Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all of these characters and settings
Summary: James has been going after Lily for 2 years. On their seventh, James stops, thinking that their love wasn't meant to be…and Lily finds herself wishing he didn't. But now, Lily can't quite bring herself to tell James how she feels, let alone talk to him.
Authors Note: THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! That is how enthusiastic I am right now after all the reviews. THANK YOUUUUUUU!!!!! Haha. But before I start the list, I want to ask everyone (especially those who love fluff) to read my one-shot entitled, The Light of Winter. Please? It has to do with snow. I love snow. Hehe, maybe because I live in a country where it's always hot or raining. PLEASE READ IT! Some of you already have, like, MissMisFit9, Sting-23,mandyzcool, Indiangurl, spindol, webdwonder, and other people. Thanks!!!!
And thank you to: mandyzcool, Hizashino Hana, Andrea Meiouh, JulesFelton, MissMisFit9, Charming Visions, ShOrTnSwEeT9013, Kyo-grli91, lilyZWnam77, and Japanime1, for also adding me to their Author Alerts/Favorites List. Thank you!!!!!! Now, for my very grateful list….
truegryfinndorgrit: Yay! A reason for me to dance! You'll see who gets the note…and you are only partly correct, about Remus getting the note. Haha. Thanks. (Did I mention how much your story rocks?)
ne0nhunteR: one of your faves? Thank you! That certainly brightened up my day! And yes, Lily and James is a very interesting couple.
Daintress: Snorkacks. They sound very funny. Yeah, but I love weird fics. It fits my weird personality.
martian doll: She could be crying because of both. Here's chapter 5, I hope you enjoy it! Thank you very much!
Krissy4: Thanks. Helen the eavesdropping skank. Hmmm…that sounds mighty evuull!
lilyZWnam77: I researched on the horoscope stuff before I wrote this chapter. I wanted it to be as well researched as possible. I hope you get better, (although, I bet by now you are). I read your fic. Very interesting. Thanks and Happy whatever-day-it-is-you-are-reading-this-chapter! ;-P
MissChrystal: Thank you. I'm so glad you like it! Helen will be…different.
JulesFelton: Kill Helen? that would be the Voldemort way of doing things. Haha. Bad Helen? We'll see. Thanks!!! (is Felton from Tom Felton, most probably yes, but…wondering)
krystal lea: Well, I've been reading fanfics for quite a while now, this is just the first time I'm actually writing one! Yeah, she's falling for him! Woah! I can't believe that Lily Evans would f-fall for James Potter! Harhar. That's why I love their stories so much, it's pretty unpredictable. Jack's a nice name. lol.
krystal: Are you the same person as krystal lea? I wasn't sure. Wow! Thank you!
Beth: I made this chapter as long as possible, well, not that long. I hope you love it!
LuluIsALobster: I love your name! Lulu is a lobster! Hehe. Thank you for the ideas. I'm going to credit you in the next chapter since I'm going to use one of them. Yeah, my story is actually very flexible. Thank you!
MissMisFit9: I love your name too! Hehe, sorry about the cliffhanger. I hope to put you out of your misery by uploading this chapter. Thank you!
Charming Visions: Calling my fic well written is one of the best compliments that exist. Thanks!
MightyMouth: Me too! I love Lily-secretly-likes-James fics! My! Once you sign in and write your fic, I'd definitely read it! Just inform or something, because I might accidentally miss it. I'm crediting you for using the paired-up-in-class idea! It's in the Authors Note. But I'm not going to make it torture. Yeah, that happens to me, I have a lot to say, then I forget it. Thank you!
