Hey! I want to give a massive massive thank you to every single person who reviewed my story! You all made me feel so touched that you took the time to leave me comments and that you've given my work a positive reception!

Love to you all! I updated extra quick for you. It won't be this fast all the time so please enjoy and let me know how I did.

Ps for those of you who haven't read Fantastic beasts and where to find them, a Billywig is a magical insect which spins as it flies. Yes I know I'm a true Harry Potter nerd!

Chapter 2.

'Where the hell was I when this was happening?' asked Alice, wide eyed from Lily's tale.

Lily rolled her eyes.

'Having your two minute goodbye with Frank,' said Lily. 'The one that turned into a half hour goodbye in the nearest free toilet?'

The blush that hit Alice's face almost matched Lily's.

'Oh yeah, that,' she mumbled.

Trying to hold in the giggle that wanted to escape, Lily hopped up onto the window sill, wiggling her night chilled toes. Gryffindor-red nail polish flashed in the dim light.

'So, you do like James then?' asked Alice cautiously.

Lily knew why her friend was proceeding carefully. Something about Potter immediately stirred her into defence mode.

'Honestly? I have no idea what I'm feeling,' sighed Lily. 'I mean... it's Potter! It's that annoying, immature –'

She cut herself off, shaking her head vigorously. Her brain felt almost water logged from too much use. All she wanted was to crawl back under her covers, absorb the warmth in her blankets and sleep peacefully.

Yes, sleep sounded wonderful, especially if –

Oh Merlin she did not just look forward to having more highly inappropriate dreams!

'To be fair you said yourself he'd been less annoying last year,' reminded Alice.

She nodded in agreement.

'And didn't he stop asking you out every other day?'

Again Lily nodded. 'He asked me about once every few weeks,' she said, thinking hard. 'And when we got paired in Charms he actually worked.'

'So looking back, the scream of outrage when he got Head Boy was too rash?' Alice teased.

Green eyes rolled again. 'Yes I'll admit I overreacted. But come on, no one was expecting James-'

Her hand flew to her mouth.

'Wow,' exhaled Alice.

Lily took to inspecting her red painted toenails in an attempt to distract herself. Some of them were a little smudged since she was hardly a professional in something so – well, girly.

Only once or twice previously had she bothered to do such little things as paint her toes, finding it pretty pointless since it was highly unlikely anyone would see them. It wasn't that she didn't pride her appearance, she would never skimp on looking well groomed, but such small things that she saw other girls fretting about – like the perfect lipstick to match their Hogsmeade outfit... the thought actually made her want to fake gag.

During this summer though, she felt oddly compelled to indulge into a little extra effort. Never before had she felt the need to make her feet, a part of her that was hidden day in, day out, look pretty. And she'd started using a magical hair remover on her legs weekly. While the benefits of having fuzz free legs felt rather nice, Lily felt she was being silly. There was no reason for her to be bothering! She was perfectly happy in her own skin. Whether she was hairy legged or had plain nails.

But then the thought of a certain messy haired someone maybe catching a glimpse of her in pyjama shorts with as much leg hair as a yeti –

Her stomach turned. Was she actually making herself look better for Potter?!

No. That was not what she was doing. She was just having odd moods lately. Yes. Denial. That was a good plan. Deny everything and this stupid hormonal surge she was having would obliterate soon enough.

'Well I think there's a totally logical way of working out how you're feeling,' piped up Alice after a minute.

Snapping from the massive tangent her mind had wandered on, Lily's eyes flew up; she was willing to hear any idea at this point.

'Well Potter always asks you out right? Why not just pretend he's worn you down? Go on one date with him and see how you feel.'

Although she pretended she hadn't felt it, her heart dropped like a stone into the deep pond of her stomach, ripples of regret flowing through her in its wake.

'That's not workable,' she said softly.

'Why not?' asked Alice.

Knowing the disappointment was showing on her face, Lily looked her best friend in the eye.

'Because he hasn't asked me out since May.'

***

James rolled over, punching the lumps out of his pillow for the third time, trying to succumb to the peaceful, one o'clock in the morning sleep that his dorm mates were currently indulging in. Yet a mind turning over and over like a Billywig in mating season was enough to keep it from his grasp. A never-ending cycle of thought rolled through his synapses again and again.

The subject? A certain feisty redhead... Damn her!

