Innocent Eyes
They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of somebody rummaging with the door handle. Lily pushed James away quickly, afraid that whoever it was would jump to conclusions about the two of them. What was she doing, anyway? She had a boyfriend, her life was stable, predictable and fine. But now, suddenly, she found herself locked together with James Potter, a boy she hadn't even payed attention to up until a week ago.
The door opened. The dark, private world of the Janitor's Closet was interrupted by a bright light creeping in through the opening. She recognized the silhouette of the person standing in front of them immediately. It was the frame of the person she'd protectively called hers for the last three years now, the very person she had been cheating on just a few moments beforehand. A small groan escaped from her lips before she could stop it.
"Lily? What the hell are you doing in the Janitor's Closet? Wasn't I supposed to meet you in the Kitchens? Get out, come on, I'll walk you back up to the Tower, I've got the Hand with me." He forced her out after a moment of hesitation. Lily tried to close the door as quickly as possible, but it was too late, he caught a glimpse of the figure crouched behind a broom in meager attempts to hide himself.
"Hey, who's that?" He asked suspiciously, looking over at Lily who quickly put on a mock look of confusion. He held his prized Hand of Glory up, walking cautiously into the closet. Lily stayed behind, crossing her fingers that James could manage to get his cloak on before he was caught.
"Wha- JAMES???" He roared with anger. His eyes, hurt, furious and full of disgust, caught Lily's for a split second. She looked down at her feet quickly, not daring to look up until she felt the swish of his robes pass her.
She stepped into the closet once more, the light of the moon spilling in from a window high above giving her some light. Still behind the broom laid a half-invisible James Potter. He grinned cheekily upon seeing her, but she just rolled her eyes and made her way back up to the Gryffindor Tower, thankful that Lucius was from a different House.
*~*
Lying in bed later that night, Lily replayed the last week or so over in her head. It had all started in Charms class, or so she had thought.......
*~*
"What's she doing with him anyway? He's such a slimeball, look at the crowd he hangs around..."
"James, you've been in love with Lily Evans for the last three years, and every day at lunch you say the same thing." Sirius replied stuffily, as his mouth was full of meat loaf.
"I'm not in love with her, just disgusted by the fact that she's dating a bloody Slytherin." James responded indignantly, picking at his food rather than eating it.
"Sure, James. I'm going to have to agree with Sirius on this one. I know this may come as a shock, but, he's right." Remus said cautiously, as if the concept was something new.
"Ah, be quiet Moony." Sirius said, still too busy eating to truly get Remus back for the comment. He'd deal with him later.
"You guys are wrong, I don't give a flying-" James started but was interuppted by the sight of something that truly disgusted him. His friends, curious as to what was making Prongs look so green, followed his gaze to see Lily and Lucius leaving the Great Hall hand-in-hand.
"I don't care about her." He finished quietly, pushing his plate away from him. Looking down, he missed the knowing look his friends around him shared.
"So, Charms next!" Sirius announced brightly, changing the subject.
*~*
Lily sighed deeply. Charms was usually her favourite, not to mention best, subject, but today she just couldn't get into it. She tried to figure out what was wrong with her lately. Something was frustrating her and she couldn't figure out what it was. She did well in school, her family was happy and healthy (well, there was always Petunia, but Lily had plans for her later...) She had plenty of friends, she should very well be happy. And there was always Lucius...
Lucius. Everybody always said he didn't really deserve to be in Slytherin. He was good looking and a perfectly nice guy, always a gentleman, polite, clean, smart. But still, Lily had a feeling there was another side to him, she just wished he'd let her see it.
"Ouch!" She said quietly. A sudden sharp pain on her skull brought her back out of her thoughts. Beside her was a small rock, with a piece of parchment tied around it. She picked it up gingerly and read the note.
Hi Lily, it was James.
She looked at the note suspiciously, then turned around quickly, catching Sirius Black and another boy beside him staring at her. The boy beside him, who she took to be James, hid his face abruptly, while Sirius continued to look at her. He was attempting to smile sweetly, and Lily couldn't help but shake her head. Sirius opened his eyes wide and pointed at the boy beside him.
"It was him." He mouthed.
Lily nodded sarcastically. "Sure it was." She mouthed back, checking over her shoulder to check out where Flitwick was, then threw the rock back at Sirius, hitting him straight between the eyes.
"Ha!" She said, a little bit louder then she'd intended. She received a few looks from people around her, but the Professor didn't notice. Still, she thought she probably shouldn't chance it, and didn't turn around again for the remainder of the class. Thankfully (for Sirius) no more little rocks came her way.
Lily was a bit late getting out of Charms, which was why she ended up walking to their next class with Black and his friend. The two of them had to stay a few minutes after class to clean up an ink bottle Sirius had crashed into a wall in attempts to hit another boy, Remus Lupin, with it. Lily didn't know why exactly James had stayed, maybe he was just trying to be a friend. If that was the case, Lily found it to be incredibly sweet...
"Stupid Moony, gets away with everything..." Sirius grumbled under his breath, staring at his ink stained hands.
