*Chapter Six*
Dancing the Night Away...
A small group of girls stepped gingerly down a twisting marble staircase, each wearing strained smiles. A redheaded one rolled her eyes, glaring at the other three.
"Really, you mustn't worry about me, it's all okay..." She muttered these words with a steady voice, but a blonde girl beside of her instantly broke into tears.
"Oh, Lily, it's not... I'm so sorry that this had to happen to you and Remus... you were so perfect for each other... I'd give anything for you to stay with him... this is just so - so heart wrenching. I'm so sorry...!"
The redhead felt her face grow warm with humiliation and impatience. "Anne, please, we're not broken - not yet, at least. Please, get *over* yourself."
Anne nodded, wiping her eyes gently, nodding her head without assurance. Lily gave a menacing stare at Anne, then backed away from her, embarking into silent conversation with Elizabeth. Anne shrugged, still teary eyed, and pushed open the doors to the Great Hall.
The group of Gryffindor girls sat themselves around their house table, isolated from the rest of the Gryffindors. Then, after many glances from one to the other, and across the table to the boys, Lily shook her head miserably and stood up, pounding her fists onto the table.
"I give up, all of you, stop crying, I'm going over there, right now." Anne broke into another fit of tears, falling onto Elizabeth's arm loudly. Lily gave a noise something like a snarl, then walked over to the boys side of the table, slowly but surely. Then, significantly, she cleared her throat, earning stares from all of the group but Remus.
She grinned. "I'm here for you, Remus." Slowly, he glanced up at her, his face still pale. An odd shiver passed over his face, and he stood up slowly. Very stiffly, he nodded his head.
"Lily... I'm - I'm so - so sorry..." Remus tried, but failed, to look Lily in the eyes. "I just... I'm not really a social person... it has nothing to do with you..."
Lily put her head to one side, trying to understand with a steady face, though her insides were squirming wildly. She attempted a comforting expression. "Well, I -"
"Don't speak," interrupted Remus. He took her hands in his own and fully took a glance into her eyes. "You know that I never meant to hurt you, Lily, I'm just afraid of the dance ... eh ... thing..."
Lily laughed, truly for the first time in hours. Something in his face melted away the bitter feeling in her heart. "I do believe you, Remus... I really do, this time."
Remus let out a sigh, and a smile wide with relief. "Tell me what I can do to make it up to you... anything... anything at all..."
Lily put her finger on her lips, pondering the request. "Well..." At once, she clapped her hands together. "If you promise to go to the dance with me, no matter how scared you are of the damned thing."
Remus went red and laughed. "If that's what you want," he gave her a stare that was filed with a joking sort of resent. "Then I'll do it." Lily grinned, squealing with excitement.
"Thank you Moony."
"You're welcome Lily."
Sirius whispered something into James's ear that sent them both to the ground, sprawled out in noisy laughter, but Lily and Remus took no notice. They had survived yet another hardship of romance... but one more might have been just enough to push them both over the edge, plunging headfirst into a world filled of darkness and cruelty... which, of course, we *all* know would occur...
* * * * *
"So, we're done?" Lily gave her broom a sharp lift, and jetted off towards the other side of the field, where Quidditch captain Thomas Edmark was perched, screaming out orders.
Thomas glanced at her as she sped up to meet him by his side. "Oh, yeah, Lily, dismount... practice is over..." Lily narrowed her eyes.
"Perhaps you've just lost track of time, or all reason, but we've been up here for a mere thirty minutes, and - well, to be frank, we're not really accomplishing anything at all."
"Good and well, but I have some business to attend to, so we're just going to have to reschedule, aren't we, Evans?" She poked her tongue out at him, and he gave her a laugh, but his attention was quickly drawn from Lily to another girl with long black hair below the stadium, waiting at the doors.
Lily sighed to herself. "I believe we've found our cause..." She slid her broom a half inch below her fingers, and let it fall gently to the ground, allowing herself an easy dismount. She was quickly trampled by James as he came falling to the ground with a loud crash.
"Great practice, eh?" His stare was somewhat glazed, and his words were spoken louder than necessary.
