Chapter Four

"Prongs is something wrong?", Sirius asked James as he hurled himself onto his bed.

"Lily.", James grumbled.

"You guys get in a fight?", Remus asked.

"No far from that actually.", James replied.

"Then what's the matter?", Peter furrowed his brow.

"What's the matter?! You're really asking what's the matter!?", James yelled.

"The matter is she's being so damn nice and friendly to me! She smiles at me, she lends me her notes and goes down to the kitchen to see me and watches the matches front and centre!", James clutched his hair, "She's giving me hope that maybe one day, one day she'll finally love me.", tears began to well in his eyes. "She makes me think she can love me but I know she can't. Mate, she's killing me."

"He's killing me."

A concerned Dorcas, Marlene and Alice watched as Lily stared up at the wall of their dorm room.

"Lils get a hold of yourself!", Dorcas proclaimed.

"Get a hold of myself? Dorcas do you know what it feels like to finally realize you love someone but to realize as well that it's too late?", Lily's eyes were empty windows of hurt that caused even Dorcas to wilt.

"I'm sorry but I think I need some time alone.", Lily sniffed as she left the dorm.

She walked through the empty corridors. It was nighttime now and the peaceful calm allowed her to breathe.

"He was right in front of you Evans,", Lily sighed. "Right in front of you."

James walked down the empty corridor. It was as empty as he felt. Even the paintings' expressions were frozen and blank.

"Let it go James, it'll just hurt more the longer you hold on.", he sighed to himself.

But he couldn't. He couldn't give up on her. He never could. He'd always thought of Lily as a feisty girl who would bravely stand up for good in any given situation. He saw her as a smart and caring woman who would do anything for the people she loved. She stuck with them through thick and thin. She didn't care how hard things got. He knew he loved her.

Suddenly he heard sniffling. Walking farther down the corridor he found Lily staring out a window crying. He felt as if he should leave her alone, but his feet were stuck to the ground and heavy as stone. He couldn't move.

Lily turned around to see James, staring at her with those hazel eyes of his. They felt like home, she thought.

"Hello James.."

"Hello Lily."

"Having problems too huh?"

"Yes."

"I noticed."

"No, really?"

Lily laughed at the sarcasm in his voice. She realized how easy it was to be happy with him. But one look at his face showed than he was still hurt through the smile he was putting on for her.

Suddenly, Lily couldn't take it any longer. She had to say something. She didn't care if he rejected her, at least she would be comforted with the idea that she told him the truth. That is, if she could ever be comforted after he rejected her.

"James,", Lily walked towards him until they were thisclose. "James I want to say something and I know it might change things but I just need to tell you."

"Oh Merlin, she's noticed I love her. She's noticed I never stopped loving her. Now she's going to reject me. I swear I'm jumping off the Tower tonight.", Prongs thought.

"James I love you."

All thoughts tore from his head as James stared at the perfect redhead in front of him. She loved him. She loved him?!

"Lily I..", he couldn't find the words to express how happy he was. She loved him?! Him?!

"James I know you don't-"

James stopped the rest of her sentence by closing the small gap between them in a warm, passionate kiss. Lily returned the kiss and melted inside. Was this really happening?

"Lily I love you too.", James whispered smiling at her with happy tears in her eyes that couldn't even convey how much love he felt for her.

"James Potter I love you so much.", Lily cried happy tears as she kissed him in the moonlight of the hall.