Lily Joins the Group

It was finally time to go back to Hogwarts, and James had a great plan to ask Ara. They were all walking to the train together. They had just said goodbye to everyone, and James was hopeful that she would want to be his girlfriend. 

"Do you think there is going to be a compartment big enough for all of us?" Mary was looking around at everyone that was walking with them. It sure was a large group. There were 13 of them in all, with Lily coming to Hogwarts this year. 

"I think we will be able to find something, Mary," Ara linked her arm with her friends, and they went up the stairs to the train together. They did, in fact, find somewhere to sit that could fit all of them. 

Mary and Ara were sitting in the corner chatting about nothing in particular when Mary noticed that James kept looking over at them.

"So, what is going on with you and James?"

"What?" Ara looked at her friend, surprised. 

"Come on, you have been on a couple of dates together, you hang out all the time, and you blush every time you see him."

"Well, I'm not really sure." Ara frowned. She didn't know if they were hanging out as friends still or what they were. She really liked him, and she didn't know if it was because she was young or because he was the first boy she really liked, but she wanted to be going out for real more than she cared to admit out loud. 

"Well, you should ask him." Mary was folding her arms by her chest. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I cannot do that." Ara looked mortified. 

"Of course you can," Mary didn't know why her friend wouldn't.

"I am not you, Mary." Ara was brave somehow, but she didn't think she could ever go up to James and ask him to be her boyfriend. 

"Well, then you should use some of your house values and skills to get what you want. Mostly because I know you want James." Mary smiled at her friend as she blushed. 

"That doesn't seem like a good start to a relationship, Mary." 

"Well, I suppose so." Mary shrugged, and Ara got up to find the restroom. 

"Not a word Mary," Ara shot a look to her friend, "Please don't meddle in it."

"I think that is your trait, not mine," Mary laughed, and Ara just sighed. 

Seeing Ara get up to leave, James excused himself shortly after. He found the restroom and stood outside, waiting for her to come out. 

Ara jumped back slightly and instantly frowned when she saw James hop off the side of the wall when she came out of the bathroom. "Did Mary send you out here to find me?" Her hands were on her hips, and James noticed that her normal silver eyes were now dark and stormy.

"No, I just wanted to ask you something. I didn't want to do it in front of everyone. I thought this would be a good opportunity. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, James." Her hands dropped, and she relaxed some. 

"Well.. um..." James was now nervous and couldn't seem to find the words. This certainly was not as smooth as he wanted it to be.

"Are you alright, James?"

"Yes, I just wanted to see, um..."

"James?" Ara stopped walking and looked at him. He looked nervous. That was new, Ara thought. 

"It's no big deal, actually." James cursed himself in his head. Where was his bravery now? 

"Oh," Ara was disappointed. She didn't know what he was going to ask her, but she desperately wanted to know. 

"You know, I wanted to ask you something too." Ara fiddled with her thumbs and tried to summon up all the courage she could. "I was just wondering if you would like to be my boyfriend?" It sounded foreign and strange coming from her mouth. Wrong almost, and she instantly regretted it. She was too afraid to look at James; she didn't want him to say no.

"Ara, were you listening?" James lifted her chin and saw the tears coming down her face.

"No," 

"I said I would really like that. I wanted to ask you the same thing; I just got so scared you were going to say no." James pulled her into a hug; he couldn't recall a time he had been happier than this moment. Perhaps when his parents came home with Lily. She was so little and precious, and he was so excited to have a little sister. 

"Are you alright?" James asked as he released her from the hug. She was smiling now, and he felt the happiness grow inside of him. He took her hand in his and started walking back toward the compartment that they were previously occupying.

When they slid the door, open Lily was the first to see that they were holding hands, and she shot a giant smile to her older brother. Scorpius seeing her smile, looked over at their sister and slightly frowned, though they were happy that she was at least going out with James and not some other boy. They knew James. He was a good guy. 

At the sorting, everyone watched as Lily sat up on the stool about to get sorted. She had a huge smile on her face, and soon she was bounding down the steps toward the Gryffindor table. James pulled her into a hug, and she sat next to him, even happier than before. 

"So Ara, how are you going to break this to mother and father?" Scorp leaned in after the food was served. 

"Well, I am not sure I have to just yet. Maybe at the ball, I can tell them. Too many people will be there for them to make a scene, and it isn't like we are going to see them until then. You or Hyperion certainly do not have to tell them," Ara shot her brother a warning look and made a mental note to do the same to Hyperion. 

"Fine, but you have to promise to tell them."

"Why?"

"Mostly because I am sure they already know and it would be better hearing it from you." Scorpius shook his head and looked over at James, who was staring right at them. Maybe this was a good thing; maybe Slytherin could beat Gryffindor this year if James could continue being as distracted as he was now.