Potter and Evans

Time For a Game

Lily's POV

Who created Felix Felicis again?' I whispered into the library, where Remus and I had been studying for the past 2 hours or so.

'Zygmunt Budge.' He replied, before heavily sighing.

I messily scribbled the name down then turned back to him.

'Remus...?'

'Yeah?'

'Um...well...I...I was just wondering and um...you don't have to answer really because well...well I suppose it's not really any of my business...but well...is-'

'You were wondering if James is okay?' He cuts me off.

'Yeah.' How did he know?

'I don't know. He's not really been talking to anyone. We've tried to get it out of him but he won't give us a truthful answer. Just says he's fine.'

'Oh.'

'Lily?'

'Yeah?'

'Can I ask you something?'

'Sure.'

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

'When James used to ask you out, did you think he was doing it to tease and embarrass you, or because he liked you?'

This was the first week pretty much ever that Potter hadn't asked me out. I've got to admit, it's weird not having him tell me some dumb pickup line every time he sees me, and to be honest I miss it. I know that's odd because 'Lily! You've rejected him for the past 5 years! He's moved on! Get over yourself!', and I don't like him, but after that every single day, then suddenly he just stops, something has got to be wrong.

'I always thought it was to tease me - he found out that I'm the only girl that would say no to him, and he wanted to make sure everyone would say yes to him.'

Remus laughs at this.

'Oh, Lily.'

'What?' I ask defensively, but softly all the same.

'Never mind. Do you want to go back to the common room?' I glanced at the clock. It's almost 10:30. Luckily, it's a Friday.

'Yeah, sure.'

We pack up our textbooks, ink pots, quills, and parchment then walk together to the common room, where we find Potter on one armchair, Alice on another, Pettigrew sitting on the floor by the fire, and Black, who was flirting with Marlene while sitting on a sofa together. Apart from them, it's empty.

James' POV

Moony and Li-Evans walked in just as Sirius slid over the McKinnon and began flirting with her.

I think he really does like her, but he's never had a serious relationship before, so he's scared of the commitment. I don't know about McKinnon though.

When Sirius sees Remus and Lily enter, he immediately claps his hands together and announces that we should all play a game.

Prewett looked up from her book, looking rather scared if I'm honest.

'What game?' Prewett and Moony say at the same time.

By now, Moony and Evans have dropped their books on the floor and taken their places beside each other on the empty sofa opposite Sirius and McKinnon.

'I was thinking' Sirius starts, 'a good old game of truth or dare?'

I could do with a game of truth or dare.

When nobody answers him, he looks at me for help, but I'm still really not in the mood. I'm trying to act normal though, so I say 'Yeah! Let's play!' but Sirius looks at me with pity, so I suppose it came out as more of an unenthusiastic 'Yeah. Let's play.'

We all sit on the floor in a circle in front of the fire. I'm next to McKinnon, McKinnon is next to Prewett, then Evans, then Sirius, Peter, then Remus, then back to me.

Sirius starts.

'Alice. Truth or dare?'

Thank Merlin he didn't pick me.