CHAPTER 7: TOP 5 LISTS
The night came, but sleep did not accompany it. Lily Evans found herself sitting up in bed wishing she had ate more at dinner. Her stomach was growling and the book she was reading was blurring in and out of focus. She decided that if she wasn't going to sleep she should at least go get something to eat. The only solution was to break the rules, but being a prefect she was allowed anywhere at any hour of night as long as it was important. She guessed this was important, at least she could tell herself that.
It took no time to get herself presentable to sneak out. She simply pined on her prefects badge and put a pin in her hair that had been bewitched to make her look like a shadow from a great distance. It wouldn't help her if she ran into any Professor, but if they passed the hallway she was in they wouldn't recognize her nor identify that she was a human being.
Then she set out, down the staircase into the common room and then out into the corridor.
Her echoing shoe beats were soft upon the stone floors and when she finally reached the fruit painting she had devised a way to make it almost unheard. The painting snickered as she tickled it and opened up to let her into the dimly lit kitchen where many house elves were working cooking food. At the sight of her they began to whisper to each other. One of them walked up and bowed low flashing her a concerned smile and bright blue eyes.
"Lady, do you wish to accompany the young man?"
"What young man?" but the question was answered for her as the house elf bowed low again and the shining brown mop of hair behind turned to show a face wearing round glasses and a handsome smirk.
"Lily Evans? I thought you were a good girl." He looked especially tired tonight, and his hair was far messier than usual, if such a thing were possible, but he still looked bright and cheery; she wondered if that was because he was looking at her.
"Well I've been known to have my moments of mischief. I blame it on your influence."
"Oh yes, everything is always my fault, indeed?"
"Of course. And don't think I am going to forgive you for that any time soon, either."
"I'll wait as long as it takes, my dear." His voice was sweet and soothing and her heart fluttered to hear it.
"Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Call me… pet names, if I dare call them that."
"Oh you mean like, Flower, Lily Bee, Lily Angel, Sweet Cheeks, Lily Lovely…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. …Those. Any reason?"
"Just because you are worth the time it takes to say them. Besides I like the way your face reddens when I do. Red is a good look on you." He said as he raised a finger to her chin and tapped it adoringly causing the rouge of her cheeks to follow suit with his words.
"So what do we have to eat, I'm starving." Just as her words got out a house elf came up bearing cakes and meats and drinks, with three different trays one in each hand and another on its head. "Thanks."
"Yeah, Thanks," James said in echo as he picked up a piece of turkey, which he immediately shoved in his mouth.
"James," Lily began with food in her mouth, "tell me a secret."
"You already know all my secrets."
"Nuh uh," she said sloppily. The food was impairing her, but James seemed to have no problem talking with food in his mouth.
"You know my biggest secrets-I'm an animagus, I'm an insomniac, and I'm crazy about red heads." At this he smiled big, and cocked an eyebrow in her direction.
"Well," she said trying to hide her blushing face, "I want to know a secret no one knows. Something you keep only to yourself."
"Er… ok…I hate chocolate frogs. I eat them when one is offered to me, but I've always found them to be disgusting."
"Me too. You have no idea how hard it was for me to accept the idea of a piece of chocolate that croaked at me. Plus I grew up in a magic free house, so it was quite a different world for me when I stepped onto the Hogwarts Express. I thought I was the only one though."
"Nope. I'm a pure blood and I find them disgusting, but Sirius loves them. I've never really understood it, but that's Sirius for you."
"Okay. I want to ask you a question," he leaned in almost to say go ahead, "why did you all of a sudden stop asking me out this year? Tell me the truth."
"The truth? Well… honestly… Remus told me that girls don't really like being pressured. Plus Sirius said I was starting to become annoying with how I 'pinned' after you. Direct quote, mind you."
"I'm sure. Sirius isn't exactly the kind of guy who values affection very highly."
