XXX
A/N This is a cute little oneshot, depicting every Valentines Day during Lily and James' years at Hogwarts.
XXX
On the first Valentines Day after he's met her, he sits by the fire of the common room with Sirius, Remus and Peter and tries to keep his eyes to himself. She's talking to her friend Alice Longbottom, and he sees the corners of her eyes form creases as she smiles. He doesn't know why he's so fascinated by her; all he knows is when he hears her laugh it raises the hairs on the back of his neck.
"James, we were thinking we could target Evans next time," Sirius says to him, but James doesn't avert his eyes.
"Target Evans?" he replies vaguely.
"She's been giving you a tough time. Payback, yes?" Sirius goes on, as Remus sighs and Peter grins with excitement.
She has been giving James a tough time. Apparently she didn't take kindly to him when he introduced himself to her as a 'sexy Quidditch extraordinaire'. No one's ever argued back to James, and so he's intrigued. He's never met someone who doesn't treat him like a Prince, and so she interests him. But the more he tries to win her over, the less she's willing to relent. And so James Potter's first Valentines Day at Hogwarts means plotting his first revenge on Lily Evans.
XXX
On Valentines Day in their second year, James is walking down for dinner behind Lily and Alice when Peeves stops to serenade them.
Potter and Evans, sitting in a tree
Doing what they shouldn't be
First comes love, and then comes --
But the rest of his rhyme is cut off as Lily hexes his tongue to stick to the roof of his mouth. James smirks, wondering where she learnt that little manoeuvre. He makes a mental note to ask her sometime. Sirius turns to James incredulously;
"Why was he singing about you and Evans?"
He looks genuinely disgusted. James considers it. He doesn't know why Peeves says it, but he realises for the first time that maybe the reason he singles Lily out for prank after prank isn't only because she gets on his nerves. As he shrugs to Sirius, he notices there's something of a knowing glint in Remus' eye, but he shrugs that off too.
XXX
The third years are allowed out to Hogsmeade for Valentines Day, and James prepares himself to ask Lily out. He's nervous to ask her, but he knows she won't refuse. He only hopes he will give her the perfect day out.
"Just ask straight out," Remus advises him, as James paces the dormitory. "Ask kindly, don't be cocky, and give her a charming smile."
Just as James is repeating these four phrases under his breath as a mantra, Sirius wanders in, whistling to himself cheerily. He looks around at the tense James and the amused looking Remus, and his expression dawns with comprehension.
"Ah! Discussing asking out the elusive Lily Evans?" Without waiting for a response he continues; "I just saw her downstairs with her mates, now's your chance, James!"
James gulps as he descends the staircase, repeating his mantra over and over again in his mind. He wishes she didn't have such a hold over him. He's never felt so controlled by someone else before, least of all a girl. He approaches her gingerly where she sits by the fire with Alice and Marlene, and clears his throat to announce his presence. She doesn't even acknowledge he's there, and he will admit he feels a little put off. Eventually her two friends give her meaningful glances and reluctantly she looks up.
"Something you want, Potter?" she turns to him coldly.
He ruffles his hair, something his friends tell him he subconsciously does whenever he's near her.
"Err…yes," he stumbles over his words, something else she makes him do. "Lily—"
"Since when do you call me Lily?" she interrupts him with raised eyebrows.
He feels slightly aggravated now. Would she just let him get a sentence out once in a while?
"Okay, Evans then!" He realises he speaks a little loudly, but she irritates him intensely.
"No need to get your knickers in a twist Potter," she smirks.
"I'm not—knickers…what--?" he stutters incoherently as she starts to laugh. He remembers exactly two years ago when he realised how wonderful that sound was. It softens him to a degree, and he takes a deep breath before trying again.
