I am SO SO SO sorry about the month long (!) gap between updates. I completely rewrote this chapter twice on top of school, sorority and interning! I PROMISE it will never get this bad again, I hate being "that" writer haha. Please forgive me and leave me some love on this chapter. I added a flashback since I got a great response from the last one to try to win your favor :)

Song: "Sorry" by Buckcherry

Chapter 25: And I Know I Can't Take It Back

"And it's Potter with the Quaffle, OH BLOCKED BY MCNALLY, but she's got it again and YES LILY SCORES!" Hugo said excitedly as the Gryffindor students cheered for the redhead, zooming through the sky. She was satisfied, she had score twenty out of the forty points Gryffindor had and the team was playing well. She felt a little light headed, but she supposed it was because she spent the breakfast talking strategy with Hugo instead of eating. Out of the corner of her eye she saw their Seeker, third year Andrew O'Connell diving for a glittering gold ball.

"GO ANDREW!" Lily yelled, happy the Hufflepuff seeker was nowhere near him. She burst out into a cheer when his hands covered the Snitch and the whistle blew, signifying the end to what was a very short game. Hugging the rest of her team when she reached the ground, Lily looked around in the stands for Ben. He said he would try to make it, but he was nowhere to be seen in the crowd of students storming the field.

"Great job Lils!" Monica said, giving her a hug.

"Thanks Mon…is Ben here?" Lily asked, still looking around. Monica bit her lip.

"I didn't see him Lily, I'm sorry." Lily shrugged her shoulders.

"Its fine, I'm sure there's a reason." Lily told herself to forget about it and instead went to hug Lucy and Molly who were beaming at her.

"Cecilia Drell's face was priceless when you scored that last one." Monica said as she and Lily walked back to the castle. Lily had showered and changed into fresh clothes and the girls were on their way to the kitchen to get some food. "I can't imagine the gloating Hugo is going to do on their date next Saturday, Merlin knows he's probably so full of it right now."

" Hogsmeade next Saturday, I can't believe it--your date with Emmett!" Lily said excitedly and Monica blushed.

"I know, and especially since it will be Valentine's Day…what are you and Ben doing?"

"He hasn't mentioned it yet." Lily said frowning. When the girls reached the kitchens, they were happy to see the house elves, so cute in their little Hogwarts uniforms. Lily thought to when she first went to the kitchens…

FLASHBACK

"But I'm hungryyyyy" James whined to Emma as they studied with Ben in the common room. Lily, who was at a couch near them, perked her head up.

"I'm hungry too." She said.

"Well we can't let the young ones starve," Ben said, closing his Potions book, his eyes brightening at the promise of adventure.

"James, you nearly got caught yesterday-"

"The key word there is nearly." James told his girlfriend. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Fine. If you want to spend the majority of your sixth year in detention, don't let me stop you." Emma said, looking back to her Potions book.

"I'll bring you back something to turn that frown upside down," James said, kissing Emma on the forehead. She smiled and chuckled softly to herself. Lily nearly leaped off of the couch.

"You'll let me come this time, right James? It really isn't fair, I'm thirteen years old! I'm a teenager!"

"I'll let you come if you don't remind me you're a bloody teenager," James gruffed and Lily grinned brightly. Ben shot her a smile as James went to fetch the cloak and the map.

"We make the new ones kick Mrs. Norris." Ben told her. Lily stuck her tongue out at him.

"You know I won't harm animals. Even a vile one like that cat." She said.

"Well then I guess you won't be getting some pumpkin bread with us." Ben said, shrugging his shoulders.

"That doesn't sound too fair Benny-boy." Lily teased. Ben looked at her in mock horror.

"Alright Miss Potter, I will not make you kick Mrs. Norris if you promise NEVER to call me that again."

"Deal." Lily said, smiling.

END FLASHBACK

--

"Welcome to Gryffindor Common Room, Lily Potter's personal post office." Hugo said, tossing Lily a letter when she and Monica got back to the common room, their stomachs more full and their spirits high.

Lily,

I'm really sorry I didn't make it to the game. Please don't hex me, I tried but I got called in to work. I won't be able to come to our spot tonight either, I'm meeting James and some of the guys at a pub. I'll see you next weekend at Hogsmeade, I promise.

Hoping you won't send me a howler,

Ben

"You okay Lils?" Hugo asked when Lily sat down next to him. "You look a little pale…"

"I'm fine, I probably just ate too much. Exciting day, you know?" She said, folding the letter and feeling not excited, but disappointed. Hugo nodded.

"Well you better rest up for tonight! Victory party, of course." Hugo added with a wink. "Speaking of, may I have the pleasure of borrowing the cloak so I can make a Hogs Head run?"

"Course." Lily answered. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Course." Hugo answered in the same tone.

"When do you reckon people are in love?" Hugo thought for a minute.

"I guess they are in love when they say it."

"Spectacular." Lily mumbled. She was pretty sure she was in love with Ben but she wondered if she could be sure without hearing him saying it

--

"You look fabulous, stop touching your hair!" Lily laughed at Monica who kept playing with her curled hair. She and Lily had spent the whole morning getting ready for their Valentine's Day dates at Hogsmeade. Lily had redid her layers and pulled her hair off of her face with an emerald headband. She wore a silk emerald ¾ length top and dark jeans that hugged her curves. "Monica, I swear, it's not going to stay!" Monica had borrowed a charcoal dress from Lily. It was wool and had a V-neckline that, when paired with stockings and black boots, made her look like "A knockout!" Lily reminded, swatting Monica's hand from her hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous!"

"Understandable." Lily said, spritzing perfume her mother and gotten her on her wrists. She grabbed the small envelope from her desk and tucked it in the pocket of her coat. For Valentine's Day she had gotten Ben tickets to see a Muggle band he liked. She had made James buy the tickets and Owl them to her. Apparently it was a big ordeal because James forgot to exchange his money for Muggle money and was greeted with very strange looks from the ticket holder when he put a galleon down on the counter.

"What do you and Ben have planned?" Monica asked, fastening her cloak and wrapping a scarf around her neck.

"He hasn't mentioned it." Lily honestly answered, searching for her left glove. "I mean I assume we'll do the usual Three Broomsticks and walk around and all, Merlin knows he won't go into Madame Puddifoot's, even though I actually don't think it's that bad."

"That's where Emmett and I are going, surprisingly his suggestion." Monica nervously laughed.

"My dad said that on Valentine's Day the teashop has golden cherubs that throw pink confetti on you when you eat." Lily said, trying to ease Monica's nerves. "You and Emmett can laugh and bond on how cheesy it is. And then you can bond doing other things" Lily smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Well you would know!" Monica laughed and the two girls made their way down the stairs and down the path to Hogsmeade.

--

Ben appeared right in front of the Three Broomsticks and casually leaned against the outer wall. A light snow was falling and the smoke rising from the chimneys of the shops gave the village a very post-cardy feel. Ben brushed a stray curl from his forehead, he knew Molly would be getting on his back about another haircut soon. Molly had caught a nasty pixie flu and had been on bed rest for a few days so James and Emma had stayed for the week to help take care of her. Ben had to admit it was fun living with them again. He and James had even pulled a prank—they had added outrageous names to Emma's parchment of the wedding guests. When she noticed that she had "Ben Dover", "Anita Hoare" and "Hugh Jass" on the guest list, the prank became less funny (at least to James who got the worst of her yelling)

It was times like those where Ben felt seventeen years old again and he wondered sometimes if he was doing the right thing by luring Lily out of school once a week. Shouldn't she be focused on school and the fun that goes with it instead of thinking about how nice it will be to see Ben everyday when she graduates? The question often came to Ben and he struggled with it…until he saw her again. The minute he saw Lily's face every worry and doubt washed away . He didn't care if he was being selfish; he knew he could never let her go. Seeing her reassured everything in him.

"Your hair looks nice," Ben said as Lily approached him, a big smile on her face. He tilted his head down and gave her a quick but meaningful kiss. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Lily said, smiling but looking somewhat expectant. Ben motioned to the Three Broomsticks.

"Shall we?" Lily looked at him, puzzled, but continued in. The door opened and Ben looked around at the pink and red heart decorations that covered the walls. His eyes widened and his heart dropped. It was Valentine's Day. And he had forgotten. He tried to cover up his expression while forcing his brain into overtime for a last minute gift idea, but he didn't fool Lily.

"Brilliant," She sarcastically mumbled as the two made their way to a table. They sat down at the table and Ben opened his mouth, hoping some decent explanation would come out.

"Lils, I'm really sorry, things have just been so crazy at work and then with Molly-"

"It's fine." Lily said. She forced a smile. "Really Ben, it's quite alright."

