Disclaimer
I do not own any of the characters below. But I did use a song from N' Sync, "Something Like You", at the end of the chapter.
At about two a.m. in the morning, Lily finally finished her homework. No, James's homework, she thought to herself irritably. She rubbed her weary eyes and starting packing her things slowly into her cauldron. She looked up and saw that James's head was on the table, rested on both his arms. She frowned. Typical, she thought, of him to go off and sleep and make her do his homework for him. 'twas almost ridiculous the minute Lily thought about it. So she managed to concentrate on the Transfiguration homework. And for once, she wanted to curse Professor Lafleur for giving each of them different assignments of their own choice to do. And James HAD to choose another topic from hers. Damn them all.
James's head turned to one side at that damning thought of Lily's and Lily started. Despite herself, she smiled as she bent down to inspect James's sleeping face. A voice inside her started arguing with her.
What do you think you're doing?
What does it look like I'm doing?
Instead of answering her question, the voice replied with another question of it.
You like him, don't you?
Are you an idiot or something? Or course I don't!
OH, really? Could've fooled me.
Oh shut up. What are you? My therapist?!
With that, James stirred from his sleep and woke up with a start as he saw a pair of emeralds looking back at him.
He sat back straight in his seat and started adjusting his glasses.
"I thought it was my imagination that someone was breathing down in my face," he said, while an arrogant smile danced on his handsome features.
Lily frowned and grabbed her books, attempting to leave when James called out, "Wait!"
Lily stopped and her frown got more intense. "Oh, right." Then she slammed James's assignment, the one she did, on the wooden desk that now separated the both of them.
James actually had the nerve to look puzzled. Then he picked the pieces of parchment up and scrutinized it, as if examining it. Then his eye lit with understanding as he smiled.
Lily rolled her eyes, wondering what he was up to again. She left the library before he could say anything that would make sense to either of them.
The next few days passed by not so peacefully. There was no tranquility to speak of, to be specific. Despite the fact that Lily had to struggle to do both hers and James's assignments, she still had to have time for James and his imploring questions. Every time he handed her with a new assignment, he kept sitting by her side, disrupting her concentration and also kept asking questions about her, some questions that she didn't want to answer, so she just sometimes smoothly changed the subject. Once or twice, he had let it pass without suspicion, but when the same question came up in his 'interrogation', and the subject was changed again by Lily, his suspicions rose along with his left eyebrow, but he never got down to pushing her. For that alone, Lily was grateful. Actually, 'twas the only thing Lily was grateful for, in the matters where James was concerned.
That whole week… James had been piling her desk with piles and piles of work. Homework, research work… anything you name, she had done it. She had told her friends about what happened the other day the others were at Hogsmeade. Of course, since Jamie knew, seeing the dark circles under Lily's eyes, she had enough wisdom in her to just keep quiet and not ask about anything. With that much work to do, even Jamie couldn't blame Lily for having a temper that was more easily riled up. But of course, she didn't show it in front of other people.
To both Jamie and Lily's surprise, the reactions they got from Melissa and Cheryl were completely different from what they had expected before.
Cheryl had simply smiled and looked bemused as she said quietly, "Hmm…"
Melissa, though, was rather excited and had started jumping on her bed, asking over and over again, "Was Sirius there, too?"
The corners of Lily's mouth tilted upwards, something that was getting rarer and rarer by the minute. Especially when she looked over at her desk and sighs.
"Sirius wasn't there, Mel," looking at Melissa's disappointed face, Lily couldn't help but tease her further. "Thank goodness for that, too." That, expectedly, got a glare from Melissa.
Lily screamed in frustration. It was a Saturday, almost a week since James and Remus had found out about her cover.
Everyone was out there enjoying themselves. And for once, Lily would prefer a butter beer to anything else in the world. She couldn't take it anymore.
Yesterday morning, James was all smiles, as usual, and had come to her table to pass her a note, then he had the audacity to saunter away. Lily forced a smile upon her face, seeing the many others' faces looking at the both of them like they were together. Ha! Lily had thought. Over my dead body. (A/N: Hmm…)
She read the note carefully, wary of any hidden meanings or tricks. And that little fact, had actually made the smile on James's face falter a bit. The contents in the note were to ask her not to go out to Hogsmeade tomorrow, that he had to talk to her about something.
Another project, no doubt, Lily thought bitterly.
Snapping back to reality by the knock on her door, she walked slowly, shoulders hunched forward. She was practically crawling. But as she passed by the mirror that clicked its tongue, she turned and removed her glasses and the tight rubbed bands, setting her fiery hair loose. She looked down at her pink tank top and dark green shorts.
Whatever, she thought. It most probably is Mister do-my-homework for me. So she just put on a black robe.
She opened the door with one door while another hand massaged both temples of her.
Indeed, standing in front of her was James Potter.
"Are you all right?" James asked concernedly, as soon as he stepped into her dormitory.
All he got was a glare and a muttered reply, that held back no bitterness.
"I'm perfectly peachy, thank you very much."
James's eyebrow arched at her tone. But Lily didn't seem to care. So James just tossed a casual glance towards the pile of homework on her desk.
"Doing your homework?" he asked just as casually.
"No," she spat bitterly, looking at James as if he was right now her mortal nemesis. "Yours."
