Lily woke up the next morning with a start.
Kyla was frantically brushing her hair into a braid and was desperately trying to smooth out her dress lying on her cot. Wait a second, dress?
Lily cleared her throat to make her presence felt, and Kyla turned around as red as Lily's hair. 'Hey, umm, Evans. You're up already?' Kyla clearly wanted to avoid this scenario, so this made her all the more curious.
'Williams, why're you smoothing out a dress? And why're you trying to sneak out at what, 7 in the morning?'
Her cheeks flared as she fumbled for an excuse. 'I, uhhh, have a group study session with, uhhhh, Renee.' Kyla smacked her forehead as soon as she realised what she just said.
'Renee? As in Slytherin, Renee Parker? You told me you've never really liked her. So tell me the truth. What's with you?' Lily pulled the covers tight around herself as she glared at her.
Under Lily's gaze, she finally crumbled and blurted out the truth. 'Black's taking me to Hogsmeade, he's knows one of those secret passages into Honeydukes. It's a date.'
'Ha!' Lily punched the air as Kyla slumped against a cushion. 'I knew it! You two lovebirds blush each time you even look at each other. It's only a matter of time before the whole school knows!' Lily teased her jabbing a finger at her and an imaginary Sirius Black.
'You can't tell anyone, Lil, promise me that!' Kyla begged Lily; her blue eyes open wide. Lily brushed her off with a filck of her hand and slight smirk.
'Almost everyone knows, Ky. Courtney, Alexis, Tim and Amelia from Hufflepuff; Nessa, Raychelle, and Minnie from Ravenclaw, and Renee Parker, who apparently has a crush on Black, all asked me if it was true!' Lily broke out int0 peals of laughter on her bed and after seeing the comical side of things, so did Kyla.
Quickly getting to the point, Lily asked Ky, 'Now, since you're going out, are you sure you want to wear that?' She pointed to the short pink dress lying on Kyla's unmade bed. 'It is December, and I don't want my best friend dying of frostbite anytime soon.'
Kyla giggled and changed into a much warmer outfit and pulled on a cap. Just before she left the room, she turned to Lily. 'Oh, Ev? Sirius asked me to bring you along, if you happened to catch me(which he did seem rather sure about). He promised me that James won't be there, okay? Please come along, in case things get awkward.'
Lily weighed two things, whether she loved Honeydukes more, or whether she hated Black more. Finally deciding that chocolate outweighs everything, she gave into Kyla's continual begging. 'I'll go, but I'm going to sit away from you both.' Making a disgusted noise, she said, 'I don't want to see you both snogging.'
She showered quickly, and let her hair loose. Putting on the warmest clothes she could find, Lily crept out of her dormitory with Kyla at her heels. They met Sirius in the corridor, and he looked pleased to see them. He turned to Lily and whispered, 'Thank you for coming. I need you to help her get out of trouble if we're caught. I can squirm my way out, but she'll probably need some help.'
Lily raised her eyebrows and nodded. 'Since when did Black get so caring? And why does he think Williams can't get out on her own, she's better at sneaking around than I am!' she thought to herself silently as she crawled into the cellar.
After buying a bagful of sweets at Honeydukes, the trio made its way to The Three Broomsticks. All the while Lily had a suspicious eye on Sirius. 'Three Butterbeers, eh Rosie?' Sirius said with a flirtatious smile to the barmaid, Madam Rosmerta. She turned around and smiled at Sirius.
'Well, well, if it isn't darling Black! Where's that Potter boy, I never see you both without each other. Peering over his shoulder, she raised her eyebrows and muttered, 'If I didn't know better, I'd say he was here, but clearly, he's nowhere to be seen today. Dusting three bottles with a piece of cloth, she passed them over the counter to Sirius with a wink, saying t was on the house.
'Unbelievable.' Lily muttered to herself as she sat alone at a table chugging down her Butterbeer. 'Stupd Black flirts with everybody, including a barmaid. Tsk tsk, does no one have any standards these days?' A chair next to her moved slightly, as if someone was sitting on it, and inched closer to hear what she was saying. 'Potter. Damn him' she thought angrily.
To confirm her thoughts, she clutched blindly at the chair, her fist closing tight around smooth and shimmery cloth. She smiled, 'Gotcha.' In one rapid stroke, she pulled of the cloak, revealing James Potter underneath. She pulled it off quickly, nobody noticed, except Sirius across the room who seemed to be trying extremely hard not to burst out laughing.
'Hey there, Evans.' James tried to be casual but the look on his face said it all; he had not expected this, and had no idea how to proceed.
'Screw you, Potter.' Lily punched his arm, her face red with rage. She knew it from the start, there was something off. Judging from Kyla's expression, she had no idea James would be here either. She stormed off back to the castle with Sirius at her heels.
'That would be wonderful Lily, but here? Not really. The prefect's bathroom is a nice place to do it.' She had half a mind to slap him, turning half of his stupid face red, but knew better than draw attention to herself, and make a scene. Before James could give her his signature wink, she stormed out of the room, only to come doubling back.
Breathlessly, she blurted out, 'McGongallisheresoaretheotherteachersohgodwhatdoIdo?' 'Calm down' James said, one hand on her shoulder, and raising his eyebrows. 'Explain what happened first.'
'McGonagall is here. So are the other teachers. My reputation as Head Girl is gone, if I don't get out soon! I can't even get to Honeydukes!' Lily was flustered and the cold left her cheeks pink.
'Then,' said James crouching and spreading the Cloak over both of them, 'it's my duty as Head Boy to help you out.' He pulled Lily closer and they walked together out of the door, where Minerva 'could have sworn someone whispered, 'Nice dress, Minnie!'
Lily had her doubts with being so close to James Potter at first, but she had to admit it was fun. They walked together as one, co-ordinated movements, the occasional times when James would pull her out of the way of a random couple on the streets, the times it would be so quiet, you could hear each other breathe, and the times when they'd be so close to each other, all she could do was look at him. Lily had never noticed how handsome James looked, his chiseled face, that messy hair which she now sort of liked, the way each time Lily squeezed his hand, there'd be a twinkle in his eye and colour would slowly creep into his cheeks.
James himself had never been so close to her before, and he realised, he knew nothing about her. He had never known the way her beautiful eyes would soften when she would see a little kid on the road. He never had known that wild expression which would light up her entire face when they'd dodge people on the street. He never knew how beautiful she looked when she simply, let herself go.
When they finally got back to the castle, Lily had rethought her entire opinion of James Potter. He was no longer an, as she used to so eloquently put it, arrogant toerag. He was a sweet and perhaps just a little bit proud dork. She didn't hate him anymore, but she didn't love him either. She liked him, she really did.
She smiled at James, wait did she call him James now? She spun around, and began walking to the Common Room. James ran upto her from behind and put a hand on her shoulder. 'Uhmm, yeah, Lily? D'ya still hate me?'
A small smile played at her mouth, and she said, 'I don't. I don't hate you, but I don't love you. You're still sort of an arse to others, you know?'
'And if I promise not to be? If I give up bullying even that twat Snape? I'll change, if it's for you, I swear I will. ' James asked earnestly.
'Then', Lily said, mimicking James' seductive tone, 'we'll see what happens.'