Challenge time- This story is in response to a challenge issued by lostinsidesaveme. Enjoy!
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"Potter, I swear, if you don't leave me the bloody hell alone, I will hurt you!'
"But Lily, I don't even know what I did!"
"And that's exactly the problem!"
With that, an exasperated redhead stormed away from the lake outside of Hogwarts, walked up to a tall oak tree, and proceeded to try and make herself blend into it as much as she could. However, when one has flaming red hair, and is not brown with mossy green splotches, one has trouble doing this.
Meanwhile, as she went through different ways she could possibly make the aforementioned Potter disappear with the least effort possible, the man occupying her thoughts was storming the other way, kicking snow at random things.
"Watch it James, some of that hit me, and there's a bit of ice in that fluffy white stuff."
Enter Sirius Black, the last person James Potter wanted to see at the time. Not that you could blame him- when you're fuming, confused, and sincerely sad after just fighting with your girlfriend over something you still don't know about, you for sure don't want to meet up with someone who can make a joke about any situation.
So James kept walking and kicking. Sirius, who didn't seem too content to be left behind and not knowing what was wrong with his best mate, continued after him.
"So what's wrong Prongsie? Regular monthly grumpiness? Cold weather got you down? You can tell me what's wrong, Prongsie."
"'Prongsie' doesn't know what's wrong Padfoot. 'Prongsie' want's to be alone while he tries to find out what's wrong." James hadn't stopped kicking snow, though he had stopped walking, and now one particular tree had a pile of snow the height of James' knees up against it.
Sirius sighed. "C'mon. Just because I act like a moron, doesn't mean I am one. It's Lily, isn't it?"
Frustrated (and out of snow in to kick in that area), James slumped against the tree. "How'd you guess?"
"Because I'm brilliant." James raised an eyebrow. "Okay, because Lily is across the lake doing the same thing you just were."
Sure enough, as James looked up, he saw a red-and-black figure booting around a pile of ice against the same oak tree she had before tried to become a part of.
"I wasn't lying when I said I don't know what's wrong. She's been frosty towards me ever since last weekend, and this morning, when I tried to talk about it, she started screaming that I was an 'oblivious, lying, cheating bastard' and proceeded to threaten me every time I tried to talk to her."
Neither boy said anything for awhile, until Sirius jumped up.
"I've got it! Lily thinks your cheating on her."
"No, really Padfoot?"
Missing the sarcasm, Sirius continued. "Really. I mean, she was yelling that you were a cheating bastard, so she must have saw –or thought she saw- you kissing another girl." Proud of himself, he put on a smug grin and proceeded to wait for praise.
It never came.
With a bit of a sulk, Sirius sat back down. "Fine. You said she's been mad since last weekend, right?' James nodded. "So it probably happened that Friday, right?" Another nod. "So, go through exactly what you did then."
Figuring he didn't have anything to loose, James complied.
"Okay, I woke up, stole Remus' history notes, ran down to the common room and talked with my cousin, who wanted to know something about Goblin's in the 1600's. After telling her, I kissed her good luck and… oh crap.."
He sprinted off towards the red figure across the lake, leaving a very confused Sirius sitting in the snow.
"Lily!" Panting, James had finally made it to the kicking redhead. "Lily. I didn't cheat on you."
"So now you've figured it out, eh? Took you long enough." Lily was deffinently less than happy to see him. In fact, she looked positively furious.
"I swear, Lily, she was my-"
"Your what Potter? Second girlfriend? Does calling her that make it alright to cheat on me? Or does calling it that mean, in your twisted way, that you aren't cheating on me at all."
"But she's-"
"Don't bother Potter. You've put me through enough. I don't need to hear anymore of this."
"Lily!"
"I don't want to hear it Potter! Now would you just leave me alone?"
With a sigh, James did the first thing that came to mind. He grabbed Lily, who had started walking away, and pulled her into a kiss. A soft, gentle, 'I'll-love-you-forever' kiss. Or at least, he hoped she'd see it that way.
She didn't.
"That's it Potter. I don't know what kind of game your pulling here, but stop trying to make me part of it, or, Merlin watch me, I will hex you into next Tuesday.
Frusrated beyond belief, James did what he always did when there was problems- he screamed.
"COUSIN! Cousin cousin cousin cousin cousin!" With his hands flailing about, he looked crazy, and Lily didn't even know what to say.
Which gave him a chance to (calmly) tell Lily what he had wanted to say even since he walked over.
"Lily, the girl you saw me kiss- tall, brown hair that goes to about her shoulders? She's my cousin. I told her the answer to a question, kissed her for good luck on a test later that day, and you must have seen me kissing her goodbye, but she's my cousin. All I was doing was giving her a family kiss on the cheek. I'm not cheating on you, I never would, and I never, ever will. Lily," he took her hands in his, "I… I love you."
Lily didn't say anything for a few minutes. James, who knew her temper, was worried she wouldn't say anything at all, just cast a jinx on him silently and walk away, not believing him.
But just as he was preparing himself for the need of a quick shielding charm, she threw her arms around him and started weeping.
"I am so, so sorry James. I didn't even bother to ask. I'm just horrible."
"No." He unwrapped her arms and locked eyes with her. "Never horrible. You just stick to your principles, that's all."
She laughed and wiped some of the tears from her eyes.
"I am sorry."
James smiled and pulled her into a hug.
"I know, Lily-flower. Now c'mon, it's cold out here, and I bet we can convince the House Elves to make us some much needed hot chocolate."
They walked towards Hogwarts Castle in silence, both enjoying the feeling of the other's arm wrapped around them. Lily stopped them before they went inside.
"James?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you too."