"Actually you would be surprised. His friends are more important to him than anything in his life; we are his family now that he left his house. Did you know that? That he left home last year? He lives with me, now."
"No, I didn't."
"Kind of gives you a different perspective on things. Plus I hear that the girls he does see come back for more, so apparently he thinks very highly of it, just in a different way."
"I don't understand girls sometimes. I mean he's good looking and all, but there is nothing else there."
"He's talented, and smart, and really funny."
"Yeah, well you are all those things too, doesn't mean I'm falling…" she stopped herself before she hurt his feelings, but she already saw a sense of disappointment on his face. It only stayed there for a while though and then he was back to normal.
"So you think Sirius is good looking?"
"I'd be lying if I said he wasn't. He's very attractive as far as looks."
"One of the best looking in school?" he was raising his eyebrow as if to make a point.
"Yes, if you must know. I'd say… top 5."
"5? Who else is on that list?"
"Do you have to make me answer? That's just cruel."
"Please? I'll tell you my list of top 5."
"Oh gosh. I guess." She took a deep breath, and began in a soft voice, "Sirius Black, Remus Lupin (at this James cocked an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes), Amos Diggory, Frank Longbottom, stop laughing!"
"I'm sorry, but Frank?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"That was only 4."
Her face went red again as she grabbed more food to shove in her mouth.
"So…? Who is number 5?"
"Umm…" she coughed something that sounded suspicious, but James didn't give up.
"Come on, even if you said it was Peter I wouldn't have a heart attack. Just tell me," she shook her head, "please," still nothing, "please." Then a long sigh.
"You. Okay. You are number 5."
"Oh." His reaction was one of shock, which made her laugh a little.
"So… your list?"
"Let's see. You, and you, and…"
"Not funny, Potter."
"No I'm serious! Though I suppose you could add Lee Lang, and Arabella Figg."
"James?" he hummed a reply with shining hazel eyes, "why do you like me? I don't understand; there isn't anything special about me."
"Are you kidding? You are the smartest witch in our year; you are brave, kind, and generous. You are there for everyone when they need it, I don't think I have ever seen someone so caring. Remus told me you have taken notes for him every time he has been out of school cause he's sick. Normally I would find that a sign of attraction (which perhaps is correct since he is one of your top 5) but in this case I figured it was just you being the wonderful you; you know you are wonderful, don't you? Not to mention, I love everything about your face. The dark red hair, the green eyes, the light freckles and beautiful smile. You are absolutely beautiful inside and out."
"Well," she coughed trying to compose herself, "you're quite the charmer James Potter. Or are you just so tired you don't realize what you are saying?"
"A little of both, I like to think." With that he laughed and looked at her sparkling face in the candlelight. A long silence followed, adding a bit of tension to the face of Lily Evans who was thinking about a great many things that James Potter couldn't ever imagine.
"James…" Lily broke the silence, "I can't like you."
The words almost threw him off the seat, but instead he looked very seriously at her. "I'm not asking you to, you know?"
"Yeah, but you make it hard."
"Well, I apologize." Another silence followed and now Lily had returned her face to one of regret and despair, while James had turned to a look of mild annoyance.
"We probably better go."
"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow. Could we have another Charms lesson?"
"If you want one."
"I do."
"Then okay. I'll see you then. And James," she said to his fleeting form, "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Her mouth opened to answer, but he cut her off, "No biggie Evans. I've been waiting this long, I think I can survive."
Then he left with a small smirk that was intended to cheer her up, but did nothing but make her long for him more. So, she thought, its back to Evans, is it? And she wished for so much more.
A/N:I felt Ineeded to explain something so...Lee Lang would be, in my mind, Cho Chang's mom. I wanted some sign of the relationship of James with his son, so that's how I did it. Birds of a feather fly together, or something like that. You get what I'm saying. It's also just one of those ways to tie the characters of this generation back to HP, as if they need any help.
So...Who's on your top 5 list?
Well those are my explanations, hope they are plausible. Please review!
