Please consider this story to be suitably disclaimed.
Monday April 2nd seemed like a normal day to most of the residents at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but Lily Evans knew it was anything but.
At least, she thought it would be. But by the time both lunch and double potions – in which she sat only seats away from him – passed by uneventfully, she wasn't sure.
He didn't even look at her, she couldn't help but notice, until after dinner, as she passed him in the hallway. She had been heading towards the library from the common room and he had been heading opposite, which was obvious to her by the load of books he carried in his arms.
This would have surprised her, but she had gotten used to the sight of a studious James ever since she had adjusted to his way of being Head Boy. He had an understated sort of intelligence and leadership. Everyone loved him – even if they weren't sure why. It wasn't hard for her to love him too.
She didn't know what to do with her face. For a split second she had contemplated a surprised "books, Potter?" look, but she knew that he knew that she had adjusted to his newfound study habits. So in the end she settled for a pleased "hello!" look, although that was far from what she actually felt.
In the end, it didn't even matter, because he didn't even look her way. She was left feeling like an emotional idiot. She consoled herself with the reminder that at least she didn't have to talk to him. She couldn't imagine trying to formulate words while her mind was still so confused. Why didn't he remember?
Just two years ago, exactly, he had first asked her to Hogsmeade. She remembered the date because she had been convinced that it was a late April fools' joke. Apparently, it hadn't been, but she had still rejected him and had ever since.
Not that he had asked her out that much lately. In fact, he hadn't asked her to Hogsmeade since the beginning of the school year. Not that she had noticed, or anything. At least not that anyone else would notice, she hoped.
By eleven that night, he still hadn't talked to her. She had been so convinced he would at least acknowledge the date that she was going mental with worry. She had tried to tell herself to forget it – he obviously had, after all – but she couldn't help but continue to think about it.
The next day, she attempted to look studious – propping a bunch of books up around her cushion in the common room – but, despite her best wishes, Arithmancy was the last thing she was thinking about at that moment.
She was starting to feel a little guilty and had almost convinced herself to start working on that problem she had been putting off for the last hour in order to think about James Potter and his awful memory when the object of her musings suddenly appeared before her.
"Ah!" Lily jumped a little in her seat, jostling her ink. "Hi, James." She looked down to wipe at the bit of ink spilled on the couch – the black standing out starkly against the cheery red – but she brought her head up quickly in surprise when he started to talk.
"Lily Evans, you are going to go out with me." Even though Lily knew that James was fond of practical jokes, he spoke with a serious look in his eye and with an emphasis and phrasing that made her think that he might actually be serious.
Just in case, she laughed. "Oh really? And why is that?"
"Because I'm awesome," He replied, completely serious. "I am utterly made for you, just as you are completely made for me. We're a match, you and I." Up until that point, he had been standing in front of her. With those words, he reached down and gently but firmly pulled her up off of the couch.
Lily was flabbergasted. "What?"
He talked as he walked, confident as usual, straight out of the common room. He had taken possession of her arm sometime when she wasn't quite paying attention, so Lily had no choice but to follow. "Oh, it's okay," He said. "I know you don't see it now. You won't even see it after our first date, even."
Despite her best intentions, Lily found herself engaged in the conversation. As he led her further and further away from the nice, safe, common room and into the dark halls of Hogwarts, Lily felt her inhibitions slipping."Oh, I won't?"
"No," he replied with a snarky grin. "But that's okay, you'll get it eventually. By our fifth date, at least."
"And what makes you so sure you'll get one date much less five?" Lily asked with an answering grin.
"Because you're intrigued now," James said, reaching down to poke her nose. She batted his hand away. "You want to prove me wrong."
"Prove you wrong about what?" Lily asked. "That we'll go on a date? That's not hard to prove. See, look: No Potter, I will not go on a date with you." Lily felt rather witty. There was a large part of her that enjoyed verbally sparring with James, even while the rest of her felt confused.
"No, silly" He said like she was a young child. "About how we date."
"What are you talking about?" Lily asked, a little irritated. She didn't like being called "silly".
"You see," James explained. "When you agree to go on a date with me – which you will, don't get me wrong – I'll be so excited that I'll make sure everything is perfect. Heck, I'll probably even read you some of that cheesy poetry I've been writing. I'll arrange the perfect date – flowers, Puddifoots, chocolate, everything. You friends will be so jealous, I guarantee."
Lily quirked one eyebrow. "And then I'll be so impressed, we'll end up living happily ever after?"
"No, actually," He said, stopping at what she assumed was their destination, a wide window ledge overlooking a small courtyard. But Lily didn't see any of it; she was paying too much attention to the entrancingly confident man in front of her, who still held her arm capture even as he sat them down on the window ledge. "No. You're definitely going to hate it."
