Disclaimer and Author's Drabble: I think these are pretty pointless, seeing how it's really obvious that fanfiction is stuff written by fans... And there's my (not really) witty banter of the week! Read the summary for a ... well summary of the fic. Happy New Year to all!
Enjoy!
"With My Luck, I Should've Known," said James, and then, it began:
There's something different about Lily.
I've already checked off the possible causes. She didn't get a new haircut, she wasn't in an unusual mood, and she didn't seem to have changed her attire in any way since I've last seen her. She looked like the same old Lily, smiling at something in Rebecca Wright's story.
I just can't put my finger on it. There's just something about her that's just… different.
Maybe it's the way she's smiling? Yeah! There's like, stuff radiating from her teeth…
"Moony! Pst! Moony!"
"What, Prongs?"
"Look at Lily. Look at her teeth. Don't you see something peculiar?"
"Erm… No?"
"I mean, they're so unbelievably shiny!"
"You've lost me."
"When she smiles, her teeth kind of… glow! She's glowing, Moony!"
"You're mental."
"But look—!"
"Prongs. Do you fancy Lily?"
"Err…"
"I rest my case."
"Why has your case been rested? I still haven't figured out what's different about Lily!"
He ignored me. Wow, thanks, mate. Not. I decided I didn't care whether or not he ignored me, I was going to bother him again.
"Moony, do you think she enjoys being my friend?"
"Well, I wouldn't really know, Prongs, I haven't asked her such a question."
"Because I really do enjoy her being my mate."
"Well that's good."
"I've honestly never met anyone quite like her."
"Maybe it's because you've never before befriended a girl before.
"Bollocks!"
"At least, without the original intent of getting into her knickers."
"Err… Bollocks?"
"Hm? Maybe you fancy her, then?"
"Agh! Bollocks!"
"You have a strange obsession with male parts."
"I do not appreciate such literal understanding of something that is merely slang for blasphemy!"
I glanced her way again, and watched her slowly slice dead caterpillars. I'd never seen someone look so good slicing such nasty critters. She seemed so carefree and brilliant, slicing away and laughing at something else Becca had said. Must be a funny bird for someone to laugh so often… I listened. Her laugh was perfect; a mixture of loud and dainty girlishness. What was so different about her?
I guess this whole curious mystery inquiry started when I'd become Head Boy. She'd obviously been appointed Head Girl, and we were thrown together, despite Lily's dislike (or hatred, depending on your view) for me. We agreed that we'd have to start getting along and inevitably became friendly. She's really not all that bad, I decided. She thought the same for me, explaining why she had hated me for so long, and then admitted that hey, I've actually grown out of my silly little immature image. Yeah, I actually changed.
That started when I was appointed Captain last year. I definitely couldn't lose that sort of royalty! So I created this game between me and the Marauders. No more pranking on innocent students, which meant less getting in trouble. If we were to more-or-less prank ourselves instead of hurting others, and promise the pranks to a minimum, we'd still be able to prank, and we wouldn't get in as much trouble, since they'd basically be on ourselves. Lily seemed to like this. She liked that the only people on the receiving end of a Marauder prank would only be the Marauders, themselves. She also enjoyed watching all four Marauders in a state of constant angst, the sadist. I thought the game genius anyway, and as soon as the back-to-school feast had started, my mashed potatoes blew up in my face. The professors merely chuckled and set us on our way. They thought it rather hilarious and punishment enough for the rest of the years I'd basically tortured others.
I had scoffed. I brought joy and humour to those lives! It wasn't my fault they had taken it too seriously… I apologised anyway, knowing that some people's feelings had actually been hurt.
But really! What was it about Lily Evans that had just-so-happened to catch my eye?
Was it the mere notice that her hair colour was a thick, vibrant red shimmer that framed the pale porcelain of her heart-shaped face? Was it the way her emerald-eyes shined in every sort of light, whether it dim or sunny? Was it the observation that her lips were a luscious, plump pink? Was it because the mere mention of her lips caused my cheeks to flame an embarrassingly hot heat? Was it—?
Aw, blimey.
Moony was right.
I fancied Lily Evans.
