How (Not) to Ask Lily Evans Out

"Evans! Hey, Evans!"

"Ignore him, Lily," said Alice loftily, shifting her bookbag higher.

Lily stared determinedly forward, her eyes never wavering from the hallway, until –

"James!"

She stumbled back, tripping on the hem of her robes. James was floating in front of her, dangling upside down from his broomstick, his robes hanging off of him and obscuring his face.

"Something wrong, Evans?" he asked mildly as he took his hands off his broom to push the robes out of his face, so that he was only holding on to the broom with his legs.

"James," she spluttered, "what are you doing?"

He grinned, slowly going purple in the face. "Well, as you won't talk to me, I've found that I'll need to use drastic measures to get your attention."

"Go away, James," said Lily disdainfully, and she shoved past him, catching up with Alice.

"Wait! Evans!"

He flipped right side up and zoomed ahead of her, skidding to a halt two inches from her face.

"The first Hogsmeade visit of the year is this weekend," he told her, floating toward her so she was forced to take a step back.

"I'm aware," she said lightly. "I won't be going at all, though."

"What?" he squeaked, and then he hastily cleared his throat. "Why not?" he asked in an attempt to sound more casual.

"I've got N.E.W.T.s to study for," she told him.

"What?" he choked again. "Those aren't until June!"

"I like to get a head start on things," she said, frowning at him. "Did you want something, James?"

He began to turn red. "Well, I was wondering – if you'd like – although I guess you don't –"

"Spit it out, James."

"Do you maybe want to go with me?"

She stared at him.

"To Hogsmeade, that is," he added hastily. "This weekend. But you knew that. And you're busy, so – well, I'll just go." He turned his broom around and began to fly the other way.

"James?"

"Huh?"

"Yes."

He pulled his broom around. "Yes?"

"Yes, I'll go with you," said Lily with a hint of a smile.

"Great," he said rather breathlessly, beginning to drift backwards. "Brilliant. I'll see you – oof!"

His broom crashed into a pole and he toppled off, his robes tangling around his head. Lily stifled a giggle.

"Bye, James," she said, smiling.

"Bye!" he called back, his voice muffled by his robes. When she was gone, he sat up with a goofy grin on his face.

He couldn't wait until the weekend.