Kyo-grli91: I checked your bio, but I didn't see any Harry Potter fics yet. I'll be waiting. Just please contact me when it comes out. I'd very much like to review it!
cggeek241: Yeah, sometimes Lily seems so perfect. I wanted her to seem a little more human. And that even witches endure humiliating experiences. Thank you!
sting-23: Ranting sessions are always fun! I'm going to credit you in the next chappie, for using your idea. Thanks!
webdwonder: No prob. That spider-man thing was dedicated to you! Yeah, sometimes cliffhangers remind me of boogers as well. I'm glad it meets your standards, the story not the boogers. Haha. Your steps are added at the bottom.
spindol: Thank you for the two thumbs up! and I definitely will be expecting you! Thanks for the steps, they're added at the bottom.
mandyzool: Thank you so much!!! Mandy is cool! (is your name Mandy?). Here's more!
LilyPotter: Don't worry, they're not going to get married! I'm really sorry about the fluffless chapters, but I wrote a one-shot to make up for it. The title is in the Authors Note. It's very fluff-ful!!! I think you'd like it. Thanks for telling your friends, and reviewing!
fallen816angel: I know. Poor poor Lily. I'm so flattered that you felt that you were in the moment. That must mean my writing is improving! Yay! I love Alice! She's the perfect friend! It's sad though, with what happens to her in the future. ::sob:: I'm not sure which songs to do yet. But I'm still going through some. Your dance steps are added at the end of the chapter. Thanks. Update your fic, too!
GryffindorGoddess28: Who cares if you're not a dancer! It's fun going crazy! Okay, I don't want people to feel bad when Helen and James separate. You'll see who finds the note. I'll add the head banging and the muttering in the next chapter, I think. And I'll credit you, too! That situation would be funny! Thank you!
Indiangurl: Thank you! Yeah, this is all caused by Lily's stubbornness. Hey, the fic sounds great. And what if, they met when they were way younger, and hated each other then, because James used to always prank and tease her (and she was so skinny then and stuff). But when they see each other, they don't recognize the faces. And so it begins! That would be sooo cool. You should watch the Swan Princess. It might give you an idea. (but I only like the beginning when they're growing up). It's a cartoon, and the start is really cute! As for the bold, underlined and italicized words, I use Microsoft word and then save it as an html file, instead of a text document. But I just noticed, that the QuickEdit doesn't work on it (for bold, italics), the only thing that works with the QuickEdit for me is the horizontal rule.
A/N: Okay, there's some lily/james interaction, and more of the Marauders too. Credit goes to MightyMouth for the idea of pairing them up in class. Hope you like it!
You're Hurricane, You're Fire in the Sun
By: kaleidoscope eyes (Pat)
Chapter 5:Tears and Tea LeavesAlice quietly tiptoed to the side of Lily's closed four-poster bed. All of a sudden, the room was quiet, and you could no longer hear the soft whimpers of sadness. She put her head against the lacy white curtain and listened for the slightest sound of movement. She was sure Lily could see her silhouette.
Lily warily eyed Alice's figure against her drape. She sat deadly still and only inhaled in tiny amounts. The only thing that moved were her cat-like eyes.
Alice groaned, and moved to sit on top of her bed. She lay her back down and pretended to be very joyful. "I can't believe it" she exclaimed out loud "I can't believe I'm going to be Mrs. Alice Longbottom! I can't believe I'm actually going to marry Frank!"
Lily looked shocked. Marry? She shook her head and bounded out of her bed and looked Alice straight in the eye. "Alice! You're only 17! How could you leave me and wed Frank!" she wailed.
Alice put her hand on her mouth and gasped. "But Lily! We already planned everything! And I'm…I'm pregnant!"
Lily was, at first, utterly shaken, until she noticed, the too-innocent look of Alice's eyes, and the small grin playing on her lips.
"That's not funny. Being pregnant and getting married is no joke."
Lily turned away, and crossed her arms, giving a disappointed pout.
"Aw, come on, Lils!" Alice said, only able to look at Lily's back. "You know as well as I do that you wouldn't have left that bed of yours."
Lily shrugged and looked back at Alice's warm, concerned face.
Alice looked at Lily's puffy red eyes, and pink nose. Her hair looked as if she just woke up, yet her features seemed dull as if she hadn't slept. "Darling, what's wrong?"
