Lily Evans wouldn't win any beauty pagents. She wasn't breathtaking, gifted with unearthly beauty, or a goddess descended from the heavens. But she was his goddess and he'd been worshipping at her alter since the moment she knocked him on his head during their 5th year. She'd bewitched him in a way that had nothing to do with magic--potions or spells--and captured his heart like Seeker would an errant Snitch.

So he pursued her, chased her with an obsessive single-mindedness that became more insistant with every refusal she uttered. Maybe it was her sarcastic humor and caustic wit--she was never afraid to issue a well-deserved dressing down should the occasion merit it. Perhaps it was the tantalizing way the edges of her mouth quirked into a smirk when she was mocking him. Or the saucy way she tossed her auburn locks over her shoulder when she was really annoyed. Or maybe, just maybe, it was her eyes. Wicked, wicked eyes that alternately danced with amusement, darkened with passion, or blazed with anger. She didn't need words, not really. Her expressive eyes spoke to him, telling him all he needed to know.

Maybe it was all of these things--or none--that held his heart captive. But it didn't matter. She was Lily. His Lily. Keeper of his hopes and dreams. The only girl he could ever love.

"One last time." He whispered.

It had to be. For the sake of his sanity, for the sake of his soul, it had to be. Could he tell her, really tell her something of the dreams of her he'd cherished for so long?

"I'll ask her this time. Really ask her." He combed his hair, studied the result then ruffled it.

"If she says 'no'..."

But he couldn't really think of the possibility; it would end him, end him completely. So much of his soul was bound to her...

"There's something between us. She must feel it. She has to feel it."

He adjusted his clothes and squared his shoulders before descending into their shared Common Room to find her...

Gone.

A sigh escaped him. All he felt was...relief? The moment, the defining moment, was put off.

Settling into a confident amble he strolled towards the Gryffindor Dormitory certain--for the moment at least--that the inevitable confrontation was avoided.

"Morning, mate." Padfoot grinned at him as he stepped through the portrait hole.

"You're certainly up early." James remarked in surprise. "I figured I'd have to forceably drag you lot from between the blankets."

"If you're looking for Moony and Wormtail, you'll still have to. I, on the other hand, had to see if I'd be kissing old Snivelly anytime soon, now didn't I mate? Vested interest and all that."

James laughed and ruffled his hair. "I suppose so."

"So, ready to cage our elusive bird?"

"Of course." James replied confidently.

"Good. 'Cause there she is."

Sirius gave him a rough shove towards the fire. How he had missed her--sitting in the corner chair, busily scribbling on scroll that was approaching two feet long--he couldn't fathom. A nervous thrill traveled down his spine as he walked towards her, ignoring the other students in the room completely. For him there was only her. Always her.

He stopped just in front of her, waiting, his heart pounding and his thoughts uncertain.

"Lily?" He managed tentatively, his voice sounding unnaturally loud to him.

She looked up, smouldering eyes on him, tossing her burning hair over her shoulder.

"Yes, Potter?"

"Lily?"

She looked up, tossing her hair over her shoulder in annoyance, and wondering who could possibly have the nerve to interrupt her so close to completing her essay.

Potter. She should have guessed. She really should have. Then the corners of her lips curved into an unwitting smile as she remembered her new strategy for managing her Potter Problem. How would he react?

"Yes, Potter?" She kept her tone carefully neutral, wanting neither to discourage nor encourage him.

He ran his fingers through his hair, watching her, measuring her. Then he stopped, his typically arrogant posture slumping slightly, his hazel eyes deepening into darkness as he began to speak.

"Please."

His tone was shaky, uncertain, and so unlike Potter that she dropped the scroll into her lap.

"Please, Lily. Go out with me."

She stared at him.

"Just...just once. You won't regret it."

Was he begging her? Potter. Begging. Her.

"Fine." she murmered, retrieving her fallen scroll. The room went deathly silent, as though all ears--and eyes--were focused on them.

" But wh--wait. What?"

"Don't make me repeat it, Potter."

"I'm afraid you'll have to." He said apologetically, his eyes never leaving her face. "Because I can't possibly have heard you right."

"Fine." She repeated, louder this time. "Ok."

His eyes were fixated on her, on her mouth. "Ok, you'll repeat it? Or ok, you'll..." He didn't seem to be able to finish.

She sighed slightly, telling herself resolutely not to smile.

She smiled.

"Ok. I'll go out with you."

She returned to her scroll. He kept standing in front of her, stunned into speechlessness.

The hall erupted into applause.

"About ruddy time, mate!" Black shouted, patting the motionless Potter on the back.

Lily looked up again. He was still just staring at her.

"Why Lily?" His voice was soft and filled with an emotion she couldn't identify. "Why...now? After all this time..."

She raised a brow. "Do you really want to go down that road, Potter?"

Black grabbed Potter by the arm. "No. He doesn't." He began forceably dragging Potter away.

"He'll pick you up Saturday. At 7."

"Here." She replied, nodding in assent. "In the Gryffindor Common Room."

"Brilliant." was Black's response. "He'll be there."

Potter was still staring at her as Black pulled him up the staircase to the boy's dormitory.

