As ever, your reviews and patience mean the world to me - so KiSsEs to y'all.
"Bittersweet Surrender"
"Two flicks of the wrist should do it," Professor McGonagall continued in her stately teacher voice. "Remember to enunciate clearly and DO NOT -- I repeat -- DO NOT aim the spell at any other object, specifically a classmate. Contrary to Mr. Black's belief -- it is not funny."
She threw a weary glance to the corner where Sirius sat, hands folded on his desk, face dripping with wide-eyed innocence. Next to him James was slumped down with his hand covering his mouth, his body convulsing with contained laughter.
McGonagall rolled her eyes and waved her arms in defeat. "Just don't blow anything up," she sighed then retreated to the haven of her desk.
"So James," Sirius began after promptly transforming the frog on his desk into a glittering gold crown. "How's Catherine?"
"She's-- what?" James snapped his head around.
"Catherine," Sirius repeated informally.
"Wha-- no, I-- well... I don't know what you're talking about," he finished in a rush.
Sirius sighed at the hopelessness of his friend. "You never were good at lying, mate."
James scowled and turned his attention to the slimy amphibian trying to escape the confines of the desk. "Regalis basium," he muttered, causing a sparkling tiara to take the frog's place.
"Aww, look," Sirius cooed. "Yours was a girl! SPEAKING of which..."
"Sirius--"
"James, why are you so intent on keeping this girl a secret? If you have a lady friend - speak up! We're not eight, you know. We won't kick you out of our club for fancying an icky girl."
"I know..." he said as he mindlessly fingered the tiara.
"Soo...?" Sirius prodded further.
"It's complicated."
"How so? You knock her up or somethin'?"
James snorted. "Don't drag me down to your gutter, mate."
"Well what then? Out with it, Prongs!"
"I told you, it's complicated," he muttered with a wary look around the classroom, as if an unwanted someone might be listening in.
"Ah, fine," Sirius conceded. He leaned in and added in a low voice, "But you know I'll find out one way or another."
"See, there! It looks a bit more goldish, doesn't it?" Lily asked Cherise eagerly.
Cherise looked at the docile frog skeptically. "Um... actually dear, I'd say it looks less gold than when you first got it."
Lily threw down her wand in frustration. "That's it! I can't do this blasted spell! Whatever happened to good old fashioned kissing the frog, anyway?"
"Listen to what you're saying, Lily. Would you actually do that?"
Lily looked down at the slimy lump of green and brown in front of her. She pulled a face. "Good point. But still! Ugh. This class has it in for me. How am I supposed to become Head Girl if I fail Transfiguration?" she wailed, dropping her head down on her desk climatically.
"Whoa, watch the dramatics, hun. You won't fail this class because of one faulty spell--"
"How about one a day?" Lily shot back.
"That's not--" Cherise began, but paused as if to reconsider. "Okay, so this isn't your strongest area. That doesn't matter!"
"Oh, doesn't it? Head students need to excel at every subject. That includes Transfiguration."
"Really, you don't need to worry. I'm sure you'll improve by the time final exams get here. You'll just need to add a little extra effort, is all," Cherise said in the most encouraging voice she could muster.
Lily slumped back in her seat and blew the hair out of her face. "Whatever you say, Rise."
The swirling fumes from the several fireplaces hung heavily in the air of the little attic. From this alone, Lily found reason to dread Divination class. Then there was the matter of the melodramatics played out by the professor added with the absurdity of the so-called "foreseeing". What the hell was she supposed to "foresee" in a glass ball filled with smoke? Plenty, according to Professor Lalique - who was nothing more than a superstitious, shriveled old woman in Lily's opinion.
Every class, Professor Lalique would moon over the lump of tea leaves in Lily's cup or the lines on her palm, explaining excitedly how the signs all held the distinction of motherhood. A revelation that never failed to cause a roll of Lily's eyes.
Motherhood? Woo-hoo. As if that didn't happen to practically every other female on the planet.
After deciphering the whole motherhood surprise, the professor would proceed to looking for further details, to which, upon discovery, would lead her eyes to go all wide and watery, and she would glance quickly at Lily's - bored - face, clasp her hand over her mouth, and hurry away in dramatic despair.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
On this particular day after the professor's theatrics were through, Lily, James, Cherise, and Marilyn sat drowsily at their table near the back trying their best to keep their eyelids open. The perfumed atmosphere worked splendidly as a lullaby, they had come to discover. Sirius and Remus opted for Ancient Runes instead - the reason undoubtedly being the attractive, young Professor Nancy Mills. Scarlett, also choosing Ancient Runes over stuffy attics, simply held an interest in the subject.
"If there's caffeine in this tea, it sure ain't working," Marilyn slurred from where her head was lying on her arm on the table, the other arm busy with mindlessly swirling around the damp tea leaves in her cup.
