Title: The Smartest Decision She Ever Made

Summary: Lily's graduation is coming up too soon for her liking. She reflects on all of the things that have happened since her 1st year, including James Potter. Then she gets a crazy idea. oneshot, LJ

A/N: I believe this is my first L/J fic. It is just a short oneshot that I came up with one day while I had writer's block for another fic. Enjoy,and please R&R.


The rain beat furiously against Lily's window. She shut the blinds, not wishing to see the poor weather. It had been raining for about a week already, and she was sick and tired of it.

Lily sighed. Graduation was only two months away. For her, that was way too soon. She needed more time to grow up. She wasn't ready to be an adult just yet. But she was an adult. She was 17, the age at which one becomes an adult in the wizarding world. Then again, she was a muggle-born, and muggles weren't considered adults until they were 18. Still, her 18th birthday was only a few weeks away. Did that mean she was only a few weeks away from being an adult? Well, whatever it meant, she was just going to have to put up with graduation, whether or not she was ready for it.

Lily plopped down on her bed in the Head Girl's dormitory that was right next to the Head Boy's dormitory. The Head Boy was James Potter, her one and only nemesis. James had been the biggest prankster in the school, along with his friends Sirius, Remus, and Peter. Lily hated his guts, but now that he was Head Boy, she was forced to put up with him (on Dumbledore's orders). Surprisingly, James had proven to be a responsible Head Boy. Perhaps it was the title, Lily supposed, that made him act that way. Or perhaps it was because he was trying to impress Lily. He was always trying to impress Lily, ever since their 1st year. Lily hated it. He would always show off in front of her, or ask her out, or basically verbally harass her. She hated him, and yet, this year she couldn't help but tolerate him. He had become more of a gentleman. Maybe becoming an adult does change a person.

So many things had changed over the years. Lily could still remember back in her first year when she could barely hold her wand the right way. Now she was a master at hexes, jinxes, spells, potions, charms, curses, you name it. She was a hard worker, if not an overachiever, and she earned good marks in every subject.

There was a knock at the door. Lily got up, smoothed her hair over with her hands, and opened the door. It was James. He wanted to know if she wanted to take a walk with him. He told her it was because he was in the mood to go for a stroll around the castle, and he would like her company. She declined, as usual. Okay, so he didn't ask her out this time, but that didn't mean she would actually go somewhere with him.

Lily closed the door and got back into bed. She thought about how much she would actually miss James' cockiness once they graduated. She wouldn't deny it; she actually would miss him. It was because she was so used to it, that once he was gone, she'd feel as if she were missing something. Besides, she couldn't hate James that much; he was just another classmate of hers who would be going his own way once he graduated. She wouldn't have to see him ever again. She wouldn't actually mind seeing him again after they graduated, every once in a while. He had grown up, after all. Maybe, she thought, she would visit him occasionally, just to check up on him and see how he was doing. Knowing him, he'd be famous; a quidditch star or something, with a girl on each arm. He'd like that. He would forget about Lily eventually, despite how infatuated with her he was now.

But I don't want him to forget about me, Lily thought. I could never forget him; he made my Hogwarts days a living hell. It wouldn't be fair if he forgot about me. Don't be stupid, Lily Evans. Of course he'll forget about you. You were nothing to him; he never got the chance to go out with you like he wanted. Why would you mean something to him?

He never got his chance to go out with Lily. He hadn't given up all those years, and now he'll never be able to get what he wanted. It didn't seem right. Suddenly, Lily resented never accepting his invitation to go out with him. Maybe if she had gone on just one date, it wouldn't have been so bad. After all, what's one date? It was nothing. If she had gone on one date with him, he might have left her alone after that. It would have been just another 'fling' of his, like with all of the other girls he wooed in Hogwarts. But, Lily thought, she wouldn't have liked to be just another one of his flings. Still, at least he wouldn't have bothered her again, and she could have gone on with her life. Lily giggled. Wouldn't that have been weird? Her going on a date with James? And him, never bothering her again? It wasn't normal. No, she decided that she liked having James act so stupid around her, always trying to get her attention. She liked having someone be that interested in her. She might never get another chance like that. After all, who was as stupid as James to be that obsessed with somebody like her?

A sudden thought struck Lily's mind. What if she just agreed now, just once, to go out with James? After all, it was the end of the year. It meant nothing. He would be happy, and she would be happy to see that she had made somebody happy. She would explain to him that she had had change of heart, and that she would go on just one date with him so that he wouldn't need to ask her out again. They would go on one date, he would be too shocked and nervous to try and make a move on her, and after that he would stop bothering her. Then her conscience would be cleared.

Yes, Lily thought, all I have to do is knock on his door, apologize, and ask him if he wants to go on a date with me. She could just imagine the look of shock on his face. Wouldn't he be surprised! Lily giggled to herself and got up, heading over towards her door. She opened it, walked across the hall to the Head Boy's dorm, and knocked gently on his door.

James answered the door. The second he saw Lily his hand went straight to his hair. Lily giggled inwardly at this annoying habit of his. Perhaps she actually liked it. It was cute, in a way.

"James," she said.

"Yes, Lily?" he replied.

"Let's go for a walk."