“Hey Lily,� James shouted after the figure retreating through the curtain of pink streamers hanging from the doors of the Great Hall.

Lily turned at the sound of her name. Seeing James, she stopped as he jogged over carrying a half-eaten pink muffin. “Hey,� she replied when he reached her. “How’s your muffin?�

James grinned. “It tastes like love,� he said dreamily. He attempted to take a bite, but the muffin was so crumbly it fell apart in his hand.

“Your love is crumbling,� Lily answered him smilingly as they walked out of the Great Hall.

James pulled out his wand and vanished the muffin. “Yeah, the kitchens went a little overboard with the food coloring today,� he said, wiping the crumbs off his hands. “Anyway, happy Valentine’s Day.�

“Thanks, you too,� she responded automatically.

“Did you get my card?�

At the mention of his valentine, Lily felt a smile creep across her face. “Yes, I got your valentine,� she answered, a faint trace of irony replacing the words she pointedly omitted (“And I liked it very much!�).

“So…?�

“So what?�

“So will you go out with me?�

Lily smiled. “No, of course not,� she said laughingly. (But the laugh was kind…)

“Why not?� James returned her smile, but Lily felt his gaze become more intense.

Lily raised an eyebrow. “You can’t think of any?�

James shrugged. “Not a one.�

“Okay, well, here’s a reason. I have a boyfriend.�

“Easily remedied,� he said with a laugh.

“Well, maybe you have an easy remedy for this, then,� Lily said, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Here’s my problem: there’s this really annoying boy who keeps asking me out. I wish he would just understand that I’m in a relationship with someone else, but� (Lily lowered her voice as though she were afraid the boy would hear, and her eyes widened in mock seriousness) “I think I heard something happened to his skull when he was a baby, so I’m not sure there’s any way it will get through his thick head. But is it at all possible to get him to stop pestering me?�

At this, James erupted in mellifluous laughter. “I’m afraid not, Lily,� he said as they entered their Charms class. “I’m afraid not.�

---

They sat in a square in the common room after dinner: James sprawled on a couch, Peter in the armchair next to him, Remus crosslegged on the floor studiously flipping through his Arithmancy book, and Sirius trying to make himself levitate. Several house-elves scurried around surreptitiously, taking down Valentines’ Day decorations.

“Blimey, I’m glad Valentines’ Day is over,� Peter said, watching the house-elves. “Not my favorite holiday.�

“Yeah, I don’t think Hogwarts looks good in pink,� Remus agreed. “But how did your Valentines’ Day go?� Remus asked, nodding at James and Sirius (who had given up on levitation and now sat on the floor next to Remus).

“Well, Lily said she wouldn’t go out with me,� James offered.

“Oh, you asked her? Well, I’m not really surprised she said no,� Sirius said. Remus and Peter looked a little surprised at their friend’s bluntness, but James seemed not to notice.

“Yeah, I mean, she has a boyfriend, so I guess I’m not really surprised either,� he said.

“No, that’s not why. I knew she would say no because it’s Wednesday today.�

“So?�

“Prongs! Have I taught you nothing these six years?� Sirius sighed with exasperation. “Thursday, Prongs, Thursday! Always ask a girl out on Thursday. Otherwise she’ll flat-out reject you. On Thursday, you have a shot.�

James looked at Sirius like he was crazy. Seeing his expression, Sirius decided to elaborate. “See, the weekend’s no good because it’s too last minute. She’ll think you couldn’t find anyone else. And on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, it’s still too early. You’ll seem too eager. But Thursday—on Thursday, my friend, conditions are perfect!� Sirius finished his speech with a flourish of his wand, sending gold sparks directly at Peter’s nose.

“Hey, what’d I do?� Peter protested as the sparks pricked his face.

“Sorry, mate. Here, I’ll do it to myself too,� Sirius said, and he sent a shower of sparks at his own face. “Blimey, that tingles!� he laughed, surprised.

James looked bemused. “You know, your Thursday theory almost seems to make sense,� he said.

“Seems to make sense? Why, it’s brilliant!�

“So is that why you didn’t ask anyone to Hogsmeade last time?�

“Yeah, I didn’t notice when it was until Friday.�

“I thought you went with Alissa Reed,� Remus said, looking up from his Arithmancy textbook.

