Haste

Chapter Three

It was five past ten. James slammed his Charm books onto the desk Lily was using. She looked up at him as he took a seat in front of her.

'Okay' she said half absent mindedly. She took out her own Charms book and quill. 'What do you need to know?'

James shrugged 'Dunno, lets start with everything.' She rolled her eyes at him.

'James, Lily.' Sirius walked towards them and took a seat. 'What dear world have I stepped into to see you two sitting so calmly with one another.'

'It's called tutoring Sirius.'

'Ohh tutoring aye' he gave James a wink.

'Or I was before you interrupted. Sirius, go turn someone's hair green and leave us alone please.'

'Lily!' Sirius said astonished. 'You gave me permission to do such a thing... I'm disappointed.'

'Sirius!' Lily glared at him.

'I'm going, I'm going.' He left, turning the first boy upside down with his wand. 'Hey little fella. First year are ya?' Lily almost jumped from her seat to prevent Sirius wrong doings but sat down and bit her lip.

'So' she struggled trying to ignore Sirius. 'Open your book. We have an exam coming up, we'll start learning what we'll need for it.'

'Sounds great.' James stretched with a big grin across his face. 'Want a drink?'

'No, I'll be right.' She saw a couple of girls waving to James in the corner of her eye. 'Really', lily muttered 'It's disgusting how they throw themselves at you.' Lily continued watching him smile at the girls 'and its pathetic you lead them on.'

'Jealous?'

'No Potter, concentrate.'

James looked back at Lily, watching her green eyes glare at him. Beautiful, he looked down to the table. She would not break me. He noticed her hand lying on the table; he had the urge to take it in his own. He looked up into her eyes once again. 'You didn't come to Quidditch practice.'

'I said I wouldn't. I had better things to do.'

'Like what?'

'My potions homework.'

'I'm insulted. You hurt me Evans, you really do.' He said holding his heart. Not too far off the truth.

'Oh I'm sorry, do I.' She reached out and patted his hand. He took his hand away overwhelmed with the sudden touch he had wanted. Lily looked at him stunned. 'What's wrong? Never had a girl touch you before? That's funny considering I've seen you do a whole lot of other things with them.'

James just shrugged. He was in no way going to admit what her touch has caused through him. 'You just took me by surprise Evans. Come on lets get this study thing over.'

'The fun doesn't stop here. Flitwick asked me to tutor you for at least a week.' James groaned. 'Yeah, that's exactly what I did when he told me. So, what is the Spagus charm?' Lily asked.

'Err... where you make a spar for Gus?'

'No, it's what helps you breath under water. It lasts up to three hours. It's meant to work like an air-conditioner, recycles. So it's recycling your oxygen within you.'

'What's an air-conditioner?'

'It's what muggles use to keep there houses cool on hot days. It's a long story, I'll show you one day.'

'Promise?'

She hesitated watching him beam. 'Err, alright.'

'What's your house like?'

'Normal. Well un-magically normal. Besides my annoying older sister Petunia, she's far from normal.'

'What's the rest of your family like?'

Lily unsure with James questions answered wearily 'What a family is usually like I guess. My parents are the kindest beings I believe you can come across.' James smiled as her face lit up with love.

'Mine aren't so glamorous. You should see them argue. It is pretty funny when my mother tries to levitate plates at him. She never was a good sportswoman. I reckon you'd be just like her.' Lily got her wand out and levitated a cushion right into James face. He fell off his chair and landed with a thud. He quickly got back to his feet, flicking his hand into his hair. 'Chair had a loose leg, couldn't handle my good looks, so naturally it fell for me.'

Lily couldn't help but snigger, 'Sure'.

'So Lily, 'Would like to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?'

'No thanks.'

'Why not?'

'Because I don't want to.' She sighed.

'Fair enough. What time is our next meeting?'

'We have barely even started this one, sit down.'

He sat and rested his head onto his arms. 'Okay Miss Evans, what would you like to teach me now?'

They spent most the night studying until Lily called its quits. She went up to the girl's dormitory leaving James to play wizard chess with his mates.

_

She looks beautiful today. Well she always does, but today I can really notice it. Not saying I haven't before… I'm a hopeless girl-catcher. Well no, since I can't walk anywhere with them clung to my arms. But she's different. She's not like the other girls.

'Jamesy boi!' Sirius waved his hand in front of James face. 'What you thinking about?'

'Nothing.'

Remus and Peter caught up with the boys.

'Wanna sneak into the kitchens tonight?'

Peter squirmed with delight, Remus gave it a pass. James shook his hand as well. 'Can't, Lily's tutoring me.'

'Well you two are a let down. Well I have a plan for the Hogsmeade weekend. We'll go into Hogs head and sell some of our pranks. Teachers and prefects will be in the three broomsticks.' Peter and Remus agreed. Sirius turned to James who was looking off into a crowd of people.

'James, Prongs! Wake up, what's gotten into you. What are you staring at?'

'Huh. Nothing.' James faced the boys. 'What did you say we were doing?

_

'Lily' Victoria called out. Lily turned in her seat.

'Hey Vic.'

'The girls have already left for Hogsmeade, are you coming?'

'Yeah, I just wanted to finish off my essay.'

'You're such a bookworm.'

Lily poked her tongue out. 'Give me a second'. She finished her sentence, and then put her books away. After another ten minutes, she was dressed and ready to go.

_

'Okay Padfoot, get your arse out here.' James said waiting by the large oak doors.

'You try sneaking out all these pranks.' Sirius came out wearing a large jacket, the pockets bulging with strange items the four boys had come up with over the years.

'Is Moony and Wormtail coming?'

'Wormtail should be here and Moony is staying in with full moon approaching tonight, Come on let's go, we'll meet Peter down there.'

They walked through the gates and into Hogsmeade. 'See I told you they would all be in the three broomsticks.' James peered into the window and noticed Lily laughing with her friends. Sirius moved onto the Hogshead.

_

Lily and her friends walked out and decided to see the haunted house up the street. James and Sirius walked out of the Hogshead and the two groups collided.

'Hey James, Sirius'. Amelia said. 'Want to come to check out the Haunted house with us?'

'Nar, that's bori-'

'Course we will.' James said linking arms with Amelia. 'Come on Sirius.' Sirius shrugged and Sarah took his arm. Lily and Victoria led the rear as everyone crowded around the front.

'Wonder what's in there.' Victoria said as they all stood by the gates over looking a ragged, unstable tower. 'Ghosts maybe, evil ones.' Sirius and James laughed at her.

'Then what do you think it is then.' Lily said. James put his arm around her.

'Your worst nightmare lil'.

'Get off me Potter.' She said taking his arm off.

'Come on, you know you love it.' He said poking her. She turned to him.

'Oh yes James' she said with a seductive tone, 'I want you, I want you.' She ran a finger down his chest, tracing his well built stomach. Almost as soon as she did this she regretted it. She was meant to be seductive here, not him.

He lifted his eyebrows. 'Really?'

'You're so gullible.' She said walking passed him. He watched her go letting his racing chest slow down from her touch.

_

James sat at the back of the common room with another tutoring lesson. Lily just took a glance at him and continued writing on a scroll of parchment.

'Erm hello.'

'Just a sec.' He waited a minute while she finished writing and put her quill down. 'Okay I'm ready.'

'So... what are we learning today?'

'Well I was actually wondering if we could work on Defense against the dark arts. We have an exam in two days. I thought we could help each other today.

They studied well into the night. A few other people joined them. Two girls came up and watched them. Lily found it highly annoying. James noticed and told them to run along.

'That wasn't nice.' Lily told him.

'If it wasn't me, you would have said it.'

She smiled. 'True'.

'There's that smile again.' He watched her. 'So what do you usually do when your home in your muggle world?'

'I sleep and eat.' She replied.

'You know what I meant.'

She watched him feeling the same wearily feeling. 'I read, and do normal things such as bike riding and watching television, spend time with the family.'

'You and your family sound close.'

'Well I am with my parents. Petunia on the other hand hates me.'

'I'm sure she doesn't hate you, perfect Lily Evans.'

She scowled at him. 'She hates me because I'm a witch. Because in her terms that makes me a freak.'

James was surprised, he was about to ask more but Lily cut him off. 'What about you.'

'Sirius lives with us so we usually make pranks and go to Quidditch matches.'

'Fun' she yawned.

'You should get some sleep; we have potions first up tomorrow. Don't want Professor Hepburn on your back'

'Since when do you care?'

'Who said I cared.' He gave her his famous one sided grin. She puzzled at him.

'Are you playing with me Potter?'

'You know maybe I am.

She raised her eyebrows. 'You're a lot nicer, you haven't pranked me in at least a week now. You feeling alright'

He chuckled. 'No I'm bad to the bone.'

'Hmm sure.' Lily stood up and stretched.

'Lily' he started.

"Your calling me by my first name now are you?'

'Well Evans then.'

"Yes Potter.'

'Will you... will you go out with me?'

'No'

'A date?'

'No Potter. I don't know what you're playing at, but no!'

'Why not?'

'All these years of infuriating me and now you just ask me out. I'm not like the other girls James. I'm not going to be your little puppy dog. You're an arrogant sleaze bag and just because you're being nice don't mean I can just forget what you've done.

'Come on lil's that was the past.'

'That doesn't mean you've changed. Goodnight.' She left him sitting there. He sighed. Never have I felt this bad from rejection. Not that I have been rejected before. I do feel changed. Except she cant see that. Not yet anyway. Lily wasn't just some attractive girl he wanted. She was Lily. Beautiful, perfect Lily.

_

The week continued fast. Lily and James tutoring lessons were short and strictly on Charms, neither one of them wanting to speak of anything else.

Lily and Victoria walked through the castle on a late Saturday afternoon. Victoria was telling her all about a certain blonde haired Hufflepuff. They were rounding a corner when flashes of light flew passed them. They both ducked and looked further ahead. A few green cloaks were suddenly on there feet and pouncing about. Three other cloaks showing the familiar orange and gold stood by them laughing.

'POTTER' lily held her wand towards him 'Expelliarmus'. His wand flew in the air. He searched for the voice and laid his eyes on lily.

'What are you doing?' He asked slightly angry.

Lily chanted a few spells and the slytherin's who were tap dancing stopped and rounded on him.

'Go back to you houses, all of you, before I take points off!' The Slytherin's looked between James and Lily. 'I'll start with fifty.'

They turned on their heels giving James, Sirius and Peter death stares and left.

'Oh come on Lily, we were having fun.' Sirius whined.

Lily shook her head angry and furious at how immature they could be and stormed back down the corridor with Victoria on her heels.

'Lily, hold up.'

"Urgh! There so immature. Especially James, his meant to be head boy. I can't stand him sometimes.'

'Settle Lily. The Slytherin's might have provoked them'

'Still' was all Lily said, she stormed into the Gryffindor Common room and took a seat.

_

James walked into the Gryffindor Common room later that afternoon and found Lily sitting with a group of friends.

'Evans' He said walking over to her. She ignored him. 'Evans I need to talk to you.'

Her friends looked to one from the other. Lil opened her mouth 'There is nothing to talk about.'

'As head boy I need to talk to you then.'

She hesitated then stood and followed him out the corridor. 'What do you want?' She asked coldly.

'I'm sorry about before, I should have known better,' He looked up at her. She was looking a way from him down the dark corridor. 'Lily..' He hesitated, 'Look I like you. I don't know why or how I just do. That is a lie you know exactly why. I'm sorry for being an immature brat. I've never felt anything like this before; I think I'm falling for you Lily.'

She was looking at him now, her eyes wide with surprise. She didn't speak at first. She didn't know how to take him. After a few moments of deliberating him her face changed. 'What ever James.' She started walking back to the portrait door.

'Lily' He called after her. 'Please tell me what you think of me.' He called her once more before she stopped.

'What I think of you is plain simple. You're a sleazebag that I can't even bother with. I dislike you with a passion that aches.'

'A love passion?' James asked hopefully.

'Your pathetic.' She ignored the rest of his calls and walked back to find her friends in the common room.