LJ Oneshot

It was 11:33 on a Tuesday night. The deserted Gryffindor common room fire had died down and was now the only dim lighting in the room. Lily Evans sat in one of the ridiculously comfortable couches, frustrated with herself for many reasons.

Firstly, it was 11:33 and she was already beginning to feel tired. She had thought she was just a little bit more hardcore than that, but her drooping eyelids and malfunctioning brain seemed to suggest otherwise.

Secondly, she was struggling with her least favourite subject, Transfiguration. She was normally a wiz at school and the fact that the subject was beating her was certainly ticking her off. She cursed all things transfiguration in her mind: Stupid animagus essay, stupid McGonagall, stupid parchment, stupid quill… stupid… stupid transfiguration. Sixth year was a real bitch.

Thirdly, a certain James Potter had been entering her mind far too often for her comfort. Honestly, what was it with that boy and poisoning her innocent mind? She had known that she'd liked him for approximately.. 3 months, 2 days, 5 hours, 37 minutes and..35….36…37..38 seconds (not that she was counting or anything) now and that realisation had almost killed her. Literally. It went something along the lines of: Lily enjoying life, happily resting against a tree by the lake. Lily spotting James Potter. James Potter winking at Lily. Lily blushing. Lily smiling. James Potter looking away (cockily). Lily being hit with reality – "Oh my fucking God, I fancy Potter". Lily trying to jump into Lake, because she no longer sees any point in life as it is. Giant squid quashing flimsy suicide attempt. Lily pretending she doesn't exist (she preferred to stay in her bubble). Lily ignoring life. The rest is .. well, in short, Lily tried to solve her IFJPIATUCS (I Fancy James Potter I Am Totally Utterly and Completely Screwed) issues like any sane person would – she was in denial. And so we have made a complete circle back to the common room fire, kind of.

Unfortunately for Lily, her IFJPIATUCS issues had not dissolved quite like she'd thought they would, and were now causing her mental, psychological and physical pain. Also, she'd probably be failing Transfiguration at this rate, because images that really should be censored involving her and Potter kept floating into her mind, and, whilst animagus are like animals and what Lily and James were doing in her daydreams might be considered to be animal-like, she was sure McGonagall would not appreciate them in the slightest. Thus aforementioned frustration with herself.

She glanced at her watch again, sighing. 11:35. she rubbed her eyelids, then lifted her massive text book off of her lap and onto the floor. She stretched out onto the couch. What day was it again? Oh that's right. Tuesday. Tuesdays were alright, she thought to herself. But it was Wednesdays that killed. Once over Wednesdays, the week was all downhill… Thursday melted into Friday which was an awesome day because it was the day before Saturday.

Saturday… what would she be doing then? Was there a Quidditch game.. No. Prefect meeting … no.

She racked her brain.

Hogsmeade! That's the one. This Saturday she'd be in Hogsmeade.

Just that thought made her brighten a little. Lily loved Hogsmeade. It was so… small and cute, yet it had everything a teenager in boarding school could possibly need: Food, supplies and… food. Plus it had a great social atmosphere.

There was only one down side to Hogsmeade weekends – it reminded her of James. He refrained from asking her out now days, but he still held that arrogant composure that she loved. She guessed he'd grown up a little, with emphasis on the word "little". Nonetheless, Hogsmeade weekends usually meant at least on date offer from Mr Potter, and Lily wasn't sure how much longer she could say no.

If Lily were to be completely honest with herself (which she wasn't, as it went against her principle of IFJPIATUCS) she'd say that she missed the daily come-ons. Sometimes she really looked forward to Hogsmeade weekends – she loved to be asked out again. But on the other hand, it also meant mustering up the strength to reject him once more.

She missed the feeling she got in her stomach when she heard his over-confident voice calling out of nowhere, she missed the way she could get mad at him and he'd never back down. She missed the way they'd be flirting. It was a game, and she was completely addicted to it.

Lily yawned, rolling into the side of the couch. Slowly but surely she drifted into sleep, unaware that a messy-haired boy with hazel eyes was watching her from the entrance to the common room, thinking about how much he adored her.

"Lily, wake up it's SATURDAY!"

Whoever was producing that sound should be killed. What was it? Five o'clock in the bloody morning?

"Liiii-lyyyy!"

The voice was loud, high pitched and she had a feeling the person to whom it belonged to was standing awfully close to her. Oh dear lord.

"Goway monning" Lily groaned.

"Yes Lils, it's morning time. Saturday morning time."

Lily's eyes flicked open. Saturday? Really? Could it be the wonderful day.. surely not? Last time she checked it was like Tuesday… no wait… yesterday was Friday so that meant…

"YAY IT'S SATURDAY" Lily jumped out of bed punching her fist in the air. She froze in this position when she saw none other than her best mate, Alice staring at her.

Alice Prewett was quite possibly the nicest person on the face of the planet. Alice had such a knack for, well, people. She always knew what to say to cheer you up; always knew when to talk or when it was better to say nothing; always knew how to react. She was simply angelic; sometimes it kinda freaked Lily out. Other than those rare occasions, Lily found her amazing – she was a great friend.

At the present, Alice quirked an eyebrow and said "Well, one minute I can't get you out of bed and the next you're jumping up and down like a little kid at Christmas. Sometimes Lils you freak me out."

"The feeling's mutual Alice," Lily said, jumping off of her bed and moving over to their CD player. "Don't you just love Saturdays though -" she pulled out a CD "- they are so -" she put the CD in "- full -" she closed the CD tray "- of - " she pressed play "- LIFE!"

Alice smiled. Lily was obviously forgetting something.

"Yes, right y'are Lily… but you're forgetting one thing," Alice began.

Lily immediately stopped midway through the Macarena which she had been dancing and tilted her head as if to ask "what?".

"It's a Hogsmeade weekend" Alice said simply.

Lily paled. Oh no. Not a Hogsmeade weekend. How could she have forgotten? Usually it was impossible to not know about an upcoming Hogsmeade weekend - compliments of one James Potter - but he hadn't asked her and that meant only one thing. He would ask her, and when he did it would be most probably be highly embarrassing. Shit.

"Well, you know what Alice… turns out I'm really tired. I should go back to bed." Lily promptly jumped onto her bed and hid underneath the covers.

Alice rolled her eyes. For a sixteen year old who took pride in her so called 'maturity', Lily could sure be a baby. Alice marched over to Lily's bed and sat on the end of it.

"But Lily, Saturdays are your favourite day."

"Correction – Saturdays, with the exception of Hogsmeade Saturdays, are my favourite. Hogsmeade Saturdays are not my friends."

"So you're not going to get out of bed because Hogsmeade Saturdays aren't your friends?"

Alice saw Lily vigorously nod her head under the blankets.

"Well, I'm you're friend, aren't I Lils?"

Another nod…

"And didn't you promise me you'd join me on this particular day for some shopping followed by a butterbeer?"

"I didn't promise -" Lily poked her head over the covers, and then said with a stricken expression, "Did I?"

"'Afraid so."

Lily groaned. Damn it, friends could suck. Especially when they made you get out of bed on a non-friendly Hogsmeade Saturday to accompany them to that exact location where you may possibly be raped by a messy-haired Marauder.

"Aaaaaalice, don't make me!" Lily whined.

"Lily, as your best friend, I feel it is in your best interests to get out of bed and go to Hogsmeade."

"B-but what about Potter? I might be raped!"

Alice sighed. So this was what it came down to. She was sure that Lily did actually like him deep down, but she'd never say that to Lily. Quite personally, she liked her limbs just where they were and didn't need them to be pulled off by the fiery red-head.

"I am one hund- no wait, make that ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent sure that Potter will not rape you. He might embarrass you, but he will not rape you. He's not into that, and besides he has kind of given you a break with the whole ask-you-out-every-bloody-second thing," Alice said certainly.

"But he's such a git and a prat and I don't like it when he asks me out in front of everyone and I'm so sick of fending him off, it just gets to be too much and it's a Hogsmeade weekend, so he will definitely be asking he always does and and I can't think of anything else," Lily said as quickly as she possibly could, in a vain attempt to distract Alice from what she was saying.

"Well then we'll avoid him. Hogsmeade may be small, but it's not that small."

"He'll hunt me down. I swear he has a Lily-radar."

