Author's Note: Whoot! Go me. Well, not really. Two random one-shots in a day, and no update for MM. Whoops-a-daisy. But who cares when you can read about Annie songs and rainy-day-fluff? Not me. I'd take cheesy musicals any day. 'Go Greased-Lightnin', you're burnin' up a quarter-a-mile (Greased Lightnin', go Greased Lightnin'!)'! Yes, I do like Grease, okay! Bubbles!
-Kat
Disclaimer: Do I own a private island…? (the answer is, 'no', in case you couldn't see the sarcasm…)
Summary: James loves the rain. James loves Lily. Lily loves James. Lily hates the rain. Can a one-day flirtation turn that around? James'll try anything to get his best friends on speaking terms… L/J Rainy-Day fluff.
The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow…
Ew. Rain. Damn the rain. It's not enough that James loves the rain, but he has always had to try to get me to as well. There's no chemistry. It's just not going to work. I've always been more of an 'Annie-girl', than a 'Singing in the Rain-girl' (and I will hurt you if you make any cracks about the red-hair-thing).
So, while James has always sung 'I'm sing-in' in the rain, just sing-in' in the rain…' in the shower, an octave lower than it should be, I'm always the one belting out a water-logged 'Bet your bottom-dollar that, tomor-row… there'll be sun…', way off key.
Seriously though, rain hates me. I've always had every one of my worst days on a day where it's raining.
Like on my third birthday, I lost my brand new dolly because I was playing outside in the rain, and I set her down for a second, and she got washed away into the creek at the end of the foot path. That set it off for me. It was the beginning of what has turned out to be a terrible, never-ending relationship.
There's more proof that the rain has it in for me… When I was six, Petunia and I both got new party-dresses that we were supposed to wear to Aunt Muriel's fourth wedding. Mum had said that she would ground us for life if we got anything on those dresses. We had been okay all day, very careful and proper, just in case. Then it started to rain, and even though we had both been okay all day, we were waiting outside the church right before the service began, and I lost my footing and fell into a mud puddle. Needless to say, I'm the only one of the bridesmaids missing in all the family photos.
Next, at my best friend Jessica's twelfth birthday party, I was with my then-boyfriend (Sean Murray… He was buff for a twelve year old…), and he randomly breaks up with me. It was a rainy day then too. Then I go to Jessica five minutes later for some sympathy, after crying my eyes out in the bathroom. I walk into her bedroom to look for her because someone told me she had gone to look for another CD. And there she is. With Sean Murray. Snogging. Obviously, she wasn't my best friend after that.
If that isn't proof enough, I came home from Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays in my fourth year and had to get my wisdom teeth pulled out (that was a rainy day). Then I had to spend a (rainy) week with Petunia because my parents went to Hawaii on this weird business trip thing. Rained for the whole week. And her boyfriend Vernon came over so I actually had to talk to him.
Plus all the boyfriends who have dumped me (that doesn't make me sound very good, does it) have always done it on a rainy day. When James and I broke up in the middle of seventh year because Sirius thought I was cheating on him, it was raining. I wasn't cheating on him. And then when we broke up because we were leaving Hogwarts, it was raining. That didn't last long either, because we found out that we were working together anyway.
But still, almost every time I have had a fight with James, it has been raining. Every time we have broken up, it has been raining. Heck, I bet that even if we had got engaged, we would have broken up on the wedding day because it would have been raining.
Past tense there. Because, we broke up. Again. But this time I won't forgive him. So here I am, walking through the damp streets of London, getting more drenched with every step I take in the direction of my apartment. I'm cold and wet; boyfriend-less and alone. Not only am I in the rain, having just broken up with the only person I've ever loved, I'm going to die a spinster! And eaten by dogs. I'm going to be Bridget Jones without Colin Firth to save her! I can't believe James did this to me.
What did he do, you ask? Well, I'll tell you what that no-good arse did! He cheated on me. And the worst part is, that she was pretty. She had short brown hair, long legs, and a perfect face. It's probably the long legs that did it for him. I've always been relatively short…
But anyway. I saw them hugging in the café today. They were kissing on the cheek, hugging, playing with each other's hands… Your typical 'fling'. He had asked me to meet him there. He probably hadn't expected me to be early. But I was. So I stormed over to them, slapped him around the face, glared at her, yelled something about Marauders, jerks, and how I never wanted to see him again, and stormed out again.
I'm turning on to my street. You know, it's a good thing I never said yes to James all those times he asked me to move in with him. That would make all of this even worse. Having to see him again. With her. Erg!
