A Date With Evans

It was Friday and if McGonagall is as predictable as I knew she was right after Defense Against the Dark Arts she would send someone to tell Evans, Mr. Bighead Boy, and me to meet her at her office during the break.

As if on cue a fifth year Hufflepuff prefect came up to me after class. "James!" I turned around.

"Yes, uh..."

"Yumi," she provided.

"Right."

"Professor McGonagall wants to see you and Lily Evans." I nodded. "Where is Lily? Professor McGonagall said that you guys had this same class."

"I'll find her," I walked past her excusing myself.

I spotted her just was a few people ahead of me, "Evans, Hey Evans!"

She turned around, "What?"

I grinned slyly, "McGonagall wants us."

"I'm not going, you go!"

"Come on, Evans," I softly placed my hand on her back too lead her to McGonagall's office.

"Don't touch me, Potter."

We reached McGonagall's office quickly. There were three seats in front of her desk, no one was there. Quickly I lunged at the left chair and pulled it out for Evans.

"How gentlemen like, Potter," she spat sarcastically as she sat down just where I intended her to. Not in the left chair, she had too much pride to sit in a chair I pulled out for her, but in the middle chair.

I promptly took a seat to her right and waited for McGonagall. Soon after Mr. Bighead Boy arrived, he observed situation in front of him, and took a seat in the chair I had originally pulled out. I tried to get Evans' attention, but she wouldn't look me in the eye.

Promptly after McGonagall arrived, "I'm terribly sorry that I am late. Peeves decided it would appropriate to steal students' clothing. I trust you three know why you are here," she began as she took a seat behind her desk.

We nodded quietly as she looked at each of us straight in the eye.

"Explain yourselves, if I do not believe that your explanation is enough excuse for what you have done, I will be forced to punish each of you. I hope you know that being late to prefect meetings is completely unacceptable and that you are all supposed to be setting an example. Any more funny business and your badges may be suspended. So, explain yourselves."

I stayed quite and watched as Mr. Bighead Boy and Evans were growing nervous. I made direct eye contact with Evans, hoping she would give me a signal that we had a deal: Nothing. She looked away.

"Today, please," McGonagall insisted.

"Professor," I began. "I arrived to the meeting on time." No, I didn't, but that's ok. "But then I noticed that Evans and Mr. Bi-... the Head Boy were missing. You see, Evans is in my house, so I decided to go look for her. She was rather...distracted when I found her."

"Mr. Potter, your excuse is valid, but I would like to know why Miss Evans and Mr. Craven were late."

"Well Professor," Evans attempted to save herself. "I forgot."

"Miss Evans what in the name of Merlin could have been so important that you forgot about a prefect meeting?"

"Well... you don't understand! I was... but then... and... well…" Evans was at loss for words. She shot me a pleading glance.

"Out with it!" Professor McGonagall insisted. I took this chance to use my secret weapon: A distraction. I stood up and headed towards the window. "Mr. Potter, would you like to let us know why you are standing up!"

I opened the window. Sirius was there, just as I planned. We made eye contact. I nodded. And the distraction began.

"Mr. Potter!"

"Professor," I began, holding in the overpowering urge to laugh. "I think you need to see this."

She walked up to the window and I stepped aside. She began to yell, priceless.

"Mr. Goyle! Stop that this instant! Peeves, give him his clothes back! For heavens sake, Mr. Goyle, cover yourself with something! Stop that! THAT MUST NOT BE DONE IN PUBLIC!" She stormed out of her office. "I'll be back to deal with you later!"

I took my seat with a smug grin on my face. "So Evans, you wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?"

She stared at a quill on McGonagall's desk, not looking at me or Mr. Bighead Boy. After a while she nodded. "Yeah," She still wasn't looking at me.

I grinned as I saw Mr. Bighead Boy's look of shock. I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath. Everything was going my way.

It was Saturday morning: the day I was finally going to win her over. I got up, took a shower, admired myself in the mirror, got dressed, and headed for breakfast—all without bothering any of my roommates.

The little distraction we planned went off with out a hitch and, best of all, none of us were blamed for any of it. It was beautiful. All we had to do was wait until Goyle felt like taking a bath in the Prefects bathroom and tell Peeves to take his robes. But not before we let a little potion slip into his pumpkin juice at breakfast. Let's just say he won't be in his right mind for a while.

I arrived at the Great Hall, barely anyone was there. So I decided to take a detour, I went by the Quiditch Pitch.

"Accio Shooting Star!" My broom came flying towards me. I wasted no time in mounting and flying off. I went higher and higher. Describe flying here.

I can't mess this up, this is my only chance. If Evans doesn't fall for me today I doubt she ever will. But how do I make sure I don't? I should ask the guys, they would know what to do.

Especially Padfoot, I smiled, he definitely had a way with women; though I doubt he's had a relationship that was longer than two weeks. Whenever he got bored with them, they would break up with him and still hold him to high regards. They would never cry over him or hold a grudge. It was so weird. They even found new boyfriends shortly after. I doubt I have ever seen Padfoot within a meter of a crying girl.

I descended and landed firmly on the ground. Looking back one more time, I made my way up to the dormitory. Once I arrived I securely put my broom away and went to breakfast, this time for sure.

