CONFUSION
Rain was pounding on the windows of the castle as they passed through the deserted corridors in silence.
James coughed uncomfortably, remembering Sirius' expression. He felt guilty that he had ditched his best friend, but pushed it away with a comforting thought that he would make it up later. Anyways, he had important things on his mind...
He cleared his throat again, held down his hands to prevent another blunder like before and said in a very mature voice, "Where are we needed?"
"Classroom Eleven," she replied quickly, a habit she had fallen into ever since her first year at Hogwarts, when she prided at being the first to answer every asked question.
"Oh," he said wonderingly.
Classroom Eleven was one of the most cluttered room at Hogwarts, full of unused furniture, as he and Sirius had discovered in their first year.
Lily walked past the Entrance Hall with him following behind and entered the classroom that was fit to burst with students who reached upto no more than James' waist. He stopped dead in shock.
Lily took one look at the students and forced herself into the crowd, calling for attention in a commanding voice.
The situation was clearly out of hand, even with the two weedy-looking Prefects in the room.
He walked slowly toward the door, his mouth open. "Are these first years?" he asked of Lily when she came out of the crowd with some difficulty.
"Yeah," she sighed. "Apparently they have been here since break and weren't sure what to do next."
"What have the Prefects been doing then?" he asked indignantly. She rolled her eyes and said, "They weren't sure whether to send them to their Common Rooms or hold them here."
"How were they made Prefects then?" he demanded. Lily laughed grimly.
The weedy Prefects came out then, shepherding the tiny students with uncertain looks on their faces.
"I swear they are getting smaller," James muttered to Lily. "I'm sure we weren't so short when we were first years!"
Lily laughed at the look on his face and said, "Come on, I think we are done here... And I'll be reporting these prefects tomorrow," she added grimly.
But he wasn't listening. His mind was busy trying to work it up to her.
He had to ask her soon, or someone else would... But would they dare to, when the whole school knew perfectly well that the James Potter-who-must-not-be-messed-with fancied Lily Evans?
Unconsciously, his hand reached up to rumple his hair.