A/N: Well, this has been sitting on my Hard Drive, as well. I've read OotP, but I've decided that it knocks them too out of character for the story to go back and have them hate each other. So here is a tasteful version that might have happened had James and Lily just ignored each other's existence before Sirius planned his little prank…

Disclaimer: Lily and James Potter, and most affiliated characters belong to the highly esteemed JK Rowling and her enterprise of confusing names like Bloomsbury and Warner Bros. Ordinary Day, I am pretty sure, belongs to the wonderfully talented Vanessa Carlton. This song has been a great inspiration, but I'm not inspired enough to try and make money off of either. All in good fun, I promise.

And as I looked up into those eyes

His vision borrows mine

And I know he's no stranger

For I feel I've held him for all of time

Ordinary Day 03

By Shadow Dragon

Inspired by "Ordinary Day" by Vanessa Carlton

Just after James escorted her mother to the dance floor, Lily felt a warm hand on her arm and smiled up to see her father standing over her. "Can I have this dance with the most beautiful redheaded daughter I have?" he asked.

Always "Daddy's Little Angel," Lily replied, "But, Dad, I'm your only redheaded daughter."

"That's irrelevant." Gallantly, he offered her his hand. They wove through the white-covered tables, smiling genially at the people dining. He bowed and Lily curtsied properly, glad that she remembered how to do that, and both were swept up into an elegant waltz. "Are you having a good time tonight, Lils?"

Lily managed a genuine smile for Petunia's sake. "The restaurant is wonderful," she said evasively. "And the salad is delicious." Before Simon could question her answer, she replied, "Are you having a good time, too?"

Simon smiled to let her know that he wasn't fooled. "Getting better at avoiding the question, I see. Yes, I'm having a wonderful time, and I'm glad that Petunia has found herself such a nice and successful young man. I'm happy for her." They moved effortlessly through the dance crowd, reminiscent of all of the dance lessons Simon had given his daughters when they were younger. Simon and Rose had made quite a name for themselves in ballroom dancing before Petunia and Lily came around.

Now Lily's brow pursed as she looked up at her father. Their eyes were the same, and she had the same stubborn chin, but that was where the similarities ended. Petunia had inherited Simon's rather hook-shaped nose, and his blond hair. Of course, Simon's hair was thinning now, but he was not balding. It was hard to imagine Lily's father without his bright hair, although she knew those days were coming to an end.

"Vernon didn't ask you for your blessing, did he?" she asked suddenly, remembering her father's look at the news of Vernon and Petunia's engagement.

"Sometimes I feel incredibly transparent around you, Lils. When did you become so perceptive?" Although the dance did not call for it, Simon twirled his daughter. "Anyway, don't bother about that. I'll just have to talk to Vernon. I actually wanted to ask you about this James fellow."

Here it comes, Lily thought to herself. How could she explain what had been going on that evening? James had always been just a boy at school, surrounded by his crazy friends. Another face in the crowd, really. They'd never even given each other so much as a second look. Sure, they talked, and occasionally helped each other with homework, but the way he'd looked when she had walked into the entrance hall…well, it was enough to make any girl feel flattered. His gentlemanly behavior all evening and the way he kept tripping over himself were endearing in its own right. Still, he was just James—Quidditch player, Transfiguration genius, a Marauder, and just another classmate.

Right?

"What about him, Dad?"

Simon, to Lily's surprise, laughed and tweaked her nose, like she was four again. Lily wriggled the offended object. "I've never heard you talk about him at all. He seems to be a nice enough kid."

All of the air rushed out of Lily in a relieved sigh. "It's really hard to explain. He's just another classmate—Uwila picked up his friend's rat today, and he was just dropping by to get it. Mum, however, roped him in to coming to dinner with us. You know how she is."

Simon nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I do believe that I know how she is." He spun Lily again. Again, she laughed and shook her head at his antics. "He seems awfully interested in you though."

"Daaaad," Lily protested, smiling despite herself. Her father had always enjoyed teasing her on the subject of the male gender. Still, she was not sure how he would react when she finally did bring home a boyfriend. Hopefully, it would go a lot better than Vernon's first meeting with the Evans family. That catastrophe was long in the past, as one could tell, but it had nearly left scar marks in the walls. "If anything, it's the change of atmosphere. He's not used to seeing me without at least four books."

"Quite the little Head Girl we have in the family, eh?" Simon asked with just the slightest touch of pride in his voice. "My, Lils. You're finishing school, and 'Tunia's getting married. You just make your old man feel, well, old."

Lily's answer to this was an unladylike snort as they waltzed past Vernon and Petunia, flashing identical grins at them. "Dad, you're not getting old. Don't worry, I'm seventeen, not thirty. And before you start fretting, you're not even a grandfather yet."

"I'd better not be!"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about it on my part," Lily said emphatically. She had never told her parents that she had been properly kissed—at the age of fourteen—but it had never gone beyond that one kiss. Lily Evans had other priorities; romance could wait. "I don't think you have to worry about 'Tunia, either."

"I suppose you're right. You're both good kids." Simon looked thoughtful for a long moment before a heavy sigh escaped him. "Look, I know we haven't been very fair to you tonight. I know you would have preferred to stay home—I know how you and Vernon feel about each other…"

When he remembers my name, that is, she thought. Outwardly, she gave her best deceptive smile. "It's right that I'm here—it's not every day Petunia announces her engagement, after all. Just because I'm a witch doesn't mean I've broken all ties with family." Still, she did not mention the conversation she had had earlier with Petunia. Neither Simon nor Rose needed to know that she had tried to plead her way out of dinner. If Petunia was willing to keep that secret, so was she. "I'm happy for her, I really am."

"But…?" Simon prompted.

"How long do I have to keep my identity a secret from him?" The problem she had been holding back for weeks now rushed out in a tumble of words. "It's just…it's just not fair in the slightest. I know he's 'Tunia's fiancée, and it's her choice, but…well, I don't mean to sound like I'm whining, really. The situation's just difficult." She paused long enough to word her thoughts into a plausible argument. "Vernon's going to be around a long time, and it's okay to keep my secret if it's just me. But, Dad, I want to be normal. Normal for a wit—for my kind. And that means that someday I'll date with the possibility of marriage."

Simon looked slightly uneasy at the idea, as all fathers would, but Lily just plowed on. "I don't want to force him, whoever he is, to keep his identity secret as well. Because, by the looks of it, I'm going to end up marrying a wizard, and how will I keep that secret at family gatherings? Wizards aren't known for their subtlety."

"What about James?" Simon asked, looking over at where James was talking to Rose. The pair was laughing at a joke he had just made.

"Are you insinuating that I marry James?" One red eyebrow arched up as Lily studied her father, feigning disbelief. Simon threw his head back and laughed at this. "James is different from most of the people I know. He has a younger sister who's not magical, and has lived like us since he was eight." Lily paused. "We call people like his sister Squibs. However, I don't think it's a nice name, and James doesn't like me using it."

"I didn't know it could exist the other way around," Simon commented. "So his sister is a bit like you—only exactly opposite?"

"Exactly. So James is used to things like this. And he's pretty smart, too. Not everybody is as tolerant as he is." She had refrained from telling her father about all the terrible people at school who called her a Mudblood and played dirty jokes on her because of her heritage. She had been dealing with those people fine for six years now—no need to botch things up at this point in the game and make her parents worry, even with threats of You-Know-Who on the rise.

"So I'm going to have a son-in-law that'll turn family members into newts?" Simon asked teasingly, although he didn't quite manage to hide his worried look.

Lily wrinkled her nose at him. "Dad, it's not like I'm going to marry Sirius Black or anything!"

The song ended just as they were waltzing past James and Rose. "Ah, there you are, son!" Simon called to James, who turned with an eyebrow raised. "What do you say we trade one beautiful Evans for another, eh?"

"Dad!" Lily protested under her breath, while Rose shook her head in amusement.

James looked amused as well. "Really, sir, I don't know which of us is getting the better end of the deal." Still, he relinquished Rose to her husband and bowed courteously to Lily. "With no offense to Mrs. Evans, I'm inclined to believe that I am." Lily silently cursed her red hair as a flush rose up to her cheeks, deepening when she realized what her parents would insinuate from such a gesture. However, neither of her parents seemed to notice, for James swept her off into a lively dance.

"I see you survived my mother," she said after a moment of silent dancing.

"'Survived' isn't what I'd call it, but yes, I did." While he did not possess the grace her father had gained through years of dancing, James had a livelier sort of finesse about him that made Lily smile despite herself. He was quite rangy, and short Lily had to crane her neck to look up at him. "Really, I quite like your mother. I can see where you got your charm."

"Keep smooth-talking me like that and they may be tempted to keep you around for good," Lily warned with a teasing smile.

James's expression told her that he thought that might not be a bad idea at all. In fact, his blue eyes were positively dancing on their own. "Does that mean I'll get to see you in more dresses like this?" Before Lily could answer, he spun her around and dipped her so quickly that she nearly lost her step. Only his steadying hand kept her on her feet.

"That isn't nice," she told him, wrinkling her nose.

"I rarely am," James responded in kind, pulling her up. Lily couldn't help but notice that he'd used the dip to pull them closer together; her heart hammered against her uvula. James appeared not to notice. "In fact, in the words of my sister, I'm a 'cruel, arrogant git.' Sirius just thinks I'm a prat, and that's probably the highest opinion of me that exists. Maybe that's why he's my closest mate." He tilted his head to the side as Lily muffled a giggle. "Your mother seems to have picked up the wrong opinion of me, as well. She thinks I'm a decent fellow."

"Mum's always off in her assessments," Lily told him consolingly. "My dad seems quite fond of you, too. He suggested that I marry you. Of course, he then asked if I was going to marry Sirius."

"Does he want to die of a coronary?" James coughed several times, nearly bumping into the couple behind them. "Although, I daresay that waking up to a pretty face like yours every morning wouldn't be such a bad fate."

Warning bells went off. James always flirted, but never this openly. And never with her. "Mr. Potter, are you flirting with me?"

"And what if I am?"

They moved together fluidly, as though neither had ever danced with another partner. It was like watching a great movement of art progress through its first stages—a little gawky at first, but slowly becoming smoother as time passed. It wasn't a practiced, clipped art. No, it was a wild glimpse into a mysterious new novelty.

"I'd be inclined to wonder what sort of charm would possibly have such an odd effect on you to make you notice me, that's all. I mean, what, six years of going to school together and just being Potter and Evans, we're suddenly on a first name basis and dancing together? You get yourself invited to family dinners and start acting all charming?" Lily's eyes weren't accusatory, just curious as they looked into his. "In fact, it kind of makes me wonder if I was suddenly made into the newest conquest, or something of such honor befitting the eternally busy schedule of James Potter."

James spun her around. "Men are slow, and I'm definitely not infallible in that area. In fact, I'm almost a prime example." His expression almost seemed to broadcast that he had been expecting this question. The dashing grin that James usually used to charm teachers out of extra homework flashed at her, nearly dazzling her. It struck her then that the incorrigible smile of his was probably one of the reasons James and his friends got away with so much

Despite his irritatingly effective grin, he made a good point. Eyebrow arched, she said at her driest, "If you're expecting me to argue with that, you'll be in for some very sore and painful disappointment."

