A/N: So I've put a lot of thought and effort into this and I've literally sacrificed sleep so I really hope you enjoy it! This is my first fic so make sure you leave a review to help me work on my writing! Rate and Review!
She was running. She was crying. She was spiralling.
The cool London air whipped her fiery red tendrils as she raced her way to the terminal. His terminal.
She tasted more saltine tears. The guilt gnawing at her insides combined with her exhaustion was drowning her. He was drowning her. He was slowly killing her, body part by body part the further he went away from her.
It was her fault. All her fault.
She came to a halt at the terminal. Her emerald eyes scanned the crowd, looking for the familiar head of messy black hair. His tanned skin, his lanky body, his slightly crooked nose. Lily wasn't sure what exactly she was listing anymore.
She was searching, searching, when she zeroed in on the head of hair she had come to love. The hair she once ran her fingers through, the hair he ruffled when he was nervous.
She was staring at him-silently willing him to turn. He always knew when she was looking. Always. This time was no different. He turned, hazel meeting green. The sight of his tousled hair blowing to one side, his round glasses perched haphazardly on the bridge of his slightly crooked nose and his thin polo t-shirt sticking to and framing his tall and lean body greeted her. She felt sparks- the sparks only one person in the whole world could give her.
James Potter was leaving, and she wasn't sure whether she could stop him.
The Leaky Cauldron was a small and dingy pub stowed away in one of London's busiest and lively squares. Drinks were cheap and more people left with a bruised eye or a broken elbow than those who left with a smile. Tom, the barman, was a toothless and balding gentleman who had long since given up on cleaning the bar's grimy floor and retreated to reading magazines in the store room during business hours.
As a result, it truly was a mystery as to why such an affluent and prominent socialite like Lily Evans would spend her time here, of all places.
As beautiful as she could be with her crimson locks and her emerald coloured eyes, currently she was in a right state. She had had one too many drinks and was currently taking up residence on a slightly unstable couch that was old enough to have seated thousands of girls like her before. She couldn't exactly describe what she was feeling at the moment. All she could see was red. And no, it wasn't because of her hair falling into her eyes and forming a curtain around her. The only coherent thoughts she could form all had one thing, or someone rather, in common- Chad.
That little bastard, Chad.
She had returned from Paris early and wanted to surprise her boyfriend of 4 years with some cher chocolat français when she found him in her bed with her tart of a neighbour. And what was worse? The cheating bastard didn't even look sorry. As if he didn't understand and know the pain Lily was going through.
Well of course, he's got Darcy now, doesn't he? And who does she have? No one. Not even her mother. Violet Evans, business extraordinare, owner of the Evans&Co. business franchise and resident stone cold bitch of the Evans household. When Lily called her on the phone to cry over Chad, she had expected some sort of support. And she sure got that- except her mum had decided to support Chad's cheating arse instead. She got crap from her mum about how Lily's inability to satisfy Chad's needs was what led to him cheating. Because really, it was her fault that the man she was head-over-heels in love with had cheated on her with her childhood best friend, isn't it?
So she ran away. She needed an escape. And the Leaky Cauldron gave her the peace and obscurity she longed for.
She was stirring the contents of her 7th martini when she felt the other end of the sofa sink with new added weight. She swore. If it was Chad she swore she'd break her glass on his head. She turned towards her new company-If it was him she swore she'd knee him in the area where the sun don't shine- when she came up close with a man that was decidedly not Chad.
Or was that Chad?
That may have just been the tequila surging through her veins speaking but she was almost sure that this man wasn't Chad.
He was much more attractive.
With his soot-black messy hair standing a foot above his very attractive head which was conveniently resting atop his very attractive neck which was sitting on his very attractive body. He had a slightly long nose with tan and clear skin. His eyes were quite possibly the most beautiful thing Lily saw. They were hazel with specks of gold and green. Lily had a new favourite colour.
Her stomach was doing somersaults in her body by just looking at this man- which was ridiculous seeing as she didn't even know him.
She could really do with company now, she thought. Well, she'd prefer more than just friendly companionship but she had just met the man. And he seemed interested enough if his staring was any sign to go by. And he just happened to be a very handsome individual. And at this point, Lily didn't really care who her company was.
She was going to talk to him. She was going to talk to him and she was going to be smooth and all nonchalant about it. She was going to be sophisticated and classy about it. She was going to be subtle. Yes, very very subtle. So naturally, the first thing she said when she opened her mouth wasn't any of those things.
