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"Mum, I'm having a great Christmas, really," Lily was talking with her mother after dinner one evening. "It's just that, well, I've been here a week already, and it's my last year at school.I, I'd just like to spend some time with my friends." She tried to break it to her mother as gently as possible. No mother likes hearing that her daughter would rather be hanging out with her friends rather than her family. "It's not that I don't want to stay here, it's just that I may never see some of these people again."
"And how do you propose we get you to school? The train doesn't leave for another week." Her mother said through pursed lips.
"Well, I could apparate to Hogsmead - you know, the village right outside of school - and then walk up to school."
"Honey, I'd rather you walk up with someone, I don't like knowing you'd be alone."
"Well, I could have Mar-" seeing the look of displeasure on her mother's face, she cast her mind around for someone else to meet her. "I could have, er, um." think Lily, think! "James! I could have James meet me and walk me back to the castle."
The displeasure immediately faded from Mrs. Evans face, being replaced by one of unconcealed delight. "A boy, Lil? Who is this, this James? Why haven't you mentioned him before?"
"Mu-um!" Lily blushed, "You know I don't like to draw attention to myself! Besides, he's not a boyfriend, he's just a friend."
Winking, her mother replied, "of course dear."
"So.I can go?" She asked tentatively.
"Well, I can't interfere with true love, now, can I?"
"Mum!" Lily chucked a pillow at her mother.
"Alright, darling! As soon as you get word back from that friend of yours, you may go."
"Thank you!" She kissed her mother's cheek then ran to her room to begin packing.
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"James, looks like you've got an owl." James, Sirius, Maren, and Kelly were eating breakfast in the Great Hall when Lily's tawny owl came soaring in, circling above James, then landing gracefully in James' lap.
"Hey!" Maren gasped in surprise. "That's Isis! Lily's owl! Why is she writing to you? She told me I'd be the first to know when she made up her mind!" Maren continued grumbling to herself as James unfolded the letter.
"What's it say, mate?"
"She wants me to meet her in Hogsmead tomorrow."
Maren spat out the orange juice she'd been drinking. "WHAT?!? Sorry, Kel," she added to the disheveled Kelly who had been the victim of her OJ attack.
James silently relinquished the letter to the fuming Maren.
James-
Let Maren read this letter as well, because it is not what she thinks
it is. Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. And, as much as
you hate me right now, I really need to as a favor - could you meet me
in Hogsmead tomorrow December 30th? I'm going to apparate there around
1 pm and I need someone to meet me there and walk me to the Castle.
You see, my mom's very overprotected and she's not satisfied until a
guy is walking with me, otherwise I'd ask Maren. And, well, if I have
to have an escort, I'd rather it be you. Send an answer back with
Isis, if you can't walk with me, well, just say you can so my mom
doesn't freak or anything.
Thanks,
Lily
"Well, what are you waiting for? Answer her!"
James grabbed the quill and parchment Maren was offering and scribbled a quick reply, still dazed that Lily had actually asked him to come, rather than asked him to sign his name in reply and just send Maren in his place. "She probably feels sorry for you, I mean, after all, you took rejection really hard." One voice spoke up in his mind, "No- maybe Maren's right.it's possible that she may like you."
His thoughts occupied him through the rest of breakfast. As the foursome were leaving, Maren's copper-wires brushed James' face as she whispered, "You're going to go alone, right? Or do you want me to come as well?"
"I, I think I can handle it," he said in a strangled sort of voice.
Maren's face broke into a grin. "Alright! You just may get your girl yet!"
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James woke at an early hour the next morning, unable to sleep any longer. He lay in bed, anxiously anticipating the day that lay ahead of him. Glancing at his clock, James let out a groan; it was only 6:14, 6 hours and 46 minutes until Lily arrived. Rolling over he gazed out the frosted window, watching as snow blanketed the peaceful grounds that had been trampled on only days before. Restlessly, he tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position to fall deep into a rested sleep, but he couldn't find the peace that he was looking for. Shaking the sleep from his eyes, James pulled his heavy body out of bed and yanked on a pair of jeans, pulling his bulky winter robes over his bare chest. Giving one more fleeting look out the window, he headed down the frozen staircases to the empty Great Hall, not knowing that across London, another 7th year was having trouble sleeping.
