Mischief Managed Chapter 7, a harry potter fanfic

Disclaimer: Everything HP related is all JKR's… all the rest is a product of my own imagination

A/N: Much to my delight and surprise, I already had Chapter Seven written, which was very convenient and very strange… but don't complain!!! At this point I feel the need to tell you that I won't have internet access over Easter, so your next instalment won't be available until (probably) sometime next week, which is the other reason I've decided to update so soon! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, as always, you make my day. I can't even begin to describe the warm and fuzzy feeling in my stomach every time I check my email and find that someone has reviewed my work! It really is quite unique… so "go ahead, make my day" and please review!

And finally...

WARNING: this chapter may contain some subtle (or not) references to things that small children should not yet know about! And I really really hope that this doesn't offend anyone, I've done my best to be subtle and vague! If you are offended, I'm sorry, try to think of it as "cheeky" not "bad"…

Peace out, Lexie xx

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Chapter Seven: In which James has a dream and embarrasses himself

"Why can't you just grow up, Potter?"

James was taken aback by the viciousness of her attack. "Excuse me, Lily?"

"You heard me," she said heatedly. "Do you ever think of the consequences? Someone could have been seriously hurt."

"They were only fireworks, Lily. Relax."

"Fireworks in a full corridor, Potter. You expect me to relax?!"

"Lily, I honestly don't know why you're so worked up. The situation was completely under control. Sirius knew exactly what he was doing. I just wish he would have warned me first," he added, slightly annoyed himself.

There was a quiet scoff from the other side of the room. "Like you hadn't known all the long."

James' eyebrows jumped so high that they disappeared beneath his unruly hairline. "I hadn't, Evans. I'm not responsible for Sirius."

"You're Head Boy, Potter!" Lily howled, stamping her foot.

James suppressed a grin. Of all the times he found Lily attractive, this was certainly the most bizarre. Nevertheless, there it was.

"You're so cute when you're cross."

Lily glowered at him. "I'm not cross," she responded through gritted teeth.

James' smile broadened. "No, you're not," he agreed. "You're absolutely livid. It doesn't make you any less cute."

Lily's jaw twitched, her eyes hard. "Do not think you can charm yourself out of this, Potter."

He took two long steps toward her. "Relax, will you, Lily? No one was hurt. It was just a bit of fun. Loosen up."

"Loosen up?!"

She cast a hand over her eyes, massaging her temples. When she looked again, she was reasonably horrified to find him directly infront of her, smiling down kindly.

"You're so stressed," he told her gently. "Not that stressed doesn't mean you're not attractive or anything – I mean, Merlin, Lily, you've got to be the sexiest woman at Hogwarts. But that isn't the point," he added firmly.

Lily bit her lip to keep from a scathing reply. She did not need nor want to be having this conversation.

"The point," James continued, "Is that you can't be happy if you're stressed. And frankly, Lily, there are more important things to worry about."

She raised her eyebrows sardonically.

"That's rich, Potter. You, and only you, are the source of my stress."

"Within the problem, find the cure," he responded simply.

She opened her mouth to retort, but something blocked her path. Or rather, someone.

James had leant down and slowly, very carefully holding her chin, he kissed her.

He pulled away, grinning.

"There, Lily. I knew that would shut you up."

James could not believe he was acting so calmly. He had just kissed Lily – had he? – he had just kissed the girl of his dreams. Said girl was now gaping at him with an odd look on her face, but this didn't seem to matter because there was an odd feeling coursing through his body, and his lips were throbbing. Maybe they would only just stop throbbing if-

"James Potter, how could you dare-"

He silenced her again, this time with a longer, firmer, more passionate kiss. Her lips were so soft on his, perfectly melding together. Unconsciously, his arms snaked around her body, hands joining in the small of her back.

Lily seemed to be frozen, but James didn't really care because he was kissing her again, and the throbbing in his lips had stopped.

James didn't want to stop. It felt so right, holding her in his arms, kissing her firmly and well. He tingled all over with excitement, his skin practically humming-

Oh wow.

For a moment, James paused, startled by the responding pressure. Lily was kissing him back!

He pulled away for air reluctantly, his eyes shyly meeting hers.

They were a brilliant, shining emerald green, emphasised by the gentle blush of her cheeks and the deep red of her lips. He smiled.

"How – how was that?"

