Outside Her Window

Lily Evans turned over in her bed, at the far end of the seventh year Gryffindor dormitories, wishing for the umpteenth time that she had accepted the single bedroom that most of the Hogwarts Head Girls got.

Why hadn't she, though? She loved everything about her life at Hogwarts and the only thing she had had to complain about for the past six and a half years was Gracie's snoring. She raised her head slightly as Grace Burns let out another earsplitting snore. She glanced over to the watch on her bedside table; 12:45 blinked at her in luminescent writing.

Grinning ruefully, she gave up on any hope of sleep and went over to her window. She grabbed her cloak, opened the window clasp and eased it up, climbing out on to the window ledge. From there she caught on to the sloping roof-like structure that lay a few feet below the actual Gryffindor Tower roof. Making sure her wand was safely tucked into the pocket she had charmed on to her pajamas, she settled down to what she expected to be a few uninterrupted hours of star gazing.

Barely ten minutes had passed when she heard the scratching below her. She tried to ignore it but it persisted. Sighing, she got down onto her hands and knees and hesitantly crawled over to the edge.

"Accretio Videre," she muttered as she glanced down, and her vision sharpened. At first all appeared peaceful (except for that dreadful scratching) but, as Lily watched, a bit of the castle wall, down onto the grass, opened up and, two raven-haired heads emerged from it.

To her surprise, and amusement, one of the offenders happened to be her male counterpart in all things Head.

Well, who else but James Potter and Sirius Black would be crawling out of a hole in the wall in the middle of the night? she thought, biting back a grin. As Head Girl she should have been scandalized, but as Lily Evans, she was holding back laughter.

"Accretio Audire," she said, honing her ears. She shouldn't eavesdrop but they were breaking rules, she reasoned, and fair's fair.

"I told you that wasn't the way to the Slytherin Commons room Sirius!" James was berating, "And what were you thinking anyway? After you almost got expelled last year for putting Snape in danger like that! You're going to get me expelled with you this time."

"But it's in our blood, Jimmy boy! As Gryffindors it is our sworn duty to humiliate the Slytherins! And as the Marauders it's our sacred vow to torture Snape," Sirius insisted.

"And what does any of that have to do with us ending up outside in the snow, without the Invisibility Cloak?"

Lily noticeably jerked at that, forgetting that she was inches away from a fatal fall. No wonder James got away with all his pranks if he had an Invisibility Cloak. She wondered why she hadn't figured it out before.

Below her James and Sirius continued arguing. "It's not my fault that you left it in the kitchens! I swear James, you have been absentminded lately." Then Sirius paused, watching James turn red, "It's a girl isn't it?"

"No, of course not. Don't be absurd!" he replied, quickly.

"I do believe that Prongs has fallen in love," Sirius exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face.

Lily, from her roof-top perch, nodded absent-mindedly. She could not help agreeing with Sirius, no matter how much James denied it. He'd been stammering for the last few Head Boy - Head Girl/Prefect Meetings. And he had been preoccupied. I wonder who it is, she thought. She felt something in her stomach twist.

She realized, suddenly, that she didn't want James to be in love. Because he'd be distracted from his Head Boy duties and that wouldn't be fair to me, she told herself, nervously.

She bit her lip. Lily had never been one to lie to herself. She didn't lie about her social status (she wasn't the most popular person in the school, but she was well-liked), about her grades (they were above average, but she'd worked hard to become Head Girl), or her family (how she hated Petunia!). No, Lily Evans never lied to herself and she wasn't about to start now.

She had a crush on James Potter.

_ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh come on, James. You can tell me," Sirius wheedled.

"I am telling you! I don't like anyone," James lied.

He searched his mind, frantically, trying to find a way to change the subject. He didn't think he was ready to try and explain his feeling about the Head Girl. "And how, exactly did we wind up discussing who I liked? I believe you were going to explain why we're standing in middle of the Hogwarts grounds and bloody freezing to death!"

"Fine," Sirius narrowed his eyes. "I'll just ask someone else. Someone who'll know.... Hey! Girls notice these types of things don't they? I'll ask Lily!"

James was too busy feeling his heart lurch to pay any attention to a chipped piece of roof shilling fall on the grass a few feet away. Sirius wouldn't ask Lily would he? They were good friends, after all.

And here he felt a twinge of jealousy. Then he brushed it aside. No, they'd never acted like they were anything more then friends. Except that day when he was teasing her about the dance decorations... he was flirting, wasn't he?' James shook his head. He was being ridiculous. Then what Sirius had said hit him.

He groaned out loud. "They can tell?"

With his luck Lily already knew! And she's probably wondering how to break it to me gently, he thought miserably.

Sirius cocked his head at him. "Calm down, mate. I was just kidding. So does this mean there is a girl?"

James shuffled his feet. "There is."

"Smashing!" Sirius yelled. "Who is it? It's that Jane person from Hufflepuff isn't it? Or Brianna from Ravenclaw?" Sirius grabbed James shoulders, "Who James, who?"

James took a step backwards, "Padfoot! There's no reason to get over-excited!"

At Sirius' glare James chuckled, and then, studying his shoes, muttered "It's none of those people. It's Lily."

There was a small silence as the two friends stood in the snow. Then Sirius whispered theatrically, "Lily Evans?"

James replied, nervously, "Yeah."

Sirius' started laughing. "I knew it. Wait till I tell Moony! I knew you fancied her! This is brilliant, this is- "

It was at this time that a surprised shriek was let out. Both boys glanced up to see a figure falling towards the ground.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" James yelled, pulling out his wand. When the figure was just a few feet away from the ground he let the spell go. A startled Lily Evans fell into his arms.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Stupid' Lily thought, Stupid, stupid, stupid. How could she have been so surprised to have fallen off? Then she remembered why she had been surprised. Then she realized where she was.

"Hi James," she said, biting her lip.

James was in shock. "H- hello," he replied, uncertainly.

"You can let go now," she told him, blushing.

"Oh, right."

When Lily was standing again Sirius cleared his throat from behind them, "So Lily dearest, what were you doing falling out of the sky?"

Lily him a quick glance, before looking down at her feet, "I was- er, sitting on the ledge. Our dormitory is right up there."

Sirius quirked an eyebrow, "And do you usually sit on rooftops in the wee hours of the morning."

"No- I- well Gracie was snoring, and I was just thinking about moving- see, the sky looked so pretty and, er, I couldn't sleep," she explained, wanting to hit herself for how stupid she must sound.

"And you just happened to trip and fall?"

"I was- I was... startled."

"You were startled?"

"Well you would be too if James said- " she paused, belatedly realizing that she shouldn't have heard them without magic. "I have good hearing," she added belatedly.

Sirius looked at James: he was still staring at Lily, in shock. Sirius looked at Lily: her eyes were carefully studying her shoes. Since no one else seemed inclined to speak he continued, "So you heard everything?"

James jaw snapped shut. Lily's face jerked up. "Y-ye... I might have." She shot James a nervous smile.

James swallowed. "Y- you did? How, um, how- "

"Did you mean it?" she asked him.

His mouth wouldn't work; he nodded.

Lily smiled, uncertainly. Then she leaned over, her inside melting, and gave him a quick kiss. "Goodnight James," she whispered. She looked at Sirius, "Night Sirius."

"Good night Lily!" Sirius cheerfully called as she made her way towards the castle's doors. He glanced over at his love-struck best friend.

James was grinning foolishly. "Does this mean you'll go out with me?" he yelled after her.

She stopped and turned around. She gave a quick nod before making a dash inside, blushing. She grinned as loud, happy whooping followed her inside.