Chapter Two
"You did what??????" yelled Lily
"Well, he's Sirius…you know I've had a crush on him forever Lils…gimme a break! Don't say you wouldn't get with him darling! I know it isn't true!" replied Bella calmly
"But, but, but…how do you know he's there for the long haul? How do you know he's not just there for this 'snog-fest'?"
"Its just a leap of faith I'm willing to take, you just have to do that sometimes Lils! That's the way life works. We take risks, we win or get burned, then go out and do it all over again. How do you know you can trust James, eh? I haven't seen you take to someone like that in a long time. I'm impressed," said Bella
"I don't know, when he looks at me I feel like I could be seeing into deepest secrets. Its not like I'm committing to be friends with him till the end of time! I am willing to wait this one out though…I mean did you see the way he looked at me? I haven't had anyone look at me like that for a loooooong time…"
"Earth to Lily! Almost all the guys at Hogwarts look at you like that – including the seventh years! Where have you been? Maybe you just noticed James because you're looking at him the same way??" said Bella
"No, that's not it…I know he'll be a good friend though, don't ask me how, I just know."
"Padfoot, are you humming??? What the bloody hell is wrong with you??" yelled James
"huh? Oh…god, shes amazing, isn't she? Those eyes, that raven black hair. Shes perfect for me. I have a chance too…Did you see her tonight?? You know how long I've liked her, but been afraid to ruin what we have now……Prongs? You listening?"
"Sorta…just thinking about Lily again. Do you know she agreed to be friends with me. Some day maybe she'll learn to trust me long enough to make it into something more. God I hope so…I see a future with her, Padfoot, I really do…" Said James as Remus walked through the door hearing the second part of their conversation.
"Whoa, James has been tamed…I never thought I'd see the day. And by the looks of it, so has Padfoot here. What a day! I LOVE THAT WOMAN!!! I cannot wait to get married guys…" said Remus
"We know, we know…" chorused James and Sirius
"We'll see how this love thing works out…" said James casually. Sirius and Remus gaped at him realizing the weight of what he just said. Then they took it as a slip of the tong and discussed their nightly prank of the Slytherin sixth years.
The next day…
"Damn…how come we've got classes starting at 8?? Couldn't we just sleep in and go at noon??" asked Lily when their clock told them it was "time to go to breakfast"
"I don't know…at least we don't have to make our own breakfast. That would be a major pain." Replied Bella. The other three girls in the sixth year dorm had decided to room elsewhere when Lily, Sara, and Bella became best friends last year. The girls had totally redecorated their dorms, so a room for 6 people was now cozy for three.
"Alright kids, lets go," said Sara
…
"Hey boys, getting walked down to breakfast? Isn't this a surprise? To what do we owe this pleasure?" asked Sara
"Prongs" mumbled Remus, not looking awake just yet. Sara moseyed over to him and lifted his chin up while nuzzling him and kissing him on the neck. Remus woke up quickly and they became infatuated with each other and picked up where they had left off the night before.
"Ugh, lets go to breakfast guys. I'm sure they'll catch up eventually." Said Lily. Lily and James climbed out the Gryffindor portrait hole, but Sirius and Bella stayed back.
"You look gorgeous by the way," Sirius said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Don't you start acting all gentlemanly like now…it wouldn't be the Sirius I know and love!" Bella commented lightly, then realized what she had said and froze.
"You know and what? Exactly?" He said, getting closer and closer. Just then Lily popped back in the common room and yelled for everyone to get their asses out of their or else there would be hell to pay. Remus and Sara came to their senses and Sirius and Bella both blushed and scurried out.
Throughout breakfast, James and Lily got into a conversation over which was better, apparating, flying, using a Port-key, or using the Floo network. James was continuing the conversation, but looked like he could devour her any second. Sirius and Bella were trading conversation with Remus and Sara, but were very involved sneaking glances at the other and blushing furiously. Remus looked very amused at the situation, yet tired because of the nights festivities.
Just then, Malfoy and Snape walked over the Gryffindor table. All three boys stood up and the girls looked concerned. Then, to their surprise, Snape went to Lily, and Malfoy went to Sara and Bella and started professing their love and offering flowers and chocolates. Everyone in the Hall was laughing and the Marauders looked very pleased with themselves.
"James, how the hell do we stop them?" asked Lily
"You have to kiss them," replied James with a wink
Lily balked, then decided that a good peck on the hand might do the trick. The charm wore off and Snape looked at Lily, then James, blushed and stalked off. The Hall was having a field day laughing at the boys, and Dumbledore said, with a twinkle in his eyes, "Detention for the infamous Marauders, and thank you for the mornings entertainment."
"No problem Professor!!!" yelled Sirius, immediately being clubbed by Bella.
"Sorry Bella," he said, blushing.
Two days later, 'the situation,' as it was deemed by Remus and Sara, was the same. Lily and James were getting on better and better, surprisingly, because Lily often backed away from relationships she felt were going 'too well.' Sirius and Bella had few encounters, but were constantly flirting and trading glances. Sirius was convinced he had fallen head over heels, and Bella was willing to take the risk. James was wondering when he could make a statement about his feelings for Lily. He decided on 'an event' Monday evening, one week from today.
"What are you guys doing next Hogsmeade weekend?" asked James
"Well, we were planning to go shopping for the ball that's coming up, and just hanging out. I know that Remus and Sara have a date around 2 or 3, so we'll just hang out till then I suppose…" replied Lily
"The Ball (that we're not supposed to know about, by the way) isn't for a month at least! People haven't even started asking yet! Man! You girls are sure organized!"
"Well, we have to get the robes, then the shoes, and the jewelry and makeup, and we might have to order some of it. I still don't know if I'm going to go or not, but I suppose that Bella and Sara will drag me along," said Lily
"Yeah! You should go!!! It will be fun. Promise you'll save me a dance? Maybe two? You'll have to ask your date of course…" said James
"My date, riiiight, James you know me so well, but not at all. I probably won't go with a date, so you can have your two dances," she stated.
"We'll see…Hey, I've been wanting to ask you why you never seem to go for any of your many suitors…" he said, then looked at her face and quickly added, "if you don't want to say, that's fine with me…"
"No, I suppose it's a fair question. I just don't know who to trust. I've had some bad experiences with relationships I guess." She added with a half smile, looking at her toes, "I don't even know why I trusted you in the first place…"
James put a finger under her chin and made her look at him. "I am so glad you did. And I promise you that I'll always be here, to talk, for a shoulder to cry on, I'm here alright? I'm not part of a messy past, I'm part of your bright future. You hear me? I never want to lose what we have."
Lily responded by a breathtaking hug and she cried softly. They stayed like that until they were interrupted by Sara and Remus coming laughing down the stairs from the boys dormitory. Lily and James separated, and Lily whispered a soft "thank you."
James said loudly, "and what were you two doin up there all by your lonesome?? Then again, I don't really want to know."
Remus replied, grinning, "Lets go to dinner then. I believe you have quidditch practice after dinner, right Prongs?"
"You got that right. Then patrolling the corridors after that. Sounds like a fun night, eh?" He walked out of the common room with a comforting arm draped around Lily's shoulders.
The next day, Sirius was waiting nervously for Bella to come down the stairs before he headed to quidditch practice. Finally, she came down, wearing her uniform skirt and a tank top, needless to say, to Sirius, she looked gorgeous.
"Hey Sirius, what'd you need to talk to me about?" she asked
"Um…well I was wondering what you are doing on Saturday…"
"Oh yeah, Hogsmeade weekend right? Um..probably shopping until about 2 or 3 when Sara is meeting Remus. Why? What're you doing?" she said blushing
"Well…the norm. Getting new pranking items of course…"
"me too" she added with a wink. "You better not use any of that shit on me, that's all I got to say."
"Well when Sara and Remus meet up, do you maybe want to hang out with me?" Sirius asked, blushing furiously and looking away.
"Is this…like a date?"
"Um…" he said, looking up into her wonderful blue eyes. He swallowed then said, "It can be anything you want it to be, love."
"A date it is then." She looked at him, in his quidditch robes, and sighed. She kissed him on the cheek, lingering for a moment and whispered "can't wait."
Lily heard most of the conversation from the stairs and sighed. Why couldn't she trust like Bella did and just go out there? Just whisper in boys ears and know that feelings would be returned? Why couldn't every relationship be as easy as the one with her friends was? She could never learn to trust and love like Bella had. Bella had so many people to live for, so many people to love. Lily had her father, James, Bella, and Sara, and sometimes the other two Marauders. She could count them on one hand. Maybe I should learn how to take some risks? How to love? How to be vulnerable? I'll see how this works out…I'm getting better…just look at James! But I'll never be as good as Bella…just look at her flirting with Sirius and making him late for practice as if she were the only thing in the world…
James was watching Lily staring at Sirius and Bella. He walked up behind her and draped his arm over her shoulders.
"Sooo…I guess everyone is taken on Saturday…I guess this means that the lovely Lily is free after 2 or 3 o'clock?" James asked with a lopsided grin
"I guess that would be correct…would you like her to pencil you in, young sir?"
"I look forward to it darling," he said, and punctuated his statement with a kiss on her cheek, he then scampered off to tell Remus what had just happened.
R&R!!!!!!!