Safety From a Distance

Chapter 13

© PrincessLesse 2004

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"I just don't believe in love."

Those words were playing over and over in my head. She didn't believe in love? Merlin's beard! How could she not believe in love?

"Lily," I stuttered. "What—why?"

Lily smiled at me as she stared out at the lake. The Giant Squid was propelling, and the early morning sunlight was shining off the water.

"Well, my sister and I used to be so close and yet now we aren't. I used to think that she loved me and now I know that she doesn't. It's—it's complicated. I mean, I know that's something that I suppose I shouldn't be worrying about, but it is. So many of my friends' parents have gotten divorces, and my parents fight all the time."

Lily paused and took a deep breath. I smiled sadly at her as I grabbed her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Not to mention now. People—teenagers—toss around their love. How is that supposed to mean something when they can proclaim their love to one who isn't worthy? Like what Sirius did to me this morning. Sirius doesn't know me, how on earth could he even say he loved me? Like love at first sight. That doesn't exist, it's attraction at first sight—his pheromones are attracted to her pheromones."

I started chuckling a bit at what she was saying. It was a cynical tone that I couldn't decide whether or not I liked.

"I suppose I'm boring you, but it's just something that I've thought about for a while. Something in which I spend my free time doing."

I gave her a reassuring grin. I decided that I liked the cynical and thoughtful Lily, too.

"Oh well, it can't be helped if you're given that to work with, you know?" I asked her, my tone light.

"Besides, we're all entitled to our own thoughts. In fact, I'm a bit unconventional in my thoughts. Sometimes I wonder if I'm in love with love or even the idea. I know that my mum taught me things like that. That I should enjoy what life gives me, and I should respect the greatest gift that anyone could give me."

Lily looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I smiled at her. "Love. Love was the greatest gift anyone could give me, or so says my mum. She's a very smart woman, mind you, and I'm inclined to believe what she tells me."

Lily laughed at me as we kept walking, the end of the lake looming in the distance.

"Yes, I suppose that could be a great gift," Lily said to me after a moment. I grinned as we continued our trek to the end of the lake and back to the castle.

The next week flew by quickly, and then before I knew it, the dance was here upon us. I had spent as much time with Lily as I could and I tried balancing that with spending time with my best mates.

"Jamesie, have you figured out what you wanted us to do for the dance?" Padfoot asked me as he hung lazily over the armchair. I shrugged.

"What do you have in mind, Padfoot?"

"Eh, well I was thinking about something with the punch. Not horribly inventive but a good opening to a good prank."

I nodded and grinned at the thought. "How about we do one up on the punch. Ah, how about every sixth person to drink it will have the effects of the punch."

I pondered the thought. All it would take would be a charm that we learned last year.

"Yes, that's fine and dandy, but what will the effects be? Shall we turn them into something or shall we have them do something. I'm opting for the latter, like having them snog the person next to them. Imagine how entertaining that shall be!" Padfoot said, his eyes gleaming with the thoughts of a girl snogging him. I, too, grinned at the thought. Lily turning to me and then snogging me senseless. Ah…a boy can dream.

"I don't think we should do that. Someone unfortunate could end up snogging Snivellus. There isn't anyone I despise that much, Padfoot," I told him, my reasonable side whacking me on my head.

Padfoot grinned at me and then sighed. "Yes, well, it would've been entertaining to watch. Perhaps we shall do that come St. Valentine's Day."

I snorted and then winked at him. "Well, in hopes that I won't need a silly charm for Valentine's Day."

Padfoot laughed at me and then looked across the dormitory. Moony was sitting on his bed, making charts of some sort. I scratched my chin; I didn't think we had Astronomy homework.

"Oi, Moony!" Padfoot said after a beat. "What are you up to?"

Moony looked up and tossed a wink in our general direction. "I have the solution to your punch theory. I believe something mild to gradually pull us into our bigger prank. Every sixth person who drinks the punch will burp bubbles, and the only way to get rid of it will be to compliment one of us."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, fishing for compliments are we?"

"You damn right," Moony said, his teeth glinting in the light. I smiled for a moment before I sat down next to him.

"What are you looking at?" I asked him, my eyes roaming over the charts.

"It's the seating charts and whatnot. I stole them from you—as you had them from the last Prefect meeting."

"I didn't go to the last Prefect meeting," I told him, my forehead scrunched up in confusion.

"You didn't, but Lily did and she told me to give them to you. I obliged—so here they are. Ah, what you should know is that the Head Table will be placed in a different area, and there won't be the long tables for the respective houses, but there will be smaller tables for couples and whatnot."

I studied the chart and gave Moony a hard pat on the back. "That's my boy, now all we need to do is get the house elves' cooperation. I'm sure they will—they help us every year."

