Just as their lips were about to touch, James felt a slap on his face and backed away in surprise. Lily was grinning broadly at him.

"Nice try, Potter" she said

James looked furious

"That hurt you know!" He cried

Lily tossed her red hair as she stood up.

"I know," she said simply.

And with these last words she walked off. At this point Sirius couldn't hold it much longer. He had been hiding behind a bookshelf, watching the whole scene. He burst out laughing. James slapped him on the back of the head.

"How come these kinds of things never happen to you?" James said angrily.

Sirius held his head high as he spoke the following words.

"Because I'm so damn sexy."

Remus, who had just come back, chuckled. He made a note to himself to congratulate Lily when he had the chance.

"Padfoot, I think the reason this never happens to you is because you never tried kissing someone like Lily," he said.

James proudly patted Remus on the shoulder.

"That's my friend! Moony is right, Padfoot, admit it!" James cried.

Sirius laughed.

"Prongs, I can kiss Lily any day!"

Oh dear, Remus thought. He knew how this conversation was going to end.

"Oh really!" Prongs glared at his best friend.

He felt annoyed. Nobody could kiss his Lily!

"I'll prove it to you see if I don't! I bet I can kiss Lily before you do" Sirius yelled.

All the students in the library turned their heads and watched curiously as the two most popular boys of the school shouted at each other.

"Right, if you managed to kiss Lily before me I will eat my broomstick!" James cried even louder.

And so began the wild chase after Lily Evans who had no idea of the library events.

That night James Potter had difficulties falling sleep. Like all the other nights he was thinking about one particular person. Lily Evans. James didn't feel quite comfortable with this new bet. He had made bets with his friends a lot of times. But never about the person he loved most. James, however, was a young teenager, full of wrong ideas in his head. He didn't want to back out of the bet he had made. That would hurt his pride far too much. James started to plan how he could seduce Lily Evans. That proved being very difficult. Lily Evans was not the kind of person you could simply impress with your looks. You had to be clever and understanding. And so, the next day, to everybody's surprise James Potter started being a "good boy".

"Today is Lily kissing day! Padfoot said cheerfully at breakfast.

James only grunted. He had not slept well.

"Hey, Potter!"

James turned his head.

"Snivellus", he sneered.

Severus Snape was standing there, his greasy black hair falling into his cold black eyes. James had hated him since their gaze's had met, at the Hogwarts Express train.

"Ready for the Quiddich match, Potter? Are you ready to loose?"

James laughed loudly and got a few admiring looks from some passing girls.

"Snivellus, close your mouth, I can already smell the stink"

The Gryffindors roared. James grinned proudly but his grin soon faded as he saw Lily's disapproval face. And he wasn't thinking about the bet right then.

"You wait Potter, you wait, one day, I will, I will …"

While Snape tried to find something cunning to say, Sirius appeared at James's side. He was munching a toast in a very rude manner.

"Oh, do shut up Snivellus, he said spilling crumbs all over his enemy's black robes, you'll only make a fool of yourself hanging out here. Go back to mummy and start being a good boy!

Again the Gryffindors roared their approval and booed at Snape. The Slytherin boy scowled and walked off, bits of toast in his greasy black hair. At the word "good boy" James immediately remembered his plan. He looked at Lily. She was watching Sirius with disgust.

Score: one for me, zero for Padfoot, thought James

The game begins.