She smiled and returned to her scroll, ignoring the excited chatter and the sounds of money being exchanged among parties who had placed wagers on the liklihood of her ever giving in.

Sirius dropped James' arm and jumped--rudely--onto Remus' bed.

"She said yes! She said yes!" He sing-songed.

Remus bolted up and shoved Padfoot to the floor.

"Who said what?" He asked groggily.

"Evans. Said yes. To James." Padfoot said from the floor, still laying in the heap of dirty robes into which he had fallen.

Moony looked at James.

"So she did then."

He didn't sound suprised.

"Yeah..." James wasn't sure how to feel about it. He should feel elated, over-the-moon with giddiness. But he didn't. All he could feel was panic. Panic that it wouldn't be good enough-- that he wouldn't be good enough--to win her.

"You ok?" Remus was studying his face carefully. "I figured you'd be the one jumping on my bed."

"I'm fine." He replied. "Just...stunned I think."

Sirius clammered out of the dirty clothes. "Doesn't look like I'll be snogging Snivellous anytime soon! I bloody well knew it!"

Remus rubbed his temples. "I believe I can speak for all of us, including the still sleeping Wormtail, when I say the phrase 'snogging Snivellus' should never, ever be used in conversation, especially conversations occuring before breakfast."

"Seconded." James added quickly.

"So. What do you have in mind, Prongs?" Remus asked.

"At the moment? A rather disturbing mental image of my best-mate locking lips with a greasy git."

James and Sirius began to laugh at the repulsed, disgusted expression on Remus' face.

"I thought that we had decieded not to discuss that particular subject."

"No." Sirius sputtered. "We decieded that the phrase 'snogging Snivellus' shouldn't enter into conversation, not--"

"No references to any subject that is remotely related to the phrase 'snogging Snivellus' then." Moony amended.

Sirius pouted. "Now where's the fun in that?"

Remus ignored him. "I meant what do you have in mind for your date with Lily?"

James stared at him earnestly. "Moony. I've had two years to plan this date. It'll be perfect."

"All the same...care to run it by us?" Moony cast a glance at Padfoot, who was making kissing motions with his mouth at Moony. "Or rather me?"

"Later. Right now, I just need it all to sink in."

Sirius grinned at him.

"Just don't expect us to hang out with her friends."

"Huh?"

"Lily's an alright bird, but don't expect us to associate with her loyal followers."

Remus sighed. "Padfoot. There is nothing wrong with Lily's friends. I know, I've studied with them."

"Pur-lease!" Padfoot scoffed. "The blonde might be tolerable, if she weren't dating that daft Lovegood nutter."

"Lovegood?" Remus looked as though he were afraid to ask.

"Yeah. You know the one. Hufflepuff. Goes on and on about Wrackspurts and Ministry conspiracies. He has some uses though. You should see the colors McGonagall turns when she reads his essays. Classic."

James laughed and suprisingly so did Remus. Encourgaged, Padfoot went on.

"And the brunette! Her nose is always shoved in a book! Walking around wearing those aweful B.C.G's. She's an ascetic nightmare." He grabbed a book and panced around.

"B.C.G's?" James puffed, struggling to breathe from laughing.

"Yeah. Birth Control Glasses." Sirius replied, miming pushing heavy glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Birth Control Glasses?" James choked out.

"Where," Moony managed between laughs. "Do you come up with this stuff?"

"I came as soon as I heard!" Isa exclaimed.

Lily looked up from her essay. "As soon as you heard what?" she replied casually, fully aware what Isa was referring to.

"I hexed the first three that told me, but everyone's saying it!"

"Saying what?" Lily's eyebrows raised and she tried not to laugh.

"That--" Isa's voice raised several octaves. "That your dating Potter!"

Lily shrugged. "I am."

"What?!!" Isa's eyes were as wide as saucers; magnified by her glasses she looked uncommonly like an owl.

"I told him yes." She shrugged again. "It's just one date."

"Just one date? Lily have you lost your mind?" She grabbed Lily's shoulders and shook them.

"Is it true?" Delia asked, rushing over to them.

Isa ignored her. "Lily. You hate Potter."

"So it is true then." Delia didn't sound upset. She actually sounded rather smug.

"I don't hate Potter." Lily corrected her.

"Loathe, detest, abhor, whatever, pick an adjective. Lily you do not like Potter!"

Delia was all grins. "I think that she does. I've thought so for awhile now."

"I repeat, for the benefit of both of you, it's just one date."

"What have they done to you?" Isa moaned out. "It's Amortentia isn't it? Potter slipped you something."

Lily laughed. "First of all, do you really think I'd drink anything a Marauder handed me? Second of all, do you really think I'd drink anything that had been left unattended in the prescence of a Marauder? Lastly, do you really think I wouldn't notice that a drink I was about to consume had been laced with Amortentia?"

"Good points, all of them." Isa admitted. "I forgot I was speaking to 'old Sluggy's' little potions princess."

"So you really are going to date Potter then?" Delia asked.

"Yes. One date."

"You owe me a galleon, Isa." Delia grinned. Isa pulled the coin from her pocket, grumbling as she did so.