A/N: Thoughts and prayers go to the people in Boston and West, TX. We're praying for you guys. God bless.
On a bit lighter note: this is the last one guys. Thanks for all the feedback an support, be sure to check out some of my other stories.

What Does 'Yes' Mean?

"You will…" But at that moment, the bell rang and all the students leapt out of their seats.

The castle was alive with the noise of scraping chairs and conversations being picked back up. The Transfiguration class erupted as sixteen-year-olds beelined for the door. James sat where he was. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lily waiting by the doorway with an amused smile on her face. If he wasn't crazy, (although that would explain the last hour,) then she seemed flattered that he was getting in trouble for her. James shook his head at her, trying to signal for her not to wait around. His attempted discreetness failed, however.

"Ms. Evans?" McGonagall asked, spotting the girl hovering by the door as she so often would. She clearly thought Lily had a question about the lesson. James shook his head at her.

"I…"she faltered, seeing James' look, "I…ah…how do you make contact with your…um…er..." Lily trailed off, looking at James helplessly. He had to admit, though, it did make her look pretty cute. And she was looking to him for help…

"Patronus?" McGonagall offered in a steely voice. She knew something was up and if Lily didn't hurry up with the question, two and two would be put together, and they'd both be in trouble.

"Yes, Patronus!" Lily said. She obviously was starting to regret this. But James saw his opening and piped up.

"Well," he began, "it really all has to do with the Bonoces…"

"Mr. Potter!" said McGonagall, "need I remind you that…"

"Yes, yes, I know it's the Bonoces," Lily interrupted, "but how come thinking of a bad memory is able to help you call up the Patronus?"

"Well, that's what the Bonoces does," James said, standing, "it combines two conflicting sides and translates the confliction into the Patronus. The Patronus is not completely solid, nor completely made up of light and memory. It's only solid enough for you to take a bit of it away. That's also why you have to make the Animagisti so quickly, so that you're Patronus material doesn't disappear."

"Okay," Lily said, walking up to him so that they were a foot apart. McGonagall had simply backed up to let James answer the question for her. (Damn boy paid no attention in her class and still knew everything!) James, for his part, was feeling lightheaded at being this close to Lily.

"…does it hurt the poor thing?" she was saying. James had to remind himself that he was having a conversation and not just staring at her.

"No," he said, "they aren't quite real enough to feel. And the next time you use the Patronus, its fine. Typically all you need is a bit of fur or slime or whatever."

Lily pulled a book out of her bag.

"Where does it talk about that?" she asked, waving her hand over the pages referring to Animagi.

"In Advanced Transfigurations for the Foolhardy," he almost said before remembering that he had snuck that book out of the Restricted Section.

"Uh…I don't know," he answered vaguely, "I think I read that in another book somewhere. We checked it to do some studying last weekend. But I think I've got it in my dormitory, you want me to go get it?"

"Yeah, let's go." Lily repacked her stuff and turned for the door, taking his hand—taking his hand!—and started walking.

"Mr. Potter?"

So close… Well, he hadn't actually thought he could just pretend she wasn't there and walk out, had he?

"Oh right," James said turning around to face the professor. To his sheer joy, Lily Evans did not let go of him.

"Do you realize I have not yet dismissed you?" Oh, if only looks could kill…

"Yes ma'am," James said, trying to bow his head without looking like he was mocking her.

"I will not tolerate outbursts in my class…especially when you are trying to distract others and ridicule me in front of the other students."

"I wasn't trying to," James said honestly, "I was just kind of in my own head and then it slipped out."

"You should be paying attention..."

"Yes ma'am. I was out last week after the accident in the Quidditch match…" (James hoped that bringing up his rib injury in the line of duty for Gryffindor Quidditch would no go unnoticed by fanatic Minerva McGonagall.)

"I know all about that."

"Yes ma'am. Well I thought that I'd missed the lessons on Animagi and already studied up on it as I was trying to catch up."

"That gives you no excuse to blow-up in my class."

'We just covered this!' James thought, exasperated.

"I'm sorry," he said again, "I was not thinking…" James brought up his most awkward memory (a very bad incident at the Christmas he'd spent at his aunt's house) and blushed. As hoped, McGonagall took this as a sign of embarrassed defeat and relented.

"If it happens again…"

James shook his head vehemently.

"No ma'am, it won't."

McGonagall narrowed her eyes. She still thought something was wrong with this. Her eyes went from James' to Lily's face and then found their hands. It was no secret that Lily hated James. She had probably turned him down once a week in all their classes and then some. McGonagall's eyebrows went up. Now this was unexpected…

"Well," said the professor, now covering, "I'll let you go with a warning…"

"Oh thank you," James said, bobbing his head like an idiot. Lily had to contain another giggle before it slipped out. He grabbed his schoolbag and started turning for the door, Lily's fingers still tangled in his own. They reached the opened door, walked out, and started down the passage.

Five minutes later, James still was only aware that Lily was holding his hand—willingly—and walking with him. She wasn't saying anything, but she didn't need to. James grinned and let the silence go unbroken.

It was only once they reached a fork in the hallways and James began to turn left—he had Runes to go to next—that she spoke.

"Um…James?"

"Yeah?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"I have to go to Divination," she said, glancing over her shoulder at the opposite hallway.

"Oh," he said stupidly.

"So...I'll see you back at the Common Room."

Lily smiled at him a bit nervously and rose up to her tiptoes. She pecked his cheek and dashed off down the hallway without saying another word, leaving James rooted to the spot in the corridor. It was a full two minutes before he remembered that he was now very late to Runes.

He got in trouble with Professor Grimes for being tardy and took a seat in the back of the class.

He didn't hear one word of the lesson. His life had just flipped upside down and he was expected to pay attention in Runes? Lily Evans was going out with him. They were going to go on a date and he would make to sure to schedule another afterwards, followed by another, and another, and another…

One thing was certain, he was not letting her get away from him...

A/N: So what did you think? This is the first thing I've ever let anyone other than my English teacher or my mother read so reviews are so very welcome.

-Freddie