Jily Oneshots (pt2)

With Little to No Help From Friends

by Sarah Jo Dantess

It was getting more and more difficult for her to take her eyes off of him. Especially, Merlin forbid, during a Quidditch match. She marveled at the wind catching his already windswept-looking hair as he sped up and down the pitch on his broom at the speed of a bullet. At least, Lily reasoned, her observation wasn't as noticeable, because now everyone was watching him, and she wasn't the only one. Paranoia still convinced her that if someone noticed her staring, they'd find it odd, since the Gryffindor chasers didn't always have the quaffle.

She reassured herself that James was a fine enough player that he was always going after whoever did have the quaffle, and he'd eventually have it to himself or give it to a teammate. Really, it was just better to watch him so she didn't miss out on anything important in the match.

Not that she was complaining. Most people who'd ever looked at him wouldn't dream of complaining about having the opportunity to stare without being caught. He was easily one of the most attractive boys of the seventh years, with a few close ties that all depended on one's personal preference.

Lily only broke her stare at his broad, strong shoulders when she thought of how uncomfortable it made her anytime someone stared at her. She vaguely wondered if that was why staring was considered rude and an invasion of privacy when Hestia Jones nudged her with her elbow and cheered.

"Ow! Hest!"

"Sorry, Lil. But Spinnet's taken back the quaffle! He's passing it to Potter now! OH, SHI—never mind! Potter's caught it!" Lily had to laugh at her animated friend's commentary of the game. She should replace that bloke named Jordan, or better, McGonagall should let them collaborate as co-announcers. Lily grinned to herself at the thought of the hilarity that would ensue. She was interrupted again by Hestia's squeals, and her other friend, Dorcas, joining in on Hestia's loud, one-sided discussion of the game. Another elbow in her side.

Lily frowned and rubbed her rib cage. Merlin, her friends liked sports too much if they were willing to risk the health of their beloved redhead. Subtly, she shoved her elbow into Hestia's armpit when James scored.

"Eeeeep!" Hestia squeaked, half-tickled, half-pained, mostly uncomfortable. "Jeez, Lily," she said, growing at her friend. "You needn't take this game so seriously!"

Lily sighed, defeated.

A half hour, several goals, and one caught snitch by Gryffindor later, the group of students descended onto the field to cheer for their teammates. No one would question why she was trying to get so close to James if it was under the pretense of congratulations, Lily maintained. With a sigh of defeat, she watched as he was swallowed up by fangirls, paying no attention to her, as usual. She squeezed out of the crowd and waited for Hestia, Dorcas, Marlene, Mary, and Alice.

Why should he pay any attention to her? Of course, she said, he hadn't asked her out in over a year. They were good friends now, and that was all they would be.

She had rejected him, how many, maybe at least a thousand times? (She'd counted after it began to become a habit.) He must have gotten the idea. The last time he asked her out was the incident at the lake. After that, he barely talked to her and tried to avoid her eye for the first half of the first term of sixth year. Only under the manipulation of Remus and Sirius, and, she was glad to say, some of her girl friends, had they managed to become friends just before Christmas that year. Since then, it had been easy between the two of them. They ate meals together, laughed together, did schoolwork together, even cried together on a few occasions. Then the summer before seventh year, they'd gotten the opportunity to be together among friends a couple of times.

And that was when something terrible happened.

Lily had realized that she really did like him.

Every time he looked at her closely, she was swallowed up by those soft pools of hazel, and the bits of gold in them. When she was around him, she felt warm, safe, comfortable, free to be herself. Everything was easy, the way she knew it was supposed to be.