Lily seemed to be speechless, not to mention breathless. There was an expression in her face that he couldn't quite read, but seemed to be a mixture of amazement and fear. Then, ruefully, she smiled shyly at him, and shrugged.

Liking what he saw, James kissed her again, once more, firmly and swiftly, and pulled away completely, setting himself down on the plush red sofa.

"What does this mean, James?"

Her voice was quiet, shy, and quite raw. Grinning, James patted the seat beside him.

"It means, Lily Evans, that I like you, very much. And I think it means that you like me too."

Although she blushed furiously, James was pleased to see that she made no attempt to contradict him. He took a deep breath.

"Lily Evans, will you be my girl-"

"POTTER!"

Some one was shaking him. James opened his eyes groggily to find Lily staring down at him, biting her lip. Had he fainted? How embarrassing! She's never go out with him now, James internally moaned, ashamed.

"Lily?" he asked tentatively.

She blushed. "Sorry to wake you up," she mumbled, perching beside him on the lounge. Realisation hit James like a Bludger to the head. He had been dreaming. This was infinitely disappointing for him to realise that he hadn't been kissing Lily. But it had felt so real! Or so he assumed. But truthfully, as much as he wished the facts were different, James Potter had never kissed Lily Evans before, and he did not in fact know what it would feel like. James did not realise his cheeks were burning bright red with these thoughts, but Lily did.

"Are you all right, Potter?"

"Fine," he mumbled, avoiding her eyes. "What's up, Evans?" he asked, immediately switching back to her last name and struggling not to blush. Since they apparently hadn't kissed, 'Lily' felt too intimate again. And as much as James craved intimacy with Lily, he wasn't going there unless he was allowed.

"Oh." It was Lily's turn to look away. "I just wanted to… I just wanted to apologise for prying, Potter. I had no right to, and what you do is your business. I just would prefer to know that you're safe, that's all. I know you four get together every full moon, did you think I hadn't noticed? I just want you to know that it's ok. I don't think any worse of you, or anything like that."

James gulped. He hadn't even considered that someone had noticed their subtle vanishing act every full moon to keep Remus company.

"Thanks, Evans," he said gently. "But-"

Lily looked up at the urgency in his voice.

"Will you swear not to tell anyone?"

She nodded soberly. "Of course, Potter. Why would I tell? There's so much prejudice about werewolves, and I'm sure you're all really lovely people, deep down at least. I guess it's a bit unfortunate that it happened to you all, but I suppose that's what happens when you go adventuring and it really isn't your fault."

Lily dared to look at him, amazed he was taking her speech so well. She felt sorry for him, really, She felt sorry for all of them. It was a terrible price to pay for a silly decision.

"Evans," James began slowly. "What did you just say?"

"Just that I suppose you were young and it's a really terrible price to pay for having fun, and all. I suppose it happened to you all at once?"

"So… Do you think that we're all werewolves, then?" he asked abruptly, standing up and turning away from her.

James couldn't believe it. How wrong she was! To be fair, it was probably a very clever assumption to make, considering they always disappeared together during the full moon. It was very sweet of her, to imagine that they were all so innocent.

Lily couldn't understand what was wrong. She knew she was right: she had thought about this long and hard, and it was the only possible answer!

James turned back to her, his face carefully blank. Oh, the others were going to kill him. But James Potter was tired of having to explain and justify himself to Lily. Somehow, right now, it didn't matter that what he was about to reveal was more or less a confession of highly illegal activity, it mattered even less that the confession was going to be made to one of the most law-abiding students in Hogwarts. James wanted to show Lily, and that was what he was going to do.

"Evans," his voice was gentle again. "We aren't all werewolves. Look."

And right before her eyes, James transformed. Antlers blossomed from his unruly back hair, and his robes vanished as coarse brown hair began to form all over his body. Of course, all this happened very quickly, but to Lily's stunned mind the world was moving in slow motion.

As quickly as it had began, it stopped. A tall, proud stag stood on the hearthrug before her, blinking calmly with James Potter's eyes. Inwardly, she sighed. Of course he had kept his eyes: those enchanting, chocolate coloured eyes that held that secret, special look he seemed to reserved only for her. A look that sometimes, secretly, made her melt.

