Chapter 2: Knowing Me and Knowing You.
The next morning Lily woke, got dressed, and went to go find James. She found him asleep on the couch in the common room. His hair was still messy but it looked surprisingly good and Lily couldn't help but notice how sweet he looked in that tranquil state. But before she could subconsciously admire him more, he began to stir. Lily jumped up in surprise, breaking away from her thoughts.
"Potter!" she whispered.
James just moaned and turned over.
Lily rolled her eyes and nudged him slightly. She made a mental note to wash her hand later. He still didn't wake up. She nudged him harder. He just pushed her hand away in a sort of a reflex.
"Potter!" she said a little louder. Finally she started to shake him awake.
"What? What?" he stammered as he woke. Then he saw Lily and jumped. "Evans! What are trying to do? Kill me in my sleep?"
"Not a bad idea," she said sarcastically. "About that proposition, Potter?"
"Yeah?" asked James looking a lot warmer towards her.
"Well, I'll give it a shot," Lily announced.
"No, seriously?" asked James excitedly. Lily nodded. "That's great Evans! Ha, we'll have them before you know it!"
"We'd better. So...um, exactly when do we start?" asked Lily uncomfortably.
"Right away! You wanna get them as soon as possible don't you?" asked James knowing the answer very well. "Well, how do we start?"
"Well, it can't be too obvious...otherwise people will think something is fishy...I mean first we're mortal enemies and then we're crazy about each other...that doesn't make sense..."
James nodded in agreement. "Yeah, here's what we'll do, we'll go to the library, separately, meet up there, then later, we'll come out late at night, holding hands, and we can stage it so somebody whose sure to tell will see us."
"Alright...I can live with that..."
James nodded. "Oh, and after the rumors start swirling we'd better be seen together more..."
"Like sitting together at mealtimes and during classes?"
"Exactly."
"Well, alright...I guess."
"Well, I guess I'll see you after our classes in the library?"
"Right, well, see you then..." with that Lily left to her classes.
After her classes, Lily slowly headed towards the library. When she reached there, James was nowhere in sight. She just sighed, found them a table for two, and started on her homework. After about half and hour, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to find herself looking up at James, who looked very tired.
"Potter! Where have you been?" she asked angrily but she softened when she got a good look at him. "What happened?" she asked genuinely worried.
James smiled grimly. "Snape," he said simply. He gingerly touched a cut above his eyebrows. He looked at his finger, which was now covered with blood.
"Oh! He did that to you! Seriously, I don't know why he hates you so much!" she shook her head and drew out her wand causing James to jump back.
"Whoa, Evans, what are gonna to with that?" he looked very alarmed at the sight of her drawing out her wand at him.
"Potter, I'm not going to hurt you! Now sit down and hold still!" she used her best mother-like voice and James sat down beside her instantly. "Bring your face closer, Potter, I can't do it if you're all the way over there! I won't bite!"
James inched his face closer as if that was exactly what she might do.
Lily gingerly tapped her wand against the cut and murmured, "Mendius." The cut disappeared leaving no mark. "See, that wasn't so bad."
James touched his skin there cautiously and it was good as new. "Thanks," he said genuinely grateful. "Well, should we get started?"
For the next couple of hours, they worked in silence, and soon, they were finished with their work and began to glance at each other uncomfortably. James finally spoke up.
"So, um, Evans, Johnson is your best friend right?" he asked, desperate for conversation.
Lily nodded. "Yep. And Black and Lupin is yours right?"
James nodded. "Yeah, Peter's and good friend too. They're all great..."
"Yeah, they're always there for you no matter what..." agreed Lily. "And they don't judge you."
"Evans, don't you have a sister?"
"Unfortunately, yes," she said coldly.
"Why unfortunately?" he asked, intrigued.
"She thinks I'm a freak carrot-top," she said blandly.
"You're not a freak carrot-top," assured James.
"Well, thank you. So, do you have any siblings?"
"Nope."
"So, what are you're parents like?" she asked but immediately she knew she shouldn't have. A sad look came over James and he cringed. "Oh, sorry..." she said quickly.
James shrugged. "It's not your fault. They died last year. I'm almost over it now."
Lily didn't ask anything more, afraid of picking at old wounds. She was quiet and she let James guide their conversation.
That night, they found out a lot about each. James found out that Lily was deeper than he realized. She wasn't just a bookworm, she was really cool, and she actually cared about people and thought about more then just homework, boys, and makeup, as he had previously thought. She was insightful and profound, which was a rare quality. He felt now that every time he looked into her eyes, he didn't just see their beauty but now he felt as if her eyes were a window into her soul that he had never seen before.
Lily realized that James wasn't as conceited and mean as she had thought. He was really smart and funny. He surprised her by saying some really deep and heartfelt things that she had never expected to hear from him. He cared about more things other than Quidditch, his grades and girls. He was surprisingly sweet. But she brushed these thoughts out of her head, remembering their purpose of their meeting.
It was late when they set out from the library. They spotted Francis, who loved to gossip, so as they passed her, they allowed their fingertips to touch enough to give Francis ideas. As Francis passed, she grinned at them knowingly.
The next morning Lily woke, got dressed, and went to go find James. She found him asleep on the couch in the common room. His hair was still messy but it looked surprisingly good and Lily couldn't help but notice how sweet he looked in that tranquil state. But before she could subconsciously admire him more, he began to stir. Lily jumped up in surprise, breaking away from her thoughts.
"Potter!" she whispered.
James just moaned and turned over.
Lily rolled her eyes and nudged him slightly. She made a mental note to wash her hand later. He still didn't wake up. She nudged him harder. He just pushed her hand away in a sort of a reflex.
"Potter!" she said a little louder. Finally she started to shake him awake.
"What? What?" he stammered as he woke. Then he saw Lily and jumped. "Evans! What are trying to do? Kill me in my sleep?"
"Not a bad idea," she said sarcastically. "About that proposition, Potter?"
"Yeah?" asked James looking a lot warmer towards her.
"Well, I'll give it a shot," Lily announced.
"No, seriously?" asked James excitedly. Lily nodded. "That's great Evans! Ha, we'll have them before you know it!"
"We'd better. So...um, exactly when do we start?" asked Lily uncomfortably.
"Right away! You wanna get them as soon as possible don't you?" asked James knowing the answer very well. "Well, how do we start?"
"Well, it can't be too obvious...otherwise people will think something is fishy...I mean first we're mortal enemies and then we're crazy about each other...that doesn't make sense..."
James nodded in agreement. "Yeah, here's what we'll do, we'll go to the library, separately, meet up there, then later, we'll come out late at night, holding hands, and we can stage it so somebody whose sure to tell will see us."
"Alright...I can live with that..."
James nodded. "Oh, and after the rumors start swirling we'd better be seen together more..."
"Like sitting together at mealtimes and during classes?"
"Exactly."
"Well, alright...I guess."
"Well, I guess I'll see you after our classes in the library?"
"Right, well, see you then..." with that Lily left to her classes.
After her classes, Lily slowly headed towards the library. When she reached there, James was nowhere in sight. She just sighed, found them a table for two, and started on her homework. After about half and hour, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to find herself looking up at James, who looked very tired.
"Potter! Where have you been?" she asked angrily but she softened when she got a good look at him. "What happened?" she asked genuinely worried.
James smiled grimly. "Snape," he said simply. He gingerly touched a cut above his eyebrows. He looked at his finger, which was now covered with blood.
"Oh! He did that to you! Seriously, I don't know why he hates you so much!" she shook her head and drew out her wand causing James to jump back.
"Whoa, Evans, what are gonna to with that?" he looked very alarmed at the sight of her drawing out her wand at him.
"Potter, I'm not going to hurt you! Now sit down and hold still!" she used her best mother-like voice and James sat down beside her instantly. "Bring your face closer, Potter, I can't do it if you're all the way over there! I won't bite!"
James inched his face closer as if that was exactly what she might do.
Lily gingerly tapped her wand against the cut and murmured, "Mendius." The cut disappeared leaving no mark. "See, that wasn't so bad."
James touched his skin there cautiously and it was good as new. "Thanks," he said genuinely grateful. "Well, should we get started?"
For the next couple of hours, they worked in silence, and soon, they were finished with their work and began to glance at each other uncomfortably. James finally spoke up.
"So, um, Evans, Johnson is your best friend right?" he asked, desperate for conversation.
Lily nodded. "Yep. And Black and Lupin is yours right?"
James nodded. "Yeah, Peter's and good friend too. They're all great..."
"Yeah, they're always there for you no matter what..." agreed Lily. "And they don't judge you."
"Evans, don't you have a sister?"
"Unfortunately, yes," she said coldly.
"Why unfortunately?" he asked, intrigued.
"She thinks I'm a freak carrot-top," she said blandly.
"You're not a freak carrot-top," assured James.
"Well, thank you. So, do you have any siblings?"
"Nope."
"So, what are you're parents like?" she asked but immediately she knew she shouldn't have. A sad look came over James and he cringed. "Oh, sorry..." she said quickly.
James shrugged. "It's not your fault. They died last year. I'm almost over it now."
Lily didn't ask anything more, afraid of picking at old wounds. She was quiet and she let James guide their conversation.
That night, they found out a lot about each. James found out that Lily was deeper than he realized. She wasn't just a bookworm, she was really cool, and she actually cared about people and thought about more then just homework, boys, and makeup, as he had previously thought. She was insightful and profound, which was a rare quality. He felt now that every time he looked into her eyes, he didn't just see their beauty but now he felt as if her eyes were a window into her soul that he had never seen before.
Lily realized that James wasn't as conceited and mean as she had thought. He was really smart and funny. He surprised her by saying some really deep and heartfelt things that she had never expected to hear from him. He cared about more things other than Quidditch, his grades and girls. He was surprisingly sweet. But she brushed these thoughts out of her head, remembering their purpose of their meeting.
It was late when they set out from the library. They spotted Francis, who loved to gossip, so as they passed her, they allowed their fingertips to touch enough to give Francis ideas. As Francis passed, she grinned at them knowingly.
