~*Chapter 15: Christmas break and heart brakes. . .*~
It was the morning before everyone was to leave for Christmas. James, Sirius and Sierra were staying, but Lily, Ali and Remus were leaving.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow," Lily said dramatically, **fainting** into James's arms, one hand draped over her forehead. She grinned.
"I'll see you in one week!" James exclaimed.
"I know. . .hey, I wanted to give you your Christmas present before I left," Lily said softly. She withdrew a package of pranks from Zonko's from her trunk. "Here. Not the most original thing I know, but you get something REALLY special for your birthday. . .which is way later. Christmas is just for recognition," Lily explained.
"Thanks, Lil," James said, sweeping her into his arms. He let her go and handed her a small box. He opened it and inside was a ring. Lily gasped, wide-eyed.
"Don't freak, I'm not proposing or anything," James said, laughing at the look on her face.
Lily looked relived, but at the same time, sort of disappointed.
"It's. . .sort of like a promise ring. I just promise to be a good boyfriend and all," James clarified.
"Oh, cool," Lily said, slipping the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.
The train whistled. "See ya," James whispered in her ear. "Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas, James," Lily murmured back. She mounted the train. James quickly hugged Ali good-bye and gave the Marauder shake to Remus. "See ya!" Sirius, Sierra and James called.
"Bye!"
*%*%(
On Christmas morning, James awoke with a kiss on his lips. "What?" he muttered groggily.
Lily's green eyes and fiery hair loomed before him. "Lily!" he yelped. "What are you doing here?" He immediately sat up in bed.
"Surprise, silly! This is my 'real' present to you!" Lily said happily. "I didn't really leave!"
A huge grin appeared on James's face. He hugged her and let her kiss him deeply. As soon as she broke the kiss, the gazed at her, studying her face. He could have sworn her eyes were. . .blue? No, they were green as soon as she blinked. "Something's different about you, Lils. I just don't know what it is," he admitted. Lily stood and smiled.
"Nope, it's just the same old me!" she said jauntily. James shrugged.
"C'mon, change, let's go have breakfast!"
*%&%*
"So you came all the way back for James, huh?" Sirius asked at the table.
"Black, I told you I never left!" Lily snapped.
Sirius looked surprised. "Did you just call me Black?"
Lily shook her head impatiently. "My bad. Sorry, Siri," she apologized. "I guess I'm just a little spaced this morning."
Sirius just shrugged, but James gave her a calculating look.
*%&*^
'. . .A few days later. . .'
"Hey, today everyone's getting back. Want to go to the station?" James asked Lily.
Lily shook her head. "Isn't Sirius going?"
"Yeah. . .so. . .?" James asked.
"Well. . .we can just stay here. More time 'alone,'" she said seductively, emphasizing the word 'alone.'
James grinned, as boy does. "I like the way you think," he complimented.
"Just, hold on a sec, I'm thirsty. . .I've got some soda in my dorm, want some?" Lily offered.
James gave her a look. "You brought a Muggle drink?" he asked mildly. He loved Muggle food and drinks, and whenever he had gone over to Lily's he'd raided the fridge.
"'Course I did!" Lily said, jumping up to retrieve the drinks.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'Lily', or TAYLOR, raced up to the 6th year girl dorms. It was all part of her plan to get rid of Lily, once and for all. She slipped a potion into a Muggle soda called '7 UP.' The potion would make James tell Lily the exact opposite of what he thought of her. And the opposite that he thought of Taylor. It would also make him act VERY differently than in his normal state to Taylor. She came back down with two sodas in her hands. "Here," she said, handing James the refreshment. He took a sip.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So, how was your vacation?" Sirius asked Ali as she hopped of the train.
"Great," Ali answered. "But I missed you." They smiled and then hugged, making Sierra wrinkle her nose.
She extended her hands to Remus. "So, what did you guys do?"
"Nothin' much. Just had some family over and that's it," he told her, kissing her cheek. Suddenly, a red haired girl hopped of the train, saying "Wait for me!"
Sirius and Sierra turned, startled to see Lily there. "Lily!" Sierra exclaimed. "What -?"
Sirius and Sierra were switching odd looks. "What?" Lily questioned worriedly. "What'd I do?"
"But you were. . .I mean. . .you spent Christmas with us. . ." Sirius replied faintly.
