Lily Evans was in her element. The sun was setting over the Hogwarts grounds, casting a warm glow over the castle’s towers. She stood near the window of the Gryffindor common room, a quill in hand as she absentmindedly jotted down notes from a book she’d barely been able to concentrate on. Her mind, however, was elsewhere—on you.

You had been a quiet presence in her life for months now. There was something about you, something effortlessly graceful in the way you moved and spoke, that drew Lily in. She found herself stealing glances at you during meals, during classes, and even when she was supposed to be focused on something else entirely. It was maddening, the way her heart seemed to skip a beat every time you smiled, the way the corners of her mouth would twitch upward when you passed her in the hall.

Today, you had been sitting just a few seats away in the Great Hall, laughing quietly with some friends. Lily had tried not to stare, tried not to get caught looking your way, but she couldn’t help it. When your eyes met hers briefly across the room, a slight wave of warmth spread across her chest, and she quickly turned back to her plate, trying to mask the sudden heat on her cheeks.

She wasn’t sure when it had happened, when it had gone from simply noticing you to the small fluttering in her chest whenever you were near. She hadn’t expected it, hadn’t sought it out. But now, it was there—silent and undeniable.

Lily glanced up again, her eyes meeting yours from across the common room. Her heart pounded in her ears, and for a moment, everything else seemed to fade away. You offered a small, friendly smile, and she returned it, though she felt her hands tremble slightly as she reached for her book.

Maybe one day, Lily thought, she would have the courage to speak up, to tell you how she felt. But for now, the unspoken words hung in the air, heavy with possibility.