Lily was sitting at a small, round table in the corner of the Gryffindor common room, finishing her charms essay when she felt something light and soft press gently to the top of her hair and two strong hands rest of her shoulders. For a split second, she relaxed and melted to the touch before she realised that this should not be happening. She spun around to find herself face to face with James potter. His hazel eyes were glistening with amusement as he stared into emerald fire. She glared at him with beseeching eyes as he spoke.

"Hey Lil. I noticed you were working on homework and I thought I'd take this opportunity to ask-", but he was cut off by her murderous glare. Rising to her feet, lily's eyes pierced his soul.

"Potter if you ask me again you will eat slugs. Now I have had it up to here," she motioned her hand above her head, "with you're constant nagging. Even if you were serious-,"

"I'm James-,"

"Even if you were SERIOUS, it would never work out. You want to know why?" Lily's voice was getting higher and louder and was starting to attract some stares.

"Why?"

"Because we are two different people. So please. Just leave me alone" she finished.

"Aw, c'mon Lil, I really mean it." James answered in a small voice that softened Lily's heart. She shook her head to clear it. Potter? Softening her heart? This was turning out to be a weird day.

She gathered up her stuff and walked up the staircase to the girl's dorms…

The next morning at breakfast lily was buttering her toast when she felt someone behind her tap her on the shoulder. She turned to see Potter looking at her. Not like he usually did though, with mischief in his eyes, amusement in his smile and laughing etched on his brow. No, he was looking at her as if he was seeing her in a new light.

"Lily, please go out with me."

At first Lily was angry. Like she always was when he asked the same question day after day. She was about to tell him to eat slugs when a new idea popped into her head…

"You know what James?" the electricity that shot through him when she said his first name overwhelmed him. "Ok. And I will show you what a mistake-,"

But she was cut off by his lips crushing themselves to hers, his arms pulling her off the bench of the Gryffindor table, wrapping around her waist. that was all the permission he needed. She stiffened at first, ready to pull out her wand and hex the hell out of him, but the charge that was coursing through her body, stars behind her eyes, forced her to wrap her arms around his neck, and her lips start to move with his. Her surroundings seemed to melt away. The great hall was gone. It was just her and James. The only people on the earth. She could distantly hear whoops from the marauders end of the table, Sirius Black's bark-like laugh echo through the building. But most of all she could feel James' joy. He was exuberant. His happiness radiated off him in waves of bliss. For the first time in their life, they were both whole.

Well, her idea had failed. Miserably. But this was so much better than getting James to leave her alone for good. She got to keep him for good.

James was the first to breakaway. Gasping for air he looked down at his love with infinite questions on his face. Lily opened her eyes slowly to gaze into James'.

"Why didn't I ever know?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, lips barely moving. But james heard. He heard as he leaned his forehead cautiously against hers and gazed into her emerald orbs. He touched his lips to her nose and with a feather light touch stroked her cheek as she closed her eyes. She leaned her head on his warm shoulder, her face buried in the crook of his neck, and he held her close. She breathed in his scent of soap and freshly cut grass and sunshine. She marvelled in the way it felt to have his strong arms around her. His mouth at her ear he whispered, his sweet breath grazing her earlobe,

"Because you never let me show you."