Chapter 4
Now Lily didn't spend the nights sleeping or reading. Either she was talking to Marlene or she was lying awake thinking about James. The boy who literally tried asking her out on their first day in Hogwarts. She refused then. Well, she was eleven?!
He didn't gave up. Every month, he tried again. She refused every single time. At some point she didn't even know why herself. At the end of 4th year, he stopped.
But now he seems to be back at it again. Kind of, at least. Lily was confused.
"Do you like him? Like, liking liking him?", Marlene asked when they were both lying in their beds, awake at night. "I really don't know", Lily answered and a tear was falling down her cheek.
"If he would ask you out again one last time, would you say yes?" "Probably", she whispered back. "Do you think he will ask me out again?" "This is something I don't know.", she responded quietly.
In the boys dorm, they were talking, too. "Do you still like Lily?", Sirius asked. "Yes. Well, at least I think so." "But you stopped asking her out", Peter pointed out. "I just couldn't take another no", James answered. "I don't think she'd say no again", Remus said out of the blue. "Really? Why?" James asked surprised. "I don't know. Just a feeling maybe." James kept silent. "Will you ask her out again?", Remus asked carefully. "I don't know", James answered quietly. "Maybe."
From now on, Lily was always prepared to get asked out by James again. But nothing happened. Every single day she got more disappointed.
"Okay, I understand, I've lost", Lily mumbled under her breath. They just returned to Hogwarts again. She had a nice time in Hogsmeade with her girls. They even met the boys and had a snowball fight. It was fun. But it would have been nicer if her and James were alone.
Now the christmas time was about to come. And James romantic-stereotype-Potter thought to himself, now was the perfect time to ask Lily out again.
It started like a normal day. The girls were sitting at breakfast all together and so did the boys. Then it was time for the post.
Lily expected maybe a letter from her parents. Or from her sister, even though that was highly unlikely.
Instead, she got a howler.
She froze, scared. Had she done something wrong that she now had to get this punishment? But why didn't she get normal detention?
When the howler landed before her, she got to take a look on the writing and she stopped. She knew that hand writing very well.
In this moment, the howler began to talk. Or, better said, scream.
"MY DEAR LILY EVANS"
All heads turned around to her and Lily felt her face turn as red as her hair.
"I HAVE ADORED YOU FROM THE VERY FIRST MOMENT I HAVE LAYED MY EYES ON YOU!
BUT YOU ALWAYS TURNED DOWN MY ATTEMPTS TO ASK YOU OUT!"
She tried to make herself really small in her seat and took a little glance at the boys. They were having the time of their lives. Remus was reading, as usual, but Lily could see his amused smile.
James and Sirius were hugging each other and laughed really loudly. And Peter .. he wasn't making any noise. But over his cheeks were running the tears of silent laughter.
"BUT I AM NOT GIVING UP! I AM ASKING YOU AGAIN!
LILY EVANS! WOULD YOU DO ME THE HONOR AND GO TO HOGSMEADE AND THE CHRISTMAS PARTY AFTERWARDS WITH ME?"
After that, he sang a wild mix of SOS by abba and Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer- a bit wrong.
Finally, the letter burned itself and disappeared. The silence after that felt really loud.
Everything in Lily wanted to say no. She just couldn't handle the attention this drama queen got her. But she somehow knew this was gonna be her last chance. And secretly she also thought this performance was really funny.
Still nothing happened. Suddenly, Sirius stood up and climbed on his chair. "And?!", he called out. Lily let out a deep sigh and stood up as well. "Yes!" "She said yes!", Sirius called, climbed down and ran past the table to hug her. Many students cheered for them and Lily secretly cursed the boys who came up with that idea and gave her all that unwanted attention. But that's what you do for the boy you fancy, she thought to herself and hugged Peter, who came up to her with the brightest smile on his face. He was genuinely happy for them and seemed nearly the most exited one that James finally got his date with Lily
"So, who is staying home for the Christmas holidays?" They were all sitting on a bench, even though it was freezing. But they felt warm because of their activity. They were building a big snowman.
The boys really wanted to make a snowman of Professor McGonagall. Or 'Queen Minnie', like the boys called her. The girls just smiled and let the boys be boys again. Now they were finished and resting.
"James and Lily, obviously", Sirius said and winked at them. Both were instantly turning red and looking at the ground. "I'm also gonna stay here. I'm glad for every opportunity to not be at our house. Regulus is gonna do the same thing I guess.", Sirius continued.
"I'm driving home, I miss my family", Marlene said. "I won't be here as well", Peter added. "My parents said they have a surprise for me." "Well then have fun at home", Lily smiled at them. Then she turned around to Remus. "And what about you, Moony?" The boy slightly flinched when she called him his nickname and hoped the girl didn't noticed. "Uhm, me? Well I think I will also spend the holidays in Hogwarts. There's nothing much waiting for me at home and I could use the time to study."
Lily nodded and looked at her little clock. "I think it's nearly time for dinner, let's go inside!" "Oh yeah I'm freezing!" They all stood up, brushing the snow off and went inside. They were all thinking about different things, but in one thing they were thinking all the same. They could be very lucky to have friends like these.