Part 3-
Lily fell asleep to the rain beating on the roof. Her head in her pillow and a little bit of drool coming from her open mouth she kicked her legs in the bed as she ran throught he Forbidden forest in her dream. She didn't know what was behind her but she kept running. It kept making a clicking noise, like something tapping something else. Lily realized it wasn't in her dream that she heard the tapping when the forest faded away and all she saw was the inside of her eyelids.
Grumbling, she threw her legs over her bed and opened her eyes sleepily. The tapping continued and she turned in the dark room, only lit by the moon, to figure it out. She checked the faucet for a leak, but that wasn't it. She looked for Trina's cat, Biddle, he was asleep. She then turned around to the window. There was a rock, falling from the window and then, moments later, it came back and hit the window again. Lily shuffled slowly to it and looked out at the rain drenched grounds. Then the rock hit the window again and she looked down, there stood James.
As extremely confusing as it was she pushed the glass window open and the volume of the rain went up so loud, she thought she might have waken her dorm-mates. She hadn't. After turning from them to the outside she saw James, straining his neck and looking up at her. He smiled.
"James!" Lily called as loud as she could without waking them up. The back of her head getting soaked. He waved. "James, it's raining." She said and he nodded.
"I know." He shouted.
"I know you know, but why are you out in the rain?" She said.
"I needed to talk to you and I couldn't come into the girls dorm." The reason he wasn't aloud in the girls dorm was because two weeks before, Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, had set a password on the door to both the girls and boys dorm in the Gryffindor tower. This was because Nigela Parsons had snuck into Quincy Matthew's dormitory and the two had, well, I'm sure you know. Not wanting any pregnant students on their hands, Professor Dumbledore put the passoword in the Gryffindor dorm sides. He might have done so for the other houses, but Lily did not know.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Meet me in Kent's classroom!" He shouted and ran away.
Lily watched him run until he was out of sight behind the next tower. Lily shook her head and grabbed her lantern. She wasn't accustomed to sneaking around. She'd done it before, but no more than twice. It was difficult and Lily wasn't quite sure if she wanted to go. She most certainly didn't understand why James had beat on her window in the rain for God knows how long. Lily came down the stairs muttering to herself that if James Potter got her into trouble she would kick him in the groin.
"You oughten't be so loud." Murmered a painting. Lily waved him off, irritated, and went back to her thoughts, biting her thumb.
"Get that thing out of your mouth." She heard. Wheeling around, there stood James, soaked from head to toe, utterly joyous. A smile beaming from his wet face and his bright eyes shinging from behind his glasses that were speckled with water. Lily quickly removed her thumb from her mouth and stuck it in her pocket and pretended to ignore his comment.
"What do you want?" She asked leaning against the door, which she now realized was to Professor Kent's classroom (as James had asked of her).
"I'm having family issues." He said, his smile fading a little. "Let's go in here." He said and moved his hand to the doorknob. Lily jumped back when his hand came near hers and he looked up at her with confusion. "Just opening the door..." He said and walked on in. Lily cursed herself mentally and followed suit.
"Alright, Lil, how are you?" He asked and sat on the floor. Lily looked down at him like he was crazy and he patted the floor across from him, calling her to sit down.
"I'm cold, tired, and not about to sit on the floor." She said and grabbed the nearest chair and sat it in the spot James had indicated. He rolled his eyes and looked up at her.
"Lily, I wanted to talk to you. I know you and I aren't very good friends, but I like you. I think you're a really nice girl and I feel like I can trust you. But I'm having familial problems and I just was needing someone to talk to. If you're that tired you can go on back to bed." He said sympathetically, like he was now here to help her. She cracked a smile and looked down at him.
"What's the trouble?" She asked and leaned down, resting her elbows on her knees.
"It's weird. My dad, he's well, everyone knows my dad. Thomas Potter. He's done everything and well, I feel like I have to live up to that." He shrugged a little but went on, uncomfortably tugging at his shoelace. "And he's not helping with this idea I have. He's always asking me about my training in Quidditch and how he thinks Frank Fodsworth has no idea how to captain a Quidditch team. Then he asks me about school and gives these backhanded compliments like 'It's amazing how much work you can do without trying.' And soon it's going to be Christmas." He said. Lily stopped him.
"It's October, James." She said.
"I know, but it's soon enough. By November they'll have planned for me to come home for the break. I really don't want to because I don't like home. Home and I don't get along." He said and shook his head.
