It was a good dream; I didn't want to wake up. I squeezed my eyes tight shut, pulling the red fabric around me and attempting desperately to go back to sitting there, by the fire, with his arm wrapped casually around my waist...

As soon as I realised this; my eyes flew open and I threw the dressing gown across the room, sitting up and shaking slightly. It turned around to face the window and saw a pair of amused green eyes watching me.

He was dressed in a white t-shirt and black jeans with the sleeves of his jacket rolled up casually as he leant against the wardrobe. His hands were pushed deep inside his pockets and I shuddered at the dream I'd just had.

It wasn't until I'd given him a dirty look and wondered into the bathroom to get ready that I realised it wasn't the dream that had worried me; it was how much I had been enjoying it. Bollocks.

I walked out of the shower and peered out of the window; noticing it was still warm outside. I pulled on some pale green shorts and a white vest top, leaving my hair to dry in its natural waves.

I wondered out, grabbing a piece of toast from Fred's plate and crossed the lawn to the Potter's front door.

Not bothering to knock; I just walked in and sat myself down on the kitchen table.

Lily was sat with her back to the sink, her long red hair draped effortlessly over her shoulder and she didn't even bother to look up from the papers spreading like fans over the table as she asked "What's wrong?"

I smirked because as much as I loved her, I couldn't tell her my exact issue. Also, I was pretty sure Harry would be listening on the other side of the door, so shrugging, I just mumbled "Boys."

She nodded "Yeah, they suck, what's happened love?"

"They confuse me. Actually, I confuse myself."

Lily laughed "I know the feeling; when I started to like James I was in denial for over two years."

"Who said anything about starting to like somebody?"

Lily bit her lip nervously while I carried on.

"It could be Dean, it could be him, I don't see why not we've just broken up and-"

"Gin." She cut me off sharply, but her expression softened "We both know it's not Dean."

I sighed slightly, as she glanced towards the door so quickly that I would have missed it is I didn't know her so well.

"Let's go for a walk." She suggested, grabbing her coat from the back of the chair and shoving her wand into the pocket.

And then, as I agreed, I knew it wasn't just me who was worried about eavesdroppers.

...

We walked in silence down through the many winding lanes that lead to the small village in the valley. It wasn't awkward at all; we were both waiting and wondering. We were waiting for the same thing and we were wondering the same thing. We were both waiting for me to open my mouth and speak, we were both wondering if it would ever happen. I imagined Lily was already playing out the scene in her head where I married her son. Suddenly, I realised dully that she'd probably been playing it out for a while.

"You've known for years, haven't you?" I asked, glancing at her.

She smiled softly as her red hair danced in the light summer breeze. "Of course. We all have."

"All?"

"Me, Molly, Arthur, Remus...Sirius." She put emphasis on the last name, making me wonder something.

"The other day, when we were having a barbeque, he thought we were...didn't he?"

Lily nodded "He has a filthy mind."

I laughed humourlessly, before turning to face the woman I had always admired, always wanted to be. But now, as I was there, in her shoes, falling for the boy I despised more than anything else in the world, I felt sorry for her. I didn't ask her what I should do, instead I asked her something far more important.

"Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"What did you do? Tell me the whole story – everything."

She chuckled "Well, come through here and we'll discuss it over a nice glass of coca-cola."

I smiled "You're such a muggle."

But then I followed her through the door of the old village pub and took a seat by the window.

She sat down beside me and stirred her drink with a pink plastic straw, before taking a deep breath and looking me in the eye.

"I messed up, Gin. I'm lucky I'm here now to be honest because I made such a huge mess of it – and you will too, mark my words. I'm not going to give you advice on what to do because you and Harry might not feel that way in a few months, but I will tell you what I did in the hope that you won't be quiet so...arrogant."

I smiled "Please do."

"Well, when I started Hogwarts I was friends with Snape, you know, the one James despises. Then as we grew older he was in Slytherin and I was in Gryffindor with a load of Jerks who liked to call themselves the marauders. Actually, scratch that, two jerks and one boy who was caught up in it all – that boy's name was Remus Lupin. You can probably guess the names of the other two?"

"James and Sirius." I answered immediately, without even having to think.

"Yeah. Well, Potter started to ask me out and at first it was only a few times a month but eventually it got to the point where he'd ask me every, single, day. Now, at Hogwarts I was top of every class, beaten only on occasions by one arrogant, big-headed, egotistic, idiotic little jerk. Again, it was Potter. I hated that boy with every tiny little particle I had in my body. He wound me up no end and it got to the point where I'd have to jinx him on a daily basis. Now, as you probably know, we were made head boy and girl, which let me tell you, did not go down well. But, surprisingly, he seemed to have matured a bit over the holidays and he grew on me, so much that one night when he received an owl telling him his aunt and uncle had been killed that I told him I would hate to watch him die. Trust me, Gin, I was as surprised as he was that I'd said it. Anyway, he'd stopped asking me out and started to be generally nice to me. He even let me fight my own battles which he'd never done before – seeing as they were mainly against him."

I smiled, she was really getting into it and you could see the annoyance on her face as she spoke about the total prat she was now married to.

