A/N: I'm really sorry I haven't updated for awhile, basically, I didn't update any of my stories but one for awhile and then when I started this chapter, the document wouldn't upload, none of mine would, I finally got it to work so it's all good, and here's the next chapter. Thanks to those who reviewed, and hopefully this chapter will be at least semi-good so I'll get another review from someone.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me.
A Marauder's Tale
EilayAdnayVolieay
Chapter Twelve: Christmas Holidays Part 2
That night, Lily was sitting in the girls dorm. The holidays had already started, and the students had all gone home to spend it with their families. Only Megan, Ali, Remus, Peter, Sirius, James and herself had stayed behind that year, which was extremely convenient for them as they could spend a lot of time searching the Common Room, if not for the prophecy, at least for something that might hint towards the prophecy.
She was just finishing up her holiday homework from Charms class when she heard an owl pecking on the window. She rushed over and opened it, and saw a beautiful owl with a parcel attached to it. She untied it from the birds claws, and the owl flew off into the night— probably to hunt, Lily thought to herself. She saw a note, and read it first.
Lily—
I'm sorry.
She knew immediately that James had sent this... she knew she should just throw it away, but curiosity got the better of her, and she decided she could at the very least see what he had gotten her. She opened the wrapped parcel, and she saw inside there was an emerald green jeweled charm bracelet, with several charms on it. One of a book, one of a lion like the Gryffindor lion, one of a moon, one of a lily, and... one of what appeared to be a stag. She put it on, and she felt guilty. I can't accept this gift! James, why do you always buy me gifts like this? I mean... she tried not to think too much on it. Right now, she had to find James. She looked out her window, and saw snow being tossed in the air— yet there was nobody there. It had to be James, she decided. After all, he probably had snuck out with his Invisibility Cloak, and she was going to make him take the gift back.
—
James tossed snow into the air, without caring who saw. He was under his Invisibility Cloak anyway, so what did it matter? People who did see would just think that it was some ghost or poltergeist, which wasn't so far-fetched considering Hogwarts was full of ghosts and was home of its very own Poltergeist, Peeves.
It wasn't until he heard the distinct sound of crunching snow coming from behind him that he stopped tossing snow in the air. He attempted to leave, but was grabbed by someone and his cloak removed. He looked at who had caught him, and saw Lily. He also noticed she had her gift in her hands, and he sighed. So, she had decided to come and talk to him...
"James, I can't take this." Lily replied softly. She gave him the charm bracelet back, and he held onto it, staring absentmindedly at the charms on it. He looked up at her, realizing something.
"James? What happened to "Potter", Lily?" he asked her. She backed away a few steps.
"I... what happened to Evans, James?" she retorted. He rolled his eyes.
"Still the same, I see. Well, you can keep this," he replied, forcing the bracelet back into her hands. "I won't take it back, it was a Christmas gift for you," he told her. "I... Lily, before you run off never to talk to me again, I really just wanted to tell you I am sorry. I went to far with what I said to you, and I didn't mean half of it." he told her. Lily began walking over to a tree and climbed up to the first branch so she could sit somewhere that wasn't covered in snow. James soon followed, but sat on a different branch on the other side of the tree.
"The thing is James, you did mean it." she replied, so quietly that James had to strain just to hear. "And... d-do you really t-t-think that I l-l-like you?" she asked. Her voice was shaking, and James realized she was cold. He climbed over to the branch she was on and put his winter cloak on around her. He had one arm reached around her and he didn't move it, and she didn't tell him to.
"I don't know, Lily." he replied honestly. "I wish you did, but only you know for sure." he replied finally. She looked up at him.
"Why do you like me?" she asked him. "I mean, face it James, you have basically the large majority of the female population after you, so why me?" James looked up and saw that it had begun snowing outside, and he shrugged.
"Lily... haven't you ever been in love before?" he asked her suddenly. She looked up at him, startled. In love? So James is... flat out... in love with me. He doesn't even get awkward about it now, just states it as it is— a fact.
"I don't think so," she replied honestly. "I mean, I've never really bothered having an interest in guys. I mean I'll admit to thinking a few were attractive, but even a married woman does that, so I highly doubt that counts." Lily replied.
"Oh... well, Lily, love isn't something you can control. Sometimes, you fall for someone because of their personality, other times, it just happens and sometimes the person you've fallen for is someone whose so stupid at times that you wonder how you could ever like them, and sometimes you feel as if you hate them so much yet at the same time, you love them."
