The insane one has returned for Chapter 9. Thank you, for all of you kick-
ass reviews. They make me so happy. Still debating about the whole rating
issue. This would be a whole lot easier if I live in China, because Harry
Potter is banned in China, lol. I know that it is a little early to be
thinking about my 2005 calendar, but I just bought a Harry Potter one with
artwork by the artist who doses the American Covers and chapter
illustrations. It is pretty neat; the coolest picture is of the Hungarian
Horntail chasing Harry around from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Speaking of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it comes out November 18,
2005. Has anyone seen any pictures of the actors who are playing Cedric
Diggory and Victor Krum? I can't wait to see Viktor Krum and Rita Skeeter
if they include her in the movie. No news on who is going to play Voldemort
because the guy who was originally supposed to play it hasn't yet committed
to the role.
Is there anyone else who thinks Viktor Krum and Hermione make a cute couple? I mean it is true that they are completely different, but that is why I like them together. My feelings towards the Ron and Hermione couple have gotten better, and I have even found myself reading some R/H fan fiction because it is rather obvious that the pair of them is going to get together. But I still like Viktor/Hermione and Draco/Hermione, and I still HATE with the fiery passion of my soul the Harry/Hermione pairing. I wonder who Harry is going to pair up with, Ginny or Luna. I would prefer Ginny because she has fancied him for a long time, and she has a much darker relationship to Voldemort after being possessed by Riddle. But Luna is starting to grow on me. Okay, enough of my ramblings, I just felt like saying that.
Note: I made another mistake regarding Tonks that one of the readers pointed out. I originally said she was sorted into Gryffindor and then I changed it to Ravenclaw. Sorry (hits self over head). I originally meant for her to be in Ravenclaw. Sorry about that. Thanks to the person who pointed it out.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling is the owner of all things Harry Potter. All of you lawyers can go screw a tree (for anyone wondering where I got that phrase, I heard it off of the John-Boy and Billy Show on the radio. I don't own that either. They have the best talk show, especially when they do Dumb Crook News, Mad Max and the Crocodile Stalker . All John-Boy and Billy fans UNITE. It is also fucking hilarious when they make fun of X-mass songs, for example; you're a Ho Ho Ho, Rudolph the Redneck Reindeer, and my personally favorite, Christmas Balls.). Last and I forgot to mention this before; the band I make reference to, Orion is a real band. It is not mine either.
Enjoy... (If not, go listen to the John-Boy and Billy show and laugh your bloody ass off).
XVIVX
On the morning of the Hogsmead visit, Lily woke up exceptionally early. She supposed it was out of sheer nervousness for the task at hand, spending and entire day with James Potter. However Lily couldn't deny that she had been dreading it with her mind, body and soul; at times she found herself day dreaming, mainly during History of Magic, about different things she could do with James while at Hogsmead. When Lily finally opened her eyes she saw that Peeves was floating above her with a bright red water balloon in hand. Not wanting to get a face full of water, Lily made a deal that if Peeves wouldn't drop the balloon on her face, she would bewitch the water to be died acid green and stick to the face of whomever the balloon was dropped on. After deliberating for less than a second, Peeves saluted Lily pulled out her wand and muttered the spell that was needed. Peeves took off with the balloon and floated out of the Girl's Dormitory and into the Boy's. Lily couldn't help but smirk, well it looked like one of the Marauders would be getting a wet wake up call. After praying that Peeves didn't spill the beans that it was her who enchanted the balloon, Lily slipped out of bed and into the showers.
After a good hour in the showers, and her hair smelling like cherries, Lily left the showers and got dressed. Because it was a Saturday and she wasn't required to wear her uniform, Lily decided on some plain old muggle clothes. She chose a pair of hip-hugger jeans, a long-sleeved, cotton lavender shirt and a black denim jacket. On the outside of her shirt was her necklace that her father had given her, which she rarely showed to the public. But because she would be going out on a date, Lily thought it would be best to look a bit nicer than she would normally have looked. After using a spell to dry her hair, Lily tied it in a lose bun behind her neck, letting a few stray locks of her auburn hair curl around her face. After one last look in the mirror Lily decided that she looked good enough, and for good taste, Lily rubbed some almond extract oil on her hands(I know this doesn't sound like it smells good, but TRUST ME, almond extract is the best smelling thing in the world, next to vanilla). Once she was satisfied with the way she looked, and smelled, and not bothering to put on any make- up, Lily left the Gryffindor Tower to go have breakfast.
The Great Hall seemed much emptier that usual without the crowds of students flocking to eat breakfast as fast as they could so they could get to their next lesson. All of the House Tables were half empty or less. Taking a seat at the far end of the Gryffindor table, Lily helped herself to some eggs and a blueberry muffin. Breakfast was never her meal of fancy, and she never ate much, but that day her stomach seemed tighter than usual, like she had a huge knot her stomach. Brushing the feeling aside, Lily drove herself to eat. While chewing on her last bit of eggs, an Eagle Owl soared over to Lily and stuck out its leg where a letter was tied. Swallowing her last bites, Lily un-fastened the letter, gave the Owl, which she recognized as Orpheus, a bit of bacon before sending it back to the Owlry. Why would James want to send her a letter on the day they were going to have their date? She opened the egg colored parchment and written in purple ink was:
Dear Lily,
Meet me by the Shrieking Shack around noon. Get ready to have a great day, this will make you regret all those times you turned me down in the past.
See you there, James (or Jamesie-poo, whichever you like).
Lily crumpled the letter and stuffed it in her pocket. Checking her watch; it was only 10:15. What was she supposed to do for another hour and forty- five minutes? It sure would have helped if he had bothered to tell her that yesterday, so that she could have gotten a few more hours of sleep. Scowling she picked up a piece of toast and began spreading grape jam all over it. "Hey Lily, why are you here? I thought you were supposed to be on your date with that Potter guy," said the voice of Amberle. She had just walked into the Great Hall. Because Amberle's family lived in Hogsmead, she was required to visit them whenever the school would allow it.
