I walked over to the door. I never really looked serious about leaving, and he knew that. He always did let me have my tantrums and I loved and hated him for it. But then, that's how it was with everything about James.
"Ugh! How do you always know that I'm not going to leave?" I turned around just as upset with myself as I was with him five minutes earlier. He grinned his Cheshire Cat grin, which I felt just as contradictory about and came over to me.
"You said it yourself one day. You don't remember?" He searched my eyes as he came up and took the books out of my hand. "You said, and I quote, 'James, I'll never let you get the better of me. It's just tutoring, therefore, you're not going to get under my skin.' I imagine that's probably it. You don't have it in you to actually let yourself get that mad at me." As much as he was my friend, our relationship had always been one that consisted of witty banter back and forth. It only developed beyond that after he had asked me for help with his schoolwork. So for the past two months, almost every single Sunday night, I've been up in the boys' dorms, ready to walk out.
"I did say that didn't I? Hmm, well, maybe I do have it in me." We both knew I wasn't going anywhere. He knew it especially. I, on the other hand, still entertained the notion that I had it in me to do anything and he was being such a jackass that I should walk out, despite the promise I made to help him. Whenever that thought came up-the promise-that's when my resolve would start to diminish. I would doubt my exasperation. I would start to ask myself if I really was that angry? If it hadn't gotten to points like this before and I was able to handle myself? And the same answers always came back to me. I was always able to keep my self-control. I was always an easygoing person; not too many people were able to get a rise out of me. That is, until I met James. Not that I didn't enjoy his company. The bickering was a nice change from what I always got. I never had a problem with anyone, therefore, no one had a problem with me. This made life very boring. James was a fresh breeze that was greatly appreciated-sometimes.
"Well, maybe...I didn't really mean what I said and I'm sorry." He batted his eyelashes and gave me a puppy-dog face. "C'mon Lil, you know I'm only kidding around with you. Do we really have to go through this EVERY Sunday?" Now this I found funny. It was his fault that it got to this point every week. He knew it just as much as I did. I smirked slightly at his annoyed tone.
"Who are you to get annoyed with this newly instated ritual? Honestly, you are the reason that I go for the door every week. You should know that. Every week you touch a nerve. If you really wanted to stop this, then you would just act...normal for once. I don't think a day has gone by where you and I have had a conversation that didn't involve repartee." This blazed my anger again, and I turned to reach for the door. My efforts were thwarted by James leaning all his weight on the door.
"Aw, Lily, you know I'm only messing around with you, though. That's why I do it. I can't do this with anyone else. I don't know any other girls in the whole of this school who would even be able to put up with my constant quips, never mind come back with a snappy retort. That's what I love. I just thought it was amazing that I found someone who could keep up,' He came close and whispered, "but if you really want me to stop, then I'll stop." I didn't know what to say. I did enjoy the jesting; it kept me on my toes. But sometimes it got to be too much.
"Ok, to be honest, James, sometimes...it's a little too much. I mean, I enjoy our mental combat too, but you always take it too far, or you say something that's just out of line." I figured honesty was the best policy. He nodded patronizingly and this only made me angrier. "And your condescension is unbearable sometimes. It makes me feel like you have to take it easy on me because I'm a girl, because I can't handle it. Well this may be true, I can't handle it sometimes, but maybe that's because you're just a full-blown jackass!" This caught him off guard so I was able to open the door and make my way out. Did I really have a reason to be that mad? If you knew James, and how he constantly belittled people, then you would've been sick of it by then too.
I made my way down to the common room where I flopped down into a chair, angry with myself for letting him get the better of me and angry at James for just...being James as usual. It really was quite silly for me to let him do that but I had had enough. I ripped open my potions text and collected myself. I leafed through the pages until I came to where I had folded the essay that I was in the middle of. I began to get lost in the different kinds of mushrooms used in a certain kind of potion when I looked up. It had been two hours already. I smiled inwardly at the fact that no matter how upset I got with James the wonderful thing was that I didn't care enough to let it keep me from doing other things. Unfortunately, that was sometimes a double-edged sword.
"You still mad at me?"
I didn't expect to here that voice, nor was I prepared to ignore it so my initial response was, "Angry about what?...Oh..Oh! Well, yes, James you really did piss me off." Since I didn't really sound pissed to begin with, it didn't work.
"Right, that's why you couldn't even remember why you would be mad at me." He smirked at me and I couldn't help but smile, even though I was a bit annoyed. He got up from the chair he had set himself in and came over to sit next to me. "C'mon Lily, I didn't mean to look condescending. I took what you said to heart, I swear. I do realize that I get a little carried away sometimes. You're not the first person to tell me this. Hell, even Sirius tells me this and he's worse than I am usually." He rested his head on my shoulder. He never was this affectionate usually, but I guess he saw that he had really ticked me off this time.
"No, no. The whole puppy-dog routine doesn't fly with me buddy. I would appreciate it if you would stop trying to win me over with affection." I looked down to see him looking up from my shoulder, his head tilted. He really did look cute, but he was a jackass, first and foremost. He wrapped his arms around me and sighed.
"I don't know what you're talking about Lily. What do you mean, win you over with affection? I know you would never be swayed to anything so juvenile." This was all new to me. James and I were never even friends before this school year. I started to feel a little uncomfortable, which I was so thankful for since it kept me from becoming a giddy girl soaking up any and all attention thrown her way. I sat back, making his head fall from my shoulder. I thought this would deter him, but he only grinned widely.
"Look Lil, I'm sorry for what was said and what I did. We still on for next week?" After a moment of feigning consideration, I nodded. "Oh, good. I'm so glad. I think I'm going to be up to bed now. Thanks for an interesting night." With that he gave me a hug and made his way upstairs. I furrowed my brow in anger. Why did I feel that way? I was a young woman. Seventeen years old. Women didn't entertain girly notions and silly thoughts that I was trying to keep from running through me. I shook it out of me and glanced at the clock again. I decided that it was rather late for a Sunday night and I would have to continue the essay tomorrow.
"Ugh! How do you always know that I'm not going to leave?" I turned around just as upset with myself as I was with him five minutes earlier. He grinned his Cheshire Cat grin, which I felt just as contradictory about and came over to me.
"You said it yourself one day. You don't remember?" He searched my eyes as he came up and took the books out of my hand. "You said, and I quote, 'James, I'll never let you get the better of me. It's just tutoring, therefore, you're not going to get under my skin.' I imagine that's probably it. You don't have it in you to actually let yourself get that mad at me." As much as he was my friend, our relationship had always been one that consisted of witty banter back and forth. It only developed beyond that after he had asked me for help with his schoolwork. So for the past two months, almost every single Sunday night, I've been up in the boys' dorms, ready to walk out.
"I did say that didn't I? Hmm, well, maybe I do have it in me." We both knew I wasn't going anywhere. He knew it especially. I, on the other hand, still entertained the notion that I had it in me to do anything and he was being such a jackass that I should walk out, despite the promise I made to help him. Whenever that thought came up-the promise-that's when my resolve would start to diminish. I would doubt my exasperation. I would start to ask myself if I really was that angry? If it hadn't gotten to points like this before and I was able to handle myself? And the same answers always came back to me. I was always able to keep my self-control. I was always an easygoing person; not too many people were able to get a rise out of me. That is, until I met James. Not that I didn't enjoy his company. The bickering was a nice change from what I always got. I never had a problem with anyone, therefore, no one had a problem with me. This made life very boring. James was a fresh breeze that was greatly appreciated-sometimes.
"Well, maybe...I didn't really mean what I said and I'm sorry." He batted his eyelashes and gave me a puppy-dog face. "C'mon Lil, you know I'm only kidding around with you. Do we really have to go through this EVERY Sunday?" Now this I found funny. It was his fault that it got to this point every week. He knew it just as much as I did. I smirked slightly at his annoyed tone.
