James POV:
James spent the whole of dinner wondering what the girls were talking about, yet decided not to press the topic any longer.
He, Sirius, Remus and Peter headed out to the whomping willow, where Peter changed into his animagus form and hit the correct branch so as to let them pass safely.
They came back later that night, all sporting small injuries and cuts, to find Lily alone in the common room and working on the Amortentia.
Obviously having heard them come in, Lily said, 'Everything go alright, guys? Oh, the potions only got a couple more days until its ready.'
'Just a few scratches here and there, but we all really feel like crap,' Sirius said.
'That's why I made you guys this,' she said as she held up a vile of healing potion, 'Just have a few drops each and you'll feel better, and have this too.' Lily held out a bar of Honeydukes chocolate.
Reason why I love Lily Evans, number 384, how caring she is… James thought to himself.
Lily POV:
She had spent the night in the common room, making both of the potions and making sure that she stay awake.
Lily was relieved when the portrait hole opened and the four boys came through, with no obvious injuries. She passed each of them a glass of potion and two squares of chocolate.
'Better?' she asked once they'd finished.
'Much.' They replied as one, but they didn't high-five as James and Lily usually did, but she supposed it was their thing.
'Love you, Evans.' Sirius said.
'Trying the moves on me, are you?' Lily asked.
'And if I am…' Sirius teased as he moved closer to her.
Lily had a plan hatch in her head, a brilliant one in her opinion. She leant into Sirius, away that the other three behind them were watching with raised eyebrows. They were centimeters apart when Lily slapped him across the face.
'And that is as far as you will ever get with me, Black.' Lily smiled deviously.
'Feeling the love, Evans.' He pouted.
Lily laughed and high-fived James… as usual, and received an impressed look from Remus and Peter.
'Well, we've all wanted to slap him for years, at least someone finally did it.' James smirked.
The next few weeks went extremely well for Lily, she and James had aced their potions assignment, both getting O's.
Not only had she been getting outstanding results in every subject, but she also had more friends at Hogwarts than ever before. She also found that she was particularly close to one person, of which knew her better than anyone. It was the boy with messy black hair and wire rimmed glasses, which she loved.
Whoa wait a minute, she thought to herself, Loved?
Well everyone kept telling you it would happen one day.
Yes, but… James?
Yes James.
Shut up.
You're telling yourself to shut up, idiot.
'Lily, you okay?' James' voice said from behind her as she suddenly remembered that she was in the common room for a reason.
'Yea, just working on my transfiguration homework.' She sighed.
'Changing a bird into a bell? Here, I'll help. Show me what you've done so far.'
Lily muttered the incantation and focused with all her might, yet the bird did nothing but emit a dinging noise instead of a chirp.
'Here,' James said as he grabbed her arm, 'You're just making the wrong hand movements, try it this way.'
And with that Lily muttered the incantation again, this time successfully transfiguring the bird into a functioning bell.
'Cheers, Jamesie!' Lily thanked him.
'…Jamesie?'
'I thought it would annoy you.' She smiled.
'And if I said it doesn't…?' James asked her teasingly.
'Well then I'll call you Jamesie anyway, because deep down you hate it.' Lily laughed.
'There's just no winning with you, is there?' James laughed, 'But we really should go down to dinner.'
She agreed and walked with him to the great hall.
In the short five minute walk, Lily realized something. She was in love with James Potter.
James POV:
James was falling for Lily Evans harder than ever, he just needed the right time to tell her.
In the meanwhile, however, they were partnered together every potions class, and helped each other at their weak subjects in any way possible.
When they had two weeks left of school, James found himself in Defense against the Dark Arts with Lily and Sirius, attempting to conjure patronus'.
Sirius had achieved his on the first attempt, creating a large black dog of which ran over the room and began to bark at Marlene.
'20 points for originality…' Lily teased him. Sirius grinned back at her.
James had finally chosen a happy memory, one of him and Lily just talking. Just talking… But it was his favorite memory.
'Expecto Patronum!' he said forcefully, and a great stag leapt out of his wand.
'20 for you as well, I suppose…' Lily began to tease James as well.
'Alright then Evans, let's see what you come up with…' he told her.
'Fine then…' James notice her temporary pause, it seemed as if she was trying to think of a memory. 'Expecto Patronum!'
A great doe came flying out from the end of her wand
'Interesting choice…' Sirius sniggered.
'Oh, shut up.' Lily murmured.
A female deer? Thought James, Maybe she does like me…
At last it was time for the Christmas holidays, and it seemed as if Lily and James would be the only Gryffindors left in the castle.
James' parents had gone away for the holidays, and Lily had told him that Petunia warned her not to return home.
'I really don't understand why Petunia hates you, Lils,' he told Lily as they walked backed to the castle after seeing the other off.
'I think it started when I got my Hogwarts letter… She was upset… and maybe a little jealous too, but she just started calling me a freak all the time, and hasn't stopped… And now she's with some guy called Vernon, and she's got him convinced that I go off to some boarding school for mentally challenged people…' Lily explained.
James smiled at her and said, 'I reckon lunch will be ready soon, maybe we should go down as see if we're the only ones left at Hogwarts.'
Out of the blue, Lily asked, 'James… doesn't Sirius live with you?'
'Yea, whys that?'
'Where did he go for Christmas?'
'Ah, he normally comes home with me, but when mum and dad went on holidays and we couldn't go back, he decided he'd had enough of the castle for a semester and went to stay with Remus.'
'Why didn't you go with him?' Lily asked, but elaborated when James raised his eyebrows, 'Not that I'm complaining at all.' She smiled.
'Well firstly, you really think I'd make you stay at Hogwarts by yourself? And secondly, Hogwarts Christmases are more fun anyways.'
Lily hugged him and said 'Thanks, Potter.'
Feeling incredibly smug, James walked back to the great hall with Lily.
For the first time since either of them had been at Hogwarts, the hall was completely deserted. They were the only two left at school.
Lily POV:
She had never once gone home for the Christmas holiday, and she had never been the only one left there. Usually, there were about five students left from every house… But there was a war going on, as much as no one wanted to admit it. And families would have wanted to all stay together.
'Ah, James, Lily,' Dumbledore called from the other end of the hall, 'it seems as if you two were the only people of whom wished to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas. Do enjoy yourselves.' He finished with a slight nod and a knowing look.
She and James took a seat in the middle of the Gryffindor bench, where James asked her excitedly, 'So what do we do first!'
'I was just going to go to the library, and study up on some of the ancient runes work I'll be doing when everyone gets back-'
'Lily,' said James seriously, 'we have the whole of Hogwarts to ourselves, and you want to go to the library.'
'Well I just thought-' Lily began, but before she could finish her sentence James had begun to drag her off and out of the hall.
'Potter, I insist to know where you're taking me,' Lily told him as she was dragged down a corridor she had never seen before.
'C'mon Evans, no kind of prize a surprise!' James beamed at her them added, 'We're almost there, Lils.'
James POV:
He kept walking with his hand in Lily's until he reached the seventh floor. James placed his hand loosely over her eyes to stop her seeing his plan.
'Now do you really think that's necessary?' Lily smiled. James just laughed at her and walked them up and down the corridor three times.
'So now you're trying to make me dizzy so that I'll forget where I am?'
'Shush, Evans, and walk.'
He took his hand away from her eyes and smirked when she gasped quietly.
'This is the room of requirement, isn't it?' Lily asked him slowly.
Here's my sad attempt at an update... more will be up soon!
Reviews = Honeydukes chocolate!