Chapter 4: Sneaky Planning

Morning came quicker than expected in the Potter household.

Normally, Lily slept late on Sundays but not today. She woke up with a start but not because of a nightmare. Lily glanced at her watch and saw that it was only eight. Too early she thought. But decided it would be rude to sleep late since she was a guest.

After laying there for a couple minutes, she realized that she really needed to use the loo. She quietly crept to her door and opened it as quietly as she could. She sighed in relief that the door didn't squeak. Lily didn't want to wake anyone up so she tiptoed to the bathroom. But she couldn't quite remember where James had said it was.

Lily knew it wasn't the first door next hers, that was Sirius' room. But she couldn't remember if it was the next one or the one after that. So she tried the first one only to see that it wasn't the bathroom.

The walls were covered in red and gold with the Gryffindor lion on the walls every so often. There were also Quidditch posters everywhere along with moving pictures of James and his friends. She went to close the door when she noticed James on his bed.

He sleeps shirtless? Lily questioned. But then her stomach did a few flips when she looked at him longer. His body left her breathless. Quidditch did wonders for him. His chest was very muscular but not overly muscular. There was just faint outline of his abs. His chest, in Lily's mind, was perfect. Plus his arms were very sculpted and left Lily with even more flips in her stomach.

Suddenly, Lily realized that she had been standing in his doorway for far too long and quickly retreated. Lily shook her head and then discovered that the next door was the bathroom.

When Lily was finished, she backed out of the bathroom shutting the door as quietly as she could.

"Oof" Lily said as she turned around into something.

Lily was knocked breathless for a second and started to fall back from the impact but then something caught her.

"Easy there, Lily."

Lily looked up into the hazel eyes of James. He was smiling at her. They just stared at each other for moment, their bodies only about an inch away.

"Er… James?" Lily said.

"Yes?"

"I think I can stand now. Would you mind letting go of me?"

"Oh, right, sorry." James let go but softly pushed Lily up against the bathroom door.

Lily didn't know what to do. She knew she wouldn't be able get away even if she tried but there was a part of her that told her not to run. She wasn't for sure why but she listened to that part.

James and Lily were pressed up against each other just staring into each other's eyes. James had a little smile on his face hoping that this would work. He was prepared to get her if she tried to get away but she hadn't tried to yet.

Lily realized that James was still shirtless and this made her breathing become quicker. Then she realized that she was still in her pajamas which consisted of a lacy tank top and some fairly short shorts. She really wished that she had grabbed some different ones before she left but it was too late now. James had noticed what she was wearing and smiled even bigger.

Lily's stomach was going flip crazy and her breathing became even quicker the longer they were standing there. James was also breathing quicker and he could hear Lily's heart rate speed up. He knew he was victorious but kept that to himself.

Instead, he leaned closer to Lily and whispered in her ear "Good morning, Lily."

She could feel his breath tickle her ear and neck and it sent tingles all over her body. The next thing she knew she was spun around and facing the bathroom door just as James disappeared behind it.

What was that? She thought still standing in front of the door. Finally, she decided that she should walk back to her room before James came out and saw her there. As her breathing slowed, she played with her hair. She always did this when she was seriously confused.

By the time she had gotten ready for the day, she still hadn't figured out what had transpired between her and James. She decided that she would put it out of her mind that way James wouldn't see that she was preoccupied about something.

As she made her way down the hall, she heard something that sounded interesting to her so she stopped and listened.

"That is BLOODY brilliant!" Sirius shouted.

"Shhh! Keep it down! We don't want Lily to hear!" James whispered fiercely.

"Oops, sorry mate. I just can't believe we were right about Evans. She does fancy you even if she doesn't know it yet!"

"Now, wait a minute. We don't know that she fancies me just that she reacted in a way that any girl would put in that situation. Honestly, that same reaction has happened before. I mean, think of every girl you have tried that on."

"Nah, I really think she does fancy you. I mean why else would she have come here in the first place even if her friends are on vacation. She has other friends besides Alice, Mary and Emily."

"Well, I guess you could be right."

"I'm always right."

James laughed, "No you're not."

"Okay, fine, I'm not but with this I am right."

"Fine, I will give you this one. So what should I do next to make Lily realize she does fancy me?"

