Chapter 13: Ice Cream, Books, and an Inconvenient Person or Two
Nothing more happened at the funeral. James seemed to be starting to heal. His smile was a little slower and less of it reached his eyes than usual. His laugh died a little sooner and his jokes were a little flatter. But the fact that he was making any attempt of any type at humor or appreciated their humor was a good sign.
Lily didn't have a chance to talk to James privately the rest of the day. After the funeral was over, James thought about going home with his mother, but school was almost over anyway so he decided to stay the rest of the year. His parents didn't argue but they did get permission from the Headmaster for him to come home that weekend.
Feeling horribly confused and wishing that she could have talked to James, Lily went to bed with a heavy heart and a full mind. This combo is horrible for sleeping so of course, Lily did none of that.
Thinking of drowning her sorrows in some ice cream, Lily got up at around 2 in the morning having long since given up on sleep. She transformed into the black owl that was her animagus deciding that being caught in her owl form was preferable to being caught as Lily. It didn't matter though because she met no one on the way down.
The kitchen was empty but oddly enough the lights were on. Not bothering to think about that, she set about looking through the kitchen for dishes and spoons. She spent ten minutes but still found no bowls. She did however find the spoons and grabbed two thinking that she could at least have two spoonfuls. With a sigh she turned around and headed toward the huge fridge that was at least two times the regular sized ones.
Someone was already there. The freezer door was open blocking their face but with a painful jolt, she realized that she already knew who it was.
Sure enough, when the door swung closed, her heart threw itself against her rib cage beating wildly as she looked at James Potter holding a tub of chocolate ice cream. He blinked at her in surprise and maybe something more but it was carefully masked before she could read what it was.
"Lily. Why are you here?" he asked his tone friendly.
"Same reason as you I guess," she said nodding at the ice cream that he held.
"Why do you have two spoons?" he asked curiously.
She gave a little laugh that seemed to warm the very air that surrounded them. "I couldn't seem to find the bowls," she admitted with a smile. He smiled at her as he laughed and her knees went a little weak.
"I've got the ice cream," he said still smiling.
"I've got some spoons," she replied holding them out.
"Then I'd say we belong together," he said with his most charming smile.
A pink tinge invaded her cheeks as he laughed again. He came over and offered her his arm. "Can I tempt you to a spoonful or two of some really quite lovely ice cream?" James asked her with a smile.
"Why yes, I think I could be tempted with that," Lily replied with a smile as she took his arm.
They sat down at one of the tables in the kitchen and though it could fit several dozen people with no problem, James sat down right next to Lily but she was determined to keep her head. They started to talk about nothing in particular before Lily finally remembered something she'd been wanting to tell him.
"Oh James I almost forgot! Tara Minkley got Sirius's letter. I was right behind her in the halls when she told her friends about it," Lily said with a devilish smile.
James looked at her with a smile to rival hers. "Really? And what did the darling Ms. Minkley have to say about it?" he said irony in his voice.
Lily laughed. "She's absolutely sure that it was him. She convinced herself that he has always liked her and is just to shy to reveal it," Lily laughed then wrinkled her nose in disgust. "She's not a bad person but she's so very dull. Her idea of an interesting topic is a lively," here Lily paused, "or should I say deathly, discussion is of Professor Binns' class." Lily shuddered.
"I've always thought of people as being rather like books. Even the dull ones are worthy of respect but you don't have to spend a lot of time with them," James said with a smile.
"The problem with people is that you can't put bookmarks in them and put them away till you want them again," Lily said critically.
"Oh I beg to differ," James said rolling his eyes. "I've had plenty of people do that to me," he said.
"Feeling a bit dog-eared are you?" Lily said, her tone very amused.
"Aren't you?"
"Actually, right now, I'm feeling rather well read," she said with a smirk. Then she laughed out loud as James Potter actually blushed.
They continued to talk till around 7 when the first House-elf came into the room causing them to flee as fast as they could without being seen, leaving their laughter behind them.
When they got back to the common room, no one was up yet since it was the weekend. James kissed Lily's hand as one would a noble woman and Lily laughed quietly. He looked at her with a smile then lifted one finger and traced the line of her jaw sending shivers down her spine. When she didn't move, James leaned closer to her and brushed his lips against hers. When she still didn't move, he pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss.
Lily's head seemed to be on fire, all thought suspended. Her arms crept around his neck of their own accord. James' arms went about her waist and pulled her even closer to him. The tender kiss soon turned fiery and things might have gone even further than that but a slammed door jarred them both and Lily sprang away from him.
Rose looked down at Lily with a look so filled with loathing that Lily took a step backwards. She smiled insincerely then turned to James and sighed sadly. James' expression didn't change as he looked back at her. She sighed again then went back into the dorm room, flipping her longish hair over her shoulder and stifling a sob.
James blinked then frowned as he turned back to Lily. Their eyes met and Lily saw the indecision there and it cut her deeply even if she understood. Her eyes dropped and suddenly seemed too bright. James saw that he had hurt her and stretched out a hand to her. "Lily," he began but she cut him off.
"Its ok. I understand," she stepped back from his hand not meeting his eyes. "See you later James," she said with a small smile. She whisked up the stairs and into her dorm room leaving James alone in the common room.
He sighed wearily. "I just can't win," he said with a sigh as he headed up to his own dorm room.
Things might have been resolved right away but for one person who still had a few tricks left to play…
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I'm feeling very unloved so unless I get 220 reviews, I'm not posting the next chapter. Sorry but I'm going through a depressed phase and I'm not going to do something like this if it depresses me. So plz review if you want the rest of the story. Thank you.
