𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙤 {𝙎𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙨 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠}

Thirty Five

Marlene blinked at him. "You're full of shit."

"I'm not!" He exclaimed. "I don't want Evans to think of me as that immature little boy anymore, so that's no longer who I want to be."

"You're doing all of this for her?" Asked Marlene, not buying it for a second.

"That's right." James nodded. "This year is the year I finally show Lily that I'm worthy to love her, she's my whole world, and I intend to give that right back to her."

Marlenes suspicions features dropped slowly as he went on, and began looking rather pleased with him. "That's impressive, Potter, but it's gonna take a lot more than some books and responsibility to win her over."

"I'm well aware of that, McKinnon." Said James. "I respect Lily much more than I've let on the past few years, I won't bother her with foolishness that I know will displease her."

"If you still like her so much, why've you stopped asking her out then?" Marlene continued to question.

"Because she'll say no, I don't want to annoy her, but I do plan to ask her to study with me after Christmas break." James had been planning it for weeks, and he had decided on this just days before they would be returning home for the holidays.

"And you think she'll agree to that?" Mused Marlene.

"Do you?" James asked with a charming smile, and Marlene hesitated for a moment.

"I reckon theirs a chance." She admitted. "She's different around you this year, less angsty."

"Is she?" Said James cluelessly.

Marlene rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "You like her so much, yet you're not even the slightest bit observant."

"I don't know what you mean." James admitted.

"Oh, for the love of Godric, Potter." She scoffed. "She's turning into a bloody mess, acting like a love driven school girl when you come around. She may not be able to admit it and you may bot be able to see it but the rest of us do, you're turning her soft on you and I don't like it one bit."

"Why not?" James asked. "All I want to do is treat her how she deserves."

"She deserves someone who will respect her." Marlene pressed angrily. "Not a manipulative moron who gets whatever he wants just by batting his eyelashes and flashing his Head Boy badge."

"Manipulative?" James said, quite shocked. "I haven't manipulated anyone." He defended himself.

"You're manipulating Lily right now, acting all well behaved so that she'll give you the chance she's denied you for years, just for you to go on and hurt her." Marlene accused James, refusing to be fooled and allow her best friend to be hurt by yet another one of his selfish acts.

James sighed and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. "Look McKinnon, I'm not chasing Evan's anymore. I've spent six years doing her head in trying to get her to date me, well I've realized I've gone about it all wrong. I'll continue to focus on my top priority, excelling in my classes, and in my spare time, I'll continue to do whatever I can to prove to Lily that I'm serious about giving myself a good future and that I want to be able to give her that as well."

Marlene still wasn't ready to budge, however she'd be lying if she said she didn't completely believe him. "You really are mad for her, aren't you?"

"Absolutely bonkers." He confirmed, and honestly, that was good enough for Marlene.

"If you hurt her... in any way imaginable, I swear to you, Potter, I will not show you mercy." She warned, leaning down closer to him so that he would know that she was very serious about this.