Author's Note:
Hey Everyone, hope all is well :) This chapter is somewhat the result of this story having a mind of it's own as I never intended for it to end up the way it did...though it still goes along splendidly with my outline! To Igneus Pride this chapter and the next one should satisfy my including Snape more. I had already planned it that he would play a larger role in this chapter and even more so in the next one, so lucky you huh?
I've been posting the summary, chapter title and approximate posting date for the upcoming chapters on my profile lately so if anyone has an interest in reading a general outline of what the next chapter will entail, feel free to check it out!
As usual Pleas Please Please Review! and feel free to leave me messages as well :)
Hope you all enjoy and here goes
Chapter 10
A Quarrel and Quidditch Robes
Things rapidly returned to normal between Lily and James. Sirius, unable to hold in his pride at having concocted the perfect plan to reconcile the two friends, had admitted to them both that he had staged the whole drunken confession scene for Lily's benefit and to everyone's surprise she had just laughed jovially and elbowed Sirius in the ribs.
The match between Gryffindor and Slytherin was set for Saturday, March nineteenth and James was in quidditch overdrive, running Sirius and the rest of his team ragged. It got so bad that Alice ended up shouting at James over breakfast for stealing all Frank's time. Lily had mediated and James had reluctantly agreed to ease up on the team… a little.
The Saturday of the game dawned bright and sunny and Lily sighed at having to put on the shirt Marlene had made her.
She made her way with Dorcas and Marlene down to breakfast and found James had saved her a seat next to him. She took it willingly and smiled at him as he listened to his team breakdown how the Slytherins played for what had to be the hundredth time. He seemed like he was more anxious and antsy than usual so she decided to try and ease his nerves a little.
"Good luck today." She told him piling her plate with pancakes.
"No waffles with strawberries on top?" He smirked seeing her food selection.
"Nah, it seems like a pancakes kind of day." She responded mock seriously.
"And what sort of day is a pancakes day?"
"Better than a waffles, but not as good as a French toast sort of day." She replied cheekily.
James just chuckled and passed her the bacon, which she took thankfully.
"So what sort of day is a French toast day then?" He asked curiously.
Lily smiled her eyes going dreamy, "French toast days are the absolute best. They are the kind of days that only come around every once in awhile."
"How do you know if it's a French toast day? I mean the day has only just started when you eat breakfast."
Lily shrugged.
"It's just a feeling I get. Just like I know today is a pancakes day."
James opened his mouth to ask her another question but he was distracted by Gideon asking him if he was ready to go. Lily watched his eyes widen as he realized that it was already time for him to make his way out to the pitch.
"Very smooth Evans." He said smiling brightly and standing to follow his team out of the great hall.
Lily smiled to herself as she tucked into her big stack of pancakes.
*****
"Come on, I had that third year Kresley Anderson save us seats." Alice chirped leading Lily and her friends toward a large group of scarlet and gold in one of the boxes.
Lily followed along chatting happily when she heard a voice call out.
"Lily!"
She turned to find herself looking at Jason Potter who stood two rows up with his wife. Lily waved and headed toward them, somewhat nervously.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Potter. It's nice to see you both again."
"You as well dear," Charlotte answered with a smile. "We decided to come and surprise James and Sirius today. I'm sure they'll be just thrilled to see us."
Lily smiled at her sarcastic tone.
"Actually I'm sure they'll be really pleased you both could come watch them play."
"We weren't sure if we would make it," Jason put in lightly, "So we didn't want to tell them we'd be here and then not be able to come."
"I underst…ow!" Lily turned when she felt an elbow lodge itself in her back.
She turned to see Alice and Marlene looking at her guiltily. They had apparently tried to get as close as possible to Lily while she spoke with James' dad.
"For Merlin's sake!" She scolded quietly. "Can you please get ahold of yourselves?"
"Sweet Slytherin he's beautiful." Alice whispered in fascination.
"I told you," Marlene said trying to see around her two friends. "Hello Mr. Potter it's lovely to see you again!"
Lily heard James' mother chuckle lightly as Jason replied, "It's nice to see you again as well Marlene. It's been awhile. I believe the last time I saw you you were around ten."
"Well I'm all grown up now." Marlene practically purred while grinning cheekily at him.
Lily groaned and shoved at her friends.
"Go…seriously, just go sit down…" She hissed pushing at them.
