CHAPTER ELEVEN
Potter to James
April 29th, 1978.

          As usual around this hour, Daphne walked to the Great Hall, she truly couldn't be bothered by all the noise from the students. She wasn't a fan of it: loud mornings. It was rare for her to be there late, usually she would go with Evan or Rebecca. Regulus was more of a morning person which she appreciated, and Pandy too. To her surprise, Lily and James were already there. A cease between her eyebrows appeared at the sight of them together, but then again she was reminded that they were Head Boy and Head Girl. But, she couldn't help but stare. Since when did Lily laugh at James' jokes? Or sit next to him at breakfast? Had she missed something in the letters he had sent? None of them talked about Lily.

"Reg, Pandy," she greeted them, sitting so she could have a better angle on them. "How are you two?"

Pandora smiled, "Grand. Regulus was just talking about Divination, which is very rare," she commented and he rolled his eyes.

"Pandy, you are a Seer. Of course you'd enjoy this subject," he muttered, chewing on his toast.

Pandora's eyebrows arched, "Oh, am I?"

"Well," he started but stopped when the laughters erupted in the Great Hall again. "You know, they have been awfully noisy today."

"I reckon he has finally managed to get her," Pandora chuckled. "They look in love, don't they? I enjoy them together."

Daphne didn't answer, she didn't talk until James and Lily were out of the Great Hall actually. Regulus and Pandora didn't seem to catch on, and instead continued their breakfast. Rising on her feet, she bid them goodbye and hurried herself to the seventh floor hoping he would be here. They hadn't talked ever since the train, and she wanted them to have a conversation about his friends...Lily.

Warm days were upon them, and she found herself strolling around the castle without her robe nor sweatshirt. Just a green t-shirt long sleeve that matched her house colour, she couldn't remember from who it was but probably Evan considering he was bad at gifts. Well, Barty was too. As she arrived, she noticed the door was already there meaning James was inside and probably not waiting for her.

Pushing the door, she stumbled upon James laying in the nearest sofa. He had imagined a way warmer room than she had done in their past meetings, almost too Gryffindor she thought, "James?" She croaked.

His eyes shot open as he sat up, clearly not excepting her, "Oh, hello. I wasn't excepting you," he confessed, rubbing the palm of his hands against the fabric of his pants. "How did you know?"

Daphne shrugged, taking a seat in the armchair, "Just hoped you would be there," she admitted with a soft smile.

Daphne then allowed herself to settle his eyes on him. The pale skin was the first thing she noticed. Was he sleeping enough? Eating enough? Did Sirius take care of him? Or Peter? Or Remus? Perhaps Lily did. They couldn't call it a fight, if anything she would call it a disagreement, not a fight. A fight implied shouting and sometimes tears, she had seen it at her house or with members of her family...there was any of that in their small talk. Well, James had shouted once but it wasn't one. It wasn't.

Then, she pondered if she looked as bad as he did. She had slept most nights, but couldn't deny that she spent most of her days dreaming. Her mind was elsewhere and she was aware of it, Rebecca was starting to notice too—everyone was.

"Are yo—"

"Was it easy?" He asked quietly, cutting her off. "Shutting me out," he added, clearing his throat as she shifted in his seat. He was nervous. "Daph?"

"No, of course not," she answered, swallowing thickly. "Do you think it was easy to do so?"

James shrugged, "It did seem easy. As though we had never spoken. You turned on your heels and walked off," he muttered. "Then, you laugh at dinner and I can't help but look your way...because that's all I was able to do. You looked happy...without me," he finished, voice slightly shaky.

"Lo...James, I love you," she murmured, reaching to hold his hand that rested on his knee. "I-I love you," she said, not knowing what to say to him. "I left because Sirius was being an arse and I...I couldn't let everyone see that. I happen to believe that our relationship does not concern Remus, Peter nor my cousin."

"I know but—"

"James, I understand they are your best mates, family even," she continued. "But, this is none of their business."

He released a shaky breath, burying his face in his hands, "You're right, I just-I don't know why I thought..."

"I do have a question," she pressed before they could hug each other and forget about this. "Is there something going on with Lily?"

He snorted, "What?"

"Well, is there something going with her? You lot are spending a lot of time together, and I don't know...she seems to like you better now," she murmured. James opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off. "I-I know her, okay? I know how much she despised you and your bloody messy hair. I know, yeah? What changed, James?"

James ran his fingers through his hair, pulling at them lightly. Was he nervous? Guilty? Daphne couldn't tell, "I don't know," he replied. "She...Lily, she changed. She...her attitude changed towards me. We're friends, Daph."

"Was it easy, then? To hang out with her?"

"She's my friend," he repeated once again. "Just like Marlene, Mary or...or I don't know. She's my friend, Daph."

"But..." she paused, licking her lips. "But what if she becomes more? And I become just a mere memory of yours?" She asked, her voice breaking towards the end.

It actually broke James' heart. To hear her voice crack as she spoke those words. The ones he never thought he would hear, because how could Daphne Rosier become a mere memory? He didn't mean to stay silent, Cerci knew he didn't mean to but nothing came out and he watched as she rose on her feet. For the second time, she walked away from him as though it was nothing. He waited for a few minutes, thinking she would barge in and just say she was wrong for what she had said but it never happened.