***************
Meanwhile:
Lily tossed and turned under her violet comforter, fitfully wishing that she could call back the moments of rest that she lay in minutes before. Shoving her covers to the foot of her bed, Lily slipped over to the carpeted window seat her father had built for her when she was five. Her bare feet padded lightly over the violet rug as her arms moved vigorously up and down her frozen shoulders that lay blanketed by her flannel nightgown. Wrapping her arms around her knees, Lily curled into a ball on the window seat, peering out at the city below. It had taken her most of the week to get used to sleeping in her room again. She had lay in her room, missing the heavy breathing of her fellow 7th year girls, the hooting of owls and swishing of their wings in the darkened sky, and the occasional howl of a wolf from the forbidden forest. Instead, she was serenaded by the sounds of dogs barking, cars speeding past her frosted window, and the drunken singing and curses of neighbors strolling down the London streets. But tonight, she no longer heard the sounds of the city, instead a peculiar stillness had settled among the suburb. A thick fog covered the rooftops as wispy tendrils of mist curled through her window. She took in a deep breath as descended on her. A deep, melodic cry echoed through the sky, making Lily jump. She raised her hand to shut her Victorian windows, but something stopped her, she had heard that cry before. The familiar cry came again, followed by the swishing sound of wind meeting feathers. "Isis?" She whispered. The hooting came again, this time followed by a ball of feathers swooping through her open window. Isis gracefully dropped a letter on Lily's bed, gave her owner a loving nip on her shoulder, then flew into her open cage, tucking her head beneath her wing.
"Hello to you too," Lily shook her head then turned to her bed where the letter was waiting.
Lily-
I'd love to meet you in Hogsmeade tomorrow. We've all missed you very
much. Maren was planning on coming as well, but something came up and
she'll have to stay at the castle, so it'll just be me. I hope that's
okay. I'll be waiting for you.
Your Friend,
James Potter
"That'll do for Mum!" She grinned, "That Potter does have class, I must admit, he does have class." And with that, she crawled back under her covers, wondering if he would actually show up or if he'd leave her stranded in the icy streets of Hogsmeade.
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At quarter to 1, James meandered down the twisted dirt path to Hogsmeade, mentally recalling the suggestions that Maren had imprinted in his mind.
Leave early so that you arrive before she does Keep the conversation going so she doesn't feel awkward Offer to carry her trunk for her Give her a hug
The fourth suggestion weighed heavy in his mind. Give her a hug. How on Earth was he ever going to pull that off? He knew that plenty of friends hugged each other; guys hugged girls they liked, and ones that were just friends. But James had never been that close to Lily, physically and emotionally. "I'll just have make sure I do the other three perfectly, then it'll be okay," he attempted to assure himself, though it didn't make him feel any better.
Arriving in Hogsmeade with 5 minutes to spare, James nervously jammed his hands in his pockets and ambled up the street, window shopping along the way. Passing Quality Quidditch Supplies, Zonko's Joke Shop, and Honeydukes, James made his way up to the "Shrieking Shack". He smiled as he gazed at the torn house, pleased that he was one of the few that knew the secret behind its name. As he gazed at the dilapidated building, he heard a faint "pop" behind him.
"Hullo Lily," he turned to face her.
She smiled in return, her cheeks red with the cold, or was it? Was it possible that Lily Potter was blushing with pleasure to see him? "Hi, James,"
"Well, uh.you ready?"
"I guess,"
As she turned to begin walking he extended his hand, "Would you like me to carry your trunk?"
She stared at him, not bothering to hide her surprise, "So when did you become such a gentleman?" She teased.
He his cheeks flushed as he took the bag from her hands, leaving her with an extra arm in which to carry Isis' cage. "Maren never was coming, was she?" Lily turned her almond-shaped green eyes towards his.
"No," he answered simply.
"Why'd you write that anyways? And.why were you so nice? I was sure you were going to write something about, you know, our fight." she trailed off.
"Well, I know mum's, they want to know that they're child has lots of friends and I knew your mum was going to read the letter, so I didn't write anything that might worry her. And I figured, well, since you hadn't written asking me to just write the reply and send Maren in my place, I figured you wouldn't mind if I showed up on my own."
They walked up the stone steps to the castle, pausing their conversation as they breathed heavily from the strain. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Lily rounded on James, standing between him and the castle doors. "James, I'm so sorry..I never meant to hurt you, I didn't know.I mean, I thought you were always teasing, I never thought you were actually serious when you asked me to go out with you..I never ever thought that..I mean, you..a-and me.it's just.."
James was about to retort with a cruel remark when he noticed tears streaming down her face. "Lily," he started, horrified, "Lily, shh, it's ok, Lily don't cry!" He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close so that her head rested on his shoulder. "Lily, please don't cry." He glanced around, hoping to glimpse someone who could help him as he rocked her back and forth, whispering soothing words to her. As he looked back down at her, he realized with a jolt that he had fulfilled Maren's last requirement: he had given Lily a hug.
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"Mum, I'm having a great Christmas, really," Lily was talking with her mother after dinner one evening. "It's just that, well, I've been here a week already, and it's my last year at school.I, I'd just like to spend some time with my friends." She tried to break it to her mother as gently as possible. No mother likes hearing that her daughter would rather be hanging out with her friends rather than her family. "It's not that I don't want to stay here, it's just that I may never see some of these people again."
"And how do you propose we get you to school? The train doesn't leave for another week." Her mother said through pursed lips.
"Well, I could apparate to Hogsmead - you know, the village right outside of school - and then walk up to school."
"Honey, I'd rather you walk up with someone, I don't like knowing you'd be alone."
"Well, I could have Mar-" seeing the look of displeasure on her mother's face, she cast her mind around for someone else to meet her. "I could have, er, um." think Lily, think! "James! I could have James meet me and walk me back to the castle."
The displeasure immediately faded from Mrs. Evans face, being replaced by one of unconcealed delight. "A boy, Lil? Who is this, this James? Why haven't you mentioned him before?"
"Mu-um!" Lily blushed, "You know I don't like to draw attention to myself! Besides, he's not a boyfriend, he's just a friend."
Winking, her mother replied, "of course dear."
"So.I can go?" She asked tentatively.
"Well, I can't interfere with true love, now, can I?"
"Mum!" Lily chucked a pillow at her mother.
"Alright, darling! As soon as you get word back from that friend of yours, you may go."
"Thank you!" She kissed her mother's cheek then ran to her room to begin packing.
************************************************************************
"James, looks like you've got an owl." James, Sirius, Maren, and Kelly were eating breakfast in the Great Hall when Lily's tawny owl came soaring in, circling above James, then landing gracefully in James' lap.
"Hey!" Maren gasped in surprise. "That's Isis! Lily's owl! Why is she writing to you? She told me I'd be the first to know when she made up her mind!" Maren continued grumbling to herself as James unfolded the letter.
"What's it say, mate?"
"She wants me to meet her in Hogsmead tomorrow."
Maren spat out the orange juice she'd been drinking. "WHAT?!? Sorry, Kel," she added to the disheveled Kelly who had been the victim of her OJ attack.
James silently relinquished the letter to the fuming Maren.
James-
Let Maren read this letter as well, because it is not what she thinks
it is. Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. And, as much as
you hate me right now, I really need to as a favor - could you meet me
in Hogsmead tomorrow December 30th? I'm going to apparate there around
1 pm and I need someone to meet me there and walk me to the Castle.
You see, my mom's very overprotected and she's not satisfied until a
guy is walking with me, otherwise I'd ask Maren. And, well, if I have
to have an escort, I'd rather it be you. Send an answer back with
Isis, if you can't walk with me, well, just say you can so my mom
doesn't freak or anything.
Thanks,
Lily
"Well, what are you waiting for? Answer her!"
James grabbed the quill and parchment Maren was offering and scribbled a quick reply, still dazed that Lily had actually asked him to come, rather than asked him to sign his name in reply and just send Maren in his place. "She probably feels sorry for you, I mean, after all, you took rejection really hard." One voice spoke up in his mind, "No- maybe Maren's right.it's possible that she may like you."
His thoughts occupied him through the rest of breakfast. As the foursome were leaving, Maren's copper-wires brushed James' face as she whispered, "You're going to go alone, right? Or do you want me to come as well?"
"I, I think I can handle it," he said in a strangled sort of voice.
Maren's face broke into a grin. "Alright! You just may get your girl yet!"
************************************************************************
James woke at an early hour the next morning, unable to sleep any longer. He lay in bed, anxiously anticipating the day that lay ahead of him. Glancing at his clock, James let out a groan; it was only 6:14, 6 hours and 46 minutes until Lily arrived. Rolling over he gazed out the frosted window, watching as snow blanketed the peaceful grounds that had been trampled on only days before. Restlessly, he tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position to fall deep into a rested sleep, but he couldn't find the peace that he was looking for. Shaking the sleep from his eyes, James pulled his heavy body out of bed and yanked on a pair of jeans, pulling his bulky winter robes over his bare chest. Giving one more fleeting look out the window, he headed down the frozen staircases to the empty Great Hall, not knowing that across London, another 7th year was having trouble sleeping.
***************
Meanwhile:
Lily tossed and turned under her violet comforter, fitfully wishing that she could call back the moments of rest that she lay in minutes before. Shoving her covers to the foot of her bed, Lily slipped over to the carpeted window seat her father had built for her when she was five. Her bare feet padded lightly over the violet rug as her arms moved vigorously up and down her frozen shoulders that lay blanketed by her flannel nightgown. Wrapping her arms around her knees, Lily curled into a ball on the window seat, peering out at the city below. It had taken her most of the week to get used to sleeping in her room again. She had lay in her room, missing the heavy breathing of her fellow 7th year girls, the hooting of owls and swishing of their wings in the darkened sky, and the occasional howl of a wolf from the forbidden forest. Instead, she was serenaded by the sounds of dogs barking, cars speeding past her frosted window, and the drunken singing and curses of neighbors strolling down the London streets. But tonight, she no longer heard the sounds of the city, instead a peculiar stillness had settled among the suburb. A thick fog covered the rooftops as wispy tendrils of mist curled through her window. She took in a deep breath as descended on her. A deep, melodic cry echoed through the sky, making Lily jump. She raised her hand to shut her Victorian windows, but something stopped her, she had heard that cry before. The familiar cry came again, followed by the swishing sound of wind meeting feathers. "Isis?" She whispered. The hooting came again, this time followed by a ball of feathers swooping through her open window. Isis gracefully dropped a letter on Lily's bed, gave her owner a loving nip on her shoulder, then flew into her open cage, tucking her head beneath her wing.
"Hello to you too," Lily shook her head then turned to her bed where the letter was waiting.
Lily-
I'd love to meet you in Hogsmeade tomorrow. We've all missed you very
much. Maren was planning on coming as well, but something came up and
she'll have to stay at the castle, so it'll just be me. I hope that's
okay. I'll be waiting for you.
Your Friend,
James Potter
"That'll do for Mum!" She grinned, "That Potter does have class, I must admit, he does have class." And with that, she crawled back under her covers, wondering if he would actually show up or if he'd leave her stranded in the icy streets of Hogsmeade.
************************************************************************
At quarter to 1, James meandered down the twisted dirt path to Hogsmeade, mentally recalling the suggestions that Maren had imprinted in his mind.
Leave early so that you arrive before she does Keep the conversation going so she doesn't feel awkward Offer to carry her trunk for her Give her a hug
The fourth suggestion weighed heavy in his mind. Give her a hug. How on Earth was he ever going to pull that off? He knew that plenty of friends hugged each other; guys hugged girls they liked, and ones that were just friends. But James had never been that close to Lily, physically and emotionally. "I'll just have make sure I do the other three perfectly, then it'll be okay," he attempted to assure himself, though it didn't make him feel any better.
Arriving in Hogsmeade with 5 minutes to spare, James nervously jammed his hands in his pockets and ambled up the street, window shopping along the way. Passing Quality Quidditch Supplies, Zonko's Joke Shop, and Honeydukes, James made his way up to the "Shrieking Shack". He smiled as he gazed at the torn house, pleased that he was one of the few that knew the secret behind its name. As he gazed at the dilapidated building, he heard a faint "pop" behind him.
"Hullo Lily," he turned to face her.
She smiled in return, her cheeks red with the cold, or was it? Was it possible that Lily Potter was blushing with pleasure to see him? "Hi, James,"
"Well, uh.you ready?"
"I guess,"
As she turned to begin walking he extended his hand, "Would you like me to carry your trunk?"
She stared at him, not bothering to hide her surprise, "So when did you become such a gentleman?" She teased.
He his cheeks flushed as he took the bag from her hands, leaving her with an extra arm in which to carry Isis' cage. "Maren never was coming, was she?" Lily turned her almond-shaped green eyes towards his.
"No," he answered simply.
"Why'd you write that anyways? And.why were you so nice? I was sure you were going to write something about, you know, our fight." she trailed off.
"Well, I know mum's, they want to know that they're child has lots of friends and I knew your mum was going to read the letter, so I didn't write anything that might worry her. And I figured, well, since you hadn't written asking me to just write the reply and send Maren in my place, I figured you wouldn't mind if I showed up on my own."
They walked up the stone steps to the castle, pausing their conversation as they breathed heavily from the strain. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Lily rounded on James, standing between him and the castle doors. "James, I'm so sorry..I never meant to hurt you, I didn't know.I mean, I thought you were always teasing, I never thought you were actually serious when you asked me to go out with you..I never ever thought that..I mean, you..a-and me.it's just.."
James was about to retort with a cruel remark when he noticed tears streaming down her face. "Lily," he started, horrified, "Lily, shh, it's ok, Lily don't cry!" He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close so that her head rested on his shoulder. "Lily, please don't cry." He glanced around, hoping to glimpse someone who could help him as he rocked her back and forth, whispering soothing words to her. As he looked back down at her, he realized with a jolt that he had fulfilled Maren's last requirement: he had given Lily a hug.
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