~* Mirrors and Mistletoe *~
Chapter 3—
Lily returned to Gryffindor Tower and practically barricaded herself in her room for the rest of the night. She didn't dare come back out to the common room. James would surely be there to further harass and muddle her mind. Had she stayed in the dining hall any longer with him and Howard, James would have undoubtedly found out about her and Howard's recent encounter. No one, not even her closest friends knew that romantically shy Howard had expressed his attraction to her in the owlery and that, right when he was attempting a kiss, Severus Snape had just so happened to enter the room, a disgustingly delighted smirk on his face. They both denied that anything had happened, but Snape had refused to listen. Only when Lily had threatened him with a rather foul and painful hex to his manhood, had he agreed to keep it quiet. However, how long he would stick to his word was a question that continued to plague Lily's mind.
It wasn't that she was worried about her own reputation. Other boys had made advances toward her over the years, but Howard was different. He was still rather new to the world of romance, and being so mild-mannered and shy with girls left him at a disadvantage should the story get out. Luckily, only she and he knew that she had refused him--- kindly, of course, but she didn't want to compound his embarrassment anymore by allowing Potter and his cronies to catch wind of it. And she had no doubts that should James find out, he would be ruthless.
So keeping herself separate from Potter and Howard would be the best move, even though she thought by having dinner with them that she could avert any undue attention. Only it didn't work out that way. James knew something was being kept from him, which, being a new challenge meant he would now stop at nothing to figure it out. Lily knew it shouldn't matter to her what Potter thought, but for some reason, it did, and that puzzled her.
For the rest of the night, she remained curled up on her bed reading the text she had started earlier by the fire. When her eyes finally began to droop, she slid a bookmark into the thick volume noting the page number--- 327. Her eyebrows popped up into a surprised expression. It seemed she didn't remember a single thing she had read since page eighty-four. With a groan, she shut the book, set it on her bedside table and blew out the light. Tomorrow she would reread those pages and put James Potter out of her mind completely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
"Mind if I study with you?"
Lily glanced up from her book to meet the hazel gaze of James Potter, a tiny grin curling up one corner of his mouth. "You? Study?" she scoffed returning her attention to the book in front of her.
With an amused snort, James slid into the seat across from her. "Funny, Evans. You know, you've got me all wrong. I value my education very highly, for your information. How else did I manage to become Head Boy this year?"
Lily paused and looked over at him again. "Yes, how did you manage to pull that one off?" she questioned haughtily crossing her arms over her chest.
James feigned an injured expression, his hand over his heart. "You wound me, milady. Surely you realize I am not a total loser. I am good for something."
Lily stifled a chuckle and merely smiled. "And what might that be? Causing trouble?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Not just that, although I do know how to have a good time. In fact," he said with a look that hinted an idea had just popped into his mind, "why don't you take a break from what I'm sure is an extremely boring and deathly dry book and go for a walk with me?" He was leaning across the table; an expectant and hopeful look on his face. If Lily didn't know any better, she'd think he was almost afraid she would turn him down.
And she should.
"Now why would I want to do a thing like that?" she asked demurely. "I'm perfectly content right where I am--- studying."
James grinned widely. "Haven't you ever heard the old expression that all work and no play make Lily a very boring girl? Besides, everyone knows that the human brain can only concentrate on one thing for a limited amount of time before it needs a distraction in order to refresh itself. So, I'm actually only trying to help you, Evans."
Lily's arms slipped loose, a sign her defenses were weakening. The only excuse she could think of sounded lame even to her ears. With a quick look out the window she said, "It's snowing."
James could sense that she was trying to find a reason not to go, but he wasn't going to let that happen. "So wear a coat," he said. "It's not like it's a blizzard. It's only a few flakes."
"Well, I don't know—"
"Okay, I'll make a deal with you. You go on a walk with me now, and then I won't bother you for the rest of the day. How does that sound?" James hoped he didn't sound quite as desperate as he felt, but knew he did.
Lily studied him with her large, almond-shaped eyes. "Not another word for the rest of the day?"
James felt victory within his grasp and felt a surge of confidence. "Not a single one. I promise," he added marking a cross over his heart as it pounded wildly.
After a few more seconds of contemplation, Lily acquiesced. "Okay--- but I need my coat."
"Well, just meet me down by the edge of the woods in ten minutes," he said wanting to jump up and down for joy as he sprang out of his seat. "I'll be waiting for you, Evans." Then he spun to leave, his robe and striped Gryffindor scarf flowing in a trail behind him. Lily could have sworn she heard him whistling as he exited the library doors.