- x -
"Hey Lily!" She'd just entered the common room from the girls' dormitories. She looked up and smiled in my direction, heading towards me. I felt myself smile at her smile, and tried not to put on the typical 'arrogant-act' I reserved for females that I seemed to have an attraction for. Usually, it would work with every bird I tried it with. But I knew Lily despised it. And I knew I'd never liked any bird like I liked Lily.
Jeesh, I couldn't shove another 'like' in that sentence if I tried.
I just tried. Didn't work.
"Yeah, James?"
"I'm having trouble with this Charms essay. Lend me some of your oh-so-wonderfully brilliant notes?"
"Flattery will get you no where, James. But since I'm in a good mood, here. Return them to me quick, yeah?"
"Anything for the absolutely charming Head Girl!"
She laughed at me. "You're ridiculous." Lily opened up her copy of our Charms textbook, and handed me a few sheets of parchment. She shut it and shoved it back into her bookbag, and headed off towards the couches where Becca was sitting.
"'ey mate. Oi, whatcha lookin' at?" Sirius had bounced into view.
"Lily's Charms notes. Trying to figure out this essay."
"I see. Who's in the lead?" I smirked and pulled out the Marauder's book—a detailed record of every single prank we've ever pulled, and now the sole declaration of who was in the lead of our little game. I checked the latest entry and the updated list.
"Wormtail is," I grinned triumphantly; I was second. Remus was third, and Sirius was fourth.
"Errgggghhh," Sirius moaned. "I'm still trying to wash my uniforms…"
"Wormtail's brilliant!" I laughed, "Every single pair of your trousers is a—"
"—sodding shade of fuchsia. I know, Prongs, they're my sodding uniforms…"
I didn't stop laughing.
"Hey James?" Lily had gotten up from the couches and made her way over to me. Becca looked impatient, tapping her foot, though smiling at me in greeting. "I need to switch patrols for tonight. I had to reschedule a tutoring session, and tonight's the only night that my student could reschedule. Could you go with Diggory tonight?"
"Sure, Lil."
"Thanks! S'later," she smiled at me and exited through the portrait hole.
"She's a hot bird, that one."
"Err…never noticed."
"Did you see her?" he looked at me incredulously. "You've got to be bloody blind to not see how hot that girl is."
"We're… friends."
"LAME."
"How the bloody hell is that lame?"
"You know she's pretty. Admit it, Prongs! Admit that you like her!"
"Err…"
"Come on!"
"Err…"
"Out with it!"
"FINE. I LIKE LILY EVANS."
And for some reason, my voice was booming at an unusual decibel. It sounded like a Humphrey Jordan's Volume-Modifier Charm; the one he uses at Quidditch matches. I was going to bloody strangle the bloke I called my mate. And then write him in as the Momentary Marauder Champion. But Sirius was staring blankly at me, or rather past me. I turned to follow Sirius's gaze and saw the one and only Lily Evans. Pft, I'm not writing him in as MMC, now.
Fuck my luck.
She hurried out of the Gryffindor common room again, or maybe she just hadn't left yet in the first place, whilst the entire Gryffindor common room erupted in cheers, laughter, and whistling.
"Finally, you've admitted it," Remus chuckled, appearing with a sulking Peter.
"I'm still second," he muttered. Sirius didn't say anything, just looked at me with a frightened expression on his face.
"I'm going to kill you, you bleeding git!" I leapt towards him, my hands reaching to clasp around his neck. Remus and Peter were annoyingly sturdy, even as I ploughed into them, pushing me away from Sirius and throwing me back into the armchair.
"Prongs, you're insane."
"Moony's right, Prongs. You've finally admitted you fancy Lily. You're not in a constant state of agonising denial. What's the big deal?"
"The big deal, Wormtail, is that she doesn't fancy me back and I've quite ruined my chances by embarrassing us both to pieces! She heard, damnit!"
"You're so sodding oblivious, I can't even describe it."
"And what the bloody hell do you mean by that?" I cried indignantly. Honestly, I've just been pranked out of my wits and now I'm being indirectly named as a non-observant sod? I don't understand these people that I'm supposed to call friends!
"She fancies the luckily-un-fuchsia trousers off of you," Sirius retorted for Remus, who seemed a bit taken aback that his line had been stolen. "You needed to realise that you fancy her back, and I, knowing your ass-resemblances, knew you weren't going to budge unless I'd taken drastic measures and pushed you into it. I just didn't think she'd be present whilst you confessed straight into my prank."
