Mischief Managed

Chapter Three: The Worst Thing

So it was with an upbeat attitude that Lily woke up with on the morning of the 17th August busying herself getting ready to go to Diagon Alley, checking and re-checking her new booklist and potions ingredients, not so much because she thought she'd forget anything, but simply to keep her mind off the up and coming year. For every time thought of what her seventh year would be like, she thought of James Potter, and when that happened…well, Hogwarts rumours say that steam can be seen eschewing from Lily's ears.

It was 11:30 before Lily bade her mother and father goodbye, picked up her purse full of gold Galleons, silver Sickles and bronze Knuts, and Apparated to Charing Cross, outside the Leaky Cauldron. To Lily's surprise, the pub was very quiet and almost empty and she made her way briskly to the back door.

Despite having made her way through the magically concealed barrier to Diagon Alley countless times, ever the sentimentalist, she always felt it was something really wonderful and a brilliant feeling tapping the brick wall in the traditional way with her wand.

Drinking in the sight of the old magical street once more, Lily made her way to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and began busying herself choosing her robes and she slowly began to forget all about James Potter and how much he was ruining her life…

"Ah, young Mr Potter, how may I assist you this afternoon?" James smiled. Everyone seemed to know his name and his family, even the assistants in Flourish and Blotts.

"Yes, can you point me to where I can find 'Advanced Transfiguration' by Emetic Switch, please?" He asked.

"Certainly, over in that corner-" The assistant raised his arm behind him, indicating a row of shelves several feet away. "-is the Transfiguration section, right where that lovely young lady is standing." James headed in the direction the assistant had indicated and, sure enough, found a young girl browsing a shelf of books. A young girl with red hair…

Lily heard an odd noise, a cross between and groan and a sigh from behind her. She turned around swiftly.

"Potter?" She yelled, unaware of how shrill her voice was.

"Blimey, Evans!" James said, covering his ears. "Did you have to shriek at me? I rather like having hearing, you know."

Lily rolled her eyes and sighed internally. This was the worst thing that could have happened. She had been trying to get herself and her mind as far away from the obnoxious James Potter as possible, but here he was, in his arrogant glory.

"Potter, I haven't got time for your harassment. So, unless you actually want to say something constructive to me, can you move please?" Lily rambled, impatiently.

"I just came over here to ask you-"

"No, Potter, I will not go out with you!"

"-if they have any copies of Advanced Transfiguration left." James finished, as pretending not to have heard Lily's interruption.

Blushing profusely, Lily turned round, taking a copy of Advanced Transfiguration from the shelf, and handing it to James.

"Thanks." James smiled at her, taking the book. Then, deciding to take the bull by the horns, he asked "By the way, I don't know if you know, but I've been chosen as Head Boy?"

"Oh yes, I forgot-" Lily lied. "-McGonagall mentioned it in her letter to me."

"For what it's worth, I thought there really was no better choice and-" He hesitated. "-and I think I think you'll be really good at it." It was now James' turn to blush. He'd never complimented Lily like this before. Sure, he'd called her 'hot' and 'sexy' in a cheesey way before asking her out, but he'd never humbly complimented her without expecting anything in return; something which Lily also noticed.

"Thanks, Pot-James." She smiled tentatively at him.

"You used my first name?" James blurted. He had never heard Lily use his first name before. James immediately decided that he enjoyed the sensation.

"I figured, as we are Heads this year, we may as well try and act civil towards one another, right?"

"I suppose you're right Ev-Lily." James smiled to himself. Lily. Lily. It was such a beautiful name; why didn't he say it more often?

"Maybe next year won't be too bad, then." Lily laughed, nervously.

"Really? Even with the 'arrogant toerag'?" James asked, a little more playfully and saw Lily smile. Genuinely smile.

"Maybe if he becomes less 'arrogant' and more 'civil' and 'polite', then yeah, maybe."

"Yeah, right." James replied absentmindedly. "I better get paying for this." He said lamely, raising Advanced Transfiguration in his hand slightly.

"Yeah, me too." She replied, as James and Lily made their way to the counter to pay for their books, both putting the books down at the same time.

"Two copies of Advanced Transfiguration…that'll be 6 Galleons, please."

"Here's my three." Lily said as she reached into her bag to pay for her book.

"Don't worry Lily." James said, as he handed over all 6 Galleons and taking his copy off the counter. "I'll see you on the train." He said as he left the shop.

Lily stood there, utterly confused.

I can't believe he did that!

It was only a book! It's not like he bought you a castle!

But still, I didn't even ask…

So? He just doing it to impress you!

I'm not so sure, he seemed…different today. He even complimented me properly!

He's only trying a new tactic to get you to go out with him. Mark my words, he'll drop his good-guy act the moment you're on the train, and he'll ask you out…again!

Lily's mind seemed to have an endless debate about Pot-James! It's James, Lily kept reminding herself.

Lily was surprised that he hadn't asked her out, tried to seduce her or even laugh at her when she thought that he was going to ask her out. Then, he bought a book for her – with no catch.

Lily had never thought herself a particularly soppy romantic. Indeed, she cringed at couples who would melt at each other's feet. However, she had respect for those who made kind gestures and decided she would return the favour. After all, she had to act civil, didn't she? It would just be plain rude if she just ignored his gesture and refused to repay it. Where were her manners?

Her mind made up, she set about thinking, for the first time in her life, about doing something kind towards James Potter.

Why did she have to look so beautiful? Why did she have to have the most gorgeous eyes? Why did she have to have the perfect smile? Why did she have to have a heart-warming laugh?

James Potter was now deciding that giving up on Lily Evans would be the hardest thing that any human had ever done. He, honestly, had thought he'd been doing reasonably well at keeping thoughts of Lily at bay for the summer, but now, he was doing a woefully bad job.

Sirius, as ever, had teased him silly. As soon as he'd left Flourish and Blotts to find his best friend drooling over a new Cleansweep in Quality Quidditch Supplies, Sirius had sensed James was 'too distant for his normal self' and began teasing him, non-stop, about being a love-sick pansy.

For James, this was too much. He was starting to realise how stupid he'd been, pulling all those stunts for her, hoping she'd swoon at his feet when, deep down, he knew she wouldn't because that's why he loved her! Because she wasn't, and never will be, a mindless fangirl.

So, it was with this in mind, that James came up with a new plan. He was going to have one more go. No bravado. No stunts. No repeat of his fourth year attempt where he serenaded her (badly) in front of the whole school at breakfast. No, he was going to be himself. He was going to set an example as Head Boy, show Lily he could be disciplined, he could be kind to younger students and he could be a hard worker.

James was going to keep his head down, be kind to Lily and uphold his responsibilities as Head Boy and then, at Christmas, ask her out one last time. His final shot. If Lily wouldn't say 'yes' to him then, she never would, and he'd just have to live with it.