A/N: all italics are marked with a - on both sides: like, -hello- should be
in italics if I was smart enough to figure out just what beta-ing and all
that computer jargon are. Which I'm not. And all thoughts are marked with
a [ ].
And the all important disclaimer: all characters/plots you recognize are not mine.
*~*~*~*
James Potter stretched his arms over his head and yawned widely as he tousled his already mussed jet-black hair. "Why me?" he muttered under his breath as he plopped tiredly onto one of the squashy Gryffindor couches. He had an essay due in Potions, his most hated class, and he had just come in from the driving sleet after a thoroughly exhausting Quidditch practice. "That insane, idiotic, ambition driven..." James never got to finish his sentence, as his normally sharp hazel eyes fell on the prone form of Lily Evans.
*~*~*~*
Lily was not having a nice day. After falling out of bed rather painfully that morning, a glance at the clock told her she was beyond late. She didn't even bother to brush her long, thick, normally impeccably straight auburn hair as she scrambled out of the room she shared with her three best friends. She dashed down the stairs and skidded to a halt in front of three tousled sleepy looking figures slumped on the Gryffindor couches. Shaking her head sadly, and conveniently forgetting that she herself will also be late, she proceeded to wake them up with one of her usual lectures.
"Gosh Lils! It's wayy too early for your lectures..." moaned Jenny Marchbanks, brushing her waist length black hair (dark dark brown she likes to call it) out of her intense blue eyes, which was quite unusual, since she was Asian. Chinese to be more exact.
"I wouldn't have to lecture all the time if you guys would learn how to set the alarm clock!" Lily shot back. "Whose turn is it anyways to turn on the alarm clock?"
"hehh....... I have no idea whatsoever..."muttered a dashing brunette, trying unsuccessfully to sidle away towards the door.
"ELLAAAAAAAA" whined the rest of the girls...well all except for Anna Fudge, who was still snoring away, completely oblivious to everything around her. "some things never change" sighed Lily, as she and Jenny commenced to drag her from her position on the rug.
"mmhnnamophhhh" groaned Anna, trying unsuccessfully to scoot away.
"Anna! Get your blonde self back here!" exclaimed Jenny.
"but I wanna sleep" whined Anna, curling up again.
Lily looked at her watch, "Anna, we have just missed breakfast, again, and we're gonna be late to potions too if we don't hurry..."
"Oh cra-"
"Jenny!" admonished Lily.
"...crud" finished Jenny with a grin, "come on! Potions begins in five minutes, and professor Malfoy will murder us if we're late..."
As the four trooped towards the dungeons, Lily looked at the four of them with a smile...
They have all changed from when they all met in their first years, lost, alone, and in desperate need to be accepted. Jenny had been the first friend Lily made... she was standing away from the crowd of first years, with her long dark hair blowing around her slim form, blue eyes narrowed against the wind, glasses pushed up against her nose. Lily had immediately felt a connection, and had gone over there to introduce herself...they both had a love for books, and even though she knew Jenny would rather die than admit it, Lily knew that Jenny had a warm heart, and had the ability to make anyone feel welcome...when she felt like it that is...Lily thought with a grin. Then her eyes wondered over to Eleanor Fowl (affection-ally called Ella by her friends), the most fun loving of them all. She had dark, chestnut colored hair chopped boyishly at her chin. Sparkling eyes the color of champagne peeked out from beneath her bangs and a dimple winked at the right side of her cheek. The complete prankster, Ella had no regard of the rules...[and she still doesn't]...Lily thought with a grin. No wonder she's Sirius's best female friend. Then there was Anna, the one with the classical beauty, with her golden curls, blood red lips in the shape of Cupid's bow, and drawn out sweeping lashes that framed eyes the pale blue of ice. She was the peacemaker of the group, and the sweetest. [She has a cousin who also attends Hogwarts...what's his name? Oh.....Cornelius, I think...he's in Hufflepuff...]Lily smiled inwardly; they have been through so much together, and they were all stronger as a result. She herself has changed too, both physically, and emotionally. She had grown to five feet seven, quite a feat since none of her parents had reached five feet four. Her hair had grown out from the boyish cut from childhood, and her hair color had changed from a "carrot orange" as the neighborhood children used to call it to a deep auburn shade. Her personality had changed too. Ever since Petunia, who had been her closest friend growing up called her a freak, they have never made up. Then, after her father died, and her mom grew as cold as stone, Lily, too, closed herself off to the world. It was better to freeze one's heart than to risk it being broken again she reasoned. After meeting Jenny, Ella, and Anna, she has started to warm up again to people, though she swore to herself that she would never fall in love. [Look at what happened to mother...she loved, and it had killed her soul.] The student body at Hogwarts viewed her as a quiet nerd with sharp emerald green eyes. Then as the male population reached puberty, streams of letters declaring their undying love reached Lily and her friends. While Anna and Jenny, flirted their hearts out (and Ella had been oblivious), Lily had become more and more introverted. Then -he- came. How he annoyed her! With his arrogant ways, his tremendous ego, and impertinent grin he always flashed her whenever they walked past each other in the halls! Lily decided that she would never ever get along with James Potter.
"hey, Lils! You almost ran into that door! Just what were you daydreaming about?" inquired Ella.
"oh, nothing" Lily muttered before quickly walking into the potions "cell" she liked to call it, and plopped down onto her seat along with the rest of the group. Most of the Slytherins and Gryffindors were already there, talking amongst themselves and clowning around in general. [ And there he was, with Sirius and Remus and Peter, mussing with his hair again. That arrogant berk!] James looked over, and grinned, while Lily's almond shaped eyes narrowed menacingly, and she turned around in a huff.
[Boys.]
At that moment, Professor Malfoy swept in, his platinum hair brushing his shoulders, and he took a moment to glare at the class with his menacing grey eyes. [He looks almost exactly like his son, Lucius Malfoy] Lily mused...and there his son was, hanging with the Slytherins, the customary smirk plastered firmly in place, looking thoroughly bored.
"We will be mixing a Licenziare potion today, since winter is bearing upon us..." drawled Prof. Malfoy, "who can tell us the properties of such a potion...how about.... Narcissa?"
a platinum blonde looked up from where she was doodling, then smirked.
"do I care?"
"very well, Jenny?" Professor Malfoy turned his attention to the Gryffindor side.
"ummmm...a Licen-"
"do pay attention next time Miss Marchbanks! I have spent the past three days on the properties and history of this potion...I expect you to be better-prepared next time! Ten points off Gryffindor." Satisfied, the professor turned to put the answer on the board when-
"PROFESSOR. DON'T YOU THINK IT'S A LITTLE UNFAIR THAT YOU PUNISHED JENNY, WHEN NARCISSA DIDN'T KNOW THE ANSWER EITHER? WHY DON'T YOU TAKE POINTS OFF YOUR OWN HOUSE?"
"Go Lily!" Ella cheered, "Stand up for your rights!"
"I can't stand pompous, deceiving-" muttered Lily.
"Lily!" gasped Anna, looking ready to swoon right then and there.
"You really shouldn't have done that you know," murmured Jenny, "he's turning into a worrisome shade of purple..."
and indeed he was. For a moment, Lily thought he was going to explode, but when he spoke, it was terrifyingly soft, though Lily would rather die than admit she was scared of him.
"detention Miss Evans, and fifty points off Gryffindor."
"but-"
"another fifty if you keep talking Miss Evans! Don't make it worse for yourself! Now class, the directions are on the board. Proceed."
The Gryffindors shook themselves out of a daze, since they have never seen Lily lose her temper before, except at James, while the Slytherins snickered and got out their ingredients.
Lily sighed and reached for ingredients. "so what are the properties of this potion anyways?" Lily whispered to Jenny.
"One sip brings the drinker warmth that usually last twenty four hours or so....though if you over drink, you could combust...."
"what?!"
"combust. You know, blowing up into millions of itty bitty pieces..."
"I know, so why are we making this potion anyways?"
"Because Malfoy Sr. is a giant git who would love to have someone blow up in his class" muttered Ella.
"Oh, well, now that I have an incentive..."
"You know.. ..I just got an idea! I swear I'm a genius."
"Ella.......your ideas are never good. Or safe for that matter." Lily remarked in her "prefect's" tone.
"It's perfectly safe!...except for the person on the receiving end...all we have to do is to pour some of this lovely potion into Prof's goblet of water over there....and then....boom!"
Lily decided her friend's grin was bordering on insanity.
"How about...no, and we finish this potion without any further disturbances?"
"But...."
"No."
After expelling a long breath, and a doleful look at Lily, Ella flounced down to her seat and started preparing her potion. And Lily could finally breathe easier.
After what seemed like forever to Lily, class was over, and Prof. Malfoy had discussed the terms of the detention, Lily headed for the rest of her classes. By the time lunch rolled around, Lily felt like someone had dragged a comb through her brain. Professor McGonagall, who taught the only class Lily wasn't the top of (James was, but she would rather block that from her mind) had decided that they need a pop test, and Lily had not studied at all. Then, she had Defense Against the Dark Arts, where she was pummeled with different curses, and was tested on how well she defended herself. [Darn those N.E.W.T.s] With all the homework her teachers had piled on her, she didn't even have enough time to breathe. And there were still the afternoon classes. [Suicide is not an option...suicide is not an option...suicide is not- ]Lily's thoughts were interrupted by a disgustingly cheerful Anna. She sat down with her friends at the Gryffindor table, and began to concentrate on keeping awake enough to chew.
After dragging herself through the rest of her classes, and losing another ten points for Gryffindor because she was caught sleeping in History of Magic (highly embarrassing, because she was normally the only awake person in the class) and being lectured by the rest of the Gryffindors for not taking notes in said class...well the day was just rolling downhill.
Lily decided to skip dinner, since she was ready to collapse, and instead fell onto her bed in her dorm, and fell into a fitful sleep. The dream she hadn't had since she was little came back full force, and Lily woke up in a sudden start, surprised that her cheeks were wet. A glance at the clock told her it was a little over midnight, and she slipped as quiet as a ghost out of the room, and crawled onto one of the comforting couches in the common room. Before long, she drifted into a deep dreamless sleep.
*~*~*~*
James sighed, not knowing what to do. [I can't let her sleep here! It's way too drafty and she'll catch a cold. But she looks so peaceful, just lying there with her gorgeous hair spread everywhere...CONCENTRATE JAMES! You have a dilemma here...okay think! I should carry her back to her bed, but if she wakes up, she'll kill me, and what would this world do without James Potter? I should wake her up...she'll go to bed, and I'll live another day...]
Having decided, James moved cautiously towards the sleeping siren and awkwardly patted her shoulder.
"hey, Evans. Wake up! Evans!"
no response.
[Bloody hell. I'm gonna have to carry her.]
James gingerly picked her up and headed towards the staircase, carrying her gently towards her bed.
Lily sighed, subconsciously liking this feeling of security, and snuggled closer.
James almost dropped her when she wrapped her arms around him, he was so surprised...but he couldn't stop the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He had had a crush on Lily Evans since he had first met her on Hogwarts Express, and grew more and more in love with her every passing day, no matter that every word she said in his direction was an insult, or that every time she looked at him it was with contempt. As he reached her door, he noticed her scent...it was so faint, yet so alluring.it reminded him of rose petals...[a guy could get lost in her scent...]He shook his head sharply, maneuvered around the door, and, with infinite care, laid her onto her bed.as he stood up, his hand brushed her face, and he thought he saw a smile on her face. [She really looks beautiful when she's smiling like that...like she's completely at peace with herself...]James shook his head again, and went to take a long, and cold shower.