"That's absurd. Now are you going to be selfish and abandon me, or will you be a good friend and brave the Potter?" Alice knew this would work. She knew Lily was too good a friend to not go, and the way she had phrased that sentence would make Lily feel guilty enough to go with her.

Lily sighed. Of course she had to go now, but it was not going to be easy… oh dear lord friends were a pain.

Lily suddenly had a brainwave. Her eyes brightened and she smiled.

"Alice, I've had a brainwave – my brain has been taken over by aliens!"

"Erm…" Alice was lost for words – how the hell had she come up with this one?

"You see, I like Potter. That means that aliens have taken over my brain and made me like him, because as if I'd like him out of my own free will."

"Uh huh, Lily tell me… when did you smoke weed this morning? You just said that you liked Potter, going on to add that aliens exist. You are going mad."

"Oh shush. It's true. I'll prove it."

"Whatever Lils, in the mean time, you must be a good friend and come with me to Hogsmeade."

"Okay. Fine. But if I get raped, I am holding you personally responsible."

Alice cheered.

"That's fine by me. Now get changed, let's get going."

Lily closed her eyes for a second, hating that fact that she knew James was going to ask her out and that when he did (aliens or no aliens) it was going to be bloody hard for her to say no.

"Oh, Prongsie! Prongs! Prongs! Prongs! Prongs! Wake up!"

Sirius Black was jumping on his bed, and James was not pleased. What was it? Freaking five o'clock in the morning?

"Padfoot, for Christ's sake, go to bed."

"Ah Mr. Prongs, good morning to yourself too. Do you know what day it is today?"

Sirius got silence in response, so he continued.

"I'll give you a clue…. It's a weekend…. And on this particular weekend there may or may not be a trip to a certain... er, what is it again... Oh yeah! HOGSMEADE."

James bolted into a sitting position. Could it be? Oh dear lord, he loved his Hogsmeade weekends. He saw them as beacons of light; they were his opportunities to win Lily over. Although, admittedly, he had failed so far, he liked the fact that he had a chance.

Of course, calling it a "chance" was slightly optimistic – Lily would probably reject him yet again. But it was fun seeing her reactions to his courtship. He chuckled at the thought of her face the last time he'd asked her out.

Ah. Lily Evans. She was all he wanted – she was smart, beautiful, feisty, sweet and completely indescribable. She was the only girl he wanted. But she hated him. For years they'd been sworn enemies, but when it got to fourth year he'd realised his feelings for her and began what was now known throughout Hogwarts as his "Quest for Evans". Unfortunately, no matter how many times he asked her out or tried to charm her, she got extremely angry. He'd suffered a lot of blows to his ego (which had reduced from humongous to just big) because of her (rejection does tend to hurt, particularly when it's on a daily basis) and this year he'd half given up. That is to say, he'd tried his hardest to refrain from asking her out. Now it was only Hogsmeade weekends and other special events where he asked her.

"That gotcha up quick," Sirius said, pinching James' cheek and wiggling it all about.

"Padfoot, let go of my cheek. I know you love me, but you know I love Evans."

"Ah Prongsie, my boy… you sure do. Now get up." Sirius stopped pinching James' cheek and slapped him.

"Fu – lobberworms. I'm up, dammit!"

Sirius gave him a quick grin before he bounded off the bed and down the stairs to the common room as quickly as he could, so as to avoid the fuming James (that and he wanted to have an early morning flirt with his Hogsmeade date). James just sat on his bed glaring at where Sirius had been a mere few seconds ago. Luckily for Sirius, Remus stepped out of the bathroom, with dripping hair, dressed for the day.

"Morning Prongs, heard Padfoot waking you up. Aren't you a lucky guy," Remus rolled his eyes. Sirius had the maturity of a sock puppet – none whatsoever. Although James could hardly be called mature, he was certainly better than Sirius, particularly this year. Remus was of course, the most mature out of the marauders. It was probably a good thing he was in the marauders actually… Merlin knows what would have happened without him bringing an element of sanity to the group.

"The luckiest alive," his voice dripped with sarcasm. "So, Hogsmeade today… " He grinned.

Remus chuckled.

"The Quest for Evans continues, eh James?"

"Yup. I have a really good feeling about today." He swung his legs over the side of his bed and rubbed his hands together.