They went reluctantly, laughing at their own audacity and shooting James' dad appreciative looks over their shoulders.
Lily turned back around.
"Well I um…I suppose I should go take my seat as well. The match will probably start soon."
"Of course dear. It was lovely seeing you. Perhaps we'll be able to talk some more after the match?"
Lily nodded not really sure of how she felt about spending time with James' parents.
"Sure. I'll see you both once Gryffindor wins." She said smirking and heading off to take her seat in the front row of the box with her friends.
She scowled at Marlene and Alice.
"What?" Marlene chuckled innocently. "Oh, like you could resist if he weren't James' dad. The man positively oozes sexiness."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Oh come on Lils just admit it. The man is positively scrumptious." Alice joined in.
"Ya and that's coming from the woman who is without a doubt in love with Frank Longbottom." Marlene teased.
Lily grinned at Alice's telling blush.
"Speaking of which Ms. Prewett, have you told Mr. Longbottom about this new development?" Lily prodded as she removed her sweater, the weather being warmer than she had anticipated.
"You mean have I said the three magic words guaranteed to make a guy run as fast as he can in the opposite direction? Absolutely not, I happen to like Frank and I'd prefer to keep him around a bit longer."
"Alice please, you know he loves you too. You guys can barely keep your hands off of each other and it hasn't even been two months yet. The boy is totally smitten with you. I'd say you got your wish." Marlene put in.
"What are you on about?" Alice asked her frowning in confusion.
"Just that you were all in a tizzy over how absolutely devoted to Lily that James was at the beginning of the year, well I'd say you got what you wanted because Frank Longbottom is without a doubt hopelessly in love with you."
Alice smiled shyly.
"Do you really think so?"
Her friends nodded and then shared a laugh over the dreamy look that appeared on Alice's face as the commentary for the game began.
Forty minutes later an all out war was going on in the air.
"FOUL!" Lily shouted angrily as Antonin Dolohov slammed into James without even the pretense of going for the quaffle.
"Look on the bright side Lily they've given James fifty points in fouls alone so far this game." Marlene said her voice filled with irritation at the dirty game the Slytherin's were putting on.
"Come on Frank!" Alice shouted. "Show those bloody cheaters what's up!"
Frank responded, whether he heard Alice or not, by making a spectacular save.
The game continued to be a rough one and Lily knew that her friends were probably going to be pretty bruised up by the time they walked off the quidditch pitch.
"Look!" Marlene finally shouted. "There goes Gideon, he's seen the snitch!"
Lily watched as Gideon dove down suddenly toward the pitch and a moment later pulled up looking triumphant with a sparking gold ball in his hand.
The crowd cheered wildly and began to make their way out of the stadium.
Lily got separated from her friends in the crush and found herself suddenly grabbed by one of the last people she wanted to see.
****
James turned at the tap on his shoulder.
"Great game kiddo." James' dad told him grinning like mad.
"Yes James you were great up there!" His mom put in, not to be outdone by her husband.
James hugged them happily.
"What are you guys doing here? I didn't know you were coming!"
"We wanted to surprise you. Especially since we weren't positive we'd make it." Charlotte answered.
"Well I'm glad you did. It was a good match. We only won by a hundred and seventy points, if Gideon hadn't got the snitch when he did the match could have gone either way," James replied.
He continued to talk to his parents animatedly about the game and about school until he was interrupted by Marlene tugging on his arm.
"You haven't seen Lily have you?" She asked curiously.
James shook his head.
"She's not with you guys?"
Marlene shook her head.
"We got separated in the crush. Everyone was so excited to get down onto the pitch that we lost her somewhere. I thought she'd catch up to us when we found Dorcas but no such luck. I just thought you might have seen her."
James frowned.
"Do you want me to help you look for her?"
"That's okay. Just let her know I was looking for her if you see her would you?"
He agreed still frowning as Marlene walked off.
"Lost your girlfriend already have you?" Jason teased.
James flushed, "You know she's not my girlfriend."
"I don't know about that. She seemed to like you quite a bit that day in Diagon Alley. And you certainly impressed her with your Christmas present."
"Neither of those things makes her my girlfriend." James insisted.
"Well come on, before this debate gets out of hand, lets head up to the castle, we have time to eat with you and visit some more before we go." Charlotte smiled and looped her arms into those of her son and husband steering them toward the castle.
