Stealing Sheep

Lily Evans bit her lip nervously and looked over at him. God, he was so imposing with that impossible arrogance and irrepressible grin. She watched him laugh at some joke Sirius had just made and was struck again by how perfect he was.

She mentally slapped herself. Perfect? Him? Okay, he may look like an underwear model but that was no reason for her to go off the deep end and start calling him 'perfect'. What about his intellect? Conversation skills? Seriousness? Sensibility? She knew very well that he was completely wrong for her. She didn't care. He may not be perfect, he may be 'wrong' for her, but she couldn't help the way she felt. It was unstoppable and no matter how hard she fought it, debated over it, persuaded herself it wasn't the case, she couldn't deny any longer the flutter she felt deep within her whenever she looked at him. In fact, that warm, tingly feeling was so sickeningly familiar that there was hardly a time when she didn't feel it.

She had to end it. It was too dangerous; she couldn't let her feelings be battered by him again. She had to tell him to forget about her and stop trying to 'court' her, as he'd put it. She hadn't welcomed him, hadn't been particularly friendly towards him, yet still he pursued her. After that first explosive night in the Ministry of Magic she'd attempted to avoid him. Of course, James being James, he couldn't let her go- he had to see her again, keep reminding her of it. She'd tried again and again to wipe her memory of it but just when she thought she'd got past it, he popped up and forced himself into her thoughts once again.

Now, here she was, back in the same building where she'd lost her head with him just three weeks ago.

He looked up, sensing her glare, and smiled radiantly at her, making her curse him even more. How dare he make her tingle all over with one smile?

Then all negative thoughts left her head as he proceeded to wind his way through the crowd towards her. 'Oh no,' she thought desperately, 'I'm not ready to deal with him yet!' She knew that she'd eventually end up jumping him again if she didn't control her thoughts and, tempting though it was, she didn't think the Ministry of Magic would appreciate her ravishing someone in the middle of the dance floor. She had to forget everything she felt- if only for this one night she had to rediscover the Ice Queen and block out all emotion.

"Hi." He smiled at her. Dammit, but it was really difficult to forget how her heart danced at the sight of him.

"Hello, Potter," she bit out, in what she hoped was a cold tone.

However, he seemed oblivious and leisurely swept his gaze down her body and back up again, appreciation apparent in his now darkened eyes.

Despite herself, Lily flushed and gritted her teeth at his casual perusal of her body. How dare he? "Do you really have to?"

"What?" His eyes met hers again and she felt a jolt she rather wished she hadn't.

She gulped and watched him uneasily. "Look at me like I'm a juicy fly you're just itching to swat."

James laughed, but when he leaned in his eyes were serious. "If anything, Lily, I'm the fly and you're the rolled up newspaper."

She rolled her eyes, but he yanked her to her feet and said, "Enough dodgy analogies, anyway. Let's dance!"

She tried, she really did, but it was so difficult to resist enjoying herself when he was enthusiastic to please and such good company. She reminded herself to forget everything lovey-dovey and get down to business. She'd tell him she didn't want to see him ever again, she was moving away- no, better yet, she was eloping with an ex-boyfriend. That might only succeed in infuriating him but she tucked it away at the back of her mind as a last resort. Knowing her track record, she'd need it.

Have I told you how simply gob-smacking you look tonight?" he whispered into her ear, sending unwanted shivers down her spine and increasing her heartbeat.

"No, and you're not going to," she answered, giving him a stern look.

"Oh, yes, I forgot," he said smilingly. "You don't like compliments, do you? You are the only girl I have ever met who would kill someone for saying they look nice. I actually think Sirius still has the scar from that time he told you your hair looked pretty."

"First of all, he did not say 'pretty' he said 'puffy', and secondly, the only reason anyone ever says I'm pretty is if they want something." She tried to avoid his gaze, knowing that he would argue, even though she knew perfectly well that she was in no way beautiful. A bit odd looking maybe, but never beautiful.

James lifted her chin and looked into her defiant eyes. "Listen to me, Evans. I don't ever want you to say that again. Do you think the reason I say you're beautiful is because I want something?" She raised her eyebrows. "Ok, ok, don't answer that. My point is that I mean what I say. Don't you realise what you do to me? I just have to glance at you and I go all funny. Believe me, you're beautiful." He gave her a rueful grin and scratched his head in embarrassment before his face settled once more into a serious expression.

Unfortunately for her, Lily felt as though he was seeing right through her, right into her soul and she fiercely tried to ward off the barrage of feelings assaulting her.

"But, of course, you're still not as lovely as me."

She registered that he was grinning at her but she was too busy convincing herself how nauseating he was to reciprocate. Couldn't he come up with something more original than 'I go all funny'?

"What's wrong?"

"What?"