"'lo Amberle," Lily said. "James just sent me an Owl saying to meet him at the Shrieking Shake around noon. I have another two hours to kill before I have to go. Where are Dorcas and Anthy?" she questioned.
"They left early. I accidentally let it slip to Amberle that I could give her special discounts at my family's store, so I think she went there. And Anthy mentioned something about a Graduation Dance, and how she wanted to get ready. What the hell is the graduation dance," Amberle said.
"Every year the students who will be graduating are all invited to a Ball. It is the Head Boy and Head Girl's job to arrange it, find the music, food, and everything else. But I don't think I will go," Lily answered.
"So it is kind of like what we call a prom in America," Amberle asked.
"Yeah, something like that. I have the food all taken care of and James said that he found a potential band, Orion," the red headed witch said.
"Orion, really? I know them, I could ask them," exclaimed Amberle.
"You know Orion. That would be great if you could ask them, I doubt that James has gotten a hold of them and I too have had trouble contacting them. It would be a real life-saver if you could ask them," Lily begged.
"Hey, no biggie. My buddy will be glad to do it. So, why aren't you going to this Graduation Ball," Amberle inquired.
"It's a formal dance. I can't afford the right kind of dress robes, and you need a partner. Not to mention formal dances just aren't my thing," Lily answered as she took a bite out of her toast. Amberle had sat down beside her and was in the process of piling up bacon, eggs, oatmeal and some muffins onto her plate. She too was dressed in muggle clothes, but hers were a lot more simple; a pair of faded jeans, a black sweatshirt, and her jade dragon pendant. Draped around her shoulders was her red, white and blue cloak.
"Well, seeing as how you don't have anything to do for two hours want to get a head start with the Hogsmead visit? I may live there, but I haven't had time to properly explore the village. However oddly enough, I have explored the Forbidden Forest and I know it from tree to tree. It isn't considered 'Forbidden' at Hogsmead, just if you go into the forest you won't make it out in once piece. Then again, that is why at my American school, magical creature handling and forest survival for the average wizard or witch were required courses. The forest isn't that bad as long as you don't explore during the Full Moon," Amberle said simply. The food on her plate was already gone, and she was waiting for Lily to finish.
Lily was astonished! How could someone speak of the Forbidden Forest like that? She wondered if Dumbledore knew about that. Americans, Lily thought to herself. But at least Amberle was pretty cool all around, despite her blunt honesty and lack of fear. As it turned out, Amberle already had a job waiting for her once she graduated at the Ministry of Magic. She was to head up the Department of Magical Creature Regulation and Control. But a flaw in that was that she had the same dispassion Hagrid had when it came to fearsome beasts. Amberle loved dragons and often fantasized about having one for a pet (don't worry, she doesn't get a dragon egg), or how the Kelpie was simply a misunderstood creature who is only trying to make its way in the world.
Once they walked outside, Lily was grateful that she had brought her cloak. The December air was very chilly and bitter. The cold nipped at her face and nose, causing them to turn bright red. Lily followed Amberle down to the village, and the two of them headed directly to her family's shop. There, Lily meet Amberle's parents, Mark and Suzette and her brother, Chad, who had already graduated and was coming for a visit. Amberle introduced Lily to them, and her family made mention of a "certain customer who is a bit too picky about our Beater supplies. I believe her name is Dorcas and she mentioned something about having a friend named Lily". Then a man who looked like he was in his early twenties stepped into the shop. He had brown, lanky hair that covered his long and bony face and maple eyes. Amberle introduced him as the leader of the band Orion. He wasn't the friendliest looking person Lily had ever met, and decided to let Amberle do all the talking. After fifteen minutes of convincing the leader of the band, called Ferio, he agreed to play at the Graduation Ball. After saying good-bye to Amberle's family and Ferio, Lily left the shop. Amberle's parents had insisted that their daughter stay so Lily left alone. When Lily walked out the store, Ferio gave a flirtatious wink, but was answered by Amberle who said, "Sorry bub, she's taken".
Lily checked her watch again, and it read 12:07. She had been at Amberle's for almost two hours! Lily made a quick dash up to the Shrieking Shack. When she got there, tired and out of breath, Lily saw that James was already waiting for her. He wore his best boyish grin that he could muster. It was enough to warm any girl's heart in a split second. In that moment he seemed almost innocent. Lily then laughed at herself, James innocent? That was a laugh; Lily doubted that he had ever been innocent in his life.
"You're late Lils," James said.
"Conceder it pay back for when you turned my hair electric blue in our first year," Lily said with a smirk.
"I told you, I was aiming for Snivellus. You just happened to walk by at that moment," James said.
"Yeah, and I bet the time when you pelted me with pink ink pellets in third year was an accident too," Lily smiled.
"No you are right, that one was on purpose. Speaking of ink pellets were you the one who put Peeves up to dropping a balloon full of banana yellow ink on Sirius' head, and now he has big yellow blotches all over his face?" asked James.
Lily was too busy laughing to respond. Sirius with yellow hair, the thought was too amusing. Lily made a mental note to thank Peeves.
James laughed. Only the infamous Lily Evans would put Peeves up to pranking Sirius. All of the other girls in school, even some of the Slytherins, hero- worshipped Sirius too much to pull a joke on him. They would consider it a crime punishable by death if they ever found out that Lily was the culprit. Of course, Sirius being Sirius told Peeves to send his compliments and a warning to the person who did it.
"So why did you want to meet me by the Shrieking Shack?" questioned the fiery red-head.
"Too lazy to walk all the way back up to the school. So I figured that you would come to me," James said.
