Stag and Flower
Chapter 3: New Rooms
After the start of term feast, Professor McGonagall walked up to James with Lily behind her.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter. I hope you had a good vacation. I would like to speak to the Heads for a moment. Follow me, please," she said walking out of the Great Hall.
"After you," James said to Lily. She pushed passed James and caught up with Professor McGonagall. James stood there for a moment before he ran up behind them. The trio walked to a corridor on the fifth floor and stopped by a blank wall. James and Lily stood facing Professor McGonagall as she began.
"As you already know you have been made Head Girl and Boy. You will patrol every night until midnight, beginning tomorrow. Since the attacks have become more frequent lately, you will patrol together. No exceptions. No student is to be out of bed after 9:30 p.m. or before 5:30 a.m. No exceptions. During the day, no student is to be walking alone, as Professor Dumbledore said at the feast. You are to inform any lonely student to please find a friend to walk to classes with. Understood?" Professor McGonagall paused then continued. "Good. Now you will be required to stay at Hogwarts during both the Christmas and Easter holidays. I'm sure you have already informed your families. You will also be planning prefect meetings, Hogsmeade trips, graduation, and the Graduation Ball. Furthermore, you will no longer be staying in Gryffindor tower. Blueberry buttercups," she said turning to the brick wall.
A large wooden door appeared in the middle of the wall. Professor McGonagall opened it revealing the large Heads' common room. It was almost identical to the Gryffindor common room only slightly smaller with fewer tables and couches. A blazing fire roared in the brick fireplace. On the mantle sat different pictures of Lily and James and their families. It was very homey and very comfortable.
"Your new common room. Ms. Evans, your bedroom, bathroom, and balcony are to the left. Mr. Potter, yours are to the right. Good night," Professor McGonagall said. Lily opened her mouth in protest but before she could speak her professor was gone. Lily turned to James, who had a cocky smirk on his face.
"So we're living with each other. This should be a fantastic year," he said.
"We are not living together and this is going to be a horrible year," she spat. Lily turned on her heel, walked into her bedroom, and slammed the door. She closed her eyes and sat on the floor against the door.
"How could I have been so stupid? Alice told me she moved into a different dorm when she became Head Girl. Why didn't I remember?" Lily thought to herself as she banged her head on the door. Alice Turner had been one of Lily's best friends although she was a year older. She had been chosen to be Head Girl the previous year.
When she opened her eyes, Lily forgot all about James Potter. She slowly scanned her new bedroom in complete awe. The walls were lavender as was the soft carpet. All of the furniture was wooden but painted white. Against one wall stood a large canopy bed covered in white and lavender pillows. Written on the white down comforter, in purple calligraphy, were her initials, LSE. A thin curtain with tiny white flowers surrounded the bed. Against the wall opposite the door, were a white wardrobe and a vanity with a mirror. Lily walked over and found all of her clothes already hung up and all her makeup in the drawers. Beside the vanity was a door that led to the bathroom. Lily forgot to check it out, however, when she saw a large bookcase beside the door leading to the common room. Every shelf was filled with her favorite books and the books she'd always wanted to read but could never find. Beside the bookcase, was a desk with quills, rolls of parchment and more books. Directly in front of the bed were two French doors leading to the balcony. Lily walked out and breathed in the night air. She could see the school grounds, Hagrid's hut, and Hogsmeade.
She walked back into her room and opened the door to her bathroom. She nearly fell backwards at the sight in front of her. The bathroom was almost as big as her bedroom and was covered in marble. There was a tub twice the size of hers at home and a shower with a clear glass door. There were lilies in vases hung all over the walls. The cabinet under the sink held towels, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and bath bubbles, beads, and oils.
Lily quickly stripped down, grabbed a bottle of bubbles, and began running the bath water. As she soaked in the suds, she thought about the coming year. "This year won't be that bad," she thought to herself.
James winced as Lily slammed her door. He turned and walked into his own room. He closed his eyes and sat on the floor against the door. When he opened his eyes he was amazed at what he saw.
A king-sized, mahogany, four-poster bed stood against one wall. It donned a red comforter with red silk pillows. Embroidered in the center of the comforter in gold block letters were his initials: JEP. On the far wall were two doors: one leading to the bathroom and one leading to the closet. He turned to see a glass case standing a few feet away from the door he had just come in from. He could tell it was dedicated to his Quidditch history. His top-of-the-line broomstick was on the top shelf. His Quidditch robes were hung up neatly beside it. There were trophies from his previous years at Hogwarts. Three quaffles, all signed by famous Quidditch teams, sat on the third shelf. But the object that stood out the most for James was a plaque that said, "Harold Potter: Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and Chaser." Thinking about his father made James tear up.
"Pull yourself together, Potter. Marauders don't cry," he thought to himself. He walked out onto the balcony and looked over the school grounds. It was silent and James found it quite peaceful. He turned to go back inside but something caught his eye. Lily was standing on her balcony, her eyes shut, her beautiful red hair whipping in the wind behind her. He stood there staring at her.
"I wonder if she knows how beautiful she is," he thought to himself. When she walked back into her room, James snapped back to reality. He stepped back into his room and over to the bathroom. He opened the door and stepped into a gold covered room. He stripped down and stepped into the shower. As he stood there, dripping, he thought, "This is the year I get Lily. I can feel it."
Both the Head Girl and Boy climbed into bed an hour later, completely happy.
