Only One Life to Love You
Rated: PG-13 for excessive language.
A/n: In response to a review, I know that Lily does seem really happy for being a manic-depressive. But that's how it works. You have violent mood swings; it turns itself off and on at random.
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Anger is a short madness.
~Horace
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Chapter 2- Committee Meeting
"Damnit!" Lily was in a foul mood. She'd been having the most wretched day. Must be because Ria got me up too early…she thought. Plus, she was late for that godforsaken meeting.
"Bloody professors getting me into this mess." She grumbled irritably as she burst through the door to the Charms class.
"How nice of you to join us, Ms. Evans." said Marion Bouska, a 7th year..
Lily gave "Little-Miss-Prissy" a sarcastic smile. "Yes, it was nice of me, wasn't it?"
"Marion scowled and directed her to a chair by James. "Good thing we were just starting. You didn't miss anything."
"Well good for me." Lily's voice clearly expresses her annoyance. But she took the seat and sat there sulking.
"James studied Lily's dark expression. He realized she was having one of her oh-so-famous black sulks. Best steer clear of her right now…he thought.
"As our first order of business…" started Thomas St. Claire, the self-appointed leader. "we will divide you into sub-committees that will be placed in charge of more specific details. Those committees will be music, decorations, food and general managing." He looked around.
All the while during this mini-speech, Lily's expression became blanker and blanker. She didn't look so good, in James's opinion.
Thomas ((a/n: it's the French pronunciation, so it sounds like "tome-a")) continued. "Naturally, Marion and myself will be in charge of management. Harry and Belle will take over music. Bill and Kim will take food and Lily and James shall have decora…" he was interrupted by Lily, who had taken out a bottle of pills.
She looked up. "What? They're Zoloft." She rattled the bottle. "Muggle anti-depressants."
Thomas gave her a patronizing look but continued anyway. "decorations. Since, I have noticed, we are I pairs of the same houses. It should be quite easy to accomplish things. If…" he looked pointedly at lily. "we all work together."
The 5th and 6th years nodded, Lily was too busy looking at her hands, obviously not giving a whit as to what was being said, and James was too busy looking at Lily.
"Mr. President" kept talking in the same annoying, nasal, monotone voice. "Now, I would like all of you to go back to your common rooms tonight and start working out rough outlines to be presented on Thursday. Understood?" More nods from the peanut gallery. "Good, you may go."
Before the words were even off his tongue, Lily was up and out the door with James trailing right behind. He could hear her muttering fervent curses to herself.
"Goddamn Prissy-boy, boss me around!" "Oh, Fuck this." "Bloody hell, this is ridiculous."
James came up behind her. "My sentiments exactly. Well spoken, Lily." He had a strange, sudden urge to befriend her after almost 3½ years of hatred.
"Why the bloody hell did Dumbledore put me on this gay thing?" She was obviously too pissed at other things to be mean to him. For once, he had no urge to rile her.
"Yeah, this is pretty gay."
"No kidding."
"But we might as well do it right, I don't want to have to listen to Thomas's annoying voice more than I have to."
"Yeah, guess you're right."
They reached the Fat Lady (lumpikins) and entered, Lily headed straight for her dorm.
"Wait, we have to work on this!" he called after her.
She sighed dejectedly. "Oh yeah… Let me get some ink and parchment and I'll be right back."
James sat down at one of the circle tables. He was utterly perplexed. Why all these sudden companionable feelings toward Lily? He was supposed to hate her! Why the change of heart? Oh my God! Was he… *gulp* maturing? It was too scary to comprehend.
Lily returned, bearing a black school bag. She had changed as well, he noticed. She was now dressed in baggy, black pajama pants, a light purple tank top and light purple socks.
She took the seat by him at the able and started pulling out rolls of parchment. Her pills must have kicked in because she looked at little better.
"What first?" he asked.
"I dunno…" she shrugged. "Let's just get some general ideas down."
He nodded and they set to work.
* * * *
An hour and a half later…
"What are you talking about? You can't put up black decoration!" James exclaimed. They'd been fighting like cats and dogs over the past hour about various things. He was exhausted.
"Why not!?!"
"It a Valentine's Day ball! Pink, red and white are the traditional colors!"
"But pink is soooo ugly!" Lily whined.
"Oh well!"
"Oh well my ass, James Potter! We are not putting up…" she had to struggle to say it.
"P-pink decorations!"
"We have to! It's tradition!"
"Well screw tradition!" she said fuming. "Since when am I traditional? Huh?"
He glared at her. "I never said you were! St. Claire'd kill us!"
"Like hell he's gonna touch me!"
The angry pair stood face-to-face, well actually face-to-chest considering Lily was almost a foot shorter than James, glaring daggers at each other.
Suddenly, James got a crazy urge to scoop her up and kiss her. It was uncontrollable, so he gave into it. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her full on the mouth.
At first she resisted, then she melted into it. Her fingers delved into the hair at the nape of his neck. The kiss seemed to last forever but it was over all too soon.
When they broke apart, they both had completely shocked looks on their faces. James's because he couldn't believe he'd kissed her and gotten away with it and Lily's because she couldn't believe she'd enjoyed it.
Out of nowhere, she said softly. "How about all white? That's the Chinese mourning color…"
He burst into laughter and hugged her to his chest. It felt so right…
* * * *
The next morning, Lily awoke with a floating sensation surrounding her body. She felt really light for some reason. And that reason was none other than James Potter.
I must be out of my mind… she thought. I'm supposed to hate him for Chrissakes! She shrugged, tugging on her socks and shoes. I will !not! fall for James Potter, I won't!
"I do hate him!" she told herself, though she didn't believe it. She sighed. "I really have gone out of my mind."
Lily grabbed her bag and headed for breakfast, shaking her head in disbelief.
* * * *
"You WHAT!?!?!?!?" Sirius shouted.
"Shhh….. kissed her… I dunno, it just happened."
Sirius was looking at him with a gaping mouth. "I can't believe it. Evans!? You'd think she would have slapped you silly afterwards."
James shrugged. He was just as confused about it as Sirius was. "Like I said, it just happened. But don't go telling anyone, okay? Lurlene'd skin me alive if she ever found out."
* * * *
The scene in the common room between Lily and James was a complete secret, so naturally school knew. James was in deep shit and he knew it. Lurlene would go after Lily and James didn't want that. The whole kiss had been him; Lily was just along for the ride.
He managed to avoid the dog pack until dinner; Lurlene marched straight up to him and smacked him across the face.
"How dare you humiliate me!"
"Easy." James was tired of her; he'd seen this same hissy fit a thousand times before.
"Why you…" James saw her face turn bright red, and her cheeks puff up like balloons. She smacked him again. He could feel the throbbing hand print on his face.
James noticed that a crowd had begun to gather around them. He was uneasy. Most of them would be on Lurlene's side and if he wasn't careful, he could very well find himself the victim of a gang beating.
He was so distracted that he didn't even see Lurlene pull out her wand until she yelled, "Furnunculus!" A jet of green light hit him full in the face, and giant mushrooms began popping out of his skin. It was worse than the wart potion "accident".
Professor McGonagall came bursting through the crowd and grabbed Lurlene's left wrist. Unfortunately, her wand hand was the right one.
"Engorgio!" She screamed, blinded by rage.
McGonagall began blowing up like a balloon. ((a/n: like Aunt Marge in PoA.)) She floated up off the floor, yelling like mad for someone to help her and flailing her now stubby arms and legs.
At that moment, Lily, unfortunate for her, walked in with Ria and Sara.
"You!" Lurlene was screaming like a banshee. "You little tramp! How dare you!" Lurlene pointed her wand at Lily furiously. "Diffindo!" the severing charm…
Lily quickly turned away, but alas, her long hair fanned out behind her and that's what the curse hit. Ria and Sara watched in horror as about twelve inches of gorgeous, blood-red tresses hit the floor. ((a/n: There you go Marion! Better?))
Lily looked at her hair then at Lurlene then back at her hair and finally, back at Lurlene. When she spoke her voice was cool, calm and collected. "Thanks, I was going to cut my hair anyway. You saved me the trouble." She grinned antagonistically.
Lurlene let out a ferocious howl. "Densaugeo!" Lily was unable to dodge the speeding beam of red light. It hit her in the middle of her face. Her hands went immediately up to cover her nose.
"That's enough! Expelliarmus!" A deep voice said from behind them. Lurlene's wand went flying right into the hands of Professor Kendall, the Potions master. "What are you doing!? Attacking a professor and two fellow students! That's a major no-no!" He grabbed Lurlene's arms and led her to the door. "I wonder what the headmaster will have to say about this." Kendall turned "Potter! Evans! Hospital Wing!"
* * * *
Two weeks passed and Lily was having a much better time of life than the past three years. It turns out, Lurlene got expelled for attacking a professor, and so she wasn't there to torment her and Ria. So, the dog pack dispersed and quit torturing her. Plus, her pills were finally working right and people stopped making snide comments to her as she passed in the hallways.
She was happier most of the time but there were still occasions when she sunk as deep down in the ditch as you could go. Despite herself, she began to look forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays, she was beginning to look forward to seeing James…
It was against all her self-imposed restrictions on herself. She was supposed to be the rebel damnit! Not some stupid ditz trailing after James Potter, Quidditch star. She was mad at herself for it.
She couldn't believe that her entire life had changed within the course of three days… Mind-boggling!
* * * *
"So we need, lots of red glitter, white and red lace, some disco balls…" Lily looked at James and shook her head. "Make sure you tell Mr. President that the disco balls were all you, okay?"
"Yeah, sure. Not a problem." He grinned.
She shook her head. "You're so messed up."
He grinned wider. "I know! You love me anyway…"
Lily snorted. "Keep telling yourself that. Just keep telling yourself that."
"I will!"
She smiled. "Anyway… what else did we need?"
"Uhh…. fog charms!"
"What? No! All that will accomplish is giving people more places to hide and snog!"
"Exactly my point, dear Evans."
"God, why can't you grow up?"
"Because I like being a child! More fun, less responsibility."
She shrugged. "That it?"
"That's all I can think of at the moment."
"Alrighty."
James looked at her. She was so cute when she wrinkled her nose like that. He decided after that first night that it was better to be nice to her than to be rude and have her knock you in the balls all the time.
She would be really gorgeous if she'd just take more care in her appearance. He could turn her into a real betty if she'd let him make her into one. He doubted that would ever happen though.
"Well… I think we're done for now. We can give the rest of this stuff to Tommy on Thursday, kay?"
"Okay…"
He watched her disappear up the stairs, and smiled. She wasn't as bad-ass as she tried to pretend she was. She's my new mission… he thought to himself. She sure is…
A/n: So? What'd ya'll think? I know the romance thing came a little fats but just wait… I have so many twists in this story that you'll never know which way's up. Hehe. I love all you people who reviewed! You're all such sweetie's!
BE A RESPONSIBLE READER AND REVIEW!!!