Summary: It all started with a simple love letter, for James Potter, from a lovely admirer. Love letters led to friendships; friendships led to confusion; and finally confusion, slowly led to love. With just three meaningful words, it brought joy to young Potter's heart: Love, An Admirer.

Disclaimer: Anything familiar isn't mine, and unfortunately belongs to the oh-so-brilliant JK Rowling, whom I salute to. Creations of mine are : Piper Valentine, Fiona Caldwell, Jemima Richards, Emily Hart, Dennis Front, Walter Reese, Winston Reese, Marie Lodge, Yvonne West, Gerald Wills, Kurt Randall, Isabelle Frall, the Fairy and the Portrait Holder Society.

Love, An Admirer

Chapter 3: A Woman's Wrath

(Later that night – 1900 hours)

The sun was sinking into the horizon, and the skies outside portrayed a beautiful orange and purple fusion. There was no possibility that anyone would want to miss this, but other things were on a particular Lily Evans' mind... Creeping out of the Gryffindor Common Room rather hastily, Lily rushed all the way to the library and didn't bother waste any time. With the wind blowing in her face, Lily began ticking her mental checklist of the books she needed on Levitation and Charms. Just as she reached the last corner, she halted abruptly and smoothened her hair, making sure not a strand was out of place. Not forgetting to even out the crinkles that formed on her robes, Lily Evans casually entered the library as if she was having a stroll.

Just as Lily was about to keep her cool, she lost all rational when her eyes caught the sight of James Potter in deep concentration. He had the same look earlier that morning and Lily didn't like the meaning of this. Oh bugger, he's reading the letter again! I know, just stay calm and cool, and approach him like you knew nothing about the letter. Ask him a few questions about it too, if you like! said the annoying little voice in her head.

Right. Lily sucked in a breath of air and approached him carefully. She tapped his shoulder and evidently startled him.

Quite taken aback from the fright she had caused him, she said quietly, 'S-sorry! I didn't mean to startle you.'

'Oh, it's okay,' James grinned.

Lily was trying very hard to control her blush-o-meter and didn't know what to do if James Potter began accusing her of resembling a fruit. The silence, however, was deafening and all Lily could do was stare at the cold marble and count the number of tiles.

'Oh yeah, I'm sorry about embarrassing you earlier today,' James began sheepishly. 'I didn't know the class were full of seventh years,' he said, softly.

'I guess I shouldn't have hit you,' Lily replied, laughing nervously.

'Don't worry – it didn't hurt a bit!' Slowly, just very slowly, the atmosphere was beginning to relax. 'Are you sure you gave me your best shot, Lee?' James teased.

'You know, I could always whack you now,' Lily threatened.

'Okay, okay! I surrender!' he said, throwing his arms into the air rather mockingly.

Awkward silence.

'So... What are you reading, anyway?' she asked, desperately trying to break the ice.

'Oh,' Lily swore she saw him blush. 'A letter.'

'A letter, eh? Could it be from one of your fangirls?' Lily tried, making it sound like a tease, as convincingly as possible.

'Well, yeah. Read it, and tell me what you think.' He thrusted her the letter, and she caught it just in time.

Lily reluctantly took the letter from James, and read (well, actually she just looked at it, as she had memorized the context by heart). 'Well. It is kind of sweet.' She said, as if urging James to praise the author to the high heavens.

'Yeah, it is - isn't it?' he replied, rather dreamily.

Lily turned a shade of red, but cleared her throat almost immediately. 'If you don't mind me asking, James, what's with the sudden niceness?'

'What do you mean?' he asked quizzically.

'No offense, James, but we hardly ever exchanged words before this. I mean, the most would even be "Could you pass the carrots, please?",' James was about to respond but Lily cut him off abruptly. 'N-not that I'm saying I don't like it. I mean, I can't deny that it is nice having you around,' Seeing that he was smiling she quickly added, 'And despite the fact that I was close to hating your guts this afternoon, I enjoy your company,' Lily finished with a small smile.

'Well, I guess I just don't feel like annoying you right now,' James teased. 'I guess we both gained a friend, ey?' he winked. 'Oh crap, now I'd have to finish Flitwick's assignment,' he mumbled, and then smiled.

Lily giggled, but inside screamed silently, JAMES POTTER IS MY FRIEND JAMES POTTER IS MY FRIEND!

'Now all I've got to do is find out who she is,' he muttered.

'W-Why?' Lily asked, turning white

'To kiss her, Silly Lily!'

Lily didn't know whether to cry or scream. James, on the otherhand, laughed at her expression.

'I was just joking. I mean, I've got to confront her somehow – this is the most convincing letter I've yet to receive!' James leaned in to whisper and continued, 'And just between the both of us, Silly Lily, I feel rather flattered.'

Lily mocked shock. 'Are you actually being serious?' He likes my letter, he likes my letter! she screamed mentally.

'No, I'm actually James,' He joked.

Lily looked at him as if saying, 'Wha-?'

'Get it? Are you actually being Sirius? I'm James? Oh, nevermind,' He brushed it off and ran a hand through his hair. 'It was getting old anyway...' he mumbled. 'The point is, yes, I am being serious. Besides, if anyone else found out, I could always make your life a living hell. ' He ended his sentence with a wide evil grin.

Lily smiled faintly, and there was a moment of silence, so she broke the silence asking the million dollar question that had been burning in her mind since. 'Say, James,' she cleared her throat. 'If you do find out who she is, what are you going to do? I mean, what are you going to say to her?'

'I'll talk to her - face to face - ask her to tell me everything about herself, why she wrote the letter, why she chose me; though I already know the answer.'

Lily hit him playfully, 'You have a huge ego, you know that?'

'I was just kidding... Sheesh. Anyway, if she is like how I'd thought she'd be, I'll date her.'

'What do you think her personality is?' Lily persisted.

'My, my nosy aren't you? For all I care, you might be the one who wrote me the letter!' James threw back his head in laughter, and all Lily could do was giggle along nervously.

James finally regained composure and continued, 'I think she's brilliant, straight forward, funny, and even though I've never seen her, I'd say she has to be pretty.'

'So if she isn't, you wouldn't date her?' she said, feeling slightly sad. Lily was a teenager who suffered from - what's that term again? – low self esteem.

'Of course, I would! I mean, I'm not that type of person, you know?' James assured.

'Right, right,' Lily tried to bite back her grin. Clearing her throat for the umpteenth time, she said, 'Well then, I think we'd better continue with out project - which hasn't even started.'

'Oh, sorry if I delayed it. I just can't get this anonymous admirer - whoever she is - out of my head. I mean, I think she might be the one. Of all the other letters I received, hers was the most detailed, most - I don't know, it was like all these words were coming straight from her heart.' James kept rambling on and on about it. 'You must think I'm a fool...' He muttered. He finally looked at Lily and caught her off guard by saying, 'Why, Lee - I mean Lily, why are you blushing?'

'Me? Blushing?' Lily giggled nervously. 'Oh, I was just thinking about someone.'

'Oh... Okay then. The person you admire?' He smiled.

'If you put it that way, yes, I guess.' And that person is sitting right in front of me, she added silently.

Now, they would have completed their Charms project in a matter of two weeks, if it hadn't been for someone, who kept interrupting their study sessions about his daydreams of a certain anonymous admirer. Though Lily knew it was she whom he was having daydreams about, (although she knew she was probably in a body of some other supermodel) and was flattered mercilessly, she couldn't help but feel annoyed.

After what seemed like the hundredth time he interrupted, Lily couldn't stand it anymore, and simply snapped. 'For the billionth time, James, I know you're pining over her, and I know she's probably pining over you too right now, but that doesn't mean you have to interrupt this study session every bloody second!' Lily breathed in and out, slowly. I did not just say that. I did NOT just say that. Lily too didn't notice the murderous glares Madam Pince was shooting.

James stopped abruptly, and turned a shade of pink too, realizing how totally unmasculine he was acting.

'I mean you should know by now that I'm a perfectionist,' She sighed, and continued. 'That does not mean you can suddenly stop concentrating, and daydream or babble about her. I know how you feel, believe me, I do. But next time, when you think of her, keep it to yourself, why don't you?'

James nodded like a little five-year-old being told by his mother not to accept chocolate frogs from strangers.

'I know Lily, it's just the fact that I can't stop -' James began to continue, but before he could even finish his sentence, Lily shouted in frustration, and attempted to strangle James. Charles Ross of Ravenclaw who just happened to be there at that moment, had to restrain Lily from beating him to pulp – even if it was practically impossible.

A month later, James Potter was still clueless on who this anonymous admirer of his was; Lily Evans was still head over heels for him; Fiona still blushed whenever she sat next to Jeremy in Charms; Sirius still hasn't found THE one; Jemima still couldn't stand Sirius' annoying antics; Peter was still the quiet and pudgy person he is; and Remus? Well, he was still Remus.

'I'm going mad, Padfoot! I'm serious!' James yelled in the boys' dormitory. He looked as if he was capable of pulling out all his hair to pawn it for sickles.

'No, Prongs, I'm Sirius. You don't have to steal my name you know. It's not my fault your parents gave you such a horrible name, where else my parents gave me such a ravishing, enchanting - ' Sirius rattled on ticking all his positive traits off his fingers.

'Sirius, the joke's really getting old, and is really getting to me.'

'James, you really need to relax. Ooh, if she was Heather Miller, that'd be wonderful, wouldn't it? She gives good massages. It would relief stress, you know?'

'For the last time, Padfoot, I'm not going to be happy, nor am I going to date any other girl until I find out who this admirer of mine is!' James insisted.

'And for the last time, Prongsie boy, for all you know, that admirer of yours could be a guy. You never know what goes on in Snape's mind,' Sirius said, wiggling his eyebrow.

James grabbed the nearest pillow at reach and stuffed it in Sirius' mouth, 'You have a sick mind, you know that?'

Sirius choked, after he removed the pillow. James couldn't tell what Sirius was doing next - laughing or suffocating. Finally concluding that Sirius was in deed moronic and had the intelligence capacity of a seven-year-old, James rolled his eyes and helped Sirius unstuffy himself.

But just as James was about to enjoy the silence, Sirius shattered it by suggesting (rather cheekily, if you ask me), 'I know! Let's pay a visit to Madam Rosmerta, if you know what I mean.'

James sighed out loud and said, 'Very well then. Say, do you know where Moony and Wormtail are?'

'Wormtail's in detention with Filch. Moony's, well, still visiting his sick mum, if you catch my drift.'

James nodded and rested on his bed, his arms folded under his head. 'I wonder if he's still okay about last night's visit. I mean, I thought we could have gotten caught.'

'I know what you mean,' Sirius trailed off quietly. Pausing to think for a moment, he continued. 'Hey, let's invite the girls!'

'The girls? What do you mean by "the girls"? You're acting as though we go out all the time with this bunch of girls.'

'Silly, silly, Prongsie. Lily, Jem and Fiona are what I mean by the girls. I mean they're the only sensible ones who are a load of fun to hang out with.' Sirius stopped to think for a while. 'Hey, Professor Flitwick has finally done something right!'

'And what's that?'

'Pairing you and I with Jemima and Lily; although Jemima whacks me constantly for hitting on her. I mean honestly, isn't it so obvious she's crazy for me?' Sirius winked.

James snorted. 'Yeah, she's crazy for you all right; in your dreams. Come on, I'm getting restless as it is. Call them, would you? I heard it's chilly in Hogsmeade.'

'Aight, then. Meet me in the Common Room in about five minutes,' Sirius replied in a sing-song voice, heading out of the dormitory. Heading towards the girl's quarters, Sirius muttered an incantation (something he had picked up from a senior, and perfected!) to deactivate the spell, which had been cast on the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory to prevent cheeky members of the opposite sex from sneaking in. The sneak-o-scopes laid outside the dormitory by cautious students started spinning uncontrollably, but Sirius was prepared and drew his wand to take care of that. Making sure he was at the right door, Sirius, being the utterly annoying person he was, barged in, without taking the girls' privacy into consideration in the very least. ... However, the sight he met with was something never to be forgotten.

'PUMPKIN-POOOOO!' he wailed out loud, running in. Once inside, he saw Lily sitting on the bed, writing in a diary, with a look of horror on her face; Fiona having a nap - still sleeping soundly (she was clever enough to put a silencing charm around her four poster bed); this one girl he didn't notice putting on some make-up, suddenly having lip stick smudged all over her cheek and - get ready for this - Jemima, with only a wet towel around her.

As soon as her eyes met his, her grasp had loosened and her towel nearly dropped to her ankles if it weren't for Lily's quick thinking. (and nifty spell!) Instead, she let out a bloodcurdling scream that even shook the banshees in all of Scotland. Instinctively, she grabbed the closest object in reach (which were, unfortunately for Padfoot, clogs which Fiona bough for her from Holland last winter) and hurled it in his direction.

Sirius ducked and did the first thing he thought off – fled as if his life depended on it.

'SIRIUS BLACK! YOU ARE GOING TO BE A ROTTEN TOMATO WHEN I FIND YOU!' echoed through the Gryffindor dormitories.

Sirius ran to the Common Room, panting, and began shielding behind James. 'What on earth happened?'

'Barged in - pumpkin-poo – half naked - threw clogs – near concussion - ran,' Sirius was still panting, taking in breaths slowly.

'No wonder,' James whistled. 'You're dead as a duck, my dear friend; dead.'

As if on cue, Sirius started running, and Jemima was hot on his trail. James chuckled and went to find Lily. She came down to the Common Room, just in time to witness everything. Spectating the cat-and-mouse chase, Lily laughed.

'Lily! Wanna go to Hogsmeade?' he asked casually.

'H-Hogsmeade? But how? I mean, it's not Hogsmeade weekend.' She said flabbergasted. Lily then bit her lip. Stupid, he obviously knows a way. Why would he be asking you anyway?

'I have my ways...' he grinned his award winning smile, and Lily - who couldn't resist - nodded.

Half an hour later of convincing Lily that the invisibility cloak was real and that four schoolboys managed to create a map that could tell what everyone was doing in Hogwarts, James managed to coax her to go through a secret tunnel with him that would wind up in the Honeyduke's cellar.

