Mischief Managed!

26.

James bit his lip. "Give us a try?" he repeated doubtfully.

Inside, his stomach was tumbling about in excitement. Was Lily asking him out? Or, as his head seemed to think, was Lily asking for his friendship?

His eyes searched her face: her cheeks were pink, the look her eyes enchantingly hopeful.

Lily nodded earnestly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I've been a bit stupid," she admitted ruefully, making James laugh.

James' laugh made Lily feel warm. She watched his eyes light up in delight.

"A bit?"

"A lot," she conceded, looking at him questioningly. "What do you think?"

James scratched his head, and made a split-second decision that he waspositive he was going to regret. "I think you're at the tail end of the world's biggest hangover. I think you've just stumbled out of a very messy relationship. I think that as much as I want to say yes, I don't want to be rebound boy."

Lily frowned, blushing. He was saying no?

"I'm not saying no," James quickly countered, reading the look on her face so well that Lily was amazed. "I just want you to be sure that I'm – that I…"

"That you're the right choice?" Lily supplied helpfully, before kicking herself. "But I am sure, James. I'm just… seeing things clearly for once."

James smiled. His hazel eyes regarded her fondly, and his thumb stroked her hand. Lily watched him, amazed. He'd been after her for years, and all of a sudden…

James drew a deep breath, fully prepared to tell what was possibly one of the bigger lies of his life.

"Lily, I've fancied you for years. A few weeks here or there isn't going to make much of a difference to me, is it?"

"She asked you out?"

Sirius looked skywards, as if fully expecting for the clear blue day to come crashing down on their heads any minute now. James sighed, and ruffled his hair, frustrated. How their talk had changed so suddenly from Quidditch tactics for the upcoming match, to Lily, James didn't know, but he certainly didn't like it.

Remus and Peter were watching him with similarly shocked expressions.

Sirius shook his head. "Mate, if it was me, I'd be looking a lot more cheerful right now."

James shrugged. "It's complicated," he muttered unhappily.

Remus rolled his eyes, regarding James suspiciously. Suddenly, realisation hit him, and he choked.

"You said no?!"

James lay back on the grass of the Quidditch Pitch and closed his eyes. The question had been inevitable, and yet he found himself unprepared to face it. And, really, the boys had a point. Why had he said no? Lily Evans, object of his affections, had asked him out!

Really, it all came down to her reasoning. Why on earth did she want to go out with him, all of a sudden?

Emmeline sat back and set her quill down, looking both satisfied and amused. "Good," she said, pushing her homework away with a satisfied sigh.

"Good! He said no, Em. Not even Potter likes me anymore," Lily ended, looking despondent. Frowning, she picked up Emmeline's homework and began to read it, fully intending to be as critical as she could. Then she'd see how much Emmeline liked criticism.