Hey there guys, at long last here is the 3rd chapter to this ficcy. I'm sorry i took so long. Skl has restarted and i'm in serious pressure...lol i already had 2 quizes and this week i have 2 more then a test...Its a pain butits not giveing me enough time to finsih chapters as fast as i should and want too.
Anywas guys thank you for all the lovely reviews, io really appreciate it.
Um to address the reviewer who wanted to know why i put Erin in her own POV, well there is nothing wrong with that is there?LOL, I mean there are tonnes of books that has more than 2 POV's. And what Erin says is not my opinion, if u've noticed or not...all my fics are different from each other so i have different ideas and i did point out int eh begining that this is an AU fic.
Which doesn't pertain t what i think happened in the book.
Okie dokie, here you all go...chapter 3
PS. Chapter four will be out in ...well i'm sorry to say i dont know...i haven't start and wont start till maybe this wednesday and that'll only be for a half hour. Sorry
Sasha
Simply Friends
Chapter 3: The Power of Suggestion
When James had pulled Lily against him, it was obvious he hadn't been thinking properly, at least not with his brain, because what had seemed like a good idea at the time was beginning to backfire on him.
Did he think that having her this close wasn't going to affect his senses?
Of course not! That was indeed the whole point he hadn't been thinking.
In all honesty he just did the fastest thing he could think of to deter Acanthi who had the predatory look about her, and he looked forward to that they way he looked forward to his great Aunt Claudia's visit once a year—with dread and fear.
As James tried to get his hazy mind into focus, he tried not to let the scent of her affect him—really he did but trying to do so however was as about as effective mud. Breathing, which was the only way not to smell her, was something he needed to live with so that was in no way an option.
Then he did his second stupid thing because dragging her closer and whispering in her ear was another no-no he surely shouldn't have done. However, his body was more than reacting to his lack of judgement.
He was aroused and with her this close it wasn't about to go away anytime soon.
What the hell was going on?
Sure they'd never been this close but he had never had this urge to take her then and there. In the years they had been friends he'd never once had a reaction to her as intense as this, in fact even when they'd been at Hogwarts and he'd fancied himself in love with her this had never happened.
Her breasts were pressed against his chest and it was all he could do but not look there. James swallowed hard as his hand rested on her smooth waist. She really was trying to kill him by wearing this dress.
James swallowed hard; he was going to have a hard on all night if this was the case.
Just the touch of her smooth satiny skin was enough to make him more than ready to take her against the wall but his fantasies were interrupted when the witch in front of them spoke.
'Where have you been all this time?' Acanthi asked, as she took no notice of Lily.
'No where that should concern you.' James said with a fake smile and Lily leaned into his side. Some of the tension left him, his body no longer rigid but Lily couldn't help but absorb the hardness of him.
All she felt were the hard, firm muscle that had aligned itself to her and a ripple of awareness swept through her as he touched the small of her back. She had a sudden urge to pull him in a corner and ravish him until they had used up all the air in the room.
Ah. Okay. No. She shouldn't do that.
Crap. Not shouldn't; couldn't, wouldn't and can't.
Thoughts like that shouldn't be allowed to cross her mind.
Wrapping an arm around his waist Lily waited for this little scene to be over and for her to come to her senses. She needed to stop thinking about James in those terms and then for the millionth time that week wondered why Erin had made her impossible suggestions.
And that's all it was; the power of suggestion that can make a person do weird things that don't normally happen.
She would have to tell James of course, it was the only way for her to think normally, because, if he laughed it off and assured her that they were only friends then everything would be settled normally.
Looking at him she met his eyes and shifted her head for him to know she accepted the apology in them.
'Acanthi, this is Lily Evans.' James said and it was only then did the other woman look at her, glanced at more but Lily didn't particularly care, she was a snob and a prude plus she didn't mean anything.
'Oh,' she said. 'Hello, I hadn't seen you there.' She said glibly.
'I'm sure,' Lily said in an equally cool tone, then flicked a glance over at her direction for a millisecond then turned to look at James once more, place her hand on his chest. Her finger picked on a button, 'pleasure,' she said then though it was evident from her tone that it hadn't been.
James smiled at her. It was a proud smile and Lily felt little happier. She held in a laugh, she couldn't believe she was having fun even if she didn't like the woman.
'Yes well, James darling I hope you save me a dance later.'
'Sorry, I'm afraid I'm fully booked at the moment. I've promised all my dances to Lily.'
'Right,' she said then left and as soon as she did James bent and hugged Lily.
'Oh Merlin thank you so much.' He said with such relief that Lily laughed and hugged him back.
'It's not a problem, what are friends for?' she said adding the last part mainly for her benefit. 'Now what had that been about?'
'It's a horrendous story,' James said. 'One I shouldn't tell you about but I will anyway since you just about saved my life.'
Lily nodded. 'Okay.'
But before James started he suggested that they get a drink then move away from the crowd to a corner where no one could over hear.
'Acanthi and I dated a few years back when I was fifteen.'
