Lily arrived in the dungeon where Potions was held a few minutes late. She was feeling flustered by her late arrival as she disliked being late to class. She stalked over to her seat next to James, flashing Professor Slughorn an apologetic smile when he looked her way.
'Evans,' James acknowledged her curtly.
'Potter,' she replied in her most polite tone.
Lily tried to focus her attention on what Professor Slughorn was saying about Golpalott's Third Law but found her attention drawn elsewhere. Beside her, James was scribbling on a piece of parchment. It was clear by the way he had the parchment positioned that it was not notes on Golpalott's third law that he was writing. Lily turned her attention back to Professor Slughorn; assuming that whatever Potter was writing it was probably just a crude joke he wanted to share with Sirius. She was shocked a few minutes later when James pushed the completed note towards her side of the desk. Bending over it Lily struggled to make out the messy scrawl of James' handwriting.
Lily,
I know we aren't on the best terms right now. I've wanted to apologise for a while now about what I said to Snape but I haven't been able to find the right moment. I hope you can take this note as my most sincere begging you to forgive me apology. I am so very truly, deeply, really, actually sorry, Lily. Sometimes I can be a total git (especially when it comes to Snape). I hope you can forgive me and we can at least try to be friends.
Your git friend (hopefully),
James
Lily was astounded, a genuine apology from Potter, it was as though the world was turning upside down. Hastily she picked up her quill and wrote a reply.
James,
I fully accept your apology and I'm glad you said you were a git because you were. We can try to be friends, I'm not sure whether it will work but we can try.
Your friend,
Lily
She pushed the note subtly back to James' side of the bench and watched his furrowed brow smooth out as he read it. He gave her a warm smile that made her heart jump a little in her chest, then immediately picked up his quill and began scribbling on the parchment again. About a minute passed before he glanced up at Slughorn and then slid the note over to her. Lily read the line that was printed below her reply.
So, friend, what's the deal with you and Prewitt?
Lily was at a loss for what to write in reply. What was the deal with her and Prewitt? They had gone on one fairly good date and he had asked her out again. Was he her boyfriend? When did you call someone your boyfriend anyway? She decided not to answer James and instead wrote a question on the parchment in reply.
Why do you ask?
James picked up the parchment, read her question, gave her an irritated look, and wrote:
As your friend it's my job to make sure you're not getting involved with a prick who will break your heart. Are you going out with him?
Lily paused for a moment before writing a reply.
We went on a date on the weekend, and he asked me on another, so I guess yes, we are going out but it's still very new. I like him. I don't think you need to be concerned. He isn't a prick.
Lily pushed her response back to James, satisfied with her answer. As James read it, she watched his brow furrow again. He glanced at her quickly, giving her a tight smile that she couldn't quite read and then stuffed the piece of parchment into his bag.
James thought a lot about what Lily had said. Her words hung in his mind like soft curtains. He did not doubt her sincerity. It wasn't that Lily couldn't lie but the truth of her feelings was always as clear as day in her eyes. She was incredibly easy to read, you just had to know where to look. It was Lily's trust in Prewitt that bothered James the most, she trusted everyone so easily, truly wore her heart on her sleeve. He didn't have a problem with that but when you wore your heart on your sleeve, it could get broken without you even realising.
Lily was in the library when Fabien found her. This did not surprise him, as Lily spent most of her free time in the library. You could always find her there poring over a large book or an essay. She always sat in one of the same 3 spots, which most people knew to leave vacant for her. Today, she was sitting in a little nook in the back corner, as far away as she could possibly get from the annoying first years that broke into fits of giggles every few minutes.
Fabien found that his palms were sweating profusely approaching Lily. She was beautiful enough to terrify him, talking to her made him feel as light as air. She had a peculiar way of turning everything into a positive, it was more than an ability to see the best in people, she had a way of assuring you that when you were with her nothing truly bad could happen to you. It was a powerful and enchanting illusion, a special kind of magic.
He gulped before speaking. 'Hi Lily.' Even in his head the words sounded pathetic, a terrible opening.
Lily looked up from the book she had been reading. 'Hi Fabien. How are you?' she smiled warmly but this did not ease Fabien's nerves. Lily was warm with everyone even people she didn't particularly like.
'I'm good. Thanks.' He paused as though testing the air for something. 'I was wondering whether you wanted to go out again sometime?'
