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Chapter Twenty-Two
As January ended the snow began to melt and February brought with it sunny spells, and the best month James had experienced at Hogwarts since he became an Animagi.
Because now not only did he get to sneak around the Grounds once as month as a stag with his other illegal Animagus friends and part time werewolf. But now he also got to kiss Lily Evans.
That might be only one of the perks of spending so much alone time with Lily, but he happened to think it was one of the best perks.
So maybe they couldn't hold hands in the corridors, and he couldn't tell everyone that she was his girlfriend, but things were definitely almost perfect.
Lily had told him she wanted to keep things quiet for now, she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself.
Which he didn't really understand, but could live with - for the time being.
Because although he might not be able to scream at the top of his lungs that he was with Lily Evans, she did sneak into his room after everyone had gone to sleep just to make out. She laughed at all of his jokes and didn't even make an excuse to reach out and touch him. She sneaked down to the kitchens with him at weekends and cheered the loudest when she came to watch him at Quidditch practice.
Whenever he looked at her his chest expanded like a balloon and he wondered if that feeling would ever go away.
He hoped not.
James was making his way down to what they had unofficially made into their meet up spot.
He usually had a lot of trouble shaking off the others, who all wanted to know where he was disappearing off to all the time.
The minute he told Sirius he was going to the library to work on extra Potions his best friend gave him a disgusted look and left him alone.
He checked behind him that no one had spotted him before disappearing into the dusty bookshelves. He and Lily always met at the far end of the advanced Potions section, because no one ever came up that end. In fact the only people who ever did were stressed out Seventh years taking Advanced Potions, and they were usually too tired or busy to notice anything going on around them.
James was now using them as examples to try and stop Lily from continuing with Advanced Potions next year.
So far he was failing.
He smiled when he found her, she was sat cross legged in the furthest corner with her nose buried in a book. Probably reading something about an extremely complicated Potion containing five hundred ingredients that took a year to brew.
"Hello you" he said, smiling down at her and crossing his arms as he shoved his shoulder into one of the bookshelves.
Lily looked up at him and smiled, "Where have you been all day?" She asked softy.
"Waiting to see that smile" he grinned, sprawling down on the ground next to her and putting his arm around her. "What are you reading?"
"About Amortantia" she told him, snapping the book closed and sliding it back onto the shelf. "Slughorn said we might get to brew it this year, and I'm excited."
"You're such a geek" he laughed.
"Just for that, I'm not going to help you" she told him, folding her arms over her chest.
"That's just mean, Evans" he narrowed his eyes at her, "You know I need all the help I can get."
"That is not true" Lily scorned.
"Well if I am doing well in Potions, it's all thanks to the help of my beautiful tutor" he teased, "Now are you going to kiss me or not?"
"Is that all you think about?" Lily laughed.
"I've been waiting all day to kiss you" he complained, "Do you know how hard it is to sit across the room from those lips of yours and not be able to kiss you."
"You have such a hard life" she mocked as she stood up, "We can't anyway, we'll be late for lunch and people will be suspicious."
"Let them be" James whined, clambering up and reaching out to put his hands on her hips and pull her up against him.
"James I've explained this to you, as a muggleborn it's just not a good idea-"
"To draw more attention to yourself" James finished, rolling his eyes. She'd been saying the same thing to him all week. "Trust me Lil, no one cares."
"If that was really true then people wouldn't be being attacked left, right and centre" she pulled out of his grip. "Let's just go to lunch."
She didn't give him a chance to reply, just turned and walked out of the bookshelves without looking back.
James just sighed and followed her, there really was no point in arguing anyway.
Usually they would make a point of walking into the Great Hall separately, so not to advertise the fact that they had just been doing something together. Today James ensured they walked in side by side, almost to prove to himself and Lily that people really weren't all that interested in what they did.
Remus raised his eyebrows when they finally reached the Gryffindor table together, "What have you two been doing?" He asked.
"Potions" Lily said as she sat down, keeping her eyes averted.
"You're always doing Potions these days" Sirius complained, "Evans is turning you into a swot."
"I want to be an Auror" James defended.
Remus raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly, "Oh Lil I forgot to tell you, Benjy wanted to swap prefect rounds with me."
"Perfect" Lily groaned, "When?"
"Tonight."
"Thanks for selling me down the river" she complained.
"Sorry Lil, but I still haven't finished that Charms essay due tomorrow and I'll be in the hospital wing all weekend" Remus pulled a face and Lily immediately looked guilty for complaining.
"Don't be silly, Rem" she said quickly.
"I can come with you if you don't want to be alone with him" James interrupted.
"I'lll be fine, James" Lily said, "Benjy isn't going to hurt me."
"He likes you."
Lily rolled her eyes, "Well I don't like him, not like that anyway" she affirmed, "Shouldn't you be more worried about tomorrow's Quidditch game than who I do my rounds with anyway?"
