He was... shaking.

"James, what..."

"I'm so sorry, Lily! So sorry. I didn't know. Fool that I am, I didn't see. You've loved me all this time, and all I could do was prank and tease you. And hurt you, Merlin, believe me, had I known, I never would have-"

"Would have done what?!" She got to her feet, and wiped her eyes clean. Fiery fury and cold dead disappointment gave her energy to sneer at the face she had just dreamt of kissing. "Really, James Potter, I think I was doing a great service to the rest of the school. Why, without me to remind you of your apparent inability with the ladies, your head would have grown to quite a size! Had you known that I ... was favorably disposed to you, you would have pitied me as you are doing now, or you would have chalked me down as another of your sycophants, stupid and insipid. But, no! Never in a million years would James Potter ever like someone like me, a mudblood Hufflepuff! Until you learned that I loved you, right? Then you decided that I was "easy", correct?" She brushed off his stumbling refusals. "I'll have you know that I get along quite all right without you. In fact, I'm quite sure I no longer have any feelings for you!"

James sadly smiled, and Lily cringed at the pity in his expressive eyes. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop a moment ago, but I couldn't seem to make myself move. You looked so-" He gulped. "I heard you call out my name in your sleep."

Lily blushed and inwardly shuddered. "That proves nothing. It merely means it will take longer to expunge you from my mind, but it will be done."

"Why?" he whispered.

Her eyes glared. "Why what? Why was I stupid enough to lov- like you or why you must be forgotten? I'll answer both. I believe I was channeling an idiot when I fell for you, so that must be exorcized. Perhaps it was a cruel prank of your own that you have come to gloat about again. You must be forgotten because while a part of me loves you without reason or rhyme, another, larger part of me reminds me of your penchant for leading girls on, of your incredible conceit, and your insufferable manners. And that I hate you." She turned to storm away.

Insult seemed to be working the charm, making James snap out of his state. "Lily! Don't go! Please." She stopped, but refused to turn around. "Now, you've had your say, but I never got mine! I never even considered loving you before now. I automatically placed you in the enemy category, because you were such an intriguing adversary. I have to admit, hearing that you loved me was a shock. You're so much smarter than me, and you have more friends, and you seem much more adult. I can't imagine what you see in a bigheaded prankster like me. I.... well, Lily, ... I don't think I'm worthy of you. If that had been as far as my thoughts had run, I'd have continued to prank you, and never brought any of this up. It's just that when I realized that you had been hurt I was ready to kill someone. And the next big realization was that I'd have to kill me in order to hurt the person who had broken your heart. For me, you realize, that's a great deal more brainpower than I normally utilize when thinking about girls." He paused for laughter, but none came from the still Lily. "What's sad is, I was ready to do it, too. I watched you dreaming, and you seemed so much happier wherever you were, and then you said my name. "james," you said, and you looked so happy, I felt like I could never kill anyone who made you that happy. So, I resolved to tell you how I felt."

Lily's shoulders convulsed with her hasty breath as she tried to come to terms with James' rough speech. He reached for her shoulders, and pulled himself in front of her. She refused to look at him.

"Lily, I am so sorry, love. I cannot say it enough. I can't believe that I have done this to you. Sorry is too sma-" Her hand came over his mouth lightning fast.

They both froze, looking at each other with startled eyes.