"Huh?" Lily said quizzically. Sierra shook her head. "Something's going on here, Sirius."
Sirius nodded. "C'mon. We're going back, now."
*~*~*~*~*
James had Lily straddling across his lap, her hands playing with his hair while he kissed her neck. She moved back up to her mouth and they kissed once more, his arms gradually locking around her waist, as usual. He didn't notice that while they were snogging, the girl on his lap was changing from Lily Evans to Taylor Carrisa.
A sound alerted him. Running inside and then coming to a suddenly halt. James slowly broke from Lily. He turned to see ANOTHER Lily Evans, looking horrified and about to beat the crap out of him (again). He turned confusedly back to the girl on his lap and didn't seem to mind it was Taylor. She grinned. Her plan was working! He grinned thickly and stupidly at Lily. "Hey, Lil," he greeted, sounding out of breath.
She was just standing there, Sirius, Sierra, Ali and Remus standing behind her, ready to hold her back if necessary. "Um. . . this is Taylor -" he began numbly.
"Duh," Lily said, venom lashing out from her mouth as she said the one syllable word.
"I thought I should say that -we're through." James hiccuped. He seemed slightly drunk in some ways. Taylor kept that annoying smile on her face. "I don't really like you. . .I just felt sorry for you in the beginning. . .and you're not even that good of a kisser anyway. Taylor is a true love of my life, and she showed me how wrong I was about you. I'll never love you like I love her," James concluded.
Lily was still having trouble comprehending all of this. She'd just gotten back from a simple Christmas break and walked in on her boyfriend and her worst enemy snogging. He'd told her that he basically hated her, and he's broken up with her. His words stung her soul like a cruel wind on a snowy day. She couldn't even find the strength to beat him up. No matter how much she wanted her boyish side to help out, to hurt him as much as he'd just hurt her, she couldn't help it. She felt her female side taking over her emotions rapidly. Tears quickly welled up in her eyes. Confused, she blinked them out. And after a few minutes of standing there in complete silence, with everyone's eyes on her, she nodded, showing understanding. Somehow, this didn't surprise her one bit anymore. She glanced down and slid the ring James had given her off her finger. "Here," she whispered, handing it to Taylor. "I think you need this more than I do." And with that, she took off to her dorms.
It was the morning before everyone was to leave for Christmas. James, Sirius and Sierra were staying, but Lily, Ali and Remus were leaving.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow," Lily said dramatically, **fainting** into James's arms, one hand draped over her forehead. She grinned.
"I'll see you in one week!" James exclaimed.
"I know. . .hey, I wanted to give you your Christmas present before I left," Lily said softly. She withdrew a package of pranks from Zonko's from her trunk. "Here. Not the most original thing I know, but you get something REALLY special for your birthday. . .which is way later. Christmas is just for recognition," Lily explained.
"Thanks, Lil," James said, sweeping her into his arms. He let her go and handed her a small box. He opened it and inside was a ring. Lily gasped, wide-eyed.
"Don't freak, I'm not proposing or anything," James said, laughing at the look on her face.
Lily looked relived, but at the same time, sort of disappointed.
"It's. . .sort of like a promise ring. I just promise to be a good boyfriend and all," James clarified.
"Oh, cool," Lily said, slipping the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.
The train whistled. "See ya," James whispered in her ear. "Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas, James," Lily murmured back. She mounted the train. James quickly hugged Ali good-bye and gave the Marauder shake to Remus. "See ya!" Sirius, Sierra and James called.
"Bye!"
*%*%(
On Christmas morning, James awoke with a kiss on his lips. "What?" he muttered groggily.
Lily's green eyes and fiery hair loomed before him. "Lily!" he yelped. "What are you doing here?" He immediately sat up in bed.
"Surprise, silly! This is my 'real' present to you!" Lily said happily. "I didn't really leave!"
A huge grin appeared on James's face. He hugged her and let her kiss him deeply. As soon as she broke the kiss, the gazed at her, studying her face. He could have sworn her eyes were. . .blue? No, they were green as soon as she blinked. "Something's different about you, Lils. I just don't know what it is," he admitted. Lily stood and smiled.
"Nope, it's just the same old me!" she said jauntily. James shrugged.
"C'mon, change, let's go have breakfast!"
*%&%*
"So you came all the way back for James, huh?" Sirius asked at the table.
"Black, I told you I never left!" Lily snapped.