"Uh-huh. James you say that every Hogsmeade weekend… and no offence, but Lily kinda still hates you."

"She doesn't hate me! See, I have this theory…"

"Fine then, strongly dislikes you, and this sounds dangerous…"

"Ha sodding ha. No, seriously, I think that the reason Lily isn't going out with me is because she has these aliens inside her brain and they're controlling everything she does. So these aliens have decided that she's not allowed to go out with me and that's why she rejects me. It's purely the aliens."

Remus looked at James like he was the alien.

"James, hate to break it to you, but aliens don't exist…"

"Yes they do. Evans' brain is evidence." James was confident this was the real reason.

"Mm-hm, okay James, but why do you feel lucky today then? I mean, aren't the aliens still there in her brain saying that she's not allowed to go out with you?"

James frowned. Those damned aliens… he'd have to develop a master plan.

"Too true, too true. I donno, just feel like today's the day I spose. Ah well, I will devise a plan to sidetrack them. I'm gonna get ready but I'll see you at breakfast."

"Alright mate. I think Peter's already there… getting the best serve of pancakes before everyone comes, no doubt. I swear that boy needs to seriously rethink his food consumption."

"Yeah, he is a little chubby, but that's what makes him Wormtail."

"I spose. See ya soon."

"See you" Remus exited the room leaving James to brainstorm his plan to overcome the Lily Aliens.

Half an hour later James joined his fellow marauders in the great hall. They were currently in a deep and meaningful debate, and Sirius was banging his hand on the table for effect as he spoke.

"See I think that's the big deal Moony, I mean it does matter. Apples just taste better when they are cut!"

"Padfoot, wha - you're nuts. It tastes exactly the same. It's in your head," Remus stated wisely.

James sat down. "Watcha talking about?" He asked as he spread some honey onto his toast.

"Apples."

"Oh, I see. How positively thrilling" James deadpanned.

"Well. It is. Moony here doesn't believe me when I say that apples taste better cut rather than when you just bite into them."

"Padfoot has finally come off of his rocker," Remus said, pointing towards Sirius then making the "your crazy" sign by twisting his finger around his ear.

"Oh no Moony, Padfoot is so far off his rocker one would assume he never had one to begin with" James smirked.

"Hmph. Can we quit discussing me, though I am obviously highly sexy and interesting, and move back to apples please?" said Sirius waving a hand impatiently. "Prongs, what d'you reckon… who's right, me or Moony?" Sirius turned away from Remus when he said this and mouthed desperately to James "ME!"

"I can see you Padfoot, I'm not visually impaired" Remus rolled his eyes.

"Bugger. Well Prongs?"

"In my highly esteemed opinion… wait… I don't think I have one! I'm quite imparental –"

"You mean impartial, Prongs," Moony corrected.

"Oh, right. Whoops. Well, I am quite impartial on this certain topic." James paused in thought for a moment, then put a finger to his chin. "May I, though, present a point on which you may all dwell? Cutting requires a knife, and apples are known for their convenience – you can eat em anywhere. So if you want them cut, that means you'd have to have a knife on you all the time, which may kind of freak people out. It's just a little psychopathic, don't you think?" James offered.

"Being seen as psychopathic is a small price to pay for a good tasting apple," Sirius stated without a doubt.

"It's not really a problem for you Padfoot, because everyone already sees you as psychopathic anyway" Remus snorted.

Sirius scowled as his friends laughed.

"Whatever. You'll all be jealous when my apples taste better than yours because I have the brains and intelligence to use a knife and cut it."

This made them laugh harder. Sirius bit his toast moodily. James smiled at his friend's melodramatic nature. He glanced around the great hall. Everyone was up early because of the Hogsmeade weekend. Just as he was glancing to the entrance of the hall, Lily Evans entered walking side by side with her best friend Alice Prewett. Perfect timing. She was looking down at her feet, but when she looked up her striking green eyes locked his by accident.

Just for a split second.

He felt his heart pump quickly, and his hand went instinctively to his hair. She quickly averted her eyes, but he continued to stare in love-struck awe. To his delight he could see her blushing. Blushing!

Someone clicked in front of his eyes. He didn't even blink.

"Prongsie? Hello? Anyone home?"

