Detention
The next day, which was Monday, Lily was hoping time would stop, for today she was going to serve detention with James.
By seven PM she had finished her homework, her supper and yelling at anyone who came to close. She was walking in circles around the dormitory, wondering what would happen. Would James ask her out, or had he given up already? Is she going to say yes or no if he did?
At eight o'clock she was at McGonagall's office, with scary thoughts going through her mind. 'What kind of Detention are we going to get?' and 'A whole detention only with Jame-Potter- what am I going to do the whole time?'
"It is time you two start acting like grownups, you will need to look through these books" McGonagall showed them a pile of books on her desk, "And you will teach the first years transfiguration instead of your fourth period tomorrow. You have all the information you need in the books and on the list that's next to the books. And you will have to make up the lost time in the class you are to be missing"
McGonagall left the room with what looked like a satisfied smile on her face.
"Ermmmm…" Lily said uncomfortably, "Let's start!" She picked a book up and started getting red.
James, who was smiling (only slightly smugly), took the book she was reading, and said, "You're reading upside down." And he put the book, right side up, back into her hands gently.
Lily, who was surprised at him acting like a-a normal person, looked at him in horror.
"I think we should start working" She said embarrassed, "I don't want to stay up all night."
They started working, pouring into books, occasionally asking things like,
"Should we tell them about this in the lesson?" Or, "Don't forget to add this detail, it's important."
Every few pages she read, Lily looked up to see how James looked when he was working. His eyes were moving fast (she assumed he was a fast reader, either that, or he was skipping most of the parts in the book so they could finish faster), he was biting his lip and his hair was hanging down towards the book ever so slightly. When Lily realized she was staring at James, she shook her head, as if shaking out a thought and continued reading a few more pages, until she looked up again.
Every few pages James read, He looked up to watch Lily work, she was making a face, her thinking face, her eyes stopped moving every once in a while, she was probably thinking about what she read, where she should put it in the lesson and how. When James realized he was acting like a lovesick puppy and that Lily might see him staring at her, he started reading again, until he decided to take a break…
The whole night it went on like this until it was about midnight.
"It's really late!" Lily exclaimed as she looked at her watch, "I'm finished writing down the notes, are you?"
"I'm done" he answered, "On the way to the dormitory we'll figure out how to put everything into a lesson OK?"
They put all the books in a pile and left the room, planning their lesson.
By the time they got to the Gryffindor common room they had the lesson all planned and Lily was about to go up to her dormitory when she heard James,
"Lily?" He said.
Lily knew he was going to ask her out, but this time would be different, this time he was asking when they were alone, he wasn't asking for show. This time, Lily decided, she was going to say yes.
"Will you go out with me?" James asked the question he had asked so many times before, the obvious question that always got the obvious answer.
Before she answered, Lily looked around to make sure no one was there, "Yes." Lily said in a decisive, firm voice.
"Please?" James said, expecting a negative answer, "Why do you always say—yes? Did you just say yes?"
Lily giggled a bit before she answered, "Do you want me to change my mind?" she said, smiling.
"No, no, no," James hurried to answer, just in case Lily did change her mind, "So, when do you want to go?"
"The next Hogsmead trip, you'll meet me at the entrance to the common room OK?"
"Yeah… OK!" James answered, dazed. He was still a bit shocked that Lily answered yes.
Lily went up to her dormitory, proud she saying yes, but also wondering what their first date would be like. James hobbled over to the stairs leading to his dormitory, still digesting the idea that he, James Potter, will finally go out with Lily who had rejected him since fourth year.
