Shadows of Fond Memories
A Short Little Fic
*Okay, there's a little (really little) chapter left after this one. And I seem to be basking in the cliff-hangers lately. Ah, well…I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Just some stuff I'd like to say in response to your reviews:
Katie- Sorry, this was never on harrypotter.com. So I don't have a link for it. Sorry.
Cyd- That chapter was called the "A (Almost) Happy Ending" because it was almost the end of the story. I suppose it would fit this chapter better but I can't do anything about it now.
Alright, I think that's it.
Please keep reviewing.
Enjoy!
-Kait*
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling, I am not. So please don't infer that I am. Although, I'm sure you can tell from my primitive attempts at writing, that I am in fact, not JKR. Everything here belongs to her but the plot (I used my own brain to think it up).
Chapter 5 – A (Simple) Love
James
I like to think I feel in love with her smile, her charm…and just her way about her.
Her laugh…
Her beauty…
Her wonderful ways of making everyone feel welcome.
Her…her...well…just the was she made me feel.
I'm not even quite sure at what point in time my feelings deepened for her.
I wasn't even sure if it was love.
I'd never been in love before, so how was I to know?
Well…Lily and I were getting along alright. I suppose we could even be considered friends. Yeah, we still disagreed with one another sometimes.
Like on the fact that Snape is not a nice guy deep down; who just happens to have a tortured soul. Believe me. And is she tells you otherwise….
Aw…you'll believe her.
Gazing into her sparkling green eyes had me almost convinced.
Although Sirius says Lily could convince me to do anything.
The sad thing is that he's probably right.
For once…
So, yeah…Lily had me enchanted. Everyone knew it too. Remus gave me a load of trouble for it too. Him and Sirius. They annoyed the hell out of me, for it.
"Sooo…Prongs…asked Lils out yet?" Sirius would start, poking me with his fork at dinner, breakfast, lunch…you name it.
"Of course not, Padfoot," Remus was obligated to chime in from across the table, "He's scared too."
"Let's help him out then," Sirius grinned, smirking at me. Then he motioned down the table, yelling, "Oy! Lily!"
Oh, hell.
I could "Avada Kedavra" him right now, no questions asked.
Any takers?
As Lily looked down the table to see who had called her, Sirius just pointed at me, like those neon signs with the arrows muggles invented.
Why is he my best friend again?
Hmmm….I seem to have forgotten the logic behind that decision.
She came down to my end of the table, looking completely gorgeous, even with her face made up in a frown.
"Er…I…I'll talk to you tonight after the Prefect Meeting, alright?" I said, stumbling over my words, as I raked my hand through my hair nervously.
She just laughed at me, with her wonderful laugh.
"Sure James," she replied smiling at me, "If it's that important."
Damn it, Padfoot. Now I was going to have to come up with some "urgent matter" to discuss with her after that meeting.
And why couldn't she be the one feeling uncertain and unsure of what to say?
Why did she have to be so bloody perfect?
I heard Sirius let out a laugh as Lily walked away, so I turned to glare at him.
"Nice save, Prongs. I…I…."
"Shove it," I told him quietly and then headed out of the Great Hall to do some serious thinking.
————3————
I'm now sitting in misery as I "administer" the Prefect meeting. In other words, I'm sitting here yawning away and dreaming of the girl seated next to me who is truly "administering" the meeting.
I yawned some more, flattening my hair out of habit.
I heard a number of girls sigh as I did this.
Why do girls constantly sigh at me? This doesn't make me like them any better.
Lily just rolled her eyes at me, and continued talking. I grinned sheepishly and slumped in my seat a little bit.
I knew she wouldn't want to be interrupted. Score: Lily- 1, James- 0.
Wonderful, you know?
I don't even need Sirius to screw things up for me. I'm doing a perfectly great job of that on my own.
Soon after, the meeting ended and I actually felt like staying in that room I'd been do eager to get out of for the rest of eternity. I'd still get to see Lily in all her perfection and I wouldn't have to face the rejection I was about to receive. It was one of those things muggles call win/win situations.
Heh. Lily taught me that.
Oh, no.
It's Lily.
She glanced at me, as she picked up her parchment, almost like she was looking me over.
I don't know how else to describe it.
I'm not very good with words.
But as soon as our eyes met, it was like…nothing I'd ever felt before. Just her looking at me made me feel ecstatic…like "Wow! She actually looked at me!"
It sounds sad, I know, but that's what it felt like.
Lily gaze shifted back to the papers as she organized the last of them.
"Here," I said politely, handing her a piece of parchment she'd missed from the table.
"Thanks," she replied, smiling at me and reaching for it.
Electricity shot through my fingers as our hands accidentally touched in our clumsiness. I watched as her face turned crimson and felt mine do the same.
"Soo…you wanted to talk to me?" Lily asked, placing the papers in her bag, and then beginning to walk out the door with me. I shut the door behind her as we left for the Gryffindor Tower.
"Er…yeah," Was my brilliant reply.
"What about, James?" She asked, appearing to look very solemn, like there was a problem at hand.
But the only problem here was that I couldn't work up the courage to tell her I fancied her. What exactly do you say to a person you might be in love with?
I love you?
You are what my world revolves around?
Marry me?
And what does that person say back?
Thank you?
Alright, then?
Oh…I really hope not…
"Well…uh…I wanted to talk about…Sirius," I said, trying to buy myself some time as we rounded a corner.
"Sirius?" She said, raising her eyebrows slightly and slowing down the walking pace.
"Yeah, Sirius," I stated, glancing at Lily again, attempting to grin a bit, "He's driving me crazy."
"I think he does that to us all…" she replied, smirking at me. "He tends to have that affect on people. I'm just surprised it took you this long."
I smiled back, easing myself into a simple, harmless conversation about Sirius. Nothing bad could come of that.
Unless, of course, he found out about it but that wouldn't happen. And if it did, Sirius's attention span is all of ten seconds, so I tend to believe that not even a conversation about himself could hold his attention.
"But I get the feeling that's not really what you came to me to talk about," Lily finished, full out grinning now, her smile lighting up the whole hall. Or at least, it was lighting up my heart.
"I suppose not," I confessed slightly, really wanting to tell her how I felt but not knowing how to. I figured I should just come out-right and say it.
I reached out and took her arm to stop her from walking away. That feeling came back again; the electric one. I tried to banish it away.
"I really like you, Lily." I said quietly, "I think I might even love you …It's taken me forever to come right out and say it, so please don't break my heart, Lily Evans."
Her eyes just gleamed, and she smiled at me.
I hope to God that's a good sign.
Then she stopped me from saying anything else.
"You know, I was predisposed to hate you, but somehow, James, it didn't work out that way..." she let out a shaky laugh, "Even after everything, you got me to fall for you, too. It's pretty odd I suppose…"
Lily felt the same way?
I am living in a perfect dream.
Call me when I have to wake up…
She grinned at me again, almost shyly, "So…yeah…I think I love you, too."
We just kind of looked at each other, not really sure what to did next. I heard someone whisper, "Kiss her!" but I'm sure that was just my mind talking, since no one else seemed to be around.
I had had the best of luck so far, so I figured, why not?
I leaned in and—