Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to ME. :)

Note: If you remember the old story, this is for you. :) ILY!

Spring Sonata

Chapter One ll The Library Encounter

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A petite, redheaded girl paced down the aisle. Towering on either side of her were shelves of formidable-looking books no other student would possibly dare to ever think of considering to approach.

But then again, Lily Evans wasn't like most other students. Extraordinarily kind-hearted and sweet, Lily was also on the shy side and kept quiet in most situations. Moreover, she was gifted with the brightest and most intelligent mind Hogwarts had revered since Rowena Ravenclaw herself, although Lily had surprisingly ended up in Gryffindor instead.

It was well past midnight. The rest of the library was deserted with the lamps casting a dim light over the shelves and desks. Lily was on an extra assignment for Professor Flitwick, who had squeakily implored her to find some heavy volumes for an extension topic in his Charms class. Lily, of course, had obliged, and the librarian, of course, had given her special permission to stay behind after closing hours to finish the task.

With fatigue resting heavily on her eyes, Lily felt a tiny jab of regret at her hasty decision.

She dawdled, running her fingers over the spines of several books that looked promising. Lily paused over a likely-looking volume, picked it up and stifled a yawn as she examined the cover.

Unbeknowst to her was another person in the library, away from the dark shelves she was enclosed in.

James Potter gazed sleepily at the piece of parchment in front of him which was, unfortunately, blank. For the hundredth time he beat himself up over why he had left his Muggle Studies essay to the last minute.

It was stupidity, utter stupidity.

Desperate to finish his essay in the still and somewhat motivating library, James had hidden underneath his Invisibility Cloak while Madam Tiffany ushered everyone else out. The common room's soft couches always made lulled him to sleep at crucial last-minute homework moments. And there was also the major drawback of adoring girls staying up with him. James sighed and scratched the back of his head. More to give him something else to do other than stare at his white parchment, he picked up his novel and flicked through it dully.

Talking lions. A never-ending winter. Daughters of Eve.

What does it all mean? he thought fervently. Muggle authors are barking mad, honestly.

James was deciding whether to use this as his essay title when he thought he heard footsteps. The raven-haired boy looked around, frowning slightly. He was sure he was the only one left in the library. Was there someone else struggling with a Muggle Studies essay too?

James had ignored it and begun reading a chapter when he heard it again; soft footsteps padded by the carpet, followed by the gentle thump of a book being replaced on its shelf.

He sat very still and peered cautiously at the dark shelves. Someone was definitely moving there... but who, and why in the dead of night?

One hand still clutching the novel, James snatched up his wand and prowled towards the source of the disturbance, pushing away the guilty reprieve that he should really be concentrating on his essay.

Lily bit her lip as she struggled underneath a pile of five heavy books, trying to put a sixth one on top. The pile was now towering over her head and, staggering slightly underneath the weight and her blocked vision, she began to meander out of the aisle to the desk area. Relief mingled with her sleepiness as she mused that at least Professor Flitwick would be happy.

James held his wand aloft as he investigated each aisle, drawing closer to the footsteps. Curious, he rounded the corner quickly and had a fleeting glimpse of a tottering pile of books before the collision happened.

"Ahhh!"

Books flew everywhere, causing many thumps to rent the silence as they sprang all over the ground. A girl was revealed to be standing there, rooted to the spot, her eyes wide with shock.

"Oh, Merlin's beard, I'm so sorry."

Highly embarrassed, James stooped down to pick up the volumes. He could feel the avid stare the redheaded girl he had unceremoniously crashed into gave him, and cursed his own clumsiness. He caught her eye and managed a lopsided grin. A faint blush rose to her cheeks at once and she quickly bent down as well.

Lily was perfectly aware of who the handsome dark-haired boy was, the boy very sweetly and kindly picking up her books. Everybody knew James Potter, the adored prince of Hogwarts. He was the best Chaser and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, he came from a wealthy and well-known wizarding family, and girls were all agreed that he was gorgeous in simply every way.

Lily, on the other hand, could not have been anymore different. Quiet and shy, her name was only passed around by her adoring teachers. She occassionally exchanged words with some girls in her year, but mostly kept to herself. Lily Evans wasn't rude, or conceited, or ugly. But she lived an invisible life, her beautiful spirit unnoticed by the students around her.

As she picked up a particularly large volume, she could feel him watching her closely. The redhead cracked a small smile as she passed him the briefest of looks. His hazel eyes were narrowed in a faint frown, which vanished when her green eyes met his.

"I didn't think anyone else'd be here so late," he said amicably, still gathering the volumes. He eyed her intently as if trying to recognise her. "I'm James, by the way."

Looking a bit surprised, she said shyly, "I'm Lily."

"Lily," James repeated in his smooth, deep baritone. Her name sounded so nice, the way he said it. A smile, one that drove many girls crazy, crossed his face as he mused, "That's a pretty name." Lily felt her cheeks heat up again and made a mental note to get a grip of herself. Meanwhile, James felt his curiosity stir in wonder as he pondered the redhead, so unlike the giggling, eyelash-batting girls he usually stumbled across at Hogwarts. He felt rather intrigued.

"So Lily..." he started casually, and she hid a smile at his deliberate tone. "What year are you in?"

"I'm in fifth year."

