Prompts- Hogwarts
Decorating Month Challenge- (flavour) - Peppermint (emotion) Confident (AU) Circus/Carnival - Bonus (phrase) Skeleton in the Closet (Object) Ice-cream.
365 Drabbles: #225- Impossible
Word Count: 808
James observed the scene before him and his girlfriend in awe. "What is this place?"
"It's a Muggle carnival," Lily replied excitedly, jumping up and down, "I haven't been to one in years! They're super fun!"
Kids skipped around joyfully, eyes alight with merriment, a contented aura swirling around them. Many were holding ice-creams and cotton candy, licking them with fervor. It was such a stress-free sight that James almost forgot about the war being waged in the Wizarding World. Almost like a utopia.
"Come on, let's go!" Lily said, dragging James through the crowd towards the chaos.
"Where should we go first?" the red-haired girl asked of James, who was still open-mouthed with amazement. "James!" she repeated irritatingly, poking him in the side. James jumped.
"Uh, over there? Let's get some ice-cream first," he suggested, vaguely pointing to a brightly colored stand, where adults and kids alike were lining up to receive ice-cream.
Lily, with James in tow, joined the line. It took them just under fifteen minutes to order their ice-cream.
"Hello, there, Mister and Missus, what can I get you today?" the man at the counter asked. He had a kind, aging face, with a little wispy beard hanging from his chin.
James scrutinized the menu. There were a variety of flavors he could choose from.
Lily ordered peppermint ice-cream, while James opted for a strawberry and vanilla cone. They licked their cones simultaneously, relishing the coolness seeping down their throats. It was a sweltering day, the sun beating down on their heads.
"Hey, let's try that game over there!" Lily gestured to a small stand, where a man was demonstrating the game to a group of onlookers. His eyes rested on them.
It was a simple throwing game. The objective of the game was to knock down all of the stacked tin cans, which James was confident he could achieve. He was a Chaser, after all.
The game seemed simple at first sight, but it was a lot harder than it looked. For one, the balls were made of a soft, squishy material unlike the hard, rubbery Quaffles James was accustomed to.
James tried and tried, but could not knock down all of them. It provided some consolation that the people around him couldn't either.
James wiped the accumulating sweat off his brow, his hazel eyes focusing intently on the unconquerable cans in front of him. Lily was trying her hardest not to giggle; James looked downright handsome when he was concentrating.
He absolutely refused to give up. He was holding the ball so tightly his palms were perspiring. He threw the ball with powerful precision, and yet, it missed the stack by a hair.
James ran his hands through his hair exasperatedly. Next to him, a young man with wicked aim knocked the cans to the ground, and emitted a victorious cry. He then proceeded to wink flirtatiously at Lily, who was the prettiest lady there. This caused James to be further aggravated.
"Come on, Lily, we're leaving," James growled, grabbing her hand with surprising strength and forcefully dragging her away.
"I'm never playing that impossible, rubbish game ever again," he said moodily, reaching instinctively up to his hair to ruffle it. Lily laughed, eyes sparkling with amusement. It was hilarious sometimes to see James get so worked up like this; he looked so bloody attractive.
Lily knew exactly how to handle this type of situation. She threaded her fingers through his ebony hair and pulled his lips down to hers. He wrapped his arms around her, his body instantly relaxing. His lips felt heavenly against hers.
He loved every second of it. Even more satisfying was the look on young man's face when he saw the girl he'd hit on earlier entwined around another boy. A devilishly handsome one, too.
Lily was sometimes so perceptive. It was vexing, sometimes, but it came in handy. She would always know when James was feeling down, so that she could lift his spirits back up. And James had an almost motherly nature, and was extremely protective of his loved ones. They balanced each other out.
"It's okay," Lily assured him as she regretfully released him, "Despite the fact you suck at that game, I still think you make a wonderful Chaser and a brilliant boyfriend. Nothing is ever going to change that."
James was eagerly eyeing her lips, and she obliged his silent request. They locked lips again, not caring whatsoever that they were in the middle of a public place, that they were corrupting the minds of the younger kids here.
Needless to say, James never mentioned the embarrassing game to anybody. It was just a skeleton in the closet.
