Lily and James


James stared out the rainy window of the Hogwrts express, waiting. Behind him, his best friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, along with Peter Pettigrew were joking around and laughing.
"Come on, James, join the fun! I'm sure you have better things to think about then how rainy it is." said Sirius. The truth was, he did have a much better thing to think about then the rain. He was thinking about Lily. He wondered how she was, how her summer went, and he wondered if she had even thought one moment about him during the summer, for James had though of her for the whole summer. But James decided that he might as well take his mind off of Lily and join the fun, so he slid of his chair and started joking around with his friends. Soon, Lily was almost totally out of his mind.
Almost.
Then a nice witch came in and said, "Any treats for you boys?" They all got out their money and went to the candy cart. There was a bustle of students around the cart, and that was when he saw her.
Lily.
He looked at her, forgetting about the line he was in and letting people cut him unconsciously. She was really beautiful. Then she looked up and saw him. She stared into his eyes and smiled.
Lily smiled at him.
It made James go weak at the knees. He smiled back, and stood straight again as soon as she took her eyes away from his. She did something to James that he had never heard of. She was so beatuiful, so lovely, and all James wanted to do was talk to her. He would do anything just to have 5 minuted of peace to talk to her. He knew she probably didn't know his name, and the though made James's heart sink terribly. Lily had enchanted him in her own way.
James managed to get back in line, which had become much longer in his daydreaming, and had bought a bag of Bertty Botts, a box of chocolate frogs, 2 pumpkin pasties, and Sirius had somehow convinced him into getting another box of chocolate frogs. James returned to his seat, and started eating Bertty Botts beans absentmindedly. Sirius frowned.
"Oh, come on James, what's up??? You're not half as much fun as you used to be." Sirius paused and went on. "Listen, just because you're in love with Lily, it doesn't mean that you have to be so boring."
James tried to look surprised, but Sirius could see right through him.
"Yes, I mean Lily Churchill, the Gryffindor whom you've had a crush on for 3 years."
James's mouth dropped open. How did Sirius know? He couldn't take it anymore. "How do you know?????" Sirius smiled.
"Really James, even Pettigrew could see that." Remus said. Then, for some strange reason, James smiled. He smiled and giggled, and soon, the foursome were rolling on the floor, doubling with laughter.
"You----hahaha------just----------hehehe---------should have--------hohoho------seen-------heeheehee-----you're-------hahaha-------face--------when she-------looked-------at you!" Sirius forced out.
After his line, he fell onto the floor again, unable to breath with all the laughter. They finally calmed down, and James told them all about what had happened, and every little thing Lily had did that James would never forget. They were giggling and talking about crushes when the compartment door slid open. They all looked up to see who it was.
Lily had walked into their compartment.
"Hello, I was terrible bored, and I was looking for something to do, and you boys seemed fun to hang out with, so, I'm Lily Churchill, and...you're James Potter, correct?" She asked, pointing to him. He nodded. "Great. And, your Sirius Black...and Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin! I got it!" They all nodded. They now saw what James saw in her, she was beautiful! And in her voice, there was a lovely tingle, like music. The three boys were in awe, and James was so happy that Lily actually knew who he was!
Lily sat down and started talking again. "So, are you all sad that this is our last year at Hogwarts?" They nodded still unable to speak. "Well, you know, as I'm the only one talking here, shall I move on to the next compartment?"
"NO!" They all shouted at once. Lily laughed. Her laugh was light and kind.
"I thought so. So, would anyone like to talk besides me?" They all nodded, and shook their heads. James began to talk.
"So, do you........." James began, but he was cut off as four girls ran in to join them.
"Hello all," Melissa Gumtree said nervously. She looked around for a moment, then stared at her feet. James noticed that the other three girls, Minerva McGonagall, Poppy Pomfrey, and Rosmerta Radcliff, were all laughing hysterically.
"Go on now Liss, get it over with!" Minerva said.
"What on earth are you trying to get her to do, Minerva?" Lily said, looking carefully at her friends.
"We dared her to kiss Sirius, and she took the challenge," Minerva said between giggles. James began laughing too, and so did Remus and Peter. Sirius had turned beet red. It was just as obvious that Sirius liked Melissa as much as it was that James liked Lily. Rosmerta looked at Melissa for a moment, then said "I knew she'd chicken. Come on, guys."
"I am not a chicken!" Melissa said loudly.
"Oh yeah? Then how come you won't kiss him?" Poppy put in.
"Oh, shut up!" Melissa cried. She looked at Lily, who nodded slightly, then quickly kissed Sirius. Rosmerta, Poppy, and Minerva found this very entertaining; they burst into a fit of giggles.
"We'll leave you with your boyfriend, Melissa," Rosmerta said as she, Minerva, and Poppy disappeared. Melissa turned around to face James, Remus, Peter, Sirius, and Lily. James, Remus and Peter were still laughing.
"It's not funny!" She cried. She was about to leave when Lily said for her to stay.
"Oh all right," she said as she sat down next to Lily.
"So, what was that all about?" Lily asked.
"Oh, you know them, always thinking they're so perfect and brave; they said I'd never have the guts to do anything they dared me to do. I said I could so, so they told me to kiss him. I'll never understand why they find kissing and stuff so highly entertaining, they think it's something to just toy around with. They act as though you should go from one guy to the other, and never settle down with the one that's perfect for you," Melissa said.
"Yes, I see your point. They think you should just date around forever, and never stay around long enough to realize that somebody's perfect for you; that that person may be right in front of your nose but you just leave them for some other idiot. I know there's gotta be someone perfect for me, if only I could find that person." Fortunately Lily hadn't noticed that James was blushing furiously. He wished that he could be that someone special; that perfect guy. Unfortunately, he doubted he ever would be as there were many many guys who liked Lily. After all, why would she ever want to date him, James Potter?

Lily and Melissa left.
"Well James doesn't sound like Lily is intrested in anyone yet." said Suris. James was blushing. "Hey there's the castle!"cried Peter "Finnally" said Remus.

The Hogwarts Express stoped and everyone got off. They got in boats and went across the lake to get to the castle. When they got in the headmaster told everyone the rules about Hogwarts, waved his wand and food apeared on the table. Everyone was in a hurry to start eating. James saw Lily at another table, laughing with her friends but very queitly. "I wish she knew I liked her!" thought James. He was on desert. They sat at there house tables and welcomed the new first years with a smile. As the first years were being sorted all James could think about was the last thing Lily had said,"I haven't found that guy yet" and how mad that made him.

When all the first years were sorted James, Remus, Sirus, and Peter went to the Gryfrindoor Corridoor, went to the boys room, unpacked and went to bed.

~~~~~

Lily Churchill looked at her friend Melissa Gumtree.
"I can't believe you! You're pathetic! You've got to tell him sometime!" Melissa said.
"You're no better. 'Oh, they just dared me to kiss him,' you act like you didn't want to at all!" Lily cried.
"For Pete's sake, Lily, just tell the boy you like him. I'll even tell Sirius I like him if it makes you feel better," Melissa said, then muttered, "Not that I like him."
"He'll laugh! There's no way he likes me! He's so perfect, and I'm just one of his many admirers. He's got tons of admirers that are prettier and smarter than I. If you want proof, look at Minerva, Rosmerta, and Poppy," Lily said.
"Girl, you need to just tell him. It'll make you feel better!"
"Oh, but I can't!"
"Fine. Have it your way. Don't tell him, and then you'll never know if he felt the same way."

~~~~~

Meanwhile, Lily's words from earlier were still ringing like mad in James' head. He wished there was someway she would love him back, but there was no chance of that. Or was there?
 ~~~~~
Sirius Black woke up the next morning in his usual bed at Hogwarts. He gazed over at his best friend, James. How silly it seemed, that James couldn't tell Lily how he felt. Yet it seemed..... It seemed realistic. Sirius had a similar problem; he liked Melissa, but.... Oh, it's no use, he thought. There's no way.....
"That's it!" Sirius nearly yelled.
"What's it?" Peter grumbled, sounding tired.
"James, my boy, wake up! I've got the perfect plan to make Lily fall in love with you!"
"Yeah right." James muttered back.
"Can you wait til we're all awake to yell some more, Padfoot? Some of us were trying to sleep." Remus added this statement to the conversation.
"Yeah, I was trying to sleep. I was having a great dream. In it Lily and I were at our wedding and....... Hey, did you say you had a plan to make Lily fall in love with me?"
"Yes." Sirius excitedly whispered his plan to James. James smiled.
"You know, this might just work Sirius."
James Potter nervously approached Melissa Gumtree later that day.
"Can I talk to you a second?" he asked. Melissa nodded and followed him.
"Now, what'd you want James?"
"Well, this has to do with Lily. Y'see, Sirius had this idea, but Remus said I needed to ask you something before we used it."
"Oh dear. If you want to know anything about Lily's private life, I'm afraid that's confidential. She refuses to even tell Minerva, Poppy, and Rosmerta; she'd have my head if I told you, you're the last person on earth she wants to know that she likes you......." Melissa looked very angry with herself.
"She likes me?" James mouth hung open in shock. Maybe they wouldn't have to use the plan after all.
"Oh no, now I've gone and done it! Lily'll be furious, oh please don't say anything about it to her. She didn't want anyone else to know because she was so sure you didn't like her, oh dear, what've I done......"
"She thought that I didn't like her? What a laugh! I didn't think she liked me!" James said.
"What? You do?" Melissa looked very confused.
"Yes, of course.'
"Well, I helped you, so it's your turn to help me...... Y'see, I really like Sirius, but, um, well, he hasn't by any chance said anything about liking me has he?" James laughed.
"You'd be surprised. All we ever talk about is girls. Lily, you, Minerva, and Poppy. Sirius is the one that likes you, of course" Melissa's face broke out in a wide grin "and Remus likes Minerva, so that leaves Poppy for Peter. 'Course, all four of us can't have it our ways, so I'm assuming the the feeling is not mutual for Minerva and Poppy."
"Unfortunately, it isn't perfect. Minerva and Poppy like you as well as Lily. That was part of the reason Lily thought you didn't like her; you have so many admirers, like Rosmerta and Minerva, she doubted there was anyway you'd like her over them."
James smiled. He had to do it. Now was the time. He'd tell her. Yet even after what Melissa had told him, he wasn't so sure.
"You've got to, man," he said aloud to himself. Just then Sirius and Remus bounded into the dorm.
"So, do we have to use "The Plan"?" Sirius asked eagerly.
"No." James said this very flatly.
"So, what'd Liss say?" Remus asked.
"Well, after she let it slip that Lily liked me, she asked me about you, Sirius. Seems someone has a crush on you....." Sirius turned beet red.
"What'd she say about Minerva?" Remus asked giddily.
"Something I'd rather not repeat. I'll just guarantee you that you don't want to know." Remus' face fell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weeks passed, and still James could not tell Lily how he felt. Fall turned to winter, yet James found it not right to tell her. Finally Sirius said that if he didn't tell her soon she was gonna fall in love with someone else. That made James realize he had to tell her. So on a cold November day, James looked around for Lily. Instead he found Melissa.
"Oh, James, I need your help!" Melissa cried.
"What is it?"
"It's Lily.... She's in trouble...... The forest...... Help her!" James nodded. He ran out towards the forest. Once he was nearly there he transformed into a stag. He galloped through the forest, searching for Lily. It seemed to take ages, but finally he found her. There she was, crouched against a tree, a giant spider about to attack her. (That spider is Aragog) James ran in front of her. Lily didn't question the stag, she grabbed it's mane and hopped onto it's back. She was crying. Finally they were out of the forest.
"Thank you," Lily said to what she thought was a stag that had been behind her. But when she turned around, James stood there.
"James! What are you doing here?"
"Melissa told me you were in trouble."
"But what about the stag?"
"I was the stag." Lily stared at him.
"But how did you know?"
"Melissa. But why on earth were you in there?"
"Oh, I don't know. It's something Melissa and I are doing as extra credit for Potions. We have to get the ingredients on our own. And I was sure I could find one in there. I told her if I was gone more than 15 minutes to go for help. I feel so stupid."
"No offense, but it was kind of dumb."
"Oh, James, there's something I have to tell you."
"I need to tell you something as well."
"James, I, I love you."
"And I you. Lily, I've been trying to tell you for months, and when Melissa, er, let it slip that you liked me" Lily looked shocked. Apparently she hadn't known about Melissa's slip "I was convinced I'd tell you how I felt, but I just couldn't."
"Remus seemed to have let something similar slip to me last week." James laughed.
"James, I'm so sorry I didn' tell you sooner. Thank you for saving me."
"You're welcome," James said as he kissed her.


Angelina's Note: Well, it can't exactly be the authors note, can it, as there is more than one author, and I am the only one typing. Steph, Amy and I wrote this story for a contest at Harry Potter Unlimited, Fanfiction Contest 2. I am happy to report that our fic won the contest. As for the different fonts (I fixed the different colors thing) the parts written in the font I am using for this note are by me, and the other fonts mean that you are reading the work of my brilliant co-authors. The end of this story was rushed, and that is why it is all written by me. We had a deadline to beat, and we were not nearly done with this fic when I logged on to the internet one day and realized that our story was due. I just thought I owed ya'll an explanation. Thanks for reading our fic, I hoped you enjoyed it, and please review. Also, we realize that Madame Rosmerta, Madam Pomfrey (Poppy) and Professor Minerva McGonagall did not attend Hogwarts at the same time as Lily, James, Peter, Sirius, and Remus, so do not remind us of that. We already know, and we don't care.

Disclaimer: Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Minerva, Poppy and Rosemerta belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling whose work we cannot even dream of rivaling, and Melissa Gumtree is my own character that appears in many of my other stories that I decided to use in this one as well.

Another note: I am in need of people who are willing to have their fanfics posted on my website, The Magic Is In Us All. So far I have only my own fics and would appreciate it if you let me add yours. Please send them to me at FBMart1128@aol.com if you would like to have them posted.

Special Thanks: I again thank Amy and Steph for all the work they put into this, we couldn't have done this without their brilliant ideas and creative writing styles. Thanks, guys!