A giggled escaped from Lily's throat. "How many times *were* you hit with the Bludgers?" She stepped into the doorway of the showers, pulling off her hat and shoes.
James looked down, a semi conscious, confused look on what was left of his non bruised body. "I dunno... I fell off my broom a good bit, though... does that count?"
"It'll suffice, James..." She grinned, then
stalked into a shower stall and pulled the curtains behind her, hanging
her Quidditch robes up across the wall. James just stood there, glancing
blankly at his team, then fell over, crashing into Lily's shower, and earning
himself another bruise.
The moon was up, and the sky was a deep purple when James at last woke up, and found himself staring into Lily's eyes. "Lily - what the - where the bloody -?"
Lily grinned. "You kind of lost consciousness a few hours ago.. You have no idea how many times I had to hit you before you woke back up..." She gave him a wink and tossed him his school robes. "You might want to change, you'll look like more of an idiot than you already are parading around the castle in your Quidditch robes."
A smile spread across James's face. "Thanks, Lily." He glanced down at himself, noting a large bruise which trailed from his waist to his ankle. "Y'know what, I'm gonna take that back."
"You going to change or what?" Lily glanced curiously at him.
James looked taken aback. "Er, no, not with you standing there."
"You're right," Lily remarked. "You have all the right to expect privacy form the very girl whose shower you tripped yourself into."
"What can I say..." James lifted a hand and slicked back his untidy hair. "You're almost as attractive as I am."
Lily tried to hide a slight grin as she rolled
her eyes, kicked James in the shins, and turned her back to him, making
her entrance into the halls of Hogwarts school.
"So, really, how late is it again?" James gave a curious look towards Lily, as she dove her hands into her pockets in search of a watch. At last she pulled out a small pocket watch, covered in balls of lint a scraps of paper, a look of triumph on her face.
She dusted off the tiny face, and handed it to James. "There. Figure it out."
James smirked. "Thank you *so* much." He screwed up his eyes and glanced down at the miniature clock hands. "It's eleven. I've been out for awhile, haven't I?"
"Yeah... longer than I thought..." She grabbed her watch from James's hand and put it back into her pocket. "We can't be walking around with our wands lit, then, if we get caught... eh... yeah..." She sentenced her wand back to it's dull self, and added it to her lint collection.
"Never fear, m'lady, I have nocturnal vision..." He lifted the glasses from the bridge of his nose and squinted into the darkness of the halls. He grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her through the hallways, winding through the columns, darting up staircases...
and running into the occasional statue.
They had actually made great progress, and had just passed the Great Hall when they heard a murmuring from behind a locked door. Both of their faces paled, though neither could see the fear in the other.
"Do you think it's one of the teachers?" asked Lily with a note of panic.
"If I thought it was a teacher, would I be shaking like this?"
"Aw, is ickle Jamie scared?" Lily giggled, but James hit her in the gut to silence her.
"Shut up, Lily, I want to know what's going on..." He grabbed her by the arm and led her to the door, pressing his ear against the wood. However, the whispers were inaudible, and the attempt went without reward.
Lily wriggled free of James's grasp. "What the - ?"
James turned to face her, as her eyes were the only thing that he could make out in the black of the castle. "I don't understand.. it's none of the teachers, the voices are so young..."
Lily gave a sigh of relief. "Well then, it's okay! It's probably just a group of students like us who happen to be up late, just, y'know, hanging out."
The whispers suddenly ceased, and James's heart skipped a beat. "With the door locked?"
Footsteps. Someone was standing up. Lily tried to force a grin. "Maybe they were making out?"
James grabbed Lily's side and his free hand found it's way to her mouth. "One of them - someone is leaving - please shut up Lily - just - back away -"
The door creaked open, and a cloaked figure made its way closer to Lily and James. James panicked, Lily put up a struggle, and the pair of them went sprawling to the ground. The figure stopped. They took out a stubby wand from the layers of their garments, and muttered quickly, "Lumos."
In that single moment the hallway was streaked with light, and Lily and James were revealed to whoever was in that cloak, James atop Lily. The cloaked figure suddenly went spiraling to the ground in a fit of laughter.
