Disclaimer: JKR is the genius behind Harry Potter not me

Author's Note:

To all of you who reviewed Thankyou so much! It means a lot to me that you guys are enjoying my story and (I know I say this all the time) but I really truly love hearing what you guys think! It's great to get so much positive feedback! So thanks again and keep it up please!

This chapter started off a little to jumpy for my liking but I really didn't want to linger on any of the beginning stuff that much at all...I really didn't see the point in dragging it all out so instead I sort of ended up with a chapter that's a bit less flowy in the beginning than I would have liked but that is also not a complete bore to read. So sorry if the beginning is a bit to choppy for your tastes. It was either that or ramble about unnecessary things and I chose what I believed to be the lesser of two evils.

There is ROMANCE in this chapter so I'm sure you will all love it! I know I loved finally getting to write it :) I ended it where I did because I needed a break to cool my imagination down a little (it runs away with me sometimes and if I would have let that happen who knows where Lily and James might have ended up LOL)

But anyway thanks again to everybody and I really hope you enjoy this one!

Chapter 16

Accidental Advice, Happy News? and a Train Station Tryst

Lily woke the morning after she'd gone shopping in Diagon Alley to thoughts of James. She'd barely managed to fall asleep sometime in the early hours of the morning and had of course managed to dream of him off and on all throughout the hours since then. She couldn't keep herself from thinking about what he'd said and what it would mean come September first.

She was of course absolutely terrified of what he would say or do. All her worries about him were building up and pretty soon she was going to have to make a decision about them and come to face them head on. If James was making the decision to take things a step up from friends, she was going to have to make the decision as to whether or not she was going to let him. Her hands shook just thinking about it.

Trying to distract herself with thoughts of food, she leapt out of bed and made her way down the stairs to get some breakfast. It was there she found her mother pouring herself coffee and looking over the morning post.

"Good morning honey. How was your shopping trip?"

Lily sighed as she poured herself a cup of coffee, feeling as if she was going to have a definite need for caffeine that day.

"It went alright. Lots of things on my list this year." She answered. "I might have to go back for new robes as I forgot to look mine over and see what condition they're in."

Rose Evans nodded. "Well at least you got a lot of the major things taken care of." There was a moment's pause before she added. "Petunia found a lovely dress to wear to the Dursley's supper."
Lily smiled softly. "That's good. It will be one less thing for her to worry about if she feels she looks good."

"As much as I'm not exactly crazy about Vernon, he makes her happy and in the end that's all I really want for both of you girls. To find someone who really makes you happy."

Lily mulled over her mother's words as she searched through the fridge for breakfast food.

"Do you think he does? Make her really happy that is?" She asked thoughtfully. "I mean how can you know for sure that the two of them will work out well together?"

"Well you can't know that. That's part of the risk you take when you date someone." Her mother replied watching as Lily began to methodically cut up fruit. "It's all about taking a chance and I think that in your sisters' case she's very willing to take that chance with him. I think that if the two of them are as interested in each other as they seem that there's every possibility they could end up happy."

"That's the hard part though isn't it? Taking the chance, putting yourself out there with the possibility that you could be rejected, that you might not be what the other person was expecting at all." Lily sighed. "It could ruin things. So why do people risk it?"

Rose Evans smiled. "Because sometimes the risk is well worth the reward. Finding someone you get on with is worth a lot of risk, if only because it can make you infinitely more happy than you would have been had you been too afraid to really try things out. People aren't meant to go through life alone. Everything is better when you have someone to share it with."

Lily scooped up her cut fruit and placed it into a bowl before looking at her mother searchingly. "So you think that's what Petunia is doing? Taking a risk with Vernon, putting herself out there with the hope that he might be the one?"

Rose nodded. "I think that's exactly what she's doing."

Lily was silent for a moment before saying softly, "Thanks mum."

Grabbing a fork and kissing her mother on the cheek as she strolled by she made her way up to her room considering the notion that if her sister was willing to be brave, perhaps she could be as well.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

James stared at the letter again. Still unsure as to whether or not he was willing to believe it. Part of him truly suspected that it was just some silly prank of Sirius'. He glanced down at the badge in his hand and looked it over intently. What the hell had Dumbledore been thinking?

He made his way toward his father's office still reeling internally. He paused in the doorway unsure of what to say.

Jason looked up at him and pushed his glasses onto his nose more firmly. "What is it son?"

James shrugged dazedly and turned both the badge and the parchment over to his dad in silence. He watched as his father read over it once, then again. When he looked back up at James his smile was wide and the look in his eyes was one of pride.

"Congratulations." He said rather throatily. "I'm…very proud."

James frowned, "Are you sure this isn't just one of Sirius' jokes?"

His dad chuckled and stood, coming around the desk to stand next to James. He handed back over the parchment and the badge and leaned back against his desk as he eyed his son with interest.

"What do you think?" Jason questioned.

"I have no idea." James shrugged. "I never would have even thought this was a possibility. I wasn't a prefect and I caused more trouble and mischief than most of my teachers could have thought possible. I never in a million years would have guessed that I would be chosen for something like this."

"But what about all the changes you've made this past year? Your mother and I didn't receive half as many owls about your misconduct. We didn't receive any about you getting into any fights…" He chuckled as James flushed slightly. "Obviously you weren't caught then.

"My point is you've done a lot of growing up this past year and I'm sure that Dumbledore and the rest of your teachers have noticed it."

James thought over that while his father waited.

"Do you think I could be good at this dad? That I could do a decent job?"

Grinning, Jason clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I think that you can do anything you set your mind to, whether it's being a leader, causing trouble or convincing Lily Evans to be your girlfriend."

"Sodding Sirius," James growled blushing madly at his dad's words, "I knew I should have found a best mate who could keep his ruddy mouth shut."

"Don't be too hard on him. He was actually complimenting you at the time. He seems to think it's only a matter of time before Lily realizes that you're the man of her dreams. His words not mine."

James laughed and then took a deep breathe.

"So I guess I'll do my best then." He stated plainly.

"There's the spirit son." His father said, squeezing his shoulder affectionately as he steered him toward the doorway. "Now let's go tell your mother that we've somehow managed to miraculously produce Head Boy material."

Lily stared at James' letter in astonishment. She couldn't believe her eyes.

James Potter had been made Head Boy.

And she had found out the day before that she was Head Girl.

So now they would be sharing head duties…and a dormitory!...Merlin help her!

She read over the letter again and yet it did nothing to calm her racing thoughts. What should she tell him? Did she let him know that she was Head Girl? Or did she wait and tell him once they were on the train? No she needed to tell him before that…

Groaning in frustration she sat down and began to write. When she was done and she had sent James' owl back in the direction from which it had come, hoping that her letter sounded as excited as she had intended it to, she began to smile in amusement. Dumbledore had just paved the way for James Potter to pursue her, because there would be no avoiding him now. In her oddly stressed out state, teetering on the brink of insanity, she found the idea rather comical.

Two weeks later on September first Lily Evans once again found herself standing alone near the big scarlet steam engine as she searched the crowd for her friends. She tried to be prepared for anything, not letting herself remain looking in one direction for too long just in case her friends decided to launch themselves at her again.

When she spotted Dorcas she grinned in excitement. She waved at her happily and once she managed to reach Lily the two girls embraced happily.

"It's great to see you Lils. Not that I don't love your dad but he plans way too many family activities during the summer. I feel like I've hardly seen you at all."
"That's because you haven't. Aside from Sirius' party I didn't get to see you and Marlene at all. The only other time I saw Alice was shopping in Diagon Alley, when you were in France and Marlene was busy babysitting the brood." Lily replied.

"Well congratulations in person on becoming Head Girl! We always knew it would be you!" Dorcas said rolling her eyes affectionately.

Lily grinned. "It is pretty exciting. I kind of always hoped I'd get it."

"Psshhhh, the real surprise is Potter being Head Boy. I always suspected Dumbledore was nutters but now it's been confirmed."

Lily chuckled at her friends' joking and tried to look as if the mention of James didn't make every nerve fiber in her entire body thrum in response.

"Where do you think the others are?" She asked a little more breathlessly than she had intended.

"Probably running late on Marlene's part and Alice is probably busy snogging Frank senseless." Dorcas answered choosing to ignore her friends' obvious reaction to the mention of James.

"Well do you want to head to our compartment? We can just meet up with them there." Lily offered, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Truthfully she wanted to escape to the safety of the compartment before she caught sight of James. She had no idea what he would say…or do…and she was anxious to delay their meeting for as long as she could.

Thankfully Dorcas agreed to head to the compartment with her. Shortly after they'd settled in Marlene appeared and just before the train took off, so did a breathless Alice.

"Have a nice holiday everyone?" She asked casually, trying to straighten her rumpled clothes and mussed up hair.

Her friends giggled at her disheveled state and began to tell her all about their holiday when Marlene broke in frowning. "Where do you think the boys are?"

"I don't know." Dorcas replied her brow furrowing as well. "I haven't seen them yet today."

"Do you think they got held up somewhere or..." The compartment door opened suddenly to allow four completely disheveled boys to tumble in cutting off Marlene's speculations.

They were all laughing uproariously and falling all over each other.

"Oh that was great did you see his face when he saw you were Head Boy?" Sirius chortled.

"Completely priceless." Remus threw in.

"He never saw that one coming." Peter added gleefully.

The others continued to chuckle over the incident but James eyes had shot straight to Lily, who was doing her best to look at any of them but him. She knew that the second things settled down would be the second her control would snap.

She was already unable to help her jumping pulse and clammy hands and she was sure that the heat in her cheeks had to be visible to everyone around her. Just the sight of him was enough to make her feel completely unbalanced.

He looked so good it should be illegal. His hair looked as if it had just been cut despite its untamed state and the jet black locks looked so silky she wanted to run her fingers through them. His golden skin was even more so from all the time spent out doors that summer and his brown eyes were darker than usual. Yet, despite the attractiveness of him as a whole it took her far longer to tear her gaze away from his lips than anywhere else. Remembering how they had felt on her own was suddenly a heat-infusing thought and Lily had to resist the urge to fan herself with something.

She waited a few moments trying to compose herself while they laughed back and forth and when she found an opening she took it.

"So who did you catch off guard then?" She asked as meekly as she could manage.

"Snivelly of course!" Sirius exclaimed. "And his band of ill-bred minions."

The boys launched into an all out re-telling of how they'd caught Snape and his cronies trying to intimidate a few first years into giving up their compartment and how after exchanging a few choice words they had eventually revealed that James was Head Boy.

"Oh the look on their faces! They couldn't believe that their worst nightmares had come true!" Sirius said the look in his eye one of sheer enjoyment.

As the boys began to take their seats Lily tried not to freeze completely. She failed altogether though when James came and made to sit on the floor in front of her.

"Aren't you going to switch him?" Alice questioned her. "I mean don't you usually sit on the floor?"

Lily swallowed visibly and tried to answer her but nothing seemed to want to come out. It was like along with the rest of her body her voice box had ceased to function. In fact the only thing that did seem to be fully functional was her heart as it hammered out of control in her chest.

"Are you okay Lils? You look…a bit scared actually." Marlene mused, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"I…" Lily managed shakily. She cleared her throat and tried again but was met with the same results.

She bit her lip as James turned himself about to look at her. She looked out the window intently ignoring the stares she knew she was getting from her friends and trying even harder to ignore the one he was giving her.

"Lily." He said his voice deep and rich and oh so tempting.

She ignored him and continued to stare at the window pane. Merlin help her she was behaving like a complete idiot. But she couldn't help it. She was absolutely without a doubt completely and utterly so unsure of herself in that moment that she was at a loss to do anything but ignore him or run from him.

She hadn't been able to stop thinking about him and about how he felt about her and how she felt about him all summer. She couldn't keep herself from feeling doubtful about whether or not she would live up to his expectations and she also couldn't keep herself from thinking about how great it might be to actually be with him like he wanted.

Now as she was actually stuck in the moment she'd been thinking about constantly these past few weeks it seemed all her mother's words about risk taking were suddenly flying right out the window and what was left behind was a scared and thoroughly confidence lacking Lily.

