A/N: I thought I'd try something knew, test out writing from Lily's perspective; it was pretty fun :) Let me know what you think!

Your Love by The Outfield

Lily

Had James Potter always been this awkward?

I'd gotten quite used to the loud, overbearing presence that was the Quidditch star-bigheaded prat-leader of the Marauders, and had honed a solid dislike of the boy over the course of five years. We now sat in a booth at the Three Broomsticks across from each other, and I don't think I'd ever seen someone so...nervous. It was unsettling. He was blushing the slightest bit and was trying to look at everything and everyone but me. Potter looked so much like an anxious fifteen year old, he might've been...dare I say it?

Cute?

I snorted at the thought. James Toerag Potter cute? Please.

But my snort made him jump. I bit back a smile at his wide-eyed surprise, saying nothing as he cleared his throat.

"So, uh...we've got a plan, yeah? To make Georgie and Sirius happen?"

I swear his voice cracked in the middle of his sentence.

"As of now, no. But that's why I've asked you here. To plan."

Potter gave me a look not unlike the one he had in Transfiguration when trying to understand the lesson that McGonagall was teaching.

Hang on, what?

I don't-didn't-stare at Potter during class, thank you very much. I paid attention, thus my stellar notes and even more stellar grades.

Potter screwed up his face in a look of concentration as I spoke.

"First, we'll let them get their issues resolved on their own. Figure out why they seem to be fighting or angry with each other for whatever reason."

I paused. "What? Have you got parchment and a quill? Write this down!"

Hurriedly, Potter dug around in his pockets for said items. He produced a small duck feather quill and a literal scrap of parchment, even though I'd thought I'd seen a much larger, blank, folded piece in his right pocket. He scribbled down step one in his untidy print and looked up expectantly when he finished.

"Alright. Second, you're going to stop sitting next to Georgie in Transfiguration and let Sirius sit there from now on."

"But I like where I sit now!" Potter protested.

"Tough bollocks."

"Where am I going to sit then?"

I bit my lip. "Next to me, I guess. Like last time."

But instead of the flushed reaction I'd been hoping(?) for, his face set itself into a blank mask. "Oh. Okay." He wrote it down.

"Then in Potions, I'm going to convince Slughorn to switch up partners again. Hopefully Sirius and Georgie get put together." And I'll be back with Sev.

"What?"

Potter was looking at me in disgust. "What did you just say, Evans?"

I blinked, willing myself not to blush. "Nothing."

He narrowed his eyes. "But I thought you ju-"

"Third step," I said loudly. "We're going to-oh, Merlin..."

Potter stopped looking at me hatefully long enough to follow my gaze.

"Aw, shite," he muttered. He adjusted his glasses to make sure he was seeing correctly, and ran a nervous hand through his hair.

Chatting amiably with Madame Rosmerta as she prepared drinks was Georgie. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, and her Gryffindor red sweater made her stand out awkwardly against the dull beiges, dark greys, and faded blacks of the other patrons' coats. But she looked happy...

...which may or may not be because Regulus Black held her bags from Tomes and Scrolls and was currently shelling out a few Sickles and Knuts for their Butterbeers.

I started to panic.

What the Hell was she doing here?

With him, of all people!

I knew they were friends, but were they now something...more?

Were they on a date?

"Potter," I said quietly. "Do you think they're on...a date?"

He looked more angry than I was freaked out. "No. She wouldn't. She can't. That's one of my best mates. I love her to death. She couldn't be-"

Potter stopped midsentence. This time, I followed his line of sight. The both of us watched, slackjawed, as Regulus slipped his hand into the back pocket of Georgie's Muggle pants protectively. The girl in question responded with a laugh and a slap on the shoulder. She made no big production out of telling him to take his hand out of her pocket. So Regulus didn't. It was cute until he gave her bum a squeeze and I thought I was going to be sick.

Potter made a sound close to a whimper and muttered something along the lines of, "Regulus touched her butt before me."

Really?

I smacked him. Hard. "You horrible toerag of a human being! One of our best mates is looks like she's on a date and being felt up by Sirius's brother right in front of your eyes, and you're worried about not being the first to touch her butt?! You're such a little boy!"

It made me more upset than it should have. For one, because Potter was treating her like she belonged to him and that feeling her up was a right, and secondly, because it made me feel...jealous?

"Sorry," he said, averting his eyes.

"Yeah, you should be," I scolded, not daring for one second to take my eyes off Georgie and Regulus the Rake. "In case you haven't noticed, Potter, she's a person. She belongs to herself, and you can't just aspire to feel someone up just because you can. You two may be close, but it doesn't mean you can do whatever. The only way you'd be allowed to do that to anyone is if you're aspiring for a relationship with her, which it looks like Regulus is doing." I sighed. "He really fancies her; it's kind of gross, actually, seeing them flirt in Potions-"

Potter retched. "Please, Evans, stop right there."

"But they do! He's got this awful, longing look on his face all the time, and it's-"

"You know, Evans," Potter interrupted. I finally tore my eyes away from Georgie and Regulus to look at him. "You're right."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm always right."

"Obviously," he grinned cheekily. I felt my neck go hot. "But that whole spiel about how Georgie's a person? That's what Sirius needs. Hell, the world needs it."

What was this feeling? My breathing became erratic and I was happy and there was this intense feeling of...want coming to the surface as I really looked at Potter. Oh, Merlin, was I...starting to-no, no no, I wasn't...

His hazel eyes lit up; he'd had an idea, and he started to write as he spoke. "Let's make that step three. Teach Sirius how to treat people as his equal. Make 'em feel less shitty, y'know? Especially girls. Georgie would notice that change, wouldn't she? Besides, everyone would appreciate it if all the Marauders were feminists, wouldn't it? Fight for equal rights? No more of that 'uber macho, uber abusive men are the best and women are inferior sex objects' bull."

Holy shit. I think I'm starting to fancy James Potter.

I'm done for.

Some tables away, Georgie Paredes saw two familiar faces she'd never think she'd ever see together.

"Reg," she muttered, nudging her companion in the ribs to catch his attention.

"Mmm?"

"Is that Lily and James...together? And not being rude or blasé to each other?"

He looked in the direction she'd gestured to. "Oh. I believe so."

"Do you think they've seen us?"

Regulus shrugged. "Probably, probably not. It's a bit full in here. Do you care?"

"No, not really." Georgie smiled cluelessly. Innocently. Wonderfully. "They know we're friends."

Friends.

Friends.

Friends.

The word rattled around in Regulus's head before he decided that he was done for.