What Girls Want

Lily Evans had a deep, dark secret. It was so deep and so dark that she hardly knew it herself. Her secret had messy black hair, sexy amber eyes and a personality that drove her to distraction in more ways than one. Her secret was called James Potter.

The arrogant little berk just would not leave her alone. He couldn't even pass her in the corridor without making some obnoxious comment or showing off in front of his equally irritating friends. She hated him.

It was obvious that he saw dating her as some kind of a quest. She felt like a Snitch sometimes, the way he'd look at her, calculating, trying to figure out how to break her will so she'd agree to go out with him.

Clearly, he thought she was a pushover who could be bought with gifts. It made her sick. It was October in their seventh year at Hogwarts when he cornered her in the common room. She could see his mates, huddled in the opposite corner, watching and smiling. She was curled up in an armchair by the fire, poring over her Spell textbook. He sauntered over to her, carrying some kind of a package bound with a sloppily tied gold ribbon. He paused when he reached her, ran his fingers through his hair, and looked exceptionally pleased with himself.

"Yeah, Potter?" Lily looked up at him, pursing her lips.

He handed her the package, and she took it, somewhat reluctantly.

"What is it?"

"What do you think it is, Evans? It's a present."

"Why?"

James's eyebrows bent together. "Just open it, would you?"

Lily sighed and pulled the end of the gold ribbon until the bow untied. She lifted the lid of the box and looked inside. "Chocolates?"

"Yep!" said James, bouncing on his feet. "Go on, try one."

Lily looked doubtful.

"They're perfectly safe. I didn't inject them with love potion, I promise."

Lily selected a chocolate from the corner of the box and gingerly placed it in her mouth. She started chewing, and her eyes first widened and then closed.

James smiled to himself as he watched her savouring the sweet. "Nice, isn't it?"

Lily swallowed. "Nice doesn't cover it. It was amazing." She licked an errant bit of chocolate out of the corner of her mouth.

She felt James's gaze burning into her face, and she quickly opened her eyes. She watched James tear his eyes away from her lips and made herself suppress a smile.

James ran his fingers through his hair again and said, "Now close the box. And then open it."

Lily shrugged and did as she was told, curiosity getting the better of her. She looked at the chocolates. The empty space from which she'd taken the chocolate she'd eaten was full again. "So, it's an everlasting box?"

"Yep," said James. "Well, it should last at least three, maybe four months."

"Pretty clever."

"I'm a clever guy."

"I can see that you really believe that." She held the box out to him. "I appreciate the thought, Potter, but I'm not going to keep these."

James crossed him arms and blew air out of his mouth in frustration. "Why the hell not? They're just chocolates. I thought you'd like them."

Lily looked slightly apologetic. "I just... I just can't take them. I'm sorry. It was a really nice thought, but no." He snatched the box away from her, glaring. She turned back to her book. Finally, she heard James curse under his breath and walk away.

Lily spent the rest of the evening staring blankly at her textbook. She didn't read a word or turn a page. Instead, she listed, over and over again, all the things about James Potter that drove her mad. Bloody Potter and his messy black hair and ridiculously delicious chocolates. As if a box of sweets was all it would take to win her affection. She'd never go out with him -- never in a million years.

It was really too cold to be outside, but James was damned if he was going to hang around in the Gryffindor common room with her and her giggly little friends. He sat under the tree by the lake, his knees pulled to his chest, his robes crumpled and edged with mud. He released the snitch and grabbed it again, squeezing it savagely. He could go out with any girl in the school, if he wanted to. Who was Lily Evans to turn him down?

"What's with her? Do you reckon she likes girls, or something?"

"Don't try and understand them, Prongs," said Sirius, stretched languidly out on his side on the grass. His robes fell in smooth, elegant folds. "Girls can't be understood. They're completely irrational; they think with their hormones."

Peter, who was on his stomach, his feet waving lazily in the air, giggled.

"Maybe in your case they do, Padfoot." Bloody Lily Evans. "These took ages to make." He took a fifth chocolate from the box and munched on it. He released the Snitch and snatched it back again.

Sirius turned onto his back and propped himself up on his elbows. He rolled his eyes. "Pull yourself together, Potter. You're in a strop over a girl. You're in serious danger of becoming well and truly boring."

"She's not just a girl." He threw the Snitch into the air as hard as he could and watched it fly away.

"Do you realise that you are pouting?"

Peter giggled again. "You are, Prongs. You're pouting over a silly girl."

"Shut up, Wormtail," snapped James.