James didn't hear Sirius though, he was feeling a bit light-headed and dreamy at the current point. Lily Evans… pretty… green eyes…blushing… love…kisses… marriage…bab-

THUMP!

"Fuck!" James rubbed the back of his head, then turned to look incredulously at Sirius Black, the giant git. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"You were out of it. Again. I tell you mate, Evans gets you. Bad."

Yeah, she does James thought to himself. And today, just maybe he'd get her. Bad.

Lily felt her cheeks heating up. Dammit, why the bloody hell was she blushing?! She did not blush, and most of all she did blush because she shared a look with James Potter. Must be those damn aliens, God they were a pain.

Lily heard Alice chuckle. What the hell was she laughing at?

"What the hell are you laughing at?"

"You… you're bright red!"

"Oh, yeah… and that's funny how?

"Oh come on Lils, you can't just pretend that it didn't happen. The whole school saw the look you and Potter had."

Thwack.

Alice's giggling abated.

"Ouch. I hate you," Alice said in mock pain.

"Alice that's not funny! I've already told you about the aliens."

Alice rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay – sorry. So tactfully changing the subject, I heard that…"

Lily tuned out. It wasn't that the story wasn't interesting or anything, it was more the fact that she was completely sidetracked, or traumatised rather, by 'the look'. He had really nice eyes. Even if he did have glasses…

God dammit she had it bad for Potter. What the hell was she going to do?

After finishing breakfast, Lily decided to leave - Alice was now talking to her steady boyfriend, Frank Longbottom. Personally, Lily thought they were a little sappy, but they did go well together and Frank was really nice. After about ten minutes of feeling awkward in their love-atmosphere, she'd had enough of the couple.

Lily walked around the corner from the entrance to the great hall to be met by none other than James Potter.

Oh how bloody fantastic. She was doomed.

"Evans," James began, running a hand through his hair and smirking, as usual, "fancy seeing you here!"

Lily just stared back, because obviously he'd been waiting for her to come out of the great hall so he could pounce on her and ask her to Hogsmeade, no doubt. Also, he looked really great this morning, not that that had anything to do with anything.

James took her silence as an excuse to continue.

"You know I really mean that? I do rather fancy seeing you. Particularly right here, right now, in that brilliant shirt." He gestured to her top.

Lily rolled her eyes, smiling for a split second before angrily crossing her arms in front of her chest and remembering that she should really be getting ticked off right about … now.

"James bloody Potter, you are too arrogant for y-!" she began with a cold fury, but he'd cut her off.

"ANYWAY," he said loudly, "I personally think that we have some real chemistry here. I mean, you can't pretend that you didn't feel that look back there."

Lily's jaw dropped. Firstly, he had cut her off. Secondly, he'd admitted to feeling exactly what she had during 'the look', and thirdly… what else could she do but drop her jaw? Her brain was kind of malfunctioning at the moment.

James grinned at her lack of words. He was cute when he grinned. It was like he was six all over again. Not that Lily was into that or anything (ewww), but it was just nice to see a more innocent side to him.

Shaking herself, Lily decided words were necessary, else he get the wrong idea.

"Ja- Potter. Potter, you're Potter that's what I call you Potter -" James' already massive grin grew in size, "– I most certainly did not feel anything back there. Nothing. Zilch. Nil. Ze-ro." Lily put her thumb and index finger together to make a zero and held her hand up for him to see.

"Please, Evans, you really suck at lying. I could teach you more about it if you like… let's say… right now in a broom cupboard?"

"NO, James! That's just sick." Broom cupboards are so uncomfortable, she added in thought.

"You called me James," he said in a trance.

"Uh. Yeah… whoops," Lily said weakly, because James had started grinning again, and when he grinned that was bad. Really bad. It meant that a) he had a 'good' idea; b) he was right or c) both. Shit. Lily opted to pretend that she had not just called him James and admitted it. James was beginning to look too confident for his own good. "No, wait… I never called you James!"

James raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"You know, Lily" (she noted how good her name sounded coming from him) he took a step closer to her, "that you and I both know that you know you want me."

"I do not. There is no bloody way that I want you!"

He took another step. They were about a metre apart now.

"Oh don't be silly. You do too."

"How could I want someone like you?"

Step. He was now a little close for Lily's liking.

