Chapter 11!!!!!!! Boo yeah! I am sooooooooooo sorry this took so long to get out, but if you check out my live journal, the link can be found in my profile, you will know why it took so long. I have had marching band hell and now school has officially started. I am behind in my credits, so that means extra classes, and then marching practice is EVERY night for three hours. So on the weekend I am beat and all I want to do is sleep. It is called a little thing called life. Sigh. Also the computer had to have some (cough cough) work to be done to it, and I have been in an Eowyn/Faramir mood for a while. No fair that there isn't any Eowyn and Faramir doujinshii because I would spend a good amount of money on some, they are my favorite lord of the rings couple. I also am beginning the preliminary planning for a fantasy novel I want to write. It is about Elves and Wizards and such. Anyway, here is chapter 11.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. It is all property of J.K Rowling. And right now I am too tired to think up of a witty phrase that I normally put in here. All I have to say is that all you lawyers can go screw off.
Out of sheer curiosity, how many of you writers out there hate, hate, hate, HATE it when some little (insert nasty word) keeps on pointing out every single little mistake? The same person, I won't say who it is, has sent me almost 15 different e-mails pointing out ridicules and teeny tiny little details that play absolutely NO part AT ALL. If someone points some things like I accidentally placed Tonks in Ravenclaw then I changed it to Gryffindor I thanked that person who pointed it out. But someone else keeps on saying things such as 'you changed this person's eye color from the first chapter' or 'that isn't how you described it in chapter 3', please STOP IT! The person who is doing this doesn't send them in a review, they send them just like a flame and it is really beginning to piss me off. PLEASE STOP IT!!!! I will pay more close attention, but please stop doing that. Actually I doubt this person even has an account. I constantly go back in my chapters and try and make sure that I don't make any mistakes but I am only human. I am NOT perfect. If you go to any Harry Potter fan site, they have a section just for mistakes that Rowling HERSELF made, so unless that person is a perfect human-being they NEED to stop.
And now with THAT out if the way, enjoy chapter 11.
XVIVX
Two days later after Lily and James had 'confessed' their love it was Christmas Day. The previous day, James had found an excuse to stay with the Evans' over Christmas. According to James, something Lily doubted very greatly, his family went to France for the holiday and because James didn't want to see it, he was allowed to stay behind. Lily of course didn't believe that cock-and-bull story for a single fraction of a second. But on the other hand, Mr. and Mrs. Evans seemed just fine with the explanation James had given them, and even invited him to stay until the new term started at Hogwarts. James, being the gentleman that he 'presented' himself as, declined the offer and said that he would meet Sirius on Christmas to pick him up, and he would stay at Sirius' place (AFTER Sirius had moved out of James' home, and gotten a place of his own). As always on Christmas Eve, Lily and her mother cooked a magnificent dinner for the family and James. But Mrs. Evans winked at Lily a few too many times during the course of preparing dinner and made too many suggestive comments about James. And, as tradition in the Evans family, Lily and her father set up the little manger scene with baby Jesus. Naturally, James stared at the small figures in wonder because they didn't move around or make any noise. Lily could tell by the expression on his face that James was thinking, 'damn, muggles sure are weird,' but a stern look from Lily and James kept his thoughts to himself.
Dinner that night went smoothly as well, a little too smoothly in fact. Everyone at the table seemed oddly formal in the way they ate and even how the spoke. Mrs. Evans used words that Lily didn't think her mother even knew, and Mr. Evans was completely silent, which for him was very unusual. Mr. and Mrs. Evans had been hoping that Petunia and Vernon could make Christmas dinner but they were disappointed, or in Lily's case relieved, that they would be eating with Vernon's family. James had noticed the look of relief wash over Lily and asked Mrs. Evans if the two sisters didn't care for each other's presence. To which Mrs. Evans simply replied, "Oh that? It is just sibling rivalry, that's all". James could tell that Lily was restraining herself from speaking up, and he made a mental note to ask about it later. It had to be a touch subject if it caused Lily to squirm in her seat and her upper lip twitch when Petunia's name was mentioned.
After dinner had ended Lily offered to help clean up, but her mother flatly refused her help and insisted that Lily spend some more time with James. James, for his part, was busy playing around with her parent's television, insisting that it was a Warlock who came up with the idea. When Lily entered the highly furnished living room, with the small T.V in the middle she could see James tapping it with his wand. She was highly amused that James could be so fascinated by a muggle contraption. "James, it is called a television or T.V for short," she said.