~Teva~
Nothing more happened at the funeral. James seemed to be starting to heal. His smile was a little slower and less of it reached his eyes than usual. His laugh died a little sooner and his jokes were a little flatter. But the fact that he was making any attempt of any type at humor or appreciated their humor was a good sign.
Lily didn't have a chance to talk to James privately the rest of the day. After the funeral was over, James thought about going home with his mother, but school was almost over anyway so he decided to stay the rest of the year. His parents didn't argue but they did get permission from the Headmaster for him to come home that weekend.
Feeling horribly confused and wishing that she could have talked to James, Lily went to bed with a heavy heart and a full mind. This combo is horrible for sleeping so of course, Lily did none of that.
Thinking of drowning her sorrows in some ice cream, Lily got up at around 2 in the morning having long since given up on sleep. She transformed into the black owl that was her animagus deciding that being caught in her owl form was preferable to being caught as Lily. It didn't matter though because she met no one on the way down.
The kitchen was empty but oddly enough the lights were on. Not bothering to think about that, she set about looking through the kitchen for dishes and spoons. She spent ten minutes but still found no bowls. She did however find the spoons and grabbed two thinking that she could at least have two spoonfuls. With a sigh she turned around and headed toward the huge fridge that was at least two times the regular sized ones.
Someone was already there. The freezer door was open blocking their face but with a painful jolt, she realized that she already knew who it was.
Sure enough, when the door swung closed, her heart threw itself against her rib cage beating wildly as she looked at James Potter holding a tub of chocolate ice cream. He blinked at her in surprise and maybe something more but it was carefully masked before she could read what it was.
"Lily. Why are you here?" he asked his tone friendly.
"Same reason as you I guess," she said nodding at the ice cream that he held.
"Why do you have two spoons?" he asked curiously.
She gave a little laugh that seemed to warm the very air that surrounded them. "I couldn't seem to find the bowls," she admitted with a smile. He smiled at her as he laughed and her knees went a little weak.
"I've got the ice cream," he said still smiling.
"I've got some spoons," she replied holding them out.
"Then I'd say we belong together," he said with his most charming smile.
A pink tinge invaded her cheeks as he laughed again. He came over and offered her his arm. "Can I tempt you to a spoonful or two of some really quite lovely ice cream?" James asked her with a smile.
"Why yes, I think I could be tempted with that," Lily replied with a smile as she took his arm.
They sat down at one of the tables in the kitchen and though it could fit several dozen people with no problem, James sat down right next to Lily but she was determined to keep her head. They started to talk about nothing in particular before Lily finally remembered something she'd been wanting to tell him.
"Oh James I almost forgot! Tara Minkley got Sirius's letter. I was right behind her in the halls when she told her friends about it," Lily said with a devilish smile.
James looked at her with a smile to rival hers. "Really? And what did the darling Ms. Minkley have to say about it?" he said irony in his voice.
Lily laughed. "She's absolutely sure that it was him. She convinced herself that he has always liked her and is just to shy to reveal it," Lily laughed then wrinkled her nose in disgust. "She's not a bad person but she's so very dull. Her idea of an interesting topic is a lively," here Lily paused, "or should I say deathly, discussion is of Professor Binns' class." Lily shuddered.
"I've always thought of people as being rather like books. Even the dull ones are worthy of respect but you don't have to spend a lot of time with them," James said with a smile.
"The problem with people is that you can't put bookmarks in them and put them away till you want them again," Lily said critically.
"Oh I beg to differ," James said rolling his eyes. "I've had plenty of people do that to me," he said.
"Feeling a bit dog-eared are you?" Lily said, her tone very amused.
"Aren't you?"
"Actually, right now, I'm feeling rather well read," she said with a smirk. Then she laughed out loud as James Potter actually blushed.
They continued to talk till around 7 when the first House-elf came into the room causing them to flee as fast as they could without being seen, leaving their laughter behind them.
When they got back to the common room, no one was up yet since it was the weekend. James kissed Lily's hand as one would a noble woman and Lily laughed quietly. He looked at her with a smile then lifted one finger and traced the line of her jaw sending shivers down her spine. When she didn't move, James leaned closer to her and brushed his lips against hers. When she still didn't move, he pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss.
Lily's head seemed to be on fire, all thought suspended. Her arms crept around his neck of their own accord. James' arms went about her waist and pulled her even closer to him. The tender kiss soon turned fiery and things might have gone even further than that but a slammed door jarred them both and Lily sprang away from him.
Rose looked down at Lily with a look so filled with loathing that Lily took a step backwards. She smiled insincerely then turned to James and sighed sadly. James' expression didn't change as he looked back at her. She sighed again then went back into the dorm room, flipping her longish hair over her shoulder and stifling a sob.
James blinked then frowned as he turned back to Lily. Their eyes met and Lily saw the indecision there and it cut her deeply even if she understood. Her eyes dropped and suddenly seemed too bright. James saw that he had hurt her and stretched out a hand to her. "Lily," he began but she cut him off.
"Its ok. I understand," she stepped back from his hand not meeting his eyes. "See you later James," she said with a small smile. She whisked up the stairs and into her dorm room leaving James alone in the common room.
He sighed wearily. "I just can't win," he said with a sigh as he headed up to his own dorm room.
Things might have been resolved right away but for one person who still had a few tricks left to play…
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I'm feeling very unloved so unless I get 220 reviews, I'm not posting the next chapter. Sorry but I'm going through a depressed phase and I'm not going to do something like this if it depresses me. So plz review if you want the rest of the story. Thank you.
~Teva~