Chapter 4: The Date
The air was crisp, smelling always of pumpkin pastries, apple crisp, and something that can only be described as fall. Even though most people were out enjoying the weather, not every student had that luxury. It was 6:30 in the evening and Lily Evans was walking back to Gryffindor tower from the library, arms laden with books, bits of parchment, and worn out quills. She had a potions exam on Monday, a paper on the dangers of Grindylows due the next day, and she had heard a rumor that there was going to be pop quizzes every day next week in transfiguration to 'help prepare them for exams'.
Needless to say, Lily was a bit preoccupied. So can you blame her for forgetting her date?
James Potter landed his broomstick on the field with a squelching 'thump'. The previous day's rain had soaked the pitch and made takeoff and landing more difficult. Of course, that didn't stop James. He landed ever gracefully (a word not associated with him outside of the Quidditch pitch) and began his walk back to the castle. Between Quidditch practice, exams, and his monthly adventures with his friends, James was having a hard time keeping up with it all. So can you really blame him for forgetting his date?
Covered in mud, bruised, sweaty, and exhausted, the Gryffindor seeker made his way towards the tower, taking all the shortcuts he knew in an effort to avoid Filch, the caretaker. He dodged both the caretaker and his strangely astute cat, made it to the tower, and was about to give the password to the expectant portrait when he spotted a mass of books with legs walking towards him.
No, that wasn't right. James gave his glasses a quick swipe on his sleeve (which probably did more harm than good considering the amount of dirt on his robes) and looked again. He quickly realized it was not a floating mass of books, it was instead a person carrying enough books to cover their face, leaving only the barest trace of flaming red hair poking above the stack.
Oh shit.
Lily easily made her way down the hallway towards Gryffindor tower despite the books in front of her face. She had cleverly charmed them so she could see through them and watch her footing, even if someone on the other side could not. And as it turned out, there was a person on the other side of the stack of books.
It all caught up with Lily like lightning.
Oh hell.
She stopped dead, trying to let her thoughts catch up with her.
Maybe he hasn't seen me. There's a load of books in front of me. Maybe I can just follow behind him into the tower, run upstairs really fast and then he won't see me.
"Uh hey Evans." James cleared his throat awkwardly. Lily sighed and poked her head around the stack of books.
"Hey James…" James regained his composure quickly and smiled impishly at her.
"You too huh?"
"Me too, what?" Lily asked, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.
"Did you forget about…?" James trailed off, unsure.
"Oh! Yeah, I'm sorry, I got so caught up with homework and studying for these exams and pop quizzes-"
"Hey don't worry about it! I'm really prepared for a date right now." James gestured down to his muddy robes, broom still in hand. Lily smiled but said nothing, the weight of the books finally catching up with her.
"You couldn't give me a hand with these, could you?" She asked, her face pink and sweaty.
"Oh yeah of course!" James reached out and took the first couple of books, his hand accidentally brushing Lily's face.
"Oh, sorry." He said quickly, pulling back. Lily said nothing, just blushed.
"Hey, why don't we just go out now?" James asked suddenly, the idea occurring to him instantly. Lily looked at him disbelievingly.
"What like this? It's not like we can go anywhere… I mean I have a bunch more stuff to get done, and I'm sure you haven't even started your homework-"
"Then let's not go anywhere. Let's just walk around the grounds. I have most of your books anyway, so you don't have to worry about lugging them around. Let's just wander and, I dunno, talk." James smiled and ran a hand through his hair, spreading mud through the locks. Lily paused a moment, then smiled in return.
"Yeah okay, let's do that."
James and Lily turned around and walked back out of the castle, wandering around the lake, the greenhouses, and even making it past the Gamekeeper, Ogg's, little hut. They were of course, chided for being out late, but that didn't break the spell that seemed to be over them both.
By the time James and Lily made it back to the castle, the night air was crisp and windy leaving their noses, ears, and one of their hands cold.
The other of course, was warm in the other's grasp.
