And lo, I have returned! In my absence, I fear that I have become addicted to Harry Potter fanfiction, especially Sirius/Remus and to a lesser extent Lily/James. So that's what the bulk of my stories will be about for the next while until I become obsessed with something else.
Anyway, just a little drabble for my first tentative proddings into the world of Harry Potter, which I do not own; I own not the characters nor the setting, neither do I make any money from them, as they belong to the Great and Powerful JK Rowling, whom I have no wish to anger with my measly fanfiction.
The First Time James Tried
Lily Evans had never felt beautiful. Pretty, on good days, sometimes, maybe? Sure. Needed, wanted, cared for, adored, loved? Sure. Clever and witty and friendly and loyal? Absolutely.
But only James Potter made her feel beautiful.
And she hated him.
The first time James Potter tried to ask her out was in second year.
He wandered over to her side of the table at lunchtime, all grinning mouth and long limbs and ridiculous sticking-up hair. She glanced vaguely at him, wondering what he wanted—probably to talk to Anna Reynier. Anna was the prettiest girl in Gryffindor house, blonde hair cascading past dazzling blue eyes, and at least half of the boys in Gryffindor, and more than a few Ravenclaws, were in love with her.
But James didn't talk to Anna. He came and sat with her.
"Hi," he said nervously. "Um… I don't know if you actually know me, but I'm, um, James. Potter, that is. James Potter."
"Uh, okay?" she said. She didn't know what else to do. "Um, I'm Lily Evans?" She didn't know why everything was suddenly a question.
"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "Er, listen, this is kind of weird, but… I think you're kind of beautiful. And, I, er, wanted to know if you'd go out with me?" He glanced nervously back toward his friends, where that scruffy kid with the long hair (what was his name? Solemn—no, Sirius. Sirius Black) was sending him thumbs-up and encouraging glances.
Lily blinked at him for a moment. Then she laughed shakily. "You're friends with Sirius Black, right? He put you up to this, didn't he?"
"I… what?"
Her voice was getting stronger now. "I have to say, that was actually pretty good. You are truly"—she pretended to bow—"a master of sarcasm."
"I… I wasn't really…"
"Yes, it was funny, okay? I don't really know why you wanted to ask me out or what you would have done if I said yes—though I'm just going to assume that it wasn't too terrible so I'm not tempted to try out a Bat-Bogey hex—but you're done. Please go away."
She decided that it must have been a prank, the Quidditch-obsessed jock and popular joker talking to her, Lily, the mousy little recluse. So she ignored him until he started getting detentions for hexing Severus and she realized he had meant it.
But by then it was far too late for him.
She hated him then.
So, how is it? I can't be British to save my life, but I can pull off a nice little bit of nerd angst any day, being, you know, an angsty nerd. Anywho, review as the mood strikes you, please no flames related to pairing (although, why would there be? They're, like, the most canon pairing in the history of anything ever.)