"I don't believe you." Ben said, worried. When Lily was angry she flared up and yelled. She didn't speak in this calm but cool manner. It was almost worse this way. "I promise, I'll make it up to you-"

"A butterbeer will be fine, I'm not particularly hungry." Lily interrupted him. Ben's shoulders fell but he got up to go place the order. Lily let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and felt like banging her head down onto the table. She felt like such an idiot. She had thought about this day since getting back from Holiday break, wondering what to get him for a gift and convincing James to help her. She would daydream in class about the snow covered Hogsmeade village and their romantic day together, wondering what Ben would get her. Maybe she was trying to make her life into a fairytale, but she was seventeen years old and madly in love with a boy who had forgotten the most romantic day of the year. The tears began to prick at her eyes but she willed them away.

"Here," Ben said, placing the butterbeer in front of her. Lily sipped it and Ben did the same with his. The two sipped their drinks and sat in silence for a few minutes before Ben placed his mug quite forcefully on the table. "Lils, I said I was really sorry, please say something."

"I don't have anything to say Ben." Lily said, emphasizing his name. Ben, as bad as he felt, was now beginning to get irritated.

"Just talk to me, we haven't seen each other in a while. We've got the whole day together to enjoy Hogsmeade."

"Well I am sorry that it's going to be a little difficult to enjoy the day with all of the other happy couples who are celebrating the day of love!" Lily's calm and cool façade dropped the minute she heard the annoyance in Ben's voice. There was no way he was allowed to be cross with her today.

"I'm bloody sorry Lily!" Ben said exasperated. Lily got up and walked out of the pub and into the cold air. "Lily!" Ben said, following her. She turned on her heel, tears starting to fall from her eyes.

"You know Ben, in my whole life no one had managed to affect my feelings as much as you do. And I thought that that meant something, I thought it was because you felt about me how I do about you!"

"Lily, what are you talking about?" Ben asked, confused.

"It doesn't matter." Lily said, the tears pouring down her face. "You can't even remember it's fucking Valentine's Day…" Her voice broke and she took a breath. "Bye, Ben." She said, turning again and walking up the path. The only thing Ben wanted to do was pick her up, wipe her tears and kiss her until she smiled again. But he was rooted to the spot. He felt a hollow feeling in his chest and all he could do was watch her walk away.

--

Ben opened the back door to the burrow and was greeted with the sight of James and Rose at the table, eating treacle tart that had been leftover from the night before.

"You're back early." James said, his mouth full.

"I forgot it was Valentine's Day." Ben mumbled, flinging himself into a chair.

"You WHAT?" James groaned.

"So you took her to a shop saying she can pick out whatever she wants then got a private booth in the Three Broomsticks and snuggled up and made plans to secretly rendezvous….right?" Rose asked, eyebrows raised.

"We just kind of fought instead." Ben said, feeling even worse.

"You idiotic arse!" Rose said. "You DO NOT fight with Lily, especially not on Valentine's Day! How bloody stupid are you?"

"Come off it Rose, blokes are set up to fail on Valentine's Day. Whatever we do won't be good enough." James tried to defend his best friend.

"Well it looks like Ben here didn't do anything in the first place!" Rose said.

"Thanks." Ben muttered

"She didn't hex you, right?" James' eyes scanned Ben for after-marks of the Bat Bogey hex.

"She cried." Ben said softly. "She really, actually cried. I would have taken a hex over that." He looked out the window, his mind far away. Rose and James exchanged a sad look.

"Well," Rose said, walking over and rubbing Ben's back. "You two will work it out, just let it blow over."

"No." James said. Rose and Ben looked up at him in confusion, but the wheels in James' head were spinning. "No, letting it blow over makes it an issue that will come up later and bite you in the arse. What you need to do is make it up to her."

"By what, flowers and chocolate? Mate, that's not going to fix it-"

"Think bigger." James said, his eyes brightening.

"James…" Rose started.

"Seventh year. Vivian Rail spread all of those rumors that she and I had shared a night in a broom closet. Emma knew they were false but it still got to her and people were whispering all over. So what did I do? I marched into the Great Hall at breakfast, stood on the table and announced to everyone I'd like to clarify that Emma Warrington was my girlfriend, she had been for a year, and she would be until the day she dumps me."

"Then you got down and snogged the crap out of her. Nearly barfed up my breakfast." Ben laughed at the memory.

"Exactly. I didn't just tell everyone that it would never happen, I showed them it wouldn't. Don't just tell Lily you'll make it up to her. Show her you will. Do it and let everyone else see you do it." James smiled mischievously and Ben returned the grin.

"This better work." Rose said wearingly. But she could see from the boys' expressions that it would. When either James or Ben put their mind to something, nothing would stand in their way. And when they collaborated, they pulled out all the stops.

NEXT: Winning back Lily's love…with help from an unexpected source.