Lyra had been avoiding James. He hadn't seen her since they'd kissed on the front step, and he had wanted to see her, but she kept making excuses. He wanted to speak to her, to let her know he wasn't sorry, that he was in love with her and wanted to be with her. That if she thought it was one sided, she was totally wrong, that he reciprocated those feelings. Because he was sure she liked him, after that kiss it was so obvious. But he had a feeling she convinced herself that he didn't like her when he did. When all he wanted was her. It was driving him insane. He felt like he couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, both of his parents asking him about it, but he couldn't put it into words, not yet.
He had actively been counting down the days until they went back but Daisy had been round to let them know Lyra had asked them to take her back this time and that she had arranged time off to do it. They had offered to take James, but his dad clearly had an idea what was going on and thanked Daisy but told her he would take James back, wanting to see him off. James didn't want to sit in a car with Lyra and not be able to properly talk to her, so he was using his time to prepare what he wanted to say to her, determined to speak to her on the train so they could start the year properly.
And so, his dad dropped him off, wishing him luck for the year and to stay in touch. James nodded, giving him a hug before departing, searching through the crowds for his best friend. Remus waved him over but James, this once ignored him, scanning determinedly for his best friend, for the girl he loved. And finally, he found her, making her way through the crowds and he quickly hurried over before stopping, frozen. Because once more Richardson had gotten there before him. He waited, waited for Lyra to walk away but to his horror she didn't. It wasn't long but Lyra didn't speak, Richardson talking at her. His hand gestures showed he was pleading, and Lyra looked…Merlin she looked hesitant. He watched the whole thing with dread, seeing her nod at him before moving away, James stepping back. He needed to know what the hell had just happened.
Lyra was…she was all over the dam place. She hadn't slept properly since New Years when she'd made out with her best friend on the doorstep. Shit, what the hell was wrong with her? She knew James was drunk, and she'd just taken advantage before stepping away and literally running from him. She wasn't sure how she could ever face him again, sure he was going to, kindly, shut her down. Tell her he didn't feel the same way. That he was drunk and shouldn't have done it. Shouldn't have led her on. If he even had. She was so out of it she'd nearly walked right into…Jacob and her defences had been lowered. She let him talk to her, heard his pleas that he knew he'd been an idiot, that he'd fucked up, but he wanted to be with her and could she give him another chance? When she hadn't responded he'd asked her to at least think about it which she had nodded to, a whole new realm of possibilities opening up. Should she get back with him? Could she? When all she could think about was James? Even though she'd humiliated herself?
"There you all are" she jumped nearly out of her skin at the sight of the Marauders…at the sight of James. He was frowning deeply, and to her, it just cemented the idea that he regretted it, regretted everything.
"We were wondering when you'd show. We lost Polly hours ago" Rosie was telling them, Remus and Peter laughing but James, she saw, was looking at her.
"What the hell did Richardson want Ly?" he asked her, so fiercely she flinched back. The silence following his question was so pronounced, and she knew everyone was looking at her now.
"What? What do you mean?" Rosie broke it, Lyra looking at her, finding her confused, looking between her and James.
"Ly, I saw you talking to him. What did he want?" James asked, Lyra knowing he hadn't taken his eyes off her. The silence was such it forced her into talking.
"He told me he was sorry, that he knew he'd messed up and he wants me to think about giving him another chance" James actually snarled at her words.
"Lyra you're not even considering it, right?" Rosie asked her sternly and when she didn't answer James actually punched the seat next to him. "James!" Rosie exclaimed, startled but Lyra saw him ignore her, look only at Lyra.
"You cannot go back to him. Not after what he did to you" he growled out. "Not when I" her heart raced but he cut himself off, shaking his head and striding out, slamming the door shut behind him.
"James is right Lyra. Please, please don't do this. Not after what he did to you" Rosie pleaded, but all Lyra could think about was what James had been about to say, leaving her silent and confused for the remainder of the journey.
James hadn't reappeared and Lyra only saw him again once they were seated for dinner. He barely touched his food, she noticed, in the same way that she barely touched hers. Giving up on dinner she told the girls she was going to turn in early and was almost at the Entrance Hall when she heard running footsteps.
"Lyra" she stopped despite not wanting to and turned, finding James coming towards her. "Meet me tonight? In our usual spot?" she wasn't sure she wanted to hear him tell her he regretted what had happened but knew that she needed to hear it to move on and get over him once and for all. She would lose him forever but…she wasn't sure she could go on like this anymore. "Please Ly? Midnight?" he asked her, taking her hand. She simply nodded, and he seemed relieved by this, giving her hand a squeeze and a smile before letting her go. "I'll see you in a bit" he murmured before he went back to the table, Lyra turning and heading back to Ravenclaw, glancing at James's watch still on her wrist and seeing she had a few hours to prepare herself. And she really needed to prepare herself.
As time was want to do, when she dreaded it passing it seemed to speed up. She heard the girls come up, but they gave her space for which she was grateful as she laid on her back, staring at the ceiling preparing herself for the inevitable. She had almost cried before reasoning with herself that it hadn't happened yet, and it was silly to cry about something that had yet to occur. So, she steeled herself, telling herself she wouldn't cry in front of him, that she would smile and nod and say she totally understood. At five to midnight, she got up, shrugging into a jumper and her slippers before she stealthily left the safety of her dorm room. Her heart was beating so quickly she was surprised nobody had woken up at the sound of it as she stole down the stairs, quickly crossing the miraculously empty common room and heading to their designated meeting spot. She was so anxious and worked up, she didn't see the flickering light coming from the room and so when she opened the door she stopped in complete shock. The room was filled with candles with an anxious looking James in the middle.