"Well she was. And now, I'm screwed."
"You're such a drama queen," Peter sighed. "You're not bloody screwed. You need to get off your arse and ask her out!"
"Why would I do that?"
"You are an infuriatingly dense sod."
"I love you too, Moony."
"Let's find her!" Sirius battle-cried, pulling me to my feet and ran out the portrait hole. Remus and Peter followed, dragging me.
I hadn't realised I had an audience to this conversation too, until they cheered encouraging remarks after my leave. I was so going to murder the Marauders if this didn't work out for me. The entirety of Gryffindor must have been there, eavesdropping and giggling. And now they know I'm a—what was it?—infuriatingly dense sod. I hate my life.
Once in the corridor and after sprinting several tens of metres, Sirius stopped abruptly, and entirely too out-of-the-blue. Remus crashed into his sturdy frame, and became at a numb stand-still preparing to fall backwards. That was until Peter ran into Remus, saving him a fall onto marble tile. But Peter hadn't enough time to react before I came flailing into him, and unfortunately bouncing off the wall of Marauders before me. I flew backwards and watched Peter and Remus crumple into a pile behind Sirius and atop me, moaning and cursing and snarling. But Sirius remained ignorant of the agony the remaining Marauders were in, due to reason of his unexpected stop.
We then learned our pain was all for a very confused, and appalled Katharine Billings. Lily's other best mate.
"What did you do that for, Black? You've gone and nearly killed your mates with your carelessness!" she screeched at Sirius, running to the pile of boys behind him.
"Oh… Err… Sorry mates… Though you do look really humourous…"
Katy shot Sirius a death glare, and helped the last boy, me, up. After she finished asking us if we were alright and brushing off our robes, she swirled around to face Sirius, hands on her hips.
"Tell me what you were thinking when you nearly murdered your friends by halting like a deer-in-a-Fiendfyre-frenzy in front of me?"
"You're going to be a great Healer one day. You know you should be one when you care for such sods so much that you create such alluring metaphors."
"What do you want?" she sighed exasperatedly.
"Where might your lovely Lily be?" Katy eyed him curiously and crossed her arms.
"Why are you asking me this…?"
Sirius sighed a sigh similar to Katy's earlier one, and explained, "James here, has finally admitted to fancying Lily, but it was a prank and I made his voice a bit too loud with Jordan's thing and Lily had crawled back into the common room and then freaked and ran off."
"What…?" She shook her head violently, not trying to understand the specifics. "I have no idea where Lily is, but if you find Becca, I'm sure she'll assist you. I saw Becca with Lily last."
"Alrighty then! Follow me, chums!"
"But we're in pain," Peter grumbled.
"Because you knocked us down," Remus groaned.
"I still have to kill you, Padfoot," I snarled.
"There shall not be any murders before Lily is found!" Katy interrupted shrilly. "Go find her, James, I'm sure she's waiting for you!"
"Why—"
"You're such a twit, GO!"
She smacked me about my head and pushed me towards the staircase. And to my complete and utter surprise (not), I tripped over an uneven bit of marble and went tumbling down the stairs.
My luck fucking blew.
"I'm sorry, Potter!" she called down the steps. I couldn't see her, because my leg had unceremoniously curled in such a way it blocked my entire vision. I pulled my right arm, which was stuck under my leg—for Merlin's sake how the bloody hell was I arranged?! After I had received feeling in my body, painfully so, I realised that I was lying on my back, with my right leg extended to my right, and my left leg was twisted to sit on top of my face. I groaned and unfolded myself and felt the pain numb itself again. I looked back, up the stairs, and saw an upside-down figure point a curious stick at me.
I fumbled for my glasses and put them on, and saw that my friends had descended the stairs and Katy was casting a sort of spell on my pain-stricken body. She was really going to make a great Healer.
Peter looked like he was stifling laughter as he offered his hand. I pulled myself up and brushed myself off, quite happy that Katy had fixed me.
"Thanks Katy! You know, you really are going to be a great Healer! Teach me that spell one day—"
I didn't finish my sentence because Sirius and Remus had pulled me in the direction of the next flight down. Peter had pushed me in the direction of the stairs down, but I gripped the banister enough to run safely.
