For author's note, etc, scroll to bottom.
Sleep To Dream Her
The Gryffindor common room felt extremely empty, with the two of them as it's only occupants.
Today, Lily was in one of her don't-touch-or-come-near-me-don't-even-look-at-me-James-moods and she was sitting across the room from him reading a Muggle paper back. It was plain; generic cream-white and the spine was so cracked that James couldn't read the title. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and her red hair fell around her, making her look extremely young. The image reminded him a lot of their first year, when Lily read a lot and chewed on her hair even more.
He was tired of being ignored, of being alone in the too-empty room. So he did the only thing he could do. "Accio stupid-Muggle-book."
It flew out of Lily's hand. She looked up at him with outraged emerald eyes. "You just didn't!"
"I believe I did," he said, waving the book in one of his hands.
"Give it back." She pushed herself up from her armchair, looking furious.
James smirked. "What if I don't want to?"
"You'll give it back if you know what's good for you."
"Oh yeah - what're you going to do?"
"Just give it back," she cried in frustration.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Na - " his word was cut off when she pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. Her book flew out of his hands and landed neatly a little ways away from his head.
Of course, this left Lily and James in an uncomfortable and awkward position - but for the time being, they didn't seem to notice. Lily's hair fell down around his face, forming scarlet curtains.
"There," she said, triumphant. "That'll teach you to take - " Now, it was her turn to be cut off, as he used natural fighting instincts to roll on top of her - pinning her down. She now took the time to notice what the situation would look like to anyone who happened to open the Portrait Hole and spy them on the floor on top of one another. She used all her strength to push him off of her. Lily pushed herself up on her knees and smoothed her clothes, angrily.
He rolled away, grabbing her book in one hand before moving to his feet. "Seventeenth Summer?" he read, testing out the sound of the title. "What kind of book is it?"
"Uh - it's a romance..."
"You were reading a romance novel, Lil?" he walked away from her, book in hand, looking at it as if it were some kind of new and dangerous weapon.
"Yes - is there something strange about romance novels?" she moved toward him to take the book away, but he held the book over his head so she couldn't reach it. She rolled her eyes. "Fine James - you keep that stupid book. I'm going to go study." She disappeared into the girl's dorm - leaving him slightly disappointed.
No matter - he now took time to open up the book and read the first page; 'I don't know just why I'm telling you all this. Maybe you'll think I'm just being silly. But I'm not because this is important. You see, it was different!' Was this the kind of crap Muggles read? Biting his lip, he read on - barely noticing when Lily walked out of the common room with a bag of books thrown over one arm.
Several hours later, she returned - bag of books thrown over her arm, looking tired, ink stains on her hands. He looked up at her and smiled as she entered the Portrait Hole. "Hey Lily - guess what I did while you were gone?"
She dropped her books onto the couch and flopped down beside him, where he was sitting in a large armchair. "What?"
"I read your dumb book."
"All of it?" she asked, raising a dusty auburn eyebrow in astonishment.
"Yes and it's dumb," he declared.
She rolled her eyes. "It is not dumb. It's just a little old, is all."
"It's still dumb."
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Oh James, you are a bloody idiot!" she cried, grabbing the book from his hand and beating him with it.
"Okay, okay, okay, okay..." he cried, as she hit him. "It was okay..."
She paused and looked at him with wide green eyes. "Just okay?"
"That's all you're going to get out of me, Lily. It was just okay."
"You're stupid."
He smiled. "I know...that's why you love me."
"If you're under the impression that I love you then you're crazy," she said, examining a wall hanging with something that looked like...new appreciation.
They were both quiet for awhile. Then James asked, "How long did you study?"
"A good three hours and I believe you should, too. Isn't that why you're at Hogwarts for holiday?"
He nodded. "But I don't think it's that big of a deal. I'm doing fine in all my classes."
"Right," she said, wrinkling her nose. "A Professor told you to study - so you will."
"Pfft."
"Oh, shut up."
He seemed defeated. "Fine - but only if I can stay in the Girl's Dorm with you tonight."
"Whatever," she sighed. "You just go study." With that, she gestured towards his dorm, where his books were kept.
For some reason, she had a hard time falling asleep once she got into her dorm room that night. Alone, with her curtains drawn around her - she felt extremely...solitary was the word, she supposed.
Of course, the curtains were drawn so she did not notice the door to her dorm room opening. She did not see him enter and did not know he was there until the scarlet hangings around her bed were snapped suddenly open. There was no one visibly in the room with her and, at first, she thought Peeves might have been harassing her again. Until she saw the head.
The head of a not startlingly attractive but, somehow, handsome boy with deep brown eyes and glasses. The head smiled at her and said, "Lil!"
Letting out a shriek, she grabbed at the invisibility cloak and yanked it off of him - throwing it across the room.
