Waking up the next day was not easy. Mary helped me along by lobbing my school shoes at my head.

I grumbled and fell out of my bed. I was still half dressed from the night before and my eyes felt like they were glued shut.

'Well, aren't you a pretty sight this morning.' Marlene giggled as she walked out of the bathroom, her makeup set perfectly. I groaned back some semblance of a response and fumbled around on the floor for my robes. I found them in a wet heap at the end of my bed, mud plastered up the left side.

'Ergh'. I marched into the bathroom and jumped into the shower. The hot water succeeded in waking me up.

After hanging my towel up to dry I vanished the mud from my robes, and managed to steam away most of the water, although the cuffs and collar where still a little damp, but wearable.

Mary and Marlene were still preening in the mirror when I left the bathroom, and surprisingly, I was the first one to leave the dorm. Unfortunately, James also seemed to be waiting for his friends in the common room: I had really been hoping for a little more time to prepare myself for seeing him, so as soon as I realised he was there I turned and ran back up the stairs.

Subtlety however, is not my strongest suit and my plan was quickly foiled.

'So this is how it's going to be then, Evans?' Potter called up the stairs after me. I turned around slowly on my heel, eyes lowered in embarrassment. He was leaning against the bottom of the staircase, one hand in his pocket the other messing casually with the back of his hair.

'Hmm? I asked, deciding that feigning innocence would be the best option here. 'I forgot my wand…' I trailed off from the lie when I noticed that I was holding it in my hand. 'Oops.'

I was expecting anger, or at least annoyance from the boy, but instead he just titled his head back and burst out laughing.

Still chuckling he shrugged himself off the wall and turned away from me as Remus arrived at the bottom of the boy's stairs. 'See ya around, Evans.' He called over his shoulder sauntering from the common room.

I was left standing alone and bemused at the bottom of the staircase. Had James Potter just given up the chance to walk with me down to breakfast? He usually tagged along with me even when I had expressly told him 'no'.

Mary and Marlene gave me peculiar looks when we walked into breakfast and I automatically sat down next to James. Theirs, however, were nothing compared to the bemused look on James's face. It looked like he had just swallowed a flubberworm.

Sirius was grinning like an idiot, a mouthful of eggs showing from between his teeth. It being so obvious that James had gotten around to telling his friends what had happened last night, made me flicker a guilty look at Mary and Marlene, who were hovering awkwardly behind me, unsure how to react.

'Marlene, gorgeous, come sit next to me!' Sirius requested, sweeping his arm at the seat next to him. Marlene looked alarmed but sat down anyway, shuffling a little further toward Peter. Remus sent Mary a small smile and shuffled his pile of books down the bench to make room for her. She perched herself timidly on the edge of the bench.

Honestly, I thought to myself, it's not like we don't sit with these boys every day during class. Sure, we never really sit with them during meals, but we're all in the same year, all in Gryffindor, it makes sense to eat together, no?

As logical an argument as this sounded in my head, when I took a quick peek up at James only to have him catch me looking, I couldn't help blushing at the awkwardness of the whole situation. Why, oh why, hadn't I just sat alone with the girls like every other morning?

Of course this wasn't exactly like every other morning. This was the morning after I had kissed James. James Potter! Oh Merlin.

And that isn't even the worst part, oh no. The worst part is that I don't regret it. Not one little bit. It had felt natural to sit next to him this morning, unnatural to force myself to avoid him earlier on the staircase and absolutely awful to feel the stab of rejection when he left me behind in the common room.

'Hello.' I grinned up at him way too excitedly and quickly grabbed a piece of toast to cover my traitorous mouth.

James gave me a polite grin, his eyebrows crinkled together in confusion. 'Alright, Evans?' I nodded my head quickly and turned to make conversation with Remus. I thought I heard James mumble 'oh-kay then' but I couldn't be sure, and there was no way I was turning back around to ask him if he had said something.

The bell for first period could not ring quickly enough.

Defence Against The Dark Arts was not fun. Sirius spent the entire time whispering questions at me under his breath, so that by the end of the lesson I was about ready to rip my hair out.