Lily shrugged and looked downward. Her lips trembled to cry, but she tried her hardest to hold them back.
"Was it because of the note? Or what happened with the pumpkin juice? Or the fall in the Great Hall?" she paused to look at Lily's expression. "Embarrassing moments happen to all of us." Alice sat closer to Lily, and stroked her hair.
Lily stayed silent and blinked her eyes. "They don't happen to James!" she said, her voice cracking. "He's always so-so perfect! His life seems perfect!"
"Oh, so is this about James?" Alice asked cautiously.
Lily gulped and twiddled her fingers. She looked at Alice and started to cry. "I like him, Alice! I BLOODY LIKE JAMES POTTER!" she screamed. Tears flooded down her cheeks and unto her robe.
Alice looked at Lily sympathetically, and gave her a great big hug. Lily rested her chin on Alice's shoulder and spoke-
"AND HE TOLD ME HE LOVED ME, ALICE!" she paused and gulped. "AND WHAT DID I DO?" she blinked her eyes once more feeling as if she could hate herself for the rest of her life. "I SCREAMED AT HIM AND TOLD HIM TO SOD OFF!"
They continued to hug, and Alice let Lily cry, rubbing her back. "I RUINED MY CHANCES, ALICE! I'M SUCH A LOSER!"
Alice pushed Lily back to look at her wet, red face. "Lily, you are not a loser. And you didn't ruin your chances." She stated calmly. "If he really does love you, he wouldn't give you up too easily. I bet he still misses you."
"I'm Lily the loser. Loser Lily." Lily mumbled under her breath.
Alice placed her two hands on Lily's arms and shook Lily a bit. "Lily! Look at you! Get a hold of yourself! You are not a loser, okay? You're beautiful, smart, and fun to be with! And I bet my life that he craves for you when he's sleeping! Or eating! Or even playing Quidditch!"
Lily looked at Alice once more, and let out a small smile. "Thank you, Alice." She said softly and gratefully. "I just wish I could be with him. Now that he's got Helen, he doesn't need me. And we don't even talk to each other."
"Warm up to him is all you need to do. Every now and then, give him one of your heart melting smiles." Alice suggested, holding Lily's hand.
"I just-I just miss him!" Lily sighed, her eyes teared up again and seemed to overflow.
"Now don't you go moping around like this, everything happens for a reason." Alice reminded, standing up to reach for a brush and a tissue box. She wiped a tissue against Lily's tear-stained face and brushed her awfully messy hair. "Look at you! Your hair's as bad as James!" she joked.
Lily giggled slightly and closed her eyes. She was so lucky to have a friend like Alice.
"Now, "Alice continued, "In 2 weeks is the Christmas Ball, we can go look for some dazzling dresses during our Hogsmeade trip this weekend, and-"
"Alice?" Lily took hold of the wooden brush that Alice held, and turned her face to her friend.
"Hm?" Alice said, smiling curiously.
"Thanks."
"Aw, Lily. You would do the same for me, wouldn't you? What are best friends for?"
"Yeah, yeah I would do anything for you."
The two hugged again, and then started a whole different conversation.
The common room was packed with people doing different activities. Some were studying around the table, while others were playing exploding snap, or getting cozy with their 'soul mate' (or so they think) in front of the fireplace.
Lounging on top of the two softest, coziest couches, which were dubbed the Marauders' thrones (no not toilet thrones), were Sirius and Remus in the middle of an intense chess match.
At first, because of Remus' intelligence, he had checked Sirius king, and almost won the game. But for reasons that Sirius thought differently, crazily, uniquely, he escaped the threat, and prolonged the match. It had been going on for two hours already, but none wanted to succumb.
"In the words of the Almighty Sirius Black, ruler of all human beings and lower dominions of the earth, I shall not bow down to thy Mr. Loony Moony!" he stood up and proclaimed to the people of the common room. They looked at him, not surprised at his outburst, and continued doing whatever it was they were doing. Sirius looked at one of the 5th year girls and winked. She giggled uncontrollably and screamed. Her friends surrounded her saying how lucky she was. Satisfied, Sirius sat down and declared in a loud commanding tone, "Pawn to D4!"
