Lazy Days
L'amoureuse
Summary: A series of L/J centered one-shot/drabbles, each of which will be based upon a quote. There will be fifty total. A response to my own challenge, 50 Phrases.
Rated: T, to be safe.
Word Count: 1401
Disclaimer: No, I am not JKR. If I was, I would not be writing on Fanfiction. I also would not have a babysitting job.
Author's Note: Thanks to the few people who commented my last chapter! You guys are FAB. You know who you are! I would like to make a comment: I DO NOT, IN ANY WAY, ENCOURAGE SMOKING. Lily's smoking is used as a tool by me to make her a different character than the one she normally is, and because it's a habit that was very popular in that period. Also, I can see her doing that very easily. That DOES NOT mean that I encourage you guys smoking! That being said, enjoy!
31- 'All I want is one more chance to be young and wild and free.'
Chapter 7- Let It Rock
It was eight o'clock on a Friday evening. Normally, there would be a gaggle of students hanging out in the common room; perhaps there would be a party.
Not tonight.
Tonight was the final ball of the year, and all students fourteen and up had thrown on their best and finest. Lily was not an exception.
It had started around six, when Lily was dragged out of her dormitory and into the bathroom. Then had come an intense round of showering, shampooing, conditioning, curling, straightening, brushing, powdering, pinching, coating, plucking, rolling, and every other possible form of torture.
All of this because she was going to the ball with James bloody Potter.
Let's clarify.
Thursday afternoon. After Potions, which had actually gone very well, James cornered her in the hall.
He looked distinctly awkward and he ruffled his hand through his hair, a sure sign he was nervous. 'Lily, er- I was wondering. Would you want to maybe- go to the ball?'
'Well, I'm already going to the ball, James. You'll have to elaborate.'
'Would you go to the ball- with me?'
The entire hallway was hushed. It had gone around the school that Lily Evans and James Potter, the two best known rivals, were now friends. Most refused to believe it until they were seen around the school, laughing and talking and being friendly. How strange! Or at least that was the general reaction.
'Well- I suppose- yes.'
The crowd burst into cheers, and many people ran up to James and wrung his hand, saying, 'I knew you could do it- I just knew!' All of James's admires began crying and yelling at each other. Some of the people in the hallway looked at Lily with their mouths wide open.
And now, Lily was going through hell to look, as her roommates say, 'So- bloody- FABULOUS!'
It was worth it, however, when she walked down the stairs to where James was wearing. They had agreed to make the ball a Muggle themed dress code, and so he was wearing a black tux. Even Lily had to admit he looked gorgeous.
But James looked at Lily like the sun rose and set on her. He looked at her like a starved man looked at food, like a parched man looked at water. He looked at her as though he'd never seen her before. And Lily wasn't even poetic.
Lily's normally straight auburn hair was curled slightly at the end, and arranged in a half-ponytail. Her eyes were rimmed in kohl, and they looked even greener than ever. The perfectly shaped lips (or so James said) were a shade darker than her hair, but what made James's jaw drop was her dress.
It was a pure shade of white, and came up in a halter. It was completely backless, and the skirt ended right before her knees.
Basically, she looked gorgeous, and her roommates had been right.
'Wow, Lily. You look- you just look amazing.'
'You don't look so bad yourself, James Potter.'
James's smile didn't fade for the next five minutes.
X
So with the great start to the evening, why was Lily now outside, alone? It was around eleven, and surprisingly balmy for an English evening. It had felt so stuffy and awkward between her and James, like they weren't friends anymore but going on a blind date. Despite Lily's best efforts, he had remained distant all evening, only dancing with her when necessary and talking with Remus and Sirius. Basically, her evening had sucked so far.
Lily was smoking quietly in an empty courtyard when Remus found her.
'What are you doing all by your lonesome?'
'It just was too much for me in there. I needed to come out and breathe a little. Smoke?'
'You know I don't smoke. You know that I hate the fact that you do. Yet you insist on offering me one every time you see me. Honestly, Lily.'
'Shut up, Remus.' The comment was said in an affectionate voice, making it clear that the banter was common in their relationship.
'James is really trying, you know. He's only being awkward because he's shocked you said yes.'
'You read me like a book, Remus.' She smiled affectionately.
'He's beating himself up inside, wondering why he's so stuck.'
'Tell him to come out- and tell him to remember that before everything, we were friends. We still are.'
X
'So, I'm really sorry, Lily. I know that- well I'm acting like an idiot, to be honest.'
'Yeah, you are.' Lily smiled affectionately. 'Come 'ere.' Lily hugged him and smiled.
'I just- I wanted this evening to be perfect, y'know? It's like our last hurrah here, and I wanted to make it amazing. I just- froze up.'
'James, it's alright. I was, and am, just as nervous as you. This aspect of our relationship is new to me, too.'
'New aspect? What are you blabbering on about?'
'I was under the assumption that when I said yes to the ball, I was also saying yes to being your girlfriend?'
James jaw snapped open with an audible popping sound.
'Well, that changes things.'
'But I understand what you mean about the whole last hurrah thing. I just- I feel like this is my last chance to prove to everyone that I'm not just head girl, that I'm not just the girl who forgave James Potter. And I'm terrified of what's waiting for us out there.'
'You mean what with the war, and Voldemort, and Auror training, and all that?'
'Yeah, that. I just- all I want is one more chance to be young and wild and free, one more chance to be me. Before responsibilities, and all that stuff gets in the way.'
'Well what do you say we have some fun?'
X
Forty minutes later, Lily and James were standing in front of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh, drinking Butterbeer and laughing.
'This is amazing, James. Thank you so much for taking me here- this is amazing.'
'I think you said that already.' He smiled in a friendly way at her before grabbing her hand.
'Let's climb up.'
'Are you insane? We can't do that!'
'Yes, we can. I've done it with Sirius before- it just has to be evening.'
'What the hell.'
By the time they made it to the top, it was almost sunrise. They sat peacefully and watched the sunrise and drank Butterbeer, and when it was about six thirty in the morning, they went home.
'Thank you, James. That was like nothing I've ever done, really.
'Don't thank me, Lily. Do you know why I picked the pyramid?'
'No. Why?'
'In first year, you always talked about it, and how if you could see one thing before you died, that'd be it. I had no idea what you were talking about, of course, but when I found out I made myself a promise I'd take you there one day. Well, there we were.'
Lily took his hand, kissed him, and they strolled up to the castle, young and wild and free and taunting what was in their way.
X
Author's Note
There you go, guys. Hope you liked this chapter as much as I did; it was one of my favorites to write! And I got to talk about Remus and Lily a little bit more!
