Disclaimer: Accio rights to Harry Potter! …Damn it. On to Plan B.
Okay, I've gotten some reviews saying the chapters should be longer. Let me explain—I originally wrote this story in a notebook—yes, by hand—so the chapters look a lot longer on lined paper than they do when typed up. Second, I know the chapters are short, but since I already have them all ready to go, you won't have to wait long for new stuff to read. ANYWAY! Here's chapter 3, as promised :D
CHAPTER THREE: Prior to Potions…
James's P.O.V
The next morning started like any other; I was awoken when a wall of fluff hit my face. Moony hurled his pillow at me and Padfoot in turn, trying to pull us from sleep. "Take it off, baby, take it off…" Padfoot mumbled.
"You're dreaming again, mate," I said, chucking a shoe at his head (much more effective than a pillow, I might add).
"Come on, Prongs," Moony shouted as I lazily pulled on my crumpled robes over a wrinkled shirt and black pants. "We're going to be late for breakfast. If we hurry, there might still be some of those ginger muffins left." Padfoot, finally among the living, sniggered as he looped his Gryffindor tie carelessly around his neck.
"Ah, but it's not that kind of ginger he wants, Moony. Or that kind of muffin," he added as an afterthought.
"Stuff it," I replied, pulling on my shoes and hiding a smile.
"Oh, you know it's true," Moony stated matter-of-factly. "It's always Lily this—"
"—Evans that," Padfoot finished on cue. "You insult her just so you get to say her name."
"I said stuff it!" Grabbing my wand, I quickly flicked it and tightened both their ties until they had to pull them away for fear of suffocation.
"Tosser," Moony gasped, rubbing his neck. I grinned; mischief managed. In all honesty, their teasing was about as unwelcome as a warm slice of pumpkin pie. They'd known about my thing for Lily Evans ever since I had charmed her hair into knots during our first year.
"Prongs, get your head out of the clouds. Or, more accurately, the gutter. If you don't hurry up, all you'll get to see of Evans is her arse leaving the Great Hall!" Padfoot said.
"In that case, let's wait a little longer," I said, smirking. Padfoot and Moony sniggered as we grabbed our bags and began the trek to the Great Hall.
"You have got it bad for her, mate," Padfoot observed.
"Come off it, it isn't like you wouldn't get in her knickers, too," Moony rebutted.
"Yeah, but this one here—" he jerked a finger in my direction—"would render me unable to have children if I ever shagged her, wouldn't you, Prongsie?"
"Right you are. And don't forget it."
Lily's P.O.V.
I rose from the table with a contented sigh, brushed a couple bread crumbs off of my robes, and made my way toward ornate double-doors of the Great Hall. With a flourish, I flung the doors open and hoisted my bag over my shoulder. I turned a sharp right to go to Potions and crashed headlong into—bloody hell—Potter. The books that wouldn't fit into my bulging bag clunked to the floor.
"Fancy meeting you here, Evans!" he said with amusement as I picked up my fallen books. He was, of course, flanked by Sirius and Remus.
"Hi," I said sourly as Potter stooped to pick up my copy of Potions for the Precocious and handing it to me, grinning.
He made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Now, that's no way to greet a friend, is it?"
"Oh, we're friends now?"
"I was kind of hoping so." He was killing me, the way he turned those puppy-dog eyes on me. I shook my head and refocused.
"What the hell have you three been up to anyway, getting down here so late?"
Potter whistled. "Watch your language there, eh, Evans?" I rolled my eyes. "We just happened to sleep in a bit, is all."
"And what are you doing that's so important?" Sirius inquired.
"I'm on my way to Potions, if you don't mind."
"Shit," Potter said, "Potions is first? I didn't finish the essay…." He ran a hand through his already mussed-up hair.
"Watch your language, eh, Potter?" I mimicked, shouldering my bag and continuing down the corridor to Professor Slughorn's classroom. Class didn't start for another twenty minutes, but now that I had walked away from the "Marauders," I had no choice but to keep going.
….
"Evans!" I turned at the sound of Potter's voice, surprised. For once, he wasn't surrounded by friends.
"I don't need an escort to the dungeons, Potter," I said brusquely, not in the mood to be hit on.
"I wanted to ask you something." I'll admit it; that caught me off-guard. It was usually a stream of corny jokes or a pathetic one-liner that came from his mouth, not a request.
"Uh…what is it? And where are Curly and Moe?" I asked, referring to Sirius and Lupin.
"Who?" Potter asked, clearly confused.
"Never mind, it's a Muggle thing."
"Oh. Well, they're meeting me in the classroom. I wanted to ask you alone." Oh, sweet Merlin. I braced myself for another one of his attempts to ask me on a date, but it never came. "I was wondering if, maybe," he sputtered.
"Spit it out, Potter."
"You're good with Transfiguration, right?"
"Yes," I said with growing suspicion.
"Well, uh, I'm not. I'm bloody terrible, really," He said honestly.
"Yes, you are."
"Do you think, maybe, you could help me? I don't mean copying your answers!" He amended when I opened my mouth in protest. "I mean, could you…tutormemaybe?"
"Why don't you ask Moony or Padfoot?" I asked, slightly snarkily. Oops.
"They're just as bad at it as I am. Well, not Moony so much, but he's got enough shit going on in his screwed-up life already," he said with a playful smile. I laughed despite myself.
"Fine."
"You'll do it?" He was truly shocked.
"For a little while, I guess."
"Thanks, Evans!" He said, shifting his bag from one shoulder to the other. "I should catch up to the guys, but really…thanks."
"No problem," I whispered as he jogged down the corridor.
"I owe you one, Evans!" I shook my head as he disappeared around the corridor. I glanced at the gold wristwatch my parents had given me for my sixteenth birthday; I had ten minutes until class. Just then, my best friend, Erica Harlington, appeared at my side.
"What was that all about?" she asked apprehensively. "That was James, wasn't it? Wasn't it?" Oh, bloody hell, here we go. Erica had been convinced for years that Potter and I were destined to be together, and had been trying to convince me to go out with him since our second year.
"Yeah, it was," I said, walking briskly towards Potions.
"And?"
"He wants me to tutor him." Erica squealed with delight, and I shushed her.
"That's brilliant!" She said in a lower voice, a devious expression lighting up her face.
"It's just studying, Erica."
"Whatever you say, Lil. This is the opportunity you've been waiting for!"
"Correction—you've been waiting for."
"Give him a chance, for me!"
I sighed as we reached the classroom. "The only thing I'll be giving him a chance at is passing Transfiguration."
And there you have it! A little longer than the others, because a LOT of stuff happened before Potions class ;)
So tell me, what would Amortentia smell like to you? I'd smell crisp autumn air, Christmas trees and chocolate chip cookies :D
