A NotSoLikely Story
Words: 1,185
Chapters: One
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the paperclip used in this story.
Update GN: I really didn't like this story, mostly because I thought it was a little ridiculous emotionally.
Now it's edited and hopefully better. It's still dedicated to my very good friend Michelle, who was the primary inspiration of this story.

A NotSoLikely Story

Lily Evans was exhausted.

Once upon a time, the Library was a safe place to go study-not to mention particularly warm on a freezing day in March. Indeed, it was Lily's favorite place to be until he ruined it.

So after a few hours of attempted review of her first two years at Hogwarts, Lily decided that it would be best to just curl up in her dorm and forget the world. Too bad she didn't think her plan all the way through as she entered the Head's dormitory.

Lily's eyes were closed as she entered her room, flopping back-first onto her bed and tossing her heavy bag into a corner by her trunk.

She could have been mistaken, but she thought she heard a small 'OOF' when her bag landed. Shaking her head at the ceiling she didn't notice the bag being tossed back at her.

"Holy fuck!" she yelled as the bag landed on her stomach, breaking her from her reverie. "What the hell?"

She tossed the bag back at the corner, annoyed. It landed in mid-air, seemingly stable. The bag was tossed back, and this time she dodged it as it landed where her head was not a minute ago.

"Alright demon corner," she muttered, setting the bag down next to her bed. Maybe she'd get some revision done later.

She thought she dozed off, but when the atmosphere changed and something hit the edge of her bed and supposedly tripped, she decided to end whatever was messing up her night. Lil nudged what she thought was the thing, which was actually quite solid. Frowning slightly she reached down and felt the fabric of an Invisibility Cloak. To her surprise the thing-person, really-pulled her arm and flopped her down on the ground, making to escape. They didn't count on tripping again, this time on top of her.

The Cloak slipped from the head of the being terrorizing her and Lily paled.

"James, what are you doing here?"

James looked like an animal about to become road-kill. He was frozen in place, and she smiled slightly at his expression.

James looked down at her face; the face he thought of night and day; the face that haunted his dreams; the face which was now smiling at him. What alternate universe have I stepped into?

"I-uh-I-"

"Are you always this articulate, Mr. Potter?" Lily asked in amusement. It didn't escape her notice that he blushed profusely, and that they were quite close together. Closer than they had been in a few weeks-since that Library incident...

"I was looking for something," James explained, trying to avoid those perfect green eyes.

"What were you looking for?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Er...well," James hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Potter? What was it?" Lily shifted under him, making him uncomfortable. She grinned at his shocked expression.

"Um, it was..." he looked around him and spotted something shiny. "This!"

"A paperclip?"

"Uh...yes!"

"James, do you even know what a paperclip is?"

"Of course I do! It's this!" he grabbed it and held it between them, sitting up slightly.

"What does it do?" Lily asked, amused and a little concerned.

"It...clips papers together?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why do you need it?"

James frowned, his dark eyes searching her face for an answer. "To clip my notes together."

Lily raised an eyebrow, and James had to fight to keep the smile from his face; she looked positively adorable.

"Any reason why you snuck into my room to get one from the floor?"

James gave her a calculating look. "You wouldn't have just let me borrow one."

"Are you insane?" Lily asked, confused. He was the one avoiding her!

"Well, we're all a little barmy."

Lily smiled. James decided he liked that expression much better than the previous one. He smiled back.

"So what now?" Lily asked, shifting once more and proceeding to make him blush again.

"Well, there are a couple of things we could do..."

"Potter!"

He leaned closer to her. "You know, your shifting is a little uncomfortable."

"Then let me go," she suggested lightly.

"I can't, Lily. I've tried."

She paused. "James, I-this-it can't work, and you know it."

"Why not, Lily? I love you, and you know it."

His expression broke her heart. She wanted so desperately to admit that her feelings were mutual, that she wanted to take back her statement; that she didn't really know how to function if he left her life. All these things she couldn't say.

James stared at her. "I think we could make it work, but if you don't want this . . . I'll leave you alone for good."

Lily was in a daze as he left her on the floor, his words sinking in. Sure she had suspected that James hadn't given up on her, but knowing that he loved her? Well, damn.

"James!" She ran after him. "I want this!"

James stopped his exit from the common room and turned back around, waiting for Lily. He looked so defeated and Lily's heart broke.

"I want this, James," she repeated as she made her way over to him. "I want whatever dysfunctional loving relationship we can have."

James stood there, confused. "Did you say 'loving', as in mutual?"

She grinned. "Yes you silly boy. I love you, too."

James' reaction was both expected and surprising. He hugged her tightly, twirling her around once before setting her down and kissing her like he had several weeks ago in the Library.

They broke apart and Lily smiled. "So what did you come upstairs for?"

"You, my dear Lily. Only for you," James replied, tossing the silver Muggle contraption of a paperclip over his shoulder.

GN: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Sugar is Sweet and So are Reviews!