Guys, the Damsel in Distress is just a loose theme to tie all the stories together. It may or may not be a prominent part of each story, but it will always be a part of each story.

Love and appreciate the support.

Lily Evans stared at her reflection for a solid five minutes before she could convince herself that she definitely was the same person.

She had the same red hair, the same green eyes, the same splatter of freckles, same body, same hands.

Another year with minimal physical change.

But she had changed. Last night, she'd felt a definite change.

Lily sat down on her bed, her hands methodically braiding back her long hair. Her mind drifted to the previous night.

Professor Slughorn had hosted a party for "gifted students". Lily was one of them, but she was never sure why. She hadn't ever thought of herself as gifted, just smart. But she wasn't smart for any special reason, she just did her work and did it well.

Lily had often speculated that Slughorn thought she was so amazing because she'd come from Muggle parents. She was probably correct in thinking that.

It was a formal party, and Lily didn't own any formal gowns. Her friend, Alice, had let her borrow a nice navy one that Lily didn't look too bad in. She wasn't used to dressing this pretty.

Alice flitted about their room, trying to find her other diamond earring, "I can't believe I let Mary borrow them. I knew she'd lose it!"

Lily rolled her eyes. Alice just liked to get worked up about things, "Should I just wear my hair down like this? I don't know what to do."

Alice finally stopped in her frantic search and turned to look at her friend. A large smile lit up her pixie like face, "Lily, you look brilliant! That dress is perfect on you!"

"Thanks," Lily said with new found confidence. She looked at herself in the mirror once more. She did look very pretty.

Alice continued on her search. "I found it!" She said in a sing-songy way. "I bet Frank is waiting on me," Alice put in her earring. "I hope this date goes all right. You know he can be rather...erm...awkward."

Lily laughed. Frank Longbottom was a very sweet guy. Very clever and kind, but sometimes a bit shy. No more so than when he was around Alice.

"It's just because he fancies you, Alice," Lily told her.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Doubtful." She straightened out the pleats on her pink dress. "Why didn't you ask anyone to the party? We're allowed dates, you know." The two girls started on their way out of the room.

Lily shrugged, "I don't have anyone who'd go with me."

"James would go with you in a heart beat," Alice said, rather too loudly.

Lily tried not to flush, "Hush." They stepped on to the stairwell. "You know we aren't like that. We're just..." What were they? Friends? Not really. Sure, they were head boy and girl but it wasn't as though they spent much free time together. Acquaintances? No, they were a bit closer than that.

So what was their relationship? Lily herself did not know.

Alice stepped out into the common room, "Whatever you say." She spotted Frank across the room and went over to greet him. Poor Frank seemed so awestruck by Alice that Lily thought he wasn't going to speak.

He's got if bad for you, Alice, Lily thought. It was funny how her friend couldn't notice what was right in front of her.

Lily was off in her thoughts when she began walking to the portrait door causing her to walk right into someone.

"Sorry, I-" the person said. She looked up to see it was James. His whole face changed when he looked at her. It was a strange look. Like he was hypnotized by her. She suddenly felt completely naked. "Blimey, Evans, you look nice."

Lily laughed to break the tension, "Erm, thanks, Potter."

He suddenly laughed too, "I'm sorry. That sounded better in my head. I mean...you're very beautiful."

"Oh," Lily fumbled for something to say. Get a hold of yourself, it's only James. "Well, the dress is Alice's-"

"I'm not talking about the dress," he said with that smirk of a smile of his. "Though it is nice."

She felt her face turning redder, "Thank you." They just stood there for a bit, neither quite sure what to say.

James spoke first, "Well, I better get out of your way then. Have a nice time at the Slug Club."

Then she had an impulse. A crazy, stupid impulse that she probably shouldn't have acted upon but did anyway. "Hey," she called after him, "do you want to go with me?"

James turned around, "What?"

"Please don't make me repeat that."

His smile made his whole face shine, "Do my ears deceive me, or did Lily Evans just ask me on a date?"

"Not a date," she spat. "You'd just be my guest. Totally not a date."

His mischievous smile stayed, "Yes, Lily Evans, I would love to go with you on this 'totally-not-a-date'." He gave a mocking little bow.

"Don't make me change my mind, Potter." She crossed her arms.

He bowed again, started up the stairs, "What finally won you over? My charm? My wit? My unbeatable sex appeal?"

"I'm leaving without you." Lily matched his teasing tone and began backing to the door. "I'm going. I withdrawal my request-"

He smirked, "Never, I've waited for this for years. Don't get my hopes up and then take them away." He walked up a few more steps, "I'll be down in a minute...Lily Evans."

Alice had positively shrieked when Lily showed up at the party with James. In fact, it was all anyone was talking about. Despite that, Lily didn't regret asking him. He was actually quite fun, and didn't try to embarrass her or anything like that.

He was a gentleman. He was kind and smart and clever and funny. Everything Lily had ever wanted in a man.

It was when they were dancing that things really started to become clear.

"Regret asking me?" James said as they danced to some sappy love song by a whiny sounding singer.

"Actually," Lily said, "no. I've had a very nice time."

"I told you that you'd like dating me."

"This is still not a date."

He laughed, "If you say so, Lily."

Lily. He called her by her first name. Funny, she wasn't sure if he'd done that before.

They started dancing very close. Pressed up against each other, heads on the other's shoulder.

"You totally should have agreed to all those dates I asked you on earlier," he teased.

