Wow. I profusely apologize for the unannounced hiatus. Sickness plus preparations for three Thanksgiving dinners leaves little to no time for Wyrms to write. However, I'm here now, with the much-anticipated next chapter! Yaaay!
First, thank you to my long-suffering readers!
sexyteluguchica: I'm so happy they're finally together! Oh, and there are two chapters after this one.
writerauthorguy: I really really really didn't mean to have so long a gap between chapters. Here! Maybe this will help fill the hole in your head!
sesshomaruhasafluffytail: Look! Next chapter! Aaand they're still in the closet!
gillian86: Wait no more! It's here!
keisan: Heheh… the 'come out of the closet' idea really amused me, but I think it needed Lily's touches to keep it from being a disaster. Although we still don't know what Moony and Padfoot are gonna do to James when they get out. Hmm… there might be another fic in that somewhere… Nooo! Not another fic! AAAGH! –Dies-
nayla: Mush? Yay! That means I'm doing my job right!
Reyna: I take it you approve? Oh, and sorry about the cliffhanger in chapter five. But hey! You're caught up!
TrunkZy: Eh, writing romantic suspense is haaard. And besides, poor Remus is claustrophobic. Although I think he forgot about that after they kissed. Mweheh.
gatermage: Just a little sweat. And not all of it's over his fellow marauders.
SilverStar24: You mean you liked my characterization of Sirius? He's so… fun:-P
S.c.ou.s.er.4.li.f.e: Eh, I don't generally care for films based on books. I go to see them all the time, but I come home and gripe and moan about the inconsistencies that could have been fixed by five minutes in makeup.
BookwormRose: Yes… and besides, it's much better to leave it up to the imagination. The trick of dialogue with me is that I'm a very visual person. I tend to spend a lot of time on how people see the world around them rather than how they talk. I think it comes of being raised by two people with hearing disabilities.
HanSolosGal: YAY? YAY!
Tanya J. Potter: Eeep. Sorry it took so long! But he'll sweat, I promise!
uknowho: I made Voldie happy! Bwahahahahahahaha!
Becky Silver Black: I stole it from The Princess Bride, of course. And everyone gives James the middle name of Harry or Harold. I thought I'd go out on a limb and be creative! Chocolate! Whee! And the puppydog eyes always work on me. Always. Except when I have a horde of relatives to feed. Then the system breaks down.
Okay, then… erm… Ah, heck, you all know the disclaimers.
James lay in bed, staring at the clock. 11:42. Sirius and Remus had been locked up for two hours. Something was obviously wrong. The charm Lily had put on the door was simple. All they had to do was admit how they felt about each other, and he'd already told Padfoot that they were going to be set up. It should have been simple. They should have been back ages ago.
Sighing, James fumbled on the nightstand for his glasses. There was no point in pretending to sleep anymore, and he couldn't really sleep if he didn't want to wake up with green hair or worse as revenge for locking his friends in the closet. Rolling out of bed, his feet found a pair of slippers to protect them from the cold floor while he pulled on a sweater over his pajamas. A quick rummage through his trunk later, and James was ready to head downstairs.
As he opened the door, Peter rolled over in bed and muttered, "Knight to Queen four…"
James chuckled all the way to the common room. He was happy for the less-gifted boy. Peter needed something that he could do better than anyone else, and if chess was it, then his friend was delighted. It had to be hard on a guy when all his friends were clever, handsome, and talented. Although James knew Peter had his own little following, among those girls who were intimidated by Sirius's looks, aware of James's adulation of Lily, and frustrated by Remus's calm obliviousness.
Sitting down on a comfortable couch in front of the fire, James pulled out the things he'd fetched from his trunk. First, the map, to check on his friends. He muttered the password, and flipped through to the closet they'd been left in, frowning when he saw they were still there. At least, their names were. The dots labeled 'Moony' and 'Padfoot' were almost superimposed over one another. Now why… Oh. Eewww.
James glared at the map. He really didn't need that mental image. In all the plotting to get Remus and Sirius together, it had never occurred to him to think about them kissing… or worse. Resolutely, he held the vision of his two best friends snogging in front of his mind until it was no longer disgusting. It was only logical, after all. He couldn't be supportive of them if he couldn't stand to see them kissing.
They were going to need support, too. Sirius had already run away from home, and the Potters wouldn't care, so that was alright. Remus never talked about his family, which led James to suspect they weren't on the best of terms. Another quirk in their son's character couldn't make things that much worse. It was at school that they'd have real trouble. The Slytherins would jump at having one more reason to torment the pair. If, of course, they were feeling particularly brave. No one in his right mind would go up against Sirius alone, and it was a little-known fact that Remus was an even better dueler than the handsome pureblood.
Yes, they could take care of themselves. But James would make it a point to be around, just in case. He assured the map that his mischief was managed, and relaxed into the embrace of the comfy couch, pulling out another piece of parchment.
It was unfolded almost reverently to reveal an unfinished but lifelike sketch of a certain redhead. Hours upon hours had gone into its composition, and James worked on it every time he had a spare moment in private. It was perfect. Last time he'd managed to get her eyes just right. Crinkled a little at the corners as she smiled, and tilted just so. All that was left was her lips. They were already lightly outlined. They just needed some shading and shaping. Sighing softly, James produced a pencil from somewhere and went to work.
Two hours later, the portrait was complete, and a name had been added in ornate calligraphy across the bottom of the parchment. A simple title, for all the work that had gone into the picture. 'Lily Evans Potter.'
James smiled triumphantly at the picture, dividing his attention between it and the hypnotic crackle of the fire. The wavering light of flames on the sketch gave the illusion of motion. Or was it an illusion? Delicately shaded lips smiled, and carefully drawn eyes winked at him. A blush started in the cheeks of the drawing, and somehow spread, leaving behind the vivid coloring of Lily. The words came from his mouth without stopping by his brain for approval. "Lily, would you go out with me?"
"Of course, James. But first, there's something I've always wanted to tell you…" The sketch-Lily leaned closer, smiling sweetly. His breath caught in his throat and he leaned forward himself, rubbing his suddenly sweaty palms against his knees to dry them.
"Yes, Lily?"
"I just love your slippers." James jumped as a body plopping onto the couch beside him shattered the pleasant dream. The real Lily was in front of him, looking amazingly beautiful with her hair in sleepy disarray and a purple blanket pulled around her shoulders. A frantic look around established that the picture was nowhere in sight, and he relaxed a little, smiling at her.
"I must have fallen asleep."
Her answering grin was ravishing. "Sorry. I take it the lovebirds haven't returned yet?"
"No, I'm actually starting to get a little worried about them." James tilted his head thoughtfully. "Not worried enough to go check on them, though."
Lily blushed and giggled. "Yeah… erm… You didn't hear me when I complimented your slippers, did you?"
Gratefully seizing the change of subject, he looked down at the fluffy pink things on his feet, noticing that hers were identical. "Peter gave them to me. They're warm, and my old ones had holes. They look much better on you, though."
"I don't know who gave me these. They were in an anonymous package Christmas morning. I've always wanted a pair of pink fuzzy slippers, so…" Her giggles were like music to James. He could listen to them all day. Or night, as the case may be. "If I figure out who gave them to me, I'll have to do something nice for them. I really like them."
James located the sketch while they speculated on the identity of Lily's secret Santa. It had slipped mostly under a chair, face down. He was so busy thanking all his lucky stars that she hadn't seen it that it came as a surprise when Lily dozed off. Smiling sympathetically, he leaned over to adjust her blanket so she wouldn't wake up cold, and was surprised when she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled comfortably against his chest. After a moment of trepidation, he gave in to temptation and returned the embrace, leaning back against the cushions and pulling her closer.
Her hair smelled like apples, and was soft against his hands. Looking down into her serene face, James couldn't pass up the chance to do something he'd wanted to do for years. All it took was tilting his head forward a few inches, and his lips brushed against her forehead. His voice came out in a husky whisper. "You may not believe it, but I love you, Lily."
Some day maybe he could hold her like this when she was awake… But for now, he'd take what he had. Closing his eyes and concentrating on the warm body in his arms, James relaxed and drifted off to sleep.
Le sigh. Poor James. For some reason I view him as being a bit more innocent than Moony and Padfoot. At least as far as romance goes. I don't remember whose fic it was that I was reading, but I recall someone once proposing that James was the last Marauder to lose his virginity, and frankly, I think it fits him perfectly.
I've still got a little Thanksgiving activity going on, but I'll get out the next chapter as soon as I can! However, if you get bored in the meanwhile, check out A Feast in Azkaban. Nyx Fixx is awesome! http/