This whole fic is based exclusively off of the beautiful art that Blvnk makes. I highly reccomend you check out her Twitter or Tumblr to see the inspiration behind the story.

The first chapter is based off this comic: post/694480194123317248/she-never-felt-so-attracted-to-him-before-nice

It started with a charm.

"Nice charm Evans, almost brilliant I must say." Lily stopped in her tracks as the rest of the class bustled out of the classroom. James walked over to her side and matched her pace with deliberate ease. Lily scanned his face; there was no smirk; no twinkle in his eyes that denoted an undercurrent of sarcasm and for once in her living memory, he wasn't eyeing her hungrily like he was trying to burn her face into his memory.,

"Almost?" She repeated, articulating the word as to feint an innocence. She knew perfectly well she had done a rotten job. Three tries and only her final attempt produced even the most weak results. A bloody embarrassment if you asked her.

"Yeah, if you had kept lowering your elbow 20 degrees you wouldn't have missed those two attempts. Now you know and you won't miss next time." Again, no curve of a smile formed; no trace of anything other than pure unadulterated sincerity.

Well this is…odd. Lily's gut reaction was to say something cheeky. I mean, surely he must be messing with her, right? But before she could even formulate a response he quickened his pace by a few steps towards the door before turning on his heel to look back at her.

"If you…need any help to practice—we won't advance too much with this class—just ask me if you need." He said, continuing to walk albeit doing so backwards to look her in the eyes. Even with a couple pace distance she could see a hint of his blush rising in his cheeks. With a quick smile, he pivoted back on his heel and walked out the door.

Lily picked up her pace to watch him join the throngs of students walking to their next class. He didn't turn back to look at her; didn't join a group of friends to laughingly recount his actions either. For a moment he seemed—-normal.

Huh.

—-

"He offered to help you with charms—so what," Marlene was all but shoveling some pudding in her mouth at the Gryffindor table that lunch hour.

"I don't know it was just….weird, you know. Like the thought of him having a sincere bone in his body seems a bit…unnatural."

Lily shifted her eyes just a couple feet up the table from her, not daring to turn her head in case James and his group of friends noticed. He seemed to be in the middle of some mock debate with Sirius Black over the importance of motorcycle safety—something that in hindsight she should have found odd but at that moment was too perturbed to fully compute.

Remus Lupin came up behind Lily. Not realizing he was there, she jumped at the feeling of his hand on her shoulder—-breaking her out of the trance she had been holding while looking at the boys.

"Hey Lily, I'm going to be late to the rounds tonight. I'm sorry—just wanted to let you know." Remus smiled softly.

"Oi, Lupin. Lily thinks your mate is acting strange," Marlene barked with a nod at James before Lily could even respond to his comment.

Remus turned and looked at James who was now holding a spoon full of pudding threateningly over Sirius' head.

"Looks about normal to me," he said, turning back to the girls with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"Don't worry Remus, it's fine—both the rounds and for whatever Marlene is going on about. "

Remus made a content nod and made his way over to his friends. After taking the spoon out of James' hand and placing it back into Sirius' bowl, he slipped into his seat and made a pointed look at James.

"So Miss Evans says you are acting strange. What did you do, then?"

James made a little jump at the mention of Evans' name. He had harbored a slight jealousy for Lupin ever since he and Lily had started to become mates back in 4th year. Despite the two studying together and often seen walking to classes, James had yet to penetrate their friendship bubble to even get close to her in such a way.

"Uh, dunno—I complimented her on her charms I guess."

"First mistake," Sirius quipped, taking a bit of pudding on his finger and swathing it on Peter's nose who had otherwise remained quiet the whole lunch.

" …And then I just offered to help her if she needed it. Merlin knows Professor Morse isn't teaching us anything in that class…"

"Ah, fuck you're joking!" Sirius barked out laughing. Despite Sirius and Peter starting to snicker, Lupin held a stable gaze on James.

"And you meant it."

"Uh, yeah. I did."

"And there were no ulterior motives whatsoever?"

"Moony, if I wasn't secure in our friendship , I would be feeling very hurt by now…" James feigned in his best upset voice.

All the boys turned to look down the table at Lily who, probably feeling the power of four sets of eyes, shifted her gaze nervously over to them repeatedly before awkwardly raising her hand palm forward to the height of her chest as a very clear: hello, I see you, you are making me uncomfortable.

Sirius leaned back in his chair and yawned loudly. "Well good for you Prongsy, you're growing up and now not making Lily angry but just uncomfortable. That's what I call baby steps!"

James made one last glance to Lily, who had since moved on to talking to Marlene again. There was still color in her cheeks from feeling regarded and her hair, which was usually partly tied back, was falling into wisps around her jaw.

"She's pretty when she's embarrassed," James sighed into the open air, inciting a groan from Sirius.

"I think that's exactly your problem, mate."

The potions class after their lunch period was starting off in its usual manner. Professor Slughorn was teaching how to make the Draught of the living dead and by doing so was floating around Lily's station with a rambunctious elation.

"Very good as usual Miss Evans! I've always said you are the smartest Muggleborn I've ever met!"

"Not the smartest witch you've ever met?" Lily quipped back loudly. Despite it being a clear dig at the professor, her almost flirtatious delivery completely spellbound him.

"Oho! And always a cheeky one! Slytherins look sharp! Miss Evans' is giving us all a run for our money!"

Mulicber and Avery, who were cornered in the back with Severus Snape, made a scoff and glowered in the direction of Lily's table. Snape especially looked in a sour mood as he continued to let his gaze land on an otherwise chipper Lily who was making great time on her ingredients.

On the other side of the room, James and Peter had barely started their ingredient prep. Peter, who was in charge of reading the recipe, kept losing track of his place and would quickly stammer and turn pages as though the recipe had floated from one page to the other. James on the other hand was too preoccupied with how he may or may not have insulted Lily earlier by complimenting her, had let a snail needed for step two almost make its escape off the side of the table.

As Lily watched her potion start to boil, she used the 10 minute waiting period in the recipe to take stock. Potions had always been a safe space for her. It felt as natural as breathing, which always felt ironic as she was a shit cook ( and that was often what she felt like she was doing when making a potion.) Feeling spirited in her work, she glanced around the room to see most of the class in either a state of panic, or in some sort of controlled chaos as to their progress.

Lily turned her eyes cautiously over to James who, like the rest of his classmates, seemed to be leaning a bit too close to his Sopophorous bean while trying ( and failing) to slice it evenly.

She hadn't decided it–hell maybe she had even blacked out for a moment, but the next thing she knew she was standing next to him looking down at work. She didn't dare touch him, but she was close enough to feel the soft bit of fabric that was hanging from his rolled up sleeves.

"It's easier if you crush it–better even." She tried to sound nonchalant. Since when was she offering advice to Potter? Since he offered me some perhaps.

"That's not what the recipe says, Evans," she could tell he wanted to sound playful, but with his growing frustration it came out more as a grumble.

"Since when were you mister rule follower? Suit yourself." And with that Lily passed back to her seat. She could feel his eyes on the back of her head, and began to smile when she heard Peter's voice pipe up loudly: " b-but don't you think she has a point. I mean look at hers!"

There you go, Potter. We can be even now.

Despite the interaction lasting for only about a minute, it did not go unnoticed from Snape who had been keeping his eye on Lily carefully as to not clue her in to his surveillance.

He had no intention of talking to Lily, but watching her help Potter with the potion—with his discoveries no less, was too much to bear. Seeing as Lily had another 5 minutes to let her potion brew, he took the opportunity to approach.

"What do you think you are doing?" He snarled at her through his teeth. He kept his voice low, and despite very publicly having crossed the room to talk to her, kept hunching over as though trying to make himself invisible to everyone but her.

Before Lily could respond he cut in, "That was my information you just so carelessly gave to that idiot. You have no right–no rig–" but at that moment Lily loomed her head just enough to make eye contact with him and retorted with a huff.

" No right?" She could feel her arm clenching and she steadied herself on the table to keep herself grounded from the otherwise crushing weight of the anger bubbling in her chest. This was the first time in ages Snape had spoken to her. After their friendship crumbled under his newfound hobby of hanging out with the death eater crowd, they had all but gone separate ways with no lack of resentment on Lily's part.

"Listen here Snape," The way she bit his name into the air felt almost palpable.

"You know just as much as I do that we both came up with this trick, thanks. Now if you don't mind, I have a potion to finish."

James, having followed Lily's advice and finally getting himself on track, looked up from his work to see that Snape and Lily were huddled together. He couldn't see her face, but he could hear the cut of her whispers and he saw her hand that had before been relaxed at her side grab the underside of the table and seemed to be squeezing as though trying to crush it underneath her fingers. He felt his own hand curl against the blade he had been using to cut. Just one wrong move….

And then they separated. Whatever Lily had to say pushed Snape back from her with a scoff and he stormed back to his desk where Mulciber and Avery quickly closed in on him to question his little charade.

James hadn't noticed, but his hand had absently dropped the knife back on the table.

After class, Lily had stayed back a little as Slughorn applauded her once again for a job well done before closing the classroom door and heading up the dungeon corridor. Despite being bombarded with praise ( as usual) from her professor and knowing she had done well, the interaction with Snape had soured her mood. How long ago was it that they were still friends? A year? How did he become so- so–

"Hey Evans." A call from the corridor window echoed through the otherwise empty hallway. James had laid himself in the circular crevice of the window with a book open in his lap; clearly having been waiting for her to appear.

Looking up at him, Lily once again remarked that something was different. Of course, here he was lounging around the castle like it was his own sitting room, and of course he had been waiting for her ( to ask her out again, no doubt) but the haughtiness that usually came with her presence seemed to be tamed somehow. Like someone had gotten a fire from burning a house into a candle wick.

"Look James, I'm sure what you have to say to me is really interesting and all but I just am not in the mood today so can we just postpone it." She had posed it as a statement while continuing to walk. She was well aware of a strange urge to look at him again, but regained her senses.

Jame closed his book and jumped from the window, landing a foot or two in front of her. Now stopped in her tracks and looking directly at him, her feelings from today solidified. Yes, something is truly different with him.

" I wanted to thank you—for the help back in class," he ran his hand through his hair nervously. Making the ends stand up as though a wind was blowing through his hair. Well at least his tick is still there.

"Uh, Welcome." With her response he stepped back out of her way and gestured his hand like a servant would to let someone pass through a room.

Not calling attention to his little bit, she started to walk past him before something inside her made her spin back around to him. Not realizing what or why she had felt compelled to give him even more time in her evening, she started to blush and grab at the strap of her bag nervously.

Without giving it much thought, she extended her foot and gave his own a little tap on the side of his sneaker.

"Thanks too I guess—for transfigurations." James looked down at his sneaker as though touched by the hand of God and his face broke into a smile. Without looking up, he reached his foot back out and tapped her own as a reflection of her own action moments ago.

"Don't worry about it." He turned his head to look up at her, and his eyes glinted behind his glasses. She had never noticed how nice his eyes were until now. Why hadn't she noticed?

James tucked his book into his bag and made a quick wave before continuing past her for the second time that day.

"See you bright and early Evans!" He called back without looking.

She was left standing in a now deserted corridor, trying to think back on if she had ever recalled his eyes before. Without realizing she echoed his words:

"Yeah—bright." It terrified her, but she had never felt so attracted to him before.