AN: I wrote this a couple of months ago, but just stumbled across it when I was looking in my documents folder. I went through and edited it, and thought I'd post it. I know the "jealous Lily" oneshot has been done before, but I thought of the whole "green-eyed monster" thing and had to use it.
Disclaimer: I'm sixteen, I'm going to Europe this summer, and learning how to play the sousa for my highschool marching band. J.K. Rowling (nor any of the other people who have rights to Harry Potter) isn't sixteen, already lives in Europe, and well- I'm pretty positive she's never picked up a sousa and even if she has- she's not learning how to play it now, much less for her high school marching band.
Rating: T, because sometimes I use swear words without realizing it and I don't want to make it lower if it has any in it.
"I do say, Marly. It looks like our dearest Lily has been bitten by the green-eyed monster." Jessie said in hushed tone to one of her best friends.
"I dare say you're right, Jessie. It looks like Lily's in love."
Had the friend in question heard them, there would have been glares, indignant shouts, and some heavy denial. However, the subject of this hushed conversation was in her own little world. Her own little jealous world.
The three friends were seated around a small table in The Three Broomsticks enjoying some Butterbeer. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, so naturally- many tables in the room were filled by couples on dates. One such couple happened to be James Potter and Rachel Jordan. The two weren't even being intimate really. Sure, they were sitting quite near each other, but they hadn't exhibited PDA, and they were speaking like two good friends. While anyone looking on could tell they were having a good time, they could also tell that the date had not shown any sparks between the two. However, Lily's vision was a little tinted and she saw the situation quite differently.
"I just realized something incredibly ironic." Marly said in a thoughtful tone.
"What?" Jessie asked,
"Lily has been bitten by the "green-eyed monster," correct?"
"Correct."
"And, well you've seen Lily when she's pissed…and she has green eyes…so really, she's a bit of a "green-eyed monster" herself."
Jessie laughed, "Say, you're right!"
"Uh oh." Marly said.
"What?"
"Look at her."
The two looked back to their angry friend. They almost swore they saw actual steam coming out of her ears, before they each individually decided it was trick of the light. Her eyes were hardened and glaring, and her red hair seemed extra vivid. She was breathing heavily, and if looks could kill…Well, James and Rachel would have died a violent death at least fifteen minutes ago.
"She's about to attack." Jessie said in a fierce whisper.
"That's why I said 'uh-oh.'"
Suddenly, Rachel stood up, and walked away towards the restroom. James watched her as she walked away, and shook his head with a small grin. Then, as his eyes surveyed the room, he caught sight of Lily. And all the way across the room, Jessie and Marly could see him gulp. Lily stood up, and stalked over to James. James shrunk down a little in chair, as if he really thought hiding would help, or that he actually could hide.
"Do you suppose we should stop her and point out that she has no technical reason to be jealous?" Marly asked.
"I know that, and you know that. But, subconsciously, Lily sees James as hers. Which, admittedly, is stupid seeing as she must have turned him down a million times…but Lily has always been slow on the uptake when it comes to things like this."
"She's going to make a fool of herself." Marly muttered, as Lily came closer to James.
"Well, obviously. But, at least her feelings will finally be put out there. And then James will admit he still likes her, as we all know he does, and they'll get together and hopefully Lily's silly inner green-eyed monster will go away."
"You don't think them getting together would only make the green-eyed monster grow?"
"Could it?"
"Good point."
- - -
"James." Lily said, as she sat in the seat across the table from him.
"Er, hello Lily." James said meekly, as he sat up a little.
Lily paused, and James found himself gulping again. She really was seething…
"Everything okay?" He asked for lack of nothing else to say.
"Does everything look like it's okay?" She asked in that snappy tone.
"Sorry." He muttered. She glared. Not helping.
"Well…what's wrong?"
"What do you think is wrong Potter?"
"Back to using surnames are we?" He asked coolly, recognizing the switch for the bad sign it was.
"Skirting the question, Potter."
He sighed.
"What am I supposed to say, Lily?"
"James, just answer the bloody question." And now she was using his first name again, Merlin, was that girl moody…
"I wish I could. But I learned quite a while ago that I'll never be able to understand what goes on in your head."
"Thank goodness," she muttered, so quiet he barely heard her.
"What was that?" He asked, he'd heard her- but wasn't sure he'd heard right away.
"Nothing." She said loudly. He paused, and sighed.
"Look, Lily. What do you want?"
"I want…I want things to be the way they were."
"Like they were when? When we were fighting each other all the time? When I used to drive you crazy by asking you out? When you used to break my heart every other day when you kept turning me down?"
Lily was quiet for a moment. Her anger had dissipated at some point during the conversation, but neither could pinpoint exactly when.
"Yes. Except for the latter part…because James, if you asked me out now- I wouldn't say 'no.'"
Rachel came out of the bathroom, but froze when she saw the two of them deep in conversation. She was in the loop enough to not be surprised and quickly guessed what was going on. She sighed, and walked over to a couple of friends across the room. Neither James nor Lily noticed her. She wasn't upset about any of it really, she had James had quickly realized there was no promise for things between them. They had said as much too, they were just hanging out as friends by the time they finished their first Butterbeer. So, she really didn't mind just walking away.
"Oh, Lily... Why now? Now, when I've stopped asking you out? Now, when I've moved on? Or am trying to at least…"
"Maybe that was what I needed all along. Space…"
"No, I don't think that's it." James said, she looked at him- startled. "Because you haven't been treating me particularly different lately,"
Lily opened her mouth to protest, but James held up a hand stopping her.
"No, it's my turn to talk. Sure, you've smiled and joked with me. And yes, we've had real conversations this year. And we've worked together quite well on Head's duties, and even school work occasionally. But you never acted anything more than platonically friendly until now. Now, when I'm on a date with another girl. Face it Lily, you've been bitten by the green-eyed monster."
Lily opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it. What was there to say? Deep down she knew it was true.
"Okay." She said with a sigh, "So maybe I was a little bit jealous." James gave her a knowing look, and she rolled her eyes. "Okay, maybe I was pretty jealous."
"Lily, you were jealous enough to be considered a green-eyed monster of your own." Lily glared, and he smiled slightly.
"Fine, so I was really jealous. But that just proves I have feelings for you."
"No, that proves you're possessive of me. That you feel like I'm your bloody property. Which, admittedly, my actions in the past haven't done anything to contradict. But Lily, I'm not your property. And yes, I fancy you. We all know that. We all know my attempts at getting over you haven't worked, and that the probability of them working in the near future is about zero. But, Lily, it's more than me fancying you, and you feeling jealous when you see another girl. It's more than me wanting you to be mine, and you seeing me as yours.
"What's it about, is mutual feelings. Me liking you, and you liking me. It's about having mutual respect, the ability to get along, communicate. It's about working well together as friends and as more than friends. Lily, the fact that you feel jealous when you see me on a date with another girl means nothing. The fact that we haven't come close to killing each other this year, means nothing, well okay, it means something, but not enough. Lily, nothing can happen between us unless I know you like me as much as I like you. Sirius would tell me that's expecting too much, but I don't think it's fair to either of us for me to expect any less.
"And the thing is Lily…I don't just fancy you. I love you. And I want to be with you, we all know that. I've been chasing you for a long time, desperately hoping that I could catch you. But, then, I realized something. I realized if we were going to have anything, it couldn't be because I chased you. It had to be because you came to me, saying you had feelings for me. And all you've said is that you were jealous. And that's not enough. I wish it was. I really wish it was. But it isn't."
"Oh James. Do you really think me approaching you like this is spontaneous?" She paused, "Well okay, maybe this approach is. However, I…I've been planning on saying something to you for a while. Because, I've come to realize that I really do have feelings for you, real feelings. I don't just fancy you…I love you." She paused, "I really love you."
James was looking at her in surprise, and in…well, like he was in love. Which, apparently, he was. But, then again, apparently, so was she. Love. She was in love with James Potter. She and James Potter were in love. Lily had known her feelings were quite serious for a while now. She hadn't used the term love yet, but when the words came out of his mouth, accompanied with the way he was looking at her…well, she realized there was no other term that could properly explain her feelings. There was no word other than love.
James was grinning at her still, and his eyes were full of adoration. She laughed at him, shaking her head.
"Oh, get that silly look off your face." She said; her eyes full of mirth.
"I can't help it." He said with a laugh, "Lily Evans just admitted she's in love with me…Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this? How long I've dreamed of this?" She laughed.
"Probably not."
He stood up, and came and sat at the seat that was catty-corner to her at the square table. He pulled his chair a little closer to her, and whispered- while looking her straight in the eye,
"I love you, Lily Evans."
"I love you too, James Potter." She whispered back.
James' grin spread wider (somehow) and he leaned in and quickly pecked her on the lips. He couldn't resist a kiss, but he knew better than to push it. Lily shook her head at him with a laugh, and then leaned it and kissed him "properly," as she'd call it later. They both pulled away after a moment, and James seemed ecstatic.
"Oh, my little green-eyed monster." He whispered. She grinned, laughed, and shoved him playfully.
"I hate you." She muttered.
"I love you too." He said.
And, with that Lily realized that her inner "green-eyed monster" had fully retreated. Leaving her with only happiness, laughter, and love.
Review please, and feel free to check out my other LJ oneshots, or my LJ Oneshot C2...