Disclaimer: Nada. That is what I own here, nada.
Author's Note: I know it's been awhile. I told you I had no clue what they were going to do on their last day during the switch (well, I've got the final hour planned out actually). Anyway, I think this is passable. It's interesting anyway. Hopefully it gets better. I'm already a few paragraphs into the next chapter (go me!). There's a little bit more of the "reasons why we don't want to be girls" thing in here. There's also mentions of young James escapades and trouble getting into. Hehe. Loving this. Enjoy, friends!
Replies:
Not replying to everybody today with individual replies because you probably just want me to post this as soon as possible.
Cat, Pal, MyPOV, Some Random Reviewer, siriusforeva, animerocksjapanrocks, Will the Weird, Hermione Radcliffe Go Michael, snowgremlin, ladyla, EveryoneNeedsA.Sneed, kat, Jersey Princess, Alana-Lou, Amethyst Prongs, moony's number 1, Lady Edelweiss, Lightstorm, x4eyedblondiex, Siiarrei, Miss Lady Marauder, mkiara, sour-peach, GoSnOgaTrEe, Hazen, Jedi Knight Bus, xRazberryGurlx, fanglessphysco, meenyrocks, Shading in Grey,AnneChristy, J.E.A.R.K.Potter, Bhekie, lizziee, Lunatic Pandora1, Elephant Wings, ultra-violet-catastrophy, don'taskmewhy0991---Thanks so much for reviewing, everybody! I know the last chapter was pretty lousy, but thanks all the same.
Jedi Knight Bus--Did I miss your name on the review thing? I'm sorry! Forgive me?
Shading in Grey--I know, that chapter was pretty bad, but I had no clue what I was doing; this one should be better. I know no one would say what she said the way she said it; I was half asleep when I wrote that chapter. I went back and fixed it, but I don't remember if I've uploaded the fixed chapter yet.
Chapter 28: Last
Somewhere between watching the sky through the branches and listening to the squid drift on the water…Lily and James fell asleep.
James woke up. He'd slipped from where he was leaning on the tree and was now lying half across Lily. Her arm was draped across his stomach as she still leaned against the tree. Her head was drooping down toward her chest.
James woke up feeling refreshed and carefully disentangled himself from Lily. He nudged her. "Lily. Lily, wake up."
She didn't open her eyes. "Hmm?"
He squinted at the sun. "It must be after noon by now. We're late for lunch. We should go."
She groaned. Despite the tree root in her back, she was rather comfortable and had no desire to move. Why couldn't he just let her sleep?
James stood up and reached out a hand, pulling Lily up and nearly losing his balance. Together, they started to walk back toward the castle in silence.
They were just entering as Lily said, "I don't feel like eating with everybody today. Let's go eat in the kitchen."
James agreed. He wasn't particularly in the mood to face his friends or the overly cheerful Alice. They skirted the Great Hall and made their way to the kitchens. One of the house-elves rushed over, slightly perturbed. He was new on staff.
"Miss? Sir? Is there something wrong with lunch today? You should be eating with wizards and witches."
"No, no, everything is fine. We were just wondering if we could eat in here." Lily tried for the adorable puppy-dog look she'd often seen James use to get out of trouble. "It's just so crowded out there and the kitchen is so cozy."
The elf teetered on the edge of relenting when Sparky came over and greeted them, insisting on settling them at a small table in the kitchen and bringing them food.
Lily and James grinned at each other as they took their seats. The food looked delicious and they thanked their large-eared host.
They sat in silence for a moment, James studying Lily. "Who are your friends?" he asked finally.
"My friends?"
"Well…yeah," he said awkwardly, wondering if his question was too dumb or too rude. "I mean, I know Alice is your best friend. That's a given. What about other friends? You've got to have more than one. Even though Sirius, Remus, and Peter are my best friends, I've still got other friends. Who eats lunch with you when Alice is sick? Who do you talk to in classes you don't have with Alice?"
"Alice and I are in all the same classes. I suppose Frank is my friend too. And there's Dorcas Meadowes who graduated last year. And I'm friendly enough with all the Gryffindor prefects. There're the students I tutor as well; I like some of them more than others. I get along with the sixth and seventh year Hufflepuff Prefects, and the sixth year Ravenclaw prefects. I have friends," she said; the last sentence sounded a little bit desperate.
"I was just curious," he said, shrugging.
"So what should we do after we eat?" Lily asked, changing the topic. "This is our last day the way we are right now."
"Well, we've done pretty much everything there is to do this week," James said, stabbing a potato with his fork. "Except homework." He wrinkled his nose. That didn't sound like a great idea.
"True." She found herself almost as reluctant to work as James was. True she had gotten a few things done, but she still had work left. Usually that was never the case this far into the weekend.
"So shall we try something new?" James asked, the homework implied.
"Yes. New. Homework."
"I do believe that's a novel idea," James said, trying to sound cheerful. "Though in all seriousness there's something else you should do too before we go back to ourselves."
"And what's that?" she asked cautiously.
"Fly free." He grinned happily, remembering.
"What are you talking about?" She shifted the potatoes around on her plate.
"Look, as a girl I know it's inappropriate and all for you to just go around without your shirt on. But heck it's a great feeling to be on the pitch, flying, and feeling wind and the sun on your chest and back." He sighed happily. "You ought to do it once before you aren't able to."
Lily looked hesitant. "It might feel weird. I mean, I know this isn't my body, but sometimes I forget and think that I am in my own body and get self-conscious. Like the other day when I was getting dressed and talking to Remus, it felt weird to be standing in front of somebody, topless." It was stupid, why had she even said it?
"I guess I can kind of get what you're saying, but you really should try this, Lily. It's such a freeing feeling. And it's not something you'd have to feel guilty about…like skinny-dipping." James could have smacked himself. His mouth ran away with him at the most awkward of times.
Lily gawked at him. Where the heck did that little comment come from? She gave him a look that clearly said some sort of explanation was in order.
"Okay, er…I was comparing flying without a shirt on to skinny-dipping because they both have a lack of clothes. Don't look at me like I'm stupid, Lily. I know that skinny-dipping is something that you'd never do; you're too prim and proper, not to mention the fact that you'd be terrified of getting caught. If y—"
"Have you ever done it?" she asked curiously.
"What?"
"Have you ever gone skinny-dipping in the lake?" she asked slowly.
"Yes. Twice. Not doing it again. The first time I didn't get caught. I was nervous and I was in the lake, wearing nothing but the skin I was born with, because of a dare. I was afraid of getting caught, but I didn't. Do you have any idea how exhilarating it is to be breaking the rules and know you might get caught? It's worth the risk."
"Is it actually against the rules?" she asked, still curious.
"Yup. The second time I did it, I got caught. Embarrassing as all get-out, let me tell you. Even pointed out the rule in the rulebook. Rule 117 b: All students are prohibited from entering the lake without proper swimwear (robes, jeans, sweatpants, hats, white t-shirts, leather jackets, shoes, socks, and the skin-you-were-born-in are not acceptable swimwear)." His face reddened at the memory, but then again, who wouldn't? It was certainly not exactly a pleasant thing to have your head of house come interrupt a naked, late night swimming session. He should have known better than to make a bet with that smarmy git Snape. That was second year; he knew better by now. And he'd gotten even. "Anyway, my point was you wouldn't do it. You'd probably find it morally wrong or something to be in a public place without clothes on, even if nobody else was there. I'm just saying that the flying shirtless thing is properly allowed and I think you'd enjoy it."
Lily contemplated the idea. This was her last day as a boy. Last day in a bra-free environment. Sure she'd heard about the so called free thinker feminists who were burning their bras, but she couldn't do that. If she did that she'd be flapping all over the place; both disturbing and extremely uncomfortable. Ick, ick, ick! Maybe she'd do it. Fly today without her shirt on, not burn her bra. She smiled. "How fast can we get to you dorm?"
James snorted. "Slow down. We need the broom. We'll get there soon enough. I'm still eating."
"Don't make me cover you in fried potatoes, James Potter," she teased.
"Don't think I won't retaliate," he shot back at her playfully.
Soon enough they were done eating and left the kitchen, waving goodbye to the house-elves. "You know," Lily commented, "I might start coming down there more often. Sparky is one friendly elf."
"And she knows you now," James added. "Or rather, she thinks she does."
Lily laughed and slung an arm over his shoulder. As they walked the halls to Gryffindor Tower, they passed Frank Longbottom, who shot them a death glare. He looked like he was about to say something, but thought better of it, seeing other people milling about the hallway they were in.
James turned to Lily. "Have you done something to upset him?"
"No. I was going to ask you the same thing. He was pretty unfriendly this morning. Didn't say anything to me though. Did you do something to upset him recently?"
"Not recently. Nothing in a couple weeks that I can really think of," James said, scratching his head.
"In a couple of weeks?" she asked, dubiously.
"Okay, so the guys and I torture him a little, but nothing big that I know of recently, I promise."
"Let's just get back to the tower. I'll talk to Alice later. Maybe she knows what's going on," Lily said determinedly.
James said nothing and they reached the tower without further incident. Lily went up to the boys' dormitory to find the broomstick.
On her bed, or rather James's bed, (she realized with some little embarrassment that she'd begun to consider it hers), she noticed a note as she was leaving. It only had two words on it and no signature. Lily couldn't immediately recognize the writing but she knew the words were not exactly good ones.
I know.
"Know" was underlined three times. If the note referred to what she thought it referred to it was definitely a problem. Fortunately it shouldn't be much of a problem. It was shortly after two o'clock and in less then ten hours they'd be back in their respective bodies and there would be no proof that things had ever been otherwise. Sure there was evidence but no proof. The note wouldn't be from Remus; he knew, but they already knew he knew. Maybe Sirius or Peter? They hadn't bugged her and James in awhile; maybe they'd been sneaking around behind their backs.
Not liking the thought of that, she knelt down by James's trunk and started looking through it for the map Remus had shown her. She couldn't find it. There was plenty of blank parchments and some not so blank ones, but no maps. Suddenly, she couldn't see.
James had come up behind her quietly and put his fingers over her eyes. "Guess who," he teased in a singsong voice.
"Let go of me," she said, trying to squirm away. At last, she managed to pry his fingers off of her eyes and he kneeled down next to her.
"Whatcha doin'?" he asked innocently.
"Looking for that dratted map you've got that says where everybody in the school is," she grumbled. "I can't find it anywhere."
"Look with the blank parchments," he said. "The map is invisible until the code phrase has been spoken. And who told you about it?"
"Remus. And non of these are even the same size as the map."
"Here, let me." James made her scoot over and started looking himself. "I don't see it." He frowned and went through his trunk again, muttering to himself. He rolled over onto his side and pulled the edge of the blanket up off the floor and looked under the bed. "Not there either," he murmured. He did a quick search of the room. "No map and no invisibility cloak. The guys probably took them to go off to Hogsmeade or take care of some sort of stunt. Did they mention anything to you?" asked James.
"Not a thing."
"Why were you looking for the map anyway?"
"There was a note on your bed. Here." She showed him the note.
"I don't recognize the writing, but it definitely isn't Sirius, Peter, or Remus unless they purposely disguised their writing. And there's no reason for it to be Remus."
"So that leaves…"
"Not necessarily. Anybody with the Gryffindor password could have gotten up here."
Lily nodded; he had a point.
"Hey, if I show you something, promise not to give me detention for it when we switch back?" James asked.
Lily felt like laughing. So she did.
"I'll take that as a yes. You go on the other side of the bed and get under it. I'll go under from this side. With much squirming the two of them manage to get under the bed after Lily forcibly expelled three socks, none of which matched. "Lumos," James whispered. He raised his wand to the wood on the underside of the bed. "A few years ago Sirius, Remus, and Peter and I were trying to find a way to leave our mark on the school. This is it."
Lily read the message that had been carved or burned into the wood.
We were here.
September 1st, 1974
Moony Padfoot Wormtail Prongs
None of the signatures matched the handwriting in the note. She continued to stare at the message however. It was powerful. We—were—here. We existed. We walked in this place. We lived, we had ideas, and now you're here doing the same. It was simple and powerful at the same time. She marveled at the completeness of those three words. She noticed the date and smiled. Adding the date on to a message like this is definitely something Remus would do. She wondered if that was his idea; whose idea had the message been in the first place?
"The message was my idea. You remember fourth year when you and Alice came into our compartment on the train and you got mad that we were about to carve our names on the seats? Well, this was our alternative. We must have discussed a dozen possible messages before we agreed on one. The date was Remus's idea; said we needed keep the record straight for posterity. Said one day I might have a son who had this very same room." He blushed and stopped speaking abruptly. Here he was, lying on the ground very close to the girl of his dreams, showing her property he'd "vandalized," and discussing his possible future child. This was an awkward turn of events.
They started to both slide out from under the bed when they heard footsteps. Before they could move anymore in either direction the footsteps were in the room and they were stuck, each one of them halfway out from under the bed.
The intruder stopped, seeing a leg sticking out from either side of the bed. "Whoever you are, get out of here now."
James and Lily squirmed out of their hiding place the rest of the way and stood up.
"You two again?" he asked. He sounded almost disgusted.
"What about 'us two'?" James asked.
"Evans, I thought you had better sense than to hang around him, but apparently I've been wrong all week. I don't even want to know what was going on under there."
Lily felt particularly insulted. "I wouldn't do anything. Besides, you can't even roll onto your side under that bed."
"Don't know what you're even doing with him. Like I said, I thought you had better sense. I can't believe what you did this week."
James beckoned Lily over. "You reckon he knows?" he whispered.
"Almost sure of it," she said. "Might be why he was so nasty to me this morning and glared at us in the hallway."
"What does our switch have to do with him? We haven't hurt him at all."
It suddenly clicked in Lily's head as she looked at him. He was staring at them angrily. "Uh-oh," she said quietly.
"'Uh-oh'? What 'uh-oh'?" James asked her.
