A/N: Let's get right to this, shall we? Massive, bone-crushing hugs go out to my awesome reviewers: Darke Wispers, Lkay09, Moonfrost127, Jacki James Criss Potter, PetitMoi207, Joy, YellowMouse, Greengirl17, SilverHeart87, L-U-N-A-654, thebiggestpotterfreak, crazymacky, KenzieAlyssa, Loslote, alicenotinwonderland, Jenn222, elliey black, peacelovebooksx107, Essie, Sidno, WhenTheMoonShines, melody 106, Ranma's Girl1, Almost Genius, and Lily-Evans-James-Potter.

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Disclaimer: Nearly two months have passed, and yet, nothing has changed, because I still don't own it.

Chapter 10: Death by Polyester

"Hot damn."

Alice, Marlene, and I all turned to look at her questioningly, but her eyes were glazed over and unfocused. I followed her gaze over to the end of the dock where James stood looking out over the lake. Mary's mouth fell open audibly as he tugged at the hem of his shirt, inching it up his stomach, teasingly almost, before peeling it ever so carefully off that wonderful chest of his in what seemed like an impossibly slow manner. An inch of flesh exposed…two inches…two and a quarter inches…

Merlin, how long could it possibly take to strip off your bloody shirt?

He was doing it just to irk me. I knew it.

At last, James gave his t-shirt one final tug, before letting it fall to the dock in a heap of cloth.

Sweet Mother of Merlin. I nearly whimpered out loud.

Mary sighed wistfully next to me. "What I wouldn't give to be that shirt." Alice nodded enthusiastically along with her.

I shot them both grumpy glares. "Get your own," I mumbled quietly.

But not quietly enough, obviously.

My roommates turned to look at me with quirked eyebrows. "Er, I just said…" I wracked my brain for something intelligent to say. "It looks like James has grown!" Oh God, why did I say that?

Did I imagine it, or did Mary just lick her lips? "In more ways than one," she giggled, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Ugh, I didn't even want to think about what she meant by that.

Alice hummed her agreement quietly. "Mhm…"

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" I snapped finally. I couldn't help myself. A blank look crossed her face for a moment. "You know… Frank? Remember him?" I prompted as I waved my hand in front of her.

Her tiny hand fell to my shoulder. "Oh Lily," she sighed, shaking her head sadly. "That doesn't mean I can't appreciate what's in front of me. God didn't put a body like that on this earth to be ignored, now did he?"

Whatever retort I'd been about to come back with was quickly cut off by Mary's hushed squeal. Her hand whipped out and caught my arm with a whack.

"Ooh, look! Sirius is about to strip!" she cooed, swaying slightly in place. That starry, dumbstruck look returned to her eyes in full force.

Ignoring her, I glared pointedly at my bruising arm and then back at her. "Um, ow!"

She dismissed me with a wave of her hand. "Shhh, I need to focus!"

Merlin, that girl has a one-track mind.

Sirius glanced over at us and winked knowingly, before ripping his shirt off, not bothering to take his sweet time like James had. Even with his perfectly carved stomach, and his roguishly handsome looks, I found that I wasn't attracted to him even in the slightest. In fact, I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from James. Mary, on the other hand, looked as though she was about to faint.

"You're all mad," summed up Marlene with a nod. We all turned to look at her, surprised; she hadn't said anything for the last few minutes. Her eyes, unlike the rest of ours, were fixed on Remus, who sat there quietly reading a book.

"Oh please," I teased, "you're just waiting for Remus to "

"Ohmigod!"

"That's what I thought."

"Shut up, Lily."

Mary nudged my side, and jerked her head in James's direction. "Lils, I think he's coming over here!" she said excitedly. My eyes narrowed at her fingers, which attached themselves to her hair flirtatiously. "Quick, splash me!"

I looked around us, confused. "Sorry?"

She sighed impatiently and gestured wildly at the water. "Splash me! With the water! Splash me!"

