"He's The One." I said aloud to one of my best friends as I stared at the attractive Quidditch player sitting further down the table from me.

"Lily, he is not the one. And I would appreciate it if you would stop talking about my team captain that way."

I glared at the boy sitting next to me. "James Potter, I would appreciate it if you would stop doubting my love for Leo. You don't understand what it's like to know you've found The One."

Potter looked at me with a deep, serious look. "You already know I've found The One. I've known for a long time who was meant for me. Look, right there. Eating that roast with such elegance it makes my heart soar. That's the person I've pledged my life too."

I chuckled as Sirius looked up from his roast as if he could feel Potter pointing at him.

"Oi, are you two talking about me again?" He asked, his mouth disgustingly full.

"You've found yourself a keeper alright." I murmured.

Potter laughed. "I'm just trying to show you how stupid you sound, talking about Leo all the time. You can barely call yourselves friends, how can you possibly know you want to marry him?"

"Where's Jo? I want a girl to talk to."

"I don't know. She's your best friend. I keep track of mine," he pointed at Sirius, Remus, then Peter, "and you keep track of yours."

I rolled my eyes and looked around for Jo. "You were the last one to see her. Where did she go after your Quidditch game?"

Early this morning Jo had gone off to play a fun, end of the year game with the Gryffindor Quidditch team, we all went home for the summer today, and I hadn't seen her all morning.

"She's probably in your room making herself look like a girl again. She doesn't believe me when I tell her that the sweaty, fresh-off-a-broomstick look is extremely attractive."

I gave him a look that clearly told him I thought he was an idiot.

"I know, I know." He said, waving me off. "I'm terrible with woman and it's a surprise that there are even girls out there willing to call me friends. But come on, Lily, you have to admit that you'll miss me this summer."

I was not going to admit that. He knew already and I didn't want to encourage his arrogance. Jo had been the one that made me spend more time with her teammates. I had only become friends with Potter because she made me, and I hated admitting that I actually enjoyed his company now. Of course, it was Jo who introduced me to Leo, so I had her to thank for at least that much.

I stood up, "I think I'm going to talk to Leo one last time before it is time to leave. I want to set up a future correspondence with him." I winked at Potter and he gave me a grin.

"Just make sure you don't go home without saying goodbye to me."

I went home without saying goodbye to James Potter. I was a horrible friend. I had gotten caught up talking to Leo and we ended up riding the Hogwarts Express together. I listened intently to all his advice on being a seventh year and heard all his plans for his future (which matched up perfectly with mine). Leo was older, put together, smart, funny, not to mention attractive. It was easy to forget about anyone else in the world.

He promised he would write me. I could barely believe my ears. Leo would write me! He even hinted at visiting me! I almost swooned when he gave me a hug goodbye. It was no surprise I was in a daze at the station. I would not have even said goodbye to anyone else if they hadn't found and approached me. I managed to hug Jo and Sirius and wave at Remus from a distance. I was rather impressed with myself for holding it together so well, until I realized I hadn't even seen Potter at the station. That's when the guilt settled in.

As soon as I got home and put my trunks in the room, I pulled out a piece of paper to write him a note.

Potter,

I'm incredibly sorry I forget to find you to say goodbye. I am a terrible friend and I hope you forgive me. I hope you have a lovely summer.

Lily

I sent my owl off with the note knowing he would see right through it, but it was the best I could do. Potter would understand. My relationship with my future husband was more important than my relationship with him.

My owl returned within ten minutes. It shocked me at how quickly it took him to reply.

Evans,

I always knew this day would come. It hurts that you are willing to forget me just because some fit looking bloke gave you the time of day. Is this how you treat all your friends or are you still harboring some ill feelings toward me? You may only be forgiven if you promise to apologize to Sirius too. He claims that your goodbye hug was only half-hearted and he's offended.

James

I smiled to myself as I wrote a note to Sirius and a reply to Potter. I had a feeling this summer would go by slowly as I was anxious to get back to school. It was always a struggle being back in the Muggle world and being around my sister only made it worse. The only bright side to my summer would be the friends who would write me and the promise of deepening my relationship with Leo. I could barely wait for his first letter to arrive.

