A/N: This is just my headcanon for how James ended up asking Lily out.
"Wake up Lils!" teased Marlene, as she nudged her friend awake. They descended the stairs, heading towards the Great Hall along with a crowd of other students, all stumbling towards the promise of food. Marlene, Dorcas and Mary had been nattering between themselves as they had been walking down from Gryffindor Tower, but Lily had been in her own world, bleary eyed and distracted by the probability that James Potter no longer liked her.
And the certainty that she most definitely did like him.
"I'm awake," she growled, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
"Yes, I can see that. So awake, ready to take on anything the day throws at you," Marlene retorted sarcastically.
"Leave her alone Marls, you know how Lily gets in the morning," said Mary, defending her friend who couldn't function before her morning cup of tea.
They all seated themselves on the Gryffindor table, a little way up from the Marauders. It took a special sort of patience to deal with Sirius Black in the morning, as they had discovered earlier that year. Sirius had ended up with a bowl of porridge over his head, compliments of Marlene. The Gryffindor girls could only deal with the four boys past 9 in the morning, when they weren't vanishing the platters of hash browns as you went to stab them, or stealing bacon off your plate.
They nodded at them in acknowledgement and the boys smiled back. Lily loaded the food onto her plate, the rich smell of baked beans, toast and eggs piercing the foggy veil of sleep and making her act like a ravenous hippogriff. She stabbed at her plate angrily and scowled as she gulped down her breakfast.
By the time the haze of sleepiness had lifted, after she had been warmed and invigorated by her tea, she looked up to find all her friends looking at her, sitting still with their brows knitted. She paused and placed her mug down on the table.
"What?"
"Having a bad day?" Dorcas gestured to the empty plate, her food having been devoured.
"I was just hungry" Lily replied defensively.
"You feel sick if you eat too much to early in the morning usually," she answered. Then she got a glint in her eye and added, "Except from that time in fourth year, do you remember it Marlene?"
"Ahh do you mean the time Joshua Eder was asked out by Cathlene Goodger? Before he had the chance to ask Lily out at dinner?"
"Yes, and how about that time in fifth year, do you remember the one Mary?"
Mary grinned, "Oh you mean that other time she asked Terry Heaney out and he rejected her? Didn't realise he didn't swing that way did you Lils?"
"What is your point? That I've been rejected multiple times and am completely unable to attract the male gaze?"
"Seems like you've got some pent up feelings there Lils. I only meant to draw attention to the fact you comfort eat when things don't go your way. Especially in the romance department," said Dorcas, knowing she had caught Lily out with her own temper.
"I'm just hungry and undateable, leave me alone."
"Oh come on Lily, you're asked out like five times a week, how can you even say that?" Mary rolled her eyes.
"Three of the five are usually by Slimy Jeremy" Lily mumbled in her defence. In unison all four girls turned to look over Lily's shoulder at Jeremy Lorcas on the Ravenclaw table, who as a general rule was hitting on a girl or staring at the back of Lily's head.
Today it was the latter, and when he saw her looking he flashed her his most charming smile. It was perfect, pearly white and straight, but never quite seemed to reach his eyes. His hair was perfectly quaffed into waves, resembling that of a film star. The golden locks were a little too organised for her liking. She couldn't see herself with anyone who cared so much about the positioning of their hair, especially not one who made such a scene when it was messed up.
It wasn't just the superficial stuff either, because she could have looked past that if he was a nice guy. But he wasn't. He was a pretentious twat, and not in the endearing way James was. Jeremy was actually a giant twat who had dated many girls (sometimes at the same time) and then left them, telling his friends that he had realised he was out of their league. Not only that, he was constantly preying on Lily despite the fact she had made it clear she wasn't interested and had outright rejected him many times. His ego just couldn't accept the fact that Lily wasn't the type to play hard to get; she just wasn't interested. In short, he was what she called 'slimy' and had an ego so large he would date himself if he could.
Panicking, she quickly turned back to her friends who were all looking nervous. Leaning in, they tried to make it seem as though they were talking privately so that he wouldn't come over. The noise from the clanking of plates and scraping of cutlery continued to increase the volume in the Great Hall, but the four girls were whispering nervously trying to avoid further eye-contact with Jeremy.
"Okay if we look like we're having a really important conversation he won't come over," Lily said.
"Don't look at him Marls!" Dorcas hissed, thumping her friend over the head.
