A/N: Hello my lovely readers! I don't know where this came from, probably from experience although I never was that uncomfortable...you'll see what I mean later on. Okay then, my other stories. TWD is somewhere along the lines of story-block and absolute laziness. I'm sorry but inspiration hasn't hit me around for that story and struggling with the fact I don't want too many plot lines but I want to keep it realistic at the same time...it's taking time to process everything and trying to make all the chapters exciting. But eh.
Um, Potions Class? Don't know about that one either, I'm considering deleting the story because I'm really not satisfied with it. I started the story is foggy plot-line and it's coming back to bite me back in the ass. I don't know what to write about it. Quite sorry everyone.
Okay enough about me, on with the story!
Disclaimer: don't own :(
Eyes
by: PhantomPotterGirl
"Lily."
"Hm?"
"He's doing it again."
Lily Evans blew an aggravated sigh, and in her anger; never noticed the page tearing from her fingers or Peter Pettigrew to the left of James Potter, cowering behind his tall frame. He knew that daring his James to do something like this was a bad idea—the redhead had shown her infamous temper far too conveniently at him over the past few weeks. She turned back, where James Potter quickly averted his gaze from her and threw a cushion at Sirius Black's head to grab his attention, where he pretended to strike conversation.
It was her first year at Hogwarts and this Potter git was completely ruining it for her!
"Lily. Just forget it." Marlene Rook, her first friend, grabbed her arm before she could stand up.
"He's been doing it for weeks. I'm not going to sit back and pretend he isn't!" Lily hissed before ripping Marlene's grip off of her.
She marched to the couches and glared at him, "Stop it."
"What?" he asked innocently.
"Stop staring at me. It's uncomfortable, unnerving and rude." She hissed.
He snorted, "Don't flatter yourself Evans—I'm just wondering about your hair. It looks like it's going to self-combust any second."
His mates giggled.
If possible, her glare hardened; "If you're so fascinated by self-combustion, why don't I give you a living example?" she drew out her wand and pointed it at his precious locks.
He grabbed his head in horror, "You wouldn't." He turned to his friends, "She wouldn't."
They only shrugged in answer.
"Trust me," she moved closer, "I will. Got it? So stop staring."
"Okay." He squeaked.
"Lily."
"Yeah?"
"He's doing it again."
Dropping her knife and fork, she rapidly lost her appetite and glorious mood she had a few moments before. A scowl etched across her features as she picked up her things and gave a hasty goodbye and apology to her friends—it was the Halloween Feast and once again James Potter was staring at her. She was in second-year, and she knew better than to stay in the same place once any of the Marauders' pulled a gaze at you; they were usually met by fireworks in their pants or more immature pranks.
A pressure was put on her chest, since the beginning of the year, the four boys were hell-bent on pranking every single person in the school—her turn was coming and the mixed looks that Potter was giving her made her paranoid, meaning she missed most of the fun everyone else was having. During that time, she was cowering in her room hoping that they wouldn't get her.
By the time she reached the front of the Great Hall, she started feeling a little relieved. As soon as Potter was out of her sight, she would be safe in her warm, cuddly bed. Maybe she'll get a book too and curl up by the fire...
SPLASH!
Horrified.
She was horrified.
Lily Evans stood at the front of the hall, soaked to the bone. A tower of water had fallen all over her head and everyone in clear sights of her was laughing.
"Hey, Evans!" James Potter shouted from behind her, "Did I stop the self-combustion?"
More hysterical laughter jumped from the crowd.
"POTTER! I'LL RIP YOUR THROAT OUT!"
He was still staring, those stupid eyes of his piercing through her, making her vulnerable. She felt naked at his gaze and she wanted it to stop.
So it came to no surprise that she grabbed her wand and roared, "Flipendo! Incendio!"
Potter was blasted off on his seat, with his hair on fire.
Lily was given two weeks of detention with Hagrid; Potter was given one week with Filch and had to walk around for two days with a half-burnt head as Madame Pomfrey prepared the hair-growing potion.
Needless to say Lily didn't regret a bloody thing.
"Lily?"
"What?"
"He's doing it again."
