Turning Saints Into the Sea
Chapter 5: Kissing
"Why did you say no?"
Lily Evans was hurrying to catch up with Melanie Owen, who was on her way from the Great Hall, where she had just rejected Sirius Black.
Melanie shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just tired of being nice and saying 'yes' to everyone. You of all people should know how bad doing that is. Remember Mitchell Bradslain?"
"That rat bastard. How could I forget?" Lily said viciously. "But he left Hogwarts; you don't have to see him anymore. And I hardly think Sirius Black compares to him."
She halted, suddenly remembering Sam.
"But I do think you were right, saying 'no' to him. I mean, with Black's history, he'd be sure to be similar to Bradslain."
Melanie gave her a weird look, considering how Lily had just changed her opinion on the matter.
"You really think Black's a young Bradslain? I don't think he'd-"
"No, I mean I think you need a break from men for a while. See what it's like being single," Lily said, lying at top speed.
Melanie laughed bitterly. "Lil, what do you think the past seven months have been?"
She had Lily there. "Mourning?"
Melanie laughed again. "I certainly hope I haven't spent seven months crying over him."
"Whatever. We need to be getting to class." Lily grabbed her friend and started leading her to History of Magic. "What do you think of Sam and Remus?"
Lily felt Mel stiffen slightly. "I think it's really . . . unexpected. I mean, I had no idea she liked him. To tell you the truth, she seemed to like Black."
Lily froze. How did Melanie know? "Why do you think that?"
Mel shrugged. "He asked her for help with Transfiguration homework and she got all flustered and stuff. Babbling. It was kinda cute." Her smile weakened slightly. "I had no idea she felt that way for Remus."
Lily laughed nervously. "I guess she kept it to herself."
"Yeah."
They walked in silence for a couple of minutes.
"So, who do you like?" Lily asked.
Mel hesitated. "No one, really. I'm not interested in any of the boys at Hogwarts."
"I know what you mean," Lily agreed. "Hogwarts boys are so immature."
Melanie groaned. "Don't tell me you're talking about Potter. Come on, Lily, he seems different. You can't say he's acting stupid anymore. How many times this year has he asked you out?"
"None," Lily grudgingly revealed.
"Mmhmm. And if this were last year, how many times would he have asked you out already?" Melanie pressed.
"Five or six."
"Exactly. Maybe he's changed, Lily. Maybe you should stop putting him down," Melanie pleaded.
Lily shook her head fiercely. "Oh, no. He's up to something. I can feel it."
"How can you say that? I mean, he got really hot over the summer. His acne cleared up and everything!"
"He never had acne!"
Melanie smiled, satisfied, as Lily clapped a hand over her mouth.
"How do you know he didn't used to have acne?" Mel asked, her smile growing.
"I don't."
"You seem to."
"You set me up. It was a reflex," Lily insisted.
Melanie laughed and skipped out of Lily's reach. "Yeah, it's a reflex. A reflex to memorize what James Potter looks like," she trilled.
Lily rolled her eyes, trying to act nonchalant. "It wasn't something that I tried to remember. It's something I just know . . . an observation."
"Sure," Melanie said sarcastically.
Lily stomped away; her friend was useless.
"Lily, wait." Mel rushed to catch up to her.
"Sorry I'm so pushy," she apologized, putting an arm around Lily's shoulders.
"You're not pushy," Lily said. "I just get agitated when you and Sam tell me what to think about Potter. I know he's smart and funny and handsome and . . . whatnot. But he's also a jerk. A flat out jerk. No amount of maturing is ever going to change that."
Melanie sighed. "He's really not that much of a jerk if you get to know him. He's actually pretty nice."
"But he's been so mean to people in the past! He was absolutely horrible to Severus Snape alone-"
"Yeah, about that; why do you care?" Melanie stopped to look at Lily.
Lily thought about that for a second. "I don't really. It's more I'm against Potter than that I'm for Snape. And seeing him pick on him . . . I get angry. Like, 'why should he act like he's better than the rest of us?'"
Mel was silent for a moment. "What if Potter got over his childish tendencies? Can't you stop viewing him as a critic and start viewing him as a . . . friendly acquaintance?"
"I guess I could try," Lily sighed.
She considered what Melanie asked of her. True, she could be a little harsh on him. He probably wasn't as bad of a guy as she made him out to be. He was certainly loyal to his friends; all the Marauders were loyal.
"Do you think he would accept me?" Lily asked Melanie timidly.
Mel laughed. "I'm sure he would. It's not like he hasn't liked you since forever." She glanced at her watch. "Oh, my God! We're like, ten minutes late!"
Lily grabbed her arm and the two girls rushed off to class.
James Potter looked up from the table he was studying at to see Sirius. All four Marauders were set up strategically in the Great Hall. Sirius glanced at James and gave him thumbs up; it was all ready.
James looked over to the Ravenclaw table, where she was sitting calmly, reading about Charms. He then picked up his books and stretched, reaching as high as he could.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her follow his motion.
Grinning, he took the long way around the tables so he would pass her. And just as Remus said, she got up as well, to do something or another. Taking careful steps, he 'accidently' bumped into her.
"Sorry," she said, turning to face him, her black hair tickling his face.
It smells like grapefruit, he thought, pleased.
"It's okay," he said, grinning. She smiled back, blushing slightly.
As she slowly turned to walk away, James grabbed her shoulder lightly. "Wait."
"Are you almost finished?"
Lily awoke from her trance. She had been disturbed from her reading by Madam Pince, the school's librarian. Pince stood over her menacingly, as if trying to frighten her out of the library.
"Mm?" Lily said, looking up from her book.
The woman snorted impatiently. "I said, 'Are you finished reading yet?' The library closes at eight, young lady."
Lily looked at the clock Madam Pince was pointing at. It read 7:56.
"Dammit! I'm late!" Lily cried, springing from her chair, grabbing her books, and running out the door as Madam Pince shrieked wildly, "Watch your language! Is that they way a Head Girl should act?!"
But Lily didn't care. What she and Melanie had discussed was too important to be late for.
During all their classes, the two girls had talked about Lily and James Potter, however reluctant Lily was. Melanie gave her examples on how he wasn't an awful person, just a seventeen-year-old boy.
And, as Mel told Lily more and more stories, she grudgingly felt herself falling for him.
At the entrance to the Heads' Dorm, the African maiden in the portrait seemed reluctant to let her in. "Befuddle!" Lily said, irritated.
The painting sighed, opening the door. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Trying to forget what the maiden had said, Lily rushed through.
"James!" she said, taking off her shoes at the portrait's entrance. "James I need to talk to . . ."
Her voice died as she walked into the Common Room. There, on the couch, was James Potter and Juliana Hernandez.
Kissing.