She shook her head, surprised at herself for accepting his invitation. She knew she shouldn't, that she was playing with fire by spending more time with James Potter, but for some reason, part of her truly wanted to go on a walk with him. Slapping a hand to her forehead, she moaned to herself, "What have you gotten yourself into, Lily Evans?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC---
Chapter 3—
Lily returned to Gryffindor Tower and practically barricaded herself in her room for the rest of the night. She didn't dare come back out to the common room. James would surely be there to further harass and muddle her mind. Had she stayed in the dining hall any longer with him and Howard, James would have undoubtedly found out about her and Howard's recent encounter. No one, not even her closest friends knew that romantically shy Howard had expressed his attraction to her in the owlery and that, right when he was attempting a kiss, Severus Snape had just so happened to enter the room, a disgustingly delighted smirk on his face. They both denied that anything had happened, but Snape had refused to listen. Only when Lily had threatened him with a rather foul and painful hex to his manhood, had he agreed to keep it quiet. However, how long he would stick to his word was a question that continued to plague Lily's mind.
It wasn't that she was worried about her own reputation. Other boys had made advances toward her over the years, but Howard was different. He was still rather new to the world of romance, and being so mild-mannered and shy with girls left him at a disadvantage should the story get out. Luckily, only she and he knew that she had refused him--- kindly, of course, but she didn't want to compound his embarrassment anymore by allowing Potter and his cronies to catch wind of it. And she had no doubts that should James find out, he would be ruthless.
So keeping herself separate from Potter and Howard would be the best move, even though she thought by having dinner with them that she could avert any undue attention. Only it didn't work out that way. James knew something was being kept from him, which, being a new challenge meant he would now stop at nothing to figure it out. Lily knew it shouldn't matter to her what Potter thought, but for some reason, it did, and that puzzled her.
For the rest of the night, she remained curled up on her bed reading the text she had started earlier by the fire. When her eyes finally began to droop, she slid a bookmark into the thick volume noting the page number--- 327. Her eyebrows popped up into a surprised expression. It seemed she didn't remember a single thing she had read since page eighty-four. With a groan, she shut the book, set it on her bedside table and blew out the light. Tomorrow she would reread those pages and put James Potter out of her mind completely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
"Mind if I study with you?"
Lily glanced up from her book to meet the hazel gaze of James Potter, a tiny grin curling up one corner of his mouth. "You? Study?" she scoffed returning her attention to the book in front of her.
With an amused snort, James slid into the seat across from her. "Funny, Evans. You know, you've got me all wrong. I value my education very highly, for your information. How else did I manage to become Head Boy this year?"
Lily paused and looked over at him again. "Yes, how did you manage to pull that one off?" she questioned haughtily crossing her arms over her chest.
James feigned an injured expression, his hand over his heart. "You wound me, milady. Surely you realize I am not a total loser. I am good for something."
Lily stifled a chuckle and merely smiled. "And what might that be? Causing trouble?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Not just that, although I do know how to have a good time. In fact," he said with a look that hinted an idea had just popped into his mind, "why don't you take a break from what I'm sure is an extremely boring and deathly dry book and go for a walk with me?" He was leaning across the table; an expectant and hopeful look on his face. If Lily didn't know any better, she'd think he was almost afraid she would turn him down.
And she should.
"Now why would I want to do a thing like that?" she asked demurely. "I'm perfectly content right where I am--- studying."
James grinned widely. "Haven't you ever heard the old expression that all work and no play make Lily a very boring girl? Besides, everyone knows that the human brain can only concentrate on one thing for a limited amount of time before it needs a distraction in order to refresh itself. So, I'm actually only trying to help you, Evans."
Lily's arms slipped loose, a sign her defenses were weakening. The only excuse she could think of sounded lame even to her ears. With a quick look out the window she said, "It's snowing."
James could sense that she was trying to find a reason not to go, but he wasn't going to let that happen. "So wear a coat," he said. "It's not like it's a blizzard. It's only a few flakes."
"Well, I don't know—"
"Okay, I'll make a deal with you. You go on a walk with me now, and then I won't bother you for the rest of the day. How does that sound?" James hoped he didn't sound quite as desperate as he felt, but knew he did.
Lily studied him with her large, almond-shaped eyes. "Not another word for the rest of the day?"
James felt victory within his grasp and felt a surge of confidence. "Not a single one. I promise," he added marking a cross over his heart as it pounded wildly.
After a few more seconds of contemplation, Lily acquiesced. "Okay--- but I need my coat."
"Well, just meet me down by the edge of the woods in ten minutes," he said wanting to jump up and down for joy as he sprang out of his seat. "I'll be waiting for you, Evans." Then he spun to leave, his robe and striped Gryffindor scarf flowing in a trail behind him. Lily could have sworn she heard him whistling as he exited the library doors.
She shook her head, surprised at herself for accepting his invitation. She knew she shouldn't, that she was playing with fire by spending more time with James Potter, but for some reason, part of her truly wanted to go on a walk with him. Slapping a hand to her forehead, she moaned to herself, "What have you gotten yourself into, Lily Evans?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC---