Chapter 13 – Hidden Past
James woke up early Sunday morning. A thin ray of approaching sunrise light peeked through the hangings surrounding his bed and fell upon his face. He blinked and shielded his eyes from the light. He tried to sit up but then felt something weighing him down. He looked down to see Lily's sleeping form, her head resting on his chest. James suddenly remembered last night and smiled. He liked the idea of waking up next to her.
James slid out from under her. She stirred slightly and then turned her back to him onto her side. James reached for his glasses on his night table and put them on. He didn't really want to wake her up, but he felt that he should. Sirius would never stop talking about it if he found Lily and James in the same bed.
"Lily?" James whispered and shook her shoulder lightly.
He heard her moan sleepily and drew the covers around her tighter.
"Lily," he said a little louder, "You have to get up now darling."
Lily stirred again and lifted her head peering through the slightly open hangings. She slowly turned around and looked at James.
"James?" she said curiously, "What are you doing here?"
James gave her a smile, "You're in my room. You had a bad dream and came to sleep in here with me, remember?"
Comprehension seemed to dawn on her. She looked away and then turned back to him and smiled. She moved across the bed as she yawned and stretched and got out on the other side. She pulled apart the hangings quietly and James hopped across the bed to lead her to the door.
James opened the door for her and she stepped out into the hall and turned back to face him.
"Thank you James. For letting me sleep here with you." She smiled shyly and stared at her hands.
James touched her chin and her eyes met his.
"I loved waking up next to you." He kissed her softly on the hand and she smiled and headed down the stairs to her dormitory.
James, realizing that he was never going to get back to sleep, headed for the showers to wake him up more thoroughly, and ease the uncomfortable feeling in his boxers.
James got dressed and felt a familiar rumble in his stomach so he headed down to the common room with the intention of heading for the great hall for breakfast. He entered the circular common room and was heading for the portrait hole when it opened quietly and Remus and Peter climbed in. They both looked exhausted but Remus more than Peter. He looked very sick with large circles under his red swollen eyes and he looked slightly slimmer than usual. His hair was tangled and he was walking with a slight limp in his right leg.
"Hey!" called James as he approached them.
Remus looked up and smiled to see James walking towards him. Peter waved and headed straight past James to the dormitories for some much needed sleep.
"How are you feeling?" asked James cautiously.
Remus grimaced slightly, "I'm alright, its not as bad as it could be. I just really need some sleep. Do you think maybe you could bring me some breakfast and leave it on my trunk?"
James clapped Remus lightly on the shoulder, "Yeah of course! I'll bring you a whole bloody buffet. Go get some sleep though, you look absolutely knackered."
Remus smiled and passed James to the dormitory stairs and vanished from sight.
James sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall 5 minutes later and was eating everything in sight. He was starving; it felt like he hadn't eaten in days. He was sitting by himself since it was early on a Sunday morning and the rest of the seventh years were trying to catch up on the sleep they were losing from studying for their N.E.W.T's.
James was looking up at the enchanted ceiling wishing it would stop raining so that he could go for a fly when he heard someone clear their throat quietly from behind him.
James turned around expecting a pair of bright emerald eyes and red hair but was instead looking at blue eyes and platinum blonde hair. Marissa, a seventh year Ravenclaw. James had never really liked this girl but she liked him, a lot. Of course he had slept with her many times, but it hadn't meant anything to him. She was just there when he was lonely and horny from not being with Lily.
"Hi James." She said. Her voice was low and seductive.
"Oh, ah, hey Marissa."
"How are you?"
"Fine."
"How's school coming along?"
"Fine."
"I was thinking we should get together sometime, we could have a lot of fun." She briefly touched his inner thigh as she sat down next to him; her skirt hitching up to show off her long slender legs.
"Um no thanks." He croaked. Marissa obviously was not getting the idea that he didn't want to talk to her by his lack of intricate answers. She had a look in her eyes that James didn't like.
"Oh come on, I know you like to have a good time." She said huskily and then whispered right in his ear, "I'll let you do whatever you want with me..." and she placed her hand right on the part of his body that was pinching rather painfully in his trousers.
James sat up so fast that he nearly fell right over on to the floor.
"Look, Marissa, I have a girlfriend. I love Lily, I'm not going to cheat on her for a good time." He said rather meaner than he had intended.
Marissa stood up looking livid. "You just wait, James Potter, you think you love her? Have you two even had sex yet?"
"No, I'm waiting for her to be ready as a matter of fact!" he shouted.
"Ready? You obviously don't know very much about Lily Evans do you? Well, I guess being pure blood you never get out much into her world. My world. The muggle world. If you only knew what I did Potter, you'd drop her in a second."
She turned on her heel and stormed off out of the Great Hall before James could retaliate or ask what the hell she was talking about.
As soon as James had sat down and barely touching the rest of his breakfast though, he felt someone sit down next to him.
"Good morning James, how are you? What's wrong?" asked Lily looking worried at the expression written on his face.
A/N: Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing my story! I'm so sorry I haven't been able to add chapters in a while. I've been at camp and I did not have access to technology at all! IT WAS HORRIBLE!! Hahaha, anyways, I hope you like this chapter...and don't worry there's crazy conflicting drama coming up including the reason behind Marissa's accusations and a little drama with Sirius and Remus. I've decided to maybe switch the perspective of the story between the three boys...tell me what you think ok??