Disclaimer: Want to know what I'm getting for Christmas? Not the ownership of the Harry Potter series, that is for sure.
ANDANDAND: Aira gets a last name! HOW FUN.
Okay, onto the chapter:
Lily awoke the next morning feeling light hearted, and for the first time that year, knew exactly what to do. She had a plan, and she liked having a plan.
She jumped out of bed and sprinted across the floor, out of the door and across the common room.
She gently opened the door into his bedroom and silently crossed the floor.
Good morning, James!" She sang out, throwing the curtains to his four-poster bed back.
However, she wasn't met with the sight she was hoping for. Instead of seeing James's lean body tangled in the sheets with his messy hair draped across a pillow, the duvet was pulled taunt, with one side corner turned down in a inviting, come-and-rest manner.
Laughing slightly, Lily leaned against the large wooden bed frame.
"Of all the days he has to wake early, it would be this one. It is so typical of James, this being the one time I actually need him, and he isn't even here. I suppose he's at breakfast, then." She muttered, before turning and returning to her room.
She dressed slowly, savoring the time to collect her thoughts. James was notorious for being an incredibly slow eater, which was something Lily could easily bare witness too. There was no need to rush.
She exited her room and strode toward the door. However, as she approached the door, something slowed her.
She stared at the door handle for a few moments, before reaching out and grasping it. However, she couldn't bring herself to turn it.
"Why am I doing this?" She asked the smooth, dark metal. She was completely aware that talking to oneself, or intimate objects, was a sure a sign of losing ones mind, but it seemed a good way to attempt to make sense of her recent behaviors.
"You're hungry, I suppose is the only logical explanation." A wise voice answered.
She jumped and her eyes widened with shock. She slowly turned and saw that Arnold had slipped, unnoticed, into the painted hanging on the wall.
"Good morning, Miss Evans. I did not mean to startle you. Other than that, I can trust you are well?"
"I'm smashing, Arnold. It is always a shock when the paintings move. They don't do that in the muggle world, you understand." She explained, walking over to her friend. "I was actually getting ready to head to breakfast, so, if you'll excuse me."
"Actually, Miss Evans, that would be the precise reason I am here. A Miss Aira McGarrow requested that I stop by and do see that, in her words, you do not 'chicken out.' I can't say I know what she meant, but I agreed." The older man said, smiling down at her. "I doubt you would skip out, though. It sounds rather unlike you."
"Aira would send someone to make sure I didn't chicken out, as she's put it. That is slang for trying to get out of certain responsibilities." Lily said, nodding. "Anyway, I must bid you good bye. I need to attend to something."
"Ah, yes! Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day." The elderly scholar stated brightly. "I never once missed breakfast during my duration at Hogwarts. The food wasn't nearly as good as it is now, I must acquiesce."
"I wasn't speaking of breakfast, sir."
"Oh?" Arnold looked up, a slight smirk dancing across his lips. "Something greater than that, Miss Evans? It couldn't possibly have to do with the young gentleman you were searching for last evening, could it?"
Lily's face flushed crimson. "Well, yes, it does. How did you know?"
Arnold beamed. "Miss McGarrow informed me that your two's relationship has been seven a year in the making. I may trust, that now, you and this fine young gentlemen are much more than simple schoolmates?"
Lily stared up at him in amusement. "For how long did you speak with Aira?"
"At least three chimes and a rising sun, I believe." He said, his face crinkling in thought. "Our conversation may have lasted longer, however. She had much to tell me about you and this young man."
Lily felt a pang of nervousness rise in her stomach. "What did she tell you, Arnold?"
"She informed me that you and this gentleman, Mr. James Potter, have been in love for almost seven years and have not acted upon those feelings. Is that true, my flower?" He stared at her in disbelief. "Seven years is a long period of time in which to suppress emotions."
"I wasn't suppressing my emotions. I actually felt nothing but loathing toward James until this year. Before this September, I thought he was a cruel, nasty, ruthless prat. I wasn't suppressing my emotions." She insisted. "However, this year, he and I were forced to be together, since we are head boy and girl. I have noticed he is not any of those things. He cares deeply about people, and he is not annoying. He is the slightest bit fun, actually. When he laughs, it is almost as if the whole room is brighter. He roped me into this ridiculous bet, and looking back, I don't even know why I agreed."
Lily launched into the tale of her year. She had not visited Arnold once before the evening proceeding this day, so she was able to tell him everything without worry that he had already heard the story.
As she finished, she could not help but smile. "It's wonderful, Arnold. I'm going to meet him, today."
Arnold stared over his glasses at her. "My water rose, are you in love with this boy?"
"I don't know, Arnold. I do not loathe him, I know certainly. I do not love him, I don't think. I need some time to straighten out my feelings, I believe. I honestly thought I'd never say this, but I think the best way to do that is by dating James Potter."
Arnold expression turned grim. "Miss Evans, does this young man treat you as the delicate, beautiful flower that you deserve to be treated as?"
Lily looked at him in confusion. "Of course he does."
The sage old man's eyes filled with merriment. "Then I give my approval for him to court you! Please, for when you marry, I send my best regards."
"Arnold, I'm not agreeing to marry him. I'm agreeing to meet him for a butterbeer." Lily clarified.
"That is something can easily progress into a marriage, love. Marriages always begin with courting." Arnold retorted.
Lily opened her mouth to respond when the wall clock began to chime. Lily mouth fell open as the clock rang its ninth chime.
"Arnold, I do hate to leave you like this, but it's nine in the morning! I got to get to my transfiguration lesson."
Arnold's eyes clouded. "Miss Evans, you never confessed your undying love to Mr. Potter!"
Lily stopped with her hand in mid-air, reaching for her books. She raised her eyebrows at him.
"My undying love? Did you get that impression from my story?" She asked in disbelief.
"No, Miss McGarrow gave me that impression when she spoke with me about the undying love shared between yourself and Mr. Potter." He said. "Now, you must get to class! I doubt your Professor will appreciate you chickening out."
He looked so proud of himself that Lily could not bring herself to correct him. She instead bide him farewell and hurried to class, promising to speak with James during lunch.
All through transfiguration, Lily had attempted to get James's attention, but to no avail. He had refused to look her way, instead keeping his attention on the lesson, something James rarely did. He had a strong grasp on transfiguration, and therefore didn't need to.
Throughout the class, James diligently took notes, listened, and did not glance once in Lily's directions.
After fifty-five grueling minutes, the class was finally released.
Lily gathered her books quickly, hoping she would be able to catch up with James, but Aira stopped her.
"So you heard about it, then?" Aira voice was full of sympathy. "I'm sorry."
"Aira, I can't believe you dragged Arnold into this. I was going to talk to James this morning. I'm going to have to talk to James during lunch, now." She whispered back.
Aira stared at her. "What are…. Oh." Her eyes widened in understanding. "Yes, sorry about that. Anyway, you should probably get to Advanced Runes, should you not? I need to, um, ask Charlotte a question, please excuse me." Aira spoke hurriedly before charging down the hallway after Charlotte, calling the other girl's name.
Lily's next three classes passed painfully slow. She had tried to get James's attention when walking between classes, but he had not heard her when she called.
Ellie rambled on and on during their free period together, but Lily was not listening.
When lunch came around, Lily was feeling anxious about talking with James. She had asked Ellie if he had asked about her during breakfast, Ellie had simply looked at her.
"It's alright, Lily." She had said.
She had wanted to hurry to the Great Hall in order to find James, but Ellie stopped her.
"We should wait for Aira and Charlotte. They'd be disappointed if we didn't." Ellie said, grabbing Lily's arm. "They'll be here soon, I promise."
"Elle, I need to go and talk to James." Lily said, starting toward the Great Hall.
Ellie squeezed Lily's forearm. "No, you can do that later. We don't need to go to the Great Hall, not yet."
Lily stared at her friend. "Ellie, is something wrong?"
"No!" Ellie shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you don't want to go to lunch, which is strange. I am going because I want to talk with James. Last night, all you, Aira, and Charlotte could talk about was James and I getting together, and now it's as if you don't want us to be in the same room. What's going on?"
"Nothing is going on." Ellie insisted, biting her lip and looking away. "Really, it's nothing at all. I just think we should stay here and wait for Charlotte and Aira, that's all."
"Did something happen between you and Remus?" Lily asked, concern reading on her face. "Is that why you don't want to go to lunch? If that's it, we can stay and wait for them! I'll find another time to talk to James. It'll be all right."
"Lily, nothing happened between us." Ellie nodded toward the end of the hallway. "Here come Charlotte and Aira. We can head to lunch now."
"Good afternoon, Lily!" Charlotte said, pulling Lily in for a hug. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. I'd like to get to the Great Hall to talk to James, though." Lily said. "I don't mean to be rude, but we can we please hurry up?"
Aira smiled. "Of course, Lily! I am simply starved. Right, girls?"
The other two nodded brightly.
"Alright, then." Lily looked at her, confusion ringing in her voice. "Why are you acting so strangely?"
"We're not acting strange!" Ellie interjected. "Are we, Charlotte?"
Charlotte shook her head in agreement. "Not at all, Lily dear."
Lily stared at her friends. They were certainly acting strangely, with all the perkiness and nodding, but Lily had larger things to focus on, such as figuring out how she would tell James that she had decided she did want to date him, and he wasn't the arrogant prat she had made him out to be.
They girls continued in silence until the reached the doors to Great Hall. Lily had perfected her speech. Taking a deep breath, she smiled up at the large, oak barriers. They smelled of wood, and they knots and holes no longer made them seem old and dismal; the looked wise, as if all the secrets to the world were stored behind they're sturdy holds. Lily Evans had a plan, once again. She liked having a plan.
"Thank you, girls." Lily said, glancing around at them. "For staying up with me, for making me realize that agreeing to actually date James would not be a huge mistake, for everything."
Aira threw her arm around her. "You're welcome, lass." She gave her shoulder a small squeeze.
"Now or never, then?" Charlotte said, leaning against the dark doorframe.
Lily looked at her friends.
"Please. Now, before I lose my wits." She said, taking another breath and placing her hands on the knotted wooden handles.
With a final reassuring look to her friends, Lily pushed open the heavy dividers and took a step over the threshold.
Lily took a large scan of the room, looking for the one face that she actually need. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of messy, black hair and glasses.
She turned excitedly, his names at the tip of her tongue, ready to call out to him.
Then she took in the full scene. James was sitting at the end of the Gryffindor house table, his tongue very much occupied, exploring all the cracks and crevices of a blond Hufflepuff girl's cheek.
Lily could feel her heart –and jaw- drop. Moving automatically, she turned on heel and pulled the large oak doors, which she had just admired, open, silently cursing them. They did hold secrets. They also held betrayals.
She was willing herself not to cry, but she knew the tears wouldn't stay at bay long.
"Aira! I thought you said they're weren't in here!" Lily heard Ellie shout before the doors closed with a bang and she took of in run.
Oh, no! It's must be because this is unlucky chapter thirteen!
(and I'm releasing it on a Friday! Oh-double-no!)
Hey, I am just letting the story run its course! So do not hate, I swear it will get better. Think about it: the tables are turned, now. How fun is that going to be?
Anyway, in other semi-related news, I do think a few thank you's are in order. I would like to send a super-special-awesome holiday cookie to tardisinthesgc for sending me that very sweet review. I don't think you know how much it lifted my spirits. Thank you so, so much.
So, I am loving, loving, loving the reviews! Keep them coming, best gifts ever!
I also love the fact that TODAY IS CHRISTMAS EVE! It is my favorite day of the ENTIRE YEAR. Some kids stay up late or get up early on Christmas, but I love Christmas Eve more.
Anyway, I probably will not get a chance to update until next week at the earliest, so, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
(Oh, and Katie! I practiced my words. DISMAL!)