"You're crazy Potter," Albert Donovan said.

"I'm tellin' you, Al. I can get any girl in this school."

Albert and James' other mate, Richard Spencer, exchanged a look. "Mate, I'm sure there are any number of birds in this school that would want you, but I don't honestly think you could get any one of them," Richard said.

"You know, Dickie," Al interjected, "I think I smell a bit of a wager coming on."

James Potter, Dick Spencer, and Al Donovan were Seventh Years and basically did whatever - and whomever - they wanted. James, much like his father and grandfather before him, was a jokester and a ladies' man. His buddies were similar to him, but not quite to his extent.

"Deal," James said before the terms were made. "Whatever it is, I can do it."

"Fine, you win, you obviously get the girl and we'll each give you, say, 50 galleons," Dick said.

"And if we win," Al continued with a mischievous grin, "you have to tell her and every girl in the school that it was a bet and you don't even really like women."

"Fine. Now, who's the girl?" James asked.

"Her," Dickie and Al said at the same time as they pointed to a Sixth Year year. James' eyes widened as he took in the girl's unruly brown curls and the book her nose was buried in.

"No way," he said loudly. "That's Liz Weasley. She's my dad's best mate's daughter!" he whispered harshly.

"Too bad, mate. You took the bet. You'd better get going," Al laughed.

James shot them both a scathing look before wandering slowly over to the girl. "Hiya, Beth," James said in a cheery voice as he sat down beside her on the bench.

The girl, Elizabeth Weasley, looked up at him with a sigh. She had long, unruly brown curls that cascaded down to the middle of her back. She wore a pair of Gryffindor robes. It was their lunch time, so she opted to sit out in the open area and read instead of sitting down for the meal. She had snacks that her father had sent her incase she got hungry. "My name's Elizabeth," she muttered before turning her attention back to the book.

Undeterred, James smiled and stretched his legs out in front of him. "Yeah, but Beth is cuter and easier to say."

"Just because you don't have the mental capacity to say my full name, Mr. Potter, does not mean that you have any right to shorten it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get this reading done before I have to go to Defense," she said shortly.

"Aww, c'mon, Beth. Chat with me a while. We haven't spoken in ages."

She sighed in exasperation and slammed her book shut. "What would you like to talk about, Mr. Potter?" she asked. "Do you want to talk about how rude you've been to me since I've gotten to this school? How much you and your band of idiot friends annoy and humiliate me at every turn? I know what you said about me belonging in Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor," she stated as she stood up. "I'll have you know that I am exactly where I belong. You, however, were sorted into the wrong house. I'm sure of it."

"Oh?" he asked with a smirk. "And what house would that be?" he asked as he stood and made himself perilously close to her.

"Slytherin," she stated as she grabbed the drink she had sitting beside her and threw it on him. "And don't bother coming to talk to me again, James Potter." She turned haughtily and stomped back inside the castle corridors.

James stood there with a frown on his face and the liquid dripping down the front of his robes.

"Oh man," Al laughed as he and Dickie approach. "I cannot believe she did that."

"Well, looks like you should begin preparations for your speech the whole of Hogwarts ... about not really being interested in girls," Dickie said with laughter in his voice.

"No one's ever acted like that with me before," James said as if he didn't hear the comment from his mates.

"Best just give in now," Al told him. "It'll make things go quicker."

"Oh, I'll get her," James said. "She won't even know what hit her."

"Be careful, mate," Al told him. "Even though her brothers aren't here anymore, they could all still beat your arse if she owled one of them."

"I'm not going to hurt her," James spat. "I'm going to make her fall in love with me."

"Right," snorted Dickie. "You're going to make the Ice Queen thaw and fall in love with a bloke like you."

"I will," James said with a new determination in his voice. "Elizabeth Weasley will be mine."

---

"I'm sorry," James said as he sat beside Elizabeth that night at dinner. "I'm sorry I was rude and I'm sorry that I made you dislike me. I'd really like it if we could put all of that behind us and become ... friends."

"Why?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"Because you seem like a nice girl and I know it would thrill Mum and Dad and, of course, your Mum and Dad if we could get along and stuff."

