Just a little Lily/James one-shot that popped into my head one night, so I thought I'd post it because my sister MeadowRunner wanted me to write one. It starts off as mostly just dialogue because I didn't feel the need for any description, but as it goes on I found that I needed more than dialogue to tell the story. So, that said, enjoy and review!
Library
Saturday
8:06 PM
Lily Evans sits at a table, surrounded by books, parchment, ink and spare quills. She appears to be absorbed in her homework. James Potter watches her from behind a bookcase. After a while, he emerges and goes to stand next to her table.
"Hey, Evans."
"Potter."
James waits expectantly. When she doesn't say anything else, he tries again.
"Aren't you even going to say hi to me?"
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Because it is the polite thing to do, and you, of all people, should know that."
"What do you know about politeness?"
"Oh, a fair bit."
"This from the guy who hexed a fifth year Slytherin because he looked at him funny."
"That was Sirius's brother! He's a stupid git! He deserved it!"
"Oh, and what did he ever do to you?"
"Looked at me funny."
"I rest my case."
"Look, Evans, I didn't come here to pick a fight."
"Well, you're doing a pretty good job of it."
"I just wanted to ask you –"
"No."
"You don't even know what I was going to ask!"
"No, I will not go to Hogsmeade with you, no, I do not want to be your girlfriend, and no, I do not fancy a snog in a broom closet right now!"
"Actually, I was going to ask you if I could borrow your Charms notes, but now that you mention it, fancy a snog?"
"Oh, of course."
"Really?"
"Does the word 'sarcasm' mean anything at all to you?"
"Darn."
James looks highly disappointed. Lily goes back to her homework.
"Can I please borrow your Charms notes?"
"Borrow Remus'."
"Can't. He wasn't in class today. Please, Evans, you take the best Charms notes, and you wouldn't want to be responsible for my bad grade, would you?"
"Potter, if you fail your Charms exam, it will be your own bloody fault. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish this essay."
"Which one?"
"'101 Ways to Murder James Potter'."
"Hm, don't remember being assigned that one. Maybe Sirius does. Have you seen him?"
"Where do you think he is?"
"You know, now that I think about it, I really don't want to know. And I'm having too much fun here."
"'Fun'? You call annoying me fun?"
"Not annoying you, studying you."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I mean, studying with you, of course."
"Not on my watch."
Lily makes to pack her books away. James looks crestfallen.
"Aw, Evans, don't leave! I need your Charms notes!"
"Don't give me that look, Potter."
James laughs.
"You sound like McGonagall."
"Thanks, I've been practicing."
"You know, Evans, even though you are profoundly strange, I still like you."
"Oh, stuff it, Potter!"
"Stuff what?"
Lily counts to ten silently, trying to control her temper. James watches amusedly.
"Can I borrow your Charm notes, please?"
Lily has reached her limit.
"Oh, fine! Take the bloody Charms notes! Just leave!"
'Thanks, Evans, you're an angel."
"And you are an annoying prat!"
"Oh, but you know you love me."
"No, Potter, sorry, you may be incredibly good-looking, but I cannot stand you!"
Lily claps a hand over her mouth in horror.
"Oh. My. Gosh. I did not just say that out loud."
James looks positively ecstatic.
"So you do like me! I knew it! Ha! Sirius owes me five Galleons!"
"I never said anything about liking you!"
"You said you thought I was hot. Same difference."
"I said nothing of the sort. You must be hallucinating. Take the Charms notes, and don't lose them, or I'll be forced to hex you."
Lily begins gathering up her homework.
"Where are you going?"
"To bed, so in the morning I can wake up and find out this is some horrible nightmare. Good night and good riddance, Potter."
She stalks off.
James sits at the table with a goofy smile on his face for a few minutes. Then he gets up and leaves the library, singing "She thinks I'm gorgeous, she wants to date me, she knows she loves me…" under his breath.
7th Year Girls' Dormitory
Sunday
1:37 AM
"Hey, Lils."
No answer.
"Lily?"
No answer.
"Lily, are you awake?"
"No."
"Well, that's too bad, because I have to talk to you."
"Megan, it's late, I'm tired, I hate James Potter, and all I want to do is go back to sleep and wake up when he's over his stupid little obsession."
"You're going to be asleep for a looooooong time."
"Thank you for that, Miss Merry Sunshine."
Lily rolls over and tries to go back to sleep. Megan props herself up on her elbow to look at her.
"You know, Sirius doesn't think it's just a little obsession."
"Since when do I give a damn what Sirius thinks?"
"Since I told you to. Look, Lily, Sirius is James' best mate. He knows him better than even his own parents do. So wouldn't there be even the slightest chance that Sirius knows James' real feelings for you?"
"Sirius is a Marauder. He can't be trusted."
"Come on, Lily, give them a chance. It's the least you can do."
"I'd rather not."
"Why are you being so stubborn?"
"Maybe because it's 1:30 at night and my best friend is trying to convert me over to the dark side."
Megan narrows her eyes.
"Something happened tonight between you two, didn't it?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Something happened between you and James, I can tell."
"Are you insane?"
