Is It Pride Or Prejudice?

"JAMES POTTER!" The boy in question rolled his hazel eyes behind round glasses as if to say 'here we go…' before turning to the angry redheaded girl who was storming to over to him, running a hand through his messy dark hair with a sigh as he did so.

"What have I done this time, Your Majesty?" he asked cheekily, pulling up a wide grin, like a facade. She was so angry she didn't even notice the name, she just shouted at him.

"Why on Earth did you tell those first years to hex Snape? You knew full well he would curse them right back!"

"Wait, curse? He didn't use sectumsempra on them, did he?" he questioned, genuinely worried.

"No, of course he didn't-" she was cut off by James' relieved sigh.

"Phew! That is a very nasty curse, been on the other end of that one a few too many times."

"Oh, you know you deserved it, Potter!"

"Now, that is the kind of comment I would expect from Snape, but not you, Lily. You're a kind hearted person; Do you really think anyone deserves that?" She considered for a moment before answering him.

"Yes. Voldemort. And maybe Bellatrix. No offence, Sirius," she added as an afterthought to Sirius Black, James' best friend and cousin to Bellatrix.

"Oh, don't you worry, Lily-kins, none taken. I totally agree!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Back to the point!" James interrupted. "Okay, so there are some people who deserve it, but I am not one of them, correct?" Lily answered as best she could without showing weakness.
"Whatever! The original point was, there are two first years in the Hospital Wing, all because of YOU!"

"Ah, okay, uh, three things: One, are they okay? What did Mr. Greasy get them with? Two, in my defence, that wasn't me, and three, you're beautiful when you're angry." Her emerald eyes flashed dangerously. "Ah, er, okay, forget that last one, because although it's true, you obviously don't want to hear it right now…"

"No, Potter, I don't want to hear it, ever, but especially when there are, as I mentioned before, two first years in the Hospital Wing because of you!" she yelled at him. Then something happened that hadn't happened in a long while – James snapped.

"And as I mentioned before, it wasn't me!" he shouted right back. "And d'ya know what, Lily? I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you blaming everything on me! I'm sick of you treating me like dirt on your shoes! I'm sick-!" he paused, taking a deep breath. "I'm sick of you thinking that I don't have feelings, and ya know something else? I'm sick of you thinking that you are so much better than me! Because you're not, Lily, you're not better than me, we're equals! Treat me like it for once." He spat this last sentence at her bitterly, and turned his back on her, walking over to the portrait hole. Right before he climbed through, he stopped. "Actually, no. No, I'm not done yet!" He made his way back over to her, pausing a foot away. "I know something about you, Lily Evans. I know something that you don't want to admit, something you can't admit! Not to your parents, not to your friends, not even to yourself! I know you like me." He had taken small steps forward during this speech and, he was now whispering to her, his breath washing over her lips like the water over rock on the sea's edge. "Why? What is it that keeps you away from me, Lily?" he said, stepping back, shaking his head and turning away slightly. "What is it, huh? Is it pride, you not being able to admit you're wrong, or prejudice, you can't even see you're wrong? Tell me, Lily, which is it? Tell me!" He was full on shouting at her now, letting everything he'd been feeling pour out in the form of harsh words, everything he'd bottled up. Lily was shaking now, her heart pounding and racing with emotion. Braver individuals than Lily would maybe have passed out at the terrible fire and fury in his eyes, but not her. She wanted to, but she didn't. She stood there, staring into his hazel orbs, feeling every emotion rolling off him in waves, seeing, reading them all in his eyes. Anger, frustration, sadness, fear, happiness, it was all there. And love. Love was definitely there, the most obvious of them all. All this happened in a few seconds, and in one more, Lily made her choice. But he was walking away. She could feel it, he was giving up on her, after all these years, he was giving up. She couldn't, just couldn't let him walk away. She couldn't and she wouldn't. She did the only thing she could think of.

"It's neither!" He stopped but did not face her. She continued. "It's not pride, or prejudice, James, that keeps me away from you! It's fear." Silent tears were cascading down her cheeks, her green eyes closed as she whispered all the secrets of her innermost self to a full but soundless Common Room. She didn't care or even notice anyone else was there. As far as she was concerned, she was speaking only to James. "It's fear that as soon as I say yes, it's golden for what, a month, a week, a day, an hour even, and then it's all over, I'm just a challenge conquered. It's fear that you'll just leave me. It's fear that I'll give everything – everything – to you and you'll throw it back in my face and walk away. It's fear that you'll break my heart, that you'll hurt me! I don't deal with pain, I just push it away! I'm scared that just a short time with you will impact my entire future! I don't think I could live with all that pain coming back again and again. I couldn't live with that, James! But, at the same time... I couldn't let you walk away without you knowing that." She opened her eyes, but he was closer than she expected. He had moved noiselessly towards her and was now so close she could feel heat radiating off him. She gazed up at him.

"How could I ever walk away from you?" he whispered tenderly, brushing her tears away with a soft touch. And feeling fit to burst with passion, and joy, and every other positive emotion you can think of, he did the only thing left to do: He kissed her. Lily heard angels singing in her ears, felt fireworks explode in the back of her head, saw stars on the inside of her eyelids (they were both completely oblivious to the cheering Common Room around them), and as she wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him twine his around her waist, pulling her closer, she felt happiness like she never had before. Suddenly, everything was perfectly clear – James 'Prongs' Charlus Potter was her entire life.

A/N: What do you think? This idea was born from another fic titled this, but a completely different storyline. I can't remember the author, but I think it was on , or something like that. R&R, I honestly want to know what you all think, constructive criticism always welcome! Love you all! xD xxxx