Leo was a terrible penpal. At first, I gave him excuses. He had just graduated and was trying to get his life together, he's been so busy working a real job, he probably didn't want to seem too eager. I thought about writing him first, but I wanted him to make the first move. It was three weeks before his first letter came and all it said was

Hey Lily! How is your summer?

I could hardly be impressed with an impersonal note like that. My reply was just as short as his. Writing a letter to the boy you're destined to be with is harder than it seems, especially if you are mad at him for taking so long. It didn't seem right. Jo had written me a few times a week, Potter had written me every day, Sirius was a weekly occurrence. Heck, even the fourth year I tutored sent me sweet messages every now and then. The only one who wasn't writing to me was Leo.

I was getting annoyed, on the verge of sending him a nasty letter telling him to show me love more. The only thing that stopped me was an invitation. Potter was having a summer get-together with the Gryffindor Quidditch team. His letter said that, as Jo was the only female currently on the team, I should come along to keep the party from becoming to masculine for her. Potter also stated that it would be my chance "to flirt with your dreamboat in a nonschool setting". I had a feeling that Potter's main motivation for inviting me involved Leo far more than Jo.

So I went to that party. I dressed up in the most casual, yet sexy, outfit I owned. I wanted to make Leo notice me. I wanted him to regret his lack of contact. I wanted him to finally ask me out. I wanted him to see that I was the woman of his dreams and get down on one knee and propose.

OK I didn't really want him to propose, but I did have high hopes for this party. That just shows how stupid I can be. Twenty seconds into the party my hopes were crushed.

Leo had brought a girl to the party. Some other girl! Some gorgeous blonde girl that apparently he worked with. He was showing her off to his teammates right as I walked into the party. I was devastated. On the verge of leaving the party, I was greeted by Potter.

"Lily! You came." His smile dropped off his face. "And you saw already. I'm so sorry. I didn't know he had a girlfriend. I didn't even know he was bringing her."

A tear slid down my cheek and he pulled me around the corner.

"He's not The One." I whimpered. "You were right."

Potter started rubbing my back comfortingly, "Hey, maybe he still is. This new girl could break up with him any day and he could come running back to you. You just might have to wait a little bit longer."

I wiped me tears quickly and looked around to make sure no one had seen that. Taking a deep breath, I pulled myself together. "No, he's not The One. I'm over him. I'm going to put a smile on my face and prove that Lily Evans does not get lovesick and heartbroken over some jerk who won't even write her over the summer."

Potter laughed, though he still seemed unsure. "I'm proud of you. You were too good for him anyway. There's plenty of time for you to really find The One."

I looked questioningly at the boy standing in front of me. "Do you even believe in The One? I feel like you mock me for thinking like that."

Potter motioned me to follow him back to the party and led me over to the food and drinks. "I respect your romantic ideas," he handed me a glass of butterbeer, "but I don't believe that one day I'm just going to see a girl and know that she's The One. I know that I could be attracted to her at first glance. I know that I could hit it off with her from the start. But I think there's more to a relationship than fate."

"Like what?" I asked, I waved to a few people at the party, but didn't leave Potter's side.

He pondered for a moment. "I think, you know you've found the person you can marry and love forever when you find someone you care about more than anyone else and you're willing to show you care every single chance you get,"

Leo never once made me think he cared.

"and when you want her to be happy more than you want yourself to be happy so you willingly sacrifice your own pleasure for hers,"

He was obviously happy to have a new girlfriend.

"and when you are willing to put up with all her stupid ideas and mistakes because you know she'll need you when she fails,"

Back at school, he often ignored my ideas and went with his own, encouraging me to go with his plan.

"and when you can tell her anything because you aren't afraid of what she'll think,"

The only deeply personal conversations we ever had always felt like he was lying to me so I could hear what I wanted to hear.

"and when your friendship with her is stronger than your friendship with your best friend"

Leo had never even called me his friend.

Potter stopped looking serious. "Besides, I think calling someone The One sounds scary anyway. Like what Voldemort would call his girlfriend. I'm too in love with you to say your name. Sounds kind of weird, don't you think?"

I laughed at his joke, though I was still caught up in the unexpected, but oddly wise advice that had just left James Potter's mouth.

He lightly punched me in the arm. "Go enjoy the party."

So I did.

Jo and I won a magical creature creating contest where we invented a creature using only food to sculpt him. I almost beat Remus in a trivia contest. I ate treats to my stomach's content. I even participated in a broomstick race and pushed Potter into a pond to keep him from beating me.

At the end of the day after the sun had set, I found myself sitting out by the pond and a soaking wet Potter.

"I'm really sorry." I apologized for the 10th time.

Potter shivered in his wet clothes. "I might actually believe you if you'd stop laughing." He laughed too. "You don't have to sit here with me. The party is over there." He pointed to the bonfire everyone was sitting around.

"You should be the one over there warming yourself up. What if you catch a cold?"

He pulled out his wand and did a spell that dried him. "I'm fine, but thanks for caring."

"At least take this." I handed him the blanket that had been wrapped around me.

"You'll be cold." He protested and tried to hand it back.

I waved him off. "I can be cold for a little while. You should be warm."

He put the blanket around me. "I promise you I'll be fine."

I saw him shiver, but I let him do what he wanted. Who was I to stop Potter from this little stupid idea?

I froze and looked over at Potter.

"What?" He said, in reply to my stare.

"Nothing." But it wasn't nothing. If I were to go by Potter's definition of what loving someone should be, then James Potter my One and I was his. Of course, I wasn't go to tell him. It had been a long day and I was still getting over Leo – now that I thought about it, I hadn't paid any attention to him all day - I wasn't going to just rebound with Potter. This would need thought, time, and careful consideration.

I spent the rest of the summer contemplating my feelings for Potter. I read through every letter he sent me with open eyes. Thought about every interaction we'd had the past year. What was our relationship? It was true that I had spent more time with him in sixth year than I had with Jo, my own best friend. I could distinctly remember times when Potter had passed up some crazy antic with his friends to study with me although he already knew the material.

By the time summer ended, I was completely convinced that Potter loved me and I would be happiest spending my life with him. It was a bold move, to fall in love with James Potter, but I was a bold girl.

Potter was standing by a group of my friends at the station. I had been planning on talking to him privately about my realization, but when I laid eyes on him my heart skipped a beat impatiently. It didn't even matter to me whether or not people were near by; I wanted to express my feelings for Potter as soon as possible.

It was Jo who saw me first. She ran to hug me as if she hadn't just seen me a couple days ago for back to school shopping. The people she was with followed after her and I found myself being smushed in a group huge. When they finally cleared away and let me breathe I noticed Potter standing off to the side.

"I figured I'd wait and get my own personal hug." He smirked and walked forward, opening his arms for a hug.

I meant to hug him, I really did. My arms were going around his neck with the intention of a hug. It wasn't my fault my lips had a mind of their own.

I stepped back pretty quickly. Although there were probably ten people standing near me, none of them made a sound. All eyes were on Potter. His face was bright red and his hand was nervously fidgeting in his hair. I heard Sirius whisper to Remus, "I didn't know personal hugs entailed kisses."

"Sooooo," Potter said quietly, trying to break the ice. "What exactly did I do?"

"Talked some sense into me." I said back, equally quietly.

He looked puzzled for a minute, thinking through recent conversations, and then the remembrance lit up his eyes. "And here I thought I was being cryptic."

From the corner of my eye I could see one of my roommates looking at Jo for answers, but Jo shrugged in reply.

"So what exactly does this mean?" He asked, giving me a look that made me shiver.

"Whatever you want it to mean." I breathed.

"Let's say I wanted this to mean you were willing to kiss me again…" He had the slightest bit of a smirk on his face.

I smiled and reached up to kiss him and this time, he kissed me back.

"Could you two not do that in public!" Sirius yelled. Without breaking the kiss, Potter reached into his pocket and cast a spell that made Sirius yelp. I didn't know what it was, but it was impressive that Potter not only cast a nonverbal hex, but did it without even affecting out kiss. Our attention was absorbed in each other. Only the sound of the train whistle brought us back to our senses.

We broke apart, both looking flushed, got our stuff together, and boarded the train.

"I take it you've made a full recovery after the Leo problem." Potter joked.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "It was like you've been telling me all along, he's not the one."

James Potter looked at me seriously. "What am I?"

"My soul mate" I replied.