Sorry sexyface! We didn't know you were also a fan of ours. You didn't review so we didn't know:-D We're so glad that you like it. Keep reviewing!

Heheh... Of course the girls would get in on it. They're Lily and James' friends! What do you except from them? hehehehe... hey Tiger- what was it at. It cut off at the end for some reason. Which place do we go for your email?

AND NOW... onward to our gallant tale!

Rolls eyes See what I have to put up with?

Chapter 4

James couldn't believe what the girls had told him to do. He wasn't sure that it would even work. How in the world could he win Lily's heart? She was the most stubborn person that he had ever met. He wasn't arrogant! Okay... maybe he was. But he really wasn't. Deep down he was just a modest, humble guy. Lily had even told him so last year. He sighed, wishing that he could live in that day forever.

Lily's beautiful red locks were curled and cascading down her back in layers. She sat with her legs together and off to the side, her hands in her lap. Her emerald green eyes were studying the view of the lake. Her face basked in the warmth of the day. James sat against the tree that shaded them and watched her, his heart beat rapidly. Never before had he believed that she would be sitting down by the lake with him. Alone. The thought enough was doing things to him.

"It's such a beautiful day," Lily sighed contently. James nodded and decided to dare to play with her hair. His shaking fingers reached over and took a curl in his finger. He played with it lightly. Lily sighed and moved back.

"Do you mind?" He asked her, his voice shaking slightly. She turned to him and gave him the most loving smile she had ever given to him.

"No, I like it when people play with my hair. It's nice," she said softly, turning back to look at the lake. James smiled and moved closer so it wasn't so much of a reach to play with her hair.

"You know you aren't so bad, James," she said, for the first time using his name in a soft, gentle way.

"Thanks Lily," James said softly, his cheeks blushing. She turned and came closer to him.

"Why do you put on such an act?" She asked him seriously. James looked down at his hands and shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe it's just to get you to notice me," James mumbled.

"Oh James. I notice you. I truly do," she said with a giggle, her hand finding his.

That was the one and only time that Lily had touched him. He had wished that that would have been the day that he could have kissed her, with her permission. Now, he had to make up for it. Now he had to stop being an idiot and start thinking about what it was that she needed from him, not what he wanted so desperately. And that was what it was really, desperation. He had to stop thinking that their last year was his only chance, even though it really was. He knew that if Lily wasn't at his side by the end of this year that he wouldn't ever have her at his side and that was not something that he wanted to really think about.

He sighed and tried to calm all of his frantic thoughts. He knocked upon Lily's room door and waited. The door swung open and Lily's face fell.

"What do you want, Potter?" She asked him coldly. He sighed inwardly. He so wanted her to say his name, his first name, the way she had that day. He looked down at his feet and presented her the lily's that Hestia had said that Lily had loved so much. He reminded himself to look her in the eye.

"I want to apologize to you, Lily. I don't know what has come over me. I do hope you will accept these flowers and that you will accept my apology. I shall try much harder to be more of a gentleman from now. I bid you ado," he said as he turned away and started down the stairs quickly.

"James!" Her voice called, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around and saw her coming down the stairs so gracefully as she always did.

"Yes?" He said. She stopped two stairs above him.

"Do you mean what you said?" She asked him seriously. James nodded his head, his jet black hair moved a bit with the motion.

"I mean every word. I know that I told you before that I was going to woo your heart and I really want to Lily. You don't understand the extent of my love for you. I... I think I'd die without you and now it's our last year and I just don't know if I can think about never seeing you again. Over the summer I started thinking about how I wouldn't get to see you any more. That probably the only times we would have any interaction with each other at all is when someone has a party or someone gets married... or worse you do," James said.

Lily sighed and looked down at her feet.

"I'll tell you what. If you can act like the James that you showed me at the end of the year last year for a full two months. Then I'll grant you a date. A date, Potter. Nothing more," Lily stated. James smiled.

"Thanks Lily, for being so wonderful," he said. He gave her a bright smile before leaving the common room.

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Lily couldn't understand why she had promised the date to James, but then again she didn't believe that he would be able to do it. He was James Potter for goodness sake! He wouldn't be able to not act like an arrogant prat for that long. Especially now that they were in their final year. Nothing could go wrong.

Right?

She sighed deeply. Who was she trying to kid? He had done it before for a while. If he could do it then, then he most certainly could do it now.

And yet, she wanted him to win. For some odd reason she had really liked the James that he had been down by the lake that day. If only he could be it again, just for her. It would make her feel special to know a side of him that no one ever saw.

It was warm day, but that wasn't why she was flushed. She was sitting down by the lake with James Potter, an occurance that she was sure would never happen in her life. She felt his fingers trembling as they played with her hair. She moved closer to feel his fingers against her back, her heart was beating rapidly. What was going on with her? Why was she feeling this way for James Potter, the boy she had sworn to hate her entire life?

"Do you mind," his voice asked shakily. She turned and smiled at him softly.

"No, I like it when people play with my hair. It's nice," she said softly, turning back to look at the lake. She felt him move closer to her..

"You know you aren't so bad, James," she said, her heart jumping into her throat.

"Thanks Lily," James said softly, his cheeks blushing. Lily turned and came closer to him.

"Why do you put on such an act?" she asked him seriously. James looked down at his hands and shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe it's just to get you to notice me," James mumbled.

"Oh James. I notice you. I truly do," she said with a giggle, her hand finding his.

Her hand had been on fire at that moment and her heart had been beating so fast that she thought she might have a heart attack. How could he do this to her? It wasn't something that she had much of a clue about.

She flopped herself down upon her bed and wondered where in the world James would be taking her.