Wait, someone's coming my way. Looks familiar. Hope if I know them that they have to foresight to bugger off and leave me to curl up in bed, put on my sad music, wallow, and eat a whole pint of chocolate chip ice-cream. The other worst part of this whole thing is, that I love him. I would say 'loved' here, but you can't just stop loving someone you've loved for years.
Oh God, it's Sirius. Maybe I can hide and… Too late.
"Lily, thanks God I found you," he says. He sounds anxious. Oh well.
"Sirius, now isn't a good time," I say back, trying to walk past him. I can see my front door now - I'm on the first floor of my apartment block.
"Lil, just wait for a minute…" he grabs my arm and holds me still.
Arsehole. "You already know, don't you?" I'm exclaiming angrily, wrenching my arm out of his grip. "And I thought you were my friend too… But no, of course not. You'll always be his best friend first, decent human being second! I bet you've known about it the whole time!"
Now I'm jogging away from him, splashing through many puddles which made my socks even wetter. He looks rather confused as I look back over my shoulder. I hate him too.
Oh no! Why can't people just leave me alone! Are they stalking me or something? If Remus comes over here, I swear…
He came over. "Lily," he says earnestly, "Please wait a second, just until James gets…"
"Not you too?" I shriek, sounding vaguely hysterical. I always liked Remus, but this is just not cool.
"Lily, James can explain…"
There is no way in Hell that I'm letting him finish that sentence! Damn Marauders! I'm walking away angrily. Again. I seem to be doing that a lot today. All their fault.
Finally, Remus just stops talking. I look back while I'm walking and see Sirius coming to stand with him. What, do they enjoy my pain? Sickos!
Oh, look, here comes the Devil himself. Running down the road towards me. Note to self: walk FASTER!
Almost at my door… Yes… A little further.
"Lily!"
That would be my name. Don't stop. No, feet, what the Hell are you doing! DON'T SLOW DOWN!
"She's my cousin," he yells.
Ah. That would explain a lot. If it's the truth…
"She was congratulating me…"
He's still yelling. My feet have stopped moving completely now, and I'm standing here getting wetter and colder by the second.
"I'm so sorry that you thought… that… But I would never do that to you!" he calls down the street. "I love you."
There are people on the other side of the road watching this scene. Nosy buggers. I turn my head to glare suspiciously at him. I have strong suspicions that the tears running quietly down my face are smudging my makeup down my cheeks. He had to choose today to wear a white shirt… Hey, I am too, come to think of it.
Anyway, he's walking slowly towards me, and I'm backing away, towards my front door and safety. Remus and Sirius are still standing further behind him, both looking wet and honest. Damn them for not telling me!
"Leave me alone, James," I'm crying. He stops walking and looks deep into my eyes (it's amazing how deeply someone can see into your eyes from twenty feet away). He's scrutinizing my feature to see if I actually want him to. Must look determined. Stopping crying would be a good idea.
He's stopped analyzing my look. He's reaching into his pocket. Muggles on the other side of the street start whispering frantically, some pulling out cell phones, thinking that he's reaching for a gun, no doubt.
He has a small box clamped in his hand. He's opening it. I can see Remus gripping Sirius' arm so hard that his knuckles are turning white. And Sirius is unusually pale. Weirdos.
The rain increases it's pace and ferocity, pelting me and James and the rest of the people here with what feels like buckets of ice water. His mouth is opening. My tears have finally stopped. He's starting to say something. I take an involuntary step closer to him. There are now only nineteen feet separating us.
"Lily Evans," he calls, just loudly enough for me to hear him, "Will you marry me?"
He opens the small box and I see the glint of a ring. Has he been planning this all along? My tears are coming back quickly. Sirius and Remus look even more tense. I feel like I can hear the crowd across the street holding their breath. James, however, looks completely calm. I haven't answered him yet; my mouth feels too dry, all of a sudden, to talk.
He says nothing more, and just turns on his heel, slowly beginning to walk away.
My feet have regained the ability to move, it seems, as I'm yelling "Yes!", and running towards him as fast as I can. He turns around, grinning, relieved, and catches me in his warm embrace as I fling myself towards him. He kisses me hungrily, and I kiss him back, just as passionately. Sirius and Remus cheer and sprint over to us, making it a group hug. The crowd across the road 'oo's and 'aw's, and I pull away from my fiancé and our friends. I turn my face skywards and let the water droplets pelt my face.
I love the rain!