was now so red you could have friend bacon on there. James changed the subject.
"Who were you running away from?"
"What makes you think I was running away from anyone?"
"Just the way you came in all red and panting... and I heard someone yelling before you closed the door."
"It was no one."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
They were both quiet for a while, Lily turning the pages in her books and absentmindedly stroking her kitten, trying to ignore James' presence.
"I'm going to the Astronomy tower tonight, to finish my star chart," he said. "Do you want to come? We can do it together."
Lily was sorely tempted, but didn't want to risk making a fool herself in front of him, which was sure to happen with her clumsiness.
"I'm doing my chart tomorrow night," she said, trying to avoid his eyes. It was difficult not to.
"Professor Sinistra said that Mars would be brightest tonight though," James said. Still, Lily shook her head.
"I don't like Astronomy," she said. "Just sitting and staring at things is boring."
"Oh, I don't know," James said slowly. He looked at her and smiled slightly. "It all depends on what you're staring at, really."
Lily's cheeks tinged pink at the compliment and the blush slowly crept up her face. She looked down at her book quickly, trying to ignore James who was still watching her.
"Hey, Kitty." James seemed to have noticed Fluffer McKitty for the first time. He reached over and stroked her. Fluffer McKitty purred, then leapt off Lily and onto James' lap.
Traitor, Lily thought furiously, still keeping her eyes trained on the book.
"Doing anything tomorrow night? Besides your Astronomy chart, that is."
Yes. Say yes, Lily instructed her self. Tell him you have to study for another exam.
"No," Lily found herself saying. Where did these words keep coming from? She hadn't meant to say that. Better tell him I'm busy before it's too late.
She opened her mouth but James was already talking.
"I'll meet you at the edge of the Forbidden Forest after Quidditch practice at around seven. We can take a walk and get to know each other better."
He got up, put Fluffer McKitty back into her lap, and smiled. "Will you be there?"
Lily found herself nodding mutely. What kept making her do these things?
"Good. I'll be waiting for you."
He said goodnight and went up the boys staircase to his dormitory.
What had she gotten herself into this time?
*****
Lily had been planning to cancel her little date with James the next day, but every time she saw him he was surrounded by friends and she didn't want to approach him in front of them. She was too embarrassed and she didn't know what James' reaction would be. What if he got mad?
So when seven o'clock came, Lily could be found making her way towards the Forbidden Forest, keeping to the shadows, her face slightly flushed from spending two hours wrestling her hair into place. It seemed important to look good for James, though she didn't know why.
She reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest and sat down on a fallen log, waiting. Seven o'clock came and went with no sign of James. After twenty minutes of more waiting, it was obvious he wasn't going to show up.
Lily got up to go, feeling, for some reason, bitterly disappointed that he hadn't showed up after he'd promised to be there. What do you care anyway, Lily Evans? she thought as she began to walk back towards the castle. If he tells you to meet you somewhere then stands you up, then he doesn't even deserve your company. So forget him and--
Oh, God. Are those tears you're fighting back, Evans?
Lily blinked them away angrily, but just then, she heard a voice coming from behind her.
"Lily! Lily wait up!" Lily looked around. James was running towards her, red faced and out of breath.
"I'm sorry I'm late," he panted, coming up beside her. "I got held up."
Lily said nothing, she just kept walking. She was glad it was dark, so James couldn't see her tears.
"I'm sorry," he said again. "Do you still want to go on our walk?"
No, said a little voice in her head. Say no and put the stupid jerk back in his place. But something was stopping her.
"Okay," Lily said. Why, why, WHY did she keep saying these things?
James smiled with relief. "Oh, good. I thought you might.... never mind. Let's go."
He steered her away from the castle at back towards the forest.
"Why were you late?" Lily asked him.
"Quidditch practice ran overtime," James replied.
Typical male, Lily thought furiously. Keep a lady waiting just because you have to play a stupid sport. It must have been a sign that they weren't meant to be together, but somehow, Lily was savoring their closeness. A silence drifted between them. Lily pushed her hair back away from her face.
"Oh, I like your earrings," James said, noticing them for the first time. They were the ones she had gotten for Christmas. "They look good on you."
"Thanks," Lily muttered, letting her hair fall back into place.
"I was hoping you'd like them," James continued. "There were so many in the shop I didn't know which ones to choose."