Lily grabbed James arms and hooked her hands around it. Glaring oddly at the robed person, her only two words were, "What the -- ?"
From within the depths of the robes came a sharp, whinny voice, who seemed to be on some sort of alcohol. "Lily? James? Is that you two?"
James glanced up, not bothering to free his arm from Lily. "Yeah, so what if we are?"
The figure lifted two of their pudgy hands and drew back their hood. "Remus is gonna die when he hears about this!"
Lily stood up abruptly. "Peter! What are you doing up this late?!"
The robes were dropped to the ground. "Funny, Miss Evans, I was about to ask you the same thing..." He shot a sneering glance at James. "Although I already have a pretty good idea..."
Lily rolled her eyes. "I'll explain later. Now, you tell me why the heck you're up so late, wandering around in a hood and cloak, behind locked doors."
Peter grinned broadly, then reached back into his robes, and withdrew a sack half full of dung bombs. "Dare from Sirius. You won't want to go into the Transfiguration classroom for weeks."
By this time, Lily was grinning as well. "I'm impressed, Peter, I didn't think you had it in you. Good boy." Peter smirked.
"Yeah, well, if I hadn't done it, those dung bombs would have ended up in my drawers, I'm sure of it." He glanced back towards Lily and James, who had finally gotten the good sense to unlace their arms. "Now... I believe you told me that you would explain *why* you and James have been walking through the hallways with your arms locked?"
"We haven't," protested James. "You just scared the crap out of the both of - er, you scared Lily. She does that." Peter raised his eyebrows. Lily kicked James.
Peter turned around. "Well, got to run, my bedside is calling me, I'll leave you two lovebirds to fend for yourselves." He winked, then dashed up the stairs before James could strangle him.
"The nerve of that little weasel -" started James.
"The nerve of you!" pouted Lily. "'Oh, yeah, you scared Lily.' Scared me! What a load of crap, James." She put on her best Anne voice. "'Shut up Lily, someone's coming!'" James scowled. Lily grinned.
"Well," began James. "I couldn't well have told the truth now, could I? It would look bad for my reputation."
Lily pulled a face. "Screw you reputation."
She giggled. "Come on, James, let's go, I'm tired." She let out a yawn,
then raced up the stairs, dragging James behind her.
"Please?" pleaded Peter. "Just tell 'em."
"Why would I have dared you to set off dung bombs anyway?" He smirked, his face glowing, matching his bright red pajamas and scarlet blankets. "I would have taken the glory myself."
Peter looked desperate at that point. "Sirius, if they ask you, or mention anything on the topic, just tell them that you made the dare!"
"Why?"
"God, Sirius, just do it!"
Sirius started laughing. "Fine, fine, I'll do it. I don't know why I'm doing it, but if it means this much to you, whatever." He grinned, and pulled the drapes down, and instantly fell into a light sleep.
Peter crawled into his bed, a twisted grin across his pointed face. He closed the scarlet drapes, with a soft murmur, "G'night, Sirius."
* * * * *
"Raye, have you seen my other shoe?" screeched Elizabeth frantically. Piles of makeup, gowns, robes, and assorted jewelry was thrown across the ground, and almost every girl was in complete distress.
Raye looked up with two beautifully - but heavily - purple shaded eyes. "No, I'm sorry Beth, go digging through the piles on the ground, I'm sure they're in there somewhere."
Anne was beaming cross legged form her bed, in a lemon yellow sleeveless pair of robes, strappy sandals with laces streaming up to her knees, and her hair in beautiful curls resting upon her head. She had spent the previous night without sleep assorting her outfit and makeup. She had not one iota of sanity left in her. All she could do was smile.
"Thanks, Raye," wailed Elizabeth, and she went head diving into the piles of shoes upon the ground. After about ten minutes she resurfaced. "Oi! Raye! Look at these shoes! Aren't they adorable!"
Anne looked over. "Elizabeth, those shoes would look great with that teal robe you just had on - no, wait! That black back less one across your bed would look completely cute with these!" She was holding up a high heeled pair of leather shoes.