"I'm sorry, it's just fascinating. It's like watching a predator stalk his prey," she joked, rubbing the back of her head.
"Can you two please just tell us what is happening behind us?" Mary whispered shortly.
They both looked up at the same time while Mary and Lily screeched "Don't make it that obvious!"
"What? I'm just looking?"
"You're practically asking him to come over here and serenade me," she groaned, massaging her temples as she placed her head in her hands.
"You know Lils you should think about a career in Divination," Marlene mumbled nervously, her eyes moving between Lily and a spot behind her, which seemed to be moving down the table, closer to them with every second.
Startled Lily asked "What? Why?"
"Because Jeremy Lorcas is coming over here right now. Probably to serenade you."
Lily grimaced while Dorcas began a countdown.
"Incoming in five, four three, two-"
"Hiya Lily," Jeremy said, right on cue.
She grimaced and made a face at her friends begging for them to help her while she still had her back turned to him. Then she braced herself and turned round on the bench to look up at him sourly.
"Hey Jeremy," she replied, aiming to keep her voice steady. After all he could be asking about Prefect Rota's for all she knew.
He stared at her for a second, his cold blue eyes moving down her body and making her wish she had fastened her robes over her uniform before breakfast. He spent a little too long looking her over and she felt like snapping that her face was up here, thank you very much. She didn't though, she couldn't lose her cool with everyone watching.
"I don't want to waste your time so I'll just cut to the chase, are you single Lily?"
Her eyes flitted to James for a second, who along with the rest of the marauders and some other students from the surrounding tables had stopped to watch Jeremy's next attempt at asking Lily out. She looked at him, his warm hazel eyes and black scruffy hair in stark contrast to Jeremy's cool blue stare and tidy blonde waves. He looked concerned but she really didn't need his pity right now.
What I really need is for him to snog me silly, she heard a voice in her head say. But alas, I seem to have lost my allure when it comes to Potter.
Turning back to Jeremy she prayed for patience, or for someone to hex his bollocks off right this second. With no sympathetic higher power performing the latter, she prepared another rebuttal.
This guy just couldn't take a hint, or an outright rejection for that matter.
"Yes, but-"
"No 'buts' Lily. I know you're attracted to me," he whispered as he leaned closer to her, the stench of his cologne making her choke. Now she had an even bigger audience and could feel all eyes on her. They all thought she was in denial about her non-existent attraction to this idiot thanks to his announcement.
Her brow furrowed and she felt a hot rush of colour to her cheeks. Her hair crackled as magic sparked from her fingertips. Giant bloody idiot. Stupid, bloody boys. One can't take a hint that I want him to date me and one cant take a hint that I would not touch him with a bargepole. For Godric's sake, she hated them all sometimes.
"What do you say I take you out?"
"No, thank you. Now I really must be off," she said, hopping up from the bench and trying to manoeuvre her way around Jeremy and out of the Hall.
He stood in her way and grasped her arm, endearing her to look into his eyes which he was probably convinced would cause her to swoon. It only made her squirm.
"Oh come on, don't pretend like you don't want the best looking guy in this school." At this he flicked his hair in what she was sure he supposed was an attractive fashion. "You aren't going to get a better offer, stop playing with me," he smiled down at her patronisingly. Somehow, he was still oblivious to the murderous glare she was giving him.
She could practically hear Sirius rolling his eyes and huffing at the 'best looking guy in the school' comment. Typical of Black to be concerned with who is prettier, him or Jeremy. She was sure she would be hearing from that drama queen in the Common Room later. But at the moment she had bigger fish to fry, and she latched onto his statement that she wasn't going to get a better offer.
She knew plenty of alternatives which would be a much better offer than Slimy Jeremy. She would rather Amos Diggory or Hugh Brant, with their tendencies to talk only about Quidditch. She would rather Sirius despite his dramatics and Remus, despite the fact he was like her brother. She would rather Peter though he would only want to play Exploding Snap with her. The boy who she would really prefer however, was sitting behind her, oblivious as ever.
"Well I have a better offer in mind, and I'm waiting on it," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady as she revealed a little too much. When she was in a temper she just didn't have the power to reign in both her anger and her words. She always managed to run her mouth, tell a secret or take an insult a little too far. She didn't have limits when she was in a rage, and now was fast becoming one of those times.
"Who the hell else could you want to go out with?" he asked loudly so practically the whole school could hear. She laughed that he was so taken a back that she could possibly be interested in someone else and that she was rejecting him again. Anyone could have seen it coming.
