A/N: Be nice, please R&R

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing (except the things I do)

Okay well I needed a break from 'So yeah maybe that is okay after all'. I needed to write something completely different so I ended up writing this, just to clear my head so I can continue with that story. Sorry it's a bit odd it was midnight when I wrote it.

Are you a Man or a Mouse

Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?

Chico Marx

She hasn't moved in 2 hours. Just sat there staring into the fire. A big blanket wrapped around her and her eyes glazed over.

'Lily.' She doesn't turn, 'Lily' again she doesn't reply, 'Lily!' this time she turns to look up at me. Her hair is all messy and piled on top of her head, her eyes still have that glaze over them, she looks... Don't James you're her friend, don't ruin it by thinking of her like that.

'Hmm.' she says, still not fully alert to the rest of the world.

'You all right?' I ask because she doesn't look alright. She smiles party at me.

'I'm fine.' She tells me, turning back towards the fire. I don't believe her, not for a second. But one thing about Lily if she wants you she'll come and find you, you don't press the matter.

'Right okay, if you're sure. I'm going to meet the Marauders; I'll be back later, okay.'

She doesn't reply and just continues to stare into the fire.

* * *

'It can't be, do my eyes deceive me, it isn't, surely not, it's James Potter.' Sirius shouts out as I walk into the Gryffindor common room, where all three of them are lounging about having claimed the settees.

'Very funny, Pads.' I tell him, flopping down on the seat.

'I think it was very funny thank you.' He tells me, 'that was funny wasn't it Moony?' he asks Remus.

'Hilarious, a right Carry-on.' Sometimes I think Moony is incredibly clever then he comes out with odd things like that, and I think maybe he should be committed.

'A what?' Sirius asks

Remus shakes his head, 'don't worry.'

Sirius just shrugs, 'so what do we owe the honour of James Potter gracing us with his presence?' He asks turning back towards me.

I shrug noncommittally, 'Do I need a reason to spend time with my friends?'

Sirius and Remus look at each other and at the same time say, 'Lily.'

'What, no, not Lily.' I protests – sometimes it isn't good to have friends that know you.

'Right okay, not Lily. Yeah because you're not still in love with her at all.' Sirius said sarcastically

'Nope, I'm not, we're just friends.' I try to convince them, though I haven't even convinced myself.

'Yeah fine, except your not.' Wormtail laughs at this –that boy has a weird sense of humour

I sigh loudly and put my head in my hands.

'You're up, Moony.' Sirius tells him

'What?'

'Well you're good at the whole feelings thing.' Sirius explains

'What?' Remus asks again

'Yeah your like the honourary gay one.' Sirius explains and through I can't see him, I can see that stupid grin on his face

'I have to be the werewolf and the honourary gay one! That's not fair.' He protests

'Hmm, Life's a bitch.'

I hear Remus growl at him but then addresses me, 'Prongs just tell her mate.'

'And if she tells hexes me like the other million times?' sometimes theses people are really thick

'Yeah, but she wasn't your friend then. Just explain to her and let her respond.'

'And if she doesn't?'

'Then you have your answer. But you can't keep torturing yourself like this.' Remus explains simply

'And what happens if she does?' I ask, looking up at him

Remus and the others just stare at me, 'Work it out.' Sirius tells me.

'Guys, I don't know....' I start

'Prongs, I'm your best mate.' Sirius begins, 'you have to tell her, and if she doesn't even have a smidge of feelings for you, we'll take you out and get completely rat arsed.'

I laugh at this, trust Sirius to make you feel better.

'Exploding snap anyone?' Remus asks, pulling out a packet.

'Yeah,' I say sliding of my seat onto the floor.

'Okay.' Peter says shuffling forward.

'If it's Extreme Exploding Snap!' Sirius says

I laugh at this, while Remus says, 'As long as it doesn't involve me naked I'm in.'

Sirius picks up his cards that Remus has already dealt and goes, 'Well…'

* * *

'Hi'

Her head lifted up slightly to look up at me, 'Hi' she replied putting her head down again.

'Is there a reason your in my room?' shit that came out to harshly. She doesn't look at me and just remains lying on my bed looking at the ceiling. I cautiously wander into the room to go and stand by the edge of the bed, 'you alright, you seemed a bit out of sorts earlier'

'Yeah, I'm fine, I was thinking' she tells me not looking away from the ceiling. Her hands are both gripping the duvet gently squeezing it.

'Okay.' I say hesitantly sitting down on the bed.

'You ever seen Duck Soup?' she asks suddenly

'What?' right this is slightly surreal. Don't get me wrong life with Lily has an element of surreal in it. But this is like Dalí just walked in and went to town. Lily Evans lying on my bed, not speaking, and then coming out with these, why?

'Umm,' I begin, thinking that this is going to be one of those conversation in which Lily essentially calls me a philistine and proceeds to educate me – how do you think I know who Dalí is? I swing my legs up onto the bed and lean against the headboard. 'Cant say I have.' What the hell is duck soup?

'Marx brothers?' she asks again, still not looking up at me.

'Nope, never heard of them.' Who the hell are the Marx brothers and why this has to do with anything, I have no idea.

'They made films.' She explains. I nod and slide down so my head is next to hers, 'There's one, A Day at the races'

'Okay?'

'Well this man asks Groucho if....'

I interrupt, 'What sort of a name is Groucho?' because that is a really stupid name. She turns to look at me for the first time and gives me a scathing look for interrupting her, 'What sort of mane is Prongs? She retorts. Well there is a reason for that, but you have to hand it to her, she's quick.

'Touché' she just turns back toward the ceiling – is it really that interesting?

'Well anyway the man asks Groucho if he's a man or a mouse.' I'm listening to her, but I'm watching her more intently. The way her mouth moves when she talks or the fact her eyes are closed or that she is smiling slightly

'And so Groucho say, Put a piece of cheese on the floor and you'll find out.' She finishes and then her eyes opens and she turns to look at me. Those green eyes are looking directly at me, not even flinching.

'I was eating the cheese.' She says with so much conviction that it almost shocks me

'Right okay, so you are a mouse?' I ask almost too afraid to ask her – she's gone a bit strange

'Yep I was a mouse. But not anymore. No more.'

'Ummm,' what do you say to that?

'Yep.' She carries on like I didn't speak, 'I shall no longer be a mouse, I shall put down the cheese. I shall me a man.' She declares

I just look at her in astonishment. I don't know what to say to that, 'Well what does this entail then, becoming a man?' I ask after a moment.

'Facing up to facts.' She says

'Don't mice do that, accept facts?' I ask

'Face up to things I didn't want to and not over analyse things and just do.' She explains, looking directly at me.

'So?'

'So... .' she says back, then quickly without giving me any indication she leans forward and places a chaste kiss on my lips. I of course being the idiot that I am, just lie there watching a smile to rival a Cheshire cat spread across her face as she falls back down. What the hell? Lily Evans did not just kiss me. That's not possible but I'm sure she did, I'm positive she did. But I just lie here. Shit! I waited 7 years for her to do that and I just lie here. Damn why did she do it? I just want her to do it again and to be an active participant this time. I lift myself up onto my elbow and lean over her.

'What was that?' I ask quickly and quietly – I almost don't want to here the answer because if it was for something other that her wanting to. I have no idea how I would react.

'I have put the cheese back in the fridge.' She tells me. Christ Lily just tell me if you like me.

'So you are no longer a mouse?' I ask. Maybe if I play along then the riddles will be over quicker and then we can get to the point of: I James Potter being hopelessly, completely in love with you, Lily Evans and I'm through doing the friends thing and is there a chance you may feel the same?

'Nope, with the cheeses in the fridge. I am a man.'

Deciding that it is probably better just to go along with it before I spontaneously combust I ask, 'So fancy putting any more dairy products in the fridge?' I smirk down at her.

She looks genuinely puzzled, 'What?'

I laugh slightly at this, 'Would you like to do it again?'

She just continues to look blankly at me. Okay James, you have one shot at this. Don't screw it up. I lean down and gently kiss her. Leaning back, I think Lily's gone into shock. She's just lying there with her mouth slightly open.

'Ohh,' she says after what seems like ages, but is probably only a few seconds

'Ohh?' I ask tentatively. What if I was wrong and she actually doesn't like me – what will I do then? It was bearable pining away for her when I only had my imagination. It would get almost unbearable to do it when I had part of the real thing to remember.

'I wouldn't be opposed to putting more dairy products in the fridge.' She looks up at me with a mischievous grin on her face that reaches her eyes so she gets the small lines by her eyes.

'No?' I question. I have to be sure. I have to be.

'Yeah, heck you can put all of bloody Sainsbury's in the fridge for all I care, just don't pull away next time.' She tells me, as soon as the words are out of her mouth, my mouth is covering hers. I've dreamt about this a million different times in a billion different ways. But it doesn't even compare. One of her hands is in my hair and her lips are moving against mine and it's easy. It doesn't feel like the first time we've done this. It feels likes we've been doing it for years. But then just as I can feel her tongue gently against me lips – did I mention I love this girl? I can feel my arm start to go tingly and feel heavy. Reluctantly I pull away leaving her pouting up at me. I roll back onto my back, taking her hand as I do. She must have understood what I was I was getting at because she follows me. So she's lying onto of me in between my legs and for a second she just looks down at me with that eyes wrinkling smile.

Then we're kissing again and it's not like before this time it's trying to make up for 7 years. This time it's hot and heated and passionately, this time are tongues are battling with each other. Both her hands are going through my hair. While mine are running up and down her back, over her bum and back again. Her back arches as my hand goes under her top. I smirk into the kiss.

'Hey.' I ask quickly half way through.

She kisses me, 'umm' I'm kissing her again, my hand running along the edge of her bra.

'I was wondering.' And then we kiss again.

She stops and pulls back slightly, 'Wondering, what?' and I can't help but think that she looks amazing with have face of puzzlement, eye wrinkling smile, red lips and messed up hair.

'How you realised. I mean that you liked me?' I ask scared partly by the possible outcome of this.

'Boxers.' She informs me and kisses my neck really softly.

'Boxers?' I ask quietly, I'm more preoccupied by the open mouthed kisses she's putting on my neck.

'Yeah.' She says into my neck, 'I realised I knew what colours boxers you wore and realised that I would only know that if I was your employee or I had a deep seated desire to only see you in them. I went with the latter and came to the conclusion that I love you.' She tells me into my neck.

I don't think I've ever been happier. She actually loves me, me, James Potter.

'Hey Lily.' I say quietly, using my hand to get her to look at me.

'Yeah?' she's gone bright red, she looks adorable.

'I love you too.' I say, kissing her quickly.

'Good.' She replies. Then we're back to kissing each other, her hands are back in my hair and mine are running up and down her back, holding her tight to me.

'Lily.' I say quickly.

'Umm' she replies, I don't continue for a moment and just concentrate on kissing

'I love the Marx brothers.' She laughs into my mouth. And if it's at all possible, kisses me with new found vigour and passion

'Thought you might.'

A/N

Right okay.

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Ken

XD