I wonder when the next time I'd hurt myself trying to find Lily would be. I'm really starting to think that the universe is out to get me. Alas, karma has gotten to me after all those years of never confessing it was me to dip Mary Ellen's pigtails in paint!
I'M SORRY MARY ELLEN! I'M SO SORRY! AGHH, I MISSED A STEP! MY ANKLE! DAMNIT!
I howled in pain. Again. Remus muttered an incantation at my rapidly-swelling ankle while Peter and Sirius became my temporary crutches, lifting me and running down the stairs. Why was I cursed with klutzyness on such a fortunate day?
KARMA.
I'LL KILL IT.
WAIT, I LIED, DON'T KILL ME FIRST!
We eventually made it to the Great Hall, after several mishaps involving the impairments of my right wrist, nose, left elbow, and right buttock. I'm really due for a checkup with Madame O'Brien before I go to Quidditch practice and screw up my chances at living a healthy injury-less lifestyle.
"I'm absolutely positive Becca will be here…" Remus muttered.
"WHAT?! SHE BLOODY HAS TO BE IN HERE! I BETTER HAVE NOT NEARLY KILLED MYSELF FOR NOTHING!"
"If you think about it, you basically nearly killed yourself for Lily," Sirius grinned.
"You know, for one who is never generally correct, you shouldn't allow yourself to look like such a loon when you finally are."
I was yanked into the Hall, and pulled down the length of the Gryffindor table to see Becca Wright sitting next to Alice Prewett laughing explosively at something that couldn't really have been that funny…
"Oi, Wright!" They both looked up to see us, and promptly exploded into laughter. I guess the 'unfunny' was actually my current predicament, which on a different, futuristic day, I will find spectacularly hilarious.
"Where's Lily?" Peter demanded, slamming his fist down onto the table. Hilariously, his knuckles cracked under the unnecessary pressure and he yelped.
"And the award for the Worst Imitation of a Bad Cop Ever Done goes to Peter Pettigrew!" Sirius laughed violently, and began to choke on his own spit.
"Why do you need to find Lily, James? Going to confess your undying love? Oh wait! You've already done that!" Becca was cackling uncontrollably by now, as was Alice, as they fell into each other in a laughing heap.
"Wow, this is seriously not funny at all…" I murmured.
At this, Becca seemed to collect herself and smiled as she looked at me. "Sorry, James. It was… just a good prank. Congrats, Black. But erm, last I heard of her she was finishing up some homework?" I could physically feel my face fall. She seemed to notice and tried to make amends. "Though she could be anywhere, I'd check the library first. Since you did come from the Tower."
I beamed, I knew it, and took off for the third floor. My friends had run after me, calling my name to 'bloody stop' because I was an 'impatient little twit', but I ignored them. Lily had to be in the library, she just had to be.
As usual, I tripped up my third stair, causing me to fall flat on the eighth or ninth stair, and HARD. A burning sensation filled my nostrils as I rolled over and held my nose, moaning in pain. The Marauders had finally caught up with me, sniggering as they saw my position.
"We told you to wait, mate."
"We knew this would happen."
"We guffaw at your impatience."
And it didn't even matter who said what, all I know is that I was nursing a broken nose and no one had done a thing to cure it. I really needed to learn some basic Healing spells before I finish school… Especially with karma on my arse. Remus sighed and muttered something, which to my misfortune, I did not hear, and my nose cracked itself and stopped gushing blood.
I stood up confidently, and scrambled up the first flight of stairs. Once I made it to the half-floor, I took a comical breath, and started for the next flight of steps to take me to the second floor.
And of course.
Just as I'd gotten to the second floor.
There appeared Severus Snape.
Just in time to ruin my chances by delaying my already-prolonged journey to Lily.
"What, pray tell, could you possibly be looking at?" he sneered.
"Well I was daydreaming about my next move."
"Didn't think you swung that way, Potter."
"They were more along the lines of beating your greasy arse to a pulp with a mere flick of my wand."
"You wouldn't."
"And why wouldn't I perform such a beautiful deed?"
"Your Mudblood would hear, and you know if she hears, there won't be much of you left."
I got angry. And when I say angry, I mean, I was turning beet red and there was a roaring in my ears and an incorrigible desire to beat Snape till blood flowed from his ears Muggle-style kind of angry. I jumped into dueling stance and sent a single spell that, from my lack of wit and complete overwhelm of pissyness, was a mixture of Disarming, Silencing, Slug-Shitting, and Green-Skin-Colouring Hexes.
