I successfully manage to ignore James for the next three days. Alice in particular is extremely annoyed about this. She normally sits next to Marlene during lessons, while I sit next to James. Now, I've officially kicked her out of her seat, so that I can sit next to Marlene instead, and she's stuck with James.
"He wants to talk to you, Lily," she tells me in an irritated voice after Charms on Wednesday.
My heart rate spikes. "Did he say about what?" I'm hoping desperately that he hasn't remembered about the kiss.
"No, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that you haven't spoken to him all week, and he has absolutely no clue why."
Oh. That would make sense.
Poor James. I'm being awful to him, and he doesn't even realize he's done anything wrong.
I decide to do the mature, adult thing and return back to the Heads tower that night. James doesn't deserve my moodiness.
"Hello," I tell him when I walk through the doorway. He looks up from his Quidditch magazine.
"Oh, it's you," he says, not sounding at all happy to see me. "Decided you've missed me, have you?"
He looks angry. I suppose I would be, too.
"I just needed some girl time, you know?" I lie.
James does not look convinced.
"Cut the crap, Lily," he says, putting his magazine down and standing up. He begins to advance toward me. "I know what really happened."
WHAT?
My blood is suddenly pumping a mile a minute. He remembers? "You- you do?"
"Of course I do," he spits out. "What, did you think I was completely oblivious?"
Well, yes, I sort of did.
"You didn't have to hide it from me, you know," he continues in a hard voice.
Oh God. This can't be happening.
I'm stuttering like a buffoon now. "I- I just-" I can't seem to get any words out.
James is still rambling. "I guess what I really want to know is- is why?"
...What?
What does he mean why?
"What are you talking about?" I ask honestly.
James looks at me for a moment, and then finally cracks a smile. "Word on the street is that you suddenly fancy me."
Oh.
OH.
So he doesn't remember the kiss. Thank goodness.
"I don't know who you heard that from," I start hotly, "but it isn't true. I swear, James, you have to believe me-"
"Calm down, Lily," James says, laughing like this is the funniest thing in the world. "I know you don't fancy me."
I swallow hard. "You do?"
He laughs even harder, then reaches out an arm and squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. "Of course I do. And I know that anything that comes out of Dorcas Meadowes' mouth is absolute Hippogriff-shit. That girl is as trustworthy as a politician."
I breathe an enormous sigh of relief. "Thank God. I've already had to tell enough people that I don't fancy you. I didn't want to have to tell you too."
James is smiling. "What did you say to make her think that, though?" he asks curiously. "I mean, I know Dorcas is a yenta, but she doesn't typically spread lies unless she has some reason to believe them."
"She wanted to ask you to Hogsmeade," I tell him, figuring honesty is the best policy at this point. "And I knew you wouldn't have wanted to go with her, so I told her- well-"
"That makes sense," James says. "Thanks for having my back, Evans. I'd rather go out with the Giant Squid than her. Kinda like how you'd rather go out with the Giant Squid than with me, remember?"
I laugh, even though I don't really think it's funny. "Yeah," I tell him. "Um…"
We're standing very close together, now. I can smell his cologne. It's very woods-y. I step away.
"I'm going to bed, now," I tell James, trying to avoid his eyesight. Unfortunately, my eyes happen to rest on his lips instead, and I remember the kiss from Saturday night once again. Why can't I stop thinking about it? "Goodnight."
I begin inching away.
"Night, Evans," James says cheerfully, making his way back to the couch, where he picks up his Quidditch magazine again. "Try not to involve us in any more rumours, okay? Wouldn't want Dumbledore thinking his two Head students are sleeping together."
"Trust me," I tell him honestly as I open the door to my bedroom. "I don't want that, either."