They were near the doors to the castle when James heard the distinct voice of Lily Evans. He'd recognize that tone of hers anywhere, she definitely wasn't happy.
He moved toward it, unknowingly steering his parents that way as well.
Lily was standing against the castle wall as Severus Snape towered over. They were in one of the small courtyard's that lay around the castle.
"…can't believe you'd make such a fool of yourself over that prat!" Snape hissed.
"I'm not making a fool of myself over anyone. And it's none of your business Sev. I've told you before what I do isn't your concern anymore." She bit back scathingly.
"Lily please…you know that was an accident. I didn't mean to…"
"To what?" She retorted hotly when he hesitated. "To call me a Mudblood? To treat me like I was beneath you when your friends were around and then turn around and want to be best friends again when they were gone?"
"I didn't mean to hurt you. You know that." Snape insisted, reaching out and putting his hands on Lily's upper arms.
"Stop it Sev." She insisted shrugging away from him. "I already told you, I can't do this. I can't be your secret friend. We are either friends, or we aren't. There's no in between. If we are friends there's no pretending not to know each other in front of Black and Avery and Mulciber and the rest of that lot. And there's no more Death Eater garbage from you."
Snape stiffened at her words.
"You don't know what you are talking about Lily. He's going to gain more and more power either way and right now you are choosing the wrong side."
"What choice do I have Sev?" She fumed. "He wants to do away with people like me. You know, us Mudbloods. I refuse to bow down or go along with someone who thinks I'm less of a person or less of a witch due to the nature of my birth."
"Lily I…it's not like I have much choice in the matter…"
"Bullshit. There's always a choice and right now, just like before, you are choosing to go along with someone who might one day like nothing more than to see me dead. And the truly horrible thing is…that even though you aren't okay with that, you're going to do it anyway, aren't you?"
Silence met her words and Lily pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes and James realized she was crying.
"You know Sev, James may not have always been the nicest guy, and he may have done things that I didn't approve of or even tolerate…but he wouldn't sit here and look at me like you are right now, and then turn around and join up with the sort of people who'd like to have me killed."
"No instead he looks at you like he owns you or something!" Snape spat at her his eyes going cold at the mention of James. "Like he's two steps away from shagging you and turning you into the stupid slag everyone already thinks you are!"
James heard a resounding crack and he realized that Lily had slapped Snape. He decided he'd had enough.
Snape's hand rubbed his cheek as he mumbled, "I'm sorry I didn't…"
"Lily." James interrupted breaking away from his parents and moving closer to her.
She looked up noticing him for the first time.
"James," She said in surprise, "I…"
"We were just looking for you. Marlene was worried when she didn't see you on the pitch." He put in trying to sound as calm as possible for her sake.
"Oh…yea. We got separated. I was just…" she looked up at Snape sadly and still somewhat angrilly. "…just saying goodbye to Sev."
James waited while Lily stared at Snape, the tears rolling down her cheeks. He forced himself to stay put while she waited for her former best friend to say or do something. She looked at Snape hopefully, while James fought a war with himself not to move forward and take her away from him.
"So that's it then?" Lily said quietly.
When Snape still remained quiet Lily sniffed sadly and moved to walk toward James. That was when Snape reached out and pulled her to him, his arms looped about her holding her flush against him.
"Lily please just…let's talk about this. I can't..."
James balled his hands into fists and watched as Lily stiffened.
"Stop it Sev. Just stop. I think we've said all we can say."
"Lily I just…I can't. I can't just let it all go."
She took a shaky breath and, planting her hands on his chest, pulled herself free of his hold.
"I think you know I can't just keep on like this either. I'm…I'm going now…"
"With him?" Snape asked through gritted teeth his tone flat.
Lily wiped her face once more.
"Yes. With him."
She stared at him decidedly for a second more before walking away to stand next to James.
He reached out and took her hand. He waited as she took a few shaky breaths then fell into step with her and headed back the way he had come. As they moved away James knew without a doubt that Snape was watching them intently as they walked away hand in hand.
They made it to where his parents stood waiting and James smiled through his worry over how Lily was feeling.
"Well I found her."
Lily looked up at them flushing crimson.
"I suppose you caught most of that too then?" She asked softly.
"Most of what?" Jason put in feigning innocence. "I was just looking for a quiet place to snog Charlotte, dreadful inconvenient of you two to show up right now."
