Surprise!

The thing is, Lily Evans doesn't like surprises.

She dreads her birthday because her family was always the type to throw a surprise party. When she got to Hogwarts, James Potter was the type of boy to throw a surprise party and surprise fireworks display and get her a surprise! gift. He always managed to be surprised, every year, when she, every year, gave him a great big slap in the face for knowing she hates surprises but still ruining her birthday by giving them.

Lily Evans hate surprises, which is why she hates herself a little bit because surprise! she thinks she might be in love, but he's a bit of a prick.

She's drinks herself into a stupor because she could've told you this was going to happen.

It's a bit pathetic, really, because everyone saw it coming, so really, it's not that big of a surprise, but really, to her, it kind of is.

It's so bloody typical. Boy is in love and he bothers the hell out of girl, they fight, but he never gives up because wow! girl loves him, too, in the end.

Her best friend Mary pats her on the back as she throws up in the toilet but Lily just knows an "I told you so" is on Mary's lips.

Bloody typical, really.

Lily has never sought out Potter before but she's also never actively avoided him, like she does now. If Potter happens to be in her presence, she knows he'll ask her out or try to annoy her or make her smile when all she wants is to glare at him because thanks a lot, now I like you!

She avoids Sirius Black as well, because she knows he'll take one look at her and just know.

Bloody hell, why her?

Mary bites her lip to keep from laughing when Potter sits next to Lily at the Halloween Feast. Lily wants to strangle her and then drown her in pumpkin juice.

"Evans," he's trying to act casual and runs his hands through his hair. He looks so attractive and Lily wants to hit her head on the table.

"I have to go to the bathroom, bye Mary!" She jumps from her seat and in her need to get far, far away from Potter and his stupid hair, she trips on her own to feet and Remus steads her. He had been making his way to sit beside Potter and he caught her before she made friends with the floor.

"Alright there, Lily?"

"Yes, thank you."

She practically slams into the sinks once she gets to the bathroom. She tries to take deep breathes and stay calm.

"Bloody hell," she turns the sink on and splashes her face, "breathe, Lily, it's okay. It'll be okay. It's no big deal. You'll get over it. He is not that cute. It's fine. Get it together."

As she exits the bathroom, Potter (of course) is leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed. He's whistling a tune and apparently waiting for her.

"What do you want?" She tries to be harsh but mostly she comes across tired.

"Just wanted to make sure you're okay, Evans. You ran off in a hurry."

"Yes, well, I really had to use the loo. Now if you'll excuse me..."

She tries to walk past him to get to her dormitory, where she'll most likely cry and throw things around, but he blocks her path.

"Are you really okay, Lily?"

"Can't you leave me along for like five minutes, Potter!" She stomps past him and ends up in her room under a pile of blankets.

Mary mumbles something dumb like, "Just tell him, stupid," when she sees her. As if it was a good idea to tell James Potter she wants to lick his abs. Thanks for the help, "friend."

Around midnight, she wakes up disoriented and vaguely hungry. All her roommates are asleep, Mary snoring so loud Lily's amazed she slept through it. She stumbles out of bed, dragging her covers with her and makes her way down to the common room. Settling her self on the couch, she watches the dying fire and curls up with her blankets.

When she wakes up, Potter (of bloody course) is dozing on the armchair next to her. He probably came downstairs, saw her, and decided to be freakin' adorable and sleep by her. She figures the only way to get rid of her feelings is to kill him. She contemplates how as she lies in her blankets, feeling like a burrito. She's still deciding how and when to commit murder when he opens his eyes and lifts his hands to rub them. He kind of jumps in his seat when he notices her staring at him.

He opens his mouth but she speaks first, "Here's the thing, Potter, I've recently realized that you're not as terrible as I once thought... so now I can't decide if I should fake an accident in potions and dump a cauldron of boiling ingredients on you, or if I should just drown you in the lake."

"I'm not as terrible as you once thought? So you like me?"

"I won't go so far."

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant, we can be friends."

"No, I don't think so. My feelings are too strong for friendship," She gathers her blankets and makes her way upstairs as Potter sits still, very confused.

At lunch Potter doesn't eat, he stares at her. She, however, enjoys the mashed potatoes and makes a habit of staring him in the face as she eats them. Although she was originally going slightly insane at the prospect of her liking Potter, somehow she manages to feel like she's won as she quirks an eyebrow at him.

In Potions he looks a little scared to approach her, considering her earlier idea of dumping boiling ingredients on him, but he still makes his way to stand by her. For a few moments, all he does is stare, then he licks his lips and she licks her.

"Evans?"

"Yes?"

"What did you mean that your 'feelings are too strong for friendship?'"

"Well, I've recently come to the conclusion that I, well, don't hate you."

"You don't hate me. So you like me?"

"Woah, woah, woah. Let's not use that word."

"What word? Like? Because you like me."

"Not really, no."

"But you just said-"

"No, I didn't."

"Evans!"

"What?"

"Come on!"

"What?"

"You like me!"

"Shut up."

"You do like me?"

"Bloody hell, Potter."

"So you do?"

"She does."

"Mary!"

When Lily walks into Herbology, all four Marauders watch her. All hour they simply follow her with their eyes. Even Mary looks freaked out, "Why are they doing that?"

"Shut up, Mary, and live with it. You did this to me!"

Sirius Black approaches Lily before dinner and tries to seem calm but his lips twitch and his eyes shine, "So, Evans."

Lily tries to find an escape route but ends up staring at Potter as he walks past them. Potter catches her eyes and looks away like he's embarrassed.

"You like James?" Sirius grins at her. Lily tries to resist his knowing eyes but ends up nodding. Sirius pats her on the back and leads her to a spot next to James at the table.

Once she sits down, Remus says, "We'll leave you two alone." The three marauders, Mary, and about all of the Gryffindor house scoot their bodies away but lean their ears closer.

Lily stares at Potter and Potter stares at the plate of butter. "Pass the butter, will you?" She says.

He passes it to her and looks at her hands. She smears a large amount of butter on a piece of bread and chews obnoxiously loud so he'll look her in the eye. He does and almost laughs at how much bread is falling out of her mouth.

"So to clarify," She says after she's done, "I like you and you like me." James nods and turns to look at Remus, who gives him a shooing motion with his hand.

"What changed your mind then?" He asks as he casually fills his glass with pumpkin juice.

James drinks and Lily smears more butter, both of them studiously looking directly in front of them.

"I'm not sure. I just kind of saw you and my heart was like, 'Surprise!'"

"But you hate surprises."

"Not all of them."