"Right on time," Lily complimented as James entered Professor McGonagall's office at 6:00 on Saturday. "I'm impressed."
"If that impresses you," James replied. "Then, I've got moves that could really rock your world," James winked in a flirtatious attempt, but it came across so goofy it actually caused a laugh to escape Lily Evans' lips.
"Was that a laugh, Evans? Like an actual laugh?" The surprise not lost in James' voice. "I didn't know you were capable."
"I laugh at things that are funny," Lily crossed her arms defensively. "Which most of the time, you are not."
"Ouch." James playfully grabbed his chest. "Always the curt one, you are. So, how do we get to pass this delightful evening?" James asked as he absentmindedly picked up and put down the random knick knacks on Professor McGonagall's desk, "Writing lines? Scrubbing floors? Picking potions supplies from the greenhouse? I've always wanted to be able to say I got in a good snogging session on McGonagall's desk -"
"You wish," Lily cut him off before he could finish whatever repulsive fantasy he had in mind.
"Well, we wouldn't be in this situation if you would have just stuck to your word and agreed to go to the Yule Ball with me."
"No, we wouldn't be in this situation if you would have used your common sense and not levitated three pigs down the corridor."
"Whatever you say, Evans," James shrugged. "So what will it be?"
Lily pointed in the direction of the large file folders piling out of boxes on the floor. "Professor McGonagall needs us to alphabetize those."
"Student records, really? I'd have thought she'd be more hesitant to let me near those. Inspiration and all that."
"You're not to open them up. Just look at the name on the outside, and then put it in the correct bin alphabetically."
"Yes, mama!" James saluted as he set to work while humming to the tune of the music that they could hear drifting down the hall from the Yule Ball.
"Ah, well it's appropriate that yours is on the top of the stack," Lily said as she lifted his file which was roughly as thick as her History of Magic book. "Do you ever actually go to class, or is all your time spent getting into trouble?"
"I'll have you know that it's not as easy as it looks balancing studies and mayhem."
"Wait," Lily gasped looking down at the file, as she started laughing for the second time that evening. "Your middle name is Fleamont? How did I not know that your middle name is Fleamont?"
"It's a family name," James clarified as he tried to retrieve the file from Lily. "After my dad."
"And one I'm hoping you never plan to pass down to your children."
"Those could be our children," James played. "I see you over there undressing me with your eyes."
"I am doing no such thing!"
James smiled and in exchange for the fight that would certainly ensure if he continued, he let it drop. "My parents are older," he shrugged. "I was a bit of a surprise to them. They didn't think they would ever be able to have kids. But here I am, James Fleamont Potter, a gift to the world," he said teasingly.
"Don't you think it though," Lily mumbled as she went back to alphabetizing files.
"What about your family?" James changed the course of the conversation. "I've never heard you talk about them."
"Well, we've had so many stimulating conversations that revolve around things other than how big of a git you are."
"Exactly," James replied. "You should really work on that. So let's have it, I know they're muggles."
"I mean, there's not really a lot to say. My parents are muggles, my sister thinks I'm a freak," she shrugged. "They don't understand the whole witch thing. We're not very close."
"Do they know how brilliant you are?"
The compliment turned Lily's cheeks a bright shade of red as she shook her head, "They pretty much pretend my magic doesn't exist."
"If they don't understand how amazing you are, they must be twits," he said earnestly, taking the next file and putting it in the appropriate stack. His bright hazel eyes locked with hers, "I'm sorry."
His apology caught Lily off guard. She wasn't sure she had ever heard James Potter sincerely apologize for anything in his life. "What for?" she asked, quickly looking down to place the next student.
"That you're not very close with your family," he continued. "That must be difficult. I couldn't imagine not being close with mine."
Lily shrugged, not feeling vulnerable enough to open up to this new, caring side of James just yet, but willing to admit that perhaps talking with James wasn't terrible. "It's just the way it's been since Hogwarts," she continued. "But I have Dorcas, Marlene, and Alice here. They've become sort of a second family."
"I know what you mean. It's been the same with Peter, Remus, and Sirius."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Not quite. We don't run around trying to make other people's lives miserable. I don't know what Remus sees in you lot. He's too good for you."
"Far too good," James agreed. "You'd like Peter if you gave him the chance. A little mousy, but loyal. As for Sirius, well, his bark is worse than his bite. He's been through a lot. You just need to get to know him."
"And what about you?" Lily questioned.
"What about me?"
"I suppose we should become friends too?"
"If you're asking, Evans," James grinned. "I'd be delighted."
She hated to admit, but she quite liked this version of James. The version that was honest, sincere, fiercely loyal. Who wasn't trying to show off or impress anyone. Here, with his defenses down, he was almost, dare Lily say, pleasant. "If you behaved like this more often, I'd consider it."