Lily was so going to murder me.
Snape keeled over in pain, though, I couldn't hear his cries because I'd sorta Silenced him.
Oh Lily is going to castrate me. Or chop me into tiny bits while I'm still breathing.
Then a slug appeared. Oh EW, that actually bloody worked?! Oh EW.
Lily is never going to even consider dating me.
With this terrifying last thought, I screamed a counter-thing at Snape in a girlish pitch and ran past him to the furthest staircase as could possibly be.
The git has nerve, I'll give him that. He yelled something at me, which hit my left wrist like a Bludger. I ignored the broken bones and kept running to the desired floor—the third.
I was so close I could already taste the musty smell of old, rotting books so clearly — oh, it's because I'm here.
Before me stood the library, vast in expanse and splendour. It seemed to emit sunrays, and sing angelic 'aahs' as I gazed upon its greatness, realising that Lily Evans was somewhere inside.
Then I was crashed into by three slippery prats, all of which possessed a knack for attracting my bad karma. And with that, I fell flat on my face for about the millionth time that day.
Now, I don't blame karma.
Now, I blame three stinky blokes.
Now, I'm to murder four people after Lily accepts my desperate plea to become my girlfriend.
Sirius had found his arse on my right leg, whilst Peter had found himself on my torso, and Remus had obviously landed on my left wrist. I cried out in horror, hearing (and not feeling) my wrist crack, yet again. I'm so bleeding grateful I'm a righty. So fucking grateful. I threw everyone off of me to observe the new developments in my poor limb.
"You've… Oh you've… My wrist… Dead…"
"Don't be dramatic, Prongs, you're prolly—" My hand flopped. "—oh blimey, it's DEAD!"
"Thanks, I hadn't noticed," I bit out, looking at my floppy left wrist. The fact I couldn't feel it didn't much help the situation. Courageously, if I do say so myself, I shot up off the ground and marched straight towards the library.
Peter was only two inches shorter than I was, and just a bit less muscular, but when he threw himself violently in my path, he seemed to be a massive weight-lifter extraordinaire, taller and bigger in every way. You can guess that I've just flopped onto my back. Again.
"What… the… hell… Pettigrew…"
"I think you should seriously think about what you're going to do before you march right in and do something particularly barmy."
"Mmph…"
"Oh you know it'd happen with your luck," Remus added, smirking.
"Agh…"
"Come on, think, what might you say?" Sirius grinned. "Would you do as Wright suggested, confess your undying—wait, you've done that."
"SODDING HELL! LET ME THROUGH!"
"At least consider the state of your wrist," Remus tried to stop me and turn me around to the infirmary, but I did a brilliant spin around him and ran into the library. Peter's words began to hit me like a Stupefy. Shit. I had no idea what I was about to do.
The Marauders had quietly followed me in, and pushed me towards the Divination section. Rarely anyone visited these shelves; if ever to complete a homework assignment in this class; one would merely bullshit their way into the future. Feeling rather safe, Sirius began to speak—which, I'd learned is never, ever a good thing.
"What the hell do you think you're going to do, saunter up to the girl and throw lily petals at her feet and then throw yourself at her shoes?"
Nope, never a good thing.
"Maybe you should find her first and maybe, a very lenient sort of maybe, nature will take its course…?"
"Crikey, Moony, it's Prongs. This is the first bird he's actually really fancied since Janine Roday—"
"—whom, I might add is a Quidditch celebrity. Prongs has never talked to a girl he's ever fancied!"
"I hate you Sirius."
"Oi, what's with the names?"
"I will call you by specific nickname when I deem you worthy of my mateship."
"Yeesh."
"Come on; let's go find her, yeah?"
Remus tugged on my left elbow, since he couldn't touch my wrist, and pulled me towards the Potions books. Sirius and Peter had left to cover more ground. We ducked behind a shelf and peered over the books, searching for the apple of my eye.
"What in the world are you two doing?"
Agh. McGonagall.
"Erm… Well…"
"We were looking for the Head Girl, Professor," Remus said, without as much as a stutter. McGonagall glared down her nose at me and raised an eyebrow.
"Why is it that the act of finding Miss Evans involves mysterious stalking?"
