Despite the delicious smells coming up the stairs, I promised James that I wasn’t hungry. He then decided that he wasn’t, either.

That’s how I found myself wrapped in James’s arms, listening to his soft breathing.

I rolled to face him and propped my head up on one arm. “Why?”

He stroked my hair back. “Hmm?”

“Why do you like me? I mean, after all those times I turned you down, insulted you to your face, and embarrassed you very publicly, you still liked me… why?”

“Hmm… Well, I guess the chase was a lot of it…” he sighed, and looked me in the eyes. “But there’s just so much more to you. I loved it when you’d yell at me and your hair would get everywhere… and I’d love it when you’d turn me down but later on I’d hear you talking about how cute I am in the Common Room…”

“Uh!” I laughed, and pushed him.

He smiled, and then continued. “But, for real? I don’t know. There’s just something about you Lily; something about you that no one else has.”

I kissed him gently on the cheek. “How long do you think we’ll be here for?”

“Probably another month at least…” he replied, biting his lip. “We’ve got to be able to test your version of the potion on Remus...”

“Think you can put up with me that long?”

James grinned, and then kissed me again. “It would be torture not to.”