Lily gasped and quickly went for the stairs so she wouldn't be caught accidentally. She couldn't believe what she just heard. James and Sirius were trying to get Lily to admit that she fancies James. Well, Lily did think she had started to fancy him but now she wasn't so sure.

Had all she felt for him been just her hormones talking? Well if it had, she was going to use them to get James back. She was going to make him pay. The only question was how? Just then she entered the kitchen to see Mrs. Potter already at the table.

"Good morning, Mrs. Potter."

"Good morning. But what did I tell you about calling me Mrs. Potter?"

"Right, sorry Jillian. I guess old habits die hard."

"Not to worry dear. Now what would you like for breakfast?"

"Oh, er… I gue-" just then the boys came down the stairs.

"You should take her up on her pancakes. They're bloody spectacular!" Sirius said.

"Oh, okay. Sounds great."

"Alright, just sit yourselves down and they'll be ready before you can say Quidditch."

As soon as she said that, James and Sirius started to say Quidditch as many times as they could. Lily and Mrs. Potter were laughing because the boys looked ridiculous.

"You know, Lily, as soon as I said that, I regretted it. I knew the boys would do this."

Lily laughed, "I know what you mean. You should have said something like…um…babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

"Sorry what was that?"

"Babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

"That's what I thought you said" Mrs. Potter laughed. "I guess it's too late now."

"I don't think so. James, Sirius?" Lily asked and the boys stopped.

"What?"

"Try saying this five times fast, babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

They both tried but they couldn't get it. It was very hilarious to the girls. After a few more minutes, Mrs. Potter set a huge stack of pancakes on the table. Lily barely got what she wanted before the boys noticed and dug in.

After breakfast, the day was fairly quiet. The boys played chess and Quidditch outside. Mr. Potter had to go to work but only for a couple of hours. And Lily and Mrs. Potter just read and enjoyed the almost silence. All in all it was a lazy day.

The next couple days, Mrs. Potter dragged Lily with her wherever she went. Lily went willingly because she had never seen what adult witches do on a daily basis. They went shopping and visited Mrs. Potter's friends (Lily felt a little awkward imposing on their group but they made her feel welcome nonetheless).

She ran errands with Mrs. Potter and learned some cleaning tips while they pretty much scrubbed the house down. She also learned how to cook using magic which Lily found extremely helpful. By the time they were done each day, Lily was pretty much exhausted and went to bed early.

Over those days, Lily and Mrs. Potter really got to know each other. Lily loved Mrs. Potter like another mother. And Mrs. Potter loved Lily like she was her own daughter. Lily fit in well with the Potters.

When Lily woke up, it was Friday and she couldn't believe that her week with the Potters and Sirius was almost up. She got ready and went down to breakfast. She realized that she only had a few more days to get James back and she still hadn't thought of anything to do.

"Good morning, Lily" Mrs. Potter said as Lily entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Jillian, James, Sirius."

The boys just grunted as they stuffed their faces with eggs, bacon, and toast.

"You know boys, it really helps to breathe every once in awhile" Lily said sarcastically. They just glared at her and went back to their food.

"Lily, dear would you like a cup of tea or juice or something?"

"Tea would be great, please."

Lily grabbed some toast and eggs as Mrs. Potter placed a cup of tea in front of her and joined them herself.

"So, boys, what do you have planned for today?" Mrs. Potter asked them. Each swallowed with difficulty and James was the first to answer.

"We were thinking about going down to the lake and swim for a bit. Lily you can come if you want."

"Oh yes, Lily go with them. You would have so much fun. I haven't even let you be a teenager while you have been here."

"Are you sure? There must be some things you need some help with."

"No, not a single thing I can't handle on my own. Go, have fun."

"Okay, sure, sounds good."

They made plans to meet up at half past ten to walk down to the lake. Lily asked Mrs. Potter to make them a picnic lunch that way they could stay out there longer without having to come back.

Lily then realized that in her rush to leave, she might not have grabbed a bathing suit. So she went to check. Luckily, she had but it wasn't the one she would have picked out. It happened to be the black one piece that she never liked.

And then an idea came to her. If she could change this bathing suit into a bikini, she might be able to use it to get James back. Thankfully, Mrs. Potter had shown her how to manipulate clothing earlier this week.

So Lily grabbed her wand and set the suit on the floor and began working. By the time she was done, it was almost time to go, so she quickly got ready. As she put on the suit, she smiled because she got exactly what she wanted.

The bathing suit clung to her every curve. She had to make it slightly bigger considering the last time she wore the suit she was thirteen. She had maintained the original style but got rid of a big chunk in the middle to make it two separate pieces and molded them to look more like the way they should.

She was pleased that the black made her eyes look brighter and that her hair looked less orange-red and more brown-red like it should. Just as she decided to slip on some shorts to cover her up some, there was a knock on the door and the boys came in.

"Ready to go, Evans" Sirius said.

"Yes, let's go."

The boys turned and she followed them out. She wondered why James hadn't noticed yet but then realized that she had been in the shadowy part of the room so they probably couldn't see her.

The walk to the lake was about ten minutes. Lily walked behind the boys a little ways not wanting to interrupt their animated conversation on Quidditch. Finally, Lily noticed a little opening coming up in front of them. When they got there, the sight took Lily's breath away.

The lake water was slightly dark but she could tell it was still green. The sun shone down into the area making the water glisten and the trees look greener. There were wild flowers erupting out of the grass everywhere. In one word it was gorgeous.

James set down the food and he and Sirius sprinted into the water. They had been here many times before so they were impervious to the sights. But Lily just looked around for the longest time until she realized that the sun was starting to get hot and that the water looked so cool.

Sirius and James were splashing and dunking each other so they didn't notice Lily wasn't in the water yet. Lily took off her shorts and slowly made her way to the edge of the water. It was then that James and Sirius looked up and saw her standing there.

James' mouth opened a little and Sirius just smiled like he knew that Lily looked amazing under all her clothes. Lily noticed them looking at her like this and laughed inwardly. This is going to be fun she thought. As she got closer to the boys, she saw that James' mouth was still open.

When she got right next to James, she lifted two fingers and closed his mouth for him.

"You don't want to get a mouthful of water."

Then she trailed her hand over his shoulder and across his back a little as she walked around him and felt him shiver ever so slightly. She smiled, knowing this would work. Just then Sirius decided to splash James and at the same time he got Lily.

"SIRIUS! You arse!" Lily yelled.

Sirius and James just laughed as Lily wiped her eyes clear. Then she got an idea. She walked over to Sirius and whispered in his ear. He smiled and agreed.

"One…Two…THREE!"

On three, both Sirius and Lily started splashing James as much as they could.

"Stop…Stop…Stop!" James sputtered trying to keep water out of his mouth.

Lily and Sirius finally stopped and laughed until their sides hurt. For the next hour or so, they were in the water splashing and talking and whatever else. Then they decided that they should take a break and eat.

So they sat down and started eating just talking and laughing. They really were having a great time. Lily suggested that once they were done eating that they stay out of the water for a little bit so they could let their stomachs settle a bit. James and Sirius looked at her funny but stayed out for fifteen more minutes just to keep her off their backs.

For the next couple hours, they swam and talked and did whatever else they could to keep themselves entertained. They were about to get out when they heard Mrs. Potter's voice come out of nowhere.

"James, Sirius, Lily! Dinner will be ready in about an hour. Come home to clean up beforehand!"

As her voice died away, James laughed "That was really good timing."

As Sirius and James got out they noticed that Lily wasn't behind them. So they looked back to see she was still in the water.

"Come on Lily! You don't want to see my Mum angry. It's not pretty."

"Er…James? I would but it seems that my foot is stuck and I can't get it lo-" Lily was suddenly pulled under water.

"LILY!" both boys shouted and sped into the water.

Within seconds, they got to where she was. They both went under to find her. James found her first and held onto her so she wouldn't go farther into the lake while Sirius tried to get her foot loose. After a few more minutes, her foot was loose and they quickly swam to the surface.

Lily coughed a little, trying to get the water out of her system. James and Sirius quickly got her to the shore and helped in any way they could. But they really couldn't do much for her. She continued to cough but couldn't really get the water out.

"Sirius, Apparate back to the house and get my Mum. Bring her back she'll know what to do."