James jumped slightly and turned around to acknowledge that Lily had entered the room. "Oh it's you Lils". He tapped the T.V with his wand again. "I know what it is, Sirius has one of these at his house," James said.
"But aren't the Blacks..." Lily said.
"Yes they are, but he skived off. Old Sirius got sick and tired of listening to all their stupid 'Pure-blood' mania. He lives on his own now," James told Lily. "But haven't I told you that before?"
"Come to think of it, you have. I guess I must have forgotten," Lily said as she blushed a light pink.
"So, how do you work this thing? No matter how many times I tap it with my wand nothing happens. It is shows this muggle guy saying that something about this thing called 'pot' on the up-rise and how all of the muggle law enforcement is trying to stop it (A/N: Hey, remember it IS the 70's)," James remarked.
Lily burst out laughing. Tears of laughter stained her checks. James gave her a puzzled look, to which she just began to laugh harder. Once she regained control, Lily took the remote off the couch and changed the channel. "This, James, is called a remote. You use it to change the channel. And what you were just watching is called the News," Lily said.
"Oh. Muggles always do make things out to be more complicated than they really are," James muttered to himself.
"Just to the simple mind they are," Lily smarted with a smirk.
"Yeah we...hey, you aren't calling me dumb are you?" James said with fake insult.
"Maybe your mind isn't so simple after all," Lily managed to say between small chuckles.
"Oh hush Lils".
For a good remainder of the evening, the pair flirtatious went back and forth with mock insults. It wasn't until Mr. and Mrs. Evans walked into the room did the pair calm down and regained their common sense. The family, and James, watched a Christmas movie before Mr. and Mrs. Evans went to bed; once again, leaving Lily and James alone together. Since James' love confession Lily had been much more hesitant around James. Lily felt somewhat scared of those three little words that came out of James' mouth the previous night. But with time the words did eventually sink in and Lily had come to full terms that she loved James. Even if she had no idea just how that emotion popped up in all the sudden, Lily was quite certain that it was love that she was feeling. After all, all of the stories her mother had told her as a little girl about couples falling in love were just like the emotions Lily felt inside. James of course thought Lily was sound asleep and so naturally knew not that Lily had heard his confession. Lily didn't want to touch on that subject, but she didn't know what sort of subject to turn to. With all of those thoughts swirling up in her at once, Lily announced that she too wanted to go to bed.
"It's only 9!" James said who was so engrossed in the T.V. that Lily was surprised he heard her at all. He turned to face Lily, and stared directly into her eyes; hazel orbs meeting emerald green pits.
"Sooner I go to bed, the sooner I get to open presents tomorrow," Lily said.
"Very true. But I would bet that the real reason is you want to see my splendid body in your dreams," James mocked.
Lily managed to not turn red, and retorted "Splendid eh?" she said. Truth be told, she had dreamed about seeing him nude and having her small slender form being embraced in his strong arms and chest.
"Or maybe we should concoct another one of those dream potions and add a little chocolate. There is nothing to lose; you would get some extra credit in his class and I..." James smirked. He had a dream, and a magnificent one at that, about shagging Lily in the library when he had taken the potion for Lantis, but Lily didn't know about it and he didn't intend to tell her
"Don't tell me you know about that?" Lily said. She hadn't told a living, or dead, soul about the dream she had and never intended too either. So how could James know?
"Know about what?" James questioned.
"No. Nothing," Lily said going red.
"Please, that is always what girls say," James said playfully. In once swift movement James managed to pounce Lily. Soon they were both on the floor with Lily on her back and James on top of her, staring each other in the face. Both had smiles, and in Lily's case red cheeks and both hearts were pounding a mile a minute. James kissed Lily softly on her cheek, to which Lily responded with a small giggle. But as the sound of a creaking door came across both their ears, they soon regained a civil position sitting on opposite ends of the couch. As it turned out, Mr. Evans had come out for a drink of water. Once he was finished, he warned to two teenagers that wild sex was strictly forbidden with a chuckle, and they went back to bed.
After the door was securely shut, Lily scooted over to James. She kissed him lightly on the lips and whispered in his ear that she was going to bed. Soon the form of Lily Evans was nothing but a shadow slowly becoming small and smaller as she ascended the stair case to her room. James sat on the couch in the glow of the television as Lily's form disappeared. He smiled silently to himself, oh yes, Lily had most definitely heard what he had said the previous night. The way she was acting made it clear as crystal.