Tentatively, Lily stretched out a hand, and the stag stepped forward, nudging her with his nose. Lily laughed, running her hands down his coat, which was as chocolate brown as James' eyes, with random flecks almost as coal black as James' hair.

"This is amazing, Potter," she whispered, before regarding him thoughtfully. "I suppose you can understand me, can't you?"

The stag nodded, nuzzling her neck. He liked the colour of Lily's hair very much, that dark, flaming red that looked brilliant in comparison with the dulled colours of the stag's sight.

"So you're all animagus?" she asked, momentarily forgetting her deadly secret and highly private revelation several years earlier.

He shook his head. Silly girl!

"You're the only animagus?"

James shook his shaggy head again, unable to focus clearly as Lily's hands ran over his coat. She stretched out a hand to touch his antlers, and remembered with a start that she knew the answer already.

"Potter, I know Remus is a werewolf, but he's never bitten anyone, right?"

The stag nodded regally.

"Oh Remus," Lily sighed. " I suppose that's good. I've always known, you know," she admitted. "I knew it when he kept disappearing, and looking so sickly. But then, he started looking a little better, and I thought I was wrong, until I noticed you all had started disappearing, so I thought that maybe... It wasn't a nice thought, but I thought that maybe there had been an accident or… Potter, this is amazing. I can't even imagine what this must mean to him, its such a kind, generous act, you're incredible."

James the stag felt happy. Happy was good. James the stag wanted Lily to transform into a deer too. She would make a very pretty doe. Maybe, the doe would have red fur, just like Lily's. James the stag wanted Lily.

Lily blushed, looking at him in surprise. "James," she said slowly.

This only served to encourage the stag. James loved it when Lily whispered his name like that.

Suddenly, James the human returned to his mind, staring at a blushing girl from the stag's eyes. Oooh this was not good.

James quickly transformed back into a human, took one mortified look at Lily and fled the Head's Tower.

"Of all the times for that to happen," James complained, lying on his back on his old bed in the seventh year dorm.

"It's only natural," Remus murmured comfortingly, struggling to hide a smile.

"It's not like it hasn't happened before, Prongs," Sirius added, flashing a grin. Sirius, it appeared to James, seemed to be deeply and darkly amused by the whole incident. "Lily should be flattered."

"Yes, but I've been in human form and wearing robes, Padfoot! It's not half as obvious!"

James was quite sure he had been fortunate that Lily had not castrated him on the spot… something that, considering the circumstances, may have been both easy and appropriate. He was never going to be able to look her in the face again! He desperately wondered what she was thinking, and was greatly apprehensive as to her reaction. He supposed she would tell Art – of course she would tell Art – and then he would have not one but two people coming after him with wands raised… for something that James very much wished he could take back. Lily probably thought he was the most disgusting person in the entire castle after that display, and that was no mean feat when Snivelly's hair was oozing grease several floors below them.

"What did she actually say?" Peter asked, curious. James very much doubted whether Peter had ever, or would ever, experience such embarrassment. Especially because Peter's animagi was a rat. Ruefully, James realised that it all boiled down to the fact that he had chosen a rather large and exceptionally masculine animal to transform into. It was his fifteen-year-old self's fault entirely.

"Nothing," he murmured, hiding his burning face behind a pillow. "She didn't say a thing. She didn't need to." Could his year possibly get any worse?

"Prongs?" Remus called, gently. "James!"

James was miserably busy ignoring him. Currently, he was quite seriously considering moving back into the dorm with his friends. In fact, maybe he could stay in here for the rest of the year? Moony would certainly be able to supply good notes, and if he was lucky he would only have to emerge for exams…

"James!" Remus smacked him in the head with his pillow. "You need to go and explain things to Lily. Save face, James. Maybe she will understand. She's not as scary as you think, and she's not as perfect as you think either."

James decided that there was no better time to test his theory that Hogwarts wasn't as big as it looked. He decided to take the long way back to the Head's Tower, which involved visiting not only the Astronomy Tower and the Divination classroom, but also the very long, dark and winding passages that branched off the Entrance Hall. For good measure, James threw in a few trick staircases and several moving doors. At one point, he decided he might as well race himself to the Head's Tower. If he got there last, he lost. If he arrived first, he lost. So, reasonably, he had nothing to lose. On his way past the Owlery, James considered sending Lily a letter of apology. But that wouldn't do because he would then have to return to his room to find paper and a quill.

