Hello, lovelies. This is my first story, and I know that's the case with many of these, so I'll try not to bore you too much by begging for reviews.
I apologize in advance for this story not being finished... As a reader of fanfic, I am greatly upset with my author-self for posting an incomplete story. I hate it when a fanfic really has me going, and then ends in the middle with no hope of a prompt update because I didn't notice at first that it wasn't complete. With that in mind, I am being quite hypocritical right now, but with this story I feel that it simply couldn't be avoided. If I had let this sit on my desktop any longer it would never have seen the light of day. The problem is that it starts in the middle and ends with a cliffhanger... So, this story still needs a middle and an end, and I'll probably finish it regardless of reviews, but I'll only post the finished version if there's demand for it. Therefore, please give feedback! Be harsh, I won't resent you for it.
For all those readers like me out there, I REPEAT: THIS STORY IS INCOMPLETE!
And with that, sit back and relax as the events unfold [somewhat haltingly, as my schedule allows].
- Lorraine
Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, I would have shacked up with Rupert Grint in his ice cream truck, and we'd be living happily every after.
After several blissful moments, they broke apart. Her eyes still closed, she heard him whisper softly: "Go out with me, Evans?"
Her eyes flew open, and her jaw dropped. She dropped the white and gold mask she'd been holding to her face. "Potter?"
He smiled the winsome, slightly crooked James Potter smile, known to have brought hundreds of females to their knees. If Lily's brain had not been in a state of shock, she might have noticed that the grin faltered a bit, and she would have seen nervousness in the hazel eyes partially obscured by the black mask that reminded her of Muggle superheroes. However, she was not in a position to notice these details, and instead rushed out of the Great Hall at top speed.
Behind the fleeing redhead, James Potter's shoulders slumped, and anyone who was listening could have heard a defeated sigh issue from that young man's lips.
"Bugger. Bugger, bugger, bugger and bloody hell! I'm going to murder the stupid blighter who did this!" Lily continued muttering under her breath.
"You might not want to be doing that, love."
Lily whipped around at the sound of Sirius Black's voice. Her eyes narrowed. "And why is that, Black?"
"Because, Evans, the "stupid blighter" of whom you speak happens to be the headmaster."
For the second time in ten minutes, lily's mouth opened in shock.
"What? That's preposterous, Black, Dumbledore has much more important things to do than muck about in the love lives of his students."
As Sirius shrugged and winked, a calm, pleasant voice came from behind her, making her jump slightly.
"More important, perhaps, but certainly neither more entertaining nor more rewarding. Good evening, Ms. Evans."
"Professor Dumbledore, sir! Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Well, Ms. Evans, 'stupid blighter' though I may be—" Lily blushed crimson.
"Profes—"
"—No, no, my dear, don't fret. I've been called far worse. And on purpose, too! As I was saying, I take a great deal of pleasure in watching my students enjoy themselves. It's great sport to see the bloom of new romance. If I do say so, you and Mr. Potter make a lovely couple. And, of course, who can resist a costume ball?"
With that, Dumbledore conjured a feathered mask that reminded Lily of Mardi Gras, and with a charming smile that reached all the way to his sparkling blue eyes, he walked away.
Lily was still in a state of embarrassed shock, so it took her a moment to recall Sirius standing off to the side trying very hard to suppress his laughter. When she did notice his presence, she glared at him. Her attempt to sober him up backfired completely, and he broke into raucous peals of laughter.
Reluctantly, she herself began to grin. Dumbledore really was a bit of a nutter. Then she remembered what Sirius had said in the beginning of this conversation. The grin slipped off her face, the replaced by an expression of skeptical confusion.
"So you're saying that Dumbledore suggested a masquerade ball simply to get me and Ja—I mean Potter—together?"
Sirius had mostly recovered, and said with a cheeky grin "Looks that way, doesn't it, Lilykins?"
This earned him another glare, and Lily sat down on a nearby bench, thinking hard.
"Look, Evans, you really haven't any reason to refuse James now. He's wined and dined you, he's acted polite and debonair, and you shared a kiss that was—as far as I could tell—rather breathtaking. Eh?"
She took a moment to respond, and turned towards him with an expression he had not been expecting. He'd anticipated an angry outburst, or perhaps—significantly less likely but still possible—a shy smile as she comprehended what he just said. What he did not expect from the fierce Lily Evans was a look of trepidation and hesitance.
"But this wasn't supposed to happen, Sirius!" She said, miserably.
Taken aback, he began to ask: "Since when do you call me Siri-? You know, never mind. What wasn't supposed to happen?"
"I wasn't supposed to fall for him! Or if I was, it was supposed to be because he changed drastically and took me seriously."
The young master Black was about to make a "Sirius" joke when his brain processed the fact that Lily Evans was finally admitting to her feelings for his best mate. Then he realized that she had just said something, and that he should keep this conversation going. "But he has changed! You really don't see it? Personally, I do not approve of some of the changes, but that should really just go to show you that you would approve of them. Merlin, Lily, he'd change anything for you. You think he doesn't take you seriously? If that amount of boneheaded determination and devotion isn't 'taking you seriously' then I never want to take anything seriously. It looks like a bloody ton of work."
