The Invitation
by sunny tuesday
this post: June 20th, 2007

I know I said this was going to be a oneshot, but I was overruled. By 21 reviews. Thanks a bunch you guys. Please enjoy chapter two!

2/3

What was I thinking? Lily asked herself ten minutes later. Saying yes to a party invitation from that idiotic Potter? And she kissed him! No- no, he kissed her, not the other way around. And she hadn't kissed him back. Of course not. Lily Evans does not like James Potter. Lily Evans never did, doesn't now, and never would.

Oh but what a kiss… she found herself thinking dreamily as she laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling, her hand slowly drifting to her lips, to marvel that he had graced them so wonderfully a mere hour ago. No, no no! I can't think like this. James Potter is a pathetic, rude twerp and I am sorry I ever had to meet him! He's not even worth the dirt on my shoe! He might be the best kisser to ever exist on the planet but I will not, and I repeat, will NOT go to his party.

But her hands rebelliously ripped open the invitation and her traitorous eyes read the words inside.

PARTY!!!

When: October 12th, 5:30- 1 am
Where: Boys' Rm. 7 Dormitory
Who: Invited Select Gryffindors ONLY

She wanted to go. Really badly. Or, at least, part of her wanted to. The other part was shouting that she was stupid for getting herself into this mess. Stupid for allowing James Pathetic Potter to bewitch her with his really good kissing and alluring looks and attractive demeanor…

She had to stop thinking like this!

"Hey, Lils," a voice called. Lily looked up- it was Rebecca Bones, her roommate. "You get invited to Potter's Party?"

"P-Potter's Party?" Lily moaned, rolling over and standing up. "Yeah…"

"What's with the long face then? The party starts in an hour and I only just found out! I'll wear my new dress- you know, the one I got in Hogsmeade? Sirius will definitely notice me then!" Rebecca squealed, opening her trunk and pulling out a sleek black number.

Lily slumped back onto her bed and stuffed her face in her hands. "I'm not going."

"What?" Rebecca cried, in the middle of changing into the dress. "Perhaps I should shower…" she muttered to herself. "What? Why not? Everyone knows you're secretly in love with Potter! Just kiss him already and end the suspense!"

Lily was painfully reminded why she wasn't very close to Rebecca. Flinching slightly, she looked up at her roommate. "He kissed me today… And it was really, really good… But he's James Potter and he's an idiot! He's been going out with that Roberta girl from Slytherin since last Christmas, but he is still asking me out! Who would want a guy who threatens to cheat on you every five sec-"

"-He dumped Roberta a week into their relationship. Don't you ever listen to gossip?" Rebecca informed her, buckling on her heels. "And anyway, I heard he doesn't want to date anyone but you. From a reliable source."

"How sweet…" Lily murmured. "What reliable source?"

"A girl doesn't kiss and tell!" Rebecca giggled. "Or, at least, I don't. You seem to, though. So you kissed Potter? Big deal."

"I didn't kiss Potter!" Lily corrected her angrily, standing up and rummaging through her trunk. "He kissed me!"

Rebecca shook her head, and began to curl her long, blonde locks with her wand. "You enjoyed it, though, right? So you might as well have kissed him. And if you enjoyed it, then you must have kissed him back!"

"Well, we were down in the dungeons and it was dark and… and I was backed into a corner… I had no other choice." Lily argued weakly, even though she knew she had already lost the debate. Rebecca was right. She had kissed Potter, er, James, and she had liked it.

"Bad excuse. I bet he's already telling everyone how you guys kissed and that you're meeting him at the party and how you're practically a couple. One more kiss, is all, darling," Rebecca laughed. "Two kisses means you're a couple."

"I refuse to kiss him again!" Lily cried, grabbing an emerald green dress out of her trunk.

"Then why are you getting a dress?" Rebecca asked as she slathered on some eye shadow.

"I will go to the party," Lily announced with dignity. "And tell Potter that A) we are not a couple, B) he kissed me and as much as I might have enjoyed it, he is still scum, and C) that he will not approach me in a romantic matter EVER again."

Rebecca shook her shoulders, a small smile on her freshly glossed lips. She'll eat her words, mind you, she thought, her mind already filling with delectable gossip, she'll eat her words.

An hour later, Lily found herself in front of a mirror, twirling small, green carnations into her hair and frowning. Inside, a war was waging. On one side, fought the Pro-Potter team, and on the other, the Anti-Potter.

And as much as she was sorry to hear it, the Pro-Potter team was winning. By a lot.

She had spent six years vowing never to date Potter, telling the whole world and his face that he was a moron, but it had never changed the way he felt about her. Somehow, despite her blunt rudeness, James Potter still loved her. After everything she had said and done, he still wanted her.

Oh, she hated her sense of morality!

Angrily, Lily jerked the flowers out of her hair and shoved them into the sink. She ran a comb through her hair and sat down on the edge of the tub. She had to make a decision right now. Was she going to continue this way, hating Potter? Or was she going to make the ultimate choice- to love him back?

"Lils! You coming or not? The party started eight minutes ago! If we want to be properly fashionably late we have to leave now!" Rebecca's too sugary-sweet voice called. Lily slumped against the porcelain tiled wall. The moment to decide was now!

"Lils!"

Lily sighed, standing up. Taking one glance in the mirror, she announced herself 'fine', and left the room. "Yes," she answered. "I'm coming, I guess."

"Good," Rebecca told her, grinning. "You're going to have an awesome time! Hannah told me this has the potential to be the best party of the year!"

"You go ahead," Lily grumbled. "I have to put on my shoes."

"Look, Lily," Rebecca's voice took on a more serious tone. "We all know it's going to happen sooner or later, you know? So it may as well be sooner, right?"

"Sure," Lily replied, surfing through her trunk for her sparkly green flats. "Sure. I'm almost done. I'll leave soon, okay?"

"All right," Rebecca told her. "But if you're not there in ten minutes I'm coming back to get you!" She grinned, flashing off her tongue-ring, before skirting out the door and closing it behind her.

Lily sat on her bed, slipping her shoes on. Rebecca's words rang in her ears… "…Everyone knows you're secretly in love with Potter! Just kiss him already and end the suspense!… I heard he doesn't want to date anyone but you. From a reliable source… You enjoyed it, though, right? So you might as well have kissed him. And if you enjoyed it, then you must have kissed him back!… We all know it's going to happen sooner or later, you know? So it may as well be sooner, right?…"

"We all know it's going to happen sooner or later, you know? So it may as well be sooner, right?"

Lily grimaced. Standing up, she brushed off her dress.

She was going to the party. But it didn't exactly mean that she was going to enjoy it.

sunny tuesday