Also, James was sitting one desk across from me, and I couldn't help it if my eyes happened to stray occasionally towards him when they were wandering around the room. He, however, had his eyes planted firmly on Professor Snale, and was paying absolutely zero attention to me at all.

Potions was awful; once again James ignored me, paying strict attention when Slughorn was lecturing and cutting all the ingredients perfectly, talking to me only when absolutely necessary. The potion did turn out to be the best in the class, even beating Snape, but that was beside the point.

I hadn't thought it possible, but lunch was even more awkward than breakfast. Us girls arrived first and took our seats. We'd already begun eating when the boys walked in and although Sirius immediately dumped himself down next to Mary, James hovered hesitantly by the bench, his eyes straying to an empty spot further down the table. I ducked my head and began shovelling mash potato into my mouth and pretended to not have noticed his arrival.

In the end Peter took the empty seat to my right. James tried to grab the spot next to Marlene but Remus managed to scramble his way in there first; whether this was a tactical move on James's behalf or if he was just trying to avoid more awkward conversation with me like this mornings, I would never know.

James was therefore forced to sit on my other side, and I stiffened reflexively, straightening myself out of my slumped position. I turned and gave him a quick nod.

'So, Transfiguration next, huh?' I said nodding like a bobble-head dog.

'Yup.' He answered, popping his 'P' loudly.

'Hmm.' I replied articulately, rubbing my eye for an excuse to look away from him. As soon as I dropped his gaze he began piling food onto his plate. Within seconds his mouth was so full he wouldn't have been able to speak even if he had wanted to.

Making up some lame excuse about needing to go the library, I grabbed all my stuff and walked away as quickly as I could without making it obvious that, mentally at least, I was running away.

I was too lazy to walk all the way up to the Gryffindor common room to have to come all the way back down for Herbology again anyway, so, finding a little-known alcove, I huddled in behind the tapestry and slid down the wall and onto the floor. I let out a deep breath and tried to order my muddled thoughts.

Okay, just go through them, I thought to myself. List all the points like you would for an essay, and then we'll go from there.

I know that James Potter likes me

He kissed me last night.

I kissed him back.

I liked it.

I like James Potter

I must be crazy

James Potter is nothing like Severus Snape

Pros: He isn't trying to eradicate everyone of my blood status.

He isn't going to work for someone that wants to see me dead.

He will always have my back.

Cons: Severus was sweet.

He introduced me to magic; he's part of my childhood. (So is James. He was the first person you met at Hogwarts, besides Sev, and he's in your house.)

James Potter hates him. (But so do you now, Lily. Why do I have to keep reminding you of that?) And is that even a con?

James Potter is avoiding me now anyway.

James Potter regrets what he did last night and is questioning why he ever wanted to go out with me in the first place. Clearly, I was the biggest let down ever.

Therefore this list doesn't matter because a relationship needs two people to work.

You caused this by thinking about a complete arse that hurt you a year ago and from whom you still haven't moved on. Why did you think about what he wanted behind what you wanted? Clearly James is good for you. Clearly you should have said yes to him.

It doesn't matter how many times you say 'clearly' Lily, obviously things aren't clear or you wouldn't be referring to yourself in 3rd person.

I screwed up the piece of parchment I had been scribbling on when the bell rang and stuffed it into my cloak pocket.

Herbology passed relatively evenly, due in the most part, to the fact that James and his posse worked at the other end of the greenhouse to me. Not that that stopped me from ogling him every few minutes, although, to my intense disappointment, I never caught him looking back.

As soon as the bell rang for the end of the day I legged it from the greenhouse, not noticing in my haste to get away that a very important piece of parchment had fallen from my cloak pocket.

A/N: Oooooh, Cliff-hanger. Those of you who have read my longer fic 'Love Is Lily' will know that when I say 'cliff-hanger' I do not really mean this, what I mean is: I am too tired to write anymore tonight so read this while I finish up the end of this chapter :)

So you're probably right, I don't deserve a review, but your all amazing readers so you will anyway? Pretty please? I promise L/J fluff in the next chapter (*I do have my fingers crossed here, so don't hold this against me later).

Love, Anna-Cate xxx