Chapter Three- Friends or Enemies?
When Lily woke up the next morning she realized that she had been a little harsher than necessary with James. But it didn't matter. He had deserved every bit of it. But then there was always that voice in the back of her head that kept telling her that she knew she wanted to make up with him, to forgive him and be friends again. Well, for once in his life, James Potter is not going to get something the easy way. If he really and truly wants to be friends again, he'd just have to prove it to her. So she set out that day with a determined face, ready for anything that might happen.
But, oh, she wasn't ready. Not for the look that James had on his face in the Great Hall at breakfast. He looked so hurt she could hardly stand it. Stop it, she told herself, he's probably doing it on purpose. For the rest of the meal she concentrated on the enchanted ceiling, noting that it was going to rain later on that day.
Herbology was the first class of the day. It was actually quite fun. She was set to re-soiling a type of plant she had never seen before. It was called a Gillihan bud, and was extremely cute. Yes, cute was the right word for it. They looked sort of like puppies and were very affectionate.
In Transfiguration, who should she be paired with but James Potter himself. He just glanced at her shyly and proceeded to try and turn the table into a dog. But he kept doing it all wrong.
"No, that's not how you do it! Ugh, like this, watch closely." Lily took up her wand and flicked her wrist to the right gently, and sharply to the left, murmuring "Muttius"
"Oh! Like this!" James would say, and then do it all wrong again. He didn't do it on purpose. It was all very frustrating for them both.
And History of Magic was the same as always. Professor Binns just droned on about Oscar the Overweight or something like that. By the end of that class, Lily had made up her mind. She was going to ask James to meet her out by the lake that evening. She had to try being more civil. She wasn't as tired tonight, and not as snappy. His hurt looks and glances her way had accomplished what he had intended. It was driving her nuts.
Dinner was excellent, as usual. Lily caught up on some last minute gossip with her friends before approaching James about halfway through dinner. He looked up at her expectantly, but she simply dropped a note onto his plate and walked away. It read:
James-
Meet me by the lake at 7 o'clock. We need to talk about plans for this year. All right, I promise to be more civil. I didn't want to meet in the Lounge again. I need some fresh air. Just be there on time.
Lily
She looked back just in time to see him finish and smile. He looked over at her and nodded, accepting her invitation.
Meanwhile, her friends were watching her intently.
"And may I ask what that was about?" Chloe said as innocently as she could manage. "I dare say you don't seem to hate James Potter as much as you did a couple days ago."
"Oh, come off it, Chloe, I still hate him. It's just that we have to be civil with each other if we want to plan anything fun for this year. You know that." Lily replied, turning back to her food. Chloe exchanged looks with Jennifer and smiled mischievously. It's a good thing Lily didn't notice. She would have known from the looks on their faces that they were in the mood to cause her trouble.
After dinner, Lily ran up to the Gryffindor tower to grab her coat, as it was almost time to meet James. She almost trampled him as she came back into the common room. He was just going to retrieve his coat. So she sat in a chair near the fire to wait for him and he soon reappeared. He smiled.
"Ready?"
"Yes, but we shouldn't stay out long. It looks like a pretty bad storm is coming." Lily smiled to herself, glad that they wouldn't be out their together for long. They walked out into the corridor and slowly approached the entrance hall.
When they had finally settled down on a rock at the edge of the lake, James was the first to speak up.
"So, I have been thinking of some things we could plan. Or trying to anyway. I'm sure you'll come up with much better ones, if you haven't already." He grinned at her. She smiled weakly. "Well, I thought we should start by planning a Christmas event. But then I didn't know if we should plan a ball or something else. What do you think?"
"Well, a ball is a good idea, I think. But maybe we should add something to it, so that it's not just a plain, same old ball. But how could we do that?" she looked up at him, he was deep in thought, or appeared to be.
"Hmm. Hey! I know! We could have a sort of carnival here at Hogwarts. There could be all sorts of magical games and prizes and such. Then there could be a feast and a ball." James sounded excited.