Remus and I choked in reply.
"I'm waiting, boys."
"…"
"Well, we were avoiding confrontation, of course."
"And who would be confronting you, Potter?"
"Erm…" I quickly scanned the tables on the other side of the books. I knew what I was about to say was going to eat my Saturday night, but to hell with it, I needed out of this sticky situation to find Lily and quick! "Mary Ellen Kelley."
"What did you do now, Potter?" her eyes narrowed at me dangerously. I grinned; it was my brave little façade.
"Why, Minerva, don't get your knickers in a twist!" Her lips pursed so much they were nearly nonexistent. It was coming… Aw… She said nothing… Now I'd have to explain myself… "Don't you remember in first year? Mary Ellen Kelly's unfortunate hair colour change?"
"Oh, Mr. Potter, don't you dare tell me that was you."
"Then I shan't, dear Minerva!"
"Ten-point deduction for the improper title and you shall serve detention with me tonight, seven sharp, my classroom. Now I shall do something uncharacteristic of me, but I believe I need a good laugh. Good day, Mr. Potter."
With a swish of her robes, she turned and left the aisle.
"What in Merlin's name does she mean by 'she needs a good laugh'?" Remus muttered. After a brief second of flitting, he turned back to the books and creepily peered on. I hadn't so much as moved from my position; my back to the books, pondering my next daydream move with Lily. See, I'd just gotten to the part where she swoons at my touch and nearly faints as I ask her out to Hogsmeade this Saturday—now that I am free.
"And why in the world would Mary Ellen Kelley's parents allow her to have three names as her basic title, and have them all be first-name-like? It's really annoying… Like they couldn't decide what to name their daughter…"
I didn't see Remus's eyes widen in fear. "Prongs… I think you should see this…" he whimpered, ducking. I shrugged and nonchalantly turned directly into the deathly piercing glare of Mary Ellen's blue-grey eyes. I yelped in horror and ducked along with Remus… But he had disappeared!
Alas! Loyal mate has actually ditched me! I felt a stone drop from some pipe (I never paid much attention to that Biology bit in Potions class) into the pit of my stomach as I began to fear for my life. Mary Ellen was such a sweet Hufflepuff, but I didn't doubt any bit of her anger, bracing myself to run for the children and my future life with Lily. I turned to my right, and all I saw and felt was black cloth, soft against my face, but rough when Mary Ellen pulled it away.
"That was you?" she hissed. I whimpered pathetically as she bent over to look at me. "We dated in fourth year and you never had the sense to come clean?"
Aw shite, I was SCREWED. I'd forgotten that I dated her. And she remembered! Oh my—better start drawing up my will, they'll perform some sort of brain charm to recover it amongst the memories before I suffered a wrathful death at the hands of one of Hufflepuff's so-not-sweetest own.
I would like to leave my broom to Sirius, even though he'd just trade my prized beauty of a Lightening for a weird Muggle motorbike. It's the thought that counts, I think. I'd love to leave my collection of odd books I've picked up over the last eighteen years of my life to Remus, I'm sure he'd enjoy reading about the oddities that can be put in soup. And I'd leave my owl and the rest of my Zonko's supply to Peter, because Merlin knows that I want him to beat the living daylights out of Sirius with pranks and embarrassment. And then owl my mum about how her almost-son nearly died and ended up in St. Mungo's.
That would do just fine—she kicked my shin. Then my kidney, then my —of course— left wrist. "Answer me, James Potter."
Aw… She hasn't killed me yet…
Wait! She hasn't killed me yet!
I WANT MY BROOM BACK!
"I ask your forgiveness, dearly esteemed Mary Ellen Kelley, but could you possibly repeat the question for your humbly dim-witted slave?"
"Did you or did you not dip my pigtails in a repulsive shade of moss-green paint in our first year at Hogwarts?"
"I… err… did…"
"Why did you not bother to tell me when we dated in fourth year?"
"Must have… slipped my mind…"
"How ignorant do you remain at my feelings?"
"Very… Wait! No! I do not remain ignorant, I am so very aware! I apologise profusely at my immature eleven-year-old self and then said antics, and in my defence, I would like to interject the evidence that I had not even hit puberty yet!"
"I would deem that as entirely too much information."