"Hey" he even sounded nervous, Lyra blinking, taking it all in. Why the hell were there candles everywhere? "Um, do you want to come in? Don't want to attract any attention" he told her, Lyra nodding, shutting the door behind her as she stepped further in. Seriously, why were there so many candles? How did James get so many candles?
"Thanks for meeting me Ly" he drew her attention as he motioned her to him, Lyra heading over slightly bewildered.
"That's okay…what's with the candles?" she asked, totally confused, even more so when James took her hand, gently pulling her closer as he chuckled.
"I wanted to make it…memorable" he said, voice lowering, only confusing her more, all other thoughts driven from her mind.
"What memorable? James what's going on?" she asked him, only now starting to realise how close they were stood, how he held her hand, how he was smiling at her. Lyra backed away but James kept hold of her hand.
"Lyra please just…please will you hear me out?" he was…shit he looked really nervous and when she moved back, he looked genuinely upset, enough to make her pause. "Lyra I…." but his voice trailed off as he looked down and appeared to be taking a deep breath. When he looked up, there was a determination on his face which made her heart beat faster. "Lyra for the past few months now all I've been able to think about is you. I don't know how I've missed it before, I was obviously a bloody idiot but Lyra you're beautiful" she had frozen in place, James taking advantage of this by stepping closer to her, smiling. "I don't know how I missed that your eyes are actually hazel, how in the morning they have more green in them than the afternoon. The way your freckles always show up when you blush, and you have no idea how I want to count each and every one of them, how I think they make you look even more beautiful. The way you tilt your head slightly when you're working on a problem, how when you're talking to someone, and you do that head tilt I just want to go over and find out what's so interesting to you. That's all I've been able to think about Ly because I…I love you. I have loved you for a while and it's just gotten stronger and stronger these past few months. And over Christmas Ly" he was so close now, his other arm wrapped around her waist so that she had to tilt her head slightly to look up at him, "that was the best holiday of my life. Because of you. That photo of us Ly, you know which one I mean, shit I look at it about ten times a day because it makes me so happy, the way you're looking at me with that smile. When we fell asleep on the sofa together and I woke up the happiest I can ever remember being. I meant it when I said I had a good feeling about this year Ly because I want it to be the year that I'm brave enough to tell you how I feel. When we kissed…Lyra it was the best kiss of my life. When you left like that, the way we've not spoken, I haven't been able to eat, not been able to sleep because I've been worried you thought I was too drunk. But I wasn't Lyra, I was exactly where I wanted to be, with exactly the person I wanted to be with. You. And I'm telling you this because I think, I hope, you feel the same way" he finally stopped talking and Lyra needed a moment to process what was happening. What James was saying to her. That he…he loved her. He had noticed her. He had been thinking about her for months. The butterflies started slowly returning as everything sunk in, at the realisation he had his arms around her, how he was looking at her anxiously, waiting for her reaction.
"You like my freckles?" it was the first thing she could think of saying, scrunching up her face and James laughed, nodding.
"I very much do" he confirmed, looking hopeful. "I like everything about you Lyra. Well, I love everything about you" he corrected himself, making her blush. Because Merlin only knew she bloody loved him too. Had loved him for years, not that she was prepared to admit this particular line of thinking right now.
"You do?" she asked nervously, and when he nodded, she slowly ran her hands up his chest, heart thundering as she reached his shoulders, looking up at him. "Even though we're best friends?" she needed confirmation of this, James's smile just widening.
"I've fallen in love with you because we're best friends" he told her, sounding so sure, so confident that it made her realise he was being honest with her. That he'd gone to all this effort for her, because he…he not only liked her, he loved her.
"James?" she asked, hearing a slight nervous shake to her voice, seeing him nod, the hope sparking in his eyes. Those bloody beautiful hazel eyes of his. "I love you too" she told him, instantly blushing. His beaming smile was breath taking as he laughed, picking her up and spinning her around which made her laugh. "James! The candles!" she warned him, James still laughing but setting her down before pulling her in for a kiss. It was magical, it was truly special, this kiss like none she'd ever had as he deepened it and she let him, welcomed it as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, daring to run a hand through his hair in the way she'd always wanted to. James ran a hand down her back, making her arch into him and she delighted in how he held her there, their bodies flush against each other. The way his hand gently tangled in her hair, the way his hand splayed on her back, keeping her close.
Lyra felt like she could do this for hours but eventually, after some period of time of which she had no idea about, James pulled away, not far though, resting his forehead against hers.
"Ly?" he asked, Lyra feeling like her smile was idiotically big. "Will you be my girlfriend?" how long had she waited for him to ask her that? How many times had she convinced herself it would never happen? And now…now here they were.
"Of course I will" she told him, seeing him beam at her before he captured her lips in another kiss, the pair of them the happiest they had been, finally with the one person they were meant to be with this whole time.
A/N: And that's it folks! Thank you for reading and favouriting and following this and I apologise for the delay in getting this last part out to you all! I hope you've enjoyed it :)