Remus rested his arms on the table and studied the chess pieces' positions. His soft blue eyes darted from his queen to Sirius' pawns. He looked up at Sirius, who was letting his hair fall over his eyes, looking very bored, and cracked his mouth open in a smile, revealing the glint of his fangs.
"Rook to C8!" Remus announced, and then smirked at Sirius. "Check."
Sirius looked annoyed. His eyebrows furrowed and glanced at the board. This time, he was trapped. His king could not escape.
At that moment, Peter barged into the room flailing a parchment around, gripped in his hand, and accidentally slid against the chess table, causing all the pieces to fall with a bang.
Remus gasped out of shock and quickly bent down to pick the broken pieces up.
"Wormtail!" Sirius hollered. He seemed angry, but inside he was actually rejoicing at the fact that Remus wasn't able to finish him off.
"S-sorry!" Peter apologized. "I just-" he paused to catch his breath, "I just have the most interesting news! Where's James?" He turned his head, scanning the crowd.
"Probably taking a walk with Helen near the Great Lake." Remus suggested, placing the broken pieces back on the table. With the swish of his wand, he mumbled, "Reparo!" and the chess pieces were whole.
"Or having a snog!" Sirius bellowed, holding snickers.
"I can't wait any longer! The news is pushing itself out of my mouth." Peter cried out, and sat next to his mates. "Lend me your ears, and I'll lend you my earwax!'
Sirius looked at Peter weirdly. His face contorted into a disgusted one, making him look as if he was a pig.
"What is it?" Remus asked, looking at Peter intently. He stroked his hand on his chin as he wondered.
"This." Peter said, holding out the note that Lily had lost earlier.
Their eyes read it and widened. "Woah." was all Sirius could say. Remus read it once again, and sighed. "It was actually pretty obvious, when you come to think of it."
"What do you mean?" Peter asked, utterly clueless.
"Look, she looked sad in the Great hall when she heard the news, she was staring in his direction during Transfiguration, and she spilled her pumpkin juice when James said her name."
"Look who knows the women!" Sirius grinned evilly and nudged Remus. Then, he stood up excitedly, grabbing the note from Peter. "Let's go tell Prongs the good news!"
Remus quickly took hold of Sirius' robes and pulled him down. "No!" he exclaimed, 'that would be too embarrassing for Lily!"
"Then uh- what should we do?" Peter inquired, still looking outright oblivious.
"Let's get them together!" Sirius said, his eyes glinted mischievously, his mouth spread into a giant grin, and he rubbed his hands.
Remus shook his head. "I don't think we should mess with other people's relationships. That's a dangerous business."
"Aw, come on, Moony!" Sirius whined like a baby, tugging on Remus' cloak. "We all know James isn't over dear Lilykins! This will be as easy as pie!"
Peter licked his lips. "Mmm…pie!"
Remus looked at the ceiling to think. He knew James wanted Lily, badly, but he didn't know whether this was the right thing to do. He looked back at Sirius and sighed in defeat. "As long as we don't make it too obvious." Remus warned, "Lily will have our necks if she finds out."
Sirius nodded wildly. "Fine. Okay." Remus gave in.
"I knew I could get you to agree!" Sirius exclaimed starting to dance (the Review Alert dance!) around the common room. "After all, you only managed a draw with me in our chess match!"
Remus looked on from the couch and retorted, "If Peter hadn't knocked down the table, I would've won! Meaning, I did win!"
At this point, Sirius had conjured up a basket of white petals and started throwing bunches on Gryffindors' heads. "I don't think so. I'm the unbeatable, sexy Sirius Black!"
Remus shook his head, brushed the petals off his shoulders, and continued reading his book.
The wind continued to blow as two figures walked around the Great Lake. The green water seemed so placid and peaceful, it was always impossible to think that there were so many creatures living under the surface. Lily pads moved slightly as tiny waves brushed under it, and the bushes near the shore swayed along.