"Well, what about your mother?"
"Mom? She's no better. She just sits back and sighs everytime I ask to do something that sounds fun. 'Mom, can I got to Sirius's house a little while?' 'Oh, I suppose.' I suppose. Hah! It sounds to me like I'm bothering her to even speak, let alone ask to do something." Lily was astonished at how much he was opening up to her. It was crazy.
"Lily, I'm trusting that you won't tell anyone about this." He said suddenly. Lily nodded.
"I wouldn't. This is private." By then Lily was on the floor, sitting next to him, listening and caring.
"I mean, it's stupid, right? That I care so much what my parents say and do?" Lily shook her head. "I'm glad you see it that way. I'm really glad we're doing this." She smiled at him.
Then, something totally unexpected happened. Professor Kent came in the door with a stack of papers, humming a tune. Bobbing his bald head, and adjusting his glasses he read his papers without looking up. Lily and James sat stunned on the middle of the floor, in clear sight of their Arthrimancy teacher, but just stayed still. He sat at his desk and turned on a light. The shadow, cast from the lamp, of Lily and James on the floor got his attention.
"What in the name of Merlin do you two think you are doing?!" He shouted and shot up out of his chair. He came around his desk and just stared, flabberghasted, waiting for a response. Neither one could think of an excuse for why they were sprawled on the floor together. James hopped up off the floor in suprise and stammered, trying to think of an excuse. Professor Kent leaned on his knuckles on his desk and peered down at them over his glasses.
"Evans!? What? Potter, go see the headmaster now!"
"But it's not what it looks like." She fumbled with her legs as she tried to push herself off the floor. Kent kept glowering at them menacingly.
"Both of you go-"
"Professor, I swear, it's nothing!" Lily pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes, she'd never felt like she was in so much trouble before. James stood in the open space between the door and Lily, watching her face and arms turn red with anger and fear.
Kent looked into her face, (not at her) and stared for a moment, his bald spot shining in the moon light. His gaze went sharply to James. The three stood silently, two waiting for the other to cast his verdict.
"Detention, next Friday. No need to tell the headmaster why, but yes, definetely detention for being out past curfew." Lily breathed a sigh of relief and wiped a big tear from under her eye that the other occupants of the room hadn't noticed. "Go on to bed, now." He beckoned and the two left, walking down the hall in a hurry, but silently.
As they ascended the stairs to the floor above Kent's classroom James started laughing and slapped Lily on the back.
"What the hell was that?" She asked, in complete shock.
"Good job, with the crying and stuff." He said. Apparently, her tears hadn't gone unnoticed.
"That wasn't fake if that's what you're insinuating." Lily stood and crossed her arms across her chest.
"Oh." He said, feeling like a complete heel, he ground his foot into the floor and looked up at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"Yeah, well, James." She said, at a loss for words. "I don't get into trouble." They started walking again. "I'm just trying to keep myself from-"
"It's ok, you don't have to explain it." He said and smiled at her. "Why would anyone WANT to get in trouble. That's the most idiotic thing I can imagine. Although, I could see Sirius trying to get some extra hours with Professor Perkins." He said with a mutual laugh between the two.
"Don't let Ruth hear that."
"She REALLY doesn't like her aunt does she?"
"I don't know, Ruth's a kook."
"I think she's a nice girl." They were at the portrait hole.
"She is." Lily said, nothing much else to say in response. James told the Fat Lady the password and she swung open her door. Lily stood back and waited for James to go. They both stood there momentarily and then James smiled a little.
"Go ahead, ladies first." He said. She blushed a little and went through the hole.
"You know what I think?" Lily whispered behind her to James. "I think that the whole 'ladies first' thing is just a way for guys to look at a girl's butt." They laughed together and then James stopped laughing suddenly.
"I wasn't trying to do that." He said.
"I didn't think you were." She reassured. They were in the common room now, the fire's glow warmed James up. He was still in his wet clothes.
"Thanks for letting me bounce off you." He said.
"Oh, it's nothing." She replyed. An akward silence mingled in the air and finally Lily waved and bid him good-night. They went to their respective dorms, each thanking any deity they could think of that no one else knew.
{A/N: Knew what? I know that's what you're thinking. I couldn't figure out a way to literarilly word it but I figured hey! you'll read the author's notes. No one knew about what had happened in professor Kent's room or else everyone would think 'oh lily and james are having a secret love affair'. they aren't...yet BWAHAHAHAHA}
Lily fell asleep to the rain beating on the roof. Her head in her pillow and a little bit of drool coming from her open mouth she kicked her legs in the bed as she ran throught he Forbidden forest in her dream. She didn't know what was behind her but she kept running. It kept making a clicking noise, like something tapping something else. Lily realized it wasn't in her dream that she heard the tapping when the forest faded away and all she saw was the inside of her eyelids.
Grumbling, she threw her legs over her bed and opened her eyes sleepily. The tapping continued and she turned in the dark room, only lit by the moon, to figure it out. She checked the faucet for a leak, but that wasn't it. She looked for Trina's cat, Biddle, he was asleep. She then turned around to the window. There was a rock, falling from the window and then, moments later, it came back and hit the window again. Lily shuffled slowly to it and looked out at the rain drenched grounds. Then the rock hit the window again and she looked down, there stood James.
As extremely confusing as it was she pushed the glass window open and the volume of the rain went up so loud, she thought she might have waken her dorm-mates. She hadn't. After turning from them to the outside she saw James, straining his neck and looking up at her. He smiled.
"James!" Lily called as loud as she could without waking them up. The back of her head getting soaked. He waved. "James, it's raining." She said and he nodded.
"I know." He shouted.
"I know you know, but why are you out in the rain?" She said.
"I needed to talk to you and I couldn't come into the girls dorm." The reason he wasn't aloud in the girls dorm was because two weeks before, Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, had set a password on the door to both the girls and boys dorm in the Gryffindor tower. This was because Nigela Parsons had snuck into Quincy Matthew's dormitory and the two had, well, I'm sure you know. Not wanting any pregnant students on their hands, Professor Dumbledore put the passoword in the Gryffindor dorm sides. He might have done so for the other houses, but Lily did not know.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Meet me in Kent's classroom!" He shouted and ran away.
Lily watched him run until he was out of sight behind the next tower. Lily shook her head and grabbed her lantern. She wasn't accustomed to sneaking around. She'd done it before, but no more than twice. It was difficult and Lily wasn't quite sure if she wanted to go. She most certainly didn't understand why James had beat on her window in the rain for God knows how long. Lily came down the stairs muttering to herself that if James Potter got her into trouble she would kick him in the groin.
"You oughten't be so loud." Murmered a painting. Lily waved him off, irritated, and went back to her thoughts, biting her thumb.
"Get that thing out of your mouth." She heard. Wheeling around, there stood James, soaked from head to toe, utterly joyous. A smile beaming from his wet face and his bright eyes shinging from behind his glasses that were speckled with water. Lily quickly removed her thumb from her mouth and stuck it in her pocket and pretended to ignore his comment.
"What do you want?" She asked leaning against the door, which she now realized was to Professor Kent's classroom (as James had asked of her).
"I'm having family issues." He said, his smile fading a little. "Let's go in here." He said and moved his hand to the doorknob. Lily jumped back when his hand came near hers and he looked up at her with confusion. "Just opening the door..." He said and walked on in. Lily cursed herself mentally and followed suit.
"Alright, Lil, how are you?" He asked and sat on the floor. Lily looked down at him like he was crazy and he patted the floor across from him, calling her to sit down.
"I'm cold, tired, and not about to sit on the floor." She said and grabbed the nearest chair and sat it in the spot James had indicated. He rolled his eyes and looked up at her.
"Lily, I wanted to talk to you. I know you and I aren't very good friends, but I like you. I think you're a really nice girl and I feel like I can trust you. But I'm having familial problems and I just was needing someone to talk to. If you're that tired you can go on back to bed." He said sympathetically, like he was now here to help her. She cracked a smile and looked down at him.
"What's the trouble?" She asked and leaned down, resting her elbows on her knees.
"It's weird. My dad, he's well, everyone knows my dad. Thomas Potter. He's done everything and well, I feel like I have to live up to that." He shrugged a little but went on, uncomfortably tugging at his shoelace. "And he's not helping with this idea I have. He's always asking me about my training in Quidditch and how he thinks Frank Fodsworth has no idea how to captain a Quidditch team. Then he asks me about school and gives these backhanded compliments like 'It's amazing how much work you can do without trying.' And soon it's going to be Christmas." He said. Lily stopped him.
"It's October, James." She said.
"I know, but it's soon enough. By November they'll have planned for me to come home for the break. I really don't want to because I don't like home. Home and I don't get along." He said and shook his head.
