Chapter 12 – "Sirius" Business
James's elbow suddenly slipped off the table and his head come in sharp contact with the edge of the table in the Three Broomsticks.
"OW!" He whispered as he massaged the part of his forehead that was throbbing.
His eyes blurry, he shook his head and came back to the moment. Lily had seemed to have gotten up to go to the bathroom, and still had not come back. There was a poking in his trousers and tried to think of dead kittens while remembering...It was all a dream.
He must have dozed off a little when Lily had gotten up to go to the loo and since the lighting was so low and a few butterbeers had kicked in he had felt very drowsy.
He heard a door creak and saw Lily stepping out of the loo and walk towards the table at which he was sitting. She smiled at him as she sat down.
"Shall we pay the check then?" she asked fingering the necklace that James had just given her.
James rubbed his forehead again, and smiled, "Yeah, I'll be right back."
He got up and went to the bar to pay for their meals. When he came back, Lily already had her cloak wrapped around her and James grabbed her arm and they quietly headed back out towards the castle.
They walked in silence, James thinking of the fantasy he had had, and smiling slightly at the thought of it.
They, almost at once, had reached the common room and headed inside to the fireplace in the middle of the room. Sirius and Heather were still awake, but they were the only ones. The common room was deserted and a good thing too because they were having quite the snogging session.
"Heh hem." Said James clearing his throat.
The two broke apart instantly; Sirius had his shirt half undone and was smeared with lipstick, and Heather's hair was sticking up at strange angles. They both had extremely guilty looks about their faces. Heather suddenly stood up and tried hopelessly to fix her wild hair.
"Um, Lily...see you upstairs then?" she gave a nervous smile at James and ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitory.
Lily and James burst out in fits of laughter while Sirius gave them a glare.
"You just had to come in now? Didn't you? Couldn't have waited until we made it to my room at least?" he pouted.
Lily turned to James still giggling madly, "James...I had a lovely time...I'll see you tomorrow ok?" she kissed James hard on the lips while wrapping her arms around his neck and before James had realized what she was doing she had started to run up the stairs after Heather.
James only then realized that Sirius wasn't where he should be.
"Padfoot, why aren't you with Moony?" he asked very seriously.
"Don't worry Prongs, Wormtail thought I needed the night off, what with Heather groping me all night. He's looking after him. I checked on him just over an hour ago, they were fine, just playing hide and go seek."
James chuckled at the thought of Remus counting to 100, his yellow eyes covered with big hairy paws.
"You going to bed?" asked James.
Sirius gave him another glare, "Yeah, but I didn't think I'd be going alone!"
He stomped off up the staircase followed closely by James.
They entered their dorm which was very empty and quiet. James looked over at the bed, where his very overactive imagination had gotten the better of him. He started to get undressed until he was left in his boxer shorts and hopped into bed. Sirius was in the bed next to him and heard him get under his covers as well.
"So, how did the date with Lily go?" Sirius asked looking into the ceiling.
James put his arms behind his head on the pillow, "Great! She's so perfect. It's almost unreal."
Sirius sighed, "You know James, in all seriousness, I envy you."
James sat up stunned, "You envy me? Why?"
Sirius rolled over to face James, "You love her so much, and she loves you back. I've never had that; my parents don't even love me. I mean, I like girls, and they like me, but it's just a physical thing, not like what you and Lily have. That's a real connection. I guess I'm just worried that I'll never have that."
He rolled onto his back again and stared at the ceiling.
James stared at his friend. He had never really known Sirius to be too emotional. He never really knew how much it hurt his friend not having a loving family.
"Wow that was really deep Sirius."
"Yeah, and if you ever repeat what I said to you now, I'll hex you so bad, Lily will never be able to have your children!" he laughed and turned over.
James smiled and lay back down on his pillow. He pulled off his glasses and stared out the window into the darkened skies. The rain had started again, and James winced slightly at the sudden thunder and lightening outside.
Just as he was starting to doze off, he heard creaking floorboards outside of the door. James sat up in bed and grabbed his wand from his nightstand and put on his glasses. The doorknob turned and then it opened. A figure was outlined in the door frame.
"Lumos!" James whispered.
The doorway illuminated and James found Lily standing in the frame.
"Lily?" James asked. He had gotten out of bed now and crossed the room to where she stood. She looked slightly puffy eyed and blotchy. Her hair was slightly tangled and wavy, and she was wearing a pair of pink shorts and a white tank top as pajamas.
"James, do you mind if I sleep in here tonight?" she asked quietly.
"No I don't mind, what's wrong? Have you been crying?"
"Oh, you'll think I'm being silly..." she whispered as she crossed over to his bed and sat down.
James followed her and sat down beside her, placing his extinguished wand back on the nightstand with his glasses.
"Of course I won't, what's wrong?"
"I just had a really bad dream..." she said. Her eyes started to well up with tears.
James pulled her into a hug, "It's ok, I won't let anything hurt you ok?"
Lily wiped her eyes and lay down on the bed next to James. He pulled the covers over both of them. Lily rolled over onto her side and placed her head on his shoulder and her arm across his chest.
Within 10 minutes she was asleep. James brushed away a few strands of fiery red hair out of her beautiful pale face and ran his fingertips down the side of her face. James fell asleep that night listening to the sounds of her breathing and her rhythm of her heartbeat against his chest.
James's elbow suddenly slipped off the table and his head come in sharp contact with the edge of the table in the Three Broomsticks.
"OW!" He whispered as he massaged the part of his forehead that was throbbing.
His eyes blurry, he shook his head and came back to the moment. Lily had seemed to have gotten up to go to the bathroom, and still had not come back. There was a poking in his trousers and tried to think of dead kittens while remembering...It was all a dream.
He must have dozed off a little when Lily had gotten up to go to the loo and since the lighting was so low and a few butterbeers had kicked in he had felt very drowsy.
He heard a door creak and saw Lily stepping out of the loo and walk towards the table at which he was sitting. She smiled at him as she sat down.
"Shall we pay the check then?" she asked fingering the necklace that James had just given her.
James rubbed his forehead again, and smiled, "Yeah, I'll be right back."
He got up and went to the bar to pay for their meals. When he came back, Lily already had her cloak wrapped around her and James grabbed her arm and they quietly headed back out towards the castle.
They walked in silence, James thinking of the fantasy he had had, and smiling slightly at the thought of it.
They, almost at once, had reached the common room and headed inside to the fireplace in the middle of the room. Sirius and Heather were still awake, but they were the only ones. The common room was deserted and a good thing too because they were having quite the snogging session.
"Heh hem." Said James clearing his throat.
The two broke apart instantly; Sirius had his shirt half undone and was smeared with lipstick, and Heather's hair was sticking up at strange angles. They both had extremely guilty looks about their faces. Heather suddenly stood up and tried hopelessly to fix her wild hair.
"Um, Lily...see you upstairs then?" she gave a nervous smile at James and ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitory.
Lily and James burst out in fits of laughter while Sirius gave them a glare.
"You just had to come in now? Didn't you? Couldn't have waited until we made it to my room at least?" he pouted.
Lily turned to James still giggling madly, "James...I had a lovely time...I'll see you tomorrow ok?" she kissed James hard on the lips while wrapping her arms around his neck and before James had realized what she was doing she had started to run up the stairs after Heather.
James only then realized that Sirius wasn't where he should be.
"Padfoot, why aren't you with Moony?" he asked very seriously.
"Don't worry Prongs, Wormtail thought I needed the night off, what with Heather groping me all night. He's looking after him. I checked on him just over an hour ago, they were fine, just playing hide and go seek."
James chuckled at the thought of Remus counting to 100, his yellow eyes covered with big hairy paws.
"You going to bed?" asked James.
Sirius gave him another glare, "Yeah, but I didn't think I'd be going alone!"
He stomped off up the staircase followed closely by James.
They entered their dorm which was very empty and quiet. James looked over at the bed, where his very overactive imagination had gotten the better of him. He started to get undressed until he was left in his boxer shorts and hopped into bed. Sirius was in the bed next to him and heard him get under his covers as well.
"So, how did the date with Lily go?" Sirius asked looking into the ceiling.
James put his arms behind his head on the pillow, "Great! She's so perfect. It's almost unreal."
Sirius sighed, "You know James, in all seriousness, I envy you."
James sat up stunned, "You envy me? Why?"
Sirius rolled over to face James, "You love her so much, and she loves you back. I've never had that; my parents don't even love me. I mean, I like girls, and they like me, but it's just a physical thing, not like what you and Lily have. That's a real connection. I guess I'm just worried that I'll never have that."
He rolled onto his back again and stared at the ceiling.
James stared at his friend. He had never really known Sirius to be too emotional. He never really knew how much it hurt his friend not having a loving family.
"Wow that was really deep Sirius."
"Yeah, and if you ever repeat what I said to you now, I'll hex you so bad, Lily will never be able to have your children!" he laughed and turned over.
James smiled and lay back down on his pillow. He pulled off his glasses and stared out the window into the darkened skies. The rain had started again, and James winced slightly at the sudden thunder and lightening outside.
Just as he was starting to doze off, he heard creaking floorboards outside of the door. James sat up in bed and grabbed his wand from his nightstand and put on his glasses. The doorknob turned and then it opened. A figure was outlined in the door frame.
"Lumos!" James whispered.
The doorway illuminated and James found Lily standing in the frame.
"Lily?" James asked. He had gotten out of bed now and crossed the room to where she stood. She looked slightly puffy eyed and blotchy. Her hair was slightly tangled and wavy, and she was wearing a pair of pink shorts and a white tank top as pajamas.
"James, do you mind if I sleep in here tonight?" she asked quietly.
"No I don't mind, what's wrong? Have you been crying?"
"Oh, you'll think I'm being silly..." she whispered as she crossed over to his bed and sat down.
James followed her and sat down beside her, placing his extinguished wand back on the nightstand with his glasses.
"Of course I won't, what's wrong?"
"I just had a really bad dream..." she said. Her eyes started to well up with tears.
James pulled her into a hug, "It's ok, I won't let anything hurt you ok?"
Lily wiped her eyes and lay down on the bed next to James. He pulled the covers over both of them. Lily rolled over onto her side and placed her head on his shoulder and her arm across his chest.
Within 10 minutes she was asleep. James brushed away a few strands of fiery red hair out of her beautiful pale face and ran his fingertips down the side of her face. James fell asleep that night listening to the sounds of her breathing and her rhythm of her heartbeat against his chest.