"No, he wouldn't," retorted Lily hotly. She was walking back to Gryffindor Tower with her best friend Remus Lupin, when he brought up an interesting topic that led up to the very argument they were having at the moment.
"I am serious Lily, James would do anything for you."
"No he wouldn't Remus. He doesn't even take me seriously."
"That goes both ways don't you think?"
"Well… I would. If not for his recent actions."
"Snap was being a git Lily. You can't blame James for getting upset."
"Well it is his responsibility as Head Boy to control his temper. And in front of the younger years at that!"
"Look Lily, I know for a fact that James is head over heels for you, just give him a chance." Lily let out a deep sigh and replied,
"How many times do I have to say it, I will when Potter gives me a reason to." Remus sighed in disbelief at his friend's stubborness but let it drop.
"By the way, he's looking forward to your meeting on Friday about this weekend at Hogsmeade. Maybe you can be a bit more… gracious when he asks you…you know."
"No, I will not, under any circumstances, go on a date with James Potter."
"Aw well… I tried. But he's still looking forward to your meeting."
"Uh…about that. I might have to reschedule."
"What! Why?"
"I have loads of work Remus. I know that's not an excuse, but it seems like the professor believe I can handle some extra work."
"Like what?"
"Well…I have to help Professor Flitwick with some paper work. Then, Professor Slughorn wants me in his office to talk about tutoring some of the fifth years in Potions. The day after, Professor McGonagall has asked me to do something for her after class."
"I see. That doesn't sound like much."
"Yes, well… you know how I missed some school days because of my cold?"
"Oh, so you're the one James gave all those 'get well' presents to." Lily didn't want Remus to see the slight blush on her cheeks, when she remembered the surprisingly sweet gifts James had given her that week, but he saw it all too clearly.
"Yes…anyway, I have to catch up with the rest of the class."
"When does all this need to be done?"
"This week."
"Oy, I know you're bright Lily, but you're not superwoman."
"Tell that to the Professors."
"Well…good luck then. Anything I can do."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I've got it under control."
Monday…
"I'm sunk," Lily whined as she sat on the couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. She had already been through a whole day of her working schedule and she was beat. How was she going to get through this week?
"Hey Evans," came a cheery voice. Not now, Lily thought in despair. Leaning on the back of the couch she saw James Potter smiling brightly at her. How she loathed this boy.
"Don't talk to me," she snapped and returned to her work. James took a glance at what she was working on and asked.
"Isn't that the assignment Professor Baggid gave us last week?"
"Yes. I was sick last week remember."
"Oh yeah, I know…want help?"
"No."
"Do you already know the stuff?" She didn't answer, but James could tell she was being too proud to admit her embarrassment.
"You sure you don't need help?"
"Yeah, I'm fine!" James stopped questioning her and changed topic.
"So, about Friday's meeting…"
"I can't make it."
"Huh?"
"I said, I can not attend this Friday's meeting."
"Why not." Again Lily didn't want to admit that she would have still have loads to do. To Potter she had a 'perfect' image to live up to. She couldn't let that image crumple after working so hard, just because she'd probably be dead exhausted at the end of the week.
"I see. Well, I cannot let you miss this meeting, it's important."
"Why is that? The students can go to Hogsmeade next week."
"But we promised them this week."
"Fine then, you plan it."
"Evans, you know I can't do that."
"I know. You can't do anything can you?" She gathered her stuff and stormed up the Girl's dormitory, leaving James feeling hurt but thinking.
Tuesday…
"Are you sure you'll be okay, Lily?" Remus asked as he watched Lily tiredly walk to the Great Hall. She had been up all night trying to get a head start, but it didn't seem to help.
"I'll be all right." As they entered the Great Hall, it seemed to be in a furry of whispered.
