Fairytales
Summary: He felt like Prince Charming from Cinderella. Here was the most perfect person in the world for him, but as soon as the song ended, the spell would be broken and she would leave him. lilyxjames
Rating: M for cursing. It's safer rating up.
Disclaimer: You know what the word means.
Author's Note: Yes I know there's no such thing as a Hogwart's school reunion. But it would be bloody awesome if there was. Meet you at the bottom. If you don't fall asleep before then.
"FOR THE LAST TIME PADFOOT I'M NOT GOING TO THAT BLOODY THING!"
"But Prongsie! We can re-hook up with all the girls in our year!"
That was not what James wanted to hear. Obviously. In a dangerously calm voice, he turned to face Padfoot.
"First. I. Never. Dated. Any. Of. Them. That. Was. You. Second. I. Will. Not. Go. Got. It?"
"Yeah. I. Heard. You. Why. Are. We. Talking. This. Slow?"
James wanted to rip his hair out in frustration. Except that would damage his only good quality left so he had to keep it.
The front door banged shut. Sirius bounded over.
"Oy! Moony! Prongsie won't go to reunion! Make him goooo!!"
Remus groaned.
"Sirius if he doesn't want to go that's up to him."
"But Moony…."
Remus groaned again. James could just make out whimpering noises from Sirius. Oh hell no. Sirius was doing the puppy dog look. And Remus could never resist the puppy dog look.
As expected, a weary Remus trotted into the room. He sighed.
"James, why don't you just go to reunion? It'll do you a lot of good to see our old friends."
"I can't."
"Sure you can James."
"Moony," He gave a pained expression here, "She'll be there."
Remus sighed for the umpteenth time.
"Yes I realize James. But you have to get over it at some point. It's been five years."
"Which is how I know I'll never forget her. Merlin knows I've tried. But I just can't."
Remus patted James on the back.
"Whatever you think is best. I'll trust your judgment."
Remus got up and left the room, leaving James to think. One room over, he could hear Sirius' whines. ("Well? Did you get him to go? Did you? Did you?!")
James sighed and glanced at an old picture. It had been of him, Lily, Alice, Remus, and Frank. Because it had been a group shot, she hadn't objected to him slinging an arm around her shoulder (ever so casually, as he did the same to Remus on the other side of him so it wouldn't look as suspicious).
He made up his mind.
"Why can't you make up your mind?" Lily asked, clearly annoyed.
"Well excuse me Miss Prissy Pants. Just because you don't care what you wear to our reunion, doesn't mean I don't!" Her best friend Alice shot back.
Lily had been over Alice and Frank's apartment for the last hour and a half, trying to help Alice decide what to wear. So far they'd been through 23 different outfits and Alice still wasn't satisfied. Lily sympathized with whoever Goldilocks' mother was. She knew the horrors of having to deal with an indecisive person.
"Come on dear. We're going to be late!" Came the voice of Alice's long time beau and recent fiancé, Frank.
"Why are you both so hopelessly against me?" Alice wailed.
Frank shot Lily a look. (It read: how long has she been trying to decide?)
Lily shot one back. (The reply: much, much too long.)
Frank came in to try and persuade Alice.
"Come on dear. You look fine no matter what you wear."
"But you have to say that!"
Frank threw his hands up in the air in an 'I give up!' symbol. Lucky him. Lily wasn't allowed to do the same. No, she had to sit and be the perfect best friend.
"Lily! You're not helping!"
Lily really needed a new best friend.
Sighing, Lily got up and walked to Alice's enormous closet. Shoving Alice out of the way (who let out an indignant squeak), Lily scanned the closet. Then, mentally shrugging her shoulders, Lily grabbed the first shirt and skirt she could get her hands on and a belt that looked somewhat matching. She threw them at Alice in a silent command to put them on. Alice hesitantly did as such and looked in the mirror. She let out a high-pitched squeal.
