Chapter 2:
By the time they had finished breakfast they had figured out that neither of them was holding each other's hands. Trying every spell she knew Lily tried to undo the magic that seemed to stick them together. Finite Encantum, stupious spallious and thatis enaf, the strongest ending spells Lily knew didn't make a dent in the spell.
Once the house elves had stopped pestering them to eat more both students, still bickering made their way towards the hospital wing of the school to get each other removed from their hands.
Reaching the sterile room Lily and James knocked on the office door. The bustling young healer entered the room and noticed their hands
"Oh" escaped her lips.
"Madam Pomfrey?" Lily asked formally, "could you please help us?"
"Well dear" she began flustered at the sixth years, "I'm not sure if I can help with you know that." She said as she pointed to their hands
"Why not you're probably the best healer around?" James demanded of the small woman.
"Potter!" Lily hissed at his rudeness. Staring at him hard ignoring the rolling in her stomach as he stared back twice as hard.
"I'm sorry children but I can't help with your relationship, I only deal with magical injuries not relationships." Apologised the young healer. Both students threw their arms up in frustration and started to speak over each other to explain the situation to the confused nurse.
"Quiet, quiet, QUIET!" madam Pomfrey screamed at the two teenagers who had now started a fight after not agreeing that it was all James/Lily's fault.
"So let me get this straight. You woke up and your hands were… attached?" she asked uncertain if she had heard correctly. Both students nodded at Madam Pomfrey. She had cast a silencing spell on the two of them so she could be heard and her patients were woken.
"Well I've never heard of anything that could meld two hands together."
"Maybe a sticking spell?" she mumbled under her breath but then cast that thought aside as there was no gooey substance between their hands. "It seems that your hands have actually melded together." Sounding sorry for their predicament. The cheery witch conjured spells and potions that the teens gulped down without resistance. After drinking their potions she once again inspected their hands and quietly shook her head at the two of them.
"I suggest you go and see the Headmaster." She said kindly with sympathy for their position.
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Walking up to the gargoyles Lily realised that she didn't have the password to get in. She was completely without a plan. She stopped a metre of so away from the stone statues and was suddenly pulled along by James.
"Lindt, Gold Bunny" he stated formally to the ugly scrunched up face that split into a smile showing square stone teeth.
"Back again" laughed the statue, "ah and bringing your girlfriend. How cute." Teased the gargoyle while his partner broke into loud gravely laughter.
Neither student had time to refute their relationship because the gargoyles disappeared and a spiral staircase started revolving around and around.
At the top of the stairs they were welcomed by a bronze door knocker in the shape of a snake.
Knock, knock, knockitty, knock James banged the snake against the door.
Before Lily had a chance to hiss at James the door swung open to reveal their Headmaster playing putt putt golf on the floor of his office.
"Ah Mr. Potter, Ms Evans, just in time" acknowledged the wizened headmaster in checked blue and green golf hat, pants and shirt with a club in his hand. "I was just finishing my game."
"Sir you promised you would send for me next time you were going to play." James told the Headmaster jokingly.
Lily stared around the room at all the little gadgets and pictures. Her eyes finally landing on the red and gold phoenix that James was patting with familiarity. The headmaster made his way around to the other side of his desk and sat in the long backed chair that magically tucked him into the desk. He pulled some papers towards himself and studied them before returning back to his students.
"I see here that you are… stuck?" Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye as he looked at their joined hands.
"Yes sir." She answered respectfully, "Could you please undo what ever this is?" Lily asked slightly hysterical.
"I'm sorry Ms. Evans but I cannot undo what has been done. What you have here" he said eyes indicated to their entwined fingers, "is an engagement bond."
This bombshell was originally met with complete and total silence. After a squawk from the phoenix - James had stopped patting as a result of shock - the silence was broken and Lily and James clambered to be heard over one another once again.
"Sir we can't be engaged. We HATE each other. Do you really think I would accept a proposal from that git?" she asked pointing her thumb backwards over her shoulder at James who looked affronted.
