James stared at her from across the common room. He couldn't move his eyes, he was completely addicted to gazing at her, and there was nothing that could prevent him from doing so. Everything about her was positively captivating, her stunning green eyes, her thick red hair that she always insisted on wearing in a tight pony tail, and the cute little frown she had on her face at the moment as she immersed herself in study for the upcoming NEWTs.

He admitted to himself fairly recently that he had NOT been going about the right sort of attitude to make it clear to her that he was most certainly infatuated with everything about her. His incessant pestering and continual pompous behaviour was, according to him, probably the most ridiculous way to get her attention, but he was just too shy to tell her how he really felt about her.

He was rather confident in that fact that she truly hated him. He knew that because of the six years of constant jeering he would hardly stand any chance with her, but she was far too brilliant, far too gorgeous and far too perfect to give up on now. James had rationalised his attitude. He figured that if he didn't change himself, or tell her how he honestly felt about her, that he would never see her again. School was nearly over, and they would never have to return, and the feeling made James feel helpless and slightly ill, he knew that he would miss her so much that stalking would have to be a probable option.

Since first year, when he accidentally sent his seven chocolate frogs loose on her, James had felt something for her, that made strange jolts often occur in his stomach region. Pondering on those years made James realise that he had genuinely committed the crime that most other boys desperately attempt to deny. He had teased her because he liked her! And he teased her so much.

How to tell her without having her shout, "Leave me alone you annoying piece of scum!" was James' largest problem. He knew he'd have to be something that he spent a majority of his time bottling up, in order to prepare himself from endless taunts from Sirius for what would seem like several hundred years. He had to be romantic. He had to make telling her how much he wanted to be with her as wonderful as it could possibly be.

It would be a complete failure if he simply walked over to her and said "Hey, Evans, how about you date me?" That line was a complete tragedy. He had said it to her 53 in the past year, as Sirius, who insisted on keeping a running tally, constantly reminded him. He would have to do something that she wouldn't expect, call her by her first name, explain to her why he had been such a rude and ridiculous show-off for the past six years.

She turned the pages of the book she was reading so intensely and James decided that he needed to do it now. While she was unaccompanied by her hordes of friends, while she wasn't thinking entirely about how much she hated him. He stood up and walked over to her, preparing himself for the absolute worst. As he approached her he noticed that she had now begun to bury her head into her small hands.

He stood next to the couch which contained her, and her large pile of books.

"Evans?"

He was answered with a sniff.

"No, Potter," she sobbed.

James could feel his gut perform a lurch, and a feeling of terrible sadness. He had never, not once, seen her cry. He sat next to her, shifting aside a copy of 'Advanced Transfiguration and its Advantages in Kitchens', and attempted to place his arm on hers reassuringly.

"D-d-don't," she managed to mutter.

"No, I'm leaving my hand right where it is, until you're smiling that cute smile you have again."

James was convinced he heard a small laugh underneath the sobs.

"Tell me, Evans, what's doing this to you?"

"W-w-well, I'm j-just so tired and s-stressed, and I c-can't t-transfigure toasters properly, a-and you've b-b-been staring at me f-for ages."

"You can perfectly transfigure a toaster, Evans, you did it four times in class the other day, and I remember being extremely jealous."

She did another giggle, and James' gut lurched again, but he was sure this time it wasn't to do with sadness. She lifted her hands away, revealing pink splotchy face, but realising James was next to her, she immediately recoiled again.

"Don't be ridiculous, Evans. Who wouldn't want to see that face?"

"Thanks, P-Potter."

"Evans, there's something, well, er, important that I need to talk to you about. And it might explain why I've been staring at you for nearly two hours now."

"O-oh? If you're g-going to a-ask me out y-you know what th-the answer is."

"No, I'm not going to ask you out, Evans. There's just something I want to tell you, and then after you hear it I promise you will never have to put up with me again if you don't want."

"C-continue…" She was listening closely, while the tears were ceasing.

"When I spilt seven Chocolate frogs on you on the train in first year, it wasn't because I felt like being horrible to you. It was because eleven year old James thought that you were cute. And in second year, when I didn't stop calling you a know-it-all, it wasn't because I wanted you to feel stupid, it was because I admired the way you were so smart. And in the rest of the years, when I was acting, well, stupidly, it wasn't because I wanted to be known as the popular one with all the girls, it was because I wanted to impress someone. Er, you. But I failed dismally."

She sat back, waiting for him to continue.

"And this year, well, I haven't done anything to you. I haven't done anything to anyone, except myself. I've spent all year telling myself how that if I don't do something soon, I'm going to never see you again, and spend my entire life wishing I had you, or start stalking."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Every day, since first year, there's been this thing that's getting stronger and stronger and I know that if I don't share it with someone soon, I'm going to explode, or have to transfigure myself into a toaster, or anything that doesn't have feelings."

"Potter, you're rambling."

"Okay, okay. Well, you see the things that's getting stronger and stronger is, well, errr, its um, I, ah..."

"Please say it", she paused, "James."

"I love you, Lily. So much. And I don't think I could bear having to live my life without you in it."

"Did I ever tell you, James, that you've been perfect this year?"

He beamed.

"I love you, Lily."

"And you've been so cute?"

"I love you, Lily."

"And that was so romantic?"

"I love you, Lily."

"And that I do want to put up with you again? A lot more from now on?"

"I love you, Lily."

"And that I know that I love you too, James?"

And then she kissed him.

A/N: I'll continue to make this a series of fluffy one shots, just like my other story 'Because You're You'… read it if you like Ron/Hermione fluff!

Also, I love reviews. Every time I get one, I feel compelled to write more and update five times as often, so PLEASE REVIEW!!! :) You'll make my day!