"Wanna buy me a drink?".
Bugger.
Did she really just say that?
Did she, Lily Evans, heir to the Evans&Co business and elite socialite, just say that to the stranger's face? Well, upon second inspection, he did seem kind of familiar. Maybe that was just the alcohol speaking. Maybe she saw him on a Vogue cover. He could certainly pass off for a Vogue model.
He sputtered, his previously suave expression sliding off. "Buy you a drink?" he asked, confused. "I mean, I get that I'm a very handsome individual and I am very used to offers like yours but damn, I never thought I'd see the day you'd ask me out" he smirked.
She frowned.
What?
Well, if he was going to flirt with her she was going to do it right back at him. Go big or go home, wasn't it?
"Very humble aren't you? Well, I don't know why you'd be so surprised. I am rather aggressive and bold, if you get what I mean" she answered, with a wink of her own.
"Damn Evans, you really have changed, huh? Never thought I'd live to see the day you'd flirt with me. Even though, you know, we're both absolutely wasted".
Evans? Wasn't that her name? What was he doing knowing and saying her name? She didn't know him. She knew she was blowing up, but she never thought guys like him would know her.
"Evans? I'm positive that's me. How'd you know me, Mr Stranger?" she giggled. She was woozy. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol. He raised his eyebrows and looked at her questioningly. "I must say, Evans, I am very offended! How could you forget this face? I'd have thought you of all people would remember me" he winked.
Huh? Who the hell was he?
"Well, I'm sorry Stranger, but I don't know you. You mind telling me? I need to know whether you're going to knick my wallet and run away or buy me a drink" Lily said. He sighed while taking out a pair of thin and round glasses.
Wait.
She swore she knew those glasses from somewhere.
He rubbed them on his white v-neck, bringing it to his face and setting it on the bridge of his nose.
She gasped.
The glasses had done it. She'd recognize that face anywhere.
"Oh silly Lily. Grown so old already? It's James. James Potter. Ring a bell?"
How could she be so utterly stupid? How could she have not realised it was him?
She had been flirting and checking out James sodding Potter the whole time and the stupid git just let her; knowing full well she was completely and utterly wasted.
Really, it was his fault. You know, even though she could smell the tequila on his breath very strongly.
"Oh my god. You're James Potter. You're James bloody Potter" she breathed.
"I must say Evans, I never thought I'd see you down more than just 2 shots. You were such a lightweight back in the day" he smirked.
James Potter, son of Charlus Potter and heir to Potter Industries-which coincidentally, the company that had nearly put Lily's mum out of business. The Potters, according to Lily's mum, were the most conceited and arrogant family to live. They had no ethics and would do anything in the pursuit for money and power. They had even tried to buy Evans&Co! They had no class and were the sworn enemies of the Evans. She had grown up listening to her mum go on about how every person who came from the Potter family was rotten to the core. And she believed her mum. She had the misfortune to have attended school with the youngest member of the Potter family, James Potter, and it was safe to say he perfectly embodied Mrs Evans' view on the Potters. He was as arrogant as the next person and for some reason, was obsessed with Lily in school. Every school memory of hers after 5th Year was tainted with him, and she hated it. Sure, he helped the younger students when they were lost and he supported and loved all his friends as best as he could- but he was still a bad person, wasn't he? He was a Potter. He obviously had not changed.
Well, not personality wise.
As much as it pained her to say it, he had definitely changed in the, ahem, physical area.
"Potter? I can't bloody believe this. First my boyfriend cheats on me, then my mother blames me for being cheated on and now I have to deal with you" she muttered darkly. "Look, it's been a long time but I'm really not in the mood to talk to you. I think you'd do best if you just backed off, ok? I'm not gonna deal with your crap today. Especially not today" Lily said while looking him straight in the eye. It was too much. She couldn't handle it. Potter always loved getting under her skin in school and she was not going to take that from him today.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa Evans, slow down there, eh? Who said I was here to annoy you? You looked sad, so I came to try and cheer you up" he said, while running a hand through his hair.
Oh.
He still did that. What a surprise.
"You aren't here to piss me off? I'm not stupid, Potter. That's all you did in school" Lily remarked.
"Lily, I swear I came here to cheer you up. Only that. I swear on my mother's grave. You looked like you needed a shoulder to cry one and I've got a rather fit one to help with that. You wanna talk about it?" he asked, staring at her.
She paused.