"Don't get used it," Lily said.
The two walked off into the main village of Hogsmead. There they ran into Remus who was emerging from the Post Office. The pair waved hi to Remus and continued on their way. James seemed to be leading the way because Lily didn't know where they were going. Eventually they reached The Three Broomsticks. Inside most of the costumers were Hogwarts students and all of the girls seemed to gasp when James walked in with Lily. Along with their rather long and drawn out gasp, they all threw Lily the looks of the utmost loathing and jealousy. All of the boys seemed shocked that James managed to land the famous man hater Lily Evans. Several of them stopped James when he ordered some Butterbeer and congratulated James on his catch. James on the other hand felt somewhat offended because all of the other guys acted like James just wanted to get Lily into bed. It was true that she was the most beautiful witch he had ever seen, but he cared about her because of her fiery personality and the spark in her eyes that refused to leave. The more Lily resisted James, and smacked him across the face the more James wanted her to accept him. Now that they officially were dating James learned much more about Lily Evans. She had a caring side that almost no one knew about, and a side of her that loved jokes almost as much as James and Sirius did. She no longer seemed the ice cold bitch she was often portrayed as.
When James sat down, the pair went on to talk about their families. James told Lily of his parents, Dominic and Evelyn Potter. His father was an Auror and he had little contact with him because of his constant revolts against Voldemort. The chances of an Owl being intercepted were very great and he very rarely sent letters unless it was sent via Dumbledore. His mother, Evelyn, was a charming woman who worked in the Department of Magical Games in the ministry and was often able to get James tickets to Quidditch Games and twice she managed to get tickets in the Top Box to the World Cup. She was the one family member that understood James' need to prank people and often encouraged him and gave him ideas. His family lived in the Potter Mansion in English Country side about two hours outside of London. James had once had an Uncle Billy and a cousin Liv who lived in France, but they were both killed by Death Eaters two years ago. All of their money and estate went to Dominic and Evelyn, and in turn to James. Lily listened intently and her heart pounded with jealousy with James having grown up all around witches and wizards, and not being hated by his sister (if he had one). He never had to return to a six week hell during summer vacation, and was always accepted for who he was. But it soon occurred that Lily's heart began to beat with caring and admiration too. James went on to tell her of the hellhole Sirius has to go back to every summer and why he moved in with James over the summer.
Soon it was Lily's turn to talk. She wasted no time in thoroughly confusing James with growing up muggle born. She often had to stop and explain the way things muggles acted, but James caught on pretty quickly. Lily told James of her father, John Evans and mother, Violet Evans. She spoke of her father as a tall man with lots of muscle and a kind smile that made everyone love him Lily was closest to her father out of everyone of the family, and told James of the necklace her father had given to her as she pointed to the tear drop emerald that hung around her neck. Violet Evans was a bit of an air head but she has a charming disposition that made everyone love her. Lily lowered her face and made a very brief mention that she had a sister and her name was Petunia, and that she was engaged to a man named Vernon Dursley. Lily didn't have as much to say about her family as James did because they were only plain muggles, and she didn't want to bring up the subject that was Petunia. James looked extremely entertained by the way that muggles lived.
Around an hour passed as they talked intently to each other. Somehow, unconsciously, it seemed that James had grabbed a hold of Lily's hand and the two just sat there holding hands and talking about the way that the other lived. It wasn't until Lily had finished her side that she noticed James clutching her hand. It felt kind of nice Lily had to admit, and she didn't pull it away. Once Lily and James had nothing more to talk about they left the little pub and just decided to walk around Hogsmead.
Fifteen minutes later it began to snow. Lily looked up and stuck out her tongue in hopes of catching a few of the chilly flakes. Soon the snow was falling heavily and many of the students began to race back up to the castle for cover. Once again, Lily felt glad that she had taken her cloak with her. Unlike most of the other students who were flocking up to the castle, Lily and James took their time and enjoyed the snow. Winter was Lily's favorite season. Winter was the time of love in her mind because sitting by a warm fire while it snowed around you with the person you loved was Lily's idea of a perfect date. The pair was soon covered in tiny white snow flakes and James' hair was speckled jet black and pure white. It looked like someone had dropped white paint all over his head.
When the two had finally reached the lake they stopped to look at the scenery. Hogsmead looked just like a Christmas card whenever it snowed. All of the roof tops were littered with snow and smoke blew out the chimneys. The lake was frozen solid and the dark silhouette of the Giant Squid could be seen from the surface. The glossy surface of the lake gave Lily an idea.
"Hey James, have you ever been ice skating before?" she inquired in the most innocent voice she could muster.
"No, why?" James said. As he turned around he found that Lily was no longer beside him and he felt a tremendous push from behind him. James fell head first into the solid ice lake. Of course the ice was so thick that it easily supported his weight. James looked up and saw Lily hold her stomach from laughing. "Why you little..." James threatened as he went to stand up, but lost his balance and fell again on the ice. Twice more James tried to get up, but he lost his balance just as quickly as he gained it. Each time he saw Lily smirking, and trying her best not to laugh. That little minx!
Lily too stepped onto the ice, but she seemed to glide on it. It was clear to anyone that she was mocking him. James glared at her furiously and attempted to stand up. He didn't dare move for he would lose his balance. It was clear that she had been planning this for quite a while. "Lily, how do you walk on this?"
Lily passed him again, "its magic".
"Magic my ass, tell me how," James said.
"You just put one foot in front of the other and you end up gliding across the ice," Lily answered like it was the easiest question in the world.
Slowly James got up and began making small, very small, glides across the ice. Just as Lily was about to circle him again, he grabbed her arm and the pair both went tumbling down onto the ice. Glad for the thick blanket of snow that was now falling from the sky, which would mean that they would be harder to see, Lily fell on her back while James fell on top of her, and he managed to catch himself with his arms, preventing him from smacking his chin against the ice. Lily blushed as she realized the position she was in. James was literally a fraction of an inch away form her face, so close that she could feel his warm breath in the cold air. The pair just stared each other face to face.
