James eyed her thoughtfully, trying to decide if she was seriously offering to try and be friends with him. Eventually, he decided he wouldn't find out unless he tried, and he was confident that she wasn't going to tell the whole world anything he revealed to her if he specifically asked her not to.

"Let's just say that there are very high expectations for me in my family, and that certain members who shall remain nameless have decided that they are the ones who know what's best for me, and that I, as a mere child, have no concept of what I should be doing with my life, and so it must be decided for me."

"Oh," Lily said, understanding what he was alluding to and feeling empathy well up from inside her. "That's rough; having to choose between pursuing your own dreams and disobeying the people you love most."

"Yeah, that's it exactly! – Don't get me wrong, it's not like they are forcing me to do anything horrible, I just resent the fact that I'm not allowed to make decisions for myself. It's probably why I 'act out' so much," he said, throwing her a sly smile.

"Act out?" She chuckled. "I suppose that's one way to put it."

His smile widened, but he continued with their conversation without further comment. "I know they have my best interest at heart, so what's a guy to do?"

Lily didn't have an answer for him, and found all she could do was shrug unhelpfully.

It seemed, though, that he hadn't really expected her to answer. "What a pair we make, eh? One overprotected and the other controlled," he smiled, but she saw right through it.

"Don't," she said, her voice suddenly sharp.

"Don't what?" he asked, shocked at such a swift change in her mood.

"Don't joke, don't sugar over how you feel! If you really want to try and be friends, then you can't tell me half truths! – Either tell me it all or tell me nothing!"

"Okay," he said, backing away from her slightly.

Lily realised she'd raised her voice and smiled apologetically, "Please, you don't need to lie. Say whatever you want, and I promise I won't repeat it or throw it back in your face." She put her hand on his shoulder in a friendly gesture, trying to reassure him she was being genuine.

"I would really hate that," he admitted, stopping her train of thought.

"Hate what?" she said, turning more fully towards him.

"Hate it if I never talked to you again, if things continued on the way they have been till now, if we never became friends. I kind of like you," he grinned slyly. "You're very… refreshing," he added after a moment of contemplation.

"Thank you," she replied shyly, not quite sure what to make of his comment, but almost certain he'd meant it as a compliment.

She tried to make eye contact, but he avoided her gaze.

"I promise," she reiterated. "Whatever you say is just between us."

"Well, it's not like it's a secret… my name is James Potter," he said in a voice that clearly meant that his name was supposed to mean something to her.

But it didn't, and so instead of a dawning look of recognition, she stupidly said, "Yes, I know your name."

Seeing she had no clue as to what he meant, he elaborated. "My father is the only boy male in the Potter line and my mother is the only child of the Williams family. They married and had me, their only child."

Seeing Lily still looking back at him with a blank expression on her face, he laughed.

"Okay, this is going to sound so conceited, but I don't think I can help it…" he trailed off.

"Oh, go on," Lily said with a mock suffering sigh, nodding to indicate he could say what he wanted and she would restrain herself from making a comment.

"You really don't know who I am, do you?"

"Should I?" Lily asked, perplexed. She was keeping to her promise and not mocking him for being arrogant.

"Well, I suppose not – it just seems that everyone else in the whole bloody world knows," he said, bitterness entering his voice.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Stop acting like a petulant child," she chided. "Some people would consider it a gift, to be famous and rich and rather good looking."

"Good looking, Evans? Are you trying to hint at something?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood he'd created.

"Stop it, you prat, you're avoiding the issue again. You're being very evasive and it's awfully annoying."

He smiled. "Sorry, but this is just so bizarre for me; to have a conversation with a girl who's not in it just to get close to me, closer to my family, hoping to marry me! I almost don't want to ruin it."

"Marry you?" choked Lily. "Great Agrippa, you're only—what, seventeen? How could anyone think you'd be ready for marriage?"

"Exactly!" he cried, relieved it seemed to have finally found someone who saw it his way. "You must be the last sane person in this world because that's the problem; everyone thinks I should be getting married, including my mother and father!"

"Explain," demanded Lily.

"Forceful, I like it!" James grinned before trying to explain once again. "I'm the only heir to the Williams-Potter dynasties. With me, not just one old pureblood family dies, but two do, and that's just unacceptable! So, of course, the obvious answer is to marry me off as quickly as possible so the families are secure for another generation."

"That's terrible!" she cried, knowing that her words were meaningless and couldn't solve the problem, but feeling as if she needed to express her outrage anyway. "I would have thought, what with the way you've always treated me and other Muggleborns, that you came from an open-minded family!"

"Oh they are, and I do!" James was quick to say. "They don't care who I marry as long as I marry someone… and that I have a kid – preferably kids. The pureblood part is secondary – in fact, there is evidence to suggest that the most powerful magical combination, is that of wizarding and Muggle blood anyway…"

Seeing her surprise at this announcement, he asked, "Have you ever really thought about what it means to marry pureblood to pureblood?"

Lily shook her head. It wasn't really something she'd ever contemplated, mainly because it didn't apply to her.