Lily couldn't help but burst out laughing and James grinned at his dad in thanks.
"Come on." James said tugging on Lily's wrist as she wiped what was left of her tears from her eyes. "We'd better get inside before my dad can prove he wasn't joking."
****
As Lily walked with James and his parents into the castle she was more than slightly aware that she probably looked like a complete mess. She was ridiculously grateful to James' dad for making her feel less embarrassed and more at ease and for keeping up the conversation about quidditch with his wife and son until they were seated for dinner in the Great Hall. Yet even he couldn't keep her from feeling uncommonly sad at the thought of her argument with Sev.
"So I'm a little afraid to ask but what's with the T-shirt?" Charlotte questioned once they were seated and eating.
Lily looked away from where she had been having a silent conversation with Marlene about not coming over to gawk at Jason Potter and looked up at James mother.
"Pardon?"
"The t-shirt…It's um…" James' mom grinned impishly.
Lily looked down and gasped in shock.
"Oh Merlin. I'm…It's not mine." She blurted out folding her arms over her chest as if that would make it disappear. "It's not true that is I... oh for the love of Helga Hufflepuff… what I mean to say is that I am forced to wear this shirt by Marlene who made them for herself, Alice and me by Sirius who seems to think they are good luck. I had nothing to do with the making of them or with the decision that they should actually be worn."
James' dad chuckled.
"So why does yours have James' name and number?" He teased.
"Dad please…" James groaned. "Can you for like one second act like you care about my emotional well being and not ask questions that will lead to my being horribly embarrassed?"
Lily grinned, the action feeling strange against her cheeks which had grown tight from her tears, put at ease now that James was as red as she had been.
"It's alright James. Actually Mr. Potter that was also Marlene's idea, she'd been telling me for years that I should give James the opportunity to be my friend, so I suppose this is her way of making me own up to the fact that I'm actually getting along with James these days." Lily explained.
Jason opened his mouth to ask another question just as two figures planted themselves on Lily's right.
"There you are Lils." Marlene exclaimed her voice sugary sweet. "We thought we'd lost you."
"Ya I was all stoked after the match and us not being able to find you kind of put a damper on my high spirits." Dorcas put in her eyes darting to James' Dad appreciatively.
"Where's Alice?" Lily asked to distract them, both from where she had been and from eyeing James' dad as if he were Honeydukes chocolate.
"Oh she's with Frank. Probably celebrating the Gryffindor victory in some broom cupboard or another." Marlene answered.
Suddenly an excited shout was heard from twenty feet away.
"Charlotte!"
Lily turned to see Sirius running to the table and pulling James' mom up to hug her enthusiastically.
"Did you see? We won! And I was awesome!"
"I certainly did. You played very well, although I was a tad disappointed you disappeared after it was over. We would have liked to have been able to congratulate you out on the pitch with James."
Sirius smirked impishly.
"I had some important Marauder business to take care of." He said grinning and dropping into the seat next to her his arm going about Charlotte's shoulders.
Jason chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Hello son. Nice to see you too."
Sirius feigned innocence.
"Jason, old boy, I didn't see you there. The vision that is your lovely wife had me distracted."
Jason chuckled but lifted Sirius' arm from his wife's shoulders, replacing it with his own before grinning at the now frowning teenager triumphantly.
Lily laughed along with everyone else but she feared it wasn't as convincing as she might have hoped.
"So what's up anyway?" Marlene asked her softly as the others drifted into different conversations. "You're all splotchy like you've been crying or something."
Lily shrugged not wanting to rehash what had happened between her and Severus. Things had gotten out of hand between them and she now knew without a doubt that unless he changed his ways they were never going to be in the place that they once were ever again.
"Nothing. I'm fine." She supplied lamely.
"Did James do something?"
"Of course not." Lily protested.
"Well I'm just making sure, you never know…"
Lily was about to defend James when she looked up and saw Severus following in the wake of his fellow Death Eater wannabes, and suddenly she felt like she'd been punched in the stomach.
It was one thing to stand in front of him and argue about the idea of his betrayal of her friendship but to actually see him, only minutes after their confrontation, pretending as if everything were fine and continuing on the path that had set him and Lily at odds in the first place made her feel like her chest was closing up.
"Merlin Lils! What's wrong?" Marlene questioned worriedly as the tears began to pour down Lily's cheeks. "Are you alright?"
