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CHAPTER IV – IN WHICH JAMES AND LILY COLLIDE
(…and Lily heard a voice coming her way that made her look up, scowling.)
Lily had just heard James Potter, and he sounded angry. Looking over at him as he walked through the door, Lily instantly saw she was right. Usually she would've been pleased to see him fuming, but today, for some strange reason, she was concerned. He stopped muttering, glanced down at his supply list, and walked towards the corner Lily was sitting in, apparently not noticing her. This affirmed her feeling he was upset; under normal circumstances, if she was anywhere around, James would notice her within ten seconds. Either it had been at least a minute since he'd entered her corner or time was passing ve-ery slowly.
As soon as he was about a yard away, Lily asked, "James, are you all right?"
He looked up, startled. "Wha…? Oh, hi, Lily. I'm fine," he lied flatly.
"No, James. You aren't all right. Spill. What's the matter?" Lily pressed. She couldn't believe she was talking like this to James Potter; she was using his first name and talking to him like she would to her friends. James Potter was certainly not her friend. But if not, then what was that odd feeling in her stomach? And why was she concerned about him?
"Err… Umm… I, uh…" James babbled. Lily had the feeling that he was looking for an excuse. "Uhm… PMS?"
Lily stared for a moment before bursting into hysterics. "James! You… PMS… Do you… even… know what… PMS… is?" she managed to choke between giggles.
James shook his head cluelessly. "No. But that's what Mom says when she's in a bad mood, and Dad leaves her alone."
"PMS is a girl problem, James," Lily explained, unknowingly adopting her prefect tone and stance.
"Oh," James said, turning pink.
Lily giggled again, inwardly cursing him for being so darn cute, especially when embarrassed, and herself for noticing. Then she repeatedly cursed that odd feeling in her stomach that kept her giggling and her face warm.
James said, obviously trying to sound casual but failing miserably, "Er, Evans, since you have all your books," he gestured to the pile by her side, "could you help me get mine?"
"Sure. And please call me Lily." She giggled again and desperately hoped this was all a very bad dream. WHY was she acting like this?
"Ok, Lily. Call me James," he answered, handing her his supply list and grinning broadly.
Lily scanned the list and walked off, coming back shortly with the towering book stack.
"Whoa, Lil! That was fast."
Lily grinned, noticing how nice it sounded when he called her 'Lil.' She shrugged. "I spend a decent amount of time in here. Oh, by the way, where's your escort?"
"Er…" James muttered uncomfortably. "They, umm… They're in the ice cream parlor, I think."
"You think," Lily repeated skeptically. "What do you mean, 'you think?'"
"That's where they were when I left them," James told her nervously. "I think they'll catch me up…"
"James, you should stop thinking. It's getting on my nerves."
James laughed. "I never knew you had such a good sense of humor. For a swat, anyway."
"Well, I think what you never knew would fill several books," Lily retorted.
"Don't think. It's getting on my nerves," James mimicked in a girly voice.