Disclaimer:
I don't own these characters or this setting. Joanne Kathleen Rowling,
Warner Brothers, and I Can't Believe You're Reading My Disclaimer do.
Dedication: To Lauren, for teaching me so much about love. And to Katie, whose undying love of L/J fluff inspired me to write some of my own.
Introduction: I am a bad person. I know I haven't updated the parody. But you guys sit tight, okay? Right now I'm mired in a very long and unfunny chapter. I AM STILL WORKING ON IT when I have the time and inspiration. Anyway, about this ficlet. I'm planning on dividing it into three parts. Hopefully I can have the whole thing up this week. Umm, I can't remember the rest of what I was going to say. So, on to the fluff!
Froze Over
It was the last day of James's fifth year at Hogwarts. He sat in the great hall with his three best friends Sirius, Remus, and Peter, suspiciously eyeing his plate of scrambled eggs. (A/N: This is NOT the James in the OOTP flashback. Or the Lily, for that matter.) The table was unusually silent - no one wanted to go home. James's mind began to wander several feet to the right of him, where he knew she was sitting, even though he had not looked at her. Sirius's voice abruptly brought him back to his eggs.
"I'm going to ask Claire Hodges out today."
James's head snapped up. Claire Hodges was a beautiful Ravenclaw and the unassuming owner of waist-length wavy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, a small elfin nose, and a sweet, friendly temperament. She liked to laugh but was a little absent-minded.
"Why?" Remus wanted to know.
"Because I like her, Moony," Sirius explained in exasperation.
"When are you going to do it?" James asked. He was a little stunned. None of the Marauders had dated before. Shy, quiet (except with the other Marauders) James had hardly even considered asking a girl out before, even her. James knew he wasn't cute or dashing like Sirius - the glasses and messy hair were big negatives. But even Sirius had never expressed an interest in dating before. It seemed to tear down a barrier in James's world. If another one of the Marauders could date, why not him?
James considered all of this as Sirius considered his answer. Clearly his announcement had been an impulsive one meant to break the silence.
"I don't know," he said finally.
"She's going out onto the grounds now," Peter said. "Maybe you can catch her before she gets into a carriage."
"Yes," said Sirius, squinting in thought (pain?). "Yes, that's what I'll do."
James watched as Sirius got out of the seat across from him and sprinted down the table, drawing a few quizzical stares. He heard her get up and leave, too, as he turned his attention back to his eggs. He still hadn't eaten anything. Not that this was an unusual occurrence. Over the summer, his pediatrician had told his mother to "fatten him up". He half- wished he wasn't so thin - it made him feel weak.
He drew in the breath to say something (he didn't know what) to Remus and Peter, but broke off in a loud ooph as Sirius jerked him up from the bench. Apparently he had been running around the table to the other side to fetch James.
"You're coming with me," he said, before turning toward the doors to the Entrance Hall and setting off at a fast pace. James jogged to catch up with him.
When he and Sirius were side by side, James whined, "Why do I have to go with you? You can't get a bloody girlfriend by yourself?"
"No." - firmly. James laughed in spite of himself. He supposed if he was asking a girl out, he'd want his best friend backing him up too.
They walked through the entrance hall and out onto the grounds. James was immediately overwhelmed by two colors - the emerald green of the lawn and the clear blue of the sky. The lake looked like a piece of the sky on earth as it reflected the soft white clouds and softer blue dreaminess above it.
"There she is!" exclaimed Sirius, pointing. "She's just starting to walk around the lake - probably killing time until the carriages arrive to take us to the station."
James looked - and paled. Next to the stream of blonde hair (Claire had her back to the boys) was a length of red hair that curled in familiar little ringlets. She was beautiful.
"She's with Lily," James pointed out. "Are you still going to ask her?"
"Of course, Prongs. If I minded company I wouldn't have brought you!"
James grinned wryly and they walked on, closing the gap between them and the girls, who were strolling in a leisurely fashion, lacking an important objective like Sirius's. Just before they caught up, James realized this was going to be incredibly awkward for him and Lily and groaned inwardly.
Claire and Lily turned around as they heard James and Sirius behind them.
"Hi Sirius, James," said Claire, smiling.
"Hi Claire," Sirius said.
Short pause.
"Will you go out with me?
Claire, Lily, and Sirius all gasped involuntarily. For the speaker was not Sirius, but James. Now he was staring fixedly at Lily but reddening steadily as he realized what he had just done. Lily was silent - in shock, presumably.
Claire laughed to rid the group of the awkward moment. Like Sirius, she hated odd silences. But this didn't work that well - everyone turned to stare at her instead, waiting for an explanation. She didn't really have one, so she just said the first thing that came to mind.
"It's just funny."
Lily raised an eyebrow at her, forcing Claire to press on.
"I don't know, just the way that things work out, and how some people end up getting a boyfriend or girlfriend before others, beating the odds. It's interesting, in a weird way."
She trailed off, realizing that what she had just said was very stupid indeed.
Lily and Sirius both looked confused, but for some reason James understood, so he replied, "Yes, I know Lily's not pretty like you, but -"
He stopped in horror as he realized what he had done. A quick glance at Lily, and his worst fears were realized. She was looking at him in shock, hurt, and quickly blossoming anger. James broke the eye contact as quickly as possible by staring at the ground and placing a hand over his eyes in despair.
"I'm afraid I'll have to refuse your offer, James," Lily said quietly to the crown of the boy's bowed head. James slowly looked up again, but she was already walking away. He looked back at his feet. Claire and Sirius were still standing next to him. After several more seconds of awkward silence, Sirius cleared his throat.
