CHAPTER 9
Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me except of course the plot.
First off I would like to say the dare idea in this chapter was from the brilliant user James' Lily Flower. Also if anyone is interested in being my beta, please contact me.
"JAMES POTTER!" I shouted, pulling a red thong from the box.
Beside me James snorted and broke into hysterical laughter. I glared over at him and tossed the thong towards Jael and set down the box.
"Lils I have a reputation to uphold," his eyes were watering with the look of pure disgust on my face.
"What as a perverted toe rag?" I glared down at my feet.
This was so not funny in the slightest; so why were Jael and James cracking up? I mean really, right when you start to like a guy. Wait! Those words did not just run through my mind. I meant that I was starting to like James as a friend and not the way you were thinking, that's ridiculous.
"Hey! There is more in the box," James noticed I had placed the box down on the table so I didn't have to look at it any further.
"I am not so sure I want to know what kind of other stuff you have hidden in that box of horrors," I glanced down at the box and made a face.
"Don't worry Lils I didn't put my boxers in there," I nervously thought back to the golden snitch boxers and my stomach did a little turn.
"Oh alright," I picked up the box and gasped again but not like last time.
Inside the box lay a rose but the rose was preserved in a layer of 24 carrot gold. I had once seen one a bit like it on a Muggle website. My mom was always shopping on Muggle websites for jewelry and other expensive items. Wrapped around the rose was a beautiful silver necklace with a gold lily symbolizing my name. He was right this must have cost a fortune.
"James I can't accept this," I put the gifts back in the box and shoved it towards him.
"What do you mean you can't accept this? I bought this for you!" James shoved the box back at me and I took it absent mindedly.
I couldn't explain the small blush creeping up on my cheeks and truth be told I didn't want to find out. It was a nice gesture but nothing that should get my heart beating like it was.
"James... I am serious I really can't accept this. You spent way too much on this," I stuttered and he laughed.
"Lily Evans I bought you an expensive gift and you won't even take it? What am I supposed to do bring it back?" he asked, flailing his arms for dramatic effect.
"Sure if you want to," I said dismissively and Jael rolled her eyes.
"Lils take the damn present," she cried and I quietly took the box and glared down at my feet.
"Thank you so much James," I looked into his beautiful hazel and smiled.
"No problem, I was thinking I should have spent more," he said looking rather upset.
"No James, this is enough," I laughed and Jael grabbed my arm and with one last goodbye she dragged me up to our dorms.
"Lily can I tell you something," she said quietly and I smiled and nodded my head.
"Regina likes James," she blurted and I turned to look at her startled.
"I thought she was too good for any guy," I said calmly trying hard not to show the panic building up inside me. If she liked James she would definitely get him not that it mattered much to me but poor James.
"I thought so too but she told me he is exactly the kind of guy she wants," Jael looked anywhere but me like this news was supposed to break my heart.
"Well she picked a bad time to start liking him because I am going on a date with him which will make him more in love with me than ever," I said defensively and Jael caught on pretty fast.
"Lily you like him," she laughed and I frowned and shook my head.
"I don't like him Jael. Regina can have him if she really wants him but I can say for sure he will be a tough person to persuade," I said and both Jael and I laughed.
"Lily loves James," Jael shouted gleefully and I turned a deep shade of red.
"No I don't! Please not so loud," I hissed and she clapped her hands together.
With one last grin in my direction she turned and headed out the door leaving me in the dorm completely lost in my thoughts.
Instead of going back down to the party I laid down on the bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
"LILY," Jael shouted.
"What?" I asked groggily and rolled off my bed landing on my arse.
"Its noon, get up!" Jael cried grabbing my hand and pulling me up from my comfy spot on the ground.
"Merlin, did I really sleep in that late?" I wondered as Jael made her way to my closet and started to flip through my clothes.
"Yes you did. That's a nice shirt but too casual. James came by earlier. Oh these are amazing jeans," she rumbled finally pulling a pair of dark blue jeans from my closet.
"Wait, James came by?" I asked turning my full attention to her.
"Yes he did," replied Regina, who I hadn't even noticed had been there the whole time.
She was the person I least wanted to see on the day of my date with James, the boy she supposedly liked. Anger surged through my veins and I felt a sarcastic remark form on my lips but I pursed my lips and turned my attention back to Jael.
"What did he want?" I inquired, laughing as Jael pulled a tacky pink sweater my Muggle aunt had bought me last winter.
"He wanted to know if you were up and if the date was still on," Regina cut in again and I turned to face her.
"Oh and I suppose you would have liked it if I couldn't," I was ready for anything because she had crossed the line the moment she turned my best friend into another one of her clones.
She smiled and made her way over until she was inches from my face and pulled her wand from her robes and I reached back and grabbed my mind.