Lily almost fell over from shock. "You bought them for me?"
"Yeah."
Lily was silent, thinking for a while. "You gave me all the candy and flowers as well, didn't you?"
"That was me," James said lightly.
"But...why?"
James looked at her and smiled slightly. "I should have thought that was quite obvious, wouldn't you?"
Lily felt her face heat up. She knew it was impossible, but still... could it be? That James Potter, captain of Quidditch, famed Gryffindor Chaser, actually liked her specially?
Lily didn't know what to say, so she stayed quiet and stared at the ground as they went along. Suddenly, she couldn't wait until the end of the walk so she could escape from him. How was she supposed to act in a position like this?
"So," James said.
"So, what?"
"Do you like me?"
Lily really did trip over this time. James caught her just before she hit the ground.
"I think we should go back to the castle now," she said a bit woozily as he set her on the ground.
"You haven't answered my question yet."
"What question?" Lily asked, knowing exactly what it was.
"Do you like me?"
They walked in silence for a while. Then Lily turned to look at him and gave him another one of her half-smiles.
"You're alright, I suppose," she said.
James smiled. "So if I asked if it would be okay to kiss you, would you say yes?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
Lily suddenly turned red and looked away, muttering something James didn't quite catch.
"What was that?"
Lily looked back up at him. "I said, I don't know how."
James smiled and chuckled gently. "That's okay... I'll teach you."
He stopped walking and she followed suit. They were nearly at the castle now.
"Well, you need to get a bit closer for a start," he said.
Lily moved up to him and put her arms around his neck
"This close enough?" she said.
James smiled. "That'll do fine... now just close your eyes..."
Her eyes flickered shut. James bent his head and kissed her gently on the lips. Lily could feel her head spinning and heart soaring until he until he had stopped kissing her, then it was as if she had been deposited safely back on earth.
"Now that wasn't so bad was it?" James murmured gently, lips still close to hers.
"No," she whispered. "Not at all."
She took her arms from around his neck and slowly backed away.
"Good night, James," she said, then turned and ran back the rest of the way up to the castle to tell her cat, Fluffer McKitty, of all the night's happenings.
A/N: Okay, I'm leaving off there cos I have to go study for an exam. There'll be more soon, I'm hoping to post something on the weekend when I have more time... it won't be a very long series, five parts at the most. I'm sorry for any mistakes for anything, I know my spelling and grammar sucks ( i fall asleep during english, toooooooooo boring). Anyway, I hope u liked that, thanx for all the e-mails and reviews i've gotten so far and review!
"Out!" she said. "I need to close this place down."
"Oh, just five more minutes," Sirius said, smiling charmingly down at her. Madame Pince grudgingly let them stay a bit longer.
James moved down the shelves, looking for any books that might come in useful. He pulled one out, and was about to find Sirius so that they could leave, when he discovered that they weren't the only two people left in the library.
A girl about his age was sitting at a table behind him, half hidden by volumes and volumes of books as big as paving stones piled up around her. She was flicking through the yellowing pages of a heavy brown book, occasionally writing things down, and sucking thoughtfully at the end of her quill after each paragraph. Her long, red hair covered most of her face, and she had a light sprinkling of freckles on her nose. As her eyes moved up and down the paper, James noticed that they were a startling green color, like emeralds or the sea when the sun shone directly onto it. He stared at her, seemingly transfixed.
"James? Uh, James?" James jerked out of his daydream, and turned to look at Sirius who was waving a hand in front of his face.
"What?"
"I've called you five times already but you keep staring off into space. Ready to go?"
"Yeah." He looked over at the girl again. He had seen her before, he realized. She did extremely well in one subject, Charms... or was it Potions? Maybe Divination. He couldn't quite remember.
"Do you know who she is?" James asked Sirius, nodding his head over to her. As he spoke, she began packing up, cramming as many volumes as she could into her bag and walking towards the exit, red hair hanging over her like a curtain.
Sirius glanced over at where he was looking. "Lily Evans," he said. "She's been in Gryffindor with us for years... she's Head Girl, came top of Charms last year."
So it was Charms. "How come I've never seen her before?" James wondered, watching as she left the room.
Sirius shrugged. "You probably have, just haven't really noticed her before... she's kind of easy to forget, if you know what I mean. She's quiet, keeps to herself... I don't think she has any friends. Kind of a pity. She could be quite pretty if she wanted."
