A/N: Alright, I do not know what's wrong with this.
It came out different than I thought it would. I'm still not sure if I'm happy with it or if I should post this at all.
But since 'Danger' is my middle name: here we are. (It's not, by the way.)
I sincerely hope you like it, let me know!
The Potter Charm
"Yes."
"Yes? You sure?" He knows he's being arrogant and he knows she hates that, but really, she's asking for it.
"I'm sure." Lily states. She looks very determined to defy him.
"Can I get permission to prove you wrong?"
Her eyes widen and she swallows visibly. She obviously did not expect that.
Two hours earlier
It is 9.00 in the evening and the Heads' duo has just finished the Prefect patrol schedule for upcoming month. James and Lily are sitting in front of the fire that is burning in their Heads living room, surrounded by papers and quills.
"Merlin, this wasn't what I signed up for." James complains, stretching out.
"You didn't sign up in the first place." Lily reminds him.
"I know. Makes it even worse." His sigh is dramatic. "The things I do for this school, I should get a medal."
She grins at him, and he grins back, knowing that she wouldn't have laughed at his jokes only a few months ago. And even though she's rolling her eyes while she smiles, James decides it still counts. He is very content, knowing he can make her smile now. He always has had the ability to rile her up, make her angry, but this; this is so much better. It makes him feel like he can take on the world or even better: get her to date him. Of course he still has that ever present urge to make an arse of himself while she's around. But James has long learned to leash his inner idiot every now and then. Leash being an apt description, considering his inner idiot sounds a lot like Sirius. He rolls on his back, hands behind his head, content with watching her write.
"Why did you?" His question cuts through the comfortable silence.
"Why did I what?" She asks, without looking up from the essay she's now working on, ever the diligent student.
"Sign up." He clarifies. "I didn't, you did. Why?"
She does look up this time, frowning slightly. "It may be hard to believe, but I never thought about it. I just did it, it was never an option not to be Prefect or Head Girl. Strange, don't you think?"
Except it isn't. Because even though James knows he is the tiniest bit biased, the devotion Lily has for the tasks given to her, fun or not, makes her such a great role model for all the students at Hogwarts. And everyone knows that.
When he tells her that, she blushes and scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous James, it's not like I'm special. There have been tons of great Head students the last few years."
"Seriously?" He snorts in answer "You mean like Diane last year? Great example indeed for the younger students. That is, if we wanted to teach them how to be irresponsible slags during rounds."
"Okay, so maybe Diane has not been the best Head Girl Hogwarts has ever seen." She concedes. "But what about the Head Boy, hm? Davis wasn't that bad, was he?"
"Really, Evans? Davis? It's adorable how you want to see the best in people, but I thought you were a better judge of character than this."
"You think you know better, Potter? Because I went to Hogsmeade with Davis and he was perfectly lovely all day." Her raised eyebrow is a challenge, a challenge that calls out to him. It would be so easy to fall back into the arguments of old.
"Sounds to me like that makes you a bit partial. Trust me, Davis was an idiot Head Boy, who abused his power." As he says it, James can see Lily's temper rising. All the tell-tale signs are there: she's sitting up straighter, a feint blush is rising to her cheeks and her knuckles are starting to get white from clenching her fists.
"And why is that more true, pray tell? Because you're such a terrific judge of character?" Even though he understands that it looks like he's spouting off rubbish again, her sneering remark still stings.
"She who was friends with a Death Eater should not throw stones, Evans."
He regrets his words the moment they leave his mouth. That is not at all what he wanted to say, but she's pushing him. He gets so tired sometimes of proving that he's changed, so frustrated. It makes him say stupid things. He sees the pain flash in her eyes before she masks it with anger.
"How dare you mention him?" She asks quietly, while standing up. "You of all people should know better." The pleasant atmosphere is completely gone, replaced by a tense, awkward one. One James recognises very well from their rival days. One he really wants to get rid of. He stands as well, facing her.
"Lily, I'm sorry, I – that was uncalled for."
"You think?! I cannot believe I thought you'd matured beyond the arrogant prat who thinks he's better than anyone else!"
And just like that, James snaps as well.
"Well, isn't that nice, Evans. Good to know you have so little faith in me. If you're so desperate to find out how I know Davis is an arse: I overheard him talking to his buddies after you went to Hogsmeade with him. The git was bragging about how he staged you walking in on him helping out a First Year, and how he had played the gentleman all day, just to get in your knickers. Said he was only going to ask you again if he would get to third base with you before the next Hogsmeade weekend."
Her mouths falls open a bit, but James is beyond caring.
"Don't believe me, of course, if you think I'm still such a 'prat who thinks he's better than anyone else'."
And with that said – knowing he'll only makes things worse if he keeps talking, he storms out of the room.
Minutes after James has left, Lily realises she's still staring after him.
What the actual fuck just happened?
She knows there are about a thousand things she needs to do soul-searching on right now. Like her apparent trust issues (after Petunia and Sev, she's careful), her tendency to provoke him on purpose (it makes her feel alive), and of course her feelings in general regarding the Head Boy (feelings she's been ignoring for months now). These are all very important things she has to deal with. But not now, because he's mad at her, and she can't stand him being mad at her. So Lily runs out of their shared living room, in search for James.
