"Underneath it all" by marauderyears
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it, J.K Rowling does.
A/N: Thanks reviewers. Lily asking James to go to her parents' funeral was just her getting caught up in the moment. I'm not going to show the funeral. I've never been to one and don't know how to write one.
James' POV
The week went by fast, too fast for James' liking. He soon found himself all packed and boarding the Hogwarts Express. He was surprised when Lily asked him to go to her parents' funeral. Thinking about that reminded him of the kiss...
It was short and gentle, but nonetheless reassuring. He shouldn't be thinking about it too much because he had a feeling that it was just bringing his hopes of dating Lily high just for them to get crushed.
James found the compartment that Lily was in, sitting with Lena and Frankie. He casually sat down next to her. It wasn't long before Remus and Sirius arrived. Everyone was talking except for Lily.
James walked quietly beside Lily until she stopped in front of some horse faced, tall, skinny, and dyed blonde hair someone. James noticed that she was eyeing him. Lily must have too because she spoke.
"James, this is my sister Petunia. Petunia this is my friend James."
James held his hand out, but Petunia ignored it and sniffed disapprovingly. How could Lily be related to someone who couldn't look less like her?
"So this is the boy with the nice ass?" Petunia said smirking. Lily flushed as James looked at her curiously with a hint of a smile on his face. It was times like these in which she wished she could apparate.
The car ride home was quiet. Petunia occasionally shot Lily some glares, but not much else happened.
"So how was the funeral?" A few days later, James was lying on his bed while Sirius played a game of Exploding Snap with Remus. Frankie was out with his 'friend', Alice.
James sighed. "It was depressing. Poor Lily couldn't stop crying. Her sister insisted that it was Lily's fault they were dead. I can't believe she'd think that."
Remus looked up, "Lily didn't believe her did she?"
James nodded, "Yeah, she did. But I comforted her."
Sirius smiled, "I'm sure you did."
James looked out the window at the falling snow. He couldn't believe it was the Eve of Christmas already. It had felt like school had just started. None the less, James did get Lily a gift. He had searched for hours for the perfect gift. He didn't know what to look for, and he was hoping it would come to him. And boy did it come to him.
Lily's POV
Lily stared at the chalk that was invisibly writing across the chalkboard as Professor Brody spoke. She was currently sitting in Defense class next to Lucius Malfoy. They had got assigned seats and she was unfortunate enough to get stuck with a muggle-born hater.
She was currently staring at the back of Severus Snape's head. She felt her stomach turn in nausea as she saw white flecks in his greasy hair. She never made fun of him, but people did have a point. He had bad hygiene. Immediately Lily felt bad for thinking that.
Okay, now I need to think of something nice to say about him. She let her eyes roam him. His clothes! She liked his clothes. Wait. Everyone was wearing the same thing. Damn. Okay...So she liked his fingers! Yes. He had nice fingers.
Lily let out a small giggle as she realized how crazy she sounded. Nice fingers? A few people nearby looked at her weirdly which prodded her to laugh a little harder. She ended up having to stuff her fist in her mouth to stop laughing. Too late, the Professor looked up at her. (A/N: I've had that happen, and still can't stop laughing)
"Miss...?"
"Evans sir." Her voice was a little shaky from the laughter.
"Miss Evans, is there something you'd like to share with the class?"
"Not really sir."
He raised an eyebrow. "What was it that was so amusing that you had to interrupt this class?"
"I just noticed that Severus Snape has really nice fingers, sir."
"Excuse me?" The class burst out in laughter as Snape blushed.
"No, I'm serious."
"No, I'm Sir—" Sirius was interrupted by the Professor.
"Can it Black." Sirius looked as though her were about to say something, but thought better of it as Remus gave him the look. The look told him to shut up.
The rest of the class went by quite uneventful, except for the glances that James kept shooting at her. When the bell rang she was already packed and was the first one at the door.
Professor Brody seemed not finished with his boring lecture yet, "Hold your hippogriffs Miss Evans. Got a hot date?" She blushed.
"I forgot to mention tonight's homework—" There was a collective groan. "A foot and a half long essay on today's topic." The class exited the room.
Lily was walking down the hall toward lunch when she was stopped by none other than James storming toward her. She thought she heard a distant calling of his name.
She looked at him and smiled. "Hello James. How are-"
"I'm just peachy. What was that that you said in Defense?"
Lily looked at him and noticed fury in his eyes. Though, it wasn't directed toward her. "What about Snape's fingers?"
He nodded, apparently unable to speak.
"Oh yes, he has nice fingers."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What do you think it means? It's not like it has a hidden meaning in it!" She snapped. He sighed and pulled her into a nearby room. Which happened to be...a broom closet?
James' POV
James was furious at Snape as he stormed down the hall following Lily. He ignored Sirius and Remus' attempts to calm him down.
James spotted the beautiful red head and saw her smiling at him. He almost faltered right there. Her gorgeous, wide smile always made him turn to butter. Right now he was too angry to stop now though. Though, he wasn't angry at Lily. He could never be mad at her.
"Hello James. How are—" He interrupted her however. He didn't want to, be he had to know the truth.
"I'm just peachy. What was that that you said in Defense?" James hid the jealousy out of his voice.
"What about Snape's fingers?" He nodded, to scared to hear what she was going to say to answer.
"Oh yes, he has nice fingers." James heart seemed to freeze. He felt the blood in his veins go cold. Did she like him? Oh god, he couldn't handle this
"What's that supposed to mean?" He managed to sputter.
She seemed to have reached her boiling point. "What do you think it means? It's not like it has a hidden meaning in it!" He withdrew a little had her anger.
He looked at the hall for an empty classroom. He knew there were no classrooms nearby, just a broom closet that he happened to have stumbled across when he was sneaking around at night time. He sighed and pulled her into it.
When they were safely in the really small closet he pulled out his wand and placed a silencing charm on the door. He looked down at Lily and felt his blood freeze again when he saw the fear in her eyes as she backed away from her. Oh no! She thinks I'm gonna...
Lily seemed to be fumbling for her wand. James stopped her. "Lily! I'm not going to hurt or take advantage of you. I would never even dream about hurting you."
He was glad to see relief in her eyes. He was just upset that she thought he would do something like that...especially to her.
James looked down at her. "Lily, I just want to know if you...if you like Snape."
Lily looked at him for a second before she burst out laughing. James was puzzled. Not that he didn't love her laugh, but why was she laughing? This was a serious issue at hand!
When Lily finally stopped laughing, she looked up at him. Her eyes were twinkling. "Me?" She choked, "And Snape. You've gotta be kidding me. I mean no offense but--"
Lily was surprised at the huge amount of relief flash in his eyes. She only got a glimpse of it before he hugged her.
"Thank Merlin. I thought you liked him." James loved the fact that he was able to hug her right now. And she didn't like Snape! Yay! He could've done a victory dance. But he was stopped from doing anything as the closet door opened.
James and Lily tumbled out landing at Sirius and Remus' feet. When they looked up they saw amusement dancing in their eyes.
Lily's POV
Lily felt her face heat up. Why?! Why was the world against her?! WHY?!
She stood up quickly, shoving James off of her as she brushed her robes off. James got up (was he blushing too?). Lily got ready to walk away before she was pulled back by James' friends.
Lily looked up at them with wide eyes. "I wasn't snogging James, I swear!"
Remus smiled, "We didn't say you were." She blushed a deep read.
"So," Sirius said smirking, "We hear Ole' Snivellus has nice fingers-"
Lily glared at him, "Oh shut up!"
James frowned, "She doesn't like him, I asked."
Remus looked amused, "Oh did you now? Is that what you two were doing in the closet?" James flushed.
Sirius looked at Remus, "Is that what they call it now? Asking questions. In that case, I asked a lot of questions today."
James wrinkled his nose, "We didn't need to know that."
Sirius looked at Lily, "How do you know how his fingers are?"
James and Remus looked at her curiously. She rolled her eyes. "I don't. It's a long story. And you're going to think I'm crazy. Okay I was staring at the back of his head and I noticed little white specks and I was like, 'Ew he has bad hygiene'."
Sirius smirked triumphantly. "See. I told you—" Remus motioned for Lily to continue.
"And I felt bad for thinking bad about him in my head, so I had to find something nice to say about him. I was going to say his clothes were nice, but I realized everyone wears the same thing. So I picked his fingers. And I wasn't lying. He's got nice fingers. They're not crooked or anything. Like mine. Mine are all bent." Lily examined her fingers as they all burst out laughing.
"What?" Lily asked, offended.
Remus grinned. "You have no idea how much you just sounded like James there."
James looked offended. Sirius spoke instead, "Your right though Lily."
"Oh, so you think he has nice fingers, too?"
Sirius looked disgusted, "No. I meant your right. We do think you're crazy."
James shook his head, "Nah that was nice of her to find something nice underneath his grossness. I sure as hell couldn't."
Lily glared at him. Remus rolled his eyes, "You make fun of James and Sirius and you don't say anything nice about them."
Lily raised an eyebrow, "Who says I have to say the nice thing out loud?"
Sirius smirked as he put his arm around her much to the chagrin of James and Lily.
"Lily I have a question."
She sighed, "What Black?"
"Do I have nice fingers too?"
Lily growled at him as she threw his arm off of her and stormed off. James watched her with pride that he was in love with such a spirited girl.
A/N: Hurrah! I updated, sorry for the wait. Thank you for sticking with me.