"Evans, let me just say that you look especially –"
"Stop it. I don't want to hear it Potter. So stop talking, stop leering at me, and walk your merry way."
"But I am walking my merry way," James Potter grinned, slowing his long strides to match Lily Evans' pace. "I just happen to be headed in the same direction."
"Of course you are," Lily rolled her eyes.
"So, since you're the expert here, I've got to ask…"
"No, you really don't."
"What is your opinion about this chemistry about us?"
"In my expert opinion, Potter, we don't have any chemistry."
"Oh, now that right there is a big fat lie, Evans," he countered with easy confidence. "I know you can feel it."
"What subject did you teach again, Potter?"
"Citizenship. Want a private lesson?"
"No thanks. I just wanted to check since I was starting to think it was wishful thinking."
They reached the teacher's lounge and Potter suddenly stepped ahead of her. He opened the door and then dipped into a ridiculously theatrical bow.
"Ladies first."
The corner of Lily's lips twitched, but she quickly caught herself. She was about to walk right into the teacher's lounge but then stopped. For a few seconds, she hovered in the doorway, then she turned to Potter.
"I'm serious," she told him, "you have to stop coming onto me. It's completely inappropriate."
He scoffed at her. "You're my colleague, not one of my students, so I don't think there's anything inappropriate with some good-natured flirting."
"Yes there is!" Lily insisted. "It does not belong to the work place."
"I'll gladly flirt with you outside of work then. Shall I pick you up at seven?"
Lily's lips quirked again, forming half a smile before she got her expression back under her control.
"I'll pass. I don't want to appear unprofessional."
"Bollocks. Pick up any dictionary and flip over the page where they define professionalism and it'll say 'Lily Evans'."
Lily snorted and shook her head, finally entering the teacher's lounge. Potter followed her and pulled the door shut as she wished her other colleagues good morning.
Lily made a beeline to the coffee pot. She poured herself a cup. Her morning was finally looking u and all was right in the world. She'd get her coffee and she had finally manage to thwart Potter… Or so she thought. Turning to her left, she found the obnoxious man hovering at her elbow.
"Three sugars, right?" Potter smirked, offering her the sugar bowl.
She stared at him, a little surprised that he actually knew how she took her coffee.
"Thank you," she told him, her brow creased in a frown.
"My offer still stands," he said with easy confidence. "Let me know when you change your mind."
And with that, Potter sauntered off, leaving Lily to stir her coffee in glum exasperation.
"I saw them this morning," Amanda Davies whispered enthusiastically to her friend. "They were together again."
"Who?"
"Mr Potter and Ms Evans."
"They're so a couple."
"I know."
"I don't think they're dating," Steve Miller cut in.
"Maybe not now, but it's only a matter of time," Nymphadora Tonks spoke up.
"Nah," Steve sneered. "Ms Evans is always giving Mr Potter the cold shoulder. It's not gonna happen."
"Oh yeah?" Tonks said, challenge in her voice. "Want to bet?"
"Sure. I have five quid right here that says that Ms Evans and Mr Potter will never happen."
"I'll bet a fiver then that they'll be together by the Christmas holidays," Tonks said.
Amanda Davies dug through her pockets.
"I'll toss in three pounds forty that Ms Evans and Mr Potter will become a couple by April."
"Two quid in favour of Ms Evans and Mr Potter getting together," Charlie Weasley offered.
"Cheap as always, Weasel," William Avery mocked. "I'll bet you eight pounds that they won't be getting together."
And one by one, the students started speaking up, joining in, pooling their money and placing their bets on whether or not Miss Evans and Mister Potter would begin dating or not.
"What is this commotion about?"
The stern voice made the group of students quiet down so quickly that the silence rang in their ears. Charlie Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks swallowed and slowly turned to face deputy headmistress McGonagall. She was giving them the look they knew all too well, the one that said they were in big trouble.
The students stood in the stiff, fearful silence, until finally Amanda Davies blurted "Steve Miller started it."
"I did not!" Steve protested vehemently. "It was Tonks, she's the one who first said anything about betting."
"Betting?" McGonagall asked, her eyebrow arching.
"We didn't mean to!" Amanda Davies wailed.
"It just kinda happened," Steve Miller said sheepishly.
"We didn't think so many people wanted to take part," Charlie said.
"And we didn't mean to disrespected Ms Evans or Mr Potter," Tonks added, apologetic.
McGonagall frowned at them, her thin lips pressed in a grim line.
"Someone better explain to me now what is going on here."
Charlie and Tonks shared a look, and then Tonks sighed.
"We were placing bets, professor," she admitted, her eyes downcast, "on whether or not Ms Evans and Mr Potter would become a couple or not."
The silence stretched as McGonagall stared at the sheepish students.
But the lecture they were expecting never came. Instead, McGonagall adjusted her glasses and fixed them a look.
"Well in that case," she finally spoke, "I bet ten quid that Miss Evans and Mister Potter will be going out by the end of the month."