"Um, Claire, will you go out with me?"
Dedication: To Lauren, for teaching me so much about love. And to Katie, whose undying love of L/J fluff inspired me to write some of my own.
Introduction: I am a bad person. I know I haven't updated the parody. But you guys sit tight, okay? Right now I'm mired in a very long and unfunny chapter. I AM STILL WORKING ON IT when I have the time and inspiration. Anyway, about this ficlet. I'm planning on dividing it into three parts. Hopefully I can have the whole thing up this week. Umm, I can't remember the rest of what I was going to say. So, on to the fluff!
Froze Over
It was the last day of James's fifth year at Hogwarts. He sat in the great hall with his three best friends Sirius, Remus, and Peter, suspiciously eyeing his plate of scrambled eggs. (A/N: This is NOT the James in the OOTP flashback. Or the Lily, for that matter.) The table was unusually silent - no one wanted to go home. James's mind began to wander several feet to the right of him, where he knew she was sitting, even though he had not looked at her. Sirius's voice abruptly brought him back to his eggs.
"I'm going to ask Claire Hodges out today."
James's head snapped up. Claire Hodges was a beautiful Ravenclaw and the unassuming owner of waist-length wavy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, a small elfin nose, and a sweet, friendly temperament. She liked to laugh but was a little absent-minded.
"Why?" Remus wanted to know.
"Because I like her, Moony," Sirius explained in exasperation.
"When are you going to do it?" James asked. He was a little stunned. None of the Marauders had dated before. Shy, quiet (except with the other Marauders) James had hardly even considered asking a girl out before, even her. James knew he wasn't cute or dashing like Sirius - the glasses and messy hair were big negatives. But even Sirius had never expressed an interest in dating before. It seemed to tear down a barrier in James's world. If another one of the Marauders could date, why not him?
James considered all of this as Sirius considered his answer. Clearly his announcement had been an impulsive one meant to break the silence.
"I don't know," he said finally.
"She's going out onto the grounds now," Peter said. "Maybe you can catch her before she gets into a carriage."
"Yes," said Sirius, squinting in thought (pain?). "Yes, that's what I'll do."
James watched as Sirius got out of the seat across from him and sprinted down the table, drawing a few quizzical stares. He heard her get up and leave, too, as he turned his attention back to his eggs. He still hadn't eaten anything. Not that this was an unusual occurrence. Over the summer, his pediatrician had told his mother to "fatten him up". He half- wished he wasn't so thin - it made him feel weak.
He drew in the breath to say something (he didn't know what) to Remus and Peter, but broke off in a loud ooph as Sirius jerked him up from the bench. Apparently he had been running around the table to the other side to fetch James.
"You're coming with me," he said, before turning toward the doors to the Entrance Hall and setting off at a fast pace. James jogged to catch up with him.
When he and Sirius were side by side, James whined, "Why do I have to go with you? You can't get a bloody girlfriend by yourself?"
"No." - firmly. James laughed in spite of himself. He supposed if he was asking a girl out, he'd want his best friend backing him up too.
They walked through the entrance hall and out onto the grounds. James was immediately overwhelmed by two colors - the emerald green of the lawn and the clear blue of the sky. The lake looked like a piece of the sky on earth as it reflected the soft white clouds and softer blue dreaminess above it.
"There she is!" exclaimed Sirius, pointing. "She's just starting to walk around the lake - probably killing time until the carriages arrive to take us to the station."
James looked - and paled. Next to the stream of blonde hair (Claire had her back to the boys) was a length of red hair that curled in familiar little ringlets. She was beautiful.
"She's with Lily," James pointed out. "Are you still going to ask her?"
"Of course, Prongs. If I minded company I wouldn't have brought you!"
James grinned wryly and they walked on, closing the gap between them and the girls, who were strolling in a leisurely fashion, lacking an important objective like Sirius's. Just before they caught up, James realized this was going to be incredibly awkward for him and Lily and groaned inwardly.
Claire and Lily turned around as they heard James and Sirius behind them.
"Hi Sirius, James," said Claire, smiling.
"Hi Claire," Sirius said.
Short pause.
"Will you go out with me?
Claire, Lily, and Sirius all gasped involuntarily. For the speaker was not Sirius, but James. Now he was staring fixedly at Lily but reddening steadily as he realized what he had just done. Lily was silent - in shock, presumably.
Claire laughed to rid the group of the awkward moment. Like Sirius, she hated odd silences. But this didn't work that well - everyone turned to stare at her instead, waiting for an explanation. She didn't really have one, so she just said the first thing that came to mind.
"It's just funny."
Lily raised an eyebrow at her, forcing Claire to press on.
"I don't know, just the way that things work out, and how some people end up getting a boyfriend or girlfriend before others, beating the odds. It's interesting, in a weird way."
She trailed off, realizing that what she had just said was very stupid indeed.
Lily and Sirius both looked confused, but for some reason James understood, so he replied, "Yes, I know Lily's not pretty like you, but -"
He stopped in horror as he realized what he had done. A quick glance at Lily, and his worst fears were realized. She was looking at him in shock, hurt, and quickly blossoming anger. James broke the eye contact as quickly as possible by staring at the ground and placing a hand over his eyes in despair.
"I'm afraid I'll have to refuse your offer, James," Lily said quietly to the crown of the boy's bowed head. James slowly looked up again, but she was already walking away. He looked back at his feet. Claire and Sirius were still standing next to him. After several more seconds of awkward silence, Sirius cleared his throat.
"Um, Claire, will you go out with me?"