Lily was thrown for a second, she bristled uncomfortably, she had heard from Marlene about Fabien flirting with Abby and she did not know what to make of him asking her out again, while he was apparently also interested in someone else.
Her reply was diplomatic. 'I don't think that would be a good idea.'
A flicker of annoyance crossed Fabien's face, which he quickly covers, but Lily does not miss it.
'Oh right… well if that's how you feel.'
'It is.'
Fabien gives Lily one final look and then turns as strides away. Lily watches him go, feeling guilty about the pain her rejection had probably caused him.
Lily had planned not to tell anyone about rejecting Fabien but this attempt at secrecy was complicated when upon returning to her dormitory Lily ran into Alice and Marlene and still in a state of shock blurted out the entire story to them. When she had finished, she added 'I hope he doesn't hate me now.'
'No one could hate you Lily,' Alice assured her.
'Yeah, its true. Your like so impossible to hate,' said Marlene.
'Don't be ridiculous,' Lily said as she looked at her friends with reproaching eyes.
'Darling, it's amazing you can be so intelligent when it comes to everything but yourself,' said Alice kindly. 'I mean don't get me wrong I bet Fabien will cry himself to sleep tonight but hate you? I highly doubt it. Besides it's not your fault if he does, you have done nothing wrong in this situation. Nothing at all. You didn't lead him on. I mean you only went on one date for crying out loud; you didn't make an unbreakable vow to be his and his alone forever. So, in Merlin's name just relax about it.'
Alice delivered these words with the kind of compassion that Lily needed to feel she could trust that what her friend was saying were true. She smiled at Marlene and Alice and pulled them both into a hug that incidentally caused all the books she was holding to fall out of her bag.
The news that Lily and Fabien's brief flirtation was over did not reach James until breakfast the following morning when Marlene arrived at the table. Alice and Lily had stopped by the bathrooms to repack Lily's books into a bag that was just a little too small to hold them all. Marlene seeing the window of opportunity to talk to James and more importantly Sirius without Lily present had hurried straight to the Great Hall to share the news with the boys.
Marlene was out of breath when she reached where the Marauders were sitting. 'You'll never guess what happened yesterday!' she squeaked as she tried to catch her breath.
'You lost your voice after you were hit with a house elf jinx,' said Sirius with a laugh.
'No Black, not even close, you'll never guess so I'll just tell you. Fabien asked Lily out again.' James who had only been half listening to this exchange and more focused on his porridge snapped to attention and focused on Marlene.
'You can relax Potter. She turned him down.'
Sirius' face broke into a lop-sided grin. 'Look at that man. Your back in the game,' he said as he clapped James on the back. James responded with a tense smile, he was happy that Lily was no longer tied to Prewitt however he couldn't help but wonder what the real motivation behind her rejection had been. Through he could tell easily enough when Lily was lying, it was more difficult to know what she was really thinking. While James brooded quietly while Sirius and Marlene continued to rejoice over the news.
James' chance to find out how Lily really felt about Fabien would not come until afternoon Potions at the end of the week. James had wanted to talk to her before class but Lily had not arrived before Professor Slughorn had called the class to attention. As they began brewing the concoction assigned to them, which happened to be a Draught of Peace, James seized noise in the room to strike up a private conversation with Lily.
'I heard about what happened with you and Prewitt,' said James, in a tone that was thick with concern.
'Marlene never can keep her mouth shut can she!' exclaimed Lily.
James smiled. 'No I guess she can't,' he replied. 'I wanted to know as your friend whether you needed me to hex him for you. You know I'm always available for hexing duty.'
'You don't think I'm capable of hexing him myself?' Lily asked incredulously.
'On the contrary, I know you are capable Evans, however, I am merely offering my services anytime you need them. For anything.'
Lily laughed at the confident bravado with which James spoke. 'I'll keep that in mind Potter.'
From his seat in the middle of the room, Severus was in the perfect position to overhear Lily and James' conversation. He listened with both terror and fascination, unable to concentrate on anything else. His stomach churned uncomfortably when Lily laughed at James' idiotic declaration. The idea that Lily would need James for anything was pure fantasy. Severus smirked a little at this thought, though under the surface he was deeply concerned by the friendship that appeared to be forming between Lily and James. Severus knew that a friendship could easily turn into something more serious, even the thought of James and Lily holding hands was enough to make his blood boil.
