100% Jily chapter! I feel like along with the usual reminder that I don't own anything I should also mention that I don't encourage underage drinking. Thank you again for reading/following/reviewing!

Lily sat in her living room, reading the book James had given her while Petunia went on about something Vernon had done that she couldn't bring herself to care about. Lily's mind kept drifting to James, hoping he'd liked his Christmas gift. She hadn't stopped thinking about him since she left the train station and while she'd come to terms with the fact that she certainly felt something for him it was still a strange feeling.

Despite seeming more mature he was still his usual flirty self with her, but with one key difference - he hadn't asked her out once this year.

Part of her wondered if maybe now that they were friends he realized he didn't feel that way about her anymore, though their friends all insisted that he did. Maybe after a while it became such a habit to flirt with her the way he did that he just didn't know how to stop? But every time that thought crossed her mind she'd remember how he held her hand on the way back from Hogsmeade or the way he looked at her when they almost kissed by the great hall and hope that there was some other reason that he would stop asking her out at every turn just as soon as she realized she finally wanted to say yes.

Back at his own house James was still looking at Lily's Christmas gift. It was snowing outside but he had spent so much time staring at the photo he could practically feel the warm summer air and her hands on his shoulders.

He already couldn't wait to see her on New Year's Eve. Sirius kept asking him if he was going to kiss her at midnight. It had been all he could think about since he decided to ask her to come to the party (if he was being honest his mind had been stuck on it for years now, but he wouldn't dwell on that).

The thought sort of terrified him. If she rejected him could they still be friends like they were or would it ruin everything? She'd been turning him down for years and it always stung, though he pretended it didn't, but this time would be different and while there was no doubt in his mind that Lily Evans would always be worth anything to him the possibility of losing what they finally had was still something he wanted to avoid.

James put the picture beside his bed and left his room to find Sirius.

He found him in the kitchen with his mother. The Potters had taken Sirius in at the start of last summer, though if it had been up to his mom they'd have adopted him after first year.

James dragged him into his bedroom and handed him the picture.

"Honestly Prongs, you've already shown me this a million times and it's hardly been an hour." Sirius groaned.

"I know, but...do you think she...I mean, does this mean anything?"

"You're asking he wrong person, mate."

James sighed, looking down at the picture again.

"I know. It's just...if I mess things up now it's all over. We're friends, and I love it, but if I try anything and she turns me down this time I don't think we can go back."

Sirius thought for a moment. James was right and Sirius knew all too well just how hung up he had been on Lily for years now.

"Well, her feelings toward you certainly seem to have changed. It might be worth it to at least try. And you did say you thought she was going to kiss you that one time."

"You told me I was probably being delusional." James reminded him.

"Hey, I've been wrong before." Sirius shrugged.

James flopped backwards on his bed with a groan. Was he being delusional that day? No, he was certain she would have kissed him if they hadn't been interrupted. But why? Would it have been a mistake? Was she just tired and not thinking straight? Neither of them had brought it up since it happened.

He wondered if maybe he should ask her, but he was afraid of what she would say. Still, he had to know or he'd go insane.

Then again, he seemed to be going insane trying to figure her out anyway. Sometimes he was certain there was something between them, but it was also entirely possible that he was just misinterpreting things to look the way he wanted them to.

He had to know.

"I'm going to ask her. " He said simply.

James wrote to Lily with the details for New Year's Eve almost immediately. He sent his owl out a few hours after he got home, only realizing that it might seem a little over eager as the owl was flying away.

He drove Sirius insane worrying about what she'd think for hours until his owl returned with her response. It was short but she ended her letter with; "Can't wait! Love, Lily" so he took that as a positive sign.

When New Year's Eve finally came Mrs. Potter apparated to the Evans house and brought Lily back with her. They would all be learning to apparate this year anyway, but Lily wasn't exactly crazy about the feeling.

James waited eagerly for them to return, running to the front of the house to greet them as soon as he heard the familiar POP.

He skidded into the room, Sirius trailing behind him, trying to look as casual as he could when he greeted her.

"Hey, Evans." He nodded.

"Hi James." She smiled.

"Oh, it really is so great to finally meet you!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed. "James has been going on about you for ages!"

Lily giggled as James dragged her out of the room to show her around the house before his mother could go on, pressing her with questions on what exactly his mother had said when they were alone together.

It wasn't long before the rest of the guests arrived James, Sirius, and Lily spent most of the night in James's room with a bottle of firewhiskey and the bag of muggle candy Lily had promised James she'd bring.

When 11:55 rolled around Sirius found an excuse to leave the room so the two of them could be alone for a bit. From where they two of them were sitting on his bed they could hear the party downstairs. James tapped his foot nervously on the floor. Lily giggled and leaned against his arm.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you planned this, Potter."

