Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: This is my entry for Rosalie'sRevenge's OPI competition - a series of various snapshots in the relationship between Remus and Lily.
Who Needs a Prince?
Lily Evans had always loved fairytales. The idyllic life of the characters, the happily ever after endings, the magic and the fantastic beasts, the heroism and the love… Even now, at the age of sixteen, she still could often be found during her free time, curled up by the fire, immersed in a book of fairytales.
Her friends didn't understand the appeal. "You can do magic," they'd say. "You've seen a unicorn! What's so great about reading some Muggle version of what they think it looks like?"
Yes, Lily would silently agree, some of the fantasy was gone now. These things were no longer the far-off, imaginative dreams of her childhood; they were now a part of her everyday life. But still, Lily read on.
See, there was more to fairytales than magic wands and goblins. Lily was never a "damsel-in-distress" type – she figured she was more of the" I'll-fight-my-own-damn-way-through-and-I-don't-need-any-help-from-the-likes-of-you-you-arrogant-pillock" type - then again, that may have had something to do with James Potter-, but she was a stickler for romance and chivalry. For as long as she could remember, she had eagerly awaited the day when a handsome prince would come sweep her off her feet and ride off with her into the sunset. Metaphorically, of course.
He didn't have to be royalty, of course. And he didn't have to literally pick her up and plop her on a horse and gallop away with her. In fact, that sounded a lot like kidnap to her, and Lily wasn't exactly fond of the idea of being kidnapped, Stockholm syndrome be damned. But she had always wanted to meet The Guy. The one who would go out of his way for her, hold doors open for her, help her with her books. He would be humble but amazing, intelligent but down-to-earth, funny but kind. He would be tender and loving… He would be perfect. And they would fall in love and have a happily ever after.
Though, looking around the common room, princes seemed to be in short supply. Unless you counted spoiled prats that expect to be handed everything they desire in life (coughPottercough), that is. None of the boys in that room were kind enough, or smart enough, or… well, they just weren't The One. That or they were gay - oh, cruel, cruel irony.
"Hey, Evans!"
Lily snapped her book shut, annoyed at the disturbance. "No."
"But I didn't even-"
"The answer is no."
"But Evans!"
"Are you whining, Potter?"
"Come on, just one -"
"I just remembered, I need to go to the library. Good bye."
And with that, Lily grabbed her bag and book of fairytales and flounced out the door, leaving James Potter pouting behind her.
Truth was she didn't really need to go to the library. See, "going to the library" was Lily's favorite excuse when it came to James Potter. Potter called it "the library"; Lily called it "I'm getting the hell away from you and going somewhere I know you'll never set foot in." It was a good system.
Five minutes later, Lily entered the library and was bombarded by the smell of ink, dust, and old parchment. She made her way over to her favorite table in the back corner and set her things down before leaving to comb the shelves for some new reading material.
She pulled any book that struck her fancy, resulting in an odd conglomerate that piled far over her head. Deciding that thirty books was enough for one day, she wound her way through the maze of shelves, the books in her arms teetering precariously, threatening to fall upon her head at any moment.
This was exactly what happened a few moments later when a strong collision with something that felt rather like a brick wall knocked her to the ground, sending her books flying in every direction.
"Im so sorry!" cried a muffled voice from her left. Lily thought it may have been familiar, but with all the books surrounding her head muffling all distinctive noise, she couldn't be sure.
"Bloody hell…" Lily groaned, pushing the books off of her and attempting to sit up. "My head…" A large bump had formed at the top of her head where one of the larger books had hit her, and was throbbing painfully. She let off a stream of colorful, very creative swear words.
"Lily?" The male voice sounded incredulous, and a bit frightened. "Lily, I'm so sorry! I had a load of books in my hands and couldn't see where I was going. Are you alright?"
Lily looked up, still seeing stars, and tried to place the voice. "R-Remus?"
"Here, let me help you." He finished clearing the books off of her and helped her into a sitting position. "How do you feel?"
"Dizzy." She closed her eyes, trying to fend off the feeling of nausea that was coming. "My head's throbbing."
"Here." Lily heard him mutter something and instantly the pain and vertigo disappeared. "Better?"
"Much. How'd you do that?"
"I've had a lot of practice." He smiled bitterly.
"Thank you."
