Always Waiting

Okay, I uploaded really fast! This is the last chapter! I hope you enjoy the final installment of Always Waiting.

He opened his mouth and began, "You're scared…" but his voice trailed off. James looked up into my face once again and seemed to find something hidden there that made him open his mouth again, his eyes still downcast on his fingers playing with mine. "You're scared," he started again, "that you'll end up falling in love with me like I already have with you."

I looked at him for the longest time, getting caught in his hypnotizing gaze. "W-Wh- What?" I stuttered out.

James' voice was still soft and brimming with some new emotion I hadn't seen in him before."You heard what I said, Lilly. And don't even try to deny it."

I just stared at him with my mouth slightly open. I couldn't deny it, I couldn't say anything. How could James Potter, whose sole goal it was to annoy the crap out me, read me so entirely like a book. He knew that I had broken my strong reserve of hatred for him. Somebody had once said that love and hate toed a very thin line, and it only takes one small nudge to push you over.

But then I recovered from my stupor quickly. I didn't and was never going to love Potter."Oh yeah, Potter? Aren't we being nice and full of ourselves this afternoon? Just because you're James Potter that doesn't mean everyone has to go and end up freakin' fallin' in love with you." I could feel the tears start to build up in my eyes.

I didn't even want to stop and think about what I was saying or I would lose complete control and kiss him right then and there.

Where did these thoughts come from? Wanting to kiss James Potter?

"But you did," he said very softly. "You fell in love with me, and right now you're hating yourself for it."

I gritted my teeth at him and wrenched my hand away from his warm touch. "What is with you tonight? I haven't fallen in love with you, Potter!" By now I was standing up and yelling at him. So it was back to this, and we had been doing so well.

Throughout the whole argument his voice remained irritatingly soft and warm. "Really?" he said in a voice that begged to differ. "Deep down though, you know the reason you keep telling yourself that is because you hope you'll end up believing it." James had stood up now too. "But the truth is, you really don't believe it, and neither do I."

The thunder came especially loud this time, and a crack of lightning lit up the slowly darkening sky. "What makes you so sure that you can read my thoughts that way?" I asked icily.

"Evans," he said softly, "I've known you since you were eleven. I've watched you ace every homework assignment and fail a single test. I've watched you laugh at everything and begin to break down crying. I've seen you when you've just woken up and after you've fallen asleep in the common room after a long night. I know you, Evans, because I've always been waiting for you to fall in love with me."

I couldn't say anything. That had to be absolutely sweetest thing James Potter had ever said to me. It wasn't his usual form of flattery when he wanted something, there were no hidden meanings behind his words, he was just explaining.

Another streak of lightning shot across the sky as James took a step closer to me.

"Po-" I stopped in the middle of calling him by his surname. In this instance, right now, I wasn't quite sure why I hated calling him Potter, but I did. He had a name after all. "James," I finished. "That's, that's… well, that's really nice."

As soon as I said his name, James' face split into such a crooked grin that I thought my heart was going to explode from beating so fast. He seemed a little dazed at something. "You-you called me James," he said gently, and there was sheer elation in his voice. He took another step closer. I could feel the air crackling with something. It had to just be the lightning creating the electricity in the air around us.

"You know, Lilly, I only ever did all the hair ruffling, pranking, showing off, and big talking because I liked you so much. But you know what?" he whispered so low that I could barely hear him. James was much closer now, his face only a few inches from mine. It felt like something was holding me there, like I could move if I tried.

"What?" I whispered just as low back.

Before James could say anything the biggest thunder clap of all shook through the grounds and suddenly it was pouring rain. The rain was everywhere. It ran down my face and soaked in a few seconds. I looked down at my feet and saw that the ground was quickly becoming mud.

I looked back up at James' face. The rain had plastered his hair flat to his head for the first time ever, and a piece had fallen straight into one of his gorgeous hazel eyes. He had me trapped. Utterly and completely trapped. I couldn't look anywhere else. There was nothing else in the world but James Potter.

I knew my hair had to be lying straight as a board in my face, and pieces were sticking out all over the place. But right then, I really didn't care. His face was so close that I could count all his freckles, even through the curtain of rain.

"I'm doing this because I love you." And he leaned in the final two inches and kissed me.

At first, he was a little hesitant like he was afraid that I would break off suddenly and slap. Any other time that would have been the case, but not this time. This time, my usual reserve had crumbled when his lips had touched mine. I flung my arms around his neck, and I felt James smile under the kiss. He placed a hand on my face and tilted my head up some more so that he could kiss me better. His other hand was in my wet hair, running the long red strands through his fingers. I was in complete and utter bliss until we had to pull away for air.

James was looking at me with that same expression he had on earlier only it was intensified ten-fold. Now, I understood what it was because the same expression had to be mirrored in my face.

It was love.

We stood there for a few more moments in the rain, me hugging James with my face buried in his chest, and his face nestled on the top of my head, kissing my hair every so often. But then, I guess he realized that it was time for dinner.

I took his wet hand in mine, and together we started walking back to the castle. Boy, would everyone have something to talk about…

"You know what?" I asked quietly when we were almost to the doors.

"What?" he asked, grinning widely down at me.

"I was always waiting to fall in love with you, too."

And he leaned down and kissed me again.

Well, what do you think? Please Review!! Let me know what you thought!