"Say…what's going on?" Lily asked a student next to her. The girl turned to her and whispered,
"James and Snape bumped into each other. Snape muttered something, but James didn't respond… he just walked past him." Lily sat in shock. Potter backing down from a fight? It couldn't be true. She turned to Remus and saw the knowing twinkle in his eye. He turned to her and smiled gently before beginning his breakfast. Lily looked down the table to see James talking to Black about something, apparently something exciting that had to do with Charms.
"What do you mean, Professor?" Lily asked Professor Flitwick as she tried to allow the information he just told her, access her brain.
"I said, I will not be needing your services tonight. The paperwork that I wanted you to do has been completed so I'm finishing the rest. Giving you back your free evening."
"Uh…thank you Professor." As Lily left his office, she was thinking what she could do now that she had the time. She decided on finishing up on her missed work.
Wednesday…
As Lily made her way down to the dungeons, the next day, she bumped into someone. Although it was too dark to see whom it was.
"Sorry," was all they said and they left her to continue on her way.
"Ms. Evans I'm so glad to see you," Professor Slughorn smiled. Lily tried to smile back, but her tired expression wouldn't falter. She spent last night finishing up as much as she couldn't, but couldn't manage all of it at once. If only she could get some sleep tonight.
"Hello Professor, um…where are the younger years?"
"Oh, about that. I'm happy to tell you that you don't have to take the full load."
"I don't understand."
"Well…to put it simply, you will not be tutoring as many students as I had for you when you last visited me. Instead you will be taking only half the amount." He led her to another room that only had five students. When he explained everything and left Lily with the group, Lily wasn't expecting the class to go by so easily or as quickly. Apparently, Professor Slughorn had given her the more talented of the bunch. It was only eight fifteen when she was done helping them. She looked over their work and smiled in satisfactory, allowing them to leave. Lily sighed to herself and hurried up to her bedroom, awaiting her there was her essay on Magical Myths of the 19th century.
Thursday…
"Aw, Ms. Evans. Now, we can begin," Professor McGonagall greeted as Lily walked into her office after classes. It had been a tiring day and Lily still had a lot to do.
"All right Professor, what am I working on first?"
"Well, I need you to transfigure these mice into rabbits for me." She pointed to some cages sitting on the back table. Lily groaned, Transfiguration wasn't her best subject.
"Sure Professor," Lily smiled weakly.
"Thank you, now I must leave, I have a meeting to attend to right now. I'll leave this in your capable hands." When she was out of the room, Lily let out an exasperated sigh and began her task.
Ten minutes later…
"I GIVE UP!" Lily wouldn't say she sucked at Transfiguration… she reeked! Instead of rabbits in the cages sat rats.
"McGonagall says it takes a lot of concentration, but how can I concentrate with all of my work?" Lily whimpered, but wiped the tears that were about to come. She decided to let herself have a break before going back to her job and left the room. Once she walked past two corners, when she realized she had forgotten her wand. As she made her way back she heard a crash in the transfiguration room and rushed to see what it was. Inside, she gasped. In the cages were pure white rabbits, with little button noses. Lily looked around and saw that one of the cages was one the floor. Inside sat, instead of white, a jet-black rabbit.
"It was amazing Remus, I had just left and bam, there they were!" Lily explained as she corrected a few mistakes on her paper. She couldn't believe she had some time to finish up her work. It seemed like she wasn't as busy as she had thought she was.
"Wow…I can't imagine how that could have happened," Remus elaborated. Lily had a feeling that he could though.
"Anyway, thanks to…whatever that was, I can continuing working."
"You seemed to be getting along well, Lily. I thought you said you had loads to do."
"Well, I guess I had more time than I thought."
"That or you just seem to be getting pretty lucky these past few days."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Oh nothing, nothing. Say, do you think you'll be able to attend Friday's meeting?"
"I'm… not absolutely sure." It was true… as much as Lily hated to say it, but even with the extra time, she still had one more paper to write.
"I see… well good luck telling James."
Later that day, Lily was about to head to dinner, when she found a couple of notes sitting on the table next to the fireplace. She came over and looked them over, admiring the thorough details and writings.