VIV...the next morning...
On Christmas morning James woke up early to find that he had fallen asleep on the couch. The T.V. was still on, but luckily he was the first one awake and quickly shut it off with the remote control that Lily had shown him. In another corner of the room, the Evan's Christmas tree was standing tall and proud. James could clearly see that a pile of presents lay waiting for him. Apparently his mother must have told Sirius, Remus and Peter that he would be at Lily's. Of course, Sirius was with him when they went looking all around London for Lily, but Sirius had never actually found out where Lily lived. After the bookshop with the annoyingly hyper woman at the café Sirius had thrown in the towel and had left for his small muggle place where he was living in London, away from the Black family.
James took out his wand, and muttered "Accio cloak" and his black traveling cloak that he had left at his house zoomed into the Evans' living room. James had forgotten that his Christmas gift to Lily was inside it, and realized it the previous night after Lily had went up to her bed room. The present was something he found in Diagon Alley, the day after Christmas break began. His mother had dragged him to Diagon Alley for some much needed Christmas shopping and when James saw it, he knew instantly that it was the perfect gift. Mrs. Potter had questioned with a slight flame in her eye as to why James wanted to buy that particular item, and James just simply said that it was to one of his friends. Evelyn Potter of course was not idiot and knew exactly why he wanted it. Not wanting to embarrass her son, Mrs. Potter gave James the money, no questions asked.
Soon the young wizard's belly gave a loud grumble. Only then did James realize that he was hungry and he made his way into the kitchen. Using his wand he summoned a glass (a/n: Both James and Lily are seventeen) with some orange juice in it, and levitated a muffin to his mouth. 'Magic is always so much better than having to do everything by hand,' he thought to himself. Half an hour, and two more glasses of juice and one more muffin later, James was beginning to grow bored of the lack of noise. It was never that quite in the Potter household, even when everyone was still sleeping. The Ghoul in the attic was always throwing around boxes of old boxes of clothes or china, the garden Gnomes could be heard from a mile around harassing Orpheus, and the house elf, Fissa, was always fidgeting around hurrying to get breakfast ready. Life was always boring when it was too quite, in James' eyes.
The creak of the wooden floor told James that someone had woken up. He turned around to see Lily in a pair of black sweat pants and a loose white tank top, while her hair was a wild mess of auburn. Clearly she had just woken up and didn't know that anyone else was awake. In her hands was a package of some-kind that she seemed to be trying, and failing, to hide from view. If she had known, Lily would have at least put on a bra, but James couldn't help but notice she wasn't. Lily still hadn't noticed James was in the kitchen, but as she rounded the corner, her eyes became as wide as saucers and she made a quick getaway. The image of Lily's chest without a bra in a thin white shirt stubbornly refused to leave James' head. When James heard Lily storm off up the stairs and shut the door, he said softly to himself, "Damn, those Hogwarts uniforms sure to cover up a LOT".
Two hours and no Lily later James decided to watch some T.V. The remote was stuffed under the couch so it took James quite a while to dig it out until he preformed a summoning charm. He clicked the 'on' button and the T.V. came alive with sound and images. As James surfed the channels all he could find were Christmas shows for little kids and six different channels airing the same old news stories but in different orders. Soon Mr. and Mrs. Evans emerged from their room and inquired as to where Lily was. "I haven't seen her this morning," James simply responded, grateful that Lily's parents couldn't see the imaged that was playing over and over in his head.
"Well that is unusual. Normally she is the first one awake on Christmas Day," Mrs. Evans said bubbly. "James would you be a dear and go wake her up?"
"Err...sure Mrs. Evans," James said hesitantly. He had the distinct feeling that after the sight he saw several hours earlier he would not the person that Lily wanted to see. After all, once the "Snivellus" event in their fifth year had come to a close, Lily refused to even look James in the face for weeks.