"There are only so many pureblood families – everyone is related to everyone – often the marriages are only just shy of incest."

"Eww…"

"Yeah, and feelings of disgust aside – think about the deformities that occur from incestuous unions – even in the Muggle world – it's nature's way of saying it's wrong not to mix with other people and cultures."

Lily's eyes had taken on a truly thoughtful gleam. "I've never thought of it like that, but it makes so much sense."

"I know," James said, nodding fervently.

"So, what about your family, if they don't want you to marry a pureblood, what do they want from you?"

"Just that I meet someone who they approve of and procreate as soon as possible, I guess. It really isn't all that bad though," he said, correctly interpreting the shock and outrage on her face. "They would never arrange a marriage or anything equally archaic, at least I don't think they would… and at least they don't mind who I marry… but I feel the pressure constantly and that's almost as bad. Always asking if I have a serious girlfriend yet, badgering me to find one – and when I actually do get a girlfriend it's even worse!"

"Worse?"

"Way worse," he sighed morosely.

She stared at him sympathetically, before taking a hesitant step forward, her mind working furiously. "Do you..." she started hesitantly, "Do you need a hug?"

He laughed quietly, shaking his head in amazement. "Are you offering?"

"I guess I am..." Lily shrugged, frowning confusedly.

His smile stared to fade. "Wow, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

She shrugged. "I figured after a conversation like the one we just had, a hug would be common practice."

"Well, I suppose... if its common practice..." he said slowly.

Lily nodded and eyed him warily as she slowly reached out and hugged him.

At first it was stiff, but soon they were both relaxing into it.

"Do you normally go around hugging people you claim to loathe and abhor?—Should I warn Malfoy?" he asked, staring at the top of her head, and trying to sound joking, but in reality just managing to sound shocked and unsure as he returned the gesture uncertainly.

"Shut up you idiot. This is not something I normally do, so just marvel at the feat and be quiet," she said, her voice muffled by his jumper.

"Okay," he said quietly, taking her advice. He gave her a light squeeze, taking a moment to appreciate the bizarre turn their shaky friendship seemed to be taking, before releasing her.

Once she'd stepped back, he eyed her carefully before saying, "You know, perhaps we could come to some sort of arrangement, to help each other ease our problems a little bit, that is, if you're up for it."

"What kind of arrangement?" asked Lily warily, but intrigued nonetheless.

"Well, I'm captain of the Gryffindor Duelling team."

"Yeah, I knew that," Lily replied instantly, her eyes briefly flashing to his chest where his captain's badge rested.

"Who doesn't?" he noted smugly.

Lily frowned before noticing the smile he was trying to conceal. "I let one conceited comment go by, don't think I'll allow two!"

"Yes, madam," James said, saluting her.

"Potter," she said warningly.

"Fine, fine, I'll stop, but I was thinking… well I think I could help you get on the team—"

"What?!" she went to interruptinterrupted.

"No, listen, you would be covertly acting out against your father—which, trust me, is terribly cathartic and satisfying all in itself." He grinned roguishly. "And then, at the end of the year, at the final tournament-- you can show him what you're made of. Nothing proves you're strong and capable like beating the best duellers Hogwarts has to offer and not getting hurt in the process, or, better yet, getting hurt and recovering."

"Umm, while I agree that it would make me feel spectacular to prove my father wrong and would probably get him to leave me to my own devices, it's not a workable plan, for so many reasons, the main one being I'm not a boy," Lily pointed out.

James laughed and waved her off. "Give me a day to think up a plan. If I haven't got something to your liking, we'll give it up as a lost cause and I'll buy you a butterbeer and some Honeydukes as compensation."

When she remained silent, he added, "What have you got to lose?"

Lily stared before deciding it couldn't hurt to let him try. She sighed. "Fine, but I'm assuming you want something in return?"

James turned a little red with her question, and Lily was instantly intrigued. "Come on Potter. Spit it out, the class is waiting."

"Well I was wondering – hoping – would like you to… or, rather, be willing to…"

"To…?"

"To date me? Or at least pretend to?"

"Potter…" Lily said, her voice shocked and a little strained.

"No, listen, I'm not coming on to you, I swear!" he defended forcefully.

Lily looked slightly hurt at his violent rejection of the idea of possibly dating her, as he frantically tried to reassure her. "No, no, not that you're not very beautiful and I'm sure any bloke would have to be lucky to have you -- more than lucky," he rambled, his eyes widening with every second of her silence that ticked by. "Shit, I'm making it worse aren't I? Umm…."

"Potter, calm down. I'm not offended, but you better get to the point quickly!" Lily interrupted him loudly.

"Well, I was just thinking that if you pretended to be my girlfriend, all those girls who hit on me constantly would have to back off. And my father would be pacified for a while, so I could finally have some peace to enjoy my final year and…and…."

"Potter."

"And…"

"Potter!"

"And…"

"POTTER!"

"Yes, Evans?"

"…It's a deal."

--

AN

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