"Leave James alone, you two." Remus was lying flat on his back, a piece of grass between his teeth, looking up at the gathering clouds. Sirius smirked but left James alone for a moment.

"So, the chocolates didn't do it. I'll have to come up with something better - something that will really impress her. What else do girls like, besides chocolates?"

"Kittens?" asked Peter.

Sirius snorted. "Who cares what she likes? Just grab her and give her a snog. Works every time."

James looked at Sirius with narrowed eyes.

Remus sighed. "Have you ever asked yourself why she would want to go out with you, James?"

James looked affronted and spluttered, "Well, why wouldn't she? What exactly are you trying to say?"

Remus shook his head. "Nothing, Prongs, nothing. You'll figure it out eventually."

"You're damn right I will," said James, wishing he hadn't let the Snitch go free now that the weather was turning. He'd have to get on his broom and fly in the rain to retrieve it. Bloody Lily Evans. It was all her fault.

Lily watched out of the corner of her eye as Potter took an extra wide turn around the Quidditch pitch. She hurried along with her friends, hoping he wouldn't notice her.

"Evans!" she heard him cry. "Hey, Evans!"

Sighing loudly, Lily turned around, ignoring the giggles of her friends. James was hovering on his broom in midair, a ridiculous grin plastered on his face. As if on cue, the other Gryffindor team members stopped what they were doing to watch.

"What do you want, Potter? I'm late for class."

James leant forwards, "Watch this!" He zoomed downwards and then curved upwards again.

Lily watched him fly. She couldn't look away. His face was determined, his hair whipping in the wind. He did a double loop-the-loop and came down to land a few feet in front of her. He hopped off his broom to the sound of applause from the rest of team and, to Lily's irritation, her friends. He was a good flyer - very good. But so what? Was she supposed to fall at his feet because of a little fancy air work? He obviously still thought she was a pushover. Lily kept her expression neutral, but inside she was fuming.

He sauntered over to her. God, he was such a show off. She looked at her friends and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, James," she said, the sarcasm dripping from her voice. "You're so good on your broom. I just can't resist you a moment longer."

"Isn't that what every girl really wants? A man who knows how to manage his broom?"

"Maybe," responded Lily, "though I suspect you're the type to spend too much time polishing his handle and not enough trimming your girlfriend's thatch."

James's eyes widened. "You're filthy," he said, smiling mischievously.

Lily couldn't help but grin back at him. His eyes flashed when they met hers. Lily felt her pulse speed up. This was bad...very bad. She took a step backwards. "Come on," she said to her friends. "Let's get inside. Too much testosterone out here."

"You're running away again?" said James.

"Piss off, Potter." She rushed towards the castle intending to bury herself in her Transfiguration homework. She heard the faint sound of James cursing and throwing his broom to the ground. Once again, she couldn't help but smile.

"This is definitely going to work," said James, hanging by one hand. He pulled himself onto the roof over the Great Hall and scrambled up the slope. Sirius, Remus and Peter followed. They crouched on the roof's peak. The air was bitterly cold. James wrapped his scarf more snugly around his neck and rubbed his hands together. "Right, let's get going."

It was a clear, quiet night. The Great Hall was blessed with an uncommon feeling of relaxation and camaraderie as everyone looked forward to the upcoming Christmas break. Lily felt happy but sleepy as she ate her dinner. She was looking forward to disappearing upstairs and curling up in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room.

Suddenly, she felt something high above her head. A fizzing, sparkling cascade of multi-coloured lights exploded beneath the enchanted ceiling. The entire student body and all of the staff immediately looked up. The lights danced and swirled in intricate patterns, forming glowing trails in the shapes of curly-cues and stars and spirals. The colours were luminescent against the dark blue night sky.

The lights gathered in a single swirling mass at one side of the room and then shot through the air in an enormous arc of colour. A translucent rainbow shimmered above them all. It was breathtaking.

A red sparkler began to fly through the air. It was writing - spelling out a single word in a looping script using the rainbow as a backdrop. 'L...I...L...Y.'

Lily started. Her mouth fell open. It was her name. The lights had spelled out her name across the ceiling of the Great Hall.

Her friends "Oooed," and "Aaahed." "It's so romantic!" one cried.

Oh Lily, you're so lucky," sighed another.

"Shut up," muttered Lily. She didn't feel lucky. She felt furious and completely put on the spot. Her face burned. She was terribly embarrassed, and she knew exactly who was to blame. That blasted, bloody, arrogant, self-satisfied little git, James Potter.