It was a simple thought process, brought on by one fact. He missed her. This plan currently under execution seemed logical at the time. James wanted Lily. James knew he annoyed Lily. Hence if James gave Lily space, she'd find she missed him and would want him back. It's not like he could become invisible to her after all. They still had every class together and were paired up in charms. And that was just last year! This year they shared heads duties, which meant they'd have hourly meetings twice a week! He'd worked up to this point very well. Kept his staring to a minimum, stayed on his best behaviour – dropped her a compliment and sly touch from time to time – and for the most part it seemed to have worked. She was definitely warming to him – Merlin he'd even slipped up on the train home, giving into the urge to hold her for a moment. What had it earned him? Not a punch or a hex as he'd been expecting once he opened his mouth. In fact she'd seemed pretty stunned. He'd managed to drop two kisses on her without bodily harm ensuing afterwards! And now? Well now they were almost on a first name basis!

So why did he miss her?

Although he couldn't deny that the new, steadily growing relationship he and Lily had was highly agreeable, insane as it sounded, James missed her fiery side. That furious look that made the green of her eyes shine almost fluorescent and send bolts of heat through his skin when she got herself worked into a frenzy.

And she'd lick her lips before she started to shout.

And as happens with every seventeen year old, red blooded male, James felt his body reacting to this image. Merlin only knows how many hours he'd spent locked in the bathroom, working himself over the thought of Lily moistening her plump lips. The room in his pyjama bottoms was virtually none existent now, but for once he was too physically exhausted to do anything about it; choosing the new Quidditch team did that to a bloke.

But that instinct to go up to her, hold her, beg her to go out with him, or even just snog her senseless at the next available opportunity was the causing his current dilemma.

Stick to the plan. Stick to the plan its working.

But Merlin it couldn't work fast enough. Which led him to think over the plan again. And then to his desires. Which in turn made him rethink the plan. A never ending, annoying cycle. Sirius' deep, rumbling snores from the next bed invoked so much jealousy in James right now. What he wouldn't give to be that far into sleep...

Bugger this! He had to get out of his head.

'Padfoot?' whispered James, looking over to Sirius' bed. He picked up his slipper and lobbed it at his surrogate brother. 'Oi, wake up.'

'Prongs you better be near death right now,' grumbled Sirius without opening his eyes. 'Cos if you're not you soon will be.'

'I need to talk to you,' said James quietly.

'About bloody time too,' Sirius rolling onto his side to face James.

'What do you mean?' asked James.

'You've never said one word about Evans since last term,' said Sirius knowingly. 'I thought you'd crack for sure on the first day back. Merlin if you hadn't said something by tomorrow I'd have suspected you were an impostor. But as always your timing is fan-bloody-tastic.'

James said nothing for a long moment but Sirius could read him better than anyone.

'Prongs I didn't get woken from a dream featuring the double D-cupped Ravenclaw to sit and watch you thinking! You've had two months to think! Spit it out.'

James had to crack a smile and he took a cleansing breath, lighting his wand, before relaying all his thoughts to his best friend. For the first time in five years, Sirius didn't complain about James talking for a solid twenty minutes about what he was feeling for Lily. As the other two occupants continued to slumber, he sat tousle-haired but fully awake, taking in every word from James' mouth. And after he'd finished he sat thinking for a long moment.

'So you've managed three months without saying the words 'will you go out with me?' to Evans?'

James nodded.

'I owe Moony ten Galleons,' said Sirius, chuckling.

James ignored that comment. 'What should I do? Do I keep on going with the plan?'

Sirius looked at him pointedly.

'Has Evans ever said yes to you asking her out?'

'Oh yeah she's agreed every time!' said James sarcastically.

'Is the plan working?' asked Sirius, ignoring his tone.

'Yeah...' said James, slowly cottoning on.

'And you needed to tell me an answer you already know at one in the morning because?' said Sirius, rolling over again. 'Now if you'll excuse me, there's a delightful young lady with rather fine assets I'd like to get back to.'

Unable to help but grin, James felt his mind stop turning, extinguishing his wand and lay down, closing his eyes.

'Are you sure?' he asked into the newly dark room after a moment.

'Deadly serious mate.'

'Haven't you always been?'

'Too easy Prongs.'

'Come on. You left that wide open!'

There you have it! Please make my day and let me know what you think. Good or bad i won't mind, it felt a little rushed to me so please be honest XXX