A/N: 300 hits! Amazing! And thanks for all the reviews guys… this chapter should have more action, the last chapter was just Lily explaining, so everyone knew that she didn't hate James anymore. Anyways... review!
"So, Lily," started James as we exited through the portrait hole, "where do you want to patrol tonight?" I can just tell by the way he said that that he's hoping that I'll say the inside of a broom closet or something. HA! Not today, Potter, my friend. It's time to use some of Andra's guy advice… oh wait… hers was horrible… I was going to tell her that wasn't I? I'm really not following through with my mental notes, am I? Note to self: follow through with 'note to self"… notes.
"Oh, I'm not sure," I say casually. "Where do you want to patrol, James?" He grins. Gosh. My guy advice would be way better than Andra's. I should seriously write a book. Or get a newspaper column.
"Well…" said James, with an evil grin. Uh-oh. "I was thinking we could go through some of the secret corridors--- you know, the ones hidden behind tapestries and walls--- and see if there's anyone in there." Why would anyone be in there? Who even knows about those, anyway? I thought they were just a myth… He's planning something, I know it. Hmm. I doubt it'll be anything bad, he wouldn't want me back on his bad side.
I eye him suspiciously. "All right," I say finally. "Lead the way." Beaming, James drags me down the hall, pulls back a tapestry of what looks like a goblin crusade, and leads me up to… a wall.
"Ladies first, Lily," says James, gesturing towards the wall.
You have got to be kidding me. I am not walking into a wall! "Wha--- no!" I say.
"Come on, Lily, just go at a run and it'll be fine!" Okay. Maybe James is insane. It could be the lack of sleep, which does addle with your brain. This school never considered our mental health when they set these early hours, I've said it once, and I'll say it again! But back to the point. I am not running into a wall. I like my face this way, thank you very much.
James is observing me. He crosses his arms, saying, "Come on, Lily. Would I really do something to hurt you?" Hmm… the word "yes" comes to mind. It's not like you haven't before… but I guess, that was the old James, and this is the new James. So no, I don't think he'd do anything to hurt me… well, I hope he wouldn't.
"Alright. But do I have to run?"
James smiles. "Well, no, you don't have to." He pauses. "Here, take my hand"--- he offers me his arm---"and we can go together." I take his arm. We back up until our backs are up against the other edge of the corridor. "Ready?" he says. I nod. "Go!" We sprint towards the wall--- four feet to go--- three, I'm going to hit it for sure!--- two, good god, I'll miss my face!--- one, AH POTTER HOW COULD I LET YOU RAKE ME INTO THIS, YOU'RE SO--- oh.
We made it. We're in this superbly furnished room, with red couches, and a high ceiling with the most beautiful golden chandelier I have ever seen. This is… amazing. God, James is such a liar. This is not a passageway.
James was watching me. "You like it?" he grins.
"It's--- wonderful," I say quietly. "How did you ever come across this?"
"Oh, me, Sirius, Remus, and Peter know this castle back to front," he says, waving his hand casually. "Would you like a drink, Lily?" I notice a cart with drinks and desserts on it--- this place has everything. Gosh, I wish I knew the castle back to front. I only learned where Dumbledore's office was the other day. Pitiful, I know.
James plopped down onto a couch with two mugs of hot chocolate. "Here," he said, waving one at me. I plopped down right next to him (I mean, his was more of just a sat down, but mine was a true plop. HA! Beat that, Potter).
"Mmm," I say, "this hot chocolate is delicious!"
James grins. He seems to be doing that a lot lately. "So, Lily," he said, leaning back. "I'm really enjoying these patrols with you."
"I really like them too," I mumble. Why did I have to go red now? Why? James smiles even wider (it that's possible) and puts his mug down on a coffee table that I swear wasn't there five seconds ago. I follow suit (just making sure it isn't a mirage or something (it's not by the way (unless I'm miraging that it's not a mirage (wow I really need to stop these quadruple parenthesis's, they're going a little overboard, I must say)))).
James continues smiling, and puts his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in closer. "I'm glad," he whispered. And here we were again, our faces mere inches apart. Nothing could go wrong this time. James leaned in, and paused, his mouth now about a centimeter from mine. What the heck is this about! I'm about to lean in to close the gap when--- the impossible happens.
A snogging Sirius and Eliza burst into the room, making a big commotion and apparently not paying much attention to what they were doing. James and I instinctively look up. "Oy!" yells James. "Sirius, what are you doing here? I told you I might be coming here tonight!" Sirius was obviously too into his activity to notice that someone was talking to him, so James went up and punched him hard on the back.
Sirius reluctantly pulled away. "What is it?" he asked grumpily.
James looked too appalled for words. "Told you! Coming here! Me and Lily! Tonight"
Understanding dawned on Sirius's fate. "Ohh," he said sheepishly. "Right. Well, you guys don't seem to be too close to anything serious"--- he laughed at his pun ---"so I think Eliza and I will stay here, and you too can go out into the corridor to continue your"--- he coughed ---"duties." Expecting him to be angry and protest against this, I looked up at James. Surprisingly, he had turned faintly pink. I wonder what this is about?
"Alright," agreed James. "Lily? Let's let these two get back to... whatever they were doing."
"Okay," I said. Eliza beamed at me, and James and I turned to go. "I wonder what that was about?" I asked as we exited, hoping to get answers as to why James had blushed. Yes, James Potter. Blushed.
"Er, I don't know." He is such a bad liar. You would think he'd be skilled at that from all his pranks, but nope, he's not. Not around me, at least. Maybe I give off some strange aura that makes people bad liars. Hey, it's a possibility.
James checked his watch. "It's getting late," he said. "I guess we should just… head back," he said half half-heartedly and half disgustedly, as if the idea of returning to the dormitories was appalling.
"All right," I said, and he looked surprised. HA! I bet this is just torturing him, missing two opportunities in a row to snog someone he's liked for years. It's torturing me, too, mind, but I'd like to think I have more self-control.
He stopped outside the portrait hole expectantly. Mwahaha. I'm evil. Pretending not to notice, I gave the password to the Fat Lady, and stared back at James, who was standing there looking shocked. Gosh, you come close to kissing a guy twice and he's so expectant. Jeez. "Coming?" I ask, holding back a laugh. That look on his face is priceless.
"I guess," he grunted. He walked me over to the girl's staircase.
"Tomorrow at 9:30, then," I said cheerfully. He gave a strange sort of grunt. God, he's acting like he missed out on some big treat! I'm not that great of a kisser… I bet he'll be disappointed when our lips finally meet (which, between Filch, Sirius, and Eliza, is highly unlikely). I gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, and turned to walk up the stairs.
Maybe tomorrow.
…
A/N: Well there you go! I got so mad when Sirius and Eliza came in right at that moment, and then I remembered that I was the one that made them do that, ha. Sorry I've been putting off the "moment" for so long, I'm just planning some really special or… original… way to have it happen. Still in the planning stage, though, but I'm pretty sure it'll be next chapter.
I heard that we weren't supposed to talk back to our reviewers anymore? But they don't really seem to be enforcing that so…
aurora-sakura--- Yeah, it
usually is the guy that does that to the girl, but… I
couldn't think of anything else. Haha. I wanted her to have liked
James for a long time, so these feelings weren't coming completely
out of the blue.
Eliniel--- Thanks for telling me that the
anonymous reviewers couldn't--- review. Haha. I didn't even know
that I had set it like that; I'm not much of a computer whiz if you
couldn't tell…
Thanks to all the reviewers! Keep… reviewing!
