〖love with every stranger, the stranger the better...〗

♬ 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 ~ 𝘩𝘰𝘻𝘪𝘦𝘳 ♬

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All it took was one glance.
He saw her in the fiction section of his bookshop (well it wasn't his bookshop but he worked there), scouting for something in particular he guessed– if the look of sheer determination was anything to go by.
He convinced himself that the only reason he slipped out from behind the counter to talk to her was because she seemed to be looking for something. But –as his mate Remus would say– that sort of evidence would never hold up in court.

"Excuse me, Miss? Are you looking for anything in particular?"

The girl turned round to face him, looking slightly startled but nevertheless he could feel his heart lurch in an utterly embarrassing flutter.
Her hair was flaming auburn, her cheeks were dusted with freckles and long black eyelashes framed the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen; green like the forest after rain and sparkling like a starry night.

She smiled and nodded, "do you have anything by Lily Evans? She's got a new book out."

"Ah- we do indeed. The reason it isn't here is because we got a shipment of signed editions last week so they're in a display beside the new Mary MacDonald novel– she came in to do a signing a few weeks ago." He gestured for the beautiful girl to follow him through the bookshop.

"Really? That's cool, is she nice?"

"She's a legend, we went for a drink afterwards and we keep in touch from time to time. She's a good mate."

The girl's eyes seemed to look even more starry when he glanced at her over his shoulder.

"Awesome."

He grinned, coming to a stop by the display.
"Here they are– I'll get you at the till unless you need anything else?"

"Not at all, thank you," she squinted at his name tag, "James."

He loved the way she said his name. It was a cliche, of course, but nobody had ever said it as sweetly as this nameless girl.

He tried not to steal glances while she shopped, picking up a copy of both Lily Evans and Mary MacDonald's new books as well as a handful of others.

When she approached the desk he looked away, faking nonchalance and began rearranging the bookmarks.

"James?"
She's said his name again and he swore that he might melt, pathetic as it sounded.

"How can I help you?"

"Just these, please." She smiled and his throat bobbed as he tried not to have an asthma attack in the middle of his shift.

It was a miracle he managed to scan the books without spontaneously combusting (which would have been the worst place to spontaneously combust, around so much paper) but he did it, and even managed to smile at her as she left the shop.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

James Potter tried his best not to believe in love at first sight but it was proving rather difficult these past few weeks. He'd never thought of a girl –or boy for that matter– so much before. His best mate Sirius swore he was losing the place, he was beginning to agree...

Everyday he came into work hoping to see the beautiful redhead again and everyday he was disappointed.

"Prongs, mate, just give it up. There are plenty of people out there that don't disappear into thin air!" Sirius complained after day forty-two of not seeing the redhead again.

"Sirius, you don't really get it! When you've been with the same bloke for six years you're love advice becomes bogus– we're at completely different stages!"

Sirius shook his head, clearly disagreeing with such scandalous claims.
"Well all I'm saying is that I'm eighty-five percent sure you haven't gotten laid since that brunette boy from the bar like three months ago and it's beginning to affect me!"

He rolled his eyes, only Sirius would manage to make James' own terrible sex life about himself.

"And not only that– you went out with that author chick, Mary, and nothing came of it? Mate, she was hot and you turned her down?!"

"She's a friend! And besides we didn't really hit it off like that."

"And yet a five minute interaction with a random customer has you making doe eyes?"

This was a fantastic point, James knew that. There was just something about this girl he couldn't shake. Something spectacular.
Though he could never admit that to Sirius and so he did what any man backed into a corner would do: he began throwing projectiles at him.

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She got a rush out of seeing her own work in bookshops, quite often she would cruise whatever city she happened to be in and see which places stocked them.

It wasn't an ego thing as much as a celebration of her luck (though Marlene insisted it was an ego thing). London was one of the many joys she would always have in life. It teamed with life, and there seemed to be a never ending string of bookshops she'd never seen before.

Like this one, for example, was a quaint little place with sage painted walls and plants hanging from the ceiling. A record player sat in the corner by a box of vinyls and music carried all round the shop.

She went straight for the fiction section upon entry, glancing around at the other books as she went. The place only got more charming the deeper she explored, however they didn't have her latest novel. She was about to turn around and leave when a voice rang out behind her...

"Excuse me, Miss? Looking for anything in particular?"

She turned, and in front of her was a gorgeous boy, about her age, with dark curly hair and dazzling hazel eyes underneath his wire rimmed glasses.

She stared up at him for a second, unsure if she should just run away and never come back, but something told her that she might just die if she didn't get to speak to him, if only for a while.

"Do you have anything by Lily Evans? She's got a new book out." It was embarrassing enough having to explain to her roommate and publishing agent, Marlene, why she bought her own book, so she didn't fancy telling this cute guy that's what she was doing. He would definitely think it was an ego thing.

"Ah- we do indeed. The reason it isn't here is because we got a shipment of signed editions last week so they're in a display beside the new Mary MacDonald novel– she came in to do a signing a few weeks ago."

