Be With Me

James had been scared since the moment he had Lily and Chloe in the same room together. Chloe glared over at Lily. Chloe was furious and Lily was sad.

'Can we sit down perhaps?' James asked gesturing to the chairs. The common room was empty and they could talk openly. They all sat on separate chairs, nobody daring to sit next to each other on the couch. The three of them sat there eying each other wondering when somebody was going to open their mouth. James nodded to Sirius and Mel as they quickly moved their way through the common room.

'OK…' James started.

'Chloe I'm sorry!' Lily exclaimed. Her eyes watered and a single tear formed. 'I never meant to hurt you by this. I didn't want you to find out.'

'So you were going to do it behind my back?' Chloe lashed out angrily. Lily shook her head.

'No! He wasn't supposed to know either!' Lily pointed at James and Chloe looked over at him.

'And you love her?' She asked.

'I do.' He said. Chloe turned to Lily, 'and you do to?'

'I do.' James felt a small burst of happiness.

'Well, I hope you two are very happy together.' Chloe told them. Lily looked over at James and James did not like the look she was conveying. Lily opened her mouth;

'We won't be together if it's going to break up our friendship.' Lily told Chloe. Chloe felt a small bit of happiness, the happiest she felt in the past few hours. Lily was still her best friend. 'I can't choose who I fall for Chloe. I never meant to like him. Quite frankly I had a lot of fun hating him.' Chloe knew it was true. James couldn't believe what was happening. He had waited years to hear Lily say that she loved him and now it was all going away.

'So what we had lasted for a couple hours?' James asked.

'It was never there.' Lily told him. 'It came down to my best friend and a boy. If it came to me or Sirius you would chose Sirius.' James moved his chair so that he was sitting inches away from Lily and put his hands on her knees.

'Lily listen to me.' James stared into her eyes and she bit her lip and gazed back.

'I'll listen.' She told him.

'I have loved you for years and I have waited for this moment for just as long. The first time I saw you on the Hogwarts Express I thought to myself that you were one of the most beautiful girls I had ever met. Some veela can't even compare! I have liked you since our second year as I got to know you better. The more we argued the more I loved you. I loved you through you telling me off, through you showing me up in class. There is nothing that could stop me from loving you.' Chloe got up and started to walk away.

'I'm going to let you guys talk.' Chloe told them.

James looked up at her and mouthed, 'Thank you.' She returned this comment with a small half-smile. James turned his attention back to Lily. 'Lily?' She nodded and remained silent. 'Lily I can't imagine going on to tomorrow knowing that you love me but won't be with me. Lily please be with me.' Lily realized how different this James was. This James didn't tease and bug her, he loved her and wanted to be with her. Him asking her to the ball was so different from him asking her to be with him now. He was pleading as if asking her to save his life.

'I can't.' She whispered. 'I'm sorry.' Lily got up and left leaving James a lone in the common room.