CHAPTER 5: Interest

James had his arm back, with all its bones. So he was back to his full working self. Lily had to go patrol that night with the head boy, whoever that was, but before she could do that she had to go to detention with Professor Dunken.

"Good morning Evans." James said to her as she came down the girl's dormitory stairs. "Isn't it a wonderful Saturday?"

"Brilliant." Lily agreed sarcastically.

"So are you coming down to the pitch?"

"Why the season hasn't even started yet?"

"To watch tryouts," he said.

"No." Lily answered. "I'm going to go down and have breakfast with my friends."

"Alright. See you in detention." She sighed deeply. James seemed to get a kick saying 'Lily Evans has detention.' This of course pissed her off immensely. But not nearly as much as when he added, 'with me' or 'because she removed the bones in my arm'. The last one was probably his favorite.

"Inevitably." She moaned. James followed her out the portrait hole.

"What do you think he'll have us do?" James asked her as they went down to the Entrance Hall. Lily had her ideas, grant most of them involved having permission to jinx James.

"I don't know." Lily answered.

"The last dada,"

"The last what?" Lily cut him off.

"Dada: Defense Against the Dark Arts." James explained. "Anyway, he had us clean the bones of the dragon that hangs in the classroom."

"Really?" Lily asked trying to sound disinterested.

"Yeah. But then we got another week of detention for playing with the bones rather than cleaning them." Lily stifled a laugh. James grinned down at her. His hazel eyes twinkling.

Lily quickly looked away trying to remember the reasons she hated him. He was disorganized and had that stupid messy black hair that had that easy flow and windswept look to it. It almost added to his toned body. Lily shook off that reason going for another. He was completely conceded and immature. There that was a good one. But then he wasn't as immature as he once one was and it kind of made him funny.

No! She told herself. I do NOT like James Potter. He was a bully; he had tormented her friend, Severus. But then Snape didn't turn out to be the best of friends either.

Lily stole a glance at James. He had his hands in his pockets and was just looking off in to the distance. Not daydreaming, but not really all there either. She found herself really seeing James Potter then. Not the arrogant jock and ring leader of the Marauders, but the side of James she'd always ignored.

She saw his well formed muscles and soft but defined features. She noticed a small scar next to his right eye that was just hidden by his glasses.

James looked down at her, having felt her staring. She quickly looked away, her face burning. Lily stared at her feet.

I was not just staring at James. She thought desperately.

"Are you blushing?" he asked her.

"No." Lily said quickly. "I mean, why would I be blushing?" She asked trying to slow her words down. But they felt like they were tumbling from her mouth uncontrollably. "That's just ridiculous."

They reached the landing then, much to Lily's relief.

"See you later." James said stopping by the doors.

"Yeah. I guess you will." Lily replied. But it didn't hold that usual harshness she was used to.

"Um, well see you." Lily said after a moment of silence. She turned and went into the Great Hall. She felt pretty confident that she could not have made a bigger fool of herself. She took an unsteady breath trying to figure out what just happened. But she was afraid she already knew the answer.

She found her friends sitting toward the center of the long table. By the looks of it they were almost done eating.

"Hey Lily!" Ivy called.

"Hey, morning. Why didn't any of you wake me?" Lily asked. She sat down beside Jamie and across from Ivy and Mary.

"Well you were up all night finishing that essay, so we decided to let you sleep in." Jamie explained.

"So have you heard anything about Black's newest love interest?" Mary asked throwing her curly black hair behind her shoulder.

"No." Lily answered shaking her head.

"No one seems to know." Mary frowned.

"Why are you so interested?" Ivy asked.

"It just seems odd. I mean he's gorgeous yet no one knows who he's seeing!" Lily grabbed a little bit of food but didn't touch any of it.

"What's up with you Lily?" Jamie asked noticing.

"Nothing." Lily said biting her lip. She wasn't about to admit to her friends that there was the smallest chance she had a tiny crush on James Potter.

"Nothing or no one?" Jamie asked. Ivy and Mary were talking about the upcoming Hogsmeade visit, so Jamie was only interested in Lily.

Lily smiled, in an attempt to cover it she bit her thumb nail.

"Who is it?" Jamie whispered.

"No one." Lily lied.

"Come one tell me," Jamie pleaded. Lily shook her head incredibly embarrassed by her sudden like in James.

"It will come out eventually." Jamie warned.

"Hey, were we still going to the pitch?" Ivy asked.

"What?" Lily's eyes bulged.

"The Gryffindor team is having tryouts and we thought we'd go watch." Ivy explained with a glint in her eye. She loved sports. Or she just loved watching guys play sports.

"But," Lily protested.

"Come on it will be fun!" Ivy cut her off.

No it won't. Lily thought.