Lily sighed, reaching up to pull her tangle of hair tightly in her hair tie. Just as she was about to pull it through though, a voice stopped her.
"Don't." James looked up to meet her eyes, before turning back to his potion book. Lily, shocked, looked down. They were working on a practically difficult potion, even Snape was struggling, and Lily quickly became annoyed with her red locks constantly falling in her face. Deciding she'd ignored James, she began to pull her hair back.
"Don't Lily." This time, James physically stopped her. Lily glared. Sure, over the past couple of months, they were becoming better. Close even. That's what those patrols and planning did to the Head Boy and Girl. Now though, he seemed more like a nuisance than a friend.
"Why the hell not?" James sighed, turning away from the potion all together.
"Because Lily, it's just going to stress you out more. It's not good for you to have your hair pulled back like that- the tension on your forehead will give you a headache." He turned away from her, focusing on pouring the correct amount of Squid Ink into the caldron.
"I don't pull my hair back tight eno-".
"Yes Lily, you do. Everything you do to relieve stress is tense. You're spilt way too many quills to count, all because you bite them when you write your essays. Or what about your ripping paper habit? Can you tell me that's not brutal to the poor paper?" He kept pouring things, stirring things, measuring things. "Just take a couple deep breaths, and you'll be fine. You know this better than anyone. It's going to come out fine."
James comforting words fell on deaf ears. Lily was still staring, shock at his epiphany. "James- why do you know all of that?"
"Because Lily," he poured some on their potions into a vial labeled with their names, "while you're strongest subject is Potions, mine is you."
He swung his bag over his shoulder, ignoring Lily's dropped jaw, before walking to the front of the room to drop their potion on Slughorn's desk, and leaving. It took Lily a moment to realize he had taken most of the class with him, scurrying to grab her things and leave herself.
"Lily." James stood up the second she entered their Common Room. She had hidden herself in the library all night, confirming to James that his little speech earlier that day had ruined all the progress they had made. She looked tired, her hair down over her shoulders, ink spots down her chin. She clutched a paper in her had, and for a moment, James believed it was some sort of restraining order against him. "Look- I'm sorry for wh-"
"You mess up your hair." She cut him off, stomping towards him. James had to take a step back, shaking his head.
"What?"
"You mess up your hair." She repeated, sighing. "That one was easy. You mess it up when your nervous, or really happy, or both." She unclenched the paper in her hand and James saw that it was some sort of list. "You laugh too loud when Peter makes a joke- because you know it's really not that funny. You carry Remus' bag during the full moon, because you're too kind to let him do it. You don't eat before you have game. You'd rather talk to me outside- if it's hot, I'll take off my robes, if it's cold, you can offer me yours." She blushed, and James opened his month, but she continued. "If someone doesn't know an answer in Transfiguration, you'll make a comment about seducing McGonagall, so you get the detention, but the person isn't embarrassed. You eat more at breakfast, then at night. That's because your mom's been sending you bake goods you eat when you do your homework at nigh-"
"Lily. What is this?" James spoke over her, causing Lily's head to snap up. He took a step closer, and Lily looked up at him, defeated.
"I know all that stuff about Potions, or Charms, or whatever, because it's easy to me. School is simply black and white. But you- us- we're complicated and confusing and infuriating. It took me three hours to come up with a list of 20 things you do that I love James. And I know, you're already a Lily Expert, but you know…." She took the final step, looking up at him, "but, I want to learn. More than I've ever wanted to learn."
James smiled down at her, cupping her face in his hands. He leaned down, kissing her softly. Lily sighed, throwing her arms around his neck to deepen their kiss. James pulled away, both breathing heavily and smiling crazily.
"Can I add that to the list?"
Hey guys, just another little corny one shot I had on my computer.
Reviews?
I was thinking of starting a full length HP Fic… but it's long and complicated. Tell me if you think this one ended awkwardly?
Thanks
FadedMoon
