Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue
Chapter Four: The Greenhouse Effect
Lily tapped her foot impatiently in the nearly deserted greenhouse, sending worried glances at the impatient Professor of Herbology. McGonagall had decided she didn't have enough work for the pair and assigned them to wash the greenhouse windows by hand. The new instructor, Professor Sprout, had already washed the outside panes of glass. It was up to Lily and her embarrassingly late slug of a partner to wash inside.
The creak of the door distracted Lily from her thoughts and all plans of berating Potter died on her lips. He had just come from Quidditch practice and had recently showered. His once unruly dark locks were wetly plastered down and still dripping water on his loose white shirt and dark trousers. He had obviously raced here as fast as he could. "Sorry I'm late, Professor," James apologized, faintly wondering why Lily wasn't yelling at him.
Skimming his gaze briefly over her beautiful figure, he was delightfully surprised to see she had discarded the school robe and tie for a skirt and blouse, rolling up the sleeves to combat against the sticky heat of the greenhouse.
"Ah, Mr. Potter," the Professor sighed, making her way to the door, "Miss Evans will fill you in on your assignment. Now if you can please give me your wand, I must go to a House meeting."
James felt defenseless without his wand and ruffled his wet hair thoughtfully as the Professor closed the door behind her and ambled back towards the castle. Turning to face Lily, he caught her eyeing his slightly damp shirt with… interest. Clearing his throat to get her attention, he grinned when a faint blush blossomed over her pale cheeks at the realization she had been caught staring. "Right then," Lily began, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, "let's get started."
After quickly explaining the punishment, the two grabbed the buckets of soapy water and sponges and immediately began working in a tense silence. James had no idea how much time they had spent scrubbing these bloody windows, but he was bored. Stealing a glance at Lily on the opposite side of the greenhouse, he bit back a groan when she stood on her toes to reach a particularly dirty spot high above her head, causing her skirt to rise dangerously high.
Lily could feel his gaze on her and with a toss of her hair decided that they needed a good row to get rid of all this unwanted tension. "Keep working, Potter," Lily snapped, giving him a haughty look, "it's your fault we're in this mess and I refuse to do all the work."
Narrowing his eyes at her insolent tone, James felt his lips curl into a sneer, "Oh get off your high and mighty horse, Evans. I don't see you working very hard over there."
Lily sighed in relief, this was their comfortable territory; finally she could face Potter like she used to… as enemies. Whirling around at him, green eyes flashing flames of fury, she retorted, "If you hadn't enchanted my notes we wouldn't be in this mess!"
"You should have just gotten a new piece of parchment," James offhandedly shrugged.
"Would that have stopped you?" she countered.
"No," he smirked, "really, Lily, what would you do with your life if I wasn't here to liven it up?"
"I'd be just fine," she quipped, sloshing her sponge in the water and returning to the dirty windows.
"I know you're a prude, Evans, but even you would get bored without me. Admit it, you find the attention flattering," James egged her on, knowing by now which buttons to press to really get under her skin.
"Flattering!" she screeched, jerking around to face him, clenching her fists so hard the sponge lost its water.
"Is there an echo in here?" he rolled his eyes, turning around to resume his work on the windows, smirking in satisfaction of a successfully riled up Evans.
Lily felt that all too familiar eye twitch start up again as she glared at his back. She might not be able to beat him verbally, but she was willing to do whatever it took to grab the upper hand.
James tensed up in apprehension when Evans made no biting comment to his jest. Something was up; she never backed down from a challenge. Drawing in a deep breath, he slowly craned his neck to see what she was up to when a large, wet sponge landed smack against his nose, lightly knocking his glasses askew.
Snorting in laughter, Lily chuckled in glee at his stunned expression. Lifting a finger to point, she mocked, "Take that you big-headed git."
Whipping off his glasses to wipe off his face with the hem of his shirt, he calmly replaced them and shot her a pissed off look. Placing a cocky grin on his face, he quickly picked up the bucket, tossing its contents towards Lily and effectively soaking her to the bone.
Gasping at the cold sensation, Lily glanced at her drenched form, her school blouse had turned transparent… lovely. "I see you changed out of the gold, love," James teased, eying her bra, "I've always been partial to pink lace."
Growling a low, "Prepare to pay, Potter," she grabbed her bucket, tossing the water, and missing him by a couple feet.
Letting out a groan of annoyance, she tensed in anger when he mocked, "With that kind of aim it's no wonder you're not on the Quidditch team. Would it have helped if I moved here?"
Stomping her foot in aggravation, Lily watched him advance forward a couple feet as he continued to mock her. Not hesitating, she chucked the empty bucket at him. James was clearly not expecting this move and was barely able to dive out of the way, bumping into a desk and teetering towards Lily. Holding his arms out in an effort to stop his momentum, he unceremoniously crashed into the surprised Head Girl, flattening her on a bed of vines. "Get off me, Potter," Lily fumed, pushing his shoulders in aggravation.
"I can't," James tried to explain, struggling to move but his legs were tangled in the intricate vines.
"What do you mean you can't?" Lily shrieked, eying the vines suspiciously.