Elizabeth was squealing. "Thank you Annie, I love you!" Tears were in her eyes as she pulled on the outfit. "Eh, Anne, think you could help me with my hair? Just, you know, a braid or something."
A giggle, and Anne was at Elizabeth's side, twirling her braided hair into an elegant bun. "Perfect!" She squealed, and Anne and Elizabeth flopped down upon Lily's bed. Lily was... in nothing short of distress.
She was still in her dressing gown, and was sorting through her clothes, her hair already up in pins, looking beautiful, but she had nothing on her outfit. She was in agony, and was making a good deal of showing it. Screams were going off every two minutes. Anne's hearing was leaving her.
Raye laced up the last one of her boots, completing her tight fitted red robe outfit. "I'm ready!" She glanced towards Lily. "Are you almost done?"
Lily glanced hopelessly up at the rest of them.
"I need a cigarette..."
"What's taking them?" questioned Sirius. "I don't care how long that freaking Ravenclaw Branston has to wait for Elizabeth, but quite frankly, I'm tired of standing here in these suffocating robes... Can't Raye come any more quickly?"
Remus was stretched across one of the armchairs. "Same. I wish Lily would just hurry it up... seriously hurry it up. These robes have such a terrible collar, it's going to choke me..."
James was crouched in a corner, a game of exploding snap in front of him. "Oh, yeah, right, I hate satin too..." The cards lying within ten inches of his face suddenly exploding, singeing his hair. "I'm dying waiting for Anne, just dying..." He laughed at the other's distress. "I don't see what the big deal about this whole Spring dance is... it's completely casual."
Sirius groaned. "Yeah, James, that's exactly why I'm standing here in starched, fitted silk robes -"
"- With a collar so high I really do feel like a werewolf," finished Remus.
Sirius let out a sigh. "I envy Peter, he's already left to the dance with that cute little first year, he's probably already stuffing himself with food." His stomach let out a sharp moan. "See?"
But all three of them were cut short as Elizabeth skipped out of the girl's staircase and dashed through the portrait hole without turning to the boys once, surely going to find her Ravenclaw icon.
"Screw her," muttered James. But Anne had stepped out in her lemon yellow outfit, looking completely adorable. James hardly looked up from his cards. With a nudge from Sirius, he made a quick, "Hello Anne, how are you tonight." Anne rolled her eyes desperately, but she was grateful to have found such a cute Gryffindor on such short notice. She grabbed his arm and stood him up. Remus gave him a wink and a laugh.
Raye was making her way down the staircase, trying something of a catwalk. It was obvious by the hungry look on Sirius's face that his wait had been worth it. He walked himself over to Raye. He took her hand and bent down to kiss it. "You know, I'm waiting for a girl named Raye to take to the End of the Year dance, but you're pretty cute, so I think that I'll take you instead." Raye slapped him across the face, but the was grinning widely.
"Let's go, Sirius."
"Fine by me." He grabbed her arm, and the two of them left through the portrait hole, practically tripping over each other.
"Looks like they like each other, huh?"
James and Remus turned around and found themselves both gawking at the site before them. It was Lily, but like they'd never seen her before. She was wearing a pale white robe, but of strange proportions. It was much tighter than the average school robe, and it was lower cut. The sleeves were still just as long, but the skirt of the robes was short, and rested above her knees. White high heeled sandals rested beneath her feet. Her hair was drawn up into a neat bun, but stray strands of hair fell below her chin. Tiny lilies adorned her sleek red hair. Her eyelids held something of a white tint.
Remus was staring in amazement, but James was completely mesmerized. He pointed towards her, and poked her in the chest. "You - are you Lily?"
She nodded slowly. "Eh, yes, James, I am. Perhaps you should go and turn your attention to Anne, because I think she is a few moments away from hitting you." She smiled at him. "I'll going to be leaving with *Remus* now." She beamed up at Remus, and looked back down on her as if she were some type of delicate creature. They laced hands and walked through the portrait hole, leaving Anne and James alone.
James turned to Anne. He gave her a sheepish
grin. "I reckon we should be leaving now?" Anne gave him a cold nod, then
walked through portrait hole without touching him at all. He shrugged,
put his cards into his pockets, and followed.