He went up the stairs to the upper level of the Evans' house. There were three separate rooms to add to the two rooms on the ground level. On the right was a hall where the bathroom was. Just before the bathroom on the left was a spare room that James assumed was once Petunia's old room, even though he had never met Lily's sister, and he got the distinct feeling that Lily didn't want James to meet her. To the left there was a room with the door firmly shut. On the outside of the door there was a sign that read "Lily's Room" and under the caption it said "go away". James chuckled. That would be a door hanger that Sirius would absolutely love to have. James knocked on the door. The voice that was Lily's was soon heard as she shouted "COME IN"
James opened the door and quickly glanced inside. He shut out the image that had been haunting him all morning and went inside Lily's room. Her room did not have that many furnishings, just a daybed that lay under the window with emerald green sheets. Right beside the door was a nicely furnished cherry wood dresser, with a small mirror lying on top, as well as a sizeable tape player (remember this IS the 70's. CD's weren't invented. At least, I think they weren't. I need to go check.) Next to her bed was a nightstand with an oriental lamp on it and a small jewelry box made from abalone (if you don't know what it is, it is what lines the inside of a clam's mouth. It is a beautiful color, and has so many different designs they are so cool. I have a LOT of abalone jewelry). Her cat's carrying cage was situated at the foot her bed. Lily was sitting on her bed wearing the same thing she wore earlier, only this time with a bra. Her hair had also been brushed out. "Hey James," she said quite cheerfully.
It seemed like she didn't even mind the situation down stairs, so James knew better than to bring it back up. "Your parents want you downstairs, something about opening Christmas presents," James said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. After all, it was Christmas day.
"Alright, let me just finish wrapping this gift up," Lily said. That was when James noticed that she had several gifts on her bed that were quickly wrapped in Newspaper. Each had a nametag on it, one for Mrs. Evans, Mr. Evans and Petunia. James knew that he parcel that she was holding had to be her gift to him. Lily tried her best to keep the package concealed as much as possible, but James did spot the name tag that said "To James" on it. He smiled. Of course his Lily-flower wouldn't forget to give him a Christmas present. As she stuck the name tag on the box she looked up to James and said, "All right, let's go". She grabbed all four packages and went downstairs with James to meet her parents.
As they were walking down James said, "Hey Lils..."
"What James?" she answered
"Err...you better have gotten something good for me for Christmas," James said smiling. He didn't care what Lily got him. James originally meant to ask if Lily and her family minded if a couple more friends came over to open presents with them, but he held his tongue and changed the subject. He couldn't very well leave his best blokes out Christmas. Once James found out the exact address where Lily lived he sent an owl to Sirius, Remus and Peter. They were due at any moment. James had told Mr. and Mrs. Evans already, though Lily had no clue. Mr. and Mrs. Evans just said "the more the merrier", but James begged them to keep it a secret from Lily, it was supposed to be a surprise. After all, nothing worked better as a surprise than to have all your friends come in. No doubt Anthy, Dorcas and Amberle were invited as well, but James doubted they would make it. Amberle was all the way in Hogsmead and Dorcas and Anthy were all the way wherever they lived. James didn't know exactly where the resided.
Down in the living room Mr. and Mrs. Evans were waiting for Lily and James. The couple was huddled up by the Christmas tree. When Lily and James came down the stairs Mrs. Evans handed Lily a gift and said, "Here you go. The first present is yours Lily," she said in an airy voice. The box was small, and it was clear that it contained some type of Jewelry.
"Thanks Mum," she replied as she set down her gifts under the tree. Lily then noticed the pile of gifts that were for James. She smiled, it figures. Only James would summon is presents all the way from his house. Lily took a seat on the couch and began ripping her gift open furiously. When the wrapping paper was all torn off Lily looked at the small little black box. She opened it up and inside there was a silver ring with an Emerald set into it. "Thank you mum, dad!"
"Your father picked it out. He thought it would go nicely with your necklace," Mrs. Evans said. The ring was obviously not of the best quality, but it had to have been expensive none-the-less. Lily, with a trembling hand, slipped the ring onto her finger. She said thank you once again to her parents, and sat back down. It was someone else's turn to open a present.
Just at that exact moment, two loud gunshots went off in the Evan's living room. Lily jumped up in her seat. She knew that sound. She knew EXACTLY what that sound was. it was the sound of someone appariting. She only knew of two people who would appariate into the Evan's living room. As she saw the two faces of the people who just popped in, her suspicions were confirmed. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were standing right smack dab in Lily's living room. Her eyes became as wide as saucers. Then as she regained her usual composer Lily glared over at James. He HAD to be the one who invited them. Only James would do such a thing. The expression on his face suggested that he had been waiting for the pair of them to show up all along. "Oi Padfoot, Moony, what took you so long? I was beginning to think that you got lost," James exclaimed.
