It was all rather anticlimactic when Lily's defenses finally broke down. She was sitting in the Common Room, chatting with Alice in the comfortable chairs in front of the fire. Potter was sharing the long sofa with Black and Lupin, and Pettigrew was sitting at their feet petting Mary's flat-faced Persian. As usual, Lily was doing her best to give the semblance, at least, of ignoring his presence.
The truth was, though, she'd been painfully attuned to him for months now. His voice made her heart skip a beat, and only sheer practice and a strong poker face kept her expression schooled into a mask of indifference or disdain whenever he crossed her path. The disdain had all but disappeared, actually, and the show of indifference was getting harder to maintain as she had begun to know him better through their duties as Head Boy and Girl.
He was still arrogant and self-satisfied remarkably frequently, but she knew now that there was so much more to him than that. He'd changed over the past year, matured. She could admit it. His aggressive pursuit of her had lessened, as well. The mixed emotions that left her with made her blush in the privacy of the dorms, and grow angry with herself and with him for creating such confused feelings.
But she couldn't help wondering if he'd finally gotten tired of her. Was he just bored with his game of chasing after her? Had he matured beyond that, too? A flash of self-loathing surprised her as she thought about it. It wasn't that she felt she hadn't the right to reject him all those times. He had been an insufferable git on countless occasions, but lately, sometimes when he passed by with just a friendly greeting rather than a presumptuous comment, she castigated herself for being so vehement, so cutting, all those times.
Now, she found herself at the point where she couldn't see any way of giving in while saving face at the same time, especially if he was going to go all gentlemanly out of nowhere and make it even more impossible. What happened to all his overbearing charm and take no prisoners stubbornness? It really put her out.
It was aggravating, honestly, how the things that used to make her roll her eyes and scoff, now made her fight to contain the smile that wanted to curve the corners of her mouth at the most inappropriate times. His stupid jokes, the way he still ruffled up his hair, even the way he grinned at her and called her "Evans" made her just want to give in and smile at him like she meant it.
Things had built up to this unbearable point, and that was why when Potter sat there on the sofa telling some ridiculous joke with an even more ridiculous punch line, Lily couldn't stop herself. She tried. She really tried, struggling valiantly as Alice looked perplexed at her contorted expression.
"Are you all right?"
That was all it took and Lily was laughing, not just a chuckle, but that bubbling, frantic laughter that made each breath hitch uncontrollably and her stomach hurt with it. She put a hand up to her mouth, sliding further down the chair cushions as it wracked her body, and getting completely hysterical when Potter looked over at her, a puzzled, yet curiously amused grin on his face. She laughed until tears started squeezing out of the corners of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
"Th-that's the-the stupidest joke I've ever heard," She gasped, doubling over and wheezing into her knees.
She heard them all laugh, the boys, and when she looked up, Alice was chuckling, too, staring at her knowingly. She risked a look at Potter, and he was wearing a grin that stretched his mouth wide.
"I knew it," he said. "I knew you liked me deep down."
There it was. The insufferable confidence and charm that should've been aggravating but had become irresistible instead. Lily laughed harder.
"You like me!"
Lily shook her head, taking inelegant gasping breaths.
"You do! Admit it! It's too late to try and hide it now."
The laughter tapered off into a string of light giggles, and Lily fanned her flushed face, sinking to the floor in front of her chair to regroup. Potter still had a delighted, dazed grin on his face. Pettigrew was staring at her as if she had grown another head, and Lupin and Black exchanged an amused glance, watching the proceedings with interest.
"What do you think about June weddings, Evans? I mean, I know they're clich, but for good reason."
Lily saw Lupin slap a hand to his forehead out of the corner of her eye, and that set her off again.
"Evans?"
Lily looked up to see Potter looking at her with a mixture of fascination and wariness. "You, er, didn't get hit by a rogue Cheering Charm by any chance, did you?"
Her stomach was really hurting now, and she snorted helpless laughter. Charming, she thought. It had Black, at least, rolling on the couch and laughing, too.
"James," Lupin said seriously. "I'm not certain, but I've heard that it's rather the done thing to actually have a first date with someone before one discusses wedding arrangements."
"Nah," Black said sotto voice. "Just kiss her, mate."
Lily was thankful her face was already flushed from laughing because she felt her cheeks flame up immediately. The last time Potter had tried to kiss her was in Fifth Year and he'd ended up covered in bilious, green pustules. She was pretty sure he was remembering that, too, because he was eyeing her speculatively but keeping his distance. In fact, she was sure she saw him wince a little in recall.
Lily huffed. He was impossible, really. A perfect set up like that and he just let it pass. Coward. He really was insufferable. She wasn't that intimidating, was she?
But of course, he'd make her do all the work in the end. Fine. Tossing her hair back over her shoulder, she stood up, brushing the pleats of her skirt into place and settling properly back into the armchair. Then she glanced over at Alice and shared a superior little smile. "I guess they'll let anyone into Gryffindor these days."
Three seconds later, Lily found herself yanked out of the chair and being kissed within an inch of her life to the accompanying hoots of the other boys. Idiots, all of them, including Potter, but he kissed rather well. She'd say that much for him.