And They Live Happily Ever After...?

James stared at the white wall of the Gryffindor common room, thinking pensively. He is now thirteen and in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The school's name wasn't at all that bad, anyway, besides being long and called Hogwarts. At least, James had found out, that they don't keep any hogs with warts nor warts with hogs anywhere in the school.

'A penny - er, sorry, sickle - for your thoughts?' Sirius asked, slumping into the sofa next to James's. James looked up at his friend before reverting his gaze to the wall again.

'Nothing.'

'There's got to be something,' Sirius insisted. 'You don't space out very often!'

'Nothing, I said!'

'Hurry up and tell me before I get my planetary charts out to read your mind,' Sirius said, grinning. 'We all know how great Sirius Black is in Divination now, don't we? Hm? Surely you don't want to know you future-'

'Shut up, Sirius. Yes, you're superbly great at Divination. Who cares? You ace, I flunk. Obvious! Don't rub it in.'

Sirius stared at him.

'Let me guess... is it about Lily?'

James looked up in surprise and horror. 'Since when have you turned telepathic, huh? I always knew that you couldn't eat dog biscuits without killing brain cells,' James grunted.

'Aah... but you've always been thinking about Lily,' Sirius said brightly, ignoring the dog biscuits part. 'Insults, at most. Your "tomboy, tomboy!" has gotten rather old, you know.'

'Yes, I do know. So what's your problem?'

'Get a new insult.'

'What if I don't want a new one? What if I'm thinking about- about something else?'

'No. There's seriously nothing else but Lily,' Sirius replied with confidence. 'Right?' he added, meekly.

'Er, maybe.'

'So what is on your mind? You know you can trust me.'

'Lily.'

'Aha!!!' Sirius exclaimed gleefully, but hastily shut up and added, 'um, what about her?'

James eyed his friend doubtfully, debating with himself whether or not he could trust him. He finally decided that he could, since Sirius had a talent to forgetting things that is not of his business or had nothing to do with him in any way.

'I think I'm in love with her.'

'Yes, sure you are, Potter. In love with her, HAH.'

'Well, I think I am,' James said quietly.

Sirius blinked. And blinked. And then felt James's forehead for a temperature. Finding none, he began gaping like a goldfish.

'No. No. I don't believe it. You are joking with me, right? I mean, you HATE Lily. How can you be in LOVE with Lily?' Sirius asked incredously.

'I don't know! I hate her, really, but I realize that I sort of love her, too,' James confessed in, of course, confusion. 'I don't know HOW it happened (and not wanting to know why and when, either), but it just did. It's came to me right out of the blue!'

'Er, uh, um, so you're, ee, serious about this? Not a joke? Some prank to pull my leg?'

'Yes, no, no. Get it?'

Sirius took a deep breath. 'Okay. Okay, so, when do you actually realize that? Just now? Details, please!'

'Er, I'm not so sure. I THINK it's love, anyway. Each time i see her, m heart thumps faster and whenever we talk, I feel a--'

'Shut up, shut UP!!! I didn't ask for details!!!!' Sirius yelled. He started scratching all over. 'I'm growing goosebumps everywhere!'

'You asked for details,' James said bluntly. 'I still can't believe I'm in love with Lily,' he muttered resentfully to himself. Then he added, 'It's NOT fun to fall in love with your childhood friend (er, not really, but never mind) and current enemy! NOT!' Sirius winced.

'Ugh, you are DISGUSTING. I can't believe we're having this conversation.'

'Any good advice?'

'No. No. I'm NOT a master in this. Yeah, like I walk around with the title of "God Of Love" or Goddess or whatever it really was.' He paused. 'Why don't you just tell Lily what you told me?'

'And get a bash on my head,' James added darkly. 'No, not my idea of getting over her.'

'Well, you can try to fall for someone else,' Sirius suggested. 'Plenty of fish around. Or just forget her, or ignore her and all.'