*~*~*~*
And the all important disclaimer: all characters/plots you recognize are not mine.
*~*~*~*
James Potter stretched his arms over his head and yawned widely as he tousled his already mussed jet-black hair. "Why me?" he muttered under his breath as he plopped tiredly onto one of the squashy Gryffindor couches. He had an essay due in Potions, his most hated class, and he had just come in from the driving sleet after a thoroughly exhausting Quidditch practice. "That insane, idiotic, ambition driven..." James never got to finish his sentence, as his normally sharp hazel eyes fell on the prone form of Lily Evans.
*~*~*~*
Lily was not having a nice day. After falling out of bed rather painfully that morning, a glance at the clock told her she was beyond late. She didn't even bother to brush her long, thick, normally impeccably straight auburn hair as she scrambled out of the room she shared with her three best friends. She dashed down the stairs and skidded to a halt in front of three tousled sleepy looking figures slumped on the Gryffindor couches. Shaking her head sadly, and conveniently forgetting that she herself will also be late, she proceeded to wake them up with one of her usual lectures.
"Gosh Lils! It's wayy too early for your lectures..." moaned Jenny Marchbanks, brushing her waist length black hair (dark dark brown she likes to call it) out of her intense blue eyes, which was quite unusual, since she was Asian. Chinese to be more exact.
"I wouldn't have to lecture all the time if you guys would learn how to set the alarm clock!" Lily shot back. "Whose turn is it anyways to turn on the alarm clock?"
"hehh....... I have no idea whatsoever..."muttered a dashing brunette, trying unsuccessfully to sidle away towards the door.
"ELLAAAAAAAA" whined the rest of the girls...well all except for Anna Fudge, who was still snoring away, completely oblivious to everything around her. "some things never change" sighed Lily, as she and Jenny commenced to drag her from her position on the rug.
"mmhnnamophhhh" groaned Anna, trying unsuccessfully to scoot away.
"Anna! Get your blonde self back here!" exclaimed Jenny.
"but I wanna sleep" whined Anna, curling up again.
Lily looked at her watch, "Anna, we have just missed breakfast, again, and we're gonna be late to potions too if we don't hurry..."
"Oh cra-"
"Jenny!" admonished Lily.
"...crud" finished Jenny with a grin, "come on! Potions begins in five minutes, and professor Malfoy will murder us if we're late..."
As the four trooped towards the dungeons, Lily looked at the four of them with a smile...
They have all changed from when they all met in their first years, lost, alone, and in desperate need to be accepted. Jenny had been the first friend Lily made... she was standing away from the crowd of first years, with her long dark hair blowing around her slim form, blue eyes narrowed against the wind, glasses pushed up against her nose. Lily had immediately felt a connection, and had gone over there to introduce herself...they both had a love for books, and even though she knew Jenny would rather die than admit it, Lily knew that Jenny had a warm heart, and had the ability to make anyone feel welcome...when she felt like it that is...Lily thought with a grin. Then her eyes wondered over to Eleanor Fowl (affection-ally called Ella by her friends), the most fun loving of them all. She had dark, chestnut colored hair chopped boyishly at her chin. Sparkling eyes the color of champagne peeked out from beneath her bangs and a dimple winked at the right side of her cheek. The complete prankster, Ella had no regard of the rules...[and she still doesn't]...Lily thought with a grin. No wonder she's Sirius's best female friend. Then there was Anna, the one with the classical beauty, with her golden curls, blood red lips in the shape of Cupid's bow, and drawn out sweeping lashes that framed eyes the pale blue of ice. She was the peacemaker of the group, and the sweetest. [She has a cousin who also attends Hogwarts...what's his name? Oh.....Cornelius, I think...he's in Hufflepuff...]Lily smiled inwardly; they have been through so much together, and they were all stronger as a result. She herself has changed too, both physically, and emotionally. She had grown to five feet seven, quite a feat since none of her parents had reached five feet four. Her hair had grown out from the boyish cut from childhood, and her hair color had changed from a "carrot orange" as the neighborhood children used to call it to a deep auburn shade. Her personality had changed too. Ever since Petunia, who had been her closest friend growing up called her a freak, they have never made up. Then, after her father died, and her mom grew as cold as stone, Lily, too, closed herself off to the world. It was better to freeze one's heart than to risk it being broken again she reasoned. After meeting Jenny, Ella, and Anna, she has started to warm up again to people, though she swore to herself that she would never fall in love. [Look at what happened to mother...she loved, and it had killed her soul.] The student body at Hogwarts viewed her as a quiet nerd with sharp emerald green eyes. Then as the male population reached puberty, streams of letters declaring their undying love reached Lily and her friends. While Anna and Jenny, flirted their hearts out (and Ella had been oblivious), Lily had become more and more introverted. Then -he- came. How he annoyed her! With his arrogant ways, his tremendous ego, and impertinent grin he always flashed her whenever they walked past each other in the halls! Lily decided that she would never ever get along with James Potter.