"Who are you to get annoyed with this newly instated ritual? Honestly, you are the reason that I go for the door every week. You should know that. Every week you touch a nerve. If you really wanted to stop this, then you would just act...normal for once. I don't think a day has gone by where you and I have had a conversation that didn't involve repartee." This blazed my anger again, and I turned to reach for the door. My efforts were thwarted by James leaning all his weight on the door.
"Aw, Lily, you know I'm only messing around with you, though. That's why I do it. I can't do this with anyone else. I don't know any other girls in the whole of this school who would even be able to put up with my constant quips, never mind come back with a snappy retort. That's what I love. I just thought it was amazing that I found someone who could keep up,' He came close and whispered, "but if you really want me to stop, then I'll stop." I didn't know what to say. I did enjoy the jesting; it kept me on my toes. But sometimes it got to be too much.
"Ok, to be honest, James, sometimes...it's a little too much. I mean, I enjoy our mental combat too, but you always take it too far, or you say something that's just out of line." I figured honesty was the best policy. He nodded patronizingly and this only made me angrier. "And your condescension is unbearable sometimes. It makes me feel like you have to take it easy on me because I'm a girl, because I can't handle it. Well this may be true, I can't handle it sometimes, but maybe that's because you're just a full-blown jackass!" This caught him off guard so I was able to open the door and make my way out. Did I really have a reason to be that mad? If you knew James, and how he constantly belittled people, then you would've been sick of it by then too.
I made my way down to the common room where I flopped down into a chair, angry with myself for letting him get the better of me and angry at James for just...being James as usual. It really was quite silly for me to let him do that but I had had enough. I ripped open my potions text and collected myself. I leafed through the pages until I came to where I had folded the essay that I was in the middle of. I began to get lost in the different kinds of mushrooms used in a certain kind of potion when I looked up. It had been two hours already. I smiled inwardly at the fact that no matter how upset I got with James the wonderful thing was that I didn't care enough to let it keep me from doing other things. Unfortunately, that was sometimes a double-edged sword.
"You still mad at me?"
I didn't expect to here that voice, nor was I prepared to ignore it so my initial response was, "Angry about what?...Oh..Oh! Well, yes, James you really did piss me off." Since I didn't really sound pissed to begin with, it didn't work.
"Right, that's why you couldn't even remember why you would be mad at me." He smirked at me and I couldn't help but smile, even though I was a bit annoyed. He got up from the chair he had set himself in and came over to sit next to me. "C'mon Lily, I didn't mean to look condescending. I took what you said to heart, I swear. I do realize that I get a little carried away sometimes. You're not the first person to tell me this. Hell, even Sirius tells me this and he's worse than I am usually." He rested his head on my shoulder. He never was this affectionate usually, but I guess he saw that he had really ticked me off this time.
"No, no. The whole puppy-dog routine doesn't fly with me buddy. I would appreciate it if you would stop trying to win me over with affection." I looked down to see him looking up from my shoulder, his head tilted. He really did look cute, but he was a jackass, first and foremost. He wrapped his arms around me and sighed.
"I don't know what you're talking about Lily. What do you mean, win you over with affection? I know you would never be swayed to anything so juvenile." This was all new to me. James and I were never even friends before this school year. I started to feel a little uncomfortable, which I was so thankful for since it kept me from becoming a giddy girl soaking up any and all attention thrown her way. I sat back, making his head fall from my shoulder. I thought this would deter him, but he only grinned widely.
"Look Lil, I'm sorry for what was said and what I did. We still on for next week?" After a moment of feigning consideration, I nodded. "Oh, good. I'm so glad. I think I'm going to be up to bed now. Thanks for an interesting night." With that he gave me a hug and made his way upstairs. I furrowed my brow in anger. Why did I feel that way? I was a young woman. Seventeen years old. Women didn't entertain girly notions and silly thoughts that I was trying to keep from running through me. I shook it out of me and glanced at the clock again. I decided that it was rather late for a Sunday night and I would have to continue the essay tomorrow.