Lily sat at a table in the common room, her foot bent under her, as she scribbled her Potions essay that was due in just an hour; an essay she had started only minutes ago.
"Lily Evans, is that your Potions essay that's due today?" James asked, descending the stairs that led from the boys' dorm. His voice reminded Lily of a mother scolding a child.
Lily's green eyes flashed up at him, but returned to her parchment moments later. "Yes."
"Tsk, tsk." James plopped onto the overstuffed couch next to the fireplace—where he had an excellent view of his favorite red-head. "And all the professors think you're Miss Perfect."
"My essay will score better marks than yours-even if I did only just start it," Lily countered, a teasing smile in the corner of her lips.
"I know it will," he agreed, falling silent, listening to the scratching of quill against parchment. Without any attempt to hide his gaze, he examined the tiny freckles that littered her cheeks and nose, smiling to himself.
After a few minutes of silence, Lily piped in, "You're staring, and it's driving me nuts." She could feel his hazel eyes burning into her face, studying her every move.
"It's hard not to," he replied with a wink.
"Line," Lily replied without looking up from her work. James brow furrowed, until he remembered their conversation the night before when Lily told him he used to many 'lines' to flirt.
"Oh, come on!" James said, leaning forward on the couch. "That was a nice thing to say."
Lily set her quill down. "Not if it's just a line." Her green eyes narrowed at him.
"Fine, what about this?" James started, "I can't stop looking at your because you're gorgeous."
"Line."
"But it's true!" James retorted.
Lily narrowed her eyes at him. "You're telling me that I'm the first girl you ever said that to?" James pressed his back against the couch, considering this. Lily saw a look of recognition wash across his face: the sheepish half-smile and the raised eyebrows. So, she said, "See, then it's just a line."
James tapped his hand against the arm of the couch, and watched as she resumed writing, trying to think of something he could have said that wasn't a line.
"You're still staring, and it's still annoying," Lily replied, peeking up at him.
"Well you're annoying me to." James tone was light, but Lily noticed he sounded a bit earnest.
"Neither of us would be annoyed if you let me finish my work," she pointed out, but James didn't budge. His mind was still reeling, trying to think of something else he could say to prove that he thought she was beautiful without sounding like a line.
After a few moments, James crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't see what's wrong with a few lines…every once in a while."
"You speak in lines," Lily explained. "Almost everything that comes out of your mouth is a line. I don't even know if you actually mean any of it or if it's just recycled material."
"I do. I mean it all," James responded, moving his seat to from the couch to the wooden chair opposite her.
Lily gave him a stern look. "No. You hide behind these lines," she replied. "You want everyone to think you're a smooth talker with nothing to hide, but that's not who you really are."
James furrowed his brow. "If it's so easy, why don't you try me? Say something to me that's not a line," he challenged.
"I didn't say it was easy," she responded.
"Go on," James encouraged, ignoring her comment. He leaned forward, his elbows on the table. The movement sent a whiff of his cologne to Lily who let her breath linger in her lungs a bit longer than usual. "Prove to me your rule of 'no lines' can actually be achieved."
Lily set down her quill for the second time. She studied James for a moment, her eyes squinting in concentration. "I don't think it's your smooth talking that makes girls like you," she started.
"Oh yeah?" James looked apprehensive. "If you say it's my strikingly good looks, it's a line." He flashed his best charming smile.
Lily laughed. "No," she leaned over the table and with her two index fingers, poked each of his cheeks. "It's these."
James felt his face where Lily's fingers had just been. "My cheeks?"
"No," Lily replied. "Your dimples. You put on this tough exterior, but your smile looks so…sweet." Pink rose up in James' cheeks. "See!" She pointed a finger as if accusing his flushed skin. "You're blushing."
"Am not," James turned backwards so he was straddling the back of the chair to hide the color he knew was there.
