Smitten

"I'll need to borrow your notes for the essay," James said, leading the way into the corridor after class was dismissed. "I didn't get anything down today."

"Is it because you're smitten?" Sirius questioned with a smirk as he followed James out of the Transfiguration classroom.

"Who is smitten?"

James turned to see Lily standing behind him, her head tilted to the side curiously as she clutched her books to her chest. He felt a blush creep up his neck and reached up to ruffle his unruly hair.

"Oh, nobody. I was just trying out a new word. Birds love sensitive blokes with a big vocabulary, y'know. Smitten," Sirius paused, a devilish grin spreading across his handsome face as he pretended to mull it over in his mind, "Eh, it's not for me."

Lily's lips tipped up in a half smile and she raised her eyebrow, looking between the two boys.

"Er…yeah." James chuckled, trying to recover from his embarrassment. "Sirius was thinking about asking McKinnon to Hogsmeade. I told him he isn't exactly her type."

Sirius scoffed, holding his hand to his chest in an affronted manner. 'I'm everybody's type, Prongs."

Lily laughed. "Sorry to break it to you, Black, but you aren't my type."

James perked up, a lopsided grin pulling the right side of his mouth up as he regained his usual confidence. "That right, Evans? Who's your type then?"

"Yeah Evans, how about Prongs here? Is he your type?" Sirius teased, nudging James in the ribs with his elbow.

Lily paused, leaning back on her heels as her eyes traced a path from James's messy hair, running over his hazel eyes hidden behind the square frames of his specs, past his loose tie and untucked shirt, all the way to the scuffed toes of his trainers. She bit her lip and returned her gaze to James's face and he caught a glimpse of something there in her eyes as she looked at him.

He was looking at her warily, unsure what quip she would throw his way this time. Lily was well-known for her sharp tongue and her love for bringing James to his knees.

"Well, you aren't awful on the eyes, Potter." Lily replied, holding his gaze with her bright green stare. "And you annoy ne enough that I think we'd probably have a very passionate love affair…"

She trailed off as James's jaw dropped. She smirked and lifted her shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "But that doesn't necessarily mean you're my type."

Without giving James a second to find his tongue and respond, Lily turned on her heel and set off down the hallway, her long auburn hair swaying across her back with each step. Sirius barked out a laugh and clapped James on the back.

"Oi! She's a feisty one! And you are smitten, mate."

James shot him an annoyed look and shoved his fingers through his hair, still baffled by Lily's words.

"Oi! Evans!" James managed to call after her, stopping her just before she rounded the corner at the end of the corridor. She paused looking over her shoulder at him, though she did not turn around completely, and quirked an eyebrow inquisitively.

"You didn't say I wasn't your type!"

James watched as an attractive pink colored her cheeks and she tipped her head back, laughing. With a light shake of her head, Lily turned back and lifted one hand behind her shoulders, wiggling her fingers at him in a light wave. She turned the corner, leaving James staring after her down the hall.

Sirius punched him in the shoulder playfully, shaking his head. "Like I said, smitten. I can't wait to tell Remus and Peter."

"Shut it, Padfoot." James grumbled, shoving his hands in her trouser pockets. Maybe he was—okay, he definitely was—smitten. But he couldn't help but think, maybe he wasn't the only one who was a little smitten.