James blinked, pausing in the act of stacking the last volume on his pile. "Really?" he said, nonplussed. "But that's my year... how come I don't know you?"

Lily hid a smile again; he may have been a child asking why the sky was blue, the innocent way he said it. She stood on her feet, sweeping the last book from the ground, a novel. He got up as well, still studying her sceptically.

She chuckled, "I wouldn't know why." Very few students knew her, it was hardly surprising that the popular James Potter didn't even recognise her. But why this was so had always been a mystery to her.

"Oh really?" asked James with a raised eyebrow. "You sure you haven't been hiding under trick stairs or inside suits of armour all these years?"

"No," said Lily, her mouth twitching.

"Then how come I didn't find out about you until I knocked you over tonight?" he demanded, all in good humour.

"I don't know," she said again, beginning to chuckle. James secretly grinned in victory; there was nothing like teasing to break the ice.

"But your plan failed."

Lily glanced up to behold his solemn stare, her brow furrowed slightly. "What plan?"

"Your plan to avoid me for seven years at Hogwarts. Because, Lily," he paused, savouring the emphasis he put on her pretty name. "I know something about you."

Her heart rate suddenly accelerated.

"What?"

He grinned, managing to support five volumes with one arm as he tugged the sixth one she had been holding out of her grip. She released it in surprise.

"That you like reading ancient volumes about the history of Charm magic," James said mischievously, balancing the tottering pile. He threw her a very serious, adominishing look. "And you will go to great lengths to ensure other students don't check them out before you get your hands on them."

Lily was stunned for a second; a blush rose to her cheeks again as he grinned teasingly at her.

"I - I'm collecting them for Professor Flitwick," she said a bit defensively.

He rose an eyebrow, "Knowledge at midnight?"

Her blush grew deeper still but some of her shyness melted away. "He only asked me this afternoon. It's not an easy task, you know."

"I'm sure it isn't," chortled James, leading the way out of the aisle. Lily followed, faintly mystified.

He walked out easily to the desks, where the light was a bit brighter, and set down the stack of volumes. Lily paused a step away from him, still uncertain of how to act. She fiddled absently with the novel in her hands, which he plucked out almost immediately.

"Oh hey, this is mine."

Even as he brandished it Lily recognised the cover. "You read Muggle novels?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," James said with dignity. "They make me fully appreciate the Muggle world and its... limitations. The winter never ends in the Muggle world, did you know that?" he added in a conspiratic whisper.

Lily looked at him perplexedly and he looked back with equal intensity. Then they glanced away and laughed.

James smiled at her, scratching the back of his head. "Actually, it's for Muggle Studies. My essay's due tomorrow and I don't have a clue what's going on. I don't suppose you take it, do you?" he added hopefully, and was disappointed when she shook her head.

"But..." said Lily carefully, glancing at his blank parchment. "I can tell you that Muggle seasons don't comprise only of winter."

"I knew that," he sighed heavily. "But the rest of the novel still doesn't make any sense. See what you make of it. Let's see... there's a talking lion, a wardrobe confused as to whether it's a fireplace or a Portkey, a couple of mad beavers - "

" - a white witch and an ancient prophecy that four children will save the land of Narnia from her," finished Lily. When he gazed at her, open-mouthed, she timidly explained, "This is one of my favourite books. It tells a story of bravery, friendship and self-sacrifice."

"Uh huh, and what else...?" he was scribbling on some parchment.

Lily looked at him carefully, "Have you even read this?"

"I've tried!" he said in his defence. "But I just haven't got your patience or insight or... appreciation for mad literature. You're smiling." A grin unfurled across his own face as she went pink again. "I got you to smile."

Lily fought to keep a straight face.

"I got you to smile," said James again, beginning to twist into a tune. "I got you to smile. I got you to smi - ile."

"So what?" Lily asked, unable to hold back.

"So it means you're in a better mood to help me now," he beamed at her, enhancing his handsome features. "Please?"

Lily took a couple of seconds profound reflection. Of course, her good, kind nature had already decided from the moment she entered the world that she would lend help to whoever needed it. Her earlier exhaustion had dispersed and, if she was going to be truthful with herself, Lily felt somewhat compelled to stay with him, not least because James had so kindly helped her with the heavy books. (Although of course, the back of her mind countered feebly, she may not have needed assistance if he hadn't collided into her.)

"Will you?" prompted James, sounding anxious.

She blinked and looked right at him, and James was taken-aback at the vivid green of her eyes. It was a wonder he hadn't noticed her before.

"Alright," she agreed softly.

He grinned at her and she returned a small, sweet smile, feeling her cheeks tingle with the hint of a blush. Something small and vague stirred in both of their hearts as they looked at each other, but, ignoring it, they proceeded to decrypt the enchanting novel of Narnia with much interjections and sidetracks along the way.

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A/N: Hi everyone. :) How are we all going? MERRY XMAS! Hehe. This is a tribute to my old story, which I loved and lost - sob sob -, and which many others loved too. I will try to finish this one, with all its old charm (hopefully!) but I have a busy year... Hmm. Hehe. x) Some changes, indeed, but hopefully they are for the better. PLEASE review, I have missed you guys... I wonder how many of you are left? xD HAPPYNEWYEAR! - msq.