Madame Pince came up behind them, looking irritable. "When you boys are quite finished," she snapped, "I have to close up. Now."
"Just leaving," Sirius said. "Come on, James."
They headed out of the library. Sirius began talking about their first Quidditch match for the year (Gryffindor vs Slytherin), but James' mind was elsewhere. Why, he thought to himself, in all his six years in Hogwarts, had he failed to really notice Lily Evans?
He vowed to keep an eye out for her.
*****
It was almost two weeks later. James had already memorized every move, every habit and every detail about Lily Evans, and realized why he had never really seen her before. Or rather, why it was that when he looked at her, his eyes seemed to slide straight past and towards someone else.
She sat in the far back corner of every class, next to no one. She never put her hand up, and the teacher never called on her to answer a question or to demonstrate something to the class, even in Charms which was easily her best subject.
In corridors, she kept right in the shadows, red hair hanging over her face like a veil. She was never seen without the company of at least half a dozen books hanging from her side, and whenever she spoke to anyone she never looked straight at them, her eyes hovered somewhere between their navel and their chest.
At meals, she sat in the corner furthest away from everyone, eating her food without looking up. She separated all the green vegies first, and drank after every three bites.
In the common room, she would take the armchair furthest away from the fire and stay up late into the night reading, and stroking her brown kitten, Fluffer McKitty who would sit on her lap purring. Then at about twelve o'clock, she would get up and stretch, Fluffer McKitty would fall to the ground, and they would both make their ways up the girls' staircase to their dormitory.
She didn't have any friends, never got any owls, only spoke if she was spoken to, had a small scar on her right hand, and held her quill incorrectly.
All this James noticed in just two weeks, although they had never exchanged a single word between themselves. Although he didn't know it then, he had already fallen in love, simply by watching her.
*****
It was an unusually warm October day, especially for Halloween. Every single third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh year were out enjoying a day at Hogsmeade, third years chattering excitedly as it was their first time.
James was halfway there when he realized that he'd forgotten his money back in his dormitory and ran back to get it.
"Hurry, won't you?" Sirius called after him. "Zonko's closes early today and I need to stock up on more Stink Pellets."
"Yeah," James said. "I'll meet you there okay?"
Sirius nodded and continued on to Hogsmeade with Remus and Peter while James ran off in the opposite direction.
He reached the portrait, said the password and stepped into the common room which seemed to be empty. Everyone was either at Hogsmeade or outside enjoying the sunshine.
He was half-way up the staircase to the boys' dormitories when he heard a voice coming from behind an armchair.
"Now hold still, Fluffer McKitty, we'll get there in a minute," it said softly. "Don't you want to sing Happy Birthday first?"
James peered over the arm chair and suddenly caught sight of Lily sitting cross- legged on the floor with Fluffer McKitty on her lap. In front of her was a tiny cake with a candle burning brightly on it, and beside her was a single, solitary parcel. She didn't seem to notice James was watching her.
"Shall we sing together?" she said in the same soft voice. "On the count of three now, one...two... three:
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday, dear me
Happy birthday to me."
She blew out the candle. "We'll have some cake later on, Fluffer. I'll open the presents now... is this one from you?" She picked up the one, lonely parcel from beside her. "How nice...whatever could it be?" She began to remove the wrapping paper, talking all the while. "It's something squarish, something hard, it sounds hollow..." she pulled aside the last of the wrapping paper, and help up a small, brown, wooden jewelry box. "Oh, it's lovely! How did you know I wanted one of these, Fluffer McKitty?" She bent down and kissed her kitten between the eyes. Fluffer purred and nestled nearer. She stroked him, sighing gently as she surveyed her one and only birthday present. "At least you remembered my birthday, even if no one else did," she murmured.
She suddenly got up and James quickly ran the rest of the way up the stairs before she could see him, thinking hard. He had an idea.
*****
"...you have defied the odds and garnered triumph through your own efforts. Your future is limitless and I shall always be proud of you, my Chinese Cinderella." Lily reached the last page of the book, and closed it with a sigh. It had been such a wonderful story. She checked her watch. "It's getting late, Fluffer McKitty. We should be going up to bed."
She gathered up the book and her cat, and made her solitary way up the staircase to her dormitory. She put Fluffer McKitty down on her bed, and was about to get changed when her eyes fell upon her jewelry box, her only gift for today.