'What?' Lily asked shocked. 'You dated a girl like her? On purpose? What were you smoking?'
James laughed ruefully. 'It wasn't of my own free will, believe me. I would have been humiliated if it was because the girl hasn't changed a lot since I'd met her then, except maybe she got bitchier. Anyway whatever the case is now she has never been or will ever be my type.'
'Then what made you go out with her?'
'An obligation,' James sighed.
Lily just looked at him and then sighed before he continued. 'My father knew hers and when Cameron Johnson asked that I escort his daughter to a thing very much like this one, my father agreed. After all, my father is way too nice to say no,' he said and glowered for a second, then smiled.
It was a little sad and it was obvious he missed his parents so Lily laughed a little, 'Oh my.'
'Yeah well,' James said wryly. 'I did and it was horrible and the worst date I've ever been on. She talked all about how it was unnecessary to get involved in charity work because we should let the poor and unfortunate work out their problems because if we the "well off" could do it over the years so could they.'
Lily was sure her face reflected the disgust she felt towards the girl of five years ago.
'Anyway I had to take her out after that as a courtesy.' James said with the same despondent tone he had used before and Lily laughed again.
'Exactly, anyway after an hour of that I made Sirius "bump" into me and drag me to something important. After that I hid at Remus's until school started and never saw her again.' He said then made a face. 'Until now.'
'Aw poor baby,' Lily said then patted him on the cheek.
'Yeah well it's because of people like her that underdeveloped villages are taking so long to take root into new and stronger magic.' He said passionately and Lily looked at him. James somehow sounded as though he saw and felt what he was talking about.
'Anyway,' James continued sounding a bit worn from his earlier conversation 'do you want to go look for your boss now?'
'Nah not yet.' She said then quieted.
From where she stood against the wall she chanced a glance at him, he was looking at her over the rim of his wine flute.
She tucked her hair behind her ears and fidgeted with her earring nervously before glancing up.
She didn't look away or even blush because she got caught looking at him. The eye contact was startling, she felt a zing from somewhere that hit her below the stomach and judging from the catch in her throat she wasn't at all sure of what she was doing.
He looked away first turning to stare at the dancers dancing a classical piece in front of them.
She wondered if he was feeling what she had been feeling all night. No he wasn't, Erin had been wrong there was nothing.
Should she tell him now or wait?
Waiting would be the coward's way out. She wouldn't because she wasn't a coward.
'James?' she said as the word finally forced its way out of her mouth.
'Yeah?' he said still looking at the dancers.
'Have you ever wondered about our years at Hogwarts?' She asked then fidgeted with her strap.
OH yeah what a great question. Way to go Evans; start with the most off question you could think off.
Lily knew she shouldn't have asked anything but it was nagging at her so she plunged on after all knowing that James definitely felt nothing other than friendship towards her would be a weight of her shoulders.
Wouldn't it?He laughed, surprised. 'What brought that question on?'
'Nothing really…but do you?'
'Well yeah I suppose I do. I mean when Remus corrects us when we do something wrong it reminds me when he had to do so when he was prefect and we were doing our best to convince him to waive the rules for us.'
'Oh.'
He didn't reply. James wasn't quite sure what Lily was trying to say but he had a feeling she would get around to it eventually. She wasn't the type of person to beat around the bush forever.
'Hey, do you want to dance?' he asked instead. Maybe she'd say something when they were dancing.
'Sure I'd like that.' She said and offered a small smile. She was preoccupied with something. That was evident be cause although she was excited about being here there was something that seemed to zone out about.
'I don't think we've danced since seventh year.' He said when he brought his arms around her.
She stiffened for a moment then looked up at him. 'You're right.'
He remembered it was before they'd started to become friends. There'd been some occasion that had called for a small dance between the 5th, 6th and 7th years and as the organizers/heads/hosts they'd had to take the first dance.
It wasn't called for but their headmaster had suggested it and at that time he had had already given up on Lily. If she wasn't interested—that's it she wasn't. He wasn't going to embarrass himself any further by hounding her and getting rejected. So he stopped and eventually they had become friends.
Why had he started thinking about that part of his past now he wondered? Then realised she had been the one to bring it up and by being with Lily like this remembering that was just a reflex memory.
The song was slow and she was closer to him than they had been all those years ago. Her head rested on his chest and her breasts were pressed up against him.
James paused, mid-thought. He wanted to kiss her.
The thought had sneaked up on him out of nowhere but he had to banish it away from his mind before he acted on the impulse.
James swallowed, okay, so he hadn't exactly forgotten his attraction towards the one Lily Evans but at least he was mature enough to know that there was a difference between an attraction and friendship.
Attraction was temporary and friendship was longest lasting relationship known to man. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted by her; friendship was the only thing he would focus on.
Lily looked away and pressed her cheek against his shoulder, two seconds later she saw her.
'James, uh, you have company.'
'What?'
'Acanthi, she's coming.' Lily said almost laughing at the panic in his voice. She could almost guess what he was thinking.
'Quick, do something.'
'Me? Why don't you, she's your ex.'
