It's Not Over
James x Lily fic-let
Setting: Lily's 7th year.
A/N: SHOUT OUT TO JAMIEW982000: HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
xoxoxoxox--Chapter 1: It was James--xoxoxoxox
"He's changed. He's no longer that arrogant hothead. He hasn't bullied anyone, and he's Head Boy. Dumbledore confirmed it. But it's like I'm too late. He doesn't ask me out anymore, and I don't know what to do. I'm too embarrassed to ask because I've rejected him too many times. I hate this. I've rejected the person I've been waiting for."
-Lily Evans, 7th year
**********
Time has passed since the days of Lily calling James a hotheaded bully, and James celebrating over every detention. James began to change. Well, at least in Lily's eyes. It seemed to her that he was a better person then she had once thought.
**********
~3rd week of school~
Lily sat at the edge of the Great Lake, taking a break from studies; she was waiting for Annie and Marilyn to come. She looked at her reflection in the water. Her face looked sad, as if she had been crying, though she hadn't. Had she? She didn't know. She gently reached out and touched her reflection in the water. She gasped as her bracelet fell in the shallow water, rolling down to the lake bed. She tried to roll up her sleeve to dip into the lake, but it was just out of her fingertips, and she didn't want to fully dunk herself into the water. She drew her hand out of the water and searched the lake to see exactly where she needed to reach, if only her arm was long enough. She thought of levitating it out, but she didn't think the charm would work in water. She reached in one more time, but a hand reached past hers and slowly pulled the charm bracelet out of the lake.
Lily drew her arm out of the lake and looked to her bracelet's savior. It was James. Lily smiled. "Thanks, Potter," she said. James smiled back and handed Lily her bracelet. She smiled and tried to put it back on. "What are you doing here?" Lily asked, fidgeting with the bracelet.
James watched Lily try to one handedly put the bracelet on her wrist, but every time the bracelet fell onto the grass. However, she persistently picked it up and tried again. "I saw you were alone," he shrugged, "and I had I had a few extra minutes."
Lily smiled, not looking up from fidgeting with her bracelet. It was being very stubborn; she never realized how hard it was to put on a bracelet. Lily suddenly realized it was because her heart was pounding from James's closeness and her arms were quivering slightly from getting wet in the cold water. "That's sweet."
James didn't answer, but when he saw Lily fail to put the bracelet on for the 20th time, James reached over and took both ends of the bracelet from her. He gently clasped both ends together. Lily looked up, and their eyes met. "Thanks, Jam-,"
"Prongs," they heard someone call. James drew his hands back from Lily's wrist and looked over to see Sirius.
"What, Padfoot?"
"Quidditch."
James nodded and looked back at Lily. "I have to go, Lily, but be careful not to drop your bracelet again. I won't be here to fish it out for you."
Lily was about to respond that she wasn't that careless, but James had already stood up and walked away. Lily fell back on the grass and placed a hand to her rapidly beating heart, smiling.
*****
~2nd week of October~
Lily was carrying a rather bulky package, though she didn't know exactly what it was. It was from her parents, but it wasn't very heavy, just big. She was walking to deposit it in her dormitory, so she could head to her next class afterwards, but she couldn't really see where she was going. Suddenly, she lost her balance and fell backwards. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact. Instead, someone caught her. She looked up to see who had caught her; it was James. "Whoa there, Lily. Careful not to slip, one of the bathrooms must have flooded." James straightened Lily up, and before she knew it, James took her package and held it in one hand, as if it was no heavy burden. Lily took out her wand and dried the wet corridor. "Where'd you learn that?" James asked curiously; he had never seen the spell before.
"I read it in a book." When James didn't respond, they began to walk down the corridor.
"What brings you to this side of the castle, James? Isn't it lunch time?"
James nodded. "Yes, I forgot my Charms book in my room, and I was going up to get it."
Lily looked down, and it grew quiet. They walked to the common room in silence, and when they finally reached the bottom of the girl's staircase, James stopped. "Here you go, Lily," he said, handing her the package. "I'd take it up for you, but the last time I touched the staircase, it didn't turn out too well."
Lily smiled. "Well, boys aren't supposed to be in the girls' dormitories, anyway."
James smirked. "It was first year."
"Oh, of course that would make it any better," Lily said sarcastically.
James smiled and nodded. "So, I'll see you tonight for patrolling, right?"
Lily nodded. The only time they saw each other these days was when they were patrolling. "I'll see you then."
James turned and began to head toward the boys' staircase. When he was a few steps up, he turned around. "Be careful carrying that upstairs."
Lily gave James a look, and began to successfully head up the stairs with the package in her arms.
**********
The beginning of the school year left Lily confused at James' new behavior. He was her friend, but sometimes, he seemed to always be there at the right time. It was like he knew where she was. But for some reason, she couldn't push him away anymore. She couldn't just ignore him, or tuck him away to think about later, and that's what had Lily confused.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
R&R
The title is bleh, couldn't decide. Sori.
A good suggestion from my friend was The Most Cliche Fic You've Ever Read About Lily And James ... I thought it was implied. :D