My Stubborn Subconscious

A/N: Hello there, thanks for giving my story a shot! Quite honestly this isn't how I see Lily and James getting together, but it seemed like a fun idea anyway. Hope you enjoy…

James tossed a ball into the air; he gazed onward as it curved in the air brilliantly, only to dive downward and sink into the ground with a quick, dull thud. He felt for the old quaffle, empathizing with its eagerness and the definite, undesirable end that was certain to deaden its enthusiasm.

"Mate," a tall, roguish boy whispered loudly to his friend. "You're giving the quaffle that funny look again. Do you need a moment?"

Sighing in response, James knelt down beside the ball and eased it out of the ground with his fingertips. "This ball and I have been through a lot, Sirius. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

Sirius scoffed, kicking a clump of dirt at his friend. "Stop acting so depressed. It's disgusting."

"I'm not acting depressed," James insisted somberly, gazing at the quaffle. "I'm just being contemplative."

"Puh-lease. The little girl next door didn't look as dismal when that pick-up truck ran over her new puppy." Sirius paused as James shot him a disgusted look. "Well it's true. Besides, you have absolutely no reason to be anything but ecstatic."

James frowned, dropping onto the damp ground and allowing the tall grass to curl about him. "I have every reason to be anything but ecstatic, as a matter of fact."

"Lies," Sirius protested fervently. "The girl of your disgusting dreams is coming to stay with you for weeks. Weeks, James! And she'll be sleeping two doors down from you!"

"Her parents are forcing her to stay here," James responded, his voice deadpan. "And Dumbledore forced the idea into their worrisome parent-minds. Instead of having the house to herself and spending the end of the holidays doing whatever she wants whenever she wants, she's staying with the boy she detests and his overbearing family, away from her friends and her freedom."

Sirius tried to look cheerful. "You're thinking about this too much. Besides, she doesn't detest you. You two were actually getting along before the year ended."

James shook his head. "I thought we were, but ever since she found out Dumbledore made me Head Boy, she's acted as disgusted with me as ever. I guess she thinks I don't deserve it," he shrugged.

Sirius wrinkled his nose, slugging his friend optimistically across the shoulders. "Buck up, you old pathetic toad; she's coming tomorrow and you've still got to hide those awful baby pictures your mother has hanging all over the place. If Lily sees those, she'll never want to have your children."

"Ah, James m'boy," Mr. Potter greeted with a grin, glancing up from the large cookbook he had spread about before him. "I think we should prepare a good old fashioned muggle meal for Lily the night she comes… You know, to help her feel at home. Do you know what her favorite is?"

James glanced at his dad. "Ah, hold on," he said, disappearing into the stairwell to put away his Quidditch supplies.

Mrs. Potter frowned at the area her husband was sure to make a mess of. "How would James know her favorite muggle meal?"

Sirius smirked. "You underestimate him."

"She underestimates me?" James asked, re-entering the kitchen. "Don't worry," he pardoned her with a casual wave, "it happens a lot."

Mrs. Potter swirled her glass and lemonade rapidly appeared. "I'd honestly be worried if--,"

"Lasagna," James said promptly. "She says it's too intricate of a meal to whip up by magic. Different layers and stuff, you know. And a nice hearty salad too, lots of cheese and a bit of olive oil. Oh, and rolls- the big, fluffy kind." Looking up, he became aware of his staring family. "What?" he shrugged indignantly. "I pay attention."

"Stalker," Sirius coughed.

"Shove off," James smirked. Beside him his father was attempting to put together a cheese grater, wounding himself numerously in the process. He sighed. This was certainly going to be an interesting experience.

Lily stabbed the ground with several twigs she had transfigured into a frighteningly sharp pair of scissors. "It isn't fair," she grumbled, watching the soft soil part for the silver shears and the bright green blades of grass jump and scatter in its path. "It's as if I were a child!"

Beside her, Lily's neighbor and friend of thirteen years stared at the violent spectacle before her. "Maybe a very disturbed child," she agreed quietly, gently prying the scissors from Lily's grasp. "Listen, I'm sure it won't be as terrible as you're imagining."

