Not a Chance
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Harry Potter, or any of the characters mentioned in this story, unless stated otherwise. Rated for some sexual content, violence and language. Any similarities to real life are purely coincidence and I will not be held responsible! Thanks!
WARNING: WILL CONTAIN SLASH (male on male)!! Ye be warned
Author's Note: YAY!! I love the holidays. The staying up because I can't sleep until four am and then sleeping to noon, man it NEVER gets old. Ahh… Anyhow, here's the next bit. And if I get 300 reviews by next year (crosses fingers) I will post a deleted scene from this. It shall be smutty. XD Cheers.
P.S. – Since this is rolling along so well, expect it to finish up sometime in April. Real life April mind, not…story-land April. Eh heh.
P.P.S. – Err I got a tonne of reviews from people who thought the story was done…IT'S NOT DONE!! I PROMISE!!! Really though, come on. Would I just stop now? Pfft…no.
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: James' Birthday and Rubber Ducks
March was drawing to a close, and the very beginning of April was on the horizon, and just beyond that, the Easter holidays. But before all that fun stuff, came a one James Potter's birthday.
And being one of the more prominent (well-liked) Marauders, it promised to be an event of epic Gryffindor proportions. Everyone who knew the password to the Gryffindor common-room was invited. And when the night of the twenty-seventh finally arrived, even McGonagall had decided to overlook the rowdiness of her House pupils, and gave the Marauders leave to have a party.
James, the center of all the fuss, was having a nice round of drinks with his best mates (Sirius, Remus and Peter) when none other than Lily Evans, sat down on the arm of his chair.
"Happy birthday James" she said softly, and pressed her lips to his cheek.
"Thanks" he said, trying (and failing) not to look flustered. Was there a chance they would get back together? Oh…who knew…?
"I got you a present, but…I'll give it to you later. See you." And then she was gone. James measured the contents of his glass visually. Definitely not enough. "I'll be back, lads" and with that, he disappeared into the hordes of people.
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The three of them sat around, getting steadily more inebriated, and then Sirius, after about an hour, got up. "Going to the head." He kissed Remus, told the werewolf to be good (he wasn't sure what a drunk Remus would do) and exited the portrait hole with minimal difficulties.
He was just coming back from the little boys' room when he heard a giggle, and a stumble. He looked round and spotted a (gasp) drunk Lily Evans, laughing, and clinging to a stone pillar.
"Evans, what're you doing?"
Lily stood and looked thoughtful. "Had to… … …I forget," she concluded, shaking her head dismally.
Sirius laughed. Oh man, she was bloody rotten. "Come on, time to go to bed."
Lily looked aghast. "Black! What about Remus? And…James would…would…would never forgive you, even if we did-"
"Not…not like that, dear. I meant, time for you to go to bed. Alone."
"Oh." And then she burst into giggles again. Sirius put his arm around her and attempted to get her back to the portrait hole. She was stumbling quite a lot.
Then, quite by accident, her shoe came off. She bent and put it back on, and Sirius was bending to help her (you never could tell with drunk people if things were done right) and somehow, on the way, their lips connected.
And Lily started kissing him, not really registering whom she was kissing, and for a half a heartbeat, Sirius kissed back, and then pulled away.
They stood there together, him holding her upright, and her holding onto him to stay upright. A look of almost painful concentration passed over her features. "Um…we just…"
"Yeah," he said. Yeah… Fuck.
"Well…it's not like it means anything, right? I mean, I certainly don't like you, and…you're gay." Sirius laughed. Oh he had never loved Lily Evans so much as he did right then. Because she was definitely right. He loved her perfect, lovely, sensible logic.
They started back to the common-room. "Y'know," said Lily on the way, leaning in conspiratorially, "whoever decided you were good at kissing…lied."
"I beg your pardon?"
"You are rubbish at kissing," she giggled. "You are definitely the worst kiss I have ever had."
"You're drunk," he retorted as thought that made some sort of difference.
She laughed some more. "Not that drunk. Face it; you're just not good at kissing. It's okay though."
Sirius looked distraught. "Really am I that bad?" Lily nodded.