"I don't know," she said skeptically. "I mean, it could ruin your reputation."

"It could improve yours," he noted.

"I don't want mine improved. I like that people leave me alone. I mean, aside from Quidditch, no one bothers me."

"You're good at Quidditch," James told her.

"Not as good as you," she told him with a small smile. "You're a great Seeker. Just like your dad and granddad."

"Yeah, but I couldn't get my job done properly if you weren't scoring all the time."

She smiled at him briefly before biting down on the inside of her cheek. "I've got to go study for my Defense test," she told him as she quickly gathered her things. You hate him, she told herself. Stop talking to him and being nice to him. Just go back to your room and read. She walked out before he could say anything to her.

"You're fighting a losing battle, mate," Dickie said as he slid down next to James.

"Nah," James smiled as his eyes followed her out. "I'm just getting started."

---

The next day was the first Quidditch match of the season: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. All four houses came out and, oddly enough, it seemed to be two versus two. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff both went out to the stadium in favor of the lions and Slytherin and Ravenclaw in favor of the serpents.

"Okay, mates," James said as he stood in front of his assembled team. "Jess, I want you to start on the left, Taylor on the right and Beth in the middle. Dan and Luke, I want you two to be careful with those bludgers today. I heard Madam Hooch mutter that they're being particularly testy. And if you need back up, Colin, don't hesitate to signal for time out. I know you're still a bit sore from that mishap in potions."

The team gave a cheer and headed to the holding box. "Doin' okay, Liz?" Taylor asked her as he stepped beside her in the lineup.

"Fine," she responded as she fixed her eyes straight ahead.

"We won't let them do anything to you, ya know," Dan said. "We all know about Ian's threats and, well, we've all got your back."

"I'm fine," she stated again, clearly agitated by all the attention.

"Oi! Focus on the game!" James shouted.

The door opened and they all flew out, the Chasers doing a couple of laps, the Beaters practicing some moves, the Keeper moving to the rings and James just sort of hovering in the center. The Chasers flew over to him and the Beaters got into their position.

"You three ready for a high-scoring game?" James asked.

"So long as we're the ones scoring," Taylor smiled.

"James, are you sure you want me in the middle? I practice on the right."

"They won't be expecting you, Beth. You're smaller and, I must say, faster than their center. You'll be fine," he said as he placed and arm on her shoulder. "Now get out there and show them what Gryffindor pride really is."

She gave him a slight smile before moving into position. Jessica did the same but Taylor stayed with him for a moment. "I don't know what you're playing at, mate, but be certain I'm going to find out. Liz is a good girl and doesn't need the likes of you playing with her head."

"I haven't done anything but try to be her friend," James said with a glare.

"Keep it that way," Taylor said as he flew down and into position.

"Don't tell me what to do," James said to himself as he flew to get level with the Slytherin Seeker.

Three hours later, the score was 250 - 200 in favor of Slytherin. Elizabeth had the Quaffle and was headed for the Slytherin goal and James had the Snitch in sight. As he was about to grab it in his hand, he caught sight of a bludger headed straight for Elizabeth's back. He tried to shout to her but he couldn't and it connected with her. He heard a sharp cry and abandoned his pursuit of the Snitch in order to try and catch her.

"I've got her," Taylor shouted. "Get the bloody Snitch!"

James ground his teeth together and flew back up in pursuit of the Snitch. He heard the announcer says that reserve Chaser Mary London came in the game and was heading towards the rings. James was so angry that he took an aggravated snatch towards the Snitch and actually caught it, ending the game.

Everyone rushed to congratulate him but he was more interested in getting down to see Elizabeth. In the interest of the completion of the bet, he told himself. You really don't care if she's okay or not. You're just in it to win.

"Beth!" he cried as he landed on his feet near the stairs. He knew she would be back in the locker room. He burst in to find her laying topless on the table, belly down, with a huge welt in the middle of her back. Madam Pomfrey was on the other side of the room gathering ointments and potions. "Are you okay?" he asked her as he pulled up a stool and sat by her head.

"Fine," she mumbled into her arms. She paused a moment and lift her head to look at him. "It was stupid of you to leave the Snitch to try and catch me," she told him. "We could have lost."

"We didn't. And catching you would have been more important than catching the Snitch."

"Taylor was right there."

"And we're lucky we lost the Quaffle on that play because Jess was the only Chaser out there while he was playing knight in shining armor," James spat.

"Don't you dare get angry with me about this," she said as she shifted slightly and exposed her bare collarbone to him. "I didn't ask to be hit with that bloody bludger."

"I never said you did," he said.

"You're making it seem like it's my fault!"

"Well I don't think it is!"

"Then why are you shouting at me?!"

"Because you scared the hell out of me when I saw you fall off that broom!"

The room went dead silent aside from the silent tutting of the nurse. She worked quickly with the ointment and moved back to the table. "This is going to hurt like mad," she told the girl before dripping some of it on her bare back.

Elizabeth let out a scream and grabbed James' hand and squeezed as hard as she could. "Shit!" he cried as her grip tightened even more.

Madam Pomfrey quickly spread the liquid and then stopped back to grab a pain potion. "Drink this," she said as she handed a goblet to Elizabeth. "It should take away most of the pain."

Elizabeth gratefully grabbed the potion and downed it, instant relief flooding over her. "Oh, that's much better," she said with a small smile.

"Make sure you come up to the hospital wing tonight so I can put some more on that bruise," Madam Pomfrey said as she left the tent.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that," she muttered into her arms.

"You will," James told her as he reached over and grabbed her sports tank from the floor beside her and handed it to her, turning around. "I'll take you up there if I have to."

"That'll cause some new problems," she said as she turned her back to him, sat up and pulled on the top.

"Like what?" he asked her.

"People will think something that isn't anything," she told him.

"That didn't make any sense," he told her.

"People will start thinking you and have reconciled all of our differences and are, you know, dating."

"No one would think that, Beth. We're ... not alike enough for people to think that. They'll connect our families or something. You and I aren't a match."

"Right," she muttered as she slid off the table and wandered back into the girls' changing area. "What a ridiculous idea that someone like you could ever be with someone like me," she said to herself as she slammed her locker shut.

He jumped at the noise but didn't go in to see what she'd done. Yeah, it's working, his mind told him. I'll be 100 galleons richer by the end of next week.

---

James and Elizabeth spent more time together after that. She was good at studies so she helped him create a schedule so he would be able to pass his NEWTs with flying colors and maintain his passable grades at the same time. They started eating meals together, combining both of their friends. He would sometimes walk her to class if he didn't have one himself.

He soon discovered that the bet didn't matter anymore. He was actually starting to fall for her. This was the first time he ever got butterflies in his stomach when he saw a girl; the first time he felt his heart break when he saw tears in her eyes; the first time he lost his concentration during a Quidditch match because she was celebrating a goal. Something was definitely happening to him and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. Definitely like it.

A few weeks later, after dinner, James found Elizabeth sitting on her own out in the courtyard. "Thought I might find you out here," he said with a smile as he sat on the grass beside her.

"What's up?" she asked as she abandoned her book and looked up at him.

He shrugged and reclined back on the grass propped up on his elbows. "Nothin'. Just wondering how you were doing. I haven't really seen you since the last Quidditch match. We don't have the same classes or anything ..."

"James?" she smiled. As he stopped and looked at her she said, "You're rambling."

"Sorry," he muttered as he brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck.

"It's okay," she smiled again. "Actually sort of endearing."

"Yeah?" he smiled as he scooted closer to her.

"Not that endearing," she laughed as she moved away to establish the prior space between them.

"Right," he muttered. When he watched Taylor walk past them and give her a smile he scowled. "What's going on with you and that prat?" he asked.

"First of all, he's not a prat. Second of all, he and I are just ... friends. Good friends. What's it to you?" she asked.

"Nothing," he mumbled. "He's just not all that good of a guy."

"Taylor's a fine guy, James," she said. "I don't know what's wrong with you. You've been acting awfully strange lately."

"Nothing's wrong with me," he spat as he stood up. "I've got to go." He walked away leaving a very perplexed Elizabeth behind.

"Get ready for me to lose the bet," he announced as he walked into the common room and sat beside Dickie. "She's out there having it off with Taylor bloody Reed."