Well, what did you expect? she asked herself as she began to undress. Did you really think Petunia would send you anything? Mum and dad are dead now, they have been for years... the pang of guilt that hand been haunting her for the past four years hit her again. If it hadn't been for her, they might still be alive...
She shook her head. It was no time to be feeling sorry for herself. She drew the curtains around her bed, climbed in, and laid her head on the pillow, drawing Fluffer McKitty up closer to her. Her head hit something hard.
"What could that be?" she muttered, reaching behind her. Her hand closed on something and she brought it out to see. Then, "Oh!"
It was a small box, wrapped in colorful birthday paper and tied with ribbon. So someone had remembered her birthday!
Carefully, she pulled off the wrapping paper and took the lid off the box.
"Oh, Kitty!" she gasped. In the box were a set of earrings, not ordinary ones but small circles that seemed to be made of fire. "Who sent this to me?" She looked around for a card, but couldn't find one.
She put the earrings on. They looked lovely on her.
"I have a friend, Kitty," she murmured as she fell back into her pillow and slept.
*****
It was late at night, and Lily, as usual, was in her armchair away from the fire reading. The common room was empty except for her and the cat, and an odd sort of chill had settled over the castle grounds, telling them that Autumn was soon drawing to an end. Lily looked at the fire. It's warmth didn't reach her way at the back of the common room. It looked so inviting.
What would it matter? Lily thought. There's no one else in here anyway. I'll just go a bit closer...
She picked up her book and Fluffer McKitty, and took the nearest chair to the fire that she could fine. It felt so much better to be close to it, now she felt warmer and didn't have to squint through half-darkness to see the words... she settled down, feeling comfortable.
Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her and looked to see what it was. There was no one there. That's weird, she thought to herself as she turned back to her book. But then, a lot of weird things had been happening lately...
Little candied hearts with U R SWEET written on them were suddenly finding their way into the pockets of her robes and cloak. Sometimes, her books would slide off the table for no reason, and when she straightened to put them back on, she would find flowers on there instead. Once she had opened her Transfiguration book to do some homework and found a piece of parchment pressed between the pages. She had turned it over to find a poem that read:
Friends are the rarest gems of all
But the most precious are the ones
Who sparkle inside and out...
Like you do.
She hadn't recognized the writing which was tall and spidery, and spent the entire night wondering who would bother to send her such a thing. And everyday, she could feel a pair of eyes watching her, but when she turned around no one was paying the least bit of attention to her, except for James Potter who had given her a half-smile once. She had been too startled to return it, and quickly bent her head and hurried away from those eyes that seemed to follow her everywhere.
She turned a page in her book, when suddenly, a voice behind her said, "Sirius? Is that you?"
She turned around. James Potter was standing behind her with a tired look on his face. He looked startled to find her there.
"Oh... sorry," he said. "I thought you were someone else."
"It's alright," she murmured. She turned back and quickly hid her face behind her book. She could hear him take the seat beside her. What was he doing? She watched from the corner of her eye.
"What are you reading?" he asked after a while.
"A book."
He smiled. "I can see that. What's it called?"
She showed him the cover. Gone With the Wind.
"Is it good?"
Why was he talking to her? "Yes."
More silence. Then, "I was surprised to see you up here."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "You're usually by yourself, back in that corner over there."
Lily felt insulted. She knew she didn't have any friends. He didn't have to rub it in. She buried her face back into her book, frowning.
"Have you done your Charms homework yet?"
"No," she said, wondering where he was getting at.
"You'd better get started soon. It's quite hard."
Lily was feeling really annoyed now. First of all he had made that comment about her always being by herself, now he was insulting her intelligence by telling her that Charms was hard when she was the best Charms student in the whole year. The essay was meant to be on Enticing Charms. She had already mastered them three years ago.
"Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me next trip?"
Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. Now he wanted her to go out with him after he had just insulted her? The jerk.
Lily opened her mouth to tell him to get lost, but instead, she found herself saying, "I'd like to go to Hogsmeade with you." What? Where had that come from? That wasn't what she wanted to say! No! No, no, no, no, no! She tried to tell him this but found her throat was stuck.
"Great!" he was smiling now. "It's on next Monday. I'll meet you down here at three o'clock, okay?"