"Who said I would ever propose to you?" he yelled at the small red-head. He had no idea why he was so angry. He told himself it was because she called him a git but the conclusion niggled him.
"Who said I wanted you to?" Lily yelled back once again resulting in another screaming match between the two Gryffindors.
Dumbledore, with his chin resting on his knotted hands surveyed the argument with enjoyment it's not everyday you get an engagement charm and a show in one meeting.
Realising that they were having yet again another argument in front of the Headmaster they controlled their voices and concentrated on Dumbledore once again.
"Now that you've gotten that out of your systems. How would you like to hear how to undo your hands?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eyes as her viewed their hungry eyes. Brushing his long auburn beard he wondered if giving them the cure would work after all it would separate them but would it make them any better. The engagement charm was used in medieval times when people had arranged marriages. By using the charm the two people learnt more and more about each other and eventual love would blossom. Dumbledore didn't expect love between the couple but he did expect understanding and maybe less fighting if they were to be stuck in close quarters with each other.
"The engagement charm was used in medieval times in arranged marriages. Your hands will be stuck for 3 days and then you will become unstuck but have to reside in the same residence and share the same bed. Every day the restrictions will lessen until they are no longer there."
"So you mean we'll be unstuck but still stuck in each other's company." James asked disbelief evident in his words
"Essentially yes." Dumbledore stated with finality.
"But I'm going home. He can't come to my home." Lily protested starting to panic at the thought of having her arch enemy staying in her home. Her home was something that Potter could definitely never go to. For starters she didn't know how his parents would feel about him coming to her home. It seemed impossible. He just couldn't come it wasn't doable.
"Who said I wanted to?" James retorted
Before their words escalated into another argument Dumbledore held up his hands and had a silencing charm placed on them.
"Are you listening?" he asked clearly. Both teenagers nodded
"Mr. Potter you will be escorting Ms. Evans home for the summer holidays until the spell has ended. I will arrange everything with Ms. Evans's family. For now you are to go on with your lives as best you can." Dumbledore said with finality. Both nodded, hung their heads out of disappointment and left the room.
Dumbledore de-activated the silencing charm upon them leaving the room but they still didn't talk, instead they walked ever so slowly back to the room they woke up in that morning. It seemed that when the engagement charm had been placed on them new living quarters had been made in the castle and their things moved in and settled.
The pair spent their last day of their sixth year in silence with only each other for company. Lily no longer had any friends as Jamiliah would no longer talk to her and James's friends were catching up with girls they would be seeing over the holidays.
After a day of arguing and silent feuds the Gryffindor enemies decided to make a truce during the time they were joined. James surprisingly came up with the idea.
"Evans?" asked James seriously
"Potter?" acknowledged Lily
"Since we're going to be stuck like this for a while I recommend armistice until it's worn off." He stated formally and coldly.
Lily thought it over. Truthfully she was sick of arguing and coming up with new insults every time they met, which was now often. She was sick of always having to be ready and on the go to retort back to his comments and pranks. She hated always having to be alert, checking for pranks in her food, where they sat, if they were planning something. It was draining to be the only one on their guard. She couldn't share the burden of being the only one 24/7 any longer. It had been going on too long. She was tired.
Sticking out her hand she said the one thing James did not count: "deal".
He was so stunned that she agreed he stood there dumbly looking at her outstretched hand.
"This is normally when you shake it" teased Lily waking him up from his day dreaming. He had imagined that Evans would turn around, yell in his face, try to walk off, realise they were attached and yell some more. The fact that she agreed to something he suggested caused his brain to go into overload. Here he was with the most stubborn, uptight, I'm-always-right, shoe in for Head Girl promising a truce. He grabbed her hand and shook it before she re-thought his proposition.
"Alright so not enemies for now?" he asked uncertainty. Lily just nodded curtly and turned around to finish packing her trunk. This was their last day in the school for the year.
