AN: Goodness.

Firstly thank you all who reviewed. I plan to spend tomorrow replying to all of them plus the ones you'll kindly supply me with this time around! wink wink. Now This Chapter hasn't been proofed properly adn between finsihing my assignment for my online course and finsihing the chapter, there wasn't much time for it. Of course it goes with out saying that I'll proof adn update later but i wanted to get this out tonight (2:00am).

Secondly It was Anna's 17th b-day on friday and thought i had promised her the chapter then it couldn't be done. My procrastination knows no bounds you see. sigh

Thirdly, it has been a pleasure writing this story for all you guys who have appreciated it and made me want to keep at it. I may not be the best author in this site but I'm happy you chose my fics to read. I am planning a one shot in the future and another chapter of Back in his bed.

Lastly, this chapter has a lot of fluff and perky happiness in the end. I hope you like it. If not let me know, i can always re write! (stick tongue out) but yeah i wont...I hope you know how much i appreciate your reviews so R&R please!

OOH P.S. I changed the name of Chapter 12 and 13!...well switched them anyway!

Disclaimer: I dont own the HP world!

LUV YOU GUYS

-Sasha


Simply Friends

Chapter 13: Choices

The grandfather clock in the hall chimed. It was eleven 'o clock and Lily stood woodenly against the sink. She was miserable and she'd finished crying half an hour ago. She was hurt and maybe even a little hysterical. She didn't know what to do, how to react and even though she was mature enough to know it was for the best, it didn't mean that her subconscious didn't wish that things were different and uncomplicated.

Why couldn't she have a normal relationship like everyone else? Why did she have to lose her virginity to a friend; whom she hadn't realised she had feelings for; then turn around and fall in love with him? He, who had the staying power of an amoeba, who she knew from the beginning, was temporary and who she should never allowed herself to fall in love with.

She felt like screaming, laughing and crying all at the same time. Things were never simple was it?

And it always happened to her.

"Damn it!" she said and grabbing her dressing robe, Lily went for her keys, locked up and stepped outside. She needed to talk to somebody and she needed to confess. Maybe if she did that it would go some way into letting herself deal.

Seconds later she was knocking on Erin's door but it was after two more tries that the door swung open to reveal her friend, looking tousled and breathless.

"Lily!" she exclaimed in surprise. "What's wrong? What are you doing here?"

"Oh Erin," Lily cried in despair. "Everything is wrong. The world is against me and I think I want to move to Timbuktu."

"Slow down love," Erin said instantly concerned but Lily didn't seem to take in her surroundings as Erin ushered her into the flat. Her dishevelled appearance should have given away what she had been in the middle off but to point it out would only increase Lily's desolation.

Just then Matt made his appearance and from the look of his face she knew he understood the situation. However, as soon as she saw him, Lily gave a gasp of dismay.

"Oh I've interrupted you guys haven't I?" she said moving to turn back towards the door. "I should go and leave you two to get back to whatever it was that you were doing."

"No," Matthew said smiling. "Its okay, I don't mind." Then he turned his gaze to Erin. "After you and Erin work out your situation she can come to my place." He said looking at her friend with such burning intensity that Lily felt as though she was intruding.

Seconds after he left Lily gave Erin a watery smile. "I'm sorry I ruined your evening."

Erin gave a laugh, "Don't worry about it hon. Matt and I are more than ready to pick up where we left off."

Lily had to crack a smile. "Okay, ew. Too much information." She said but then sobered quickly when she remembered why she had come. "Everything is just so crazy Erin."

"How so?" Erin asked.

"Merlin, I don't know where to start. My life is messed up, my mind is wonky and," she paused sighing, "my heart is broken."

"Wha-what?" Erin asked stunned. Lily knew her friend would be shocked by her news. She hadn't been 'seeing' anyone after all.

"Yeah," she only said sadly.

"Okay you need to explain things to me Lily. I can't help you if I don't know what the problem is."

"It's James," Lily said morosely.

Oh boy, Erin already knew this entire tear fest had to be about James. Should she let Lily know she knew? James certainly hadn't told her that she did. Hadn't he gone over there and explained everything to her?

"What's he done now? It can't be good to make you cry." She said instead. Well it wasn't as though she was lying now was it?

"Goodness, I should have told you this before. I'm so out of my depth in this that I don't know what to think and feel anymore." Lily said frustratingly. "I'm sorry. I've been lying to you for a few weeks now. Ever since the night of the Gala even." She amended but then paused.

"Go on and I can promise you I wouldn't get mad. I'm not mad. Whatever happened to make you do what you did you obviously had to have a good reason."

As the story began to pour out Erin schooled her features into one of concentration. She didn't interrupt and as the story progressed she matched it to the one she'd formed in her mind from all the details she'd picked up so far.

