A/N: Oh god, I can't believe this is the last chapter!!! And I can't believe it took me over three months to update!!!! And I can't believe that a certain someone coughKishcough hasn't bitten my head off yet like she was threatening to if I didn't update!!!! In all seriousness, however (ha, like I'm ever serious), this story has been mucho fun to write and get reviews on. So, love you all!!!! The very absolute last chapter!!! runs off to a corner to sob

Disclaimer: This story was written purely for the enjoyment of the authors and readers.

Don't sue.

"Shove over, Prongs!"

"Oh honestly, Padfoot, you're as bad as he is! Get your elbow out of my basin!"

"Well forgive me, Mr. I'm-so-great-at-cleaning-stupid-badges-with-stupid-ing-toothbrushes!"

"Says the guy who has the skill level of a baboon."

"Get your greasy nose out of it, Snivelly!"

"Yeah, because you're SO handsome, Black!"

"Want me to change the shape of YOUR face, Bellatri—"

"OH FOR PETE'S SAKE, WOULD YOU ALL SHUT UP???!!!!!!" Lily bellowed.

She was not having a good day. It was their eleventh detention and she was stuck with Snape, Bellatrix, Sirius, Remus and James.

James. The boy had done nothing but confuse the heck out of her. First he basically told her that he loved her, and then (after they were caught) avoided her as much as possible. Now she was stuck in the trophy with a group that had a combined maturity of ten years old (excluding herself, obviously) cleaning every trophy the school seemed to posses.

She had a strange but not unfamiliar sensation on the back of her neck. Looking up, she caught the eye of James, who was staring at her.

"What?" she asked irritably.

"Nothing," he quickly replied and moved away to put more distance between them. There
was a slight twinge of embarrassment and guilt at his actions. Maybe she was being a
bit too cross. Although still firmly advocating that she and James were not a "couple", Lily was finding herself thinking about him increasingly more than usual or normal, and the thoughts themselves were beginning to change as well.

It had all really begun when he had seriously told her he liked her. This made her wonder a lot. Was she just playing along, sort of flattering herself because he liked her while not having any real feelings towards him? Or was it simply easier to love someone when they loved you? But who was talking about love, anyway?

Lily sighed and dipped her toothbrush back into the suds, moving over to start on another trophy. The fact that she had chosen a trophy closer to James' was obviously a coincidence.

James smiled at her when she knelt beside him, scrubbing furiously at a particularly stubborn piece of rust. She smiled back without even thinking about it. It was just a natural reaction now. His smile broadened into an adorable, excited young boy's. She felt herself blushing and turned away.

"Oh Merlin," she thought desperately. "What have I gotten myself into?"

&$&$&$

James wanted to smack himself on the head, he felt so stupid. Why couldn't he manage to talk to Lily? Never before had this happened. Even when she had put a silencing charm on him he still had managed to communicate with her through some very interesting sign language...but now? Now that he had basically spilled his heart out to her, he couldn't say a thing. Every time he tried his throat got all clogged up and the words in his brain just wouldn't come out. This of course was rather embarrassing so he avoided Lily at all costs, a difficult feat seeing as she was in his house and didn't seem to hate him any more.

Out of the corner of his eyes, James could see Lily moving on to another trophy. He tried not to put too much significance on the fact that she had chosen a spot closer to his. Tentatively, he grinned at her.

Lately he had been a thousand times more attracted to her—and a thousand times more terrified of her. He didn't want to seem too forward. If he messed it up now, just when it seemed like she was beginning to hate him less...well, that would be too much to bear.

To his enormous surprise and relief, Lily smiled back at once. And it wasn't a sarcastic smile either. It was a beautiful, happy, 100 real Lily smile. James smiled back even more enthusiastically, feeling almost lightheaded. Her cheeks reddened a little and she ducked her head, returning forcibly to her work.

She was blushing around him? Since when?

Well, it was a good sign most likely. She was starting to warm up to him.

Sirius shuffled over on his knees with a toothbrush in his hand, cursing fluently at Filch, McGonagall and what sounded like random names he spotted on the trophies. He began scrubbing one of the medals that James had already cleaned. Winking at James, he leaned over him to grin at Lily. She raised an eyebrow at him and grinned sardonically back.