"Now that is a very old piece of cloth and if you ruin it - "
"I'll ruin whatever the bloody hell I want, James," she cried.
In response, he gave her a sorrowful look. He was extremely capable of these looks because he had deep brown eyes. Lily had learned over the years that blue eyes could sparkle but never could express such sorrow as those of the brown variety.
"Sorry Lily," he said, pulling at the edges of her quilt. There was a cold puff of air and as it hit her, Lily panicked.
"You aren't getting in bed with me!"
"Why not? You said I could stay here in the girl's dorm with you, didn't you?"
"I didn't think you meant in my bed!"
"Come on Lily, it's not like I'm going to rape you."
She wasn't exactly sure of that. She cast her eyes away from him. "James, I honestly don't think Dumbledore would approve..."
"Approve of what?"
"Of you sleeping with me."
He smirked. "Like I said Lily, I'm not planning on raping you. Just spending the night." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Now sleep, you, before I decide to kill you."
And so she did - though rather uncomfortably. She didn't want to believe that she was sleeping in the same bed as James Potter, her long-time best friend. If a Professor were to show up...well, she didn't want to think of what the results of that might be. She tried not to think of the bad things, instead she turned her mind to the comfort and warmth of James. She had always wanted to be special to him - the one person he trusted most and though they were friends, she did not think of him as her Best Friend. Lily had always thought that the idea of having a Best Friend would be like...well, like heaven. As much as she'd love to be anything and everything James Potter needed, she knew she'd never achieve that.
James was simply thinking of the idea of Lily - beautiful, sweet Lily who'd never done him wrong and who he liked to tease. Lately, he was not sure of her - she seemed unhappy and distant (something about her family? or could it actually be him?). He knew something was wrong and he wanted to give comfort, to help - but when it came to the serious, sensitive things, words often failed James Potter. Whatever the reason - he found himself thinking that this was what it was like to hold Lily Evans in his very own arms, assuring her safety and protection in its most animalistic form. This was what he wanted to do, wanted to give comfort to the girl he (loved) cared for. She was such a nice girl.
Together, the two fell out of the blue and into the black.
Chapter Title: From "Sleep To Dream Her" by Dave Matthews Band: "She stares up at the stars when/the stars fell from her hair then/I bent down to collect them/and then she was gone/I sleep just to dream her/I beg the night just to see her/that my only love should be her/just to lie in her arms
"Seventeenth Summer" is by Maureen Daly and is not mine. *^^*
Sleep To Dream Her
The Gryffindor common room felt extremely empty, with the two of them as it's only occupants.
Today, Lily was in one of her don't-touch-or-come-near-me-don't-even-look-at-me-James-moods and she was sitting across the room from him reading a Muggle paper back. It was plain; generic cream-white and the spine was so cracked that James couldn't read the title. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and her red hair fell around her, making her look extremely young. The image reminded him a lot of their first year, when Lily read a lot and chewed on her hair even more.
He was tired of being ignored, of being alone in the too-empty room. So he did the only thing he could do. "Accio stupid-Muggle-book."
It flew out of Lily's hand. She looked up at him with outraged emerald eyes. "You just didn't!"
"I believe I did," he said, waving the book in one of his hands.
"Give it back." She pushed herself up from her armchair, looking furious.
James smirked. "What if I don't want to?"
"You'll give it back if you know what's good for you."
"Oh yeah - what're you going to do?"
"Just give it back," she cried in frustration.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Na - " his word was cut off when she pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. Her book flew out of his hands and landed neatly a little ways away from his head.
Of course, this left Lily and James in an uncomfortable and awkward position - but for the time being, they didn't seem to notice. Lily's hair fell down around his face, forming scarlet curtains.
"There," she said, triumphant. "That'll teach you to take - " Now, it was her turn to be cut off, as he used natural fighting instincts to roll on top of her - pinning her down. She now took the time to notice what the situation would look like to anyone who happened to open the Portrait Hole and spy them on the floor on top of one another. She used all her strength to push him off of her. Lily pushed herself up on her knees and smoothed her clothes, angrily.
He rolled away, grabbing her book in one hand before moving to his feet. "Seventeenth Summer?" he read, testing out the sound of the title. "What kind of book is it?"
"Uh - it's a romance..."
"You were reading a romance novel, Lil?" he walked away from her, book in hand, looking at it as if it were some kind of new and dangerous weapon.
"Yes - is there something strange about romance novels?" she moved toward him to take the book away, but he held the book over his head so she couldn't reach it. She rolled her eyes. "Fine James - you keep that stupid book. I'm going to go study." She disappeared into the girl's dorm - leaving him slightly disappointed.
No matter - he now took time to open up the book and read the first page; 'I don't know just why I'm telling you all this. Maybe you'll think I'm just being silly. But I'm not because this is important. You see, it was different!' Was this the kind of crap Muggles read? Biting his lip, he read on - barely noticing when Lily walked out of the common room with a bag of books thrown over one arm.
Several hours later, she returned - bag of books thrown over her arm, looking tired, ink stains on her hands. He looked up at her and smiled as she entered the Portrait Hole. "Hey Lily - guess what I did while you were gone?"
She dropped her books onto the couch and flopped down beside him, where he was sitting in a large armchair. "What?"
"I read your dumb book."
"All of it?" she asked, raising a dusty auburn eyebrow in astonishment.
"Yes and it's dumb," he declared.
She rolled her eyes. "It is not dumb. It's just a little old, is all."
"It's still dumb."
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Oh James, you are a bloody idiot!" she cried, grabbing the book from his hand and beating him with it.
"Okay, okay, okay, okay..." he cried, as she hit him. "It was okay..."
She paused and looked at him with wide green eyes. "Just okay?"
"That's all you're going to get out of me, Lily. It was just okay."
"You're stupid."
He smiled. "I know...that's why you love me."
"If you're under the impression that I love you then you're crazy," she said, examining a wall hanging with something that looked like...new appreciation.
They were both quiet for awhile. Then James asked, "How long did you study?"
"A good three hours and I believe you should, too. Isn't that why you're at Hogwarts for holiday?"
He nodded. "But I don't think it's that big of a deal. I'm doing fine in all my classes."
"Right," she said, wrinkling her nose. "A Professor told you to study - so you will."
"Pfft."
"Oh, shut up."
He seemed defeated. "Fine - but only if I can stay in the Girl's Dorm with you tonight."
"Whatever," she sighed. "You just go study." With that, she gestured towards his dorm, where his books were kept.
For some reason, she had a hard time falling asleep once she got into her dorm room that night. Alone, with her curtains drawn around her - she felt extremely...solitary was the word, she supposed.
Of course, the curtains were drawn so she did not notice the door to her dorm room opening. She did not see him enter and did not know he was there until the scarlet hangings around her bed were snapped suddenly open. There was no one visibly in the room with her and, at first, she thought Peeves might have been harassing her again. Until she saw the head.
The head of a not startlingly attractive but, somehow, handsome boy with deep brown eyes and glasses. The head smiled at her and said, "Lil!"
Letting out a shriek, she grabbed at the invisibility cloak and yanked it off of him - throwing it across the room.
"Now that is a very old piece of cloth and if you ruin it - "
"I'll ruin whatever the bloody hell I want, James," she cried.
In response, he gave her a sorrowful look. He was extremely capable of these looks because he had deep brown eyes. Lily had learned over the years that blue eyes could sparkle but never could express such sorrow as those of the brown variety.
"Sorry Lily," he said, pulling at the edges of her quilt. There was a cold puff of air and as it hit her, Lily panicked.
"You aren't getting in bed with me!"
"Why not? You said I could stay here in the girl's dorm with you, didn't you?"
"I didn't think you meant in my bed!"
"Come on Lily, it's not like I'm going to rape you."
She wasn't exactly sure of that. She cast her eyes away from him. "James, I honestly don't think Dumbledore would approve..."
"Approve of what?"
"Of you sleeping with me."
He smirked. "Like I said Lily, I'm not planning on raping you. Just spending the night." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Now sleep, you, before I decide to kill you."
And so she did - though rather uncomfortably. She didn't want to believe that she was sleeping in the same bed as James Potter, her long-time best friend. If a Professor were to show up...well, she didn't want to think of what the results of that might be. She tried not to think of the bad things, instead she turned her mind to the comfort and warmth of James. She had always wanted to be special to him - the one person he trusted most and though they were friends, she did not think of him as her Best Friend. Lily had always thought that the idea of having a Best Friend would be like...well, like heaven. As much as she'd love to be anything and everything James Potter needed, she knew she'd never achieve that.
James was simply thinking of the idea of Lily - beautiful, sweet Lily who'd never done him wrong and who he liked to tease. Lately, he was not sure of her - she seemed unhappy and distant (something about her family? or could it actually be him?). He knew something was wrong and he wanted to give comfort, to help - but when it came to the serious, sensitive things, words often failed James Potter. Whatever the reason - he found himself thinking that this was what it was like to hold Lily Evans in his very own arms, assuring her safety and protection in its most animalistic form. This was what he wanted to do, wanted to give comfort to the girl he (loved) cared for. She was such a nice girl.
Together, the two fell out of the blue and into the black.
Chapter Title: From "Sleep To Dream Her" by Dave Matthews Band: "She stares up at the stars when/the stars fell from her hair then/I bent down to collect them/and then she was gone/I sleep just to dream her/I beg the night just to see her/that my only love should be her/just to lie in her arms
"Seventeenth Summer" is by Maureen Daly and is not mine. *^^*