James arrived in the fourth floor, eastern corridor much too soon for his liking. Then, struck by sudden inspiration, James remembered that he hadn't been to visit Hagrid in a few weeks… and maybe he had time for a spot of Quidditch on the way home?

"Potter?"

Bother. Lily had appeared in the corridor, and was staring at him in surprise.

"The Carved Witch told me you were out here," Lily said. The Carved Witch waved helpfully. "She thought you'd forgotten the password."

James grimaced. Of all the interfering, imposing and nosey fixtures of Hogwarts, the Carved Witch had to be the worst.

"Potter, I think we need to talk," Lily said carefully.

James looked at the floor. His head was throbbing painfully, and his instincts were violently arguing with his conscience.

Run for it, mate! His instincts cried in Sirius' voice, rather sensibly dreading the inevitable shame that James was doomed to suffer.

Just get it over and done with, his conscience, which sounded strangely like Remus, advised him calmly.

This made his instincts leap around, which resulted in the throbbing….

But I can't do either, said Peter's voice, very indecisively.

Hang on…

James was quite alarmed to hear his friend's voices invading his head. Positive this was not normal, James felt a sudden need to go and visit Madam Pomfrey. Actually… yes, a nice long stay in the Hospital Wing might do him some good, actually… especially if the nurse allowed him to hide behind a partition, like the one she used for Remus after the full moon…

When James looked up again, Lily had vanished, although the Carved Witch was still sitting open. She smiled at him encouragingly. And this made James sure of what he had to do.

Taking a deep, slightly shaken breath, he set one foot in front of the other and made his way inside.

Much to James' surprise, Lily looked quite composed by the time he had made it down the short hallway and into the common room. There she was, sitting uncertainly on a lounge, a worry line streaked across her brow and her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"What," she asked," was that all about, before?"

He blushed but was determined to meet her eyes. Maybe Moony had been right, he hoped desperately.

Unfortunately for Lily, he was giving her that special, terrible look that was apt to make her weak at the knees.

I have a boyfriend, Lily reminded herself sternly, then blushed, wondering if she had that effect on Art too. She could not understand how this had happened, and this scared her. Happily for James, Lily was so confused that she hadn't had time to get indignant yet.

"I'm sorry, Lily," he rasped. "It's… well, I was worried you'd be mad, and you're quite scary when that happens."

"No, silly," Lily told him gently. "I meant –" she cleared her throat significantly " – well, before."

"Oh," was James' highly intelligent reply.

He took a deep breath, and attempted a painful smile, which eventually looked more like another grimace. James felt the need to take another breath and – Oh hurry up! Remus' voice interjected impatiently. And suddenly, it all tumbled out.

"Well … I… as an animal, your feelings are much more… raw. I mean, well… things are much more simple, and, well, Lily, you must know by now how I feel about you, and normally I can fight it, because I don't want to feel like that about you, but you were right there…"

As far as she knew, Lily could not recall having had that effect on Art. Lily wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe they were too young or pure for such things, yet? And James, being James, wasn't. No, of course he wasn't. He was just attracted to Lily for her looks, after all… Wait, what had he just said??

"You don't like being attracted to me?" Lily repeated, stunned.

"No!" James yelped. Anxiously, he ran his hands through his hair, wondering how to put what he wanted to say. "No, I mean, yes, I do, I like being attracted to you very much… It's just that I don't want to like you, if you don't want me to. And I know you don't, so I just… ignore it."

Much to James' amazement, Lily's face softened. He looked so confused, and embarrassed, and, well… cute. After all, she supposed, the – er – incident… really hadn't been his fault.

"Who knew you were so sweet?" she murmured, stunned. "I – erm – I forgive you, Potter."

She stepped forward and gently kissed his cheek, before stepping away and turning to go. Lily was quite aware that she had just kissed Potter's cheek, and was mildly mortified. The way he was looking at her changed again, all of a sudden, and Lily was now definitely sure she wasn't comfortable with the look in his eyes. Thankfully, she had the perfect escape.

"I've got to meet Art. I'll see you later," she whispered, hurriedly.

With that, Lily Evans subtly hastened out of the still-open Carved Witch, leaving one very stunned, confused James Potter in her wake.

Happy Easter everyone!!! Theoretical chocolate eggs for everyone who reviews… because who doesn't love chocolate?!