The Girl with the Emerald Eyes [Jily]

Chapter 9- Prepared

Lily awoke to two girls leaning above her. She almost screamed, but her brain registered the faces as Alice and Marlene.

"Ugh, why did you guys have to scare me like that? Its like, two in the morning." Lily groaned and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Well, rumor has it that you told James that you liked him! We-" Marlene bubbled, happy for her friend.

"Wait, how did you even get in here?" Lily interrupted, conscious that her friends shouldn't have been in the Head Girl's room.

Marlene looked at Alice, who shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well, James was so happy that you told him that so he practically begged us to wake you up and meet him outside..." Alice's voice trailed off when she saw Lily's worried face.

"Wait, guys," Lily's stomach started doing back flips in her rib cage. "I-I'm not sure that I should go and meet him... I don't know if he will just laugh in my face..." Lily glanced at the floor, suddenly realizing that she shouldn't have revealed her feelings in front of him.

The girls muttered half-hearted encouragement while they forced Lily to get ready. At once, her head felt light, and she didn't feel like confronting James.

Wait, Lily, why do you care what James says anyways? He's just a silly crush. You'll get over it soon enough. Lily thought to herself, but she knew that James was more than a crush.

She couldn't get his wind swept hair out of her mind, nor could she remove his goofy smile from her visions when she closed her eyes. She suddenly remembered all the sweet parts of James; how he would help First Years on homework, how he took the blame for Remus when it was Remus' time for his furry little problem, how he would constantly smile at her and compliment her even when she dressed completely ridiculous.

Slowly making her way to the Main Hall, she took deep breaths and straightened her back. No matter what went down, she would be ready, she would be prepared for whatever James said.

She fell into line with a few Ravenclaws, and quietly slipped into the hall. Her eyes immediately fell on James, who was laughing with his fellow Marauders. He was holding a cup of Butterbeer, and was swinging it around as he burst into a new fit of giggles when Sirius spilled the drink on himself.

She sat next to Marlene, who silenced the hall with a wave of her hand. Lily, too miserable to notice, started nibbling on a slice of toast, while James gauged her expression.

"Hey, Lily." James leaned across the table, and Lily's cheeks flushed pink.

"Well, hello, James. Come to make fun of me, I suppose." Lily snapped back, her cheeks still dusted with blush.

"Actually, no. Meet me on the Quidditch Pitch during lunch." He winked and walked off, leaving Lily slightly dazed.

Surprisingly, Lily didn't feel like saying no. In fact, she felt like screaming "Yes!", running up to James, and pressing her-

Wait, what am I thinking? Lily shook her head and blew a piece of hair that fell into her face. With a start, she noticed that the hall was quiet and was observing her and James.

She sunk lower into her seat and listened as the conversation to returned.

She sighed and leaned into Marlene, who smirked knowingly.

"What?" She growled, and Marlene just laughed.

---

James was worried that Lily wouldn't show. He had already set everything up, and he would hate if she never saw it. Nervously, he chewed on his nails, until he saw a mop of red hair poke out from behind the main entrance.

"Hey." Lily called, walking toward James.

James almost ran his hands through his hair, but then remembered that Lily didn't like when he did that.

Lily arched her eye brow when she saw his hand hover over his hair, and go back down. She smirked and stood in front of him.

"So what is it you wanted to show m-" Lily asked.

When Lily was talking, James wrapped his arm around her waist, hauled her onto his broomstick, and willed the broom to go up.

Instinctively, Lily's arms went around James' waist, and he felt her blush.

"J-James, c-can we go d-down?" She muttered, burying her head into his jacket, which smelled like vanilla.

"Nah, I'm sure you'll love this view." James said, flying higher above the castle and motioned Lily to look.

Lily cracked one eye open and gasped. They were at least 50 feet above the highest tower, but the view was incredible. The lake seemed so tiny now that they were so high in the sky. James could feel her tighten her grip on him, and he smiled to himself.

"Well, Lily-flower, have you had lunch yet?

Lily shook her head, and James sighed with relief. Thank goodness his plan was going well.

He slowly lowered the broom to a roof top, which was towering over the campus.

Lily tentatively stepped onto it, and wrapped her arms around the nearby weather pole.

"What if we fall off?" Lily squeaked, glancing at the long fall downward and imagining possible scenarios.

"We won't." James assured her and grabbed her hand. She didn't pull away this time and James felt like laughing.

The pair spent the afternoon on the rooftop, munching on sandwiches and drinking punch. Lily leaned her head on James' shoulder and James flinched. Honestly, he could hardly believe that Lily was out there with him, to hold his hand was pushing his reality level, but to touch him on purpose was in his wildest dreams.

He looked at her, peacefully glancing at the sky, and leaned closer to her.

"Hey, Lils."

Lily looked over at him and he gestured for her to lean closer as if he had a secret. Lily shrugged and leaned closer, a small smile playing at her lips. James, instead of saying something, leaned forward and pushed his lips against hers. At first, Lily stiffened, but eventually she fell into kissing him back.

When James brought her back to the grounds, Lily gave James a soft grin. He smiled back and winked at her. To try and surprise him, she leaned forward to press a kiss to his right cheek. Apparently, James had been thinking the same thing; and their lips met for the second time that night.

That only sent Lily into deeper shades of blush. She retreated back to the castle, and James shot a love-sick grin at her back. He was so infatuated with a certain red head that he couldn't get a wink of sleep with replays of their kiss flashing through his head.