Sirius then turned to James, who was seething. Leaning forward in an attempt at inconspicuous, Sirius whispered,

"Why don't you just ask her out, Prongs?" James looked furiously out of the corner of his eye at Lily, who appeared not to have heard, and then turned to Sirius.

"Please stop trying to play matchmaker," he hissed between clenched teeth. "Just let me work this out on my own!" Sirius snorted.

"Ah yes, because you're so good at communicating with ladies. You two have said, let's see, seven words to each other today? 'Let's get this the hell over with'?"

"Just shut up! I'm doing this my way!"

"And your way is not to do anything at all. Yes, I can definitely see how that would be irresistible."

"Listen, I already tried being assertive about it. For five years. And in case you didn't notice, that approach failed. So maybe letting her take the first step is the way to go."

James sighed in relief as Sirius rolled his eyes and continued down the line of statues, then snuck another look at Lily. It looked like she hadn't heard a thing. James wasn't sure if this was good or not.

&$&$&$

Lily was confused. She had just overheard the conversation between James and Sirius, and it was not good news. James still liked her. Ok, that was good news. But he wanted her to make the first move. Crap. First moves were not her forte.

What did you do? Try to start a conversation? Sit next to him in class? Or should she just kiss him? The latter did not sound like a particularly good idea; really, it sounded like something Sirius might do. So, definitely not a good idea.

She bit her lip and suddenly realized that she had stopped cleaning and James was looking at her oddly. Well, another odd look from James to add to her collection. She had been receiving plenty over the past few weeks.

Rather than attempt a conversation (James didn't seem to have mastered that art yet; whenever she spoke to him he answered in more of an embarrassed garble than actual words) Lily plunged her rag into the soapy water. Or, tried to. At that precise moment, James pulled the bucket a little closer to him and Lily's hand ended up slamming into the inside top of the bucket. Which consequently caused the bucket to flip in her direction and dump its entire contents over her.

Two seconds later, Lily pulled back the drenched hair obscuring her vision and found herself staring at James, who looked positively mortified.

&$&$&$

"Oh Merlin...I'm s-so sorry Lily!"

Was she mad at him? Her face was still stunned. I just wrecked it all, I know it! Man, I'm such an idiot! Lily was reaching behind her. Was she pulling out her wand? Was she going to hex him?

But the last thing James saw before a wave of icy water engulfed him was Lily
holding Sirius' bucket, her face alive with laughter.

&$&$&$

Sirius looked over confusedly at the two. Lily had just taken his water bucket. But as soon as he saw the two of them, soaked and grinning, only one thought entered Sirius' mind. And when thoughts entered his mind, they usually came out his mouth as well.

"WATER FIGHT!!!!"

&$&$&$

Lily just didn't know what to think when everyone started screaming and dumping pails of water on each other. A few weeks ago, she would have tried to stop them; sure they would all be in terrible trouble when Filch came back. But Lily was not the same person that she had been a few weeks ago.

She had thought she would never change for anyone, least of all James Potter. And that was still true. She hadn't changed for James. She had changed for herself.

A blast of icy water hit her in the face. She gasped, and then started laughing. It was, not surprisingly, James. For a second, their eyes met, and Lily finally realized that she had done what she had sworn never to do: she had fallen in love with James Potter.

Lily aimed her wand and sent a hoselike jet of water at him, which hit him on the chest.
She laughed hysterically as he shot a beam of water at her, but missed. And there the two stood, seeming to have forgotten the battle around them as they conducted their own water duel.

Every so often their eyes would meet, and Lily felt a warm fullness radiating throughout her body although the water was frigid. Even though there was bound to be awkwardness still to vanquish between them, she knew that they would conquer it all. Soon she hoped they would be able to feel that closeness always described in books or movies, the vibe shining around two people who truly loved each other. There would come a day when she and James would have that.

But for now, all she needed was to stand there, soaking wet and screaming with laughter, while the forgotten others battled around them and she was with James.

SOBBBBBBBINGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sniff Farewell, all! We shall miss you!!!!

Let's end on a happy note.

Here's a llama, there's a llama and another little llama, fuzzy llama funny llama llama llama duck!...