Seeing Through Different Eyes
Chapter 11:
"Why are you doing this, Potter?"
"Doing what?" James asked, as he walked carefully upwards the tunnel, Lily safely tucked into his arms.
"This."
"What? Walking, or holding you?"
"Guess."
"I guess, I just feel like I need to look after you. It's like I'm your father or something, I need to keep you safe."
"Papa Potter."
"Stop. Please." He laughed. "But seriously, I can't really explain it, and the feeling is pretty new."
"Ok..."
James smiled. "How about we forget this conversation for pretty much ever, and we pretend I am not acting like a crazy man."
"Sure. And, Potter? You're no man, yet." Lily was internally gasping for joy. What James described was kind of what she had felt toward him, earlier this week, and she was happy, maybe it meant he was reciprocating her feelings.
"Ouch. Haven't you seen these manly muscles?" He flexed the arm clutching her around the back. She could feel them tense beneath her.
"Of course I have." I look at them every single day. "But, sadly for you, they are merely a result of you working for them, and that's not entirely what I was going for."
"Tone down the niceness a notch, Rosie. I can't handle it."
"Oh, I'm sorry to make you feel that way." Lily smiled.
"I guess I'll have to live."
"How tortured you sound."
"You know it."
James walked in silence for a few more minutes. He stopped. "This is us. The Potter train stops here."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Do you want to do the honours?"
"Sure." James gently put Lily back onto her feet and pulled out his wand. He tapped the brick wall in front of them twice, and stepped back as the archway appeared. He gestured for Lily to go first, then followed afterward. What a gentleman. It was safe to say Lily was very impressed with James' attitude, especially after their up-and-down day so far.
"Where are we going to go?" Lily asked, once they were out in the corridor.
"There's a really nifty alcove on the second floor, behind that tapestry of that famous wizard, forget his name."
Lily nodded. "I know that one." And she actually did. This wasn't one of the Marauder's secret hideouts, although it was not a widely known hiding place.
"Think it'd be a good enough place for you, Rosie?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"You didn't want to cheat."
"Right." Lily had actually been just trying to get him out of her way, not expecting to be dragged along, or carried in this case.
"Let's go, my dear." He grabbed her hand with his large one, and Lily reddened. It felt good to be touched by him in such an innocent but meaningful way. "What?" He asked, concern written over his features. "Something wrong?"
"No." Lily shook her head. How embarrassing. "I'm fine, James."
"You look a little flushed."
"Thank-you for noticing."
He smiled and reached out his empty hand to softly pinch her cheek. "Funny girl."
"Wow. Not want I was hoping to hear."
"What would you prefer?" James' eyes twinkled. They ambled down the corridor, immersed in each other.
"When you say funny, do you mean weird funny, or funny funny?"
"Whatever you want to hear, lovely."
"Hey, that wasn't what I wanted to hear either."
"Sorry to disappoint." The corners of his mouth turned up, as though he was sharing a private joke with himself.
"What?" Lily demanded.
"I'm sure I could make it up to you, in a way you'll very much like."
Lily flushed even redder. Her face almost matched her auburn hair. "No need Potter. I think that would be crossing a few boundaries."
He cocked his head to the side. "What were you thinking? Nothing naughty I hope."
"N...no. Of course not, James. You're...my friend."
He winked. "Nice to hear. Not to upset you or anything, but my heart is still set on Lily."
Lily couldn't contain the grin which spread across her face. "Of course."
"Why are you so happy?"
"No reason."
"What?" James bit his lip. "Is it something I did?"
Lily shook her head. "I just think you and Lily should be together."
James looked confused. "Then why have you been treating me like you're into me this entire week? I'm not complaining, but you seriously have to make your mind up!"
Dammit, he had worked it out. Lily swore in her head. She thought fast. "I thought that was what friends do? Look after each other, tell jokes, cozy up?"
"I guess." James said brightly. "And now that's out in the open, everything is so much easier for me."
"Huh?"
"Well now, I don't have to worry about hurting you when Lily eventually gives in. I can devote myself to her, and not watch my back for an angry and upset Rosie."
Lily shook her head. "Rose Evans is not interested in the likes of you, she likes another." Inside she was gasping for joy, but wanted to make this bit clear to him. As Lily, pretending to be Rose, having James think that Rose was into him was not what anyone wanted.
