A/N: Well, here I am again with another chapter! I've been having a heck of a time prepping for NaNoWriMo, and an even worse time writing it… but I couldn't help myself. I had to take a break for you guys. (I've written 20,000 words! Cut me some slack!)

Lily Evans hated, no, hates, James Potter. It is an accepted fact known by every man, woman, and child at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She hates him. Really, she does…

He read Shakespeare… but a lot of people read Shakespeare in their lives, right?... but magical people?

He wrote her sweet notes… but he's always pulled things like that, hasn't he? It's not like he really had any interest in her, right? She was just sort of a joke between him and his friends, right?

She hates James Potter. Of course she does!

She hates him because he's so, so arrogant… but she hasn't noticed him bragging about things quite so much this year, has she? He's been a bit quiet on that front…

She hates him because he's mean… but when was the last time she caught him hexing a Slytherin in the hallways?

She hates him because of that stupid way he always messes up his hair. He just does it to make it look like he's gotten off his broomstick. Yeah, we get it, he's good at flying, but we don't have to be reminded of that every time we see your stupid hair.

But it is sort of cute, isn't it?

But, but, but, but, but…

No. There is no doubt about it. Lily Evans hates James Potter, and nothing he says or does can convince her otherwise. He's just a mean, arrogant, albeit extremely handso—No, he's a bullying toe-rag who's too immature for his own good and just needs to grow up.

Plus, he's a horrid singer, and rubbish at both flirting, and telling jokes.

OoOoO

One thing, James Potter noticed, that always seemed to make Lily smile, was those stupid complimenting notes he'd send her. He noticed that she always like to pretend she thought they were stupid, but never actually minded receiving them.

Which is why, looking back on his successes and failures in the realm of Lily Evans, it was wisest for him to pursue the route that would most likely win her admiration.

Who knew, that after all those years of cheap pick-up lines and roses, that all she really needed was some interest in books and personalized compliments?

Of course, looking at it now, he realized he should have known Lily was not the cheap pick-up line type of girl.

He said screw you to the other steps, and focused his attention mainly towards the compliment area.

"Get your head in the game!" He prepped himself in front of his mirror before going out for the day.

And then he was ready.

When he saw her at breakfast, he greeted her with a hearty, "Lily!" When she turned to look at him, he said, "I know I've said it before, but I really like it when you talk to me. It's much better than when nobody talks to me. Or when people I don't know talk to me."

"Don't get used to it." She called before walking away.

But he caught her smile.

He'd become more and more observant recently, and he could tell… something was working.

He'd considered telling her that she was a 10 on the hotness scale, and that he knew what he was talking about because he was a fellow 10 as well.

But he figured that wouldn't help him as far as the ego thing went.

When he walked into Charms, he slid into the desk next to her saying, "You know, Lil? If your face was on a shirt, I would buy that shirt and wear it all around town and tell people 'this is the face of a winner,' and they'd be all, 'I wish I had that shirt."

"That's actually kind of creepy, Potter."

"In all seriousness though, Lily, you actually do have a really great personality." He replied.

She said nothing.

Of course, as much as he wanted to he would never tell her how he wanted to be with her almost as much, if not more, than he absolutely didn't want to be with that muggle furby that first year had at night time.

When he wanted to impress her with his muggle knowledge in a tasteful way, he would say something along the lines of "You're like a blind Marilyn Monroe. Everyone can see you're beautiful, except for you."

When he saw she got a good grade on an assignment, he would say something along the lines of, "You're smarter than Mary Poppins and Google combined."

All the other Wizards would look confused, but they would share a secret look.

Or at least, James would try to share a secret look but Lily wasn't having much of it.

But still.

He could tell he was making a difference.

Which is why, just to mix things up a little bit, he took a piece of advice from a website he'd thrown away previously, and stopped.

Just completely stopped.

No more flirting, no more compliments, no more attempts at anything, just stopped.

Yeah, he'd nod to her in the hall once and awhile… but he thought…

Well. Playing hard to get. It's something they talked about a lot, right? And Sirius talked about it a lot too, right? He said that's what he always did.

So he stopped. Just like that.

And Lily noticed.

OoOoO

It was quite shocking for Miss Evans, how one second James Potter was on her tail every second of every day showering her with praises, but now he so suddenly… wasn't.

Not that she'd found her worth in his words or anything, but after over five years of the same attention he'd given her, it was quite different to not feel it anymore.

Had she done something wrong?

He couldn't have moved on, could he?

"Do you think something's wrong with James?" She asked her friends at breakfast.

"Why? Because he's not worshipping you like usual? Stop dragging him on a string, Lily!"

She was sort of offended. "Dragging him on a string? I haven't once led him on! Are we going to talk about the insane amount of times I've asked him to stop noticing me?"

"Then what's the problem this time? You've gotten what you wanted from him. Just give him some peace. You've done enough harm."

Harm? Harm?

Dragging him on a string?

But she had gotten what she'd wanted, right?

For James to leave her alone?

She never had to deal with his pride, or idiocy, or stupid hair, or stupid smile, or… stupid compliments… ever again. She didn't have to worry about him following her in the hallways, or carrying her books…

Actually.

What did she lose in those situations?

A/N: Alright, so sorry it's short, and sorry if it's a bit different stylistically than the others. I'm immersed in NaNo at the moment. Thanks for still sticking with me guys!

Lots of love,

-Awesomegirl13