James's feet faltered as he struggled to hold his laughter back. The pair nearly staggered into Petunia and Vernon, who had just stepped into an empty space beside theirs. Instead of apologizing, James just flashed the grin again and led Lily away. She could feel Petunia's glare on her shoulder blades, but ignored it. Unfazed by Vernon's equally murderous look, James continued, "Hardly. As for tonight, my invitation was clearly the fault of your mother, who has been not so subtly been pushing us together all evening—not that I mind—and I can't help but be charming around you. You've returned every witty statement I've made with the same ardor, need I remind you."

Once again, he was entirely correct, making it futile to argue with him. Defeated, she just asked, "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" James asked, although Lily was positive that he knew exactly what she was talking about. The left corner of his mouth was turned up in an isolated smirk, the struggle to remain nonchalant evident in that betraying move.

"Outtalk everybody except McGonagall—and I'm sure even she's caved once or twice in the wake of that innocent look." Lily's look was once again perverse.

"Well, technically, that's not true. The look doesn't work on just everybody, you know." They unknowingly waltzed past Simon and Rose, and so did not catch the look of approval Rose was sending their way. "Maddie, for example, helped me create and later successfully export the look, so it obvious holds no power over her. Carrie's just a brat seeking my downfall."

"Sounds like all twelve-year-olds."

"Worse, actually." James's smile turned wry. "She plays a better Muggle and she knows it—and with Maddie and I the way we are, she's kind of the spoiled brat in the family." He shrugged easily. "Say, would you like to meet Maddie? She works at an ice cream stand not too far from here. Maybe we could leave early or something." He glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Simon Evans conversing with Calvin Dursley as the pair led their wives around the floor. "Then again, maybe we can wait a little while. Tell me, how do you really feel about Quidditch? I've never seen you at a game."

*

James had never noticed how fascinating the range of expressions Lily used was. Her curious look was inquisitive, but never prying, and when she was confused, a line appeared between her eyebrows. It was a bit endearing, that line, for it appeared also when she was worried or angry. From now on, James would know to treat the crease as a warning that Lily's homeostasis was thrown off. Right now, he was just busy cataloguing the many captivating faces of Lily Evans. "Tell me," he blurted without thinking, "how do you really feel about Quidditch?" He then had the thought to add, "I've never seen you at a game."

Lily tilted her head to the side, following his lead easily. Maddie had always protested to James's lead, even when they'd danced at Uncle Darryl's wedding the year before. Dancing with Maddie was a chore, but dancing with Lily—it made James grateful that nobody could read his thoughts. He had long stopped admiring just her expressions, after all.

"Maybe because I don't find it all that interesting," Lily replied quite dryly. "I've never been the athletic type myself. Nothing personal or anything, but Quidditch just doesn't interest me."

James's feet stopped moving on their own, and he stared at Lily Evans, a paradox in her own right. "You…you don't like Quidditch?" he squeaked, trying to keep his voice low. A nudge from Lily reminded him to start dancing again. "And you call yourself a Gryffindor?"

"James, calm down—it's just a sport!" Lily's grip tightened on his arm, forcing James to wince. "Keep it down. Eustace and Marge are right behind you."

There was not enough oxygen in the room. James was positively convinced that he was going to stop functioning from the pure lack of anything breathable. His head rang funnily, convincing him that he was quite close to passing out. "Just a sport?" he said in a strangled voice. He even croaked for good measure. "Just a sport?!"

The line appeared between Lily's eyebrows; for a minute, James thought she might be angry. But he quickly realized that she was quite worried. "James? You feeling all right?" she demanded in an undertone. "You're about to kneel over…"

"Just a sport?" was all James could manage coherently.

Now the worry turned to exasperation. It was astounding how close and how distant those two expressions could be. James had never really noticed, but now was not the time to dwell on that. "Oh, honestly! Some people have lives, you know!"

"Just a sport?!"

"If you don't stop saying that, I'm going to go dance with Eustace."

The thought of Lily dancing with that slimeball, with his hands all over her…James abruptly tightened his grip and tried to think clearly. "Sorry," he muttered. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and shook his head. "I just can't believe you don't like Quidditch. It's—it's like a lifestyle to me."

