A/N: This one is a bit longer than the other drabbles I've posted. Yes! Another AU! You're in luck if you don't like AUs! I'm almost out of the AUs I wrote the AU week that I mentioned before! Enjoy this one!
Also, pardon my lack of knowledge about the tube. Here in America we call it the subway...I've only been in one a few times...
Lily absolutely loathed the tube. It was grimy, boisterous, and the lack of personal space pushed her over the edge. She did everything she could to avoid the nightmare of the underground, but when her taxi failed to show up on time, Lily had no other choice.
She walked to the station with a jaded look plastered on her face as she skimmed in and out of the frantic streets. When she finally reached the tube, the weak lights that illuminated the dim hallway frightened her slightly; it unquestionably didn't seem like a friendly place.
Lily paid for her entry and promptly leaned against a brick wall, waiting anxiously for the right train to arrive. She eyed those who walked by: a happy couple, a plump and red-faced man, and a scrawny young girl who appeared lost. She checked her watch and noticed it was past the trains scheduled time. Panic set in far too quickly as she realized that whilst lost in her own thoughts, she had missed her train.
Now what am I going to do?
She hysterically pushed through a group of people to get a view of the map posted on the concrete wall. Lily tried to understand it, it didn't seem that complicated after all, but her mind was not in a good state and focusing was out of the question.
Turning around, she collided with a tall man and apologized quickly, finally pushing out of the crowd. In the corner now, she watched with wide eyes as another train arrived. Maybe if she went on it she'd end up in the right place. Lily rushed to the doors and sat down next to a snoring man. She sat for a long time- it seemed- calculating where she could get off, but it all confused her as her dread rose even more.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" a voice broke the trains normal ambiance and she turned her head. A tall, well figured and young man was looking at her through thick frames, his hand waving. The man stood up and made his way to her, receiving some dirty looks. He stared humorously at the sleeping man beside her and nudged him.
"Hey, buddy, reckon you missed your stop by now," he explained to the waking man. He stood up quickly and cursed, thanking the boy for waking him up. The seat was quickly filled.
"You don't look so good," he said to her, his eyes scanning her pale face.
"Thanks…" Lily replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.
"No, really, are you lost? You look nervous. I can help you get where you need to be if you'd like," the man offered. Lily looked at him, noticing just how attractive he was. She immediately blushed.
"I need to get to Green Park," Lily told him. "I missed my train and got on here. I wasn't thinking…"
"Don't worry about it. Looks like you're in the complete different direction, though," he replied. "My name is James, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, James. My name is Lily," she proposed formally. James ran a hand through his untamed hair and began tapping at the arm rest.
"Lily, lovely name, really," James complimented. "Right, so Green Park…you won't get anywhere near there on this train. Get off at the next stop, yeah? I can get off there too if you'd still like help."
"That'd be great." Lily nodded her head and let out a deep breath. She wondered if she could trust him. He looked quite friendly, almost eccentric in the way he moved.
They waited until the conductor announced their stop and Lily followed James out through the automatic doors. She lost him for a moment through the crowds and called his name. He grabbed her hand and swiftly pulled her out, sending her a grin.
"Merlin, you get lost easily," he mocked. "We need to wait for 3 more trains to pass before the right one comes. Are you up for waiting?"
"Honestly, no," Lily replied, shaking her head. "Do you think a taxi could get me where I need to be?"
"Those things are bloody expensive, and taking the subway will get you there in half the time," James said.
"I'm not going back on those trains," she alleged, holding her chin high. "I need to get out of here."
James nodded his head and pointed behind him. "There's the nearest exit, good luck."
"Right, thank you, James," she announced.
"Wait!" he exclaimed as she began to walk away. She turned around with a curious look on her face. "The train will be here in five minutes. You really can't wait that long?"
Her shoulders deflated and she drifted back to his side, slightly disappointed she had to ride the train again. The train arrived and without any issues, Lily and James boarded the train, sitting next to each other.
"It'll be about 15 minutes until you're there," he informed her.
"How do you know so much about the tube?" Lily shouted above the conductor's voice, ignoring its muffled announcement. They never said anything important anyways. The train began jerking slightly, causing a few passengers to glance around- eyebrows creased.
"Did you hear that?" James asked, pointing at the speakers. "The conductor just said something."
"He announces the next stop, you know. For someone so educated about these tubes, I think you'd know that by now." For once, James didn't answer. The train's passengers all began chattering loudly, some demanding to know what was going on. The train jerked again, sending some passengers belonging to the floor. Lights flickered slightly and soon, the train was screeching and slowed to a stop. It was only quiet for a few seconds before the entire train broke into panic.
James held Lily in her seat, and even though the lights had since then shut off, he could still see her green eyes wide with horror.
"We're stuck?" she said loudly over the noise.
"Nah, they probably just had some issues. This happens sometimes. It's kind of funny to see people's reactions," he said jokingly. Lily glared at him, ready to defend the people, saying they don't know what was going on, but she felt her lips twitch and soon she was laughing.
Within minutes, the train was back and running, though the lights hadn't turned back on. The train made it to Lily's stop safely and she let out a large sigh of relief as her feed made contact with the ground.
"That was the most stressful experience…ever," she said, out of breath. "I'm never going on the tube again."
"So you didn't have fun?" James questioned a crooked grin on his face. Lily blushed slightly.
"Oh course I had fun, you git," she chuckled. "Bloody hell, I'm so late for work."
"Don't worry, so am I," he snickered, adjusting his glasses. "In fact, I'm thinking of calling in sick…"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea."