This is pretty late to post but here's the next chapter. I'm so happy for our characters here! Enjoy!
James
It had been a few weeks since Quidditch tryouts. Life at Hogwarts was going better than ever.Quidditch practice was running fantastic. It seemed with a little coaching, their new Keeper was absolutely amazing. The first match was coming up soon and the team was working harder than ever.
Head Boy duties tended to be a fun experience. Lily had opened up even more to James, so he was really getting the chance to learn about her and joke with her more. His childhood self practically rejoiced every time he talked to her.
Also, Lily and James were top of the potions class. It seemed that James tended to listen more to Lily than Slughorn and was actually learning things from the class. Who knew right?
It was finally a week before Halloween. The Marauders were making plans for what they would do in Hogsmeade while walking to lunch, but Sirius and James were barely participating in the planning. Sirius already had a date, and James was considering trying to get one himself. It was a fight he'd been having with himself since the Hogsmeade trip had been announced. He really wanted to ask Lily Evans, but he wasn't sure if that was the best option. What if it ruins the friendship we've worked so hard for? he thought.
"Something bothering you, Prongs?" Peter asked him. James shook his head, but he knew that they all were aware that he was lying. He sighed.
"Should I ask Evans on a date to Hogsmeade?" he asked them honestly.
"Yes!" Peter exclaimed.
"Definitely," Sirius added with a grin. Remus nodded in agreement. James sighed.
"I just don't want to ruin anything," James said quietly. Sirius patted him on the back for reassurance. They rounded the corner into the Great Hall and took a seat next to Alice, Mary, Marlene, and Lily. They were all giggling at something Alice had just said.
"What is so funny?" Sirius asked.
"We were talking about Frank and Alice," Lily said. "And about how cute they are."
"I believe you meant how cute he is," Mary corrected her. All of the girls laughed. James felt a slight pang in his chest.
"Speaking of cute," Mary added, "I heard that Ravenclaw was planning on asking you to go to Hogsmeade with him, Lily."
James tensed suddenly. "Who?" he asked quickly. He realised how desperate and alarmed his voice must have sounded. He tried to play it off with a cool expression, but the look in Lily's eye said that she had seen his moment of panic.
"Mathew Porter," Mary said, pointing to a Ravenclaw boy with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He had an easygoing, kind smile... James hated him.
"Oh," Lily said quietly.
"You should say yes," Mary encouraged her. Alice nodded in agreement.
"I don't know," Lily said. "I was kind of hoping someone else would ask me."
Marlene and Alice gasped. Mary grinned wider than ever. James couldn't explain the feeling in his chest. Anger? Sadness? Disappointment? No, he thought. It's jealousy.
Lily Evans had her eye on some lucky guy, and this guy didn't even appreciate her! He should be over here asking her on dates and showering her with affection. That's what she deserves. James felt instant anger towards the mystery boy. He better not hurt her, was all he could manage to think.
Lily's face was redder than her hair. Everyone was trying to guess who the boy was, but she wouldn't budge. By the time lunch was over, they had gotten nowhere with her.
"I have to get to class, guys," she protested before taking off to her next class. James stared after her as she walked away.
Lily
It was finally time for Potions. She couldn't wait to get to work on whatever Slughorn had planned for them.Lily regretted telling everyone she was waiting to be asked to Hogsmeade. Now, all they were doing was pestering her with questions. And besides, she knew that James had moved on. He had told her this himself. He wouldn't lie...right?
James sat next to her at their desk. He was unusually quiet today. It was awkward sitting there while pretending the other wasn't next to them. Eventually, she decided she needed to break the silence.
"Can I see your notes from yesterday's lesson? I think I missed something," she asked him. He nodded and pulled out his notes. Just as he was handing them to her, another paper slipped out with it and fluttered to the floor. Before he could stop her, Lily picked it up and looked at it.
The paper was covered in sketches. There was a lion, snitch, broom, and glasses all sketched intricately across the page. The rest of the page was filled with many designs of the same two letters- LE.
Lily stared at all of the letters in shock. They were her initials! James snatched the paper out of her hands and shoved it into his bag. He looked embarrassed. He kept running his hand through his hair repeatedly. The silence was back.
Lily couldn't believe it. She remembered how he used to sketch her initials when they were younger. He was doing it again!
"So..." she started. She couldn't seem to think. All she could think about was the obvious... he still liked her. She needed to get some answers out of him. "Have you asked some Hufflepuff to Hogsmeade yet?"
"What?" he asked in shock. "No!"
"Oh that's right," Lily said with a grin. "It's a Ravenclaw."
James was shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he was saying.
"Slytherin?" she asked playfully. He rolled his eyes.
"Well, get with it Potter! So many houses to choose from! So many girls, so little time," she said, throwing her hands around.
"I'm only worried about one girl," James said matter-of-factly. Lily saw that he was being dead serious. "But she would never say yes to me."
"Maybe you're wrong. Maybe if you just asked her you'd find that you may not know as much as you think you do," she said. He was staring at her. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Finally, he took a deep breath.
"How about it then, Evans? What do you say about going to Hogsmeade with me?" he asked. He tried to play it cool, but the worry in his eyes was undeniably there.
"Hmmm... well I don't know," Lily said, tapping her finger to her chin. She was trying to be playful about it, but her heart was beating quickly and she was practically squealing to herself. HE ASKED ME ON A DATE! I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT! she thought triumphantly.
"I'm only joking. Of course I would," she said. For a moment, he just stared at her, but eventually he seemed to comprehend what she had said. A smile brighter than she had ever seen grew on his face. He looked like a he was going to explode with excitement. His smile was so cute that it almost hurt.
"SIRIUS!" he screamed. He hopped up from his seat. "Lily Evans finally said yes!"
Lily could feel the heat in her cheeks, but she was laughing just the same.
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Hate Is A Strong Word (A Jily Fanfic)//FINISHED!
FanfictionLily Evans is entering her final year at Hogwarts. As the outside world is attacked by Death Eaters, Lily's world changes left and right. Many things happen unexpectedly, like her sudden friendship with James Potter. Lily must stay strong to get thr...