One tiny problem: James is a hard lad to find if he does not want to be found. Lily tries his usual hangouts: the Gryffindor common room, the Quidditch shed, his old dormitory and the Room of Requirements. Nothing. She considers asking his friends about his whereabouts, but the dark look Sirius is shooting her way suggests that the other Marauders are not exactly in a helping mood.
After an hour of wandering around in the castle, she gives up. She's done with walking, but she's mostly done with being alone with her thoughts. So almost absentmindedly, she returns to the Heads quarters. She's so lost in her thoughts that she's halfway across the living room, on her way to her bedroom, before she notices James sitting in front of the fire.
When she sees him, her stomach feels like…It reminds her of the rollercoaster she used to love as a kid. Those magical few seconds where you're freefalling and it feels like your insides are both rising and dropping. That's how she feels right now, looking at James.
He's sitting on the floor in front of the fire, where they were sitting so amicably just over an hour ago. One arm is resting on a propped up knee, and runs a hand through his hair while she's still watching him. It is not the first time he's done that, judging by the way his hair is a complete and total mess. Lily knows that she has called him out on that habit a million times before, but bugger it all ifhis frustration isn't a bit adorable at the moment.
She honest-to-Merlin does not know how this has happened.
Shaking herself mentally, she reminds herself now is not the time for swooning. He is mad at her – and rightfully so, she has to admit. She is also still a bit mad at him and it's time to clear the air. So she wills her nerves away, walks over to him, and sinks down next to him in front of the fire. For a moment, they're both staring at the flames without saying a word. For a moment, all is well. His arm is warm, close to hers, and she almost feels at peace.
"I'm sorry." She hadn't planned to speak first, but the words are out of her mouth now. She sneaks a quick glance at his profile, and while he's still frowning, she knows he's listening. Lily has no idea how to proceed, so the only option is to keep going. "Every once in a while it's easier to fight with you like we used to. Even though I know you're a better person than that, even though I believe our friendship deserves more than that."
She turns her head to properly look at him this time and finds that James is staring right back. In the soft glow of the flames, his eyes look darker than his usual hazel. Darker in a way that tingles, excites and makes her feel more alive than all their arguments ever could. She still can't make anything of his facial expression, but she can almost convince herself some of the tension has left his shoulders. Unable to keep looking him in the eye, she stares into the fire again.
"I think I know what you mean. We've gotten so used to arguing a certain way over the years, judging each other a certain way that we slip back into that routine again when emotions run high." His tone is almost musing, and when she looks at him again, he's even smiling a bit. She feels relieved, knowing they are getting somewhere now.
"You're right. We've been friends for some time now, we both should know better."
They have both turned towards each other, and are smiling sheepishly at their collective foolishness.
"Do you think everyone in the castle knows that their Head students, the brightest witch and wizard of the century in four Houses, are complete and total idiots sometimes?" James sends her a quick grin, one that warms her from the inside out, one that lures a grin out of her as well. She nudges his arm, chuckling.
"Don't overestimate us, James. How are we going to live up to the standard, being complete and total idiots sometimes?"
"Ah, we'll figure it out." James states with complete certainty. Suddenly his face turns serious again. "Lil, I'm really sorry about what I said, I didn't mean to -…" He seems to be having a hard time finding the right words, so Lily cuts him of.
"It's okay. I assumed you were bashing Davis just because you could, so I got defensive – like I used to."
"Yeah and because of that, I got jealous – like I used to." He replies, but looks away after that. They have arrived at the subject of feelings. Dear Merlin, she's not ready. So she changes the subject.
"You know, I always wondered why Davis ditched me the week before that Hogsmeade trip. It never occurred to me that it had something to do with the fact that I never granted him access underneath my clothes. A bit naïve, now that I think about it." She pretends she doesn't notice his delighted facial expression. "I wish I'd known earlier, so I could've hexed him into next week."
Lily has spent a lot of time watching James Potter, which is why she knows exactly what has happened before he starts talking. The way his eyes light up in mischief and the way the corners of mouth are starting to curl into a smug grin, tells her a story of suffering for Larry Davis. All she's missing now are the details.
"Well Evans, I'm glad you mentioned that. I feel that it's time to reveal that I took care of that for you already." James tells her, looking like the cat who got the canary. He's leaning with his back against the couch, completely at ease. She should be terrified how easily she's able to read him, but she can't be bothered at the moment.
"You are so predictable" There is no real venom in her statement. "So what did you do to the poor boy? I can see you are dying to tell me the story."
Which is true. It doesn't take an expert to see he's almost bursting at the seams with excitement.
"You have to understand that I'm bound to holy oaths and sacred promises not to give away trade secrets, Evans." James says, while leaning in conspiringly. "But let me tell you, it had something to do with a tricky voice-altering spell Remus found, a record amount of Dungbombs and a fabulous deal with Peeves." He is looking mighty pleased with himself.