"Because something goes wrong?" Lily guessed.
"Exactly," James said, giving her a pleased look. "Despite all my best-laid plans, the date will be a disaster. We will barely be able to look at each other afterward, quickly rushing off to our separate dormitories.
"If it goes so terribly, then why are you still here?" Lily asked, with a twinkle in her eye.
"Because of our second date," James responded promptly, as if he had known she would ask that question.
"Wait," Lily said, confused, "Second date?"
"Yes," James said, patiently. "It goes pretty good, I-"
"Wait, hold on," Lily interrupted, even more confused. "If our first date was such a disaster, why would we have a second one?"
"Because," James held out the "cause" part a little too long for Lily to not feel a bit slow, "after all of those weeks of awkwardness, you'll be convinced to give me another chance – probably by Remus; he loves playing matchmaker – but you still won't be convinced that we're right for each other."
"Why not? Will it go horribly and terribly again?" Lily asked sarcastically.
"Nope," James replied, ignoring the sarcastic undertone of Lily's question. "Everything will go right. Better than right, even. Birds will be singing; the sky will be blue. It'll be perfect. Unfortunately, you'll hate it."
"If everything is so perfect, then why will I hate it?" Lily asked, curious.
"Because it's not really what you want. You don't really want the perfect date."
"That's ridiculous," Lily said quickly, the words rolling off of her tongue.
"No it's not," James said patiently. "Just think about it. It's not that complex." He grinned.
"But-" Lily started to interject.
"So then since you hated it," James continued, ignoring her. "we'll be all awkward around each other for a bit again, neither of us knowing exactly how you are feeling – because you won't understand it, and if you don't understand it, I certainly won't - but then you'll figure it out and you'll realize that you want to date me again."
"Why on earth," Lily asked, a bit exasperated by his silly assumptions and conclusions but still enthralled, "if I am so unhappy with our two dates, would I date you again?"
"I don't know," James said shortly, catching a bit of her exasperation. "Geez. Do I have to have all the answers? Why would you date me after that?"
"I-" Lily started, willing her brain to come up with an adequate enough response. She failed miserably because, deep inside, she knew why she would go on a date with him. She just wasn't quite ready to accept it yet.
After a few seconds of silence, James continued: "But that's not the point. The point is," James said, scooting a little closer in excitement. "The point is that our third date will be different than any other date you've been on before. It'll be spectacular. You'll love it and you'll start rethinking all of your previous assumptions about me.
"But of course I don't know that you are doing that, so I'll be all nervous and tense afterwards - after the date, I mean – and Sirius will hate it. He always hates it when I'm all tense because it makes him stressed out. But anyway, on our long walk back to Gryffindor tower – there will be a long walk, trust me, there always is – I'll get more and more nervous as the minutes go by – so nervous, in fact, that I don't even try to kiss you-"
"Kissing, Potter?" Lily interrupted, getting a little nervous at how well he was weaving this story. "Really, I knew it would lead to this-"
"Finally!" James said, giving her a sort of very pleased look that rather made him look like a madman. "I knew you were smart, Lily!"
"Wait, what?" Lily asked, trying to scoot back a bit from him but found her side pressed against the wall of the window. "I just meant-"
"I know," James interrupted. "Our fourth date will be awesome again," he continued. "Because by then we'll have become more comfortable – and I'll ask you to be my girlfriend. And of course you'll say yes because I've got it all planned out and, trust me, you'll be suitably swept off of your feet. It'll be awesome. I can't wait."
"And then what, marriage?" Lily asked, trying to bring the joking mood back to the conversation. For, just then, James had gotten a rather serious look to his face that both frightened and excited her.
"And then," he said, shyly, turning his body to face hers, "then I'll be finally able to do this" and then he leaned in close. Just as she leaned up to meet him – completely against all reason – he whispered against her lips, his every word punctuated by the sweet caress of lip against lip, "I'll be able to kiss you. And when it happens," he said, pulling away. Lily had the sense of mind to hope that he was not seeing the rather infatuated look that must have been on her face. "You will know how perfect we are together."
Lily leaned back, flustered, her head almost hitting the stone wall behind her. "You're ridiculous. I'm not going to date you."
James just smiled and said, "All right, I'll meet you in the Great Hall on Saturday morning at eight o'clock." And with a kiss on her cheek that sent tingles through her, he stood up and walked off.
"I'm not going to be there!" Lily called after him.
But James didn't say anything. He didn't need to. She was already convinced.
So, um, I really hope you like it and, if you did, can you please review? Thanks a lot. Tomorrow I leave for university, though, so no promises of response, but I'll be sure to read every one and they'll all make my day. xD