Lily walked through silent hallways to the Owlery. She wanted to post a letter to her sister telling about her first few weeks of school. She would care, but she imagined it as her mother. Not like In her letter she made sure to mention her horror of having to work along side a stuck-up, arrogant, persistent boy who she despised for so many years. When she reached the Owlery, she had to bite back a groan when she saw the black-haired menace that she had written about.
"What are you doing here?" asked Lily, surprising Potter. He turned around and smiled.
"Am I not allowed to mail a letter to my parents?" he asked, stroking the owl on his arm which had James's letter on its leg and looked ready to fly.
"Oh. You should let that owl go before he bites your finger; though maybe that's a good thing," Lily said with annoyance.
James smiled once again and released the owl into the dusk. Lily walked to her right and looked for an owl. A pretty brown one turned its head and hooted. Lily smiled and held up her arm to the owl. The brown swooped down and lighted atop Lily's wool jacket sleeve.
"So, what are you doing here?" asked James. Lily walked to a window attaching the letter as she went. She threw a look to James and responded.
"'Am I not allowed to mail a letter to my sister?'" mimicked Lily.
"What are you writing about? The newest essay we have due in three weeks?" asked James, ignoring her verbal jab.
"If you're going to make a snappy retort as least try to make it truthful; we don't have a current essay due in three weeks." James flushed slightly. "And no, I am not writing about essays; I didn't even mention one. I was merely writing about Hogwarts and how I am stuck with an arrogant, self-centered, annoying, persistent boy as the one who I have to do my work with." She gave him a meaningful look and he gave an angered smile.
"Do you really think I'm that bad?" he asked as he started to walk to the door.
"Well, you can't deny that those adjectives describe you quite well most of the time," retorted Lily.
"'Most of the time?' What am I the rest of the time then?" asked James with a slight bit of cockiness in his voice. Lily groaned and continued to walk. "I also don't think that that is quite fair as I just wrote about how wonderful you are: so brave, respectful, law-abiding..." James smiled at another groan from the female Gryffindor, and followed her quietly.
When they reached Professor McGonagall's office she led them to the Transfiguration classroom. She left them there to clean the entire classroom without magic and without any help again. James and Lily worked in silence, for the most part, only talking to ask for a rag or for help moving a desk.
--
In three hours, McGonagall returned to a much better looking classroom. The floors were once again clean and the shelves dusted. She smiled and told them she would see them tomorrow. James and Lily decided to do their rounds now before returning to the dormitories. It was after ten, so the rounds were pretty uneventful. Lily managed to stumble up the stairs a few times as she was so tired. James just put out an arm to steady her and she just nodded in thanks, not caring at who stopped her fall.
Lily had to admit that things had been a bit awkward since James had kissed her. The few conversations that were spoken between them, including the one in the Owlery, were a bit tense as well. Part of Lily even enjoyed the fact that James was silent more often.
She also noticed that James seemed to be a bit different… he looked almost nervous as he ran his hand through his hair- she was surprised to find that he actually could be nervous- and his smart comments were kept to a minimum.
The two Heads said very tired 'goodnights' at their bedroom doors and fell into their beds as soon as they were undressed.
--
The next day was Monday and the Marauders were talking over breakfast about something Lily was sure she was going to disapprove of, though she could not hear them. Saffron and Cat, who had came back the day before the kiss, had persuaded and begged Lily to sit with the Marauders and, in fear of her ears falling off, Lily had consented. She had thrown up her hands and sat down next to Samuel and Monica, two first years, who were sitting side-by-side next to James. They were enjoying their time at Hogwarts thoroughly and couldn't begin to express their enjoyment.
Sam and Monica smiled and ran off to the library to do some work before classes. "Now look at what you've done!" said James, wearing and expression of mock surprise. "You've made them become book-aholics! Now they're running off to the library at every chance they can get." He glared at Lily with a look of mock disappointment and resentment, but Lily, even though she had caught the look of mockery, slapped him hard on the arm and walked away, her book-bag over her shoulder. Sirius looked at James.
"Why do you do stupid things like that?" he asked, looking confused.
"You do want her to like you, do you not?" Remus threw in, holding back a smile.
