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"Lils did you see it?" James Potter came running over to me. "Did you see it? We won! We actually won! What better way to finish Hogwarts? We won Lils!"
He put his arms around me and lifted me off the ground. There was no better way to finish Hogwarts. It's not that I'm interested in Quidditch, don't get me wrong, but every time he lifts me, holds me; wow. There's not really much more to say. I always feel like cheering. Like jumping up and down. Who would ever think Lily Evans would be thinking this about a boy? About James Potter? I certainly wouldn't. Until we started our seventh year, that is. For the first time in seven years, James Potter pulled himself together and asked me out properly, not making it sound like he only did it to impress the rest of the marauders.
"I saw it," I said happily when he put me down again. "Congratulations!" I still had my arms around his neck to let him know I didn't want him to let go. Which he didn't. He send me his most charming Potter smile, making my knees almost collapse under me. I really was thankful he still had his arms around me. He pulled me into a close hug. After this he let me go, as his best friend Sirius Black flew down to him. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew joined him soon after.
With a slight smile and the feeling of James' arms still around me, I retired back to the castle. After having beat Slytherin in the Quidditch final, I knew the Gryffindors would be throwing a huge party in the common room.
Back in the Gryffindor common room, I collapsed into my favourite armchair. It was always standing right by the fire. That wasn't really the reason I loved it so much. It was the armchair I had been sitting in when James kissed me for the first time. I will never forget that feeling. How could I? It kept coming back every time he kissed me.
I remembered it was a Friday afternoon. It was October, so like it always did in England around autumn, it was raining outside. I was studying for a test in potions when James entered the common room. It had been two weeks since he took me out on our first date to Hogsmeade and we hadn't really talked after that. It bothered me a bit that we hadn't.
"Hey Lily," I remember he said. For some reason he sounded nervous. I looked up from my potions book and send him a smile. He returned it shyly. Was that really what it was? Was James Potter being shy? I remember all of these questions running through my head. But I couldn't come up with any other conclusion than shyness. "So – erm – what are you reading?"
I looked at him closely. What was I reading? What kind of a question was that to come up with? I decided not to let my temper out on him just yet. Maybe he was just trying to make conversation. And the whole shyness added some more cuteness to him. "Advanced potions-making" I answered. "We are being tested tomorrow." Of course he should know this already since we were in the same class.
"Right," he said "Right." He sat down in an armchair next to me. He looked out of the window and continued, "Bad weather today, huh?"
I bit my tongue hard not to let out a small laugh. Why was he like this all of a sudden? Where did the huge ego go? The confidence? "Is there something you wish to say, James?" I asked him, getting tired of the stupid questions.
This seemed to come as a surprise to him. "Well you know," he started slowly, "I guess I just wanted to let you know I had a great time in Hogsmeade with you."
I seemed to calm down a bit, having feared the worst. "Oh," I said felling the blood rush to my cheeks, "I did too."
"I'm glad," he said. "Maybe we should do it again some time then."
"I would love to," I said having wanted him to ask me that for two weeks. We sat in silence for a while. Thousands of questions popped into my head, but I didn't want to end up asking the same questions James had just been asking. "What took you so long to come talk to me?" I finally asked. I felt pleased that I dared to ask that question, but I sort of felt bad about having put him on the spot.
James ran a hand through his messy black hair. I always hated when he did that but it was just one of those things that makes him who he is. And when that makes him James Potter, how could you not like it? "Oh well," he said sounding nervous again, "I guess I was afraid you hadn't had a good time. That I blew it."
"You didn't," I said quietly.
"I'm sorry for having been such a jerk to you the past years. I really meant it all those times I asked you out. It wasn't just to show off in front of the guys, even though it probably looked that way. I liked you from day one, Lily," Even he seemed to be taken back by his own words.
For a moment I was speechless. My cheeks were probably redder than my hair at the moment. I really didn't know what to say so I gave him a shy smile. He returned it and continued the sweet talking, which made my heart melt, "I mean who wouldn't fall for those green eyes? Just getting one glance of them, used to save my day. You have no idea how happy I got when you finally agreed to go on a date with me."
I had had enough. He had me when he started talking about my eyes. I leaned in and brushed my lips against his. It took him a few seconds to realise what was going on, but when he finally did he deepened the kiss. His hand started playing with my hair, like mine did with his. I could have sworn my chest was about to explode at the moment. No one had ever made my heart beat that fast before. When we pulled apart I couldn't get the smile off my face. James seemed to have the same problem, and when our eyes locked I felt my cheeks burn up once again.
