Hey people! Another chapter here for you.
I think this is gonna be the first of about three chapters just in the fourth year. So yeah. Lol.
Please, ten reviews again!
Chapter Four: Making Out?
One year later…
"James, you big lummox, budge up!"
"Would you shut up! They'll hear!"
"They're not even out there yet, and I can't breathe! I think that's a little more pressing than our little spying mission!"
"Actually these 'spying missions' would be a lot easier if you and your big mouth did stop breathing!"
Smack!
"OUCH!"
"And you were worried about my big mouth…"
Lily and James were hiding out in one of those random wardrobe-y closets that seemed to be all over the place, the wardrobe in question being located right next to the portrait of the Fat Lady. They were currently engaged in a game of playful back-and-forth while they waited for Scarlett and Sirius. The two had gone out for a 'walk' about an hour ago and Lily, James and Remus had supposed they would be back right about now. Lily and James were convinced that Scarlett and Sirius were (hem, hem) 'up to no good', and that their end of the bet was very near to be fulfilled. Convinced that they simply had to know for sure, Lily and James had stowed away in the wardrobe and had been sitting in there for about a half an hour—Remus had wanted to come also, but after seeing how small the wardrobe was, he'd graciously allowed them to have the wardrobe while he waited in the common room for them—and there was still no sign of them through the tiny crack in the door.
She had never been quite this close to James before. It innerved her and thrilled her at the same time. This wardrobe was really too small for anything but about four coats and an umbrella, so they were basically smushed up against each other, but not in the romantic sense. The only upside was that she was close to James with an extremely convenient excuse, so close she could smell his intoxicating cologne.
"You know," James whispered, rubbing the back of his head, "that really hurt."
"That's what you get for making fun of me," Lily shot back, looking put out.
"The only reason I make fun of you is because it's so easy, Lil," James chuckled quietly. Even in the nearly completely darkness, Lily could make out that James Potter grin.
"It is not," Lily said stubbornly, forcing herself not to crack.
"Oh, Lily darling, you are terribly easy to tease because you take everything personally," James said, egging her on.
"Do not," Lily insisted.
It took her a few moments to realize that she'd just proven James's point. She heard him snort beside her.
"Shut up," she whispered, barely containing the grin on her face.
Just then, they heard steps on the stairs. After simultaneously whispering "Shh!" to each other, James and Lily turned their focus back to Sirius and Scarlett.
"…can't tell anyone about this, alright?" Scarlett's voice came, just as the top of her head came into view on the stairs.
"Alright, but why?" Sirius said confusedly, the two of them nearly to the top of the stairs. "What could happen?"
"I just don't want public scrutiny, okay?" Scarlett said in a negotiating sort of tone, stepping up on the landing. "It's easier if only the two of us know it."
"Aw… Scar…" Sirius said, trying sneakily to slide her hand in his.
Lily nudged James, who looked nearly as excited as herself.
Suddenly Scarlett's ears perked up to some noise.
"What's the matter, Love?" Sirius said.
"Shut up, Sirius," she said absent-mindedly, looking around for the source of the noise. Suddenly her eyes narrowed, stopping on their wardrobe.
"Shit," Lily whispered. An instant later, James clamped his hand down on her mouth.
Unfortunately, he'd silenced her too late: as soon as the words had exited Lily's mouth, Scarlett had sighed and begun to walk towards the wardrobe, and pulled it open.
"Nice job, Madam Sonorus Charm," James said to Lily, dejectedly trying to clamber out of the wardrobe. James was bent over—the wardrobe not tall enough to allow him to stand to his full height—with one foot on the edge of the cabinet and Lily, seeing an opportunity too enticing to pass up, aimed her foot at his backside and kicked, sending him sprawled across the flagged-stone floor and landing with a, "Oomphf!"
"I told you, it's not my mouth you have to worry about," Lily said in a sing-song voice, gracefully stepping out of the wardrobe with a 'neener-neener-neener' sort of smile.
"I've noticed," James said, still on his belly on the ground, his hands feeling around for his glasses.
