Oh dear.

Heh. Sorry! Now read!

CHAPTER 9: FIRST DAY

PART DEUX


I guess you could say I was smitten. I could've sworn I had felt Cupid's Arrow hit me straight on the bum. The world was spinning, my knees were weak, and even gravity couldn't have kept me down after I met him.

Love wasn't exactly what I'd call it; that feeling I got when I first met Collin McAlister. No, it was something much richer, something that made those butterflies the girls in my dorm always talk about magically flutter in my stomach (but that could've very well been those pastries we had earlier). Whatever it was, I knew I wanted to feel it again. He was probably one of the most handsome men I had ever met (I regret to say James was right up there with him on the list), and the fact that he was nearly two years older than me made him even more appealing.

He'd been skimming a book in the New Releases section of the booth James left me in—a piece of fiction I had been dying to read. I noticed that he was quite attractive, but it wasn't until he looked up from the book and into my eyes as I neared the display, that I got a full picture of Collin McAlister. He had a rather chiseled chin with just as structured cheek bones, his skin was amazingly tan, and the perfect way his brown hair fell into his dark blue eyes made me wonder for a moment if he was actually real. As his glance met mine, I looked quickly away, feeling myself blush in the process. I tended to do that when any man looked at me in those days.

"This book sounds amazing, doesn't it? I've heard it's a very good read." I looked up from the floor when I heard that deep voice and realized he was talking to me. Say something, Lily!

"Oh, what? Um…yes, I've heard that, too. I was wondering when I'd be able to pick it up. The plot—it sounds amazing. I've read nothing but praise about it in the Daily Prophet." You're talking too much. I picked up a copy from the table to give my hands something to do. Why was I so nervous?

He chuckled.

"The name's Collin McAlister." He stuck his hand out and I had to awkwardly shuffle the book to my other hand before I shook his.

"Lily Evans. Nice to meet you, Mr. McAlister." I loosened my grip, but he maintained his on my hand.

"Please, call me Collin. And the pleasure is all mine, Lily." I loved the way my name rolled off his tongue, as if no one could've said it better. He brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed the top of it lightly, keeping eye contact with me all the while, which made me blush furiously. It embarrassed me that I blushed all the time. His move was a little Old School, but I still appreciated the effort. No man had ever been so polite to me. Not even James.

He smiled as he loosened his grip on my hand, and I giggled stupidly as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"So, where are you visiting from? What school?" I looked at him for a moment, his question not sinking in because I was hardly paying attention to anything other than the movement of his lips.

"Oh. Hogwarts…Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." I watched as he made the well-known "ah" expression on his face. "I'm the Head Girl." That was unnecessary. "What about you? Which one are you from?"

"Well, I used to attend a magic school in Canada, but I transferred back here for my job at the Ministry. I'm interning in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. Rather fascinating, those muggles." He winked, which made my knees go only slightly weak.

"Oh, so you've graduated?" I asked. Keep talking, buddy. Let's find out how old you are.

"Yes, a little over a year ago--just celebrated my nineteenth birthday. I feel rather old." He chuckled.

"Oh yes, you'll be hunched over with a cane soon, I'm afraid. But to tell you the truth, you don't look a day over…forty-five." I joked.

"Why thank you! Being in the company of beautiful redheads keeps me young, I must say," he said, smirking. It was a rather James-y smirk, if I do say so myself. I briefly wondered if all men were capable of that same sexy look. Not saying that it looked sexy on James….

"I see. So just coming for a look around, I'm assuming?" I said with a little more confidence. I know I didn't know him, but I felt strangely comfortable talking to him. I figured he was just too handsome to be considered a creep ass, so his next statement only made me more ga-ga.

"Actually, I came by to see if I could find a girl named Lily Evans and ask her to have a cup of coffee, or perhaps dinner, with me at Brennan's tomorrow evening. She seems like an interesting girl. You don't happen to know where I can find her, do you?" He asked in a mockingly serious tone as he quirked an eyebrow.

It took me a moment to register that he was hitting on me, and that he was actually asking me out on a date, but I hardly had any time to reply, because at that moment I heard James shouting over the buzz of the crowd.

"Lily!"

Shit. James, why? I felt the blood begin to boil in my cheeks. Faster than a speeding bullet he was standing next to me. I felt an arm drape around my shoulders. "Who's this?" He smiled at Collin, and then did the same to me as the arm squeezed my shoulders a little too hard. It was a fake smile. I could tell exactly what he was thinking. It pissed me off, to be honest.

"Oh, um. James, this is Collin McAlister. He's from the Ministry…an intern." Glancing at Collin, I quickly introduced James. "Collin, this is James Potter."

Once again, the fake grin came out as he reached for Collin's hand. "I'm escorting this beautiful young lady during her stay in London. Please to meet you, Collin." I almost rolled my eyes. What are you doing? You're going to scare him away from me!

"Well, if you'll excuse us…Lily and I still have quite a bit to see before we head home to our room tonight. Coming, love?" And he did it again. That shoulder squeeze. I hated the way he called me "love".

"Um, yes James. Well, nice meeting you, Collin. Have a wonderful night. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, hoping that I'd have more time to get to know him…that I might be able to take him up on his offer.

"Why of course! I shall look for you. Goodbye, Lily. Have a good evening." He grabbed my hand and once again gave me a chasté kiss on its sensitive skin. I couldn't help but blush. We stood there for a moment, looking at each other in the eyes, before James cleared his throat from beside me.

"Okay, well. Come on, Lily." He began pulling me away and I caught a smile from Collin before I turned away and began following James. We'd only gotten a couple of meters before I heard his voice call my name.

"Where are you staying?" I pried James' fingers off my arm and turned around, overjoyed that he'd asked.

"Harrington Hotel, room 317. Call the front desk and they'll connect you." I couldn't keep from staring at him for a moment before smiling.

"Alright. Goodbye, Lily!" With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.

"Goodbye," I whispered. I wondered for a moment if I would actually ever see him again…or if I had happened to have been dreaming it all. It seemed too good to be true—an amazingly attractive man two years older than me, hitting on me at a magic convention. James was brooding next to me, but what did I care? I'd just met my dream man.

****

We spent several more hours there, grabbing a bite to eat in the food court and purchasing little items that weren't really necessary. I got a couple of chocolate frogs in a candy kiosk, while James decided to be a little bit more daring and purchased a whole bag of Licorice Snaps. Those things disgusted me—I hated the flavor as much as I hated their sharp teeth piercing my skin. He was rather skilled at catching them, though…and I found myself amazed at the way he'd reach in the sack and pop one in his mouth without getting scathed, after which he'd wink at me, assuming I was staring at him.

Every time he looked at me, my mind kept flashing back to that moment in the alleyway, no matter how much the rational side of me tried to protest. It played out behind my eyeballs like a silent film—James yelling at me, me crying, him saying he was sorry, me telling him it wasn't his fault, him holding me, me kissing him. It all flashed by in a blur of color—except for that one moment when my lips brushed his.

Something about that kiss had felt familiar to me. The way his lips moved against mine…I couldn't place it. I'd felt it before. Impossible, I know—I'd never kissed him. All I knew was that it felt absolutely…amazing to be kissing James Potter. I had allowed myself to think those thoughts if only for a moment, allowing myself to remember. The feeling of his warm body against mine, the way his fingers traced my jaw line. I didn't think kissing Potter would've been so pleasant. I figured he'd be inconsiderate…rough, even. But he was the complete opposite of that. It felt…romantic.

I didn't like him...that much. Of that I was certain. I mean, I'd been enemies with him from the very start. How could I suddenly care for someone who I'd vow to never even touch? I couldn't. It wasn't that. I didn't like him. No, there was just something seriously wrong with me.