Lily scowled darkly and brought the book closer to her face, angrily screaming the words in her head unknowingly. Third-year already and Potter still didn't get the message. After setting his hair on fire last year, Lily was convinced that he'd leave her alone—yet it was half-way through December and he was doing it again.
"You know Lily, I think he likes you." Marlene mused as she wrote her essay.
Confused momentarily from her anger, she asked what Marlene meant.
"I think he fancies you."
It took Lily a while to stop laughing.
"Don't laugh. I mean it! I truly do think he fancies you!" Marlene insisted.
"Marlene, he likes me as much as he's gay for Sev."
"I still don't get why you're friends with that guy." Marlene muttered. "The creep-o."
Glaring: "He's my best friend, Marlene."
"Oh, so he's your best friend now? I thought I was your best friend, but I seem to be misinformed about your recent friendship circles."
"Marlene. Don't be like that."
"Be like what? Honest? Truthful? Completely right?"
"Marlene."
"Whatever. I'll be in the kitchens if you need me, although I highly doubt it considering that I'm not your best friend. Give my regards to ol' Snape-y. Cheers." Marlene said with ice in her tone.
She left the tower.
Frowning, Lily felt exhausted and completely pissed off.
Both Marlene and Severus despised each other. Both where convinced that they were the 'good' friend, and that the other was a two-faced lying git that wanted to use Lily to their advantage and break her spirit down completely. At first, it seemed a little touching that both Marlene and Sev where so protective of her—but sooner or later, the scathing remarks, the constant 'he/she's bad for you' or 'he/she's completely stupid/annoying/brainless/idiotic (and a million other colourful adjectives)' was annoying Lily to no end.
Sure, they were her best mates, but they had no right to tell Lily who to be friends with. She was a strong, independent woman and she could choose her friends for herself thank-you-very-much.
Both Marlene and Sev were acting like childish babies, convinced that if they cut their ties with her then Lily will run back to the 'right' friend and throw away the other one.
Honestly, the two were so delusional; she might as well as have thought they were in love with each other considering the amount of times that they've been in sync.
That, and piled with Potter and his minions attacking Severus every five seconds, constantly throwing water at her and pranking everyone and everything that breathes—third-year was taking a large toll on Lily's patience and time. It had been a while since she's had a proper night off of homework and cleaning up after Potter's messes.
In her sudden rebellious attitude, Lily removed herself from the couch to make her way to the girls' dormitory. It wouldn't hurt if she skipped the reading material just once, wouldn't it? She needed the rest.
But before heading up the staircase, Lily, cheered on by her exhaustion, threw her Charms textbook at Potter's head, earning a satisfactory sound of pain.
"What was that for?" he yelped in pain.
"For staring—do you want your head on fire again?"
He turned away, fearing the evil textbooks that she carried with her.
Oddly, Lily's mood brightened as she bounded towards her bed. Seems Potter's useful for something after all. She thought happily.
"Lily!"
"Marlene! How was your—?"
"He's doing it again."
She stopped dead.
"Are you serious? We're not even at Hogwarts yet!"
Turning around, Lily was thankful that her parents weren't magical and not allowed on the Platform—she did not need her parents finding out Potter's obsession with her hair. At least, that's what she assumed that he was staring at all the time...
At last, her eyes landed on the demon-spawn himself. When she caught his eye, he grinned a cocky smirk that made her stomach do weird flips and cartwheels. Willing her stomach to stand still, Lily had no choice but to confront him now, when anything publicly embarrassing wouldn't be noticed. Better now than later when the Hogwarts audience was present. It's quite sad that they had nothing better to do than watch fight matches between her and Potter.
"Hey, Evans. How was your summer?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.
Confused by his sudden forward-ness, Lily never noticed that he fiddled his nervous fingers or ran his hand through his head, constantly, or that he kept glancing at his friends, who in turn gave him supporting smiles and thumbs-ups. She remarked coolly that her summer was uneventful—and unexpectedly, he neither said anything embarrassing or with relation to her hair as he used to in the past years.
In fact, he changed the subject rather quickly.
"So um, Lily. I want to ask something."
