"Curiosity Killed the cat"
Monday's are great for many reasons.
First, Hogwarts served extra helpings of treacle tart, and that meant Moony never forgot to take one extra for James. Thus, James helping himself to a third piece. Ah...
Second, two hours of charms, one hour Potions, one Transfiguration and one Defense. Could you guess why James was excited? Oh, woe is my heart, it meant that Lily Evans was going to share half of her day with him. Albeit, half would be spent glaring at him but he was used to that.
Now, it was well known that Lily Evans' perceptive and ' model student' personality didn't match with James Potter's dynamic and mischief. She followed rules like they were words, swore by Merlin himself and James broke them like he was born to do nothing but this.
Yet, he couldn't help it. Those lascivious green eyes, that round pouty upper lip , the small upturned nose, the cheeks who tend to be in a permanent state of blush during winters. Her thin yet long fingers...
How she brushed those fine hair with those fingers after a particularly tough spell...how she glistened that upper lip with her tongue during Potions as the heat made them dry...how...how she looked when she accomplished something before anyone in the class...
Be still my heart.
But that happened all the time. So what's, do you ask, was so special about this Monday?
This would be the Monday James Potter was going to put an end to this twisted infatuation.
Ever since Lily Evans, muggleborn extraordinare of Spinners end had, popped up beside him after the sorting and swatted his hand away while glaring at him like he was nothing more than a flobberworm for trying to talk to her.
James Fleamont Potter had lost it.
He had lost his senses. For, all he saw, were those angry green eyes which tend to shimmer and shine when near him or we could safely say, when he annoyed her.
Although, Sirius said he didn't remember anything like that except that Evans was a 'Know-it-all' from day one. James had decked him.
There was not a moment in those seven years where he hadn't thought of her. Whether they were innocent or not. They were his precious treasures that he locked away from even the Marauders... Not meant to be shared with anyone. Except that one time, he had been drunk, and had nearly expressed his undying love to Sirius with a promising kiss.
It was totally Sirius' fault that he had died his hair red. Not James. Nuh huh.
But Evans was as near smitten by him as Padfoot was near to a commitment, Moony was near to propose Berklee Lorenzo(who, by the way, had said yes before he even gave a hint) or Wormtail was near to get an A+ grade. Which was to say, not at all.
Thus, he had decided to put an end to this twisted infatuation, to this destruction of will, to this unhealthy obsession.
How, you ask?
Based on the assumption that nothing can be perfect. James Potter was going to find a flaw in Lily Evans.
All he had to do was catch her in her most hazardous moment and then have a reason for himself to say that 'Lily Evans didn't deserve him' or something of that sort.
Cackling, he flipped a blank parchment in the front of other filled up parchment's and started writing.
"Target: Lily Evans
Location: Great hall.
Prongs O7: drooling not far from Lily Evans, didn't have enough willpower to strain his ears."
James sighed and slumped forward, placing his face in his hands.
"I am sorry, what was that, James? I don't speak pathetic stalker." Remus Lupin disapprovingly sniffed. He had given away his treacle tart to Peter after James had announced that he was going to stalk Evans for the rest of the day to find flaws. The traitor.
Sirius offered his help. Peter wished him luck while Remus informed him the meaning of stalker.
James sighed again while Sirius began his look talk to Remus. Which mostly meant jabbing his head forward and frowning while Remus scowled back unapologetically. Potter diverted his attention back to the target. It was time.
Maybe Lily would burp loudly, maybe she would eat her nails. Those were bad habits, honestly.
Cue giggles,"and then he said, 'but Alice, you are my only love and I was like, 'Dumbledore's beard, you are thirty!" Not-so-important-individual-girl-number-one, laughed.
"Woah, you just said that to his face? But c'mon Alice, he is Lord Yaxley." Very- irrelevant-individual-girl-number-two, gaped.
1. Target has pathetic company and needs some fun.
Lily just poured milk with one hand, wrote something with her right hand in her notebook and replied,"Let her do whatever the hell she wants. Yaxley may very well go to hell."
And that was hot. Such attitude while pouring milk and checking notes was hot.
The huge book she took out however, wasn't.
2. Prongs O7 is worried about Target's mental health.
Lily though, looked just fine as she excused herself from her friends and so did James after a few minutes.
"Just don't come back crying when she slams you upside down," Moony muttered under his breath. James ignored him. Peter and Sirius kicked him straight under the table and while he yelled in pain, James left.