"But honestly! I hadn't realised how pretty you were until I finally hit the dreadful stage—"
"Cut the bollocks—" I winced at this, "—and find your Lily Evans before I feel required to maim you of your curiously floppy left hand."
"You're a beautifully kind Hufflepuff, and I do believe I hear an appointment of 'Most-Favourite-Prefect' somewhere…"
"POTTER. LEAVE BEFORE I MAIM YOUR—"
"—and I am off!" I ran in my crouched position, around the corner of the bookshelf and hit my head with a pointy-edged table, feeling a goose egg bump form. I ignored the stinging and jumped from the ground to straighten my body and toppled over backwards, landing abruptly on my bum. I sat in still paralysis for a good ten seconds before my mind began functioning again.
Ah jeez, I need some help.
They'd probably shove me into ballet classes.
If they perfected this mess of me, I wouldn't mind them one bit…
At that moment, someone decided to collapse on my left wrist from behind me, holding a massive pile of heavy textbooks that came tumbling down onto my face.
"Oh dear Merlin, I'm so, so sorry! Are you alright? I can't believe I'm so clumsy—"
Lily.
It was freakin' Lily Janine Evans.
I was bloody flustered.
Again.
"—Oh no."
This hesitant soft cry of embarrassment snapped me out of my stupor of pondering how much strength I had left in my poor dud to tangle it in Lily's hair once we started snogging… She stepped back and observed the dud with fearful, doe-like eyes. She whimpered a bit before taking off into the various sections of Basic-Living Spellbooks and very nearly disappearing.
When I pushed off my right arm to snap into the air, I felt a headrush only Lily could bring as I ran after her, ignorant of Madam Pince's angry wails about the mess Lily had left. My heart was thumping fast, increasingly growing louder as I saw the back of her uniform and her brilliant red hair. She was quicker than me, because unlike me, she had every perfect limb on her body working and unharmed (or I'd kill a bitch), running, running away from me. A jolt of adrenaline kicked in when she turned the right corner and vanished from my sight.
I turned the corner violently, hearing my shoulder crack as it rammed into the wood. But I only saw Lily. And I only kept running.
She daintily skipped into an aisle labeled ironically, 'Muggle Romances' and again vanished.
I did not like this game.
Not.
One.
Bit.
I'd run so fast and gotten so close, that if I reached an two arm's lengths, I would have caught her shoulder.
"Lily! Please stop!"
And she did.
But I crashed into her.
She nearly fell over, but I steadied her with my failure of a left hand, holding her close, tightly and…
I pressed my lips against hers, feeling her sigh of surprise and content before settling against my hold and moulding with my body.
I was finally kissing Lily Evans after hours of wild-goose-hunting, numerous injuries that I knew would hinder my future health, and encounters I'd always aimed to avoid.
The headrush hit me like a train again, she was begging for a snog with a swift lick of her tongue against my lips.
Ahhh, I felt like I was going to pass out from such a high.
Lily Evans! Oh, Lily Evans…
She pulled away from me, this cute little smirk appearing on her lips and her eyes twinkling in happiness.
Then, threw herself at me.
And of course, she landed on top of me, and as you can guess, like clockwork;
I finally passed out.
I think she was going for a hug.
Yay.
- x -
"James? If you get out of here by tonight, you figure we could do something?"
"Sorry, Lil, I sacrificed tonight for a detention with McGonagall for you."
"I suppose you'll tell me later…?"
"Yes. But I have planned our first-date-extravaganza for this Saturday's Hogsmeade trip!"
"But Mr. Potter, you'll be confined here for the next week entirely, due to critical issues with the proper functioning of your left wrist, the breathing and smelling capabilities of your conker, the flexibility of your left leg, and … well just about everything …" Madame O'Brien clucked her tongue. "You better marry this girl, Potter. I doubt anyone else will take care of you if you hurt yourself after I've fixed you up. At least Miss Evans will be ridden with guilt if she doesn't remedy the situation herself…"
Bugger.
Though, I really should have expected such.
There you go! This has earned its honour of being the first fic that I have ever written and published on this site. I know I've a bit of learning to do, so you should really click that lovely reviewer's button and tell me what you think! (In a kindly manner, of course...)
One matter clear, though. I absolutely adore James Potter, so please don't attack me otherwise. Heh.
xoxo, Sadie.