She couldn't speak. Her throat felt tight and there was nothing she could do but helplessly bat away the tears as they continued to fall.
"Lils…seriously you're worrying me." Marlene insisted trying to get Lily to react in some way.
But there was nothing she could do. The tears continued to leak out and her throat continued to feel awful and she was afraid that if she opened her mouth to try and reply all that would come out was a pathetic sobbing sound.
Suddenly strong arms wrapped themselves around her pulling her into a broad warm chest. She reached out grabbing him tightly as she began to shake, weeping silently.
"Come on." She heard him say moving to stand.
She didn't want to move and refused to pull her face from his chest forcing him to lift her as he stood.
"I…" He cleared his throat, his voice coming out oddly. "Can I carry you then?"
She didn't answer through her tears and he must have taken her silence as agreement because suddenly she was being carried swiftly from the hall.
****
James felt angry and worried as he carried a still silently crying Lily to the door to the kitchens. He held her with one arm as he reached up to tickle the pear in the bowl of fruit. As the handle appeared he turned it swiftly and made his way inside.
The house-elves rushed up almost instantly, greeting James and asking if they could be any help.
"This is my friend Lily." He explained moving toward a table and sitting down. "She isn't feeling so well and I was wondering if there is any ice-cream on hand."
"Of course. We has lot's." One tall and lanky looking elf replied as a few rushed off to grab some for them. "Does you want a certain flavor?"
"We'll take whatever you have available."
The elves who had disappeared returned then with two bowls of chocolate ice-cream.
James thanked them and after assuring them he would let them know if he needed anything else they disappeared.
He realized he was rubbing circles on Lily's back and he forced himself to stop.
"Are you alright?"
She shook her head, her nose going back and forth across the front of his quidditch robes.
"What's wrong then? Is this about the argument with him?" He bit out feeling furious at Snape.
He heard her sniffle as she shook her head again.
"Then what is it? I can't make it better if I don't know what's wrong." He supplied.
He felt, more than heard her laugh softly before she pulled her face from his chest. He felt oddly pleased when she didn't remove her arms from about his waist, though he was sad to see her cheeks were rather splotchy and her eyes were red-rimmed and watery. She still looked utterly beautiful to him.
"It wasn't so much our quarrel, though that had something to do with it, it was more about seeing him afterward acting as if everything were fine. Waltzing about with those awful friends of his."
"He's a right bastard for making you cry like this." James growled, feeling fiercely protective of her as always and using a section of his robes to wipe the tears from her face.
"It's not…" Lily trailed off biting her lip. "You asked me once if there had ever been anything between Sev and I. Well to be honest there was sort of something."
She shook her head when James' eyes widened in shock as he ran through the many different scenarios where Lily had given Snape her affection and he had to fight to keep from shuddering. "Definitely not what you are thinking," she went on seeing his dark expression. "It's just that I'm pretty sure somewhere along the way Sev developed well…more than friendly feelings for me. It wasn't ever so much anything he said as the way he looked at me."
James watched the blush creep up into her tear-stained cheeks and he smiled softly.
"It was sort of scary at first, realizing my best friend had romantic feelings for me. I didn't know how to react initially but after thinking it over for quite sometime I realized I didn't feel the same way. I could have let him entertain ideas about the two of us. I could have encouraged him and let him build up the nerve to ask me out. I could have let him do his best to make me happy." She explained her eyes getting misty once more.
"But when I really thought about it something…some part of me knew that it wasn't right. I couldn't lead him on that way knowing he would always care more for me than I did for him. It wouldn't have been right. So I sort of discouraged him in small ways to not act on it. Besides, by the time I had fully come to terms with how he was feeling it was nearing the end of October last fall. And that was when things were really starting to become difficult between us."
James sighed, "Because that was around the time he really started to fall in with Mulciber and that lot and you realized that he was entertaining ideas about joining the ranks of the Death Eaters."
Lily nodded. "Yes. I began to question him about it but he would always get defensive and change the subject, often times to you and your attraction for me. I thought he was only feeling protective but now that I think on it I think he also felt threatened by you."
"I was a complete prat back then. I can't really blame the bloke for wanting to keep me away from you. Though I wish he hadn't succeeded quite so efficiently."
James watched as she grinned in amusement.
