Lily stormed all the way back to the GCM, sped up the stairs, yanked open the door to her dorm room (effectively scaring everyone else in said room so much that they left) and hurled herself onto her bed.
She glared at the ceiling until the full-length mirror on the other side of the room said angrily "You know, I'M the one who's going to have to listen to that ceiling complain about his problems for the rest of my life. NOT YOU."
Lily was so surprised, she promptly sat up and looked angrily at the mirror "It's either the ceiling or YOU ma'am!"
Lazily, the mirror pointed out that anything that was glared at it (with enough penetrating force) would ricochet and hit Lily anyway. Lily seethed, grabbed her pillow, stuffed cat (Bugles), and blanket from her bed and decided to sleep in that comfortable squashy armchair by the fireplace tonight.
She angrily settled herself down, hardly noticing the suspicious lack of people around her (everyone had gone to bed and her room-mates were camping out in the hall under the watch-ful eyed of the Fat Lady) and curled into a ball , pushing her pillow onto the armrest, and squashing Bugles between her chest and her legs.
She didn't even notice as her anger at Severus, (and James) began ebbing away, as she calmed listening to the crackling fire. The warmth was soothing and she found her eyes drooping. Deciding not to go against the call of nature, she allowed sleep to close over her.
James was having problems of his own.
After finally settling the dispute between himself and…himself, by telling…himself…that Lily MIGHT like him, he brushed his teeth and settled down for another night of peaceful dreams. Only to find that Sirius had a slight cold and was SNORING like the Giant Pretfiknal (who, according to Wizarding Mythology, was the creation of Sir L. P. O. (no one remembers what it stands for) who set his creation in the heavens after failing to fall asleep. Every night, he awoke to snoring anyway. Slowly, over time, this snoring becomes less often, and people now-a-days call it thunder). Not the point.
Failing to fall asleep, (James had tried EVERYTHING from turning his friend on his side, to stuffing pillows around his head, to magicing his nose closed (this solved the snoring, but became a problem when Sirius turned purple) James gathered his pillow and blanket and went down to the common-room walking towards that big, comfy, armchair by the fireplace.
He stopped short as he saw Lily Evans, HIS Lily Evans, already asleep there, a smile on her face, blanket just above her chest, with a small, stuffed, gray striped cat beside her, one arm tucked under her head.
He stepped back and gazed at her. He could see she was wearing a baby-blue tank-top (which greatly complimented her red hair) and a small, glistening, heart-shaped pearl around her neck.
"Great Minds Think Alike" he too had planned to sleep there. He too appreciated the subtle beauty of pearls (the girls of his hometown, once told this by his "dear" friend, practically attacked the Jewler's store, buying pearls in a frenzy. He had stayed home almost that entire summer).
She really did look cute like that…especially with that cat. James frowned. Perhaps it was because of Padfoot, but he preferred dogs. He wondered how she may look sleeping with a stuffed dog.
He sat in the chair across from hers (the not-AS-comfy one) and smiled, a soft, sweet smile, as he drifted off to sleep watching her.
He woke up and instinctively looked for the magical clock on the wall. A hippogriff shot out almost immediately and said clearly "Midnight Hour and all is well!"
Harry decided that he may as well sleep in the deafening room. He had intruded on Lily's privacy long enough. But one last thing…
That morning, Lily awoke, promptly at 6:45 as she did every morning. She sat up groggily, wondering where she was when she remembered her spat with Severus, the Mirror and finally retreating to the CM. She looked about quickly to see if there was anyone with her. She was greeted by a happily empty room.
That settled, she looked through her blanket for Bugles, then found him on the floor.
As she brought him up, something caught her eye.
On the small table between the two fireplace chairs was a rose. A pinkish-white Rose.
Beside that was a folded parchment with her name on it.
She slowly extended her hand and picked it up, opened it and began to read.
Dearest Lily,
I came down to the CM to sleep and found you in my chair. You look beautiful when you sleep. I watched you sleep for a while, until I came to my senses, and realizing the invasion of your privacy, returned to my room. I hope we can "talk" like this. I would like to know you better. Leave a message on this table and I'll pick it up at 11. You will find a return note in the morning.
Hopefully later,
Your Common Room Confidante.
Lily, at first became enraged. HE WATCH ME SLEEP? OF ALL THE SICK, TWISTED THINGS… but soon mellowed. She pictured a dark, secretive, romantic upperclassman, with deep blue eyes, and unruly blonde hair…sigh
She held her wand up and opened the seam on Bugles back. There, she made an Undetectable Enlargement Charm, and hid the letter.
That done, she began to ready for the morning, a smile on her face.
James lay on his bed grinning. It had been a pretty perfect letter. AH… He had worked really hard on that. But it was worth it. He had peeked down at 6:45, when he knew she woke up and saw her reaction. She was pleased.
This'll be one great day. Or year. Or both.
OK. They are out of character a bit…but I need SOME way for them to start dating. Also, have my chapters been really, annoyingly short?
If you have any flamers (aka-it sux), sparklers (aka-it rox), comments, complaints, advice, or ways you may want the story to unfold (grin), PLEASE e-mail or review. I am totally open.
No, im not doing this b/c im desperate and don't know what to do w/my story, but I would like your honest opinion.
That's it 4 now!
M out! ; )