the sweater ~~ jily

10.

Chapter Ten: The Reason and The Lie

They were still holding hands in the hall, James too scared to ask her about it. They were walking down to Potions with Slughorn. Lily was still angry. Who would ever question Lily Evans of her choices, whether it was fake or not? Lily was one of the most intelligent seventh years.

James seemed too scared of Lily to say anything but after a moment or two, he had the nerve to say something.

"H, Hey, if I can ask, um," James hesitated, looking back. "What happened to...what happened over there? One minute Snivellus looks miserable, the other minute he looks frustrated. Same with you, one minute you're bright and happy, another, you're...angry."

"I know I'm angry, I have a purpose to be," said Lily with an edge. She didn't want to look at him, just looking forward.

"What's your purpose, what did he say?" James gasped. "Did he call you a 'Mudblood' again? Oh, that toad!"

"No, he didn't. He could've if I stayed any longer. He just made me angry."

"Yeah, I can tell," James said simply. "You don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable, but you can."

Lily hesitated for a minute. How was she supposed to tell him about her saying 'yes' when Severus asked her if they were dating? That would be awkward. But he would understand, right? They're only doing this to make him angry, so he must.

"Okay listen," Lily sighed. "At first this'll sound completely crazy, but Severus asked me if we were, and I quote, 'dating'. I wanted him to stay angry, right? So my only response was 'yes'. Then he told me 'I don't know who I'm seeing'. He was acting as if he was 'protecting' me from you. As if you'll do something bad to me. Stupid, right?"

"By that, you're asking me if he's stupid, right? Because my automatic answer would be 'yes'."

Lily nodded. "He was basically questioning my own choices. He's still talking about you like shit even though you saved his arse last year!"

James's eyes widened. "Let me be honest with you, I do enjoy the cursing now, but he's talking about me like shit?"

"Yes!" Lily smacked a hand to her head.

"Lily, it's okay, it's Snivellus. What would you expect, we've been enemies for forever," he told her.

"I know that, just — you're a better person now and I know. I've noticed. And he said 'I don't know who I'm seeing'."

James seemed to also disregard the fact that she told Snape they were 'dating' so Lily wouldn't feel awkward. A smile grew on his lips when she said he was a better person and Lily's stomach dropped again.

"You think I'm a better person now?" James asked her again, smiling.

Lily felt like smiling too. "Of course. I've seen it. Even though you're tempted to hex people, you don't. And you're Head Boy, which it was hard for me to believe at first, but I believe it now. The only person who doesn't believe it is Snivy, that toad!"

James just kept smiling.

"What?"

"Lily, I really don't care what everyone else thinks about me, but it means so much from you that you think I've changed. You mean a lot to me if you haven't noticed," he told her, beginning to turn red.

Lily smiled. "I see your way of words has changed as well, that made my day. Thanks, James."

He chuckled. "Didn't you say you told him we were 'dating'?"

She bit her cheek. "I did, but he asked first. I bet it was an assumption or someone told him, I swear it wasn't me — "

"I know. You know what would be even better?" he smirked.

Lily sighed. "What?"

"If we were actually dating," he joked, winking at her. Lily rolled her eyes with a smile.

She shoved his shoulder, laughing. "I can't believe you right now."

a/n

ahhh, my chapters are getting short hehe
it's okay lol
this chapter (including author's note) is 680 words

~the sweater