"You dug your own hole mister Potter, Sev didn't really have much to do with my poor opinion of you. Though he did like to bring up your more offensive acts every now and again just to make sure I still couldn't stand you I think." She trailed off shaking her head. "How odd it is to be sitting here with you now, talking about him and…about how he's hurt me. I never really believed he would you know? I've known him since we were little and he was always there to reassure me that everything would fall into place. That I wasn't a freak like my sister said. That I would be a part of a world that was so spectacular I could barely believe it."
She paused for a second sliding her hands from James' waist and trailing her fingertips along the embroidered GRYFFINDOR lettering that lay on the front of his robes. He did his best not to hold his breath or tighten his grip on her, though his heart began to pound and his pulse raced wildly.
"I never really thought he'd hurt me." She repeated. "But he has. He's chosen them. More than once now…and things will never be the same. I know you think he's horrible for hurting my feelings, but there's just so much history between us, and we have such different ideas of the future…I don't really think he means to. Today was just," she sighed sadly, "the result of the choices he and I have made over the past year or two. Things got out of hand. He said things he didn't mean and I baited him into a lot of it."
James shook his head as much to clear it from his wayward thoughts about her, and her gentle touch, as to display his disagreement.
"He still shouldn't have said the things he did."
Lily shrugged her fingertip running over the Y on his uniform over and over again. "He was angry and so was I. We don't understand each other anymore and that's hard. It's like we are both hanging on to this thread that connects us together but the more time passes the thinner it gets. Sooner or later it could snap and we'll no longer feel there's anything left between us."
"Is it horrible of me to say that I don't really think that sounds like such a bad thing?" James admitted squeezing her gently.
She chuckled. "No. I know why you don't like him."
"Sometimes I think I hate him." He found himself saying. "But then I can't help but think that part of who you are is thanks to him, and I…I find that I can't hate him. Not really. I honestly want to hex him six way from Sunday sometimes though."
She grinned at him and he smiled back.
"I don't know why I turned into such a water fountain today. I suppose it had a lot to do with the fact that I've been angry at him for a long time and that anger has kept me from crying. I guess the dam just broke is all."
He let silence fall between them and for a moment he let himself revel in the fact that she was in his arms and letting him hold her. She hadn't pulled away or looked at him oddly. She was even now still tracing the lettering across his chest, right above his fluttering heart, and looking as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Thankyou." She said finally. "For letting me cry all over you and for listening as you did. I know Sev is probably the last person you want to sit here and hear me sob over. And thanks for taking me out of the hall. I would have really been embarrassed to cry so horribly in front of your parents. It's bad enough they saw me as much as they did."
James shook his head looking down at her intently.
"They like you. They wouldn't have cared if you'd bawled hysterically in the middle of the Great Hall. I'm just sorry you felt so upset."
She frowned suddenly her forehead crinkling in irritation.
"What's wrong?"
She turned and looked at him shaking her head.
"I can't believe I wasted pancakes on a day like today." She said sounding really put out by the fact.
James burst out laughing, unable to keep it in. She scowled.
"It's not funny. Normally I'm dead on about these things but I don't think today could have been much worse."
James continued laughing even as she made an exasperated noise and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Your reaction is only strengthening my opinion that I should have eaten eggs this morning." She said making eggs sound like some sort of poisonous substance.
He grinned and looked to his right to see that their ice-cream had melted.
"Well, I don't know if it will make up for the pancakes thing but there's some delicious looking chocolate soup just calling our names."
She turned in his lap to see what he meant and she smiled brightly. She wriggled a little and James, somewhat reluctantly, took the hint and let her turn about and sit upon the bench. She grabbed up her bowl and began to eat.
James followed suit smiling at her between bites.
"So can I ask you something?" She managed after getting halfway through her ice-cream soup.
James nodded prepared for her to ask him some sort of deeply personal question after the events of the afternoon and evening.
"How did you know my favorite flavors of ice-cream?"
He grinned mischievously. "Come now Evans you don't think I spent the past few years annoying you to no end and being hopelessly obsessed with you without picking up on a few things do you?"
She quirked an eyebrow at him.
"So what else do you know about me?"
"Lots of things. I know your favorite color is actually black, despite the fact that other people think that is depressing. You like to read stories where everyone ends up happy in the end, even if it means the plot is sometimes rather predictable. You hate turtleneck sweaters and abhor anything orange colored as you think it clashes with your hair." When her eyes widened James blushed, "And I'm going to stop there before I make an even bigger idiot of myself."
Lily chuckled and elbowed him teasingly, "Oh come on I was just starting to enjoy hearing you recite my likes and dislikes."
James shook his head. "If I told you how much information I had gathered over the years you would probably go running in the opposite direction, as it would probably elevate me to stalker status in your eyes. Though to be truthful a lot of the information I gathered came from Sirius and Remus."
James watched her turn thoughtfully back to her bowl and he sighed in relief that she hadn't questioned him about his liking her further.
"Are we friends James?" She said suddenly. "Like truly?"
"Of course." He replied automatically, aware that his tone betrayed his strong emotions.
"Good." She said firmly. "Then you won't be offended when I do this…"
Suddenly the remaining contents of her bowl were turned upside down upon his head and she rushed off laughing madly.
"Ohhh you better run! You're in trouble now." He said grabbing his own bowl and taking off after her. "This is war."
****
When James and Lily entered the Gryffindor common room later that night they were both flushed and smiling widely.
"Where have you two been?" Alice demanded, jumping off of Frank's lap to stand and eye them closely. "Marlene said you were upset and that you disappeared together hours ago. We've been waiting for you to show up for ages…Lily what in Godric's name is in your hair?"
James snorted and Lily rounded on him.
"You prat you said you got all of it out!" She accused slapping him on the shoulder lightly.
"I couldn't resist. Besides you never know when you might get a taste for strawberry cre…" He broke off as Lily launched herself at him tackling him to the floor.
"Now see here Potter, just because I was nice enough to pretend you won doesn't mean you have to leave evidence of your victory on my head." She scolded sitting upon his chest and pointing her finger at him. "If this is how you behave after a fair contest I'm inclined to challenge you to a rematch and this time I won't let you win either."
James chuckled. "Let me win? Puh-leaze, you were practically begging me to let you up once I got a hold of that frosting."
"That's not how I remember it. If my memory serves me right you were the one who barricaded himself behind that big island and had to start levitating in reinforcements while I repeatedly launched éclairs at you." Lily replied saucily.
"That's it." James said his eyes sparkling. "We're going back for a rematch and this time you're going to get it."
He sat up taking Lily with him and throwing her over his shoulder. Neither of them seemed to care that their friends were eyeing them with interest and speculation.
"Oh no you don't…we just got most of that mess off of us," She managed through her laughter as James marched toward the portrait hole.
"Do I take that as a forfeit?" He teased.
"Never." She breathed sounding strange from hanging upside down. "But if you don't set me on my feet I'm going to throw-up on you. I think I ate too much of what you were launching at me."
He burst out laughing and set her upright.
"You ate what I threw at you?"
"Only the stuff I caught with my hands." She retorted defensively, though her eyes were glittering happily. "I was hungry okay. Crying takes a lot out of a girl."
"I'll remember that for the next time you soak my clothes," He chuckled, reaching out to the spot where she still had strawberry cream in her hair. "Are you sure I put this here? I don't remember throwing any of it at you."
"That's because you didn't throw it. It was after I got you with the custard. You found that in some big metal bowl and you dumped it over my head and…"
"Wait a second!" Sirius spoke up loudly marching over to where they stood. "You two had a food fight in the kitchens?" He gaped as they nodded. "And you didn't even think to invite me! Never mind the fact that I had to say goodbye to your mum and dad all by myself James. I knew it was odd there were no éclairs at dessert! Éclairs are my favorite you know!"
They both chuckled madly at Sirius' outrage and James shrugged sheepishly.
"My parents will understand. I'll write them a letter." He looked at Lily intensely as if to say it was totally worth it.
She blushed.
"Well, I'm going to go shower. I can't believe you'd leave this mess in my hair." Lily shook her head in mock irritation as she headed toward the staircase.
James watched her go his smile stretching across his face.
"Hey Lily," He called out before she disappeared, moving to stand at the bottom of the girl's staircase.
She turned at the top of the landing.
"So maybe it was a pancakes sort of day afterall?" He asked shyly shoving his hands into his pockets and flushing slightly.
She smiled softly and nodded.
"With strawberries on top."
When she disappeared from sight James punched a fist into the air. He clapped Sirius on the back smartly as he made his way to the boys' staircase and ran up it, taking the steps three at a time.
Sirius sighed and moved to re-take his seat next to Remus.
"Well its official. Their both twitter-pated no doubt about it."
****