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Chapter 14:

Ruining Things

With the vast amount of homework that they had received over the last week, James had no time to think about what to do about Adrianna and Lily. Not only were they studying as though they had exams every day, but the lessons themselves had become more demanding than ever before. James had taken to helping Peter in Transfiguration. Peter didn't seem to understand anything that Professor McGonagall taught them. Non-verbal spells were now expected, not only in Defence Against the Dark Arts but in Charms and Transfiguration too and Peter particularly struggled with these.

There had been several attacks in the south of Scotland on muggleborns in the past week and a half. Most of the students were receiving more post than usual; anxious parents were keen to hear from their children and to reassure them, in turn, that all was well at home. Some parents had even threatened to remove their children from Hogwarts. James and Lily had barely made eye contact, let alone made conversation since the night of Slughorn's party. The Gryffindors were all sat at the breakfast table. Lily had a book open but was barely reading it at all. Lily put down her book when a copy of the Daily Prophet landed on her plate. She unfolded it hastily and scanned the front page.

"Anyone we know dead?" Sirius asked in a determinedly casual voice.

"No, but the ministry have made an arrest," Lily told them.

"Fantastic, who?" asked James.

Lily looked James in the eye for the first time in well over a week, "Joseph Wallace…"

"You mean that Hufflepuff?" James asked, "Graduated last year?"

"No way," Alice said loudly, "he'd never hurt a fly. He always helped me with my Transfiguration when I was confused."

Professor Slughorn's party was such a success that he had decided to throw a small dinner party for a group of select guests. There were so many members of the Slug Club this year that he had decided to through a dinner party for each house. The Gryffindor party was that very night. Other than the Gryffindor sixth years there were two seventh years; Thomas Griffiths and Rachel Cobb and a few first and second years. Adrianna was disappointed that she wouldn't see James that night; although in fairness James had been avoiding her if he were honest with himself.

James sat next to Lily during dinner. He made conversation with everyone around him as best he could but most of his focus was on the moments when Lily's leg would touch his under the table. They barely spoke other than when absolutely necessary but there was a clear tension between them. Halfway through dinner James turned to Lily, "I miss talking to you."

"We'll need to find a new project," Lily winked.

"Did you just wink at me?" James asked, laughingly.

Lily ignored James' question, "It's so unfortunate that the last one ended… although I did particularly enjoy being you for an hour."

"And I you," James replied with a grin, "Polyjuice potion is awesome."

"I miss talking to you too," Lily replied. James told hold of her hand under the table. They sat like that for the rest of the meal; holding hands under the table whilst talking to the people around them. James left the dinner party with a new determination to end things with Adrianna. He whispered into Lily's ear, "I'm going to speak to Adrianna tomorrow."

"Ok," Lily replied calmly.

"A month from today I'm going to be able to ask you out," James told her, "do you think you might say yes?"

Lily giggled, "do you know I think I might."

"Good," James smiled.

The Gryffindor sixth years walked back to the Gryffindor tower together. Alice and Frank led the way, followed by Remus and Kate. Sirius and Marlene were close behind them and Lily and James took the rear. All the other students at the dinner had managed to leave before them and so the halls were practically deserted. Lily reached out to stop James from walking with the others. She pulled him into a deserted classroom, "If I've got to wait a month then I want something to hold onto."

James grinned as she ran her hand through his hair, "I love your hair."

"I thought you hated it," James laughed.

"I did," Lily replied. She stood up on her tip toes and kissed him gently, "we better go."

They managed to catch up with their friends and they hadn't noticed that they had been gone at all.

The next day, James spoke to Adrianna. She didn't seem particularly surprised, "you've been distant for a while now… in fact I think you regretted it the very next day."

James didn't know what to say in response, "I'm sorry."

If James had imagined it being a long conversation, he was mistaken. As soon as it was over he wanted to find Lily but he couldn't find her and he'd left the marauders map in his dorm room. He was walking through the corridors when he ran into Snape and a few Slytherins. They pulled out their wands at exactly the same time. Snape's wand was pointed directly at James' heart. James performed a non-verbal spell and Snape was flung backwards against the wall. "Still trying to win Evans over?" Snape whispered.

"I'll never stop trying," James replied.

"You're an idiot then, she'll never love you," Snape told him.

"You're wrong," James said as he stood above him. He knelt down, "it's you she'll never love."

Snape lunged forward with his wand pointed at James but James was quicker. He performed a quick stunning spell. As he was walking away he stumbled across Lily, "what were you doing with Snape?"

"He tried to attack me so I stunned him," James replied.

"Before you stunned him," Lily continued. She was struggling not to get angry, "why was he on the ground."

"Lily, I…"

"Don't bother James," Lily replied, "I thought you'd changed. I thought you'd grown up…"

She had tears in her eyes, "I was wrong. You're still as cruel as you were when I first met you."

James frowned, "Don't be ridiculous. He had his wand pointed at me; what was I supposed to do? Let him attack me?"

"If that's the right thing to do, yes," Lily replied.

"Evans, as much as I love you, sometimes you are completely ridiculous."

"Well I don't know why you had to go and ruin everything," she said through the tears, "and to think I really was going to say yes."

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