Out of a Magazine

By Riley s

James had always said Lily looked like she walked out of a magazine, little did he know the truth in that statement until that Christmas.

Lily Evans had always been a stunner, she took after her mother, who had grown up in the limelight. Her mother was a model as soon as she turned 16 and when her youngest daughter came out with bright red hair and bright green eyes, she knew that this one could have the same career she had. Rose Evans first born looked much like her husband, she was a bit on the shorter side, and had dirty blonde hair color. The one thing that the three Evan girls shared was their big bright green eyes.

At the age of three Lily had become use to the camera, she had started out in many local magazines, advertising the newest baby wear, and had stayed in front of said camera until she got her first letter for Hogwarts. Lily was passionate about modeling and loved every minute she was in front of the camera, but she had a true desire and love for magic, something her mother refused to take away from her. So while she was attending Hogwarts Lily took a time off of her day job.

Only Lilys best friend knew of her carrier in the modeling industry for she was plenty well known in the muggle world, but wanted to make her own name in this new and enchanted world.

Now James Potter had always known Lily had something special, it was the way she would smile and toss her long crimson hair over her shoulder as she would talk to a boy (before he would jinx them) and that look she gave the teachers is she ever (merlin help her) forgot her homework. James Potter knew this because he himself had grown up in the cameras light. He was just as accustomed to the fame as Lily was, but he was well known in the magical world for being a model. And heaven forbid if everyone at Hogwarts didn't know this at all times.

These two worlds had never crossed paths until their seventh year at the wizarding school, when Lily had received a letter at dinner.

"Lils, there is letter for you." Alice pointed out, a dinner roll sticking out of her mouth as she nudged her best friend who had her nose buried deep into a book to even notice the owl hooting away and eating at her mashed potatoes.

Lilys bright eyes looked up with confusion written across them. It was well known Lily had not received a letter since her fith year, when her sister had written her, to tell her about her parents death ( a not so nice letter, that Lily likes to pretend she doesn't keep stuffed away in the bottom of her trunk).

Curious as to the sender Lily pulled the letter off the owls leg, this did not prevent it from continuing to eat all of her potatoes.

TO Miss Lily Evans,

Miss Evans, we have recently received your picture and letter concerning our ad in Witch Weekly magazine about an opening this winter as a Model for our Magazine. We have reviewed your files, and due to your history in Modeling we would like to extend the invitation out to you to join us on your Holliday break in the South of France for a shoot for our new fashion magazine. Enclosed are the details concerning your trip.

We are looking forward to working with you.

Witch Weekly Mag. Editor

Eliza McLeay.

Lily looked up from the letter to her awaiting best friend. "What did you do?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked feigning innocence.

"Alice!" Lily hissed, "you are the only one that knows that I model…what did you do?"

"Oh alright!" She said with a sigh, "I saw the ad on the back of the last magazine and I submitted your photos. I know you are stressed about money for after school is over, and you refuse to spend the holls with me this year, I just wanted to help out. The add says it pays really good, and you get to go to France for Christmas! Also it could lead to more work!"

The red head looked at her best friend for a moment before responding and lowering her eyes, "Alice, thank you…." She paused and took a breath "I just…I am a little worried about the money situation. I didn't mean to worry you as well. I was planning on trying to start again once term ended anyway. I've only ever done muggle modeling before though, I don't know exactly how they do things differently here."

"Im sure you will figure it out, they didn't make you Head Girl because you were a slow learner!"

Now James Potter was born with the good looks his father and mother were blessed with. He had bright Hazel eyes, that always seemed to have a bit of mischief tucked into the corner. His high cheek bones and perfectly proportioned mouth made him a perfect candidate for modeling at a very early age. It also didn't help that he had an ego to match. Although said ego (something Lily would never admit) had deflated some since the beginning of their seventh and final year at the magical school. He was also blessed with naturally untidy hair, which at first became a nuisance to whoever was trying to style it, but soon turned into his trade mark look.

"Oy Prongs, that owls been eating your roll for the last ten minutes, you gonna take your letter?" A deep voice besides James rang. Said boy looked up from his transfiguration homework.

"Yea" he said as he quickly untied the letter and set it down beside him before going back to his homework.

"Prongs?" called another voice across the lunch table from him. "You gonna open it?"

"No you can Moony" James responded without missing a beat on his homework.