Lily unstuck her throat just in time to see him going up the staircase to the boys dormitories. What had gotten into her?
Suddenly, the incredibility of the situation sunk in. She, Lily Amelia Evans, had just been asked out by James Potter. James Potter. Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. The guy half the girls at school had a crush on. He hadn't asked Lydia Peterson or Janice what's-her-name. He had asked her. Lily.
Her life just got weirder every day.
*****
It was Monday, time for her trip to Hogsmeade with James. Lily was standing in front of the mirror, brushing her hair.
I wish it were longer, she found herself thinking. Longer, and less frizzy. And I wish my eyes weren't so--
Wait a minute. I don't care about how I look. Why am I going to all this bother of looking nice just for this little date with James? And it's not even a date, really, just an outing...
She pulled her hair out of her eyes and looked at her reflection. She looked different without it hanging over her face. Older somehow, more mature...
She let it flop back into place. Somehow, she couldn't help noticing how plain and ordinary she looked. She caught sight of some lipstick standing on Chantel Mavison's bedside table. Chantel wouldn't mind if she--
Stop it! "What is wrong with you, Evans?" she muttered. It was just a stupid date, that was all, with a boy she barely even knew. So what if he had a great smile, and nice eyes, and a really, really sweet laugh...
"I am not going to turn into one of those stupid girls who giggle at every boy they see," she said aloud.
Fluffer McKitty meowed in agreement.
*****
Lily went down the stairs at three o'clock. James was there, waiting for her as promised. He smiled when he saw her come down.
"Hi," he said. "Ready to go?"
Lily nodded. They walked together to the village in silence, Lily carefully keeping her distance, watching to make sure he didn't get too close.
"Do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer?" James asked once they were there.
"Alright," Lily said awkwardly. She wondered why she had agreed to go with him in the first place.
When they entered the Three Broomsticks, nearly every head turned to stare at them. Lily could feel her face growing hot. Of course. They were all wondering why perfect, popular James Potter was in Hogsmeade with a nobody but her. Why hadn't she just stayed back in the common room where she belonged?
James didn't seem to notice all the looks they were getting. "I'll get us the drinks," he said. "You find a table for us, okay?"
Lily nodded and moved through the crowded restaurant to a table near the back, trying to ignore the people who were still staring. She had just seated herself down when four massive Hufflepuff girls she had never spoken to before in her life approached her. Their leader, a girl with blond ringlets, had her arms folded across her chest. She did not look happy.
"So," she said. "Here with James, are you?"
"Yes," Lily said guardedly.
"I just want you to know," the girl said, "that James belongs to Leona." She jerked her thumb back to a brown-haired girl behind her, who was slightly shorter than her but three times wider.
"He does?"
"Yes. They've been going together for weeks. Months. Maybe even years." She pushed her face up close to Lily's and breathed all over it. "So don't get in the way. Or--" She slammed her hand down. The whole table shook. "Got that?"
Lily nodded wordlessly. The Hufflepuffs disappeared just as James arrived with the Butterbeer. This date was turning out to be much more trouble than it was worth.
"Who were they?" James asked, sitting down and opening a Butterbeer.
Lily thought it was best not to answer. She clutched the Butterbeer to her lips and didn't answer.
"So. You any good at small talk?"
Lily shook her head and smiled slightly.
"You should do that more."
"Do what?"
"Smile. You're pretty when you smile."
Lily blushed and stopped smiling.
"Have you heard about the new law the ministry just passed around? They've authorized the use of Unforgivable Curses on any suspected Death Eater."
"I heard about that," Lily said. Her voice was barely audible above the chattering and laughter going on in the restaurant.
"I think it's wrong," James said. "How are we any different from them if we do to them what they do to us?"
Lily was about to answer when she stopped. Her throat caught. She saw again, her parents lying on the floor, their expressions blank and empty. The Death Eater had given a high-pitched, cruel laugh as he and the Dementer Apparated away. Lily and Petunia had watched, terrified, hidden in a linen closet. The Death Eaters had done that. They had done it all.
"They deserve it," Lily said suddenly. "They all do."
"Do you think so?" James asked. "Do you think anyone deserves 'Avada Kadavra'?"
"Yes," Lily said defiantly. "They kill innocent people....Muggles and Muggle-borns, they ally themselves with terrible creatures like Dementors and Giants, they want to change it so that every witch and wizard is a pure blood, they kill whole families for no reason at all, they make us all live in terror, wondering where they're going to strike next..."
