RRRring!
The screechy sound of Lily's alarm clock was a noise that Lily was accustomed to & usually ignored.
That morning was no exception.
The alarm sounded & Lily mumbled lazily, slapping her hand over her bed-side table blindly; an attempt to hit the snooze button. The goose-down covers felt so warm and comfortable and her pillow so soft.
Lily could barely even imagine dragging herself up & trudging down to the great hall. Finally, it was Andie who woke her up by the means of water, Sounds of the Wild, vigorous shaking and screaming. Lily was thankful to have a friend like Andie.
At quarter to eight, they both, along with a chirpy Gen made their way to the great hall for some breakfast. Lily's stomach directed herself to the bacon and eggs were located. It directed her right towards James.
Lily, honestly felt like growling at her stomach then.
James didn't look different from what he usually looked. He wore the same lopsided grin he always wore along with his Hogwarts robe. He twirled his wand repeatedly, although, Lily could tell, he wished it was a snitch.
"hello, Potter," Lily had meant it as a sneer, but this time the good Lily had won out.
James cleared his throat. "Listen, Evans," he began, guilt creeping into his voice. "I deserved the slap-" James flinched.
"That's right you did!" Lily replied shortly.
James looked down at his feet. Something, Lily was sure, he usually never did.
James gulped. "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
Lily narrowed her eyes.
"I almost feel like slapping you again, Potter, you snivelling pig-"
Something flickered in James's eyes.
"Snivelling-that's Snivellus Snape's job-not me,"
Lily's eyes hardened even further.
"Snape has more decency than could ever have, Potter-"
Lily turned on her heel, ready to stalk off again.
"Wait!" James suddenly called, desperately.
And Lily waited. Maybe James had come to his senses.
"Will you go out with me?"
Lily had no other option to tape his mouth shut. Literally.
"You really are surprising me these days," Andie told Lily in a slightly awe-struck voice, as she flipped to another page of her heavy volume of 'Rune Decipherer' .
"I saw the jinx on James and knew only you would have pulled that off-" Gen said, from the library shelves as she replaced a book.
Lily, Gen and Andie were seated in the corner of the library, each hoping to complete the heaps of homework that lay before them.
"And you know what he says in the end?" asks Lily incredulously, unfurling a thick roll of parchment. "'Will you go out with me?' Honestly, he is so irksome and a bit touched in the head-that's when I jinxed him."
To her surprise, both Andie and Gen burst out laughing.
"Oh, Lily…" Andie cried, treating Lily like a clueless child.
"What?" Lily replied.
'When has James Potter had a conversation with you when he has not asked out?" Gen said in a wistful whisper.
"And you should accept," said Andie suddenly, her grey eyes alight with excitement.
"Excuse me?" Lily exclaimed, wondering, perhaps if she had heard incorrectly.
"Oh for goodness sake…she taped his mouth shut! If I were him I would get the hint by now," Gen smirked an uncharacteristic smirk.
Lily smiled as well, dipping her quill in ink, preparing to write the next portion of Professor Slughorn's potions essay.
"You're being ridiculous, Andromeda."
Andie shot Lily a withering glance.
"Do it. Tonight. You have head-boy and head-girl duties, right?"
Lily shuddered. How it was possible that James was ever made head-boy still frazzled her.
"You're crazy, Andie. I'm not going to accept." Lily replied tersely, scratching out a few 'Slughorn friendly' words onto her parchment.
Andie frowned.
"Don't be silly, Lily Evans. Date him. Humour him. Humiliate him. Dump him. Simple. Revenge."
"-is sweet!" chirped Gen.
Lily's jaw dropped.
"You must be joking!" she finally managed.
"It's brutal. It's got to be done."
Andie responded matter-of-factly.
"James will never buy it." Lily finally said, relief flooding through her at that point.
Gen played with her dull brown hair. "Lily, he's in love with you. He'll buy anything."