"You just left her? I mean I knew you were an idiot but this is truly astounding," Regulus chuckled. "And now you're here with me. If she forgives you I will be absolutely shocked. First you pester her for years then once she returns your affections you run off? That's... rough."
"Oh shove off, I panicked." James breathed out, his face contorting in embarrassment. "It wasn't my finest moment. It just wasn't how I pictured it. You know? I guess I just built it up to be something else. I was surprised"
James blushed, his nose was red from the nipping cold, his warm knitted jumper pulled over him. Regulus watched as James played with the sleeves of the jumper and couldn't help but think he looked... well... adorable. His face flushed to the same color as James's had just at the thought.
"I feel like I should be over the moon but now that it isn't so one sided... I don't know,"
"You liked the chase?"
"I suppose so."
Regulus hesitated before he spoke, thinking carefully about his next words.
"You should talk to her. Now. The longer you leave it the worse off you'll be."
Regulus wanted him to stay. His eyes pleaded with James, asking him to stay but alas, the boy was about as observant as a brick and left to find Lily.
As James wandered through the corridor searching for Lily, he formulated his apology hoping he could properly convey his regret but his thoughts were interrupted when the girl tapped him on the shoulder, surprising him as he looked up.
"Hey Lils," James exhaled, shutting his eyes, worried that if he said the wrong thing the red head he'd pined after for so long would hate him for good, "I screwed up, I panicked. I like you, I mean, that much is obvious. You caught me off guard. I should not have left you there and I will eternally be sorry for leaving you right after you kissed me. I didn't know what to do I-"
Lily's expression softened. The bumbling boy was obviously apologetic.
"It's okay James. We can go slow. I got ahead of myself." She laughed dryly in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
"Thank you, I was so scared I'd lost you for good." James chuckled.
"Friends... sort of?"
"Friends-" James spoke with a grin, "sort of."
----
Lily planned everything. She wanted it to be absolutely perfect. Or perhaps it had to be perfect was more accurate. James and her had be 'not not dating' for roughly three weeks and this would be their first official date. She knew that he needed some time to adjust to their situation but she expected him to warm up to the idea much faster but nonetheless she could see the light at the end of the tunnel where they were finally together. She could not wait for this afternoon.
James could wait for this afternoon, in fact, he would be rather content if two o'clock never arrived. He had spent the last three weeks avoiding Lily to the best of his ability out of fear. Fear of what? You may ask, well, he wasn't quite sure. Whether it be the fear of ruining his chances with Lily or simply fearing he would have to interact with the girl at all, he wasn't sure. One thing he was sure of was that he would much rather spend his Saturday afternoon wandering the school grounds with Regulus Black.
"Almost 1:45 Jamsie! Better make it down to your lovely Lily Pad!" Sirius called out with a grin from his bed where he sat throwing a drawing crumpled into a ball in the air then catching it over and over again.
"Oh Paddy, don't rush him. He's nervous." Remus replied, sending another one of his failed sketches in a ball over to Sirius.
"Yeah... nervous." James replied, his eyebrows knit together, his face white as a sheet, and gulping down air.
Noting the boys distress, Remus asked Padfoot to leave the room for a moment so he could talk to James.
"You have that look on your face." The werewolf said with a smirk.
"What look?" James said in a tone that came out more hostile than he intended.
"Like you're going to vomit any second."
"Oh Merlin." James swung his legs over to the side of his bed, having previously sat cross legged and moved his head into his hands.
"What is it?" Remus asked with a slight sigh.
"I don't want to go."
James muttered.
"Of course you want to go Prongs, you've been waiting on this day since second year." Remus replied in a 'duh' tone.
"I don't know if I like her anymore." James blurted out, his eyes shut tight, waiting for the coming lecture from Remus.
"Well I hate to say it but you owe it to her after all theses years of bothering her Prongs," Remus reasoned with James, "So get your whiny arse down those fucking stairs and go on your date." Remus exclaimed, awestruck at James's confession.
"Fuck, ok, I'm going," James got up from his bed beginning his walk to meet Lily but he paused just before he left their dormitory, "Thanks, Remus."
