Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. All rights go to JK Rowling/Warner Bros. I do not profit in any way.

He watches her.

He doesn't mean to - it's become rather a habit over the years. And if he has to stare at someone, Lily Evans is a worthy subject. She's more beautiful than ever this year, James thinks, and it's strange to know that she doesn't hate him anymore. But a good kind of strange; the kind of strange that makes his chest lift and his lips curve into a smile whenever he thinks about it.

Of course, their newfound friendship of the last few months means he must be more careful about being caught watching her.

Not that he could stop - she's far too mesmerizing for that. He's just careful.

James doesn't look away quickly enough when she turns around, red hair flicking behind her. She meets his gaze with her green eyes, and they crinkle in the corners, and she's smiling at him, little pink lips pulled up at the corners just for him.

He grins more widely, and winks at her, just so he can watch the easy blush stain her cheeks, her smile widening for a second before she turns back around and starts paying attention to Professor Binns.

As Head Boy and Head Girl, they always patrol the corridors together on Wednesday and Friday evenings.

Today is a Wednesday, and James is hanging around with the Marauders in the common room that evening, waiting for her to approach him.

Sirius cracks a joke, and Remus and Peter laugh, but James doesn't hear it, because his gaze is drawn towards the stairs up to the Girls' dormitory. Lily is walking down the stairs.

James stands up, says a quick goodbye to his friends, straightens his glasses, and meets her halfway across the common room.

"Evening, Evans," he says with a grin, and he's always surprised at how well he can pull off nonchalance when she fills him with butterflies.

Manly butterflies, he hastens to rectify.

"You're eager tonight, Potter," she says, leading the way through the common room and towards the portrait hole. He laughs while her back is turned, because she doesn't know just how true that is.

They step out of the portrait hole, the Fat Lady swinging back into place behind them, and James continues the conversation. "I take my responsibilities very seriously, you know, Evans," he says, her surname falling from his lips naturally. He uses it when he flirts with her.

She snorts, and he grins, and everything is going the way it usually does.

It is after curfew. They check in broom cupboards and alcoves for amorous couples, and turn out any that they find, docking five housepoints a head.

"You would have thought they'd learn," Lily says, "Snog during the daytime, before patrol starts, and they won't get caught."

He smirks at her, "Speaking from experience, Evans?" he asks.

James was hoping for the blush, but when she just rolls her eyes at him, smiling, and says, "Wouldn't you like to know," he thinks it's even better.

Merlin, what wouldn't he give to just push her up against the wall right here and show her just how much her suggestive comments got to him.

But he doesn't, because he is James Potter, and she is Lily Evans, and he doesn't want to lose what little standing with her he has.

They walk, and he cracks jokes and makes comments, and she laughs, blushing at times.

And her hand is brushing against his as they walk, and he doesn't know whether she's doing it intentionally, or whether they are just walking too close together.

It's towards the end of the night when Lily brings up the topic of Slughorn's upcoming party.

James tells Lily how he and the Marauders are never invited, and she seems scandalized.

"I always assumed you just never turned up!" she says, her green eyes wide as she watches him. "You're some of the most talented students in the school!"

James feels his heart speed up in his chest, and he curses himself for letting her affect him so much. He knows from experience there's nothing he can do to stop it.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd be one to boost my ego, Evans," James says finally, smirking. She shakes her head as they walk, smiling. "I reckon it was something to do with all the times we raided his cupboard. And blew up potions."

"Perhaps," Lily says. She's silent for a couple of seconds, and they're heading back towards the seventh floor now - it's the end of their shift. "Still, I reckon you ought to come to one."

James is about to reply saying he has better parties to gatecrash than Slughorn's, when Lily says something that makes the words die on his lips.

"You can be my plus-one, if you like," she says. Her cheeks are a bright, beautiful pink in the candlelight, and James stops right in the middle of the staircase.

It takes her a second or two to notice, and then she stops too, a few steps above him. She meets his eyes, and he's grinning wildly.

"Do you mean... as a date?" James asks, barely able to believe it.

Lily goes pinker still, but she doesn't break their gaze as she says, "If you like."

If he likes.

James is convinced that the girl is completely mental.

He steps up until he's level height with Lily, standing on the stair below her.

"Yes," he says, "I like."

Lily smiles, and she takes his hand, pulling him up the staircase before it moves and keeping hold of it until they get to the common room.

Her hand is so small and delicate in his, and the feel of it has James wanting more than ever to thread his fingers through her hair, to bring her closer against him, to press his lips to hers.

But he doesn't. There's no way in hell that he's going to blow this chance.

She leaves him standing at the foot of the boys' staircase with a "Goodnight, James," and a kiss on the cheek, so swiftly that he barely has time to register the feel of her lips on his skin or the smell of her hair.

And then she's climbing the girls' staircase, and he watches until her red hair is out of sight.

A/N: Long time no see again! Sorry! I won November NaNo, though ;)

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