"Which one are you struggling with?" she asked him. He smiled at her.
"Personality, I think." he replied. "Funny, clever, sweet, fiery at other times. And I can't forget... beautiful," he replied softly. Lily felt a strange sensation in her stomach, and she looked at James who was staring at her with such emotion, such... love, she realized.
"I... James, I..." Lily stopped talking. What was she trying to say? She was barely sure herself. Finally, barely realizing herself what she was doing, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against James'. He seemed startled, at first, by this sudden act, but soon after recovering from his earlier state of confusion, he had one arm wrapped around her, the other on her shoulder, and kissed her back. Finally, after a few minutes, they broke apart, and Lily stared down at the ground. James smiled at her, but he was still stunned.
"Lily..." he began. He didn't know what to say. Lily jumped down to the ground, and James followed her. "Lily, wait!" he called after her as she began running away. He saw her step on a patch of ice, not realizing it was there as it was covered by a thin layer of snow, and she fell. He ran over to her and knelt down beside her, concern etched on his face. He was just about to ask her if she was okay, when she burst out laughing.
"Are you okay?" he asked her uncertainly. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Finally she sat up, and stared out across Hogwarts Grounds.
"Never been better," she replied. She realized that the charm bracelet he had given her was still in her hand and she struggled with it, attempting to put it on. James grabbed her hand carefully and snapped the bracelet onto her wrist. She looked up at him, feeling suddenly very shy. Why had she kissed him when they had been sitting on the branch in the tree? Had he been right... did she actually like him? You must, Lily told herself. You kissed him, and you enjoyed it this time. You know you did... she sighed to herself. She had enjoyed kissing him, and as she looked up at him now she felt the urge to do so again, but she didn't. James stood up and held out his hand to help her up. She grabbed it gratefully, and he pulled her up, but once she got on to her feet she began sliding on the ice and fell against him. She gulped and stared up at him as he lowered her head down onto her shoulder.
"Lily..." he replied softly into her ear, "I... I know you already know this, but... I love you." he told her. Lily's head began spinning and she closed her eyes, hoping it would help. "And..." James continued, hoping his instincts were right, "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go to Hogsmeade, with me... you know, next weekend?" he closed his eyes, hoping he hadn't somehow ruined this moment he was sharing with Lily. Lily was silent for so long that James was sure he had somehow upset her, and he let go of her and started to move away, but she smiled at him.
"I guess I could," she replied.
—
When Lily returned to the girl's dorm, she was stunned with herself, surprised, and shocked at what had just happened. She had gone to James originally to tell him he couldn't just buy her forgiveness and send a little sorry note and expect everything to be just fine. Yet, once she had neared him, everything had just... changed. Instead of being mean, she was kind, and told him she couldn't possibly accept his gift. And what exactly had she been thinking, by kissing him? She almost wished he had kissed her first instead, because at least then she could explain away why she had kissed him back— like, she had been startled, or it was just instinct until she realized it was James and not some regular human being she might actually want to kiss. Yet she had kissed him first, and there was no way she could blame him for that. And she definitely couldn't blame him for her agreeing to go with him to Hogsmeade. She sat on her bed and pulled her knees close to her, daydreaming to herself.
Megan and Ali had been in Dumbledore's office, telling him that the seven of them altogether had decided to stay at Hogwarts to do some searching around for some hint towards the prophecy, while Hogwarts was a little less crowded, and so they had just got into the girls dormitory when they saw Lily on her bed, a dazed expression on her face.
"Lils? What's wrong?" Megan asked her. Lily jumped, startled to hear the sound of someone speaking. She had been lost in her own world, and hadn't heard Megan or Ali come into the dormitory. Lily moved onto her stomach and sighed.
"Nothing..." she replied. She wasn't really lying— nothing was wrong. She was just confused about how she suddenly was thinking about James more than she normally would have liked. It didn't make any sense to her whatsoever.
"Are you sure? You seem to be... well, lately you've just been moping around here endlessly for no given reason, and now all of a sudden you seem happy and... did something happen?" Megan asked. Ali moved past Megan and sat down on the bed next to Lily's. She felt Lily's head, as if seeing if she had a fever.
"You don't feel warm... and you don't look sick," she replied, worried. Megan sat down next to her and rolled her eyes.
"Of course she doesn't look sick, she's not! She's going to tell us what happened, aren't you Lily?" she asked. Lily closed her eyes, and sighed.
"There's nothing wrong, and no, I'm not sick. Wait, did I really mope around here?" Lily asked suddenly. Both Megan and Ali nodded.
"When you weren't arguing or shouting about James, yeah, you moped around. And before you ask, yes, you seem happy now." Megan replied impatiently when she saw Lily open her mouth again to speak. "Now tell us what happened!" Megan exclaimed.
"Well, I... I sort of agreed to go to Hogsmeade with James," Lily started.
"I thought he had said he would never ask you out again, what made him change his mind? Especially when you were both mad at each other!" Ali asked.
"Forget that, why would you say yes if you were so mad at him?" Megan asked.
"Well, I said yes because... I don't know, I just did. And I could be wrong, but I think it's safe to say that he asked me out again because I... well, see, I sort of kissed him.." Lily replied. Megan and Ali's jaws both dropped.
"WHAT?"
—
"WHAT?"
"Keep your voice down, Sirius!" James replied, covering his friends mouth. "It's not that big of a deal," he replied untruthfully. Sirius smacked himself on the head. They were sitting in the Common Room, waiting for Remus to get back. He had gone to the Hospital Wing for a moment, after being convinced by Sirius, James and Peter (before James had gone outside) that he was looking very pale and sickly a bit too long after the full moon and that he should go see Madame Pomfrey in case he had caught a cold. So, after James had returned from outside, Lily had run up the stairs into the girls dorm, and James had sat down on the couch in front of the fire, still not believing that the earlier events had actually happened. That was when Sirius had found him, and forced James to tell him what had happened.
"Not that big of a deal?" Sirius whispered. "She kissed you, on her own! And she agreed to go out with you," Sirius added, still as quietly as he could manage considering he felt like shouting even more. James grinned and glanced at the common room entrance, waiting for Remus to appear hopefully sometime soon.
"Okay, so it IS a big deal." James admitted. "I just wanted to say something to quiet you down a bit," James added. Just then, Remus walked in through the Gryffindor Common Room entrance, and the portrait closed. Swearing was heard from beyond the portrait, as clearly Remus had awoken the Fat Lady to get inside of the Common Room. Remus sat down.
"She said that I'm just feeling a bit peaky after the full moon still, but that I should let her know if after two or three days, this keeps it up. She'll give me a cold cure just in case at that time, since it won't harm me if I'm not sick and if I am it will make me feel better." Remus replied. He saw the startled expression on Sirius' face, the dazed expression on James', and immediately realized there was something going on that he had missed. Sighing, he asked, "So what did I miss while I was gone?"
"Well, for starters, Evans totally snogged James just a few minutes ago," Sirius replied. "Oh and let's not forget that Prongsie here's dating her now, they're going to Hogsmeade next weekend— together." Sirius replied. Remus smiled.
"So what happened to change her mind, James?" he asked. James shrugged.
"I... I don't know. What I said to her, maybe? Or maybe she just realized she... liked me..." James replied hopefully. Sirius patted him on the back.
"I don't think you have to worry about that, mate, I'm pretty sure she likes you. If she didn't, there's no way she would have ever kissed you, period. Well, gentlemen, I say we go to bed, and Prongs to warn you, I will smother you with a pillow if you start saying Evans name in your sleep. Sound good?" Sirius replied. James grinned.
"Whatever you say, Sirius."
—
Lily looked around where she was, and saw that she was in a strange room. Where was she? She turned and saw James on the ground, unconscious, and she ran to him. She kept running, but the more she ran towards him, the further away he seemed to be from her. She stopped finally, as she saw the ground fall out from under her. They were both falling, and she couldn't save him...
"JAMES!"
Lily awoke, scared. She looked around and saw she was in her room, perfectly safe. There was no dangers threatening her nearby. She thought of the prophecy, of the strange men that had been in the Hospital Wing, and began to wonder just how dangerous this prophecy might actually end up being before they even found it.
A/N: Well I realize this wasn't so much about the prophecy but that was because, -gasp!- Lily and James are together now! Don't worry, I won't be making them horribly mushy throughout the rest of the story because that would completely take away from the main point at this time in the story— the prophecy. Granted, overall this story is about James and Lily, but at this moment the prophecy is what they're focusing on and next chapter we will continue with the prophecy. R&R, hope you enjoyed, and I'm off to update another story.