"James, that's a great idea! I never thought of that. But it will take a lot of planning, mind you. You better get ready to spend a lot of time on it." She seemed equally as excited about to idea. They were quiet for awhile, just trying to think out the details. Then, suddenly, Lily said, "James, I want to apologize for yesterday. I was tired, and I didn't mean to snap at you so much. But you did deserve it."
He sighed. "I know. It isn't your fault, it's mine. I'm such an ass." She laughed, he was right. She stopped quickly, however, because just then a great blast of thunder sounded and rain started pouring down in sheets.
"Argh! Run for it!" she yelled at him through the rain. It was actually pretty fun, running and slipping in the mud. She must look horrid. All dirty and wet. But little did she know that James was thinking that she had never looked so beautiful.
When they finally made it inside the castle, they were careful not the run into Filch on their way to the Gryffindor tower. He would have a fit if he saw them. They were dripping mud.
"Moon crescent" James panted at the Fat Lady. She swung aside quickly, her eyes wide at how much mud they had trailed behind them. As soon as the Marauder's and Lily's friends saw them (they were in a corner talking together) they burst out laughing.
"What happened?" Sirius asked loudly, causing everyone in the common room to turn and look at them.
"Nothing." Lily muttered. "We got caught in the rain." Her teeth were chattering. "I'm going to take a shower, I'm freezing."
"Me too." Said James. And so they both left, James to the left and Lily to the right.
Well, thought Lily, I still think he's conceited, but at least we have figured something out to start planning for. She took a long, hot shower to get all of the mud out of her hair. When she got out Chloe and Jennifer were waiting.
"So, Lily, what exactly did happen between you and James? Go on, you can tell us."
"What?! Nothing happened! Why would anything have happened? We walked out, sat down, discussed Christmas, and then it started raining, so we had a time running back inside." She said, a little annoyed.
"Uh huh." Jennifer sounded disbelieving. Oh honestly, thought Lily, James just makes my life so much more complicated. She didn't think she could ever be friends with him again, but she decided that even so she had to be nice enough. They needed to start planning.
Thanks a bunch to those who have reviewed! I hope you liked this chapter! Until next time! ~Emily~
When Lily woke up the next morning she realized that she had been a little harsher than necessary with James. But it didn't matter. He had deserved every bit of it. But then there was always that voice in the back of her head that kept telling her that she knew she wanted to make up with him, to forgive him and be friends again. Well, for once in his life, James Potter is not going to get something the easy way. If he really and truly wants to be friends again, he'd just have to prove it to her. So she set out that day with a determined face, ready for anything that might happen.
But, oh, she wasn't ready. Not for the look that James had on his face in the Great Hall at breakfast. He looked so hurt she could hardly stand it. Stop it, she told herself, he's probably doing it on purpose. For the rest of the meal she concentrated on the enchanted ceiling, noting that it was going to rain later on that day.
Herbology was the first class of the day. It was actually quite fun. She was set to re-soiling a type of plant she had never seen before. It was called a Gillihan bud, and was extremely cute. Yes, cute was the right word for it. They looked sort of like puppies and were very affectionate.
In Transfiguration, who should she be paired with but James Potter himself. He just glanced at her shyly and proceeded to try and turn the table into a dog. But he kept doing it all wrong.
"No, that's not how you do it! Ugh, like this, watch closely." Lily took up her wand and flicked her wrist to the right gently, and sharply to the left, murmuring "Muttius"
"Oh! Like this!" James would say, and then do it all wrong again. He didn't do it on purpose. It was all very frustrating for them both.
And History of Magic was the same as always. Professor Binns just droned on about Oscar the Overweight or something like that. By the end of that class, Lily had made up her mind. She was going to ask James to meet her out by the lake that evening. She had to try being more civil. She wasn't as tired tonight, and not as snappy. His hurt looks and glances her way had accomplished what he had intended. It was driving her nuts.
Dinner was excellent, as usual. Lily caught up on some last minute gossip with her friends before approaching James about halfway through dinner. He looked up at her expectantly, but she simply dropped a note onto his plate and walked away. It read:
James-
Meet me by the lake at 7 o'clock. We need to talk about plans for this year. All right, I promise to be more civil. I didn't want to meet in the Lounge again. I need some fresh air. Just be there on time.