All that came out of James's mouth was a silent 'oh'.
Lily sat down on the couch and looked at him with a direct glance.
"What is it?"
James gave her a good frown to let her know what he thought of her tone. But as Lily thought before, she didn't care. Not anymore.
"I just wanted to see if you have time for the-" Lily thought, this is really the final straw.
So before James could continue, Lily burst out, "Enough!"
James's jaw dropped down to the floor. (A/N: All right, it was an exaggeration, but hey, it's the first time he has ever heard Lily shout in his face.)
"I've had enough, all right?! Enough of you giving me orders like I'm your house-elf! Enough of you giving me piles of homework that I don't even have time for myself, let alone sleep! I've had enough." She ended with a finality that neither of them wanted to question further, before she stood up to her full height, her petite body shaking, and proceeding to go back to her own room.
James held her forearm, unwilling to let her go, unwilling for things to end that way.
"Lily…" he started quietly and uncertainly.
Lily didn't even stop in her tracks, she just continued plowing forward, even though James's strength was overpowering. That was also one of the reasons James didn't want to let go of her. She would fall terribly. Literally.
However, in Lily's attempt to struggle free of James's grasp, she turned around abruptly, and James, shocked of the sudden reflex action in Lily, let go of her arm, in case he twisted it. And Lily's palm, incidentally, struck itself across James's cheek. It was no light strike, either, with the amount of force Lily had mustered up before.
Lily was shocked as she finally turned around and saw the red imprint on James's cheek and the little but nonetheless existing trickle of blood down the side of James's lips. He must have known that it bled, for he wiped the blood away from his lips with the back of his hand, while looking, unblinking, at Lily's astonished expression.
When he finally broke the glance, he didn't leave the room, just like Lily had expected. He sat down on the floor, in front of Lily, with his right knee propped up and the other leg slack against the lush red carpet. His right arm was also slack and relaxed against his propped up knee. He didn't look at Lily anymore, but now, he was rubbing his fingertips lightly across his cheek.
Lily, self-consciously, felt her own cheek, and was surprised to find it wet. She didn't even know that she was crying. Yet now, she was sure enough, for she suddenly tasted the salt in her tears.
She knelt down in front of James but he kept his head low. Lily went closer, between his stretched out legs, (A/N: please don't think dirty. haha…) and reached out tentatively. She placed her shaking fingers over his calm ones. For a moment, James looked at her from beneath his black lashes. And Lily thought that he was going to push her hand away, before he reached out suddenly, catching Lily unaware and pulling her into his arms.
Lily didn't struggle. She looked deep into James's sapphire eyes, and unconsciously, her amused gaze dropped down to his slightly parted lips. And they were coming closer to hers.
The kiss was all lips, no tongues. It was all about their lips moving over each other's. James tasted the tears on her own lips. And Lily tasted blood, which was had a sort of rusty feeling. But it was more than pleasant to Lily.
After that exchange of blood and tears, Lily pulled back reluctantly, as she could feel herself out of breath. She found that her arms were around his neck, and wondered how it got there in the first place.
"Lily, I never meant to hurt you. All this time…" but Lily stopped James's explanation by putting a finger on his lips. James shook his head, indicating that he had to finish the explanation.
"All this time… all I could think of was you. Ever since I laid my eyes on you, I've never thought of anyone else. And for all these doing my assignments thingie… it was just another excuse to get closer to you," he smiled sheepishly.
"Forgive me?" he inquired softly.
Lily could only nod. She was too shocked to say anything right now. So she planted another soft kiss on James's lips, before stroking his cheek, which wasn't so red now.
"I'm so sorry…"
James silenced her with another kiss of his. And they both smiled, against the feel of each other's lips on their own.
So many times
I thought I had it in my hands
But just like grains of sand
They'll slip through my fingers
And so many nights
I asked the lord above
Please make me lucky enough
To let me find the love I need… girl
Something keeps telling me
That you could be my answered prayer
You must be heaven sent, I swear
'cause something happens when you look at me
I don't get to speak
Something happens when you kiss my mouth
My knees get so weak
Could it be true, this is what God has meant for me?
'cause baby I can't believe that something like you could happen to me
Something like you
Girl in your eyes
I feel your fire burn
Oh your secrets I will learn
Even if it takes forever
With you by my side
I don't care what tomorrow brings
As long as we're together
My heart is telling me
That you could be my meant-to-be
I know it more each time we kiss
'cause something happens when you look at me
I don't get to speak
'cause Something happens when you kiss my mouth
My knees get so weak
Could it be true, this is what God has meant for me?
'cause baby I can't believe that something like you could happen to me
Something like you
Something magical
Something spiritual
Something for the two of us alone
Something physical
Something undeniable
Nothing like anything
That I've ever known
'cause something happens when you look at me
I don't get to speak
'cause Something happens when you kiss my mouth
My knees get so weak
Could it be true, this is what God has meant for me?
'cause baby I can't believe that something like you could happen to me
Something like you
A/N: Should I end the story now? Hmm… something keeps telling me that maybe I shouldn't. But I would need reviews to encourage the writing of my next chapter. *grins evilly* So… read and review! Oh yeah, and check out the new story my cousin and I wrote together. It's "Hope Floats". D/H!!! And her account is "Bad Gurl". Thanks!