Lily was bored. Her date, James, was lovely but if she was being honest she just didn’t feel attracted to him. It made her want to hit herself over the head. Any other girl would give up their right arm to go out on a date with the infamous James Potter but she couldn’t help the fact she felt no desire for the man standing next to her.
“Ooo Lils, look at this plant what do you reckon it is?” James asked, pointing at a plant that was stretched across the roof of the greenhouse they were in.
Lily had to resist the very strong urge to sigh. “James, I quite literally have no idea what it is, considering the fact we’re in the “South American” section of the greenhouses.”
At this, James looked over at her, smiling. “Well I don’t know, I thought you were meant to be really smart.”
“I am really smart but that doesn’t mean I’m going to know the name of each and every bloody plant we come across.”
Before James could retort, an unfamiliar voice cut in, interrupting their conversation. “That plant originates from Brazil and is often called the ‘Dutchman’s Pipe’.” The person paused looking around. “There should be cards to tell you all you need to know about all the plants in the greenhouses.”
Lily couldn’t help but be in awe. The person had curly black hair that framed their face perfectly and their features were otherworldly, striking but somehow soft. And their eyes. God their eyes. They were brown, with flecks of green and yellow that made them look amber in the sunlight that was shining down through the panes of the greenhouse. Lily had never been more entranced, she actually felt as though she was lost, searching and searching for a way to get out of their gaze.
What felt like minutes later but couldn’t have been more than a handful of seconds, James nudged her, breaking her out of her trance. “Lils?”
“Oh. Yeah, sorry.” She replied, not entirely sure what she was apologizing for but doing it anyway.
The person laughed. “If you need anymore help there are people scattered around each section of the gardens to tell you exactly what you need to know and, like I said, cards next to each plant.”
“Thanks so much.” James replied, his hand reaching down to intertwine their fingers.
Lily wanted to scream.
She wanted to tell James to fuck off, to leave her and this mystery person alone.
But she didn’t. Instead she took his hand and smiled at them, making her way out of the greenhouses.
At the end of the date, James offered to walk her home and she accepted, not knowing how to tell him that she didn’t want to be anything more than his friend. Luckily, he wasn’t as stupid as it seemed and he smiled softly at her.
“So, I suppose there’s not gonna be a second date?”
She winced. “I’m sorry, I promise, it’s not you- I just- I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I can’t seem to-“
James put a steadying hand on her shoulder, still smiling. “Hey, it’s fine. You’re not obligated to like me - even as a friend. And between you and me?” he bent down to whisper in her ear. “You should try your luck with that person from the greenhouses.”
With that, he straightened back up and winked at her. Lily stood there in momentary shock, appalled that she had been so obvious.
“Yeah- I yeah, maybe.” She replied as her body rattled with the affects of what he had just said.
“Okay then. See you ’round Evans.” He turned and walked away, leaving Lily to process her emotions.
-
The moment Lily walked through the door her ears were assaulted with the questions that were hurled at her from her friends.
“How’d it go?”
“Has Lily Evans finally got a man?”
“Was it nice?”
“Did you kiss?”
“Where’d you go?”
Lily waved them all off, making her way into the kitchen to put her stuff down and get a drink.
“Okay, okay.”
Her friends had followed her in, looking at her with obvious impatience.
“It was fine.”
“Just fine?” Marlene asked.
Lily sighed. “Yes, just fine.” She rubbed a hand down her face. “We agreed we’re better off as friends.”
Alice, another one of her housemates, sighed. “Ugh, who actually decided that then? You or him?”
“Well he said it.”
They all looked at her, shocked.
“What? That makes no sense. He’s been interested in you for ages.”
“Yes well, it was more of a ‘I can tell you don’t want another date so i’m gonna put you out of your misery type of thing’”
“Ahh, that makes more sense.” Emmeline said, smiling at her softly.
Lily sat down at the table, turning to face her friends. “I think I might go back to where we had our date though.”
“What, why?” Alice asked, pulling out a chair to join her at the table.
Lily resisted the urge to squirm away from her gaze. Alice had always been like an older sister to Lily and to tell her this? It would be like ripping out a piece of her and laying it flat, ready for Alice’s inspection. Lily could only hope the reaction would be positive. But if it wasn’t? Well, she wasn’t ready to lose another sister because of who she was.
“Oh I don’t know, I just- I’d like to know more about plants I guess.”
Marlene snorted and quickly averted her gaze. Lily eyed her quizzically but decided not to ask.
“That’s fair y’know. Plants are really fucking cool.” Emmeline replied, turning her focus toward Marlene. “Marleneeeee, you never told us how your date with Dorcas went.”
In a very un-marlene like manner, she looked down at her feet, blushing. “I- yeah it was great.”
She paused, looking up at them all.
“So…”
She grinned. “We’re going on another date this week.”
“Marlene!” They all cried at once.
To celebrate, they decided the only logical answer would be getting uproariously drunk and watching as many shitty romcoms as they could find.
-
The next morning, Lily immensely regretted this decision. Not only did she have class at 11 but she was also working later in the day. So, drinking the previous night was potentially not the best idea she’d ever had.
“Lils!” Marlene called, bursting through her door, breakfast tray in hand.
“Marlene, I love you and would do anything for you but what the fuck.” Lily asked as she shifted across her bed to make space for Marlene.
“Some of us didn’t drink our own body weight in alcohol last night and can therefore actually form coherent sentences this morning.” Marlene retorted.
Lily just made a sound that she hoped conveyed her annoyance and dug into the breakfast that Marlene had provided.
Whilst she ate, her thoughts drifted back to the person she’d met whilst on the date. And suddenly all she knew was amber eyes and curly black hair that felt as though it was curling around her, keeping her in place and saying ‘stay here, this is where you belong’.
Lily had never agreed more.