Flaws of Perfection

By: Celestial Huntress

Reviews and reviewers rock my socks!

DISCLAIMER: I own Arielle, Atalanta and Katrina…that's it.

Sorry it took so long…

Chapter 3: The Hogwarts Express Part II

Lily always felt a bit guilty about having to leave her friends on the Hogwarts Express to do her prefect and now Head Girl duties, but she knew her friends understood. Ever since fifth year she had to go to the Head Girl and Boy for directions, then patrol the train. But this year was different, now she was Head Girl, and she and the mystery Head Boy would be giving out instructions.

'Speaking of the Head Boy, where is he? Whoever 'he' is…' Lily thought as she stood in front of the special compartment set aside for the Head students. Lily stood there for a good five minutes until a familiar figure came into view, coming towards her.

'Oh no!' she thought to herself, 'Not him! Anyone but him! What in the world is he doing here?'

James Potter marched promptly up to the door marked "Head Boy & Head Girl," looked at Lily and asked, "Well, shall we go in? We can't stand here all day can we?"

"Potter, get away from here, its only for the Head Girl and Head Boy," she said calmly, with special emphasis on 'Head Boy,' and pointed to the inscription engraved on the door.

'Stay calm,' she thought, 'As Head Girl, it's crucial that I keep a level head to set a good example, especially around Potter.'

Poor Lily, she couldn't have known that no mental scolding could have spared her the shock she was about to experience.

"I am Head Boy," James said, opening the door.

Lily stood there without blinking, dumbfounded as she tried to absorb the words that had just come out of his mouth. After about a minute of wide eyed, jaw dropped starring, Lily was finally to speak-or shout, "WHAT!"

"I am Head Boy," he explained slowly and clearly, then pointing to his chest added "See the badge?"

Lily was thinking so fast her head was buzzing, 'what is Dumbledore thinking? Who in their right mind would make James Potter; head Marauder, Head Boy? Is that man completely off his rocker? I know he's an old man, but making a mistake like that is just ridiculous!'

Suddenly, understanding dawned on her…

"Oh, I see now Potter. Who'd you have to hex for that badge, huh? Whose the REAL Head Boy?" she asked suspiciously, pointing her wand at him.

"I already told you, Evans. I am the Head Boy. And I didn't hex anyone for the badge. It's mine," he explained, staring at her, and then swiftly breaking the gaze, not wanting to lose himself in her fiery green pools as he had been for the fourth year running, but couldn't help but mentally smile at how pretty she looked speechless.

Speechless. She was speechless. And enraged. Enraged by the fact that he was making her look like a fool, like she was the one lacking self control, like she was the bad guy here.

Lily was utterly confused now. There was no way James Potter was ever this serious…about anything except maybe Quidditch or…dare she say…mature? He opened the door to the Head's compartment and beckoned her in, but Lily still had her wand held to his heart.

"Who are you? You're can't be the James Potter I know, you're too-" Lily trailed off when she saw the trademark, charming grin as he ruffled his hair a bit.

" Too what, Evans?"

She had been about to say, "mature", but the smile and hair gave it away. She pocketed her wand and briskly walked into the room, mumbling "nothing…" with a very shrewd look on her face. Inside however, she felt defeated and stupid. 'I can't believe I tried to convince myself it wasn't him…I am such a prat!'

James gave a victorious grin, but still felt guilty at having made Lily upset…maybe he shouldn't have been so serious or firm. She actually hadn't believed it wasn't really him…moody and upset wasn't Evan's best look, he decided, but then again she looked great no matter what. 'God, how I'd give anything to just touch her hair, the thick, straight, shimmering red hair without being cursed, hexed or slapped across the face.' Then again, he'd be lucky to accidentally brush pass her in the halls without getting hit or finding his head the target of some zooming object. After three years yelling at him and hitting him, her aim had gotten quite good. 'Well,' he sighed hopefully, 'maybe this year will be different, maybe Lily will be able to finally see me differently.'

Just as James had closed the door to their compartment, the prefects all entered ready for the Head Boy and Head Girl to give them directions, although James and Lily were completely unprepared, having spent most of their time debating James's badge and whether or not her really was James. They got through their meeting, sent the prefects off to patrol, break off fights, etc. James left the compartment nodded at Lily, and told her he'd see her later. Lily nodded but she was still shocked by his attitude. 'He's so different,' she mused, 'yet still the same.' She left the compartment and went to change into her robes.

Meanwhile…

James stalked off for a while to watch over prefects who were in turn, watching over other students. He acted a s professional and mature as he possibly could and smiled to himself about how proud Padfoot would be. As he checked up on how prefects were getting along, he prayed he would run into Lily "coincidentally."

After about ten minutes of living up to the status of Head Boy, he started to search for a certain red headed, Muggle born witch, bustling into every cabin he heard giggling coming from. Without much luck, he hoped stumbling upon the compartment of a few Gryffindor seventh years would aid him in finding his beloved Lily.

While checking compartments, he stumbled across some of his biggest, most hysteric fans; a group of Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor fourth years. As he opened the door, he heard the shrilly gasp of one of the girls, and knew that Lily was most definitely not in this compartment.

"J-James P-P-Potter?' squealed Elizabeth Cather breathlessly, a short curly black haired Hufflepuff.

For a second, James was taken aback by the awkwardness (for him) of the situation, but put on his famous charming grin, winked and said cheerfully, "Hullo ladies, aren't we looking lovely on this fine September morning?"

Yeah, it was totally cheesy, but James was willing to put up with it if it meant he got to keep his hardly won popularity. A few girls blushed and blissful sighs were let out. It was then that James was drowned in an ocean of questions.

"Will you autograph my bag?" "Can I touch your hair" "May I try your glasses on ?" and of course, someone wanted him to sign places that shouldn't ordinarily be displayed in public.

"Have any of you seen the Head Girl?" he managed to yell out over their jabbering.

"Nope, no one's come to see us except you, darling!" answered suggestively by a heavily made up Ravenclaw- Rona Weatherfield.

James cringed at 'darling.'

"Who is the Head Girl anyway?"

"Er…Evans, Lily Evans. Why?"

At that, all the girls exchanged dark looks. James knew he'd said something wrong.

"Oh…well, then don't you go off and find you're precious Lily flower?" another Hufflepuff girl muttered bitterly.

" Sirius Black is better looking anyway…" muttered another girl, and the others nodded fervently in agreement, and shut the compartment door in his face.

'Exactly what just happened here?' James thought to himself. He hadn't realized that his feelings for Lily were so publicly known, like his Quidditch skills, or maybe even some other skills he used off the playing field…

Once Lily knew she was far from the Head's compartment, she began to walk slowly, no longer sprinting. She kept herself poised and confident as she walked to the changing rooms, robes in hand. She made a bee line for the last open changing room and noticed someone going towards the same one.

"Arielle? Oh, you can go first, " Lily offered graciously.

"What? Don't be ridiculous…we can share, we're mature adults, " Arielle said simply.

Lily managed to control the urge to break out laughing, "Oh, all right."

The two changed in silence in their cramped room, trying not to knock into each other's elbows.

"I love this bra! It's just so comfortable!" Arielle exclaimed, hugging herself.

"I never thought of black as your color," said Lily, acknowledging the bra's color.

"Honestly I like grey too, I'm so boring!" said Arielle, pulling her robes over her shoulder.

Lily bent down and put on her socks, "Gray? You'd look much better in a brighter color, like blue. Matches your eyes and complexion."

"Ugh…that's what my mother says. Fine have it your way Lily. Bright gray!" smirked Arielle.

"No such thing, " laughed Lily.

"Sure there is…" Arielle said, thinking hard.

"Prove it then," Lily challenged.

"Er-oh! Of course! Silver! That's bright gray! Look's like I win!" said Arielle triumphantly.

"So it is. Gosh, Arielle, with my eyes and your 'bright gray' fetish, we should just join Slytherin House now!" joked Lily.

Just as Lily said that, they burst out of the changing room laughing, only to be met by the strange stares of other girls waiting for an open room and had heard the whole conversation.

As they walked back to their compartment, Lily began to turn pale and shaky.

"You don't think this will ruin my reputation as Head Girl, do you?"

"No, of course not! All that happened was that you learned I own lacy black panties and that bright gray is an actual color!" said Arielle.

"Well that's a comfort, " Lily said, rolling her eyes but smiling none-the-less.

YES! Done! Now….its time to REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Oh…and did I mention REVIEW!