Chapter Ten- Homeward Bound
All eyes were on them, staring, unblinking. A few people's mouths were open in shock. Suddenly, James spotted Sirius standing near them, grinning. He would know, by now, that Lily had been told of the bet.
"Well Padfoot, I guess you won. I will give you your money as soon as possible." James was smiling. Lily was worth all the money in the world.
"Oh, Prongs. Forget the bet. You were close enough, let's call it a tie." He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "You two are perfect for each other. I wish you well."
Meanwhile, the school still stood watching them, stunned by this display of affection. James and Lily, noticing them, took one look at each other and laughed.
And then Chris and Susan appeared at their sides.
"What the hell was that?! I can't believe you would do that to me in front of everyone! You jerk!" Susan looked positively furious with James. And rightfully so.
"Oh, Susan, I'm really sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I really didn't… I got carried away." She glared at him for a second. Then she slapped him as hard as she could manage, and stomped out of the Hall.
Chris also looked livid. "Was I not good enough for you Lily? You had to do this to me, didn't you? I thought you liked me! I guess I was wrong." His fists were clenched. He glared at James before walking away.
Lily and James really were sorry. She was watching Chris walk away, wondering how to apologize to him, when James whispered in her ear, "Come on. There's no way we can fix what we've done now. Let's give them some time to cool off." She nodded, and he grabbed her hand.
"What are you people looking at?" he asked everyone while they headed out.
He led her straight to the Gryffindor common room. Why, he didn't know. It was completely empty. Everyone was still at the dance.
"I can't tell you how happy I am that you aren't mad at me! I didn't think you would be that quick to forgive me!" she blushed faintly at his words.
"Well, I…I've missed you. I think I just wanted a reason to forgive you. You have no idea how it is, being in love with you but mad at you at the same time. It's horrible."
"I'm sorry for the misery I must have caused you. But if it makes you feel any better then know that my days were not spent in joy either." He pulled her closer, hugging her body against his.
"Oh James, I wish we weren't leaving to go back to our homes tomorrow. I want to stay with you." She frowned, remembering Petunia.
"It's only a short break. We'll be together again soon. Too bad you can't come to my house." James laughed, imagining the look on his parent's faces when he told them that he had brought his girlfriend home.
"Oh well. There's always next time." They talked for awhile, sitting in front of the fire. They sat for so long in each other's arms that they slowly drifted off to sleep.
"Aww! Hey Sirius, Remus, Chloe! Come look at them!" Lily woke with a start, surprised to find herself in James's arms. Then she remembered. She kissed his forehead, causing him to wake up as well.
"What? Oh, good morning. How long have I been sleeping?" he looked over to the others, who laughed at them.
"Morning? The dance just ended. You'd better get up before everyone starts to come back and you get trampled." Sirius grinned, clearly amused by this new development between them. "So, when did all of this start, I should ask?" he plopped down into a chair, clearly exhausted. Jennifer sat in his lap.
"Oh, hasn't it been obvious dear?" Jennifer sighed. "They've been staring at each other for months. Must have been near the beginning of the year. I thought everyone had noticed." Lily and James blushed. They hadn't known that it had been so evident.
"Well, anyway, I think its past time to go to bed." Chloe stifled a yawn. "Are you two coming?"
They lumbered off to their dorms, already half-asleep.
Lily woke up the next day totally refreshed and happy. She hummed as she brushed her hair.
"Oh, do shut up. You're being very annoying to those who are still attempting to sleep." Jennifer was definitely not a morning person. She flipped over, pulling her pillow over her head.
"Well, you'll need to be getting up soon anyway. We need to get on the Hogwarts Express to go home, remember?"
"Oh. Yeah." She rose and stumbled off into the bathroom.
Breakfast was pretty boring, besides the fact that James was next to her, squeezing her hand. They were getting an awful lot of stares. She wished they would quit, it made her feel like she were in a zoo. Chris was shooting meaningful glares their way, and Susan was nowhere to be seen. They would have to apologize to those two again.
"I wish you all a fun-filled holiday, as always!" Dumbledore said to them as the train arrived. They boarded, Lily's friends sitting in a compartment with the Marauders. They had all become quite close.
When the old witch came around with the food cart, they bought loads of sweets. It was an enjoyable ride.
When they arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, their families were waiting.
"Goodbye!" Lily called to her friends, stepping off the train.
"Bye!" they replied in unison, and waved before running off. James and Lily were quite surprised to spot their families off to the right, together. They were talking with each other.
"Oh, that sounds excellent! Christmas evening, you say? We'll be there!" that was Mrs. Potter. She was beaming at Mrs. Evans.
"Good then! Oh, look, here's our Lily."
"And here's James. I suppose they already know each other. That's great!"
"Um, what's this all about?" James asked his mother.
"Oh, Mrs. Evans just invited us to her Christmas party."
"We're having a party? At our house?" Lily asked her parents. Her parents never entertained.
"Yes dear. Your mother's idea." Her father replied.
"And James is coming?"
"Yes, as long as he wants to."
"Oh, alright then." She turned to James with a wide smile.
"I presume I'll be seeing you sooner than we planned, James." Their parents looked slightly confused. He turned to Lily and grinned.
"Yes, it seems that way."
A/N:
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! I'll probably put up another chapter or two before the end of the week, but next week I won't be updating. Spring Break! I can't wait! There's nothing like lying on the beach for a whole week!