Sirius rolled his eyes, "It's only Ravenclaw" he pointed out, "Maybe you could remind your boyfriend tonight that he's going to get beat tomorrow."
"He is not my boyfriend!" Lily practically shouted.
All four boys glanced around at each other, slightly shocked by her outburst.
"Is everything okay, Lil?" Remus asked, his eyebrows pulling together in concern.
"Fine" she huffed, pushing her hair behind her ears. "I'm just sick of you going on about Benjy Fenwick."
"We're only messing about" Sirius said, looking at her strangely. "We all know you're way too good for that sweet talking Ravenclaw anyway."
"Yeah, you should be with a Gyffindor" Peter put in, casting a sideways glance at James.
"Would you stop with the dating advice" Lily snapped, "As if I don't have enough going on already."
James sighed, "Come on Lil there's no need-"
Before he could finish his sentence they were interrupted by a group of fifth year girls wearing Ravenclaw scarfs around their waists.
Melody Jones was leading the group and she looked slightly giddy as she reached out to place her hand on James' arm. "Hey Captain" she giggled, "Are you ready for tomorrow?"
"Ready to beat your captain, that's for sure" he grinned at her.
She leaned in close to his face, "So James, my friends and I have this dare, that I have to kiss the Captain of the winning team."
James smiled, "Maybe you should be telling Huntington, he needs the extra motivation."
"How can I tell him when I'm hoping it will be you" she batted her eyelashes at him.
"Listen Melody, I really didn't mean to give you the wrong impression but I'm not actually-"
"I'll be rooting for you James" Melody winked, as she brought her voice back to normal volume. Then she turned and sauntered off back to her friends who were all giggling and waving at Sirius.
James groaned as he turned around.
"That girl has her eye on you, Prongs" Sirius said.
"I think she's pretty" Peter said.
"Shall we go to Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Remus suggested.
Lily grabbed her bag, "I promised Marlene I'd sit next to her" she mumbled, and disappeared before any of them could stop her.
James sighed as he got up from his seat, dreading a conversation he would likely have to have with Lily later on. Maybe no one else knew they were a couple, but they certainly seemed to act like one.
Remus hung back as the other two walked ahead, "What's going on with Lily?" He wanted to know.
"Nothing" James said immediately.
Remus rolled his eyes, "Come on Prongs, do you really expect me to believe you've been doing Potions work every time you sneak off together?"
"Alright" he conceded, "Me and Lil have been spending time together, but she doesn't want anyone to know."
"Because you're a pureblood" Remus nodded.
"Do you really think people will care?" He asked.
"James, you're an idiot if you think no one in this school cares that Lily Evans and James Potter are finally an item" Remus pointed out, "But Lily's an idiot for letting that be a reason not to."
Before James could ask him to say all that to Lily he had disappeared into the classroom.
James didn't see Lily for the rest of the day, she had last period free and he guessed she must be holed up in the library until her Prefect rounds. A part of him had wanted to go and find her, but he thought about what had happened at lunch with Melody and decided he'd be better to give her some space.
Remus had disappeared to the library to finish his essay and Peter was meeting up with Katie. Without them around as a distraction James spent the entire evening gnashing his teeth at the thought of Lily and Benjy spending an evening together. In the end he even drove Sirius crazy, and his best friend disappeared up to their dormitory muttering about fourth year James and his unnatural obsessions.
James remained in the Common Room as it began to empty, determined to stay awake and stop anything from happening between Lily and Benjy when they finally returned.
It was well after midnight by the time she appeared, she was alone and she looked so tired he just wanted to pull her into his lap and hold her.
"What are you doing up?" She asked softly, dropping into the seat next to him.
"Waiting for you" he told her.
"I can't come up to bed with you tonight" Lily said, leaning over to rest her head against his shoulder. "I won't want to go back to my room."
"So don't."
"James we talked about this" she said, "I'm not ready for people to know yet."
"Did Benjy ask you out again?" He asked quietly.
"What?" She shook her head as she looked at him. "Of course not."
"If he knew I was your boyfriend he wouldn't even think he could" James pointed out.
Lily sighed and stood up, "James, now you're being ridiculous."
"I don't like the way he looks at you" James said simply.
"Well I don't really like the way Melody Jones flirts with you, but I'm not making a big deal about it."
"She wouldn't flirt with me if you were my girlfriend."
"Now you're being childish."
"What is so childish about wanting to tell everyone how I feel about you?"
"We've only been seeing each other for a month" Lily pointed out, "Why can't I figure out how I feel myself before we involve the entire school?"
"What happened to being sober enough to know what you want?" James asked quietly.
"We will tell people, James" Lily promised, "I just think I already draw enough attention to myself, without a pure blood boyfriend."
"So you don't want to be my girlfriend?"
"I didn't say that."
"I'll tell you what Lil, how about you tell me when you've figured out what it is you want."
He turned his back on her to head up the stairs, not even turning around at the sound of her calling his name.