She smiled, she liked Mary MacDonald, Marlene was her publishing agent too and they'd become somewhat of a trio over the last few years.
She asked if Mary was nice, it would make a good story to tell her if this bookseller thought she was a bitch.

"She's a legend, we went for a drink afterwards and we keep in touch from time to time. She's a good mate."

Mary did not mention that.
"Awesome."

Why hadn't she mentioned that? Was she seeing him? Why didn't she say? How does Mary get to go out with him?
It was childish to think like that, she knew; it wasn't fair on Mary or the bookseller. She was about to make a beeline for the exit until she saw him grinning at her over his shoulder and she decided that if she didn't see this through then that voice in her head would nag her for the remainder of her days.

He stopped on front of a display, her books piled high, surrounded by plants and a quote from the book written on a chalkboard at the top.

"Here they are– I'll get you at the till unless you need anything else?"

She smiled at him, "not at all, James." He had a nice name, he suited it.

James nodded and returned to his post at the desk. Leaving her in an absolute mess.
She paid for the book, a couple of others and then escaped the shop, feeling slightly out of breath.

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"How can you seriously not remember the name of the bloody bookshop?!"

Lily Evans buried her head in one of the many cushions on their couch.
"Because I'm an idiot!"

"Good girl, I knew you'd see sense and finally admit it," Marlene was grinning at her, something mischievous in her eyes.

"Shut up! I just can't believe I never took down the name of the shop! I'll never even see him again!"

Marlene bit her lip, trying not to laugh, "it's alright, Lily. There are plenty bookshops, you can visit those for your ego boost and fall in love there."

Lily threw her pillow at Marlene who laughed and swatted it away.
"I never said anything about being in love with him!"

"So you don't believe in love at first sight?"

There was a pregnant pause that lasted a beat too long.
"I never said that."

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

A year passed. Nothing changed.
James still found himself desperately trying to seek out red hair every so often before catching himself and shaking his head sadly. It wasn't going to happen again. That was final.

He still saw Mary every so often (just to be friends– much to Sirius' disappointment) and she told him that she knew the author Lily Evans and would get her to do a book signing in his shop when her new novel came out.

He was grateful for Mary, her coming in every so often to do workshops and singings really helped business, plus she got on well with Remus and Sirius which was a bonus. Honestly it was a pity he didn't fancy her, she'd certainly slot into his life just fine. But he didn't. So she was just a friend and James still glanced around the bookshop, looking for a flash of red hair and freckles...

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"Lily if you can't remember the name of the bookshop then I can't stock your books there. That's just a fact!" Marlene exclaimed angrily at a frustrated Lily. The two of them sat in a cafe booth with Mary on the other side, drinking milkshakes to celebrate Lily's newest novel reaching the New York Times Bestseller List.

"Can't you just look at the records of where Mary did her book signings? He told me she was there!"

Marlene was about to interject when she caught the look on Mary's face. She was thinking, a dawning of realisation spreading across her features.

"This boy you practically fell in love with? His name was James?"

"Yes, I've told you this!"

"Dark hair? Quite cute? Glasses?"

"Yes!"

"I know him."

"Shut up!"

Mary laughed at her own absurdity for never having made the connection before.
"Swear down I know him. We're quite good mates, actually. He's a nice bloke– totally your type, Lily!"

Lily had to ignore the sudden urge to slap her friend as hard as she possibly could. "You knew him this whole time?! God sake, Mary he won't even remember me now!"

"Let me talk to him. I'll organise a book signing and we'll see, alright?"

"Mary do not!"

Mary pulled out her phone, smiling like a maniac beneath her dark curls.
"I'm texting him right now. Lily... Evans... said... she'd... do, the... book... signing. And send!"

"Mary, I swear to god if you wake up one day without your fucking eyebrows then I will be to blame!"

Mary gasped, her dark, thick eyebrows were a point of pride for her.
"You touch my eyebrows and I'll tell James you've been crushing on him for a whole year based of a five second interaction."

"You monster!"

"Aren't I delightful!"

"You're a parasite. And you won't even give me his Instagram, will you?"

Marlene laughed, throwing her head back and allowing her blonde curls to tickle her neck.
"It's a book signing. Not a bloody recon mission!"

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Maybe she'd be here?
Or was he just kidding himself because she'd bought the last Lily Evans here? Likely the latter.

Mary had done him a favour to put him in touch with Lily Evans and arrange a signing this afternoon, the best he could do was look alive.

The place was beginning to fill up, but she wasn't there. Not a single flash of that enchanting red colour was in sight.
James was just about to give up hope when a voice spoke behind him...

"Hello I'm here to sign some books."

He turned around and suddenly it was a year ago, she was standing there, smiling at him. Lily Evans. Of course it was Lily Evans.

James saw her eyes as they glittered at him in the same way he remembered. All it took was a glance and he was gone.
"Holy shit," he breathed, "it's you."

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