*Disclaimer*- Messrs. Fuzzbutt and Fantail do not now, nor will they ever, claim to be J.K. Rowling. They own none of the characters or situations presented by Ms. Rowling in any of her brilliantly written books.

Chapter Fifteen- She Said Yes

"Only four hours left until we enter 1975!" Sirius said excitedly. He, Emmeline, Marlene, Remus, James, Lily, Frank, Alice, Dorcas, and Peter, respectively, were all sitting around the fire in the common room, waiting to ring in the New Year.

"Only four hours?" Lily questioned.

"Four is less than fi-ive!" Sirius said in a sing-song voice.

"Brilliant observation, Sherlock," Lily commented sarcastically.

"Sirius, not Sherlock," Sirius said. "Although I'm also called ‘Mr. Devilishly Handsome‘, and ‘Hot Stuff‘. Take your pick."

Lily rolled her eyes. "And to think I thought James was the egotistic one."

Sirius grinned. "But he's not egotistic any more, is he?" he asked, trying to get a rise out of Lily.

Lily, however, smiled. "I don't think he ever was all that bad."

James grinned broadly, and Emmeline muttered, "Could've fooled me."

"Me too," the others chorused.

"Well, alright, I used to think he was but now, oh, you're all awful," Lily said, blushing.

The remaining few hours passed much the same, with laughter, joking, teasing, and pumpkin juice all around. Lily felt the best she had since her parents' deaths, and was almost bubbling with excitement at the incoming year.

"Everyone's getting all cozy," Lily mentioned, looking around at the couples. Frank and Alice, although not a couple, were sitting closely and talking to each other in whispers, smiling every now and then. Sirius was chasing Emmeline around with a giant hat that he was intent on getting her to wear and she was intent on keeping off of her head. Marlene and Remus were cuddled up on a nearby couch, and Dorcas and Peter were in the back corner of the common room playing Exploding Snap.

"Looks like it's just us," James said, looking around and noticing the same.

Lily laughed. "Guess so," she said.

"Oh, you say that as if it's horrid that we're the only two sane ones in the room," James said, pouting.

"Well, the company could be better," Lily joked.

James sighed. "Would horrible company... do this?" he asked, poking her in the side.

She jumped and squealed. "Yes, so don't do it again," she said.

"Do what?" James asked innocently.

Lily stuck her tongue out. "You know what," she said.

"Why, is Miss Evans ticklish?" James asked, grinning.

"Of course not," Lily said, lying.

"So, you won't mind it if I do this?" James asked, poking her side. She jumped again and scooted over.

"Don't!" she said, laughing.

James cackled, much to Lily's dismay, and tickled Lily mercilessly.

"No... don't," Lily managed between laughs. "Stop!"

James laughed and said, "And why should I?"

"Because... I'm Head Girl and... I say so!"

"Oh, alright," James said, stopping. "I mean, it's not as if I'm Head Boy and can contradict what you say."

Lily then grinned mischievously. Before James could even wonder what she was up to she poked him in the side. He jumped.

"Hah!" Lily exclaimed in victory, beginning to tickle him.

"No fair!" he cried, laughing.

"Since when? You tickled me!"

"Stop... because I'm Head Boy... and I say so!" James laughed out.

Lily chuckled. "Alright, fine," she said.

James recovered and stuck his tongue out at her. "That was cruel," he said.

Before she could reply, the students in the common room interrupted. "TEN," they all said in unison. The ten second countdown had begun.

"Nine!"

"It was fun, though," Lily replied.

"Eight!"

"For you, maybe," James said, pretending to sulk.

"Seven!"

"Aw, is poor Jamesie upset?"

"Six!"

"If you must know, yes."

"Five!"

"Be happy, James-"

"Four!"

"-it's almost 1975!"

"Three!"

James grinned.

"Two!"

Lily smiled widely in excitement.

"One!" Lily and James joined in.

"Happy New Year!" everyone shouted, James lifting Lily up and spinning her around before putting her down. Lily wrapped her arms around James's neck in surprise, but laughed. As he set her down, she kissed him- full on the lips. She quickly pulled back, his arms still around his waist from his picking her up, and hers still around his neck, and they stared at each other in shock.

Lily pulled away from James, her hand over her mouth in surprise, and backed a few steps away, slowly. Then she bolted up to her dormitory.

James stood, still in shock, and touched his lips. What just happened?

"What was that?" Sirius asked, looking at James. Apparently James wasn't the only person confused. Looking around, he saw that most of the common room was looking at him in a questioning sort of way. Marlene, Emmeline, and Alice, however, had followed Lily after seeing she had run.

"Did I... did she? Wha... Merlin," James stammered.

Remus blinked. He blinked again. "Lily kissed you, James," he said. Even he seemed shocked.

"Merlin," James muttered again, sitting down on the floor.

"Do you know what this means?" Sirius asked, excitedly.

James shook his head dumbly.

"She fancies you!" Sirius said.

"But she ran away," James pointed out, coming out of his stupor and frowning.

"She wouldn't have kissed you if she didn't fancy you," Sirius said.

"Maybe she surprised herself," Remus pointed out. "Maybe she hasn't even realized yet that she fancies you."

"Brilliant in matters of the brain, but not so brilliant in matters of the heart," Sirius agreed.

James shook his head. "Lily's brilliant. She probably was aiming for my cheek or something, and I must've turned my head or... something." James didn't remember turning his head.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "She kissed you and she meant to, although it seemed she didn't realize what she was doing..."

"Did everyone see?" James finally asked.

