"It's Christmas Eve, Moony. Save your energy," Sirius said to a worried
Remus. "We'll need to tonight."
"I know, I know. I'm just restless." This comment was not needed, as it was obvious that Remus was 'restless'. He had been pacing the common room and every time he began to sit, he'd jump right back up again. "I guess I'm kind of anxious, too. Lily's supposed to get out today."
"I know," James said softly. He couldn't wait to see Lily. This was the first time he'd spoken all morning. Even those two words seemed hard pressed to come out. His throat felt as if it was closing in on him. His tongue felt think and heavy. Butterflies were in his stomach. He had to admit it to himself, James was nervous. James Harold Potter was nervous about seeing a girl. Maybe because it wasn't just any girl he was going to see, but it was the girl he was determined to spend the rest of his life with. No matter what she said.
"You love her, don't you?" Remus asked abruptly. When James just stared at him blankly, Remus tilted his head and waited for an answer.
"Yes, I do," James confessed. "Very much, as a matter of fact." For some reason, it made him feel better after saying it aloud to someone other than Lily.
"Aww, is our little Jamesie-poo in love?" Sirius said and fluttered his eyelashes.
"Maybe. I've noticed that you've been cozying up to Cassandra lately. Has our little Sirry-poo fallen in love?" James countered and held a hand over his heart. Sirius blushed slightly and slid a look over to where Cassandra was sitting.
"No. We're just friends," he denied.
"What do you mean 'just friends'?" James asked in disbelief. His friends always asked out a girl at the first chance he got, if she was pretty enough. And Cassandra was definitely pretty enough.
"You mean you haven't even asked her out?! James, this is fantastic!" Remus proclaimed and finally sat down, enjoying Sirius's obvious discomfort enough to stop pacing.
"Imagine, Sirius the Great is afraid of rejection," Peter added with a laugh. "I never thought I'd see this day!"
"Ha ha. You guys are so hilarious," Sirius said sarcastically. "And, for your information, I am not 'afraid of rejection'. I just haven't gotten around to asking her out yet."
"Yeah, right," James said as Peter snorted in skepticism. "If you're so confident, then why don't you go ask her out now?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye and a broad smile on his face.
"Okay, then. I will." Sirius jumped out of his chair and stalked determinedly over to where Cassandra was playing Wizard's Chess with Sol. As the rest of the Marauders sat back to enjoy the show, Sirius sat down in a chair next to Cassandra and cleared his throat. "Cassandra?"
"Could you wait a sec, Si? I've almost got her," she answered distractedly, not looking up from her game. "Rook to D5." At her command, her rook moved to D5. "Check."
"Dammit," Sol mumbled. "Uh, king to E6."
"I'll get you, Henderson. You just wait and see. AHA!" At this exclamation, Cassandra sat up and her eyes brightened cheerfully.
"Uh-oh." Sol knew that sound, and it meant that she was going to loose. Damn.
"Queen to E4. Checkmate."
"Dammit, dammit, dammit. I'll get you next time, Weeks."
"Promises, promises. So," Cassandra said, turning to Sirius as Sol cleaned up the game, "what's up?"
"Will you go out with me?"
"Excuse me?" Cassandra said, blinking at his question.
"I said -"
"I heard what you said. That was an 'excuse me' of disbelief."
"Oh, so is that a yes or a no?"
"It's an 'Oh my god, did he just ask me that?' But that's okay," Cassandra said, happy to see Sirius squirm, "it's not a bad reaction."
"That's comforting. I suppose. So, what's your answer?" Please say yes, please say yes, he thought. He had to admit, he was the slightest bit "afraid of rejection".
"Well . . ." Cassandra stalled and looked away as if pondering over some great and mystical question.
"Goddamn it, woman! Are you trying to kill me?"
"If I said yes, it would last longer than a week, right?" she asked as she turned her gaze back to Sirius.
"Huh?"
"This isn't going to be one of your famous week long flings, right?" Cassandra asked, keeping eye contact with him.
"Right."
"Okay, then," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Is that a yes?" he said impatiently.
"Yes."
"YIPPIE!" Sirius exclaimed as he picked her off her feet by her waist and placed a big kiss on Cassandra's lips.
"Go Sirius!" Remus called laughing. The Marauders all began to clap and whistle and Cassandra pulled away, smiling.
"Hey, did they know that was going to happen?" she asked suspiciously.
"Maybe," Sirius answered evasively.
Cassandra pounced on him and the force of the blow knocked him to the floor. "You little -"
"Hey, leave him alone, you hussy. I like my friends in one piece," somebody interrupted. Everyone looked up from where Cassandra had Sirius pinned to the floor to the doorway and saw their favorite redhead smiling with hands sassily on her hips.
"LILY!" Cassandra jumped off of Sirius and leaped into Lily's arms. "Oh my god, I can't believe you're here! I've missed you so much!"
"Oh, I missed you, too!" Lily squeezed Cassandra as tight as she could, reveling in the familiar feel of her.
"Hey, other people would like to greet Lily flower," Sirius said, trying to keep his voice light and carefree, and Cassandra pulled away.
"Oh, shut up, you stupid git." Tears were forming in Cassandra's eyes.
"Could I get a hug, too?" he asked with half a smile.
"Of course," Lily pronounced and threw herself at him. "I'm so glad I'm back."
"So am I. Things aren't the same without you, Lils," Sirius broke the hug and lightly ruffled her hair, desperately trying to deny that there were tears in his eyes too.
"SOL!" Lily exclaimed and launched herself at her friend with such force, it almost knocked them over. Tears were forming in her eyes, too.
"Sirius is right: nothing's the same without you. What would we have done without you, Lily?"
"Oh, I don't know what made me do it, but I'm glad I survived." All three girls were openly crying now.
"Hey, don't cry, guys. This is supposed to be a happy occasion," Remus said from behind them. "And besides, Sirius might start crying too."
"I will not," Sirius grumbled.
"And the voice of reason! I missed you, Remus," Lily said as she hugged him tight.
"I missed you, too, Lily." Remus ran a hand lightly over her hair, glad that she didn't hold grudges as long as James did.
"And Peter, I missed you, too!" Lily untangled herself out of Remus's arms and hugged Peter. As soon as she touched him, she saw a flash of a rat. A rat with Peter's eyes. Just as she began to puzzle it out, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Hey, what about me? Didn't you miss me too?" James asked, hoping Lily would greet him as enthusiastically as she did the rest of the gang. Lily turned and with wet eyes ran up to James. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.
"Yes, I missed you, James," she whispered. She felt him tighten his arms around her waist and raised up on her toes so she could whisper in his ear. "I'm sorry, James. Forgive me. For everything."
"I forgive you," he whispered huskily. His voice was stuck in his throat.
"Thank you." Lily turned her head and kissed him softly on the lips. She felt James jerk against her, and deepened the kiss, feeling pure female pleasure at his reaction. She pulled away when somebody cleared their throat, but didn't let go. Instead, she buried her head in James's shoulder. Lily felt him gently lay a cheek on the top of her head and sighed. James let out a sigh of his own and felt perfectly content to stay there for another ten years or so.
"But why, Lily? Why?" he whispered, unsure that he was heard.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I know that was a pretty short chapter, but the next one will be longer, I promise.
"I know, I know. I'm just restless." This comment was not needed, as it was obvious that Remus was 'restless'. He had been pacing the common room and every time he began to sit, he'd jump right back up again. "I guess I'm kind of anxious, too. Lily's supposed to get out today."
"I know," James said softly. He couldn't wait to see Lily. This was the first time he'd spoken all morning. Even those two words seemed hard pressed to come out. His throat felt as if it was closing in on him. His tongue felt think and heavy. Butterflies were in his stomach. He had to admit it to himself, James was nervous. James Harold Potter was nervous about seeing a girl. Maybe because it wasn't just any girl he was going to see, but it was the girl he was determined to spend the rest of his life with. No matter what she said.
"You love her, don't you?" Remus asked abruptly. When James just stared at him blankly, Remus tilted his head and waited for an answer.
"Yes, I do," James confessed. "Very much, as a matter of fact." For some reason, it made him feel better after saying it aloud to someone other than Lily.
"Aww, is our little Jamesie-poo in love?" Sirius said and fluttered his eyelashes.
"Maybe. I've noticed that you've been cozying up to Cassandra lately. Has our little Sirry-poo fallen in love?" James countered and held a hand over his heart. Sirius blushed slightly and slid a look over to where Cassandra was sitting.
"No. We're just friends," he denied.
"What do you mean 'just friends'?" James asked in disbelief. His friends always asked out a girl at the first chance he got, if she was pretty enough. And Cassandra was definitely pretty enough.
"You mean you haven't even asked her out?! James, this is fantastic!" Remus proclaimed and finally sat down, enjoying Sirius's obvious discomfort enough to stop pacing.
"Imagine, Sirius the Great is afraid of rejection," Peter added with a laugh. "I never thought I'd see this day!"
"Ha ha. You guys are so hilarious," Sirius said sarcastically. "And, for your information, I am not 'afraid of rejection'. I just haven't gotten around to asking her out yet."
"Yeah, right," James said as Peter snorted in skepticism. "If you're so confident, then why don't you go ask her out now?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye and a broad smile on his face.
"Okay, then. I will." Sirius jumped out of his chair and stalked determinedly over to where Cassandra was playing Wizard's Chess with Sol. As the rest of the Marauders sat back to enjoy the show, Sirius sat down in a chair next to Cassandra and cleared his throat. "Cassandra?"
"Could you wait a sec, Si? I've almost got her," she answered distractedly, not looking up from her game. "Rook to D5." At her command, her rook moved to D5. "Check."
"Dammit," Sol mumbled. "Uh, king to E6."
"I'll get you, Henderson. You just wait and see. AHA!" At this exclamation, Cassandra sat up and her eyes brightened cheerfully.
"Uh-oh." Sol knew that sound, and it meant that she was going to loose. Damn.
"Queen to E4. Checkmate."
"Dammit, dammit, dammit. I'll get you next time, Weeks."
"Promises, promises. So," Cassandra said, turning to Sirius as Sol cleaned up the game, "what's up?"
"Will you go out with me?"
"Excuse me?" Cassandra said, blinking at his question.
"I said -"
"I heard what you said. That was an 'excuse me' of disbelief."
"Oh, so is that a yes or a no?"
"It's an 'Oh my god, did he just ask me that?' But that's okay," Cassandra said, happy to see Sirius squirm, "it's not a bad reaction."
"That's comforting. I suppose. So, what's your answer?" Please say yes, please say yes, he thought. He had to admit, he was the slightest bit "afraid of rejection".
"Well . . ." Cassandra stalled and looked away as if pondering over some great and mystical question.
"Goddamn it, woman! Are you trying to kill me?"
"If I said yes, it would last longer than a week, right?" she asked as she turned her gaze back to Sirius.
"Huh?"
"This isn't going to be one of your famous week long flings, right?" Cassandra asked, keeping eye contact with him.
"Right."
"Okay, then," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Is that a yes?" he said impatiently.
"Yes."
"YIPPIE!" Sirius exclaimed as he picked her off her feet by her waist and placed a big kiss on Cassandra's lips.
"Go Sirius!" Remus called laughing. The Marauders all began to clap and whistle and Cassandra pulled away, smiling.
"Hey, did they know that was going to happen?" she asked suspiciously.
"Maybe," Sirius answered evasively.
Cassandra pounced on him and the force of the blow knocked him to the floor. "You little -"
"Hey, leave him alone, you hussy. I like my friends in one piece," somebody interrupted. Everyone looked up from where Cassandra had Sirius pinned to the floor to the doorway and saw their favorite redhead smiling with hands sassily on her hips.
"LILY!" Cassandra jumped off of Sirius and leaped into Lily's arms. "Oh my god, I can't believe you're here! I've missed you so much!"
"Oh, I missed you, too!" Lily squeezed Cassandra as tight as she could, reveling in the familiar feel of her.
"Hey, other people would like to greet Lily flower," Sirius said, trying to keep his voice light and carefree, and Cassandra pulled away.
"Oh, shut up, you stupid git." Tears were forming in Cassandra's eyes.
"Could I get a hug, too?" he asked with half a smile.
"Of course," Lily pronounced and threw herself at him. "I'm so glad I'm back."
"So am I. Things aren't the same without you, Lils," Sirius broke the hug and lightly ruffled her hair, desperately trying to deny that there were tears in his eyes too.
"SOL!" Lily exclaimed and launched herself at her friend with such force, it almost knocked them over. Tears were forming in her eyes, too.
"Sirius is right: nothing's the same without you. What would we have done without you, Lily?"
"Oh, I don't know what made me do it, but I'm glad I survived." All three girls were openly crying now.
"Hey, don't cry, guys. This is supposed to be a happy occasion," Remus said from behind them. "And besides, Sirius might start crying too."
"I will not," Sirius grumbled.
"And the voice of reason! I missed you, Remus," Lily said as she hugged him tight.
"I missed you, too, Lily." Remus ran a hand lightly over her hair, glad that she didn't hold grudges as long as James did.
"And Peter, I missed you, too!" Lily untangled herself out of Remus's arms and hugged Peter. As soon as she touched him, she saw a flash of a rat. A rat with Peter's eyes. Just as she began to puzzle it out, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Hey, what about me? Didn't you miss me too?" James asked, hoping Lily would greet him as enthusiastically as she did the rest of the gang. Lily turned and with wet eyes ran up to James. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.
"Yes, I missed you, James," she whispered. She felt him tighten his arms around her waist and raised up on her toes so she could whisper in his ear. "I'm sorry, James. Forgive me. For everything."
"I forgive you," he whispered huskily. His voice was stuck in his throat.
"Thank you." Lily turned her head and kissed him softly on the lips. She felt James jerk against her, and deepened the kiss, feeling pure female pleasure at his reaction. She pulled away when somebody cleared their throat, but didn't let go. Instead, she buried her head in James's shoulder. Lily felt him gently lay a cheek on the top of her head and sighed. James let out a sigh of his own and felt perfectly content to stay there for another ten years or so.
"But why, Lily? Why?" he whispered, unsure that he was heard.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I know that was a pretty short chapter, but the next one will be longer, I promise.