How dare he -- in front of the entire school? Did he expect her to throw herself at his feet in gratitude for a few fireworks? Lily was not one for making a spectacle of herself and Potter had just forced her directly into the spotlight. Everyone who wasn't staring at the glistening lights was looking at her. Then those who had been looking at the lights turned to look at her, too. Everyone in the entire room was staring at her, including the Professors, including Dumbledore.

She forced herself to her feet and, keeping her head held high, she strode purposely towards the exit. Before she could reach it, however, Potter, followed by his three ever-present buddies, zoomed into the Hall. He skidded to a stop when he saw her and rested, his hands on his knees, panting. He gave her an enormous, expectant smile. His eyes were shining and his face was flushed.

He was adorable. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to kiss him so badly.

Instead, she marched up to him and slapped him across the face. He fell backwards onto his arse and looked up at her, utterly shocked. The room erupted in jeers and laughter. Professor McGonagall was rushing towards them. Lily strode quickly towards the exit.

She was able to maintain what she hoped was a calm and proud expression until she passed Sirius.

"You little bitch," she heard him whisper. Then she started to run, feeling tears bursting from her eyes. She didn't stop until she reached her dorm room. She threw herself onto her bed and took her feelings out on her pillow. She shook it and tore it until it was utterly beyond repair. Then she sobbed into the messy pile of feathers she'd created until she finally fell asleep.

James hadn't seen her properly in weeks. He'd looked for her, of course, since they returned to Hogwarts after the holidays. He'd see her in class, but she always had her back turned. She was hiding from him. He knew it.

Sirius told him to forget her, that she wasn't worth it, that she had a bad attitude and chubby knees. He smuggled a bottle of Firewhisky into the common room, and they all got well and truly pissed. The house-elves were not best pleased with the mess they left behind.

Peter kept making terrible suggestions. "You could give her flowers? Or write her a poem? Or buy her a necklace?" James told him to shut up.

Remus waited until the others had gone down to dinner and took James aside. "You really like her, don't you?"

James looked down and kicked at the floor.

Remus sighed. "You've got to find a way of letting her know."

"What the hell do you think I've been doing the last few years?!?"

"Yes, but clearly she hasn't got the message."

James folded his arms across his chest and sucked in his lower lip to keep it from protruding. "What do you know, anyway?"

"Nothing. You're right. Forget it." Remus walked away.

James plunked himself down in a chair and thought.

He heard her footsteps approaching and pulled the cloak over his head. She walked by him and he followed her.

Lily probably wouldn't have noticed him even if he had been visible. She'd been in a haze ever since returning to school. A few hexes had put an end to the brief rash of teasing she'd had to endure regarding James's fireworks. Still, she avoided people - even her friends. She just didn't feel like talking to anyone.

She marched towards the Owlery clutching a letter to her mother. As she approached the bottom of the stairway she heard a noise behind her. She jumped. She'd thought she was alone in the passageway.

She spun around and saw that it was him. Her face creased in anger and she opened her mouth to give him a good telling off.

"Wait," he said holding out his arms. "Just give me one second."

She stood with one hip jutting out, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "What have you got for me today, James?" she asked.

He looked down and scuffed his shoes on the floor. "Nothing," he said.

Lily blinked at him. "Nothing?"

James shook his head.

"So, what do you want?" asked Lily impatiently.

James looked up. He met her eyes. There was no bravado, no arrogance about him today. His shoulders were hunched, and his hands were shoved deep in his pockets. "Lily," he said, "I...I like you. I just really like you." He returned his gaze to the floor, his face reddening. "I don't know what to do," he whispered.

Lily examined his down turned face. It was partially obscured by his ridiculously messy hair. She felt something thin and brittle break inside her. "Oh," she said, feeling a bit ridiculous. She'd hardly ever seen this side of him before. "If you didn't act like such a complete idiot all the time, I might actually like you, too," she said, running her words together.

"Really?" He looked dubious. Lily laughed and nodded her head.

James's face broke out into an enormous grin. Lily smiled back.

And then he kissed her. He pushed his body up against hers, and his lips were on her lips, and his hands were on her shoulders. She kissed him back without even thinking about it. It was like sinking into a pool of deliciously warm water. His mouth was so soft and wet; his hands were so strong. She sighed and let her body relax against his.

James gasped and shuddered.

"Alright, alright." Lily smiled, gently pushing at his chest. "Don't get carried away."

"But that's always been my problem, as far as you're concerned, Lily. I do get carried away. I just can't help myself."

Lily felt the last of the ice in her heart trickle away. She pulled him back towards her. James, she thought, pushing her hands into his ridiculous hair and pressing her lips passionately against his. James bloody Potter.

~The End