Sirius and Raye had disappeared off into the corner somewhere... Sirius hadn't even touched the refreshment table. That was saying something for Sirius. Who knew what Sirius was doing to innocent Raye. But then again, maybe they really didn't want to know...
However, Sirius's accusation of Peter had been reasonable. He was completely stuffing himself, and the first year whom he had bribed into coming with him had left him cold and had gone off to hang out with small group of second year Hufflepuffs. But, that was Peter, like it or not.
James had settled at a table, and was watching Lily more than he was watching his own partner to the dance. After the first thirty minutes of this, Anne had given up, and had left to find Elizabeth and Branston - anything would have been better than watching James gaze off at Lily like some lovesick neurotic.
Remus and Lily - they were a completely different story. The dancing had yet to begin, so the two of them had been sharing sodas and desserts - it was enough to make James want to puke. However, the two of them were thoroughly enjoying each others company. That wasn't terribly surprising, though, as they were one of Hogwarts most well known and youngest couples.
Suddenly, the Great Halls lights dimmed, and a small band including an orchestra, a few vocalists, and strangely, some sort of guitarists. Music began to play, the vocalists and guitars seemed to have been sitting out, and people raced out onto the dance floor, grabbing members of the opposite sex.
Every second year Gryffindor raced over to the near empty table which Remus and Lily were already located at.
Sirius was the first to speak. "All right, all of you, we're all going out there and we're going to dance our sad little -"
Anne shook her head. "No swearing Sirius."
He pulled a face at Anne. "Well, in any case, we're going to dance 'em off, okay? When this song is over, meet back here... trust me." He gave them all a wink, then grabbed Raye around the waist and shoulder, and waltzed onto the floor, both of them making themselves look like morons with insane dance moves that didn't exist... break dancing to slow music wasn't helping their case, either.
James shook his head. "Now that's commitment to your girl." He grinned at Anne. "What do you say, Annie?" Her face lightened, and they both ran into the midst of the crowd, trying dearly to slow dance. Anne had it, but poor James was just walking in circles.
"It's the effort that counts, right?" Lily took Remus by the hand and onto the dance floor. They were actually quite good. James took much account of this fact.
Peter watched the other four Gryffindor boys
out upon the dance floor moving madly. "It'd be a nice notion, but... I'd
rather eat my calories than burn them." He smiled to himself, and trotted
over to the refreshment table, shrimp cocktail in his pudgy hands.
"So... what do you think, Lily?" Remus was still amazed at her dress code, and his thoughts were somewhat jammed.
She smiled. "Well, for starters, I'm very glad that I talked you into coming... who knows, I might have ended up dancing with James, poor thing."
Remus laughed at the remark. "You're terribly naive, Lily. James had been eyeing you the entire time... though I can't honestly blame him." Lily leaned backwards to face James, and they made eye contact.
"So he has been..." She grinned, and waved her hand. Then she shouted out, "Hey James, how's it going!" Remus put his head in his hand, then made a small wave to James.
"Lily... apparently the robes don't make you any more ladylike."
Lily giggled. "Eh, no... wait... oh, no, they don't." She put her arm around his shoulders. "You don't mind, do you?"
Remus just went a brick shade of red, laughed
at his luck of taking Lily to the dance, and responded a short, "No, of
course not."
James face was beet red.
"That must have been quite embarrassing, James dear," said Anne. She laughed. "You've been eyeing Lily an awful lot..." She put on a sarcastic hurt look. "I'm beginning to think you'd rather be her partner."
He shook his head. "She just - doesn't look like - my Lily."
"*Your* Lily?" Anne was flat out laughing now.
James narrowed his eyes. "Come on Anne, you know that I don't mean it like that, don't be stupid. I know you're not."
Her grip loosened on him. "Do you think we should go back to the table now, I - I'm sort of hungry - er, thirsty."
Internally, James let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, great idea, I'll go and get you something, all right?" She nodded, and the two of them found it impossible to look back at each other. Anne simply walked back over to the table and sat down. She watched Remus and Lily dance longingly. She liked James, she really did, it was just that...
