Lily cast her eye around the crowd. She thought she'd heard someone call
her, but couldn't see whoever it was. She turned around and, with a noise
of frustration, dropped her book bag with a crash.
Lily was in her seventh year at Hogwarts, and was carrying around a number of awkward and heavy books with her. She hadn't quite got the hang of it yet, and today, she thought with annoyance, she had dropped her book bag a total of four times, earning herself a lot of stares from the people around her.
Sighing, Lily began to pick up her books, when a hand reached down, scooped them up, and placed them in her bag for her. She looked up in surprise.
"James!"
James Potter stood over her, smiling.
"Hello, Lily," he said pleasantly.
Lily looked quickly at her feet. Her shoelaces had never been this interesting before ...
"Er, thanks, James ..." she mumbled awkwardly.
She was feeling very strange. Lately, every time she saw James Potter, her heart fluttered and her cheeks went pink ... a feeling she had never experienced with the arrogant Potter ... or was he so arrogant any more?
"No problem," said James, bringing Lily out of her thoughts. "I called out to you ..."
Lily smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't see you. What did you want? Do you need to borrow a book or something?"
James looked rather embarrassed, an emotion Lily had hardly ever seen him express.
"Er, no ... I've just been meaning to ask you something ..." he began.
He, of course, had fancied Lily ever since third year, when he'd just started really noticing girls. Lily was very pretty, of course, that was James' first observation, but she was also smart, confident and kind. However, she'd always turned James down when he'd asked her out; perhaps it was the manner in which he'd asked her ... but here, now, he was more serious than ever.
"Erm ... would you like to have dinner with me tonight, Lily?"
There. He'd done it (again). He prepared to be rejected, yet again ...
"kind. However, she'd always turned James down when he'd asked her out; perhaps it was the manner in which he'd asked her ... but here, now, he was more serious than ever.
"Erm ... would you like to have dinner with me tonight, Lily?"
There. He'd done it (again). He prepared to be rejected, yet again ...
"Yes!"
The small crowd of people jostling past them, fell silent and stopped to stare at Lily. She flushed a deep red.
"I mean, erm ... of – of course, James," she said in a barely audible voice. She took her books gently from James and set off down the hall at a very fast walk, filled with mixed joy and embarrassment.
After a few seconds, the crowd resumed its noisy way down the hall, but James stood, staring, apparently in shock, after Lily. After a moment, Frank Longbottom came over and asked, "What on earth did you do to make her run away, James?"
James looked bewildered.
"I really don't understand girls."
Lily was in her seventh year at Hogwarts, and was carrying around a number of awkward and heavy books with her. She hadn't quite got the hang of it yet, and today, she thought with annoyance, she had dropped her book bag a total of four times, earning herself a lot of stares from the people around her.
Sighing, Lily began to pick up her books, when a hand reached down, scooped them up, and placed them in her bag for her. She looked up in surprise.
"James!"
James Potter stood over her, smiling.
"Hello, Lily," he said pleasantly.
Lily looked quickly at her feet. Her shoelaces had never been this interesting before ...
"Er, thanks, James ..." she mumbled awkwardly.
She was feeling very strange. Lately, every time she saw James Potter, her heart fluttered and her cheeks went pink ... a feeling she had never experienced with the arrogant Potter ... or was he so arrogant any more?
"No problem," said James, bringing Lily out of her thoughts. "I called out to you ..."
Lily smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't see you. What did you want? Do you need to borrow a book or something?"
James looked rather embarrassed, an emotion Lily had hardly ever seen him express.
"Er, no ... I've just been meaning to ask you something ..." he began.
He, of course, had fancied Lily ever since third year, when he'd just started really noticing girls. Lily was very pretty, of course, that was James' first observation, but she was also smart, confident and kind. However, she'd always turned James down when he'd asked her out; perhaps it was the manner in which he'd asked her ... but here, now, he was more serious than ever.
"Erm ... would you like to have dinner with me tonight, Lily?"
There. He'd done it (again). He prepared to be rejected, yet again ...
"kind. However, she'd always turned James down when he'd asked her out; perhaps it was the manner in which he'd asked her ... but here, now, he was more serious than ever.
"Erm ... would you like to have dinner with me tonight, Lily?"
There. He'd done it (again). He prepared to be rejected, yet again ...
"Yes!"
The small crowd of people jostling past them, fell silent and stopped to stare at Lily. She flushed a deep red.
"I mean, erm ... of – of course, James," she said in a barely audible voice. She took her books gently from James and set off down the hall at a very fast walk, filled with mixed joy and embarrassment.
After a few seconds, the crowd resumed its noisy way down the hall, but James stood, staring, apparently in shock, after Lily. After a moment, Frank Longbottom came over and asked, "What on earth did you do to make her run away, James?"
James looked bewildered.
"I really don't understand girls."