Chapter 9 – The Heads Dorm
When the door swung open Lily and James thanked Merlin they had been chosen as Heads. The common room they were looking at was huge; it was twice the size of the Gryffindor common room. It had a fireplace in the wall closer to where they were standing, with a fire already cracking, and in the opposite side of it there was a wide tall glass window with a fluffy seat beneath it full of cozy cushions. From there they could see the lake and school campus, including the quidditch pitch. There were beautiful embroided drapes in white and gold hanging on each side of it.
The entire room had its woodwork done in dark oak, including two large desks that faced one another in what it seemed to be a work space. In front of the fireplace was a rather large dark red couch that looked perfect for napping and relaxing with its inviting cushions. And to each side of the couch sat an armchair, dressed in a small green and white checkers fabric.
In front of them was a large staircase that led to the second floor, where presumably their rooms were.
- Wow! We are soooo lucky!- Lily muttered in awe taking a sgarp intake of breath.
- I know! – James replied excitedly and quick on his feet he jumped on top of the couch and starting bouncing up and down in it – Heads rule! Oh, yeah! Heads rule! – He started yelling.
Lily started to laugh; he looked like a five year old on Christmas morning. "Was he really seventeen?" It was cute though.
- Come on, Lily! Get up here! – He was gesturing to her to get on the couch too while still bouncing.
- Shouldn't we go check upstairs? – She asked with a smile, staying put.
- Oh, yeah! Our rooms! – James had forgotten that that wasn't all, so when Lily reminded him, he reacted and in a flash he jumped off the couch, grabbed her hand and ran upstairs dragging her along.
- James, James! Calm down! – Lily said laughing and panting at the same time from trying to keep up with him. She was giggling also. She couldn't help it; she had only been friends with him for a few minutes but the way he was treating her she felt like it had always been that way.
They were standing in the beginning of a small corridor at the top of the stairs and they could see three doors; the one to the right said Head Girl, the one on the left said Head Boy and the one on the end of the corridor they could see it was the bathroom door. They grinned at each other happily and then each entered their assigned room.
If before Lily was amazed, now she was simply astonished. She was standing in the middle of her new room and it was the most beautiful room she had ever seen. She felt like and enchanted princess in a fairy tale. Her room was large, it had an elegant and discreet wallpaper with tiny birds and flowers drawings in a very light shade of gold. On the end wall was an enormous bed. It had a knotted butterfly quilt on top; it was so colorful the butterflies seemed to fly! Lily jumped on her bed, laying right in the middle of it.
She started to look around taking in every detail, she noticed the white marble floor, it was so clear that she could see her reflexion in it; she then let her wonder a bit more and realized there was a magnificent dresser against the side wall. It looked so pretty that Lily thought she would be afraid to use it. She then saw there was a door next to the dresser, so she got to her feet and went to open it. She gasped again. It was a walk-in closet.
- I have died and gone to heaven! – Lily screamed unable to contain herself any longer.
- Me too! – She heard James reply yelling from his own room.
James couldn't stop grinning. His room was "humongos", as Sirius would call it. It was so cool! It had been decorated in the Gryffindor colors and touches of green, his favorite color. He loved the white marble floor that, he thought, actually double-functioned as a mirror. His bed had a dark red bed spread with golden hems and he had light green wallpaper.
There was a punching bag in a corner of the room, and when he walked closer to it he saw there was a door behind it. He opened it. It was a walk-in closet! "Oh yes!". He then herad Lily scream "I have died and gone to heaven", so he replied yelling "Me too!", and ran outside his room towards hers to check it out. When he got to the door Lily was standing there, hand still on the knob.
- Can I see yours? – They asked each other at the same time.
- Ok! – They said together again.
They met in front of the last door five minutes later.
- Shall we? – James asked while making mock courtesy.
Lily then followed and entered the bathroom. Again the Head students were at a loss for words. The Heads bathroom was entirely made of red marble. It's bathtub was so huge it even had it's own waterfall. James smiled and placed a hand on Lily's shoulder:
- Well, Miss Evans, now that you have officially befriended me, I am obliged to inform you that there WILL be MANY parties in this room! – He said so beside himself with joy that he was practically bouncing on the spot.
- No, you can't! – lily replied in a mock tone.
- What do you mean I can't? Don't let me down now, Lily! Look at the size of this thing! I can train for the… uhmmmm… Olympicas in it! – He said and pouted. Lily laughed.
- It's Olympics! And I'm sure you could! But what I meant is that you REALLY can't! We're only allowed to have 16 people in here, no more, because there's the quantity of prefects. – She explained.
- Oh, poor dear Lily! – James teased her faking a sigh and then gave her a mischievous smile that would have sent most of the third year girls to the enfermary – 16 people is MORE than enough for a party. You have much to learn, young bird. Don't worry I'll guide towards the light. – He said in a joking chivalrous manner.