'Thanks, you've been a great help,' James said dryly. Sirius missed the sarcasm.

'Sure, anytime, anywhere, any when,' he said with a careless wave. 'Just don't talk to me about it AGAIN.'

~ * * ~

'What about me again? Last week you send Owly to Merlin-Knows-Where your stupid pen-pal and Owly was near death! It's my turn now!' Lily yelled, standing up on the sofa. Yes, ON the sofa, like an immature toddler of five. But toddlers of five are always immature, so it isn't really the point.

'Well Gusuchi asked for IMMEDIATE reply!' James yelled. 'You're merely ordering a new broom from Diagon Alley!'

Three years ago, this argument would have drawn spectators, lectures, detentions and possible deduction of house points. Now all it draws is just a headache for Owly, who is being constantly fought for.

'You monster!'

'Lobalug!'

'Tomboy!'

'Freeloader!'

Oh, yes, the insults still rages on, though. Still, words never affect anyone physically, apart from hurting Lily and James's uh, VERY deep down feelings. People ignore them, because their names weren't Lily and James, nor do they deserve adjectives such as, say, "tomboy" and "freeloader."

'Why you...!' Lily gritted, pulling out her wand. 'Expelliarmus!'

James was shot backwards by the beam. He picked himself up and drew his wand. 'Serpensortia!' Nothing happened. Obviously, James had pronounced it wrongly.

'Grr!'

'Grr!'

Lily pulled James's nest hair and James pulled Lily's ponytail. Sirius and Spica sighed wistfully as the two yelling in pain, but still upon stubbornness persistance refused to let go.

'They'll NEVER finish,' Sirius sighed.

Lily now sunk her teeth into James's arm. James began bashing her on her head violently in pain. James pulled Lily's hair even more violently, forcing Lily to let go of his arm.

'Let me go!' Lily shrieked, clawing at his hand.

'You let me go first!' James yelled, trying to pull her gripping fingers from his hair. Sirius stood up.

'Alright, alright, BREAK IT UP!' Sirius said urgently. 'Let go of your hands! Both of you!' They refuse to even budge. 'OBEX!!!' he yelled. James and Lily practically bounced off each other. Spica ran to James to tend his wounds (if he has any).

'Are you okay?' Spica asked, helping him up.

'Yeah. How's Lily?' James asked, dusting himself.

'Stupid idiots to fight,' Sirius muttered. 'As if insults aren't enough!'

'Er, whatever. Is Lily okay?'

'Ugh...My head's pain...' Lily moaned, stirring half-consciously. The other Gryffindors paid no attention. Either it was because they're all stupid or they're totally immune to sound and whatever that happens around them at the moment. Sirius ran to her as James could barely stand yet.

'Uh, James?' Sirius gulped. 'She's - her head's b- b- b- bleeding.' With that, Sirius dropped in a faint with a thud.

'Ah,' Spica noted, 'Sirius is afraid of blood.'

'Well, what are we waiting for?' James said impatiently.

'Waiting for what?'

'The hospital wing!'

'Oh, um, yeah. Er, how?'

James groaned. Asking for Spica's hlp is like asking for no one's help. He grabbed his wand.

'Mobiliarcorpus,' he muttered at Lily and Sirius before heading towards the Hospital wing.

~ * * ~

'You again,' Madam Pomfrey said when she saw James. Sirius floated in like a ghost, followed by Lily.

'Aaah!' the nurse shrieked in fright. 'James Potter, what did you DO?'

'Um, Sirius fainted because he saw blood, and Lily, er, she had a bad headache.' Pomfrey frowned.

'Lay them on the bed. And don't--'

Bonk! Sirius's head graced the ceiling ungracefully.

'--hit the ceiling,' Pomfrey finished with a groan. 'Oh well, never mind.' James grinned at her sheepishly before dropping Lily and Sirius on the bed

not-too-gently.