Lily chuckled, "Ah, all the wasted time."

"We should make up for it." His voice was a whisper. Lily felt her heart rate pick up a bit.

Searching for something, she ended up simply saying, "I just remembered, tomorrow's my birthday."

...

Lily turned away from her reflection and picked her cloak up off of her bed. Next to it were presents from her parents and friends. Birthdays were always so nice. It showed who really cared.

Picking up her books, she left her room and headed to the library. No classes today, but she still needed to study. N.E.W.T.s were rather far away, but Lily needed to pass with high grades if she wanted to go straight into the professional world.

It was rather early; she was an early bird. No one was ever awake early in the morning. The time was all her's.

Half way there, she heard strange noises from down a corridor. She froze, wondering what it could be. The voice moaned, as though in pain.

Could be Peeves, she thought, but he was normally just playing tricks. Or is this just a ruse to get me to go down there and then have him dump water on my head or something?

"Hello?" Lily called. "Anyone there."

"Evans?" The voice breathed. "Is that you?" James Potter groaned again, sounding even more agonized.

Lily scurried down the way and turned to the right to see him crouched on an old, small stairway. His left arm was held close to his chest, bent in an unnatural way.

"Potter, what did you do?" She knelt next to him, examining the twisted arm.

"Well, don't look at me as if I did it on purpose," he took a sharp intake of breath.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Not the time to be sassy, Potter."

"I'm never sas-"

"What happened to your arm?" She pursed her lips. "It looks broken. I'll need to take you to the hospital wing." Lily looked at his face, and saw a faint bruise on his cheek. His glasses were askew and his hair was messy, but that was hardly out of the ordinary.

James breathed deeply, "I got in a row. With some of those death eater Slytherins." He glanced at her face. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I didn't provoke them. I tried to walk past them but then they...said things." His eyes darted to the ground. "Anyway, one of them stupefied me and I was flung at this lovely, stone wall here." With his head, he gestured to it. "And I've just been sitting here for a while."

"Well, I'm taking you to the hospital wing," Lily said firmly, hoping he could still walk. "How are your legs?"

"Fine, fine," James hissed through his teeth, holding onto his broken arm. Placing a hand on his back, she helped him to stand and soon they were on their way.

"Why didn't you just take yourself to the hospital wing earlier?" Lily asked when they were about half of the way there.

He smirked, "I was waiting for my knight in shinning armor."

"Guess that makes you the damsel in distress," Lily said with a laugh.

James laughed but it turned into a wince, "Don't be funny now, Evans. Laughing hurts."

"All right. I'll be painfully dull the rest of the day."

She then remembered again that it was her birthday.

...

The day had turned out to be pretty nice.

Lily and her friends had a small party in the common room, complete with cake and everything. James had to stay in the hospital wing. They'd fixed his arm up fairly quickly, but kept him their most of the day so he could gain some strength.

It was late at night when he finally came back. Lily was still awake, sitting in one of the window seats and reading a book Alice had given her about a famous female Auror who worked at the Ministry.

James smiled when he saw her, "Waiting up for me?"

"Couldn't sleep," Lily corrected. He smirked and came to sit by her. "How's the arm?"

He nodded, "Good as new." He looked around the common room curiously, "How was the birthday?"

"Great," Lily told him with a smile. "I can't believe I'm eighteen already. I don't feel any different." She yawned, "Though I do feel tired. I best be off to bed-"

"Wait!" He placed his hand on her thigh to stop her from standing. However, he didn't remove it once she was seated. He gave her that smile that made her cheeks burn, "I got you a present and everything." James retracted his hand and stood, sauntering over to the other side of the room and opening a drawer. She had never noticed that there were drawers in the common room. And if she had, she would have never thought to use them.

James came back over and placed the gift in her lap. It was not wrapped, but there was a ribbon tied around it.

"It's a book," Lily said, somewhat surprised. Not a bad surprise, just a genuine shock. She'd never through James would buy her a book. He'd always seemed like that type to buy jewelry or perfumes or something generic that didn't show too much thought.

But a book was different. It felt personal.

"Pride and Prejudice," James said proudly. "You told me it was your favorite."

"Yeah, two months ago," she said, running a finger down the glossy red cover. "I can't believe you remembered."

She could hear him smile, "I'm glad you like it." Lily turned to look up at him, but he was already staring at her. Bashfully, she looked away. "What's it about?" He asked.

"Erm..." Lily started. "Lizzie Bennet and her sisters, mostly. Well, kind of. It's also about her and a man named William Darcy. They don't really like each other that much in the beginning. He falls for her, but she thinks he's proud and arrogant. Then she realizes that maybe she was wrong about him..."

"And they live happily ever after?" James said. She noted that his arm was now around her. When had that happened?

Lily shrugged, "I guess so."

"Sounds like a familiar story," James said with a laugh. She felt her face getting warm. Well, not just her face. Her whole body felt twenty degrees hotter than before.

She looked back at her present, "Thanks for the book, James."

He grinned, "No problem, Lily."

Lily looked at him and he was looking at her. She then realized how handsome he was. Over the years, she'd heard bunches of girls say how handsome he was, but she never saw it. She could see it now.

She pressed her lips to his and then they were kissing. It felt so nice to kiss him. So comfortable. It felt...right.

Maybe it was minutes, or hours, of days, but eventually he pulled away.

"Happy birthday, Lily," he said with a smirk.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Oh, shut up and kiss me."