"Help!" cried Lily Evans desperately, pounding furiously on the door leading from the top of the Astronomy Tower to the stairs. "Please! Someone help us!" She let out a breathy sob, sliding down the door, her head leaning against the door. "Please," she moaned. "Someone. Anyone." She raised a fist and halfheartedly knocked on the door and cringed. Her knuckles were red and raw after hammering into a wooden door for half an hour.
"Giving up?" came an amused voice from behind her.
Lily lifted her tired head to glare at James Potter, her fellow 7th year. "How can you be smiling at a time like this?"
"At a time like what?" asked James innocently. He was leaning against the short outside wall of the tower nonchalantly, smirking down at her, the moon shining brightly behind him.
"At a time - at a time like what?" repeated Lily in disbelief. "Potter - we are locked outside the building at two in the morning! This is not a time to be smiling!"
"Oh," said James casually, "Nonsense." He glanced up at the starry sky, a small half-smile on his face. "Why should I be upset when I'm out with the girl I love underneath a romantic starry sky?"
Lily's eyes narrowed menacingly and she slowly picked herself off the ground and stalked over to James stood. "How could you?" she asked angrily, glaring up at him. "How could you!"
James smiled pleasantly down at her, admiring her glinting green eyes and wild, dark red hair that was framing her flushed face. "How could I what?"
"Don't act all innocent with me, Potter!" she spat, raising her fists and practically shaking with anger. "Ohh, I could almost punch you!" she cried, her fists coming precariously close to his face.
"Oh but if you hit me, then I might accidentally fall over the edge, and then where will you be?" asked James. "I'd be dead and all the evidence would point to you."
"I hope you do die!" exclaimed Lily insanely. "I wouldn't even care if they shipped me off to Azakaban! At least I would be in a world you didn't exist!"
James frowned. This wasn't going the exact way he planned. "Oh, come on Evans," he said easily, waving his hand, "You know you'd miss me."
"You wish," she said bitterly, giving him a last dark glare before crossing the short space and plopping rather roughly down on the floor near the entrance door. "Don't even think about taking a step closer," she warned, shooting daggers at him as she pulled her knees to her chest rested her head on her knees.
There was a long pause as Lily stared angrily at the wall and James, who had turned his back to Lily, stared out at the grounds.
"Do you think Alohomora would work?" asked James suddenly, turning back around.
Lily froze and slowly twisted her head to glare at James. "Yes," she said in a low voice, which was somehow more frightening then when she yelled, "Except, when you had Black yell that he needed a prefect in the Astronomy Tower, I forgot my wand."
James grinned brightly. "Oh, well it's a good thing I have mine then, right?"
"Did you just think of that?" asked Lily, her narrowed eyes glaring at him.
"Er," said James.
"We've been up here for almost an hour," said Lily, slowly standing up as she spoke. "And you just thought of that?"
"Er," said James again.
"You're more an idiot than I thought," said Lily, running a hand over her face.
James grinned abashedly, relieved that she was exploded again.
"HOW DID YOU JUST NOW THINK OF THAT?" screamed Lily, her eyes glinting madly as she ran and tackled him to the ground. "You - bloody - idiot!" she said, enunciating each word with a punch.
"Ow - ow - Lily - stop!"
She pulled off him, breathing heavily as she stared down at him. "Give me your wand," she demanded, holding out her hand.
James stood up, wincing and rubbing the back of his neck. "You didn't have to bloody tackle me, you know," he muttered, "I would've just handed it to you." He reached down into his pocket and felt around, and then reached into the other pocket.
Lily stared in disbelief as he started frantically patting his body down.
"I can't find it!" he exclaimed, glancing all around at the floor. "It's gone!" He froze, raising his eyes to meet hers. "You don't think…"
"No!" shrieked Lily, catching on, flying towards the wall and staring down at the ground. "You didn't let go of it did you?"
"I don't know," exclaimed James wildly. "If you hadn't bloody pushed me to the ground--"
"Well if you would of just thought of using your wand earlier--"
"Don't go blaming this on me! Maybe if you had told me about it--"
"I assumed you would have done it if you had a wand--"
"Enough!" shouted James, holding his hands out. They both caught their breath for a moment, looking sourly in opposite directions. "We'll just have to find another way out."
"What do you suggest," said Lily bitterly, "jumping?"
His expressed brightened for a moment before--
"No," said Lily dully. "I am not jumping off the Astronomy Tower."
"I wasn't thinking that," muttered James sullenly.
"Oh, well then," said Lily, rolling her eyes, "Go on. Explain your wonderful idea. Because with an expression like that--"
"You're the genius here," interrupted James. "Why don't you think of a solution?"
"Well, actually, now that I think about it, jumping seems the best idea. Gentlemen first?"
James rolled his eyes upward and let out a breath. "Okay, maybe we should think about this rationally. We can't just wait here till someone comes up here - that could be days!"
"No it wouldn't," said Lily, rolling her eyes. "Because I have an Astronomy class tomorrow. It would only be about..." She groaned a curse under her breath. "Twenty-one more hours. Surely someone would come looking for us before then…" She trailed off and glanced nervously towards James. "What do we do until then?"
They stared at each other for a moment, both realizing their situation.
"We," said James simply, "wait." He dropped to the hard floor and looking up at her expectantly.
She paused for a moment before dropping down next to him, spreading her legs out in front of him. "I suppose that's the only thing we can do," she said glumly, tilting her head back to stare at the quarter moon.
"Lily…" said James hesitantly.