"Your turning into Moony James, that isn't do till tomorrow." Sirius said jabbing his fork at his best mates home work.

"I have practice tonight then head duties after." James responded as he quickly wrote down more notes, and whipped off Sirius crumbs.

"Its from your agent Prongs, something about a photo shoot in France this Christmas" Moony, as his friends so loving called him, said looking up from James letter.

As James finished his last line he finally looked up to his best mates. "In France?" he responded, finally registering what his friend had said.

"Yea it says some new girl is gonna be doing it with you." Peter responded from his seat next to Remus.

"Says its her first magical shoot, and they want you to show her the ropes." Remus said handing the letter over for James to read.

"Great just what I need, some ego driven women trying to 'get tips' out of me."

"Doesn't sound so bad" Sirius barked up next to him.

"Speak for yourself, most of these womens egos are bigger then yours, and none of them are really that pretty" He said his eyes wondering down to a certain red head who was seated down the table from them.

"Of course no one is as beautiful as your Lily Evans." Sirius snorted next to him.

"Shut it padfoot." James growled next to him. "its bound to happen, were friends now."

"Talking about head duties doesn't make you friends" Remus said, pulling James away from his daydream.

"Oy! We talk about more than that!" James resorted.

"Sure Prongs…." Peter said with a laugh. But James didn't hear as he was already up out of his seat following said red head out of the great hall.

"Lily!"

"Hes going to ruin it right now." Remus said as he turned his eyes away from what he was sure would become a fight.

"Lily wait!" James called again as the pretty girl stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.

"Yes Potter?" she said a slight annoyance in her voice.

"Potter? I thought we agreed to first names this year, you know…keepin up appearances and all" He said as they continued on their exit out.

"Sorry" Lily said a slight blush appearing over her cheeks. "I was just…preoccupied, guess old habits die hard." She smiled up at him. "Anyway did you need something?"

"Oh yea, I was late to transfigurations the other day and I wanted to make sure I finished this right, since I missed that park of the lecture." He said handing her his essay.

Lily raised an eyebrow at him, since it was widely known that James was the best at Transfigurations. But she still glances at the part in his essay he was pointing to. She smiled and nodded "Looks good, im surprised you even started it, I was going to do it tonight"

"Well, got practice then we have head duties, just wanted to get it done." He said glancing over his own essay again.

Lily smiled at him again, causing James to suck in a breath. "You know James Potter, sometimes you surprise me."

At this James blushed and tried to busy himself with putting his essay back into his bag.

"So what are you doing for the Holls this year?" Lily asked him a week later as they sat in their shared common room, both just finishing up their homework. It was strange to Lily how this had become a normal routine for her. Doing homework with James Potter, talking, and I mean actually talking to James Potter. They hadn't gotten into a fight since they couldn't agree on what to do for the Halloween party.

"I dunno." James said with a sigh, he had already written his agent saying he would go to the modeling shoot in France but he wasn't feeling up to it just yet.

"James we leave in three days." Lily said with a laugh.

"eh, I know…I mean I technically DO have plans, I was just thinking of skiving off on them and staying here." He said with another sigh. "I don't want to go home, Christmas there without them is just so…"

"I know…I feel the same way" Lily said laying a comforting hand on top of his, Causing James to look up at her. "After..it, I couldn't bear to go back to that house."

James smiled at her, Lily was the only one that understood what it was like to lose both of your parents at once, it was something that brought them closer at the end of their six year.

"What were you gonna skive off on?" She said removing her hand, trying not to notice the sudden coldness that took over her body.

"Eh…" James said contemplating telling her. He knew when they were younger Lily got annoyed with his constant need to tell everyone about him being a model. She was the only girl in school who didn't flock to him after a picture of him came out in a magazine.

"come on, can't be that bad." Lily said with a smile.

"eh well…my agent oweled me about this modeling thing. I was thinking it would be a good way to get away and not have to think about it actually being Christmas." He said looking into the fire that was slowly dying down. After her not saying anything for a minute he took his chances with a look at Lily who seemed to be studying him. "What do you think?" he finally asked.

Lily took a minute to answer him, and wondered for a minute if this was the same shoot she was asked to go too, after she had responded in the positive they had told her an experience wizard model would be there to 'show her the ropes'.

"Sounds like it could be fun" she finally responded.

