AN: Thanks for the reviews everybody! Sorry this took so long. I've been busy, I started a new story and then I had to update an old one for a friend. Hope you enjoy anyway!
As for the Lily and James plans, I decided to use my own ideas, so I hope you like!
What do you think of Alice chasing James? Arloe? Tell me in a review!
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. Big shocker there, eh?
James POV:
I rubbed my eyes tiredly. I had stayed up all night practicing for Charms today. After I had mastered the charm, I had to write the poem and figure out how to get it to say what I say. During Charms with the Slytherins today, third period, I was carrying out my plan. I was going to charm a bouquet of flowers – which I still need to pick – to recite a poem for Lily, and ask her if she wanted to study in the library with me at the end of the week. Sirius asked me why I didn't just recite the poem to her face and ask her out then and there, put I wanted to impress her with my magic. She's Muggle-born, so I figured she'd be impressed by the simplest magic. I was going to show Lily that I cared and that I was so much better and more worthy then that Snivellus. (Sirius and I had proudly come up with that name last night). I glanced over at Sirius, who was snoring loudly.
"Oi! Sirius!" I threw a pillow at his head. He caught it reflexively and groaned.
"James, it so happens to be six in the friggin' morning! We don't have to be up this early! Go back to bed!" He whipped the pillow back at me and put his own over his head. I laughed.
"Classes start at 8, and breakfast is being served now, and I am hungry. I want food, and I want to get it hot. Let's get dressed and go!" I stood up and drew the curtains back. Sirius squinted.
"Ugh! Fine!" Sirius sat up.
Peter, who we had the pleasure of meeting only yesterday, grunted and rolled over onto his back. "James? Are you going to breakfast now?" He asked, sounding oddly nervous.
"You bet! Get ready, I want to be early to the common room, just in case I can catch Lily on her way down."
"Is that why you woke us up at six? James, you will be killed in your sleep!" Sirius pulled a shirt down over his head. I laughed.
In a couple of minutes, Sirius, Peter, and our other roommates Nate Jessing and Henry Pang, were all ready to leave. We headed down to the common room and sat in one of the poufy couches, waiting for Lily.
She came down with Arloe and Lorelle, the two girls I had met the night before, her face exhausted. Did she not get enough sleep last night? She turned her head to talk to Arloe, and happened to look my way. I abandoned my friends and stood, striding over to her.
"Lily!"
"Potter." She returned, and rolled her eyes.
"What happened to you this morning, Lily? Why are you all annoyed and taking it out on me?"
She was about to open her mouth and explain, but Lorelle started talking instead. "It's one of our roommates, Alice. She's so diva, and we can't deal with her anymore."
"She's been your roommate for one night, and you're already sick of her? That seems weird."
"But it's totally true!" Arloe cut in. "She's all beauty sleep and waking up at flipping four in the morning to take a shower and blow drying that head of hair while we're trying to sleep." Arloe seemed to be that kind of girl herself, but she also seemed like the girl who rolls out of bed looking like a model already. She wasn't near as pretty as Lily. Lily emitted it from herself. She didn't have to try.
"Honestly, I feel horrible. We kinda left Wren to deal with it herself." Lily sighed. I tried to lighten the mood.
"Okay, were you girls headed to the dining hall?" I asked. Maybe if I softened Lily up first, the plan would go smoother. Not that it would go wrong of course.
"Okay!" Arloe agreed instantly, slipping her arm through mine and her other arm through Lorelle's. Lily stood there for a second, hesitating, not sure if she wanted to link her arm through mine. I smirked, and she rolled her eyes at it, but in the end gave up and slid her slender arm in mine. I had to stop myself from gasping; her touch felt so good on me, even if technically we weren't touching. I couldn't wait to execute my plan. I know it will work.
We walked into the dining room hall, and most of the students were already there. I saw Asher talking amiably to Mirabelle, their eyes wide with excitement. I knew there was something with those two!
I sat down with the girls and dug in. It was then that I realized that I had ditched Peter, Sirius, Nate and Henry. I felt a spasm of guilt, than shrugged it off. They were boys, they would understand.
When they came down in the end, I could feel their eyes on my back, but I didn't turn around. Even though all the girls chatting about nothing, I didn't join in to the conversation. I was listening to Lily describe her summer to Wren, who had, after a long talk with Diva-Alice, finally managed to get down to breakfast. It was simply mesmerising. She talked about how she went to the Caribbean (Where on Earth?) for a month, and when she came home, she got her Hogwarts letter. She didn't believe it, and was so excited for this day to come: the first day of classes. She's got reason to be excited, come third period, I thought wryly to myself, and smirked. Only Lorelle saw me, and she raised an eyebrow.