Before James could answer, the vines sprung to life, threading a complicated vise around their bodies. "Potter, move before its…" Lily trailed off in horror as the vines stopped, efficiently pinning them both.
"What in Merlin's name is this?" James struggled against the vines, but they wouldn't budge.
"Devil's Snare in its earliest stages," Lily sighed bitterly, "it's not strong enough to strangle us, but the vines won't budge unless we have sunlight or our wands."
"We're stuck here?" James wondered out loud, glancing at their joined bodies, "In this position?"
Frowning at the gleeful grin that spread over his face, Lily eyed their situation warily. Potter was stretched on top of her, their hands were pinned to their sides, and faces were eerily close. So close, that she could count the number of gold flecks scattered through his hazel depths. Scared at the direction her thoughts were taking her, Lily began squirming to put more space between them mumbling, "You planned this from the beginning."
Scoffing at her, James murmured, "Evans, if I had planned this, I'd have you pinned on my bed, not some bleeding vines."
Glaring at his response, she continued to wiggle, hoping to put at least a few inches between them. Her wet clothes were not cooperating, sticking to her body in awkward places. She knew their close proximity was getting Potter's clothes wet, but he wasn't complaining.
Clenching his eyes painfully tight when her wet form wiggled against him once more, James tried to picture the most disturbing image he could, but every time he thought of something foul she started squirming again. "Merlin, Lily," James gritted, refusing to look into her lovely eyes, "I swear you love to torture me."
Lily immediately stopped wiggling as the full meaning of his words sunk in. Flushing a light pink, she eyed his clenched lids with a faint smile. As if he could sense her gaze, James opened his eyes, grinning when he caught her staring. His spectacles slowly began sliding down his nose, causing James to crane his neck to try and keep them balanced. "Evans, can you do me a favor and lift you chin up for a moment?" James asked hopefully.
Eying him strangely, she nodded, lifting her chin slightly. James bent his head and with the support of her chin, nudged his glasses back to their appointed space.
Lily held her breath all the while, his nose slid under the smooth skin of her chin, causing her lips to brush against his forehead. She felt a shudder run through her body as his breath washed over her neck. "Thanks," he whispered, slowly pulling back to gaze at her once more.
Lily felt her breaths become ragged as she tried to concentrate on anything but the attractive Head Boy on top of her. "Potter," Lily began, eying him coolly, "I think we need to try and move."
James raised his eyebrows quizzically, "But you said…"
"Ignore what I said," Lily snapped, "the books could be wrong."
"First, you second guess yourself, then you ignore the teachings of the book… Are you feeling well?" James asked suspiciously.
"Shut it, Potter," she fumed, "now I want you to grab my thighs."
James reeled his head back in shock. He probably would have fallen backwards if he wasn't braced by the vines. A slow leer spread over his lips as he smirked, "Are you always this demanding when the man's on top?"
"Not another word," Lily warned, eying him furiously, "I want you to grab my thighs and push upwards. I will grab hold of the vines to propel myself upwards."
"Lily…" James began, shaking his head in amusement, " this is never going to work."
"Just do it already," she ordered, taking a firm grip on the vines and trying to ignore the heated sensation enflaming her body when Potter tentatively touched her legs.
"On the count of three then," he sighed, experimentally tightening his hold on her.
"One," Lily began, glaring at a point over Potter's shoulder in determination.
"Two," he continued, taking the time to marvel at how smooth her skin felt.
"Three," they gritted and pushed with all their might.
Lily felt the vines move under her and briefly slacken. Letting out a whoop of joy, she pushed hard to escape only to have the vines constrict suddenly. Struggling against the tight hold, she glanced down and let out a groan. Although it had felt like they moved a few feet, in reality, it was just a few inches, leaving her palms innocently resting against Potter's shoulders and his face arched directly above her chest. Sighing in aggravation at this most uncomfortable position, she cursed the man on top of her as he began chuckling. "How does this position suit you, Evans?" James grinned, his chin hovering inches above her breasts.
"Don't you dare lower your head, Potter," Lily warned, glaring at him from her awkward angle.
Rolling his eyes at her remark, he cracked his neck to relieve the building pressure, idly wondering how long he could last.
Lily had no idea how much time had past, but Potter had yet to complain. Her emerald gaze avidly watched him struggle and ignored the way his warm breaths washed over her damp clothes.
His resistance was slowly weakening and a slight headache developed at his temples from the strain. He scrunched his brows together in concentration, replaying last match's Quidditch plays. Anything to keep his mind distracted from Lily's consuming gaze. So deep was his concentration that he early missed her soft voice murmur, "James, you can rest your head."
Raising his hazel orbs to stare at her quizzically, he paused wandering if this was some kind of test. The pain in his neck nullified any further thoughts as he tilted his head and gently rested it against her chest. The pair simultaneously let out a sigh of relief; it wasn't nearly as awkward as they thought. However, not even relief could over power James' need to smile at this most convenient position.
Lily felt his lips curl into a smile and chided, "No immature thoughts now, Potter."