"What did you say?" Lily asked, her green eyes flashing curiously.
"Nothing, just complaining about my hands." He said, grimacing.
"Here," Lily said, grabbing Sirius' hand. A quick spell later, his hands were clean.
"You too?" She asked James, grabbing his hands before he could answer.
Upon contact, a shock happened between the two of them.
"Oh!" Lily said, jumping back with surprise. Then, looking at him, she said in a sassy tone, "Shocking!" They grinned, and Lily tried again. This time there was no jolt of electricity, but something had definitely happened. There was no explaining it, but by the look on his face, Lily could tell that James had felt it too.
"What's your last name again?" She inquired.
"Potter." He responded quickly.
"Oh, that's right. I don't know why I didn't remember that, I hear it when I watch you guys play Quidditch all the time!" She said, waving her hand dismissively at her own stupidness.
"Hey, where'd Sirius go?" She asked, looking around.
Sure enough, as they'd been talking, Sirius had disappeared without them even noticing.
"Beats me," James answered, "Let's go on without him..."
*~*
Over the next couple of days, Lily found herself spending a lot more time with Sirius, Remus, Peter and James. Especially James. She liked all of them differently, Sirius was so goofy and playful, Remus was witty and smart, Peter was quiet and shy, and James was, well, James. At first she thought he was going to be a bit like Peter, but after a while, she began to see who he really was. Funny, sweet, a bit arrogant at times, but all the same...
Suddenly her life wasn't as boring as she had thought it to be. She found out what had been frustrating her in the first place, the predictability of her life. With these guys, almost everything and anything was done in the spur of the moment. She never got to bed on time, either. The guys kept her awake and laughing until the early hours of the morning. Several times a week she awoke in the Common Room, having fallen asleep there. Twice she awoke with James curled up in a chair opposite her, or on the floor. Seeing him in the morning always made her heart skip a beat.
After a bit the group began to include her in everything, including kitchen runs. Sleeping in bed one night, Lily was suddenly awakened by hot breath on her hand.
"What the-" She exclaimed, stirring awake.
"Shut up Lily, you don't want to wake up all these girls here, do you? Then you'd have to share me..." It was James. "Actually, on second thought, make as much noise as you want..."
Lily sat up, wrapping the covers around herself. "In your dreams, James." She answered, kicking him playfully in the shoulder with her free foot. He grabbed it.
"What're you doing? Give me my foot back!" She demanded.
"Sorry, I'm on strict orders to drag you out of bed to come on an adventure with us." He said grinning and shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh really. And what if I refuse? Who are these orders from anyway?" She asked, her head cocked to one side.
"You don't want to know, and I'm also strictly forbidden to tell you. Now, come quietly, or be dragged in your nightgown and blanket down several flights of stairs. They're going to be bumpy.." He coaxed.
"Well, I guess so. Get out of here, I'll be down in a few minutes."
"Aye-aye, but don't make me come up here again!" He said with a salute.
"Yeah, yeah." She responded lazily, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.
After checking to make sure he had really left, Lily began to change into a pair of jeans, a sweater and her robes. A thought of Lucius pricked her mind. She felt guilty about not spending much time with him over the last couple of days. She suddenly realized, however, that this wasn't because she wanted to spend time with him, it was because she felt sorry for him.
"Maybe it's time to end this whole thing." She admitted to herself, but she wasn't entirely sure she'd actually go through with it. Sure, life with Lucius was predictable, but it was also safe. He had a lot to offer her...
Upon entering the Common Room, she found that it was quite empty.
"James Potter, if this is some whacked out joke, you will die." She muttered to herself.
"It's nothing of the sort!" A voice from behind her answered.
Lily jumped back in shock. "Remus!" She exclaimed in relief. "God, you scared me! Are you coming too? Where's James?"
"He had to, uh, step out for a second." Remus answered lamely, for once not his witty self. "I'm taking him to you."
"What's going on, Remus?" Lily asked suspiciously. "This whole thing is kind of odd."
"Yeah, it is, but look at who you're dealing with. I mean, James is kind of odd himself, Lil."
Lily nodded her head. "You've got a point. Right then, lead the way."
The two of them walked through the corridors together towards the kitchens, whispering and laughing along the way. About halfway there, Remus suddenly stopped.
"Damn, Lil. I've forgotten the bag upstairs." He exclaimed, a look of self-infuriation on his face.
"Bag?" She asked curiously.
"Yeah," he answered, scratching his head, "The bag we carry all our food and stuff in. I was supposed to bring it, and I've left it in the Common Room."
Lily nodded her head. "I see."
"Listen, just make your way towards the Kitchens, you know where to go, right?"
Lily nodded again, "Yeah, I think so.."
"Great. Sirius and Peter are already there, you shouldn't have any problems. Go on, I'll catch up."
He took off down the halls. "But what about James?" Lily called out to him, as loud as she dared. He musn't have heard her, however, as he didn't respond. She looked forward into the dark hallways and continued on, determined not to be scared.