Lily suddenly realized just how close they were. He had knelt down on his knees beside her, his honey-colored eyes just inches away from her own. She could feel his breath tickle the hair across her forehead. They locked eyes and Lily felt herself leaning in, as if obeying some magnetic pull.
"Mr. Lupin! Miss Evans! I am ashamed!" a shrill voice cried from down the aisle.
"Oh damn," Lily breathed. "It's Pince."
Madam Pince, the school librarian, was charging towards them at an alarming speed, brandishing a feather duster violently in their faces. "You are the last people I ever expected to see defile the written word in such a way. And you, Miss Evans, such foul words will not be heard in presence of my books, do you understand me? You have disturbed the peace and damaged my books! Why, I have half a mind to throw you out this second! I am absolutely disgusted. What do you have to say for yourselves?"
Lily tried to speak, but nothing came out, save a tiny squeak. Madam Pince was rather terrifying when she was angry. She looked less like her usual vulture and more like a Chinese Fireball as she glared down at them.
"I'm very sorry, Madam," Remus said. He spoke softly, charm radiating from every syllable. "I was so eager to read all your marvelous books that I was walking very quickly and not paying attention to my surroundings, my mind being on all the amazing discoveries I would find within the pages. Likewise, Lily had such a large selection of literature piled in her arms that she could not see me foolishly barreling towards her. It's my fault, Madam Pince, I collided with her. I'm very sorry, ma'am. I will accept full punishment."
Lily blinked in surprise. What was he doing? Her disbelief strengthened ten-fold when Madam Pince smiled. Madam Pince never smiled- this boy was a genius!
"Oh, that's quite all right, Mr. Lupin. There will be no need for punishment. Many a time in my life, I have been so focused on the written word that I neglect the outside world. Quite understandable. Enjoy your reading, children. But mind you put those books back where you found them!"
Lily, fighting the urge to gape openmouthed at the librarian's abrupt turnaround in behavior, merely nodded.
"Of course, Madam," Remus muttered, flashing Madam Pince a charming grin. The woman turned on her heel and walked back to her desk without so much as another word.
Lily stared at Remus in awe. "How did you–… That was-… I can't believe-…Thank you."
Remus gave her a disarming smile. "Anytime."
He began to pick up the fallen books, reading the titles aloud as he grabbed them.
"The Brothers Grimm Anthology of Faerie Tales; Damsel in Distress – Classical Archetype or Chauvinistic Conspiracy?; Fractured Fairy Tales; The Tales of Beedle the Bard; Hans Christian Anderson - Fairy Tales and Stories; Prince Charming – Idol or Idiot?;Stories of Charles Perrault; Tales of the Greek Isles; Fairy Tales vs Personality Disorders… Someone likes folktales…"
Lily blushed in embarrassment and began picking up the rest of the books as quickly as she could.
"Oh of course," Remus chuckled, holding up the last two books on the floor. "What collection of fairy tale books would be complete without Hogwarts: A History and Goblin Rebellions of the 1600s?"
Lily flushed – equal parts humiliated and furious. "I-"
"I'm kidding." He smiled crookedly down at her. "I love these books too. I have a huge anthology of folk tales from around the world by my bed. James and Sirius had a field day first time they saw it; they'd never read muggle fairytales before."
He stood and offered her his large hand. "Here."
Lily took it – albeit hesitantly – and he helped her to her feet. "Thanks."
"Anytime." He shot her a smile, his amber eyes shining brightly through his shaggy fringe of brown hair. Lily felt her heart skip a beat.
He bent down to grab her pile of books, placing them on top of his. Lily protested, but Remus merely shrugged her words off, saying, "A man always carries the lady's books," and hoisted the tombs into his arms.
"But-"
"But nothing. You're at your usual place, right?"
Lily didn't have time to answer, as Remus was already making his way to the back table. She scurried after him, feeling incredibly stupid doing nothing as he carried her humongous selection of books in addition to all of his. Though, it was quite thoughtful of him, she thought to herself. And if the muscles in his arms were any proof, the weight couldn't have been too difficult for him. Were he not Remus, the sight may have been comical – the stack of books rose far above his head and teetered precariously with every few steps- but Remus executed the task with a form of gracefulness quite foreign to the ever-clumsy Lily.
Remus deposited the monumental stack onto the table and pulled out a chair, gesturing for Lily to take a seat. She bit her lip, unused to such expressions of chivalry, but sat nonetheless.
"Mind if I join you?"