"Well," Remus started, "you were being awfully noisy and flirty this evening..."

"Oh no," James muttered, putting his head in his hands.

"What?"

"She kissed me, ran away, and everybody saw. Not only does she regret it, but every one else knows, too," James said.

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"Lily?" Marlene called as she entered the dormitory. Lily was sitting on her bed, head in hands.

"What have I done?" she asked.

"Lily," Emmeline said gently, she and Alice having entered behind Marlene, "you kissed James. Not a cheek kiss, a lips kiss."

"Well what did I do that for?" Lily asked, hoping someone understood it better than she.

Alice smiled. "You fancy him, Lily, don't you?"

Lily shook her head. "No," she said. "No, I don't-" But her thoughts cut her off. She thought about his friendship, what it meant to her, how she felt when he wasn't around, how special he made her feel, and how empty everything was without him and her whole world seemed to tilt over. "Oh no," she said.

"What?"

"I... I fancy James Potter," Lily said, wide-eyed.

"Well, now that you've finally admitted it to yourself, you know what you have to do, right?" Marlene asked.

"Hide?" Lily tried.

"Tell him," Marlene said.

"Tell him?" Lily exclaimed. "I can't tell him!"

"Why not?" Emmeline asked.

"Because he doesn't fancy me like that," Lily said, as if it made all the sense in the world.

"Doesn't fancy you...? Merlin, Lily, the boy is head-over-heels for you!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Lily said.

"I'm not being-"

Lily rolled her eyes. "No, just stop. The only thing to do is to pretend it never happened."

"Lily you can't be serious," Marlene said.

Lily laughed through her scowl. "No, I'm Lily. Sirius is down stairs. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. I have things to do tomorrow."

"Lily, stop being so stupid!" Emmeline said through the curtains that Lily had shut on them.

Lily sighed and pulled the curtains open a bit. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't mean to get angry at you, it's just, well, you're telling me silly things, and I'm feeling silly things, and I really need to sleep on this, so... well, I'm sorry," Lily said.

The girls sighed, too. "It's alright," Alice said.

"G' night," Lily told them, and they muttered their good-nights back.

The girls lay awake for a few minutes. Suddenly, Emmeline said, "I'm proud of you, Lily. You finally realized your feelings. And everything'll work out, and soon you'll be dating him, all because you've finally gotten over your stubbornness."

Lily smiled slightly. "Thanks, Emm," she said, even if she didn't fully believe her.

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"Ask her out," Remus told James.

"But... but what if she says no?" James asked.

"She won't say no," Sirius said exasperatedly. "She kissed you on the lips." He spoke as if speaking to a child who wasn't understanding a fairly easy concept.

James thought about it for a few minutes. "Alright," he finally said, smiling slightly.

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Lily and James walked through the halls, doing their rounds as Head Boy and Girl. The tension in the air seemed thick enough to be touched, and the awkward silence made checking for rule breakers a very dull, very slow job.

Jame cleared his throat suddenly. "Six months until N.E.W.T.s," he said.

Lily nodded. "Yes, I know," she said. "I'm a bit nervous," she admitted.

"Don't be, you'll pass without a problem," James complimented.

Flattery. Does. Not. Work! It only makes me resort to one word sentences! And that's horrible! Lily smiled slightly, remembering how she'd used to answer such things. "Thanks," she said. "I'm sure you'll do well, too."

James smiled. "I hope so. Remus and I have actually looked over some of our notes, and it doesn't seem as if all will be that bad. I hope I do well. Will you go out with me?" James's eyes widened as he realized what he'd said. Oops.

"What did you say?" Lily asked, wanting to make sure she'd heard right. Could Emmeline have been right?

James blushed and looked at his feet. "Oh, nothing," he said.

"No, what did you say?" Lily asked again. Please say you asked what I think you asked. This thought, still being of the new sort for Lily, caused her to blush as she asked. She couldn't look at him.

"I... well, I don't know, I suppose I was just being stupid but what I said was, well, I just, I don't know, you're beautiful, and smart, and funny, and you're special, and wonderful, and, well, I guess, I don't, but what I mean is, well, will you, I don't know why this is so, can you maybe, I mean you don't have to, but will you go out with me?" James said in all one breath.

Lily blinked and was too shocked to answer.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," James started, blushing further and walking on.

Lily shook her head. Wait! She grabbed his arm and he turned his head to look at her. "Yes," she said.

James's head cocked to the side. "Yes?" he questioned.

"Yes," she said, now smiling.

James positively beamed. "Yes," he said nodding. "Yes!" He twirled her around and laughed in relief.

Lily giggled as she was spun and when she stopped she looked up at him, smiling. She then kissed him on the lips, realizing, this time, exactly what she was doing.

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"Well, you look happy," Emmeline commented as Lily entered her dormitory after her rounds.

"I am," she said.

"Oh?" Marlene asked.

Lily beamed. "I said yes," she said.

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James plopped back onto his bed, arms spread.

Remus raised an eyebrow and his antics. "What's got you so chipper?" he asked.

"I did what you told me to," he said.

Sirius sat up, suddenly interested. "And?" he asked.

James beamed. "She said yes."

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Authors’ Notes: Aww! :swoons: This is definitely one of our favorite chapters. Please review!

We apologize for the lack of updates. We've been busy with the school Musical and homework and lack of internet. Hopefully this was worth the wait!

Also note, this isn’t the end of CAF. We’ve still got five chapters left, as this covers all of seventh year, and then after that we’ve got two sequels planned. So stick around and review!