Chapter Text

"I could get used to this" James muttered as he got down the staircase.

lily's arse was popping out of the couch end.

"Lo' Evans" he plopped himself on the seat.

Lily quickly scrambled out from underneath and brushed off her skirt in embarrassment. Her cheeks were red from being caught crawling over the common room and she was fumbling through her words, trying to come up with an explanation.

"Don't worry, I thought you looked adorable," James blinked innocently.

"Git."

She plopped down next to him, her skirt going just an inch higher, leaving a space above her knees, and James had to gulp down and force himself to look away. It was so hard to act cool around her, and he hated himself for that. She sighed and chewed her lips. Her long hair was in a messy bun with her wand through it, her shirt was wrinkled as though she had slept with it. Now her face was scrunched up, lost in thought, staring at the window and trying very hard to remember something.

Suddenly, her clouded eyes cleared up and slowly turned to look at him.

"Potter. You wouldn't happen to know where my scarf is, would you?"

"Of course not" he replied casually.

Lily squinted her eyes.

"Why? have you been any paying visits to me I don't know of?" He smirked

"Yes, because I'm so in love with you, I come to look at your drooling face," she rolled her eyes.

James' eyes widened. He knew she was just joking but, to hear her say she was in love with him, hitched his heart and dangled it over a cliff. They had become close over the past year and had become decent friends. But he didn't want to spoil anything by professing his love or blurting anything.

"Erm, see you later Evans."

He knew that if he sat there any longer, he would start spouting his feelings or confess stealing the scarf. It was one thing to lie; it came unsurprisingly easy to him, he could fool anyone into believing him, not that he would do it, but lying to lily was a whole different thing. He didn't get butterflies and nervous breakdowns when he lied to Professor McGonagall. It wasn't fair that she had this power over him.

He climbed up the stairs two at a time anxious to escape his feelings. He went around the floor thrice thrice and jumped for joy when the door appeared. He looked around to make sure all their things were there, entered and started working on the map. They had decided it was the best place other than their dorms to work on it. Seeing they could get any book they wanted to refer and an unending amount of parchment they deemed the room of requirement their perfect hideout.

He was working for only two minutes when he took out Lily's scarf. It was a dark midnight blue silk scarf ,with silver tassels on the side. It had beautifully etched designs, that looked like star constellations and shimmered against the dark background. He had to charm it to prevent Lily from summoning the scarf. He thought of transfiguring it so she could not identify it, but it never smelled quite the same. He brought it close to his face and breathed in the scent, smiling giddily. It smelled like vanilla and blueberries. It was exactly the way she smelled. He could get whiffs of it now and then, but if he tried to smell her hair or come that close to her, she would blast his head to the next planet. So he didn't seem to find a reason to give away the scarf anytime soon.

"This again." Sirius rolled his eyes. He was standing, with his hands crossed, leaning against the door frame.

James grinned, snuggling his nose into the blue scarf.

"You have to give it to her, prongs. Red is all over the common room searching for it." He smirked as he settled down with a butterbeer.

James ignored his comment. "How did you get out of detention?"

"Worked out my devilish charm with Minnie. What did you think?" He grinned cheekily.

"Yes, right Padfoot." He rolled his eyes.

"What can I say prongs? The ladies love me," he winked and slid into the couch "Now before you start talking, are you going to give it back or not?"

"What's the big deal? And why do you even care Padfoot?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, come on, its not like I'm betraying you, just go give her the damn thing, she's chewing our ears." Sirius chuckled as though reading his thoughts.

"Okay, fine." He sighed as he dragged his feet across the room. It was no use arguing, Remus had been telling him the same thing ever since he stole the scarf from the common room.

"Um, Lily?"

She looked up from her letter with a smile. "yeah?"

"I found your scarf," he muttered, rubbing his neck, furiously trying not to touch his hair.

Lily's eyes suddenly lit up. She grabbed the scarf and gleefully wrapped it around her neck. It was a little uneven with all the tassels to one side. He reached over unconsciously to adjust the scarf, pulled on one side and nudged it into the perfect fit. Once he was done, he looked at lily, staring up at him. His heart started pounding as her eyes danced across his face. His face was beet red, and he was running his hand through his hair continuously. He looked at her smiling face, gulped down the impulse to kiss her and leaned back, folding his arms. Though it didn't do much good to gauge the storm in his stomach.

She finally looked away as though she had decided what to do with him. He noticed a small smile playing on her lips.

Determining it was safe to talk to her now with considerable distance from her face, he began, "I'll get-"

"Whydoesitsmelllikeyou?"

Jame blinked, looking at her quizzically.

"Why does it smell like you?"

He was struck by the question, coming out of the blue, but regained his wit.

"Of so you Know, how I smell Evans?" He grinned cheekily, moving an inch closer to her. Thoroughly enjoying making her blush for a change.

"Sod off, potter" she rolled her eyes, trying hard to suppress her smile.

"I dint know my scent could get so infused in the two-minute walk from the broom cupboard."

"It was in the broom cupboard?" She frowned.

"Yeah, I think you might have left it there-" he moved nearer, his lips only millimetres away from her ear "you know when you snogged Prewett" he whispered. Lily pushed him away, "oh, sod off" she huffed as she climbed the stairs, rushing in embarrassment. And she suddenly came to a stop outside the dorm and squinted her eyes at him.

"How did you know that, anyway?"

" I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." He replied solemnly, trying to hide his smile.

Lily threw her head up in exasperation and headed up the stairs.

He watched as she rushed into the dorm, smiling gleefully at having made her blush. He returned to the seventh floor, with a skip in his step. HE had made Lily blush. He took that thought to the seventh floor, grinning impishly.