"Why?" I asked slowly, stretching the word to its breaking point.

"There was an article in Witch Weekly that said one of the sure-fire ways to get a bloke to notice you is to drench yourself in water," explained Mary quickly. She grinned like this was the best thing since sliced bread. "Brilliant, no?"

I gaped at her, shaking my head back and forth. "No."

Mary just rolled her eyes, and patted me on the shoulder sympathetically. "One day, Lily, you'll understand," she assured me, turning back toward the dock. Her fingers played in her hair, and she fixed a dazzling smile on her face while I glared at the side of her head, willing those conniving little fingers to get stuck there.

James hopped off the dock and jogged toward our spot on the beach, grinning. Water droplets flew from his hair in slow motion as it flapped about, and even from this distance, I could see the water dribbling down his chest… My mouth dropped open, and I swallowed uneasily, trying to keep from drooling like a pathetic puppy dog.

"Damn," Mary swore, shaking her head in disbelief. "Hey, James!" she called in a voice that was much higher than normal as he came within earshot, waving her hand at him.

He looked slightly confused but waved back anyway. "Er, hey, Mary…" Then, much to my disappointment, he turned to Alice. "Frank sent me to get your help with something. Apparently it's a job only you can do…"

Alice grinned wickedly and flounced off toward Frank, while the rest of us looked on in horror. "What kind of job?" asked Marlene innocently. Mary just clapped her on the shoulder and shook her head.

We stood in an awkward silence for a few moments, looking everywhere but at each other. James cleared his throat pointedly, but Mary was too busy drooling to notice. Thankfully Marlene picked up on the hint, and grabbed her hand. "Let's go see what book Remus is reading today," she said excitedly, and towed Mary off to the dock.

I tilted my head to one side, watching as Sirius dangled a stick over the water expectantly. "What is Sirius doing?" I asked James.

"Fishing," he replied with a grin.

My brow furrowed in confusion. "With a stick? Last time I checked, fish ate worms, not wood." Then under my breath, "Pureblood."

James chuckled, and combed his fingers through his hair. "So…" His lips curled up slightly and his fingers went to my waist. "What do you think about going on a little trip of our own tonight?"

I balked. "A trip of…our-our own?" I squeaked back at him. A blush began to creep up my neck. Moving a little fast, aren't we? One measly kiss and suddenly the options unfold like a picture book.

"Yeah, Remus suggested we stay the night out here tonight," continued James, completely oblivious to my reaction. "There's a fire pit over there already, and it looks like there's plenty of room for nine sleeping bags across the beach up there."

Wait just one minute. Did he just say nine sleeping bags? Why in Merlin's name would we need…? Oh. Right. I took a deep breath and tried to quell the irrational disappointment rising in the pit of my stomach.

"It's just an idea, of course," James added hastily, misinterpreting my reaction to his words. His fingers reached for his hair nervously, before seeming to think better of it and dropping back down to my hip. "A bloody awful one, actually. Never liked that plan…"

Swallowing my hurt pride, I nodded enthusiastically. "No, no, it's a good idea," I assured him, "but we'll have to get permission from Slughorn. He may not go along with it because we're Heads, you know, and we're expected to help."

James just waved this away casually. "They can manage without us for one night, I'm sure."

I raised my eyebrows slightly.

"Well," he amended with a slight cringe, "they might starve, but it's the Slytherins we're talking about here. No one really cares that much, anyway."

"James."

He sighed and let his arms encircle my waist loosely. My hands went to his bare biceps gladly. "If they've got half as many brains as they claim, they can probably figure out how to roast a few hot dogs over the fire. And if one of them falls in…"

"James!" I shrieked, swatting him lightly on the arm. But I laughed nonetheless, throwing my head back and listening to the sound magnify above me.

His lips brushed my throat quickly, and one of his hands left my waist to tangle itself with my fingers. "Come on," James said quietly, tugging me toward the trail that led away from the lake. "Let's go ask Slughorn."

I glanced back over my shoulder as we jogged quickly away. "Are we going to tell them where we're going?" I asked, seeing that none of them had even noticed us leaving.

James grinned at me, his eyes twinkling. "Nope!"

My eyes roved his tanned back shamelessly, taking in the way his smooth muscles fluctuated with every step. His arms, too, were dark and obviously muscled in an understated way. Not like Sirius, though, who looked as though he was on steroids. "You really ought to wear a shirt, you know," I threw out, casually brushing up against his shoulder.

He turned to smirk knowingly at me. "Why? Does my being shirtless bother you?"

"No," I shook my head, "but it might save a few unnecessary homicides."

James shot me a questioning look. "Homicides?"

My gaze darkened dramatically as I glared at a nearby tree. "I thought I was going to have to smother Mary in her sleep earlier, with the way she was acting. 'Hey, James!'" I imitated Mary's sickeningly sweet tone, and twirled a lock of hair around my finger. "Merlin, you should have heard her!" I cried, returning to a slightly hysterical version of my normal voice. "She kept going on and on about wanting to be your shirt. Who thinks that? And Alice! I can't believe her! Lecturing me about appreciating God's gifts or some such rubbish…" I scoffed rudely, completely aware that I was rambling, but not having the means to stop. "Honestly, the nerve! Doesn't she have her own boyfriend to ogle?"

James raised his eyebrows at that, but didn't say anything. He just smiled to himself while his thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of my hand. "Indeed," he agreed amusedly.

"I hate them all," I decided finally, nodding my head vigorously. "Well, except for Marlene. I like her; she at least isn't a raving lunatic. Completely sane, that one. Although I think it was just because she was enjoying watching Remus flip the pages of his book too much to have a normal reaction. 'Ooh, look, he's on page one hundred twenty-seven now!'. Really, couldn't figure that one out by myself, Marlene. It is sort of cute though, isn't it? How enamored she is?"

"The cutest," agreed James with a roll of his eyes.

I looked up at him and grimaced. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I?"

James just shrugged and struggled to hide his smirk. "Jealousy does that to some people," he assured me sympathetically.

"Jealousy?" I asked suddenly, stopping in my tracks. James continued to walk until my hand slipped out of his. He turned around with a sigh. "Jealous of what?"

"Perhaps jealous isn't the right word…" he mused quietly to himself. I just glared. "I just think that you're a bit peeved that other people might find me somewhat…attractive."

"And I think you are utterly mad," I scoffed. Attractive, my arse. "I just don't understand why Mary and Alice had to covet something that wasn't rightfully theirs."

I almost slapped myself. He's a bloke, Lily, not the last piece of bacon at breakfast!

"My, my, possessive, aren't we?" James chuckled. His arms snaked around my waist once more and pulled me toward him. "And I don't blame them. I mean, look at me!"

"You're a prick," I informed him as his lips ghosted along my collarbone. My breath hitched in my throat, and I could feel the flames building in my cheeks.

"Mmm, but as you so graciously pointed out," he hummed, kissing up my neck and jaw, "I'm your prick."

His lips captured mine then, and I melted into his body, latching my arms around his neck. My fingers immediately went to work making his hair messier than it already was, while he backed us up. I stumbled over a tree root, momentarily wrenching my lips from his with a giggle. "Whoops," I muttered, glancing down at the offending lump of wood. "Sorry," I said to it.

But James was having none of that. His lips quickly found mine again, and he growled against them, "Damn tree." I let out a little gasp into his mouth as my back slammed into said tree.

Merlin, his hair was soft. "Do you use conditioner?" I asked distractedly. But then he moved his arms to the trunk of the tree by my head, and I was too engrossed to listen for an answer.

I felt bad for the poor tree. This kind of thing probably didn't happen to it all too often. What was it going to tell its wife tree? And what if that bush my foot was buried in happened to be the tree's child?

