A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Charm, my soul. I love you, Wands!

Previously on Sweet:
She had a pretty good head-start, but James was nearly sprinting after her retreating form. James followed her outside and towards the lake. She tripped over a rock near the water, and James took the advantage to grab her hand. She turned around and James looked into her eyes. The hurt that he had seen previously in the mass of emerald green had changed to a deep fury. She pulled the hair clip out of her hair in frustration and let her curls free as she threw the clip down on the ground. "Who the hell do you think you are, James Potter?"

Lovers' Quarrel

James, unable to suppress a smirk, shook his head and replied haughtily, "You do realize, Evans, that when people ask that question, they typically don't accompany it with the full name of the person they're addressing."

"You do realize, Potter, that typically people try not to be assholes," Lily spat back acidly. "But seeing as no one has been able to fully deduce that you are a human being..."

"Funny, Evans."

"Just answer the damn question."

"Such language, Evans," James replied, smirking wider now. "I thought we were just outhere to talk about the weather. Lovely night, isn't it?"

"Keep stalling, and you'll start to hear a lot worse than that, Potter."

"Fine, since you don't seem to be in the mood to exchange pleasantries, I came to see what in Merlin's name your problem is."

"My problem?" Lily asked, dumbfounded. "Are you sure you shouldn't be facing a mirror when you ask that?"

"I'm not the genius who thought it would be a good idea to go with Amos Diggory to the Ball."

"What is so wrong with saying yes to a decent bloke who asks me? It's not like I had any other options!"

"Amos Diggory is not a decent bloke," James said firmly, ignoring the last bit, which stung like hell.


"Oh," Lily laughed. "That's right. You despise anyone who even so much as looks at me because in your delusional mind, I am your property, or something. I guess it would be fitting to point out the hypocrisy of your situation when I say Icky has just been sunshine and roses all evening."

"Don't call her that."

"Why not? Sirius was right. The nickname describes her with amazing accuracy. I'm actually kind of jealous I hadn't thought of it first."

"She's not like that, okay?" James replied.

"Oh, really?" Lily bated him, her eyebrows rising inquisitively as she put one hand on her hip. "Then I must have been mistaken. It must have been some other girl shoving her chest into your face all night. I should really get Madame Pomfrey to check out my eyes. They have to be extremely dysfunctional if I can't differentiate Icky from someone else, especially with that dress she was, well, can you call it wearing if there is only about a millimeter of fabric?"

"Stop calling her that!" James yelled. "Damn it, Evans! She's a hell of a lot better than your precious Diggory!"

"Leave him out of this," Lily responded threateningly, or as threateningly as she could, being nearly four inches shorter than James, regardless of the fact that her feet felt like they were ready to fall off from the stiletto heels she was wearing.

"No, let's give Wonderboy a go, shall we? That is, if we can find any faults in your perfect Diggory," James finished, practically spitting the name out.

"I'll tell you what's so perfect about Diggory, Potter," Lily said.

"Yeah, and what's that? His dick is so small that he can hold your lipstick there for you instead?"

Lily's need to fight the urge to laugh made her impossibly even angrier at the boy in front of her. She moved a few feet closer to him to make sure that he could hear her as she whispered, "It's that he's not you."

"What?" James asked incredulously.

"You heard me," Lily replied, her volume increasing to nearly a scream. "The reason Diggory is so perfect is because he's not you. He doesn't feel the need to bring down anyone who threatens to wound his enormous ego. He's not an arrogant prick who can't take no for an answer!"



"I think I can handle rejection pretty well, Evans. After all, I've been doing it for seven years."

"And for a good reason!" Lily shrieked. "You go on and on about how much you want me, but all you really care about is the challenge! You've never really cared about me! All you want to do is prove to your Marauders that there is no girl you can't have! No girl who is able to resist the Potter Charm! Well, I've got news for you, Potter. I will not be made a fool of! I refuse to fall for you!"

"Sometimes you can't choose who you fall for, Evans, I should know! Do you think I would have picked the one girl who can't stand me? What do you think it's like loving someone who would rather see you buried in the ground then next to them? Love just hits you, and you can't shake it! You're doomed to love that person forever!"

"Love, that's a good one," Lily said as she chuckled darkly. "You are incapable of love. These so-called feelings you have for me are just the pathetic lusting of an immature seventeen year-old boy."

"No, they are not, Evans, and you know it!" James boomed so loudly that Lily backed away slightly in fright. "Do you think it is easy for me to love you? If you do, then you are just the same naïve little girl you were seven years ago. You always go on and on about how conceited and bigheaded I am. I'll always be the 'arrogant toerag' to you, won't I, Evans?" James laughed hollowly. "I know your tune by heart now, love."

"Don't call me, love," Lily muttered mutinously.

"But have you ever taken a step back to examine yourself, Evans?" James continued, ignoring her completely. This felt good. He had to keep talking and get it all out. "If you did you would see that you are just as stubborn and stupid as I am."