"What?" his mate asked.

"Just friends my arse. He's not after anything like just friends."

"Reckon he's in it for a bet too?" Dickie asked.

"Doubt it."

"Maybe he likes her," Al said as he joined the conversation.

"Probably," James repeated, no longer caring about the conversation.

"You can't give up now, mate," Dickie told him. "She's warming up to you."

"I may be a bastard but I won't take another bloke's girl," James said with a heavy sigh.

"You've done it before," Al pointed out. "But I reckon this is more than just a bet, innit?" he asked.

"No," James said as he stood up. He watched Elizabeth and Taylor walk through the portrait hole together, huge smiles on their faces, laughing at some kind of inside joke. "It wasn't anything more than a bet I couldn't win. You guys were right. I couldn't do it. We'll settle off tomorrow at dinner. Everyone should be in the Great Hall for dinner then." He turned and stalked up to his dormitory.

"We can't let him embarrass himself," Dickie said.

"He lost the best," Al protested. "He didn't get the girl."

"He lost because he wants to get the girl this time," Dickie replied.

"No matter the reason, he still lost. No one's stopping him from still trying," Al said.

"Hey, guys?" Elizabeth asked as she walked up to them. "Is James okay? He's acting a little weird."

"He's fine," Al smiled. "He just lost a bet and ... oof!!"

"Shut up," Dickie hissed. "He's just a little upset right now."

"About what?" she asked with concern.

"We bet him he could get this girl and he lost," Al said with a smile before Dickie could stop him.

"You bet him he could get a girl?" she asked with indignation. "And he accepted? That's horrible! Who was it?" she demanded.

"You," James said from behind her. "It was you."

"He's lying," Dickie said with alarm.

"I'm not," James said as he turned her to look into her eyes. "They bet me 100 galleons that I couldn't get you to love me. If they won, since I don't have that kind of money, I had to tell you what I was doing and then announce to the whole school that I lost, the terms of the bet, and say that I prefer blokes." He saw the tears welling in her eyes. "That's why I've been so nice to you and was wondering what was going on with you and Reed." He looked back to Dickie and Al. "First part of the bet is paid," he said to them and turned and headed back to the stairs.

"Tell me that isn't true," she said to him as she rushed after him. She gripped his arm and spun him back around to her.

He could see the tears brimming in her eyes and threatening to spill. If I hurt her enough now then I won't have to see her with that prat Reed. She'll make sure to stay clear away from me if I make her think I could never like her as anything, even a friend. "Of course it's true," he said calmly. "You said yourself that we couldn't be any less compatible. You were a conquest that I couldn't make, Weasley. That's all."

"You're lying," she whispered. "Not even you could be that callous and mean."

"Well, kid, what can I say? I wanted to add you to my list of girls ... that's it. But, alas," he said cheekily and sarcastically, "you've bested me. Well done. Now go run along to that prat boyfriend of yours and leave me be."

"He's not my boyfriend!" she shouted at him. "For Merlin's sake! He doesn't even like me. Hell, Potter, he doesn't like girls in general."

"Wh-what?" he asked in a stunned voice.

"We're good friends because he's dating my brother. Understand that?" she paused before looking back up at him. "If you weren't such a prat," she told him, "you would have realized that you won your bloody bet. Because I was falling for you, James. Because I thought that was the real you I was talking to. I thought you dropped that bloody mask and were being true with me." Her eyes shone again and a tear slipped down her cheek as she said, "Don't make a fool out of yourself in front of the school. Tell them you won. Tell them the stupid little girl fell for your words and your smiles and your tricks. Collect your money and move on to your next girl. I don't care." She pushed past him and ran up the stairs to her dormitory. Even though her room was six floors up, the sound of the slamming door echoed throughout the tower.

"Bloody hell," he muttered.

"Congrats, mate," Al said as he got up and joined James by the stairs. "You won. I'll have Joe send me the money tomorrow."

"Fuck you," James said clearly as he left his friends and headed up to his dormitory. The slam of his door, though seven floors up, was louder than hers.

"Shit," Dickie cursed. "Why the hell couldn't you leave it alone, huh? What made you tell her about the bet?"