"Worse than Severus," she whispered.
Sirius looked absolutely appalled at this news. "I don't believe that." he stopped dead in the middle of the corridor that ended at the Fat Lady. Lily clung to him; she really didn't feel like falling and being unable to get up.
"I'm…sorry?"
"Remus would have told me, he would have-"
"You were his first kiss."
Fuck he hated Lily Evans right then. With her stupid knowledge and her stupid logic and…well, he would fucking show her! And without thinking, or planning or…or anything, he was kissing her, snogging her, his tongue pushing roughly into her mouth, claiming it in a purely possessive motion. His eyes were squeezed shut, and he felt Lily gasp against him and then after rolling his tongue along the roof of her mouth, pulled back.
She stood there, in his arms, just gaping, her drink fuzzy brain stumbling along, attempting to catch up. That was… "Incredible."
Sirius smirked haughtily. "I know I am." He started moving back toward the portrait, and Lily followed, still gaping.
Sirius paused before going back into the common-room. "Er…I think we should keep what just happened-"
"Me too. To ourselves. Yes"
Sirius smiled. Lily Evans wasn't so bad after all…
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Remus was in the same spot Sirius had left him, though he looked much drunker. "Remus? Love, you alright?"
"Mmm? Yes. Come" he patted the floor. "Sit."
Sirius sat and rested his head in Mooney's lap.
"Padfoot?"
"Yes?"
"…Can we go upstairs?"
"Why would we want…to – oh! Oh, yes. Of course. Let's go."
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James spotted Lily chatting with one of her friends near the drinks table, and judging by the state of her at present, thought it prudent to move her away. "Lily, come here for a second," he asked, tugging insistently on her elbow.
"James! Oh! I still have to give you your present! I left it upstairs, come on." She stumbled her way to the girl's dormitories, and James followed.
She reached the room with little difficulty, and stumbled to her bed, digging a package out from underneath it. She passed it to him.
James smiled as he unwrapped it. It was a…rubber duck? "Er…thanks, Lils…"
Lily laughed. "You can use it with the rest of your present." A dark eyebrow rose questioningly. Lily smirked drunkenly. "I think I'm too drunk to give it you tonight. So…I'm going to sleep now." She got up and laid herself on her bed. James rolled hi eyes and moved to tuck her in.
"Meet me downstairs tomorrow night at ten-thirty, in front of the fifth floor Prefects' bathroom." And then she promptly closed her eyes, not bothering to undress, and passed out. James crouched by her bed for several long moments and sighed. His fingers stroked her hair and he smiled.
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Ten-thirty came and went, and though James was waiting dutifully outside the door to the Prefect's bathroom, he heard or saw no sign of Lily. He sighed, and resigned himself to the cold hard truth that Lily had been babbling drunkenly on his birthday. Squeezing the rubber ducky disconsolately, he murmured the password for entrance (as Quidditch Captain and head Boy he had access) intending to take a bath to ease the heartache that came along with being stood up.
He opened the door, and saw the room was already lit, the gas lamps burning in their holders on the walls, and several large candles, trailing little rivulets of hardened melted wax stood lit on their tiny plinths. Then he spotted a mass of deeply red, damp hair emerging from a mountain of bubbles in the tub, and then Lily looked round at him, green eyes bright and shining in the light, smiling.
"I was wondering when you would get the hint and get in here. I'm practically a prune already."
James gaped. Did she just…? Was she inviting him to…? No…
Lily smirked. "This tub is huge Potter. Come for a dip?"
James pulled off his shirt and Lily felt butterflies burst into flight in her stomach. Oh merciful Merlin he was beautiful… She bit her lip, and moved to the far side of the tub when he made to pull off his pants, and she only looked up as he hissed.
He was halfway in the small pool, and was holding the ledge for dear life. "Oh man this is hot."
Lily smiled and floated over, pressing her body into him. "I know. I like it that way."
