Chapter 25
James saw Lily leave and before he realised what he had done. Both Mulciber and Snape were frozen in a curse on the floor.
He had to find Lily he felt horrible leaving them there for the kind waitress to deal with when she came back from the kitchen but he wasn't sure what else to do.
He left 60 golden gallons ( £300) on the table hoping that would be enough for the food and her having to deal with the two pricks once they woke up.
James hurried out the door as fast as he could.
He still felt a little out of it after the whole thing. He looked up the street and saw no sight of Lily.
Then across the field outside town, he saw a flash of red hair running towards the forest.
She was at least 10 minutes ahead of him but if he ran fast enough he might be able to catch her.
He was still so confused by the things Snape had said. James had nothing wrong with curvier girls but Lily was quite thin. And what did he mean since summer? James didn't pay much attention to how much girls weighed but Lily was practically shrinking by the week. Something James had tried not to notice. Of all the things to say he couldn't understand why a remark that clearly isn't true could affect her so.
Thank god for Quidditch training James thought as he spirited through the field. For a small girl, she sure could leg it.
He knew the general direction she had gone in but halfway through the field, the glimpses of red-haired had disappeared.
Still, he kept running determined to catch her and fueled by his anger at Snape and Mulciber.
They were vile assholes who didn't deserve to breathe the same air as Lily Evans.
5 minutes from the forest
Who were they to call her that word that disgusting blood purist word?
4 minutes from the forest
Lily was ten times as magic as they could ever dream of being
3 minutes from the forest
They ruined such a perfectly nice date.
2 minutes from the forest
Sweat trickled down his forehead.
Lily Evans, is the most beautiful witch in Hogwarts. She is perfect in every way imaginable. No one should feel they can take that from her.
Lily didn't deserve that.
At the edge of the forest now James panted catching his breath and hoping she wasn't far.
Then he hears a stifled sob between his own pants for air.
And sure enough five feet into the forest hugging her knees by a tree sat Lily Evans.
"Lily?" James said. He had never seen Lily cry. It felt like a slap in the face. It hurt.
Lilt looked up eyes and nose red from crying.
"Oh, Merlin Potter why'd you follow me," Lily said voice raw and tired.
James walked over as if he was approaching a wounded fawn.
He sat down by her tree.
"Why do you think?" James said softly.
"God knows." Lily sighed tears still spilling from her green eyes.
"Lily you are so much more than blood trust me. It's not worth your tears."
James said looking over at her.
"I'm not crying 'cause they called me a mud blood James. I'm used to it by now."
It hurt to hear Lily say that and James was struck with a sudden urge to curse anyone who dared use that word in the same sentence with her name.
But why was she crying if not that? Was it the other stuff?
"Lily what they said was vile and disgusting but I mean it's so very not true," James said matter of factly.
He saw Lily tense up slightly.
Her voice was distant and cold in a way it never was "James I'm not stupid."
James had to not look shocked. He failed.
"What!?"
Lily sniffed.
"I know what I look like. I know it must be some hilarious joke to you. But I'm not blind I know you don't like me. I mean look at me. " She said gesturing to her body.
"Snape isn't wrong James I guess I stupidly hoped you wouldn't see it too."
James was too shocked to say anything for a minute.
He tried to think of something comforting to say but he was too confused. How could someone have such a twisted view of the way they look?
"Are you mad?" He said plainly.
"What" Lily sniffed.
"Are.You. Mad." James asked blankly.
"No."
"Well I know you're not stupid I don't think you're blind and you say you're not mad."
James said staring intently at Lily.
"How can you not see it then?"
"See what Potter?"
"Lily you are Gorgeous. I don't understand why you can't see that."
James said feeling defeated by the thought that someone could be so beautiful and so oblivious.
"Marlene said something to me a while ago and I wasn't sure if it was true or not till now."
"What did Marlene say?"
"She told me you couldn't see yourself the way others did. I thought maybe Marls exaggerated a bit or something but I'm starting to think she didn't Lily."
"I-" Lily paused "Marlene says a lot of stuff ok."
"Yeah," He took a breath in. "She told me something else. She said you didn't know I was serious all the times I asked you out."
Lily looked down and let her remaining tears run onto the lap of her dress.
"Yeah." She said quietly.
James took a deep breath in trying to have the nerve he needed to truly say it when Lily needed to hear it.
"You're wrong."
She looked up a little surprised.
"You mean to say all those times?"
James smiled at how oblivious Lily was.
He nodded softly. "All those times." He confirmed.
Lily hid her face in her hands in embarrassment.
James almost on impulse put his hand on Lily's shoulder.
"Hey. I don't blame you. I was really immature in the way I went about asking you out. I don't know why but I thought grand gestures would be romantic I didn't realise you'd find them embarrassing." He said gently.
Lily's face came up from her hands.
"It wasn't that James it's just," she furrowed her brows in thought.
"I just never thought you meant it. You're James Potter you could have anyone I just thought it was some cruel joke or something. I didn't want to feel like a fool."
James could feel his heart sink a bit at this.
"Lily I don't want anyone."
He stared into her emerald eyes still a little red-rimmed from tears.
"I want you."
Lily looked taken aback as if it wasn't something he had been saying for 5 years.
Her lips parted slightly in surprise.
James wasn't sure of what he was doing.
It happened in an instant yet it felt like a decade at the same time.
As if time was looping around him at the moment......he decided to kiss Lily Evans.
His hand gently cupped her face fingers looming themselves in the hair around it.
Lily didn't pull away.
She leant into the kiss.
Her soft rosebud lips pushed into his.
James felt his chest thump in excitement and shock and nerve and joy.
He was kissing Lily Evans.
And Lily Evans was kissing him back!!
After an uncertain measure of time the kiss ended.
Both flushed in the face from the surprise of it.
Lily leaned back into the tree looking dazed.
James felt another wave of courage.
"Lily I know you don't like public gestures."
He waved a hand around to the forest containing only the two of them and its creatures."But I don't think I can find somewhere more private. And I know it's not the gentlemanly thing to kiss a lady informally on a first date. I'm very sorry but you looked so beautiful and I c-"
He was already babbling Danm it.
Lily giggled at him.
"Is there a point you're making Potter." She said cheekily in the tone of their usual banter.
"Would you like you be my girlfriend?" James said slowly.
"Yes Potter, I would. "