"Ooh! It's perfect! Like an awesome somewhat-retro 80s look for a throwback to our school days! I love it!"
Lily smiled as if this was her intention all along. Really, she just wanted to be done with the whole thing and had gotten lucky. Maybe there was a God up there.
"But what bag should I bring with it?"
Lily groaned and smacked her head against the doorway repeatedly.
Remus groaned and smacked his hand against his head.
"Sirius what did you do to him?!"
"What? He wasn't going to come so now I'm making him! Now come help me put on his pants."
There in Sirius' arms lay a petrified James Potter being 'helped' into his clothes by none other than Sirius Black. James' eyes blared death glares daring Remus to come closer.
Remus sighed.
"Sorry James. It really is for your own good."
If possible, James' eyes widened a fraction.
Lily's eyes widened.
"Oh wow."
If possible, the Hogwarts castle looked even more majestic than normal. Banners and decorations were hung everywhere. The castle was aglow with warmth. Quickly, she spotted a dozen familiar faces. There was Amos and his new girlfriend what's-her-face. Andromeda Black. Diana Creevy. Dolores Umbridge. Arthur Weasley. It was so good to be back.
"Hey Lily!"
She'd recognize that voice anywhere. Half-groaning and half-grinning she turned to face the voice.
"Hey Siri- ohmigod did you kill James Potter?"
Sirius was lugging a body with hair that was definitively James'.
Sirius waved his hand in dismissal.
"Nah. Just petrified the bloke. He didn't want to come."
"Oh."
Lily turned her gaze again to the frozen Potter whose eyes gazed over hers. Her heart quickened a beat. No. They were over this. It hadn't worked. So why was she still so drawn to him?
Merlin, he was as drawn to her as ever. Her hair was in a loose up-do with a few stray curls falling into her face that he desperately wanted to sweep back. She wasn't in anything fancy. Far from it. She was only wearing a light white cotton sweater (who wore sweaters in the middle of august?) and jeans. Her eyes were as blazing green as ever. An inextinguishable fire. He loved it. Loved her. Oh Merlin this is why he didn't want to go to this bloody thing. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep away.
Sirius muttered the counter-course to Petrificus Totalus and James felt his body slump ungracefully to the floor.
"Ow." He muttered.
The moment with Lily had passed. She'd moved on (from him as he had to painfully remind himself).
"So Sirius, seeing anyone lately?" Lily inquired barely glancing at the lump on the floor that was James Potter.
"Well yes as a matter of fact love. But I'm sure I could dump her for you if you wanted."
She laughed. (He loved her laugh.)
"I'm flattered Black."
"Anything for you Lilyflower." He winked. "So what about you? Seeing anyone?" He causally threw a glance at James, who glared back.
Great. Just what he needed. To hear Lily talk about her perfect husband and perfect 2.5 kids and perfect house and perfect life (without him he reminded himself again bitterly).
"Um… no. Haven't been seeing anyone. Not really interested in having a guy in my life right now."
"But you'll see a girl?" Sirius asked, half-laughing.
"Of course. I have the hots for your cousin Narcissa. But woe is me, she's dating Malfoy." Lily grinned.
Sirius shot a pained look.
"Lily that isn't even funny as a joke. No decent person should subject themselves to that lady."
Lily shrugged as if to say, 'ah well I tried.'
James struggled to breathe. He wanted to strangle his best friend for practically flirting with Lily. Sirius should know that she was off-limits.
As if sensing James' messages of doom, Sirius ran off mentioning something about the food table and Molly Prewett being available.
Lily rolled her eyes. James started to perspire.
Was it hot in her or was it just her? Or perhaps it was James. Yes that was most likely it. The man oozed hot-ness so much that he probably helped account for the polar ice caps melting. Stupid boy. Stupid boy who helped contribute to the disastrous effects of global warming. Global warming was all his fault. Blame the boy!
"Er… hey Lily."