~Emily~
All eyes were on them, staring, unblinking. A few people's mouths were open in shock. Suddenly, James spotted Sirius standing near them, grinning. He would know, by now, that Lily had been told of the bet.
"Well Padfoot, I guess you won. I will give you your money as soon as possible." James was smiling. Lily was worth all the money in the world.
"Oh, Prongs. Forget the bet. You were close enough, let's call it a tie." He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "You two are perfect for each other. I wish you well."
Meanwhile, the school still stood watching them, stunned by this display of affection. James and Lily, noticing them, took one look at each other and laughed.
And then Chris and Susan appeared at their sides.
"What the hell was that?! I can't believe you would do that to me in front of everyone! You jerk!" Susan looked positively furious with James. And rightfully so.
"Oh, Susan, I'm really sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I really didn't… I got carried away." She glared at him for a second. Then she slapped him as hard as she could manage, and stomped out of the Hall.
Chris also looked livid. "Was I not good enough for you Lily? You had to do this to me, didn't you? I thought you liked me! I guess I was wrong." His fists were clenched. He glared at James before walking away.
Lily and James really were sorry. She was watching Chris walk away, wondering how to apologize to him, when James whispered in her ear, "Come on. There's no way we can fix what we've done now. Let's give them some time to cool off." She nodded, and he grabbed her hand.
"What are you people looking at?" he asked everyone while they headed out.
He led her straight to the Gryffindor common room. Why, he didn't know. It was completely empty. Everyone was still at the dance.
"I can't tell you how happy I am that you aren't mad at me! I didn't think you would be that quick to forgive me!" she blushed faintly at his words.
"Well, I…I've missed you. I think I just wanted a reason to forgive you. You have no idea how it is, being in love with you but mad at you at the same time. It's horrible."
"I'm sorry for the misery I must have caused you. But if it makes you feel any better then know that my days were not spent in joy either." He pulled her closer, hugging her body against his.
"Oh James, I wish we weren't leaving to go back to our homes tomorrow. I want to stay with you." She frowned, remembering Petunia.
"It's only a short break. We'll be together again soon. Too bad you can't come to my house." James laughed, imagining the look on his parent's faces when he told them that he had brought his girlfriend home.
"Oh well. There's always next time." They talked for awhile, sitting in front of the fire. They sat for so long in each other's arms that they slowly drifted off to sleep.
"Aww! Hey Sirius, Remus, Chloe! Come look at them!" Lily woke with a start, surprised to find herself in James's arms. Then she remembered. She kissed his forehead, causing him to wake up as well.
"What? Oh, good morning. How long have I been sleeping?" he looked over to the others, who laughed at them.
"Morning? The dance just ended. You'd better get up before everyone starts to come back and you get trampled." Sirius grinned, clearly amused by this new development between them. "So, when did all of this start, I should ask?" he plopped down into a chair, clearly exhausted. Jennifer sat in his lap.
"Oh, hasn't it been obvious dear?" Jennifer sighed. "They've been staring at each other for months. Must have been near the beginning of the year. I thought everyone had noticed." Lily and James blushed. They hadn't known that it had been so evident.
"Well, anyway, I think its past time to go to bed." Chloe stifled a yawn. "Are you two coming?"
They lumbered off to their dorms, already half-asleep.
Lily woke up the next day totally refreshed and happy. She hummed as she brushed her hair.
"Oh, do shut up. You're being very annoying to those who are still attempting to sleep." Jennifer was definitely not a morning person. She flipped over, pulling her pillow over her head.
"Well, you'll need to be getting up soon anyway. We need to get on the Hogwarts Express to go home, remember?"
"Oh. Yeah." She rose and stumbled off into the bathroom.
Breakfast was pretty boring, besides the fact that James was next to her, squeezing her hand. They were getting an awful lot of stares. She wished they would quit, it made her feel like she were in a zoo. Chris was shooting meaningful glares their way, and Susan was nowhere to be seen. They would have to apologize to those two again.
"I wish you all a fun-filled holiday, as always!" Dumbledore said to them as the train arrived. They boarded, Lily's friends sitting in a compartment with the Marauders. They had all become quite close.
When the old witch came around with the food cart, they bought loads of sweets. It was an enjoyable ride.
When they arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, their families were waiting.
"Goodbye!" Lily called to her friends, stepping off the train.
"Bye!" they replied in unison, and waved before running off. James and Lily were quite surprised to spot their families off to the right, together. They were talking with each other.
"Oh, that sounds excellent! Christmas evening, you say? We'll be there!" that was Mrs. Potter. She was beaming at Mrs. Evans.
"Good then! Oh, look, here's our Lily."
"And here's James. I suppose they already know each other. That's great!"
"Um, what's this all about?" James asked his mother.
"Oh, Mrs. Evans just invited us to her Christmas party."
"We're having a party? At our house?" Lily asked her parents. Her parents never entertained.
"Yes dear. Your mother's idea." Her father replied.
"And James is coming?"
"Yes, as long as he wants to."
"Oh, alright then." She turned to James with a wide smile.
"I presume I'll be seeing you sooner than we planned, James." Their parents looked slightly confused. He turned to Lily and grinned.
"Yes, it seems that way."
A/N:
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! I'll probably put up another chapter or two before the end of the week, but next week I won't be updating. Spring Break! I can't wait! There's nothing like lying on the beach for a whole week!
~Emily~