'She is not my ex…,' James said and looked past her. 'Kiss me,'
'What?' Lily asked.
'Shut up and kiss me,' he said and before Lily could splutter out a response, he dipped his head and claimed her mouth.
James knew kissing her was wrong but he'd been unable to help himself. Kissing her under the pretext of ignoring Acanthi was wrong but in all honesty even while he'd been trying to think of something else he had stared at her lips and the suggestion that she kiss him just popped out.
She kissed him back, after the initial reaction of surprise had faded. Her fingers curled around his neck and settled herself more fully into him. James couldn't seem to gather himself to want to pull away. Kissing her this way had once been a form of fantasy for him as a teenager but nothing had ever prepared him for the impact of his lips on hers.
Her lips were soft and warm and she tasted of the wine she had been nursing minutes before but there was something else, something that was uniquely her which made him want to plunge his tongue it and devour her.
At that thought he drew back, he couldn't she was just helping him out, it wouldn't be right for him to continue kissing her just to satisfy his own carnal cravings.
'She's gone,' Lily said looking past his shoulder.
'Yeah.'
A silent moment passed.
'I'm sorry,' James said. What else could he say? Saying sorry could probably be the biggest mistake a bloke could ever tell a girl but he'd said it anyway. But they were friends right so it couldn't have been anything that bad.
'Don't worry about it,' Lily said and looked up at him. She wanted to tell him now what she had been trying to for the past half hour.
'I think it's a good thing we kissed don't you?' she said and he wondered how was it a good thing.
'I mean the air is cleared and questions have been answered right?' Questions answered…right. Were there questions?
Somehow James got the feeling he was missing something. Or rather, had he spoken this thoughts out loud?
She continued after pausing for breath, 'I mean I know it was an action to get rid of Blondie but I think its safe to say that we can see it as an experiment right?'
'Yeah I suppose,' James said though when he thought about it. The kiss had no way diminished any sort of wonderings he had ever had about kissing her. In fact he wanted to do so again.
When the dance ended they found themselves against the wall in the far shadows of the Hall. They didn't speak but James knew that might not be such a bad thing.
He shoved his hand through his hair, he needed to get a grip otherwise things would be weird and not only for him and Lily but for their mates as well.
While he thought about what Lily said something finally clicked.
'What did you mean by seeing our kiss as an experiment?' James asked because unless he missed his guess he was the only one thinking about any sort of kissing.
Lily sighed. 'I was going to tell you about it but its kind of weird talking about it. I swear Erin has the weirdest ideas. She opened her big mouth last week and since then I haven't been able to think of anything else and its all her fault.'
'Why, what did she talk about?'
'I know I'm making a bigger deal out of this than it really is but it'll be peculiar you know it'll be better if everything is out in the open that way it wont matter.'
'You're not making sense you know.'
She laughed, 'I suppose not. Okay well Erin reminded me of the days at Hogwarts when you used to ask me out.'
'Really but I mean, you for one don't really need reminding of that.' He said and she was charmed to see him turn a bit red. It kind of gave her courage to admit the rest.
'Well the thing is she also reminded me that between 6th and 7th year I err sort of started to develop feelings for you.' Lily said but she didn't look at him when she said it but it was a good thing too because he felt as though he had gotten a punch to his gut.
'Then well, it is really hard to remember these things but I was you know, slightly miserable about the fact that you stopped…doing that.'
'You were?' James said breathing in a little to calm his nerves. He hadn't gotten that impression at all. In fact, her lack of emotion fuelled the need for him to quit frustrating her.
'Yeah I know, it seems unimportant now right, but you know I did sort of had feelings for you but after we became friends it all seemed to faze out so it doesn't matter.' Lily said and James believed her…to an extent that is, but what he wondered now was why she was so nervous.
Lily couldn't really believe what she was saying, that sentence just now made absolutely no sense and since she had always prided herself in her intelligent responses this was terrible.
She was repeating herself and redundancies, of course was a clear sign of babbling.
Lily sighed trying to make herself more understandable. 'What I'm trying to say is that Erin thinks that our attraction towards each other hasn't really gone away it's just been temporarily replaced by friendship.'
'I see,' James said still confused, 'and why did she tell you this now?'
'Because she feels that in this date like atmosphere we'll somehow find our attraction once again.'
'Oh.'
'Yeah, and its because she said that I've been thinking about it so I guess I sort of wanted that kiss to happen, if only to prove her wrong.' Lily told him and then tugged on the sleeve of his jacket. 'And we've proven her wrong right?'
James looked at her. After hearing all this new information he wasn't sure if he could just throw away what just happened. That kiss had been mind blowing and to just say it meant nothing would make him the biggest liar in the world, never mind that she probably just kissed him back to test out Erin's suggestion that they were still attracted to each other.
Should he deny what's been happening between them this evening? It would give them both peace of mind but the look in Lily's reflected what he felt. She was feeling what he felt and the situation was getting more complicated by the second.
So how was he going to find the will to lie to them both when they've never lied to each other before?
Please R&R