Maybe…maybe I was sick. Yeah, that's it. I wasn't feeling well. I was…delusional. If he brought it up, I'd tell him that. I'd let him down easy. James, I'm sorry to have led you on, but it's not my fault. I've got a cold. It's got my mind in a bunch. Let's just be friends.

Come to think of it, I really didn't want to be friends with him either. But I guess it wouldn't be so bad to be cordial towards one another. He wouldn't mind it, at least.

"What are you thinking about?"

I looked across the table at which we were currently drinking hot cocoa and met his gaze. How long had I been sitting there, lost in thought?

You.

"Nothing. Why?" I tried to sound nonchalant. He raised an eyebrow.

"No reason. You've just been staring of into space for the past twenty minutes and your cocoa's getting cold. I just thought…" he trailed off and looked down at his empty mug, running his finger along the rim.

"Sorry, James. I tend to be a bit spacey sometimes. But honestly, I'm fine." I smiled at him impishly even though I knew he wasn't looking. He suddenly found his mug to be much more interesting than my face.

"It's fine," he said. "Lily, I-"

"Attention all guests: The convention center will be closing in one hour. We ask that you please enjoy the rest of your stay. The doors will reopen at precisely ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Check-in procedures will be posted tomorrow."

He sighed. "Guess we should think about heading off then, eh?"

I wanted to ask him what he was intending to say to me, but I thought better of it. "I guess you're right. Are we going to grab some supper before we head back to the hotel?" He looked up at me with a renewed sense of fervor.

"Food? I'm in!" Big smile. Yes, of course. He would never reject an invitation to eat more. Such a boy.

We both stood up from the table, James brushing the crumbs of a pastry he'd had earlier off his trousers. His hair was a mess again—a little piece sticking up oddly at the back of his head. I had the inclination to fix it, but I stopped myself.

"Where are we headed?" I asked. He could decide the restaurant tonight. I'd forced him to the café earlier.

"Uh, well actually I saw a place that looked good on the way today. Not but about a ten-minute walk from here, I'm sure. Looked to be sort of a pub. I dunno, smelled good." Hair tousle with the fingers again. He was always messing with his hair. Maybe he could tell it was out of place, too. Or maybe it was nervous habit.

"Sure, James. That sounds great. Shall we?" I waved towards the exit doors as if prompting him to go first. I didn't want him to have the pleasure of a supremely nice view of my ass on the way out.

"Oh, we shall. After you, m'lady," he mimicked the motion of my gesture and smiled an…irresistible smile. Irresistible to anyone BESIDES me, I'm sure. But I wasn't going to be fooled by his tricks. I gave up and walked ahead of him, feeling his eyes burn a hole through my jeans straight to my bum.

He was right. It was hardly a ten-minute walk from the convention center. He was also right about it smelling good. I hadn't even noticed it on the way over. As we approached, there was a faint whisper of jazz music playing from inside, and the ambiance of the lighting outside suggested that it was a very rich and popular establishment. James and I glanced over the menu by the front entrance, determining if the food looked good, and when we'd both found things that sounded appetizing to us, we approached the host who walked us inside. As he led us to our seats, I took in all the colors of the restaurant. There were candles on every table, with dark walls and contemporary art adorning them. Colorful tablecloths covered every surface, and happy couples and families surrounded copious amounts of food, munching and enjoying each other's company. The host stopped and seated us about twenty feet from a small stage where a band was playing. He smiled at us and asked us to enjoy our meal before me and James settled down into our seats.

****

We'd been sitting in the booth quietly for about ten minutes, each glancing at each other every once in awhile and smiling politely, but not doing any more than that. The sound of the music was lulling me into a sort of trance and my eyelids would close every now and again as I soaked up the atmosphere of the little club. It wasn't till I had sat down that I realized how tired I was. The previous nights'…events or whatever you'd like to call them had caught up with me. But the music was also allowing me to think, and I figured James was doing the same. It was during one of those particular musings that I heard a girl's voice very close by say:

"Well, if it isn't James Potter himself! I thought I'd be dead before I saw the likes of you again!"

