JAMES

"James Potter!"

"Music to my ears," I grinned before raising my arms just in time to block the blow.

"You…You…YOU!"

"Me, my love?"

"Yes you! You are a complete idiot!"

I gave Lily and indulgent smile, one you might give to someone younger than you that is acting rather silly, but you love them anyway.

"Evans, I'm gonna be honest with you here. I have no idea what you're going on about."

"Really?" Lily asked, steam practically coming out of her ears she was that angry.

"Really. However, I'm willing to give you an hour of my time to listen to any complaints you might have and reach a solution, my door is nice and quiet."

SMACK

"Tough break there Prongs," drawled Sirius.

"Shut up Padfoot can't you see I'm busy?"

"Getting your arse kicked?" Remus commented, not looking up from his book.

"On the contrary, this is probably the nicest conversation me and Evan's have ever had," I replied, ruffling my hair.

"Hello? I'm standing right here!" Lily snapped.

I blew Lily a kiss as her eye almost began twitching. "Like I could ever miss your beauty Evans. Now come on, what have I done this time that you're secretly pleased about, but I'm going to get smacked for anyway?"

"This!"

In her delicate little hand she held up her sexy, pink lacey underwear and thrust them in my face.

"Whoa! Evans!" Roared Sirius. "Prongs could have taken care of them for you, you only had to do was ask."

"Shut up Sirius! Can you explain this to me?" Lily asked me, poking me in the chest.

"You have great taste in knickers?"

"Stop playing dumb!" Lily screamed as she held up her underwear which had the words quite clearly written in black, messy writing "Property of James Potter, HANDS OFF!"

The whole room burst into laughter, only making Lily angrier, her group of witchette's looking close to murder themselves.

Jesus, better watch myself, she might actually get close to killing me this time…maybe.

"Evans," I begun, hands up in a peace offering. "I know your sense of humour is different than mine. But try to see it from my point of view, I'm just trying to claim what's mine."

Like magic anger wiped clean from Lily's face and curiosity replaced it. "What's yours?" she asked softly, swaying her hips as she walked closer.

"Um…yes?"

Three more sexy steps, and my heart rate was going so fast I was waiting for the moment I spontaneously combusted.

Her hands, softer and gentler than I could ever have imagined or had ever felt before gently cupped each side of my face, her full red lips inched closer and closer to my face.

This was it, this was the moment I'd been waiting six years for. Evans was going to finally kiss me, Evans was going to put those amazing lips against mine in front of everyone, this was AWESOME.

Her lips went to my ear and my breath caught in my chest.

"James…"

"Evans…"

"I want you to know something important ok? Can you focus enough and pay attention to what I'm saying?"

"Anything for you."

"Good, listen up now. I don't care if it meant I was going to die tomorrow, I don't care what anyone else in this school thinks about me and my choices…"

Her nails started to dig into my cheeks and surprisingly it was a turn on.

"But I will NEVER, EVER, be yours. Got that?"

Suddenly I found I couldn't move. Not anything. I was stuck in the full body bind curse and she was grinning at me wickedly.

"Don't forget Potter," she bit my ear hard, before turning on her heel and stalking away. Only releasing me from the curse once she was safely out of the portrait hole.

Lying slumped on the ground, panting I just stared hopelessly after her.

"You right Prongs?" Sirius asked, shaking with laughter he offered his hand.

I ignored his hand, and rubbed my cheeks to find, timid, gentle, good girl Evans had drawn blood.

"I'm gonna marry that girl," I told the whole room. "Mark my words, one day I'm gonna marry her."

LILY

"Arrogant, irritating, conceited, stuck up, annoying, full of himself, show off, stupid, idiotic, TOE RAG!" I vented to my friends.

Alice nodded patiently with every insult while Carla rolled her eyes miming my every word.

"We know," Alice sighed calmly.

"Yep, you hate him, you think he's the biggest idiot in the world and kinda sexy too," Carla added

"Exactly! Wait…what?"

"You think James Potter is hot."

"I do not!"

I was rewarded with identical eye brows raised expressions of disbelief.

"Guys! I am not attracted to James Potter," I snarled his name out.

"Lily, you're in denial. Love and hate is a very fine line and it's pretty clear that you both would have crazy angry sex that would shake the whole castle if you had the chance." Carla told me in a soft, patronising tone.

"You're being ridiculous," I sniffed.

"Ok, fine. Tell us you think Potter is ugly and we won't ever bring it up again. But you have to vow it in blood so we know you're not lying."

My temper started boiling as I knew I'd been caught out, it wasn't like I wanted Potter or anything, it's just I'm a realist and I can't deny that the boy was good looking, he didn't have the raw sex appeal Sirius had going for him, or the unusual beauty of all angles and lithe grace of Remus but he definitely had something. The lightly tanned skin, well toned body, dark hair, bright hazel eyes and cheeky smile were definitely working for him…if you were into that sort of thing, which of course, I wasn't.

"Fine. Potter is good looking, but I think he thinks he's better looking than I think he is." I admitted.

Carla and Alice exchanged two knowing looks and I found my eye on the verge of twitching again, luckily Frank, Alice's steady boyfriend of two years came bounding up to us.

"Hey love," he grinned pecking a blushing Alice on the lips before turning to nod and smile at Carla and me.

"Another fight with James huh?"

"Word travels fast here," I muttered, avoiding his gaze.

"No Lily, but your voice sure does. I could hear you from my common room, what did he do this time?"

Carla and Alice immediately started giggling. "Tried to claim his territorially on Lily's underwear."

To Frank's credit, he tried really hard not to laugh. "I hate to tell you this Lily, but I think he really does love you. He's just going about it the wrong way."

"James Potter wants only what he can't have," I snapped.

Frank shrugged me off easily with a bright grin. "I don't think so. You should hear the way he talks about you to the guys and if he hears a guy wants to ask you out, or says anything bad about you he makes sure they never open their mouth again. That kind of dedication is hard to find."

"Then why is he so annoying!"

"He's sixteen and male, not everyone's as charming and grounded as I am," Frank joked pulling Alice closer.

I sighed. "If you say so Frank."

"You'll see Lily, I reckon you will be a good couple one day, in fact at your wedding I call dibs on making a speech ok? Coming love?"

Leaving me standing their breathless Alice let Frank lead her away, his arm protectively around her shoulders to help her remain steady as she was a bit clumsy.

"Unbelievable," I muttered.

Carla put her arm around my waist and led me towards to great hall for some dinner.

"You need some dinner and then you'll feel better I promise, you can go right back to being in denial straight after I promise."

I roll my eyes but put my arm around Carla in return and we skip off to dinner together, leaving behind tension, arguments and the confusion that is James Potter.