His walk to the Gryffindor common room was nothing but slow. In fact, the slowest he had ever been. He was used to have fights with Daphne, but silly ones, not this type of fights. Then, he pondered if Lily had really changed. Perhaps, Daphne was right and the red-hair girl had grown to like him more. To like him the way James did before meeting her.

Laughters and chatters were getting closer with each step he took, and he found himself talking a deep breath before muttering the password and entering the room. It was awfully merry for a week day, half of the students were speaking when usually they would be complaining about essays and charms.

"Ah, James," Lily's voice echoed and he stiffened. It something she had starting to do since they started school again, call him by his first name. It was only now that he realised that he quite liked Potter. "I was looking for you everywhere. Where were you?"

He scratched the back of his neck, swallowing, "It doesn't matter. What is going on?"

"I've already fixed it, it's okay," she smiled, but her smile soon dropped as she noticed his face. "Are you alright?"

"Er," he breathed out, running a hand through his hair. "Can I speak with you?"

"Oh, of course," she hurried herself to answer as she exited the common room and he trailed behind her. "What is it, James? You a bit scary. Do you have something to tell me?"

"I'm in love," he blurted out as she frowned. He excepted her to scold him but instead she laughed.

She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest, "We already know that—Well, I already know that. You've told me last year..." she said softly.

James felt his cheeks reddening. How could he have been so childish?

"No, no, that's not what I meant," he pressed, clearing his throat as her lips formed a thin line. "I'm in love with someone else."

"Oh," she whispered more to herself than to him, then she straightened and looked at him. "Oh," she repeated once more. "Who is she? The lucky girl or boy. I am no one to judge," she said rapidly.

"Daphne," he muttered under his breath, hoping she wouldn't hear. "Daphne," he told her louder this time, and watched as her eyes widened. "I'm in love with Daphne."

"Oh, does she know? Is she aware of your feelings? Is that why you look so down, James?" Lily ranted as he felt the need to stop her from uttering another word, so he grabbed her shoulders and steadied her.

"Maybe we should go back to the Head girl's apartment, shouldn't we?" He asked as she nodded silently. Thankfully, the walk wasn't so long and as soon as James had walked through the door, Lily was closing it.

"Do you want something to drink?" Lily queried, heading towards the little kitchenette. "I have butterbeer, water, apple juice or..."

"Butterbeer," James cut her off as she hummed, handing him a bottle.

"So, Daphne..." she started as he nodded, taking a sip. "How?"

"We...we started going out together in November," he admitted. "And, and, everything is perfect. Was," he corrected himself, sighing. "During the holidays, Sirius read one of her letters and got mad at me, then her so we had this quite huge fight," he told Lily.

"But, is it real? Between the two of you?"

James frowned, "Of course, it is! I'm in love and she is too," he replied. "We are two months away from graduating and...she's the one I love."

He did his best to not notice how Lily's face changed, because then it would mean Daphne was right and he had been wrong all along. Years ago, the little boy within him would have been jumping everywhere at the thought that Lily Evans could fancy him back. But, he was not the same little boy he used to be. His heart belonged to someone else now, someone he knew worthy of his love.

"Fancying someone like Daphne isn't easy to admit," James chuckled as Lily joined along. "But you know her, Lily. She is kind, pretty and thoughtful," he added.

Lily twirled a piece of hair around her finger as she nodded, "I know she is, James. She is one of my best friends but you know her last name," she said softly. "I'm not saying she is part of the bad ones, I'm just saying that her family is part of the bad ones, and you know it. Sirius must had already told you."

"Oh, he did," he sighed. "We had this fight, you know. She told me that you had changed your attitude towards...towards me. There is no need to deny it, but why did you?"

James looked at the girl in front of him and frowned. It was the first time since he had laid eyes upon Lily Evans that he found her speechless, lost for words. Her mouth was slightly open as she tried to think of something to say to him. Despite the situation, James laughed because he thought of how funny it was. After seven years, this what made her speechless?

"Is Lily Evans actually speechless?"

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too," he teased and continued before she could reply. "You, Lily Evans, won't escape my question. So, why?"

Lily swallowed thickly, "You've grown up. Matured," she told him. "And...it seems that I like you better now. I think you are great, James. With or without Daph."

"Yeah, I guess she made me matured," he whispered. "So, that's what we are. You and I, we're friends?"

She smiled widely, "Yes. Friends," she replied, reaching to ruffle his hair. "It is funny, isn't it?"

"What?"

"That it took us...well me, to realise that we could be great friends," she told him. "And about Daphne, just give her time. I promise you she'll come around," she added.

"Thanks, Lils."

For the first time, he saw Lily as a friend and nothing else. Hours ago, maybe he thought that he would always love but in an innocent way. But, now he was looking at her and all he could see was a friend. A good friend.

—————
authors note, my lovers are still fighting so sorry... and lily 😣 pls do not hate on my girl or i'll literally block you <3333 lily is definitely NOT gonna steal james

thank you for 15k+ reads mwah! much love <3333