James smiled falsely at Lily as she sipped her butterbeer and looked at him innocently, her wide, green eyes seeming guileless and serene.
"You know you're killing me. Right?" James asked through gritted teeth, his tone low and angry.
"Why, James, whatever do you mean?" Lily asked her beautiful voice flowing over the agitated boy.
James opened his mouth to respond but found it crammed with a cake. "Just look at his hair!"
"And his eyes!"
"Oh, he's gorgeous!"
James closed his eyes and prayed for patience as Lily's three most annoying friends petted and prodded him in the most uncomfortable places. The only bright light in his seemingly endless torment was the knowledge that that harpy wouldn't be laughing for long. James opened his eyes and gave the girls a winning smile. The aforementioned smile caused them to collapse into a fit of giggles and endless joy that made James wince.
"James?" The seventeen-year-old glanced up, careful not to look to eager as Remus approached him.
"Yeah Moony?"
"I need you to come outside for a minute."
James nodded and stood with a polite, "Ladies." He started out the door.
"Wait!" James allowed the grin to grow but kept his back turned to the red-headed girl.
"Yes, Lily?"
"If I let you go off alone you'll run off with those friends of yours and leave me to pay the bill!"
James turned around with an innocent smile, "Why, Lily, I would never do such a thing."
Lily pushed her chair back and stood, grabbing her coat as she trotted over, "I'm going with you. Girls!" She called over to the still giggling females esconced at the table, "Stay here. We'll be right back!"
James tried to look frustrated as they headed outside but his goofy smile kept breaking through, it was all coming together so perfectly. He reached out and opened the door courteously, "Ladies first."
Lily gave him a suspicious look as she headed out into the cold, and that's when the sludge hit her.
Author's Note:
Yes. sludge. Two buckets of it to be exact. But that's a different chapter.
Read and review! Or die.
Starry
