A/N This chapter is short, mainly because I didn't want to spoil a perfectly good long chapter with fluff, so I wrote a short fluffy one. Next chapter I'll get back into the plot (yes, there's a plot). Oh, and Chloë, this is to appease you. See, I can write romance when I try hard enough! Or… something.

Disclaimer: Most of it's not mine, and if it's yours I apologise for stealing it... unless you're J K Rowling, the theft was completely unintentional. If you are her... um, I'm sorry?

Chapter Nine

"I think we need to talk about what happened before we came under the influence of the potion the second time. When there was a delayed reaction and we thought…"

"Yeah, I know," Lily said hastily. Thank God for that charm! "So what really happened, d'you think?"

"One idea is that the potion was working through us then. Another is that the reaction was simply delayed, and we assumed that the potion was confirming our love. Sorry, we know that the reaction was delayed, but we assumed that it was confirming our love." James said this evenly and rationally, and Lily was grateful for that. It was somehow easier to deal with when they spoke in objective voices and avoided eye contact, and Lily had a feeling that she would be spilling her soul pretty soon. How would James react?

"Which do you think?" Lily asked him.

"I think that the potion delays its reaction each time," James told her, "The first time, it works immediately. The second time, it kicks in after twenty minutes, and the third time at thirty minutes. Maybe there's a pattern, maybe it's just random. That's what I think. It is possible that when the potion did not appear to be working, we rationalised it by assuming that it was because we were already in love."

"That's a possibility," Lily replied, and her face fell despite herself. Oh yes, it was a valid possibility. She looked down, and therefore didn't see James's face as he looked at her. He could, of course, see her disappointment, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

So that isn't what she thinks! he thought happily. It isn't what she wants me to think! Thank God! That means I might have a chance… but what if she just…? No, she's definitely upset! I can tell her that I like her! And she feels the same about me! Or does she? She should, and she did seem to before the potion kicked in the second time. She was reluctant to stop kissing me! Wasn't she? James shook his head. I guess there's really only one way to find out.

So he said gently, removing his grin with difficulty, "Lily, it's a possibility. That doesn't mean I believe it. Actually, I don't."

"So what do you believe?" Lily asked, finally daring to raise her face and look him in the eyes. Here, he took a deep breath. Telling of your feelings is always hard, but when you're telling feelings of affection to the object of your affections it's doubly so. Especially when there is a chance that you might be rejected.

James took a deep breath and said, "I think that the forfeit and the first potion opened our awareness. We became more conscious of each other, and as for myself, I became more attracted to you. You're funny, clever, and sweet - at least, after we made up, not to mention compassionate, caring." Don't say 'hot,' don't say 'hot,' he mentally told himself. "You're responsible, in fact, the only bad trait you seem to have is a insulting tongue… and even that's a good trait, when it's not directed at me!" He chanced a bit of humour, hoping that she'd take it well. Lily smiled, and James gave a happy sigh of relief. So far so good. "I think the delayed reaction of the potion gave us a chance to fully realise our true feelings for each other, and I think… I know… I like you a lot."

Through his whole speech, Lily had been looking into his eyes. Except for his insulting tongue comment, she had kept a carefully neutral face the entire time. She looked at him piercingly a bit longer, and then seemed to decide that he was speaking the truth. Her eyes lit up, and she grinned, just as he had when he had seen her look down.

"As for me," Lily said softly, and then stopped and looked down.

"Yes?" James asked tentatively. Maybe, just maybe…. If he could see her eyes, he would have seen them light up with mischief. As it was, he was completely unprepared for the sudden kiss she gave him. That didn't, however, stop him from enjoying it.

What did break them apart was the sound of cheering coming from the stairs. They sprang back instantly, and both blushed quickly before they wished it off.

"About time!" Sirius and Trinity chorused, and then grinned at each other.

"How long have you hated each other? Seven years?' Kate asked. She was smiling too.

"How long have you lot been there?" Lily asked suspiciously. The group came down from the stairs, and Sirius explained.

"No offence, James, Lily, but that was the oldest trick in the book. First, you exchange glances, and then James says, very artificially if I might add, that he's tired and is going to bed, and you casually say that you'll stay up for a bit, never mind that whenever you want to read late you do it in bed by the light of your wand. Honestly, could it be more obvious?" Remus shook his head, and laughed at them.

"So how long have you been there?" James asked. He couldn't really be angry with them, but he was annoyed. They had interrupted a very promising session with Lily.

"We came down once you had snuck down in your cloak. The girls came down about five minutes later," Remus told him. "We didn't actually hear what you were saying, unfortunately, but when you started kissing we decided to let you know we were here."

"Oh, thank you Sirius!" James said. Lily felt the sarcasm was deserved.

Unfortunately, the arrival of the friends caused a lot of teasing, and it meant that Lily and James couldn't finish what they had started… at least, not in the common room. It was late, but neither was tired. They were exhilarated with these new revelations, and they were teenagers. Who can expect a seventeen year old to voluntarily go to bed early?

At last, in the middle of all the teasing and questioning ("So what did you really get up to in that cabin?" and "How long has this been going on?") James jumped to his feet.

"I've had it! All of you, out! Go back to bed! I want to talk to Lily!"

"Ah… but is talking all he wants-" Sirius began, but Lily cut him off with a pillow chucked in his face.

"C'mon James, let's go."

They ran out of the portrait hole and put on the cloak once they were outside it.

"Where are we going?" James whispered.

"We'll go to my bathroom. But first, we'll wait for the others to follow."

Sure enough, out burst seven teenagers from the portrait hole. They looked around, swore, and then returned to the common room.

"Now we'll go," Lily told James quietly. The only answer she got was a kiss on the cheek, and she grinned to herself. She couldn't, of course, see James under the cloak, but she thought he was smiling too.

They arrived at the Head Girl bathroom, and Lily once again made James cover his ears before uttering the password.

"Please tell me what it is!" James whined.

"I already told you, it's offensive! Besides, I don't want you coming in here whenever you feel like it, what if I was taking a bath?"

"Would that be such a bad thing?" James grinned as he said it, and Lily whacked him on the head.

"Yes!" James just grinned at her, rubbing his head in mock pain.

"So… where were we?" he asked, his grin firmly in place.

"If you're going to be so… smug, we can go back to bed!" Lily told him. He opened his mouth to say something, his grin widening. Lily cut in before he could say the obvious, "Separately!".

"Okay, okay, I'll behave."

"Good," Lily told him primly. And then completely contrasted her words with a kiss.

"About time!" James told her as they came up for breath, but he was kissing her again before she could retort. After a while, she didn't want to. They were, after all, her sentiments too.

A/N Wow, my writing style changed rather suddenly in this chapter, don't you think? A little note that I found amusing: In the old version of this chapter I'd written "Who can expect a seventeen year old to voluntarily go to bed early when there are no exams the next day?" I'm seventeen in under two weeks and it's become a marked trend to go to bed much later when I have exams. That is, three instead of one. I'm sure you're all fascinated… right, I'll shut up. Please review!