Lily shook her head miserably. "You don't understand, Lana…" And she really didn't. Alana had been Lily's… implicit best friend, in a manner of speaking, from the moment she moved next door into the quaint and very strange little town on the off skirts of London. When they were young, they exchanged friendship bracelets and bows like all of the other girls who were pulled into the world of promises through plastic jewelry. As they grew older, though, things changed; Alana was a muggle, Lily a witch. Despite this considerable difference, they had managed to maintain a strong friendship through letters and the anticipation of winter and summer holidays with one another.

"All right, I'll admit I've never met him," Alana said, teasing a few flower stems into a bracelet. "But I bet I know more about him than his own parents," she alleged with a smirk.

"I don't talk about him that much--,"

Alana pulled a face, straightening her back and tilting her head upward. "He has jet black hair, and something must be the matter with him because he can never make it look halfway decent… I don't know if it's a physical or mental disorder but either way it's ridiculous--,"

Lily scoffed at the snooty tone Alana chose to mimic her. "I don't--,"

"And honestly, if he could just pull his hand out of that wretched mass of locks for two seconds…" Alana continued in the same tone, raising it to increase the irritation.

Lily narrowed her eyes, plucking the makeshift bracelet out of her friend's hand in retaliation. "I'll tear it apart, I swear," she threatened.

Alana suddenly looked thoughtful. "But you know," she said, gazing ahead as if she were in some sort of a dream, "his hair's not completely awful… sometimes after he's finished giving the first years flying lessons… he devotes his free time between classes to that, did I mention? Well, sometimes it tosses just right and lands above his eyes.. Hazel.. Did I mention?" Alana cut off when she realized Lily had found her garden hose and -rather unfortunately- was very good at aiming it.

"All right," Lily said firmly, a smile of disbelief etching across her sun-freckled cheek, "now I know I've never said anything like that."

"Mmm…" Alana giggled, attempting to duck out of the hose's prime target area. "Then how would I know it all?"

"I--," Lily paused, stuck. "How did we get off track?" she asked briskly. "I was trying to tell you how dreadful of a time it's going to be…"

"Lily!" A frazzled face topped by a bright red, loosely wrapped bun poked itself between the Evans' checkered kitchen curtains. "The car's all packed! Are you ready?"

Lily groaned, painstakingly lifting herself off the ground and turning toward her mother. "Be there in a sec, mum," she mumbled.

Alana gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "You'll survive," she promised, squeezing her shoulders as she stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm not too fond of this boy either, you know, taking you away so cruelly when we're supposed to have nearly a month left together."

Lily nodded. "It is cruel, isn't it?" She sighed. "Write loads," she pleaded, breaking away from her friend and giving her a miserable wave goodbye. "I'll need to maintain some sort of decent conversation to preserve my sanity."

Alana bit her lip to refrain from smiling at her friend's dramatic departure. "I will, don't worry… but try to have some fun, will you? You're still on vacation, don't forget."

"This is humiliating," Lily grumbled, knocking her head against the car window as they neared the locale the Potters had designated for them to meet. "Will it do any good to remind you I'm almost 17?"

Lily's father popped a piece of gum into his mouth. "Nope."

"That we have fabulous neighbors who will do anything to protect me from danger?"

"Nope."

"That I have plenty of other friends who would be more than happy to let me stay with them?"

"Nope."

Mrs. Evans peered at her moping daughter through the rearview mirror. "Perk up, sweetheart. I've told you a hundred times… when we mentioned at the Head dinner that we were leaving town Professor Dumbledore insisted it isn't safe for a young witch to stay by herself when such troubling times are about. The Potters agreed and offered their home… should I have just turned them down?"

Lily groaned loudly. "Yes," she said exasperatedly. Her mother gave a tired sigh and Lily chewed her cheek, feeling guilty. "I suppose it won't be all that dreadful," she said slowly, attempting to sound genuine. As the car rolled to a stop, however, her stomach performed a few sickening flips that told her otherwise.

"Well," her mother announced in a forcibly perky manner. "Here we are!"

Mr. Evans turned to his rather green looking daughter, ruffling her hair. "Think of it as an adventure, pumpkin."

Lily gulped down the acidic response that threatened to shoot out of her mouth. "Right," she said dully. "An adventure."

"Hello, dear!" Mrs. Potter greeted warmly, grinning as she pulled Lily into a tight embrace. "We're so happy to have you." There was no question that she was James's mother; they shared the same hazel eyes, both with the power to be firm and exacting when necessary and welcoming whenever else. His unruly mass of hair resembled hers, though she managed to tame hers into a graceful knot at the top of her head while his never failed to stick out in every direction.

