Summary: We all know THIS story. James loves Lily. Lily hates James. Can a rare sensitive and swoon-worthy moment with James change her mind? Or will he stay the same arrogant toerag we all know and somehow love? Songfic.
Categories: James/Lily Characters: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 1
Completed: Yes
Word count: 1713
Read: 2859
Published: 11/12/04
Updated: 11/12/04
1. Hey Girl by painterchica
Disclaimer: "Hey Girl" belongs to Dashboard Confessional. I don't own anything else you recognize.
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James Potter was in love. Ever since he had laid eyes on Lily Evans, he knew that she was the one for him. No matter how many girls he dated through his years at Hogwarts (rest assured, there were many girls), he could never get her silky, long auburn hair and striking emerald eyes out of his mind. In his mind, she was perfect.
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Hey girl, you’ve got a smart way about you
That makes me wish
That I was smart enough for you
-----
Currently, the Gryffindor 5th years were in History of Magic.
James watched as Lily listened intently to Professor Binns while he droned on about…something…and she was studiously taking notes. She paused every so often to brush a stray strand of hair out of her face, or to refill her quill with ink.
Nearly every other student had either fallen asleep or chosen to construct parchment swans and planes. This was, by far, the most boring class in Hogwarts.
James tore his longing eyes away from Lily and punched his best friend, Sirius Black, softly on the shoulder. Sirius woke up with a start.
“I wanna pet the pretty unicorn too, Mummy!” Sirius insisted, still half asleep, even with his eyes open.
James rolled his eyes and snickered at Sirius.
“Oh,” Sirius finally seemed to comprehend where he was, “Why’d you wake me up, you great prat?” he whined childishly.
“Because I wanted you to be the first to know, as this is very important news…” James pointed to where Lily was sitting, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry!”
Sirius snorted and patted James on the back sarcastically. “Oh is that all? Okay, mate, just keep thinking that. Maybe it will come true in a world where I’m Minister of Magic, Wormtail becomes the most powerful dark wizard in the world, and Moony walks around in a hot pink tutu, declaring his undying love and devotion to Snivellus. Meanwhile, I’m going to go back and pet the pretty unicorns, night-night.” Sirius fell back asleep.
James raised his eyebrows. He really worried about what went on inside his best friend’s brain.
Then he was suddenly knocked back into reality, taking in Sirius’ words. Oh, right, he remembered, Lily hates my guts. Bugger.
-----
Hey girl, you’ve got a short fuse
And I’ve got designs on lighting you up,
And setting you off,
And watching you burn for me
-----
“Hey! Hey! HEY EVANS!” James ran up to Lily after class.
Lily sighed impatiently as she turned around, glaring.
“What NOW Potter?”
James unconsciously rumpled his jet-black hair in the back.
“Go out with me, Evans. You know you want to!”
Lily closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked as if she was counting to 10 in her head.
“NO, POTTER!” So much for calming down. “I WILL NOT, FOR THE VERY LAST TIME, GO OUT WITH YOU! I’VE SAID NO ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND TIMES! WHEN WILL YOU STOP?!?” She yelled.
James grinned cockily. “When you say yes, Evans. Go on, say yes. We both know that you want to.”
“No.”
“Or…”
“No!”
“Maybe…”
“No!!”
“Why not?”
“ARGH!”
“I’m sorry, that’s not the answer we’re looking for. The correct answer is…”
“NO!” Lily shrieked with a tone of finality, before storming off.
James still grinned calmly, although inside he was a bit broken hearted by yet another rejection. “Pick you up around seven, then?” He asked to the empty space.
Remus Lupin, another one of James’ closest friends, walked by James and muttered, “No offence, Prongs, but will you ever stop being an arrogant, pig-headed jerk?”
“HEY!” James got indignant. “That was uncalled for, Moony.”
“He’s right.” Sirius added. “As much as I hate to admit that-- Moony’s right.”
-----
Hey girl, you’ve got a fine laugh
And I think that I could get used to that.
And you’re already used to laughing at me
-----
The next day, a Hogsmeade trip was announced over breakfast, to happen in a month. James saw it as yet another “perfect opportunity”.
He finished his bacon and glided to the opposite end of the Gryffindor table. The love of his life was giggling with her three friends, all of whom were too busy to notice him lurking around them.
“”That’s nothing, Jas!” The brunette”Marie”James remembered, declared. “That one time in 4th year when he got down on one knee in Herbology and gave Lils the lily he had picked from Hagrid’s garden…how original!” She drawled.