He really is handsome, Lily thought. He is perfect.
She is perfect, James thought. My soul mate right here under me.
It was then when Lily suddenly reached out and kissed James. Her hands softly gripped his checks and Lily kissed him with all the force she could muster without her tongue entering his mouth.
It took a second for James to full grasp what just happened but he didn't deny it. This was the girl he cared about kissing him with all of her emotion. For a fleeting second he seemed to feel all of the emotion she felt for him. James seemed somewhat overwhelmed by what he felt. She really did care about him, despite the face she gave. Of course, James more than willingly responded to her kiss and he kissed her back with the same intensity. Soon their tongues began swirling inside the other's mouth. But before things got out of hand, Lily realized what she had just done and drew away.
She was a red as an apple and a look of shock at her own boldness was across her face. "I...I'm so sorry," she stumbled out.
James didn't say anything but kiss her warm check. He understood that she was afraid of where things may go, and was still in shock with her own daring. He smiled warmly and got up. Lily understood that it was his way of saying, 'I feel the same way' and she took his hand. Carefully the two slid back to the solid ground and made their way back up to the castle for dinner.
VIV
Several days later, Lily was packing her belongings to return to her home for Christmas. Dorcas, Anthy and Amberle were all going home so Lily saw no reason to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. Since her date with James, Lily had avoided him. She suspected that James was overwhelmed by what she had done, and thought that she should stay away from him for a while. But at least she was relieved that James did not pull away, and, at least it seemed, that he felt some of the same emotions for her. Because of that day, Lily had begun to come to terms with how she felt regarding James Potter. She had to admit that she cared deeply about him, and as more than a friend. Of course none of her friends knew of the kiss, but she suspected that they had heard about it. Lily would be shocked if news of the kiss hadn't spread like wild fire throughout Hogwarts.
Lily began the job of stuffing her cat into its cage when Dorcas burst through the door. "Hey Lily. Ready to go back for Christmas?" she said happily.
"Hell yeah I am ready to go back. The prospect of Petunia being away with her fiancé will make this a very merry Christmas. I got a letter from Mum this morning," Lily explained, while fighting with Nenya who did not want to go into his cage. And it looked as if he was winning the fight.
"That's great. Two weeks without that Harpy of a sister you were cursed with," Dorcas mused.
"Well Petunia left home around a year ago, but she spends so much time there it looks as if she hasn't moved at all. Besides, I have met her fiancé and he is not exactly tall, dark and handsome. As a matter of fact he is quite the opposite," Lily said as she managed to snap the lock shut on Nenya's cage, with her fat cat meowing annoyingly.
"So he is short, light and ugly?" Dorcas joked.
"All of the above except light. He is only a few inches taller than me, and he looks like a giant ape in a wig with a bad mustache. However he and Petunia have the same out look on magic, so I guess the two were meant for each other," Lily said.
Dorcas cringed and then laughed. The two eventually caught up with Anthy who was already dragging her trunk out the door. Amberle only had to walk to Hogsmead so she was nowhere to be found. The three girls laughed and talked about their Christmas plans all the way until they reached Platform 9 ¾.
When the train unloaded, students poured out and quickly made their way back to muggle London where their parents were waiting. Lily said goodbye to Dorcas and Anthy when she caught site of her parents, Violet and John. She greeted her parents by giving them both bear hugs. Her parents looked good as usual, and the picture was made even better with the absence of Petunia and Vernon. As Lily's parents were putting her trunk into their car, someone screeched out "OI LILY!" Lily turned around to see James across the parking lot with his parents. Mr. Potter had thin graying hair but a warm smile and apparently was the one who gave James his hazel eyes. Mrs. Potter had jet black hair and ice blue eyes, and she bore the same mischievous smile her son always wore.
Lily smiled and waved goodbye to James. As he disappeared from view, Lily's father winked at her causing Lily to blush. "You never told me that you have a boy friend. Do we need to have 'the talk'" Mr. Evans joked.
"He isn't my boy friend. He is just my friend and the Head Boy," Lily said stubbornly. She didn't exactly want to admit to the world how she felt about James.
During the car ride home Lily was silent but her mind was racing like a horse. She smiled to herself as she began to think about her first kiss with James Potter. True she had had two different boy friends but she never kissed them. It was like fate was saving her first kiss for that moment with James Potter.
XVIX
END CHAPTER. I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry this took so long. For a couple of days I have been having writer's block and I got my edge back tonight and I finished the chapter. I hope it was worth it. MAJOR Lily and James action. I loved writing this, creating the tensions between Lily and James. That is always fun.
For all of you who are eagerly awaiting Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince I would suggest that you read the Shannara books by Terry Brooks. J.K Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien and Terry Brooks are the best fantasy writers of the era. Most people have already read Tolkien but not a lot of folks have read Terry Brooks. READ HIS BOOKS! I would suggest reading The Sword of Shannara first, and within the first two or three chapters you will be ADDICTED. I first read them while waiting for The Order of the Pheonix to come out and I became addicted to them, so far I have read the Shannara series, half of the Heritage of Shannara and am in the second book of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series. READ THEM! They are nice and long, and full of action. They are perfect for reading while you are waiting for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. My personally favorite is The Wishsong of Shannara and The Voyage of Jerle Shannara: Isle Witch. The summaries on the back of the books are really corny, but the books are magnificent. Terry Brooks rocks. His best characters are Big Red, Little Red, and Brin and Jair Omshford.