"He admitted defeat," Al justified. "He was going to have to tell her anyway."

"But she did fall in love with him!"

"Doesn't matter," Al told him. "He conceded the battle before it was over and that's all that matters."

Dickie just shook his head and walked up to their dormitory. "James?" he asked as he poked his head in.

"I don't want to talk about it," James called from behind the shut curtains of his bed.

"I'll talk to her if you want me to."

"No!" he shouted. "It's better this way. It was something stupid. I lost my mind for a moment, that's all. What a dumb idea. Fancying Beth Weasley."

"You're the only one she lets call her that," Dickie said quietly.

"Well that's because she said she was in love with me, innit? She fell for the smooth-talking, womanizing prat called James bloody Potter."

"You fell for her, didn't you?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter," James mumbled. "She'll not have anything to do with me now."

"I'm going to send Cassidy to get her for me," Dickie said and walked out before James could protest.

Five minutes later, Cassidy led a protesting Elizabeth down the stairs. "I don't want to talk to him or any of his mates," she said loudly.

Cassidy dragged her through the portrait hole and Dickie followed closely behind. They walked into a classroom and Cassidy said, "I don't know what happened and I don't really want to. I'm going to leave you two to it." She walked out of the room and sealed the door behind her.

"I know you don't care to look at me or my mates right now but I would really appreciate it if you would please just listen. I won't take up too much of your time."

"You can't hold me prisoner," she said as she moved to the door.

"I can until you take a breath and listen to me," Dickie replied.

"I don't care about what you have to say."

"He fell in love with you."

"Rubbish," she spat as she turned to look at him. "Don't try and make this any less than it is, Richard. He lied to me, seduced me, just to win a bloody bet. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I am!" he shouted. "I had no bloody idea it would come to this. I expected you to smash any hope he had the first day. He's not one to make a huge effort. His reaction when you threw your drink on him should have clued me in. He told you because he needed to get it off his chest. It went past friendship for him and he was afraid of that. He told me some things tonight that really made me realize how much ..." he trailed off. "You have to give him a chance, Liz."

"I do not," she said. "He only made the effort in the first place to get money. Is that what I am to all of you?" she asked. "Worth 50 galleons a piece?" She paused a moment and a tear fell down her cheek. "Tell him to come see me."

"Really?" Dickie asked with a smile on his face.

"Yeah. Send him in here right now."

Dickie got up and left and no more than three minutes later, James was running into the room. "Dickie said you'd talk to me."

"Come'ere," she said. He warily made his way over to her. "You wanted a whore and you've got one. 50 galleons and I'll give you what you wanted all along. You want a go at me? It'll cost you."

"Beth, I don't ..."

"My name is Elizabeth. Now pay up or get out."

"Listen to me," he said as he grabbed her forearms. "I started to talk to you because of the bet, yes." He held onto her as she struggled to break free. "But something happened along the way and I didn't plan for it and I certainly never meant to have a quick shag with you. I wanted to make you feel something for me ... something besides hate. And that worked. And soon friendship didn't seem like the end for me. I wanted more. And then I thought you were with Reed and ... I lost it. I gave up."

"You've stolen other blokes' birds before, Potter. Why did you give up then?"

"Because it wasn't about winning anymore. It was more than me wanting you. It was me wanting to be with you. You made my stomach flip and my heart race and it was scary and unfamiliar and I didn't know what to do. I saw you with him and it ... it ended me. I didn't care if you never talked to me again. I told you about the bet to hurt you."

"It worked."

"Somewhere along the line I forgot it was a bet. I forgot it until I saw you with Taylor. I remembered and it made me mad and ... like I said, I wanted to hurt you. I mean, how dare you fall for someone who wasn't me? I fell in love with you and you didn't have the ..." he trailed off as he saw the look on her face. "What?"

"You fell in love with me?" she asked softly.

"I thought I made that clear," he said in a similar tone as his hands finally let go of her arms.

"It could have been a lie."

"It wasn't," he whispered. "Somewhere along the way I fell in love with you, Elizabeth Weasley."

"I fell in love with you too," she whispered. Right before his lips touched hers she whispered, "And you can call me Beth."