- Oh, will you kind sir? – Lily raised a questioning eyebrow. – We'll see about that.
They turned and headed back to their rooms, stopping in front of their respective doors:
- Good night, James. – she said softly.
- Sweet dreams, Lily. – He responded with a dreamy tone.
James lay on his bed, smiling a smile so wide it barely fit his face. "Today was a great day!" - He thought to himself – "I can't believe everything that's happened!". He thought about how he had been dreading to see Lily. He had been so angry and disappointed at her that summer, and as he was trying to get over his feeling for her, he had tried enhance the anger and sorrow to try and make his mission easier; and now she had gone and ruined everything. He was completely sure that if they became friends, he would never get over, he would do the exact opposite and fall for her even more. He was doomed, he reasoned, but yet he couldn't help the giddy felling he had. He liked Katie, but she didn't affect him the same way the redhead did.
He sighed. He loved her, but it would never happen and he couldn't bear any more rejection. He had set himself a goal: to be happy. And since he knew Lily would never cave, he would have to be content in a part of her life the way he could, as friend. He also knew he would have to get over her, and he felt that was going to be hardest thing he would ever do, but he had to try it, if he ever wanted a shot at being truly happy. He grabbed the small mirror that was on his robes pocket and said looking at it:
- Sirius Black. - The small mirror started to change its surface to show his best mate's face.
- Hey, Prongs!!! - Sirius said with a huge smile - How's the new crib?
- Mate, you're not going to believe it! - He gave his friend his "it's-too-good-to-be-true" grin.
- Can I come over? Or is Evans on the way? - Sirius made a face when he said Lily's name.
- Nah, we are alright now. But, hey, we are already late! - James replied in a way that meant that he was going to tell him everything in detail later.
- Prongs, we can't be late for the First Ride of Our Final Year! I'll meet there! - He said and pocketed the mirror immediatelly.
James did the same. He picked up his broom and his cloak and very silently left the Heads Dorm, going to meet his friend at the Quidditch pitch. Ever since third year him and Sirius snuck out together on their first night back to go flying; they called it their "First Ride Of the Year". They always had the best time doing it, since they both loved flying. For Sirius it was more because of doing something they weren't allowed, but for James it was because that flying in Hogwarts was special, he loved the freedom and the way he felt, it was like being home. Up there nothing could hurt him, nothing could touch him. It was overjoying. So he ran as fast as he could.
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Lily was brushing her hair sitting in what she had named "the-most-beautiful-dresser-to-ever-exist" and thinking. When she had gotten off the Hogwarts Express earlier that night she was having one of the worst nights of her life! And now she didn't understand why but she felt giddy inside. Her jaw actually hurt because of the constant smile in her lips. She remebered James jumping on the couch, and couldn't help but smile even wider. She then started to try to pinpoint exactly what was about him that used to make her hate him so much, but she couldn't come up with a real answer. She chuckled. A year ago she would have listed a dozen things to that same question, but right now she really couldn't see those things in him or if she could it didn't bother her anymore. She knew he had flaws, of course, but well, he was only human.
Maybe she had never really hated him, maybe she had been jealous of him; his life seemed so perfect! He was funny, rich (even though he didn't talk about it, everyone in Hogwarts knew), great in sports, handsome (he isn't my type, but I can't deny he is appealing), he had great loyal friends, he was smart (I don't know how he does it, but he always get top marks without ever studying!) and he was so easy-going everyone felt confortable around him. He was also so confident!
Lily then started to think that maybe the reason she had been so annoyed by him is that she thought that he took all those things for granted; pranking, bullying younger students and getting detetions all the time. But now she could see that he actually didn't take it for granted and that he didn't get most of those things for free, it just looked like he did. James had a way about him, he looked so carefree and spontaneous that he made everything look easy and effortless. Lily sighed, she selt sorry that she had only understood that now, she had realized it when he forgave her. She knew she had hurt him and it took a truly generous person to forgive like he had and instantly put it behind them, like he had done. If only she had uncovered these things some years ago. "Who knows, maybe things would be different now."
She heard a noise outside and looked out her window. Two small figures were flying out on Quidditch Pitch! She knew it had to be James, who else would risk detention on the first day just to fly around? But he had just told him goodnight! She got up, went to his room and knocked on the door. No one answered. She waited and knocked again. Still nothing. She opened the door slowly and surely enough there was no sign of the Head Boy or his broom. She went to his window and saw one of the tiny figures do a loop in the broom and then spread its arms. She smiled. He had matured, but at that moment he was ten years old and loving it. She then went to her bed and slept a much deserved sleep.