James must've felt her eyes skim the top of his head; at that moment his head whipped up and he lifted his hand to smooth his hair self-consciously. "Er, 'Ello Lily," he said gruffly. "Good summer?"

"It's been all right," she responded off-handedly, leaning to retrieve the luggage she had dropped when Mrs. Potter greeted her so vigorously.

"No, no," Mr. Potter spoke up. "The boys can take care of those." James and Sirius sprung into action after a moment to comprehend the request, reaching forward simultaneously to grab her bags.

Lily's face contorted. "I can take…"

"Well Mrs. Potter, Mr. Potter," Mrs. Evans hurriedly interjected. "We can't thank you enough for your hospitality. We feel so much better about leaving town knowing Lily's in safe hands."

Lily fought to refrain herself from rolling her eyes as she recalled the many mischievous pranks those 'safe hands' had pulled on her over her past six years at Hogwarts. "Yes," she piped in politely when she felt her mother prompt her with a quick jab in her back. "I'm… very grateful."

"No problem at all," Mr. Potter assured her.

"We'd better be off then," Mr. Evans said, checking his watch. "Don't want to miss our flight!" He chuckled softly as the Potters smiled and nodded as if they knew what he was talking about.

Mrs. Evans turned to Lily and kissed her cheek. "Be good," she whispered, as Mr. Evans pulled her into a one-armed hug and attempted to look optimistic.

"Go on, go on," Mrs. Potter ushered them to their car. "She'll be fine. Enjoy your trip!" Once the couple disappeared down the curvy road, she turned to the others. "I suppose we should head home then," she said, taking the lead. "It isn't too far, Lily; just around the hill there."

Lily began walking as the others trooped forward, awkwardly lingering off to the side. "So, you're here to spend the holidays with us, eh?" Sirius's unexpected voice made her jump. He grinned. "It'll be splendid."

Lily eyed him charily. "So it is true," she said, ignoring his perky proposal. "You really never do leave Potter's side."

Sirius glanced at his friend, who was indeed walking rather nearby, before turning back to Lily. "Well," he said, lifting an eyebrow. "It is a very good side, once you get to know it." Before Lily had the chance to respond, he yanked the strap of the suitcase he was carrying painfully over his shoulder, griping, "How much did you pack, Lillian Marie? This thing weighs a ton."

Lily scowled. "First of all, my name is Lily. Second of all, my middle name isn't Marie… Where did you even get that? Third of all, you're an old duffer. The bag you're carrying is the one holding my blanket and pillows."

Beside Sirius, James smiled and jokingly staggered under the weight of her bag. "So that means I've been stuck with the shoes and makeup, then?"

"Yes Potter, because that's all I need," Lily retorted scathingly. "Pillows, shoes and makeup." Sirius grinned and opened his mouth, but Lily glared at him before he could say a word. "Shut up," she said firmly.

Sirius shrugged. "It was too easy, anyway."

James adjusted the strap of her luggage absentmindedly. "I know you don't… I mean, I didn't--,"

"Oh…" Lily interrupted, pausing mid-stride as the Potters' house came into view. "Wow," she admired, taken aback by the old, handsome structure and the setting sun peaking behind the roof to top it off. "It's gorgeous."

"Mmm… Just think," Sirius whispered dramatically, waving his hand to gesture about the property. "This could all be yours one day."

"What?" Lily asked, still in a trance, and James rammed into Sirius's shoulder pointedly.

"Nothing," James said hurriedly.

"Here we are," Mrs. Potter announced, unlocking the door and stepping inside. She swiveled around and her robes billowed against the gray stone majestically. "The boys can show you around while Mr. Potter and I finish up dinner."

Mr. Potter hopped up the staircase behind her. "We're not very experienced in muggle-cooking, Lily, but we decided to try our hand at lasagna; James said it was your favorite."

"Oh," Lily said, surprised. She glanced at James, who was suddenly very interested in glaring at his father, and then back at Mr. Potter. "Thanks," she said finally. "I'm sure it'll be delicious."

Striding into the spacious foyer, Sirius spun around and drew his hands apart to motion toward their splendid surroundings. "Welcome to the Potter quarters," he boomed, grinning devilishly. "I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay."

A/N: I know this was pretty short, but it's sort of a trial chapter. Let me know what you think!