He followed her not far behind. His eyes promptly going from her dark tresses to her curvy, shapely bottom.
So far, Lily hadn't done anything on the way. She, however, had left a crying child in the hands of a nearby prefect, a Slytherin, helped old Flich with a dispute, and had wished several good mornings to people passing nearby.
If Padfoot was here, he would have kicked James out of dormitory by now for liking someone so boring.
But James Potter was, if anything, aware that Lily Evans was far from boring.
He sighs, dun dun dun daa...
La...la...la...la...la...
Target has a habit of pulling on her ponytail every two minutes.
Target has three different types of candies in her bag which she likes to eat every two minutes.
Target has hot legs and Prongs O7 wants nothing but have them all for himself in a alcove.
La...la...la...la...la...
And finally Lily turns around and into the library... should have known...
Although, Lily is a class O student in nearly everything, Remus often said that she took them because she enjoyed them.
Sick...sick...sick ...
James now stands three steps behind Lily with his face buried in a book and he nearly drops it, for my friends, Lily Evans just put back 'Quidditch through the ages' with a smile.
Oh for the love of...
No, Potter. No.
But Quidditch...Damn, you Evans!
"You are pathetic," someone mutters under his breath and James turns to find Remus glaring at him while Sirius snickered in the corner with Peter. James tries to turn his glare on them but fails miserably.
"Why are you following me?" James asks.
"Because you don't even know how to stalk properly. Seriously, what were we thinking letting you in? " Sirius rolls his eyes dramatically and then raises his hands. "I vote that we revoke his Marauder license."
Remus glares back at Sirius- the full moon must be near- and then promptly hits James with a rolled up parchment,"you forgot the map, dolt."
Ooh thanks Moony.
Five minutes later, in which Moony told him off from following Lily to the washroom ("What do you think, I will do, spy on her bathing?" "Yes." "How dare you. I will do no such thing. I am a man not a pervert.")
Sirius disappointedly stares,"really? Eh...no fun in following you then". And then they had a brawl about Sirius trying to get into Lily's pants which, Peter pointed out, that Sirius tried to get into every skirt not pants. Remus later saved Peter by reminding James that Sirius usually wanted to get into every girl's pants and Lily, if he hadn't noticed already in which case Sirius will be happy to show him some of his Gay friends, was a girl.
James stomped off after making rows of books fall all over them and Madam Pince on her heels.
He walked out of the library to find Lily nowhere.
Not behind the statue of the witch wearing red panties.
Not near Marlene McKinnon trying to flirt with Snape...ew.
Not near Berklee Lorenzo who was pushing Moony towards the wall with a seductive expression while Sirius and Peter cat called.
James waved his appreciation.
He then thought about it...What's was the timetable?...Two hours of charms.
And he was right when he saw a red head disappearing into the charms classroom. He sighed.
Target: Walks in her first class.
Prongs O7: Hot on her heels. Will report back when resurrected from the evils of the tiny Teacher and etcetera.
Praise Godric Gryffindor for big classrooms. James was in the middle of the class, and out of over seventy students, surely one would notice his dead body if Lily finally noticed him stalking her and tried to kill him.
Lily was sitting in the front row with Marlene McKinnon of Ravenclaw. So far, she hadn't committed any serious crimes against civilization. Like the model student, she was taking notes. Once or twice she turned around to ask for a pencil or something and then to whisper something. No, it wasn't male.
James was not even sure if it was a good thing.
There was a time when even Remus had stopped arguing with Sirius when he offered that Lily was a lesbian and thus not interested in James.
Was she really?...
Although, James forgot all about that as she started pulling her hair into a loose bun.
Oh God...
Never had he had lost so much control over a woman. With no offense to his ex girlfriend number one and two, Lily Evans made him able to jack off at the sight of her.
Oh Lily...
And James blearily opened his eyes five minutes later to find a little firstie poking him with his wand.
"Ow, ow...what are you doing?" James asked, rubbing his nose.
"It's my seat , Mister Head boy Potter."
And really, it was. Because when James looked around there was no one but ickle firsties staring at him. Perhaps it hadn't been five minutes...
Damn. Fell asleep...
He quickly packed his bags and ran around, hoping that he hadn't lost Lily again.
Target: nowhere to be found.
Prongs O7: Heading towards the next torture chamber- Potions, to find her.
And as James ran forward and fast lest Slughorn bans him, he promptly finds a seat not far away from Evans, with Sirius, who James assumed had been saving up for him. Unfortunately, with Snape in between.
"Late again, Potter? Where were you? Thought the class would wait up for you?" Snape hissed and before James could even remove his attention from Lily, Sirius had replied.
"He was off shagging your mum, Snivellus. Since I got bored of her fat saggy arse."
"Oh, you think you are so smart, aren't you Black? Remarks on my mother. At least, she is proud of me? Unlike yours."
On most days, Sirius Black considers James before doing things. On other days, he forgets to do so. On some special days, he ignores both of them and jumps straight into action then later regrets it. Most of the Hogwarts regrets it.
"Why do you care where he was? Need his shower timings so you could catch a peek in while he is there?
"You are one to talk. Roaming behind him everywhere. Trying to determine who he talks to and not. Pathetic."
"A state you would know all about."
James tuned them out as he saw Hot, broody guy making his way over to Lily.
"Target is sitting at her desk, reviewing notes.
Hot guy walks behind target's aisle.
Target looks up and checks out hot guy.
Check-out style: slow once-over.
Hot chick and target make eye-contact and smile at each other.
O7 status: in pain.
Targets homosexual status: non existent."
Said hot guy was Amos Diggory, Hufflepuff prefect and even James admitted the guy wasn't exactly hard on eyes.
Sigh.
And two hours later James was off to Transfiguration. Knock me off in one go, Merlin, why so many.
But James was determined as he shook his head, he was going to show the real Lily Evans. He was going to expose her and then live happily ever after. Chase a girl who will actually like him back then focus on old He-who-must-not-be-named. But no Lily Evans.
With new determination, James walked into Transfiguration.
And once again found a seat just two rows behind Lily. Did Hogwarts sensed him stalking?
James would perhaps have paid attention to McGonagall if it wasn't for Amos Diggory taking a seat nowhere but near Lily.
"O7 is now sure that Evans has a boyfriend.'
James frowns and focuses on McGonagall. It wasn't until that he bent to pick his quill, did he noticed it...
Amos hands sliding up to Lily thighs and then moving slowly downwards as if...
No.
It wasn't until that he strained his ears to focus on nothing but in their direction did he heard a distinct shuffling, of clothes probably. Then Lily groaned and Amos grinned and he saw Lily sliding up her hand downwards on herself and the distinct sound of a smack...
James turned white. Like every other young adult character, he let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding.
"Target: Getting it on in Transfiguration.
Prongs O7: Hyperventilating.
Question: Lily Evans a slag?"
The Slytherin behind him patted him hard noticing his hyperventilating and in process nearly throwing him further on his seat did James noticed something as Lily turned around
Amos' hand wasn't on Lily's thigh. Rather, it was on a notebook which Lily was holding. And James could see some crosses and Zeros... They were playing... Tic Tac Toe?... Both of them were looking at him with a distinct expression of disgust. James didn't mind. He was sure he was looking at himself with disgust.
"Potter? Are you alright Potter? Do you need the hospital wing?"
"No uh..no."
McGonagall throws him a look before continuing with her class.
Did he really wanted to know more? Could he handle more?
James was extremely divided by the time he reached his last task. It was twelve at night and for the love of Merlin he didn't knew why Lily Evans was out at this time. He had followed out of curiosity of course. What was the perfect prefect like Lily was doing out at this time?
"Target looks really beautiful in pink pyjamas.
Target has uneven hair.
Target is smiling like a Cheshire cat for some reason."
What if she was going to meet her boyfriend? She didn't had a boyfriend...did she?
"Target has suspicious motives.
O7 is right behind her."
It wasn't until that she reached a empty classroom did she took a strange demeanor. She looked around right and left then entered the empty class. Threw a blue Fire in the middle of the room and closed the door. She then sat around in one of the seats, took a quill out of her pocket and wrote something, then folded it. Threw it on the floor and left.
"Target: is becoming creepy.
O7: about to find out if curiosity killed the cat."
And very discreetly James Potter moves forward, straining himself to pay attention to both the door, lest Lily comes back and sees him, and to the Paper.
He takes it, unfolds it.
His heart thumps loudly.
Sweat trickles down his forehead.
"Curiosity: 1.
Cat: 0.
Try chocolate next time, yeah? ;)"
A/n-
House: Slytherin.
Category: Short Story.
Prompts: 4. Jily
Word count: (For story only, does not include A/N)- 2, 650