Thinking back on it made me smile like crazy again. A sixth year entered the common room and yelled out that Sirius had talked professor McGonagall into letting us use the Great Hall for the party tonight. Everyone let out a cheer and rushed out of the common room to get down there. I stayed back for a while, enjoying the few minutes I had for myself. As I walked out of the common room and down the corridor leading to the Great Hall, the speech James had given me before we kissed replayed once again in my head. He didn't say things like that anymore. Somehow I didn't mind, because I wasn't really the type of person, who lets everyone know my true feelings and beliefs. All I needed to know was that he loved me. And that I knew. He had told me once when he took me on a walk by the lake one night.
When I entered the Great Hall James was the first to catch my eye. Obviously he saw me as well. A wide smile lit up on his face as I walked over to him. That made it clear to me that he still felt the same way. He had taken a shower but he had changed into a clean set of Quidditch robes. I didn't mind, however, James looked great in about everything he wore. He gave me a hug and kissed me on the forehead in greeting when I got over there. "I got something for you," he whispered in my ear.
He led me out of the common room and into the empty entrance hall. "Actually this is not a good place," he decided out loud. He took my hand and we walked outside and into the gardens.
"James, where are we going?" I asked.
"Just here," he said and stopped in front of one of the fountains, "this is perfect." He took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. "We are graduating soon," he said, "And I'm hoping that it won't affect us and our relationship." He took another breath. I wasn't sure whether I should answer, but when he continued I figured I shouldn't. "You have no idea how often I think about our first date, our first kiss, you. I have fallen so hard for you Lily, and I couldn't stand loosing you." I felt a tear run down my cheek. It wasn't a sad one. "So what I'm trying to say is, I love you, Lily Evans," He knelt down before me, which was something I certainly hadn't expected. "Will you marry me?"
I stood in shock for a while. Did he just ask me that? Are you sure? Did he really? "James," I said softly a rush of sadness ran across his face, "of course I will! Yes!"
He let out a sigh of relief and stood up. He put his arms around me and lifted me off the ground as he had done earlier that day. Another tear ran down my cheek. One full of happiness. "You really put me on the edge there, Lils," James said happily. He put me on the ground, bent his head and kissed me. Once again I couldn't stop smiling. "So, Lily Potter doesn't sound bad."
"Not bad at all," I said happily and kissed him again.
"Oh I almost forgot," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny box. "It is nothing special but I thought you should have something." He opened it and inside was a ring. It wasn't a big and fancy one, but it was perfect. I knew James must have been saving up for some time to be able to by that one. He pulled it out of the box and slid it onto my finger. I had never been happier in my life. I must have been the luckiest girl alive.
We entered the Great Hall again, where Sirius had gotten his wand to work as a microphone. They had turned up the music and was now singing loudly. "James Potter, ladies and gentlemen!" Sirius yelled and the Gryffindors started cheering, "get up here and sing with me, mate!" James looked at me with a grin, then crawled up on the table and joined Sirius. All right so maybe he sings off key, but I really don't mind. I will be cheering for him when he plays Quidditch because that is something he is really good at. Let's hear it for the boy, ladies and gentlemen. No wait, let's hear it for my man.
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A/N: Just a short story I thought of when I listened to "let's hear it for the boy" by Deniece Williams. I hope you liked it!
"Let's hear it for the boy" by Deniece Williams
My
baby he dont talk sweet
He ain't got much to say
But he loves
me, loves me, loves me
I know that he loves me anyway
And
maybe he don't dress fine
But I don't really mind
Because
every time he pulls me near
I just want to cheer
Lets hear
it for the boy
Lets give the boy a hand
Lets hear it for my
baby
You know you go to understand
Whoa, maybe he's no
Romeo
But he's my loving one-man show
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa
Let's hear it for the boy
My baby may not be
rich
He's watching every dime
But he loves me loves me loves
We
always have a real good time
And maybe he sings off key
But
that's alright by me
Because what he does he does so well
Makes
me wanna yell
Lets hear it for the boy
Lets give the boy a
hand
Lets hear it for my baby
You know you go to
understand
Maybe he's no Romeo
But he's my loving one
man show
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Lets hear it for the boy
Hear
it for the boy
Lets give the boy a hand
Lets hear it for my
baby
You know you gotta understand
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa
Lets hear it for the boy
Hear it for my man
Let's hear
it for my baby