My fingers grudgingly detached themselves from James's hair, and moved to explore his shoulders, back, and stomach. I sighed happily into his mouth. "I love Quidditch." Not true, of course. I'd only ever been to one Quidditch match, and that had been in first year. It Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, and it was absolutely pouring rain. About fifteen minutes into the match, some bloke was shoved off his broom and came flying into the stands. He landed right on top of me, and broke my arm. He wasn't injured at all. After we got out of the Hospital Wing, the arrogant bastard actually thanked me for breaking his fall, and asked if I wanted his autograph. I promptly smacked him.

I felt like the tree was going to open up and swallow me whole any minute now. A knot on the trunk was digging into my back uncomfortably, and I was sure my hair was caught in the bark, but I didn't say anything.

How long had we been snogging anyway? Five minutes? Ten minutes? I couldn't tell. My mind was so muddled; I could barely tell if I was standing upright. And why was everything suddenly spinning?

"James," I panted loudly, pulling my face away from his. His lips went right to my neck. My chest heaved embarrassingly, and I let my head fall back against the tree. "Merlin." I laid my hands flat against his warm stomach and gave him a little push.

"No," he replied stubbornly, nipping lightly at my ear.

"My lungs can only take so much, James," I said, trying to ignore my trembling spine, and jelly-like legs. His arms dropped away from the tree, and I was able to step away from him.

With my arms braced against my knee, I took the opportunity to inspect James, and make sure that no one had been harmed. Except for the swollen lips and mussed hair, he looked fine. More than fine, actually, but looking like that got us into this, so I wasn't about to say differently.

"How do I look?" I asked, turning around in circles as he appraised me. James grimaced, and helped pick the bark from my hair while I dusted off my back. I smoothed back my hair, and patted my cheeks lightly.

"Exceptional," James answered with a grin. "And myself?"

My eyes raked over him quickly. God-like. Sexy as hell. But I didn't say either of those things. I just shrugged. "Eh."

He chuckled, and put one hand on my hip and the other on my cheek. His hazel eyes seemed clearer and deeper than ever. "C'mere," he murmured and I gladly reached up on my tiptoes to press my lips to his gently. They lingered there for a moment, before I sank back to the ground.

"To camp?" he asked huskily.

I intertwined our hands and nodded. "To camp."

"Are you sure I look okay?" I asked James for the hundredth time, fidgeting with my top as we stood on the porch of Slughorn's quickly constructed cabin.

He shot me a look. "Lily, you're asking permission to sleep on the beach tonight, not asking him to marry you. Not that the answer would be any different," he added grumpily.

"Well, yes, but you're sure I don't look like…you know!"

"Like you've just been thoroughly snogged?" suggested James with a smirk. I nodded curtly. "I'm positive. Besides, he'll probably be more focused on the fact that I'm not wearing any clothing on the upper half of my body."

Right. "Sorry to crush your hopes, but I don't think he goes for that sort of thing."

James just glared at me.

I took a deep breath, and then released it. "Okay, I'm ready," I announced, and I lifted my fist to knock on the cabin door.

"About bloody time," James muttered under his breath.

The door flung open to reveal a jovial Proffesor Slughorn looking plumper than ever. "Oho! Lily, my dear, it's so good to see you! Do come in!" I frowned to myself. Was it normal for a teacher to act this way toward a student? I'd just seen him a few hours ago at breakfast!

James cleared his throat loudly, and stepped out from behind me. "Hullo, Professor," he said with a polite smile.

Slughorn looked surprised to see James behind me. "James, m'boy! What brings you here?"

"Well, Professor, we were just coming to ask "

"We were just coming to ask for your permission to spend the night at another little camp site just a ways up the trail there," I cut across him smoothly, pointing toward the trail from which we'd just come. "We think it would be a wonderful opportunity to bond with our fellow Gryffindors and get a taste of the outside world that we'll be facing alone in just a few short months." I batted my eyes quickly for emphasis.