She snapped out of her daze to see a very uncomfortable James Potter staring back at her. Not that it would ever really be comfortable between them again. Exes that went out as long as they did never really did leave off as entirely comfortable. Pity. She missed his company.
Oh dear Merlin she did not just say she missed his company and thereby in fact implied that she missed him. Oh no. She didn't. Denial was a healthy state of being after all.
Denial? Gods he wasn't even in denial anymore. He loved Lily Evans. He would never stop loving Lily Evans. Evidently she didn't love him anymore, which is why he would die a bachelor but what he wouldn't do for those days at Hogwarts that they'd dated. He had never truly understood why she broke up with him.
Oh why on earth did she break up with him? At the very least she would never want for company. And he was great at snogging, which meant that he was likely to be good in bed too. So she'd have an awesome sex life with a person she could at least laugh and joke about with. So what was wrong with her?
Partially, she attributed it to the fact that their relationship had been nothing like she'd ever done before. It was weird. It almost didn't feel like a relationship. Yes they'd had endless hours to snog and be cute. But where was the painful awkwardness? Where was the fighting? Where were the horrible misunderstandings? It was just too smooth in ways that made Lily jittery like the bug.
The other thing that had worried her was what she called 'the fairytale factor.' Boys like James were bound to live the fairytale dream. Everybody knew that the only people who got fairytales were fairytale people. People that looked like they belonged in fairytales. James was a fairytale person. He was smart, dashing (good lord she could not believe she just thought the word dashing), popular, and smooth. Your regular prince charming. But who was Lily? Lily was a nerd and therefore, a nobody. And James needed a bloody fairytale princess.
Bloody Merlin did Evans have any idea how much of a fairytale princess she looked? Gazing slightly off to the side with her curls framing her face and a warm glow seemingly basking in behind her she looked for a word… heavenly. She was like Sleeping Beauty, Anastasia and Belle all rolled into one. Not that Anastasia was a Disney princess. And not that he'd know or anything… that was muggle junk (or so he claimed).
She sighed softly to herself and he swore his heart began to beat faster. It was already in overdrive from her presence. Give the damn thing a break Lily and stop being so sexy! Ugh. She was impossible. If his heart exploded he'd blame it on her. Then maybe she'd feel sorry that she'd ever dumped him (which she still never gave him a good reason for) and weep all over his grave. Except he didn't want her to cry. He hated seeing her cry. Damnit. There was no winning.
"So who's winning the bet Moony?" asked Sirius. Remus glanced over to where James and Lily were still standing, each lost in their own thoughts.
"I'd say we both have a 50/50 shot of winning the bet at this point."
Sirius squinted.
"Yeah well Lily's not even looking at Prongs! They so aren't getting back together."
Remus shook his head lightly.
"That's because she's embarrassed, see? She's blushing slightly."
Sirius squinted again, then scowled at the sight of said blush.
"She's just a little warm that's all."
Remus shook his head again.
"Whatever you say Sirius. Whatever you say."
"What did you say?" asked James.
Lily's eyes snapped back towards him, the blush slightly deepening.
"I didn't say anything," she said, half on the defensive.
"Oh." Said James, "I could have sworn I heard you mumble something."
"It was nothing."
They lapsed into awkward silence yet again. James couldn't stand it.
"You wanna dance?"
Lily's eyes bugged out slightly and he hastily moved to correct his mistake.
"Just as friends of course. To make ourselves look mildly social since we'll be away from the punch bowl? What do you say?"
He stuck his hand out and hesitantly, she returned it.
"Just as friends," she repeated.
Right. Just friends.
He led her out onto the dance floor as the band struck up a slow song. Ever cautious, he pulled her toward him, putting a hand on her waist. She tensed. He waited. She eased.
"I- I haven't done this in a while," she murmured into his ear.
Merlin did that feel good.
"You're doing fine," he whispered back, a smile easing its way onto his face.