"Do you remember why you figured Alice wanted to kill you?" she asked softly.
"Yeah. Wait, you don't think he knows about that, right?" James asked anxiously, glancing over at him.
"Not likely. I don't think she'd tell. But he came out in a towel today…" She was confused. He was mad when he saw her standing there. Which meant, he knew before she saw him in the towel. Oops.
"I see."
"Frank, why don't we all just sit and talk about this logically?" Lily offered, turning back to face him.
"What's there to talk about?" he asked caustically. "The fact that you may look like a boy right now, but you're not, the fact that you two switched places all week without telling anybody, or maybe we should talk about how much Potter, whichever one of you that is, and his little friends have been harassing me for the last seven years. I don't even know what to say to you two," he finished disgustedly.
"Frank, just sit down and we can discuss this reasonably…"
Frank sat down on his trunk. "Be my guest."
"We just wanted to try something new. A little fun, switching places for a week."
"And you didn't tell anybody?" Frank said icily.
"No, it's probably against the rules," James said.
"Did it occur to you that some of us might not want to be getting changed with somebody who's in reality of the opposite gender in the room?"
James bit his lip. "Look, I was really careful. I got up and got dressed before the girls in Lily's dorm and was out of there before they got dressed," James said defensively.
"That hadn't even crossed my mind…yet," Frank said.
"Frank, I wasn't looking at you or anybody else. I swear I wasn't. We hadn't even thought about anything like that when decided to do this," Lily said. "You aren't going to tell anybody, are you?" she asked anxiously.
"Remus and Alice already know," James said. "By the way, how did you find out?"
"I told Dumbledore when I ran into him in the hallway but he said he already knew. Wouldn't even discuss it with me," he said sourly. "It doesn't matter how I found out, the point is I know." Frank folded his arms.
Lily marveled. Frank was almost never in a mood as sour as this. He got glum, but rarely did ever get angry. Well, maybe a little more than "rarely" but his bad moods were hardly ever directed at her. They were usually focused at James. Though she supposed it probably didn't help that she looked like James.
"So are you going to tell anybody else?" James asked bluntly. "The house? McGonagall? Sirius and Peter?"
Frank considered. "When do things go back to what passes for normal around here?"
"Midnight. Midnight we go back to exactly the way we were a week ago."
"I'll keep quiet, but you and your friends have got to stop bugging me for the rest of the year."
"I was honestly already planning on telling them to tone it down," James said. "I guess I never really saw anything wrong about it until Lily got upset at the way they were treating you this week."
"Nothing more awful than normal," Frank said.
"And that was bad enough," Lily pointed out. "We'll talk to them, Frank. Don't worry."
She and James each stuck out a hand and, with some reluctance, he shook both hands.
"I've got to go. Alice is supposed to help me with my Herbology homework."
Lily looked puzzled. "But, Frank, you do fine in Herbology. I know she fantastic at it, but you're a good student yourself."
"I know, but any reason spend more time with her," he said, the faintest hints of a grin appearing on his face. He stood up and took his Herbology text out of his trunk and walked out of the room.
James and Lily settled onto James's bed to talk. "I've never seen him that mad," Lily said.
"I have. When he wants to, or he's really mad about something, he can get mean. He's vicious. A real fighter. I know normally he's reserved and quiet, but we've done stuff to make him mad before. He can be almost as scary as Alice."
"Almost?" Lily said, smiling.
"I've discovered first hand that she can be terrifying when she wants to, almost as bad as you." He grinned. "Come on, pick up that broom and come onto the pitch with me. Hopefully we can run out there without anymore distractions."
Lily grinned back at him and her eyes flicked toward the window. "I've got a better idea. Grab Remus's broom."
He saw her glance toward the window. "You're sure?" he asked.
"Yeah. I'm sure."
"Alright then."
Together they went to the window and opened it. James went out first so that he'd be there to catch Lily if there was some sort of problem. There wasn't. Lily did a fine job, remembering this time to pull up soon enough.
Side by side, they flew out toward the Quidditch pitch, landing in the middle of the field. Lily's landing skills were improving. Cautiously, she pulled the t-shirt over her head. James was right. She could feel the sun on her, and the slight breeze. She turned and gave James an appreciative smile, tossing him the t-shirt of his that she'd been wearing. She took a few a steadying breaths. It was an odd feeling to be standing topless, but she didn't have a chest that would swing about when she moved, so it was alright. A few more breaths and she kicked off from the ground, feeling the sun and the wind on her skin.
James watched her flying, seeing the look of joy on her face even from twenty feet below. Without hesitation he kicked off and joined her in flight.
They relaxed this way for a while…just flying. James knew that when he got his body back tomorrow, he'd be sunburned. It was worth it to see how happy she looked at this very moment.