Chapter 2 - Improving Relations
The train stopped in Hogsmeade station, and the four marauders got out and began to head towards the castle. James saw Lily on the platform and smiled at her. She waved and smiled back. Fortunately for James, Lily had looked away or she would have him having to be supported by Remus and Sirius because he knees had gone too weak. James protested, while the others sniggered;
"It's not my fault, she's that fit. I bet it happens around her all the time."
"If you're serious about her, you got to pull yourself together. If that's what a smile does to you, you'll probably die of a heart attack if she kisses you." Remus told him, "and then you'd find it very difficult to get into a relationship with her." He added, smiling.
They made their way up to the castle in the carriages, and into the great hall. During the sorting James kept stealing glances at Lily. Wow, she's beautiful, he thought. Just then, a welcome diversion was caused, when a loud bang was heard from the Slytherin table. As everyone looked around, they saw two things. The first was Snape, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and several others in their crowd all drenched in the boiling hot soup which had just exploded. The great hall howled in laughter, but Lily threw an accusing glare at the Marauders. A few seconds later however, she and the rest of the hall gasped as they saw the reason for the explosion. A magnificent fireworks display had erupted from the soup cauldron. The hall 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed, as the fantastic fireworks zoomed all across the hall, occasionally dive-bombing the Slytherins to the delight of most of the hall. When the display finally ended, the hall applauded appreciatively. At the end of the feast, Dumbledore stood up and thanked the Marauders before giving the usual notices and sending them all to bed.
James paused before entering his new head-boy's bedroom. Lily came up behind him. "James, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"Nothing, Lils. Just a bit weird to be going into my dorm without the others" he told her sadly. Lily took a second before replying. James Potter very rarely showed any negative emotion. She had been friends with him for about 5 hours and she was already seeing him in a completely new light.
"I know what you mean. It is a bit odd isn't it?"
"Yeah, but at least I won't get woken up by Sirius dropping a bucket of water over me." Lily laughed. James continued; "See you tomorrow Lils"
"Bye James - oh, and nice fireworks, but you still got Snape and his other Slytherins."
"Well, some things are just unavoidable. Night"
And with that James entered his room. Lily went into the door opposite. As James entered his luxury he began to think, inevitably, about Lily. He had always wanted her to go out with him, but that was just because she was beautiful. Now he wanted her to go out with him for so much more. His quickly drifted off to sleep. Lily, however, had far more trouble sleeping that night. She was thinking about James. She'd been thinking about him since she had left his compartment on the train. She was almost regretting leaving. She wasn't at all sure about her feelings, but she was sure about was that she loved the name 'Lils'.
XXXXXXXXX
The next day, Lily woke quite late and immediately headed to the bathroom, which the Head Boy and Girl shared. The door wasn't locked so she marched straight in and saw.James. Who had obviously just stepped out of the shower. She gaped. James' thick black hair was dripping wet. Her eyes instinctively travelled downward, past his face, over his broad shoulders and large biceps, down over his muscular chest to the abs that were chiselled into his stomach and she gazed, almost longingly, as the hair from his naval grew downward and underneath his towel. James cleared his throat.
"Morning Lily, you ok?" said James pleasantly, as though they were in the great hall.
"Y-y-yeah, I'm j-just g-great," said Lily absently, her eyes still fixed on his chest and stomach.
"Glad to here it," said James with a charming smile, "now I don't mind you looking at me when I'm only wearing a towel, but I can't really go to breakfast like this so I'd like to put some clothes on." Lily seemed to come to her senses.
"Oh right, I, um, sure, um, err."
"So, could you let me out the room please?" Lily was blocking the door.
"Oh right. Yeah sure." And she moved out the way quickly. James flashed her his lethal grin, and left. Lily shut the door and sank down on to the floor, her head in her hands. She'd never been so embarrassed in all her life. She cringed at the thought of her reaction to seeing James' body, and what a body it was, she couldn't help thinking. She couldn't believe what she had done. What would James think of her? Wait, why did that matter? It didn't matter what James thought of her, did it? Extremely confused and very embarrassed, she took a quick shower, and headed down to the common room.
Lily was sitting with Rachel, Elizabeth and Emma, eating breakfast. Lily wasn't eating much. Rachel noticed.
"Lily, what's up? You haven't said a word. You ok?" "Yeah, fine"
"You sure," asked Liz, "you don't look it." Lily dropped her voice to a whisper.
"Well, I was going for my shower this morning and um, James was kind of, um, already there." Liz and Emma burst into a fit of giggles. Rachel's face was expressionless.
"And." asked Rachel. And Lily proceeded to tell them the whole story.
"And I've never been so embarrassed in my life." Lily finished. Just then, the Marauders entered the hall. As usual, all heads in the hall turned towards them, and for a few seconds, there was silence in the hall. They walked up to the only free spaces at the Gryffindor table, which happened to be next the four girls.
"Morning girls" said James. Lily couldn't look him in the face. The marauders carried on their own conversation until Sirius asked;
"Jeez, James. You're unusually bright this morning. Why's that?"
"Not sure Padfoot," James replied, "but there's nothing like an early morning shower to wake you up. Isn't that right Lils?" Lily blushed again, and the other girls giggled.
"Yes, um, very refreshing." She mumbled back. The Marauders looked confused, but, to Lily's relief, James shook his head and the others didn't press. Lily soon finished her breakfast, but as she was leaving James called her;
"Hey Lils, where are we patrolling tonight?"
"I think Lily's hoping it'll be the broom-closet on the 4th floor," Emma muttered. Lily struggled to fight down her blush.
"It's the corridor where that statue of Sir Gregory the Smarmy is. Nine o' clock."
The train stopped in Hogsmeade station, and the four marauders got out and began to head towards the castle. James saw Lily on the platform and smiled at her. She waved and smiled back. Fortunately for James, Lily had looked away or she would have him having to be supported by Remus and Sirius because he knees had gone too weak. James protested, while the others sniggered;
"It's not my fault, she's that fit. I bet it happens around her all the time."
"If you're serious about her, you got to pull yourself together. If that's what a smile does to you, you'll probably die of a heart attack if she kisses you." Remus told him, "and then you'd find it very difficult to get into a relationship with her." He added, smiling.
They made their way up to the castle in the carriages, and into the great hall. During the sorting James kept stealing glances at Lily. Wow, she's beautiful, he thought. Just then, a welcome diversion was caused, when a loud bang was heard from the Slytherin table. As everyone looked around, they saw two things. The first was Snape, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and several others in their crowd all drenched in the boiling hot soup which had just exploded. The great hall howled in laughter, but Lily threw an accusing glare at the Marauders. A few seconds later however, she and the rest of the hall gasped as they saw the reason for the explosion. A magnificent fireworks display had erupted from the soup cauldron. The hall 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed, as the fantastic fireworks zoomed all across the hall, occasionally dive-bombing the Slytherins to the delight of most of the hall. When the display finally ended, the hall applauded appreciatively. At the end of the feast, Dumbledore stood up and thanked the Marauders before giving the usual notices and sending them all to bed.
James paused before entering his new head-boy's bedroom. Lily came up behind him. "James, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"Nothing, Lils. Just a bit weird to be going into my dorm without the others" he told her sadly. Lily took a second before replying. James Potter very rarely showed any negative emotion. She had been friends with him for about 5 hours and she was already seeing him in a completely new light.
"I know what you mean. It is a bit odd isn't it?"
"Yeah, but at least I won't get woken up by Sirius dropping a bucket of water over me." Lily laughed. James continued; "See you tomorrow Lils"
"Bye James - oh, and nice fireworks, but you still got Snape and his other Slytherins."
"Well, some things are just unavoidable. Night"
And with that James entered his room. Lily went into the door opposite. As James entered his luxury he began to think, inevitably, about Lily. He had always wanted her to go out with him, but that was just because she was beautiful. Now he wanted her to go out with him for so much more. His quickly drifted off to sleep. Lily, however, had far more trouble sleeping that night. She was thinking about James. She'd been thinking about him since she had left his compartment on the train. She was almost regretting leaving. She wasn't at all sure about her feelings, but she was sure about was that she loved the name 'Lils'.
XXXXXXXXX
The next day, Lily woke quite late and immediately headed to the bathroom, which the Head Boy and Girl shared. The door wasn't locked so she marched straight in and saw.James. Who had obviously just stepped out of the shower. She gaped. James' thick black hair was dripping wet. Her eyes instinctively travelled downward, past his face, over his broad shoulders and large biceps, down over his muscular chest to the abs that were chiselled into his stomach and she gazed, almost longingly, as the hair from his naval grew downward and underneath his towel. James cleared his throat.
"Morning Lily, you ok?" said James pleasantly, as though they were in the great hall.
"Y-y-yeah, I'm j-just g-great," said Lily absently, her eyes still fixed on his chest and stomach.
"Glad to here it," said James with a charming smile, "now I don't mind you looking at me when I'm only wearing a towel, but I can't really go to breakfast like this so I'd like to put some clothes on." Lily seemed to come to her senses.
"Oh right, I, um, sure, um, err."
"So, could you let me out the room please?" Lily was blocking the door.
"Oh right. Yeah sure." And she moved out the way quickly. James flashed her his lethal grin, and left. Lily shut the door and sank down on to the floor, her head in her hands. She'd never been so embarrassed in all her life. She cringed at the thought of her reaction to seeing James' body, and what a body it was, she couldn't help thinking. She couldn't believe what she had done. What would James think of her? Wait, why did that matter? It didn't matter what James thought of her, did it? Extremely confused and very embarrassed, she took a quick shower, and headed down to the common room.
Lily was sitting with Rachel, Elizabeth and Emma, eating breakfast. Lily wasn't eating much. Rachel noticed.
"Lily, what's up? You haven't said a word. You ok?" "Yeah, fine"
"You sure," asked Liz, "you don't look it." Lily dropped her voice to a whisper.
"Well, I was going for my shower this morning and um, James was kind of, um, already there." Liz and Emma burst into a fit of giggles. Rachel's face was expressionless.
"And." asked Rachel. And Lily proceeded to tell them the whole story.
"And I've never been so embarrassed in my life." Lily finished. Just then, the Marauders entered the hall. As usual, all heads in the hall turned towards them, and for a few seconds, there was silence in the hall. They walked up to the only free spaces at the Gryffindor table, which happened to be next the four girls.
"Morning girls" said James. Lily couldn't look him in the face. The marauders carried on their own conversation until Sirius asked;
"Jeez, James. You're unusually bright this morning. Why's that?"
"Not sure Padfoot," James replied, "but there's nothing like an early morning shower to wake you up. Isn't that right Lils?" Lily blushed again, and the other girls giggled.
"Yes, um, very refreshing." She mumbled back. The Marauders looked confused, but, to Lily's relief, James shook his head and the others didn't press. Lily soon finished her breakfast, but as she was leaving James called her;
"Hey Lils, where are we patrolling tonight?"
"I think Lily's hoping it'll be the broom-closet on the 4th floor," Emma muttered. Lily struggled to fight down her blush.
"It's the corridor where that statue of Sir Gregory the Smarmy is. Nine o' clock."