Disclaimer: I own... er... dang it...

Author's Notes: SoOOoo... I was polishing up some other one-shots last night and a lovely little plot froggie jumped me and stole my wallet. (No plot bunnies... I have a new-found fear of bunnies, as Jen and Natty well know... shudder.) This is the fantabulous by-product.And a new wallet. (: Rated T because she sits in his lap... and 'cos I felt like it.

And just so I don't have you badgering me with questions of "are you continuing it? you really should!", I'm going to come out and say... I'm going to write a companion piece to this, maybe even two. Depends if the froggies stop by for a chat.

Aliss

She Thinks She's in Love

"James, I…"

My head pops up and I meet the rather nervous eyes of Lily Evans.

She opens her mouth and starts again. "James, I need to talk."

I nod to the space next to me on the Heads' couch and she immediately sits, folding and wringing her hands in her lap anxiously.

Ever since the beginning of our seventh year at Hogwarts when Lily Evans saw that I'm a half-way decent guy and not out to drive her to insanity, I've been her soul confidant. I'm the one she tells everything to; her hopes, her fears, her faults, her dreams for the future… she tells me things she says she can't even tell her girl friends.

She told me — what was it? — I was like a girl friend, only better. I wouldn't judge her or think less of her because of what she did. She said she felt an overwhelming need to tell me everything that was going on in her mind, everything from her worries about the upcoming N.E.W.T.s to how cute she thought some guy looked yesterday. (Some things I took better than others.)

But greatest of all, she said I would be the one to understand her best.

She continues to twist her hands in her lap as our silence grows longer. I can only wait so long.

"What's wrong, Lily?" I ask gently, taking her restless hands inside of mine.

She intertwines our fingers distractedly and I can't help but notice how well they fit together… like they were meant for each other. If only she could see that….

She scoots a bit closer and as if on cue I pull her to sit in between my legs, where she leans back comfortably, her head resting over my heart (which seems to be beating faster than normal).

"James," she begins delicately, slowly, "there's something I need to tell you."

I twist our arms around her waist and I can feel her shiver.

"And what is that?" I ask softly, patiently. Lily's always needed a patient listener.

"I… I think I'm in love," she whispers, no longer weaving her fingers with mine.

There's a tense silence as I swallow with difficulty. "Oh," I say stiffly. "Is that so?"

The thought of Lily — my Lily — being in love with anyone other than me is heart-wrenching.

She nods against my chest as she pulls my arm more securely around her waist and shifts so she can stare penetratingly into my eyes. I fight not to avoid her gaze.

"He's a really great guy, James," she says, dropping her gaze to our entwined hands.

I try to ignore her thumb rubbing over mine as I respond weakly, "If you love him, he must be the best guy on this earth."

A small smile illuminates her features and I can't help but smile back.

"He is, James," she sighs. "He's amazing."

I push away the thought of how perfect her body feels pressed against mine and instead focus on her eyes.

"So…" I begin, and my voice cracks. I clear my throat and continue. "What's the lucky bloke look like?"

I watch her grin and can't help but feel a spark of comfort at her joy.

"Well," she says, "he's got the prettiest eyes. Almost as pretty as mine," she adds with a cheeky grin.

"Because no one's eyes are as beautiful as Lily Evans'," I respond, returning the grin.

"And his hair is so soft," she continues, detaching both hands from mine and running them through my hair. Every nerve sparks at her touch.

I swallow thickly and run a hand through her silky hair, pausing to rest at the curve of her neck. Never before have I wanted to kiss her so badly; I can feel my body aching to meet her lips with mine.

"He's so wonderful, James," she goes on, dropping her head to my chest. I breathe a sigh of relief at my self-control.

"I'm surprised it took me so long to realize it."

"But I'm sure he was worth the wait," I whisper, repeating over and over that if it made Lily happy, I would be happy. As long as Lily is happy….

I'm cut out of my reverie as she says softly, "I haven't told him yet."

"You… haven't?" I reiterate, forcing myself to douse the spark of hope within me. "Why not?"

"Waiting for the right time, I suppose," she replies, watching as her hand slides into my right trouser pocket.

It's about as much as I can take.

"You're being very girlfriend-ish tonight," I mention, tracing the outline of her hand with a finger.

She shrugs nonchalantly. "You'll get used to it," she replies.

She traces small circles on my thigh and snuggles into me as I let her words sink in.

"I… will?" I ask, knowing full well my voice is almost half an octave higher than normal.

She nods and slides an arm around my waist. I swallow as she closes her eyes and sighs contentedly.

"I love you, James Potter," she mumbles into my chest.

My heart skips a beat as my breath catches in my throat.

"I love you too, Lily Evans," is my reply.

FIN.