'Oops,' was all James could say to Madam Pomfrey's death-glare.

'Oof!' Lily cried, holding her head. 'Yow... Potter, you're going to pay dearly for this! ... ugh...'

'Quiet, Evans, and let me see your head,' Pomfrey said briskly, turning Lily's face aside to check her head.

'Yes, yes. What's Sirius doing there?'

'Um, he fainted,' James said. 'I must say, it's a pretty long faint. Must be because his head hit the ceiling.'

Lily just nodded as Madam Pomfrey left her, satisfied with the few common bruise at the back of the girl's head. It was a better one than finding some weird worms living in her hair, because of James's hexes.

'You stay here for a night, Evans and Potter,' the nurse said, 'You two are seriously insane. And I mean serious. With all the hexes and whatnots.'

'What difference does it make?' James whimpered, not liking any of Madam Pomfrey's medicine.

'I'm giving you "Sane Medicine" especially formulated with magical herbs.'

'Ah,' Lily said, not pleased with the sound of "magical herbs."

'And don't try to run, Potter. I'm placing a spell in here,' Pomfrey said sharply when James inched to the door. James meekly mouse back to the chair. 'Now let me brew you your medicine.'

'Oh, LOVELY. We're getting a sane taste of medicine,' Lily said dryly. 'I wonder if it's sane, as in, sweet, instead of bitter.'

James said nothing, but stared at the floor boringly, a thought currently on his mind. Lily went on ranting about the dumbness of the medicine and the uselessness and a waste of plant's lives it is to them.

Meanwhile, James reflected to Sirius's words... Should he tell Lily (that he loved her) or just forget her? The feeling has been growing since the past few days.

'...and--James, are you listening to me?' Lily said in annoyance.

'Huh? Oh, yes, I am. Um, what about, er, that?' James said rather dumbly. Lily glared..

'I was giving a superbly grand speech on Poppy Pomfrey's "Sane Medicine", Potter.'

'Er, yeah. It's very, um, interesting. And nice.'

'You are NOT listening to me!'

'And?'

'What are you thinking about?' Lily demanded.

'That's my business,' James replied, poking a tongue at her.

'Tell me! You were staring at me! Tell me!'

James decided to ignore her and returned to his train of thoughts. If he confesses to Lily, what have he to lose? Nothing. Positively not a friend, because Lily isn't a full-time friend unless when the two are joining forces against Petunia and Cassiopeia Black, Sirius and Spica's younger sister who is now two years old, nearly three.

'You tell, James! I know it's about me!'

'Would you shut up? I'm trying to think!' James snapped.

'I won't and I don't want to! I want to know what you're thinking. NOW.' Annoying busybody tomboy. How on earth did he manage to fall in love with her anyway? One of Earth's greatest mystery.

'Shut. Up,' James said in a tone that meant Serious Business. Placing a Silencing Charm would be completely useless because of two factors: 1) Without words to go with, Lily's face would look very comical; 2) He hadn't mastered the charm, and if she ended up being turned into something else, Madam Pomfrey will personally rearrange his face.

Anyway, it still seem that Lily hasn't got a hang of what Serious Trouble mean.

'Nope. I'm going to annoy you to the ends of Earth. Now tell me, or you'll get tortured!'

Suddenly, it clicked. James had a great idea. Not only would she shut up, but she can't make faces and Madam Pomfrey couldn't kill him because he's a master at that.

'Last warning, Evans. Shut up, or you're going to regret this a whole lot more than I'm going to,' James said solemnly.

'No, no, no. You tell me what you're thinking, NOW,' Lily said stubbornly. Talk about ignorance.

'Quiet!'

'Shan't!'

'Can't a man think in peace?'

'You're not a man! Even if you are, the answer is no!'

'Why not?'

'Because you're all STUPID! Hah!'

'I'm not! I get better marks than you do, you obstinate mule!'