Lily's voice trailed off and she was horrified to find she had tears in her eyes. She blinked them back angrily. Why had she gone off like that? She never spoke unless she could help it, why had she gone off into that stupid, stupid speech? James must think she was mad to stick up for the Ministry. She knew many wizards had disagreed with the idea and set up protests against it. She put her tankard of Butterbeer down on the table and stared at it so she avoid looking at James' eyes.
"I still think it's wrong," James said quietly. "We know enough curses and hexes to be able to take them to Azkaban. If anyone deserves that place, it's them."
They sat in silence for a while.
"I have to go back to the castle," Lily muttered. "Finish my Transfiguration essay."
"I have to do that too," James said. "Or McGonagall'd do her nut."
Despite herself, Lily found another small smile escape her. James smiled back.
"Shall we go back to the castle?"
"Okay," she said, getting up. They left the Three Broomsticks and started walking back to the castle, fresh snow crunching under their shoes.
"I've never heard you talk as much as you did in the Three Broomsticks," James said. "You never speak in class."
"What's there to say that hasn't already been said?"
James smiled. "True...but still, it'd be nice to hear your voice sometimes."
Suddenly, there was a loud bang from one of the nearby stores. Lily jumped and slipped on the snow. James caught her in his arms.
"Careful," he said. He looked back. "That's the new Zonko's. It's a pretty wild place. We could go there next trip if you want."
Next trip? When would that be?
James set Lily back on her feet and they both started walking again.
Ten minutes later, they were back in the common room.
"Thanks for the Butterbeer," she said. "And for...everything else." Behind her curtain of red hair, she was slightly flushed.
"My pleasure," James said. "We could do that essay together, if you want."
"No... I can do it on my own." She gave him a hesitant half-smile. "Goodbye."
"See you," James said. He watched as she scrambled up the staircase to the girls' dorms.
He shook his head. There's more to that girl than meets the eye.
*****
Lily was walking down the corridor after Charms when she suddenly heard voices coming from an empty classroom and stopped to listen.
"Who does she think she is, practically plastering herself onto him--"
"She's quite good at Charms, maybe she put an Entrancing Charm on him--"
"What's her name anyway?"
"Dunno... Rosie or Daisy or something."
"Lily, actually. Lily Evans."
"What are you, the expert on her or something? I have an idea. Why don't we..."
The voices faded off. Lily strained to listen. Nothing.
Suddenly, the door swung open and the four Hufflepuff girls that had threatened her at The Three Broomsticks tumbled out.
"Ha!" their leader cried, pointing her finger out dramatically. "I knew it! Spy!"
They advanced on her. Lily backed down the corridor.
"So," the leader said. "We warned you not to go near James, but you did, didn't you?"
"No, I didn't!" Lily said.
"Liar!" the girl roared. "I told you what was going to happen if you did..." She punched her massive fist into the palm of her hand and looked at her threateningly.
"Maybe we're going a bit too harsh on her, Hattie," one girl said, chewing on her hair and nervously looking around. "Just make her promise not to go near him again."
"No way!" Hattie exclaimed. "We warned her the first time. Now she has to pay..." she pulled her wand out, probably to give Lily a magical wedgie.
Lily suddenly looked past them and waved frantically. "Hi, Professor McGonagall!" she said.
The Hufflepuff girls whirled around. Lily ran. She sprinted around a corner, having no idea where she was heading. She could hear pounding footsteps behind her, meaning the Hufflepuffs had realized her little joke and were now after her.
Panting and clutching at a stitch at her side, she staggered over to the entrance of the Prefects' bathroom.
"Bath balls, bath balls," she said. "Hurry!" The doors creaked open and she stumbled in. She could just hear Hattie's outraged yells as the doors shut behind her. She leaned against them and slid slowly down to the ground, breathing hard.
*****
James was in the Prefects bathroom, doing laps in the in the bath tub. He hummed to himself as he hoisted himself out and tied a white towel around him.
He hadn't seen Lily since Hogsmeade... well he had, but only in classes and in the common room. He hadn't spoken a word to her and she hadn't said anything to him either...he frowned. For a moment there, he'd thought she liked him. But then she'd clam up again and...