She was taken aback, since when was she Lily to him? It was always Evans to Potter and Potter to Evans. Confused, she listened intensely. She asked him carry on.
"I was wondering—if you wanted to go to with Hogsmeade with me sometime? As my date?"
Suddenly, the bomb dropped.
He wanted a date? Since when...since when did Potter stop considering her as the know-it-all-with-the-self-combusting-hair? She opened her mouth...and closed it again. She was shocked, completely and utterly shocked at what he had just said. The words kept repeating through her head because she just couldn't believe what he had just asked her.
"...wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
"As my date?"
"As my date?"
"...date?"
That was probably the last thing she'd ever expect to come out of Potter's mouth. For goodness sake, they hated each other! Well...actually, it was more of a mutual dislike. They didn't actually hate-hate each other, more like I-hate-you-and-all-your-stupid-ideas-but-not-enough-that-I-would-actually-want-to-kill-you kind of hate.
Somewhere along those lines.
She was so absorbed in her own thoughts; she forgot that Potter was still waiting for an answer.
"Speechless? I know...I have that affect around women. I feel like my charm just...knocks them over. It's okay—I'll give you a minute." He said arrogantly, smirking as if he was the King of the World.
Lily's eyes narrowed. She couldn't believe it, since when was he that arrogant? Sure the little pea-brain said odd arrogant things once in a while, but something as out-forward and frontal like this? So annoyed by his attitude, the fog in her brain was clearing up and untying all the knots in her voice-box; finally was able to snap the stupor from her brain and think clearly.
She then answered the one question she would be answering for many times to come.
"No!"
"Lily."
"Yes?"
"He's doing it again."
Furious, Lily turned around and there he was; in his infinite and pigheaded glory, laying back as if he hadn't a care in the world. When their gazes met, he winked and smirked, mouthing the words 'wanna make out?' which Lily only replied with a withering glare.
She turned back to Marlene, "Why does he keep doing that?"
Marlene shrugged, flipping the Daily Prophet lazily, "Dunno."
"I mean, what is his problem? Why can't he just leave me alone?" she continued, raging with anger.
"Yeah, seriously."
"It's like he completely forgot that I set his hair on fire or that I stole his Quidditch uniform!"
Suddenly, Marlene's attention was captured, "Wait a minute—that was you? You stole his Quidditch uniform on purpose?"
"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. He still doesn't get it—"
"—what do you mean it doesn't matter! It's was the most important match of the season! And you made us lose to Hufflepuff. The puffy gits wouldn't stop bragging for weeks—"
"—and even when I hex him he just stares and laughs at me! Doesn't he get that I'm trying to be terrifying? You don't laugh at your torturer! And also that thing he does with his hair—"
"—and that stupid Diggory git was acting like a pompous ass for all the rest of the year. I can't believe you Evans! Of all the things to mess up you choose this? I busted my ass for that—"
"—insufferable git, I have OWLs to think about!—"
"—traitor, I can't believe you—"
"—annoying toe-rag—"
"—you betrayed Gryffindor—"
"—what on earth are you talking about?" Lily suddenly asked.
Marlene stopped too, "I was talking about Quidditch."
She wrinkled her nose, "Is that all you ever talk about?"
"Isn't Potter all you ever talk about?" Marlene shot back.
Thus again, the two girls started arguing again tirelessly. In the end, the two of, completely exhausted by the day settled to forget the conversation, they had better things to argue and worry about—like OWLs. Most of their arguments usually ended that way anyway, fifth-year was really bringing the worst out in people. Even poor old Amelia Bones was rattling herself crazy, and she was the calmest person in the entire year.
Lily, tired and mentally worn out, returned to the library. She left her book bag there. James Potter, upon seeing Lily, seized the opportunity.
"Evans! Go out with me?" he shouted across the corridor.
"No!" she yelled back, and just for good measure, sent a Confundus charm to make him fall back on a trick step.
Instantly, the prickling at the back of her neck, eased.
"Lily."
"Uhuh?"
"He's doing it."
"Wait...what?" Lily asked confused. "He can't be. Are you sure?"
"Completely, look." Marlene nodded her head.