Although she was looking off to her left in exasperation, one of the red eyebrows went up and the corners of her lips turned skyward. "Obviously." When she finally met his gaze, she was more amused than exasperated. "I really haven't flown that much since first year, if you'll believe that. And you can relax a bit, you know—I think I've lost circulation in my hand."

Sheepishly, James did just that, but he did jump quite unbecomingly for a Marauder when a hand tapped him on the shoulder. "May I cut in?" The leering words belonged to Eustace Timms, who was looking quite lewdly in Lily's direction. Beside him, Marge was simpering quite nastily at James.

"Erm, no, sorry. Miss Evans and I were just leaving," James said abruptly, and grasped Lily's hand tightly. Without another word, he strode away from the astounded Eustace and Marge. Lily followed, her expression bewildered, as he led her to Simon and Rose. "Mr. Evans? Could I beg a favor?"

Simon raised an eyebrow at the young couple as he and Rose danced. "Certainly. What is it?"

"Well, the circumstances are rather odd. As it turns out, my younger sister works at an ice cream restaurant not too far from here, and I was wondering if you'd let me steal Lily so that I could introduce the two. She expressed interest in meeting Madeline."

"Madeline? That's the sister who—"

"Can't work magic, that's right," James interrupted, smiling apologetically. "I'd have her home early, if you're worried about Lily going out with me." He felt Lily tense at his choice of words, but she said nothing.

"That's a lovely idea!" Rose interrupted before Simon could say anything. "Lily really should be going out with people more her own age—and they've at least stayed until dessert. What do you think, dear?"

Simon certainly looked more skeptical, but if his wife approved, he was hardly going to stand in the way. Still, his voice was a bit gruff as he agreed—and mentioned that James should have Lily home by midnight, as they were both only seventeen. James wasted no time in hauling Lily from Shenanigan's. "We're going to visit Madeline?" Lily asked as they hit the brisk evening air.

"Yes—but first, we're going flying." James opened the boot of his BMW and pulled two Comet 180's from the compartment. "I don't think Peter'll mind too much if you borrowed his broom. If he does, I'll just mention that you saved hi—his rat from certain peril." James mentally hexed himself for nearly revealing the gang's secrets. Not even a first date and he was already blathering on as though he'd known Lily as intimately as he did the Marauders.

Lily frowned at the two broomsticks. "Flying in a dress?" she pointed out, indicating the scanty black number (it wasn't really scanty, but it showed quite a bit more skin than the bulky school robes did) she wore. "I don't think that'll work too well, James."

"Erm…" James pulled his wand from his pocket and frowned. They had just covered Transfiguration of different types of clothing, but he wasn't certain that Lily would trust him with Transfiguring something that she was actually wearing. "Want me to…?" he trailed off uncertainly.

Lily caught on quickly. "Sure," she agreed, spreading her arms to be a more presentable target. Luckily, they were around the corner, away from prying Muggle eyes. "But if I'm dressed like a wench after this, I'm hexing you into next week."

"I don't doubt it." Lily had an extensive library of hexes and curses stored inside her memory, so many that she almost put the Marauders to shame. Hoping he remembered the spell correctly, James aimed and muttered the incantation. A hazy cloud of blue smoke flared up all around Lily. Before he could try and see if his spell had worked correctly, Lily let out a shriek and shouted, "Obscurus!"

A black wall sprang up around her. "What happened?" James yelped, fearing the worst.

"You're incredibly skilled at Transfiguration, unfortunately." The amusement was palpable in her voice. "So skilled that the clothes you Transfigured folded up in front of me instead of on me. Remarkable, but I guess I'm too modest to walk around restaurant car parks in my drawers."

"Sorry." You're just lucky I didn't have lingerie on the brain, James told her silently, and turned away from the wall on principal. While he heard her mutter, "Finite incantatem," he didn't turn until she touched his shoulder. When he did turn, his jaw nearly dropped. The clothing had become a long-sleeved shirt with a rather low neckline (here he flushed) and a pair of trousers that fit her snugly, but were loose around her calves. "Well, either way, the clothing isn't any sort of food product, so the spell worked to some extent."

