Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue
Chapter Seven: All's well that ends well… right?
James opened bleary hazel orbs to glare at that pesky beam of sunlight; his bloody nine o'clock wake-up call. Stifling a groan at the uncomfortable crick in this neck, he massaged it with one hand, grimacing at the pain. Running a palm over weary eyes, he could only imagine how horrible he looked with dark circles under his lids. Last night had been a nightmare to endure, and yet, he would welcome the discomfort if it meant another night with Lily in his arms.
Sighing in exasperation, he stilled when he felt the redhead shift in his arms and draw in a deep breath. James felt her heartbeat quicken as her lids fluttered open. The young girl stiffened suddenly as she no doubt placed whose bed she was on and whose body she had used as a pillow. Her lower lip moved meaning she was biting it in thought, probably wondering if he was awake. But this would be the real test; tossed in an awkward situation with a man she had drunkenly confessed her love for the night before.
James drew in a deep breath and quietly murmured, "Good morning."
Lily's eyes widened as his chest seemed to rumble when he spoke. James was undoubtedly awake, ruining her plan of sneaking out while he slept. This left her two options. She could greet him coolly, apologize, blame her actions on the alcohol, and walk out of his life like a coward. Or, she could use this as a stepping-stone in their new intimate relationship.
Drawing in deep, steadying breaths as she searched for her Gryffindor courage she barely heard him murmur in a sad tone, "I'll use the loo first."
Lily felt her eyes well up in emotion as he gently withdrew from her grasp; he was saving her again, giving her an easy out and unknowingly curing her indecisiveness.
James rested the pads of his feet on the soft carpet, his back hunched in misery as he gathered the strength to get off of his bed and leave her, wishing this was all just a bad dream. He heard her shift and waited with clenched lids for her departure. You can imagine his surprise when he felt her cool arms wrap around his shoulders and her soft lips kiss the curve of his jaw, teasing, "The loo is mine, James. Honestly, haven't you heard of ladies first?"
James thought his jaw would completely unhinge in surprise, a warm bubbling emotion swelling through his frame and lodging in his throat. He squinted to watch her slide off his bed and slink towards the bathroom with swaying hips as she taunted, "Don't forget your glasses this time."
Scrambling to his feet, he grabbed his spectacles and rushed after her, skidding to a stop at the sink. Lily regarded his appearance with amusement, only James Potter could look that handsome rolling out of bed. "Sleep well?" she grinned, grabbing her toothbrush.
Snorting in reply, James crossed his arms, clearly annoyed at the amusement she found in his suffering. Grinning at him with a mouth full of toothpaste, her gaze briefly flicked over her appearance in the mirror and widened in horror. "Sure you can still love me after seeing me like this?" she challenged, spitting out the toothpaste and motioning to her disheveled appearance.
"This is my second favorite way of seeing you," he grinned, eying her barely clad form and wrapping his arms around her from behind as he lightly kissed her shoulder.
"What's your first?" she asked, wetting a washcloth to wipe her face.
"Starkers," he winked, meeting her gaze in the mirror.
"James, you've never seen me starkers," Lily rolled her eyes, shaking her head in exasperation.
"True. But in my dreams you look brilliant," he chuckled, running warm palms over her stomach, branding her skin with his warmth.
"James, stop talking," she ordered and he quickly obliged, puckering his lips for an expected kiss.
Lily smirked at him before shoving a toothbrush under his nose. James eyed her in amusement as he opened his mouth. "Honestly, you're like a child," she sighed, placing the toothbrush in his awaiting mouth.
Grinning at her, he began brushing his teeth in earnest, keeping her close with his other hand as his fingers toyed with the straps of her knickers. "In your dreams, Potter," she smiled, squirming out of his grasp, pretending to sniff him, "you're in desperate need of a bath."
He spit out the paste with a grin and replied, "An excellent suggestion. Why don't I draw us a bath?"
"Bathe together?" she scoffed, eying him suspiciously, "What do you take me for? Some common slag?"
"Never," he smirked, pulling her gently towards the tub, "I just have your best hygienic interests in mind."
"I'll make a deal with you, James," she began, sweeping her palms over his chest. "If you can catch me, I'll agree to this bath."
And with a small push, Lily fled from his embrace and out of the bathroom. James immediately leaped after her, a rush of adrenaline pumping through his system. Lily was on the other side of their small common room, using a large, maroon sofa as a buffer from him.
She eyed his excited face with a smile, as she taunted, "Come now, James, I haven't got all day."
"Don't rush me, Evans," he grinned, leaping over the couch to barely miss her quickly fleeing form, "you know how much I love the chase."
"Too true" she laughed, letting out a shout of joy as she threw a pillow at him before diving behind the cover of another piece of furniture.
James eyed her flushed appearance with a dangerous gleam in his gaze. Her wavy locks were in wild disarray, a few strands caught on her full lips formed in that kissable pout of hers. Those long legs, curvy hips, and full breasts encased in black lace sent his erratic heartbeat up a few more notches. This chase was far more important than all of the rest; the winning stakes were far too high to bugger up. He watched the angle of her hips and accordingly planned the leap over the small table to cut her off.
Lily shrieked in delight when his arms entrapped her. She struggled half-heartedly in his arms, shouting, "You're not getting me without a fight!"
"Even better," he chuckled, bending to toss her over his shoulder.
"James," she shrieked, pushing against his firm shoulders, "you cheat!"
"This isn't cheating, Evans," he taunted, running his palm possessively up her leg to settle on her round bum, "it's being resourceful."
"Resourceful my ass," she snorted, tensing when his lips found the lacy straps of her knickers.
James smiled against her skin, nipping the soft flesh playfully as he strode back to the bathroom.
Neither of them heard the creak of the entrance door until it was too late. A familiar click and hum caught the couple's attention, freezing them in their tracks.
Peter slowly lowered the camera and guiltily avoided James' dumbfounded gaze, turning to the two taller males at his side for support. "Ah, the sweet sound of blackmail," Sirius chuckled, beaming in satisfaction.
Lily craned her neck to spy James' three mates and let out a moan of mortification before scrambling off his shoulders and hiding behind his larger frame.
"Glad to see you're up and ready this morning," Remus jibed, glancing at James' bulge in amusement, "but we were hoping you'd still be in bed."
"And starkers," Peter quipped in earnest.
"But I must say, Evans, I love those knickers. Very sexy," Sirius winked, backing up when James let out what sounded like a low growl and hastily added, "Prongs is a lucky man."
Drawing in a deep breath, Lily's bright gaze regarded them coldly as she frostily gritted, sending a pointed look at James, "I'm going to take my bath now, ALONE!"
James gulped at her tone and watched her march bravely across the room with a confidence few could pull off in a similar state of undress. "Cheers for ruining a perfectly wonderful morning romp!" she shouted, glaring back at them. "See you all at the award ceremony."
The four men winced as the bathroom door slammed. "Is that true, Prongs?" Remus tentatively asked, breaking the group's tense silence, "A morning romp?"
"In the bath," he fumed, whirling on them in barely concealed anger.
"Oops," Sirius gulped, holding up his hands in surrender.
"If you all weren't my best mates I'd kill you with my bare hands. But since you are, I'll give you the count of three to leave," he gritted, satisfied when they all fled the room in panic.
James was careful to stay out of Lily's way as she exited the bath twenty minutes later; he could hear from her terse walk she was still upset. He figured he'd give her a good two hours to cool down before he approached her.
And so a clean and slightly presentable, his hair never managed to stay neat, Head Boy anxiously awaited Lily in their common room, dressed in his best school robes for the award ceremony scheduled to take place in an hour. His bespectacled hazel gaze lifted hopefully as her bedroom door opened.
Lily kept her face emotionless as she approached his nervous figure, wondering the best way to say what needed to be said.
James met her stern gaze in fear, determined that she was breaking up with him. "James, I…" Lily murmured remorsefully.
He steeled his heart for the impact, not daring to hope as she stroked his cheek soothingly.
Lily opened her mouth to continue her planned response, before changing her mind. With a light, "Screw it," she leaned over and softly seized his lips.
Gently running fingers through his "combed" hair, she fell into his surprised, but willing embrace, surrendering herself to the feeling of his lips tenderly caressing hers. "James," she pulled back, smiling at him, "I love you, but your friends are bloody impossible."
James blinked at her in surprise before tugging her in for another kiss, murmuring, "I'll never understand how women's minds work."
"Men never do," she sighed against his touch.
"Damn impossible to read," he continued, marveling at how beautiful she looked in her robes.
"They're too daft," she joked, kissing him softly.
"Thought you were angry me," James sighed against her lips.
"I was," Lily groaned as he began to trail kisses down the column of her neck.
"What changed your mind?" he asked, tugging her robes up to bare the smooth flesh of her calves.
"You looked so hurt and lost on the couch. It made me want to kiss you," she shrugged, leaning into the expert caresses of his hands.
James broke away and eyed her determinedly. "Are you serious? That's all it took?" he murmured, scratching his head in bemusement. "And to think, if I played that card a few years back I would have had you even sooner."
Lily smiled in amusement, "To be perfectly honest, James, I fought with you to wipe that insufferable smile off your face. Your cockiness annoyed me to no end."
"Some things don't change, Lily," he reminded her, his tell-tale smirk creeping over teasing lips.
"Believe me, I know," she grimaced, almost missing the steady chime of the castle clock. Quickly kissing him and jumping to her feet, grinning, "If we leave now we can be first in line for our awards."
"Actually, I have to do something with the guys first," he trailed off awkwardly.
"One last prank before the Marauders depart?" she laughed, eying him with a knowing look.
"Something like that," he smirked, mischievously pulling out a small mirror and tapping it with his wand, causing the glass to flash and vibrate.
Lily watched him, a dawning smile creeping over her lips. The entry door immediately swung open as the remaining Marauders piled into their room; their smiles faltering at Lily's stony expression at their arrival. "Hello boys," she stiffly greeted.
"Hi Lily," Remus meekly smiled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Don't you look smashing, Evans," Sirius grinned, sweeping his hair out of his grey gaze and winking at her roguishly.
Peter couldn't manage a greeting and instead withdrew a large bouquet of wild flowers from behind his back and delivered them to her with a squeaky apology.
"We all chipped in," Remus elongated, "to apologize for our rudeness."
"And to award you for having a gorgeous figure," Sirius chuckled, ignoring Remus' glare and James' haphazardly thrown pillow.
"Apology accepted," Lily smiled, accepting the flowers, briefly hugging Remus and Peter, while saving a smack for Sirius.
James flashed his friends a quick thumbs up for a splendid apology. "I felt the mirror, Prongs. Are you ready?" Sirius questioned, fidgeting in his stiff dress robes.
"The mirrors are ingenious, James," Lily praised, tapping his nose affectionately. They're similar to walkie talkies."
"Walking whaties?" James asked, smirking at the ridiculous word.
"It's a Muggle thing," she responded automatically, before pressing, "Didn't you take Muggle Studies?"
"Yeah," James winked, rising to his feet to wrap an arm around her shoulders, "but I only took it because I thought it would help me understand you."
"It didn't work," Remus chuckled, "I think it only confused him more."
"So, Evans," Sirius grinned, "did Prongs ask you the question yet?"
"Not the bloody question again," James gritted, "you've all gone mad."
"No, he hasn't," Lily quipped, "I think I'm going to have to do it myself. It's a dreary thought that I have to be the man in this relationship."
"You didn't ask her out yet?" Peter asked incredulously.
Remus and Sirius burst into laughter at the stunned expression on James' face. Wiping a tear from his eye, Sirius choked out in laughter, "Even Wormtail knew what "the question" stood for."
Groaning in disbelief, James buried his face in his hands, grimly muttering, "So simple."
"You are one daft git, James Potter," Lily chuckled, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation.
"Lily, will you go out with our dense mate?" Remus grinned gleefully.
"He still needs a lot of work," Peter chimed, nudging James affectionately.
"But we're confident you're the right bird for the job," Sirius pushed James closer to Lily's laughing figure.
"Go out with me, Evans?" James softly asked, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Where will we go?" Lily innocently asked, "After all, Hogsmeade is now out of the question."
James was dumbfounded, he had never though past the possibilities of Hogsmeade, everything else seemed too far-fetched.
"Diagon Alley?" Peter offered, pitying James' silence.
"Or Muggle London?" Remus added.
All eyes turned to Sirius expectantly. "What?" he exclaimed, crossing his arms in defiance. "All of my ideas were too dirty and I didn't want to get smacked again."
"How does dinner sound? You choose the restaurant," Lily suggested, touched by the obvious affection and support of the Marauders.
"Brilliant," James grinned, grasping her hand and squeezing it lovingly.
"When?" Lily continued, idly wondering if he was at all prepared for the barrage of questions.
"Tonight?" James asked hopefully.
"James, I need to spend time with my family for a few days," Lily reminded him patiently. "How about in a week?"
James glanced at his watch and resolutely stated, "Perfect, I'll owl you on Friday at noon."
"Oh, the owl post will be a problem," she bit her lip anxiously, eying the group in embarrassment. "My sister has recently claimed to be allergic to owls and until she marries in a month, my parents have asked me not to owl anyone from our house."
"Do you know anyone allergic to owls?" Sirius smirked, nudging Remus jokingly.
"No, but my father is allergic to rodents," Remus shrugged, not finding Lily's predicament amusing.
"Bad luck, Wormtail," Sirius muttered under his breath.
"I have an idea, James," Lily grinned innocently, "since you've taken Muggle Studies, I'll give you my phone number and you can call me on the telephone."
James gazed at her blankly, wondering what the bloody hell a telephone was. "Something wrong, James?" Lily asked in concern.