Here was James Potter, heir to her mum's rival company, asking whether she wanted to bore him with her sad life story.
Why?What reason did he have for letting Lily cry to him? Was she really going to pour her heart out to him?
"OK Potter, ok. I'll tell you but ONLY because I'm lonely and in desperate need for attention". Apparently she was going to do exactly that. "I'm all ears, Evans."he smiled at her. A real genuine smile. She never truly did appreciate his smile.
"My boyfriend, Chad, cheated on me. With my fucking neighbour. I came home early from my trip to France to surprise him when I found him in my bed with Darcy. I mean can you even believe it? My neighbour, who's like 10 yours younger than me by the way, was secretly shagging my boyfriend behind my back! And to think, I wanted to spend my entire life with him. And you know what happened after that? Yeah, it gets worse. I told my mum about Chad and his unfaithful arse and do you know what she said? Do you have any fucking clue? She told me quote "Lily darling, Chad is a wonderful boy. Did you perhaps do something to him? Something that may have provoked this? I really wouldn't put that past you, dear. Like what the fuck? My own mother basically told me that it was my fault my prat of a boyfriend cheated on me." she sighed.
He was still staring intently at her. He was a great listener. She had to give him credit for that, at least.
"You know what, Potter? I think it really is my fault. Of course he'd leave me for someone like Darcy. She's taller, skinnier and prettier. Isn't that the only things guys look for in girls? It's my bloody problem. My stupid job doesn't even let me have any me-time. Maybe I should stop working and actually get my shit together…" Lily hesitated.
Potter continued to stare at her, a certain look in his eyes. Lily couldn't place what it was.
He slowly reached out to take her hand. His hand fit perfectly around hers.
"Lily, don't beat yourself up over this Chad bloke. If he cheated on you, he's the one that lost. If he picked Darcy over you, the bloke's got something seriously wrong with him. You deserve the world, Lily Evans, and if he can't give you that, he isn't the one for you" Potter told her.
She stared at him.
Her stomach was now a full-on war zone, and she hadn't the slightest clue as to why. Maybe it was the warmth of his hand around hers. Maybe it was the way his hair stood on his head and shadowed his face. Maybe it was his eyes, his beautiful eyes, taking her in. His pink lips were parted, and she caught herself gaze down at them momentarily. They were close, so close. She could count the number of eyelashes he had. He was that close. He was what she needed to forget. The thrill of physically being with someone she knew she could never have was exactly what she needed to escape.
James Potter was the perfect guy for just that- a druken one-time thing. She wasn't ever going to see him again.
"You really are the most beautiful girl I've met, Lily" he whispered.
She lifted her hand to trace his strong jaw. He really was the most attractive person she'd seen.
So she leaned in and met his lips halfway.
His lips pressed against her own softly, but firmly and really. She had no idea why it had taken them more than 6 years to do this. It was as if his lips were made to fit around hers. They moved in perfect harmony, his hands slipping down to her waist and pulling her body flush against his. She twisted her head, deepening the kiss while fisting her hand in his shirt. Her other hand took the opportunity to run her fingers through his hair. It was soft. She leaned into him harder. Potter then slowly stood up and slipped her out of her leather jacket. She broke the kiss, leaning her forehead on his-which proved to be quite the problem seeing as he was at least a foot taller than her.
"You think you could give me the world, Potter?" she whispered, her breath fanning out on his face.
"Just give me a chance, Evans. Just a chance" he breathed before leaning in again and capturing her lips in another mind-blowing kiss.
The events that followed were a blur for Lily. All she could think and feel was James and James and oh god, why hadn't they done this before? She remembered stumbling into his apartment, or was it her apartment? And just the feeling of James on her body and James' hands exploring her body. She remembered him laying her down onto a bed and just feeling James all over her. She had to keep reminding herself he was a one-time thing and she was never going to see him.
She was kissing James Potter as if her life depended on it- and she was far too deep in with James to bring herself to stop.
Alright alright alright alright! First chapter! So in case you haven't noticed, I seem to be getting the hang of this website! I finally edited the first chapter to include some halfway decent paragraphing (it was really atrocious before this) and now with the aid of my trusty sidekick YouTube, I've finally found out how to edit my story! Well anyways this is my first ever fic and it's sort of loosely based off of Gossip Girl ( I really don't know how much of it though I haven't watched the show) and I'm hoping I finish it quickly! Make sure to check out my other fic called Worth Dying For! Rate and Review to make this gal happy!