I just recently found out that my favorite NON-fantasy book is being made into a movie, Memoirs of a Geisha by Author Golden. I am sooooooooooo excited. That book was awesome. It is coming out next year. Rob Marshall (Chicago) is directing it and Stephen Spielberg is going to be one of the producers. So far Rika Okamota is playing Sayuri and Maggie Cheung is going to play Mameha. I can't wait. That movie is going to be sooooooooooo good.
You know the drill, the more reviews the more I write. All flames will be laughed at and deleted.
Is there anyone else who thinks Viktor Krum and Hermione make a cute couple? I mean it is true that they are completely different, but that is why I like them together. My feelings towards the Ron and Hermione couple have gotten better, and I have even found myself reading some R/H fan fiction because it is rather obvious that the pair of them is going to get together. But I still like Viktor/Hermione and Draco/Hermione, and I still HATE with the fiery passion of my soul the Harry/Hermione pairing. I wonder who Harry is going to pair up with, Ginny or Luna. I would prefer Ginny because she has fancied him for a long time, and she has a much darker relationship to Voldemort after being possessed by Riddle. But Luna is starting to grow on me. Okay, enough of my ramblings, I just felt like saying that.
Note: I made another mistake regarding Tonks that one of the readers pointed out. I originally said she was sorted into Gryffindor and then I changed it to Ravenclaw. Sorry (hits self over head). I originally meant for her to be in Ravenclaw. Sorry about that. Thanks to the person who pointed it out.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling is the owner of all things Harry Potter. All of you lawyers can go screw a tree (for anyone wondering where I got that phrase, I heard it off of the John-Boy and Billy Show on the radio. I don't own that either. They have the best talk show, especially when they do Dumb Crook News, Mad Max and the Crocodile Stalker . All John-Boy and Billy fans UNITE. It is also fucking hilarious when they make fun of X-mass songs, for example; you're a Ho Ho Ho, Rudolph the Redneck Reindeer, and my personally favorite, Christmas Balls.). Last and I forgot to mention this before; the band I make reference to, Orion is a real band. It is not mine either.
Enjoy... (If not, go listen to the John-Boy and Billy show and laugh your bloody ass off).
XVIVX
On the morning of the Hogsmead visit, Lily woke up exceptionally early. She supposed it was out of sheer nervousness for the task at hand, spending and entire day with James Potter. However Lily couldn't deny that she had been dreading it with her mind, body and soul; at times she found herself day dreaming, mainly during History of Magic, about different things she could do with James while at Hogsmead. When Lily finally opened her eyes she saw that Peeves was floating above her with a bright red water balloon in hand. Not wanting to get a face full of water, Lily made a deal that if Peeves wouldn't drop the balloon on her face, she would bewitch the water to be died acid green and stick to the face of whomever the balloon was dropped on. After deliberating for less than a second, Peeves saluted Lily pulled out her wand and muttered the spell that was needed. Peeves took off with the balloon and floated out of the Girl's Dormitory and into the Boy's. Lily couldn't help but smirk, well it looked like one of the Marauders would be getting a wet wake up call. After praying that Peeves didn't spill the beans that it was her who enchanted the balloon, Lily slipped out of bed and into the showers.
After a good hour in the showers, and her hair smelling like cherries, Lily left the showers and got dressed. Because it was a Saturday and she wasn't required to wear her uniform, Lily decided on some plain old muggle clothes. She chose a pair of hip-hugger jeans, a long-sleeved, cotton lavender shirt and a black denim jacket. On the outside of her shirt was her necklace that her father had given her, which she rarely showed to the public. But because she would be going out on a date, Lily thought it would be best to look a bit nicer than she would normally have looked. After using a spell to dry her hair, Lily tied it in a lose bun behind her neck, letting a few stray locks of her auburn hair curl around her face. After one last look in the mirror Lily decided that she looked good enough, and for good taste, Lily rubbed some almond extract oil on her hands(I know this doesn't sound like it smells good, but TRUST ME, almond extract is the best smelling thing in the world, next to vanilla). Once she was satisfied with the way she looked, and smelled, and not bothering to put on any make- up, Lily left the Gryffindor Tower to go have breakfast.
The Great Hall seemed much emptier that usual without the crowds of students flocking to eat breakfast as fast as they could so they could get to their next lesson. All of the House Tables were half empty or less. Taking a seat at the far end of the Gryffindor table, Lily helped herself to some eggs and a blueberry muffin. Breakfast was never her meal of fancy, and she never ate much, but that day her stomach seemed tighter than usual, like she had a huge knot her stomach. Brushing the feeling aside, Lily drove herself to eat. While chewing on her last bit of eggs, an Eagle Owl soared over to Lily and stuck out its leg where a letter was tied. Swallowing her last bites, Lily un-fastened the letter, gave the Owl, which she recognized as Orpheus, a bit of bacon before sending it back to the Owlry. Why would James want to send her a letter on the day they were going to have their date? She opened the egg colored parchment and written in purple ink was:
Dear Lily,
Meet me by the Shrieking Shack around noon. Get ready to have a great day, this will make you regret all those times you turned me down in the past.
See you there, James (or Jamesie-poo, whichever you like).
Lily crumpled the letter and stuffed it in her pocket. Checking her watch; it was only 10:15. What was she supposed to do for another hour and forty- five minutes? It sure would have helped if he had bothered to tell her that yesterday, so that she could have gotten a few more hours of sleep. Scowling she picked up a piece of toast and began spreading grape jam all over it. "Hey Lily, why are you here? I thought you were supposed to be on your date with that Potter guy," said the voice of Amberle. She had just walked into the Great Hall. Because Amberle's family lived in Hogsmead, she was required to visit them whenever the school would allow it.
"'lo Amberle," Lily said. "James just sent me an Owl saying to meet him at the Shrieking Shake around noon. I have another two hours to kill before I have to go. Where are Dorcas and Anthy?" she questioned.
