A/N: Sorry I didn't make an author's note or disclaimer in the last chapter. I'm not so good at that stuff.

PhoenixTears1001: Thanks for reviewing! Yes, it is rather early for James to ask out Lily, but I guess I wanted to make it clear that Lily wasn't going to be easy to get. Yeah, I really don't know.

Disclaimer: All rights to J.K. Rowling. I'm so good at making clever disclaimers (that was sarcastic)

"Lily, come on!" Alice's voice carried across the almost empty Great Hall.

"Just a minute!" Lily called back, struggling with the zipper on her bag. It just didn't want to close.

"Lily…" said Marlene anxiously.

"Oh, you two go on ahead," Lily said frantically. "I'll catch up."

"But we've got Transfiguration, McGonagall will kill you if you're late."

"Not me," Lily allowed herself a secret smile. Professor McGonagall had told her in private that she had gotten a hundred and nine percent on the last exam, and a hundred and four on the one before that, and a hundred and six on the one before that. Alice and Marlene exchanged puzzled looks before shrugging and leaving. Lily jiggled her zipper a final time, and it finally slid closed. Hoisting the bag onto her shoulder, she sprinted out of the Great Hall and took the steps on the marble staircase two at a time.

She was just going around the corner when she smacked straight into something very solid and went sprawling on the floor.

"Oh my goodness, Lily I'm so sorry!" Squinting through the haze of pain, Lily saw an outstretched hand and grabbed it. "I didn't mean…you should probably sit down…" Lily put out her hand to lean against the wall for support and touched the back of her head gingerly before looking up.

"You." she narrowed her eyes and took a step back.

"Hey, Evans," Potter grinned, trying to nonchalantly lean back against the wall, but slipping and almost falling flat on the floor. Lily snorted.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to get to Transfiguration, so…." She tried to walk in a wide circle around him, but Potter bounded up and grabbed her arm. Lily stared at him. Potter hastily dropped her arm.

"Well, Evans, I was, um, wondering if maybe you'd like to go out with me?" He raised his eyebrows hopefully. Lily looked at him coolly.

"What makes you think that I've changed my mind recently?"

"Have you?"

"No! Dying Sev's robes neon pink does not make you automatically okay in my book!" Lily spun on her heel and stalked away, but Potter grabbed her arm again. "Did you hear me, Potter?!" Lily seethed. "The answer is NO!"

"Aw, come on, Evans." wheedled Potter, and Lily was outraged to see the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. "I know you like me somewhere in that cold frozen heart of yours." Lily glared at him so hard he took a step back.

"I will, never, ever like you, Potter," she spat. "Do you think I was joking when I said I would rather go out with a centaur than you?"

Potter's face fell, and Lily almost felt sorry for him before he hitched his trademark grin back on.

"You'll come around, Evans. I can wait."Lily turned her back on him and hurried off to Transfiguration, using all of her control to not bash Potter's head in.

A/N: Please REVIEW! They are my life!