Wow, she hadn't realised they would move as quickly as they did. Her words and thoughts of them being good for one another had been all theory. Who knew she would be right about it?

"…then he left, just like that. How could he kiss me that way? It was …raw and full of—I don't know—it was intense." Lily said with feeling as she relived the kiss. That was what had her so utterly confused.

He'd been coming to end things, how could he just kiss her like that—arouse her like that—and then leave?

"You love him don't you?"

"Yeah," she mumbled and Erin sighed.

"Lily I may not understand what possessed you to keep your relationship with James a secret but don't you think you had been jumping to conclusions?"

"No," Lily said frustrated. "I told you that he'd been distant recently and since the beginning of this thing I'd promised myself that if he ever showed signs of wanting to break up then I'd do the honours first." She said then sighed. "I had realised I loved him not long after that."

"I see," Erin said but she didn't really. Shouldn't Lily—who had fallen in love with the idiot—have tried her best to have James fall in love with her? She should have known he would have had to at least care or rather lust enough about her to want to change their friendship like that—not that she had to do anything now since he was already in love with her years ago.

Maybe James wasn't thinking when he slept with her but she knew would never ever treat Lily as a casual fling and she would have thought that even before she had learned that James was in love with the idiot.

"So James said you needed to talk and before he said anything you told him it was over and what you left it just like that? I don't understand Lily; what about you? Didn't you feel the urge to fight for him? To show him that you love him enough to want to be together with him and not just as a screw toy?"

"You don't understand Erin. How can I do that? Haven't I suffered enough embarrassment?"

"Don't use that tone with me Lily. I think you need to think about what you're doing. You haven't really talked to James yet you're judging him. I want you to think about what you're doing. You're not even taking a chance. You did on the two wankers you almost had sex with so what different about James?"

"I don't know."

"I suggest you find out Lily. Take a chance and you may just find out his real feelings towards you. It may be the same as yours for him." Erin said vaguely before ushering lily out the door. "Go home and think about it. You'll see that I'm right. Talk to him Lily, be honest with him and everything will work out."

It was almost four in the morning but Lily still couldn't sleep. She'd tossed and turned countless times but it just wouldn't come.

How could Erin indicate such a thing to her?

James Potter was certainly not in love with her. It was just too impossible to be true. For heaven's sake he was coming to brake up with her and just because Erin thought she was a twat about that doesn't mean that she should go over to James's place to see what he really wanted to say.

For crying out loud, he probably wasn't home.

Maybe he found another girl already.

No, no, he wouldn't do that. He wasn't like that. Erin didn't help in making things easier to think about.

Gah, the girl was insane. She wasn't going to James. What would he think of her?

After minutes of twisting in her bed again Lily finally jackknifed her knees to rest her head on. She wasn't going to get any sleep at this rate.

Maybe she should just go see what he was doing? There wouldn't be any harm in that. And if she saw him, well, she'd make up an excuse. She moved from the bed. It wasn't as though she was going to bear her soul to him. They'd just talk.

And maybe, if they did talk they'd find a way to stay friends.

James cursed and paced. No one was answering the door.

He wanted to knock himself upside the head for his stupidity. How could he have been that stupid?

He should have told her then and there that he was in love with her but no; he had to go and leave her to go to his family's house.

He could have told her he loved her then go to the house but he'd wanted to wait.

Somehow he had gotten the stupid idea into his head and thought at the time that it was brilliant, thinking that he should have the ring before proposing to her, that is. Now she wasn't home. It was five 'o clock in the bloody morning and she wasn't home.

He swore again.

He never should have left her alone. In fact he should have gotten the ring then go on to see her. Witnessing the pain she was suppressing and seeing how brave she was trying to be had torn at him. She was saving herself from heartbreak by breaking up with him but he couldn't and wouldn't let her go.

She loved him, he could tell.

At least he thought she did but he hoped he wasn't deluding himself on that fact.

Giving the rapper on the door one final try he waited impatiently. Five minutes later he got the same results that he'd gotten the last ten tries.

Finally James turned and looked towards the sky. He should go home and regroup there. Dawn would be here soon and he didn't have a hope of thinking clearly if he had no sleep but he had to find Lily.

It would serve him right if she'd gone out and found another man, one who would treat her how she was meant to be treated.

Disgusted at himself, he made for home.

Lily had just listened to the dull echo of her knock on the other side of the door before deciding to make a bolt for it when the lift dinged.

She didn't want to wait to ponder why he wasn't home at this time of the morning. Imagining him already moving on would literally kill her.

Rushing to the lift quickly she waited impatiently for the doors to open.

"James!" she said, his name came rushing out in a breath as she saw him standing there, waiting to step out.

"Lily," he said startled. "What are you doing here?"

She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. "No never mind that. Come in." he said grabbing her hand and propelling her back down the corridor to his flat.