"Lily." He said again, deeper, more insistently.

She shook her head no at him.

"For Merlin's sake Lily I wasn't issuing a death sentence that day you know. I was merely trying to…"

She bit her lip at his words, internally begging him to stop.

He shook his head as if he knew what the small movement meant and put a hand on her knee. But before he could speak she reached down and shoved his hand away saying pleadingly, "Don't. Please."

James frowned at her then.

"Are you that afraid of me now?" He bit out sounding stunned.

Lily couldn't stay seated for another second. She was panicking and she knew it but she couldn't keep herself from jumping out of her seat and saying flatly, "I'm bloody terrified." She shot toward the compartment door as James leapt to his feet and before she knew it she was being stalked down the length of the train.

He followed her easily slipping past the students that she seemed unable to avoid. She collided with one after another before she found herself being pulled to a stop and shoved behind him. He grasped her hand firmly and with a look that told her she had no choice in the matter he began to lead her further down along the train.

She couldn't fathom where they were going or why, all she knew was that her brain was no longer working. It couldn't formulate a coherent thought about anything. She barely registered that her stomach was in knots and she was so worked up she could barely breathe.

Suddenly they were standing outside a compartment that had larger doors than was usual. She heard James say something though she didn't catch what it was and then the doors were sliding open of their own accord and James was yanking her inside and shoving her back against a wall in a position that was becoming all too familiar to the two of them.

He reached out and grabbed her, his thumbs situated on sides of her jaw as he stared at her intently a small smile on his face.

"I knew I was going to have to chase you. I never dreamed you'd make it easy. But this is taking it a little far don't you think?" He said trying to sound idle and nonchalant.

Lily just stared at him; with what she was sure later on was very likely a deer in the headlights look. He started rubbing his thumbs along her jaw slowly. Methodically.

"Breathe okay." He commanded softly. "Just take deep breaths."

Lily obeyed only because it seemed like the most sensible option considering the frantic racing of her pulse and the way she seemed to be having trouble getting enough oxygen to not feel light headed.

After awhile James stopped and moved in closer to her, his body very nearly flush with hers.

"Why are you terrified? Am I that bad?" He asked his voice still soft.

"No." She whispered back. "You're not. That's the problem."

"I don't understand."

Lily watched his lips move as he spoke, before letting her eyes lift to meet his once more.

"I'm afraid I'm that bad. That this won't be what you want it to be." She paused and took a startled breath as one of his hands slid around to cup the back of her head. "That I won't be what you want me to be."

"That's not possible." James leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers. "Don't you think I'm scared too? Don't you think I've been over this moment a thousand times in my head? Cause I have. I've played out every possible scenario I could conjure up and in very nearly every one of them you find me lacking in some way." He admitted his eyes closing as he breathed in deeply. "I'm begging you not to run from me Lily. It's hard enough chasing you when you stand still."

She surprised herself by reaching up and grabbing onto his wrist on the hand that still held her head.

"People run when they're afraid." She whispered shakily, gripping him tightly.

"Then don't be afraid." He breathed. "Give me a chance."

"I don't know if I can." She answered back honestly.

"You can." He whispered so softly she barely caught it before his lips caught hers.

It was nothing like the kisses they'd shared before. There was nothing short or simple about it. It was hot and heady and so much more than Lily had even dreamed.

His lips moved over hers sensually. He made her breathe catch every time he lingered over the fullness of her lower lip. He kissed her in long sweeping drags that made something deep in her stomach begin to burn.

Still cradling her head in one hand he moved his other hand down to sweep around her and pull her up against his chest. Her own hand found its way to his shoulder somehow and then he did something that made what she was feeling before resemble the brush of butterfly wings.

His tongue brushed along her lower lip entreatingly begging her for something she didn't really know anything about. Her gasp was all the permission he needed though, and she soon found herself overwhelmed by the sensation of being well and truly kissed by James Potter.

He groaned at the taste of her and Lily found her whole body blazing in reaction to the sound. As James tongue moved wicked and desperate against hers she found herself unable to control her grip on him. She was pulling him closer trying to press herself as fully up against him as she could. And he was complying.

Crushing her to him in a grip so hard it would probably bruise later James was every bit as hungry for the pressure and feel of her up against him as she was.

He had never been so completely turned on in his entire life. Kissing her like this was even more overwhelming than he had expected it to be. His chest roared with the need to possess her. To cover her as best he could with his own body, his own skin. To show her just how much he'd been craving the taste of her that he was drowning in now.

She was so unbelievably sweet. It was enough to drive him mad. Gripping her tightly he showed her what it was like to really kiss someone. To give over everything that you were feeling into a single action that laid claim to something within both of you.

He tilted her head back more and deepened the kiss even further. The breathless moan she let out sent shivers down his spine. He found himself fisting his hand in her hair even as her own hand snaked up and gripped his.

All rational thought had left him. He was so completely caught up in her, her taste, the feel of her hair, the incredible way she smelled, that he knew for sure he was lost forever to the girl in his arms.

He had no idea how long he'd been holding her. Kissing her like his life depended on it. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was making her feel everything that he was and more.

His skin burned where she still gripped his wrist. His lower stomach ached with so much pressure that he wanted to groan loudly. His heart was slamming against his chest with so much force he was sure she could probably hear it and yet everything was so incredibly perfect that he could barely bring himself to pull away from her.

It took him three attempts before he could wrest his lips away from her own and bury his face against the crook of her shoulder.

They were both panting. Their breathing as ragged as if they'd just run miles. He felt as if he'd just let someone rip apart his chest and try to put it back together.

And yet she was still in his arms. Her breath coming out in hot bursts against the back of his neck as her head turned into him. Every supple, soft and sensual inch of her was still his for the moment. And he'd be damned if he was going to let her go yet.

"Damn Lily." He growled against her skin. "If I'd have known it could ever feel like that I'd have pinned you down and forced you to my way of thinking a long time ago."

She didn't say anything and after a few more moments he pulled back to look down at her.

Her expression was one of surprised wonder and confusion. Her lips were swollen and pouty looking and his grip on her tightened again as he looked at them. Her chest rose and fell rapidly in time with her breathing and it felt good moving against his own.

"How are you?" He asked her gently.

She looked at him curiously as if she were trying to figure out just what he was before she answered breathlessly, "I'm…hot."

He chuckled and nodded. "Me too."

Lily smiled at him then and moved to take her hands from his hair and off his wrist when her eyes widened. "I hadn't noticed you'd lifted me off the floor."

"It was easier than leaning down the whole time." He answered back now smiling widely.

She laughed lightly and then shook her head as if she were trying to clear it.

"You should probably put me down now." She informed him quietly.

He complied and set her feet back down on the floor gently. He held her for a moment as she stood on somewhat shaky legs.

He reached out and brushed a lock of hair that had fallen into her face back and tucked it behind her ear.

"I'm afraid you've officially ruined me for any other girl for the rest of my life." He said suddenly surprising himself. "I'll never be able to get the taste of you out of my head."

Her hand came up to innocently cover her lips. "Do I taste alright?"

James groaned squeezed her waist slightly. "You taste like an angel." He admitted throatily.

"How do you know what angels taste like?" She questioned playfully.

"Because I just got to kiss one." He answered back with a grin.

She blushed at the compliment and looked away from him.

They were silent for a little while both lost in their own thoughts and feelings. It was James who broke the silence.

"So does this mean you'll give me a chance?" He asked his gaze searching her own for signs of what she was thinking.

Her green eyes were vulnerable and wide as she replied honestly, "I'm still scared."

"I'll help you with that." He vowed earnestly.

"I need a little time to think." She stated biting her lip.

"I'll give it to you." He agreed readily.

"And we need to talk about things." She went on staring at his chest as she spoke. "I need to let you know why I'm so afraid of this. I need to explain to you why I'm so nervous about everything."

James nodded and smiled.

"So you're going to consider it though right? You're going to let me try and prove to you that this is right for both of us?"

Lily looked up at him and grabbed his hand shyly.

"After a kiss like that James Potter I'm willing to let you try pretty much anything."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO