"I Hate James Potter"
Lily Evans emerged from the bathroom, wringing her long red hair with her towel. She dressed in her pajamas, and emerged to the sitting room she shared with the Head Boy. Who was none other than a certain James Potter. She blinked in surprise. A certain James Potter who was sitting on the couch, without a shirt on, reading. She rolled her eyes. He had absolutely no sense of decorum or propriety. She sighed and shook her head. She almost didn't want to disturb him – he actually looked almost innocent, sitting there reading. Almost. The light from the fireplace shone on his hair and glinted on his square glasses. But still, decorum must be upheld.
"James!" she called as she swept by and into the kitchen to put water on for tea. "Get a damn shirt on!" He unfolded himself from the couch and sauntered over, brushing against the Christmas tree that he and his fellow "marauders" had set up over the weekend. He leaned on the door frame of the kitchen, running a hand through his already messy hair. She turned around to get the sugar and saw him. She stopped suddenly. But then, coloring, kept going. Bad, she mentally berated herself. Very, very bad. But... still. She couldn't help but notice the well defined muscles on his chest as he casually leaned on the door frame. Or the way his black hair hung in his eyes in a very... attractive way. And she definitely couldn't miss the dimple in his left cheek as he grinned at her. That incredibly cute dimple that gave his endearing smile that lopsided look it was known for. She shook her head. Her thoughts were not supposed to be going like that. I hate James Potter. I hate James Potter. She reminded herself.
She turned back to fixing her tea. She soon felt someone very close behind her. She ignored him.
"Hey, Evans." He said quietly. She colored. Since when did his voice get all low and masculine? She whirled around. He was inches away from her. She had to admit. He was not the little boy he used to be. He put his hand on her chin and raised her face. She raised her eyes to meet his. Those hazel eyes that suddenly seemed so... deep. It wasn't fair. She was supposed to hate him. He was make it incredibly difficult to.
"Wh – what James?" she asked, trying not to get lost in those soulful, hazel eyes. Suddenly, those eyes flashed with amusement.
"Made ya look." He said mischievously. She flushed, but she was already half-way there. She couldn't loose her nerve now. She placed a hand on his chest and stood on her tip-toes as James leaned down, even as she felt the rumble in his chest that she knew was his laugh. Their lips almost met before the rumble in his chest erupted into laughter. He pulled away again, ducking his head. His whole body was now trembling with laughter.
"What?" she demanded.
"I'm just – I'm so clever!" he exclaimed boyishly. She rolled her eyes and made a move to punch him. He caught her hand, his arm snaking around her waist and drawing her close to him. Her heart was in her throat. This time, he brought his head lower. His lips briefly brushed against hers. But then, the rumble in his chest was back. He drew back again, laughing still.
"James!" she snapped, "Just kiss me without laughing!" Oh gosh, I did not just say that! She thought to herself. Apparently, James' thinking was going in about the same direction. His face lit up with his infectious grin as he crowed:
"You just told me to kiss you!"
"I did not!"
"Yes you did!"
"No, James, I most certainly did not!"
"Yes, you did! Yes, you did! Yes, you did!" he exclaimed, dancing around the kitchen in unbridled glee.
"James! Stop acting like a first year!" She snapped. There was a very different, though still very mischievous, look in those gorgeous eyes as he called from across the room where his dancing had taken him:
"With pleasure, Lily, my love!" He rushed forward. She had almost no time to react as he swooped in on her. He brought his right arm down at her knees, knocking her off her feet. She fell back into his other strong arm. He caught her up and twirled her around. She squealed, impulsively throwing her arms around his neck. She felt that rumble again as he threw back his head and laughed loudly. She couldn't do anything else but laugh as well. This was not how things were supposed to happen. But, for once, she didn't care. She really did not care. He stopped spinning her and he looked down. She looked up into his eyes. She was so engrossed in watching the emotions in his eyes, that it took her by surprise when she felt his lips softly, hesitantly, brush against hers. She smiled up at the boy. He smiled back, his hazel eyes twinkling. The, he leaned down and kissed her fully. She never imagined that his lips could be so soft and gentle.
Soon, they each drew back. James looked at her, grinning like he did that day he caught his first snitch… Lily grinned back. She never knew it could feel so right, kissing someone. It was if everything that was such a jumble before suddenly made perfect sense. James walked into the living room, still carrying here. He laid her down on the couch and sat beside her. She leaned her head against his bare chest. He gently stroked his fingers through her curly hair.
This came as more of a shock to her than kissing him did. It was just… weird. She didn't know he could be so gentle. She had always seen him as the rough-and-tumble little boy. The tough guy. The Gryffindor that had no fear. She had never imagined this soft, gentle side of him. He wrapped his strong arms around her, and she settled against him. She smiled as she thought to herself for the first time, but certainly not the last: I love James Potter. I love James Potter.