Chapter 14 "Underneath it all" by marauderyears
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it, J.K Rowling does.
Note: Thanks betas! I just keep messing things up for James and Lily. I'm so mean.
James' POV
"Hey James! How are you?" I turned around to see Lena Tenyck. Wasn't that Lily's friend?
"I'm good. And you?" Why is she suddenly talking to me?
"I was wondering if maybe you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" I almost faltered in my step. Oh no! I couldn't say no. That'd be cruel. I'm not a cruel person. I can't turn girls down. Than they start to cry...
At least Lena's not bad-looking. Although she's nothing compared to Lily. Lily's beautiful. There I go thinking about Lily again. It's not like she'll ever like me as more than a friend anyways. Oh well, what could one date do? Plus Lena's looking at me, probably waiting for me to answer her.
"Uh, sure Lena." She smiled widely. A cute smile, but nothing compared to Lily's beautiful smile. Speaking of Lily, there she is! Talking with Remus...
Lena started to talk to me about something, but I wasn't listening, instead I was trying to hear what Lily and Remus were saying:
"...maybe you could go with me this weekend and help me find it. I've never been in or behind Zonko's before."
Remus seemed to catch my eye and he seemed to have a hint of a smile on his face. Why would he smile at me? Isn't he mad at me?
"Look I'm sorry Lily, but I don't think I should be the one to show you Zonko's but maybe-" What he was turning down Lily? He probably knows I'd kill him. Well, not kill him...
"Oh I don't need to go in Zonko's, just behind it-"
"I think James would show you inside and behind Zonko's if you asked him." I paused, my eyes widening. Was he...?? I could kiss Moony right now, that's how happy I am with him right now. Although I'll try to refrain from that. It'd scare away Lily. And Lena.
"Oh, I don't know where he is plus-"
"Well here's your chance." Did I mention how simply wonderful Moony is?
Lily turned around and saw Lena, but it seemed Lena was leaving. Lily smiled at her, like the sweet person that she is, but Lena didn't smile back. Oh no. I just said I'd go to Hogsmeade with Lena. Oh no. I'm going to have to turn LILY down. How am I going to do that when all I want to do is go with her.
I tried to smile at her, but I guess I'm too upset.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend James?" My eyes widened. Here it comes...
"Oh well, I was wondering if maybe- because I need a Copy Quill and apparently you can get them at Quills and More which is behind Zonko's and seeing as I've never been there- maybe you could come with me and show me where it is?" Normally I'd smile at the fact that she was rambling, but I was too upset to notice.
It took all I had to say "Oh I'm really, really sorry Lily, but I just said I'd go with Lena." I felt my heart break at the look on her face. I'm surprised. I didn't think she'd be upset. It's not like she likes me anyways.
After a VERY awkward silence I said, "I'm really, really sorry Lily. I really am. If I weren't going with her I could-"
"Oh no James, it's perfectly fine. Well I'll see you later." I thought she was going to leave me but instead she said something that CRUSHED me.
"Have you apologized to Remus yet? You too really shouldn't be fighting over Lena, she wouldn't like that." She thinks we're fighting over...her best friend? Lena? How's she even know that we were fighting over...Damn, damn, damn. She must feel horrible.
"No, we're not fighting over-" I looked around. Where'd she go? Damn. That's all I have to say.
I skipped the steps to our dorm three at a time. It's great to have long legs.
"MOONY!" I said, bursting through the door. Sirius, Remus, and Peter looked up at me in surprise. I don't know if they were surprised that I was talking to him or that I burst through the door.
"Thank you so much for getting Lily to ask me to Hogsmeade, I'm sorry for being an ass hole, please forgive me. Oh and I said I'd go with Lena to Hogsmeade when she asked me because I felt sorry for her, and than Lily asks me and I had to turn her down and I'm mad because I want to go with LILY not her best friend! I humiliated Lily, she'll probably avoid me forever now and I still have to go to Hogsmeade with Lena!" I said this all in one breath and I think I started to hyperventilate.
"Wow all in one day, too." Peter said. Thanks Pete!
Remus looked surprised, "I forgive you. But I don't like Lily. I mean I like her, but I don't like her like how you think I like her." Oh. I didn't know that.
"Wow you just said like four times in one sentence. That's more than some of the girl's I've gone out with-" Sirius started to say, but no one but Peter was listening to him.
"And now I have a problem. Please fix it."
Remus smiled a little. "You'll just have to tell Lena the truth. That you don't like her."
"I can't do that, that's mean!"
Remus looked pleasantly surprised. "I'm sorry to say it, but I think you've matured. You actually are starting to think of girl's feelings now. Congratulations, Prongs."
A short silence ensued as this new bit of information sunk in.
"But you don't like Lily as anything more than a friend right?" Needless to say he threw his shoe at me.
Lily's POV
I walked into the dormitory to see Lena sitting on her bed, looking dazed. When I walked in, Lena smiled at me and stared back out the window. I sat down on my bed and faced her. She either didn't notice or pretended not to notice.
"Do you like James?"
She looked up, shocked and then reddened a bit. "Yeah, that's okay with you, right?"
I looked at her happy face. "Just curious, but why?"
"Well he's sweet and thoughtful. He's pretty darn cute. I know that you have no interest in him what so ever you've made that clear, so I figured you wouldn't mind." And she's right of course. It's not like we have anything in common. I'm just surprised that James likes her. I don't mean to be mean.
"When did you start liking him?"
"Since Fourth Year." Wow. That's a long time. And in what, 2 years, she couldn't possibly take the time to tell me? When I told her this, she got a little offended.
"It's not like you would have let me. You would have been unsupportive! I know that you despise Potter-" How long has she had her head in the clouds? "But you're going to just have to accept it!"
"I don't despise anyone!"
"Yes you do...Wait, do you like him?"
"Of course not, but-"
"You know what I think it is? I think you're jealous."
"Jealous of what? You? Ha. That's funny."
"No, you can't stand the fact that maybe; just maybe he likes someone other than you. Maybe better than you! You got the spotlight for a couple of years as he asked you out everyday, and everyday you turned him down. Who's to say that he hasn't moved on? You're just upset because he's moved on."
"That's not true!" Why is my voice all high and squeaky again? It's not like I'm lying or anything!
"Yes it is! Now you can either accept it or you can't!"
I glared at her. "I don't care that he likes you, I just wanted to say good luck with James Potter. I hope you two have a wonderful life together, good-bye!" I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room, passing Sirius Black playing chess with James Potter who both watched me storm out like a two year old. I can only hope they didn't hear our conversation.
James' POV
"That's not fair, you distracted me!"
"All's fair in love and war, Prongsie-boy."
"This isn't love, Padfoot, its Wizard's Chess."
"Than does that count as war?"
"I don't know-" Sirius and I looked up at the sound of storming footsteps and saw Lily stomping across the Common Room, muttering to herself. She got to the Portrait and slammed it so hard that not only did the Fat Lady yell at her, but some vases over the fireplace fell on the ground and broke.
I looked across the board at Sirius and he looked just as confused as I felt. Sirius just shrugged.
"Oh, by the way, Checkmate." We looked up a second time to see Lena storming down the staircase. Of course Lily's storming is cuter than Lena's. When she caught sight of us she walked over to us and sat down next to me.
Sirius set up another round of chess and glanced at her than me, but all I did was shrug.
"What's wrong with Lily, is she okay?"
"She's fine. She's just being a moody bitch." I was about to retort and tell her not to call Lily names, but Sirius interrupted.
"What'd she do?"
Lena sighed angrily. "She's just being a hypocrite. Like usual." Lily's not a hypocrite! Well, if anything sometimes she may act like one, but she sure as heck isn't one!
I glanced over at the Grandfather Clock and realized it was getting late; I'm surprised that Lily isn't in bed. She always goes to sleep earlier than everybody else because not only does she finish her homework and extra credit work first, but she says, "I need my sleep so that I can listen and learn to my full potential in classes tomorrow". Oh wait, tomorrow was Saturday. Coincidentally, it's also the Hogsmeade weekend. Great. Just great.
Lena watched us play the next game (I beat Sirius) and finally went up to her dorm. Sirius glanced at me, looking a bit worried.
"What do you think they're arguing about?"
"I don't know..."
Sirius and I looked up as we heard the Portrait open. Remus walked in the Common Room looking puzzled.
"Why did Lily just storm pass me, angry like she is when James attempts to talks to her?"
"I resent that! We get along famously now." Remus and Sirius both rolled their eyes, but I pretended not to notice. What? It's true. I DO get along with my favorite, feisty little redhead.
Sirius shrugged. "I do not know. She stormed passed us to. All I know is that it's got something to do with Lena. Girls always fight. Who knows? They could be fighting over whether or not to use Tickle-Me-Pink or Metallic Pink as nail polish. Oh, and don't ask how I know that."
Lily would never argue about something so petty. I'm going to have to talk to her tomorrow and see if she's okay. I made up with Remus, so it's only fair if she makes up with Lena. Oh, wait. I won't be able to talk to Lily seeing as I'm going on a date with Lena. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm.
A/N: Thanks reviewers! Annunminuialiel, evil-pillow, lily-potter-the2nd-and1/2, Funnykido, misakichi1, SecretlyBeautiful, milkywaypnay37, Carmel March, awesome islanders, and iluv0liver16 and Hello? mary
I just wanted to tell you all that by the end of this story I really hope I have at least 100 views. That would make my year. Siriusly. I have a question for you all and if you could answer it in your reviews, I'd appreciate it. Do you want their seventh year to be in this story or in a sequel? I personally would like it in the same story, but whatever you all want.