'Well, I'm not the idiot who mistook his heart line on his palm as his mount of Venus!'

'WOULD YOU TWO PLEASE KEEP QUIET?!' Madam Pomfrey yelled. 'My potion in ruined!'

'Hah! Score to us! She failed!' Lily whooped quietly. James, glad that the nurse had made his point of keeping quiet, began rolling his thoughts again.

Lily frowned deeply. She never liked being ignored like that. James had left for his La-la-land three times, when she's talking. She began scanning her head for a useful spell, but found none that she can use so that Madam Pomfrey don't skin her.

'James, I demand you to tell me what's on your mind.'

'I said already, and I'm saying it again, Lily,' James said. 'This is your last of the last warning. Stop. Pestering. Me.'

Lily snorted. James never really mean whatever he says.

'Well I don't care!' she said obstinately. 'I'm going to pester you till the ends of--'

Lily's sentence was rudely cut off. James had claimed her lips and is now savouring the warmth and sweetness of her soft lips. Being so close, he could feel her rapid heartbeat against her ribcage, her warm breath and her long eyelashes.

Lily's green eyes just grew wider and wider in shock. What is happening--?!

'What are you doing, you git?' Lily shrieked, pushing him away as soon as she had regained control of her senses. Her body was shivering with disgust. She instantly jumped out of the bed and grabbed her wand, breathing furiously. 'Don't come near! Do NOT move at all, Potter. You're under arrest for that- that THING you did to me just now!'

Lily was obviously terrified beyond words of description.

Madam Pomfrey could be heard yelling, 'SHUT UP' again as a loud explosion erupt from the small room she was working in.

James was nearly as shock as Lily with his actions. He hadn't meant to kiss her in the first place! Just cast a simple "Petrificus totalus" and be done with it!

'Um, Lily, I--' James said slowly, advancing towards Lily.

'Keep away!' Lily said sharply, waving her wand threateningly at him. 'You mean to say that you didn't mean it and you're sorry and all those other crap that you're thinking, right? Well, SORRY, Mr.Potter, because that is JUST what every man says and you're probably doing it out of your own consciousness!'

James groaned. Romantic movies and books should NOT be invented!

'Actually--'

'I don't want any excuse!'

'Okay! It's not an excuse then!' James yelled, to get her attention.

Another shriek from Pomfrey to shut up.

Lily raised her eyes, inviting him to go on with whatever he's saying, in a lower volume.

'I, er, mean to say that I love you,' James stammered involuntarily. 'I do, really. I didn't mean to kiss you, BUT - let me finish first, okay? - I didn't realize that I was until you pushed me off.'

Lily's eyebrows were raised even higher.

'Come on, you know me nearly all your life! Don't you trust me?' James pleaded.

'No.'

'Then you ought to know that I mean it when I said that I love you?'

'No. And I never ever will love you,' Lily said quietly, shattering James's very heart into pieces with just those words.

~ * * ~

Sirius stared at the gloomy James, slumped over the tree branch lifelessly, like some caterpillar, only that he didn't crawl on the branch and start eating leaves, nor do he have the feelers and many segment body. Sirius sighed.

'Let me guess. You told Lily and she sort of freaked out, or some girl confesses her love to you and you're too nice to turn her off,' Sirius said after a long while of staring at James. James just groaned and covered his face with his hands.

'I fake tfe firft fhoife,' he mumbled. Sirius let in sink into his brain for a moment before toppling over the branch HE was lying upon.

'What?! When?'

James took a deep breath and pulled his face from his hands.

'Last night. In the infirmary,' he said, and he poured out the incidents of the night before to his best friend. Sirius listened quietly.

'And she said those exact words she said to me five years ago!' James wailed. 'Back then, I don't care. I don't even like her, then! Now it's just shattering,' James said soberly.

'There, there,' Sirius said, patting him sympathicly. 'I'm sure she's just taken by surprise. She didn't slap you. It's good enough.'