"Evans," he stresses the word for effect. "I was wondering if you would like to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow, for Valentines Day." He gives her the charming smile, as instructed. Her smile falters and her eyes widen in shock. Alice raises her book to cover her face fully, and James can tell she's trying to hide her giggles. Marlene's jaw clenches as she restrains her laughter, and she suddenly becomes interested in a piece of loose carpet near the fireplace. After a full minute of silence Lily's mouth has formed into a perfect 'O' of surprise. James tries to ignore the rising panic crawling at his insides. If she were to turn him down…but no, there's no way. He knows she's just surprised and flattered by being asked out by the most attractive and most popular boy in school. Just as he's comforting himself with these thoughts, she says;
"No."
He is momentarily stunned into silence.
"No?"
She elicits a shaky laugh. "Potter…why on earth did you…I don't…" she trails off with an expression of bewilderment.
"I like you," he says simply.
A small crease appears between her eyebrows, but she looks him in the eyes as she replies;
"Well, I don't like you."
And then she rises to her feet and strides off, and her friends hasten to follow.
In their third year, Valentine's Day is the day James Potter is rejected for the first time in his life.
XXX
In their fourth year James is becoming increasingly desperate for Lily's attentions. He has now asked her out a further twenty six times, and as she has become less and less tolerant, she has become less and less polite. He sits in Potions, watching the snow drift to the ground outside. Suddenly Slughorn appears at the front of classroom, bearing a cauldron of what could only be described as the most seductive smelling thing James has ever happened across. His silent question is answered an excited Slughorn dances on the balls of his feet, saying;
"Amortentia!" He claps his hands together enthusiastically. "Thought I'd brew up some up in light of this our romantic holiday! Now, can anyone tell me its properties?"
Lily's hand shoots straight up, and James grins to himself.
"Amortentia is a love potion, which smells differently to each individual person reflecting what is most appealing to them. It will cause a person to become infatuated with another."
"Quite so m'dear, quite so," Slughorn chirps. "But no magic can be used to make someone truly in love. As Miss Evans so rightly says; Amortentia will only cause infatuation. Now, this is a NEWT level potion, so you won't be brewing any today – I just thought it'd be interesting to show you all…"
James tunes out as he watches Lily breath deeply; he's dying to know what she smells. He whiffs the air once more and smells something like honeysuckle, and somehow mixed in with perfection, he smells the wood of a broomstick handle and his favourite, treacle tart. They spend the rest of the lesson brewing a much less exciting potion, and James thinks the whole time of how he might be able to ask Lily out successfully this time. At the end of class he waits for her outside, leaning casually against the wall and flashing smiles at female passers by. It hasn't gone unnoticed by her that he becomes more egotistical by the day; and he doesn't realise how much she dislikes it.
"Lily!" he drawls, as she eventually meanders out of the potions room. He wonders if she took her time in an attempt to avoid him. A wave of realisation comes crashing over James when the first thing he notices is how she carries out the smell of honeysuckle with her.
"Not now, Potter," she says, sounding rather harassed.
"Go out with me?" he says outright, blocking her way past.
She heaves a great sigh. "No."
"Oh, you'll break down eventually Evans," he winks.
"What makes you so sure?" she narrows her eyes.
He stays silent for several moments, before changing tack.
"What did you smell?" he tilts his head to the side.
She bites her lower lip, bordering on hesitation. And then all of a sudden she's gazing into his beautiful brown eyes, wearing an unreadable expression, as she says softly;
"Chocolate."
The fourth Valentines Day is the day Lily sends James a subtle message she knows he'll never receive.
