I know this is short and I'm sorry about it, but for some reason I didn't have any time to write during our lessons this week, therefore I didn't have that much time. Don't expect the next part too soon: For the next week, an Italian exchange student will stay here with me, therefore I won't have any time to write. Boy, am I glad that one of my best friend's staying at my house as well, as her father is an Italian, she's able to speak it very well, unlike me...
Thanks to those who reviewed, without you, I didn't write this part!
Oh, and excuse mistakes, typos, whatsoever, all I can say is that I'm deadly tired!
*
As she dedicated the first part of her story to me, I decided to dedicate this part to Temptress (or Scarleta, I think). And also to my best friends: Dany, Kati, Chrissie, Melly, Kathrin, Solveig, without you, my stories wouldn't turn out the way they do.
I'd love you to hate me
II.
"They couldn't make it any easier, could they?" Lily was in an especially bad mood when James and her set off for the Gryffindor common room. Partly because she had to work together with James and she didn't know how to stand him. And partly because she really wasn't keen on searching the whole library for any clue, no matter what, just something that could help them to finish their assignment with success. Well, she thought, better searching the whole library than discussing with James. How likely was it that they would actually agree on something? There was no way they could be able to work together, no way. And, she added furiously, there was also no way to avoid him now, and one thing was for sure: He was already planning his revenge on her.
She startled when James suddenly began to laugh while walking at her side and examining her face carefully. "You look like a kid in the sandpit that has just been stolen his shovel by another kid."
Lily stopped immediately, turning around to face him and grabbing his arm with a force that no one would expect from a dainty looking girl like her. Her emerald green eyes were flashing, strands of red hair falling into them and causing a strange thought to come up in James' head: Sirius was right: she is cute! He shoved it away quickly, though, as she was staring straight at him.
"I'm not looking like a kid that's just been stolen his shovel!"
"No, you're not." he agreed instantly, grinning at her stunned expression - she hadn't expected that he gave in so quickly. "Now you're looking like a kid who's feeling the urge to whack every other kid within his reach with his shovel." he added after waiting a few seconds to enjoy her astonishment.
Fortunately for James, Lily hadn't a shovel. He knew very well that he'd have to live with a horrible headache for the next week otherwise, but as she wasn't armed at the moment, his grin broadened while he was watching her, shouting the password to the Fat Lady over his shoulder.
Lily's mood was nothing compared to how furious Sirius looked as they entered the common room, Lily still shooting glares at James while he was smirking. When Sirius saw the two of them, his face lit up a bit.
"Hey Jamie-boy, hi Sweetheart! Want to sit down?" He pointed at his lap and winked at the girl, ignoring James' shocked expression.
"Are you asking your I-don't-know-why-but-for-some-unknown-reason best friend or me?" Lily asked Sirius, walking over to the fire where he was sitting in a purple chair. In the one next to him, Peter was curled up, greeting Lily shyly, without even gazing at her, then he went back to stare in the flames.
Sirius looked offended. "You, of course. Would I ask James to sit in my lap?"
Lily wrinkled up her nose grinningly. "How would I know?"
"Well, now you do, therefore I ask you once again if you want to sit down. Pleeeaaase?" He smiled charmingly.
"You're impossible." Lily shook her head and dropped on the sofa that was standing in front of Sirius' chair. James hesitated for a moment as the only spot left was next to her, but then he sat down as well.
"So, how's it going with good old Snapie?"
"Don't say its name, Prongs!" Sirius hissed. "I'll have to spend hours with this..."
"Okay, we get the point." Lily was watching him compassionately. "I guess that your lot's really the hardest to bear."
James looked amazed. "It's harder than being paired up with me?"
"Yeah, I think it is." Lily nodded firmly.
Sirius grinned at his friend. "Speaking of that, Jamie-boy: You're still refusing to switch partners?"
"'Course I am. Evans is a whole lot better than Snape. At least I don't have to hold my nose everytime I'm near her."
"Gee, thanks."
Looking back and forth between them, Sirius grinned silently. This had to be a first: Lily and James had never agreed on anything before. Even Peter's gaze left the flames and he was glancing at them but turned away quickly when Lily caught his eye. James raised a brow suspiciously, not liking the expression on Sirius' face at all.
"What?"
"Nothing. It's just that I'm not used to you and Lily agreeing on something. Maybe this project will make you start liking each other?"