He felt calm and at ease for the first time in years. Just him. Him and Lily gliding around the dance floor. Exactly as it was always meant to be. He absently brushed a stray curl out of her eyes as she turned her head to lean on his shoulder. Not too tall and not too short. She was just right. Perfect even.
He felt like Prince Charming from Cinderella. Here was the most perfect person in the world for him, but as soon as the song ended, the spell would be broken and she would leave him. Except he would have no glass slipper to follow. Instead, there would be empty hopes and broken dreams and the promise of what could have been. Just as gone and non-existent as Sirius' virginity. He breathed in her scent and leaned closer to her, trying to remember as much of her as possible before she was gone and out of his life.
Merlin she could smell the musk and scent that was so unmistakably James Potter. She groaned internally. She would be hard pressed to forget his scent tonight.
She could feel the beating of a heart as its rhythm became faster and more frantic. Was it his or was it hers? She could no longer tell. Likely that it was hers. Two hearts beating as one was way too cliché and way too storybook to be her life.
"Lily?" came James' muffled voice.
"Mmhm?" she asked stifling a giggle because his breath tickled her throat.
"Why did you break up with me?"
She stiffened. Oh well. Better late than never.
"It wouldn't have worked between us. You should have known that."
"Why? Did you lie when you told me you loved me?"
She definitely didn't want to have this conversation. She tried to pull away but found his arms holding hers fast.
"Please Lily. I need this answer." And his eyes locked with hers and she knew she was a goner.
"No. No I didn't."
"Why then? Did it fade?"
She sensed the urgency in his voice.
"James you were one of the most popular guys in school. I was a nerd. It wouldn't have worked. Contrary to popular belief, life doesn't work like stories. Those types of things don't happen."
He was practically whining now, desperate for her and only her.
"But we could make it happen. We could make it work."
"James. You're bloody prince charming and I'm the hag that bewitches the princess."
"You're with Voldemort?" he asked, clearly confused.
She wanted dearly to smack her face in frustration.
"Alright bad analogy. Point is, prince charmings marry princesses. Not little match girls. Not people like me."
His face was dangerously close to hers now.
"Funny. I always thought you were the princess and I was the lowly soldier vying for your love."
She moved to protest but he shushed her.
"Lily for five years all I've wanted is you. Ask the guys. I've been miserable without you. And it's not going away. I figured that out after the first year and a half. You're my one and only. And if you won't have me Lily Evans, this prince charming is going to die heartbroken and alone."
Lily looked at him, then snorted.
"James you realize how cliché that all sounded?"
His face fell.
"But… that's how I really feel. And aren't girls supposed to like that stuff anyway?"
"Well, yes. Yes we do. That doesn't mean we can't still laugh at you guys when you try."
He smiled slightly.
"So what does this mean for us?" he inquired half-hopefully.
She smirked lightly.
"It means that if you ask me the same question you did in Hogwarts for half a year the answer you'll get is yes."
"What," James asked innocently, "you mean 'can I borrow your homework?' "
She giggled lightly and smacked his arm admonishingly.
"Prat."
Sirius and Remus looked at the happy couple then looked at each other.
"Pay up Sirius."
Sirius frowned then smirked and turned to Alice.
"Pay up Alice."
She scowled and turned to her boyfriend Frank.
"Frank lend me 20 galleons." Her voice left no room for argument.
He glared at Remus before handing the money to Alice who handed the money to Sirius who handed it to Remus.
Remus grinned.
"I always did like being the smart one."
The four turned to look at Lily and James again. They looked so serene and happy.
A long time ago in a little world that was completely their own, Lily Evans and James Potter got married.
And they had one beautiful boy and lived happily ever after.
At least for two precious years.
But that's more than most people can claim in a lifetime.
Author's Note: It was cliché I know. It was a bit fluffier at spots than I meant. And the ending was little weird. But it was more or less a long bit of spewing on my computer without much editing. Hence all the mistakes. Oops my bad.