"But he didn't even ask me to the ball!"
"Would you have said yes?"
"Yes!" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I would have accepted him, really."
"Why now?"
"Because I'm in love with the prat, for Merlin's sake. I have been for months now."
"But he's still been asking you out at least once a week. If you've loved him for months, why haven't you said 'yes' to one of those offers?"
Lily faltered. "I… well… that is to say…"
"You were scared."
"No! I was not scared."
"Come on, Evans, admit it. You thought you were just a game to him, right? That you were just the frigid bitch who he had to woo to prove his reputation once and for all as the second-most eligible bachelor—the first being yours truly, of course—Hogwarts and the Wizarding World have ever known." She rolled her eyes. "Fine, you don't have to say anything, but I know that's what you're thinking. And I can assure you, as the best mate of a fine lad who's hopelessly in love with you—it's quite sickening, really—that you have never been a game to him." She looked down, and he continued bitterly. "Honestly, I wish that's all this was, because then I don't think he'd be so crushed every time you turn him down."
She looked up at this, a sad look having replaced the fearful one from a few minutes earlier. "Is it really as bad as all that, Sirius? He just seems so strong and carefree. I don't see why I should matter so much."
"Well, right now, I don't either. Honestly, woman! Have you not been listening? He's crazy for you, over the moon, head over heels in love, and he has been since third year!"
"Personally, I think I was a goner as you looked at me on that first ride on the Hogwarts Express."
Two heads whipped around at the sound of a third voice, extremely familiar to them both.
"James?" Lily said. There was a pause during which James met Lily's eyes searchingly for a full ten seconds.
James turned towards the third occupant of the corridor. "Pads, could you give us a mo'?"
"Sure thing, mate." Sirius locked eyes with James for a brief moment in a silent "good luck" and then he sauntered off the same way Dumbledore had gone.
James sat down next to Lily, who had directed her gaze to the floor as soon as she had broken eye contact with the beautiful boy. After a long moment, James spoke.
"While I will be the first to agree that your dainty feet are very alluring, Lily, would you please look at me?"
She looked up and they exchanged small smiles, his encouraging and hers nervous. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked.
"Well, I was sulking about at the refreshments table near the door when I heard Sirius call someone a 'frigid bitch.' I thought my dear best mate might be getting into a girl-fight, and came to investigate. Usually it cheers me up to see him slapped upside the head by his latest paramour, though it's the best fun when Remus is the slapper." She laughed shortly. "But really, Lil—and I know you have very little reason to believe me—Sirius is right. A rare thing, I know, but I do talk about you a lot, so he's probably gathered that I'm not just after you for the sex or anything like that. If it were that easy, he probably would have just Confunded you for an hour or so to let me have my wicked way with you." He grinned.
She gasped exaggeratedly and widened her eyes. He took this for genuine alarm and hastened to reassure her, saying, "No, no, I was kidding. He wouldn't do something like that. And if he would, I'd never take advantage of you like that. Don't worry."
"I know, James. I was kidding."
"Oh. Right…"
She smiled softly. "But really, that's not true, anyways." He began to protest, but she shushed him. "I meant that it's not true that I have very little reason to believe you. I actually have very little reason not to believe you. As Sirius was saying to me before you began listening, you've changed a lot."
"He always was a good lad, Sirius. Though I am a bit offended that you believe him and not me." He frowned.
She nudged him playfully. "Well, you're only the second most eligible bachelor the Wizarding World has ever seen, after all. As the first, and therefore the most beautiful man alive, he's obviously more credible." James rolled his eyes. "Although to be quite honest, I think you'd give him a run for his money in that category." She looked down shyly.
"Why, Miss Lily Evans! Did you just compliment me and flirt with me? All in one go? I'm not sure my poor heart can handle the excitement!" Though he meant it sarcastically, his excited voice and grin—which threatened to split his face in two—indicated that he was more serious than he'd like to let on. She didn't seem to cotton on, though, and merely blushed more deeply.
The old Lily, the one who despised him down to his very core, would have come up with a snappy retort to his comment by now. The lack of a comeback was what really convinced him that things were changing—for the better, he hoped.
By no estimation was James Potter a coward, and so, not unexpectedly, he decided to take the plunge for the second time that evening.
"So, umm, Lils… Can I ask you a question?" She opened her mouth, and by the playful glint in her eye he guessed what she was about to say. "I know, I know, I just did ask you a question, but that's not what I meant. I want to ask you a real question, and it's one that you're used to by now, but just… remember that I'm serious about it. That's probably not something you usually consider, but I'm not just asking to take the mickey out of you, or anything." He looked into her eyes searchingly, and seemed to find what he was looking for, because he started to smile. "And remember that I'm the second most beautiful man in the world, so I have at least some amount of credibility." She rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop her lips from quirking up in a small smile.
"Anyways…. Lily, will you go out with me?"
And there you have it, the first installment of "The Man Behind the Mask." The next chapter to be posted will be the ACTUAL beginning of this story, since this sort of started in the middle. That means that, once the whole trajectory is laid out, to read this in order it will go something like: Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 1 (this), Ch 6, Ch 7, etc. Sorry to be confusing! I hope you're roped in enough to even figure out the convoluted order of the story.