"Yea im suppose to show some new girl 'the ropes' or something" He said still not looking at her, nor noticing the slight stiffness that took over Lilys body.

"Really?" She all but squeeked.

"Yea, but I hate the girls they always find. Its always some blond fake, who acts like she wants to be my friend just so she can get some limelight" he said offhand.

"oh…"

"I dunno I think that's why I want to ditch it"

Lily was silent for a moment, she was positive he was talking about the same shoot she was going to attend, and she quickly weighted her options. The good thing was she knew James, and he wouldn't try to feel her up every second he got…okay well me MIGHT, but still…James had changed over the past year, She could definitely give him that. And she would be lying is she didn't think him attractive. And merlin what if they had a bathing suit seen…a mad blush suddenly took over her cheeks

"Do it." She said all too quickly, causing James to look at her.

"You might be too close to the fire Lils, your looking red." He commented, causing her to blush harder.

Lily moved away from the fire a bit before responding, "you should do it. It will help you not think about it being Christmas." She said again.

James looked into the green eyes to see the sincerity, but for as long as he has known Lily Evan he could always tell when she wasn't telling him something. He decided to let it slide for now, as he smiled at her "okay." He agreed.

Three days later James found himself on a beach in France. He had to admit he was glad he took Lilys advice and went, it was beautiful out.

"James! Oh Jamie!" Called a voice behind him causing him to turn around.

"There you are m'boy! So glad you could make it to our little photo shoot!" An elder man said as he approached James. Tony was one of the best photographers in the business and had been taking James's picture since her was a little boy. "Now your partner should be here any minute, She was told to apparate here directly." Tony smiled as he ran a hand threw his pepper colored hair.

"Another blond bimbo?" James asked as he looked out into the ocean.

"You mean no one told you?" Tony said with a surprise evident in his voice.

"What do you mean told me?"

"Who she is, I thought at least she would have told you."

"Wait who is it?" James said finally looking at him, but in a flash there was a streak of red and green as the girl in question apparated in front of them.

"Lily" James said simply looking at the gorgeous women standing in front of him. She was in the same green dress her saw he leave the train in just this morning.

A Shy smile graced the girls lips as she looked up into familiar Hazel eyes. "Hi James" She said simply.

"but…all that..why didn't…" He tried to get out.

"I wasn't one hundred percent that you were talking about the same thing, good thing I'm not blonde hu?" She tried to joke.

"but …they said…you model?" He tried again still confused as to why his dream girl was standing in front of him in France.

She sheepishly smiled up at him again. "Surprise!"

"Wait." James said as he ran a hand threw his hair, a habit that once annoyed Lily to no end, but now the gesture made her smile. "Since when do you model?"

"Since I was a kid, I never told anyone…except Alice." She said looking out to the ocean next to the them.

"Yes, I was sure at least your agent would have told you that Miss Evans is to be your partner for this week." Tony said cutting into their conversation. "Your bags are already in your room, and since you both just got back from school this afternoon, you can take the evening off. Your schedules are in your room as well for the remainder of the shoot. I shall be off now." He said as he turned his back and waved at the two teens.

"I always said you belonged in the magazines." James finally said still staring at Lily.

"Yes, I remember." She smiled fondly. "So, your going to 'show me the ropes' hu?" She said after a minute.

"Yes, I suppose." He said awkwardly. Even though they had become close this year James felt more awkward now then he ever had with Lily.

"James?" Lily said after a moment. "Everything alright?"

James looked at her for a moment, and still had to take in that SHE was here. The only person that could have made this holiday remotely good for him, was here. He took a step towards her and without hesitation took her into his arms and gave her a firm hug.

Lily was surprised at first, but soon her blush flamed up her cheeks and she could do nothing but hug him back. She felt him squeeze her harder as he whispered into her hair "Thank you Lils".

"For what?" She said into his shoulder, her hands catching his shirt and holding it in fistfuls.

"You, you're the only person who could make me be okay with Christmas this year."

Lily blinked for a moment that held James harder. Knowing that for her, he was the only person who could have made her okay this Christmas too.

Okay, so I know I normally suck at finishing stories, but I will try my hardest to on this one. Its been in my head and the first two pages on my computer for some time now.

Hope you all enjoy.

Ill try to update soon, Im trying to plan out how I want the next two weeks for them to go

Riley