James groaned, partly because the intense heat of the water was boiling him, and partly because he was most definitely turned on. A slippery wet Lily in his lap was wont to do that… She kissed her, tongue leisurely exploring his mouth, caressing the roof of his mouth, before floating back on the surface. It was deliriously warm and James was looking at her with those sex-hungry eyes.
She thought fleetingly of Severus. She really did feel bad but…well…James was the smart choice to make. She loved him; she needed him. The toss about picking neither of them had been foolish, she realized now. She had always been James' girl, even when she would scream how much she hate him across the common-room, or he would make her want to murder him, she had been his girl.
And as he brought her to the brink of ecstasy some time later, the heat of him and the water making stars burst behind her eyes, feeling like intensely hot flames were ravaging her, she knew she had made the right choice. So when she was drifting back, contentedly sated from a deliciously overdue loving, and she looked at this man she loved, she whispered softly, "Marry me James."
James thought he had lost it, finally gone crazy (and with the spectacular sex he had just partaken in with Evans, it wasn't too much of a long shot) when he heard Lily mutter those words. He stared. "What did you just say?"
"I said marry me James," she repeated a little louder. "I love you. You…I can't be without you." And then he was crushing her to him, arms wrapped around her, pressing her to his broad chest. She clung back with as much strength as she could muster, her nails biting into the skin of her palms, so tightly did she clench her fists. "God, James, I love you…"
"I love you Lily."
She felt tears brimming in her eyes and fought to keep them back. She was rather unsuccessful, but it was okay, cause James was there to kiss them away.
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Minerva McGonagall was sitting in her office when there was a faint, rather timid knocking on the door. She looked at the clock. It was rather late for a call…well past nine… She brightened slightly. Then again, perhaps it would be Albus for tea. He was apt to do so some nights.
She got up and opened the door, but Albus did not stand behind it. In his stead was a rather concerned looking Peter Pettigrew, who peered up at her worriedly. He was wringing his hands, and looked all of a dither.
"Pettigrew? Whatever do you need, lad?"
"IthinkI'mgoingtofailmyNEWTs!!" he said hurriedly.
"…What? Speak slowly."
"Professor, I'm just…I'm worried about NEWTs. I mean, what if I fail them all?"
McGonagall offered a small smile. She had been a teacher for a while now, and Pettigrew was not the first to come to her fretting over exams, and she doubted he would be the last. "Have a seat, Pettigrew, and let's talk this through."
Peter sat, feeling somewhat relieved, and as he talked with McGonagall, the small bundle of brooch wrapped in handkerchief slipping to the floor discreetly, he smiled. He suddenly felt much better. "Thanks a lot Professor!" he verily chirped later, as she ushered him out.
McGonagall smiled and closed the door. He was going to fail miserably. But, alas, some students were just doomed to such a fate.
She was heading back round her desk to finish marking the papers she had from the second years, when she noticed the brooch, just stick out of it's handkerchief protection. Her brow furrowed in puzzlement, and she reached out, pulling it out of it's wrapping. Then she fell to the floor.
Lucius smiled as peter emerged, beaming, from around the corner. "It's done?"
Peter nodded happily and Lucius' smile grew. "Excellent."
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Author's Note: so here I am, done another gripping chapter, proof that THIS IS NOT DEAD! Review lovelies, it makes me smile. So, did you all enjoy the deleted smut? I did. Muwahahahaha. Argh, and with feeling like crap (I'm sick… not perverted-sick, like, cough-sick, LOL) I like to smile lots. So…REVIEW!! And then go listen to Justin Nozuka's song After Tonight, cause it was playing almost this whole chapter here. LOL. It's great.
Much love to (from the LOST CHAPTEER and 35): serindraxx, BANANA (lawl), Shania Maxwell, LouisaB, RankEgg, Maxine Braidmin, Sw33t D4rk Ange1z, Lexie Green, S0phia.Weasley, Victoria Humblydum, Psycho Hippy, MoonyIsTheMan, Rem10124, and Lovinthehorses, and Raelin Lupin (oh man your name totally threw me cause I'm reading this sappy romance novel, and the heroine is named Raelynn. LOL)
So now I'm done. CHEERS!!! Happy New Year!! (clinks glasses).