James knew immediately what they were discussing. It embarrassed, yet at the same time pleased him. He loved being the center of attention.
“Come on guys, cut it out!” Lily looked uncomfortable, but she was still snickering a little herself. “It was bad enough that I had to live through that once!”
“No way, I have the BEST James Potter Hogsmeade invitation EVER!” Gwendolyn, the blonde one, whispered dramatically. She grinned evilly at Lily.
“I’m the only one of us that knows about THIS particular one,” she began, “It happened before the very first trip in 3rd year--”
“Gwennie…” Lily warned dangerously.
Apparently, Lily knew where this was going.
“”James tried to go up the girls’ staircase late one night--”
“Gwendolyn…”
“”at the same time, Lily was trying to go down the stairs, but they turned into a slide, and she slid down, toppling over poor Ja--”
Lily shrieked at Gwen, attempting to cover her mouth.
“”mes. She managed to find herself on top of him, with her lips attached to his. It was all too inappropriate. That’s how I found them. I don’t think he actually got around to asking her, now that I think about it.”
Lily buried her head in her hands and groaned as her friends laughed hysterically.
“Shut it!” The redhead blushed even more. “I couldn’t help it! He was just there…all sexy and…under me…ugh! Did I just call him sexy? UGH! It was just one stupid kiss! It was a bloody accident!”
James remembered that incident all too well. It was one the best days of his life. He didn’t care that Lily had kneed him painfully in the stomach in retaliation. It was worth it as far as he was concerned.
“Nothing’s an accident, Evans.” He quipped suddenly from behind them.
All of the girls spun around with various looks on their faces. Some amusement; some horror.
“YOU WERE LISTENING?!?” Lily screamed at him.
James shrugged.
“You think I’m sexy.” He stated nonchalantly.
She made a noise somewhere between a scream and a groan and stormed off.
“She does that a lot, huh?”
-----
“He’s just so INFURIATING!” Lily said to no one in particular, outside the Great Hall. She strode down the corridor, muttering to herself. Lily had found James Potter irritating from day one. She hated him for knowing exactly which buttons to press. She hated him for always being around. She hated him for his arrogance. His charm. His good looks. His popularity.
“Wait up, Lily.”
“What do you want?” She didn’t bother stopping or turning around.
“You. Just you. Listen to me for a bit, Lily.” James caught up to her and darted in her path.
She stopped walking and raised an eyebrow.
“You called me Lily.”
“It’s your name.”
“You always call me Evans.”
“I know.”
“It’s just unnerving.”
“It was the point.”
“Oh.” She seemed temporarily lost for words. That was a first.
“Can I just have a few minutes to talk with out you interrupting me?” James asked hopefully. He was like a different person all of the sudden. Lily was struck by the genuineness in his eyes. She agreed, much to even her surprise. They sat down on the cool stone floor of the corridor.
“Lily,” he began, “Ever since I saw you, I wanted to know you. That first time on the Hogwarts Express…all that red hair and gorgeous green eyes…” he trailed off, coughing uncomfortably, “The more I got to know you, even though you were yelling at me most the time, the more I liked you. Maybe…maybe even loved you.” He paused again and rumpled his hair. Lily stared at him. “Oh, hell, I’ve wanted to tell you this for 5 years. Might as well just say it. I love everything about you, Lily! I love your smile, the way you laugh, when you’re a know-it-all in class, your stubbornness, when your eyes get all fiery because you’re angry, the way you don’t care what anybody thinks of you. I know you hate me, but I just thought you should know. I’ve never felt more strongly about anyone, and I never knew how to act around you. I’m sorry I stalked you so much.” By now, James was blushing furiously. Sharing feelings wasn’t something he commonly did. He felt like such an idiot.
Lily’s green eyes were looking suspiciously shiny.
“James, I”I never--”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to tell you.”
“Is this your idea of getting everything off your chest before you jump off the North Tower?” She asked, laughing nervously and wiping her eyes.
James smirked like his old self. “You think you’re worth that? Don’t flatter yourself, Evans.”
“ARGH!”
Just when she thought he’d changed…
But somehow, he didn’t seem so bad all of the sudden. Now that she had seen the new side of James, the old side was bearable.
Kind of.
“So, now that you’ve fallen in love with me, wanna go to the broom closet and snog?”
“NO, POTTER!”
-----
Go on, go on, your cruel intentions
Won’t solve your problems,
Everyone’s gotta get bottom
Bottomed out in the long run
And those are the times you need love.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.