Slughorn quirked an eyebrow, and continued to pat his stomach happily. "Of course, of course!" he wheezed. "But what're the rest of us to do?"

"Erm." I shifted slightly from side to side, looking down at my feet. Sing songs and dance merrily around the campfire?

"Honestly, Professor," James spoke up quickly, "I think the rest of our classmates would be glad to get rid of us for the night! They would welcome it!"

James and Professor Slughorn chuckled together like old friends while I stared at them in shock. Slughorn grinned and squinted creepily at us. "Too right you are, Mister Potter. Too right you are."

Was Slughorn agreeing with the assumption that everyone hates us?

"So, is that alright, then?" I asked hesitantly, "If we stay overnight at…the other place?" I didn't want to give away too much, just in case he had the urge to come spy on us in the middle of the night. Not that he would be willing or able to walk that far.

"I don't see why not! It would be a wonderful learning experience," he said, nodding his head enthusiastically. "Just don't tell Minerva," he added with a wink. And with that, he retreated back into the cabin, shutting the door on us.

I turned to James robotically. "Well that was…"

"Easier than I expected," he filled in the rest of my sentence. "Come on."

James went off to collect the supplies we'd be needing for the night, while I went to work collecting all of our sleeping bags. It couldn't be too difficult; I had my wand, after all.

My wand! I grinned, and pulled it from the waistband of my shorts. Raising it in the air, I summoned them. "Accio sleeping bags!"

Much to my horror, thirty-six plush sleeping bags came flying out of their respective tents and toward me. With wide eyes I watched as they hurtled full-force at my poor face. "Oomph!"

The force of the thirty-six flying sleeping bags knocked me off my feet, and sent me careening toward James, a few feet away by the plastic containers. His arms wrapped snugly around my stomach just before we hit the ground. There was just enough time to let out a sharp gasp at the impact, and then…all of the sleeping bags landed on top of us. Of course.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried as I struggled to free myself from the dark pile. It was harder than I thought it would be; thirty-six sleeping bags are extremely heavy. James groaned loudly beneath me. My head broke free of the darkness, and gulped. James was nowhere to be found. What if one of the sleeping bags choked him and he suffocated? I could just imagine the headlines: "Death By Polyester". How tragic.

"James!" I cried frantically as I threw the bags aside as I tried desperately to dig him out. His head suddenly popped up from beneath a blue bag, and I jumped back, startled.

"I think I broke something," mumbled James. I immediately dropped to my knees and began prodding him like I saw Madam Pomfrey do after our meeting with McGonnagal.

"Where does it hurt?" I asked gently, stroking his hair.

"Everywhere," he moaned.

"Oh dear…" I continued poking around, watching for the places he winced. Oddly enough, never once did I notice him show any signs of pain other than his incessant moaning. "Are you sure you're hurt, James? Nothing seems to be broken…"

He nodded pathetically. His voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "It hurts, Lily," James whimpered. "But I know what you can do to make it better."

"What?" I continued to run my fingers through his hair, letting my hand rest comfortably on his bare chest. "Just tell me what I can do."

"You can kiss it better."

Bloody hell.

A/N: Guess who was selected for early entrance to Pottermore? This girl! Along with every one else who participated in the Magical Quill contest… Anyway, the amount of hours of sleep I have lost over this stupid chapter should be criminal. And the next chapter too, which is still not written. Gah! The world is out to get me, I'm telling you.

But you know what would really help? Reaching the 200 hundred-review mark with the chapter. We only need sixteen more reviews to get there! That would be beyond fantastic. The county fair is coming up where I live… Maybe I should register this bunny for show. ;) It certainly is quite fat.

Did anyone else get into Pottermore early? My username is GhostFlame125. I actually like it. Do you like yours? Feel free to share it in a review! Yeah, that was a lame attempt to solicit more reviews from you guys. Don't judge me. I'm a hoarder.

Much Love,

Jessie

P.s. I'm not really a hoarder.