Gravity
Gravity
Chapter 1:
James Potter lay across a large red couch, clutching an ice pack to his nose and sighing. A fire burned brightly in the Griffindor common room, and the light of the flames cast a warm glow upon the room.
"That girl can punch," James muttered, sitting up and adjusting the ice as he moved.
Sirius Black rolled his large gray-blue eyes, which were barely visible under his long, dark bangs. "Then maybe you shouldn't keep asking her out, mate. Twenty times in one day? I think that's a record." He sat down beside James and draped his arms across the sofa. "No wonder she punched you."
From across the room, a book was slammed shut, startling the two as Remus Lupin approached them, clutching a thick Potions book in his hand.
"Well I'm heading up to bed," he mumbled, dark circles evident under his tired eyes. "Got to make sure Peter hasn't drowned in his own drool yet."
Moonlight pooled in through the tall glass window by the staircases, reminding all three boys of his last transformation just three nights ago. He half-smiled and ran a hand through his unruly blond hair, shrugging slightly, before walking up the steps to the sixth year boys' dormitory.
Sirius turned back to James and laughed as he winced yet again.
"She almost broke it, I swear," he murmured, though not looking angry in the least.
Sirius sighed. "You've got to get over her," he told James, sounding annoyed. "Yeah, she's bloody hot," James shot him a dark look, "but there are other fish in the sea!"
James' brow furrowed. "I can't help it!" He whispered, slouching down into the cushions. "Everything about her is flawless. She's talented, smart, friendly when she wants to be, and beautiful. I can't stop thinking about her, not that I'd want to anyway."
Sirius shook his head, and stood suddenly, heading towards the boys' staircase without looking back at his best friend.
"She's got you wrapped around her finger," he pronounced, a slight catch in his voice. "I can't stand the way she's hurting you."
James was taken aback; Sirius wasn't one to express his emotions.
"I'm sorry," James murmured, but his words only seemed to further infuriate Sirius.
"What for?" He asked. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's Evans who should be handing out the apologies."
Lily's POV:
"Something always brings me back to you," I sang to myself, glad to be alone and in the privacy of an empty dormitory. "It never takes to long. No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here, till the moment I'm gone."
I pulled out my journal and scribbled these few lines onto a blank page. Then a knock on the door brought me back to reality, and I quickly stuffed the notebook into my trunk.
"Come in!" I called, my annoyance fading as my best friend Alice ran into the room.
"AHHH!" She screamed, jumping up and down as I ran to hug her.
"He said yes?" I cried happily, though of course my question had already been answered.
She nodded ecstatically, beaming as I threw my arms around her yet again.
Then she flopped down onto her bed and sighed blissfully, laughing as she fell into a mass of pillows.
"I was so nervous!" She admitted. "I kept telling myself that everything would be okay, but I was totally expecting a 'no' anyway."
I scoffed. "Why would Frank turn you down?" I asked rhetorically. However, she looked at me skeptically, apparently unconvinced. I rolled my bright green eyes at her and flung myself onto my bed. "You're smart, funny, pretty," I listed, "and easily the nicest person I've ever met."
Alice blushed deeply, her pale cheeks burning scarlet. She had a pretty, heart-shaped face with soft blue eyes and a small nose. Her short black hair was layered dramatically, adding a pixie-like charm to her femininity.
"Oh stop," she told me jokingly, passing over my compliments. Then her eyes became dreamy and unfocused.
"Alice?" I laughed, snapping my fingers in her face.
"Sorry," she giggled. "I was just thinking…" She bit her lip. "Alice Longbottom. Doesn't that sound perfect?" We both laughed then, and I nodded in agreement.
"But you haven't even gone on one date yet, so I wouldn't ask Frank if I were you," I snorted.
Alice smacked my arm playfully. "Yeah, yeah," she answered, then an amused look crossed over her.
"So I saw James Potter," she said with raised eyebrows. I tried to look innocent as she erupted once more into giggles. "You didn't break his nose again, did you?"
"No!" I proclaimed indignantly. "Well, I mean, I don't think I did." Her eyebrows rose even higher. "Well it's not like he didn't deserve it!" I argued, more to myself than to her. I was usually a non-violent person, and hated hurting other people… Even arrogant toe-rags like Potter. "He asked me out twenty times today! Twenty!"
"Well I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree," she decided. "I still think it's pretty cute, you know. How he's so in love with you."
My eyes narrowed, and I turned my back to her, pretending to be annoyed. In truth, my cheeks were growing warmer, and my heart was racing. My stomach twisted, but not unpleasantly. I pinched my arm tightly, however, and then instantly denied her words.
"Oh come on Alice, he's 16. He has no idea what love is," I told her. I turned back to face her as my heart beat slowed down to its normal pace, and the jittery feeling in my stomach vanished. "He's just an arrogant prat. He only wants me because he knows he can't have me."
Alice looked uncertain.
"I don't know," she mumbled thoughtfully. "He's not as bad as you make him out to be. And I think he really does care about you. Maybe I'm wrong, but he still deserves a chance."