"It's like a musical." Helen sighed looking at James. "Listening to the songs of nature, everything in tune, everything in its place." She smiled to herself, as she watched the sky become darker.
James turned to her then looked back. His hands were pocketed in his robes as he walked steadily. For some reason, he didn't enjoy the scene. He didn't have the urge to hold the hands of the girl beside him, he didn't want to push her aside and snog her.
This was highly unusual.
"Don't you wish that everything in your life could be in tune? Like, you knew how you always felt, and you knew what was always the right thing to do." She expounded. She stopped and looked at him, wistfully.
James looked into her eyes, and winced. He was not looking at the dazzling emerald green eyes he was so used to staring at; he was gazing at Helen's blue eyes. No reaction.
He shrugged and said, "Come on. I think it's time to go to Divination." He guardedly took hold of her hand and guided her towards their next class.
Lily tiredly walked up the staircase leading to the North Tower. The stoned wall that surrounded her was cold, and you could hear the trickling of water dropping down its rough surface. The only thing that lit up the place was a single flamed torch, hanging on the wall. She reached the silver ladder, and forcefully pulled herself up. As she climbed up, she could feel the solemnity grow inside her. She didn't really believe in such things, but a part of her felt hopeful that night.
She pushed the trap door open and felt the sudden hot temperature hit her face. Her eyes blinked getting used to the smoked incense. The place was covered with tons of colorful, beaded drapes, hanging on strings and walls. She breathed in the heavily perfumed air, as she looked at all the occupied cushioned chairs. She awkwardly found the last one remaining, and sat down…next to James Potter.
He eyed her, and gave her a wink. She took Alice's advice, and smiled. Then she turned her attention to the Professor in front, and bit her lip. She felt as if she could jump for joy after having James Potter wink at her!
'You know, this whole admitting my love thing really helps.' She thought. The side of her eyes watched James tap the ends of his quill on the table; his other hand supported his head, as he rested his elbow on the desk.
A bright light shone from the front of the class, emanating from a glass orb. It casted an eerie effect on the classroom, and set the whole 'mood'. The light glowed on Professor Atalanta's face, focusing on her purple eyes. Her hands waved dramatically over the orb, causing the silk, maroon veil to come off from her thick curly black hair. She blushed slightly, and bent to pick it up. The ends of her long beaded necklaces touched the ground with a clang, then lifted up again as she sat up straight.
"Welcome, students." She said in a mystical voice that almost seemed like a loud whisper. "For today, and the next few, you will partner yourself and study each other. It will be like a combination of all you have learned over the years. You will read their palms, and look into the mystical orb, study their horoscopes, and what the alignment of the planets have to do with your futures." She announced, accentuating every syllable, making her speak very slowly.
"Today, you will read tea leeeeeaaaves!" she hissed the last word, widening her eyes. She stood up and clapped her hands, "Now pair up!"
Students quickly turned to their seatmates and partnered up. James was about to turn to Helen but didn't see the quick wink that Sirius gave to Remus. Sirius quickly asked Helen to be his partner before James could. Not knowing what to do, Helen said yes, and looked at James uneasily. James just shrugged once more and looked around.
Lily didn't know who to pair up with. Alice wasn't in that class, and the only other Gryffindors that were there were the Marauders and Helen.
James turned to Lily, who looked very alone. "Um.." he said, ruffling his hair, "Look, I know we haven't actually spoken since the little argument, but let's put our differences aside and work together." He ended meekly.
Lily wanted to laugh when he said 'little' argument. Ha. That was one of the biggest fights of her life. And probably it was the most important one, too.
She just nodded, and watched James pull his seat next to hers. He set up the tea leaves and prepared his parchment for taking notes.
Lily didn't know whether he was still mad at her. 'Then why did he wink?' she asked herself, racking her brain in bewilderment, and got to work.
James took the plate of Lily and studied it from different angles. "I see, uh, a clock!" he finally answered smiling.
