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Chapter 13 – Lily's realisation

It was a Saturday morning and the students were glad; preparation for NEWTS was difficult and monotonous so they were happy to get a day off even though the homework list could fit at least a three foot parchment.

The Marauders had decided to have a relaxing day by the Lake playing a little Quidditch, of course however Remus wanted to take some homework due to the intensity of his schedule and the fact that he missed three days of the month.

James was just collecting his snitch and a small assignment for Potions and was going to meet the others outside. He ran down the grand staircase to the front entrance of the Hall and to his surprise found Lily was behind him. Lily had been quite nice to him since she had found out he could be a decent human being yet he would have liked to have seen her more but due to their full schedules had been unable to. He had decided the best course of action would be not to snigger at her as he might have done but instead hold the door open for her.

She looked surprised but nonetheless walked through, "Thank you Potter" and then she ran, to his dismay to the Lake to meet her friends. He loved the fact that for a whole afternoon he would be able to stare and perhaps talk to Lily but also he hated that Sirius would be either loved up or arguing with Cassie and Remus will be working which left him alone with Peter. He walked down slowly with a frown upon his face to the Lake. It seemed rather busy but he sat down next to Remus and continuously threw his snitch into the air.

"What's up Prongs?" Sirius shouted over from where he was sat next to Cassie.

"Are you having no luck with that girl?" Lily asked not very sympathetically.

Sirius, Remus and Peter all looked up in surprise, what had he told Lily?

"What girl?" Peter asked.

James looked too confused to explain, "There isn't a girl"

"So it's a boy?" Sirius asked jokily. Everyone rolled over laughing. Even James had a smile on his face.

The laughter died down when Peter enquired after Figgy,

"She's doing some transfiguration with Professor McGonagall – I think she is struggling a bit" Cassie replied.

They all laughed and joked together for the rest of the afternoon whilst James, Lily and Remus were trying to complete their work. They were interrupted once by a group of second years who wanted James to sign their own snitches which caused Lily to roll her eyes ferociously at him with the thought of him getting an even bigger head.

However they all dispersed at tea time when they had some food and then separated; Sirius and Cassie were going to finally do some work that had been set; Remus was meeting a girl from Ravenclaw that he had met from the Christmas Ball; Peter had a detention; Lily needed to go to the Library and James was on his way to play some Quidditch with a few of his team mates.

On the way to the library, Lily realised she had forgotten her quill so went back to her dorm to get it and as she went back through the Common room she had bumped into James…again. This time he was in his Quidditch uniform and though she constantly denied it to Figgy and Cassie, she did think he looked very good in his uniform so she was a little red faced when he turned around and realised she was there.

He grinned "Oh hi"

"Hello"

"Are you-" and just as James said this Lily had already begun speaking also " I wan-"

It was a very awkward moment but James gestured to let Lily continue,

"I just wanted to apologise for mentioning that girl at the Lake"

"No problem" he said starting to feel a little uncomfortable but still his confident self.

"I just don't know what made me – I mean if I had known it was Cassie I –"

James looked startled "What!"

She looked flustered. "Well it all makes sense, you hide the fact you like someone from your friends, you don't tell the girl when your usual confident self would, you helped her at the dance and you looked extremely embarrassed earlier. It's the only explanation as you wouldn't betray Sirius" Lily concluded taking a deep breath and looking cautiously at James' expression.

"I assure you, Cassie is far too boisterous for me – she's better suited with Sirius. The girl I like is quite different to Cassie". James began walking, not really wanting to continue with the conversation.

"So why don't you just tell her, you usually do, or at least tell your friends"

James laughed "They know, they just didn't know you knew. I'll tell her when I feel she doesn't hate me anymore" James sat down realising that he wasn't going to get away.

"hmmm so is it someone from Gryffindor?" She asked perseveringly.

James laughed again, "I'm not telling you anything. Is that it? Can I go to Quidditch now?"

She frowned, "I wouldn't tell anyone."

"I know you wouldn't but I don't want you knowing – you could use it against me in one of our arguments" James said with a grin.

"I suppose I wouldn't tell you either" Lily replied stubbornly.

"Give me those books" James said

"Why?"

"I'm gonna carry them till you get to the library on my way out"

"How did you know I was going there?"

"You're always there" Lily smacked him in a friendly way on the arm as they headed out.

For a couple of weeks they began spending more time together unconsciously aware of the fact. They talked about school, love, home life and found that very unconsciously that they enjoyed each others company. However, they would argue and disagree on most things but they happened to bump into each other in the library, at dinner times, and even in the Common room which amused Figgy and Cassie immensely.

The three girls were in their dorm trying to sleep one night when Figgy began quizzing Lily on their new dynamic.

"So Lily what is this new obsession with James?"

She turned around in her bed and mumbled back "What are you on about?"

"You've been seeing a lot of each other recently" Figgy replied.

"We haven't or no more than usual, right Cas?"

"Um no Lily, people are beginning to notice, especially those little girls that follow him around. They're convinced you two are an item and they're gunning for you"

"Oh don't be ridiculous, its just Potter has been having some problems recently and I've been giving him some advice"

"Like what?" Cassie asked with interest whilst saying 'Lumos' with her wand to see Lily's face.

"Well keep it quiet but James is having trouble with a girl who he likes and who doesn't return the feelings. So I've been giving him some advice like casually bump into her or take an interest in what she likes and don't be so arrogant. Just things like that, you know from a girl's perspective"

The cogs were whirring in Figgy's head, "You say this girl doesn't return the feelings"

Lily nodded "apparently she hates him"

"Well the only girl I know who would turn him down is you and if you think back, he has been bumping into you. He's been in the library a lot which you like and he's decreased the amount of times he looks in a mirror in a day and me and Cassie was just saying he has even begun to leave his hair alone."

Cassie gasped, "Yeah – James likes Lily, James likes Lily" she begun to sing in an annoying manner.

Lily put her head back down to her pillow, "Don't be so preposterous. Why would he tell me if it was me"

"Did he tell you?" Figgy enquired.

Lily thought back, "Well no, Rachael told me he liked someone else, but that isn't the point, I'm not his type. Goodnight"

"Well whatever you say Lils, you are the only girl in the whole school who would say no to James Potter except for Slytherins who I'm sure would be more forthcoming than you" Cassie added.

"Goodnight!" Lily said with emphasis, yet she couldn't help but ponder on what they said. What would she ever do if it was her? But it couldn't be, he wouldn't be argumentative towards her if it was true. But what they had said made sense; she would have to sleep on it and see how he acts tomorrow.