"Drinks, anyone?" James was smiling, and he was holding two crystal glasses full of some sort of sparkling liquid.
"Oh, thanks, James." Anne stood up and took a glass gratefully. James glanced at her, and their eyes caught each other in a single moment And in that split second, James realized that Anne felt the same discomfort that he did.
"Anne... we need to talk to each other, I know it. Let's just... step out to the courtyard." Anne nodded, and she followed James into the moonlit yard of statues, hedges, and twisting trees which all seemed to be in bloom. After a five minute walk, they settled down into a two person pewter bench, their legs crossed, and both uneasy.
"It's gorgeous out here, isn't it?" started Anne.
James nodded. "It'd be a really romantic night, too. We could just sit here all night, rest in each other's arms, then lean in for the perfect kiss... only problem is, neither of us feel that way towards one another." Anne looked at him, a warm smile across her face.
"I've been meaning to tell you for some time, James..."
He nodded. "No, it's all right. I've known. You have passion only for Remus, and I can see why. Well, okay, that's a little gay on my part... just scratch that last part, okay? What I mean is, you don't feel for me, and I burn for someone different as well."
Anne rested her head upon James's shoulder, and took one of his hands. "You don't realize what a relief it is that you are saying all of this."
James put an arm around Anne. "I thought it
might come out that way. And - I've gotten to know you wonderfully in the
last month. I think that we'd make beautiful friends... and I wanted you
to hear this before anyone else, simply because you're her best friend,
and because I trust you above any other of my - eh - girl friends." Then
he bent down and whispered something into her ear. Anne's eyes widened,
and her glass dropped, sending shards of crystal all across the stone walk.
Sirius was glaring at James and Anne. "Where have you two been? We've been waiting for nearly ten minutes! We want to move on..." He cleared his throat and grinned. "Well, as much as I'd love to keep dancing with my Raye, let's try something different... I'm doing this for the sake of Remus and Lily... let's *switch* dance partners, all right?"
Remus and Lily exchanged confused glances, and then sent glares at Sirius, but it was too late. Anne had practically leapt upon Remus, and James had grabbed Lily around the waist and let her fall close to the ground, her stray strands of hair touching the marble floor.
Lily was laughing. "What the hell are you doing, James Potter?"
"Surely you remember last summer's gift, Lily?" He stood her back up.
She pulled her robes back down, as she was
sure everyone in the room had seen her panties. "I did promise you that
I wouldn't forget it, didn't I?" Lily gave him a sly smile. James returned
the grin....
"Eh, Anne, might I ask why we're out here?" Remus glanced around himself, into the moonlight. "Just... curious."
Anne looked nothing short of content. "I prefer the moonlight to the stuffy rooms full of people - and reckless people, like Sirius, who threaten to permanently injure me."
Remus snorted. "Eh, yeah, well, he's sort of... different." He glanced down at Anne's beaming face. "So - you say you like dancing out here?"
Anne nodded. "C'mon Remus, I realize that these social situations make you weak at the knees, but just give me a chance to win you over with my charm, all right?" Remus let out a second laugh.
"Anything, Anne..." He put a hand on her waist and grabbed her other hand. She took a liberty and rested her head upon his shoulder, moving along in a rhythmic pattern to the beating of his heart.
A slim beam of moonlight poured down and lit
up both of their faces. "Actually, Remus, I was serious about that last
comment." Remus's face went blank, but Anne let a warm smile cross her
pale lips. "I know that you've been feeling for Lily, but try to understand
how I feel as well..." She then crossed her arms around Remus's neck, and
embraced him. "I do care for you Remus. Try to accept that..." Then the
two of them went on dancing in that square of silver moonlight.
Lily let out a slight scream as an apple danish hit her in the face. She pulled off the bit of crust that she could reach, and tried to wipe of some of the pale apple and syrup from her face. "You die now, Potter!" She grabbed a plate of creme puffs and threw them repeatedly at James, as if they were some twisted sort of snowball.
James lifted his creme coated glasses and glared at Lily. "Happy? Look what you've done to my innocent little glasses."
A house elf ran over to clean up the cream all across the floor, and Lily suddenly became beside herself in a fit of fresh laughter. "James, my beautiful lilies and my gorgeously done hair, you've completely ruined it all."
