Disclaimer-The wonderful and talented J. K. Rowlings created, and therefore owns, Harry Potter and his world, not I.

Chapter 6- Yes?

"So let me get this straight, you're friends are...forcing you to call me sweetheart?" James asked with a confused look on his face.

"Yes, but..." Lily's voice trailed off. "I know he thinks that I like him now! He probably thinks that the truth is just a lame excuse to cover up my feelings for him!"

"But what?" James asked, still clearly confused.

"Well, uh, we're only friends though," Lily stated. "Nothing more."

James looked shocked, but not for the reason Lily thought. "We're friends?"

"I think we should be. Face it; we're stuck with each other. So I figure we might as well be on pleasant terms."

James gave Lily a huge grin. "I absolutely agree."

"Wow, that was easier than I thought it would be," Lily said and the relief in her voice was obvious. "Now, I think we have some schoolwork to do."

"Do we have to?" James whined even though he really wanted to because it would mean Lily would have to spend time with him.

"Yes," Lily said in a whiny voice that mocked the one James had just used.

"Wait," James paused, "I was just thinking. You get to call me sweetheart, so it seems only fair that I call you some term of endearment back." He started grinning wickedly. "Any suggestions?"

Lily just stared at James incredulously. "Everyone is going to think we're together. Wait, is that a bad thing? Of course it's bad!! Why would I think otherwise?"

"I think I'll just call you what ever comes into my mind at that moment," James grinned. He figured he'd be able to get something out of this sweetheart thing and desperately hoped it would be Lily.

"How about you just call me Lily," she was annoyed by the fact that he wanted to call her something like sweetheart, but even more annoyed that she actually wanted him to!

"Or how about I call you Lilykins!" James exclaimed. "It has your name in it, so that should make you happy."

Lily turned bright red. "JAMES POTTER! That is not what I meant and you know it," she squealed.

"I gave you the chance to pick your name! It's not my fault that you didn't suggest anything!" James grinned. "Why is she being so difficult about this? I could just refuse to let her call me sweetheart! No, no, no! That's not an option."

Lily frowned at James, still red as a cherry. "But I don't want you to call me anything, other than my real name!"

"Now, now, Lily dear. What will my public think if you're calling me sweetheart and all I call you is Lily?"

"I don't care what your public thinks, James Potter!"

"You just called me James Potter. Isn't there something else you should be calling me?" James asked a very frustrated Lily.

"Do you see Caroline or Jennifer or Monica or anyone else?" Lily snapped. "Because I don't!" Then she stood up, rushed into her room, and slammed the door.

James stared dumbfounded at where Lily had been sitting beside him on the sofa only seconds ago. "Wonder what's bugging her."

It had been two weeks since Lily's dare. Everyone had grown accustomed to Lily calling James sweetheart and him calling her whatever he felt like at the moment, mostly Lilykins though.

"So, sweetheart," Lily started, "did you do the Transfiguration homework yet?"

James looked at Lily and raised his eyebrows. "Hmm?"

"I need a little help. So have you done it?"

James grinned. "No, and I'll gladly help you, Lilykins."

Lily's friends giggled and immediately stopped when Lily shot them an icy glare.

Lily stood up and grabbed James' hand. "Come on sweetheart. Let's go somewhere else and do this." She gave her friends another glare.

"Why don't you guys go to your common room? It won't be crowded in there," Sirius snickered.

"Thanks for the wonderful idea, Sirius," Lily smiled. She then dragged James' through the portrait hole.

"Lucky, lucky man," Sirius muttered.

"Sirius!" Monica playfully hit him on the chest.

"What? Do you want to go somewhere more private?"

She nodded and Sirius took her by the hand and pulled her through the portrait hole.

"Wow. They could've saved a bunch of time by just kicking us out," Jennifer told Remus. "It's pretty empty here now."

Remus chuckled.

"So all I have to do is swish my wand and say Ripta Sempray?" Lily asked.

James nodded and Lily smiled.

"Okay, here I go." Lily straightened up and swished her wand, "Ripta Sempray!" A siberian tiger shot out of her wand.

"Wow! You'd be a siberian tiger!" James exclaimed. Professor McGonagall had taught them the charm to see what animal they'd be if they were an animagus earlier in class and wanted them to practice it for homeork.

"Your turn!"

James replied by standing up and swishing his wand, "Ripta Semprey!" A stag shot out of James' wand.

Lily squealed in excitement and reached out to pet its head before it dissappeared.

James watched her and smiled.

"This is so cool! I'd be a siberian tiger and you'd be a stag in animagus form!" Lily smiled at him. "Thanks for helping me!"

"Any time," James replied.

"I'm going to go to the library now," Lily said. "I need to work on that Potions essay."

"I'll see you later, Lily," James grinned.

"Bye, sweetheart," Lily replied over her shoulder as she was walking towards the portrait hole. When she realized what she had siad, she stopped dead in her tracks and spun around to see James' shocked face.

"So, darling," James said and walked towards Lily until he was right in front of her.

Lily looked at James with an expression like that of a deer caught in a car's headlights. "I can't believe I said that! I never call him that unless there's at least one person around us! Why would I call him that now?"

James took Lily's hands in his own. "There's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up. Would you like to go with me?"

Lily still looked startled. "I can't say yes! That would mean that I like him, which I don't! And I'll hurt his feelings if I say no, and maybe ruin our friendship..." As Lily thought about this, she realized how much he had changed in the month since they'd been at Hogwarts.

James was staring intently at Lily. Her brow was furrowed as if she was deep in thought.

"He's changed so much. Maybe I should give him a shot. What's the worst that could happen? It's just Hogs-"

"Lily?" James asked, breaking her train of thought.

"Hmm?"

"So do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" James asked nervously.

Lily looked at him and smiled, "I'd love to."

James looked as if he had jumped over the moon and back. "YE-," he coughed," uh, perfect!"

Lily giggled and then ran off to her room and shut the door.

"I'M THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD! I JUST GOT A DATE WITH LILY EVANS!" James shouted at the top of his lungs. Then he darted off to find Sirius and Remus and tell them the good news.

A/N- I'm so sorry about not updating earlier. School started last Monday, and I'm now a freshman so its been hectic. Plus I had a soccer tournament this weekend, otherwise I would've updated then. But for now on, I'm going to update at LEAST once a week, hopefully more.

I know the whole sweetheart dare thing was lame, but it worked out for the best-lol! I also know it seems kind of sudden for James and Lily to go out, but you'll see my evil scheme! Mwahahaha!

hyper-shaman-girl: Cruel? Nah...Thanks for reviewing.

tiffyrose: Just because I don't know how to read doesn't mean I don't know how to write! And of course it's good-I wrote it! Conceited, I know.

missmrprk: Sorry I didn't update soon like you requested, but htanks for reviewing.

-ilovecaptainjacks