“I did,� Sirius said, smirking. “She asked me.�

“And you said yes? On a Friday?� Peter said in mock amazement.

Sirius laughed. “You know me. I always break the rules,� he said with a grin.

---

The next day, James caught up with Lily walking off the pitch after Quidditch practice. “Hey Lily, nice flying today.�

“Thanks; I think this new broom’s really helping. I don’t veer off course in the wind anymore,� she said, smiling at the memory of one particularly blustery day (there was still a dent on the goalpost from where the wind had thrown her broom against it).

“I just wanted to tell you that I thought of a solution to your dilemma. You know, the charming bloke who keeps asking you out.�

Lily smiled at his self-compliment. “Pray tell.�

“You could say yes.�

Lily looked a little taken aback, but then shook her head noncommittally. “Eh, I think I found an easier solution.� There was a crow screeching from the top of a nearby tree. Lily flicked her wand once, and it fell silent.

James grinned at her. “Point taken.�

Lily flicked her wand again and the bird flew away, cawing noisily.

“But I’m not one to worry about consequences—� James continued.

“—because you’re irresponsible?� Lily finished for him.

“No,� James corrected her with a laugh, “because I’m a Gryffindor. So I’m going to ask you anyway. Will you go out with me?�

“Why do I feel like you’ve already asked me that?� Lily wondered aloud, feigning puzzlement. “Oh wait. Didn’t we have this exact same conversation yesterday? And I reminded you that I had a boyfriend, and you vowed to never stop bothering me?�

“Yes, that’s about what happened,� James acknowledged.

“So I’m not really sure why you’re asking me again today. Nothing has changed.�

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, Lily,� James said, as if he were a professor pointing out an error in her work. “Because—unlike yesterday, you’ll find—� (here he raised a finger importantly, as though what he was about to say would transform the world as we know it) “today is Thursday.�

Lily raised an eyebrow and stared at him skeptically.

“Oh, come off it. Has Sirius really never told you his theory about how people are more likely to say yes on Thursdays?�

“No, I’m sorry, but he never has.� (But she looked more amused than apologetic.)

“You should ask him sometimes. He gets really excited when people want to talk to him,� James said seriously (as if Sirius didn’t have a constant crowd of admirers).

Lily laughed.

“See, you even think I’m funny! Oh, go on, go out with me! It’s Thursday! Will you? Will you go out with—�

He was cut off mid-sentence by Lily’s muttered “Langlock,� and stood there moving his mouth like a goldfish out of its bowl.

Lily regretted hexing him…but not enough to remove the spell herself. “The countercurse is ‘Vocalibre,’� she said, walking away from him toward the library.

---

James found the other Marauders sitting in the dormitory, examining the Maurauder’s Map. “I think it should be fairly easy to get back into Filch’s office once we drop those dungbombs,� Sirius was saying. James—who had very definite views on the subject—knew he would have to postpone giving input until he could talk. He sent some sparks out of his wandtip to get their attention.

“Hey, James. What’s the occasion?� Peter asked.

James pointed at himself, shook his head vigorously, and open and closed his hands to indicate talking, while mouthing the words “I can’t talk.�

Sirius frowned. “I think he’s trying to tell us something, but I can’t figure out what!� James groaned and punched him on the shoulder. “Blimey, that hurt! Okay, I’ll play charades with you.�

James pointed at himself again. “James?� Peter guessed. James nodded. Then, while shaking his head, he crossed his arms then spread them out wide, like an umpire calling a player safe.

“Can’t?� Remus said. James nodded. “So we’re at ‘James can’t’,� Remus continued.

“Hmm, what can’t James do?� Sirius said. “This is a tough one. Hmmm.�

“He can’t eat donuts without getting powdered sugar all over his face,� Peter piped up.

“That’s true, good point,� said Sirius. “Is that it, James?�

James rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“He also can’t make his hair lie flat. Is that what you’re trying to tell us, James? Your hair still won’t lie flat?�

James gave a nod of acknowledgement, because his hair never did lie flat, but he wished they would stop messing around and perform the countercurse. “TALK,� he mouthed, opening and closing his hands again.