Padfoot grinned but he started and fell to the floor when Wormtail came barging into the room. I was barely sustaining my laughter when Padfoot jumped up and tackled Wormtail.

"Children," Moony said fondly as he returned to the chart. I was too busy watching as Padfoot attempted to put Wormtail in a headlock. I was just starting to put dibs on Wormtail sweeping Padfoot's legs from under him when Moony got my attention.

"What else are we going to do? We're weak as of now, Prongs," Moony said after his quiet contemplation.

"We're going to… well, I'm not quite sure what we're going to do as our Grande Finalé. Oh, I know I want to glue every odd table's plates, goblets, and utensils to the table. Yes, that's what I want to do."

I watched quietly as Moony nodded and then looked at Wormtail, who was sitting on top of Padfoot, who was struggling valiantly.

"What do you think, Wormtail, you're fairly creative. I'm sure you could think of something extraordinary," Moony asked him.

"I think—"

"You don't think!" Padfoot interjected. "Not until I'm finished with you, damn it!"

I smirked at the antics of my disillusioned, child-like friend. I feel for him sometimes, I don't believe he realizes how he is. Oh well, not my loss is it?

"Wait! Wormtail, what is it that you had in mind?" Moony asked of him.

"Well, if this big oaf would leave me alone I might be able to tell you." Wormtail shot Padfoot an accusing glare. Padfoot complied by leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Alright, I believe we should do the tried and true suit of armor trick. I like that one. It always makes me laugh whenever it'll tell an off-the-wall joke."

Moony stroked his chin in contemplation and looked at me for approval. I shrugged my shoulders, I had to agree with Wormtail, the suit of armor things always made me chuckle.

"That sounds good to me, Wormtail, but I want something extravagant for our big prank. Padfoot, any suggestions?"

"Fireworks!" Funnily enough, that was an immediate reply from him.

Moony tapped his chin in thought, and he started scribbling hurriedly on a piece of parchment.

"I believe we could work fireworks in as the main thing. What do you think, Prongs?"

I fell back on my bed, my legs hanging limply over the sides. "I could definitely work in fireworks. That'll be simple enough. All we have to do is make some homemade ones. Those'll be the best."

Padfoot looked at me and grinned. "Ah, the good things that we come up with. Halloween this year shall be fun."

I nodded happily and stared at the ceiling as I thought about what all we could do with the fireworks.

"Well, this may seem a bit fruity, but I think that once the fireworks go off black glitter should fall but disappear before it could hit the food. I'd hate for the food to be ruined."

Padfoot looked at me and grinned. "You're damn right that was fruity. Glitter indeed! Ah well, I suppose we can work in your little poncey ideas."

I threw a pillow at him and grinned happily to Moony. "This'll be the best Halloween ever! Don't you doubt it!"

The night of the dance was quickly upon us, and I was quite scared as I stared at my reflection. Sirius was standing behind me, primping more than a girl. His hair was tied back with a ribbon in a loose ponytail, but a lot of the strands were hanging down his face. I glared at his reflection as I thought about how lucky Sirius was for being able to pull off being effeminate yet manly at once. Damn him, it's not fair.

"What are you brooding about, Prongsy?" Padfoot asked me as he stared at me in mirror. I shrugged, running a hand through my hair.

"Jamesie, calm down. You're so worried over nothing. You're going to have a wonderful time with Lily tonight, and I won't let you ruin it. In fact, I won't let anyone ruin it, including myself."

I smiled at him, truly thankful for having a best mate like Sirius. "Ah, don't worry about it, I'm sure that tonight will be great. The only things we're to worry about are those blasted pranks. I just hope that everything will turn out as they're supposed to turn out."

Padfoot patted me hard on the back, his grin wide. "You worry too much, James. You know that we've got this down. Your fireworks idea will be good and all that rubbish, and it won't ruin the food, you ponce."

I threw a lazy punch at Sirius' shoulder, and he merely grinned wider in return. "Ah, I knew you loved me. Those little love taps gave it away, Prongsy. Anyhow, blue suits you, although my robes definitely look better than yours. Look at these stunning things!"

I rolled my eyes as I shuffled out of the bathroom, trying to flatten my hair in the process.

Wormtail was flailing around the room, his robes hanging off his shoulders while Moony was sitting on the bed and staring at the wall.

"Moony, what's the matter with you?" I asked him as I looked for socks.

"Oh, nothing in particular. Sam is going to be at the little shindig tonight, and I don't want to see her. She's going to be hovering over my shoulder and she's going to bother me, and then she might even tell Shana why it would be stupid for her to even be on a date with me. How on earth could she be going to a dance with a werewolf!"