"What are you guys doing?" Scarlett asked, sighing.
"Wearing James's manhood around my neck," Lily smiled.
"I meant what were you doing in the closet?" Scarlett said, raising an eyebrow with suspicion.
"Uh," James said, standing up and glancing at Lily, having forgotten their pre-prepared lie. Unfortunately Lily had forgotten as well.
"We were…" Lily said, thinking quick, "making out?"
"Lily!" Scarlett said indignantly.
"Fine!" Lily sighed. "We were spying."
"Why?"
"Well, Remus said that he thought you guys had both left separately, and we thought you'd left together," Lily said, a new lie popping into her head.
"And you couldn't wait for us inside?" Scarlett asked skeptically.
"No, because then you could have met up outside the portrait hole," Lily explained, BSing the whole thing like a pro. "The point of the bet was that you guys were together. If you just happened to show up at the same time then we'd never know who really won."
Scarlett looked at her scrutinizingly, biting her deep pink lip, like she was trying to decide whether to believe her or not.
"Which one did you bet on again?" Scarlett asked. Lily still wasn't sure if she believed her or not.
"That you left together," James chimed in. Smart move, Lily thought. If it looked like they both had the same story, she'd be more likely to believe them.
A few more moments of silence passed.
"I guess you won then," Scarlett shrugged, entering the Common Room, Sirius, James and Lily following after them.
Without another word, Scarlett and Sirius went straight up their respective staircases, much to Lily and James's relief. If Scarlett had mentioned the bet to Remus, he might have accidentally spilled the beans about the real bet and then Remus and James would both be castrated with sandpaper and Lily would be shaved bald.
"So?" Remus asked, glancing from James and Lily to the staircases and back again from his seat on the sofa. "What happened?"
"I have no clue," James said nonplussed, plopping down in an armchair by the fire.
"Big surprise there," Lily said sarcastically.
"Oh what, like you know what was going on?" James asked indignantly.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked as though Scarlett had just strung a huge banner across Gryffindor Tower, declaring their love.
"Obviously not, genius," James shot back. "Stop being so cryptic and just enlighten us, why don't you?"
"They were just making out!" Lily said as though it couldn't have been more obvious if Scarlett and Sirius had broken into a musical number, complete with choreographed dance, and sung it to them.
"How do you know that?" James asked doubtfully, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll admit they were acting a little secretive, but you couldn't possibly say for sure that's what they were doing."
"Hold on, you have to fill me in," Remus said, completely lost.
The two quickly told the whole story.
"Wait, what exactly did they say again?" Remus said, asking this for the third time.
"I told you, Scar said that they should keep it a secret," Lily started off again.
"Then Sirius asked why," James added.
"Then Scarlett said she didn't 'want public scrutiny' and that it would just be easier for only them to know," Lily finished, thinking intently as she twirled a red ringlet around her finger. "Whatever that means…"
"Well you seem to think it meant they had a heated make-out session," James said, turning in his seat to face her. "So let us in on the secret."
"It really wasn't the most important thing, what they said," Lily explained. "It was more about the body language."
"What body language?" both James and Remus asked simultaneously, though James sounded incredulous, whereas Remus sounded eager.
"Well, think about it," Lily said, sounding like a teacher who was trying to make the concept of 2+2 sound sensible to a five-year-old. "The evidence was kinda undeniable." She named each piece of evidence off on her fingers. "The attempt at handholding? Scarlett blushing? The fact that her lips were really red and possibly chapped?" James and Remus glanced at each other. "C'mon that wasn't so hard to figure out."
"Yeah well, we're not all girls, Lily. Personally the last thing I'm focused on is the state of my cousin's lips."
"Okay well at any rate we need to strategize." She looked at Remus with a 'vacate the room, eavesdropper' sort of stare.
"Fine, I'll leave," Remus said, getting up off his chair and going to the boys' staircase.
"Now," Lily said, looking back at James after Remus had completely gone up the stairs, "is the time to strategize."
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Love to you all!
mmb