Lily didn't know exactly how many doors she passed before she heard the noise. She stopped, glanced around, unsure, then continued on. The silence was deafening, being only interuppted by the creaks and moans of the old castle. She took a deep breath and walked a bit faster. Out of nowhere, something grasped her violently and was dragged her across the cold, damp, stone floor. She groped at her restraints in panic. Something eery was going on. She could feel a force clamping her mouth shut, but she couldn't see it. A thought of the new resident ghost of Slytherin, the Bloody Baron, crossed her mind, and she had to shut her eyes to help herself calm down.
As soon as the whole thing had begun, it was over. Everything was still. Lily opened her eyes cautiously, and came face to face with James Potter himself. 'Of course it wasn't a ghost, stupid!' Lily chastised herself, 'they can't grab a hold of you!'
"What was that?" She asked angrily, now that her mouth was free. "What the hell were you trying to do?"
"Lily, calm down, it was a joke." James said placidly. "And watch your mouth, young lady!"
"Oh, be quiet. Did I say I was finished?" She asked haughtily.
"Are you?" He asked with a sly smile.
"Of Course Not!"
"Well then continue, please." He answered, sweeping his arms into an elegant bow.
"Where are we? This obviously isn't the Kitchens."
James looked around him, which was completely pointless as it was quite dark. Only a few vague objects could be made out after their eyes had adjusted. "I have no idea. Janitor's Closet, maybe?"
"Most likely." Lily answered, forgetting to remember that she was supposed to be angry. "So, what? We're not going to the Kitchens then?" She asked.
"Oh, we're going to the Kitchens! Are you kidding me? I'm nearly out of éclairs and Pumpkin juice. That little episode was just something Moony and I cooked up while we were waiting for you. Do you always take that long getting ready?" He asked.
"I was in there for a full 5 minutes. Honestly, could you be anymore impatient?"
James just shrugged.
Lily shivered. "It's cold in here. Should we head down to the Kitchens? Sirius and Peter are probably waiting for us."
James grinned, "After you!"
Lily rolled her eyes and began the whole six steps to the door, bumping into a low, heavy object along the way.
"Ouch!" She exclaimed, stumbling backwards, right into James.
He caught her and managed to steady them. They stayed in that position briefly, looking into eachothers eyes.
"Uh, yeah, thanks." Lily said, breaking the exchange and standing up. She stepped over the -whatever it was- and tugged at the door handle.
While she was doing this, James stood, transfixed. What was it about her that got a hold of his heart every time she was near him?
"Her eyes..." He decided. So clear, so beautiful, so...innocent.
"James! It's stuck or locked or something! Help!" Lily wailed impatiently. James was broken out of his reverie immediately.
"What? That's crazy. Then how did we get in?" James asked, after turning and tugging.
"Maybe it's only locked from the inside." Lily answered logically.
"Where's the sense in that?" James asked without thinking.
"To catch people like us? Kids out of bed in the middle of the night?" Lily answered hotly.
"Oh, right."
"Well, what are we going to do?" Lily asked exasperatedly. "Wait! Remus, Sirius, Peter, they'll all come back, won't they? I mean, Remus knows what's going on."
"'Fraid not, Lil." James asked, backing away.
"What do you mean?" She asked in a murderous tone.
"Well, Sirius and Peter don't know anything about this. Sirius is in the Hospital Wing after Potions today, and Peter, well, I didn't think he'd be interested. It's just you and me, Lily. I just got Remus to tell you they were there so that you'd go to the Kitchen's on your own instead of going back with him. I kind of told Remus not to worry about us, so he's probably half asleep in front of the fire or something."
"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Lily said, although she knew he wasn't. Sirius was in the hospital wing, but she'd forgotten. 'It's too early in the morning to remember small details,' she soothed herself.
"James?" She asked, suddenly realizing he was being really quiet. "Where are you?"
"Lily, the room's, what, 10 feet by 8 feet? I'm about four steps away."
Lily followed his voice, and headed in its direction. "Try five." She said upon reaching him.
She couldn't see him do it, but she knew he was rolling his eyes.
"Sorry, I've really screwed up. We'll get out of here." He said miserably. Lily suddenly felt sympathetic towards him, and gave him a hug.
"Don't worry about it." She whispered. "I know we will."
They looked at eachother again. Lily shifted her gaze upwards, then turned back to him.
"Too bad there's no window in here, eh? There's one outside."
It was James' turn to take another look around. When he faced her again, he answered,
"I know, all I can see are your eyes." His heart jolted upwards again, those eyes....
Suddenly he knew he had to do it. He had the most terrific girl in Hogwarts in his arms. He'd be a fool not to. He lowered his head and met hers. They're lips met, and they got caught up in eachother, losing track of time. Lily crashed into a bucket, sending them into a fit of giggles which only lasted briefly.
They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of somebody rummaging with the door handle.....
*(A/N)* This is what I've spent my afternoon doing! I had a sudden urge to write an L/J fic, and decided to go for it. So how was this, honestly? I'll get back to Chloe later, I promise. There'll be a sequel for those interested, but this one's 2 parts - 3 max! I don't want to get carried away again! :)