Chapter 8: Together Again?
Lily pulled away quickly, but reluctantly. She looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face, not quite knowing what to say. She pursed her lips.
"James--" was all that she could say.
"Lily...I'm sorry...I didn't mean...I don't know why--" James said quickly, looking at his feet. After a moment, Lily's brain seemed to go back into working order.
"Just what were you thinking?" she asked. "What were you doing?"
"I--I don't know..." James said, his voice trailing.
"But James! We're not together anymore! You *know* that!"
"I know, Lily! I know."
"Well if you *knew* that then why did you kiss me?"
"....Because I miss you, Lily." Lily raised her eyebrows.
"Huh--"
"I said I miss you! I'm sorry for what happened last year but you won't take sorry for an answer!"
"James--I miss you too."
"What?"
"I miss you. But as I've said before...I'm not sure if I'm *ready* or not."
"Well you sure seemed ready when you kissed me."
"WHAT? *YOU* KISSED *ME*!"
"But you kissed me back," he said quietly. Lily flushed.
"Yes, I did."
"And did you like it?"
"Erm...yeah, I--I did."
"Fireworks?"
"Yeah." They laughed. Lily sighed, then stood up quickly.
"James! McGonagall! Curfew!" Lily whispered hoarsley. James stood up and grabbed the invisibility cloak, wrapping it around them both. They made their way to the castle and to the common room. Lily threw herself into a chair, panting.
"So...how long're we gonna pretend nothing happened?" James asked, sitting in front of the fire.
"I d'nno. But we better decide what we're going to do about this," Lily replied.
"Well, I think we should--"
"I know what *you* think," she snapped. "Sorry," she added.
" 'S okay. Well then...what d'you think we should do?"
"I'm not entirely sure...I'm debating between get back together...or just be friends...but I'm not sure we can be *just friends* after that...display."
"So...so what're you saying?" James asked, a hint of eagerness in his voice.
"Well...I'll probably regret this later...but...er...I think we should--should get back together." Lily couldn't help but grin at James's excited face. She stood up, brushing hair out of her face and yawning.
"I'm going to bed now. G'night, James," she said, swooping down and pecking him on the lips. Then, she turned around and walked up the stone staircase to the girls' dormitories. James, still grinning, stood up also, and went up to his dormitory
* * * * * *
Lily got up the next morning feeling happy and refreshed. The nasty rumours about her and James had stopped, and no one knew that they were back together. Not that it wasn't a secret, Lily could've told anyone she wanted. But she *felt* as though it were a secret, for some odd reason. With that thought inside her, she got dressed and flounced into the common room.
"Good morning! How *is* everyone?" Lily asked cheerfully. Sirius looked at her as though fearful for her sanity, Remus arched an eyebrow, Ruby had a puzzled expression on her face, and James just grinned like an idiot.
"Lily...are you taking the mickey?"(A/N did I spell that right?) Sirius asked her. Lily laughed and sat down beside James.
"James--what's going on with her? Tell me she's not drunk," Remus said. He was looking rather pale and peaky.
"No," James laughed. "Honestly, I have no idea what's wrong with her." Lily was now laughing manicaly.
"Lily...it's okay...just calm down...we'll take you to Madam Pomfrey," Ruby said slowly. "Did she like, get in the way of a bad Cheering Charm or something?"
"Phew...I'm okay...no, seriously Sirius...I'm just...so...happy!" Lily said, panting from laughing so hard. Sirius now looked horrified. Lily looked over James's shoulder, grinning. Professor McGonagall was striding across the common room to them.
"Potter, Evans, there's a prefect meeting on the fourth floor, you're expected to attend. Why *are* you smiling so much, Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall said. Lily's mouth hurt from grinning but she just couldn't stop.
"She's taking the mickey, Professor," Sirius told her.
"Am not!" said Lily, still grinning. She reached over James and hit Sirius hard in the shoulder.
"Anyway...come along, you two, you're needed for the meeting," Professor McGonagall said strangely, still looking at Lily. James and Lily stood up and followed Professor McGonagall out of the portrait hole, holding hands.
"So *that's* what it's about!" Sirius said, now grinning himself. Ruby smiled fondly at Remus, who returned it weakly.
"What's the matter, Remus? Don't you feel well?" Ruby asked, eyes full of concern.
"No, I don't feel well, now that you mention it," he said tiredly.
* * * * * *
"Well...this meeting is to talk over any ideas for activities that the school can participate in," Professor McGonagall informed them. Lily and James sat at the head of the table while the prefects sat on the sides.
"I have some ideas, Professor McGonagall!" Lily spoke, waving her hand in the air.
"Yes, Miss Evans?"
"I thought that we could have a Christmas Ball...around Chritsmas, you know...and then maybe for Halloween we could...have sort of a trick-or-treat sort of thing around Hogsmeade with the first and second years, and the prefects and heads could keep an eye out for them, or something," she said, not stopping for breath.
"An excellent idea! Well? Prefects, start copying this down!" Professor McGonagall snapped. Prefects began franticaly taking notes.
"I also thought we could have an Easter Egg Hunt for the whole school--I know, a bit childish...but fun all the same. And maybe for the end-of-term--"
"Potter," Professor McGonagall said suddenly, making everyone jump. "Have *you* any ideas for what we might do, or are all these Miss Evan's ideas?"
"I erm--"
"He helped me," Lily interupted, "with the Easter idea. We thought of it right after we er--served detention with you, Professor."
"Yes, very well. Now, the dates of the next Hogsmeade weekend..." Professor McGonagall droned on about the dates of Hogsmeade and the conduct to be followed on trips there. James's hand found Lily's under the table and grasped it.
"...On the thirteenth. Any questions?" Professor McGonagall said. Several sleeping prefects jumped in alarm. They all shook their heads. "Alright then, you're dismissed." Lily and James stood up and started to walk out the door.
"Evans, Potter, sit," Professor McGonagall said, her back turned to them. Lily and James sat back down, exchanging glances.
"As Head Boy and Girl, you two must organize the events in question. The headmaster has been informed about the activities to take place--"
"How does he know? We've only just had the meeting--" spoke up James.
"--And as Halloween is next week," Professor McGonagall continued as though she hadn't heard him, "you two need to begin organizing to trick-or-treating. I expect you two know what you are doing. Now, out!" Lily and James stood up again and exited the room.
"Seemed worked up about something, didn't she?" Lily said absently as they waited for the staircase to connect with the fifth floor.
"Yeah, I wonder what about," James replied. They climbed the Grand Staircase to the seventh floor and approached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Pixie Dust," Lily said to the portrait as it swung open. Lily climbed through the portrait, followed by James.
"SURPRISE!"
Lily pulled away quickly, but reluctantly. She looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face, not quite knowing what to say. She pursed her lips.
"James--" was all that she could say.
"Lily...I'm sorry...I didn't mean...I don't know why--" James said quickly, looking at his feet. After a moment, Lily's brain seemed to go back into working order.
"Just what were you thinking?" she asked. "What were you doing?"
"I--I don't know..." James said, his voice trailing.
"But James! We're not together anymore! You *know* that!"
"I know, Lily! I know."
"Well if you *knew* that then why did you kiss me?"
"....Because I miss you, Lily." Lily raised her eyebrows.
"Huh--"
"I said I miss you! I'm sorry for what happened last year but you won't take sorry for an answer!"
"James--I miss you too."
"What?"
"I miss you. But as I've said before...I'm not sure if I'm *ready* or not."
"Well you sure seemed ready when you kissed me."
"WHAT? *YOU* KISSED *ME*!"
"But you kissed me back," he said quietly. Lily flushed.
"Yes, I did."
"And did you like it?"
"Erm...yeah, I--I did."
"Fireworks?"
"Yeah." They laughed. Lily sighed, then stood up quickly.
"James! McGonagall! Curfew!" Lily whispered hoarsley. James stood up and grabbed the invisibility cloak, wrapping it around them both. They made their way to the castle and to the common room. Lily threw herself into a chair, panting.
"So...how long're we gonna pretend nothing happened?" James asked, sitting in front of the fire.
"I d'nno. But we better decide what we're going to do about this," Lily replied.
"Well, I think we should--"
"I know what *you* think," she snapped. "Sorry," she added.
" 'S okay. Well then...what d'you think we should do?"
"I'm not entirely sure...I'm debating between get back together...or just be friends...but I'm not sure we can be *just friends* after that...display."
"So...so what're you saying?" James asked, a hint of eagerness in his voice.
"Well...I'll probably regret this later...but...er...I think we should--should get back together." Lily couldn't help but grin at James's excited face. She stood up, brushing hair out of her face and yawning.