Lily looked confused and looked at the list of images and its definitions. No clock.
"Meaning, " James continued, "…your face will stop time!" he laughed aloud at his own joke.
Lily looked at him uneasily, not knowing whether to feel insulted or to laugh along. She gave him a small giggle, but it ended up sounding like a whimper.
James looked at her perturbed face, and frowned. "I was just kidding, Lily. You know your face wouldn't halt time."
Lily nodded obediently, not looking at him. James groaned at Lily's lack of laughter and analyzed Lily's plate once more. "I see a single-stemmed flower. It means you will have one child."
Lily smiled. She always wanted a child. At night, she imagined stroking her baby's fine hair and touching the smooth skin. She would see herself in her baby's eyes. Beautiful. Her child would be her life, and she would give her baby all her love. Her heart would no longer belong in her body, but in her baby's.
"Lily!"
Lily snapped out of her trance and jumped in her seat. "I see," she started, evaluating James' plate, "a shield. It means you will…die protecting your loved ones." She looked at James face sadly. She didn't want James to die. That would just tear her apart.
"It's okay." He answered, surprising Lily, "if there's one way for me to die, I'd rather it would be that way." Lily looked at James astonished. She admired his bravery and loyalty. She smiled weakly at him, and felt her longing for him strengthen.
He eyed her expression and felt proud. 'I would die for you Lily. I would do anything for you.' He thought. Then turned away and wrote down his notes.
Sounds of the quills scratching the rough parchment filled the room. Lily would glance at James every now and then, who was looking intently at his paper. He caught her eye and grinned. "You know Lily," he stated, moving his hand on top of Lily's. She watched him lay his hand on hers and felt a shiver swim through her spine and tingle her palms. It felt like static. "Let's not be this shy around each other." He continued, "I promise, I will not go after you anymore. After all, I am with Helen now."
Lily turned away from his gaze to cover the feeling of hurt that stung her heart. Her long hair acted like a curtain covering her face.
James, reached his hand out and tucked her hair behind her ears, just like he had on that day with the bed of white lilies. As if he had the hardest time speaking, he added with a gulp "Let's just be friends, okay?" he seemed like he regretted what he had just said, but added "Good friends."
She rubbed her eyes, and discreetly wiped the tears that were about to fall. "Good friends." She managed to say.
He smiled at her sincerely.
She smiled back.
He was still holding her hand.
She was still staring deeply into his eyes.
"James!" Helen demanded. "What are you doing?" She couldn't see what exactly was going on, but it made her suspicious.
James quickly dropped Lily's hand then turned to Helen. "Nothing, darling. Just talking."
Helen smiled once more and gave James a peck on his cheek.
From behind James' sight, Lily wiped her eyes dry and focused her gaze on the parchment, where the ink was blurred from tiny droplets of tears.
"He told me he wants to be friends with me. Good friends, he said." Lily told Alice sadly, about the events that occurred that night.
The two girls were both on Lily's bed with the curtains closed, whispering under their breath, so as not to wake up the other girls in the room.
Alice cracked a grin. "Don't you see, Lily?" she paused and held Lily's hand, "This is your way to get close to him!"
A/N: Again, please read THE LIGHT Of WINTER! ;-D
So what did you think? I loved describing the Divination room. And they get to tell each other's fortunes! This is going to be fun… And don't worry, you know how James feels now. They get a lot closer in the next chapter! (And maybe Helen may be pushed out of the picture!)
PLEASE REVIEW! Comments, suggestions, constructive criticism, questions, ideas...favorite characters in the Harry Potter book…anything! I love all of you!!!! You light up my life!
Review Alert Dance: (you are invited to add)
clap your hands twice, then kick up high.
hop like a kangaroo, and wiggle your butt (added by webdwonder)
do the waltz with a family member (added by spindol)
moonwalk on rollerskates while flapping your ears (added by fallen816angel)
I've got my eyes (get it?)on you, kaleidoscope eyes (Pat)
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