"These are amazing, I wonder who's these are?" Throughout the evening, Lily asked around who had lost a set of notes. No one answered that they did. As Lily continued to examine them, she couldn't help but notice, that the person had covered the lessons she had missed last week. Smiling evilly to herself, she took the papers up to her room and spent the rest of the night finishing up her paper for Professor Baggid.
Friday…
"Ah, Lily. How are you?" Remus asked as he watched her skip down the girl's dormitory stairs.
"Brilliant, Remus. I just finished my rough draft for my last essay."
"Really, congratulations. How did you do it?"
"I found these last night, do you know whom they may belong to," she said, showing her the notes. One look at the writing and Remus smiled handsomely.
"I think I may know who…"
"Hey Evans," came a cheery voice. The two looked up to see James making his way over. When he saw the papers Remus was holding, he chuckled,
"Catching up are we Remus?"
"Actually no. Lily found these."
"Really? Well then… I hope my notes met your standards, Evans," James smiled, making Lily gaped.
"They're yours?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Then…you must want them back."
"Nah, I don't need them back. They're extras that I copied. You keep them."
"You sure?"
"Positive, after all, I wrote them for you." Instantly, Lily began to blush, rethinking what he had just said. He made them for her? They heard Sirius give out a shout, and James waved back at him.
"Oy, I have to get going. See you around Evans." And he was gone.
"Boy, James sure has been busy this past week." Lily turned to him with interest.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Tuesday, he was in the library, with a pile of charms papers he had to organize for Professor Flitwick. Then on Wednesday, he had to visit Professor Slughorn because he volunteered to tutor some of the…less experienced students that were…struggling in his class."
"He volunteered to tutor?"
"Yes. And then today, he bailed on us. Which I must say is really unlike him."
"Why?"
"Well, he said he had something more important to do than pull pranks on some Slytherins."
"He skipped out on pranking SLYTHERINS?"
"Yes. Then last night he spent every waking hour before dawn, writing those lovely notes you are holding right now."
"He spent hours on these?" Remus nodded,
"His exact words were…with the way I write, Evans would never be able to read these, so I have to try to write them EXACTLY like hers." Remus said the last words slowly to make sure Lily heard him coreectly. Lily began to feel her cheeks redden with every word. James Potter did have a busy week. Apparently a busier one than she did. Remus chuckled at the blushing Lily and sighed,
"Do I have to say it?" Lily shook her head and finished for him.
"I know I know. You don't have to say,"
"I told you so," they both said in unison, as they made their way down to breakfast.
"James, can I talk to you for a second?" Lily asked catching up with him after class. James his smile widened, as he nodded.
"I'm sorry, but I can't make our meeting tonight," Lily said. The concern in James' eyes didn't go unnoticed and he asked,
"Do you still have more work?"
"No, it's just… I'm going to be too busy tonight. Getting ready for tomorrow and all."
"Oh… getting ready for what…exactly?"
"Our date." CRASH! James suddenly made direct contact with a statue. He rubbed his head, but made sure he could see her clearly before asking,
"OUR DATE?" She looked up at him with a gentle smile,
"Yeah, don't you remember? You were the one who asked me, after all." James straightened and coughed deeply, trying to regain his composure.
"But… um…yes, well…" He was taken even more by surprise when Lily linked her arm with his.
"You even spent all week trying to get me out of all my extra work, so that I can prepare right?" James was now trying hard not to smile too oddly, but couldn't help but stammer,
"Oh…you found out about… that… did you?"
"I had some help. So about our meeting?"
"Well… I suppose we could reschedule. If that's what you want."
"You'd do that? If I say that I wanted it."
"Lily, I'd do anything for you. You should know that by now,"hesaid, as if talking to a five year old.Lily let out a sacrastic giggle. (it is possible!)
"Anything?"
"Anything."
"James… you know what I want?"
"What?"
"I want you to kiss me."
And that's what he did.
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