"Well, what about your mother?"
"Mom? She's no better. She just sits back and sighs everytime I ask to do something that sounds fun. 'Mom, can I got to Sirius's house a little while?' 'Oh, I suppose.' I suppose. Hah! It sounds to me like I'm bothering her to even speak, let alone ask to do something." Lily was astonished at how much he was opening up to her. It was crazy.
"Lily, I'm trusting that you won't tell anyone about this." He said suddenly. Lily nodded.
"I wouldn't. This is private." By then Lily was on the floor, sitting next to him, listening and caring.
"I mean, it's stupid, right? That I care so much what my parents say and do?" Lily shook her head. "I'm glad you see it that way. I'm really glad we're doing this." She smiled at him.
Then, something totally unexpected happened. Professor Kent came in the door with a stack of papers, humming a tune. Bobbing his bald head, and adjusting his glasses he read his papers without looking up. Lily and James sat stunned on the middle of the floor, in clear sight of their Arthrimancy teacher, but just stayed still. He sat at his desk and turned on a light. The shadow, cast from the lamp, of Lily and James on the floor got his attention.
"What in the name of Merlin do you two think you are doing?!" He shouted and shot up out of his chair. He came around his desk and just stared, flabberghasted, waiting for a response. Neither one could think of an excuse for why they were sprawled on the floor together. James hopped up off the floor in suprise and stammered, trying to think of an excuse. Professor Kent leaned on his knuckles on his desk and peered down at them over his glasses.
"Evans!? What? Potter, go see the headmaster now!"
"But it's not what it looks like." She fumbled with her legs as she tried to push herself off the floor. Kent kept glowering at them menacingly.
"Both of you go-"
"Professor, I swear, it's nothing!" Lily pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes, she'd never felt like she was in so much trouble before. James stood in the open space between the door and Lily, watching her face and arms turn red with anger and fear.
Kent looked into her face, (not at her) and stared for a moment, his bald spot shining in the moon light. His gaze went sharply to James. The three stood silently, two waiting for the other to cast his verdict.
"Detention, next Friday. No need to tell the headmaster why, but yes, definetely detention for being out past curfew." Lily breathed a sigh of relief and wiped a big tear from under her eye that the other occupants of the room hadn't noticed. "Go on to bed, now." He beckoned and the two left, walking down the hall in a hurry, but silently.
As they ascended the stairs to the floor above Kent's classroom James started laughing and slapped Lily on the back.
"What the hell was that?" She asked, in complete shock.
"Good job, with the crying and stuff." He said. Apparently, her tears hadn't gone unnoticed.
"That wasn't fake if that's what you're insinuating." Lily stood and crossed her arms across her chest.
"Oh." He said, feeling like a complete heel, he ground his foot into the floor and looked up at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"Yeah, well, James." She said, at a loss for words. "I don't get into trouble." They started walking again. "I'm just trying to keep myself from-"
"It's ok, you don't have to explain it." He said and smiled at her. "Why would anyone WANT to get in trouble. That's the most idiotic thing I can imagine. Although, I could see Sirius trying to get some extra hours with Professor Perkins." He said with a mutual laugh between the two.
"Don't let Ruth hear that."
"She REALLY doesn't like her aunt does she?"
"I don't know, Ruth's a kook."
"I think she's a nice girl." They were at the portrait hole.
"She is." Lily said, nothing much else to say in response. James told the Fat Lady the password and she swung open her door. Lily stood back and waited for James to go. They both stood there momentarily and then James smiled a little.
"Go ahead, ladies first." He said. She blushed a little and went through the hole.
"You know what I think?" Lily whispered behind her to James. "I think that the whole 'ladies first' thing is just a way for guys to look at a girl's butt." They laughed together and then James stopped laughing suddenly.
"I wasn't trying to do that." He said.
"I didn't think you were." She reassured. They were in the common room now, the fire's glow warmed James up. He was still in his wet clothes.
"Thanks for letting me bounce off you." He said.
"Oh, it's nothing." She replyed. An akward silence mingled in the air and finally Lily waved and bid him good-night. They went to their respective dorms, each thanking any deity they could think of that no one else knew.
{A/N: Knew what? I know that's what you're thinking. I couldn't figure out a way to literarilly word it but I figured hey! you'll read the author's notes. No one knew about what had happened in professor Kent's room or else everyone would think 'oh lily and james are having a secret love affair'. they aren't...yet BWAHAHAHAHA}