Lily laughed. She could count on one hand the number of times she had seen James' face turn red. "See? Real words mean more than dumb lines," she said to his untidy black hair.
James rested his chin on the back of the chair as he waited for the color to drain from his face. "Yeah, yeah," he conceded. "I get it."
"Hopefully, you will remember all the wisdom I have bestowed upon you this morning," Lily teased, picking up her quill once more.
Feeling that the blush had subsided, James stood up from the chair and pushed it in. "I learned lots from this conversation," he started, a cheeky grin smeared across his lips. "I learned that you think I'm adorable, my dimples make you melt," he cooed, gesturing goofily to his face. "And, I learned that you enjoy my company so much, that you are more willing to turn in a half-finished potion essay than tell me to bugger off," he teased, stepping toward the door. "I think that's all I learned."
"Only some of those things are true," Lily started, noting he was missing the most important part of their conversation—lines. "But I'm glad to see you take my words so seriously."
James grinned at her sarcasm. On his way passed the table, he stopped next to her chair and leaned next to her ear. His hot breath tickled her ear when he whispered, "Want to know the real reason I stare?" Lily tried to conceal a grin, but wouldn't look up; she continued to stare at her parchment. "Your freckles. They're just-just," he started but stopped. Lily blinked up at him and furrowed her brow, surprised that he would stutter. He tried to recover, "I just like them."
"You really mean that?"
James smiled and straightened up. "Just ask Sirius. I talk about them all the time." James' smile grew as he watched the color in her cheeks rise.
Lily smiled sheepishly, and resumed writing. James exited the common room, his head held high.
Breakfast was almost over by the time Lily arrived. She hadn't quite finished her Potions essay but was sure she could squeak an extension out of Slughorn. She took a seat across from Mary and Marlene—who were sitting about five seats away from the Marauders, a band of second years between the two groups.
"Oi! Lily!" Sirius called, cupping his hand over his mouth. "What's this I hear about Jamesy boy making progress with you?"
Lily didn't look at him. She swatted her hand in his direction as if batting an invisible mosquito. "Padfoot!" James scolded. He lobbed an English muffin at Sirius' face, and it bounced off.
"What?" Sirius replied, innocently, before taking a bite of the English muffin.
Lily took her spot across from her friends still bent on ignoring the boys. "Morning," she said, filling her plate with fruits and a muffin. She would have to eat quickly if she were to be on time to Transfiguration.
Her friends muttered greetings. "So, what is going on with you two?" Marlene asked, after Lily had swallowed her fruit.
"Same old," Lily dismissed.
"Oh please," Marlene interjected, never one to keep thoughts to herself. "We saw you two in the common room this morning."
"We were being sneaky." Mary looked triumphant.
Lily bit her bottom lip. "We want to know," Marlene continued. "What he whispered to you that made your face turn red." She pointed a fork in Lily's direction.
Lily sighed. "He just—he said something sweet," Lily admitted. "For a change," she added, not wanting to sound too impressed.
"Let me guess," Mary said. "You won't tell us what he said."
Lily smiled, and shook her head. Her friends exchanged knowing glances; they would ask Sirius during Transfiguration.
Lily returned to her meal as her friends changed the topic. Lily was only half listening when she felt the burning of eyes on the side of her face. She looked up from her plate, although she already knew who was looking. She locked eyes with James, who gave her a guilty smile.
Teasing, she used her hands to cover her cheeks and nose, blocking James' view of her freckles. James laughed, receiving a curious look from his friends. "Two can play at that game, Evans!" James called over the second years sitting between them. He copied her, covering his dimples.
Marlene let out a groan. "Yeah, sure," she sounded sarcastic. "Everything is the same with you two."
James stuck out his tongue, and Lily chuckled before responding to Marlene with a shrug. She picked up her muffin and headed for the door; the Great Hall was emptying as students departed for their first class. Lily looked over at James. They exchanged small smiles before being swallowed by the crowd of students emptying into the hallway.