AN: Cliche? Yes. Overused? Yes. Good? Hopefully. Review? Definately.
10 Things
"James Potter, let go of me!"
Lily kicked her legs wildly in the air - James had thrown her over his shoulder and was parading her around the common room.
"Let go! We're going to be late for patrol..." She kicked harder and hit him in the small of the back. He groaned and set her down.
"The prefects have got it covered for a while longer," he said. She eyed him angrily. They had to have the lastest shift. And her friends had to say the were 'tired'. Why did everyone want her and James together except for her?
Lily ignored him and looked, instead into the fire.
"I love you," he said.
"I hate you," she replied.
"Why?"
Why?
He had never asked her that before.
"Umm..."
"Ten reasons."
"What?"
"Name ten reasons why you hate me," he said. He was looking at her, unblinkingly.
"Er... fine, easy," she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "But then... you have to name ten reasons why you love me so much."
She made it sound like a challenge, a simple game, but she really did want to know... why her?
"Piece of cake," he said, smiling. "You first."
"I hate the way you mess up your hair on purpose to look like you were just flying. You have messy hair all the time anyways, why make it any messier? It just makes you look like an ass."
"Fair enough," he said. "I love your eyes."
He made it seem to easy.
"I hate how you jinx people in the hallways for fun, just because you can."
"They ask for it," he said, shrugging. "I love your hair."
"You're just going to comment on my looks the whole time, aren't you?"
"Nope, promise."
She sighed. "Fine. I hate how you strut around the school like you own it."
The more she thought about it, he practically did own the school. Head Boy, Quidditch Captain, and all the girls were after him. Except her, of course.
"I love your laugh," he said simply.
"I hate how you make this seem so easy."
"That doesn't count."
"Why not?" she protested. "It's fair."
"Fine then, I love the way you bite your lip when you think."
"I hate the way you put your feet on the table, people have to eat and do their homework there, it's disgusting."
He smiled and brought his feet down from the coffee table and put them on the floor.
"I love the way you bring out the best in people."
"I hate the way it's not working on you."
The smile hadn't left his face.
"I love your sarcastic humor."
She bit her lip. This was getting harder.
"I hate your smile."
She said before she thought about it. She wished she hadn't.
"My smile, why?"
The truth was, she hated it because she loved it. She had been thinking about it, but didn't mean to say it out loud...
"Nevermind, the game wasn't to explain why. It's your turn."
"I love your smile."
"Too easy, you copied mine."
"You built off of my 'bringing out the best' one. Same thing."
"Not really."
"You're stalling."
"Am not, I hate... I hate how confident you are that everyone loves you."
"I'm not confident that everyone loves me, you don't."
"It goes along with the strutting like yo own the place thing."
"Then that's not a fair one."
"Is so. Just go, you're the one stalling now. Go."
"Stalling? Nah, this is too easy for stalling. I love how you always look out for others first, before yourself."
"When have I ever looked out for you?"
"You helped me with my homework once."
"I did not."
"You leant me your notes."
"I leant Sirius my notes."
"And Sirius leant me your notes. See? Always thinking of others you are."
She rolled her eyes.
"I never got those notes back, you know."
"Do you need them?"
"Well yes, I'm assuming there'll be something on cheering charms in our NEWTs."
"You're stalling again."
"Why would I be stalling, this is easy."
"Oh yeah? Number nine then."
She chewed on her lip, thinking hard. Why was this so hard for her?
"I hate the way you always stare at me."
"I love the way you glare at me when I stare at you."
"That's about my eyes, you already used one about my eyes, you can't do it again."
"This one was different though, it was about where your eyes were looking, not your eyes in general."
She was surprised. She found it so hard to find things she haed about him. Her statements were getting lamer and lamer, and by the way he was looking at her she knew he knew how hard it was getting for her. She was desperate not to give him the satisfaction of winning this game...
"We should get going, I think it's past time."
"We have a game to settle, Lily, and I'm not letting you leave until we finish."
"You can't stop me from leaving, James," she said and made to stand up. She had barely moved however when James came over and sat on her lap.
"You're heavy," she choked. "Get off."
"Not until we finish this," he said.
"When did this become so important to you?"
"When did you start calling me James."
Damn.
"I didn't."
"Yes you did."
"No, I didn't."
The argument was futile.
"Yes you did, when you said 'you can't stop me from leaving, James'."
"You memorize what I say?"
"Only when I like what I hear."
She took a deep breath and said slowly, "I hate... I hate how I don't hate you anymore."
His face broke into a grin.
"I love to hear you say that."