"Planned what?" James asked, laughing at Lily's drunken giggles.

"You and me, drunk and alone in your bedroom." She said suggestively, poking him in the chest.

James's smile faded a bit and Lily leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"I was just kidding. I'm having a good time with you. It still feels a little weird to say that, but...I do like spending time with you." Lily nodded against his shoulder. "I guess I don't mind being alone with you as much as I thought I would."

James looked down at her, trying to decide if she actually meant this or was just too drunk to know what she was saying.

Beneath them they could hear everyone counting down from 10 and James took a deep breath, his heart beating harder than ever as Lily turned to look at him.

As the party goers below them reached 5 James reached up and put a hand on her cheek.

At 3 Lily's eyes shut and she leaned toward him.

At 2 their lips were just barely touching for the second time and when the people on the floor below them began screaming "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" James sighed and reluctantly put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away.

"Sorry...I just thought...never mind..." Lily said, quickly glancing away and getting to her feet to leave the room.

"Lily, wait!" James grabbed her hand and pulled her back down onto his bed beside him.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I shouldn't have-"

"No! I shouldn't have. I just...believe me Lily, I've wanted this for years, I just...it would be a mistake."

Lily was actually surprised by just how much that hurt. Maybe he really wasn't interested in her anymore. She felt so foolish but her eyes stung and she bit her lip, way too proud to let him see her cry over this.

"A mistake." She repeated, getting to her feet again and shoving off his attempt at pulling her back.

James jumped up and stood in front of her, frantically trying to correct his mistake.

"No! That's not what I meant! I just...Lily, I've wanted this more than anything for years now. But I don't just want one kiss with you because we're drunk and it's some stupid tradition. I don't want you to sober up and feel like you've done something you regret." James finished, not meeting her eyes.

Lily sat back down on his bed and James followed, covering his face with his hands and huffing loudly. She put her hand on his shoulder. She wasn't sure what to say, she knew that she wanted to kiss him just as much drunk as she did sober, but of course he didn't know that.

"James-"

"I'm sorry Lily. I'm such an idiot."

He'd spent years flirting with her, talking himself up around her, making comments that often got him hexed, and secretly wishing to be in the exact position he had just been in minutes ago and now he'd completely blown it.

"James, you're not stupid. You're...sweet." She said, inching closer to him. "And you're right. After all this time, if something is going to happen between us it should be for the right reason."

Lily's hand slid from his shoulder to one of the ones that was covering James face and pulled it away, lacing her fingers through his. James sat up and looked over at her.

For a second they were both silent, then James smirked at her.

"Now, I noticed you said "if something is going to happen" and not "absolutely not, get away from me before I hex you" like you normally do. Should I take that to mean I have a chance, or-"

Laughing, Lily shoved him playfully, knocking him backward onto the bed. Without thinking James grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him, tickling her sides while Lily fought to stop him. She finally pried his hands off, the two of them still laughing for a second before it hit them that Lily was lying on top of him and their faces were inches away from each other.

The laughter died down and once again the two of them caught themselves just as they were about to kiss. Instead Lily dropped her head onto his shoulder and sighed.

James groaned quietly, beyond frustrated, and shut his eyes.

"Hey, Potter?"

"Hm?"

"Maybe you should take what I said to mean there is a chance."

James was silent for a second and Lily fought the urge to look up at him, though if she had she probably would have though his absolutely bewildered expression was priceless. After the shock wore off James sighed.

"Would you be saying that if you hadn't been drinking?"

Now Lily sat up to look at him, sliding over so that she was beside of instead of on top of him.

"Probably not. But just because I wouldn't say it doesn't mean I wouldn't be thinking it."

James looked over her face. Her bright green eyes were staring into his hazel ones and she was leaning on her arms to look over at him. Her long red hair was falling over her shoulder and James reached over to brush it aside.

Lily smiled at him and he felt that funny little jolt of happiness that he only ever got with her. I'm in love with this girl. He thought, not for the first time. He'd been certain about this ever since last summer when they first started really getting to know each other. She'd always been perfect to him and he knew he wasn't the only one that saw it. He certainly saw the way Snape looked at her, and begrudgingly realized that it was the a little too much like the way he did. Now that the roles were reversed and Snape was the one she couldn't stand he almost felt bad for the Slytherin boy. He didn't even want to think about how it would feel to go back to Lily hating him now.

That thought was what stopped him from really trying to push their relationship lately. No matter how many times he told himself that things were different now he couldn't help imagining her rejecting him like she always used to. Granted she'd probably not be as harsh anymore.

But there is a chance. I have a chance. She said so herself. He reminded himself.

So he was going to take that chance and hope that for the first time he wouldn't mess it up. Or at least that she'd still talk to him if he did.