Sirius looked surprised. "Did you just call me Black?"
Lily shook her head impatiently. "My bad. Sorry, Siri," she apologized. "I guess I'm just a little spaced this morning."
Sirius just shrugged, but James gave her a calculating look.
*%&*^
'. . .A few days later. . .'
"Hey, today everyone's getting back. Want to go to the station?" James asked Lily.
Lily shook her head. "Isn't Sirius going?"
"Yeah. . .so. . .?" James asked.
"Well. . .we can just stay here. More time 'alone,'" she said seductively, emphasizing the word 'alone.'
James grinned, as boy does. "I like the way you think," he complimented.
"Just, hold on a sec, I'm thirsty. . .I've got some soda in my dorm, want some?" Lily offered.
James gave her a look. "You brought a Muggle drink?" he asked mildly. He loved Muggle food and drinks, and whenever he had gone over to Lily's he'd raided the fridge.
"'Course I did!" Lily said, jumping up to retrieve the drinks.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'Lily', or TAYLOR, raced up to the 6th year girl dorms. It was all part of her plan to get rid of Lily, once and for all. She slipped a potion into a Muggle soda called '7 UP.' The potion would make James tell Lily the exact opposite of what he thought of her. And the opposite that he thought of Taylor. It would also make him act VERY differently than in his normal state to Taylor. She came back down with two sodas in her hands. "Here," she said, handing James the refreshment. He took a sip.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So, how was your vacation?" Sirius asked Ali as she hopped of the train.
"Great," Ali answered. "But I missed you." They smiled and then hugged, making Sierra wrinkle her nose.
She extended her hands to Remus. "So, what did you guys do?"
"Nothin' much. Just had some family over and that's it," he told her, kissing her cheek. Suddenly, a red haired girl hopped of the train, saying "Wait for me!"
Sirius and Sierra turned, startled to see Lily there. "Lily!" Sierra exclaimed. "What -?"
Sirius and Sierra were switching odd looks. "What?" Lily questioned worriedly. "What'd I do?"
"But you were. . .I mean. . .you spent Christmas with us. . ." Sirius replied faintly.
"Huh?" Lily said quizzically. Sierra shook her head. "Something's going on here, Sirius."
Sirius nodded. "C'mon. We're going back, now."
*~*~*~*~*
James had Lily straddling across his lap, her hands playing with his hair while he kissed her neck. She moved back up to her mouth and they kissed once more, his arms gradually locking around her waist, as usual. He didn't notice that while they were snogging, the girl on his lap was changing from Lily Evans to Taylor Carrisa.
A sound alerted him. Running inside and then coming to a suddenly halt. James slowly broke from Lily. He turned to see ANOTHER Lily Evans, looking horrified and about to beat the crap out of him (again). He turned confusedly back to the girl on his lap and didn't seem to mind it was Taylor. She grinned. Her plan was working! He grinned thickly and stupidly at Lily. "Hey, Lil," he greeted, sounding out of breath.
She was just standing there, Sirius, Sierra, Ali and Remus standing behind her, ready to hold her back if necessary. "Um. . . this is Taylor -" he began numbly.
"Duh," Lily said, venom lashing out from her mouth as she said the one syllable word.
"I thought I should say that -we're through." James hiccuped. He seemed slightly drunk in some ways. Taylor kept that annoying smile on her face. "I don't really like you. . .I just felt sorry for you in the beginning. . .and you're not even that good of a kisser anyway. Taylor is a true love of my life, and she showed me how wrong I was about you. I'll never love you like I love her," James concluded.
Lily was still having trouble comprehending all of this. She'd just gotten back from a simple Christmas break and walked in on her boyfriend and her worst enemy snogging. He'd told her that he basically hated her, and he's broken up with her. His words stung her soul like a cruel wind on a snowy day. She couldn't even find the strength to beat him up. No matter how much she wanted her boyish side to help out, to hurt him as much as he'd just hurt her, she couldn't help it. She felt her female side taking over her emotions rapidly. Tears quickly welled up in her eyes. Confused, she blinked them out. And after a few minutes of standing there in complete silence, with everyone's eyes on her, she nodded, showing understanding. Somehow, this didn't surprise her one bit anymore. She glanced down and slid the ring James had given her off her finger. "Here," she whispered, handing it to Taylor. "I think you need this more than I do." And with that, she took off to her dorms.
