My first story about one night at Hogwarts. What happens when the Head Boy and Girl get locked out of their dormitory?
"Lily, listen, I know these previous years I've been a complete arse to you, but I really think this year—"
"Yeah whatever, Potter. Just, let's do the patrols and be done with it."
"Lily—"
"And don't talk to me, either."
"What, we're just going to patrol together in total silence, then?"
"Why, yes, that would be lovely."
Lily has had enough of James Potter lack of responsibility, bigheadedness, his arrogance, and his haughty, egotistical manner over that last six years, and this year, her final year at Hogwarts, she wanted to lay down the law. It was bad enough he was made Head Boy, along with her being Head Girl, which meant that they'd have to not only share classes, but also spend long hours in prefect meetings and patrolling the halls together.
"Did you hear that?" asked Potter.
No, actually, I was caught up in how miserable these circumstances are that I… but Lily's thoughts were interrupted as she heard a loud crash in the classroom to the right of where they stopped walking.
"I'll go check it out, you keep patrolling," Lily ordered. She walked into the classroom, only to find one Slytherin boy that had knocked over a desk.
"And what are you doing out of bed after dark?"
"I.. uhh… well, erm, you see…" he said, trying to think of a quick excuse.
"I'm not going to give you detention this time, but ten points from Slytherin. Now get back to bed."
And Lily walked the boy back to the dungeon entrance to the Slytherin common room. She walked back upstairs, writing herself a note on a spare bit of parchment so she would remember to include the incident in the Heads' weekly reports to the headmaster, when suddenly, she heard distant yelling and running. And she quickly hurried to the source.
Then, time stopped. Lily's heart was racing, blood rushed to her head. Her face grew hot, at the sight before her; James's body sprawled on the floor, unmoving, his glasses askew, his face ghostly. Lily started shaking. She stepped closer to him, and all at once, a humongous wave of relief flooded her as she saw his chest slowly rising and falling. Relief was shortly followed by embarrassment, when she realized how scared she had been when she'd thought him dead. She quickly pulled herself back together.
"Ennervate," said Lily, bringing him back to earth. "Ok, what happened?" she asked, quick to get back to her old snappy self.
"Lily, thank God. There was this group of Slytherins, I think about six of them, and they were whispering a lot. I caught something about Regulus. Sirius's brother, you know? And I guess they noticed I was there, so they stupefied me. But before I blacked out, I think they were trying to smuggle something," said James, sounding anxious.
"Six boys, huh? Then I guess the crash from that classroom was their diversion."
"Probably. Let's just go back to Gryffindor. Our patrols are over anyways. We can tell McGonagall about it tomorrow."
"Ok."
But when the two reached the Fat Lady, she was asleep.
"Thestrals." She didn't wake.
"Thestrals!" James tried, louder. "THESTRALS!" And the Fat Lady awoke.
"I'm up, I'm up! You don't have to shout about it. Going to wake up the whole castle, you are."
"We're sorry…. Can we be let in now?" Lily said.
"No. I'm afraid 'Thestrals' isn't the password anymore." The Fat Lady said in a rather bored way.
"What!"
"Yes, McGonagall changed it, just ten minutes ago. Why she didn't discuss it with you two is beyond me."
"What are we going to do now?" sighed Lily, sinking to a lower stair on a nearby staircase.
"I know a place where we can go!" exclaimed James.
"Oh no. No, no, no. I'm NOT going anywhere you think is exciting!"
"Fine. Have fun sleeping in the hall." And Potter stalked off down the hallway, without a glance back.
"Wait. Alright, I'm coming. And don't look at me like that."
"And how is it that I'm looking at you?"
"DON'T talk to me."
Lily proceeded to follow James up to the seventh corridor. "Where are we going?" No response. Suddenly, James stopped, turned on the spot, and proceeded to walk in the opposite direction. "Potter!"
"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm forbidden to talk to you," said James, cunningly.
"Don't give me that," said Lily, as James turned in the opposite direction for the third time. Then something funny happened. It looked as though Potter was miming the opening of a door, and he disappeared inside the solid wall, as if he was going through Platform 9 and 3/4ths! His head reappeared from the wall.
"Oh sorry, I didn't tell you how to get in. Just pace three times and concentrate on the phrase 'I need a place to spend the night.' Then come through."
And Lily did. She paced, and thought. And she saw a big brass door appear out of the wall, which she opened.
"Welcome, to the Room of Requirement!" said James, excitedly. It was a room unlike anything she pictured Hogwarts school would contain. It looked exactly like a hotel bedroom, two queen sized beds, two wardrobes, and a random sink attached to the wall.
Lily walked over to the bed that James wasn't sitting on, and she folded down the covers.
"Nice job, James, of thinking of a lovely place to spend the night," mocked James, patting himself on the head.
"Whatever," said Lily.
"Why do you hate me so much?" demanded James.
"I don't hate you Potter. You just annoy the hell out of me."
"I don't understand that! Am I really that bad to be around? You're friendly to Remus, and Remus likes me. How do I make you so miserable?"
"Well, you were. Remember that time in fifth year, when I caught you bothering Snape? That was horrible."
"Christ, Lily that was two years ago! Don't you think I've change since then? I hugely regret my past actions. And I've been trying to make it clear to you that Seventh year is going to be different."
Lily was silent for a moment as she climbed into bed. Then, "I can't believe you let those Slytherins escape tonight! You're so irresponsible."
"Ugh! That is so like you. You're so stubborn. It's a wonder why I love you in the first place," James blurted. Lily saw him blush and turn away from her.
"What?"
"You heard me. It's not like I haven't said it to you before," said James solemnly.
"The last time you said it to me was fifth year. And I guess you were a lot more.. err.. cocky back then." It was Lily's turn to blush. She realized what he said was true, he had grown up considerably. She didn't know why she didn't see it before. How could she not notice that he had stopped asking her out consistently, stopped the stream of endless love letters, stopped most of the dangerous pranks he pulled just to win her attention? The two were silent for a bit longer.
"James, maybe, I'm the one that needs to grow up a bit more." Lily turned around to find that James had fallen asleep. She closed her eyes as well, and swore to maybe be a bit more personable tomorrow.