"Do you know how truly annoying you are?" I seethed, rubbing my temples in an attempt to alleviate the pounding in my head. It actually felt as though my brain was conducting an excavation against my skull. Fantastic.
"LilyFlower, all I want is for you to accompany me to the next Hogsmeade weekend!" James answered, his cheery outlook not deterred by my surly attitude
"Which isn't for another two weeks. And for the thousandth time, stop calling me LilyFlower!"
Seriously, couldn't he take a hint?
"I'm just planning ahead! Two weeks is a considerable amount of time. What if some other bloke decided to ask you and you agreed before I had a chance?" James suggested, appearing actually fearful of the possibility.
I sighed. "Potter, not today, not tomorrow, not a week, not even a month from now will I agree to attend Hogsmeade with you. It will neverhappen." James stared at me blankly. Behind his glasses his eyes were completely void of all emotion and his jaw hung slightly agape.
I waited for his witty retort, ready to rebut anything and everything he threw at me.
Silence.
Maybe he finally realizes that his silly infatuation with me will under no circumstances be satisfied with willing reciprocation. Not even unwilling reciprocation! It's as simple as a flat out distaste for the boy every girl finds charming. Sorry I had to be the exception, Potter, but you're wasting your time.
With this relieving notion I returned to my studying, fully expecting him to leave me alone, rising out of his chair dejectedly, as he always does only to return an hour later asking me out again, but this time he did not move.
I willed myself not to look over at him, as I was 98% sure he was still staring at me, dumbfounded.
Was I too harsh? Should I have let him down a bit easier? Oh god, I seriously bruised his ego. Okay, just a peak Lily, nothing too obvious now. You don't want him to see that you feel poorly on his behalf.
I sneaked a glance through the covering of my red hair. Crap. He saw me. Stupid Lily, stupid! And here comes that ridiculous smirk.
"It's okay LilyFlower," he commented reassuringly. "I know you love me, even if you don't know it for yourself yet. Someday, soon I predict," he interjected in a voice that screamed assurance, "you will have a change of heart, succumbing to my devilish good looks and debonair ways and allow me to sweep you off your feet on a wonderful excursion to Hogsmeade. And there, possibly in the aisles of Honeydukes, between shelves of sugary sweet delights, you will fall in love with me, and we'll be happy together, forever." His prediction painted a picture inside my head that was so vivid I restrained from arguing, but watched my life flash before my eyes.
"Oh.." I managed to breathe, still flummoxed at his certainty.
I began to imagine all the possibilities. Would he take me to the Three Broomsticks or would he try and drag me into Madame Pudifoot's Tea Shop? Would it still be cold out when we went- would he try and offer me his coat or maybe settle for entwining his gloved fingers with mine?
My head swirled as images of our potential life together unfolded in my psyche. I saw clips of our wedding, my own pregnant belly showing through my favorite green sweater, a little raven haired baby that resembled James to a tee running around my feet. And finally, I saw us gray-haired, sipping iced-tea on a porch somewhere surrounded by our grandchildren playing in the yard as their laughter echoed in my head.
Pull yourself together, Lily! This is James Potter you're fantasizing about, James Potter!
I tried to listen to the screaming voice in the back of my mind and follow the flashing red lights and sirens that pulled me towards the clear and logical path that I had been strictly following for the past seven years, but I found myself aching to wander down the road that I had so vehemently attempted to avoid. The road that held James at the end.
"Uh, Lily? Lily, are you alright?" I heard him ask, vaguely registering the hand that was waving back and forth in front of my face.
"What?" I finally answered, still dumb with wonderment.
James looked confused. "You sort of, I don't know, zoned out there for a bit. I've been saying your name for ages. People were starting to stare," he added in hushed tones, leaning towards me.
I glanced around at the neighboring tables. Surely enough, I found more than one pair of eyes watching me curiously. Oops.
"Uh, right," I uttered unsurely. Drawing my focus back to his hazel orbs realization hit me like a big pink bus. The day I was finally entranced by Potter's everything? That day is now.
