A/N: bold and italics are Lily's thoughts and just italics are James' thoughts. The story is written in 3rd person for the most part.
A/N: Thanks to Doris, my beta, who has to put up with all my grammatical and spelling errors and has to correct them :-P I loveee her! 3 :-D
Melting the Winter's Ice
By xLilyFlower28
He followed those green orbs with his own hazel ones. He followed them to the window, watching the rain fall, to the fireplace, watching the fire cackle, and finally back to the transfiguration essay, watching the paper as if expecting the words to write themselves. He watched happiness drain from them, and saw boredom slowly take its place. He had gotten to know those orbs so well, those brilliantly emerald green eyes, that belonged to the one, and only, Lily Evans. His Lily Evans. He admired her petite figure as she repositioned, tucking one leg under her, and pulling her essay closer.
He couldn't help but love her. Who couldn't love her? She was perfect.
No one needed Transfiguration. It was pointless, really. And why would she need it to be a healer, anyways? She wouldn't. Oh how she would love a nice cup of hot chocolate. Maybe just a quick trip down to the kitchens… grab a mug, then come right back up and finish the essay. Well… maybe just one more paragraph…
She was back to her essay… where's Sirius anyway? Probably in kitchens… Maybe I could take a little stop by… No hurt in a nice piece of cake on a rainy day… Yes that sounds about right…
"Potter?"
"Oh, Hey, Lily. Fancy meeting you here."
"Yeah… same to you… what are you doing here?"
"Just wanted some cake… you?"
"Needed a break from transfiguration… and I thought some hot chocolate might relax my mind."
"So how's that essay coming?"
"Oh, not bad, I have it about half done…"
"Oh, that's good."
"Hey Evans?"
"Yes, Potter?"
"…what are you doing Saturday?"
"Why, Potter?"
"Well, I thought maybe we could go to Hogsmeade or something."
"Potter, I've told you once, I've told you a million times, get. It. Through. Your. Big. Fat. Head. I. Will. Not. Go. Out. With. You." Lily finished, with gritted teeth, putting down her untouched cup of hot chocolate and swiftly removing herself from the kitchens.
"Well great… now I've upset her…"
Lily ran a hand through her hair as she pushed open the heavy oak doors, releasing herself into the outside. So maybe Potter wasn't that bad, hey, she did have a civil conversation with him… but it does get exceedingly annoying that he wouldn't stop asking her out. Honestly, that boy needs to find himself a girlfriend. That's not me.
"Lily?" She heard a voice call in the distance. Brilliant, so now Potter's followed me out here…
"Lily, c'mon… I just want to talk to you."
"Potter, leave me alone."
"Lily…"
"Potter, leave me alone. I dislike you."
"Lily! You don't mean that!"
"Keep it up Potter. This is why I dislike you."
"But Lily… oh c'mon you know you wonna go out with me!"
Oh, I want to go out with him, do I? Could his ego get any bigger? I think I would know if I wanted to go out with him!
"POTTER! IF I WANTED TO GO OUT WITH I WOULD HAVE SAID YES AGES AGO WHEN YOU STARTED ASKING ME OUT!
"Well, obviously not, because you didn't say yes." James replied, wearing that same, stupid egocentric grin that he wore everyday in 5th year. James Potter may have said he changed, and he may have acted different, but on the inside, James Potter was still the same egotistical prat that Lily never liked.
"DAMNIT POTTER, I DON'T LIKE YOU, I HATE YOU! I NEVER DID LIKE YOU!"
"h..h…hat…hate?" James said, with a confused and horrified look on his face, staring at Lily as if he had never seen her before.
"Yes Potter, I loathe, despise, hate, and detest you." By this time, the rain had soaked them both all the way through, and Lily was shivering. "ugh.. soo.. cold.." Lily muttered under her breath to no one in particular.
"Well you're always cold aren't you?" James said in an odd tone.
"What?" Lily said, her head snapping up with a look of confusion on her face.
"Well you've always been cold and heartless. So I thought you'd be used to it by now."
"Excuse me?" Lily said, with tears welling up in her eyes. She was not cold and heartless!
"Every year, I've asked you out, every year I've spilled out my heart to you, every year. And yet you always insult me, kick me around, and bring me down. And you're saying that you detest me? I think it should be the other way around, but I could never detest you."
"No… You… But I… not…" Lily sputtered, looking for the right words to say.
"Exactly Evans! You can't even think of something to say! You don't know what to say, because you don't even know me! You don't know the first thing about me Evans, so explain to me how you can hate me."
"Potter…"
"Tell it to my face Lily."
"What..?"
"Tell me you hate me to my face. Look me straight in the eye and tell me you hate me."
"Potter, I hate you." Lily said, not quite meeting James' eyes.
"Excatly, you can't do it."
"I just did it!"
"You didn't meet my eyes."
"Yes I did!"
"No you didn't."
"Yes I bloody did!"
"No you didn't."
"Potter!"
"I'm going to kiss you."
"Wha-" But Lily never got to finish that sentence, because just as she began, James grabbed her face and planted his lips right on hers. And much to his bewilderment, Lily didn't back away. She didn't even fight it. But she kissed him right back, wrapping her arms around his. James was too caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the absence of Lily's lips on his.
"POTTER!"
"What?"
"YOU KISSED ME!"
"YOU KISSED ME BACK!"
"YOU KISSED ME FIRST!"
"WELL YOU KISSED ME SECOND!"
"WELL I DIDN'T MEAN TOO!"
"WELL THEN YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT!"
"WELL MAYBE-" But she never got to finish that sentence either, because the lovely James Potter thought it well to engage her into another passionate kiss. But this time, she didn't even fight back. And she didn't break off. She let herself melt into his arms, and let the fireworks in her mouth go off like never before. And this was the moment Lily Evans realized that she was in love with James Potter.
Fin A/N: Hope you liked it, please review! Love 3