My eyes, want you more than a melody
Let me inside
Wish I could get to know you

-Sunflower, Vol .6, Harry Styles

The first prefect's meeting of October meant heavy discussions about Halloween and the decorations that accompanied it. Lily was looking forward to spearheading the Halloween committee, having been a part of it last year.

"So, we've decided what decorations we want this year, but I also need volunteers on setting them all up. Preferably someone that's nifty with charms and levitation spells. Anyone?" Lily asked the room.

Before Lily could nod at the various hands up in the air, James interrupted once again.

"I can transfigure the fake bats to real ones that fly over our heads?"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"You do that every year, I just assumed you would do it again" she said, looking him in the eye for the first time that night. She had been avoiding his gaze all day, which was impossibly hard considering that they had the same classes together and lived in the same dorm. But she couldn't shake the dream from her head, the dream that insisted on giving James Potter a chance at her friendship. Because Lily had to be honest with herself if she looked him in the eyes, she had to be honest that what she wanted was probably more than friendship.

His eyes were sparkling with mischief and his grin made her mouth dry.

"You've been paying attention to me all these years Evans?"

She tried not to smile, she really did.

She tried to hurry the meeting along after that, knowing that if anyone had noticed her smiling at James Potter it was the one friend he had in this room, Remus.

Once everyone left the room, Remus stayed sitting, a wide suspicious grin on his face.

"What are you grinning about Moony?" James asked, he was stacking the chairs around him.

Lily tensed instantly, crossing all fingers and toes that Remus wasn't about to just point out the obvious when she was still in the room.

"Oh nothing, great meeting" he smirked back.

Lily watched from the corner of her eye as James cocked one eyebrow at his friend. Remus just grinned wider before picking up the chair he was sitting on and stacking it on top of the others.

Lily watched as Remus muttered something to James, James eyes narrowed suspiciously before going wide. His hand went straight to ruffle his hair, his toothy grin plastered back onto his face.

She quickly averted her eyes before they caught her watching them. They weren't speaking loud enough for her to figure out what Remus was telling James but she had a feeling it was the way she was not so subtly stealing glances at James as he talked to the prefects.

She wasn't sure what it was that spurred on this reaction from her but her eyes had a mind of their own when it came to James commandeering the students. He was expressive and confident in a more subtle way than amongst his friends or in class. It made her think of the way he moved in Quidditch, steady but bursting at the seams with energy, poised with a frantic edge that kept everyone watching, he was a natural leader and it seemed that Lily Evans, found this incredibly and painstakingly attractive.

"You alright, Evans?"

Lily snapped herself out of her trance, realising that she had spaced out once again thinking about James Potter. She flushed heavily, heat flooding her cheeks. She quickly pushed herself away from the desk she was leaning against and busied her hands with the textbooks she had brought from the library before the meeting.

"Evans?"

"Yeah?" she mumbled, keeping her eyes on the textbook in front of her, hoping the redness of her embarrassment wasn't so obvious. She was sure Remus had caught her ogling James and now James was going to call her out on it.

"Are you ready to head back to the dorms?" he asked.

She finally looked up, realising that avoiding his question was just going to make her more obvious.

His eyes were soft and concerned and it hit her right in her gut. Twisting and pinching and making her feel inherently confused.

"Yeah sure" she quickly answered, noticing for the first time that Remus was waiting for them in the doorway.

As the three of them walked towards Gryffindor tower, Lily kept her eyes off James but kept catching Remus' knowing looks towards her. Cocking one eyebrow and smirking, Lily narrowed her eyes at him, trying to show a look of confusion. It didn't work though, as when James came across a group of third years wandering the corridors after hours, he jumped straight into head boy and backed Lily up when she repeated the rules to them. The firmness of his voice made Lily's skin ripple with goosebumps, and she found herself gulping loudly as Remus joked about James' turn of character and James chuckled, making his eyes light up beautifully.

"You're staring" Remus muttered as James led the way down the corridor.

Lily felt her cheeks heat and she slapped Remus on the shoulder in retaliation.

"Stop" she hissed.

Remus just smiled.

"You said something to him didn't you!" she accused in a hushed whisper.

She could see the flash of concern in his blue eyes but before he could say anything, James turned around and called out for them.

"Did you see Dearborn's face!?" Sirius bellowed.

James had pushed open the door to the Heads Common Room with his shoulder, still chuckling at Sirius' imitation of their latest prank.

He hadn't realised Lily had her friends over until the both stumbled into the couch laughing and giggling.

"Do you like your partner to take control?"

The girls giggling is what snapped both boys out of their laughing fits.

"Woah what are we girls talking about?" Sirius smirked, rubbing his hands together and jumping over the back of the couch and landing with a bounce next to Lily and Mary.

Marlene was currently splayed out next to the fire, her head in a magazine.

"Which Quidditch player is perfect for you?" Marlene read out loud.

James frowned.

"What?"

He walked around the couch and sat gingerly down in the spare armchair, trying to get a good look at Marlene's magazine.

"It's a quiz from Witch Weekly. We answer the questions and we find out which Quidditch player we should bang" She grins.

"Noooo, it's which Quidditch player we should date," Lily responded, rolling her eyes at Marlene.

"Quidditch players, as in Jim Baggins or Leo Rainer?" Sirius asked Mary.

