Written for Hogwarts (Challenges and Assignments), Assignment 5.

Astronomy: Winter— task 4 — Orion the Hunter — write about someone who tries to be stealthy and fails


James Potter was in a sticky situation. He was under his Invisibility Cloak, trying to discreetly follow Lily Evans down the corridor. She kept looking behind her and frowning, and she stopped every so often and stood still, just listening.

And now she was doing it again.

James was pretty sure he would run out of oxygen soon. She'd stopped several seconds ago, and he was doing his darndest to not breathe and give away the fact that he was following her. It was hard.

She just stood there like a statue until he simply couldn't take it anymore. He puffed out his breath and sucked in a huge one before whipping the cloak off his shoulders and glaring at her. "What are you trying to do — kill me?"

Lily stared for a moment — and then burst into laughter. Through her giggles, she said, "I knew you were there!" She stopped laughing as suddenly as she'd started and glared at him. "Potter, care to explain exactly what you are doing out of bed after curfew?"

His only excuse was: "I wanted to make sure you were Inperioused to go down to the dungeons!"

She brought her hand up and smacked her forehead with her palm. "Idiotic, moronic, stupid prat!"

He held a hand to his chest. "You wound me!" he exclaimed dramatically. "Fair lady, will you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to —" he stopped, apparently realizing he had no idea where she was going. Shrugging, he finished, "to wherever you're going."

She watched him suspiciously. "The library?" she asked.

He bit the inside of his cheek and forced a smile. "Wherever you're going," he repeated.

And that's how James Potter found himself stuck in the library while his crush stole his cloak to sneak into the Restricted Section.


James bolted upright. Something seemed to be stuck to his right cheek, and he reached up to find an indent from the tip of a quill. He looked around blearily.

And realized that it was nearing dawn.

He jumped up and blinked as all the blood rushed back to his brain. His cloak was gone — had Lily taken it with her? Had Lily gone back to the dorms?

He rushed to the library exit and prowled down the corridor, peeking around corners before turning them.

He had to get back to Gryffindor Tower before he was caught!

He only realized he'd said that out loud when Filch stepped out from behind a shot of armor.

"Too late for that," he cackled.


"He's been out all night, Professor!" Filch exclaimed. "Just look at his cheek!"

Professor McGonagall yawned. "I'll deal with it from here, Argus, thank you."

Filch grumbled, but acquiesced and left, glaring at James as he shut the door behind him.

McGonagall looked over her spectacles at him. "Where have you been all night, Mister Potter?"

"The library," he said slowly.

Her eyebrows lifted. "I don't suppose you were meeting someone? A girl, perhaps?"

He shook his head. "N-no, Professor. Why?"

The corners of her mouth twitched. "Have you seen yourself?" She conjured a hand mirror and handed it to him.

A red lipstick mark had been planted firmly on his left cheek. It also happened to be the color of Lily Evans' favorite party lipstick — and he knew from careful observation that the lip mark on his cheek was the exact same shape as a certain red-haired Gryffindor's….


James received detention for the next three weekends, but it was worth it. He'd gotten a kiss — albeit on the cheek — from Lily Evans.

He mused that perhaps he needed to start visiting the library more often. Especially if this was his reward!