"Good. No offence Rosie, my love." He paused, pursed his lips. "Wait, who do you like?"
Lily zipped her lips shut, figuratively, of course. "Not telling." She didn't have the right to spill her sister's secrets. Only Rose could reveal her feelings, just as she was the guardian of her own secrets.
"You're no fun." He whined.
She tugged on his hand, realising she had been holding it the entire time. "Come on, we have to get to the hiding place before we're found."
He complied, and the two set off down the corridor. At the spiral staircase, James let go of her hand. "I'll scope out the territory." Lily rolled her eyes, but waited as James tiptoed down the stairs. All was silent. After a moment, his face reappeared at the top. "It's safe, better hurry."
"You're silly."
"But I saved us from being found by our dear friend Mr Black. If you recall, he's not much fun to be stuck with for several hours in a game of Sardines."
Lily nodded vaguely, and followed James down the stairs to the second floor.
There, James insisted on creeping along the wall. "We have to be subtle, Rosie. Otherwise, we'll be easily found."
Lily protested this tactic. "Doesn't it seem a bit stupid to take these measures? Seriously, if people were looking for us in this corridor, is it not more obvious if we're acting suspicious? Shouldn't we be casual?"
"What's wrong with you, Rose? That's idiotic."
"Thanks James."
"You're welcome." He replied distractedly. Someone had just entered the corridor in front of them. "Get here, Rose." He hissed. "We'll be caught in the open."
Lily rolled her eyes, and complied. Admittedly, he was rather amusing. The student walked past, not even looking to the side, where James and Lily crouched.
He straightened up. "See? My technique works. You need to stop fighting me on this."
"Whatever you say James."
It took another fifteen minutes to sneak toward the alcove. "We need to be careful here, Sirius might already be onto us."
"There's no need to be so over the top about this James. We literally just need to walk in there."
James pouted. "I don't think you understand. The point of Sardines is to hide, not make it blaringly obvious of where you are."
"I get that."
James snorted. "I doubt that."
"Look, I'll make my point."
"You'll get us caught!"
"No, I won't."
Lily stepped of the wall, and walked steadily forwards, with confidence. Within seconds she had swept aside the tapestry and stepped inside.
"You coming?" She called innocently, although the smugness was still evident in her voice.
"Fine." James huffed, entering in much the same manner. "I can't believe you."
Lily tried a wink. "You know it."
"Please don't do that."
"What? Can't handle it?" Lily asked innocently, mirroring his words from previous conversations.
" . Stop."
"Something the matter, Jamesy?"
"No."
"Can't believe I was right?"
"It was pure luck we weren't caught just now."
"I bet."
"Shut up." James didn't like defeat.
"A moment's silence for Potter's wounded ego please." From years of experience, Lily knew how to get James riled up. She couldn't resist herself either.
"Rose!" He growled, becoming more upset. He really didn't like defeat. That must be why he worked so hard and fought so much to win. Lily admired that trait, she knew he would make sure he would always look after her, he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her, that would almost be a defeat to him if that happened.
Lily just smiled.
James watched her, waiting for something from her. She did nothing. He threw his hands up in the air. "Fine! You win!"
Lily's smile widened, her teeth now showing. "That's more like it."
James faltered. "Did you just make me...you can't have made me admit defeat!"
"Appears as though I did."
He turned away from her, showing his slight upset through his stiff posture. Lily couldn't help but smile, and lower herself to the ground. She figured they'd be there a while, so she should make herself comfortable. And, now, she didn't have James to take her mind off the quiet. Surprisingly, she was very comfortable with his presence beside her in the dark, tight space.
"What are you doing down there?" He asked, slightly irritably.
"I'm resting."
"What for?" James' voice softened. He couldn't stay angry for long, she had found.
"We're going to be here a while."
"I guess." He shrugged and lowered himself to the ground beside her.
"You alright now?"
"Yeah." He sighed, and wiped his face with his hand. "I don't like being proven wrong."
Lily snorted. "That's an understatement."
He smiled and punched her lightly on the arm. "Hey. No need to point out my faults, some people don't know them."
"Like who?"
"People." He said vaguely.
"Really descriptive."
He grinned in the dark, his white teeth slightly glowing in the half-light. "You know it."
They settled into a comfortable silence. They both felt happy enough together to not need to speak every word. Lily knew that James was still getting over himself, and she also knew that he was as happy in her company as she was, which was pretty content.
After a few minutes, James yawned and stretched his arm out, resting it around Lily's shoulders. "Smooth." She remarked. He just pulled her closer to him.
Lily snuggled into his warmth, and rested her head on his shoulder. It felt perfect, like she was made to sit there, against him. James turned to rest his chin on her head. "Perfect height, Miss Evans."
"Glad to be of service."
He laughed, exhaling softly over her. The breath sent shivers down her spine. She was fairly sure that neither of them should be this close. If he was really treating her as a friend, he wouldn't be touching her in this way, and she most definitely shouldn't be reacting in this way. That thought made her a little frightened. What if he did still think Rose was into him? What if he chose to make a move on her, instead of Lily? She could never blame him if he did, although the thought did make her blood run cold. She didn't know if she could ever give up this feeling once she got the chance to.
A loud voice interrupted her thoughts. It echoed throughout the entire castle. "Kind people of Hogwarts, I am Sirius Black, one of your resident Marauders. It pleases me to invite you to play a little game with us. You see, my friends and I have undertaken an intricate game of Sardines, and we would like you all to join us. Everyone is invited, even, although grudgingly, the awful Slytherins. Like I said, you're all welcome." A pause. "Oh, especially for you ladies, James Potter is the man you must find. If that'll sway some of you into a decision, I'll be happy to see you play." Sirius' magically projected voice died away into silence. Nothing moved in the castle for a whole minute, then the loud giggling of girls and boys alike filled the empty corridors. Apparently they were all interested of a game with the Marauders.
Lily tensed against James' body. The idea that these girls (and others) were merely playing to snuggle up to him in a tight space made her distinctly uncomfortable. She felt a little possessive of him, to Lily, James was becoming something of a precious part of her life at the time. She had lost all contempt about him, genuinely enjoying herself when with him, even when they fought.
"What's wrong, Rosie?"
"Nothing."
"There's something up."
"Ok." Lily gave in. "I don't want the entire school to play."
James chuckled. "Trust me, neither do I. I don't feel like sharing the hiding spot with others."
Lily nodded against his shoulder.
All was quiet again, except for the noises from outside. A lot of people were joining in, that became clear.
"Tell me, James, what's your middle name?"
"You know what it is."
"Pretend I'm Lily."
"You're sure?"
"I want you to treat me like you would Lily." Lily's heart fluttered, she felt like she was exposing herself to him.
"Well, Miss Lily, I think you'd find that my middle name is...not telling." He ran his fingers through her hair as he spoke. It felt nice.
"What?" Lily asked. "You said Rose knew?"
James smiled. "Good acting." He whispered. Little did he know. He then spoke properly. "I think you'll find I don't have one. My parents don't believe in them."
"Nonsense. Who doesn't have a middle name?"
"Me."
"You can't prove it."
"Maybe you should ask my parents. I think you'd find out the truth then, Miss Lily."
"A daunting prospect."
"They don't bite. They're very nice people."
"But...ew. James Potter's parents!" Lily laughed as James tickled her.
He stopped, leaving Lily gasping for breath. "Tell me, Lily, what is your middle name?"
"Let's see...not telling!" She laughed some more, after seeing his facial expression.
"I know you have one though, Lily Marie." He smirked.
"No fair. How do you know that?"
"I'm very thorough." To Lily's glare he added, "I asked Rose."
"That rat!"
James laughed. "Insulting yourself I see?"
"You don't see anything, Potter."
"What do you mean?"
Lily smiled sweetly and plucked his glasses of his straight nose.
"Ah, you can't do that!"
"You just saw me do that."
"You're nowhere near as funny as you think you are, Rosie."
"But...aren't I Lily?"
"Stop." He laughed, leaning forward. His hand reached out toward her, trying to locate her glasses. It wasn't that he was completely blind without glasses, things were just, a little...blurry.
Lily was feeling confident and happy with herself, she was in control of the situation, and the beautiful boy she liked was inches away. However, he was looking overly confused and squinty-eyed.
"Give them back." He groaned, not finding them. Lily had hid them behind her back.
Lily laughed. She leaned forward and put them carefully back onto his nose, and fixed them behind his ears. "There you go." She didn't move.
James blinked slowly, and smiled slightly when he saw Lily's face. "Hello again."
Lily smiled sweetly and leaned closer. "Hey." She breathed. She was close to him, could feel each breath exhale from his body.
"What are you..." Lily cut him off with a finger, and shook her head. She wanted, so badly, to lean forward and kiss him. He looked beautiful with his bewildered hazel eyes and wild hair.
"I just want to..." Lily didn't know what to say anymore. Should she, shouldn't she? She didn't know. In many ways, Potter was still a mystery to her, someone she wanted to take the time to get to know.
"Oh, for god's sake Rosie, just do it." He growled against her fingers. However, his hands were gentle. He moved her fingers aside, onto his cheek, then held her face in his warm hands.
He leant forward the extra few centimetres between them, stopping just before her lips. He locked eyes with her, imploring her to do something, anything. Lily's breathing was ragged.
She exhaled shakily and closed her eyes. This was what she had dreamed for, everything she had wanted since she had started to realise this other side of James. She wanted to feel him, in the most honest way possible. She wanted to kiss him.
His lips were soft and supple on hers, gently moving against hers. She slowly opened her trembling mouth slightly, deepening the kiss. Lily gasped. His lips moved with practiced perfection, and she forgot how to breathe. The kiss was sweet and meaningful, but Lily knew that this wasn't James' first, although it was hers.
The tapestry was swept aside, and the sudden light made Lily jerk back, opening her eyes. "What...?" She turned toward the entrance and gasped. She immediately reddened.
A tall girl stood in the corridor, looking down at the two with amusement. "Well, I guess I found you."
"Ha." Lily faked a smile. She wasn't actually very happy. Just when she was enjoying herself, they'd been found.
"How'd you find us?" James asked, looking pleased and unashamed.
"Well, I knew about this spot, and then I heard some...sounds...from in here, and I thought I should check it out. I should have known."
"What's going to happen now?" James asked innocently.
The girl laughed. "I'm not crashing this party. I'm just going to pretend I never found you two. If anyone asks, I was never here."
James smiled. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, Potter." The girl smiled at Lily and winked before stepping out, letting the tapestry fall.
There was sound in the hallway, another girl approached. "Oi, Bianca? Anything in there?"
There was a laugh. "No, there was nothing. They're not there. Maybe we should try a different floor."
"Oh, ok. Let's go together! Then we can both get close to James when we find him."
"Why would you think that?"
"Who doesn't want to touch James Potter?"
"Doubtless, but I don't think he's interested in touching too many people at a time right now. He's quite happy with just one person."
"Who? I'll kill the bitch. Is it Lily Evans again?"
"I don't know, I'm not saying anything."
"No fair!"
The voices disappeared around a corner, and Lily let out a breathy laugh.
"Saved." James smirked. "And I believe we have some business to get back too."
He leant forward, and pulled her closer as well, with his hands on her lower back. This time, they're lips crashed together, there wasn't anything sweet or careful about it. Lily pushed her fingers into his thick hair, revelling in the silky feel of it. Her lips parted, and James' tongue filled the space. Lily felt hot and flushed, not herself. She would never do something like this normally. The kiss became more ferocious, James pulled her onto his lap, and she swung her legs around his waist. Their upper bodies were smashed together. James was hungry for her, he wanted more. His hands, which had been resting on her lower back, fisted into her hair, causing Lily to gasp in the kiss. Their lips were constantly moving together, as if trying to get even closer.
Lily felt a change go over her. Something was different, but she ignored it. All she could feel was James, his lips, his hands, his body. She felt like she belonged in this moment, with James.
She couldn't breathe. Lily ignored it, engaging with James' lips. She hadn't taken a breath in a while, she noted in a far corner of her mind. This thought did, however, make her stop. That wasn't good, right? Lily disentangled herself from James, and leant back, forcing herself to gulp down air. Although, she wouldn't mind dying against James' lips, she was a little young for that kind of thing.
James moaned, but opened his eyes, watching her with desire. "Lily..." He breathed, his forehead rested against hers.
Lily, still breathing hard, smiled softly. "Yeah?"
"You're fantastic." He sighed, expelling air over Lily's face. She giggled. James watched her happily. Then, a change passed over his features. His eyes widened and he drew back. "Lily?" He gasped.
"Yeah?" Her laughter stopped abruptly. "What's wrong?" She missed his forehead against hers.
"You shouldn't be Lily. I...Lily is looking for me, she's not here. You're Rose. I know you are." Lily realised the situation all too late. Earlier that day, when Rose had hastily performed the charms over their features, Lily had warned her that it would wear off quicker than expected. Obviously, it had happened. Lily didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse.
"Uh, I guess I should explain some stuff right about now?" Lily felt deflated, after landing on Cloud 9 just seconds before.
"Don't play games." James spat. "I want the truth, right now."
"Why are you so upset?" Lily asked, bewildered.
"Considering that it's you, Lily, why should I not be upset? From what I know, you've made a fool of me and ruined me. I knew you hated me, I just didn't think you could hurt me this much!" James did look very hurt. His eyes were ablaze and his lips were set firm. Lily sighed, just a few seconds ago, that face had been happy and content, and a few more before that, it had been pressed against her own. The thought made her flush.
"That wasn't what I wanted! I didn't hurt you anyway. You're just overreacting, like you always do!" Despite everything, Lily still couldn't help herself with James.
"So what did you want to happen? What was your plan?"
"I wanted to get to know you, I wanted to learn to like you!"
"A likely story. Cut the crap, Evans."
"Oh, shut up Potter. You don't know what's been going on, you don't know anything about this. So I advise you stop talking."
"I'm not letting you manipulate and fool me again. I'm not backing off."
"But I have to tell you some things."
"Then tell me, don't let me stop you."
"This isn't how I imagined this at all!" Lily said, tears in her eyes.
"Oh? You wanted unicorns and rainbows? You wanted me to be happy about this?"
"You're thinking of the worst, James. I never meant to hurt you." Lily was suddenly sick of fighting.
"What else am I meant to think? You haven't given me anything else to base my accusations off. All I know is what I'm seeing."
"I need to explain."
"Yes, you do." He replied coldly. The warmth had left his eyes.
"Where should I start?" She cried.
"The beginning would be great."
"Ok." Lily breathed deeply. She was still sitting atop James, her legs still curved around him, but she didn't feel the connection with him from before, she just felt silly and frivolous. How stupid was she to think that James Potter would accept her after this? She had thought he would laugh and take her in as his own, but never this cold reception, this had never crossed her mind. The James she had come to know wasn't like this, or so she had thought.
"Get on with it."
Lily proceeded to explain the entire thing. Rose convincing her to agree to the dare, the entire week, how happy she had been, the May friendship breakdown, all of her confusion and angst about her feelings, the realisation, and finished with the current day, where she was going to come clean, her upset in the morning with May, how confused she'd been the rest of the day. "And then, when we, you know, kissed, I felt like everything was alright. Like I didn't have to worry about us anymore, we were just perfect. But then, the charm wore off earlier than it should have, and we're here now. And I didn't do any of this to hurt you, just so you know." Lily finished, not sure if she had convinced him.
James' eyes had softened, although he still looked upset and angry. "How do I know any of this is true?" He asked, he looked pained.
"Because, I'm not so cruel as to do that to you. If you think I'm capable of that, then maybe we shouldn't be together, ever."
James' eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You want to go..."
"I didn't say that, not exactly."
"What do you mean then?" James wiped away her tears tenderly with his thumb. She looked into his eyes with some residual sadness, but slowly, under his touch, her eyes filled with happiness.
"I meant that you killed the mood quite successfully just now, so I'm not really up to accepting any requests that may come my way regarding my relationship status." Lily felt back to herself, slightly more so then before.
"So it's my fault now?" James said, but with a small smile. It was barely noticeable, but it was there.
"You betcha." Lily grinned, happy James had accepted her story and not thrown her out.
"Don't sound so happy about it, like you said, the mood has been killed."
"Maybe the mood had to be killed to work out our problems."
"Maybe I enjoyed what was happening before the mood was killed." James bit his lip. I bet he's trying to look seductive. Lily had to admit, it was sort of working on her.
She shook her head, to get rid of her thoughts. "Nice try, but no. Last time we got too close, a fight followed."
"That's been resolved, may I remind you?"
"But James, that doesn't mean anything. I've made my choice." Lily smiled sweetly. "Not even you could change my mind."
James lifted an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"
"No. I didn't say that, did I?" Lily shook her head frantically.
His eyes glinted. "I'm taking it as one."
Lily should have moved quicker. She tried to move out of his lap, so he couldn't try anything, but was stopped by James. He grabbed her waist and held her in place, then made sure her legs were still around his waist. He looked at her in the eye with a cheeky look and leant his face to her neck. He kissed her slowly, and Lily dared not move. It was a different sensation, and it made her tingle. She gasped as he nibbled at her neck.
James pulled back and grinned, his eyes alive. "What's this? Is your resolve falling away?"
Lily gasped out a response. "Never. I told you, I'm not kissing you at the moment. I'm making you wait for not believing me, and thinking the worst." No matter how much I like it.
"Are you joking?" He looked incredulous.
"No."
"Bet I could break you."
"I'd rather you didn't. I'm awfully fragile."
"Don't take it literally, idiot."
"Is that how you plan to get into my good books?"
He smirked. "Of course. You need to be a bit rough with the girls."
"I don't like that attitude James."
"Of course." He bowed his head, as if he were a chastised young boy, but Lily could see his eyes were alight with mischief. "All I wish is to make you happy, my dear."
"That's more like it." Lily grinned.
James gazed into her eyes. "God, I want to kiss you." He breathed.
She merely smiled. "Not happening."
"What if I apologise?"
"You shouldn't have to ask to apologise."
"You're a sensitive girl, I need to run everything by you."
"As if." Lily snorted.
"I was kidding. It's become clear the we need to work some stuff out."
"You've only just noticed?"
"Don't act all smart with me."
"So-rry." Lily elongated the word. "Didn't mean to upset you."
"Oh, you didn't. Just wanted to stir some feathers."
Banter passed lightly back and forth between the two, Lily still acutely aware of how close she was to him. Although now, after coming clean, she felt relaxed and comfortable in his embrace. She was no longer trying to hide anything. She only worried that if she did accept James, she wouldn't ever see the angry side of him again, in truth, he scared her. But at the moment, James was looking at her with care and warmth in his eyes, and a small smile twitched on his soft lips.
The Great Bell was struck in the Entrance Hall. It resonated throughout the castle loudly and clearly. "Dinner time!" James chirped, looking excited.
Lily raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you're hungry?"
"How'd you know?"
Lily laughed. "I've seen you eat, all week. You're always hungry."
"You know it." He winked.
"Wait, was that supposed to be suggestive or something? Cause it wasn't."
"I'm trying here." He whined. "I'm trying really hard to make this work."
"Don't stress yourself, sweetheart. Things like this come naturally."
"You sound so sure of that fact."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, if I didn't need to try, how come it took six years of trying to get to this point?"
Lily laughed. "Don't want to sound rude, but I've decided you're alright on my own terms, you did nothing except make me exasperated."
"Is this how we're going to be for the rest of our lives? You're going to constantly let me down gently? Not what I had in mind."
"You're lucky I've even given you the time. Besides, we're not a couple as of yet."
"That's an open-ended statement, Lils. That means we will be one, soon."
"Always optimistic."
"You basically said you would go out with me before." He pouted. "Now, I reckon this stunt is cruel. Before, with the switching thing, I'll accept, because it was Rose who fabricated it, but now you're leading me on."
"I just want everything to be perfect, James."
"I didn't know that, did I?" He smiled, an eyebrow raised.
"Well, now you do."
"What is your definition of perfect, Miss Lily?"
"I just want everything to feel right and perfect and romantic. I don't want to feel pressured or anything, and being asked out after an argument does not fit into that category."
"I get that, Lils, but I want to make you happy."
"Maybe you need to learn to wait for things you want."
"Lil, I've waited so many years to see you smile for me."
Lily couldn't help but smile. He was sweet. "Look, I'm going to wait till I feel just right. I like you a lot James, but this whole thing is a big deal for me. I need to go slow."
"Ok." He sighed, and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Anything for you."
The tender moment was broken, Sirius' voice echoed throughout the school. "I'm hungry."
Lily laughed. "He loves the attention, right?" James nodded.
Sirius continued, after a burp. "Basically, the game is over. I want to eat dinner, and I bet y'all do too. James, come to dinner mate. We have to have a chat."
"I guess we should get down there."
"I don't want to go."
"Why not?"
"I like it here, with you. Plus, I don't feel like having a man talk with Sirius."
Lily laughed. "Come on, let's go. I know you want to eat."
"But Lily-flower, when will you let me do this with you again? I want to keep you here forever."
"I'm not saying much, but I kinda like you a bit. I'm sure I can fit you into my schedule."
"So I have to fight for your attention?"
"That's how it should be."
"I'm not taking that as an answer."
James stood up slowly, holding her against him still. She unwound her legs from around him and smiled. She gave him a tight hug, and breathed in his smell for the final time, then she stepped back.
"Lily..."
"James."
"I..."
"Don't say anything. You'll ruin the moment."
"I wasn't planning on doing anything like that." He flushed. "I'm very suave."
She raised an amused eyebrow. "Come on." She grabbed and tugged on his big hand. "Dinner."
"Fine."
James let her lead him from within the alcove, down to the first floor. They stopped in the Entrance Hall. "How are we going to do this?"
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, her head cocked to the side. Their hands were still clasped tightly.
"Are we going to go in together, sit together, the deal, or are we going to pretend nothing happened between us?"
Lily snorted. "As if you'd let me sit by myself."
"I just didn't know whether or not you wanted to be with me in front of the school."
"I'm sitting with people I like. Is that alright? I'm not sitting by myself, I'll sit with my new friends, if everyone will have me?"
James beamed. "We'd love to accommodate you."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't make it sound like a chore."
James couldn't contain his grin. "Do friends hold hands?"
"I don't particularly care. I like you, and everyone else can get stuffed."
"Brilliant idea."
James walked confidently forward, into the Hall, with Lily by his side. Chatter stopped as students turned to face the pair, whispering amongst each other. Lily couldn't help but hear some of the talk. "Who does she think she is?," "She's leading him on again," "Nobody even likes her."
James squeezed her hand. "Ignore them. I like you, and so do the Marauders. They're just jealous that I am seemingly off the market."
Lily smiled. "I guess if I were them, I'd be a little upset too."
"What? You have feelings?"
"Ha. No, I've just realised that you're actually an alright guy."
"It took you six years to reach that conclusion?"
"Yes."
They reached the midway point in the Hall, where Sirius and Rose sat on the Gryffindor table.
Sirius looked up from his plate with a solemn expression. "Mate, it's been crazy day."
"I know." James agreed, sitting down across from his friend.
"Have you heard about what's been going on under our noses?" He exclaimed.
"What? About Lily and Rose?" James asked, scooping food onto his plate. Lily slid in quietly beside him.
"Yeah. Prongs, how stupid are we? Lily is such an unconvincing Rose."
Lily coughed politely, to make him aware of his presence. Sirius' eyes finally sought hers out, and he laughed. "Wow, didn't see you there!"
"Thanks, Sirius."
"I was engrossed in my beautiful best friend's face. He's quite a looker, isn't he?"
"Sirius. Stop." Rose rolled her eyes. "You'll push her away."
Lily frowned. "I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I think James is surprisingly alright." She clasped his hand under the table.
James looked into her eyes with mirth. "How nice of you."
"Anything to please you, dearie."
Sirius cleared his throat. "Anyway, I reckon this whole thing is sufficiently weird enough, so can you please stop that? I can't get my head around it."
"Sometimes you need to see from a different perspective, Sirius."
"Is this a joke? Like, in relation to this confusing week? Cause right now, it's not funny."
"Sorry." Lily hung her head, and James clasped her hand tighter. She flicked her eyes sideward and saw his grin. She was trying to hide her smile as well.
"God, you're already acting like a bloody couple." Sirius looked annoyed. "Don't I ever get a look in Jamesy? I'm your best friend."
"We're not going out. Actually, mate, I was going to chat with you later, in the dorms."
"What's this? But, I don't understand."
"Sirius, shut up." Rose nudged him in the ribs. "You're going to say something, then everyone is going to hate you for it."
"Thanks Rosie. How did I live without you this past week?"
"Don't act all sarcastic like James does."
"Hey!"
"It's the truth." Rose shrugged.
"Lily wouldn't hurt me like that."
Lily laughed. "Don't bet on it, Potter."
"This isn't sounding promising for a strong relationship."
"Who said there was a relationship, James?"
Rose raised her eyebrows. "What's the deal here?"
"See! I'm not the only one who doesn't get it!" Sirius grinned, and raised his hand for a high-five from Rose. With a smile, she shook her head.
"Sweetie, it's not good to be unable to understand what's happening."
"Don't talk down to me." He replied, in a laughing tone. Obviously, he wasn't offended as Lily would have been.
James chuckled. "We have an...understanding at this current time."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means we're not currently going out, but it could be changed at any moment."
"Not so fast, James. You know the deal, not at any moment."
"I don't even want to know." Rose rolled her eyes. "Anything with you two crazies, I do not want to know about."
"Well, I want to know." Sirius leaned forward across the table, his elbows just missing his plate of food.
"You don't." Rose pulled him back gently. "Besides, you almost got your elbows in your lamb curry."
James shook his head. "Naughty Sirius. I cannot believe you. Almost dirtying yourself at dinner time."
"As if that doesn't happen to you, but ten times worse."
"Shush. I'm trying to impress a certain lady tonight." Lily rolled her eyes at this.
"She's seen you eat all week. If she's not repelled by this point, she must be the one for you."
"That's not very nice, Padfoot. You're implying I'm a messy eater."
Rose snorted into her glass. "Implying? You need to face the facts."
Lily sat back and watched the group as they batted back and forth. She understood how strong and content her sister was in her friendships, and how comfortable she was. Lily realised that these people were who she had been searching for all these years, not content with the quiet, anxious life of May. Besides, May hadn't been at all what Lily had always thought of her. With the Marauders, she knew, they weren't going to lie to her, they were going to look after her, as they had all week, while they thought she was Rose. They didn't even care that she had sat with them.
Additionally, James was hers. His thumb softly circled her hand, as he chatted happily with Sirius and Rose. He had some issues, but he was a gentle, warm person who genuinely liked her, despite all of her faults.
"What do you think, Lily?" Sirius asked.
"About what?"
"That James needs to get over himself."
"How so?"
"He thinks he is the smartest kid in the grade. We don't agree."
Lily smiled. "James, listen to your friends. You're looking at the girl who's beating you in almost subject."
"Not cool."
"What do you mean? You should be happy for me. That's what guys are supposed to do."
"Sorry, Lily, but that's not going to happen. If you're beating me, I'm not going to be happy."
"At least you're honest."
"See? Lily appreciates me." He said, staring at Sirius.
Lily squeezed his hand without much force. "Mmmm, sure."
"Are you getting tired, dear? You aren't as lively as before."
"Little bit."
"Aw. Come on." James stood and lifted Lily easily from her seat, setting her onto her feet. "I'll get you where you need to be."
Sirius whistled after the two. "Geez, Lily, he never takes me to my bed when I'm tired."
"Yeah, well, I've never really been interested in you romantically."
"Why not Prongsie? Don't you appreciate my rugged looks?"
James laughed and guided Lily down the aisles, out of the Hall.
"You didn't have to leave your friends for me."
"Gorgeous Lily, I wouldn't leave you to walk by yourself. Plus, they're your friends too."
Lily rested her head on his shoulder, and he snaked his arm securely around her waist. "Thanks, James."
At the bottom of the staircase into the dorms, they stopped. Lily stepped away from him and smiled softly.
"Goodnight James."
"Goodnight Lily. I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow."
Lily smiled and leaned forward. She placed a quick kiss on James' soft lips and stepped back. James groaned and looked at her with half-closed eyes. "Don't do that to me." He whined.
"Don't worry, dearest. I'm sure there'll be plenty more where that came from."
"Seriously? Lils, you actually mean..."
Lily cut him off. "Goodnight James." She turned on her heel and walked gracefully up the stairs, leaving James looking after her.
A/N: I am so so sorry about the wait. I've still been recovering and I went back to school and I've been under a lot of pressure, which probably isn't the best excuse but it's all I've got. Hopefully, with holidays coming up, I should be able to update sooner. Thanks for sticking with me.
~Hannah