James had healed up fine and he was back to school within a week. He was soon lively as ever, and back to Lily's side.
Lily could feel herself falling for james, hard. He was adorable, funny, and sweet beyond compare. She loved when he smiled, and the way he cared about things so much. He was always trying to make her happy, and he thought she was absolutely perfect.
But what she liked even more was simply talking with James. Learning all these new things about him. Seeing him get riled up about quidditch. Hearing his aspirations of becoming an auror, but how more than anything, he wanted to join the cause to fight You-Know-Who once he graduated.
Lily felt the same way. They had rarely talked about the war going on outside the school, but it had come up a few times. Lily wanted to make a difference. She was tired of living in fear due to her being a muggleborn, and she didn't want to have to live that way. She wanted to fight to live in a world where she could walk the streets without gripping her wand.
James had mentioned a group, called The Order of The Phoenix, that fought for that cause. He had heard that Dumbledore was involved, and he had vowed to join it. Lily decided that she too would fight alongside them.
But being with James made her stop thinking about the war. She didn't have to think about all of the death and destruction happening outside, as long as they were together. Not for now at least.
They were able to laugh together, but more importantly, talk about serious things with each other. The hard parts of their lives that they couldn't confide in anyone else. Lily told him about her sister, and her torn family following her parents' deaths.
"I'm sorry to hear that," James said quietly after Lily explained her family situation to him.
"It's alright. Petunia and I haven't been close for years. She never looked at me the same after I got accepted into Hogwarts. Our relationship only got more strained after mum got sick. Then after dad passed, she would barely speak to me." Lily felt tears well up in her eyes as she relived the memory.
She was brought back by James' voice, whispering as to not be heard by others.
"Merlin, Lils, I had no idea."
She wiped away what tears had escaped from her eyes. "It's fine, really. I've had time to cope with it. Marlene's family was nice enough to let me stay with them last summer, and then I'll be of age this year to get my own place." Lily smiled lightly at James as he squeezed her hand and smiled back. "Family has just never been a reliable thing for me."
"Well, when we have our own family, I can assure you it'll be different." James wiggled his eyebrows at Lily.
Lily giggled. "Merlin, James. We're only 17, no need to get ahead of ourselves."
The next day, James and Lily were on their way to potions class. Lily shifted her bag uncomfortably. She was now regretting the 2 extra books she had brought for reading, as her bag was getting too heavy. James noticed her shifting and swooped her bag from her shoulder to place it on his own.
Lily reached back for the bag, "James," she laughed. "You really don't-"
"Nonsense, you shouldn't be carrying this much." He weighed the bag on his arm. "Merlin, Lils. What do you have in here, a cauldron?"
"Just some books, in case I have time to read a bit."
James put an arm around her waist and pulled her in. "I love having a smart girlfriend." He placed a kiss on her temple as she smiled.
Lily noticed as they approached the potions room, she smelled the thick scent of James' cologne. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, but much stronger than usual.
James stopped walking. "Do you smell that?" He looked confused.
"Hard to smell anything with all that cologne you're wearing."
"Oh, please. I barely put any on this morning. I mean that smell. It's kind of like... treacle tart? And rain?"
Lily looked up confused. "I don't smell it."
They both approached the potions room, and Lily stopped dead in her tracks.
Written on the chalkboard in Slughorn's neat cursive was today's lesson: Amortentia.
Lily sniffed the air again. She smelled apple pie, and grass from the meadow where she used to go with Petunia. But strongest of all was the tell-tale smell of James' cologne.
She blushed heavily. Amortentia meant love. She loved apple pie, and she loved that meadow. Did she love James? She thought about it for a second. She wished she could spend every free moment with him, wished they could have every class together. She looked sideways at him, and his dreamy hazel eyes looked back at her. Those eyes, beneath those dorky glasses, and that smile.
She did.
James seemed to realize the implications of what he smelled as well. She wished she hadn't stupidly blabbed about smelling his cologne. Hopefully he had forgotten.
James could smell a stronger scent now. Lavender. The smell of Lily's shampoo filled his nostrils. He loved Lily for sure, he had for 2 years, so it made sense that he smelled her. James thought back to the hallway for a second. Didn't Lily say she smelled his cologne. He wasn't wearing much. Could she have been smelling him in the Amortentia? He wondered.
They both sat down and attempted to recreate the potion for Slughorn. Lily, being the potions prodigy, took the lead. She cut the ingredients and handed them to James to put into the cauldron. They spent class sneaking glances at each other, both wishing they knew what the other one really smelled.
"So, treacle tart and rain?" Lily questioned. Her and James were in the corner of the Library, finishing up divination homework. Lily was sitting cross-legged while James laid his head in her lap.
He looked up at her. "And Hawthorn wood." He flashed a smile.
Lily rolled her eyes with a smile. "Of course you smell your broomstick in a love potion."
I-" James hesitated for a moment. "I smell something else too."
Lily laughed lightly. "What is it?"
"You. Well, technically your shampoo."
Lily froze. He smelled her in Amortentia. James smelled her. Lily met his eyes with an intense glance. "James-"
James sat up and reached for Lily's hands. "Before you say anything, I just want to get something out." James took in a breath. Here goes. "I love you, Lily. I love your laugh, your smile, every bloody thing about you. I don't know if you already knew this, considering I've been confessing it since fifth year, but I figured it's different now that we're together. I've been dying to say it for weeks now." James ran a hand through his hair. "I understand if you don't feel the same w-"
"I love you too."
The words came out of Lily's mouth before she could even process them. Her heart didn't care what her brain had to say. She needed to say it back.
James nearly fell over. But once he had regained his balance, he grabbed Lily's face in his hands and kissed her with every fiber with his being. Lily wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him closer.
Nothing else mattered in that moment but each other. They were two 17-year olds in love, and nothing was standing between them.
James pulled apart as he kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheek, her neck, and then returned to her lips. "Merlin, I love you. I love you. I love you." He punctuated each statement with a kiss.
Lily was giggling and blushing. She was elated and all she wanted to do was stay with James forever. Her smile suddenly faded as she realized they were still in the library, and she pulled away from James to straighten herself out.
James looked worried as if she had changed her mind, but was soon reassured when Lily pulled him back in for a light kiss. "I would be mortified if Madam Pince walked over to see us all over each other like this."
James leaned his forehead against Lily's. "You have no idea how happy you've made me, Lils."
"You make me just as happy." Lily leaned in closer so their noses were touching. "I love you, James Potter."
"And I you, Lily Evans."
"This may be an awkward time to ask," Lily hesitated. "But Slughorn is having his Christmas party next week. There's no way I'm going to another one by myself-"
"I'll be there." James reached for her hand again. "Any excuse to show you off as my girlfriend."
Lily smiled as she held James' hands in her own. She kissed him once more, this time light and gentle. She felt like she had won the lottery with James.
Lily groaned as she looked back to her parchment and quill. "I need to finish this transfiguration essay."
Madam Pince peered around the bookshelf they were behind. "Shh!"
As she turned the corner again, James whispered, "Out of everything, she heard that?"
Lily stifled a laugh as James laid his head back in her lap, and she went back to her homework.
Hey guys! Thanks for reading another chapter of Falling for You, I hope you enjoyed it! Reminder that I update on Wednesdays, so check back next week for a new chapter. See you in a week!