My eyes flew open, shocked by the loudness of the voice, and immediately my vision fell on a pretty young woman of about my age standing next to James' seat but slightly behind him with her hands on her hips, smiling brightly.

I shot a glance at him, and when I did I found that he had a gigantic grin on his face.

"I know that voice," he muttered to no one in particular before he spun around in his seat.

"Well, what are you just sitting there for? Come here and give me a hug!" The girl squealed as she opened her arms wide in an over exaggerated motion.

"Lindsay! My God, it's been years!" He said excitedly as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a very tight hug. He had his back to me, and I watched as she flung her arms around his neck. Expertly, James picked her off the floor and spun her around with him in a circle before placing her back down, her face snuggled into the crook of his neck and squealing all the while, her blond hair flowing behind her. At this moment, I felt an overwhelming pang of jealousy hit my gut.

When her feet were once again on solid ground, she grabbed his arms and leaned back a little to look at him in the face. "You haven't changed a day, James," She leaned in and kissed him on his cheek before looking up at him quizzically. "You're hair has gotten much longer, though." She ruffled it with her hand and he chuckled. Immediately, my mind started racing. I'd never seen this girl before; I'd never heard him speak of her. Was this another fuck-buddy of his? If it was…I hated her already.

"Oh it's so good to see you, Linds. How's the family?"

"Just fantastic. Travis just got a job at an Owlery service in Algeria and Mum's still at home taking care of those prize-winning mandrakes. Life couldn't get much better. What are you doing in London? I figured you'd be at Hogwarts right now…" She raised one perfectly-shaped eyebrow.

"Oh, well…I got chosen to go to this lame magic convention thing here in London this week. Headmaster sent me himself! I'm actually here with a friend," he turned and looked at me, which made Lindsay's interest spike as she peeked around his shoulder. "Lindsay, this is Lily Evans. Lils, this is Lindsay Patrice. I grew up with her. We were best friends before she had to go moving away and leaving me." He faked a frown in her direction, then smiled at me as she let go of his arms and walked towards me. I slid awkwardly out of the booth to stand in front of her, reaching out my hand for a polite handshake. Instead, dear old Lindsay decided to pretend that we were best of friends and grabbed my shoulders, leaning in to kiss me once on each cheek.

"Lovely to meet you, Lily!" She smiled brilliantly, flashing perfect white teeth in my direction. Oh, how I envied this girl already. She was beautiful, that's for sure. Of course she was…she was friends with James. She was the epitome of perfection, really. Her long gold locks framed her face perfectly. She was just the right amount of tan to make her look fit and healthy. Her makeup was perfect and not overdone. Her emerald green cocktail dress draped over her curves perfectly. She made me feel like a downright frump standing next to her. I immediately started tugging at my blouse, suddenly feeling self-conscious about my appearance.

I was nowhere near perfect. My red hair had always bothered me, even at a young age. My sister and her friends used to poke fun at me and call me names all the time, and it didn't seem to get any better once I came to Hogwarts for school. It felt frazzled and wild, and was incredibly difficult to tame. My skin was pale and freckled; I could never achieve the warm sun-touched glow of all my girlfriends. I'd simply burn and then walk around for a week looking like a psoriasis patient with my peeling skin. I could hardly call my figure "womanly". Sure, I had curves. I had an ass. But my boobs were definitely not as supple as Lindsay's. I definitely couldn't have pulled off that emerald satin dress, either.

I was sure that James was making these same comparisons in his head as we all stood there awkwardly, him and Lindsay catching up on their lives and I smiling and laughing half-heartedly every so often. I felt…so out of place. I watched his expression intently for any sign that he was attracted to her. I even looked for his eyes to glance down at her chest, or for his hands to touch her. But it never happened. Not once did he flirt with her. It wasn't even apparent to me that he thought of her as female. So, no. They'd probably never had sex before. That was a surprise. But every now and then, he would glance over at me and give me that look. The same look I've seen so many times before. A look I thought he'd be giving her instead of me. The look that clearly said, "I want you".