"I can't have made it anymore blindingly obvious that I want to date James Potter, you insipid twat!" she shouted back at him. And just for good measure she added, "Not you!"
She blinked as she watched Jeremy storm off. Behind her she heard Marlene break the silence and bargain with Remus, "Come on prefect, I think she just earned 10 points for Gryffindor. Maybe even an extra five for creativity and entertainment."
Suddenly she realised where she was. Marlene was behind her talking to Remus. Next to Remus was Sirius, who she was sure would give her a ribbing about all this. And next to Sirius was... him. Only then did it come crashing down on her that her outburst had just announced to everyone who did, or didn't want to know, that she wanted James to ask her out. Oh god, oh god, oh god. She felt his eyes on her back again and swallowed the lump in her throat which felt like it was tightening. There was silence. Oh god, there's no way Potter could have missed her shrieking it like a crazed banshee.
If she turned and saw his face, uncertain and confused she didn't think she could take it. Instead she turned to her friends and whispered that she'd see them in class. She ran out the doors, out through the entrance hall and down to the castle grounds with tears pricking at her eyes.
"Well, we can only hope that the Giant Squid will still have me," she thought bitterly as she followed the path winding down to the Black Lake.
If she had stayed a second longer she would have seen the chaos that ensued at the Gryffindor table.
"What the bloody hell James?" shouted Black as he flailed his arms around.
Marlene leant forward and shouted down the table, "Honestly Potter, was that obvious enough for you? I've been telling you for months-"
"- and when you do find out you just sit there like a lemon?!" Sirius finished.
"You're a right oaf," Peter added and Remus settled it by confirming; "I have to agree Prongs. You are a giant moron-"
"-and, sorry to interrupt Lupin," Jenny Andrews added, leaning over from the Hufflepuff table, "But I must add that you should probably already have gone after her,".
There was silence and then chaos erupted from the seventh year Gryffindors. As he stood up, Marlene ran over and began straightening James' robes and Sirius leant over and ruffled his hair. Remus was busy telling him everything he should not say under any circumstances James, do you hear me and Peter was hurrying him away from the table towards the Entrance Hall.
There was a gnawing feeling at his stomach as he followed her, standing alone in the Entrance Hall and wondering where on earth she had gone. He wondered if maybe she would want to be left alone? After all that is why she would run away. He did not think he had the fortitude to face her today.
But when he thought of not seeing her, his spirits drooped further. It wasn't just the idea that she might be avoiding him after this. It was the fact he wanted to see her regardless of the circumstances (however dire they were seeming at the moment).
He grabbed the marauders map from his pocket and followed it to her. He found her sitting on a small rock, with her legs tucked up to her chest by the Lake. As he came closer he could see her shivering from the cold and wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robe.
Dear Merlin she was pretty…
"Lily," he said faintly, hoping she would not notice and he could slowly back out of this situation in which he would almost definitely do something stupid and be on the end of one of Evans' rather nasty hexes.
But a second later she turned to look at him and he was frozen to the spot.
"Am I interrupting a private moment between you and the Giant Squid?" he said, awkwardly ruffling his hair and inwardly cringing at his comment.
She gave a hiccupping laugh despite her obvious embarrassment. She loved that James could make her do that. She quirked her lips upward and then turned back to face the lake, seeming a little more at ease with herself.
James edged closer, and gazed down at her for a moment, a bit dazed at the thought she could ever like him like that. He sat next to her on her boulder and shuffled closer. He saw her smile grow, but she continued to stare out at the lake. He moved his hand slowly closer, covered hers with his palm and watched a blush creep onto her cheeks. He gave her hand a small squeeze and finally she turned to look at him, holding his gaze with hers.
"Hey Lils," he began.
"Yes James?" she replied breathily, a little nervous about what was to come next.
"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade sometime?"
There was a second where he thought he'd made a massive mistake.
And then there was a flash of red as he was barrelled over by Lily who had launched herself at him. Throwing her arms around his neck she pressed her lips onto his and he wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her tight against him.
It was well known that Lily Evans found it difficult to wake up in the morning and could not deal with the marauders before class began. In fact, she had very little patience even after nine in the morning. But today, as she walked back up to Hogwarts with her hand in James', feeling him give her fingers a small squeeze in the chilly morning air, she thought she might find it a little easier getting up in the morning if every day began just as perfectly as this.