A/N: Whohoo! Two chapters in a day, and possibly a third to come! By the way, this is one of my favorite chapters so far. In this chapter, James finds himself succumbing to the list yet again and trying a love potion. Will it work? What happens if it stops working? Find out now!
Disclaimer: I own nothing... especially not Harry Potter
Happy Reading!
Way Seven: One thing never fails – ant that's a love potion.
"Do you have it?"
"Yes, yes I have it."
"You ordered it from the catalogue?"
"Yes! Now be quiet before you get us caught."
"Okay, okay! Sorry, mister sensitive. Let me have it?"
"Why?"
"I've gotta add the hairs!"
"Hairs?"
"Yes! How is the potion going to make her fall in love if it doesn't have something to refer to?"
James pulled a face as the men crept down the stairs under the invisibility cloak.
"So Lily has to drink something with my DNA in it?"
"Yup."
"Yuck."
Sirius laughed as they reached the landing, a broomstick in his hand. Clutched in James's hand was a small, pink, heart-shaped bottle containing the love potion James had ordered.
"Would you rather that I use your toenails?" Sirius asked nonchalantly, and James grimaced.
James and Sirius, both still covered by the cloak and moving so that no part of their bodies showed under the cloak, reached the landing to the girl's staircase. James suddenly felt kind of queasy, for he had a feeling that this step was probably not the best one. Not to mention that it was probably illegal. Besides, to James, Lily wouldn't really be in love – just infatuated for a brief time. Maybe, he attempted to reason with himself, when the potion wears off, she'll like me for me. James felt uneasy and prayed that everything turned out like he hoped it would. They two boys took off the invisibility cloak and let it fall to the floor.
"Here, give me the potion." Sirius commanded, and James handed over the bottle.
Sirius took the bottle and uncorked it. A funny kind of smell came from the bottle and it made James's nose tingle. Sirius took out a tiny vial and uncorked that as well, then spilled a tiny black hair onto his palm. James raised his brows at Sirius.
"How do you know that's mine?" James asked skeptically.
"Got it off your pillow," Sirius said, adding the hair to the potion and watching as it sizzled, frothed, and calmed down again.
"You know what to do," Sirius said, handing James the bottle as he corked it. "Lily told me she wakes up every night at least once and has to drink a glass of water. For this purpose, she keeps a glass of water on her bedside table."
James nodded, draped the invisibility cloak back over his shoulders, and snatched up his broom. James mounted the broom and kicked off of the ground. He flew soundlessly up the staircase and stopped to hover in front of the room James knew Lily slept in. He pointed his wand at the door, flicked it once, and the door quietly opened. James flew inside and then dismounted his broom, making sure that no alarm would go off at the touch of his feet. James took a slow, quiet breath and proceeded to attempt Step Seven.
James crept over to where Lily slept and found a glass of water on her beside table. James uncorked the bottle and dripped a single drop of the potion into the glass. The pink potion swirled around in the drink by itself before sizzling and becoming clear again. James gave a sigh of relief and then bit his lip, frantically looking around the room to make sure nobody had been stirred by his breath. James snatched up his broom and was just tiptoeing past Estella Walker's bed when he let curiosity get the better of him.
James turned around and walked back over to Lily's side and pulled back the curtains to her four-poster, ever so slowly. He stared down at her while she slept, tempted to brush a stray stand of red away from her delicate face. He smiled to himself, wondering if he would ever have a future with Lily. James certainly hoped so. With trembling fingers, James reached out to touch her face, and she stirred. James's eyes shot open and he stumbled back, almost knocking over Estella's bedside table and the glass of water perched precariously on top of it. James backed away slowly, and Lily merely rolled over. Overcome with relief again, James steadied Estella's bedside table and moved the glass of water away from the edge of the table.
James hovered out of the room on his broom, but paused before closing the door.
James mouthed the words "I love you" before closing the door as quietly as he could.
o0o0o
James awoke late, rolled out of bed, and nearly had to be dragged to his feet by Sirius. James was the type of guy to go to bed early, and he didn't like getting up early, either. Finally, James was ready, and the double act walked down to breakfast, James not feeling the slightest bit hungry. They took their normal seats and Sirius piled food onto his plate, talking about Quidditch as if last night had never happened. James, however, couldn't eat. Lily was sitting a few seats away, but had so far shown no interest in James. Maybe the potion hadn't worked, or Lily hadn't been thirsty last night. James didn't really know.
James felt someone tap him on the top of his head, and he turned around to find himself nose to nose with Estella Walker. James jumped slightly and pulled his face away from the curly-haired brunette, who was gazing at him in a most mystified way.
"Can I help you?" James asked in a professional voice.
"Oh yes!" Estella replied, fluttering her eyelashes, "James Potter, I am madly in love with you!"
Next to him, Sirius swallowed his food and his mouth dropped open. James himself was in a state of shock. He stared at the blushing Estella with a sincerely confused look upon his face. Other Gryffindors who had heard this comment turned to see what James's reply would be. James leaned back as Estella's face came closer to his, but found that he was trapped between the girl and the table. The look that James and Sirius shared said the same thing – that James had put the love potion in the wrong glass.
But that's not possible! James thought in bewilderment, I was sure that that was Lily's drink! I know it was!
"I, er, don't think you're in love with me, Estella," James said in a forced calm, "I think you just need to lay off the firewhiskey for a while, you know? You'll come around, er, I'm sure. Very soon, in fact."
Estella's bottom lip trembled and James's expression turned to one of horror.
"Oh – oh no," James muttered under his breath, and Estella exploded.
"JAMES POTTER! HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY DO THIS TO ME? I LOVE YOU, JAMES! I LOVE YOU! I CAN'T EAT, I CAN'T SLEEP! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOUUUU!"
Estella leaned forward, seized James by the front of his robes, and planted a very wet, very unwanted kiss on his lips. The whole Great Hall fell silent after Estella's outburst, with all eyes on James. James stared, dumbfounded, at Estella, who was still sobbing in front of him.
And then James felt someone grab him forcefully by the ear, knocking over Sirius's pumpkin juice in the process.
"Wha – ow!" James exclaimed as Lily forced him onto his feet, his ear held firmly between her forefinger and thumb.
"James Potter, come with me!" Lily exclaimed, and pulled him around to face the door.
People began to laugh, minus Remus, who was watching with a dark expression, Sirius, who was trying to clean his pumpkin juice off his shirt, and Estella, who looked on tearfully.
"Sirius stay – here!" James gasped, and Lily began to push him out the door.
Estella chased after them, sobbing and telling Lily to leave her beloved alone, while the other students laughed mercilessly. Lily shoved James out into the entrance hall and opened the nearest closet. She forced him inside and followed, slamming the door shut behind her and in Estella's face. Lily whipped out her wand and thought lumos, bathing a petrified James in a blinding light.
"James Potter, somehow I don't think this was a natural thing, since Estella was gawking over your buddy Sirius just yesterday. What did you do?"
James, who was feeling a tad claustrophobic in the cramped room, thought frantically of an excuse.
"I uh, er, well you see… I didn't do anything!" James finally gasped.
Lily poked him hard in the chest, her wand still pointed at his face.
"Don't lie to me, James!" Lily said sternly, "You know love potions are illegal; you could be expelled, or have your Head Boy privileges taken away."
James opened his mouth to reply, but then let out his breath and stared at his feet.
"I know," He said lamely, "I just thought that…"
James didn't continue for fear that Lily would know that he had tried to – no, he was sure he had – put the potion in Lily's drink. Lily stared at James for a moment longer before coming to a realization without James saying anything. All the while, Estella pounded on the door, yelling at Lily.
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN THERE? LET HIM OUT, EVANS!"
Suddenly, Estella fell silent and the pounding stopped. James looked up from the floor and he met Lily's eyes. Her expression was astounded.
"You – you didn't try to put it in her's –" Lily began.
James nodded once.
"In mine?"
James nodded again, closing his eyes and preparing for the detonation. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes and realized just how close their faces were. How close their lips were. Slowly, as their faces drew closer, James noticed just how pressed Lily's body was on his, though her back was to the door. James's heart was hammering in his chest and his mouth was dry. Surely they were going to kiss…
James slowly reached up a hand to touch her face as her eyelids fluttered. His hand stopped, though, when she suddenly jerked her head back, looking bemused.
"I think," Lily said softly, "I think Estella's back to normal."
"Yeah," James replied equally as quietly, though on the inside his brain was screaming in agitation.
They had been so close…
"We'd better go," Lily said, and made to back away.
Lily backed half a pace into the door, and found that she was wedged between the door and James. She blushed, apologized under her breath, and reached behind her for the door handle. She opened the door, put out her wand, and backed off so that she wasn't touching James in any way. Estella was nowhere to be seen. James, still inside the closet, laughed quietly to himself.
"Damn sexual tension," James said quietly with a small laugh, running a hand through his hair.
Lily gave an even smaller laugh, rubbed the back of her neck with uncertainty, and blushed.
"James, no more potions, alright?" Lily said in a defeated voice.
"No. Not ever," James replied.
"Good. See you around." Lily said, and turned to walk away.
"Yeah," James muttered as Lily disappeared from view, "See you around…"
A/N: Boy I do love torturing James. But don't get me wrong or anything – James is one of the coolest characters. Which makes what I have in store for him all the more interesting!
Stay tuned!
