AN: Here's chapter three. I felt it was getting a little fluffy toward the end but... eh. Please enjoy and review!
Lily awoke the following morning feeling awful and exhausted; she'd barely had any sleep due to frequent tossing and turning, and dreams of herself in the form of a koala bear, clinging to a tree and refusing to let go, which just so happened to have James Potter's head attached to the trunk.
What irritated Lily the most was how secure and safe she'd felt the previous night, hanging onto the front of James' robes and shaking hysterically. She could still feel the firm but caring grasp he'd had around her shoulders and it drove her mad.
Why can't I get it out of my stupid head?! She thought furiously as she pulled on her cardigan. It was only seven am but Lily wanted to get down to breakfast early, hoping that she'd be able to avoid most people, especially James, and even more Avery and Macnair.
That was another issue. She didn't know how to tackle the situation. She knew she had talk to someone, of course. Wandering around the castle at night was one thing, but physically attacking her was another.
Lily pushed away her half-finished cereal and decided she should go and talk to Professor Dumbledore, he'd know the best way to handle the situation.
Arriving at the gargoyle before the headmaster's office, Lily paused. She didn't know how to get in. There wasn't a door; she couldn't knock.
"Uh… Excuse me? Could you let me past? I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore," she said warily to the stone statue, but nothing happened.
Lily cleared her throat and tried again. "Um… Hello? I need to see-"
At that moment, the gargoyle began moving, and Dumbledore appeared behind it, descending the small spiral stairs.
"Oh – Miss Evans. Good morning."
"Sorry, sir – I uh, I wanted to come and report an incident that happened last night," she said quietly, embarrassed.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows knowingly. "I assume it is regarding Misters Avery and Macnair?" he asked gently.
Lily nodded slowly, perplexed as to how he could possibly know.
"Let's go into my office," he said softly, and led the way back up the stairs.
Once seated behind his desk, he went on, "Mr James Potter came to see me rather late last night. He was in quite a state."
Lily frowned and wordlessly took the seat opposite the headmaster.
"He told me that on his way to Gryffindor tower, he'd heard screaming. He then proceeded down the fifth floor corridor and found a young lady lying on the ground, being attacked by another student." He paused for a moment and then added, "I assume this is the incident you wish to report?"
Lily nodded again.
"You need not worry, Miss Evans. Mr Macnair will not be returning to Hogwarts, and Mr Avery has been given an official warning, along with detention every night this month."
"That's, uh… Yeah, that's… Well, as long as he's not around anymore…" Lily muttered. "Thank you, Professor."
The headmaster smiled. "Miss Evans, if anything similar to this happens in the future, I urge you to leave straight away and alert me at once. We cannot have our prefects putting themselves at risk, can we?"
"No, Professor."
"I think you should be leaving now, lessons start in five minutes, do they not?" Dumbledore got up to see her out.
"Yes Professor. Thank you," Lily said again, a little embarrassed but grateful all the same.
"Oh, and one more thing," Dumbledore added as Lily left the room. "Be sure to thank Mr Potter for his kindness, won't you?"
Lily frowned. Had she not already thanked him? Maybe I owe him a little more gratitude, she wondered. She smiled at Dumbledore and said, "Of course, Professor. Goodbye."
Lily's first lesson was Care Of Magical Creatures, so she hurried down to the school grounds.
After quickly offering her apologies to the teacher, Lily joined the gaggle of students crowding around a small, roofed pen. Inside were five large, cat like creatures with large, beady eyes and extremely bushy tails.
"Kneazles," the teacher announced, and began an in depth description on their traits and appearance. She indicated another small pen with several similar animals inside, and the class were instructed on listing the differences between the magical creatures and regular, domesticated cats.
Taking advantage in the class' lack of interest in the regular cats, Lily took to tickling one's ear through the gap in the pen.
"Cute, aren't they?"
Lily jumped. She hadn't noticed James crouching beside her, stroking one of the other cats.
"How long have you been there?" she asked. She'd jumped at every little noise since last night and was still feeling a little on edge.
"About five seconds," he replied. "How are you feeling?"
Lily frowned and didn't answer his question. "When did you go to Dumbledore?" she asked.
"Uh… Last night. After I'd seen you got to bed alright," he told her. "He kept me there for two hours until I'd calmed down. I was going to go after them… I can't believe those bastards attacked you."
Lily forced back a smile. It was nice of him to be so kind but she wasn't sure she wanted him to know that she thought so.
"Are you alright?" he asked her again, looking sincere.
"I'll be fine," she mumbled.
"You shouldn't have been walking around at night by yourself," he said to her sternly. "Why weren't you in the common room?"
"Oh, well I do apologise," she replied scathingly.
James didn't say anything. He continued petting the cat and then began smirking.
"What?" Lily asked hotly, "What's funny?"
James grinned. "Nothing. It's just…" Lily glared at him and his grin faltered a little. "…Well, yesterday, when you were saying you didn't need me to defend you… Seems like you were wrong…" he was smiling like an idiot again.
Lily narrowed her eyes slightly. "Just when I thought I was seeing the better side to you, you go and say something idiotic like that," Lily said flatly. She stood up and brushed off her knee. "I'm really grateful that you helped me last night but I still don't like you, Potter."
James stood up as well, now a head taller than Lily.
"Go out with me," he said, deadpan.
Lily laughed out loud. She picked up her parchment and walked over to the other pen, James following behind her, waiting for an answer.
"Definitely not," she half laughed, in complete disbelief at his audacity and persistence.
He snatched her quill out of her hand. "You would if you were as grateful as you say you are."
"Give me back my quill," she said wearily, one hand on her hip.
"Go out with me."
"Give me back my quill."
James shook his head.
"Are you saying that you only helped me last night so that you could blackmail me?" Lily raised her eyebrow, her temper heating up.
"Don't be an idiot," he ran his hand through his hair. "Of course not. But like I said, I helped you out. Why can't you help me out?"
"Help you out? By going out with you?" Lily scoffed.
James tossed Lily's quill up into the air and caught it, like he so often did with his stolen snitch.
"Fine, keep the quill. I have others," Lily sighed, defeated, and walked back to her bag.
"Hey, no – Evans! Evans!" he jogged after her.
"Oh my god, Potter!" Lily exclaimed. "Why can you not just leave me alone?!"
James just grinned at her. Dislike him or not, Lily thought, this guy has one charming smile.
She rolled her eyes. "You're like a stalker," she said to him, but he wouldn't relent. "If I go out with you, will you stop pestering me?"
James' eyes lit up. "A-are you being serious?"
"One date."
"Are you actually – I knew you'd say yes sooner or later," James was smiling like a fool, and Lily couldn't help but laugh; he looked quite stupid.
"Just leave me alone for the rest of the day," she told him. "I'm getting sick of the sight of you."
Lily walked back over to the Kneazle pen, thankful that James had finally stopped following her. She rolled her eyes. What have I done… she thought, why did I say yes…?
She'd assumed that after one date, if she made it clear that she still didn't like him, he'd back off. At least, that's what she hoped. Yes, he might be good looking, talented and charming – any other girl would accept him immediately – but there was still the issue of him being a conceited, arrogant bully.
He did save me last night though, Lily thought; I guess I do owe him…
At this, Lily remembered her dream and how safe and warm she felt in his arms. She shook her head; she did not want those thoughts to take control.