"No, Quidditch players; as in which position they play. So Seeker, chaser, keeper or beater. You know so us girls know which one in your team we should chat up" Mary winked at Sirius.

Sirius wrapped his arm around Mary's shoulders and grinned at Lily from behind Mary's back.

"I can save you some time there ladies, Beaters are perfect for you all!" He grinned, his eyes squinting. An obvious nod to his own position on the Gryffindor team.

"I doubt it" Marlene retorted dryly.

"So, Lils, Do you like your partner to take control?" Marlene prodded.

James looked up at Lily and found her cheeks bright red. She was giving Marlene a furious look, something that James had been on the other side of countless times.

"Marls, really? Can't we do this later."

"Nope, just because the boys are here. Just ignore them. So what's your answer? I bet you like to take control don't you?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

Lily rolled her eyes again but seemed to ponder her answer.

"Well are we talking about in general or?" She kept her eyes glued to Marlene.

Mary laughed and Marlene tapped her feet against the rug excitedly.

"Lily Evans! Are you subtly telling me you like the man to take control in the bedroom?"

Lily suddenly looked a ghastly white.

"What! I mean -what? I meant - ugh" She buried her face in her hands as Sirius and Marlene chuckled loudly.

"Oh Evans, it makes sense. With all the control you enforce day to day, it makes sense that you need someone to commandeer the reigns in the bedroom" Sirius wiggled his eyebrows this time.

"Fuck off" was all Lily could say back.

Suddenly, James found a tightness grow in his chest and then embarrassingly in his trousers.

"So Lily likes a man to be in control in the bedroom-" Marlene tilted her head to look at James at this comment, giving him a wink before going back to her magazine, "but I think that meant in general which I'm gathering you like to be in control just as much as him?"

Lily looked up and nodded a bit more confidently this time.

James didn't have time to comprehend what Marlene's wink was about because then Lily caught his eye. She had been staring at him, her cheeks now pretty pink and her pupils blown, she quickly looked down before James could comprehend that look as well.

He was so bloody confused.

"Ok so next question, Is friendship important for a relationship?"

Lily instantly replied "yes".

This made James stomach clench in an uncomfortable way. They had been slowly getting to know each other but he didn't think they were friends yet. If they couldn't be friends off the bat then he had no chance winning her over.

He looked down at his hands awkwardly.

"Would you rather a surprise thrill-seeking adventure for a first date or something low-key and casual?"

Marlene gazed up again, waiting for Lily's answer.

"That's a good one" Mary responded, waiting for Lily's reply.

James looked over at Sirius now, both of them wore expressions like they had just been confunded. Sirius caught James gaze and narrowed his eyebrows in a way that said 'these girls are mental'.

"For a first date, probably low key to be honest" Lily's voice interrupted.

James watched as she relaxed into the couch, her head resting on Mary's shoulder. Her red hair was tied up in a messy bun and she had popped open the first two buttons of her school blouse. James quickly averted his gaze before he got too distracted.

"Ooooo this is a good one girls" Marlene grinned cheekily, looking at the boys with a smirk.

James furrowed his brows.

"Shoulders or bum?"

Mary giggled and James watched as Lily smiled at the ceiling.

"Shoulders"

Lily looked up as Marlene hummed. James watched as her eyes absent-mindedly made their way to him. Her gaze followed the curve of his shoulders shamelessly and James felt goosebumps wash over his skin, his thighs clenching as he tried to reign in his hormones.

Was she checking him out?

"You know who has nice shoulders?" Sirius preened.

Mary and Lily looked at him quizzically.

"Jamesy boy over there" he grinned at James.

Lily's eyes sought him out again, and he watched as her cheeks grew red once again.

He saw Mary whisper something in Sirius' ear and was surprised when Sirius' eyes went wide. He laughed loudly shortly after and Mary shoved him in response. Lily scowled at the both of them.

James was now thoroughly confused, his head thundering with questions. Remus had only told him a few hours before that he had caught Lily catching glances at him all day, he shoved Remus' comment off as nothing, purely circumstantial but right now he had an itching feeling that he had been right. Was Lily Evans finally interested in him?

"Ok Lily, Lily, Lily" Marlene chanted, as she pointed her finger to the magazine. She laughed loudly before siting up excitedly.

"What?" Lily asked her.

"This is so fitting" Marlene grinned, mischief sparkling in her eyes.

Lily was never one to be patient, so she collected a spare cushion from behind her and chucked at her friend. Marlene all but laughed, before dramatically splaying her magazine in front of her face.

"Your perfect Quidditch player is a Chaser!" She exclaimed, her eyes knowingly watching Lily and flickering to James. James was a chaser.

Mary and Sirius immediately burst into an amused laughter. Even James couldn't help but smile, watching as Lily rolled her eye.

She watched as her friends laughed at her, waiting for them to stop.

"I'm also a chaser!" Marlene winked at Lily.

"Well then this quiz must be right!" Lily grinned cheekily at her friend.

"Ah you wish Evans, you're bloody hot but not my type" Marlene poked out her tongue.

Lily smiled graciously, the type of smile that made James stomach do flips.

"My turn!" Sirius shouted, getting up from the couch and jumping over to Marlene on the floor.

As Sirius and Marlene went through the quiz, James quickly looked up at Lily again. She was looking at him again, and this time she didn't look away, instead she smirked, her emerald eyes glistening with humour before turning back to her friends rolling around the floor in laughter.

James felt shivers run up his spine.