"Stupid?" Lily asked angrily, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes, stupid. Here I am, a guy who would sacrifice anything for you, and you treat me like dung! No matter how hard I try or how many ridiculous requirements of yours I meet, you'll never give me the time of day! Have you even noticed the changes in my behavior? I gave up pranking for you! I spend all of my time studying and writing essays because, Merlin forbid, a teacher scolds me in front of you. I'm the fucking Head Boy! That should have been the owl right there that I am responsible! But somehow, you're still unimpressed. Everything I've done, it's been for you, and it hasn't helped one single bit. And it's killing me! That I care for you this way and you hurt me so much. Sometimes, I wish I could hate you!"

"That's rich, Potter. Do you have any comprehension of how incredibly annoying you are? You haven't stopped pestering since me that moment we met on the train! And you want to know what the worst part is, Potter? I need it. Without you, there is no Hogwarts or magic or even me! I'm only the Evans to your Potter. I hate the constant 'go out with me, Evans,' 

but my day isn't complete without it. And, so I hate you for making me feel this, especially since in your own stupid way you are so sweet, and that makes me hate you even more! Do you have any idea how insanely difficult it is to be mad at you when you go around sending me lockets?" Lily said as she yanked it off her neck and handed it over to him.

"Well you seem to be able to channel your rage pretty well," James muttered darkly as he tried to mask the hurt in his eyes as he put the locket in his pocket.

"I hate you, James Potter!" Lily shrieked. "I hate how you make me feel! I don't want to be around you! I was doing just fine until I met you! I was happy; I was complete! And then you had to ruin everything!" Lily said as she moved closer to James.

"By doing what?" James yelled, thrusting his hands into the air.

"By making me fall in love with you! I'll never forgive you for that, James Potter. You were the last person I ever wanted to love."

"Well, I'm sorry, Evans, but you're just going to have to deal with that!" James yelled, his face merely inches from hers.

"I don't want to!"

"Too bad!"

"How do you do it?"

"Like this," James said as he cupped Lily's face in his right hand and kissed her. Lily froze for a few seconds, but then she began to move her lips just as passionately as James's arm found her waist and pulled her closer to him. Lily's fingers found their way to James's hair and she fulfilled her repressed fantasy to work her way through the untidy mess as James's tongue worked its way into her mouth. Eventually, both had no choice but to break apart for some much needed oxygen.

"That works," Lily said, panting slightly.

"Yeah, it does," James said, his breathing also ragged and shallow, as he smiled down at her. Lily's heart stopped beating. She had never seen him look so genuinely happy. It was like he had a glowing aura around him. It was intoxicating.

"James, I have a confession to make."

"What's that?" he asked, reaching in his pocket to retrieve the locket and then leaning in to clasp it around her neck.

"I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you," she said into James's ear.



"Well, that's a shame, Lily," James said, sighing.

"And why's that? Lily asked, surprised to find that she was laughing.

"Because I know that I'm in love with you."

"Then I guess you'll just have to convince me of the same," Lily teased.

"I should," James agreed before leaning down to kiss her again. Lily seemed to explode with happiness as James worked his magic. He broke off slowly and whispered in her ear, "Convinced?"

"Not yet," Lily replied breathlessly.

He laughed and then covered her mouth with his own once again. All too quickly, he broke free and asked, "Now?"

Lily nodded fervently as James's lips moved down to her neck. "Shall you tell Diggory or can I?" James asked a little too gleefully between kisses.

Gaining back her control, Lily pushed him away squealing, "James!"

"Just kidding, Lils," he said, at least having the decency to seem slightly abashed.

"Sure you were," Lily replied, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy New Year," James said smiling.

"Happy New Year," Lily repeated and returned his smile. She kissed him quickly on the lips, and James laughed and swung her around till her feet were inches off the ground.

"James! Put me down!"

"As you wish," James sighed, putting Lily down. He ran his fingers through her red hair and smiled at the scent of lavender. "You know, I do love you in black."

"Especially when it's combined with revealing?"

"Especially."

Lily giggled. "I guess we better get back to the Ball. It should be nearly over by now." She began walking towards the castle and then held out her hand for James to join her. Hand-

in-hand, they made their way toward the castle.

"I wonder what everyone is going to say now that we're together. We are together, right?"

"Forever and ever, Lily," James said as he opened the door to the castle for her.

"James Potter, you are such a sap."

"Isn't that why you love me? Because I'm sweet?"

"Did I say that? I meant to say it was because Sirius was already taken and you were the best substitute I could find."

"Oh Sweet Merlin!"

"What? You do know I was joking?"

"Yes, but I have to go tell Sirius the news right away!" he answered her before hastily kissing her and rushing off in the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Is this how things are going to be from now on?" She called down the corridor. "We snog, and then you rush off to tell your boyfriend?"

"Love you too, Lily!" James yelled over his shoulder as he continued sprinting.

A/N: okay, hopefully you guys will stop telling me how mean i am now. haha. though, i did very much enjoy it. in a sick, twisted kind of way. i like this better, though. ahhh. love. it's so good. if you want to say something a little less generic than that (and i hope you do) there's a lavender colored button down there. and we all now how much james loves lavender.