"A few nights later I found him on the Quidditch pitch and it was dark. He crept up behind me, pulled me on his broom and flew me around while I screamed so, so loudly."

"But you like flying now?" I asked, feeling remarkably stupid as she smiled and entwined her fingers.

"That was the night that changed everything, that evening changed who I was, because when we got down he told me that I'd just made his week. I laughed it off and then hit him because he'd just insinuated that scaring me witless shouldn't have made his week. I thought he was going to join in and laugh but he didn't, he just looked at me, and you know what he said?"

I smiled, of course I did, everybody in the family knew what came next "He said that both things in the world that he loved most were together, and they were flying and yourself."

"Yeah, he did. After that he just kept swearing and then he flew off without a backwards glance and I thought I'd lost him forever. I stayed out there until the sun started to come up before I went to bed. I woke up the next morning because Remus was shaking me, he told me exactly what I'm telling you now, that James, or in your case Harry, loved me. He said that I had always been the exception – not just some girl. Then he pointed out that I hadn't tucked myself in that night, James obviously had. Then he told me to go to sleep, which I did."

"That's lovely." I said, smiling slightly and seeing the resemblance of the two scenarios.

"Yeah, well we had to plan a ball after that, and on that night I was absolutely paralytic. I woke up the next morning and screamed at him at the top of my lungs because I was only wearing knickers and one of his t-shirt's I think. Anyway, he calmed me down and pointed out that it was Christmas day, so I believed him and we opened our presents. I gave him a picture of us and our friends, and off him I got a weird sister's t-shirt and..." Lily picked up the tiny fluttering snitch-shaped pendant hanging from her neck and smiled "...this necklace. I also received a bottle of fire whisky from Sirius with a note that said 'loosen up a little', but the point is I've not taken this off since."

I smiled softly "You're perfect. How did you get together then?"

"Well, I said thank you obviously and then kind of admitted he had a way with girls. Then he leant over me and told me in this...voice...that he really did love me. That was when I realised I felt the same way, told him, and then snogged the face off him." Lily threw her hands in the air and smiled "There you go."

I was confused "How did you mess up then?"

Lily sighed "I messed up a lot, I messed up for the seven years I was too proud to admit I was absolutely head over heels in love with the biggest moron in our year. I pushed him away for too long and messed myself, the situation, even my friends up. Don't do that. Don't feel that you have to run off home and confess your undyign love for him, though. That's really not you. And you're probably not feeling undying love for him...he's a pillock."

I smiled "Thank you, Lily, Really."

...

I wondered across the garden and leant against the broom-shed. Six months ago I would have given anything to have a relationship like Lily and James have. Now, I know that something that special does not just walk into your life and serve itself on a gold plate. No, I would have to work for it.

Suddenly, the shed door opened and a teenage boy waltzed out, hands deep in his pockets and a concentrated expression on his face. His black hair was messed up, making it evident that he had just been flying. His green eyes widened as I fell backwards into his arms and he caught me.

"Oh, afternoon Weasley, just been thinking about you." He winked in that irritating way but instead of wanting to punch him hard in the face I felt kind of giddy.

"Oh." I said brightly "Great."

His eyes widened "You alright, Gin?"

I nodded quickly, stars appearing at the corners of my vision "Yep!"

He pulled me around the corner into the gap between our windows, and then slapped my face lightly, bringing me forcefully back to reality.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry; for your own good." He grinned and then leaned over me.

"Weasley, what would you do if I kissed you?"

I stared at him, my eyes wide "What?"

"What would you do if I kissed you?"

"Harry you're not making sense."

"Of course I am. You know what?"

"What?"

"I think you're softening towards me."

"Why?"

"You called me Harry."

"So?"

"So, you're softening towards me."

"I am not, don't be stupid. You're a prat."

"I am, yes, but you're softening towards me."

"I swear to Merlin, Potter, if you say that one more time."

And then my wand was out, pointing at the hem of his t-shirt.

"Calm down Weasley, I'm only proving a point."

"There isn't a point to be proven." I hissed.

He pinched the end of my wand and moved it slowly downwards, until his hand was on the waistband of my jeans.

"Calm. Down."

I sighed shoving my wand in my pocket and going to walk away, but he pulled me back with a strong hand.

"You didn't answer my question."

I nodded "I know. Fine, I suppose I'd kiss you back - Why not?"

He smiled and let go, dropping his hand. I walked as far as the broom-shed before turning round, unable to help myself "Potter?"

"Yeah?"

"Out of interest, what would you do if I was to kiss you?"

He grinned "Isn't it obvious?"

"Not really, no."

"Kiss you back, of course."

And then he grinned and turned away in the opposite direction, whistling the theme tune of the muggle film 'mission impossible'.

I smiled slightly and continued to walk, just as confused, but slightly happier than I had been ten minutes ago.

X

Ok, review and tell me what you think. I'm off to bed now, but for anyone who's more interested in the whole Lily and James bit, read my story about them; I've tried my best to stick to the main parts of it because I think bits of it fit nicely. Anyhow, review please, bye!