Their Seventh Year

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Chapter 9- What I Like About You

She wanted to know why he liked her? Fine, he'd tell her. But first he had to figure it out himself. He fell back on his usual method.

Reasons I Like Lily Evans:

-She's very pretty

As he wrote this, he almost crumpled up the paper and started again, but then stopped. Remus had warned him against focusing too much on her looks, as that was obviously not something Lily found important. Well, James didn't think it was that important either, but he did think she was pretty and saw no reason to apologize for that. If she didn't want to look nice, she wouldn't bother with all the nice hairstyles and jewelry and make-up. It wasn't the only reason he liked her, it wasn't even the most important reason, but it factored in. So he left it.

-She's very smart

She was that. She was brilliant in fact. As much as he hated when anyone beat him in classes, he had to admire Lily's quick mind. She'd been a worthy adversary for top grades since their first year. She could do charms that should be well beyond the ability of a seventh year student.

-She's actually quite funny when she wants to be

Lily was either naturally serious or terribly worried about being taken seriously. Whatever it was, she was generally all business. But everyone once in awhile, she would forget herself, and when she did she was very funny. This was usually when she was among friends, but she could also be very funny with him. True, it didn't seem very funny to him, because usually she was making fun of him, but she was quick and clever. James appreciated wit.

-She likes quidditch

Well, that was self-explanatory. She might pretend to be annoyed when he talked about it, but he had seen her at every quidditch game ever held at Hogwart's, watching every move avidly and cheering excitedly.

-She's strong, independent, brave…

James paused, his quill suspended over the paper. What was the point of all this? He could go to her and list all the reasons he liked her. What good would it do? Besides, there were not a few, concise, all-encompassing reasons he liked her. She fascinated him, she drew him, every time he found out something about her he wanted to know more, every time she said something he wanted to hear her say something else. And yet he couldn't go and say that to her, it didn't make sense, so he'd just end up sounding like an idiot again and she'd get mad at him again.

"That's what I thought. You don't really even like me Potter. You don't know how to like someone, much less love someone. The only thing you love is James Potter and you're so enamored with yourself you can’t believe there's something you can’t have. Well, you might as well get used to it because I want nothing to do with you."

James cringed as he remembered her words. He laid down his quill, and sighed.

……………………………………………………………..

Sirius knew a challenge when he heard one, and the sixth year Slytherin had clearly thrown him a challenge when she refused to tell him her name. Well fine, Sirius Black never backed down from a challenge, he was equal to any task. He'd find out her name and call her by it pointedly at every opportunity he got.

He waited patiently in a small alcove as the bell rang and students began to fill the halls. Standing unnoticed in the shadows, he watched the passing students, looking for likely candidates. Finally, he spotted just the sort of victims he had been hoping for. Two particularly scrawny first year Slytherin boys passed. Sirius caught the pair of them by their collars and before they could even make a squeak of protest, dragged them into an empty classroom. Before they even knew what was happening to them, they were staring in wide-eyed terror at the end of Sirius Black's wand. They might be only first years, but they had heard enough of the Gryffindor to know he wasn't bluffing when he threatened to hex people.

"Now then." He said conversationally. "I don't necessarily have to hex you. I merely requite one small piece of information and you two little slimeballs-in-training can go tripping on your merry way. There is a sixth year in your house. She's about so tall, slim, long black hair, blue eyes. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

They both nodded, too frightened to speak.

"What's her name?"

They exchanged a look, and the bolder of the two finally found his voice.

"We don't know." He squeaked.

"What do you mean you don't know? How can you not know?" Snapped Sirius. "Do you want to be in a full body bind? It will take them awhile to find you in here."

The boy shook his head fervently. "We're not allowed to talk to the older students. And they don't talk to us. So how would we know her name?"

Sirius considered this. In Gryffindor's common room everyone talked to everyone, but who knew what the Slytherins got up to in their common room? Maybe they did have some kind of bizarre hierarchy system. He glared at the pair of them, trembling at the end of his wand.

"Get out of here, you're useless."

Sirius ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He'd have to find another tactic.

………………………………………………………………………

Lily pressed a little too hard with her quill, and left a funny ink blotch on her potions essay. How stupid, she'd been writing with a quill for seven years now, it wasn't like she didn't know how. She slammed the quill down on her desk in irritation, and it snapped.

"Dammit."

"Lily? What's going on?" Asked quietly from her bed, where she was reading.

"I broke my quill."

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

"I know. I guess I'm just tired. Lots of work, lot's to do."

didn’t buy that for a second. She cleared her throat delicately. "I have noticed in the past few days Mr. Potter has been conspicuously absent from his usual position of worshipping the ground you walk on."

"Yeah, thank Merlin I finally got rid of him." Lily said, trying to sound relieved. Even to her own ears she sounded unconvincing.

"And how did you accomplish that?"

Deciding a lie would get her nowhere, she briefly recounted the conversation they'd had when he cornered her on the way to the library.

"I think…well, to be honest Lil, I think that was a little harsh."

Lily had been secretly thinking that as well. In fact, she almost felt a little bad. But when said it, she immediately went on the defensive.

"After what he did?"

"Kissing you? Well yes Lily, it was rude, and tactless, and he showed really appallingly bad timing, but that's hardly a crime for Azkaban.

Irritated, she grabbed another quill from her bag, and went back to her homework. "I'm just glad he's stopped bothering me." She said with finality. But when had gone back to her reading Lily was still staring at a blank piece of parchment. For someone who had finally gotten what she wanted, she didn’t feel very happy.

………………………………………………………………..

James had decided Lily Evans was hopeless, a lost cause, and announced boldly to his fellow Maurauders that that was the end of it. There would be no more talk of Lily Evans. It was three days into his self-imposed Lily Evans moratorium, and most people would think James was doing pretty well. He was busy and cheerful and making public observations about other pretty, available girls at Hogwart's. But Remus knew him too well to fall for it. The cheer was forced, the comments on other girls were just to prove how over her he was, and the constant activity was to keep him from thinking too much.

Sirius and Peter saw it too, but neither of them were known for sensitivity or tact, so it was Remus who made a point of seeking James out that evening. It took some searching, but he finally found him in the quidditch stands with his transfiguration textbook.

"So, how's it going?"

"It's amazing Moony, I feel so much better now that I've let go of the ridiculous Evans obsession."

"What kind of jewelry was she wearing today?"

"A gold necklace and little tiny red earrings and her usual watch." James realized that he had not only memorized what Lily was wearing, but also admitted it to his friend. He looked up from his book with an embarrassed expression.

"In other words, not over her at all."

"Damn you and your insights Moony. No, I'm not over her entirely yet, but I'm working on it. Pretty soon Lily Evans will be just a memory. It's like no matter how hard I try she's never going to give in. Why do I keep trying?"

"That really doesn't sound like the James Potter I know."

"I know, but you should have heard what she said…"

You don't know how to like someone, much less love someone. He closed his eyes briefly. He didn't even want to repeat that to Remus. He sighed, and opened his eyes to his friend's concerned face. Well, at least his friends cared. Wait a minute…his friends cared….his friends.

He slammed his book shut and shoved it back in his bag. Just who did Lily Evans think she was anyway?

"Where are you going?" Remus asked, surprised at his sudden move to leave.

"To find Evans." James said over his shoulder determinedly.