The Thin Line

The Thin Line

Author: Cattie

Genre: Books Harry Potter

Rating: PG - PG-13. Not sure.

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There is a thin line between love and hate, as anyone who knew Lily Evans and James Potter knows only too well.

Our story begins one slightly windy, rather wet, and altogether normal Saturday night in Gryffindor Common Room, Hogwarts.

A fire was roaring in the impressively wide fireplace, bathing most of the room in an orange glow, and causing shadows to play on the faces of the occupants.

There were many people there, a certain Sirius Black, for instance, sat next to his infinitely quieter, brown haired friend, Remus Lupin. A blonde boy that was at-least 2 heads shorter than the raven-haired, extremely cheerful Sirius, was seated across the chess table from them, seemingly staring off into space.

To anyone who saw this sight, of these friends in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Gryffindor, they most likely would have thought; 'Hmmm, not too unusual, just your average group of friends'

But no, these were no ordinary group of friends. Once you added in the one person missing from this scene, you came up with the Marauders, the most famous pranksters Hogwarts had ever seen.

The missing member suddenly came bolting through the entrance, knocking over several people on his way, but earning no glares for his behavior.

"Quick! Hide me from Evans!"

Oh no, no-one would ever even glare at this messy black haired boy, with his sparkling brown eyes, for he was James Potter, Head Boy, and he was un-touchable.

"POTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Well, un-touchable except to one, maybe.

Just as James dived behind the couch, sending his glasses on a one-way trip across the room, a petite, flaming-red haired girl appeared in the entrance.

Well, at-least normally she had red hair...

Green eyes glittering dangerously, she cast her exasperated gaze downwards, and a smile spread across her pale skinned face, lighting up the room, as she gazed at a certain spot on the floor, awfully near her feet.

"Well, well, well, Potter. What do we have here? A pair of glasses, possibly? Oh, and could they maybe just be yours, Potter? Oh, what a shame it would be if I accidently, say, trod on them?" she said, her voice saccharine sweet, indicating to any person who knew better to get out her way.

For she was Lily Evans, Prefect, Head Girl and all round perfect student.

Oh yes, and the bane of James Potter's existence.

She stooped down, casually slipping the black rimmed glasses, that were James Potter's trademark, into her pocket, a small, beautiful smile on her face, her lock of her flaming-red hair falling into her face. At-least, it was meant to be flaming red.

As she reached the couch which the Head Boy was crouched behind, the smile grew, and she crawled onto the couch onto her hands and knees, only slightly creasing her emerald-black robes, her hair cascading down her back.

"Oh Jamsie, I think you should come out now, hun"

She leant dangerously over the back of the couch, smiling triumphantly at an extremely guilty looking James.

And then suddenly, with a muffled shriek, she had toppled head over heels over the couch, and into his lap.

"Lils, babe, I knew you loved me, but this is a little to far."

"Jamsie, sweetie, I knew you were desperate, but I had no idea how much."

Suddenly the teasing voices were dropped, and the people who had previously been frozen, watching the scene unfold remembered previous study sessions, flying practices, extra potions lessons, and dental appointments from 2 years ago that they really, really had to be at now.

"Lily, how come you always have a comeback?"

"Cause you always do."

At this point even Sirius Black, the mischievous argument-lover decided now was the perfect time to go and finally do that Charms essay he forgot to do back in his third year, and allowed Remus to lead him out.

Leaving Lily sitting in James' lap, in an abandoned Common Room, their faces inches from each other.

"AAAARGGHHHH!!!"

"Oh, is poor wickle Jamesie fwustwated? Aww, let Lily kiss it better."

"Lils, can't you ever be serious?"

"No, sweetie, Sirius is male. And I am female."

"Oh. I don't believe I'd noticed that."

"And you, Mr. Potter, are neither sex, I believe."

"And you, Miss Evans, could not be serious to save your life."

"I believe we've been through this, hun. But let me spell it out to you. Sirius. Is. M-"

"Mad? Yes, I know. But really, Lils, can't you?"

"Can't I what? I can do many, many things, thank you Mr. Potter."

"Lils, if you don't shut up soon, I swear-"

"Oh no, don't swear, Jamesie-dearest! Imagine what kind of an exam-ppphhh..."

