Lily could feel her legs bouncing underneath the table, giddy with anticipation. You see, today was Valentine’s Day. Over the past 7 years she’d grown to dread it, the holiday itself wasn’t bad. Lily thought it was quite adorable to show affection to others especially when it involved gifts. The cute hearts charmed through the Great Hall and soft music that was playing was hard to hate. No, it wasn’t the holiday she grew to dread, it was the little shit that thought he ought to embarrass both of them each year.
It started off innocent, of course, Potter was but a first year when he jumped on top of the table and asked for her hand in marriage. Of course it didn’t stop there, no James was quite creative. Whether it was charming the paintings to sing to her or covering the entirety of Hogwarts in a carpet of multi-colored lillies. Lily always acted annoyed when he pulled these stunts, but deep down she could feel herself grinning at the attention. She felt bad of course, liking the attention, especially when she didn’t like him back- she thought she didn’t like him back.
While the attention was greatly appreciated by Lily it was hard to ignore the fact the young James Potter, at the time was a complete asshole. He never started the fights around her, but he once given the chance he would take it. She remembers hearing Severus muttering about the things James and his gang called him. How they treated him. Lily wasn’t stupid- she knew that Potter wasn’t unprovoked saying these things, but he should know better-she thought to herself. How does he not see how unfair and awful he is?
After the incident in fifth she talked to neither of them- it wasn’t like she talked much with James in the first place but knowing she was consceiously avoiding him felt different. What he had done was cruel, humiliating and dehumanizing. James didn’t know Sev would call her that, he did it because he felt like it. That was what James always seemed to do. So she avoided them both, she was unsure how long her freeze-out would last, not forever she told herself. Sev would learn from this, he’d come back apologize, and finally stop talking with those horrible boys, and James- Lily wasn’t sure about James. James had left her alone after that, which she appreciated. She needed time to think this out, or to watch, see how they would react to the absence of her.
She watched as James came to show her more respect, while the proposals were still common, he was polite, and funny, and goregeous- in a platonic way of course. He’d given her space yet still managed to wriggle himself back into her life, and for that Lily applauded him.
Severus did the opposite, apologies were a constant- he didn’t mean it, it just slipped out. This angered her, how could he call her such horrible things then downplay it? She knew he had liked her, how could someone do that to someone they loved? After a week he stopped, he hung around the boys that called Lily names as she did her prefect rounds. They were the boys who sneered whenever she made the slightest mistake in any class, they were the boys who hurt Mary.
Lily started her sixth year without Sev by her side. It was strange to start with but she soon found that the Gryffindor boys were not the same assholes they were in 5th year, something had changed. She’d noticed it when Remus seemed to have an abundance of time to spend with her, or when James’ smile would fade at the mention of Sirius. Whatever had happened it seemed to have been resolved over the summer Remus and Sirius seemed closer than ever, and James- he was smiling more.
Lily grew to love James’ smile over sixth year, the way he only had a dimple on the left side and how his nose would scrunch upwards when she made a joke. He was sweet that year, they had prefect rounds together and spent nights talking late about everything and nothing. And when the annual proposal came along on Valentine’s day she hesitated, not long, no one would’ve noticed. As she rejected James she could feel her heart aching. It probably meant nothing, and as James hopped down from the table grinning she could feel how it warmed when James muttered she’d say yes next year.
Seventh year was chaotic messy and stressful. Study sessions would bleed into her sleep schedule and school was the only thing she could focus on- which was a good thing of course, she was here to learn, nothing else.
Christmas holidays, James invited her over, it wasn’t an exclusive thing at all, all the seventh year Gryffindors received an invitation, she supposed she should be happy about that. In the end it was her, Marlene, Remus and Sirius who turned up. Those days were incredible, James’ parents were incredible, James was incredible. She felt herself falling for him over Christmas, she felt how the room felt warmer with him in it, and how she longed for his presence. Two days before Marlene pulled her into the guest room and cast a silencing charm.
“So, how was it” Marlene was grinning
“How was what?”
“The kiss!”
“What kiss?”
“With James? Come on Lils you’ve been flirting the whole holiday don’t tell me you haven’t even snogged yet” Lily could feel her face go red.
“That’s not fair you and Dorcas were literally planning your wedding and pining after eachother for SIX EXCRUCIATING MONTHS before you finally got together”
“Yeah but you KNOW he likes you”
“Do I? What if it was a joke?”
“Lils, please use your brain, he wants to be with you, he’ll make another move this Valentine’s and you better not chicken out like last time.”
“I DID NOT CHICKEN OUT”
“You most certainly did.” Lily huffs at this.
“Fine, if he asks he I’ll say yes-”
“Because you’re completely and utterly in love with him?”
“WHAT-? No, it’ll just be so he can have one success out of seven.” Lily watches as Marlene rolls her eyes.
“Alright Lils, whatever you say.”
Valentine’s Day is in 14 days and Lily is busy. Because this was the last year James would be asking her out and if her plan was going to work she would NOT be outdone by him. It took some teamwork of course, between the charms on the food, to the balloons that should fall and of course the music, Lily spent most of her nights planning.
And when the day rolled around she was buzzing with energy. She sat herself down sharing a grin with Mary and Marlene. Five minutes later James sauntered in followed by Remus and Sirius, Peter ran to catch up from behind. He nodded his head towards Lily.
“Evans.”
“Potter.” She nodded back, they sat adjacent from each other, she watched as he sat down. He did that little down-turned smile frown thing that drove her crazy. As the hall filled she kept a close eye on him, it was crucial he couldn’t make his move before her.
As the last few people gathered she noticed James shifting ready to start whatever he had planned for their last Valentine’s. Taking a quick breath in she muttered an incantation quietly then pointed it at James under the table, she watched as her dormmates did the same for Peter, Sirius and Remus. She couldn’t have them messing with this so she was better safe than sorry. She watches as James struggles to stand up, she can’t help but giggle.
“Evans what did you-”
“Shh Potter you’ll like it.”
Standing up felt a smile over her face. She must’ve looked so stupid at that moment, she wonders if James ever felt like that. She steps from her chair onto the table, James’ confused expression sends her to the brink of laughter but she holds it in.
“James Potter” she bellows, she’s talking loud enough for the Slytherin Table on the other side of the hall to give her strange looks, it’s either that or the fact she’s standing on the table looking like an absolute madman. “You have proposed to me every single valentine’s since first year, and it is here I say no more.” She pauses for dramatic effect then meets James’ eyes, “It is this year, I’m asking YOU, my dumb little quidditch boy, to go to Hogsmeade with me.” She watches as that lovely grin spreads across his face. “Well?” This was the moment, he wouldn’t reject her would he? Maybe he’d reject her so she could be humiliated and finally get a taste of her own medicine- maybe thats why he’s smiling, what if shes just made the dumbest decisi-
“I’d love to go to Hogsmeade with you Evans.” She feels her heart jumping, she grips his arm pulling him up onto the table with her. He’s now eye to eye with her, she can feel her breath catching. Her eyes zip between James’ eyes and those beautiful soft lips. He pulls her closer and smiles. With her wand she mutters the words for her last spell. As balloons fall down and fireworks explode she closes the gap between them. This is magic, she thinks.