"I know that something's wrong. I can always tell. Especially with you. Go on tell me. What's wrong? I am an expert problem-solver. Just ask Sirius. You know, once he actually asked me how he should approach Lucy Bennet about going out with him and I came up with a solution only using a quarter of a melon and a toothbrush..."

She stared at him. He was so cute when he went on and on about rubbish. No!! He was not cute, he was in fact pathetic and revolting.

"...So, since I am surely the man to help you, you can tell me. I'll keep it a secret. Kill anyone recently? Got a secret stalker? What is it? Hmm?" He smiled encouragingly at her.

She panicked. She'd known this moment would come from the second she'd seen him this evening. She'd known her feelings and she'd known how it would all work out. It was inevitable. But in a moments weakness she just blurted it out and stared at him in horror.

"I think I'm in love with you."

That shut him up. He stared at her blankly and stupidly blinked, shock and fear apparent on his face.

She flooded red, averted her eyes and prayed that she had hallucinated and hadn't actually just said what she thought she'd said. She hadn't meant to tell him, for

God's sake! She'd just meant to slowly edge out of their relationship, if in fact you could call the three weeks that he had spent pestering her while she fought as hard as she could to ignore him, a relationship.

"I know what you're going to say. It too fast, too soon, we barely know each other anymore. And I really don't want to hear you try to let me down gently so I'll do it for you." He opened his mouth to protest but Lily held up a hand to stop him. "I won't expect any owls, I won't continue harbouring these feelings and I sure as Hell don't expect you to feel the same way. I'll just forget about it all. Forget we even met." To her complete and utter horror her eyes swam with unshed tears and her voice quavered dangerously. She would not cry. She couldn't let him see her cry; her pride simply wouldn't allow it.

"What? But- When- How...What?!" James managed to stammer out.

Somehow she was able to blink back her tears, look straight into his shocked eyes and say, in what she hoped was a strong, sure voice, "Goodbye, James."

Lily turned in her heel and swiftly departed from the ballroom. She decided that the only thing to dull the stabbing pain in her chest (it was not, as romantics would think, a broken heart, but a small heart attack, not at all that significant) was a gallon or two of Firewhiskey and so she headed home to get completely and irrevocably drunk.

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James walked hesitantly up the garden path. He vaguely registered that it was a very pretty garden, just what he'd expected from her, neat and exact in its loveliness. The daffodils and tulips formed regimented rows lining the edge of the garden and the grass had a perfect buzz cut. Yes, it was definitely Lily Evans' garden.

As he stopped at the door he wondered yet again whether he was doing the right thing. She had got a bit...emotional, so should he just take it like a man and escape while he still could? His mouth set in a grim line and his eyes took on a determined glint. He was going to get to the bottom of this. He didn't believe that she was 'in love' with him, whatever that meant. In his experience, women tended to go overboard with wild passion when they simply liked a guy so he was in no doubt as to what Lily thought she felt. After all, he was a very likeable guy.

He sucked in a breath, steadying himself for what he was about to say, and knocked.

No answer.

He knocked again. This time the door was immediately flung open and James blinked as the redhead stared at him with no hint of surprise. A blush spread its way up his neck as he realised what she was wearing- very little indeed. As he took in her white silk sleep shirt and mussed hair he felt his traitorous body began to respond to the strange, sexy look. He tried to fight the rush of lust that weaved its way through his blood and stepped back away from her. What was wrong with him? He couldn't keep his thoughts clean for a second! He needed to distance himself and tell her what he'd come here to say.

"Erm-"

"Hello, James," she purred with a smile that gradually blossomed on her face.

"Hel-" Had she just purred at him? "What's wrong?" He leaned in towards her, suspicious of her innocent expression, and in the instant he saw her slightly glassy eyes he knew what was wrong. "You're drunk!"

She frowned at him playfully and insisted, "I am not drunk! I'm just mildly inebriated. Why don't you come in?"

"Er- I don't think so." He was getting rather unnerved by the predatory gleam in her eyes and since he was beginning to lose control of his faculties and his sense of decency he thought it a miracle that he was able to edge away slowly, away from temptation.

"Oh, James! Stop being such a pansy! Come in and take advantage of me," she demanded, holding open her arms and grinning seductively.

James let out a breath and shoved his hands in his pockets- by far the smartest place for them. Whatever he'd expected, this was not it. She was propositioning him, for God's sake! If she'd been sober he would've jumped at the chance, but then again, if she'd been sober the offer would never have been made. What was he to do? How could he turn down a woman who he was extremely attracted to and was offering herself to him so freely? "Um- tempting as that offer may be-"

Lily ceased tapping her foot impatiently and, catching him unaware, grabbed his shirt with both hands and yanked him inside where she could seduce him properly.

"I said 'Come in'!" she repeated and fused her mouth onto his.

Startled though he was, James realised that whether he protested or not, the woman was going to get what she wanted and he had very little say in it.

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