It hits her at the strangest moments.

As Lily studies next to James in the library, she feels as if her heart is suddenly put in a death grip as it descends into her stomach. Obviously distracted, she looks up from her textbook and gazes upon the room attempting to find the source of her unease. However nothing has changed, everything is just as it was just moments before.

Unsatisfied with her discovery, Lily's eyes finally settle upon James and she smiles slightly. He's hunched a very large Potions textbook, with a quill in one hand and her notes gripped in the other. His focus flickers between the library book and the parchment as he attempts to decipher all one hundred ways to properly chop the hair from the tail of a unicorn.

His frustration grows with each passing second, and his grip tightens on her notes, crinkling the edge of them. His writing becomes quicker and forceful, until he notices a mistake he's made and he promptly throws both the notes and his quill on the table. His head soon follows suit as he bangs it against the table a couple of times.

Her hand slightly trembles before she rests it on James' shoulder in comfort. He remains motionless so she leans closely and confesses in his ear;

"I love you."

His head whips up and he turns to look at her. His glasses are skewed, forehead red, and sports an incredibly goofy splitting grin. Lily can't help but return his smile. His face still resembles the one he had when she first told him how she felt. Even after countless reminders, his reaction has never diminished.

He touches their foreheads together and holds her hands. Intertwined mind, body, and soul, he uses a soft and quiet voice meant only for her;

"I love you too."

And it is in that exact moment, that her heart is released and returns to where it belongs:

Safely in his possession.