And then his lips were over hers, touching softly, sending shivers down her spine and jolts of electricity through her brain, causing all rational thought to be dismissed.

His experience was pretty much the same, except he could just about manage coherent thought, which went something like this;

'Great Wizards! I'm kissing Lily! I'm kissing Lily! She is so beautiful, I have no clue what came over me. Oh, she's responding. Wow. She's good. And beautiful. And charming, and witty, and clever, and it's so easy to love her. Yep, I love her. I am completely, totally and utterly head over heels for Lily Evans. Not that Lily Potter isn't a wonderful name. Amazing, this morning I thought I hated her. But now, nope, I love her.'

And then their lips parted, a small sigh falling from James', and Lily dazedly continuing her before-kiss sentance, not noticing that with every word their lips would brush.

"-ple you're setting to the first years..."

"I"

Their lips were getting closer again,

"don't"

Eyes slipping shut,

"give a"

Arms slipping around each other, holding themselves even closer,

"damn..."

Lips pressed together, another perfect kiss.

Not allowing their lips to part, James stood up, keeping his arms tightly wound around her smaller frame, pulling her as close as possible to his chest, then setting her down on the couch.

Their lips still not leaving each others, and tongues exploring each others mouths, he slid down next to her on the couch.

Then suddenly they were just lying there, breathing heavily, until a slight, barely noticeable nod from Lily, and James' lips returned to hers, not to linger though.

"James..."

He kissed down her neck, not allowing himself to go lower than the neck bone, but still needing to taste her skin.

She ran her hands through his always unruly hair, then wrapping around his neck, as he returns to her lips, which always taste like strawberries to him.

Bang.

A knock at the door barely aroused them from their love induced stupor, but enough to cause James to lift his head, and look at the entrance momentarily, before returning to her lips happily.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Thump.

And suddenly a whole host of Gryffindors are back in the common room, wrongly assuming that it would be safe to enter, and that the argument would have ended, usually with a slap and some curses being either removed or cast. But not expecting this.

Oh yes, the most definitely weren't expecting this.

Fortunately for the lower years eyes, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were two of the first through the door, who, rather sensibly, after taking in the scene on the couch, and noticing some younger years trying to enter the room, banned everyone from the room, then settled down next to them, and discussing ways to break the news that they had been found.

"Maybe just some cold water would work?"

"Moony, our two dear friends have been keeping this illicit affair a secret from us. I believe cold water is too lenient of a treatment."

"Wow, Padfoot, I do believe you used 2 large words there. Does that mean the word-a-day calendar is finally paying off?"

"Well, actually, my dear Moon-afflicted friend, I used 3 large words. Aren't you just proud?"

"Extremely, extremely."

A moan came from the couch during the moments silence, prompting the 2 observers to get back to the task at hand.

"Lets just go with the ice water, they seem to be getting a bit too happy there."

"Yeah" and with that Remus raised his wand, and muttered a few words.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Why, my dear Prongs, I never knew you could scream so... girlishly. At least Mrs. Potter had the decency not to scream down my ear."

Lily and James then both looked up at Sirius, perched gaily on the back of a chair, and Remus, slouched tiredly in a nearby seat, but with a rather annoying, in their opinion, smirk on his face.

"Shut up." was the only response from them, as they sat up, Lily perching herself happily on James' lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"C-can we come in now?" came Peter's nervous voice from outside. Having to hold off several extremely curious Gryffindors.

"Yes, Come on in!" shouted James, then many impatiently curious Gryffindors spilled through the doors, casting bemused and amused glances at the Head Boy and Head Girl, before ambling off to their dormitories.

For they really did make the most peculiar sight.

The beautiful Head Girl, with porcelain skin, cherry blossom lips, a perfect body, glittering emeralds for eyes, and long, usually flaming-red hair sitting, soaking wet, in the arms of the equally wet, highly handsome, unruly black haired, with cheerful brown eyes, his trademark black rimmed glasses Head Boy, the dying embers of the fire playing on their tranquil faces, and looking as if everything was right in the world.

'But they hated each other this morning...'

And this is where our story ends, for now, at-least, with the proof that the line between hate and love is truly thin, and it is very possible to cross it. Very, very possible.

Just ask Lily and James Potter.

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