Suddenly, the door of the bathroom flew open with a bang. James promptly forgot about what he was doing and dropped his towel. Lily had suddenly burst in, red faced and breathing hard. The doors slammed shut behind her. James could hear someone yelling after her. Still panting, she slid down the door and onto the floor, leaning against the them with her eyes shut. Then they flickered open and she looked around. She saw James. Her jaw dropped.
"Oh..." she said, her hand flickering up to her mouth. A red tinge appeared on both cheeks and slowly began creeping its way up her face. "Oh, my..."
"Can I help you, Lily?" he asked, grabbing a new towel and covering himself up again. About five minutes too late.
"I'm sorry," she said, reaching behind her and fumbling for the door handle. "Terribly sorry." Then she twisted the handle and ran right back out again to the common room.
Oh. My. God, she thought as she ran.
She had just seen James Potter naked.
*****
It was later that evening and Lily was curled up in her usual armchair in the back of the common room, reading and stroking Fluffer McKitty who was purring on her lap. She had just turned a page in her book when she heard someone coming up behind her.
"Don't you ever get tired of reading?" James asked as he slid down in the seat beside her.
Lily could feel her face heat up when she saw him. Although after what she saw that afternoon it wasn't exactly surprising. "I like reading," she muttered, ducking her head behind her book again and pretending to read. She was really watching to see what James was going to do next.
"Don't you do anything else for fun?"
"Like what?"
"Practice dueling?"
"No."
"Exploding Snap?"
"No."
"Wizarding Chess?"
"No."
"Running races?"
"No."
"That's sort of hard to believe after the way you went rampaging on me in the bathroom this afternoon," he said teasingly.
Lily turned even redder, if that were possible, and hid behind her book. "That was an accident. I didn't even know you were in there."
James grinned. "Maybe I should see you naked to even things up."
Lily's face was now so red you could have friend bacon on there. James changed the subject.
"Who were you running away from?"
"What makes you think I was running away from anyone?"
"Just the way you came in all red and panting... and I heard someone yelling before you closed the door."
"It was no one."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
They were both quiet for a while, Lily turning the pages in her books and absentmindedly stroking her kitten, trying to ignore James' presence.
"I'm going to the Astronomy tower tonight, to finish my star chart," he said. "Do you want to come? We can do it together."
Lily was sorely tempted, but didn't want to risk making a fool herself in front of him, which was sure to happen with her clumsiness.
"I'm doing my chart tomorrow night," she said, trying to avoid his eyes. It was difficult not to.
"Professor Sinistra said that Mars would be brightest tonight though," James said. Still, Lily shook her head.
"I don't like Astronomy," she said. "Just sitting and staring at things is boring."
"Oh, I don't know," James said slowly. He looked at her and smiled slightly. "It all depends on what you're staring at, really."
Lily's cheeks tinged pink at the compliment and the blush slowly crept up her face. She looked down at her book quickly, trying to ignore James who was still watching her.
"Hey, Kitty." James seemed to have noticed Fluffer McKitty for the first time. He reached over and stroked her. Fluffer McKitty purred, then leapt off Lily and onto James' lap.
Traitor, Lily thought furiously, still keeping her eyes trained on the book.
"Doing anything tomorrow night? Besides your Astronomy chart, that is."
Yes. Say yes, Lily instructed her self. Tell him you have to study for another exam.
"No," Lily found herself saying. Where did these words keep coming from? She hadn't meant to say that. Better tell him I'm busy before it's too late.
She opened her mouth but James was already talking.
"I'll meet you at the edge of the Forbidden Forest after Quidditch practice at around seven. We can take a walk and get to know each other better."
He got up, put Fluffer McKitty back into her lap, and smiled. "Will you be there?"
Lily found herself nodding mutely. What kept making her do these things?
"Good. I'll be waiting for you."
He said goodnight and went up the boys staircase to his dormitory.
What had she gotten herself into this time?
*****
Lily had been planning to cancel her little date with James the next day, but every time she saw him he was surrounded by friends and she didn't want to approach him in front of them. She was too embarrassed and she didn't know what James' reaction would be. What if he got mad?
So when seven o'clock came, Lily could be found making her way towards the Forbidden Forest, keeping to the shadows, her face slightly flushed from spending two hours wrestling her hair into place. It seemed important to look good for James, though she didn't know why.
She reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest and sat down on a fallen log, waiting. Seven o'clock came and went with no sign of James. After twenty minutes of more waiting, it was obvious he wasn't going to show up.
Lily got up to go, feeling, for some reason, bitterly disappointed that he hadn't showed up after he'd promised to be there. What do you care anyway, Lily Evans? she thought as she began to walk back towards the castle. If he tells you to meet you somewhere then stands you up, then he doesn't even deserve your company. So forget him and--
Oh, God. Are those tears you're fighting back, Evans?
Lily blinked them away angrily, but just then, she heard a voice coming from behind her.
"Lily! Lily wait up!" Lily looked around. James was running towards her, red faced and out of breath.
"I'm sorry I'm late," he panted, coming up beside her. "I got held up."
Lily said nothing, she just kept walking. She was glad it was dark, so James couldn't see her tears.
"I'm sorry," he said again. "Do you still want to go on our walk?"
No, said a little voice in her head. Say no and put the stupid jerk back in his place. But something was stopping her.
"Okay," Lily said. Why, why, WHY did she keep saying these things?
James smiled with relief. "Oh, good. I thought you might.... never mind. Let's go."
He steered her away from the castle at back towards the forest.
"Why were you late?" Lily asked him.
"Quidditch practice ran overtime," James replied.
Typical male, Lily thought furiously. Keep a lady waiting just because you have to play a stupid sport. It must have been a sign that they weren't meant to be together, but somehow, Lily was savoring their closeness. A silence drifted between them. Lily pushed her hair back away from her face.
"Oh, I like your earrings," James said, noticing them for the first time. They were the ones she had gotten for Christmas. "They look good on you."
"Thanks," Lily muttered, letting her hair fall back into place.
"I was hoping you'd like them," James continued. "There were so many in the shop I didn't know which ones to choose."
Lily almost fell over from shock. "You bought them for me?"
"Yeah."
Lily was silent, thinking for a while. "You gave me all the candy and flowers as well, didn't you?"
"That was me," James said lightly.
"But...why?"
James looked at her and smiled slightly. "I should have thought that was quite obvious, wouldn't you?"
Lily felt her face heat up. She knew it was impossible, but still... could it be? That James Potter, captain of Quidditch, famed Gryffindor Chaser, actually liked her specially?
Lily didn't know what to say, so she stayed quiet and stared at the ground as they went along. Suddenly, she couldn't wait until the end of the walk so she could escape from him. How was she supposed to act in a position like this?
"So," James said.
"So, what?"
"Do you like me?"
Lily really did trip over this time. James caught her just before she hit the ground.
"I think we should go back to the castle now," she said a bit woozily as he set her on the ground.
"You haven't answered my question yet."
"What question?" Lily asked, knowing exactly what it was.
"Do you like me?"
They walked in silence for a while. Then Lily turned to look at him and gave him another one of her half-smiles.
"You're alright, I suppose," she said.
James smiled. "So if I asked if it would be okay to kiss you, would you say yes?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
Lily suddenly turned red and looked away, muttering something James didn't quite catch.
"What was that?"
Lily looked back up at him. "I said, I don't know how."
James smiled and chuckled gently. "That's okay... I'll teach you."
He stopped walking and she followed suit. They were nearly at the castle now.
"Well, you need to get a bit closer for a start," he said.
Lily moved up to him and put her arms around his neck
"This close enough?" she said.
James smiled. "That'll do fine... now just close your eyes..."
Her eyes flickered shut. James bent his head and kissed her gently on the lips. Lily could feel her head spinning and heart soaring until he until he had stopped kissing her, then it was as if she had been deposited safely back on earth.
"Now that wasn't so bad was it?" James murmured gently, lips still close to hers.
"No," she whispered. "Not at all."
She took her arms from around his neck and slowly backed away.
"Good night, James," she said, then turned and ran back the rest of the way up to the castle to tell her cat, Fluffer McKitty, of all the night's happenings.
A/N: Okay, I'm leaving off there cos I have to go study for an exam. There'll be more soon, I'm hoping to post something on the weekend when I have more time... it won't be a very long series, five parts at the most. I'm sorry for any mistakes for anything, I know my spelling and grammar sucks ( i fall asleep during english, toooooooooo boring). Anyway, I hope u liked that, thanx for all the e-mails and reviews i've gotten so far and review!