"We were not agreeing on something. And we won't start liking each other, no way!" James was glaring at his friend. Lily watched him, then an evil smile appeared on her face.
"Yes, Potter, we're both thinking that Sirius' lot's the hardest. Therefore we're having the same opinion. And come to the other point: I wouldn't mind if you liked me..."
"You wish, Evans."
"What's this all about?" Sirius asked.
"Nothing!" James answered quickly, just to be contradicted by Lily.
"Sirius, your friend" she pointed at James "made a nice little promise."
"You don't have to tell him." he interrupted, now feeling quite uncomfortable somehow.
"Oh yes, she has to tell me!"
"He promised that he'd kiss Snape if he should ever find himself liking me."
"You did... what??? You didn't promise her this, did you?"
"I did. Which just proves that I'm never going to like Evans."
"This promise about kissing Snape... Could you write it down for me?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because."
"Aw... So you're afraid that you might like Lily?"
"No."
Lily watched the both of them arguing, shaking her head. "Potter, why don't you write it down for him? Then he'd shut up."
"I won't."
"Then why?"
"Just because."
"Jamie-boy, you have the choice: Either you'll write this down for me or I'll tell Lily what you're planning to do to her."
"You wouldn't tell her, would you?"
"I would."
"No. No! Padfoot!"
"Yes, Sirius! Please, tell me! Puh-lease?"
"It's James' choice, Lil..."
"You don't leave me any choice!"
"So you're going to write it down for me?"
"Yes."
Lily leaned back in her chair, looking disappointed. James' seized the quill Sirius was giving him and wrote down what Sirius was dictating to him:
"I, James Harold Potter, promise to kiss Severus Snape the moment I find myself liking Lily Evans.
Signed: James Potter"
After having signed it, James sat quiet for a few seconds, staring down at the parchment, then he slowly raised his head, gazing at Sirius. "I didn't tell you yet what I'm going to do to her!"
"Right." Sirius grinned broadly and grabbed the parchment from James.
"That's not fair."
"Who cares?"
"I do. And you know, I'll get back this parchment somehow."
"You can try if you want." Sirius shrugged smirkingly, then he turned to Lily. "My sweetest flower, now that James promised to kiss Snape, what are you going to do, just in case that you start to like him?"
Lily was lucky, as in this very moment, Remus entered the common room. He didn't look happy either (his partner was a Slytherin called Wilkins, and he hated him almost as much as Snape), but he laughed when Sirius handed him the signed parchment.
"My, Prongs, now there's really a reason for you to hate Lily!"
"There was a reason all the time."
"Yeah, whatever." Remus sat down on the floor and leaned his back against Lily's legs.
"Hey, why don't you use Potter, Sirius or Peter as your backrest?"
He turned around and grinned. "'Cause you're the only girl here and it would look odd if I was leaning against their legs, wouldn't it?"
"Well, maybe."
James was about to say something when Anatasha entered, her hands clenched to fists. Lily glanced at her and nodded. "So you got Winer, right?"
"You bet." Anatasha sighed. "I don't know how to stand her! I really don't know. There are two possibilities: Either she'll curse me and I'll lie in the hospital for a few months or the other way round."
"I like 'the other way round' better."
"Me too."
James looked around curiously. "So what's your assignment?"
"Snape" - Sirius pulled a face - "and me have to work on the Unforgivable curses. 'Is the ministry right to allow the Aurors to use them? Discuss.'"
"Well, guess it won't be to difficult to come to an agreement then." Remus patted Sirius' shoulder. "You share the opinion that the ministry's wrong. Only the reasons are different: Snape doesn't like it 'cause he's afraid that the Aurors will be after him soon."
James took a look at his watch and jumped up. "Sorry I have to interrupt this, but Sirius, Evans: It's bedtime or we'll fall asleep on our brooms tomorrow."
"Kay. Goodnight!" Lily got up and Anatasha, wishing everyone a good night as well, followed her suit to the girls' dorm. Likewise did Sirius, but he was stopped by James who grabbed the sleeve of his robe and dragged him to the stair that led to the dorm of the boys, lecturing him about controlling one's hormones all the time.
***
"I'll never understand it." Sirius put an arm around Lily's shoulder as they were making their way back to the common room after a fabulous Quidditch game that the Gryffindor team had won 360 to 70. "You and James, as long as you're on the ground, you don't get along at all, but the moment you're in the air, you're acting as if you were able to read each other's thoughts."
