It's All About Evans
6th Year
Chapter 1
James Potter had a problem. The majority of the Hogwarts students seem to think so anyway.
"she's not even that pretty!" fifth year Beatrice Hall groaned mournfully to her friends at the Ravenclaw table as she stabbed into her scrambled eggs "..And she doesn't even like him! You'd think he would get the hint considering how many hexes she's sent his way".
Her eggs now abandoned, she directed her heated gaze over to the Gryffindor table where one moony eyed James Potter sat with his eyes fixed on Lily Evans.
There had been high hopes among the female population at Hogwarts that perhaps over the summer holidays, James would finally get over his infatuation with Lily and explore other options. They couldn't fathom his relentless pursuit of her considering anytime she spoke his name it was usually followed with the words "arrogant toerag" or "smug pig".
But alas, their hopes seemed futile for James seemed to be more bestowed than ever.
Beatrice had been the first to try her luck at yesterday's start of term feast. She took extra care that morning to use all fashionable beauty tips she'd seen in this week's issue of Witch Weekly and had shrunk her skirt a little to show enough leg to be tantalizing. She was sure James would take one look at her and immediately ask her out on the next Hogsmeade trip.
Much to her humiliation it didn't quiet turn out like that.
She had walked over to where he was sat with the other Marauders with an extra sway in her hips. She noticed a few boys turn in her direction on route which only made her more confident that tonight was her night.
When she reached him, he was laughing with the others about something and making grand hand gestures. No doubt they were discussing the next extravagant prank they were all planning on executing.
A minute later without any of them noticing her presence she cleared her throat softly and James had finally turned around on his bench to look at her.
"Hi James" she ducked her head and gazed at him beneath her lashes (One of the articles in Witch Weekly swore that men go mad when you do that) "how were your summer holidays?"
"yeah.. erm.. good spose. You?" James tried to be polite but he couldn't fathom why this girl who he had never spoken to was now talking to him and asking him about his holidays. He looked to his mates in bewilderment as they all sniggered in their seats trying their hardest to not howl in laughter.
Beatrice mistook his bewilderment for nerves and beamed at him.
"Mine was fantastic! My family and I went to the south of France to visit some relatives there. I'm Beatrice by the way" she flicked her hair onto one side and stared at him expectantly.
What she was waiting for James had no clue, but her predatory stare was starting to make him uncomfortable.
"erm.. okayyy.. Is there something I could help you with?" he asked a bit impatiently. He had barely made a dent in his food and he needed to give Sirius a good kick in the shins as he started making kissing noises behind him.
Frustrated that he hadn't got the hint or that he hadn't outright commented on how amazing she looked, she blurted out.
"I was wandering if you were going to Hogsmeade with anyone?"
It finally clicked with James where she was getting at and he really had to give himself credit for not openly laughing at her face. The thought of going out to Hogsmeade with anyone apart from one divine redhead was extremely laughable if you asked James.
"The first school meal hasn't even finished yet! Funnily enough I haven't got round to it quite yet but hang on a sec.." James allowed himself a quick chuckle. "Oi Evans!" He turned to the object of desire since he knew what it was to like a girl "Fancy going to Hogsmeade with me my love?!"
"Go to hell Potter!" She shouted back.
The surrounding tables, excluding the Slytherins laughed at their usual antics.
Beatrice meanwhile was flushed scarlet in embarrassment at his public display.
"There are other girls you know" she huffed rather crossly
"That's the thing though…" he threw a wink at Evans who was still eyeing him with distaste further along the table "There really isn't" and with that, he turned his back on her and proceeded to eat his food.
Humiliated, Beatrice braced her shoulders and walked back to the Ravenclaw table with as much dignity as she could muster.
"You might want to close your mouth Prongs. Not sure if drooling all over your bacon is the way to win Lily Evan's heart"
"Bugger off Padfoot. I am not drooling" said James while trying to discreetly wipe his mouth just in case.
"You've probably ruined it with every other girl too after last night" Peter piped in.
"Not to worry Wormtail. Don't need to worry about other girls when this year is the year she's finally going to go out with me"
"She hates your guts and with good reason too! You sure know how to act like a right twat whenever she's around" Remus scolded him
"He's a right twat all the time" Sirius chimed in before diving back into his breakfast.
"Ahh but Moony that's where you're wrong" James slung an arm around his friend "All that hatred is really just a mask for the incredible sexual tension between us".
It was true that James did love to rile Evans up, just to see that fire blaze in her bottomless emerald green eyes. To see her skin flush a delicious shade of pink and her chest heave as if she were about to breathe fire. He often kept himself up at night imagining that same fire and passion, only in his mind it was while they were in the throes of love making and not because she'd been screaming at him for being an arrogant toerag.
The boys looked at each other, recognising the look on their best mate's face. The simple truth was as far as James was concerned, the only girl in existence was Lily Evans and they were certain that would never change.
"All right Prongs, what's the plan?" said Remus, who thought of all things James Potter had done for him. Had he not readily accepted him upon finding about his lycanthropy. Had he not shown him loyalty and friendship beyond anything he could have ever hoped for. Yes his friend might be a bit mad, but he was along for the ride for better or worse.
Sirius and Peter nodded along, seeming to have guessed where Remus' thoughts had travelled. They all really did owe it to James in one way or another.
"Maybe get to a first name basis first?" Peter suggested.
"Might as well call her Evans while a still can Wormtail" James replied with fake sadness.
"Why's that then?" Peter replied confused while Sirius and Remus simply shook their heads.
"Well soon enough it'll be Potter anyway" James grinned
"Merlin's beard. You're bloody barmy" Sirius smacked his hand against his face.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters