Lily awoke with a very stiff neck the next morning. Groggily, she noticed
that James had still had the decency to tuck her in with her doona again,
despite what had happened between them last night.
Last night. Lily's head snapped into focus. It started to sink in. Last night. The turning point for her and James. He had told her some of his deepest secrets, and she had told him hers. They couldn't even stand being in the same room as each other, yet they had sat there for hours just talking and laughing like old friends. James had even cried on her shoulder when he told her about how he got bashed by a bunch of Slytherins. James had never told anyone about it, though. He had stayed back after Quidditch practice. They took him as soon as he got in the changerooms. Wandless, James was defenceless against the entire Slytherin Quidditch team. This had surprised Lily very much, because not only had James told her bout his moment of weakness, but he had cried. It almost broke Lily's heart to see him with tears rolling down his pale cheeks.
But then James had gone and broken her heart later that night. Why had he pulled away? She had been sure that he wanted her. Was he just messing with her after all?
Lily went into her room. She could not face an awkward confrontation with James just yet. Anyway, she thought to herself, it's Saturday, so James will be at Quidditch. She wouldn't have to see him until that night, so she had time to think about what she was going to say. Lily ran over the conversation in her mind. It went something like this.
James: Hello Lily.
Lily: Hello James.
James: Did you see the way I caught the snitch today? Wasn't I great? *James runs his hands through his hair and strikes a jockular pose*
Lily: Oh you were wonderful, James! *They run into each others arms and kiss passionately*
"Thank god I've got all day to think about it." Lily muttered to herself.
******
James skipped breakfast and headed straight for the Quidditch pitch (detouring past the Gryffindor tower to pick up Sirius on the way).
"You mind telling me what this is all about?" demanded Sirius angrily.
James made several pathetic attempts to start before pausing and sitting down. He was about to start, when he changed his mind and ran over to the broom shed. Grabbing both Sirius and his brooms, he walked back over to his best friend.
"Not here." James muttered. Sirius watched James mount his broomstick and prepare to take off.
"James, what the bloody hell is this about?" he stopped dead, walked over and took hold of the handle of James' broomstick. No way was he going to let James fly when he was like this. Instead of fighting him (which is what Sirius expected him to do), James hung his head. There was a long pause.
"I screwed up." James muttered.
Sirius thought for a minute. "Lily?" he asked.
Slowly, James nodded his head.
"Spill." Sirius prompted.
James gathered his thoughts. "I was sitting at the fireplace in our common room." He paused and Sirius waited patiently for him to continue.
"She walked in and went off at me. She seemed to think that someone had dared me to be really nice to her to get her to go out with me. I explained that I'd done it because I wanted to. I told her that I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt her."
"And?" asked Sirius when James didn't go on.
"And then we talked. Just about things. We both laughed so much, and we were having such a good time." James looked up at Sirius and smiled. Not his normal smirk, but a real smile. Then he bit his lip. "She said something about me liking that teacher, but I couldn't hear her. I asked her what she said, and she wouldn't tell me so we had a tickle fight. Then we fell off the couch and she landed on top of me."
James looked down at his fidgeting hands. "She tried to kiss me but I pulled away."
Sirius punched him on the arm. "What did you do that for, you nong?" he exclaimed. "You've been chasing Evans for what, four years now? How daft are you?"
"I - I thought that - that she might regret it after. I thought she might think that I thought she was easy." He paused. "And I was scared."
"Scared? You, James, scared?" Sirius was lost for words.
"I know!" James sighed, "But I don't want to hurt her. I thought that maybe if I don't go out with her, I can't do anything to hurt her. I just can't risk that, mate. I'd die before I hurt Lily."
It was at this point that Sirius realized that James was in love with Lily. Not just a high-school sweetheart-kinda-love, but deeply in love. So Sirius took it upon himself to get them together, whatever the cost was.
Sirius shoved his broom back into James' hand and started running back the way they had come.
"Where are you going?" James yelled at his retreating figure.
Sirius looked back. "You'll see!" He yelled over his shoulder, as he sprinted towards the castle.
******
Lily was just emerging from the Portrait that covered the entrance to the Head Quarters, when Sirius came running up to her. In a rather James-like fashion, he grabbed her hand and pulled her away towards the charms corridor.
"I thought you were joking when you said you had booked me in, Black!" Lily shouted at him. She twisted her hand free of his. "I am not moving another step until you tell me what this is about!"
"Trust me, Lily-my-love, you do not want to discuss this here." He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Do you want to know why James pulled away or not?"
Lily looked at him, and without another word, they continued on their path to the fifth charms classroom.
******
a/n: I hope you all like this chapter, and most of all, I hope it answers some of your questions.
I am very thankful for all of my reviews (all 31 of them! Yay!) And I would like to sincerely thank the following:
TeenTypist
Iamaiceskater08
~~SiriusLover~~
J.E.A.R.K. Potter: Next chapter will be very happy just for you!
Serendepetee
Lila
crazee-canadian-goalie119
M*andy, luvin yah
Only-hehe: Yeah, It is a mistake. My spellcheck does it. I will try my very hardest to correct it in the future.
maiden of the mist
Jenn
Gemzgurl
LogicalRaven
MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus
Autumn Goddess
Tanya J Potter
MonkeyGurl1
Sadz89
And to Jules, mate, if you read this. I hope I can convert you to Lily / James fanfics!
*cackles evilly and eyes roll back into head*
Last night. Lily's head snapped into focus. It started to sink in. Last night. The turning point for her and James. He had told her some of his deepest secrets, and she had told him hers. They couldn't even stand being in the same room as each other, yet they had sat there for hours just talking and laughing like old friends. James had even cried on her shoulder when he told her about how he got bashed by a bunch of Slytherins. James had never told anyone about it, though. He had stayed back after Quidditch practice. They took him as soon as he got in the changerooms. Wandless, James was defenceless against the entire Slytherin Quidditch team. This had surprised Lily very much, because not only had James told her bout his moment of weakness, but he had cried. It almost broke Lily's heart to see him with tears rolling down his pale cheeks.
But then James had gone and broken her heart later that night. Why had he pulled away? She had been sure that he wanted her. Was he just messing with her after all?
Lily went into her room. She could not face an awkward confrontation with James just yet. Anyway, she thought to herself, it's Saturday, so James will be at Quidditch. She wouldn't have to see him until that night, so she had time to think about what she was going to say. Lily ran over the conversation in her mind. It went something like this.
James: Hello Lily.
Lily: Hello James.
James: Did you see the way I caught the snitch today? Wasn't I great? *James runs his hands through his hair and strikes a jockular pose*
Lily: Oh you were wonderful, James! *They run into each others arms and kiss passionately*
"Thank god I've got all day to think about it." Lily muttered to herself.
******
James skipped breakfast and headed straight for the Quidditch pitch (detouring past the Gryffindor tower to pick up Sirius on the way).
"You mind telling me what this is all about?" demanded Sirius angrily.
James made several pathetic attempts to start before pausing and sitting down. He was about to start, when he changed his mind and ran over to the broom shed. Grabbing both Sirius and his brooms, he walked back over to his best friend.
"Not here." James muttered. Sirius watched James mount his broomstick and prepare to take off.
"James, what the bloody hell is this about?" he stopped dead, walked over and took hold of the handle of James' broomstick. No way was he going to let James fly when he was like this. Instead of fighting him (which is what Sirius expected him to do), James hung his head. There was a long pause.
"I screwed up." James muttered.
Sirius thought for a minute. "Lily?" he asked.
Slowly, James nodded his head.
"Spill." Sirius prompted.
James gathered his thoughts. "I was sitting at the fireplace in our common room." He paused and Sirius waited patiently for him to continue.
"She walked in and went off at me. She seemed to think that someone had dared me to be really nice to her to get her to go out with me. I explained that I'd done it because I wanted to. I told her that I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt her."
"And?" asked Sirius when James didn't go on.
"And then we talked. Just about things. We both laughed so much, and we were having such a good time." James looked up at Sirius and smiled. Not his normal smirk, but a real smile. Then he bit his lip. "She said something about me liking that teacher, but I couldn't hear her. I asked her what she said, and she wouldn't tell me so we had a tickle fight. Then we fell off the couch and she landed on top of me."
James looked down at his fidgeting hands. "She tried to kiss me but I pulled away."
Sirius punched him on the arm. "What did you do that for, you nong?" he exclaimed. "You've been chasing Evans for what, four years now? How daft are you?"
"I - I thought that - that she might regret it after. I thought she might think that I thought she was easy." He paused. "And I was scared."
"Scared? You, James, scared?" Sirius was lost for words.
"I know!" James sighed, "But I don't want to hurt her. I thought that maybe if I don't go out with her, I can't do anything to hurt her. I just can't risk that, mate. I'd die before I hurt Lily."
It was at this point that Sirius realized that James was in love with Lily. Not just a high-school sweetheart-kinda-love, but deeply in love. So Sirius took it upon himself to get them together, whatever the cost was.
Sirius shoved his broom back into James' hand and started running back the way they had come.
"Where are you going?" James yelled at his retreating figure.
Sirius looked back. "You'll see!" He yelled over his shoulder, as he sprinted towards the castle.
******
Lily was just emerging from the Portrait that covered the entrance to the Head Quarters, when Sirius came running up to her. In a rather James-like fashion, he grabbed her hand and pulled her away towards the charms corridor.
"I thought you were joking when you said you had booked me in, Black!" Lily shouted at him. She twisted her hand free of his. "I am not moving another step until you tell me what this is about!"
"Trust me, Lily-my-love, you do not want to discuss this here." He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Do you want to know why James pulled away or not?"
Lily looked at him, and without another word, they continued on their path to the fifth charms classroom.
******
a/n: I hope you all like this chapter, and most of all, I hope it answers some of your questions.
I am very thankful for all of my reviews (all 31 of them! Yay!) And I would like to sincerely thank the following:
TeenTypist
Iamaiceskater08
~~SiriusLover~~
J.E.A.R.K. Potter: Next chapter will be very happy just for you!
Serendepetee
Lila
crazee-canadian-goalie119
M*andy, luvin yah
Only-hehe: Yeah, It is a mistake. My spellcheck does it. I will try my very hardest to correct it in the future.
maiden of the mist
Jenn
Gemzgurl
LogicalRaven
MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus
Autumn Goddess
Tanya J Potter
MonkeyGurl1
Sadz89
And to Jules, mate, if you read this. I hope I can convert you to Lily / James fanfics!
*cackles evilly and eyes roll back into head*