"They left early. I accidentally let it slip to Amberle that I could give her special discounts at my family's store, so I think she went there. And Anthy mentioned something about a Graduation Dance, and how she wanted to get ready. What the hell is the graduation dance," Amberle said.
"Every year the students who will be graduating are all invited to a Ball. It is the Head Boy and Head Girl's job to arrange it, find the music, food, and everything else. But I don't think I will go," Lily answered.
"So it is kind of like what we call a prom in America," Amberle asked.
"Yeah, something like that. I have the food all taken care of and James said that he found a potential band, Orion," the red headed witch said.
"Orion, really? I know them, I could ask them," exclaimed Amberle.
"You know Orion. That would be great if you could ask them, I doubt that James has gotten a hold of them and I too have had trouble contacting them. It would be a real life-saver if you could ask them," Lily begged.
"Hey, no biggie. My buddy will be glad to do it. So, why aren't you going to this Graduation Ball," Amberle inquired.
"It's a formal dance. I can't afford the right kind of dress robes, and you need a partner. Not to mention formal dances just aren't my thing," Lily answered as she took a bite out of her toast. Amberle had sat down beside her and was in the process of piling up bacon, eggs, oatmeal and some muffins onto her plate. She too was dressed in muggle clothes, but hers were a lot more simple; a pair of faded jeans, a black sweatshirt, and her jade dragon pendant. Draped around her shoulders was her red, white and blue cloak.
"Well, seeing as how you don't have anything to do for two hours want to get a head start with the Hogsmead visit? I may live there, but I haven't had time to properly explore the village. However oddly enough, I have explored the Forbidden Forest and I know it from tree to tree. It isn't considered 'Forbidden' at Hogsmead, just if you go into the forest you won't make it out in once piece. Then again, that is why at my American school, magical creature handling and forest survival for the average wizard or witch were required courses. The forest isn't that bad as long as you don't explore during the Full Moon," Amberle said simply. The food on her plate was already gone, and she was waiting for Lily to finish.
Lily was astonished! How could someone speak of the Forbidden Forest like that? She wondered if Dumbledore knew about that. Americans, Lily thought to herself. But at least Amberle was pretty cool all around, despite her blunt honesty and lack of fear. As it turned out, Amberle already had a job waiting for her once she graduated at the Ministry of Magic. She was to head up the Department of Magical Creature Regulation and Control. But a flaw in that was that she had the same dispassion Hagrid had when it came to fearsome beasts. Amberle loved dragons and often fantasized about having one for a pet (don't worry, she doesn't get a dragon egg), or how the Kelpie was simply a misunderstood creature who is only trying to make its way in the world.
Once they walked outside, Lily was grateful that she had brought her cloak. The December air was very chilly and bitter. The cold nipped at her face and nose, causing them to turn bright red. Lily followed Amberle down to the village, and the two of them headed directly to her family's shop. There, Lily meet Amberle's parents, Mark and Suzette and her brother, Chad, who had already graduated and was coming for a visit. Amberle introduced Lily to them, and her family made mention of a "certain customer who is a bit too picky about our Beater supplies. I believe her name is Dorcas and she mentioned something about having a friend named Lily". Then a man who looked like he was in his early twenties stepped into the shop. He had brown, lanky hair that covered his long and bony face and maple eyes. Amberle introduced him as the leader of the band Orion. He wasn't the friendliest looking person Lily had ever met, and decided to let Amberle do all the talking. After fifteen minutes of convincing the leader of the band, called Ferio, he agreed to play at the Graduation Ball. After saying good-bye to Amberle's family and Ferio, Lily left the shop. Amberle's parents had insisted that their daughter stay so Lily left alone. When Lily walked out the store, Ferio gave a flirtatious wink, but was answered by Amberle who said, "Sorry bub, she's taken".
Lily checked her watch again, and it read 12:07. She had been at Amberle's for almost two hours! Lily made a quick dash up to the Shrieking Shack. When she got there, tired and out of breath, Lily saw that James was already waiting for her. He wore his best boyish grin that he could muster. It was enough to warm any girl's heart in a split second. In that moment he seemed almost innocent. Lily then laughed at herself, James innocent? That was a laugh; Lily doubted that he had ever been innocent in his life.
"You're late Lils," James said.
"Conceder it pay back for when you turned my hair electric blue in our first year," Lily said with a smirk.
"I told you, I was aiming for Snivellus. You just happened to walk by at that moment," James said.
"Yeah, and I bet the time when you pelted me with pink ink pellets in third year was an accident too," Lily smiled.
"No you are right, that one was on purpose. Speaking of ink pellets were you the one who put Peeves up to dropping a balloon full of banana yellow ink on Sirius' head, and now he has big yellow blotches all over his face?" asked James.
Lily was too busy laughing to respond. Sirius with yellow hair, the thought was too amusing. Lily made a mental note to thank Peeves.
James laughed. Only the infamous Lily Evans would put Peeves up to pranking Sirius. All of the other girls in school, even some of the Slytherins, hero- worshipped Sirius too much to pull a joke on him. They would consider it a crime punishable by death if they ever found out that Lily was the culprit. Of course, Sirius being Sirius told Peeves to send his compliments and a warning to the person who did it.
"So why did you want to meet me by the Shrieking Shack?" questioned the fiery red-head.
"Too lazy to walk all the way back up to the school. So I figured that you would come to me," James said.
"Don't get used it," Lily said.