"Well, yeah, but I didn't think she would go that weird over that! I wasn't even being serious!" said James, rubbing his arm.
"And please, don't even become Sirius. We wouldn't be able to survive," put in Veronique.
"Darling Veronique, there is only one of me; there will only ever be one of me," informed Sirius, his hands flat on the table as he leaned forward slightly to Veronique, only too be slapped in the arm by Saffron.
"Thank Merlin for that," she said, smiling. Sirius grinned, and went back to eating.
After breakfast the seventh years walked away and went to their first class, which was Potions with Professor Slughorn. Once again, he praised Lily rightly in her wonderful ability at Potions. James commented to her about this, but she just threw him a dirty look and he continued to make the very difficult Amortenia potion. Tried to make his Amortentia potion, anyway.
Their next class was Transfiguration, which James and Sirius did wonderful in considering they had managed to turn themselves into a stag and a black dog, earning them the names "Prongs" and "Padfoot" by the other Marauders. McGonagall complimented the two after class, which was not exactly something she did often. The boys made the most of it, and bowed deeply to her. She merely raised an eyebrow and turned back to her desk.
--
"James, what did you do to Lily during detention?" Remus asked, as three of the Marauders walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts. "She's been a bit weird lately."
"Yeah, I would say colder than usual, but there are times when she seems to be nicer," put in Sirius, setting his bag onto the floor. He winked to a passing blonde. She giggled, and kept on walking past.
James rolled his eyes at his friend's behavior. "I've noticed that too. Well... during the first one, I dropped a book on a bucket and the bucket tipped over. Then I slipped on the water, and Lily did, too. We fell together, her on top of me 'cause I didn't want her hurt. Then when we got up, I- well I-"
"Oh no! Please don't tell me that you did what I'm thinking that you did!" cried Sirius. He looked to James expectantly. James nodded sheepishly.
"You kissed her!?" he said quite loudly. A few people turned to stare at his raised voice but turned back to their own conversations. After all, a Marauder kissing a girl wasn't that big of a newflash.
"Well, yeah. There was this.. I don't know, this look in her eyes and I just had to! You'll understand one day when you really fall in love, Sirius, not just go around snogging any girl. And anyway, since then, the detentions have just been awkward." Sirius glared at James, but at that moment the door opened and everyone walked in.
--
Later that night, James and Lily walked down to McGonagall's office again and this time, they were sent to clean up the Potions classroom. Some first year must've made a pretty bad mess; either that or Slughorn was just being lazy in telling the kids to clean up after his last class. James thought it was the last because there were quite a few chunks of uncut potions ingredients littering the floor.
James and Lily once again worked in near silence for a while, washing desks, shelves and the floors. Finally, James worked up enough courage to talk to Lily.
"Hey, um, Evans?" he asked, tentatively. She looked quickly to him, but turned back to the desk she was cleaning. "I'm sorry for making you so mad. I just… I just don't know what-"
"Potter, stop!" said Lily, rinsing out her rag. "I've heard this and I don't need to hear it again. What's done is done and it can't be undone so just stop dwelling on it."
"Except I can't!" said James. He immediately regretted it and smacked his wet hand against forehead. Lily looked as if she wanted to do the same thing, except to James, not herself. "I'm sorry! That just kinda came out!" James shook his head again and went back to scrubbing a particularly stubborn stain on the floor with a great amount of vitality.
Lily continued cleaning, feeling a mixture of emotions: Dislike at James for his Marauder-ing ways; amusement at this side she had never seen before, that ever-present confusion at him, and unfortunately for her, a bit of liking at James's sudden sweet manner. She shook her head and told herself that she would have to go up to the girl's dormitory and talk to Veronique, who had experience in guys.
--
And that was what she did, or tried to anyway. She changed into her nightgown and put on her robe and walked down the hall to the common room of the Gryffindors. She was pleased and surprised to find Veronique in the common room. But she wasn't alone. She looked very comfortable leaning against Josh as they sat together on the couch in front of the fire. Lily smiled and walked back to her own common room. She was disappointed that her friend was occupied. But she vowed to herself that she would talk to Veronique later.
Sorry for the late update. I've been up north for the past 14 days, and haven't had connection. This is fairly shortish longish. Review please!