"Moony, you know how I don't like you pitying yourself like that. So shut the hell up."

"I'm not! I'm upset with my sister because she is an imbecile. You would think that she'd realize that I'm not an invalid, I know how to deal with my problems and I know how to deal with the people around me. If she doesn't realize that, then I'm inclined to bash her over the head a few dozen times. Damn her."

"Moony, you have anger management problems. Yet, I can see where you're coming from with this; therefore, I have deigned to help you, my lowly subject!"

Moony narrowed his eyes at me as she growled unintelligible things under his breath. Poor Moony, he's so distraught with Sam, as she had been bugging him every since she got here. That's why I had a special prank just for her.

"Don't you worry about it, Moony ol' pal, Prongs here is going to take care of it."

"Not without Padfoot you're not. I believe that we both shall take care of it. No worries, mate, we've got Sam under control."

Sirius threw a wink in Moony's direction as Moony merely shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms. "I don't know whether or not to strangle you or thank you."

"You're only allowed to strangle us if we bungle this up. Like I said, I'll take care of you. Eh, Wormtail, you too?" I asked Peter as he leaned against the door.

"I've already got an idea. We keep her locked in a closet until we think up something better than that."

Sirius laughed as he threw an arm around Remus' shoulder. "Don't worry, we've got everything taken care of. In fact, I'll use Jamesie's invisibility cloak and we can get Sam under wraps. The only thing you've to worry about is making sure that dish Shana has a grand time."

"Padfoot, I hate you. But I love you as well, so thanks very much."

Moony stood up, stretched, and looked down at his charcoal gray robes.

"I look smashing."

"That you do, Moony, but you don't look as incredible as I do," Sirius said as he looked at himself in the mirror. His reflection smirked and threw Sirius a wink.

"Damn, I'm hot. Who can resist me—green is definitely my colour."

"You're a damn ponce, you know that don't you?" I asked Sirius in jest. Yet, I was supremely jealous underneath. There would be no way that I would look half as good as Sirius did. He carried himself with much more confidence than I could.

"Ah, Jamesie, you look debonair as well! And good Petey over here, in his dashing purple robes looks stunning! We—all of us—look good enough to eat. Now, as we are rather late for our ladies, it's time to go and make sure that our pranks are secure as well as functioning properly. James, you did see that they were in the right spot."

"What do you take me for? A duffer? Of course they are, you twit! I got everything!"

I smirked smugly as I exited the dormitory. The others were following behind me. I was happy; tonight would be a wonderful night. As I walked down the stairs, I felt my breath snag in my chest as Lily looked at me.

Smiling shyly, she waved a gloved hand at me as she tilted her head.

"Hi, James. I know this is unorthodox, as I'm supposed to meet you in the Great Hall, but as we're in the same House and Year, not to mention that we're Prefects, I decided that I'm allowed to be unorthodox."

I promptly closed my mouth and swallowed hard. Lily wore ice blue robes that clung to her—oh did they cling to her! And her hair was piled elegantly atop her head, as her whole body seemed to sparkle. For me. She was pretty for me. Oh, she looks positively gorgeous. Wow… Jesus, she's beautiful. She'll always forever be beautiful, this one night will never leave me. Lily's perfect.

"Good afternoon, Lily," I told her after a moment's hesitation. She finally grinned out right as she took my extended hand.

"James, we're going to have a fantastic time tonight, okay? Just make sure that the pranks don't involve us."

I smiled indulgently at her. "The pranks always involve me, Lily."

She laughed as she rested a hand at my elbow and arched an eyebrow at Sirius, who was gaping behind us.

"Yes, I suppose they'll involve you, too, Sirius."

I watched as Sirius composed himself with much more grace than I. Then he smiled at me, and smiled at Lily in a kind-hearted way.

"Of course, and I must say that the two of you make the most handsome couple. Come now, gents, let's leave Jamesie and Lilykins to themselves. We've our own dates to woo."

I laughed as Sirius gave me a thumbs-up sign and scrambled neatly out of the portrait hole, followed by Wormtail and Moony.

"You look wonderful, Lily. I mean it, you look absolutely beautiful."

"Oh, James, flattery will get you everywhere."

I grinned as I gave into impulse and kissed Lily on the forehead. "I don't want to get everywhere. I'm fine right where I am."

Lily's eyes were rounded as her mouth was shaped into an 'o' of surprise. She then smiled softly as she placed a kiss upon my cheek. "Oh, James, you're perfect. Don't change, okay. Come on, we're going to be late to the dance if we don't get a move on."

I nodded numbly as I lifted a hand to my cheek. Lily just kissed me. Oh, I have a feeling tonight is going to be wonderful!