Lily hardly slept a wink all night. She kept running that memory over and over in her head. There was no way out of admitting that she really did like him like that. Now if only she could fix her friends to not make too much fun of this entire thing, that would be good. Lily moaned and stuffed a pillow over her head, trying half-heartedly to stop thinking about James Potter. Part of her still wanted to, and she returned to that kiss over and over again. Everything about it felt right and as Lily realized that she felt her eyelids droop. A nagging little voice rang out just before she drifted off: This better not lead to someone getting hurt…
James, meanwhile, had gone almost straight to bed with a smile. The rest of the Marauders were gearing up for the full moon, which would be coming round in a few days. "Gearing up" meant sleeping, and James climbed into his covers to the sounds of Sirius and Peter snoring loudly. James couldn't stop grinning, feeling that everything was perfect. Tomorrow she'll say yes, and that'll be that…that'll be us…
Lily woke up with a groan, bleary-eyed and tired. Emmeline and Dorcas were gone while the sounds of Marlene's bathwater drizzled into the room. Lily stood up and yawned widely. She shuffled over to her trunk and rummaged around for her day's books. Lily was filling her schoolbag when Marlene waltzed into the bedroom, wearing a towel and smelling like daisies.
"Morning Lily. S'all yours," she remarked with a wave of her hand. Lily rubbed her eyes fiercely with her fists. She was just grabbing her shampoo when she sniffed the air.
"Marlene, are you wearing scent?" Marlene turned white, pink, red, and purple as she ducked down to gather up her robes.
"It's just lotion that I got as a gift. Why, d'you think it's bad?"
"It smells lovely but why? Want to make a…good impression on someone?" Marlene's curly head snapped up with nervous eyes.
"I…just felt like it this morning, that's all. And you'd better go fast in there or we'll be late for breakfast." Lily sighed; Marlene was still hiding something.
Fifteen minutes later, both girls entered the common room. There were a few people mulling around inside—no sign of their friends or the Marauders—and most of them were crowded around a bulletin board. They went over.
"Hogsmeade in a week!" cried Marlene delightedly. "Hoping James will ask you Lily?"
"C'mon," Lily muttered, rubbing her head. "I just want to eat this morning…"
At breakfast, James strode in with Sirius on his right and Remus on his left, smiling broadly as he explained everything to Peter. Sirius could hardly believe that James had scored, and on patrol of all places.
"You and Evans are an item now, Prongs?" asked Sirius for a third time.
"I told you Padfoot, we just snogged, that's all. I'm planning on making her go with me to Hogsmeade, and then we'll be an item."
"Nice luck, James," said Remus, scanning the Dining Hall. "No sign of them."
"Must still be dreaming of Prongs—" James punched Sirius in the arm for this comment, although he was unable to contain his grin.
"So how're you gonna ask her, James?" asked Peter as the boys took their seats. James shrugged.
"As it comes to me. Haven't thought about that bit much yet…" Sirius gestured with his fork, mouthful of eggs.
"Well," he swallowed, to disgusted looks from Remus and James, "you'd better start, because here she comes."
Lily and Marlene were hurrying into the Great Hall and joined Dorcas, who was reading a letter. James noticed that Lily acted frazzled and slightly disoriented. She was still beautiful, with all of that soft, freefalling hair and those plump lips that had felt so good—
Sirius kicked him, having the indecency to look pleased as James was irritably broken out of his thoughts. Remus was looking over at Lily's group too and hadn't seemed to have noticed. Peter was gazing from James to Lily and back.
"Padfoot, could you be more of a git?"
Sirius smiled smugly.
"Yes. And no one is going Evans chasing until they've had their breakfast. You've got all day to stalk her, while we've got to scheme for Moony's favorite day—" Sirius earned himself a glare from Remus, which he ignored. James sighed and tore his eyes away from Lily, who was listening as a chuckling Dorcas gestured to the Ravenclaw table and the empty seat of Caradoc Dearborn.
"Eating or Lily, it's a hard choice, Lily or food…"
"Here, I'll make it for you." Sirius dumped a pile of sausages on James' plate, snatching the food from the grasp of a second year. "We've got first class with them anyway, Transfiguration with McGonagall."
"Transfiguration, eh?" asked James suddenly with a glint in his eye. "That's given me a plan…"
"Eat," suggested Remus. "We've got to be off soon." Just then, Lily, Marlene, and Dorcas stood up. James shot up immediately, followed by Remus and then Peter. Sirius sighed and stood up laconically.
"Let's just get this over with…"
But James didn't hear his best friend as he hurried after Lily, skidding into the hallway and Severus Snape before continued after the bobbing head of red hair. Snape's book went flying and he scowled. Sirius sneered and Remus tried to look apologetic as they ran after James. Peter, panting behind, didn't know what was going on at all.
"Lily!" James waved, catching up with her finally. Dorcas and Marlene turned to look at him, Dorcas highly amused and Marlene giggling.
Lily froze, stricken with terror. All of the doubts she had assuaged last night roared to life and she instantly became so nervous that she nearly dropped her bag I have to get over this. He doesn't hate me and nothing will go wrong. Right. Got it.
"Yes, James?" she replied. Lily started walking as Sirius and Remus showed up next to James, Peter Pettigrew lagging paces after. James fell beside her in an easy stride.
"I was wondering if my new friend wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me. It's official this morning and everything," he said with a wink.
"I, er—"
"Come on, Evans," said Sirius. "He's not that bad and we'll be at this all day if you don't."
"'Not that bad?' Hogsmeade? Have a thing for your best mate, Black?" teased Dorcas good-naturedly. Lily knew she was trying to ease the tension and silently wished Dorcas a happy life with many children. Sirius peered down his nose.
"Dorcas, the last time I checked I was going out with…er…someone, but that someone was definitely a girl." Dorcas shrugged.
"Just saying. And perhaps you'd remember her name better if you weren't such a dandy—" Sirius pinched her lightly on the arm. Dorcas laughed.
"So?" asked James eagerly. "Look, I'll prove it to you that it's a good idea." James pulled out his wand and pointed it at Lily's bracelet. Lily found herself holding a hound puppy that squeaked, "Please go to Hogsmeade with me." Sirius laughed as Lily dumped the pooch into Marlene's arms and ran. All around her objects began changing into wide-eyed puppies—shoulder bags and quills and spare bits of litter—that whined things like "Say yes!" and "Pleeeease?" Laughing, Lily dove into the Transfiguration room just as a small army of terriers, hounds, dalmations, spaniels, and nifflers caught up with her, barking and begging. Professor McGonagall eyed the intrusion.
"Miss Evans, what—" James Potter entered, holding another cocker spaniel puppy that peeped, "Pleasey, pleasey?" The other Gryffindors came in behind him, laughing their heads off.
"Ah, I see. Potter. Although that is a nice bit of Transfiguration, would you mind removing Miss Evans' new suitors from my classroom? We, I am afraid, have things to do that do not involve a visit to Hogsmeade." James zapped his last dog (a frilly poodle) as a voice cried from outside,
"Oy! Prang, where'd your shoe go?"
"It…it ran off mate!" The entire Transfiguration class tittered. Professor McGonagall sighed and turned to James.
"Potter, did you just turn that first year's shoe into a poodle?" James gave McGonagall what he obviously thought was a winning smile.
"Only because I wanted to ask you to Hogsmeade, Professor." Several members of the class snorted loudly. "I mean Lily's real great and all, but—"
"Enough of your nonsense, Potter," she snapped wearily, although she didn't seem particularly mad. "Fix this lot and leave them outside the classroom, and I hope I won't you be doing mischief like this in the future, though I know that ship's already sailed…"
"No, Professor, of course not." James waved his wand and the puppies changed back into school supplies and one brown shoe. McGonagall rolled her eyes and tossed the footwear out the door as the last students entered the class. Marlene handed Lily her bracelet and took a place next to Dorcas. Emmeline and Caradoc were standing on the other side of the room (Emmeline grinning cheekily at Lily) and Sirius and Remus were standing together. Pettigrew was partnering with a Slytherin, a mousy boy by the name of Wilkes. Lily heaved a sigh and set her stuff down next to James, an action she knew he had planned.
"So, is that a yes?" he whispered as she sat down. Lily's heart hammered and she gazed up at him.
"That's a yes, Potter," agreed Lily quietly. James' face broke into jubilation and he punched the air.
"Yes!"
"Potter," barked McGonagall. "I am glad to see that you have managed to brainwash Miss Evans, but the rest of us aren't so charmed. I notice your book isn't open to the proper chapter."
James cracked open his book, his face still glowing, and Lily immediately felt rather happy too. Just as McGonagall began the lesson, he leaned over and said in her ear,
"You won't regret it, Lily. Not one jot." Lily's face flushed and she smiled back tentatively while the class began their note-taking.
Another fluffish chapter. Dunno I'll be able to keep it up; the next chapter deals will Remus and pre-Hogsmeade. I'm sorry if the whole "puppy incident" was out-of-line with the story, but I just had that image in my head and couldn't get rid of it! Thanks for your encouragements.