“Oh, I know!� Remus exclaimed. “He can’t get an alligator, because if he kept it in the lake, the squid would eat it. But you could have just used our bathtub, James. I wouldn’t mind.�

“Don’t be ridiculous,� Sirius said. “Squids don’t eat alligators.�

“I’m not so sure,� Remus said darkly.

Frustrated, James grabbed a quill, and (seeing no paper) took Peter’s arm.

“Hey!� Peter yelped. James gave him an apologetic look, but proceeded to write on Peter’s arm: Evans hexed me and I can’t talk. The countercurse is ‘Vocalibre.’

Sirius seemed to be considering taking no action, but Remus pulled out his wand and flourished it in James’ direction.

“Thanks, mate,� James said. “That took too long.�

“I guess someone needs more work on their nonverbal spells,� Remus teased him.

James smacked his forehead and laughed. “Oops. Forgot about those.�

“So why did Evans hex you?� Sirius asked.

“Oh, I just asked her out again. But hey, there’s always next Thursday!� He flopped onto his bed, pulled out his wand, and started making pillows zoom into Sirius’ head.

The first time James saw Lily run, he had the naïveté to think he could catch her.

To be fair, it wasn’t such a far-fetched idea: his muscles were strong from passing quaffles and dodging bludgers, and he had all the motivation of a sixteen-year-old who had never met a goal he couldn’t reach. On top of that, he had recently decided that, one day, Lily Evans would go out with him—and what better way to hasten that inevitability than if she just happened to meet him running shirtless in the woods?

He had been gazing out the window avoiding his potions essay when he saw the glint of red between the trees. He looked closer, and realized it was Lily, out for a run along the edge of the forest, her bright hair in a ponytail dancing behind her. Hastily James tore off his shirt and laced up his running shoes, sprinting down the staircase and out onto the grounds. He felt an ache in his side, but forgot his fatigue when he noticed Lily disappearing round the bend ahead.

James took off running. As he felt the cramp in his side worsen, he realized that, while Quidditch had done wonders for his upper-body strength, he spent most of the game seated on his broom. His cardiovascular endurance was sorely lacking.

He came to a halt just before the bend and knelt over, resting his hands on his knees. He hoped Lily wouldn’t double back for the castle just yet and find him here, hunched over and clutching his side.

He needn’t have worried. The next day in Herbology, Lily was able to describe the Agapanthis floreana with astonishing accuracy, even mentioning the small white flowers that had bloomed only a few days before. Merlin! She must have run a full six-mile loop to make it as far as the Agapanthis greenhouses! James thought. How else would she have known the flowers were blooming? Maybe it was best he hadn’t had the strength to catch up with her—there was no way he could have kept pace with her for six miles!

But what if he were able to keep pace with her?

And his thoughts drifted from the Herbology greenhouses to the Agapanthis ones, where perhaps one day they might sit together and share a kiss before running the final three miles back to the castle.

He recounted the story to Remus later that day, wanting to tell someone but reluctant to endure Sirius’ taunts and unwilling to tarnish his reputation in Peter’s eyes.

“Maybe you’re more of a sprinter,� Remus said in a conciliatory tone. (His eyes twinkled, though, and James realized he had not spared himself all humiliation by avoiding Sirius.) “You know—short distances. You could probably keep up with her for the first five feet or something,� Remus finished laughingly. James simply glowered.

Say what you will about James Potter the summer before his sixth year: call him arrogant, immature, insensitive, or a dapple-faced dingbat—but he was nothing at all if not determined. And so he spent that summer in training, building up his stamina until he could run three or four miles without collapsing. Back at Hogwarts, he worried that he would bump into Lily running on the grounds before he had the stamina to keep up with her. So he practiced in secret, jogging back and forth through the underground passageway to Hogsmeade. By Halloween, he had reached his goal. He ran six miles every day. It was routine now. In fact, somewhere along the way, he almost forgot that he was doing it for her. Running became something he actually enjoyed, something to clear his head when life threatened to cloud it.

---

James had to admit, his Valentine’s Day had not gone exactly according to plan. “Lily Evans receives valentine, abandons boyfriend, and falls for James Potter� was a bit optimistic, certainly—but was two out of three really so much to ask for? Well, at least she received the valentine, he thought brightly, remembering their banter. And the weather had been unseasonably warm now that it was March; perhaps one of these days he would finally get to go running with her.