"Hey guys," I sat down next to Moony.

"What took you so long, Prongs?"

"Just out flying," They nodded. "Guys, do you think you could help me? You know, about Hogsmeade… and Evans."

They exchanged glances. "You know none of us really thought your plan would work mate," Moony and Wormtail nodded, agreeing with Padfoot.

I shook my head. "So what should I do?"

"Not be conceited."

"I'm not conceited."

"Don't talk about yourself."

"Do I ever do that?"

"Be nice."

"I AM nice!"

"She doesn't want to hear about your Quiditch skills."

"Why not?"

"And whatever you do, don't make crude comments about Snivellus' underpants."

"Why in Merlin's name would I do that?"

"Prongs!" they yelled at me.

"Ok, fine. I'll remember."

After breakfast I waited for Evans at the entrance to Hogsmeade—reviewing everything that I shouldn't do, and noticing that what they mostly told me was what not to do. Not what to do.

"James!" I looked up.

"Hey Emi," I smiled at her. "Hey Piper, Hey Evans…"

Piper was Evans' other best friend. She had more brothers and sisters than anyone else I knew. She was the oldest out of all of them. Like Emi, Piper was also very helpful to the Marauders. If something happened at Hogwarts, she knew about it. Well, she didn't know everything, but anything that didn't have to do with the Marauders secret was pretty much stored in her that nosy little mind of hers.

Just like the Marauders had the ambition to be the best pranksters Hogwarts had ever seen, she had the ambition to become the greatest Matchmaker. Weird… that didn't stop her from making it happen, though.

"Shall we go then, Evans?" I asked, offering her my hand. She sighed and walked ahead. I glanced back at Emi and Piper and went off behind her.

"So Evans, I was thinking that maybe we could go for a walk, and then maybe have a Butterbeer or something," she slowed her pace and nodded. After a few minutes she began to talk.

"Why do you want to go out with me so bad?"

I thought about this for a while. "Well, because you're pretty, smart, and you aren't of afraid to insult me." She laughed. I made her laugh! Wow. Her laugh is so perfect.

"Potter, you ok?"

"Uh, what? Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

She gasped. Her face was pressed against the window of a miscellaneous shop. "Wow," she said breathlessly. Her eyes were focused on a ring in the center. It was silver and had an emerald in the shape of a heart. "It must cost a fortune."

She pulled away from the window and we made our way to the Three Broomsticks.

"Potter, why weren't you at breakfast?"

"I was… I just got there really late."

"Why?"

"I was flying. I try to practice everyday. As much as I would like to say it, my incredible talent didn't sprout out of thin air. I even practice twice a day when I have the chance. I have to bring Gryffindor to victory, and the only way I'm going to do that is by practicing..."

"Why do you say it like that? It's not like you're the only person in the team," she interrupted me coldly.

I tried to change the subject. "What did you get in your OWLs?"

"Why do you care? You're just going to twist this so you can end up talking about yourself."

Crap. I've done everything the guys told me not to do. We kept walking silently. Once we were at the Three Broomsticks we found a secluded table by the window.

"So," I began. "Are you beginning to regret going out with me?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You could say that," she said bitterly. I was somewhat taken aback. But... she laughed! People don't laugh when they're not having fun!

Yes, she was laughing. But then you started talking about yourself.

So?

You messed up.

Shut up.

"Hello there James, new girlfriend?"

"Hullo Rosie, no not yet," I smiled at Evans, she rolled her eyes.

"Well then, what can I get you?"

"Two Butterbeers, please."

"Comin' right up."

I looked out the window, neither of us was saying anything. This went on for about a total of ten grueling minutes.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" I was alarmed at her sudden attempt to talk to me. But I recovered quickly.

"Well, Remus is coming over. Sirius is already staying at my house, so he'll be there. We'll pretty much have a normal Christmas, You?"

"Piper and I are going to Emily's house the day after Christmas for a few days."

That familiar feeling swept over me, I had another idea. I would need Emi, yet again. I saved my idea in the back of my mind for better pondering later on.

"You remember when I was studying for Transfiguration and I got so frustrated that I threw it and it hit you right smack in the middle of your face?" I laughed at her reminiscing and nodded.

"Yeah, I had to go to Madam Fermera because I had a broken nose. I remember she got mad because I wouldn't tell her who did it."

"Why didn't you?"

I gave her a puzzled look: any idiot knew why—not that I was calling Evans an Idiot. "Because I didn't want to get you in trouble," she looked away guiltily.

No! I like the laughing and the fun part and the joking and reminiscing. Quick, think of a memory that'll make her laugh.

"You remember in fifth year when we were by the lake and you were yelling at me and…"

"When you were being a complete prick?"

Why? WHY! Why did I bring that up? "Err, yeah?"

"Ugh... you know, Emily and Piper told me to at least be nice to you, but I can't, I just can't!"

I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I put my hand through my hair. She glared at me. Crap. I quickly shoved my hands in my pocket.

She sighed, "This was a mistake, I should go."

"No, wait. Evans!" She was gone. I did everything that I was told not to do—and I almost mentioned Snivellus' underpants!

Extremely depressed, I left Hogsmeade. But not before walking in a small shop and getting rid a few Galleons.