Sirius disappeared with a crack and within seconds he was back with Mrs. Potter. She knelt down next to Lily and tapped her chest once with her wand. In a matter of seconds, water shot from Lily's mouth and left her coughing. Everyone let out a sigh of relief when she stopped coughing.

"Thank… you… so… much" Lily managed between breaths.

"Lily, we're just glad you're okay" Mrs. Potter said.

"Well, that was frightening. Are you sure you're okay?" James asked concerned.

"Yes, I think so. Nothing like drinking the whole lake to top off the day" Lily laughed.

Everyone gave a small chuckle but they still weren't sure that she was okay. James helped her up and made sure she could stand by herself before letting go of her. They decided that James would Side-Along Apparate with Lily just to be safe.

When they arrived back, Lily said she was fine but Mrs. Potter made her take some Pepper Up potion which tasted awful but Lily obliged. Then she went upstairs to get cleaned up before dinner.

When she got into her room and grabbed her things before her shower, she noticed that she didn't have a towel. Mrs. Potter must have picked it up earlier. She set her stuff in the bathroom and went to ask Mrs. Potter where more towels were when she thought of something.

She never really got James back like she meant to and James would know where the towels were so she decided to ask him.

When she knocked on his door, he was surprised to see her there. She smiled at him and took a step towards him but he didn't back away.

"James" she said sweetly taking another step towards him "your Mum must have taken my towel earlier and I don't know where the clean ones are."

She took the final step towards him and they were now pressed against each other.

"Would you mind getting me one?" she asked while running a finger down his chest and smiling as seductively as she could without laughing.

"Er…yeah…sure" James answered very breathily and slid around Lily and disappeared for a minute. As he grabbed the towel, he tried to slow his breathing but with difficulty. He was surprised that she still had her bathing suit on. She looked bloody amazing in it. He walked back to his room, surprised to see she was still leaning against his door frame.

When he got there, she walked right up to him, got on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear "thank you", grabbed the towel and walk to the bathroom leaving him standing there, dumbstruck.

James sat on his bed trying to figure out what just happened. When Lily touched him and whispered in his ear, tingles spread all over his body. He ruffled his hair some and realized he hadn't done that in a long time.

He heard his door open and close and saw Sirius standing there with a 'what the hell just happened' look on his face.

"Prongs, mate, what happened after Lily asked for that towel?"

"What? You heard that?"

"Well, yeah. I heard someone knock on your door and then I heard Lily ask for the towel. But I didn't want to open my door in case you two noticed me so I strained really hard to hear. The next thing I heard was two doors closing. I figured it was safe to come out and then I came here."

"Hope you didn't strain yourself too hard, Padfoot."

Sirius hit him in the head with a pillow "Ha ha very funny. So what went on?"

"Well you heard Lily come to my door" Sirius nodded "then she kept taking steps closer and closer to me until we were pressed together. Mind you she still had her bathing suit on and looked bloody amazing."

"Yeah, yeah I know how you feel about her body. Move on."

"Okay, okay. Then as she asked for a towel she ran her finger down my chest. It took my breath away because, well it felt good and she still looked beautiful. So I said I would and slipped around her to grab her a towel."

"When I came back, she was leaning against the door frame, her hair falling gracefully over her shoulders and then she walked to me, reached up to whisper in my ear and grabbed the towel and left."

With every word James spoke, the smile on Sirius' face grew. When James was done speaking, Sirius burst out laughing.

"Oh ho ho, she is good! She is really good!" Sirius laughed

"Padfoot, what are you talking about?"

"Lily, of course."

"Yes I realize who you are talking about but why is she good?"

"Because she played you Prongsie! She is smart. Evans must have figured out what you were planning to do so she used it back on you" Sirius was still laughing as James' face showed he understood.

"No way! How could I not see this coming?" James was flabbergasted.

"I don't know mate. But you have to give her this. That was brilliant! I bow down to her this one time!" Sirius joked.

"Okay, maybe I shouldn't try to get her back. It could just blow up in my face and then I would be back at square one."

"No way Prongs, I'm not letting you give up like this. You're a Marauder! Marauder's don't give up!"

"Yeah, okay but she is only here for another day or so. What do you suggest I do?"