It happened sooner than he could have expected. That evening, studying the Maurauder’s Map, James noticed a dot labeled Lily Evans moving around the edge of the grounds. He threw on his running shoes and jogged outside (not even breaking a sweat), following a trail that he knew would merge with Lily’s within a mile. Sure enough, as the paths merged he noticed her bright red hair through the trees.

“Hey, Lily,� he greeted her, feigning surprise that they should both be out running at the same time.

“Hi, James,� Lily replied. Her surprise was real; she had run on this path scores of times without ever meeting anyone. She recovered from the surprise soon enough, though, and they fell into step beside each other as they jogged along, chatting amiably.

“So what did you think of the Quidditch match yesterday?� James asked.

“You win some, you lose some,� Lily replied. “The weather was really good, though.�

“Your boyfriend put up a good showing for Ravenclaw,� James observed.

Lily raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so now you acknowledge his existence?� she said smiling.

James shrugged. “Only when it’s relevant.�

“So…it’s relevant when you’re playing him in Quidditch, but not when you’re asking out his girlfriend,� Lily commented, looking bemused. “What does it have to do with Quidditch?�

James’ dry wit kept the twinkle from his eye. “Well…he is your boyfriend…and he is on the other team…and we did lose…�

“You suspect me of foul play?� Lily was familiar enough with James’ humor not to take him seriously, but she wondered where he was taking this.

James shrugged as if he were an impartial observer (though a more interested party there never was). “I merely present for your consideration a possible explanation as to why the Gryffindor team, which is clearly awesome�—he indicated himself and Lily—“should lose to a bunch of wimps like Ravenclaw.�

Lily looked at him askance, though she did not stop running. “Let me get this straight. First you’re saying that I cheated. And then you’re implying that I played so poorly on Saturday that I was obviously trying to help the other team.�

James watched as his joke tripped, fell through the air, and landed flat on its face. He quickly attempted to backpedal.

“No, Lily! No, of course not, you played brilliantly on Saturday. You always play brilliantly,� he babbled. “I was just making a stupid joke.�

Her face softened.

“You know, like the way it usually is with us,� James continued. “I say something funny, and you laugh.�

He paused deliberately, giving Lily time to raise an eyebrow, before finishing: “And then you come back with an even funnier response, and everybody laughs.�

At this Lily chuckled, and James, relieved to be back in her good humor, was content to keep the conversation to less volatile subjects for the remainder of the run.

---

The next day, James caught up with Lily as they walked to Transfiguration. “I had fun running with you yesterday.�

“Yeah, me too,� she responded simply, though James couldn’t tell whether she was being genuine or just polite. Lily’s character combined kindness and honesty such that James had recently been finding himself quite befuddled as to which was which. She wasn’t walking away from him, though, so he decided to continue.

“That was kind of like a date, wasn’t it?� he began with a grin. “You and me running along the forest together? What do you say we go out running again tonight?�

Whenever James talked to her, Lily noticed, he managed to blend seriousness with humor in a way that frequently left her wondering which was which. Unwilling to ignore his comment, though (she did enjoy talking to him, after all), she ventured a response.
“I thought people in your world only went on dates on Thursdays,� she said, remembering their conversation of a few weeks prior.

James breathed an exaggerated sigh and rolled his eyes. “Oh, Lily. Do you ever listen to anything I say?�

Lily feigned surprise at the realization that he had been speaking to her. “What? Are you talking to me? I’m sorry, I didn’t catch a word you just said,� she replied grinning.

“Aw, shut up,� James laughed, rolling his eyes genuinely this time. “No, people can go on dates any day they want to. They just only say yes on Thursdays.�

“Well, I guess there’s your answer, then,� Lily chuckled. “Last I checked, today was definitely Monday.� And she strode ahead of him to greet Professor McGonagall.



“Nice going, mate,� Sirius whispered sarcastically to James as they entered the classroom. “You’ve got the theory down pat, but you’re kind of awful at putting it into practice! What were you thinking, asking her out on a Monday?�

“Shut up, Padfoot. I thought I had some momentum, all right?� James laughed. “Anyway, I’ll talk to her again at Quidditch.�

Sirius, catching a glance at James’ planner, was pleased to see “Practice� penciled in under Thursday of that week.