Ways to Ask Out Miss Lily Evans
By: neen
Author's note: James tries a different approach—quieter. Doesn't sound exciting does it? It's not really, which is why I added another approach in here to spiffy it up some. Hope you all like this! Please review as well…(I accept anonymous reviews, so no need to login if you don't want to…and guests, you can review now too!)
Enjoy!
Chapter Three: Please, Potter
The next day, James's red mark on his nose finally faded away, thus giving him courage to ask Lily out again.
Quieter this time, of course.
He spotted Lily's flaming red hair by the fire, calmly reading. She always seemed to be doing that whenever he asked her out.
"Psst, Evans!" James nearly whispered.
"Hmm? Yes?" Lily didn't bother to look up.
"Will you go out with me?" James did whisper this time.
"What?" Lily looked up and saw James to her surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I know, shocking isn't it? The great James Potter asking you out. A huge honor, I know," James whispered loudly while nodding and giving her a pompous wave.
Lily nearly snorted but caught herself. "Potter. I already told you, I don't like you. Go annoy someone else or something." She then resumed reading her book.
Knowing that he would not get a 'yes' from her again, James retreated upstairs to the boys' dormitory, where the rest of the Marauders were anticipating his return.
"Well?" Remus prompted.
"Still a no. I don't know what's wrong with her, you know. She's acting as if I'm not a big deal or something," James frowned. "I am a big deal, aren't I?"
"You keep thinking that, dear Prongsie," Sirius grinned, clamping his hand on James's shoulder.
James gave Sirius a scowl at his response.
"Anyways. I should suppose that Evans does like the loudness. I should give her some extra attention, shouldn't I?" James asked.
Remus shrugged. "Your idea, not ours."
"You guys are supposed to be my friends—you know, supportive. Where did all the loyalty and encouragement go?" James grumbled, staring each of his friends down. They all looked away and Sirius was staring at the bed sheets, a habit he had picked up these days.
"All right. So, attention…how do I give her attention?" James asked, raking his brain furiously, choosing to ignore his unhelpful friends.
"Are you even James Potter? You are attention! You know, pranks and all that—you know how to get attention!" Sirius rolled his eyes at the stupidity of James's question.
"Oh yeah. That's right. So—wait, I got it! It's going to be perfect…she's clear to say yes," James grinned broadly.
Remus and Sirius both shook their heads behind an oblivious James.
"Tomorrow—at lunch. You'll see," James said, a determined glint in his eyes.
"He's gone nuts!" Peter said, staring at James in awe as James started rapidly scribbling down his plan on a scrap parchment.
Sirius peeked over James's shoulder, boggling at the squiggles and dots James was drawing. "That is your brilliant plan?" he chortled.
James just responded by sticking his feather quill up Sirius's nose.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Sonorus!" James said and his voice immediately magnified. He stood at the front of the professors' table and stood on a chair.
"MAY I HAVE YOUR DIVINE ATTENTION? I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ASK OF ONE EXTREMELY LUCKY GIRL BY THE NAME OF EVANS! LILY EVANS!" James had shouted in addition to his magnified voice, which resounded in the room.
Everyone stopped filling their plates to listen. Most of the faces wore amused expressions. Except for one.
James tapped his wand on the wall and a great banner appeared.
"LILY EVANS—WILL YOU LET ME ALLOW YOU THE HONOR OF GOING OUT WITH ME?" James read off the banner.
"EVANS! GO OUT WITH ME!" James's voice suddenly became very shrill and high. People cringed at the sound.
"NO, POTTER!" Lily yelled back and laughed, flourishing her wand like a baton twirler.
"Evans! What did you do to me?" James's shrill voice called out.
James then took the 'Sonorus' voice off and came up to a grinning Lily.
"Evans—change my voice back," James demanded.
"You forgot the magic word, Potter," Lily smirked.
"I don't know it!" James's voice, if possible, went even higher. "That's why I asked you to take it off for me!"
Lily sighed. "Say please, Potter."
James blinked. "Please, Potter," he repeated.
Lily flung her arms up in frustration. "You—are—insufferable! Honestly!" With each word, she stabbed her wand into James's shoulder blade. At the word 'honestly', she prodded her wand at him repeatedly. Finally she stopped, took the spell off, and walked off, fuming.
"What did I do wrong that time?" James moaned to Remus who had walked up to him.
"I don't think she likes attention much, Prongs," Remus said lightly, patting James on the back for comfort.
"Women—so hard to understand. They're difficult, the whole lot," James muttered angrily.
"You're not giving up now, are you?" Remus asked quickly.
"No, of course not! I've gotten this far, haven't I?" James said.
"Erm—sorry for bursting your bubble, but I don't think you've gotten very far," Remus muttered.
"Well, at least I've gotten somewhere. I'm not at zero, now am I?" James shrugged it off.
"Erm—well, I think—I think that you've gotten, erm—worse. She looks like she hates you now," Remus said, trying to be sensitive.
"Oh." James looked troubled now. "Well, what do you reckon I should do to get on her good side?"
"A new—" Remus started.
"—tactic," James finished.
"Exactly," Remus nodded.
"But the question is—what else can I do?" James sighed with exasperation, his mind completely blank.
"Well, there is one thing you haven't tried yet," Remus began.
"What? Tell me, Moony," James said.
"Have—have you ever tried being romantic to her?" Remus asked.
"Romantic?" James repeated. "What else do you call what I did for her today?"
"Idiotic bravery," Remus murmured ever so quietly.
James didn't hear and went on in his rant. "Romantic! As if I'm not already! Why, that Hufflepuff--at least I thinkshe was a Hufflepuff--girl with the blonde hair and hazel eyes—she says I'm darling! If you're darling then you have to be romantic, right? Same thing. I'm already romantic, Moony," James said stubbornly.
Remus sighed. He was not in the mood to argue with James. "All right, listen Prongs. You are romantic already, okay?" James's face lit up. "But you need to be even more romantic! Take a look at Sirius—he knows how to treat a girl. Lily's heart isn't really all that cold, Prongs. She might seem like an ice queen but if you show her a little romance, she'll soften up and things will be better."
"Oh. Does that mean that Paddy might have to be my—my mentor?" James asked in a horrified voice.
Remus smirked. "No, of course not, Prongs. What are you saying? He is going to be."
A small thud was heard as James fainted onto the concrete ground for the second time in three days.
Author's Note:
Poor James…another fainting spell. Well…we'll see how the tutoring goes with Sirius and James…
Suggestions? Thanks!
Read and review please!
Reviewers:
: siriuspadfoot : thanks! It's all right…I still have some ideas…
: phantom radio : ahh, my most devoted reviewer! It's rather scary…we seem to have the same ideas…I have thought of him giving Lily gifts…and I think I will use that. Thanks! Ohh…I love the idea of him serenading Lily with a song…we'll see if I have any bad-song writing abilities...Yes, yes, arrogant Sirius, but I love him all the same! Thanks for the review.
: Owl and Crow : Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.
Many thanks to Mavrik for putting this story on the story alert list! Thanks!
And of course, hugs to phantom radio who put me on the favorites list! Thanks so much!