"Lily," James pleaded, dropping to his knees and grabbing her hand, "Muggle Studies is one big blur for me. Please, love, remind me what a telephone is?"
"Wow," Sirius motioned to the couple, "he's down on one knee already. I wonder how long it will take her to agree to marry him?"
"A long time, maybe another couple of years," Peter shrugged.
"I'm betting less than a year," Remus grinned, "James can be very persistent."
"Very true," Sirius and Peter nodded in agreement.
"James, the professor spent half of the term explaining them. You can't have forgotten it," Lily sighed in exasperation.
"Fine, I didn't pay attention at all! After I found out we weren't studying the habits of muggles, I lost interest and focused elsewhere," James fumed, pouting at her.
Lily stared at him expectantly, tapping her foot in impatience. Rolling her eyes at James' uncommonly silent partners in crime, she prodded, "Well, haven't you thought of some pitiful excuse for your friend?"
"I was…" James began, running a nervous hand through his no longer messy locks.
"Sleeping," Peter chimed in a gloating manner.
"Plotting a prank," Sirius grinned, thoroughly enjoying the attention.
"Daydreaming," Remus murmured, rubbing his throbbing temples.
"…thinking of you, Lily," James ended sheepishly, not entirely confident of the results of his friends' comments.
"That sounds like a lot of excuses, Potter," she grinned mischievously, withdrawing her wand and pointing to his hand.
With a confident swish and flick, her phone number scrawled on his hand in enchanted ink. "Listen carefully, James," Lily smirked, capturing his attention, "that ink will disappear in 7 days. You have until that time to figure out what a telephone is and to call me."
James gulped and glared at the troublesome number. "Lily, eh, let's just say I can't figure out how to use this telephone contraption. Then what?" he inquired somewhat fearfully.
"Then you'll just have to wait a month before owling me," Lily shrugged, pulling him to his feet and lightly kissing him on the cheek, "but don't expect me to sit around waiting for you!"
"You wouldn't," he murmured in disbelief, bringing his palms to his face in horror.
"James Potter, you can not expect me to sit at home and wait for you! I'm a young, independent, attractive woman and can go out on as many dates as I like," Lily snorted, pocketing her wand and glaring at him.
"But what about last night!" he shouted, his hazel orbs darkening in fury.
"It was perfectly lovely. But I don't recall us making any long-term engagements," she shrugged, smoothing the wrinkles on her neat robes.
"But we love each other!" James exclaimed, "You can't honestly date around when you're in love with someone else."
"Can't I?" she tartly replied, spinning on her heel and stalking towards the door, shouting over her shoulder angrily, "I seem to remember you dating quite the number of girls in the past couple of years. Weren't you supposed to be in love with me then?"
"Those don't count!" James countered, crossing his arms in defiance. "At that time I didn't have a chance with you!"
Turning her head to regard him coolly, "Unless you figure out how to use a telephone, you don't have a chance."
"Lily, this isn't fair," James pleaded, his anger slowly being replaced by a fear of losing her.
She halted at the door, wheeling around to flash him a small smile, the anger from their spat still flashing in her eyes. "You're resourceful, James. I'm sure you'll come up with something. Don't worry, love, I'm sure any of your friends would be more than willing to take me out for dinner, a drink, and then… who knows where the night might lead us?" she laughed mockingly, chiming, "seven days," before closing the door behind her.
James let out a pent up breath and slowly turned to his friends wearingly. "Don't worry, James," Peter squeaked, holding his hands up in surrender.
"She's off limits," Remus chuckled, pitying his friend's plight.
"But what a tempting offer," Sirius smirked, letting out a bark of laugher when James tackled him to the ground playfully.
Peter let out a whoop and joined the mock wrestling match in glee.
"Not again," Remus sighed, trying his hardest to fight the smile creeping over his lips.
The three boys tackled Remus to the ground with a rousing cheer. Pulling robes, twisting arms, and light punches to see who would come out on top.
The Marauders barely made it to their award ceremony. Showing up in such a ruffled state that they caused quite a stir as they took their seats. Their prank caused a bit more attention, jinxing the awards to either compliment or insult the student (mindful of their house, of course).
It had been a wonderful end to a much-anticipated day. Allowing each student to momentarily forget about: his furry little problem; his fear of losing his friends; her hopeless attraction to that loveable, yet clueless git; his bitter separation from his family; and that cursed taunt of a number, so innocently scrawled on his hand
A/N: It's almost done! Awww… this story was so much fun to write, I'm kind of sad it's ending. Thank you Holly for being a wonderful beta and thank you to everyone who reviewed!