Lily watched James wearing a rut into a ten-foot space on the Quiditch pitch as though his life depended on it. He was nervous, she realized. He was holding his shining broomstick and when he saw her, he grinned. It was a genuine smile, not a cool one and Lily liked it.

She walked up to him and he took her face in his callused, but gentle hands, studying every inch of her face intently.

"You are so pretty, do you know that?" He asked softly.

"Yes, Potter. You tell me every day." Lily answered, trying to be annoyed. It wasn't working as well today for some reason. He thinks I'm pretty! He thinks I'm pretty!

"Oh. Well, I want to remind every chance I get. It's just you and me and a big open Quidditch pitch and I happen to think you are the most beautiful girl here." James smiled playfully. Lily was smart; she could put two and two together.

"Potter," She said gesturing around them, embarrassed. "I'm the only girl here. Doesn't say much, does it?"

"I mean at Hogwarts, Evans." He muttered. Lily looked down at her shoes.

"Oh. Really?" She asked feeling her cheeks glow red with the setting sun.

"Really. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." He answered kissing her forehead lightly. Lily sighed and turned away.

"Potter. You're Potter. There's nothing you wouldn't do. Especially for a joke with your idiot friends." She said defensively since she was embarrassed.

"Evans, I think if you gave me half a chance, I could prove to you that we go together like Dumbledore and magic." He looked her in the eye nervously. "Evans, will you go out with me?"

"Sure, Potter."

"Really?"

"Yeah, as soon as you grow up. I tell you 'no' every day. Why do you ask all the time?" Lily was on a mission. It was to see how fast she could make Potter say he loved her. Not so much a mission really as a game, though. She didn't really want Potter confessing his love all the time because she didn't love him. She didn't like him at all, in fact.

"Because I like you, Evans, that's why. I really like you." He said self-consciously. Here it comes… "I think I love you."

There it was. Ha. Only about five minutes! It was a record.

"Now it's my turn for questions. Why did you come if you don't like me even the tiniest bit?" James asked. He was on a mission, too, just like Lily, but his really was a mission. He wanted to make Lily love him back. She glared at him and turned away. She could feel herself blushing. She didn't want potter to know that she did like him because she wouldn't even admit it to herself, never mind to him.

"I can leave if you like that better, Potter." She said as she walked away.

"No!" James nearly shouted the word. He ran to catch up with her. He couldn't let her go now! He wrapped his arms around her middle firmly and whispered in her ear. "Don't you want to see my surprise?"

"I do if you let go of me." She answered, her voice dripping with false sweetness. James' hands immediately left her hips and he grabbed his broomstick.

"Hop on, Lilykins." He said, excitement flashing in his eyes. Lily stared at the broom as if it were a venomous snake.

"No way, Potter. You have had a lot of stupid ideas, but this one is dangerous." Fear shook her voice. What if she fell? What if she never saw her friends again? What if she never saw Potter again? No, scratch that. She didn't care about Potter! Not at all! No way! Uh- uh!

"Evans, I'll be right there with you. You'll be fine" He said the words gently and reassuringly. She was surprised when he reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her eyes. It was such a sweet gesture that it made her agree to going with him.

"Alright, how do we get on this thing?"

James mounted it and held out his hand for her to steady herself on when she swung on. Lily smiled as she sat behind him. She would never admit it, but this might be fun. Then a thought struck her.

"What do I hold onto, Potter?"

"Why, me, of course." He pretended to sound innocent, but she could here the smile in his voice. She didn't know what made her do it, but she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her cheek against his back.

She had to admit – actually no she didn't, but she was going to anyways – it felt good to have the wind whipping through her red waves of hair and even better to be this close to Potter. No! It didn't at all! No, no, no! Well, maybe just a little. When they landed, she immediately fell to the floor on her hands and knees. It was blessedly solid land. Lily looked up to see Potter laughing. At her. He had a really nice laugh. Lily absentmindedly closed her eyes to listen to it. She sighed contentedly.

"Evans, what are you doing?" His voice cut through the air. James had gone back to being an immature little git again. Lily rolled her closed eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Nothing, Potter Why are we here?" She said annoyed.

They were on a high – possibly the highest – point of Hogwarts. He led her to the railing by her hand tenderly and pointed.

"That's why." James' low voice, partnered with the landscape before her eyes, made Lily's knees weak. Tears filled her eyes as she took in the sunset glowing in reds, gold's, and deep purple's. They were the most beautiful colours she had ever seen. The way the sun seemed to dance on the horizon made Lily want to cry and the breath was stolen right from her lungs.

"Oh, James. It's beautiful." She said quietly. Then she realized that this must be a special place to James. She was touched by the fact that he had showed it to her. "This is your place, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He sighed. His smile was to die for. "I come up here to think a lot. To watch the sunset. I like it here."

"What do you think about usually?" Lily questioned softly. Suddenly James looked awkward. He gave her a sidelong glance and quickly looked away. Lily became aware of the fact that they were huddled up on the ground. Anyone who saw this would think they were… snuggling. Oh well. It's not like anyone would see. Anyways, it was cold out and Lily didn't have a cloak with her. James instinctively rubbed her arm when she shivered.

"You really want to know?" He asked apprehensively. Lily nodded and he smiled nervously. "You. Your smile, your eyes, your hair, your – yeah."

James turned bright red and didn't finish his sentence. Lily smiled knowingly.

"You know, my first thought when I see that sunset is how it matches you. Your hair. It matches your hair, red and shiny. I see you when I'm here. I dunno, I guess it's my way of accepting that I can't have you but I can have the sunset and it's just as beautiful as you." James got the feeling that he was pouring out his soul to Lily.

Lily didn't mean to do it, she just … did it. All she knew was that she was drawing closer to James, her stomach fluttering at the smell of his cologne. His arms went around his waist and hers around his neck. Her head tipped backwards as she absorbed the kiss so passionately. Kiss? Wait. She was kissing Potter! Lily drew back looking horrified.

"Potter, I didn't mean to do that! It was a complete accident! That didn't mean anything! I am so sorry!" Lily nearly screamed. James looked as though his Quidditch pitch and broomstick had been burnt to shreds. Heartbroken.

"Right. It's fine, Evans." His voice was no longer soft and kind, it was tight and hurt. He didn't sound as though it was it was fine. Not at all.

James grabbed his broomstick, which wasn't burnt to shreds after all, and mounted it, indicating that she should get on, too. The trip back to Gryffindor Tower was faster and Lily didn't feel safe in the least.

OoOoO

James stopped Lily just outside the Gryffindor Portrait Hole.

"Lily, I know that kiss meant nothing to you, but did you ever think that maybe it meant something to me?" He said his voice quivering on the brink of tears. He swallowed hard. "Now, you always tell me to 'get lost, Potter', to 'leave you alone, Potter', and Merlin knows what else. And you know what? It hurts! I think tonight just pushed me a little too far and I'm going to do something I never thought I would. I'm going to leave you alone and I'm never going to bother you again. Happy now, Evans?"

He slammed the Portrait Hole behind him, leaving a sobbing Lily sitting on the floor to stare at the place he had just been standing.

"No." She whispered. "No I'm not happy. Not at all."