"Just how am I behaving?"
"Like a real person," Lily explained. "Like you have a heart and genuinely care for the well-being of others."
"What can I say, I'm the total package," James gave his best dorky grin and held his hands out in a grand gesture.
All Lily could do was chuckle and shake her head. James Potter it seemed was more multidimensional than she thought. Was there more to him than the arrogant toerag bully she had only known before? Perhaps. Did she believe he wanted to genuinely be friends with her? Almost. She was so lost in thought over her new realizations that she didn't notice the music from the ball change to something a little slower and more melodic.
"So," James said as he stood up from his spot on the floor and offered Lily his hand. "In the name of our newly founded friendship, I'd propose a dance."
"With you?" she asked before she could stop herself. She knew her tone sounded quite rude.
"No with Peeves," James teased. "Yes, with me. Is that really so hard to imagine?"
"We've only just become-" she couldn't even bring herself to say it, not just yet.
"Friends," James finished for her. "It's okay to say it, you won't self-combust."
"I have a hard time trusting your motives," she admitted.
"For the dance or for our friendship?"
"Both."
"I take friendship seriously, Lily," James said. The use of her first name sent her heart racing for some reason she couldn't quite put her finger on. She was sure in all their years at Hogwarts he had never called her that. "And you seem like maybe you could use a few more around here. As for the dance, it's strictly platonic. It'd be a shame to say neither of us danced at our Yule Ball."
Lily studied James' crinkled hazel eyes, the smile radiating and nearly jumping off his long, thin face and for some inane reason, she believed him.
"If you try anything, you'll have so many detentions you won't see the Quidditch pitch for the rest of the season."
He held his free hand up in some sort of promise, the other still extended and waiting for Lily's, "Marauder's Honor."
Lily breathed out and placed her hand in his. The warmth from his palm radiated through her so much so that she had to bite back a smile. His calloused fingertips wrapped gently around her own and she willed back the blush that she felt creeping up to her cheeks once more. Lily had danced with boys before, and certainly boys that she was more fond of than James Potter, but the new proximity to James coupled with the realization that maybe he was actually somewhat of a decent human being gave Lily a mind boggling dizzy feeling.
He placed his free hand on her upper back keeping a respectful distance between them, "Is this okay?" he asked.
Lily nodded, not trusting herself to speak just then. Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion, but the only thing she could seemingly focus on was that she was eye level with his thin lips. It would be nothing for him to move the 6 inches between them and kiss her forehead. Had he always been that much taller than her? She wasn't sure she'd paid much attention to it before.
They continued to sway quietly back and forth to the music, James doing most of the leading and Lily, for once in her life, quite content to follow. He was rotating them slowly in a circle, until one of the abandoned file folders got underfoot and sent Lily tumbling toward James. Her fall only stopped by the defined torso of James Potter.
"I - sorry - I'm," Lily stammered over James' inquiries about if she was alright as she pushed herself away from him. "I - um," she couldn't think. James had certainly left her heart racing and palms sweating before, but for entirely different reasons. This didn't feel like the sting of loathing she was so used to associating with his character. And no matter how much the Gryffindor she was, that scared her. "I just forgot, I've got something I have to do," she said backing to the door.
"You've got something to do?" James questioned suspiciously.
"An assignment," she stammered. She had never been good at lying.
"An assignment?" James repeated.
"For Ancient Ruins." She bent down to pick up her backpack and in the process, bumped into another stack of file folders sending them sprawling to the ground.
"I didn't know you were taking Ruins."
Lily mentally cursed herself. Why hadn't she picked a class she was actually in? "I'm auditing it."
The questioning stare almost made Lily come clean, but James finally relented. "I guess I'll just finish up here then," James motioned to the room.
"Right, because this is detention," Lily said more for her reminding than James'. "Your detention. And yes, you should finish up here, and then um, you can just be on your way," Lily scraped every last bit of dignity she could muster and put her Prefect ways back into motion.
"Alright then," James seemed frozen, not sure if he should push the issue further or let Lily have her space. "I'll um," he ran a hand through his hair. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright then," Lily waved briefly and went to go. The only coherent thought forming telling her not to leave, but she couldn't.
"And Lily," James used her name for the second time that evening.
"Yes?" she replied stopping just at the door and turning slightly to face him.
"As far as detentions go," he smiled, "this was a fairly nice one."
Okay, so this story has evolved into something I didn't really intend it to when I originally posted it as a one-shot. I'm posting this sequel here for those of you who have been following Pensive, but I also plan on uploading both chapters into a separate, new story that I will continue under the name When Pigs Fly. So if you're interested in following up on what comes next, give that story a follow or a favorite =). And as always, thank you for being amazing! It blows my mind the number people willing to follow, favorite, review or just read my story.