"Evans you seem to be the only one who hasn't realized that I always get what I want and frankly I want James," I almost laughed at how much she resembled one of those monstrous popular girls from the Muggle movies.
"Well I'm sorry to point out he is too smitten by me to even take a second glance at you," I laughed in her face and instead of a reply I got a hex straight to my chest. It didn't hurt but looking at myself in the mirror was worse than any physical pain.
"Pink hair really makes your eyes stand out," she laughed in my face and I couldn't think before I sent a bat-boogey hex at her.
"YOU GUYS SOMEONES AT THE DOOR!" Jael shouted over are senseless yelling.
We both turned and found Sirius and James leaning against the door frame in hysterical laughter.
"You think this is funny?" I shouted jamming a finger at my head and almost breaking into tears for the second time in two days.
Hearing my voice crack Jael immediately ran over to me and grabbed my shoulder and forced me to look at her.
"Lils we can just undo the spell and your hair will be back to normal," she said reassuringly.
With one look at Regina we found she either didn't know how to undo the spell she had cast or she just wasn't going to tell but she was in pretty rough shape.
"Jael I can't possibly go on the date looking like this," I pointed to my head but by then James had heard far too much and cut in.
"Lily Evans it has taken me five years to get a date with you and you are not canceling because of some petty hair problem. I would say Regina is worse off and I can say she deserves it," he sniggered and I sent a smug look towards her.
With only an hour and a half until the date I couldn't possibly research how to undo the spell but it didn't matter and with one last goodbye to Sirius and James I headed into the shower.
"It's perfect!" Jael cried an hour and fifteen minutes later.
I took a deep breath and looked in the mirror and gasped at the stranger looking back. My hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and she had waved my hair like yesterday night. The pink hair hardly brought down the look. I had on my navy blue jeans and a plain white tank top with a white camisole pulled over top because I had refused to wear the camisole by its self.
"You are a make-up genius," I cried out looking at the way she had made my eyes look so beautiful with just the right amount of everything.
Around my neck was the lily necklace he had bought and squeezed in my black robes was my wand just for safety purposes.
At exactly two James knocked and a squealing Jael flung the door open and I grabbed my wallet before heading to the door.
"You won't need your wallet," James grabbed it and threw it Jael who placed it back on my bed.
Before I could complain Jael shoved me out the door with a quick "have a good time." It was a bit awkward walking down the stairs with James right beside me and none of us were yelling.
When we reached the common room door he held it open and helped me out with everyone in the common room staring making me want to sink into the floor. Once we were outside I got a good look at him and he looked really good.
Normally thoughts such as those would never run through my mind but under these circumstances it was different. He was wearing grey jeans and a light red jacket and his black hair was messy as usual making him look strangely cute and innocent.
"So Lils where do you want to go first?" James broke the silence and I felt a small blush creeping up on my cheeks.
"Why not The Three Broomsticks like you suggested?" I asked pulling down my tank top and staring intently at my feet.
"Of course," he stuck out his hand and I feebly accepted it.
We walked down the path leading towards The Three Broomsticks. When he finally opened the door the warmth rushed at me and I welcomed it happily. I pulled off my robes and he led me to a table closer to the front of the bar because he knew sitting at the back would make me uncomfortable.
"Is Regina alright? That was a pretty nasty bat-boogey hex you sent at her. I suspect she'll be in the Hospital Wing over night," James said seriously and I snorted.
"I kind of hoped she'd stay in there longer but maybe I am being cruel," I said thoughtfully.
"Wouldn't be the first time now would it?" James laughed and told me to hold on a moment while he ordered us both a butter beer.
I internally groaned that James and Jael wouldn't let me take my wallet. How was I supposed to buy anything when we went shopping? I couldn't possibly let James pay for it.
When he came back he placed a butter beer in front of me and took his seat, "have I messed up yet?"
I smiled at his sincerely, "no not yet."
He laughed at the last part before looking down at my worried face and before he even had the chance to explain I started.
"James I can't even buy anything now because you threw my wallet back to Jael. I wanted to buy some new quills and ink and I wanted to look at getting some new dress robes," I said sheepishly and he grinned good-naturedly.
"Lily anything you want today you name it and I'll get it for you," he said kindly taking my hand from across the table.
I didn't like how my heart fluttered when he touched me and I certainly didn't like the way my stomach was in knots the moment he grabbed my hand.
"Alright as long as you let me pay you back," I smiled and he nodded his head vigorously.
"Deal," he smiled but by the look in his eyes I knew he would never on his life let me pay him back.
"You're lying," I laughed and he nodded his head.
We sat in silence and all I could think about was his hand on mine and the fluttery feeling inside me that made me feel like a lovesick girl. Only I wasn't lovesick just merely nervous about being on a date with James.
"You ready to go?" James asked lightly.
"Whenever you are," I replied confidently and only letting go of my hand to put on our jackets, we left.
"Can we stop off to get my quills and parchment?" I asked nervously and he smiled and led me towards the shop.
It only took ten minutes to get the quills and ink and with lots of time on our hands we headed over to Madame Malkin's. After a quick fitting it was time to choose the color. James suggested I go with an emerald green like my eyes but I wanted yellow. After fifteen minutes of debating we chose a soft purple that really made my eyes and my hair stand out.
"All done," Madame Malkin smiled and handed me the bag with the robes after James paid the correct amount of galleons.
"Thank you so much James," I smiled at the bag I was holding and he gently took it away with one hand and grabbed my hand with the other.
"Lils there is some place I really want to show you," he said nervously and I let him lead the way.
We made our way along a deserted path through a thick bunch of trees. When he stopped I took in the whole scene with my mouth wide open and realizing I looked like a fool I closed my mouth.
"This is amazing James! How in the world did you find this place?" I asked looking at the frozen lake in front of me.
It was the perfect place to just sit and be alone. The lake was beautifully shaped and frozen. Around there were willow trees, bare from the cold.
"Well you know us guys we like to wander," he said sheepishly.
"In the summer it looks a lot better with the grass and the flowers and by then the willow trees aren't bare," he said smiling at the look of awe etched on my face.
"It really is a wonderful place," I smiled at the scenery and then at him.
With one swift movement his lips captured mine. His lips were soft and gentle and he didn't try to take anything further. It wasn't at all like I'd thought it would be but much, much better. It was all the heat of the moment that caused me to kiss back and when I snapped back to my senses I pulled away.
"I'm sorry Lils! I didn't mean for it to happen, I just couldn't help myself." James flinched while waiting for my reaction.
I surprised both of us by laughing but not hysterically just lightly.
"It's alright James I kind of thought this might happen," I said simply.
"What might happen?" James asked with a hopeful expression on his face.
"I knew you would probably try and kiss me but that doesn't mean you can ever do it again, understand?" I asked sternly and he laughed before nodding his head enthusiastically.
With one glance at my watch I realized that it was already going on six thirty so with one last glance at the scenery we turned and headed back to the castle.
"How was it?" Jael sat across from me on the bed.
It was seven and as soon as we had stepped in the common room Jael had dragged me up to the dorms with a polite goodbye to James.
"It went extremely well," I blushed and looked down at my hands.
"Did you kiss?" Jael asked grinning widely.
"Yes," I replied quietly and she let out a squeal before pressing on.
"Did you like it?" Jael wouldn't let it go until she knew all the details so I gave her what she wanted.
"He took me to this beautiful lake and while I was taking it all in he kissed me and I kissed back but only because I mistook him to be a hot Quidditch star," I joked and Jael laughed slightly before replying that he was a hot Quidditch star.
"Hey you never answered my question! Did you like the kiss?"
"A little," I admitted and she cried out in excitement.
"Jael just because I liked it a tiny bit when he kissed me does not mean I like him," I groaned and she clapped her hands.
"It so means you like him and you can try and deny it but you so do," she smiled at me with understanding.
"Sirius was looking for you earlier. He said you had a task for him to perform," she sounded slightly confused but shrugged it off all the same.
With those words being said I jumped off the bed and ran to the common room and found James along with Sirius sitting on the coach talking.
"Sirius I need to talk to really quick," I said fast and just as fast as it had come out we were headed for a corner.
"You kissed James!" Sirius cried out in delight and I laughed before shushing him because of the looks people were casting.
"Yes I did now anyway I dare you to go through a whole day of school dressed in girl's clothes and of course make-up. You also must pretend to be totally oblivious about the looks people give you and if anyone asks you must say you felt like it," I laughed and he groaned.
"Lily that is cruel! You had this so planned out," he couldn't help but smile his approval of the smug look on my face.
"Of course I did! I am not letting you sneak by me with your tricks and I expect you to meet me outside the prefects bathroom around six thirty tomorrow morning so we can get started," I said and with one last wave I walked to the library to catch up on some well needed studying time.
I can't even express how so sorry I am about getting this chapter out so late. I just have had such bad writers block until yesterday when it finally wore off. I keep promising to write faster and then I keep letting you down and I swear on my life I will try on every possible occasion to write for you guys. Now for your question and try to be unique with your answers!
If you could choose to be amazing at just one spell which spell would you choose and why?
I am so glad I finished this chapter please in your reviews tell me what you thought of it.
One last thanks to James' Lily Flower for the totally amazing dare.