"hey, Lils! You almost ran into that door! Just what were you daydreaming about?" inquired Ella.
"oh, nothing" Lily muttered before quickly walking into the potions "cell" she liked to call it, and plopped down onto her seat along with the rest of the group. Most of the Slytherins and Gryffindors were already there, talking amongst themselves and clowning around in general. [ And there he was, with Sirius and Remus and Peter, mussing with his hair again. That arrogant berk!] James looked over, and grinned, while Lily's almond shaped eyes narrowed menacingly, and she turned around in a huff.
[Boys.]
At that moment, Professor Malfoy swept in, his platinum hair brushing his shoulders, and he took a moment to glare at the class with his menacing grey eyes. [He looks almost exactly like his son, Lucius Malfoy] Lily mused...and there his son was, hanging with the Slytherins, the customary smirk plastered firmly in place, looking thoroughly bored.
"We will be mixing a Licenziare potion today, since winter is bearing upon us..." drawled Prof. Malfoy, "who can tell us the properties of such a potion...how about.... Narcissa?"
a platinum blonde looked up from where she was doodling, then smirked.
"do I care?"
"very well, Jenny?" Professor Malfoy turned his attention to the Gryffindor side.
"ummmm...a Licen-"
"do pay attention next time Miss Marchbanks! I have spent the past three days on the properties and history of this potion...I expect you to be better-prepared next time! Ten points off Gryffindor." Satisfied, the professor turned to put the answer on the board when-
"PROFESSOR. DON'T YOU THINK IT'S A LITTLE UNFAIR THAT YOU PUNISHED JENNY, WHEN NARCISSA DIDN'T KNOW THE ANSWER EITHER? WHY DON'T YOU TAKE POINTS OFF YOUR OWN HOUSE?"
"Go Lily!" Ella cheered, "Stand up for your rights!"
"I can't stand pompous, deceiving-" muttered Lily.
"Lily!" gasped Anna, looking ready to swoon right then and there.
"You really shouldn't have done that you know," murmured Jenny, "he's turning into a worrisome shade of purple..."
and indeed he was. For a moment, Lily thought he was going to explode, but when he spoke, it was terrifyingly soft, though Lily would rather die than admit she was scared of him.
"detention Miss Evans, and fifty points off Gryffindor."
"but-"
"another fifty if you keep talking Miss Evans! Don't make it worse for yourself! Now class, the directions are on the board. Proceed."
The Gryffindors shook themselves out of a daze, since they have never seen Lily lose her temper before, except at James, while the Slytherins snickered and got out their ingredients.
Lily sighed and reached for ingredients. "so what are the properties of this potion anyways?" Lily whispered to Jenny.
"One sip brings the drinker warmth that usually last twenty four hours or so....though if you over drink, you could combust...."
"what?!"
