I've written this chapter in two parts, for both Lily and James' points of view. Hope you like it. Please R&R!! xx
"Hey, thanks for looking after me the other day
"Hey, thanks for looking after me the other day."
Lily could barely look at James. When she had been unwell, thrown up in front of him, acted like a child, and admitted she wanted to be friends, she was a little delirious and couldn't quite remember exactly what had happened. It had now fully come back to her in a series of flashbacks. This meant she was way too embarrassed to look him in the eye.
"No problem" He answered, looking at the book in his lap rather than at her. Lily was thankful for this. She knew he was only doing it because he sensed her embarrassment, but was glad for it and wasn't about to stop him.
"I still have your jacket."
James closed his book and rested it on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. "That's fine, just give it back when you're done snuggling up to it." He looked up at her and grinned. Then standing up, he took a small step towards her.
"I….I don't…..I didn't….did I really?" Lily felt her self blushing as James stepped towards her. She hadn't had a flashback of snuggling a jacket.
"Yes. You wouldn't let go of my hand either." James' voice was soft and seductive. As he took yet another step towards Lily, she turned redder. Suddenly breathing was the most difficult thing in the world. She didn't understand why, but she couldn't help but stand where she was and let James move even closer towards her.
James laughed. "Don't be so embarrassed Evans. It's fine. Just give me back the jacket whenever."
Lily felt her breathing ease up. James clapped her on the shoulder. Chuckling to himself, he walked towards his bedroom.
Not knowing what was wrong with her, Lily dropped in to the chair James had just been sitting in. She must be feeling unwell still. James, no, Potter had never had that effect on her before. Ever. Why did she get so flustered just now? She was definitely still unwell. Maybe she should go lie down.
As she walked past James' room towards hers, she noticed that his door was ajar. She glanced in, and saw that James seemed to be lying on his bed looking depressed. He must be unwell too.
Lying down on her bed, Lily wondered what it could be that was making her and James so ill.
James was sitting in the most comfortable armchair in the head's common room. He had told Sirius that he wanted some peace and quiet, but in all honesty he didn't want to see anyone right now. He had a book placed in his lap. He wasn't reading it, he couldn't even remember the title. His mind was on other things.
He just couldn't stop thinking about the other day when Lily was unwell. She had refused to let go of his hand, held on tight to his jacket and told Madam Pomfrey that they were friends. It was exactly how he had imagined things would be if Lily were his girlfriend. Except for the just being friends part of course.
He had tried so hard to get Lily out of his head, to get over her. He had stopped asking her out and acting like a jerk. In front of her at least. The events of that afternoon had completely messed with his will power and denial. It had made him realise that he wasn't even close to beginning to get over Lily.
At that moment, the door to the common room swung open, revealing a very nervous looking Lily. As she came closer she spoke.
"Hey, thanks for looking after me the other day."
James could hear the embarrassment in her voice. She obviously thought she had made a mistake in letting him take care of her and regretted it. He decided not to look up. He didn't want to give away his disappointment if she said that she didn't really want to be his friend.
"No problem." Was all he could manage in response. He was concentrating too much on acting normal to say anything else. He heard her soft, sweet voice speak to him again.
"I still have your jacket."
James couldn't stand it any longer. He wouldn't give her the chance to tell him to get lost as she had done so many times in the past. He wouldn't be able to take it if she said it yet again. To give himself another second to think of a witty reply, he closed his book and put it on the arm of his chair. In that moment, the only thing he could think to do was to act like his old cocky self.
"That's fine, just give it back when you're done snuggling up to it." He grinned at her, stood up and took a step towards her, making sure he moved slowly so as not to give away that he was shaking with nerves. Did he just say the wrong thing?
"I….I don't…..I didn't….did I really?" Lily was blushing more that he had ever seen before. Taking another step towards her, he intended to comfort her, tell her it was ok, not to be embarrassed. But now he was acting like he used to he couldn't stop.
"Yes. You wouldn't let go of my hand either." He was moving slowly towards her, wanting to hold her so badly he almost imagined that she was having as hard time breathing as he was.
He knew he had to snap out of it now. He wanted to keep her as a friend if he could and acting this way would definitely ruin that. He forced himself to laugh.
"Don't be so embarrassed Evans. It's fine. Just give me back the jacket whenever." He clapped her on the shoulder, something he would do to Sirius or Remus, and walked away, nervously chuckling to hide his real feelings.
Inside his bedroom, he lay on his bed. He had to stop doing this to himself. He had to get over her. They could only ever be friends. That was all she wanted, if that, and he had to deal with it.
Trouble was, that thought made him feel so ill he could practically feel himself turn green.