I Want and I'm Needing Everything That We Should Be

1. Lily finally says yes

Written for the Lyric Inspired Drabble Challenge II: "Teardrops on My Guitar" by Taylor Swift ― I want and I'm needing everything that we should be

Written for the School of Prompts Challenge: 1.2 ― Use your word set {fast, legitimate, crest} in a drabble/oneshot of at least 500 words

Written for the 100 Little Things Challenge #15 roses

Written for the Fill the Calendar Challenge: July 26 ― OC: Bart Hummel

James Potter sighed entering the seventh year Gryffindor boys' dorm after another failed attempt to get Lily Evans to go on a date with him. He flopped down on his bed waiting for one of his friends to ask him what happened when no one did he sighed again louder but did so in vain. He got up and walked over to Remus' bed where both the lycanthrope and Sirius were studying, or at least Remus was studying and Sirius was copying his essay, and flopped down on Remus' book sighing loudly. Remus pulled his book out from under James and frowned, "What is it you want, Potter?"

"It didn't work," James answered vaguely while moving Remus' notes so he could sit on the bed as well. He earned a dirty look from Remus for doing so.

"What didn't work?" Sirius asked setting down the essay, he had been looking for any excuse not to work on it and James' drama seemed the perfect excuse.

"The roses, I gave them to Lily like you suggested but they didn't work."

"She doesn't like roses," Remus mumbled not glancing up from his homework.

"And you couldn't have told me that before?" James asked grabbing Remus' homework and flinging it on to his adjacent bed. Remus grumbled crossing his arms not happy he was being dragged into this. Sirius laughed before receiving a glare from Remus and shutting up.

"You didn't ask me."

"But you saw me with them!"

"And I know how impossible it is to talk you out of something when you've made up your mind about it. I figured I would be better off letting you embarrass yourself," Remus responded getting up and retrieving his homework.

"What kind of person lets their best friend embarrass themselves in front of the girl they're in love with?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't let Sirius embarrass himself," Remus replied flatly not looking up from his homework he was working on again. Sirius lost his composure then and started laughing.

James frowned and got up from the bed heading towards the door. "Some friends I have," he grumbled shaking his head.

"Do you even really love her?"

The question caused James to turn around and glare at his two best friends. "Of course I love her! How dare you question if my love for Lily is legitimate!"

"James, listen to me for a second," Remus said putting his homework aside. "I only asked that because there is a possibility you're only in it for the chase. How many times have we seen Sirius claim to be in love with a girl only because she said no?"

"What? That's never happ-" Sirius began to defend his pride only cutting himself off at the glare from Remus.

"I... no it can't be that," James shook his head sitting down on his bed confused. "No I... I love her. It's not the chase, it's never been the chase. She's the only girl I've ever liked. It's not a matter of pride."

"Okay then, how about you try to ask her out again ―"

"But―"

"Except this time without any gimmicks: no flowers, pick up lines, badly written poems. Just be yourself and ask her out," Remus continued ignoring James' failed attempt to interrupt him.

"You think that'll work?" James asked nervous, he had been rejected so many times by Lily he wasn't sure how many more times he could take it.

"I'd like to think that I know my friends pretty well and look if she turns you down this time then we know it's because she doesn't like you and it's not how you managed to embarrass both you and her while you attempted to ask her out," Remus answered a bit offended that James would doubt his advice when he would blindly follow Peter, Sirius, or a magazine's bad advice.

James looked at Sirius for a second opinion. "I'd listen to him, Moony's always been the smart one. I'd act fast if I were you too. I heard a rumor that Bart Hummel was considering asking her to Hogsmeade this weekend."

"Tomorrow morning, I'll ask her at breakfast," James nodded nervously planning just how he was going to do this.

...

When the Marauders entered the Great Hall the next morning James saw Lily Evans standing not far from the Gryffindor table talking to some tall, lanky, brunette Slytherin. His eyes narrowed in on the rival house's crest on the young man's uniform causing him to feel even more jealous when he saw how the snake had managed to make Lily smile. James glared at the boy storming over to where the two stood and tapped on her shoulder. "Evans, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked barely able to contain his anger and jealousy.

"In a moment, Potter. In case you didn't notice I'm in the middle of a conversation," Lily brushed him off.

"What I have to say is more important than that, please, Lily," he begged.

The please and use of her first name caused Lily to turn around and face James. "Um give me a minute, Bart," she told the Slytherin prefect placing all her attention on James. "Yes, James?"

"I wanted to know if you would maybe consider going with me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" he asked nervously all of a sudden feeling a ton of pressure since she chose to call him by his first name for once. "I.. I know that's probably the last thing you'd want to do since you consider me to be annoying and immature and big-headed but it would mean a lot to me. You're the only girl I want and I'm needing everything that we should be. I mean I need you, no, no that's not right either. Just give me a chance please?"

Something about the honest affection or his nervousness caused a change of heart in Lily. Yes she had secretly liked James for a while but she had always said no because of his ego and the gimmicks. She did not want to date someone so immature especially not someone who had picked on one of her best friends for years, this was different though. This wasn't the immature James Potter that she had known for six years. This was someone different, someone new, someone she was willing to give a second chance to. She nodded, "Yes I'll go with you to Hogsmeade, James."