"Guess it did." Lily eyed her new outfit with some consternation. "Although I don't know why you made the neckline so low. It'll be awfully inconvenient—No, no, don't try to fix it, I'm all right. I was actually just teasing, you know."

James tried not to look too bashful, something he wasn't positive he pulled off. At school he was the most collected and cool of the class, but this girl had the power to make him blush at every corner. How on earth had she managed that? "Sorry. Shall we go?"

She obviously had no idea how many electrical appliances her grin could light, for she flashed him the full wattage right then. For a minute, he was blinded. "Sure. You go first—I'll follow." She took some time mounting up; the broom obviously sensed whatever apprehension she felt towards flying in general. However, he had taught Carrie to fly, so he was a patient teacher. When she finally took to the sky, he nodded at the clouds and trusted her to follow.

He broke cloud cover, shivering only slightly. A minute later, Lily appeared a few feet away. All of the blood had drained from her face, making her paler than before. "I—I think Vernon might have seen us take off," she called as red hair whipped around her in a dizzying fashion.

James blinked away any comparisons between Lily and Aphrodite he had been making in his head. "What?" he hollered over the wind. "That windbag?"

Although she rolled her eyes at his word for Vernon, Lily nodded. "I guess now's a good a time as ever to fill him in on the whole situation," she shouted back. "Don't fancy telling him that I'm a witch after I've fallen off a broomstick, though!" Now she was looking ill as well as pale, making it obvious to see why she didn't fancy Quidditch all too much. She was afraid of heights! For a minute, she looked about to swoon from her broom, but James hastily flew to her side to prevent that from happening.

Inwardly, he was beating himself up and wondering why Lily hadn't put up more of a fight against flying. He had probably bullied her into it without knowing! James mentally kicked himself again when he noticed how heavily she was trembling. "It's not so bad!" he consoled. "Just trust the broom! Peter's is charmed so that you can't fall off!" That last part was a lie, but at least it made her relax somewhat. "Just enjoy it!"

"It's bloody cold!" she shot back, some of her ire rising now that she wasn't so worried about falling from the broom. "Why'd I let you talk me into this?"

"The Fearless Lily is afraid of something?" James teased instead of answering. That earned him a perverse look. He decided to push his luck. "Oh, c'mon, you know that there have been bets in the Common Room about what you're really afraid of. Professor Camden wouldn't let you near that Boggart for a reason." Now the look turned slightly angry, and James was afraid that he'd stepped too far over the sensible line.

"I ought to hex you." Her voice was low, but it still carried over the wind. "That's really none of your business—any of you."

James gave his blithest shrug, pretending not to hear her. They were descending, and she wasn't even noticing. His ploy was working quite well; she wouldn't look away from his face for fear of looking down. "Personally, I think it's spiders."

"Spiders?" Lily gave a somewhat haughty laugh—or it would have been haughty had there not been a definite waver. "Please. Give me some credit. I used to put those in 'Tunia's bed, after all."

Now James's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Innocence is overrated." Lily was pointedly concentrating on his face, which was a safe place to look, as it happened to loom over her by several centimeters. That way, she couldn't see the ground. "I used to leave frogspawn everywhere for 'Tunia to find, too, now that I think about it. I used to be so mean to her. We're sisters—we're supposed to pick on each other."

"Is that why she treats you like she does?" James asked, not really trying to be blunt. The thought of Lily Evans pulling a prank or being mean to anybody was so novel that it nearly hurt his head. He didn't dare glance down for fear of filling Lily in on his ploy, but he figured they were only fifty feet off of the ground by then.