"I dunno about the caffeine, but I'm wondering if she drugs this stuff or something," James said lazily.
"What a perfect waste of an hour," Cherise grumbled. "We could be doing something productive rather than sitting here wallowing in miasma."
"D'you think this doughnut shape here means I'm going to get fat?" Lily wondered out loud as she stared absently into her cup.
"If you asked Lalique she'd probably say it stands for a tragic love affair that'll leave you depressed and hopeless," Cherise replied dully.
"And that relates to dougnuts, how...?" James inquired.
Cherise shrugged. "It doesn't. Exactly how Professor Lalique works her logic."
"I'd like to see what she thinks of a--" James began with a chuckle, but was interrupted by a hazily scratchy voice -- something reminiscent of a cat.
"Mr. Potter! Woe is the one who neglects his tea leaves."
James groaned inwardly as the wilted shadow loomed over his shoulder.
"Shall we take a glimpse into the realm of the yet-to-come, hm?" she suggested in what she obviously fancied a mystically enchanting voice.
James plastered the most obxiously fake smile he could muster onto his face and nodded. This seemed to please the professor.
"Let's just take a look..." she said delicately as she picked up the little ceramic cup and bore her haunting gaze into the bottom as if it went on for miles or more.
"Well now--"
Here came her misty prediction.
"Is this the double star I see? My boy! A sure herald of the hero! A rare formation, indeed..." She smiled fondly down at him with a matronly pride, as if his bright future were her own doing.
James scratched the back of his neck in awkwardness while the taunting eyes of Lily, Cherise, and Marilyn danced upon him.
"Ooh, the bravery and selflessness this cup speaks of... Great things will surely befall you!" she prophesized in a dramatic whisper, James mouthing the words along with her in mockery.
After a brief spell of what the professor imagined a climactic pause, she set down the cup, clasped her hands together excitedly, and continued to smile warmly at James.
"Why, thank you so much, professor. I feel so complete now," he answered cheerfully.
Professor Lalique reveled in a moment of self flattery. She giggled girlishly and waved the compliment (regardless how obviously sarcastic) away modestly. With that, she drifted away to go reveal someone else's life path.
James dropped his golden smile like a brick. "Could she be any more drippy?"
"Hey, now. That's no way for a selfless hero to act, is it?" Lily teased.
"I'd watch it, mummy. Don't make me go stealing candy from your baby," James teased right back.
"Aha!" Marilyn squeaked. "That must be the tragedy Lalique forsees in Lily's life!"
"Oh James, you wicked man," Cherise played along.
"Guess the old bat read ma' leaves wrong. I was clearly born to be the villain," James grinned grandly.
"I suppose that means no baby for me then, if we're throwing Lalique's predictions out the window," Lily sighed melodramatically.
"Aww, but Lily! Babies are adorable!" Marilyn cooed. "Go have one anyway."
"Spiffing idea!" James chipped in. "And I can play with it and teach it all of life's necessary skills, like the rules to professional league Quidditch, and how to swerve out of a dive smoothly, and the perfect grip for holding onto a snitch, and--"
Lily chuckled. "James Potter, you are most certainly not corrupting our-- I-I mean, MY...child..." she trailed off apprehensively.
The corner of James's mouth curled up in a sort of curious smile, while Cherise and Marilyn exchanged juicy glances.
"Wow, heh, look at the time, shouldn't class be over soon?" Lily asked in a miserable attempt at changing the subject. She felt her ears reddening from the eyes of the three upon her, while a single four-letter word nagged at her mind, blinding her thoughts.
...Oops.
One final adjustment to his tie and James closed the door to his dormitory behind him, starting down the stairs to head for breakfast. Once he neared the bottom, he noticed a little red head sitting on the girls staircase across the way.
"Come on you bloody thing..." he heard her mumble in frustration. She seemed to be fiddling with something or another in her hand. James shook his head and chuckled to himself at the inevitable cuteness that her vexation caused.
"Cozy little nook you've found here, Evans," he greeted.
Lily glanced up then immediately dropped her focus back the the object in her hand. "Hullo James," she muttered.
James sat himself next to her on the stair. "Why thank you. Your presence enthralls my spirit as well."
Lily threw him a "ha - ha" smile. "I'll remember to drop to my knees and kiss your feet next time you enter the room, m'lord."
"Oh, but it's not my feet that need the kissing," he smiled wyly.
"Aren't we presumtuous this morning?"
"I do try," he grinned. "Anyway, what's that you're fighting a losing battle with, eh?"
Lily looked down at her hand. "Oh, it's a necklace that refuses to cooperate. The clasp broke as I was trying to put it on, and now it won't - go - back - together," she said through gritted teeth, once again attempting to overcome the little bugger.
"Here, lemme have a go at it," James offered.