"My, my, aren't you the white knight, hexing off blokes with improper intentions. I'm almost swooning, I'm so impressed." She is certain she's aiming for sarcasm, but for some reason it comes out all flirty.
"I know, I know." James waves her remark away like it's a given, folding his hands behind his head and closing his eyes contently. "It's a gift: there's no way around The Potter Charm."
"Yeah, that's – hold on, what did you say?" She's spluttering now, "You did not just say 'The Potter Charm', did you?" Except she practically heard the capitals just now. Even worse: she can hear them in her own words, including quotation marks.
"I sure did." He pops an eye open to grin at her some more. "It's hereditary, you know. My father told me all about it before I left for Hogwarts. How it's both a blessing and a curse and how it requires great responsibility."
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Wish I was, Evans. I didn't believe it either, but turns out: no girl can resist me. So don't be too hard on yourself, it's not you, it's me."
The amount of utter rubbish coming out of his mouth is phenomenal and Lily immediately feels the need to argue with him. That's how they work, after all.
"I really hate to burst your bubble, -"
"No, you don't" James interjects flatly.
"Fair enough. Anyway: even if I was to believe this nonsense is actually true, which it isn't, I seem to recall one girl that has been more than capable of resisting you for years on end." Lily tells him, unable to keep her own smug grin from her face.
Unfortunately this does not have the effect she hoped for. James' own grin doesn't slide of his face in defeat, like she'd expected. On the contrary, he cranks it up a notch.
"I assume you're talking about yourself?" James asks, and after she nods, he goes on, "well, I have to admit, you were a tough nut to crack. But you have always been more of a long-term project."
Lily cannot believe they are talking about this so casually. From the moment they'd become friends, their rather awkward history was a no-go, as per unspoken agreement. But if he wanted to go down this path, than fine.
He's still jabbering on while she's considering all this. "- so really Evans, you were bound to give in eventually." He declares loftily, still looking at her.
"No I wasn't." Her answer is too quick and a bit too shrill for her liking.
"Sure, you were." He doesn't even bother explaining himself further, completely sure of himself.
Lily knows she should just give in, because he was right, wasn't he? She had allowed herself to be charmed by him months ago. She'd always known that they had a connection like any other, right from the start. One tiny little problem: Lily Evans does not do giving in. Giving in is something that seems to happen to other people. Except a part of her wanted to give in, badly.
The moment a bloke can make your toes curl just by looking at you, make your stomach clench with his smiles and melt you into a puddle with his silly jokes and thoughtfulness, you know it is time to admit defeat.
But not like this, dammit.
"I did not fall for your stupid non-existent family charm, Potter!"
James sits up quickly, eagerly. "So you're trying to tell me that you're immune to the Potter Charm?" He raises an eyebrow.
"Yes." Lily states defiantly.
"Yes? You sure?"
"I'm sure." No I'm not.
"Can I get permission to prove you wrong?" The gleam in his eye promises her all sorts of wicked things and it make her heart thump like there's no tomorrow.
Oh my.
"I – I..er" She knows she is blushing terribly, but that is not the biggest of her worries at the moment.
"You're not going to chicken out now, are you, Evans? He asks quietly.
Her eyes snap to his, only to find there is some sort of hopefulness in his gaze. While she can handle arrogance and banter, she can definitely not handle this vulnerability. He wants her to give in, and by the looks of it, not to prove his point. Lily doesn't know how one girl can handle all this in one evening. They went from schedules to arguing to flirting and now…she can handle a lot, but this is all a bit too much.
So she gives in, because what else is there to do?
"You know what, I am." She answers him, and watches the gleam disappear from his eyes.
"Well, that's a shame, Evans." He recovers quickly, she has to hand it to him. "It would've been fun too. But like I said, even you aren't willing to go against me in this. There are no exceptions to the Potter Charm." He is not looking as content as one would expect.
"I guess you're right." She says, enjoying the complete and utter confusion on his face.
"You -." His turn to be speechless. "You agree?"
"Of course. I figure you got to me months ago." She stands and starts to tidy some things on the mantelpiece, partly to hide her smile, but mostly because she's trembling with nerves.
She feel his presence looming behind her, before he grabs her arms and turns her around.
"Lily" His voice is a bit croaky and he has never looked at her this way before. The intensity of it all makes her a bit dizzy. "Lily, what are you trying to say?"
There are so many things she can answer to that, but there is only one that covers it all. So throwing caution and nerves to the wind, she cups his face in her hands and kisses him.
The kiss is one-sided for about a second, because then James starts kissing her back and Merlin above, why didn't she do this earlier? It's complete madness, both of them clutching at each other, mouths pressing against each other, tongues battling and shivers running up and down her spine. Even though breathing has dropped significantly on her list of priorities, at some point Lily breaks the kiss and takes a ragged breath.
"That's what I'm trying to say." She says, suddenly feeling an almost irresistible urge to giggle about his gobsmacked face.
"Well" he says finally. His grin is happy, so incredibly happy. "If that's the case, then I've got a few things to say as well."
And as he lowers his face toward hers again, Lily decides that there are worse things on this earth than giving in to James Potter and his charm.