'You want to get some Butterbeer?' he offered.

'Obviously, I mean of course! I mean sure, I mean -'

'Are you all right Lily? You don't sound like yourself at all.' He looked at her with his eyes full of concern. All Lily ever wanted to do right now was to grab and kiss the daylights of him - heck wouldn't anyone want to? - but luckily, she resisted. 'I'm fine. Well, are we going to get Butterbeer or not?'

'That's the Lily I know!' James smiled and went into the Three Broomsticks.

They laughed, talked, discussed, flirt - no they didn't flirt, though Lily wished they did - and laughed some more. It was certainly refreshing for James who hadn't enjoyed unadulterated fun for quite some time. Lily was definitely enjoying herself and felt that she was terribly blessed to be in the company of James Potter – and that fact alone sent her soaring in the skies. Wanting ever so much to freeze time and never leave Three Broomsticks, Lily realized that everything good does eventually come to an end.

Creeping back to Hogwarts, Lily (a teeny bit tipsy) and James had managed to escape Filch's clutches. Lily would have wanted to assume that she had just returned from a date James Potter, but knew better than to fill her mind with foolish thoughts. Assuming they finally complete the Charms project, she knew that James would resume to being the out-of-reach crush he had been for the past two years. Dwelling in her own thoughts, she was shaken out of her reverie when she heard a very familiar voice just as she was about to mutter the password for the Fat Lady.

'You can't stay up there forever, Black!'

Lily and James rolled their eyes, knowing perfectly well who the voice belonged to. Off they went to find Jemima and Sirius. After casting a locating spell, the results led them to the Hogwarts Grounds and saw a feminine figure with a blanket wrapped around breathing out cold air. Craning their necks, Lily and James caught sight of Sirius on the roof railing, balancing, and Jemima standing below, looking as if they did this every evening.

'I know! But you too! I mean, aren't you cold?' Sirius said with chattering teeth.

'Yes, but, ohmigod, I just realised I'm a witch!' she said sarcastically. 'I'm not dumb, you know. I can easily conjure fire.'

Lily and James came in the nick of time to come to his aid. Realising that he was clearly making a fool of himself in front of his best friend, Sirius laughed nervously.

'How long has he been standing up there?' asked James, staring at the petrified boy.

'Gee, let me think... Since he barged into our dorm when I finished bathing!' Jemima lashed, shooting death glares at the terrified Sirius.

'Oh, Jemima. Give him a break. You obviously didn't do it on purpose, did you Sirius?' James began, cocking his head at Sirius who shook his head vigorously.

'And you never meant to call her pumpkin-poo, did you?' Lily asked Sirius kindly, while James cut in, in disbelief. 'You called her pumpkin-poo?'

Sirius thought for a moment, 'Actually... - no!' He yelped as soon as he saw Lily's murderous glares.

'There! See, Jem? He is sorry after all,' Lily pressed.

'Well, I guess.' Jemima sighed and said, 'Well, you can climb back down, Black. I'm not going to hurt you.'

An unconvinced Sirius still harboured the look of fear in his eyes and didn't move a muscle.

'Come down now before I change my mind!' Jemima ordered.

Sirius heaved a sigh of relief and slowly climbed down, and started, 'Phew, for a moment there, Jem, I thought you were –'

'Got you!' Jemima shouted. Followed by a few mumbles, that was all Sirius heard before all his movements were frozen. All that could move now were his eyeballs.

'Jemima! What did you do?' squeaked Lily.

'Oh, just a simple freezing charm I learnt from Michael. Her performed it on me once.' Jemima grinned evilly.

James, who couldn't imagine how it must have felt for Sirius to be jinxed by a girl no less, threw his head back and roared with laughter. But he kept quiet as Jemima gave him the, I-did-it-to-him-and-I-can-do-it-to-you-too look.

'How long does it last?' inquired Lily.

'Oh, only about 12 hours,' Jemima whistled.

'You do have a reverse spell, don't you?'

'Of course. But I won't use it until I have the heart to.' Jemima smirked.

'You know, since you froze him, our Common Room would look nicer with a statue, don't you think, Lily, Jemima?' James asked grinning at the Sirius statue.

'Oh, of course I do! Come on then, it's getting late and chillier outside by the minute,' replied Jemima.

James levitated the Sirius statue to the Common Room, left him there, and went off to dinner. Sirius' eyes looked horrified as they left him there, looking in all directions. After five minutes, Lily and Jemima both returned to the Common Room to un-do the spell. As soon as all the ice melted, Sirius snatched Jemima's wand from her grasp and declared revenge, and well, as they say – history was now repeating itself.

Thanks to:

aharrypotter1fan, (blank space), As de corazones , wacky girl 2002, Princess Ashley (aka MO, Tess, Lina Shay, rinoa and (another blank space)