James was shocked, confused, and insanely happy. But more than that, he had absolutely no idea what was going on. Lily stood in front of him, visibly upset, but he couldn't understand a word she was saying. Not because she was crying, but because she was screeching so loud he wasn't even sure if she sounds she was making were meant to be speech at all by now. Perhaps she was just screaming to vent.
Why would this make him insanely happy? Well, Lily was talking - at least he assumed - to him, wasn't she? She was standing here, looking him in the eye, and if she was screaming at him she obviously cared about what he did. Meaning he was one step closer to getting the beautiful intelligent amazing Lily Evans to go out with him.
Every one in the common room was staring. Some people were laughing, and others were covering their ears and making their ways to the dormitories, although he wasn't sure how much good that would do as he could see people coming down the stairs and peeking at the pair from the staircases curiously and exasperatedly.
James was half scared and half excited now. Lily was not known for her modest temper; quite the opposite. There was a chance that she would physically hurt him. But the small part of him with emotional depth and intelligence considered that perhaps she was really upset with herself for liking him. He latched onto this idea and let it drive him.
When James was finally able to interrupt her, he was only able to say, "What's wrong, Evans?" feebly. She was flushed and breathing hard by now. She pointed at a small 6th year girl with red hair sitting in an armchair by the fire. Genevieve Walks, James's latest attempt at making Lily jealous. James looked from Lily to his girlfriend, not having caught on yet.
"What? Did she do something?" he asked anxiously. Lily let out another short scream of frustration and twisted her hands in her hair. James took a frightened step backwards.
"Why, James? Why do you love her and not me?" she screamed. It took James a minute to register exactly what she was saying. When he did, he could do no more than simply stare and gape stupidly. This didn't help Lily's anger much.
Lily grabbed him by the front of the robes and pinned him to the wall. She placed so much pressure on his chest he wasn't sure he would survive much longer as she had squeezed all the air out of his lungs. She leaned in close to his ear and whispered fiercely;
"If you don't break up with her in the next 24 hours I will pummel you so bad even your children's children will hurt." She promptly dropped him and stormed off in the direction of the dorm rooms. James stood up, slightly dazed.
"Wouldn't... Wouldn't that just be my grandchildren?" he asked. Lily didn't respond. She did, however, turn around and walk towards him. After a swift punch to the face that knocked him back off his feet, she managed to make it up the stairs without further interruption.
The next day, Genevieve Walks could be seen storming angrily around the halls, muttering something about "that red headed slutty man stealer".
"Lily, what would I do without you? You know, I did really hate that girl. The only reason I dated her was to make you jealous." James asked after passing her and receiving one of those horrible glares that she was doling out to anyone who had the audacity attempt to start a friendly conversation with her. Lily looked plesantly surprised and amused.
"That's the fifteenth girl you've pointed out to me and said the same thing today." she said. "And I have been keeping count." James slung an arm around her shoulders and grinned.
"Only fifteen? I thought I dated more than that." Lily gave him a curious look and he shrugged. "What I meant was that I never had a serious relationship. It was all for you." Lily rolled her eyes but James saw her blush as well.