A/N: OK, it may be a OneShot, it may not. As I said, it's my first fan fiction and I'm a slightly afraid of posting it. But a friend convinced me. Oh, and because I'm English, my spelling is different from the American version. Apologies in advance.
Disclaimer: However much I wish I did, I do not own Harry Potter or any of JK's genius inventions. Sob.
Encourage me, people!
"Ready?" she said softly, leaning closer. He breathed in her scent and smiled weakly, nodding ever so slightly. "Close your eyes."
He obeyed without a second thought as he felt her breath tickle his cheek. A smile danced at his lips as he leant closer and squinted through his lashes. Flaming auburn locks blurred his vision as he locked eyes with brilliant emerald ones. Suddenly:
"OW!" he spluttered, leaping backwards and clutching his now throbbing foot. The pain was intense, but not as intense as the hatred in Lily Evans's eyes. Her foot had met its target: James's foot. A triumphant smirk appeared upon cherry red lips as Lily pivoted vehemently and flounced away.
James Potter gazed longingly at her retreating back before scowling at his own naïve performance and returning sulkily to the Boys Common Room.
"Prongs! Hey, mate."
James smiled unenthusiastically at the dark-haired, haughty boy- as well as the other two Gryffindors- before collapsing on his bed
"What's wrong with him?" came a difference voice, a softer and more intellectual tone.
"Beats me."
Three faces now clouded the space above James, glimpsing down with worried expressions. They exchanged apprehensive glances at his non-responsive sigh.
"What's wrong, Prongs?" said the dark-haired boy with a slight sharpness to his voice. "Is it Dumbledore? Has he taken away your Headship?"
The fair haired boy shoved the other with an unmasked expression of disbelief on his face.
"Don't be stupid, Padfoot. Why would he still have his badge?"
"Oh, yeah."
"James? Will you talk to us?" the third asked, a chubby lump of a boy with extremely watery blue eyes.
"No." James answered shortly; his hazel eyes flitted between the three boys before he returned to his expressionless gaze.
"Well, you just did, so you might as well continue…"
"Shut up, Padfoot." James said with a grin on his face as the pillow beneath his head met forcefully with Sirius's.
And thus, the 'War of Pillows' ensued.
Ten minutes passed and finally a red-face Remus Lupin collapsed in fits of laughter on his bed.
"Gerrof!" squealed Peter as both Sirius and James cornered him and pelted him with cushions.
High-fiving each other, Sirius picked up the small boy and clapped him on the back.
"Tough luck, Wormtail." He said with a grin.
"So," Remus ceased his laughter and stood up to join his friends. Pushing James backwards so that he tripped up and landed with a thud on his bed, Sirius and Peter flanked Remus and they began interrogating James.
"Going to 'fess up, yet?"
Each boy was armed with a pillow and a defenceless James cowered under the glare of each of his fellow seventh years.
"OK, OK!" he cried, holding up his hands in an act of surrender. "It's Lily."
Just the sound of her name made James's heart pulse and his palms sweat. James bit his lip; he was irrevocably, unmistakably and painfully in love with Lily Evans, the girl whose hatred for James is infamous throughout the school. Sure, James's confidence had never let him down. But with every glare, with every rejection, with every slap, James's heart broke just that little bit more.
"Ahh, the sweet, stubborn, resentful Lilyflower." Sirius clapped James on the back. "Rejected again, I take it?"
"Shut up, Pad." James mumbled.
Remus blew out a sigh before collapsing on his own bed. Peter looked at him with his head tilted to the side, waiting for him to express his thoughts.
"Got a plan, Remus?" Peter said in a small mumble.
"I have… well, yes, a plan. A deal."
"A deal?" James sat up straighter, leaning against his bedpost.
"Yep."
"So stop being so secretive," Sirius said whilst rustling around in his trunk for something. "Spill."
"Well…" Remus paused, choosing his words carefully. "I think… you should ignore Lily."
"You WHAT?" James cried, springing to his feet and glancing at Sirius for backup. To his surprise and dismay, Sirius had paused in his act of searching and acknowledged Remus with an expression of perception.
"He might be going somewhere with this," Sirius murmured, audible enough for just Peter to hear him.
"OK, maybe ignore is harsh-" Remus continued.
"Too right it is," James mumbled.
"- but perhaps you should try not to show as much obsession as you usually do…"
"But that shows devotion!" James objected, throwing his hands in the air.
"But if you cool down a bit, perhaps she'll notice how much devotion you actually have." Sirius said with a shrug.
Glaring and failing to suppress a slight smile, James threw his pillow at Sirius's head.
"How can you say that, Padfoot? You're the complete opposite of devoted."
"True."
"But he's not trying to get a single girl, is he?" Remus broke in.
Peter, through the whole of this was watching each speaker in turn, his eyes flitting backwards and forwards as if watching a tennis match.
"What do you think, Wormtail?"
All three pairs of eyes focused on the boy as he stuttered to find words.
"I…um… don't know." He finished lamely.
"I agree with Moony," Sirius said as he pulled out what he was looking for- a box of sweets and chocolate full to the brim.
With a defeated sigh, James caught the chocolate frog that Sirius had given him and began slowly peeling off its wrappings.
"I guess… well if in the long-term it helps us, then… I guess I could give it a try."
Remus and Sirius smiled triumphantly at each other, whilst Peter nodded encouragingly.
"Good choice," he said squeakily.
James rolled his eyes at Peter's density and turned weakly to face Remus.
"Rules and exceptions?"
Remus pressed his lips together firmly, thinking hard.
"OK. You are henceforth disallowed from talking to Lily-" Remus held up a hand to silence James's sudden outburst. "-unless she speaks to you first."
James's mouth opened and closed like a fish. How could he expect him to do this? It's the most inhuman thing for someone in James's position to do; he loved her for goodness sake! Pale as he was, James managed to indicate for Remus to continue.
"And if she does speak to you, you will reply as a gentleman, strictly no flirting."
"Gentlemen do flirt." James added sourly.
"And no snide comments or winding her up and you have to act civilly around her at all times. You are, however, allowed to acknowledge her."
"Oh, thanks," James said sarcastically. "That just makes my day."
Peter chuckled lightly and picked up a book that he had found strewn across the floor- Sirius's no doubt.
"You actually gonna' go through with this, mate?" Sirius asked gravely, peering at the blurb of Peter's book.
"I have no choice."
"Well, actually you do. You don't have to do it."
"It's for dramatic effect, Wormtail, you idiot."
"Oh."
Remus rolled his eyes, but laughed all the same. "Do we have a deal?"
"I guess so." James felt almost sick as he muttered the words.
"So, from this time forth, James Potter will cease to exist as the conceited fool that everyone knows him as."
"Hey!"
Thump.
"Geroff, geroff!"
"Prongs, you hold him down, and I'll take away his chocolate."
"Sounds like a plan."
A/N: What did you think?
I'm sorry for not setting the scene and everything, but I thought I'd get straight to the point without boring you. xD
And yes, I know I neglect Peter, but he's rotten. And I hate him.