Breaking Barriers.
Willow23
History of Magic was, for James, quite boring. As soon as he sat down his routine would begin.
Pulling out a quill he would scan the room for Lily. As always she would be opposite him, diligently taking notes. He would then reach down into his bag to search for parchment, but really only looking to get a glimpse up her skirt. Like always her legs would be neatly folded, to obscure his view.
He would then gather some scrap parchment and write notes to the other Marauders, staring at Lily whilst waiting for a response.
On this particular day, the heat seemed to encompass the students, drawing robes of pupils.
James' robes were off, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Glancing around the room he noticed Lily taking off her own clothing, rolling her sleeves as well. As she was moving, James caught a glimpse down her top, having undone the first two buttons due to the stifling heat. Groaning, he shifted in his seat to get more comfortable. The heat started to affect his thinking and James decided to rest his eyes for a minute in order to clear his thoughts. Falling asleep soon after, he only awoke when the bell signalled the end of class.
"C'mon, go out with me Evans," he jested.
"No Potter." came the hissed reply from the girl beside him.
"Why do you always say 'no'?" James questioned.
"Why do you always ask?" she responded.
"Because maybe, just maybe, I think that you might say yes."
James shifted in his seat, and meticulously copied more notes off the board on which Professor Slughorn was scribbling instructions.
Being Potions partners suited James quite nicely. As it was Lily's best subject, and one of his worst (even at NEWT level) Professor Slughorn their round bellied teacher had formed an ingenious system, where one of his better students would be paired with one of his less competent pupils.
It just so happened, through a little bribery on James' behalf (A box of Honeydukes best crystallised Pineapple) that he was placed with Lily Evans, the most beautiful creature God had ever created as his partner.
Not only did that mean sitting next to her, it entitled the right to work with her, talk to her, and occasionally, accidentally of course, brush up against her.
"I don't seem to understand," said James looking through his thick textbook, "Why you never seem to want to go out with me," he looked over towards her, watching her beautiful fingers close around a glass beaker.
"I mean, I've searched everywhere for the answer," h said indicating towards the textbook. "But I always seem to come up empty handed."
Out of the corner of his eye James saw Lily grin.
"Maybe you aren't searching in the right places?" she replied.
"Is that so?" his hand moved to take the beaker out of her hand and fill it with their now completed potion.
"Maybe if you deflated your overly large ego I'd consider going out with you." Lily scooped up the potion with a ladle and poured the exact amount into their beaker.
"And how would I go about doing that?" he wondered out loud.
"Well you could try being nice to Snape."
James snorted loudly, almost spilling their work. "Be nice to Snape! C'mon Evans you cant actually be Serious. He doesn't want my friendship and I don't want his." James muttered.
"I never said you had to be friends, just be….civil." she decided.
"And if I am civil you will go out with me?" he asked.
"I guess so." she resigned.
"Deal."