Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own it. You know the routine.
Replies:
Je—Wow. Somebody even more random than me. Go figure.
Fredlubber—Thanks
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Marina—Thanks. I remember.
Imababygirl101—I don't recognize the email address. Should I know you from school? Thanks. I hit a brick wall with Fortress. It might not get updated 'til Easter Break.
Dlster—Thanks.
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Frankie Beeblebrox—It was going to be a simple one-shot but…*sigh* These things happen and they become stories.
Briana Marie—Yeah, it was going to be a 1-shot. Thanks.
Bulgly—Thanks. Not pathetic.
Siriusforeva—Thanks. Hehe, that would be cute! I'll have to think about it. Who says they'll go out? *ominous music* Maybe she'll fall in love with Remus…kidding.
PeRkieGuRL—Thanks
WARNING: This chapter gets sappy. I'm sorry. Really I am.
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Chapter 3: Curiosity
"Just out of curiosity, Evans, why don't you go out and dress up? You're seventeen and you've never had a boyfriend." He looked up at her from across the room, setting his book down in his lap. They were the only two in the common room on Christmas-Eve. Remus and Peter had gone home for the holidays. Sirius was out of the Tower putting the final touches on a prank against Severus Snape, who was also remaining at Hogwarts over the holidays.
Lily looked up at him from the book she was reading. "Potter, is this in regards to the fight we had yesterday or the attire you found me in this morning?" she asked slowly.
"Just a general question."
Lily looked James over and glanced leisurely around the common room. She'd spent the day dodging him, unaware that he had spent the day dodging her impending wrath. Only coincidence or fate determined that after avoiding each other since the incident before breakfast they were destined to meet when they both came down the stairs from their dormitories at the same time to sit by the fire and do some reading. They had both sat down as far from each other as they could be without losing the fire's heat. They'd been there silently for some two hours or so. Why did he have to start a conversation? She decided she'd answer. It wasn't as though she had anything better to do. "Frankly, I can't think of any boys here that would be worth wasting my time or energy on. What's it to you?"
He shrugged. "Just curious."
She stared down at her book for a moment before opening it again. She read for a few minutes and found she couldn't concentrate on it. She frowned. What was bothering her? She pretended to read while looking up at James, who reading again, every few minutes. "Potter?"
He looked up from his book. "Yeah, Evans?"
She struggled to find the words. "You've never had a girlfriend yourself."
"So?" he shrugged and bowed his head toward his book again.
"Why not?"
"Would there be any particular reason that I should have had a girlfriend?"
"I suppose nothing really, but…" she left the sentence hanging.
"But?" he asked, in a bored voice.
"Some girls, other girls, not me, find you to be," she struggled for words again, losing the casual tone they had both maintained until then.
"To be?" he asked smoothly.
"Some of them, possibly a good number of them, for reasons I can't quite fathom, find you to be a rather attractive specimen."
"And you don't agree with them?" he said simply. It was hardly a question.
"No, I don't agree with them."
"I see."
"You already knew that I don't agree with them."
"I know." He returned to his story.
Now that the can of worms was open, Lily found it impossible to ignore. She decided to press the issue. Maybe she was looking for a fight. She was restless. "Why don't you date?"
"Do I seem that shallow that I would date girl only because she found me attractive?"
"Sometimes. Yes, you do."
"Well, I'm not," he said mildly, returning once more to his reading.
This was truly aggravating. She was not supposed to have a civilized conversation with him! And he was not supposed to be sitting quietly reading a book! He was supposed to be off doing something stupid so she could have a good excuse to get in a fight and yell at him. Why was he being so nice? He wasn't being nice per say, but he was leaving her alone as he should. Why did this irritate her so much? Was she missing having somebody to argue with?
Lily was so busy being furious and trying to stay calm that she didn't notice James look up from his book and sneak a look at her. So far, so good, he thought. He was being civil. He was being kind and polite. He wasn't annoying her. She was wrong. They could be in each other's company without fighting. He stole another glance at her and knew she was only pretending to read. He went back to really reading his book. It was a Muggle book by a chap named Tolkien.
Lily tried to sound casual and thought she did a pretty good job of it. "Why don't you date?" she repeated.
James closed the book and looked up at her. "Frankly, Evans, most of the girls here aren't worth my time or energy. While I may be attracted to a few of them, I only really care about one. Since the one I care about doesn't feel the same way, there's no point in me dating anyone else. It would be wrong, you know? Morally wrong for me to date someone I wasn't actually interested in."
She blinked at him. Was this coming from Potter's mouth?
James just turned his eyes back to his book.
Nearly half an hour went by in silence.
This can't be that hard! Lily thought to herself. Why did she even care about who the idiot liked? They were just rivals. He was an annoying prat. "So who is it?"
"Hmm?"
"Who is it?"
"Who's what?" he asked.
"The one you care about?"
"It doesn't matter. I've already discussed the matter with her. It's a mutual decision that she can't stand me and believes I'm unworthy of her attention. I rather agree. She's too good for me. It doesn't change how I feel but I'm no longer going to force any attention on her. If she changes her mind, she'll probably let me know. If you'll excuse me? I was at a very interesting chapter. It's called, The Council of Elrond. Really quite fascinating." He bent his head to the book again.
Ten minutes went by in silence. Lily felt like screaming just to break the silence. She glared at James, not that he noticed. He just kept reading. She glared at his glasses, at his hazel eyes, at his dark and messy hair, at his cute little nose…Stop looking at him! she told herself. It did no good. She was powerless to prevent her next action. She got up and stalked over to where he was. She stood there.
He didn't move a muscle except his eye that scanned the lines of the story.
She started to tap her foot.
The only movement he made was to turn the page.
She wrenched the book from his grasp and he looked up at her questioningly. "Potter."
"Yes, Evans?"
"Who is she?"
"Who is who?"
"The girl you care about."
He leaned back slightly in the chair and looked up at her. "It doesn't matter. Does it?"
"Of course it doesn't."
"Then why don't you sit down and get back to your reading?"
Lily bit her lip, trying to decide what to say. "Because, whoever she is, I want to warn her."
"I don't really see how it's any of your business. If I might have my book back, please?"
She glared at him and held the book limply in her hand.
"Miss Evans? If I might have my book back?" he asked again.
She brought her hand forward ever so slightly and he gently took the book back. She stood there another moment before returning to her seat. It was time to think things out logically. Potter liked someone. He'd often asked her out on dates. She had always refused. It was mutually understood that she would always refuse him. Come on, Lily, this isn't that hard to work out. Potter really fancies you. No he doesn't. Yes he does. Two voices in her head argued back and forward. Every so often she looked up at Potter. He wasn't paying her the slightest bit of attention. He couldn't possibly like her. But all the hints are there, he does! No, he doesn't. It's absurd. The arguing went on for the better part of an hour inside Lily's brain.
James just sat quietly and read his book, delighted with the fact that Lily and he were on civil terms. He hadn't really lied to her at all even throughout the whole discussion. The book was quite good.
A third voice in Lily's head joined the other two and settled any further debate. The third voice was very sure of itself and confident. It also brought a whole new set of ideas. She stood up and warmed her hands by the fire for a moment. She stole a glance and saw that James was still reading studiously.
Excellent. She made as if to go up to her dormitory, but instead veered directly for Potter. She wrenched the book out of his hands and dropped it. She grabbed him by the collar of his robes. "Potter," she said, looking him in the eye.
"Yes?" he asked, trying desperately to keep calm and wondering what he'd done to make her angry this time. It was rather difficult to keep calm when Lily Evans had just stormed over and grabbed him by the collar, her face inches from his.
"You ever been kissed?"
He blinked, confused. He'd tried to kiss her before, several times, but had never really succeeded and no one had ever successfully tried to kiss him. He only cared about Lily Evans and wouldn't let any other girl kiss him (though plenty had tried; he was gorgeous). "I already told you, I've never had a girlfr—"
It was too late.
He was doomed.
Utterly doomed.
He would never finish that sentence.
Ever.
She yanked on his collar and closed the gap between them, her lips finding his instantly. She'd never kissed anyone before either (other than when he tried to kiss her) but that didn't seem to matter. Her lips and his met warmly. They kissed for a while, at least a minute or two, though it felt like longer. One of Lily's arms hung limply at her side and the other one still clutched his collar. James's hands, which had originally been resting on his knees, now gripped the arms of the chair.
James broke off the kiss (not that he wasn't enjoying himself, he just wanted to find out what was going on) and stared at Lily's very red face. It was as red as her hair. He rather suspected his own face was at least a little pink. "W-wh-what's going on, Evans? What just happened?"
"I don't know," she said breathlessly. "It was me you were talking about, wasn't it? I didn't just make an idiot out of myself?"
"It was you," he grinned. "And in answer to your earlier question, no one has ever kissed me before."
Seeing him sitting there and grinning like an idiot, Lily moved his hand so that it hung off the side of the chair and sat on the arm of the chair. She quirked an eyebrow at him in a very James Potter-esque way.
He blinked at her and tilted his head.
She grinned and kissed him again for a longer time. She didn't want to think about why she was kissing him. She didn't want to think about the possibility that she liked him and he liked her. She let go of his collar and put a hand on his shoulder.
James's hand that had been on the arm of the chair was moved hesitatingly around Lily's waist. He used his other hand to brush a few strands of hair from her forehead. He fervently hoped Lily wasn't playing some cruel joke on him.
When they stopped kissing, she smiled at him (of course seeing her beautiful smile, James took a risky move and kissed her again). After that, they just sat there for a few minutes in silence with his arm around her and her hand on his shoulder (almost around his neck).
"You really care about me?"
"Of course I do, I've cared about you for a long time now, Evans."
"If you mean that, call me Lily."
"Lily. Lily. Lily. Lily. Lily. Lily," he murmured. "I like the sound of that."
"So do I, P—"
"James. Lily, my name is James."
"James," she whispered, smiling. She leaned her head against his shoulder and shut her eyes, suddenly very drowsy.
James shifted Lily carefully so that she would be more comfortable. She gave a light snore and he smiled down at her.
Sirius came in about half an hour later, at 11 o'clock, very pleased with himself. "Old Snivellus is going to wake up with purple hair tomorrow!" he crowed giddily. "I even fixed it with Sasha to paint his nails gold and scarlet while he's asleep. This'll be the best Christma—"
"Ssh!" James said softly to Sirius. "Keep it down."
"Huh? Prongsie, what…?" He finally took notice of Lily. Lily was lying in James's arms while he sat in the chair and stared adoringly at her. "Did you knock her out with a sleeping potion or something?" he asked finally.
"No. She…she kissed me."
"Never."
"She fancies me."
"Not in a thousand years."
"It's true. I think."
"Naw."
"It is. Be quiet or you'll wake her up."
Sirius sat down in the nearest chair. "What are you going to do with her?" he asked quietly.
"Huh? How do you mean?"
"Well, you've got two choices. Wake her and send her upstairs or put her on the couch over there with a blanket and leave her."
"I can't do that. Look how peaceful she is. I can't wake her."
"Then you've got to leave her on the couch."
"But the couch is uncomfortable."
"Then what do you propose to do? You can't bring her to her dorm."
James blinked. A slow smile creeping onto his face.
"I know that face, Prongs. What are you thinking?"
"We could bring her upstairs and put her in Remus or Peter or Frank's bed. That way she doesn't have to spend Christmas alone tomorrow. Inviting her to spend Christmas with us will be fun. The perfect Christmas present."
"James, you could always just invite her to come up tomorrow."
"I know."
"If you brought her up now, there's no telling how she'd react when she woke up."
"I know."
"You could get in a lot of trouble."
"I know. But since when has that stopped either of us from doing anything before?"
"This is different. There's no telling how she might react. She's like a ticking bomb, you'll never know when she'll explode."
"True."
"It could ruin things between you forever."
"True."
Sirius grinned, a glint in his eye. "I've got an idea!"
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Yeah, I know. Beyond sappy! I'm sorry. *hides* But, this isn't the nice, neatly wrapped, happy ending. I've got way more plot. If it seems like Lily didn't actually have a reason to kiss James, you're right and that'll get resolved later too, I promise.
In the meantime, you know the routine…encourage me to update!