"Mm, this stuff is good." James took another lick off of his own face. Then he shouted over, "Besides, Lily, I think you look rather attractive when you're covered in apple. But, you know, you make a big deal of those danishes that I threw at you... the real problem is splattered across your ass."
"What?" Lily turned around, and to her complete horror, she found that the entire bottom of her lily colored robes was covered with a thick chocolate mousse. Her entire face flushed, and she screamed out, ringing through the kitchens, "JAMES POTTER, YOU'RE DEAD!"
Lily grabbed a kidney pudding, and ran through the kitchens, wildly chasing James around. James quickly grabbed a silver plate to serve as a shield against the pudding. Both were laughing hysterically, and at last, as Lily cornered James, she let her pudding fly, but James swerved the silver platter with perfect timing, and the pudding sprayed across James's face, and across Lily's front.
Both second years fell to the ground in hysterics. "Eh, Lily, you've got meat all over your front..." James took a finger and swiped some of it off of her chest and took it to his mouth, lapping it up. "Hey, this stuff isn't that bad!"
"Oh, James, come on, don't touch me there!"
He let out a cough. "Who was the one that wanted to watch me change?"
"Who was the one that fell into my shower?"
James stopped. "Er, well, that doesn't count, because I was, eh, not fully conscious! Ha!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Just don't touch me, okay? Then we'll both be just fine. Got it?" James raised his eyebrows and looked down.
"Sure thing, mum."
Lily's face went beet red. "What the hell did you just call me James?!" She put both of her hands on his shoulders and backed him into the wall. "I just want a bit of personal space, do you hear that?!"
James looked first at Lily's face, then at her hands, each resting upon his shoulder, though holding him against the wall. "Hey, sorry Lily, my god you've got a short temper." She began to look down as he said it, and a smile began to spread across her face. "And, Lily, I believe that the position is supposed to be reversed..."
In one movement he ducked beneath Lily, spun her around and pinned her against the wall. Lily's eyes were wide. "Eh, James, maybe this position isn't that great... you - you wouldn't be thinking of - you wouldn't, would you?" James grinned. He could hear the fear in her voice, but at the same time, he could see her smile.
Lily felt her heart stop in her chest. She knew what James was about to do, and if she wanted to prove loyal to Remus, she had to stop him. She didn't want to, but....
James made one sharp movement towards Lily, his eyes closed, and if Lily had simply let herself be kissed, it would have happened, and everything that she was really meant to feel, she would have felt, but she was full of too much pride. Before their lips could make contact, Lily pulled one of her arms free and hit James across the jaw.
There was blood all across Lily's chest, neck, and face. James looked awkwardly up at her. Despite his mouth full of blood, he made the effort to speak to her. "I didn't count on you using your self defense to block that kiss. That was supposed to have been really romantic."
Lily's eyes were stinging. "Yeah, well, whatever happened to my personal space, huh? You're my friend, James, my dearest friend, but you're nothing more than that. I gave up time for dancing with Remus to have some moronic food fight with you, not to be enticed by you." She looked down. "I belong to Remus."
James tried to catch her gaze. "Lily, you don't belong with Remus, you two aren't supposed to be together." There was some sort of manic glint in James's eye as he said it all. "When I promised you that I'd always be there for you, and that I'd always love you... I meant it all as your friend. But I've finally seen you in a different light, and now you're the only one that I feel for... Why can't you see that?"
Lily's eyes were burning, and a small stream of tears began to issue from her emerald eyes. "I love you too, James, but I can't love you that way, I just can't..." She lifted the hand that she had hit him with, and laid it across the side of James's face. She wiped some of the blood away with her hand, staining it red, and then she tied her arms around James's neck.
"I'm sorry, James. I'm truly sorry." Her tears had left their mark upon his shoulder as she lifted her head. Then she stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek, ignoring the fact that it was covered in blood. Finally, explosive with tears, she lifted her wand, removed all blood and food from her body and robes, and ran away, leaving James dumb struck in the kitchen of Hogwarts, his jaw broken, and his heart shattered.