"We almost were for a second. Then good ol' Remus thought to write down directions to Lily's house," Sirius replied. Slung around his back was Sirius' school bag, that was obviously full of poorly wrapped gifts, it was clear that Sirius used old clippings from the Daily Prophet to wrap the gifts. Remus' weren't in any better condition. Lily sighed, only the Marauders would wait till the last minute to wrap their Christmas presents.
"It's a good thing I wrote them down, because somehow I knew that a certain dog, no names of course, would forget the directions," Remus said. The three of them laughed.
"Where is Peter?" James asked?
"He said that he had some unfinished business and he would try to make it as soon as possible," Sirius said. "Don't worry though, he asked me to give all of you guys his gifts. Or else my school bag wouldn't be about to split a seam," Sirius continued as he put down his black school bag, Remus did the same.
"Hey Lily," Remus said. "How has your Christmas been so far?"
"It would have been a lot better if a certain someone hadn't shown up, but things are good," Lily joked. James gave a false look of offense.
For the next hour the Marauders, Lily and Mr. and Mrs. Evans opened and unwrapped Christmas presents. Lily, who had not known that Sirius and Remus would be coming, had already sent their gifts away via owl. "Sorry about that," she said. All the pair of them said in response was "no worries Lils," Once all of Mr. and Mrs. Evans gifts had been opened and passed around, the pair of them disappeared into another part of the house (they do that a lot don't they). The four teenagers sat all around the Christmas tree and joked about things that they would normally never say in front of an adult authority figure. There was only one present left to be given out, and it happened to be James' gift to Lily. He wanted to save it till the end; hopefully it would be Lily's favorite gift. Lily was currently involved with Sirius and Remus who were ranting on about Snape. James starred at her and for a second began to think about how much she had changed. No, James thought to himself, she hadn't changed; she just came out of her shell. He figured that she was the same Lily Evans through and through; it was just the first time she had shown her true personality to the world. He loved that about Lily, she shined brightly on everyone who knew her.
James pulled out his from behind him and gave it to Lily to open. Sirius and Remus looked on with smug expressions; James figured that they were prepared to make some smart remark as soon as Lily was gone from the picture.
Lily took the small parcel. It was long and narrow, much like the box that held an Ollivander's Wand. She tore away the scarlet wrapping, which oddly enough was finely wrapped, that could only mean that James' mother had wrapped it for him. Once the wrapper was off, it revealed a small rectangular cardboard box. She lifted the top off and her eyes almost seemed to water at the gift, but she held them back because she didn't want Sirius and Remus to see her that way. James' gift was a single white rose, but apparently it was enchanted so that it would live forever and never wilts. A small card was attached to it; on it in James' terrible handwriting it said "Dear Lily Flower, Merry Christmas". It was so simple that it was perfect. Lily always loved the simple things, they were what made life the best. "Thanks James," she said. Lily carefully put the rose back in its box.
James just smiled his goofy smile that made every girl's heart melt. Of course Lily still being the sarcastic red head, and one of the few people immune to the Marauder's charm, just smirked. She had always liked James' smile, even if she wouldn't admit it, even to herself. His gift of the white rose was the best Christmas gift she had gotten in a long time, it was at least better than Petunia's gift, a note asking when she would be leaving. All she had to do was give James his gift, but she had to wait for the most opportune moment. The morning when she was going down for breakfast, Lily chose to go to down that early in hopes that James would still be asleep. When Lily saw him downstairs, and with his present in plain sight, she rushed up the stairs. She didn't want him to know what it was; his gift was going to be a present that he would just have to wait for.
VXIXV
I AM SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG. (Gets down on knees) PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!!!!!! I actually have some time on my hands now, and that is when I got this chapter out. Things have been so hectic that I just haven't had any time at all. I have officially decided to up the story rating to R. When chapter 12 comes out, look for my story under the R ratings. I don't think my story will be specifically an R rating, but it will definitely go above PG-13, so the rating is going up. It should be around PG-15, so don't worry.
For all of you who are eagerly awaiting the arraival of book 6, I would suggest that you read the Shannara books by Terry Brooks. They are some fantastic stories. My suggestion would be to start out with (if you haven't read any yet) with The Sword of Shannara, OR The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: The Isle Witch. If you love Harry Potter or Tolkien you will love Terry Brooks, I promise you. I have read all 10 of his Shannara books and I am awaiting for The High Druid of Shannara to come out in paperback, which it dose this Tuesday. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I can't wait to see what becomes of Grianne when she is an official Druid, and what trouble comes out of the new Druid Council, and who is the new Ohmsford child.