Chapter 3: Time for a Chat – James

Lily refused to sit in the stands. She stood there, trying to stay calm and talk to him. "I cannot believe your nerve. You have humiliated almost every person in school, probably. If you thought for one second something like that would make me kiss you—you were dead wrong."

"Sure, I might have humiliated some of them," he returned hotly, "but do you know how many people, a lot of them guys, are… falling for these girls who don't even acknowledge their existence? This is their chance! Maybe one of those girls out there will end up falling for the right guy this time, instead of dating the stupid popular people, or staying alone, they'll realize who they really belong with?"

"Oh, please. Both you and Sirius practically have the whole school to pick from. He's one of the most popular seventh years I know, and you're the best Seeker we've had in years. Yet you continue to single me out. It's useless, James. Why don't you give it a rest?"

"Because, Lily," he sounded exasperated, "because they don't matter." He thought about the rest she had said for a moment. "Besides, sure, Sirius and I have 'the pick of the school' as you said, and sure I go after just the one girl, and now so does Sirius, but you forgot our other friend, Remus. We don't know how long he's liked Amy, but he's really, really shy. This prank is his chance to use one of these stupid plots, as you've called them before, to finally get what he wants. To finally get the girl who's right for him."

"How does he know if Amy's right for him?" Her voice was soft now, not angry, but wondering and almost sad.

"For one thing, someone just knows. For another… have you ever noticed Amy before? Have you ever heard of her, ever seen her in the corridors?"

"No," she admitted.

"Neither had any of the other people in school, not even the teachers. Just maybe Remus noticed her. Remus isn't like Sirius or me. He's quiet, shy… not as bold."

She nodded.

"And just maybe, something he does will prove to her that he's someone she could get to know."

"I guess." Then she realized he had guilt-tripped her into submission. "Wait a minute, James Potter! You can't use guilt for this. This is your own fault, and you alone are going to pay."

James looked unhappy for a moment, then she got the perfect idea for torturing him. "I really do want to get rid of this hair color, you know."

He nodded, hoping she would do want she sounded like she was doing. His hopes rose as she leaned closer and closer to him, less than an inch from his lips. "What's the counter curse, James?"

He sunk to the seat of the stands. "That was cruel."

"Cruel? Excuse me! You turned all our hair into outrageous colors, with my only solution in time for the dance is to kiss you, and here you are, telling me that I am cruel." She turned her back to him, then, and ran down the stands to the middle of the Quidditch field. He followed her.

"Lily. I'm sorry. If I'd known this would have happened… I'd never done it." He looked toward the grass. "I… only wanted you to give me one kiss. I thought that maybe you'd end up—"

"Falling for you?" Her voice softened again. He almost seemed innocent…

"Yeah. You know I've fancied you for ages, Lily."

She nodded, almost imperceptibly.

"I just wanted one kiss… one date with you…" She looked at him, just thinking how sweet he sounded. "Lily. Please give me that one kiss, that one date."

For a second, she seemed to almost say yes. Then she realized she'd fallen into the same trap twice. Just with different circumstances. "You honestly believed I'd say yes? After you tried to trick me into liking you? You must be out of your mind." She ran off the field, leaving James staring at the ground. He felt really low then. But if she didn't believe that… would she believe the truth?

The truth… that he thought—he wasn't sure, but he thought—he was in love with her.