"Unfortunately, I didn't realize that she was genuinely frightened of all of it until it was too late," Lily said regretfully. "And by the time I did, she truly hated me. Nothing I say can change that." Her eyes were unfocused as she looked at his face, but James could definitely see tangible regret and remorse buried in the emerald depths. "But there's still time…"

An impregnable silence followed, ending only when James awkwardly cleared his throat. "Look down," he suggested.

Lily did—and promptly let out a shriek. They were hovering over a tranquil river, their shoes only centimeters from the skin of the water. A couple of centimeters lower and their knees would have been wet. Several fish had come to the surface to investigate. James peered at them. They were obviously magical fish, for the regular ones were all hidden. As James reached a hand down to see if he could pet one, a larger fish splashed at the pair, absolutely drenching Lily. When James sniggered, she turned a furious glare on him. "James Potter, you—you—! Oh, that's it, I'm going to hex you!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" James promised, and took off, nice shoes skimming low over the water. Lily hesitated, but the desire for revenge was greater than the fear of flying. Pressing herself flat against the handle, she threw everything she had into chasing her classmate. The night was dark enough to protect the two from the prying eyes of any Muggles that might be passing by, so James felt free to do a loop-de-loop.

James let out a yelp of surprise to see Lily so close on his tail. As he hit the bank, he tried to veer right, but Lily flattened herself even more and put on a burst of speed. Although she meant to grab the tail of his broom, she slipped and accidentally launched herself from the broom completely. Left with no other option, she careened directly into James and the two hit the ground in a pile of arms and legs that would take quite a while to disentangle. "Ow," was Lily's first reaction.

They had landed in quite an interesting predicament, just where land met water. Trained by years of playing Quidditch, James had instinctively curled up against the landing; Lily's body provided some complications. He had grabbed her around the waist, so they were quite close together, wrapped around each other in a way only an accident can manage. They were also half in the water, and both wet to the skin. So James landed half on his side and half on Lily, hugging her to his body with his face buried in her neck. He spit out several strands of red as they both just lay there, trying to blink away the shock. "Well, as much as I am attracted to you, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind," he said dryly.

Lily went red all the way down to the revealing neckline—which he could see at a much better angle, being wrapped around her as he was. "You are not helping," she told him acidly, trying to free her arm from under his body. "I thought you said you knew how to fly."

James didn't move; he was enjoying watching Lily struggle too much. "I did. So?"

"Well, if your reputation's anything to go by, you should know how to catch a girl when she falls off of her broom. Star Keeper and all."

Wondering if he was going to get slapped, and deciding to take the risk, James raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Maybe I just wanted to get you on the riverbank sometime," he suggested mildly. When her mouth dropped open, he used her shock to roll so that he was fully on top of her, effectively pinning her down.

"Get off of me!" He'd only seen that much pink on his sister's stuffed pink elephant. He cheered silently at making her blush so hard. Still, he did as she asked, freeing both of her arms. She sat up, shaking her head, and promptly slapped him. "Don't ever do that again."

"You turn carnation pink when you're embarrassed," James noted, making her turn even pinker. "Whoa. I didn't think that shade was possible on a human."

"You're going to get slapped again," Lily threatened, wringing out handfuls of hair.

James gave her his most affable grin as he removed his wet jacket and spelled it dry. When he was convinced it wasn't going to burst into flames, he made short work of draping it around Lily. "Of course I am. I'm surprised you haven't punched me yet, really." He stood up and hauled her to her feet. "C'mon, the restaurant's up this way a bit." She looked at their joined hands questioningly; James didn't look as though he was going to let go any time soon.

"Are you always this forthcoming?" she asked, not protesting. He stooped down to collect the Comet 180's, holding them in his free hand. "You kept blushing earlier, but now you're being positively randy. And I'm not even your girlfriend."

James gave her his most rakish grin. Exhilaration from the flight and from prolonged time spent in Lily's company was enough to make him bold. "I intend to rectify that," he told her, his grin widening at the shocked look she gave him, "even if it means wooing you."

Please come with me

See what I see

Touch the stars

For time will not sleep