"I-I really should be leaving," I stuttered, gathering my belongings for a hasty exit. It was imperative that I left the library and the company of James Potter immediately.
I noticed him smirking again. "Okay then, Lily, I'll see you later!" He called, watching as I albeit ran for the door.
Rushing to get to the common room, I rudely ignored several 'hello's' and smiles. I would have to apologize to those people at another time. This really wasn't a time I should be interacting with any one.
My feet pounded against the stone floor, reverberating off the walls loudly. With the fat lady's portrait in sight I bellowed the password, the door swinging open just in time. I sailed over the door frame, stopping a few feet into the room. Hands on knees, I bent over gasping for air.
"Hey, Lily!"
I screamed. Jesus I was jumpy.
Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized, still laughing.
I placed a hand on my chest, feeling my heart pounding rapidly against my ribcage. "No, it's alright, not your fault," I panted, attempting a smile.
"So have you seen Prongs anywhere?" He questioned, sweeping his slate eyes over the occupants of the room.
"Who? James? No, no I haven't seen him at all today. Nope, not once. All day. Nowhere." I rambled nervously.
Sirius lifted a suspicious brow, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Something wrong, Lily?"
"Of course not!" I shrieked several octaves higher than my real voice, shaking my head violently. "I'm peachy! Everything's great with me. The best in fact. Better than ever. Bye!" I shouted, bolting for the girl's dormitory, my red hair streaming wildly behind me.
I took the stairs two at a time, desperate to be alone. I was delighted to find none of my roommates there. I couldn't afford questions right now. Especially after what happened when talking to Sirius.
Am I that obvious?
I decided the confines of my four-poster would keep me safe until I came to my senses. Crawling into bed I immediately became more relaxed, letting the feathery mattress lull me to sleep.
This was mistake number two.
I ought to have realized that you can't control your thoughts when you're asleep. Dreams are the result of subconscious thoughts and desires, so why would I ever think that I could escape James Potter in my dreams? Clearly, I didn't think this through. Merlin that boy drives me crazy.
Waking hours later, thanks to the beam of light streaming through my window, I recognized that I had slept through the entire night. Wondering if I had dreamt everything up, I let my mind's eye show me a picture of James.
Butterflies. Just what I thought.
Yawning ferociously, I rolled out of bed and dragged my feet to the bathroom, the chill of the tile shooting shivers up my spine. Gazing at the mirror, I admitted to myself what I knew was to happen this morning.
"James Potter, this is your lucky day," I stated determinedly.
Freshly showered and feeling rather alive, I bounced down to breakfast, ready to astound. There he was, just like I knew he would be, sitting at the Gryffindor table, an empty seat on his left. I seized it, quite abnormally.
Delighted, he greeted me. "Hello LilyFlower."
"Good morning, James." I acknowledged him very politely.
"Would you like some juice?" He offered, making a reach for the pitcher in front of him.
"That would be lovely," I obliged sweetly. The Marauders watched in awe, fascinated by our cordial conversation. I watched as he poured me a substantial amount of juice then took my plate and filled it with eggs and toast.
"That's exactly what I wanted for breakfast," I announced enthusiastically. "How did you know?"
James was beaming. "Lucky guess," he replied, trying his best to seem nonchalant, though his eyes were twinkling with satisfaction
"Say, Lily," He ventured, my happy mood silently encouraging him. "Would you accompany me to this upcoming Hogsmeade weekend?"
"Only under one condition," I answered seriously.
"Anything you want, Lily!" James swore, excited at the prospect of finally earning a date with me.
"I will accompany you to the next Hogsmeade weekend if" Pausing dramatically, I stared him straight in the eye so he knew what I was about to say was genuine. "You accompany me to all of the others for the rest of our Hogwarts career."
With that I stood from the table, leaving the condition up in the air and the four boys gawking at my retreating figure.
How's that for a change of heart?