'She's not sitting with me during breakfast,' James pointed out. 'And she's been glaring at me with loathe, not the usual hate.'

'Ah.'

'Sirius, I desperately need your help,' James said solemnly. Sirius felt like laughing at his friend's solemn face, but decided against it because of their certain circumstances.

'What?'

'Can you get Spica to find out why Lily's upset over boys? Please?'

'Huh? No, wait, you don't exactly MEAN that you're still going for her after what had happened, right? I mean, seriously, she said that she won't ever love you, didn't she? So why bother?' Sirius said incredously. 'There's plenty of stars in the sky! You needn't go for just one alone! In your case, there's more than just flowers in fields. Look, there's bees, and there's butterflies, and there's the green grass and even more flowers. The world is BIG.'

'Yes, yes, I know, but I can't ... rid of this feeling,' James said, scowling at himself and also noticing that he sounded horribly ridiculous. 'I feel disappointed-- Hang on, why must I tell you all this?'

'Because my twin sister happen to be living in Lily's dorm, and you need ME to ask her.'

'Fine. Where was I?'

'Disappointed?'

'Right. I feel disappointed, and rejected. And yet, I feel confident and even more determined to make her love me. Ugh, I feel so stupid now!'

'You feel a lot,' Sirius commented flatly. 'Are you SURE that Madam Pomfrey's medicine didn't damage your brain and rearrange the cells?'

'I didn't drink the medicine. I spat it out. And I think Lily did, too.'

'Oh. Not a drop went down the throat?'

'Not one, happy? So will you help me now?'

'Yes. Would you like to sign a contract?'

'No, and don't ask me anything else on that topic, or I'll pound you to mash potatoes.

'Did someone say potatoes?' Spica asked suddenly, popping out suddenly. James fell off the branch. 'Hello!'

'Hello,' Sirius replied.

'Hi,' James said, picking himself up. He spotted a distinctly reddish ponytail behind the tree Spica was standing.

'What are you talking about?' Spica asked.

'Something. Men's talk,' Sirius said carelessly.

'You're barely near a man,' Lily scoffed.

'Lily!' James said happily, glad that she's still talking to him. The girl stared at him oddly.

'Who else would I be, then?' she asked. 'By the way, Owly brought you your friend's letter from Merlin-Knows-Where.' She handed the letter over to James, who stuffed it into his robes pocket.

'What about your broom catalogue?'

'Oh, I got Sora from Spica to mail it for me.' James nodded dumbly before excusing himself and pulling Lily to a more secluded area from Sirius and Spica.

'Look, Lily, I'm terribly sorry for- for kissing you last night,' James said. It was really an accident... um, I mean, I didn't mean to. I haven't got a clue on what I'm doing.'

'Oh. So what's your problem?' Lily asked blankly.

'I want forgiveness?' he suggested. Lily waved her hand, her way of saying "whatever" which also bear the meaning of "forgiven."

'Is that all?' she asked.

'I really love you, Lily.'

'I don't,' Lily said coldly. 'I won't.'

'Why not?'

'Because I'll never forget the insults you call me,' Lily said, her eyes burning savagely. 'Tomboy, tigrine, dragon, idiot... just naming a few. And not to mention your words five years ago, Potter.' Lily raised her voice to a mimic, '"I'd like to see someone marry you! You're such a tomboy, I don't think anyone would even like you! Ha ha ha ha ha!"'

'Erm, they're just teasings,' James said hesitantly. 'We tease each other a lot. And must you really add those "ha ha ha" to your mimic? It's not... er, what do you say, important.'

'Well, the last was the very worst,' Lily said in a deadly tone. 'They're not just words, Jimmy Potter. They're sharp, stinging, bleeding words. They tear, gash and destroy. And they each bear a poison with them. If it's just teasings, you would have chosen better words.'

With that, Lily walked off, leaving James standing numbly as her words sink in painfully into him.