Title: Capturing a Moment
Author: Holdumst i hendur
Rating: Kplus
Summary: A look into the important events concerning James Potter that occurred throughout Lily Evans' final year at Hogwarts.
On the 1st of September 1977 at approximately 11:08 am, while entering the Prefects carriage on the Hogwarts Express, Lily Evans had a realisation.
Said realisation occurred when she saw the back of the new Head Boy and found herself unable to figure out who exactly the owner of the neat dark hair and tidy robes was. The boy turned slightly, glasses flashing in the light, as the cold knowledge that she was going to be sharing Head duties with James Potter sunk in as though she had been dunked into a swimming pool of ice.
His eyes caught hers from across the room, lips twisting up into his signature cocky smirk. "Evans." He greeted, like he knew about the dread that was flooding through her body.
"Nice to see you finally worked out how to use a comb, Potter." She scowled, sitting across from him, arms folded.
James' smile remained firmly in place. "I was hoping you'd notice," He ruffled the front of his hair ruefully. "Don't get used to it."
Lily didn't even grace his comment with an answer, purposefully turning her head away to watch the English countryside fly by until the rest of the prefects filed in.
On the 19th of October 1977 at approximately 2:39 pm, while half way through brewing a Confuddlement Draught, Lily Evans felt heat around her ankles and found that the bottom of her robes were on fire.
In the three and a half seconds it took her to react, a shout of 'augmenti!' rang through the air and she found herself completely soaked, but at the least, fire-free.
"Trying to make your feet match your hair, Evans?" The same voice teased; Lily glared at James for a moment, then whipped round to see Mulciber, the idiot Slytherin who had been friends with Severus, tucking his wand away, smirking. Wet hair slapped at her forehead as her gaze then fell on her ex-best friend, who shied away from her flashing eyes, confirming that he was one of the culprits who set her robes alight.
She turned back to snap scathingly at Potter, to find him looking down at her with concerned eyes. "You all right?"
She blinked, forgetting the witty retort she had planned as she nervously brushed her soaked bangs off her face. "M'fine."
"Good." James smiled, then went back to Sirius who was stirring their cauldron with an amused glint in his dark eyes.
Lily pushed up her wet sleeves, grimacing at the cold hair hitting her damp skin. It suddenly occurred to her how much water she'd been hit with, when it had only been a small fire at the base of her clothes. She folded her arms, looking across at James. "Was it really necessary to soak me, Potter?" She demanded.
James looked up, then ran his eyes down the length of her body. Her robes stuck to her skin, outlining every curve of her figure. "I think so, yes."
On the 31st of October 1977 at approximately 7:18 pm, while leaning over to steal a spoonful of ice cream from Marlene's dish during the Halloween banquet, Lily Evans noticed something that made her blood turn cold.
James Potter, sat at the Ravenclaw table, with Rita Skeeter in his lap and her lips on his cheek.
Not quite sure what the icy feeling, followed by a hot surge, that ran through her veins was, she hastily averted her eyes and shifted back into her seat. The spoon of ice cream was abandoned.
On the 12th November 1977 at approximately 5:11 pm, while trying to rearrange the Prefect's patrol rota, Lily Evans found herself in the middle of a shouting match with the Head Boy of Hogwarts.
"This is so pointless."
"It's your fault."
"Why have you been so pissy lately?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because I do, Evans."
"Well, maybe you should stop, Potter."
"Well, maybe you should stop mucking about with the bloody patrols!"
"Well, maybe if you hadn't threatened Dedalus, he wouldn't be terrified of patrolling with me and we wouldn't have to do this!"
"Well, maybe if you'd just go out with me, I wouldn't have had to threaten him!"
"Well, maybe if you could take your hands of Skeeter for ten minutes, I would!"
They both froze, staring at each other, then Lily flew out the door faster than the Gryffindor Seeker could have on a broom.
On the 14th November 1977 at approximately 6:33 pm, while trying to write a Potions essay in the library, Lily Evans found herself being disturbed.
"Bugger off, Potter." She hissed, looking up and expecting to see the face of the spectacled git she'd been attempting to avoid for the past two days. Instead, her dark glare hit Remus Lupin, who had one eyebrow raised in amusement.
"I'll pass the message on," The scruffy haired Gryffindor replied, the hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. Lily decided he'd spent too much time with James if he could pull off an expression like that. "Since you refuse to talk to him."
"I'm not refusing to talk to him!" Lily's defenses rose like waves around her. "I just... don't... want to..." She finished off, gusto fading as her voice trailed lamely.
Remus smiled at her, genuinely this time. "He wants you to know he's not dating Rita."
Lily shrugged. "I don't care."
"I think you do."
"Well... I don't." Lily snapped childishly, pointedly turning away from him, though her fingers had tightened around her quill so much her skin had turned white.
Remus made a small sound that could have been mistaken as an attempt at hiding a laugh. "All right. But he wants you to know anyway." He made to leave, but Lily's voice stopped him.
"Why?"
"...Because you're the only one he wants to be with."
On the 21st of November 1977 at approximately 10:38 am, while waiting behind after a Prefects meeting, Lily Evans allowed James Potter to explain.
"The Skeeters are an old Pureblood family. My family spent some of the Summer with them, and me and Rita got close. We love each other, but we don't. It's weird. Platonic." He attempted, not really doing a very good job of it because Lily's forehead furrowed as she tried to figure out what he meant.
"You know what? I don't care." She said after a while, running her hands through her hair and getting up to leave.
"Hey, Evans," James called as she reached the door. He had to ask, because he hadn't for weeks and it was kind of like an addiction. "Go on a date with me?"
Lily paused, running her fingers down the door frame before glancing over her shoulder at the messy haired idiot she'd been evading for over three years. "Okay."
On the 11th of December 1977 at approximately 2:31 pm, while watching the snow flutter around her and land in Potter's dark hair, Lily Evans shared the first of many kisses she would have with James.
It took him by surprise and the muffled noise he made proved it, but it took him only two seconds to wrap his arms around her waist and lift her off her feet, pressing his mouth to hers enthusiastically. They were interrupted as a very red faced, middle aged wizard cleared his throat, unable to squeeze past the couple who were blocking the entrance to the Three Broomsticks. Lily went pink and pulled herself free of James' arms to step out of the wizard's way. He thanked her hurriedly, obviously embarrassed to have witnessed their private moment (although, in his defence, it had been a private moment in a public place), and dashed off, his boots making dents in the freshly fallen snow.
Lily laughed, face still flushed, before turning back to James who looked more than a little gobsmacked at her bold move.
"What exactly..." He started, but stopped when Lily pointed above his head.
"Mistletoe, Potter. I'm sure you're familiar with it," She replied, a mischievous twinkle glimmering in her eye.
James' gaze went from the green plant floating in the icy December breeze above his head, to the fiery red head in front of him, a matching spark flashing behind his glasses. "You know what, Evans, I don't think I am. You'll have to come back and acquaint me properly."
Lily's mouth was on his in an instant.
So I know this sort of collection of moments story is quite overdone, but I thought I'd throw my version into the mix. Hope you all enjoyed it and please review :)