"What? Of course not, please sit down!"
Remus smiled, sat, and pulled one of the books off the top of the stack. "Happy reading." He winked.
Lily blinked in surprise. Remus Lupin had just winked. At her. The day just kept getting stranger.
Slowly, still trying to get her mind around the events of the last fifteen minutes, Lily reached for Prince Charming – Idol or Idiot? and began trying to read. The effort was in vain, however, as she could not get her mind – or eyes – off of the young man in front of her.
"Chocolate?" he whispered after a while, breaking her out of her reverie.
She looked at him in shock, looking around quickly to check for Madam Pince. "In the library?"
Remus smiled mischievously and pulled out a large chocolate bar. "Where else? It always tastes better in the library." He broke off a piece, the crack of breaking chocolate very loud to Lily's anxious ears. "Here, dark chocolate, your favorite."
Lily took the offered chocolate, feeling very surprised. How did he know that? The chocolate was amazing, a bittersweet rush of deliciousness. Remus was right; it really did taste better in the library. "Thank you."
He smiled, licking some chocolate off of his bottom lip, and Lily suddenly felt very warm. He placed the candy bar in the middle of the table, in a place that was accessible to either of them but hidden from the eyes of Madam Pince. They each broke off another piece and returned to reading.
What makes a prince? Lily read.The typical Storybook Prince, interchangeable with the Knight in Shining Armor, is rich, and comes from a powerful family. He is tall and strong, as well as very brave. Often times, he is charged with the task of completing a quest or slaying a beast to win the maiden's heart. He is gallant and chivalrous, as well as well spoken. He is-
It was pointless. Try as she might, Lily could not focus on the page before her. With a sigh, she broke off another piece of chocolate and let her mind wander. It was stupid, really, for anyone to wait around for someone like this, Lily thought. No man could ever be all the things mentioned in fairytales. The real Prince Charming, she mused, is the one who will hold your hair back when you puke, let you stain his favorite shirt with mascara when you cry, and make you laugh when you've had a day from hell. Not the one who just puts you in fancy dresses and takes you to balls. Those literary princesses couldn't have had very happy ever-afters with a guy like that…
She reached for another piece of chocolate, and started when she felt warm fingers brush her own. She looked up to see the Remus had also reached for the candy – the very last piece.
Remus smiled, but did not move his hand. Lily felt sparks tingling up and down her arm from the place where their skin touched. "You can have it."
"N-Nonsense," Lily stuttered, trying to regain control of her mind. "It's your chocolate, you have it."
"Ladies first."
"We'll share it."
"Fine." He grinned. "We'll share it."
They broke the piece in half and grabbed their portion. Lily didn't think she had ever eaten anything so delicious.
Remus smiled at her once more before returning to his book.
Suddenly, it clicked. How had Lily never noticed it before? How had she never noticed him before?
Remus was not rich, she mused, taking in his slightly shabby robes, but what did that matter? His family may not be powerful, but they were kind; Lily had spoken with them on many occasions. He was, quite obviously, tall, strong, and ever-so-handsome, albeit in a humble, non-assuming, casual way. He had held her books for her and pulled her chair out for her, given her chocolate and saved her from the wrath of Madam Pince…
"Chocolate in the library?" a familiar voice shrieked.
Speak of the devil, Lily thought. She and Remus grabbed their bags and jumped to their feet. Remus grabbed for her hand and pulled her towards the exit at a run.
"Out! Out! Out! And don't come back! I expected more of you! Do not touch my books, you leave them right there, safe from your filthy fingers! Out, I said, out!"
Madam Pince chased them out towards the library doors, enchanting her feather duster to follow after them, smacking them anywhere it could reach with all its might.
The hilarity of the moment, coupled with the taste of chocolate on her tongue and the feel of Remus' large, callused hand in her own, caught up to Lily and she began laughing hysterically. Soon, Remus was laughing as well as they pelted towards the door.
They reached it, quite out of breath, and Remus pulled the door open, holding it for Lily as she walked through.
Who needs a prince? Lily thought, smiling breathlessly up at him. I've got Remus.
A/N: Ta-da! This took me a while to write… How did you like it? Reviewers shall get a piece of Remus' famous chocolate*! Next up: Purple with a Purpose!
*chocolate-is-completely-virtual-and-imagined-within-your-mind-offer-expires-december-2012-due-to-theories-of-apocalypse-void-where-prohibited