"I'm going to bed now. G'night, James," she said, swooping down and pecking him on the lips. Then, she turned around and walked up the stone staircase to the girls' dormitories. James, still grinning, stood up also, and went up to his dormitory
* * * * * *
Lily got up the next morning feeling happy and refreshed. The nasty rumours about her and James had stopped, and no one knew that they were back together. Not that it wasn't a secret, Lily could've told anyone she wanted. But she *felt* as though it were a secret, for some odd reason. With that thought inside her, she got dressed and flounced into the common room.
"Good morning! How *is* everyone?" Lily asked cheerfully. Sirius looked at her as though fearful for her sanity, Remus arched an eyebrow, Ruby had a puzzled expression on her face, and James just grinned like an idiot.
"Lily...are you taking the mickey?"(A/N did I spell that right?) Sirius asked her. Lily laughed and sat down beside James.
"James--what's going on with her? Tell me she's not drunk," Remus said. He was looking rather pale and peaky.
"No," James laughed. "Honestly, I have no idea what's wrong with her." Lily was now laughing manicaly.
"Lily...it's okay...just calm down...we'll take you to Madam Pomfrey," Ruby said slowly. "Did she like, get in the way of a bad Cheering Charm or something?"
"Phew...I'm okay...no, seriously Sirius...I'm just...so...happy!" Lily said, panting from laughing so hard. Sirius now looked horrified. Lily looked over James's shoulder, grinning. Professor McGonagall was striding across the common room to them.
"Potter, Evans, there's a prefect meeting on the fourth floor, you're expected to attend. Why *are* you smiling so much, Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall said. Lily's mouth hurt from grinning but she just couldn't stop.
"She's taking the mickey, Professor," Sirius told her.
"Am not!" said Lily, still grinning. She reached over James and hit Sirius hard in the shoulder.
"Anyway...come along, you two, you're needed for the meeting," Professor McGonagall said strangely, still looking at Lily. James and Lily stood up and followed Professor McGonagall out of the portrait hole, holding hands.
"So *that's* what it's about!" Sirius said, now grinning himself. Ruby smiled fondly at Remus, who returned it weakly.
"What's the matter, Remus? Don't you feel well?" Ruby asked, eyes full of concern.
"No, I don't feel well, now that you mention it," he said tiredly.
* * * * * *
"Well...this meeting is to talk over any ideas for activities that the school can participate in," Professor McGonagall informed them. Lily and James sat at the head of the table while the prefects sat on the sides.
"I have some ideas, Professor McGonagall!" Lily spoke, waving her hand in the air.
"Yes, Miss Evans?"
"I thought that we could have a Christmas Ball...around Chritsmas, you know...and then maybe for Halloween we could...have sort of a trick-or-treat sort of thing around Hogsmeade with the first and second years, and the prefects and heads could keep an eye out for them, or something," she said, not stopping for breath.
"An excellent idea! Well? Prefects, start copying this down!" Professor McGonagall snapped. Prefects began franticaly taking notes.
"I also thought we could have an Easter Egg Hunt for the whole school--I know, a bit childish...but fun all the same. And maybe for the end-of-term--"
"Potter," Professor McGonagall said suddenly, making everyone jump. "Have *you* any ideas for what we might do, or are all these Miss Evan's ideas?"
"I erm--"
"He helped me," Lily interupted, "with the Easter idea. We thought of it right after we er--served detention with you, Professor."
"Yes, very well. Now, the dates of the next Hogsmeade weekend..." Professor McGonagall droned on about the dates of Hogsmeade and the conduct to be followed on trips there. James's hand found Lily's under the table and grasped it.
"...On the thirteenth. Any questions?" Professor McGonagall said. Several sleeping prefects jumped in alarm. They all shook their heads. "Alright then, you're dismissed." Lily and James stood up and started to walk out the door.
"Evans, Potter, sit," Professor McGonagall said, her back turned to them. Lily and James sat back down, exchanging glances.
"As Head Boy and Girl, you two must organize the events in question. The headmaster has been informed about the activities to take place--"
"How does he know? We've only just had the meeting--" spoke up James.
"--And as Halloween is next week," Professor McGonagall continued as though she hadn't heard him, "you two need to begin organizing to trick-or-treating. I expect you two know what you are doing. Now, out!" Lily and James stood up again and exited the room.
"Seemed worked up about something, didn't she?" Lily said absently as they waited for the staircase to connect with the fifth floor.
"Yeah, I wonder what about," James replied. They climbed the Grand Staircase to the seventh floor and approached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Pixie Dust," Lily said to the portrait as it swung open. Lily climbed through the portrait, followed by James.
"SURPRISE!"