Lily raised her eyebrows in skepticism. "You? Fix a necklace? I'm sorry, but that just doesn't strike me as something you would excel at."
"People can surprise you, Evans."
He took the slinky gold chain from her palm and commenced tinkering. Lily watched him closely, not sure whether it was hope for the mending of her necklace or the curiosity of James being able to do it being the main reason for her focus. Though it wasn't exactly his hands that she watched intently... She just couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from his face. The way his eyebrows furrowed just slightly...the way his straight, pearly teeth were revealed as he bit his lip...the way he seemed so completely consumed in this petty job of fixing a piece of jewelry...
"There you go."
Lily gave a barely noticeable start as the face she had been lost in suddenly looked back.
"Should be good as new," he explained.
Lily smiled gratefully and let out a breath she hadn't been aware of holding in.
"Um, do you think you could...?" she asked as she lifted her hair off her shoulders and turned a bit so her back was towards him.
"Oh...yeah, yeah sure."
James lifted the chain over her head and down to her neck, bringing the two ends together. He leaned forward somewhat to get a better look at the tiny clasps. As he was doing this, Lily involuntarily closed her eyes, all thought surrendering to the consuming warmth from the very tips of James's fingertips. What might normally be ticklish, instead felt like a breath of June breeze. She took a deep breath, hoping fictitously that she might catch some of the serene loveliness in the air.
James couldn't stop himself from abruptly biting his lip as the shoulders beneath his hands rose and fell slowly. He swallowed hard and demanded himself to concentrate on the task at hand. Somehow he kept losing focus. The intoxicating scent of the auburn hair before him drenched him in light- headedness.
For a timeless time, the two unknowingly melted into the other's very presence. James's hands lingered at the nape of Lily's neck beyond the point of applying her necklace, to simply drinking in the feeling of disorienting closeness.
Finally, Lily lowered her hair to allow it to fall over her shoulders once more. James slid his hands off her skin slowly, savoring the touch as long as possible.
"...Perfect," James said with a sigh as he looked over his handiwork -- or shall we say - Lily.
Lily smiled. She motioned down towards the common room. "Breakfast?"
"Read my mind."
Having nothing better to do, Lily decided to indulge her laziness by changing into her pajamas a few hours early and devouring some shallow teen magazines on her comfy four-poster. Cherise found the idea similarly appealing, thus mirrored her moves.
"So Lils," Cherise spoke over the crinkle of the turning page. "When are you getting together with James?"
Lily slapped the magazine to her lap and turned to look at her obviously misguided friend. "Excuse me?"
"Oh you heard me," Cherise answered with a knowing smile, her eyes only briefly leaving the page to dance over Lily's shocked face.
"Look, Rise, if this is about what happened in Divination that one day--"
Cherise put down her magazine as well and sat up to face Lily's bed. "It's more than that."
"--it was a slip of the tongue!"
"And you carried it off so well," she replied teasingly.
"I was flustered!"
"If you didn't like him, you wouldn't have overreated the way you did, which just shows--"
"--that I don't want anyone making the mistake that I do feel that way!"
Cherise took on a patient voice and went in for the reasoning. "On the contrary - see, you'd only care about people thinking you like him, if you do like him. If you didn't, you wouldn't care one second about what anyone thinks because you know it's not true. Simple second year logic, Lil, I'm surprised you aren't reciting it along with me."
Lily sulked at the annoying amount of sense her friend was making.
"So now we know how you feel about him--"
"--do not."
"Do too," Cherise reiterated quickly then continued. "And it's obvious he fancies you just the same, soo... what's the problem?"
"Problem?"
"Yeah, as in -- why aren't you two off snogging in a closet somewhere right now?"
"Because--"
"Don't give me the 'I don't like him' excuse, Lil, please. You can do better than that."
"Look, it just isn't that simple--"
"Isn't it?" Cherise challenged with raised eyebrows.
"Yes! ...Er - no! Wait...what was the question?" Lily stumbled over her words.
Cherise shook her head in laughter. "You make things much more complicated than necessary, you know that, Lily?"
Oh did she ever.
Lily, ever a fan of beautiful nature, embarked on a precarious walk over the grounds under the warming Saturday sun, its rays seeming all the more jovial with the privilege of the weekend behind them.
The snows of winter were finally melting away to reveal the green that had taken cover underneath. The air held the fresh scent signature to early spring, along with the residing chill insistent on clinging the frost of winter. Here or there a spot of color could be found on a lone flower. In a month, the countryside would be submersed with them.
Lily, no expected path in plan, traipsed along with the breath of the wind. She strolled past a rather large hut on the edge of the forest, catching the scent of what seemed like fudge...burnt fudge.
Ah, it must be that groundskeeper fellow, Hagrid. She had heard the boys mention him briefly in passing.
On she went from there, choosing her end in the unnecessary shade of a large oak. She sat on the cool dirt beneath its rustling leaves and leaned against the rough bark. She swirled her finger over a short blade of grass, tickling her vulnerable skin in a softly pleasant way.
She smiled to herself. For one reason or another, the sensation brought to mind the dizzying touch of James's fingers tracing her skin. Or, rather, the feeling of him helping her with her necklace. Same difference, right?
Though lasting only a brief spell, it held distinction in her mind and senses. She could still feel the whisper of his breath unintentionally caressing the back of her neck. Even the very thought sent tingles dancing through her body...
Wait, no. Ah dammit.
She silently cursed herself for getting caught up in a ridiculous nothing once more. And always with James! What's the deal? She'd decided long ago not to let her heart go out to him--
Didn't she? Or was it... just because of Sirius? Not that it even mattered. James was nothing more than a good friend.
...A good friend she had incidentally connected with her future son or daughter without thinking.
A good friend who haunted her thoughts a bit more than she preferred. A good friend whose smile made her blood run a bit warmer than usual, and whose stare set butterflies loose somewhere around her middle...
Oh no. No. Why did this always happen?
Cherise was right. ...Again.
"Remus!" Marilyn called from across the common room, catching sight of him just as the portrait hole was swinging open to allow him to leave. She trotted over to him and took his hand in her, smiling up at him. When he returned only a weary smirk, her brightness dimmed.
"Remus?" she questioned with distinct concern. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah... yeah, of course," he answered distractedly.
Marilyn eyed him with doubt. She brought a hand to his cheek and laid it there softly. "You look so pale..."
"I'm fine, really," he pressed while gently removing her hand from his face.
Marilyn cast her eyes down.
"I've been feeling a bit... under the weather, is all," he assured. "Nothing Madame Pomfrey can't fix."
"Which she does every month..." Marilyn muttered somewhere under her breath.
"What was that?"
Marilyn shook her head to wave away the comment and offered a weak smile.
"So I'll, um, see you later?" he asked uncertainly.
"Yeah... later..." she replied meekly as he stepped through the portrait hole.
"Wait! Remus--" she said suddenly. He turned to look back at her.
Marilyn opened her mouth to speak, but reconsidered at the very last moment. She tried several more times to utter a sound, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, she gave a sigh of resignation. "...I hope you feel better," she covered with a smile to mask her sadness.
Remus smiled back and kissed his hand which then gave a small wave. The portrait shut with a verberating thud. Marilyn stared at it with an unyielding gaze.
She was scared.
Lily stood up and brushed the moist earth from her skirt. Her heart could not bear anymore of this heavy silence of the outdoors. Her inner voice was too much to handle in such conditions.
Passing by the quidditch pitch on her way back to the castle, the corner of her eye spied a dark something up in the air. A person. On a broomstick. Even from as far away as Lily was, the unruly mess of black hair was still adorably obvious.
"James..." she whispered to the air before her, her voice holding an inevitable smile.
A palpable smile took form on her lips as she hugged herself for warmth, though in vain -- the delicious chill his presence gave her held complete control.
As she watched his perfect figure race through the cloudless blue, slice the crisp air with a dive, then turn around and repeat the show with flawless grace... the revolution of the earth was brought to a halting stop, dizzying the senses in a sickly wonderful way.
James went into a final dive near the opposite end of the pitch from Lily, bringing him safely to the ground, which he met with the slightest stumble. Lily giggled at his informal landing.
Her giggle, along with what seemed her heartbeat, stifled immediately. A figure Lily certainly hadn't noticed a moment ago had scurried over and now had its arms wrapped around James's neck. Her arms, that is. Although James's arms were kept to himself, Lily found triumph in noticing, but it may have been because one arm was occupied with the broomstick.
An ill-inducing disorientation crept further and deeper into Lily's heart with each passing second of witnessing the cozy couple. NO! Not couple. Persons - cozy persons. Not even that, psht, they hardly looked comfortable in each other's presence. Nevermind the way the tramp - er, girl - was throwing her head back in obnoxiously jovial laughter while James wittered on about nonsense with a stupidly cute grin on his face. Nay, it did not even matter how the girl was now tilting her head to the side and twisting her ankle flirtaciously--
Lily gasped. The ankle twist. This girl was acting the helpless female! A purely coquettish move employed soley to play on the notion of the gallant hero men fancy themselves as.
This hussy just went a step too far.
Ankle twist dedicated to Miss Laurel Stargazer. ;) And snaps to Meha/Mona for providing the fodder for the "baby" scene. Too cute, really.
But anywho... lots of Lily and James squirreling around in this chapter. And -gasp!- Lily finally admitted to her ever so invisible feelings! Didn't see that coming a mile off, eh? But ya ya, hope you liked. I certainly enjoyed the writing of it.