"combust. You know, blowing up into millions of itty bitty pieces..."
"I know, so why are we making this potion anyways?"
"Because Malfoy Sr. is a giant git who would love to have someone blow up in his class" muttered Ella.
"Oh, well, now that I have an incentive..."
"You know.. ..I just got an idea! I swear I'm a genius."
"Ella.......your ideas are never good. Or safe for that matter." Lily remarked in her "prefect's" tone.
"It's perfectly safe!...except for the person on the receiving end...all we have to do is to pour some of this lovely potion into Prof's goblet of water over there....and then....boom!"
Lily decided her friend's grin was bordering on insanity.
"How about...no, and we finish this potion without any further disturbances?"
"But...."
"No."
After expelling a long breath, and a doleful look at Lily, Ella flounced down to her seat and started preparing her potion. And Lily could finally breathe easier.
After what seemed like forever to Lily, class was over, and Prof. Malfoy had discussed the terms of the detention, Lily headed for the rest of her classes. By the time lunch rolled around, Lily felt like someone had dragged a comb through her brain. Professor McGonagall, who taught the only class Lily wasn't the top of (James was, but she would rather block that from her mind) had decided that they need a pop test, and Lily had not studied at all. Then, she had Defense Against the Dark Arts, where she was pummeled with different curses, and was tested on how well she defended herself. [Darn those N.E.W.T.s] With all the homework her teachers had piled on her, she didn't even have enough time to breathe. And there were still the afternoon classes. [Suicide is not an option...suicide is not an option...suicide is not- ]Lily's thoughts were interrupted by a disgustingly cheerful Anna. She sat down with her friends at the Gryffindor table, and began to concentrate on keeping awake enough to chew.
After dragging herself through the rest of her classes, and losing another ten points for Gryffindor because she was caught sleeping in History of Magic (highly embarrassing, because she was normally the only awake person in the class) and being lectured by the rest of the Gryffindors for not taking notes in said class...well the day was just rolling downhill.
Lily decided to skip dinner, since she was ready to collapse, and instead fell onto her bed in her dorm, and fell into a fitful sleep. The dream she hadn't had since she was little came back full force, and Lily woke up in a sudden start, surprised that her cheeks were wet. A glance at the clock told her it was a little over midnight, and she slipped as quiet as a ghost out of the room, and crawled onto one of the comforting couches in the common room. Before long, she drifted into a deep dreamless sleep.
*~*~*~*
James sighed, not knowing what to do. [I can't let her sleep here! It's way too drafty and she'll catch a cold. But she looks so peaceful, just lying there with her gorgeous hair spread everywhere...CONCENTRATE JAMES! You have a dilemma here...okay think! I should carry her back to her bed, but if she wakes up, she'll kill me, and what would this world do without James Potter? I should wake her up...she'll go to bed, and I'll live another day...]
Having decided, James moved cautiously towards the sleeping siren and awkwardly patted her shoulder.
"hey, Evans. Wake up! Evans!"
no response.
[Bloody hell. I'm gonna have to carry her.]
James gingerly picked her up and headed towards the staircase, carrying her gently towards her bed.
Lily sighed, subconsciously liking this feeling of security, and snuggled closer.
James almost dropped her when she wrapped her arms around him, he was so surprised...but he couldn't stop the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He had had a crush on Lily Evans since he had first met her on Hogwarts Express, and grew more and more in love with her every passing day, no matter that every word she said in his direction was an insult, or that every time she looked at him it was with contempt. As he reached her door, he noticed her scent...it was so faint, yet so alluring.it reminded him of rose petals...[a guy could get lost in her scent...]He shook his head sharply, maneuvered around the door, and, with infinite care, laid her onto her bed.as he stood up, his hand brushed her face, and he thought he saw a smile on her face. [She really looks beautiful when she's smiling like that...like she's completely at peace with herself...]James shook his head again, and went to take a long, and cold shower.
*~*~*~*