XXX
The fifth Valentines Day is the day of the full moon. James resents the fact that he cannot serenade his Lily or provide her with endless amounts of Honeyduke's finest; but his allegiances lie with Remus. As the sun sets, James, Sirius and Peter gather in the entrance hall and prepare to leave. James casts the cloak over them all with difficulty, and they creep over to the whomping willow. What all three of them fail to notice, is how another boy watches them from the shadows through a pair of glittering black eyes. And what Severus Snape doesn't realise is that nearby lurks a girl who watches them all through curious emerald orbs. The wind and rain acts as cover for both Lily and Severus as they follow the Marauders to the tunnel, and watch each of them transform. Unfortunately for Severus, once the dog, the stag and the rat have disappeared into the depths of the tree, it continues to swing in full motion; knocking him clear off his feet. In the time it takes him to immobilise it, Lily has caught up. She tugs on his arm, telling him not to go down there, telling him that it's too dangerous. But he blazes with hatred so strong that even Lily wants to cower away from him. He pushes her out of the way, and crawls through the tunnel entrance. Her instinct is to go and fetch a teacher; but she does not know what sort of trouble she could land them in. Instead she lies helplessly on the grassy floor, raindrops mingled with tears. When she pulls herself together and decides what she has to do; she suddenly hears a mad scuffling within, and the unmistakable shouts of her old friend. Severus screams, calling for help, but even as she runs to his aid she knows she is too late. But then as she draws her wand, she sees the raven hair, chocolate brown eyes and round glasses of a terrified boy emerging through the gap in the tree's roots. And with him he pulls Severus, who is glaring daggers at the boy who is saving his life. Lily even thinks she can see murder in his eyes…she sees danger and it scares her. James collapses onto the earthy ground, but quickly reaches out for the knot and the tree ceases to move. Severus staggers to his feet immediately, and points his wand directly at James as if he has committed some terrible crime. This is where Lily steps in between them, and James stares at her in surprise. As he gazes at her, Lily sees in James' eyes a real tenderness she has never witnessed before. And this is the Valentines Day James saved her best friend's life. This is the day she realises he truly cares.
XXX
The sixth Valentines Day is the day James Potter leaves Lily Evans alone. All day she looks over her shoulder to see if he's approaching her, but not once does his goofy smile interrupt her in the hallway, not once does his scent carry through the corridors to greet her. She finds herself sitting by herself that night in the room of requirement, wondering why she feels so miserable. The sixth Valentines Day is the day Lily realises she feels something real for James Potter.
XXX
And in their Seventh year, James knows it's his last chance. He sits on the end of his four poster bed and wraps up the chocolates he has bought her. He clings desperately to the tiny ray of hope inside of him that she knows he's changed.
"She knows," Remus says gently, sensing James' predicament.
"I hope so…" James mumbles.
Gathering all his courage, he makes for the common room, attempting to flatten his hair as he goes though he knows it's no use. He takes the steps at a snail's pace, trying to calm the fluttering in the pit of his stomach. He stares straight down at the ground rather than ahead, which is perhaps why he was unprepared for crashing straight into a mass of beautiful red hair. Yelping, he takes a step back and apologises. Lily smiles at him shyly, and then holds out a package wrapped in brown paper;
"Happy Valentines Day, James."
He takes it with silent gratitude, too stunned for words, and opens it gingerly as if it's the most precious thing in the world. Inside are a pair of emerald socks, embroidered with hundreds of tiny broomsticks, Snitches, Quaffles and Bludgers. He grins from ear to ear, wondering how she knows how much he loves socks.
"I noticed you wear very colourful socks all year round. Thought I'd add something to your collection," she supplies before adding; "Knitted them myself."
"Thank you…" he says quietly, before daring to kiss her on the cheek. He feels her stiffen beneath him, and hears her draw a sharp breath. Hastily moving away, mistaking her discomfort completely, he adds; "Here, I got you something."
She takes the chocolates from his hands, and lets slip a small laugh when they're unwrapped.
"James," she says slowly. "Did you get me these just because I said that's what I smelled in the Amortentia?"
He looks slightly foreboding as he replies; "Well…yeah."
She smirks, "that was really thoughtful of you." He looks intensely relieved as she adds; "Have you ever noticed your eyes are very chocolate-coloured?"
He looks confused.
"Err…sure?"
"Just an observation," she says lightly as she moves up a step. Subconsciously, as if mirroring her, James goes down a step. And then he feels as if Christmas has come early, because this is the day she finally leans forward and kisses him. As their lips brush together and their hearts race, James is surrounded by the smell of honeysuckle, and she by the smell of 'chocolate'.
XXX
A/N Hope you liked it – reviews are muchly appreciated.