"Oh, I'm sure it has something to with my good looks and charm but that's not important. What is important is that you want me, and I want you. So what the hell are you saying no for?" A legitimate question. Why wouldn't she go out with him?

"I…"

Step. Step.

Lily was currently lost for words because he was really close to her now, and she didn't know that she could answer that question.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Before waiting for her response, he leaned around her face and whispered in her ear. She shivered at how close they were. "It'd be a whole lot easier if you just said yes."

She was sunk. How the hell could she say no to a guy whose lips were merely centimetres from hers? Wait. Woah… uh oh. They were very close indeed… getting closer…

She instinctively closed her eyes.

Potter you tease, James thought to himself as he was leaning in to kiss Lily. She'd shut her eyes in anticipation, but he had no intention of kissing her. Well, right at that time anyway – he had every intention of kissing her later, though, but right now he had to prove that she liked him just as much as he liked her.

He stood back and waited for her to open her eyes. He crossed his arms and readied his best cocked eyebrow.

A couple of seconds later, Lily opened her eyes.

"And you said you didn't want this?" he asked, pointing to his chest and allowing his tone to clearly show his disbelief.

Lily flushed. I have her now, James thought.

"I don't."

Those damn aliens…she did so. They just wouldn't let her say so.

"Doesn't look like it to me." He suddenly changed his tone to a serious one. "Lily, really, can't you just admit it please? I really like you, a lot. More than any other girl and you just shoot me down all the time. If you just admit it we'll both be happy."

"I can't James. You stand for everything I'm against!"

How had this conversation become so deep and meaningful?

"Like what?"

"You pick on people, you're a bully. You're irresponsible and immature and you're obsessed with Quidditch to an unhealthy extent. Not to mention the fact that you manage to land yourself in detention every other day… I just can't. It's not right that I should like you."

"You can't choose who you like, and I'm going to ignore that string of criticism."

"You're right, I can't choose who I like. But I can choose to ignore those that I like. It's my prerogative to say no if I want to. You can't just make me!"

"But what a waste! Here we are, two sixteen year olds who like each other in a more-than-friendly way and you just decide that we should ignore it? Waste this precious time that we have?!" James was starting to get frustrated. Why can't she see?

"Don't you dare get angry at me, Potter!" Lily began to flush with anger.

"Why the hell can't I? You're allowed to get mad at me, I don't see why I can't return your favour!" He spat.

"It's different for me! I get angry because you ask me out! Do you have any idea how hard it is to say 'no'!" she screamed.

James froze.

Lily blushed and looked away. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to hear you say 'no'?" he said quietly.

His eyes met hers.

Guilt. That's all Lily could feel right now. She knew she probably shouldn't be feeling guilty – how was it her problem that James had feelings?

This feeling of guilt was quickly replaced by affection as James' eyes locked with hers.

Hell, she liked him a lot.

His eyes were full of anger and hurt, but she didn't care. Her previously malfunctioning brain had returned to it's normal condition and was telling her that she should be with him. She realised she'd been silent in thought for a couple of seconds because James was now yelling at her.

"Those damn aliens! They just won't let you love me will they?"

"W-what?"

"The aliens, you know.. the ones taking over your brain?"

Lily laughed.

"I'm not crazy," James said seriously.

"I know, but I know those aliens. They're the ones telling me you're the best thing since Christmas Pudding."

James looked confused. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"What? You mean the aliens are on my side?"

"Yup."

"Sweet. But… that means you're trying to get rid of them?"

"Yeah…" she averted her eyes and twisted her hair nervously.

"Oh. I see," he was crestfallen.

Lily examined his sad composure. He was so much more attractive when he was arrogant, but seeing him upset made her want him more. Maybe she was just crazy, or too daring for her own good because she (quite uncharacteristically) decided to speak.

"But you know what, James?" He looked up to her with confused eyes. "I think they might be right."

And before James was able to process any thoughts, Lily had wrapped her arms around his neck and engaged him in a passionate kiss.

When they broke apart, James grinned and said "So does this mean you want me?"

"No, it means the Aliens do," Lily said sarcastically, but the grin on her face gave her away. She stood on tippy-toes and brought her mouth close to his ear.

"I want you more than you know," she whispered.

Lily smiled as James kissed her on the lips.

the end