Chapter 2: In Which Lily Meets a Highly Annoying Plant

Ahh! First day of class! I love the first day of class. Am I pathetic to admit that I missed school over the summer? Or maybe it was that I realized that even school was better than constantly being around Petunia… that idea has serious merit. But it isn't my fault if she thinks I am a freak of nature, screams whenever I enter the room, and is dating a large man with no neck and even less brain named Vernon. Thankfully, I won't have to live with her next summer, she is getting married over Christmas Hols, and I can move out next year if I want. Maybe the girls and I can get our own apartment… that would be nice. We learned about some pretty cool things today. The process to become an Animagus seems really hard—why is it that the Marauders weren't even paying attention and they got all the answers right? That is so not fair! And that Fidelius Charm sounds interesting. Not that I can think of anything that would need to be protected like that.

Hmmm… I think I might be lost. I don't remember this corridor. That's what I get for thinking too much instead of paying attention to where I am walking. Hey! Wait a minute! Why can't I move? Oh, this is not good… I don't see anyone around, maybe I hit an old curse or something. I wonder if I can get a message to someone. Didn't we learn in DADA that the Patronus could communicate? I can produce a Patronus. Okay… who to send it to. Prof said it had to be someone else who could produce a Patronus. Drat! The only other person who could was Potter. I do not need his help!

Okay, I've been stuck here for like five minutes. Maybe I should just ask him for help. Man, I am never going to hear the end of this!

"Expecto Patronum!" A large white stag erupted from the end of Lily's wand. She watched it go wistfully.

I never did figure out why my Patronus was a stag, did I? Hmmm…it's supposed to represent something that we cling to, something that would protect us. I don't think I've ever met a stag. Oh, well. No need to worry about that now. Oh look, my knight in shining armor has arrived. Ha!

"Lily, my dear. Could you use a little help?"

"Obviously. Why else would I call you, of all people."

"Well, because I am the only other student capable of producing a Patronus and thus capable of receiving your message."

"Look at that, folks. He is smart." Why is he looking at me like that?

"Incidentally, why is your Patronus a stag?"

"I don't know, I've never even seen one before."

"Are you sure about that?" He looks a little odd, and what the freak is he talking about! Of course I've never seen a stag before?

"Yes, Potter. Now please, just get me out of here."

"Well, what seems to be the problem."

"The fact that I can't move."

"Well, yes, that is what usually happens when you are standing under magical mistletoe."

"What! It's freaking September!" He didn't respond, he just pointed above her head.

Mistletoe! You have got to be kidding me! Oh, man! Now he is going to try to kiss me again, and I can't stop him because it is the only way to get out of here. And… Freak!... magical mistletoe only releases the person if both people are involved in the kiss. That means I have to kiss Potter! Oh, my life is so horrible!

James was standing there smirking at her.

"My dearest Lily, I do believe this means you are going to have to kiss me."

"In your dreams, Potter."

"Already done that, my dear." Ewww!

"Well, I am not kissing you willingly. Actually, I find this corridor a perfectly nice place to live. I think I'll just stay here."

"Suit yourself. I'm just going to sit right over here until you let me help you."

Yeah right! I am never going to kiss him, well kiss him willingly. Since we have already seen that Potter doesn't care whether or not I am a willingly participant in a kiss. He can sit there all he wants… so not going to happen.

Okay, this floor is getting a little uncomfortable. How long has it been? Only half and hour! How am I supposed to live here if I get this uncomfortable after only 30 minutes! Ahhh! I hate my life.

You know, maybe it wouldn't be so horrible if I let him help me. I mean he is a pretty good kisser… No Lily! Bad Lily! Stop thinking evil thoughts. Someone else is bound to walk by. I mean, I'd rather kiss Black than Potter! Black! Anyone but Potter! Oh please let someone else walk by!

----------------

Well, I think we've been here for nearly two hours… I don't think this corridor is ever used because I haven't seen anyone else. Except for Potter, of course. He is just sitting over there staring at me. Man, I wish he would leave. He is making this so much worse than it is.

"Lily," Wait! Why is he talking? This is not good. We are both supposed to sit in an uncomfortable silence until someone comes along who can rescue me. "Why do you hate me so much?" She stared at him in shock.

"You know why Potter."

"Apparently not." He must be stupider than I thought. I only tell him once an hour. Hmm, he looks a little depressed. I don't think I've ever seen him without a smirk on his face. He looks a lot better without it.

"You are an arrogant, bullying, jerk who only thinks of himself and his close friends. You have no regard for the feelings of those around you. Did you ever stop to think about what the people you prank must feel like?"

"I only really prank the Slytherins, Lily."

"So, they are still people, you know. They don't deserve what you do to them." He stared at her for a few seconds.

"You really don't get it, do you? Most of my pranks are harmless, even the victim is laughing along with us. The only people we prank… ahh... maliciously, are people like Snape. People obsessed with the Dark Arts, people openly boasting about how they support Voldemort, people who can't wait to get out there and start killing along with him."

"Oh." I never realized that. Snape does kind of deserve it. And besides, I've never seen him actually hurt Snape. Despite the many times Snape has viciously cursed him and hurt him. Well, that puts a new perspective on things. And I do recall a great many times when he started after Snape because Snape hurt me. In fact, every time that Snape called me a Mudblood Potter was there in an instant snarling at him to apologize. Interesting.

"Alright, Potter. Get me out of this thing."

James looked up at her, startled. But he slowly walked towards her and sat down on the floor next to her. He placed one hand tentatively on her cheek and looked up into her eyes.

"I'm sorry that it had to be me that rescued you, Lily."

He placed a quick kiss on her lips. Then pulled away and stood up, helping Lily up. Then he turned and walked away.

"Umm, Potter. I still can't move." James stopped and slowly turned back around. He walked slowly back to her.

"That's odd."

"Not really, if you think about it. I mean, it's not even Christmas. So someone had to put this here intentionally, and it wouldn't surprise me if they made it so that a quick kiss wouldn't be enough to release the unhappy victim."

James stared at her, the thought that he needed to pound Sirius running through his mind briefly. It sounded like a Sirius joke. But James didn't move to kiss her again, it was just to much for him to hope that this was true. Sure, he had kissed her last night in their common room, and that wasn't a short kiss. But it makes a huge difference when the person you are kissing is actually kissing you back. But Lily appeared to be sick of waiting, so she did the only sensible thing. She kissed him.

James appeared to be so startled that he momentarily forgot why she was kissing him. All that was going through his head was that Lily Evans was kissing him. And so he did the reasonable thing. He pushed her back against the wall and started kissing her hungrily, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

Oh wow! Okay, I think I might be liking this. I mean, Potter is a really good kisser! Wait! Potter, I'm kissing Potter. Oh no, must stop!

Coming to her senses, Lily pushed James hastily away from her, thus causing James to remember why he had been kissing her in the first place. He backed quickly away from her, his eyes wide, and without a word he went sprinting down the hall.

A/N: I hope you like this chapter! As always, happy reading and let me know what you think.