The sun was just setting over the Forest, casting long shadows out across the immaculate lawn and stretching out its golden fingertips, gently caressing everything in sight. The sweet aroma of freshly dug earth wafted through the air over the Herbology greenhouses where it mingled with the overpowering scent of recently mown grass. The reflections in the Great Lake of the many turrets of Hogwarts Castle shimmered and danced as four young boys slowly made their way towards the waters edge. Shielding their eyes from the sun's blinding rays, the boys flopped down onto the luscious grass in the shade of a large willow tree and each began to occupy themselves, occasionally muttering a word or two to one another. The tallest, a skinny bespectacled boy of around fourteen, adjusted his circular glasses and ran a hand through his rumpled black hair before lounging back against the tree trunk. An air of power and confidence hung around him, clinging to his robes like the smell of smoke.
"Quick question. What do you lot think about that Lily Evans girl?" he asked, a note of curiosity in his voice.
"I dunno, James," answered one of the other boys, who was rather shorter than the first, but with much longer hair, and who was incredibly handsome, "I mean, sure, she's pretty, but you could get anyone you wanted. You're one of the best seekers Gryffindor's ever seen!"
"He is the best seeker Gryffindor's ever seen!" piped up a short, chubby boy with small watery eyes. He seemed almost afraid of the others, and definitely in awe of them, perhaps because he knew that they were all perceived as being much cooler by the other students than he was. James smiled and asked again for their opinion.
"Look, James; if you like her, ask her to Madam Puddifoot's next weekend, it's the last Hogsmeade visit before the holidays." advised a tired-looking and slightly shabbily dressed fourth boy, who spoke without even taking his eyes off the book he was reading. James battled mentally with this idea. What if she said no? She did think he was a bit cocky, after all. But…what if she agreed to go to Hogsmeade with him? That'd show Snivellus he didn't have a chance; always following her around, worshipping the dust beneath her feet. Pathetic.
"Yeah…yeah, I think I will ask her, thanks Remus!" He stood up, ruffled his hair once more and began to saunter across the lawn and down the path that led to Hagrid's hut, a place he knew to be a regular haunt of the girl he had spent so many weeks trying to tell how he felt about her. Without being pathetic, of course; save the 'following around like a lapdog' behaviour for Snivellus. He reached the gate and sure enough, spotted a pretty red-headed girl sat hidden in the pumpkin patch, surrounded by books and the odd piece of parchment.
"Alright, Evans?" James asked when he reached her, one hand casually on his neck, the other hanging loose by his side.
"Fine," she answered coldly, without taking her eyes off her work, "but I really need to finish these Hippogriff sketches for Care of Magical Creatures, so if you could go away that'd be great."
"Whoa, what's got your wand in a knot, Evans?" He laughed heartily, but stopped quickly when he saw the look on her face as she stood up to face him, fists clenched. He couldn't help noticing how beautiful she looked when she was angry; the shiny red hair tumbling to her waist, the porcelain skin of her face contorted into a frown, her perfect cherry-red lips held in a snarl...
"Shut it, Potter! You think you're so amazing and that everybody loves you, when really most of us know it's just easier to let you do what you want." And with that, she snatched up her things, turned on her heel and stormed away. James stood in silent disbelief for a few moments, then noticed a small scrap of parchment fluttering around his feet. He bent to pick it up and quickly scanned the curly writing. Someone far away behind him shouted his name, so he quickly stuffed the note into his pocket and ran to meet his friends, running a slightly quivering hand through his hair as he went.