Chapter 3 – Back at the Castle
James couldn't get Lily out of his mind for the rest of the trip back to Hogwarts. His friends must have noticed because he could see them smiling and snickering at him from out of the corner of his eye, but he appreciated that they didn't push him into talking right then.
All he could think about was the way that Lily looked after they had talked. Her face had still been harsh and frustrated, but her eyes had softened. This was a step in the right direction at least.
"You ok James? We're almost at the station." Said Sirius, breaking James' thoughts.
James looked up at his friends who were already packing up their things into their trunks to be ready to get off the train. James followed suit, not talking much, but still thinking.
It was raining, hard. James pulled his hood over his head before stepping off the platform of the train and into the mud. They made their way, quickly, over towards the horseless carriages. The four boys, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter found a carriage and piled on top of the other to get inside as quickly as possible. James, somehow was the last to get in, but not before he spotted Lily stepping off the train.
She had her hood over her head as well, but it made her look so mysterious and graceful. The black hood framed her face and dark red curls lined the edge. Her green eyes shone through the rain and seemed to be looking in his general direction. She stepped lightly through the muddy street towards the carriages by herself. She looked around, probably for her friends, thought James, since she was rarely ever left alone. However, in her midst of looking for someone she knew, she tripped on a piece of uneven ground and landed straight into James arms. James caught her easily and stood her up straight.
"Thanks so much, that wouldn't have been fun If I got a face full of m..." she stopped as she looked up at him.
James stared at her, but not with his usual egotistical smile that drove all the girls at Hogwarts mad. They didn't say anything for a minute until Lily finally broke the silence, "Oh, thanks Potter, I...um...thanks." She quickly looked down and out of the gaze of his dark brown eyes.
"Prongs! Come on! I'm starving in here!" called Sirius out of the carriage.
James looked back at Lily as she resumed looking for her friends again.
"Hey, do you need a ride up to the castle?" asked James.
Lily looked at him with curiosity, "What's the catch?"
"No catch, it's just that pretty much all of the carriages have left already, and I don't want to have to take care of the Head duties all by myself with you still out here frolicking in the rain."
Lily examined his expression for a second, and finally concluding that it was genuine and a logical request, she smiled and hopped inside.
James had a small smile spread to cover his whole face but before climbing inside toned it down a few notches.
Lily had chosen to sit beside Remus on the opposite side of James. She took off her hood to reveal, still perfectly styled hair, even after being out in the rain. Suddenly, the carriage moved with a sudden start which sent Lily right into James arms once again. They looked at each other but then Lily quickly sat back in her seat and stared down at her hands.
"Sorry, Potter, I'm afraid I'm a bit clumsy at times." She said, not taking her eyes off the floor.
Sirius nudged James hard in the ribs smiling broadly.
"That's ok Lils, I'll always be there for you when you fall." Realizing what he had just said, he immediately looked down at the same spot on the floor which Lily was finding so interesting.
The rest of the journey up to the castle was a quiet one, except for the quiet snickering of the other three boys. When the carriage came to a stop, Lily was the first out of the door and ran all the way up the stairs and into the castle. James and the other boys got out slowly and headed up the stairs towards the entrance hall.
Once inside they almost ran all the way to the great hall for the feast. They sat themselves at the Gryffindor table and as James sat down he took a look down the table to find Lily sitting with her friends.
"Well, at least she found her friends then." Said James absently.
Sirius sat down beside him while Remus and Peter faced them on the other side.
"You know Prongs, you should've seen the look that Lily was throwing your direction in the carriage." Smiled Sirius.
James looked up, "What do you mean?"
Remus who had been scanning the teachers table turned to face James, "Well, I think she was trying to decipher which comment to be more shocked with, you calling her Lils, or that'd you'd catch her when she falls." And with that the three boys laughed.
"Don't look now, but she's staring at you." Said Peter quietly.
James turned his head and found Lily's eyes locked on him with a smile on her face, but quickly looked down at her plate when she realized he had been looking.
James smiled broadly and soon the feast began.
James couldn't get Lily out of his mind for the rest of the trip back to Hogwarts. His friends must have noticed because he could see them smiling and snickering at him from out of the corner of his eye, but he appreciated that they didn't push him into talking right then.
All he could think about was the way that Lily looked after they had talked. Her face had still been harsh and frustrated, but her eyes had softened. This was a step in the right direction at least.
"You ok James? We're almost at the station." Said Sirius, breaking James' thoughts.
James looked up at his friends who were already packing up their things into their trunks to be ready to get off the train. James followed suit, not talking much, but still thinking.
It was raining, hard. James pulled his hood over his head before stepping off the platform of the train and into the mud. They made their way, quickly, over towards the horseless carriages. The four boys, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter found a carriage and piled on top of the other to get inside as quickly as possible. James, somehow was the last to get in, but not before he spotted Lily stepping off the train.
She had her hood over her head as well, but it made her look so mysterious and graceful. The black hood framed her face and dark red curls lined the edge. Her green eyes shone through the rain and seemed to be looking in his general direction. She stepped lightly through the muddy street towards the carriages by herself. She looked around, probably for her friends, thought James, since she was rarely ever left alone. However, in her midst of looking for someone she knew, she tripped on a piece of uneven ground and landed straight into James arms. James caught her easily and stood her up straight.
"Thanks so much, that wouldn't have been fun If I got a face full of m..." she stopped as she looked up at him.
James stared at her, but not with his usual egotistical smile that drove all the girls at Hogwarts mad. They didn't say anything for a minute until Lily finally broke the silence, "Oh, thanks Potter, I...um...thanks." She quickly looked down and out of the gaze of his dark brown eyes.
"Prongs! Come on! I'm starving in here!" called Sirius out of the carriage.
James looked back at Lily as she resumed looking for her friends again.
"Hey, do you need a ride up to the castle?" asked James.
Lily looked at him with curiosity, "What's the catch?"
"No catch, it's just that pretty much all of the carriages have left already, and I don't want to have to take care of the Head duties all by myself with you still out here frolicking in the rain."
Lily examined his expression for a second, and finally concluding that it was genuine and a logical request, she smiled and hopped inside.
James had a small smile spread to cover his whole face but before climbing inside toned it down a few notches.
Lily had chosen to sit beside Remus on the opposite side of James. She took off her hood to reveal, still perfectly styled hair, even after being out in the rain. Suddenly, the carriage moved with a sudden start which sent Lily right into James arms once again. They looked at each other but then Lily quickly sat back in her seat and stared down at her hands.
"Sorry, Potter, I'm afraid I'm a bit clumsy at times." She said, not taking her eyes off the floor.
Sirius nudged James hard in the ribs smiling broadly.
"That's ok Lils, I'll always be there for you when you fall." Realizing what he had just said, he immediately looked down at the same spot on the floor which Lily was finding so interesting.
The rest of the journey up to the castle was a quiet one, except for the quiet snickering of the other three boys. When the carriage came to a stop, Lily was the first out of the door and ran all the way up the stairs and into the castle. James and the other boys got out slowly and headed up the stairs towards the entrance hall.
Once inside they almost ran all the way to the great hall for the feast. They sat themselves at the Gryffindor table and as James sat down he took a look down the table to find Lily sitting with her friends.
"Well, at least she found her friends then." Said James absently.
Sirius sat down beside him while Remus and Peter faced them on the other side.
"You know Prongs, you should've seen the look that Lily was throwing your direction in the carriage." Smiled Sirius.
James looked up, "What do you mean?"
Remus who had been scanning the teachers table turned to face James, "Well, I think she was trying to decipher which comment to be more shocked with, you calling her Lils, or that'd you'd catch her when she falls." And with that the three boys laughed.
"Don't look now, but she's staring at you." Said Peter quietly.
James turned his head and found Lily's eyes locked on him with a smile on her face, but quickly looked down at her plate when she realized he had been looking.
James smiled broadly and soon the feast began.