Lily
She looked back just in time to see him finish and smile. He looked over at her and nodded, accepting her invitation.
Meanwhile, her friends were watching her intently.
"And may I ask what that was about?" Chloe said as innocently as she could manage. "I dare say you don't seem to hate James Potter as much as you did a couple days ago."
"Oh, come off it, Chloe, I still hate him. It's just that we have to be civil with each other if we want to plan anything fun for this year. You know that." Lily replied, turning back to her food. Chloe exchanged looks with Jennifer and smiled mischievously. It's a good thing Lily didn't notice. She would have known from the looks on their faces that they were in the mood to cause her trouble.
After dinner, Lily ran up to the Gryffindor tower to grab her coat, as it was almost time to meet James. She almost trampled him as she came back into the common room. He was just going to retrieve his coat. So she sat in a chair near the fire to wait for him and he soon reappeared. He smiled.
"Ready?"
"Yes, but we shouldn't stay out long. It looks like a pretty bad storm is coming." Lily smiled to herself, glad that they wouldn't be out their together for long. They walked out into the corridor and slowly approached the entrance hall.
When they had finally settled down on a rock at the edge of the lake, James was the first to speak up.
"So, I have been thinking of some things we could plan. Or trying to anyway. I'm sure you'll come up with much better ones, if you haven't already." He grinned at her. She smiled weakly. "Well, I thought we should start by planning a Christmas event. But then I didn't know if we should plan a ball or something else. What do you think?"
"Well, a ball is a good idea, I think. But maybe we should add something to it, so that it's not just a plain, same old ball. But how could we do that?" she looked up at him, he was deep in thought, or appeared to be.
"Hmm. Hey! I know! We could have a sort of carnival here at Hogwarts. There could be all sorts of magical games and prizes and such. Then there could be a feast and a ball." James sounded excited.
"James, that's a great idea! I never thought of that. But it will take a lot of planning, mind you. You better get ready to spend a lot of time on it." She seemed equally as excited about to idea. They were quiet for awhile, just trying to think out the details. Then, suddenly, Lily said, "James, I want to apologize for yesterday. I was tired, and I didn't mean to snap at you so much. But you did deserve it."
He sighed. "I know. It isn't your fault, it's mine. I'm such an ass." She laughed, he was right. She stopped quickly, however, because just then a great blast of thunder sounded and rain started pouring down in sheets.
"Argh! Run for it!" she yelled at him through the rain. It was actually pretty fun, running and slipping in the mud. She must look horrid. All dirty and wet. But little did she know that James was thinking that she had never looked so beautiful.
When they finally made it inside the castle, they were careful not the run into Filch on their way to the Gryffindor tower. He would have a fit if he saw them. They were dripping mud.
"Moon crescent" James panted at the Fat Lady. She swung aside quickly, her eyes wide at how much mud they had trailed behind them. As soon as the Marauder's and Lily's friends saw them (they were in a corner talking together) they burst out laughing.
"What happened?" Sirius asked loudly, causing everyone in the common room to turn and look at them.
"Nothing." Lily muttered. "We got caught in the rain." Her teeth were chattering. "I'm going to take a shower, I'm freezing."
"Me too." Said James. And so they both left, James to the left and Lily to the right.
Well, thought Lily, I still think he's conceited, but at least we have figured something out to start planning for. She took a long, hot shower to get all of the mud out of her hair. When she got out Chloe and Jennifer were waiting.
"So, Lily, what exactly did happen between you and James? Go on, you can tell us."
"What?! Nothing happened! Why would anything have happened? We walked out, sat down, discussed Christmas, and then it started raining, so we had a time running back inside." She said, a little annoyed.
"Uh huh." Jennifer sounded disbelieving. Oh honestly, thought Lily, James just makes my life so much more complicated. She didn't think she could ever be friends with him again, but she decided that even so she had to be nice enough. They needed to start planning.
Thanks a bunch to those who have reviewed! I hope you liked this chapter! Until next time! ~Emily~