When they were inside Lily simply stood while James ditched his outer robes before turning towards her. James was fairly jumpy with excitement. They had been looking for each other at the same time. She came to see him and that meant more to him than anything.

"Lily," he said her name again and this time she noticed that he sounded faint with relief.

"Yes," she said unnecessarily.

"Hey," he said smiling at her. It was a nice smile, cute even. He was gazing at her with an expression she couldn't place.

"Uh," was all that came out and suddenly she was nervous. "Look," she said then stopped to clear her throat. "Look, I think I should go. I don't even know why I came here." When the words came out she turned her head searchingly, before realizing what she was looking for she had never took off.

Lily knew how she must look, with her hair not even brushed and in the oldest pajamas she owned with her light cotton dressing gown.

Turning, she tried for a quick escape but was stopped at the sound of James's voice.

"My parents used to carry me to underdeveloped magical villages in Europe to help restore their basic magic. I've continued the tradition. It's where I go once a month." He said and her heart stilled.

"I've never said anything about it before because I didn't really want people making a big deal out of it."

Turning, she stared at him.

"My parents were known for philanthropy even if though they didn't want the recognition. I prefer to be incognito about what I do."

Breathing easier Lily spoke, "why are you telling me all this? Why speak to me at all? I thought we settled things already." She didn't understand. He was James yet he was different. She knew there were parts to James that she hadn't known about but never in a million years would she have guessed that he…

He smiled. "You know what I love about you? Your daring, your sense of optimism." He said smiling. "I love how you're so strong, how you try to hide the hurt even though the people that know you can see it written on your face."

"You," she said faintly. "You—"

"Love you?" he asked. "Yeah I do."

"You're not joking?"

"Why would I joke?" he said and went to her, bringing her to sit on the couch. "I know I should have gotten this before I came back to see you." He sighed and kneeled down in front of her.

He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

"What are you doing?" she asked, afraid that it wasn't what it looked like.

"What I should have done years ago," he said simply and brought the box forwards and opened it. "Love is something I never thought I'd find. It was why I never stayed in a relationship for more than a couple months. With my parents as examples, well lets just say they're a tough act to follow." He said sounding rueful.

"I hadn't realized I loved you until it was almost too late. I don't think I would have been able to stand it if I saw you with some other bloke, knowing all the time that I wanted to be the one who stood next to you, who kissed you, who made love to you."

Lily hadn't realized she was crying until James reached up and brushed the tears away with his thumb.

"Marry me Lily? I promise to never ignore the feelings I have inside of me for you again."

"You love me?"

"Yes."

"You want to marry me."

"Yes."

She sniffed, "I see."

"You see?" he asked stunned. "That's all you have to say?"

"That," she smiled, "and yes." She said excitedly. "Oh yes James I'll marry you." Her arms flew around him, holding her to him tightly. "And I love you too."

Giving a shout of triumph James got up and swung her around. "Then you forgive me for being an ass?"

She gave a delighted laugh, "only if you forgive me for lying to you yesterday evening."

"Think we should tell the others now?"

"No let them wait, I want you to myself for now." She said.

"Yes we have all the time in the world in which to tell them." He said grinning wickedly.

"Can you think of any way in which to spend that time?"

"Indeed I can, Miss Evans." He chuckled, and swept her up into his arms before striding into his bedroom and proceeded to show in no uncertain terms just how they should spent their free time.

"Psht," Sirius Black muttered waving his hands in a shooing fashion. "I knew all along." He said as he contorted his face to an expression of superiority.

"Oh, be quiet Black. You wouldn't have known anything if they hadn't told you," Erin said crossly. "Besides if it wasn't for me their eyes would have never been open to the possibility."

Sirius growled at the smirk on the girl's face.

"Come on you two, leave it alone." Remus remarked not bothering to look at them bicker. "All that matters is that they've finally gotten to this point."

Erin turned and followed his gaze, her expression softening to look at their best friends hold each other at the far end of the room. "Makes you think it'll last doesn't it?"

Remus smiled, "Yeah that it does and they will last," he said glancing at Erin. "By the way, congratulations on your first matchmaking attempt."

"Yeah?" she said raising her eyebrows grinning suggestively before turning to Sirius. "Thanks. Who should I start on now?"

"No way, don't look at me," he said making to move away from the group of them.

"Aw come on Sirius, I know the perfect girl." Erin said, nudging Matt who was sitting next to her. "She's a friend of Matt's sister."

"Uh-uh, I'm not staying here to take this. James, Lily I'll be seeing you around." He said before scrambling out of the flat with haste.

Looking at their friends Lily and James laughed.

"Think he stands a chance?" he asked.

Lily laughed, "Yeah I think he does. Erin will just torture him but she knows he isn't going to be serious about a girl for a while yet."

"Not like me huh?"

"Nope not like you." She said kissing him lightly, publicly. "I love you."

Damn that felt good.


THE END