"Mmm?"
Seeing that she had finally calmed down, he ventured on. "I just wanted you to know that I'm… sorry. For doing this." He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a deep breath. "It was stupid idea," he admitted. "I thought that maybe you'd…" He trailed off. "It was a stupid idea," he repeated.
He turned his head to glance at Lily and was surprised to see her smiling.
"Yes," she agreed amiably. "It was."
And that was that.
. ll .
"Bacon," said James after a long pause.
"Nuts."
"Spinach."
"Hotdog."
James glared at the redhead. "Why do you always give me the hard ones?!"
"G isn't that hard," objected Lily. "I can think of one easily."
He sighed heavily.
"Giving up?" smirked Lily, and he gave her a playful glare.
"You wish."
It was another five minutes before he finally grinned in triumphant, "Grape!"
Lily laughed. "Took you long enough. Éclair."
James scowled. "Show off."
"Tick tock, tick tock," breathed Lily, watching him struggle to find an "R" word with a highly amused expression. After sitting there for twenty silent minutes, Lily had suggested playing "Last Letter, First Letter," to which James had cautiously agreed.
"I told you, I'm no good at games like this!" exclaimed James, throwing his hands up. "That's it; I give up. There are no more R words left."
"Radish," said Lily, "Raspberry. Raisin."
"You are way too good at this game for your own good," muttered James.
"It's because of all the long car rides," explained Lily in an attempt at remaining modest. The effect was ruined by the smug grin stretched across her face.
"Right," said James wryly. "I'm sure that's what it is."
. ll .
"What time is it?" came Lily's voice.
After another hour or so, they had finally agreed on trying to get some sleep, although it seemed pointless seeing as they were lying on a cold hard floor. They had been silent the entire time, Lily's occasional question breaking the silence.
James sighed, squinting to check his watch. "Almost four thirty."
She sat up and glanced over at his dark form before silently moving over to him."James? I've been thinking lately..."
He twisted his head up to look at her form, leaning over him, her dark red hair practically touching him. "Mhm?"
"Thank you for apologizing."
He squinted up at her, trying to make out her expression.
"I mean," she said, clearing her throat when he didn't say anything, "It was really - really mature of you."
He smiled grimly. "I think we've all been forced to grow up lately."
"I know," she said quietly. "That's why I wanted to…"
She paused, her hot breath on his face.
"Lily?"
"Wanted to… do this," she said softly, slowly moving her head down, and he felt his heart stop, "before it's too late."
She kissed him slowly, pressing her lips gingerly against his and he responded eagerly, moving his lips in unison with hers.
"Lily," James breathed as they broke apart, both breathing a bit heavier than usual. "I--"
"Don't," she interrupted. She smiled, lying back down, her shoulder pressing warmly against his. "Just don't."
. ll .
"I can't believe you forgot them," came Remus Lupin's exasperated voice.
"I didn't forget them!" protested Sirius Black. "James didn't specify when exactly he wanted to be released. Plus, I assumed he might have used that unlocking spell, what's it called--"
"Alohomora."
"Yes! That's the one; if he really wanted to get out. Seeing as he's not back yet though..."
Lily groaned, struggling to sit up, glancing blearily over at James who was watching the door with an amused expression. He glanced over at her and grinned widely.
"What is it?" she mumbled sleepily, raising a hand self consciously to smooth her ruffled hair.
"Sirius and Remus," answered James softly, nodding towards the door.
She fell silent as the voices continued.
"I don't hear anything," said Sirius, a hint of worry entering his voice. "You don't think she killed him do you?"
"Of course not!" snapped Remus. "She's Head Girl, Sirius, honestly."
"She might have pushed him," offered Sirius. "That seems like the kind of thing she'd do, doesn't it?"
Lily rolled her eyes, fully awake now and looking spectacularly annoyed.
"Sirius…" said Remus, exasperatedly.
"No listen!" came Sirius' excited voice. "She'd have made it look like an accident, right?" He put on a falsetto voice. "Honestly Professor, I didn't mean to! I just meant to hug him--"
"Sirius," said Remus, annoyed now.
"--And then whoops! Off he went!" continued Sirius in a high-pitched voice.
Lily, glaring at the door, stood up and crossed her arms.
"Open the door Sirius," ordered Remus.
Sirius was now pretending to fake sob. "I miss him so much now Professor, I mean, who will ask me out every day? And--"
"Wow James," said Lily in a loud, carrying voice and Sirius' voice cut off abruptly, "It sure is a nice day, isn't it?"
James, who was clearly trying not to laugh, nodded. "Oh - oh yes Lily. Very, very nice indeed…"
There was a click and the door swung open to show Sirius looking horrified and Remus rolling his eyes.
Lily glared furiously at Sirius. "Well," she said, "If it isn't the wonderful Sirius Black. I've been meaning to give you something…"
Sirius glanced back nervously at Remus as Lily stalked over to him and turned his head back in time just to--
SMACK.
He staggered back as her fist connected with his face, a weak moan coming from his mouth as he fell to the floor.
James, who had rushed forward when he saw Lily's fist swing out, now stared down at his best mate.
"Come on James," said Lily primly, grabbing his hand and stepping over Sirius' who was rolling on the floor, holding his nose. "Let's go get some breakfast."
Author's Notes: Oh lawd. That was pathetic. Not very smooth, was it? Oneshots are like that though. Not enough room to go from one side of Lily to the other. /sigh/ Oh well. Tell me what you think :)
Bumblebees~