Lily quickly looked at the table at the back of the room, where James Potter was sitting, and to her astonishment, he was staring at her. His eyes quickly turned away before she could catch them. Amazed, she turned back to Marlene, who equally was confused at his antics.
It was sixth-year, and by some miracle—Potter had actually listened to her over the summer. He came back, said his hello and never spoke to her ever again (hypothetically). For once in his life, he didn't interact with Lily at all to piss her off. And at first, Lily was ecstatic; finally she was able to focus on her studies. Finally she didn't have to deal with his pigheaded nonsense and finally, he wasn't embarrassing her even more than she had already been.
Her Hogwarts dream finally came true (with the exception of Snape, rather).
However, that was until; she realized sadly, that she actually missed his presence.
The rest of the year went as boringly as watching a Flobberworm eating a lettuce, in that way, Lily discovered aspects about herself she never got a chance to realize before:
She was boring.
In fact, she realized that the only time she was actually doing anything productive was when Potter was annoying her—and now that he actually listened to her, she had nothing left but books and homework to turn to. Yet, even when she finished about an entire month's work, and was so ahead of everybody else, she had no other social life than Marlene or Mary McDonald—or occasionally with Dorcas Meadows or Emmeline Vance, the other residents of her dorm.
So the sudden 'blast from her past' as you could say, was surprisingly for her.
With mixed emotions, she confronted him about it as soon as the lesson ended.
"You've got owl feathers in your hair. You look like a fluffy cat." He cracked a soft smile (a first she got from him) and left.
To her embarrassment, he was right. A human-and-owl fight with her owl, Perkins, had occurred that morning and in her haste to get to her first lesson, she completely forgot about the white owl feathers Perkins had left her.
"Stupid owl." She muttered, walking back to her dorm to take a nice long shower.
"Lily."
"Marlene, I'm busy."
"He's doing it again."
This time, Lily's eyes were opened with shock, her cheeks heated up and she froze. She couldn't comprehend that after all this time, after everything, he was staring at her.
Again.
Heart racing, she quickly glanced at the corner of her eye and indeed, James Potter was staring at her from across the Gryffindor Common Room.
Seventh-year.
It took her six years to finally learn the truth—to finally realize the idiot that she's been for all this time. For him, it only took three.
God, she's been so stupid.
"Marlene." Lily hissed, waving her hand at her frantically, "what do I do?"
She looked confused, "What do you mean, what do you do?"
"He's staring. What do I do?"
More confusion, "I don't...know."
"What do you do when boys stare at you?"
"...nothing?"
Silence settled between the two. Lily started feeling hopelessness overcome her, what was she supposed to do? The way he was staring, like he expected her to do a flip or something, it made her so unnerving. The back of her neck prickled and she felt the need to do something reckless, felt the need to do something stupid and daring.
In the end, she couldn't take it anymore.
She got up, to the astonishment of Marlene, and headed towards him. Panicking, James stole the book from a first-year that was sitting opposite him and pretended to read it. It was upside down. Huffing, the first-year moved off, knowing what would happen if he got James Potter mad.
Lily, feeling completely stupid and daring, took the book from his hands, grabbed handfuls of his shirt—and kissed him.
Completely taken off guard, James' eyes were wide open and he didn't respond. It seemed like eternity to Lily, eternity that their lips were together and the warm feeling that spread through her stomach was spreading—to her disappointment, he didn't respond.
This meant only one thing.
Ending the kiss, willing herself to not cry, Lily was completely overwhelmed by embarrassment, ran off and James, still shocked, only sat there staring open-mouthed after her. A bunch of cushions and a chess set landed all on his head.
It was his friends, "What on earth are you waiting for you idiot? Go after her." Sirius yelled at him.
James, snapping from his stupor, raced out the portrait hole, after Lily. Hoping that this time, his staring will bring more than just one kiss.
A/N: Um...was this okay? I have a feeling all my one-shots now are dull and unoriginal. It's really pissing me off because I can't think of anything to write about, that and my writing style is so amateur and boring. I'm sorry, self-pity party will end here.
Review for a kiss from James.
PhantomPotterGirl