Lily had wound up trying to complete her Transfiguration homework on her desk, which was exactly opposite James Potters' in their Head Common room. In fact, as the two desks were butted up against one another, she found herself trying desperately to look at the words on her parchment and not the slightly frowning face of the boy concentrating hard in her eye line.

She was stuck. Transfiguration didn't come as naturally to her as she may have wished. Not noticing the keen eyes on her face, she stared at the wall, clutching at ideas for her next paragraph, but none seemed right.

James watched her a moment, taking her in. He recognised the glazed look in her eyes only too well. "What's up Evans; writers block?" he asked, a little amusedly, laying down his quill, folding his arms and leaning forward so he was sprawled casually lounging on the desk; his eyes not leaving her.

She woke from her daydream, looking a little startled at him before shaking her head and smiling.

That smile. He raised an eyebrow, "Whatcha thinking?"

She shrugged, noticing him leant forward on the desk, his face to the side and his glasses slightly askew. "Oh I should be thinking about why you should never mix transfiguring hexes with memory charms but really I was deciding which kind of cake

I fancy eating more…carrot or ginger."

He chuckled; she was a random one, was Lily. "Cake? I like cake."

Leaning back she put her feet on the desk; her ankles were pale after losing the tan she'd acquired over summer, "Most people do." She stretched slightly, her arms extending before falling back down to the parchment that was sat on her knee.

"And which do you want to eat more?" he enquired conversationally.

She shrugged "Dunno, they both have their charms." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I mean, carrot cake is so sweet and nice but well, ginger cake has a bit of kick to it."

"You've really thought about this haven't you?!" he laughed, rubbing his forehead with his ink stained hand. Then he sat up eyeing her warily "I could go get you some, if you like? Any sort you want."

She looked suspiciously at him through one open eye before closing it again and replying "No thanks Potter, you don't have to."

"But I could." he replied seriously.

"But I don't want you to." she added, her voice flat.

He re-folded his arms, his brows furrowed, and then he smiled, lounging onto the desk in front of him again, his chin on his arms "Why do you never let yourself have something you want?"

Lily stared at him; his smile was too mischievous for her liking "What's that?"

"You," he continued, not taking his eyes off her "you never let yourself have what you want…what you really want." His eyes twinkled.

"And how do you know what it is I want?" she asked sceptically, leaning back in her chair once more, determined not to let him get to her.

"No one can resist cake Lily…no matter how long they try."

Lily had the very distinct impression they were no longer talking about cake. A funny feeling rose in her chest, it was something between embarrassment and amusement.

Now she knew he was in a flirtatious mood, and with no one around to listen in she indulged him a little. "Right, so you're saying one day, out of the blue I'll just fancy…cake and give in completely, is that it?"

He was glad she'd cottoned on "That's it." he replied, running a finger down the spine of a book.

She wanted to laugh but stopped herself. "And we wouldn't want that to happen now would we?!" she wasn't looking at him.

"Or would we?" he asked slyly, nudging her foot that was still lying on the desk. She didn't answer. Instead he saw her eyes fixed on a spot on her parchment, though he knew she wasn't reading.

He was right, she wasn't reading, she was trying not to blush too much. After a little while, still feeling his eyes on her she sighed "So go on then, if you were cake, what cake would you be?" she asked conversationally.

He grinned, ah ha, he thought happily. "Maybe I am cake. Maybe underneath these boyish good looks there's a squishy sweet yummy interior…"

"Eyw, I do not want to know about your squishy interiors!" she said laughing, throwing a piece of scrunched up parchment at his head. "Come on, what cake are you most like?"

He deliberated for a minute, trying to think of something really smart. "If I was cake…and I'm not saying I'm not…but if I was then I would be…gooey chocolate cake, with fudgy icing."

Her eyebrows raised; she liked chocolate cake. "And why's that?"

His smile was boyish. "Well…let's see. I'm completely irresistible to begin with," he liked the way she rolled her eyes playfully at him so he continued "and then I'm sweet, very sweet and intense…the sort of cake that when you take a bite you think it's too much but then you just can't help going back for more." He held her gaze, keeping his face straight, gauging her reaction.

Lily felt a bit funny. Intense; now that was a word that could be used when describing James Potter. She suddenly wanted fudgy chocolate cake. "Is that so." she muttered finally, thinking maybe she'd gotten too deep into the conversation.

A little smile crossed his lips "I could get you some chocolate cake if you wanted?"

"I don't want." she replied, still not looking at him.

"Or maybe you want…but are not letting yourself have?" he didn't wait for her to reply; he yawned and carried on "Yep, there's nothing like a good old fashioned piece of cake. Biscuits are alright, but they're not cake!"

Lily laughed now; what were biscuits meant to be? "Enlighten me…why are biscuits alright but not cake?"

He ran his hand through his hair, rumpling it in the process "Well, biscuits are all well and good for a while…but you could never substitute cake for them…in the end, no matter how good the biscuits may or may not taste, you'll always turn back to cake."

She thought she got what he was referring to. In his own crazy James Potter way he was telling her that although there had been other girls for him and other guys for her, they would always want cake… at least that's what she hoped he meant.

"I've confused you haven't I?" he asked, a little concern showing in the crease between his eyebrows. "Look, Lily, just because I've never tasted…cake…doesn't mean I don't know it'll be the sweetest thing in the world when I finally get there." No, that was even more confusing. "Erm, you know…I mean I can't wait for…cake?" he'd confused himself now.

Lily wanted to laugh…he was being utterly hopeless at trying to be sweet. Something she'd, in time, grow to love about him. Instead of laughing at him she just gave him a slight smile and returned to her studies.

…boys.