Normally, this wouldn't surprise me. Normally, he'd make some kind of flirtatious and suggestive comment to me, I'd scoff and tell him to bugger off, and then we'd move on. But this time, it felt different—there was no verbal conformation of his thoughts. And I was in the presence of an absolutely stunning woman. What was wrong with this picture? James, snap out of it. I'm not like her.

…And that's when I started to get scared.

Truly, I'd never been in a real romantic relationship before. Sure, I'd had boyfriends. But I'd never felt passion with them. I'd seen the lust in their eyes, but I'd never seen any feeling to go along with that. And there was one big thing standing in my way—I'd never had sex before.

I'm not quite sure if James knew this. Well, who am I kidding? Of course he did. He was too much of a creeper NOT to know. My big theory about him wanting to get in my pants…was that he wanted my virginity. It was a game to him, I assumed. I'd be just another conquest. And that's one reason why I chose to hate him so much. I knew if I didn't hate him, I'd end up fucking myself over. Because, my dear friends, we all know that James Potter is a hunk. We also know that he is just the right amount of "asshole" to constitute sexiness. He might not be the smoothest talker one-hundred percent of the time, but he has a way with the ladies. I, myself, am a lady. It seems only logical that he could work his magic on me. So of course, I needed to put up a front. I wouldn't want him to think he was winning, right?

Oh, but he was winning. It had been happening for a long time. I'm just really freaking amazing at hiding it. Like right now. James, I really hate your gu—

"Oh, look Lils. Food's here." I hate it when my inner monologue and zoning-out time gets cut short. But at least being interrupted by food isn't so bad. He looked at me in the eyes, motioning towards with table with a nod of his head. Our waiter had placed down some scrumptious-looking food, and my stomach growled at the sight of it.

"Well, James. I'll let you two get back to dinner. It was lovely seeing you again. I'll give you a dial sometime, alright?" Lindsay hugged him and then hugged me. Maybe some of her pretty would rub off…"Lily, nice meeting you. I'm glad James found someone so pretty." Uhhh. I blushed as I tried to think of a way to say thank you.

"Thanks. Um, nice meeting you too!" She smiled and waved, walking out of the little club and disappearing in the night.

We both sat down again after what seemed to be an hour, but in actuality had not been more than ten minutes. We unwrapped our silverware and I started stuffing my face with the roast I'd ordered, just as James asked, "Lily, what were you thinking about?"

I stopped chewing and looked up at him, then swallowed. "Thinking? When?"

"Standing there talking to Lindsay. You, uh…seemed kind of out of it."

"Oh, nothing. I'm just tired is all. You know how that goes. I was actually mostly thinking about how delicious this roast would be, and I was right!" I laughed nervously.

He stared at me for a moment, and I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. "Okay…" he mumbled. We didn't speak again.

****

I kicked off my shoes at the foot of my bed and flopped down onto the fluffy bedspread in our hotel room. I was exhausted, full, and feeling incredibly awkward. The entire walk back, James hadn't said much more than a few words to me. I wondered what I had done wrong, or what he thought I had been thinking. I was still confused about what I'd been thinking. You know, I had met a very attractive man earlier. Collin was tall, dark, and handsome--definitely my type. And apparently, he was totally into me. So why was I wasting my time thinking about James over dinner when I could've been daydreaming about coffee shop dates with Mr. McAlister? Sigh. Lily dear, you are one crazy girl.

I lay there with one ear pressed against the mattress, the other listening to the sound of running water and James' muted humming as he took a shower in the washroom. But instead of drifting off to sleep musing over the appealing features of the handsome gentleman I met this afternoon, I closed my eyes and tried to picture how sexy James Potter was wet and naked.

Meh.

We'll see if it stays like this. I might end up editing it. But I wanted to go ahead and get it up here. I totally forgot about this story. Sorry guys. Don't hate me!

--Emily B.