"Come on. Spill. What happened?"
"How many drinks did you have tonight?"
"You're avoiding the topic. Out with it."
"Nothing happened."
"Lily, I'm not your best friend for nothing. I know something happened, and I will find out even if I have to get the enhanced version from James."
Lily sits up, exasperated.
"Okay, fine! I'll tell you."
Megan looks triumphant.
"It wasn't anything major, I just got really tired and James was annoying me and –"
"And?"
"And I kinda admitted that I thought he was attractive."
Lily buries her head in her pillow in shame. Megan's mouth falls open in shock.
"Lily! This is great! This – this is perfect!"
"No, no it's not! This is not perfect! This is as far from perfect as it is possible to be! Now he has more ammunition! He knows I might have feelings for him and now he'll never let me live it down! My life is over!"
"Do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Have feelings for him?"
"Yes."
"Ha! I knew it!"
"I have very hateful feelings towards him."
"Lily!"
"What? I don't have any more than platonic feelings for him."
"So you have some platonic feelings for him?"
"You know what I mean."
"No, I don't."
"Megan, quit being intentionally idiotic. My feelings for James Potter will never pass that of 'strong dislike'."
"At least you don't hate him."
"Megan!"
"Come on, Lily. The only arrogant person I see in this whole situation is you. You're being so selfish right now. James Potter is smart, sexy, popular, funny, and completely head-over-heels for you. What more could you possibly want?"
Lily glares at Megan, her eyes steely.
"What I want right now is for you to get off my back about this, and leave me in peace."
She turns away from Megan and curls up facing the wall. Megan sighs.
"Fine, if you want to be like that. Just think about what I said. A nice guy like James doesn't deserve to be treated like this."
Gryffindor Common Room
Sunday
10:43 AM
"Megan, have you seen Evans?"
"Not since last night. She's mad at me."
"Yeah, I get that a lot."
"She's probably in the library. I know she had an Arithmancy assignment to do."
James looks at her shrewdly.
"You're helping me?"
"It would appear that way."
"This isn't part of some elaborate scheme you two have cooked up and will result in my hair turning every single shade of pink, would it?"
Megan laughs.
"No, although now you mention it, that's not a bad idea."
James blanched.
"I was just kidding! Relax. I'm only helping you because, as her best friend, I want to see Lily happy."
"Well, thanks, Megan. I really appreciate it. And please don't turn my hair pink!"
"Only if you promise not to do anything stupid."
"I'll try."
Library
Sunday
10:55 AM
"Hey, Evans."
Lily doesn't look up from her essay. James sits down anyway, but doesn't say anything right away.
"It's a nice day."
"Shut up, Potter."
"What are you working on?"
Lily clenches her jaw.
"Transfiguration."
"Really? Megan told me it was Arithmancy."
"What does Megan know about anything?"
"Did you guys have a fight?"
"It's none of your business."
"No, I suppose it isn't."
James watches her consult a book and scribble another line in her essay.
"I have a question."
"I'm sure you do."
"What's your favourite colour?"
"Potter, I am trying to do my homework! Either shut up or leave!"
"Okay, okay!"
Lily goes back to her homework, although her mind isn't totally occupied with Advanced Switching Spells. James goes back to watching her and wondering how in the world she can look sexy while doing homework.
"It's red, by the way. Dark red."
She determinedly keeps her eyes on her homework. Wordlessly, he reaches into his bag and pulls out a spare quill. With a tap of his wand he transfigures it into a dark red rose.
"Lily?"
Finally she meets his eyes. James holds out the rose.
"For you."
He leaves the library without a backwards glance.
Lily fingers the soft petals of the rose in amazement. Suddenly, she shoves her books back into her bag and departs at high speed for the sanctuary of her dorm.
7th Year Girls' Dormitory
Monday
5:19 PM
"Lily, you have an owl."
"Who's it from?"
"Dunno. I've never seen it before. Here."
The tawny owl carries only a dark red rose.
"Was there a note?
"Yeah, here."
FOR YOU
Gryffindor Common Room
Tuesday
8:26 PM
Lily looks up from her Potions book to see James standing in front of her.
"For you."
He hands her a dark red rose and disappears up the boys' staircase.
Great Hall
Tuesday
7:01 AM
Lily sits down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast.
A dark red rose flies through the air and lands on her plate.
Her emerald eyes meet James' hazel ones. He smiles.
"For you," he mouths.
Charms
Wednesday
9:58 AM
A dark red rose sits on Lily's chair. The tag reads
FOR YOU
Transfiguration
Thursday
2:29 PM
Tucked in her Transfiguration book, marking her page, is a dark red rose.
"For you," James whispers from behind her.
Fifth floor corridor
Friday
3:14 PM
Lily corners him at the end of the day. Pushing him up against the wall, she presses her lips to his.
The kiss lasts only a few seconds, but a dazed James can only stare speechlessly at a smiling Lily when she releases him.
"For you," she says softly, before pulling his mouth down to hers again.
Hidden behind a suit of armour, watching them, a disgruntled Sirius grudgingly hands over ten Galleons to a gleeful Megan.