Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to Marauder's Mad, my faithful reviewer.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter. But Christmas is coming up. Perhaps JKR will give Harry Potter to me? No? How about Rupert Grint? Pleasee????
Chapter SixIt has been a week and a half and Lily still had not cracked. The girls and the Marauders—who were in on the bet—had frankly given up when James tried the only trick left up his sleeve.
"So, Lils. How's it going?" he asked easily, stretched out on the floor doing his homework.
"How's what going, James?" she asked not looking up from her book. This was one of the things that James had noticed about Lily. She liked to read books. Not textbooks, but fiction books.
"Oh, you know. Life. School. All that," James said.
"Just brilliant. My dad wrote to me and said that Petunia got engaged to that dumb boyfriend of hers, Vernon Dursley. They're getting married over Christmas break," Lily replied.
"Really? So, I guess it means you're going home over break, huh?"
"Yeah, I am. Not my choice though. Well, I really love my dad and Aunt Sarah, but I really don't want to be in a wedding. She's going to use this opportunity to show me how much better she is than me. I really can't stand it," Lily explained, stretching out on the couch.
"You're going to be in her wedding? I thought she hated you!" James replied, looking up at her.
"She doesn't hate me—not exactly. She thinks that I'm an abnormal freak and she can't stand anything not being normal. But she's my sister and I'd have to go to her wedding anyway and she figured people would ask why I'm not in it since I'm her only sister so she put me in it," Lily said, smiling at James upside-down.
You're strange, you know that?" James asked her, amused.
"Why's that so?"
"You're reading upside-down. Since we started this conversation, you've been in about 3 different positions," James explained smiling what Darcie would call "a winning smile."
"Thanks, I think."
"You're welcome. But I wanted to talk to you about something anyway. Wanna go with me to Hogsmeade next weekend?" James asked, sitting up.
Lily fell to the floor with a thud. "Go to Hogsmeade with you? As in a date?"
"Yep," he replied a ghost of a smirk on his lips.
Massaging her head, Lily sat up. "You asked me out after I explicitly told you what I thought about you? I can't believe you are so full of yourself you stupid ass—" Lily clapped her hand to her mouth, her eyes open wide.
James looked at her gleefully. "I won! I knew that there would be only one way to make you mad, so I did it and it paid off!" he shouted, jumping up and pulling Lily up with him. "Haha I won!"
"I can't believe you tricked me. Fine, I'm a gracious loser. When and where?" Lily asked, sitting back down on the couch and pushing James onto the floor.
"When and where what?" he asked.
"When and where and what and how?" she continued. "I meant our date," she said the word date with as much displeasure as possible. "When are we going out and where? I need to know these things ahead of time."
James scratched his head thoughtfully. "Um, how about the Halloween ball?"
"You mean people have to see us together in public?" Lily asked, horrified.
"What? Are you afraid people might think things?"
"No," Lily retorted. "What if I already have a date? It's only a month away," she asked, pulling out her book once more.
"Do you? Have a date, I mean," James asked, looking at her.
Lily blushed. "No, but—gah, I guess there's no way out. So, want to match or what?"
"Match?" "Yes, match, Potter. Do you want our Halloween costumes to match or not?" Lily explained with the air of talking to a highly emotional toddler.
"Oh… well I guess that would be good. What do you want to do? Cinderella and Prince Charming?" he asked.
"No, that's been done before and half the couples will be doing that," Lily responded.
"Oh, you want us to stand out?" James asked, smirking slightly.
"Yes, because I like to be original. I'll get back to you on the costumes," Lily responded.
"Okay."
Lily went back to her reading.
"Watcha reading?" James asked her, smiling.
"A book," Lily replied, shifting into a more comfortable position.
"I can see that. I meant what book are you reading?" James asked, sitting on the couch next to her.
"Potions book."
"Seriously?" James asked incredulously.
"No, not seriously. Just reading a Muggle book. You wouldn't know it anyway," Lily replied to him, not looking up. "And would you please shut up, I'm busy and I don't want to talk to you."
James looked hurt. "Why are you always so mean to me? I try to curb doing stuff that makes you mad, but you still act the same towards me."
"Wow, James Potter is sad," Lily exclaimed sarcastically. When she looked up from her book, however, she saw his face she bit her lip uncertainly. "Oh, sorry about that. I guess I am still being rude to you. It just takes me a while to change my attitude towards you. But I have been trying. And I've noticed that you've been trying too."
"Really?" James asked, his eyes lighting up.
Lily laughed. "Yes, really. So do you wanna do something? I'm rather bored."
"You hungry?" James asked.
"Not hungry, but I sure could use some ice cream," Lily replied, looking at James from the corner of her eye. "Why?"
"Wanna go to the kitchens?" he asked her.
"I take it you know how to get there?" Lily asked.
"Oh, yeah. It's really easy. Come on, I'll show you," he replied, offering his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up.
"James, it's 10:30. We're not supposed to be out of our Common Rooms at this time," Lily complained.
"And you always follow these rules?"
"No, but I'd rather not get caught."
"Neither would I. Stay right here and I'll be right back," James told her, running up to his room. He soon came back, carrying a cloak.
Lily eyed it suspiciously. "Er, are we going to the kitchens via the grounds? It's not cold enough in the castle for a cloak."
"It's not just any cloak. Think a little, my dear, and it'll come to you," James replied, unfolding the cloak.
"Is it an Invisibility Cloak?" Lily asked, surprise written on her face.
"Yep. Come on under and don't talk," James told her. Lily did as she was told and James wrapped the cloak over the two of them. This presented a slight problem—to Lily anyways. The difference between their heights, Lily being a mere 5'4" and James coming to a height of 6'2", didn't give the two of them much room under the cloak. Consequently they had to stand extremely close together. Not that James minded.
"James, do you have to stand so close to me?" Lily muttered, glancing over at James.
"Lily, dear, in case you didn't notice, we're not standing, we're walking. And yes, I have to, unless you want our feet to be seen and Filch to catch us," James answered. "Anyway, I don't mind."
"I bet you don't." Lily grumbled. "But I do."
James stopped and grabbed her arm, wrinkling his brow.
"What?" she hissed at him, angry. But James just put his hand over her mouth and pulled her towards a broom cupboard.
"OUCH!" he cried, pulling his hand away. "What'd you have to do that for?" James demanded, indignant.
"You put your hand on my mouth!" Lily hissed back.
"But you didn't have to bite me!" James answered. "Plus, I heard Filch and I knew you couldn't keep your mouth shut. I had to get us away."
"Puh-lease. Like you care about getting in trouble," Lily said, rolling her eyes.
"As a matter of fact, I do care. I'd rather not be in detention, if it's all the same to you," James told her. "So, shall we go to the kitchens? And no more biting this time."
Lily rolled her eyes, but nodded all the same, opening the door. They were back on their quest for ice cream.
"That really hurts," James whined, five minutes later.
Sighing, Lily took out her wand. "Let me see your hand," she said. James gave her his hand and she moved her wand over the cut, healing it.
"You're good at Healing spells," James said, examining his now-healed hand.
"Thanks. I better be, since I want to be a Healer," Lily said, putting her wand back in her jeans pocket.
They had just reached a large portrait with a fruit bowl on it. James reached out his hand and tickled the large green pear. It giggled and turned into a doorknob. Turning it, James opened the door. "Really? I had no idea," he told her, guiding Lily into the kitchens with his hand on the small of her back.
Lily turned and smiled at him, causing James' heart to do a back flip. "Yeah, really. Wow, this place is really awesome. Aww, look at all the little house elves," she said as the little creatures crowded around them.
"Can we do anything for sir and miss?" they asked the two squeakily.
"Er, yeah. Can we get mint chocolate chip ice cream for me and for Lily—" James said, looking at Lily questioningly.
"I'll have some mocha almond fudge," Lily cut in.
"Just one moments, sir and miss," the elves said, scurrying away.
"Let's go sit down," James said, pulling Lily by the hand to a table.
"So, what do you want to be when you graduate?" Lily asked. "Just don't tell me a Quidditch player."
James rolled his eyes. "No, I want to do something useful with my life. Quidditch is great and awesome at school, but I want to make a difference. Plus, I'd be good for maybe five, ten years, then I'm out of a job," he said.
"So, what do you want to be?" Lily pressed. "Thank you," she said to the elves as they gave the two Gryffindors their ice cream.
"I was thinking about being an Auror. You know with Voldemort around and his Death Eaters, we need as much protection as ever," James told her. "Wow, you didn't even flinch when I said his name," he commented.
"Well, I was scared of it before, but then Dumbledore told me that 'Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself' and I thought it's really true. I mean, that's what he wanted, isn't it? So we can't give into it," Lily told James.
"You're right. We have to take any victories we can get, no matter how small," James said, putting some ice cream into his mouth.
"I give you a whole speech and all you say is 'You're right'?" Lily asked, in mock outrage.
"Well, you never said anything about me being an Auror," James responded.
"I think it's really an admirable career. But I'd be so scared. I don't think I'd be able to do it," Lily responded thoughtfully.
"Thanks. But don't worry I won't get hurt. And if I do, then you can just nurse me back to health, eh?" James said, winking at Lily.
Lily laughed and playfully pushed his arm. "Listen, I was thinking about the dance and what do you say to going as Ariel and Eric from The Little Mermaid? You've got the dark hair and I've got the red."
"Interesting, but doesn't she have fins?" James asked.
"Yeah, so? I can find a costume like that," Lily said, finishing up her ice cream.
"But how are you going to dance?"
"Good point," Lily said. "I'll think of something later," she said, getting up and taking away their ice cream bowls. "Ready to go back to the common room?"
James stretched. "Yeah, let's go. And no biting this time."
I hope you liked that. Liked it? Loved it? Tolerated it? Hated it? I want to know! Any questions you may have, or predictions, I'd like to know! If you have an idea and I use it, due credit will be given. I'd like to t hank my wonderful reviewer:
Marauder's Mad
Yes, she's the only one L. I adore you and thank you for your patience!