Lily shrugged. "James on a broom is another person than Potter on the earth."
Sirius' face cracked into a goofy grin. "So you like Aerojames better?"
Lily glanced at him and chose not to answer. Instead, an evil smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Sirius, are you aware that it's easy for me to spoil your good temper whenever I want to?"
"Aw, you don't want to break up with me, do you?" He opened the front door of the castle for Lily and himself, their teammates followed them by a few feet distance.
"Break up? Si, Sweetheart, Honey, may I remind you that we never were a couple?"
"We weren't?" Sirius faked a shocked face. "Well, things can change. - Anyway, what were you thinking of, then?"
"Actually, it's a very simple question." She grinned. "When's your first date with darling Snapie?"
Sirius' face fell. "Hopefully not soon."
"You didn't fix a date yet?"
"Nope. When are you going to meet James?"
Now it was Lily's turn to look unhappy. "Much too soon. We're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow and discuss the whole thing in the Three Broomsticks."
"It's not Hogsmeade-day tomorrow." he pointed out.
Lily stared at him, vaguely wondering in what state of mind he was in. "Since when exactly do you care about rules?"
"I'm just jealous, Babe."
"Who's jealous?" James' voice asked. He had sneaked up behind them and was now walking at Lily's other side.
She pointed at Sirius grinningly. "He's afraid that we might fall for each other during our date at the Three Broomsticks tomorrow. - You don't like me yet, do you?"
"No." he said crossly, his voice sounding a lot more self-conscious than he really felt. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful he eyes were, sparkling as if lit by an inner fire, and...
James snapped out of his trance, hoping that no one had noticed anything, when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung to the side and about fifty hands were pulling him and the rest of the team inside to celebrate their victory over the Slytherins.
***
It was nearly three in the morning until the common room was finally deserted except Peter, who was lying dozingly in a chair, Sirius, who was rummaging through the remaining food, searching for a certain praline he simply loved, Remus, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor (Remus was often sitting on the floor, he said that it was a lot more comfortable there), James, who was talking to him, and Lily and Anatasha, who were making their way up to the dorm of the Sixth year girls, both hiding huge yawn behind their hands - or trying to hide them, at least."
"Hey, Evans! Don't forget to meet me at the One-eyed Witch at one today!" James called after Lily's retreating figure.
She turned around. "I won't. It's difficult to forget such awful things."
"Thanks. It's always a pleasure to speak to you."
She smiled ironically, then continued her way to her dorm.
Sirius had given his search up eventually and collapsed now into James' chair, nearly squashing his friend who was protesting energetically - and unsuccessfully.
"When are you going to tell Lily that you're in love with her? Oh, and when are you going to kiss Snape?" Sirius asked gleefully without any introduction.
James' jaw dropped. "That I'm in love with her?" he repeated lamely. "You're drunk thanks to those rum pralines you're crazy about, right?"
"Nah. But I caught you drooling over her just before we entered the common room, my dear Prongs."
"What are you talking about?" James narrowed his eyes threateningly. Not that this affected Sirius in the slightest.
"Oh, c'mon, don't tell me that you're denying everything!"
"'Cause it's not true."
"You know it is."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No. - Moony, what are we going to do tomorrow night?" James turned to his friend on the floor who was watching him and Sirius with keen interest.
Remus didn't answer his friend's question immediately, instead he studied Sirius and James for several seconds, smiling slightly. "I just decided to become a psychiatrist after graduation."
Everyone stared. "Why?" Sirius and James exclaimed at once, causing Peter to awake from his nap.
"'Cause I had a lot of practice already." Remus explained, an evil spark dancing in his eyes. "There's Peter. Always silent and shy, afraid of attention, even afraid of being noticed. Why? Is it a trauma, caused by a irascible father who was slapping him whenever he just opened his mouth?"
Peter, sleepy as he was, just blinked and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, oblivious for everything around him.
Remus continued his little speech. "Then, there's Sirius. Always joking, forever flirting - mostly with Lily -, always bouncing around, never serious at all. What are the reasons for his behaviour? Does he think that people wouldn't like a - at least from time to time - serious Sirius?"
"Not true!" the mentioned one contradicted instantly. "And I'm here, right in front of you! You don't have to talk about me in the third person!" But Remus didn't pay any attention to him.
"Probably, James is the most interesting. A slight schizophrenia, I'd say. On the one hand, he's self-conscious, perfectly aware of his popularity and mostly in a good mood. But from time to time, there's another James, a James who's afraid of rejection, just think of Lily."
"I'm not schizophrenic!" James cried, glaring at Remus who was grinning like a chesire cat.
"Not entirely." the latter agreed.
"Not at all!"
Remus shrugged, ignoring the dirty looks he was given by James and Sirius. "Whatever. - Now, what about tomorrow?"
Peter was looking from Sirius and James squashed in a chair to Remus, sitting on the floor, back leaned against a sofa, and stifled a yawn. "Why don't we go into the Forbidden Forest?" he suggested shyly.
James nodded and tried to get up, but Sirius was sitting on his robe. When he had pushed his friend out of the chair, he rose and set off for the stair to the boys' dorms. "I'm going to bed."
"D'you want to look good for Lily?" Sirius called after him, but his friend showed no sign indicating that he had heard Sirius' question.
Remus hesitated, then he jumped up. "Me too."
Sirius smirked. "You want to look good for Lil as well?"
"Nope. I'm going to bed."
"Me three." Peter followed Remus up the stair.
"Hey! You're not much fun today!" Sirus cried after his friends, but as they didn't react, he got up as well and followed them with a regretting shrug.
***
Neither James nor Lily were in a good mood when they entered the Three Broomsticks the same day, but several hours later, and for once, it wasn't because they had to stand each other, but because they were both deadly tired. Surprisingly enough for a Sunday midday, the pub was rather crowded, filled with customers that were dressed in dark blue robes with bright red, pointed hats, probably the participants of a wizard conference.
Lily attracted quite a few looks from the wizards when she skillfully wormed her way through the tables and chairs to reach the only empty table at the opposite side of the room, but when the mostly male customers caught the glares James was shooting at them - after all, he had been taught some manners, and as a gentleman, he had to protect Lily - they stopped and quickly turned back to their drinks.
*****
This isn't a decent ending, I know, but it's nearly 2 in the morning and my wecker will ring in - let's see... 4 hours and 30 minutes. And I already mentioned that there are two people staying at my house for the next week, therefore I won't get much sleep either. Brief: I'm going to bed now. Thanks for reading, and if you want me to continue, then review, otherwise I won't go on.
Someone - sorry, I really, truly can't remember who it was - asked if I have a boyfriend. How come? Are my romantic scenes to unreal? - Yes, I have a boyfriend. He's cute. And nice. And smart. And reading over my shoulder, ready to whack me with a rather hard looking lexicon if I say anything wrong... Oh, I'll dedicate this part to him, too. Anything to keep him from dropping this book onto my poor head... J
Disclaimer: I don't know, did I say in chapter 1 of this story that I'm not going to write a disclaimer for each part? Okay, I don't want to become disloyal to my own principals, therefore: If you're searching for a disclaimer, read part 1!
Jessie: I'm awfully sorry, but I don't think that I'm able to write to you before Saturday, please forgive me! I'll try as soon as possible, though, okay?
Sherry: I knew that this was a bit like the title of a song, but you were the one who made me sure about it! But I don't know who performed it. Can you tell me, please?
Megan: This was a very good review, it's good to know what exactly people like! Thank you. Although I guess that this part wasn't showing much hints to the plot, but I'm fighting writer's block at the moment...
Morgana le Fay: I don't know if Rosier was the potions master, but as Sirius said that he was part of the Slytherin gang Snape was in, I guess it's likely that they were in the same year.
Amanda: If you want, I could do it for you, no prob.
Cassie Lee, Ana: You can read fics at the library? I'm envious now! And I don't know if James will have to kiss Snape, we'll see about that. He doesn't like her yet. Or maybe he does? I don't know...
Hermione Black: Lily killing James? You've given me an idea, there... J/K, maybe she'll hurt him very serious ;-), but kill him? Nah.
I didn't think that my tiny little accent would cause that much trouble for people... Should have thought about it! Er, maybe I'm able to change my name into Saralea, without an accent. I'll try, I don't know if it's possible to change the pen name without having to create a new account. But I'll try.
(PS: I did it!!!)