When we were signalled to head to classes, and I walked with Arloe to Potions. I had the class with the rest of the Gryffindors, but I didn't want to border on stalker when it came to Lily. I didn't really know much about girls, but I did know that stalking wouldn't help one bit.
"So..." Arloe said, trailing off. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she giggled.
"How do you do that? I've never known how." Arloe gushed, and batted her eyelashes flirtatiously. I was a little more than confused. Was she... flirting with me?
"It's very impressive." She twirled a long piece of hair with her fingers.
Yes. Yes she was.
"Arloe?" I asked, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to say.
"Yeah?" She leaned in slightly. This didn't feel right. It would feel a lot better with Lily, that's for sure.
"What subject are you most excited for?" I blurted, being thankful it didn't sound too stupid. Arloe's face fell a bit, but she recovered quickly.
"I've always been interested in Astronomy. But I'm not exactly sure when that is. Wednesday night?"
'Thursday." I answered quickly. I remembered fantasizing about it. Lily and I, under a star lit sky, and the glow of midnight all around us...
I hadn't noticed Arloe was still talking until she hit me gently on the arm. I looked up.
"James?" She giggled, and I felt like scoffing. Her giggle was forced, and I had a feeling this girl wasn't used to being ignored. In her made-up face!
"James?" She repeated, with another forced giggle. "We're here." I shook my head and realized she was right. We were in the dungeons; it was so gloomy. I sighed and with Arloe, stepped inside.
***
I sighed. Third period couldn't come soon enough. But when second period finished - Defence against the Dark Arts - I was the first one out of my seat, Sirius on my heels. I ran out to the field and picked every flower in sight, making sure to get tons of lilies and no petunias. I had no clue what her favourite flowers were, but I knew she didn't like her sister, whose name was Petunia. I rushed up to the Charms class. Can't be late! She wouldn't be impressed.
I got there in time, and she was already sitting down on the right side of the room. I sat a couple of seats behind her, so she wouldn't see me charm the flowers. Sirius sat next to me and I could almost feel his excitement. I didn't even know why he was so excited. I had reason to be excited, not him.
A few minutes into class, the teacher assigned a hovering charm. I rolled my eyes and hastily did it so I could charm the flowers. As I pulled out my wand, I heard Lily's perfect voice float over the chatter of the classroom. I looked up. She was no longer just a few seats in front of me. She was a cross the room, sitting next to that awful Snivellus, flipping her hair over her shoulder and giving him the same eyes Arloe gave me this morning. No. No. This can't be. I shook my head to clear it and charmed the flowers. I had to hold them really tight so they'd keep shut until the right moment. I got up, took a deep breath and looked over at Sirius for luck. He gave me a thumbs-up and smiled. I winked and started walking.
"And you know what he did, Sev? He tried to flirt with me! Could you believe it? He is such a jerk. I would so much rather have someone like you, Sev. You understand me. You made me realize that I'm way too good for him." Lily finished, and the whole class fell silent. They had all heard, and I stood there in front of them both, flowers in hand and trying not to blush. I forgot where I was, and let go of the flowers. They fell to the floor, reciting the poem. The teacher came over, but didn't do anything. He just watched in awe. As the poem finished, I heard the flowers say How about a study date Friday? Hope to see you in the library at seven.
Lily looked at the flowers on the floor, then up at me. I could see hate in her green eyes, and for a minute she looked almost evil. NO. Don't think that, James.
"No way in hell." She stomped on the flowers with her size four feet, and it let out a tiny whine. She faced the class. "Back to your hover charms, people!" She then pointed her wand at the sad lump of flowers and yelled the spell. They levitated and she caught them. She looked at them for a second and threw them in my face.
I saw Sirius catch them, and he held them at his arms length. "Lily, I am appalled! This guy is nice enough to ask you out, and you stomp on his charmed flowers! You call yourself a lady!" Sirius threw the flowers at Snivellus. They hit him square on the forehead. Sirius grabbed my arm and hauled. "Come on, dude, let's go." I let myself be dragged along, on the verge of tears, though I put in all my effort not to show it. Today was my first day at Hogwarts, and it was already my worst.
***
September passed
***
As did October
***
November did, too
***
Heck, what's the point anymore?
AN: Okay! Review! This chapter is my fave, so I hope you like!