The two walked off into the main village of Hogsmead. There they ran into Remus who was emerging from the Post Office. The pair waved hi to Remus and continued on their way. James seemed to be leading the way because Lily didn't know where they were going. Eventually they reached The Three Broomsticks. Inside most of the costumers were Hogwarts students and all of the girls seemed to gasp when James walked in with Lily. Along with their rather long and drawn out gasp, they all threw Lily the looks of the utmost loathing and jealousy. All of the boys seemed shocked that James managed to land the famous man hater Lily Evans. Several of them stopped James when he ordered some Butterbeer and congratulated James on his catch. James on the other hand felt somewhat offended because all of the other guys acted like James just wanted to get Lily into bed. It was true that she was the most beautiful witch he had ever seen, but he cared about her because of her fiery personality and the spark in her eyes that refused to leave. The more Lily resisted James, and smacked him across the face the more James wanted her to accept him. Now that they officially were dating James learned much more about Lily Evans. She had a caring side that almost no one knew about, and a side of her that loved jokes almost as much as James and Sirius did. She no longer seemed the ice cold bitch she was often portrayed as.
When James sat down, the pair went on to talk about their families. James told Lily of his parents, Dominic and Evelyn Potter. His father was an Auror and he had little contact with him because of his constant revolts against Voldemort. The chances of an Owl being intercepted were very great and he very rarely sent letters unless it was sent via Dumbledore. His mother, Evelyn, was a charming woman who worked in the Department of Magical Games in the ministry and was often able to get James tickets to Quidditch Games and twice she managed to get tickets in the Top Box to the World Cup. She was the one family member that understood James' need to prank people and often encouraged him and gave him ideas. His family lived in the Potter Mansion in English Country side about two hours outside of London. James had once had an Uncle Billy and a cousin Liv who lived in France, but they were both killed by Death Eaters two years ago. All of their money and estate went to Dominic and Evelyn, and in turn to James. Lily listened intently and her heart pounded with jealousy with James having grown up all around witches and wizards, and not being hated by his sister (if he had one). He never had to return to a six week hell during summer vacation, and was always accepted for who he was. But it soon occurred that Lily's heart began to beat with caring and admiration too. James went on to tell her of the hellhole Sirius has to go back to every summer and why he moved in with James over the summer.
Soon it was Lily's turn to talk. She wasted no time in thoroughly confusing James with growing up muggle born. She often had to stop and explain the way things muggles acted, but James caught on pretty quickly. Lily told James of her father, John Evans and mother, Violet Evans. She spoke of her father as a tall man with lots of muscle and a kind smile that made everyone love him Lily was closest to her father out of everyone of the family, and told James of the necklace her father had given to her as she pointed to the tear drop emerald that hung around her neck. Violet Evans was a bit of an air head but she has a charming disposition that made everyone love her. Lily lowered her face and made a very brief mention that she had a sister and her name was Petunia, and that she was engaged to a man named Vernon Dursley. Lily didn't have as much to say about her family as James did because they were only plain muggles, and she didn't want to bring up the subject that was Petunia. James looked extremely entertained by the way that muggles lived.
Around an hour passed as they talked intently to each other. Somehow, unconsciously, it seemed that James had grabbed a hold of Lily's hand and the two just sat there holding hands and talking about the way that the other lived. It wasn't until Lily had finished her side that she noticed James clutching her hand. It felt kind of nice Lily had to admit, and she didn't pull it away. Once Lily and James had nothing more to talk about they left the little pub and just decided to walk around Hogsmead.
Fifteen minutes later it began to snow. Lily looked up and stuck out her tongue in hopes of catching a few of the chilly flakes. Soon the snow was falling heavily and many of the students began to race back up to the castle for cover. Once again, Lily felt glad that she had taken her cloak with her. Unlike most of the other students who were flocking up to the castle, Lily and James took their time and enjoyed the snow. Winter was Lily's favorite season. Winter was the time of love in her mind because sitting by a warm fire while it snowed around you with the person you loved was Lily's idea of a perfect date. The pair was soon covered in tiny white snow flakes and James' hair was speckled jet black and pure white. It looked like someone had dropped white paint all over his head.
When the two had finally reached the lake they stopped to look at the scenery. Hogsmead looked just like a Christmas card whenever it snowed. All of the roof tops were littered with snow and smoke blew out the chimneys. The lake was frozen solid and the dark silhouette of the Giant Squid could be seen from the surface. The glossy surface of the lake gave Lily an idea.
"Hey James, have you ever been ice skating before?" she inquired in the most innocent voice she could muster.
"No, why?" James said. As he turned around he found that Lily was no longer beside him and he felt a tremendous push from behind him. James fell head first into the solid ice lake. Of course the ice was so thick that it easily supported his weight. James looked up and saw Lily hold her stomach from laughing. "Why you little..." James threatened as he went to stand up, but lost his balance and fell again on the ice. Twice more James tried to get up, but he lost his balance just as quickly as he gained it. Each time he saw Lily smirking, and trying her best not to laugh. That little minx!
Lily too stepped onto the ice, but she seemed to glide on it. It was clear to anyone that she was mocking him. James glared at her furiously and attempted to stand up. He didn't dare move for he would lose his balance. It was clear that she had been planning this for quite a while. "Lily, how do you walk on this?"
Lily passed him again, "its magic".
"Magic my ass, tell me how," James said.
"You just put one foot in front of the other and you end up gliding across the ice," Lily answered like it was the easiest question in the world.
Slowly James got up and began making small, very small, glides across the ice. Just as Lily was about to circle him again, he grabbed her arm and the pair both went tumbling down onto the ice. Glad for the thick blanket of snow that was now falling from the sky, which would mean that they would be harder to see, Lily fell on her back while James fell on top of her, and he managed to catch himself with his arms, preventing him from smacking his chin against the ice. Lily blushed as she realized the position she was in. James was literally a fraction of an inch away form her face, so close that she could feel his warm breath in the cold air. The pair just stared each other face to face.
He really is handsome, Lily thought. He is perfect.
She is perfect, James thought. My soul mate right here under me.
It was then when Lily suddenly reached out and kissed James. Her hands softly gripped his checks and Lily kissed him with all the force she could muster without her tongue entering his mouth.
It took a second for James to full grasp what just happened but he didn't deny it. This was the girl he cared about kissing him with all of her emotion. For a fleeting second he seemed to feel all of the emotion she felt for him. James seemed somewhat overwhelmed by what he felt. She really did care about him, despite the face she gave. Of course, James more than willingly responded to her kiss and he kissed her back with the same intensity. Soon their tongues began swirling inside the other's mouth. But before things got out of hand, Lily realized what she had just done and drew away.
She was a red as an apple and a look of shock at her own boldness was across her face. "I...I'm so sorry," she stumbled out.
James didn't say anything but kiss her warm check. He understood that she was afraid of where things may go, and was still in shock with her own daring. He smiled warmly and got up. Lily understood that it was his way of saying, 'I feel the same way' and she took his hand. Carefully the two slid back to the solid ground and made their way back up to the castle for dinner.
VIV
Several days later, Lily was packing her belongings to return to her home for Christmas. Dorcas, Anthy and Amberle were all going home so Lily saw no reason to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. Since her date with James, Lily had avoided him. She suspected that James was overwhelmed by what she had done, and thought that she should stay away from him for a while. But at least she was relieved that James did not pull away, and, at least it seemed, that he felt some of the same emotions for her. Because of that day, Lily had begun to come to terms with how she felt regarding James Potter. She had to admit that she cared deeply about him, and as more than a friend. Of course none of her friends knew of the kiss, but she suspected that they had heard about it. Lily would be shocked if news of the kiss hadn't spread like wild fire throughout Hogwarts.
Lily began the job of stuffing her cat into its cage when Dorcas burst through the door. "Hey Lily. Ready to go back for Christmas?" she said happily.
"Hell yeah I am ready to go back. The prospect of Petunia being away with her fiancé will make this a very merry Christmas. I got a letter from Mum this morning," Lily explained, while fighting with Nenya who did not want to go into his cage. And it looked as if he was winning the fight.
"That's great. Two weeks without that Harpy of a sister you were cursed with," Dorcas mused.
"Well Petunia left home around a year ago, but she spends so much time there it looks as if she hasn't moved at all. Besides, I have met her fiancé and he is not exactly tall, dark and handsome. As a matter of fact he is quite the opposite," Lily said as she managed to snap the lock shut on Nenya's cage, with her fat cat meowing annoyingly.
"So he is short, light and ugly?" Dorcas joked.
"All of the above except light. He is only a few inches taller than me, and he looks like a giant ape in a wig with a bad mustache. However he and Petunia have the same out look on magic, so I guess the two were meant for each other," Lily said.
Dorcas cringed and then laughed. The two eventually caught up with Anthy who was already dragging her trunk out the door. Amberle only had to walk to Hogsmead so she was nowhere to be found. The three girls laughed and talked about their Christmas plans all the way until they reached Platform 9 ¾.
When the train unloaded, students poured out and quickly made their way back to muggle London where their parents were waiting. Lily said goodbye to Dorcas and Anthy when she caught site of her parents, Violet and John. She greeted her parents by giving them both bear hugs. Her parents looked good as usual, and the picture was made even better with the absence of Petunia and Vernon. As Lily's parents were putting her trunk into their car, someone screeched out "OI LILY!" Lily turned around to see James across the parking lot with his parents. Mr. Potter had thin graying hair but a warm smile and apparently was the one who gave James his hazel eyes. Mrs. Potter had jet black hair and ice blue eyes, and she bore the same mischievous smile her son always wore.
Lily smiled and waved goodbye to James. As he disappeared from view, Lily's father winked at her causing Lily to blush. "You never told me that you have a boy friend. Do we need to have 'the talk'" Mr. Evans joked.
"He isn't my boy friend. He is just my friend and the Head Boy," Lily said stubbornly. She didn't exactly want to admit to the world how she felt about James.
During the car ride home Lily was silent but her mind was racing like a horse. She smiled to herself as she began to think about her first kiss with James Potter. True she had had two different boy friends but she never kissed them. It was like fate was saving her first kiss for that moment with James Potter.
XVIX
END CHAPTER. I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry this took so long. For a couple of days I have been having writer's block and I got my edge back tonight and I finished the chapter. I hope it was worth it. MAJOR Lily and James action. I loved writing this, creating the tensions between Lily and James. That is always fun.
For all of you who are eagerly awaiting Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince I would suggest that you read the Shannara books by Terry Brooks. J.K Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien and Terry Brooks are the best fantasy writers of the era. Most people have already read Tolkien but not a lot of folks have read Terry Brooks. READ HIS BOOKS! I would suggest reading The Sword of Shannara first, and within the first two or three chapters you will be ADDICTED. I first read them while waiting for The Order of the Pheonix to come out and I became addicted to them, so far I have read the Shannara series, half of the Heritage of Shannara and am in the second book of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series. READ THEM! They are nice and long, and full of action. They are perfect for reading while you are waiting for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. My personally favorite is The Wishsong of Shannara and The Voyage of Jerle Shannara: Isle Witch. The summaries on the back of the books are really corny, but the books are magnificent. Terry Brooks rocks. His best characters are Big Red, Little Red, and Brin and Jair Omshford.
I just recently found out that my favorite NON-fantasy book is being made into a movie, Memoirs of a Geisha by Author Golden. I am sooooooooooo excited. That book was awesome. It is coming out next year. Rob Marshall (Chicago) is directing it and Stephen Spielberg is going to be one of the producers. So far Rika Okamota is playing Sayuri and Maggie Cheung is going to play Mameha. I can't wait. That movie is going to be sooooooooooo good.
You know the drill, the more reviews the more I write. All flames will be laughed at and deleted.