James chuckled before replying, "I can assure you, Evans, my thoughts are nothing but mature."
Scowling at his response, she took another calming breath, freezing when she felt James chuckling. "What the hell is so funny?" she snapped, glaring at the top of his head.
Still struggling to conceal his laughter, James grinned, "Take another deep breath and watch me."
Regarding him suspiciously, she complied and the results made her gasp in horror. Every breath caused her chest to rise and fall, taking James' head along for the ride. Groaning in disbelief, she muttered, "Not another word, Potter."
James smiled in concession, closing his eyes to ignore the slight headache that pounded from his temples. He tried to match his breaths with hers and found to his amusement with their combined breaths he rose twice as high. Resisting the urge to burrow further into her soft curves he settled down.
For the last few minutes Lily had been gnawing her lip in worry. Potter hadn't made a sound and that worried her. Glancing down she took into account his closed eyes, steady breathing, and added weight; the git had fallen asleep. "Potter," she hissed, "I'm not a pillow."
Her voice barely registered through his sleep-induced mind. Grumbling, he murmured, "But none of my pillows have ever been this comfortable," and playfully nuzzled against her breasts.
Lily gasped and started hitting his shoulders with her hands, ignoring the vines encumbering presence and trying to buck him off her. Sadly, she didn't take into account where her struggles would throw him. Having no space to move, she succeeded in bouncing his head off her only to have it snap back seconds later. Instead of saving herself from the embarrassment, she caused it, as James' mouth accidentally brushed across her nipple through her wet clothes. James froze as his gaze locked onto the tempting lace. Needing to act fast before he did something Lily would undoubtedly regret, he grabbed a hold of the vines and gave a lurching pull. The vines seemed to give under his pressure and the pair returned to their original pinned position. "James," Lily grunted, painfully squirming under him, "you're quite heavy."
"Strange," he murmured, "you weren't complaining about my weight a few minutes ago."
Ignoring his comment, she hit the vines, muttering, "I'm squished, you gits."
Strangely the plant seemed to hear her and with a quick flick of its vines, had expertly flipped their positions. "Lily, I should have known you wanted to be on top," he chuckled.
Cursing Devil's Snare, she continued to ask the plant to let her go, but it seemed the vines weren't as compliant as before. Dragging her gaze away from the plant she was surprised to see James clenching his jaw and glaring at the ceiling. Idly wondering what had upset him so much, she was determined to figure it out. Potter's never grumpy or frustrated… he's James Potter. The smart, cocky, wealthy wizard who's loyal, kind to his friends, and the most persistent flirt ever. Gagging at the nostalgic turn had thoughts had taken, Lily focused on the issue at hand. "Could you believe the amount of homework McGonagall gave us?" she quipped, eying him in concern.
"What?" James blinked incredulously, "Where did that come from?"
"You seemed frustrated," Lily shrugged, awaiting his reaction.
"Evans, you have a tendency to do that to me. Now be quiet, you'll make me lose focus," he sighed, still not daring to meet her gaze.
By some miracle, James had managed to control any noticeable urges; but a bloke can only take so much. "Focus on what?" Lily pestered, wondering why he was being short with her.
"Anything but my mind's randy thoughts of why you're straddling me," he bluntly smirked.
"Honestly, James, I'm trying to have a serious discussion here with you and like always, you turn it into something sexual," she huffed, glaring down at the hazel orbs that finally met her own.
"That's because every time I say something else you brush me off," he admitted, unconsciously leaning towards her, "I'm beginning to think that you're only interested in my body."
"That's not true," Lily murmured, daringly brushing her nose against his, "you interest me more than sexually."
Gaping at her, a large smile pulled at his lips. James playfully nudged her nose back, his gaze flickering to her soft, pink lips. Tilting his neck, his smiling lips hovering under her and… "What in Merlin's name happened here?" Professor Sprout screeched, eying the dirty, soap water splattered throughout her greenhouse.
James whipped his head back and cursed, wondering if he was going to have permanent neck damage from this detention. "Professor, can you lend us a hand?" Lily meekly asked, "We accidentally fell in Devil's Snare."
"Goodness!" the Professor shrieked and with a quick flick of her wand, the vines fell harmlessly off of the pair.
Lily immediately hopped to her feet and offered a hand to assist Potter. "Professor, we can explain," James grinned confidently, refusing to let go of Lily's hand.
"That's quite alright, Mister Potter, I have eyes, you may both leave," she curtly responded, handing over their wands and shoving them out the door so she could properly clean the greenhouse.
The pair quietly trudged up the moonlit path to the castle. James kept a tight hold on Lily's hand and she gave little resistance. "Ready to go out with me, Evans?" James glanced at her, tugging her form closer to his as they neared the castle.
"No," Lily responded automatically, immediately regretting her hasty answer, "not yet."
"Sounds promising," James murmured, "I won't give up on you."
"I know, James," she smiled, moving closer to him, "I know."
A/N: Thank you so much to my wonderful beta, Holly, and to my lovely reviewers. This month has been pretty cumbersome with vacations… Sorry for the delay, thanks for understanding. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.