Disclaimer: The idea is based around a scene from Meg Cabot's book 'How to be popular', only the writing is my own.

Looking Through The Window

I must not look out the window; I will not look out the window.

I'm Lily Evans, and I have a problem, a big problem. And not those sorts that are like 'Oh my god, my hair wont lie flat' or 'I broke a nail' or 'I'm getting fat.'

No, I couldn't have any of those normal teenage problems.

No, I get stuck with this one. This stupid, stupid problem, and no matter how much I try to stop myself from doing it. I end up doing it anyways, because for some reason, I just cannot stop doing it.

I tried tying myself to a chair, and all that did was make Mum and Dad think I need to be referred to the local psychologist because I might be suffering from teenage angst. But trust me, nothing works.

What is my problem?

I'm obsessed. Obsessed with staring out of my bedroom window, into my neighbour's bedroom, which has no blinds.

Who is my neighbour? Who can I be unfortunate enough to get for a neighbour?

James Potter.

James sodding Potter.

And his bedroom is right across from my mine. And if it weren't for him being in the bedroom, I would not have this problem.

Indeed all of this is his fault, everything really is. He's somewhat of a troublemaker at my school.

I do not like him. I refuse to believe I do; actually, I despise myself for letting this thought even cross my mind. I don't like James Potter, and that's that.

But then why can't I stop staring at him from my window?

He has a gorgeous body – this does not mean I like him; I am perfectly entitled to find him attractive – he never used to be this good looking, or maybe I've just never seen him without a shirt on before. But in the summer, damn, he never has his shirt on. And since he has nothing to do, he stays in his room, doing push ups (without a shirt on), writing letters to his posse (without a shirt on), reading (without a shirt on), or watching television (without a shirt on!), which is also surprising, seeing as he is from a pure-blood family.

If he went out of his room for a while, I would probably be able to do something else. But no, he has to stay in his room, window open so I have a clear view of everything, and me, poor poor me, is forced to stay in the bedroom for hours, with my binoculars and popcorn, watching and just staring at James Potter.

Without a shirt on.

It's sad really; I can't seem to do anything else.

My mum is starting to get the wrong impression of what I'm really doing in there, if you know what I mean. It's a relief that I have my own bedroom though, or else Petunia would have not let me hear the end of it.

Anyway, I mean, I don't think it's really that bad, James Potter is known to be obsessed with me at my school, he follows me around like a lost puppy, asks me out, insults me, compliments me, hugs me randomly, annoys the hell out of me. But as soon as we get home for the summer, he seems to forget about me, true we only moved here two years ago, and we tried to keep it subtle. Maybe there's a possibility he doesn't know I live here?

Right?

Although he did see me yesterday morning when I went to get the paper, and the morning before that, and the morning before that, and the morning before that.

Or maybe he's just too embarrassed to do anything with our parents around all the time, although he doesn't seem to be doing anything at all this summer. So obviously, that means I can't do anything either. God, he is so selfish.

But that brings me to my previous thought, why the hell doesn't James Potter annoy me here?

He has the chance! HE SEES ME EVERY MORNING!

WHY DOESN'T HE HUG ME RANDOMLY?
Not that I want him to or anything, I'm just wondering that's all. I'm a curious girl.

That's all.

I do not like James Potter at all.

But then why am I fascinated by the way his bicep moves when he is doing push-ups?

Nah, I'm not fascinated by his biceps, of course not. I'm just fascinated by the way the human body works.

Oh yum, he's doing push-ups again.

Oh fuck.

I need help.

x---x

I have decided, all I need to do is to keep myself busy, then easy peasy, I wont think about how delish James looked when he does push-ups, or how his biceps move up and down when he is lifting weights.

So, I am going to go shopping with Petunia and Mum, it is not the best idea in the world, but since all of my friends have nice families who actually take them abroad for a holiday, they are my last resorts, and trust me Petunia was not too keen on coming.

'Tuney, you want to go shopping?' I asked her.

Mum interrupts before Petunia can answer, 'Oh that would be lovely, us three girls, shopping, we can have a right girly day!' she exclaims.

Petunia glares at me for getting her into this mess and walks out of the kitchen, my Mum pats my shoulder approvingly, and tells me to get ready.

So now I am waiting outside in the front garden, for Petunia and Mum to hurry up and get ready, Petunia will definitely take her time since 'People I know go shopping!' and Mum, although the middle-aged woman she may be, still likes to look good.

Don't they realise that if they take more than ten minutes I will be prone to make an excuse for the bathroom and will therefore be forced to stare out into my yummy neighbour's window via my bedroom?

They just do not understand, and I am like tremendously bored out here, on my own. I have decided it is not safe for me to be inside, where my bedroom is.

I look up to the house – sorry – mansion, next to me. Which is obviously James's place.

The luck he has, I wonder if he's still in his bedroom, without a shirt on…

No Lily! You must not go into that, SNAP OUT OF IT!

Oh my god, oh my god!

I just thought I'd tell you, JAMES POTTER IS WALKING OUT HIS DOOR AND HEADING TOWARDS ME!

I think I'm going to faint.

Oh his biceps are straining against his shirt, all that working out really does help.

'Hey Lily,' he says to me, casually.

'Hello James,' I say, trying to put my most sophisticated, couldn't-care-less, so-what-if-you-have-a-six-pack voice on.

James grins, completely oblivious to my voice, the arrogant lad. 'So what are you doing out here on your own?' he asks me.

'Waiting for my sister and mother,' I say, in the same voice, I might as well strike a conversation, but only because I am bored. 'What about you?'

'Well I haven't been out of the house for a long good time, Sirius is always out with Rebecca, so I thought I'd come over and see if you wanted to do something, don't know, maybe catch a movie?' he says to me.

I want to say yes, I really do.

Not that I like him or anything.

'Sure,' I blurt out, I should slap myself, I made plans with other people. 'But we're kind of going shopping,' I say pointing towards the house to indicate my family, 'It was kind of my idea, so I cant cancel.'

'I'll tag along,' he says, and he notices the hesitant look on my face and adds, 'Please? I've just been in my room, working out and watching muggle television, as you will know.'

Oh my fucking god.

WHAT?
He winks at me.

He knows, he knows, he knows, he knows, HE BLOODY KNOWS!

This can not be happening.

He is staring at me with knowing eyes, and a wide grin on his face.

How long as he known? DID HE SEE THE BINOCULARS?

I must be looking pretty shocked because he nudges me gently and says, 'It's okay, I stare at you in your bedroom all the time, although its kind of hard to since you seem to be doing a lot of it recently, and you have blinds. I should probably get some too.'

HE STARES AT ME?

I blush, and when I blush it is not a normal blush, where your cheeks go slightly pink, no, I was cursed with the 'Evans curse of the blush', meaning when you blush, every part of your body turns red, including your scalp and erm… you know, other areas.

And then I notice, that he is going red as well.

And this makes me smile, so here I am smiling like a big goofy kid, instead of the mature teenager that I really am.

And then he smiles as well, and he has a very nice smile, it makes me want to smile even more, so I do.

And then we start to laugh, because it is pretty funny knowing that James is also as obsessed as me, but more since he is obsessed at school as well.

Which makes him more obsessed.

Which makes me the sane one in this relationship.

HOLD THE PHONE!
I did not just say relationship.

'Well this is awkward,' he finally says after we have stopped laughing.

I nod, and I don't know what I'm doing. SOMEBODY STOP ME!

I am leaning towards his face to kiss him, TO KISS HIM!
WHY IS NO ONE STOPPING ME?

So I am kissing him right now, and he is a pretty good kisser, and I am tingling all over, which is weird.

Oh damn.

Fine.

Bloody hell.

Fine. I SHALL ADMIT IT!

I do in fact like James Potter kissing me, and he isn't so bad.

Being the nice person that I am, I shall give him a chance, because that is what nice people do.

'Let's go shopping,' he says smiling as we pull apart.

And you know what?

I smile back.

x---x

I'm about to go to sleep now.

One last look wont hurt.

I walk towards my bedroom window, into James's bedroom.

And believe it or not he has blinds.

Blinds that say.

Goodnight Lily Flower.

x---x