Chapter 4: Operation: Distraction
Wednesday, September 8, 1977

Well, it's been a week. One week since I was on the train to my home-away-from-home. One week of being Head Girl. One week of spending time in classes and studying. One week into my last year at Hogwarts. One week of sleeping in this amazing bed I hate getting out of in the morning.

And one week since I found a new friend in my fresh start with James Potter.

And realizing there is potential there for more.

I see him a lot, seeing that we are both Heads, run Prefect meetings (which went off without a hitch and will repeat the first Monday of the month), and board together. It's convenient having someone usually handy when it's time for homework, that's for sure. Especially Transfiguration. I'm rubbish. James is a natural.

Then again, it would be handy at homework time if I could FOCUS on my homework when he's around. It takes most of my energy to focus when we're both at the study table. I managed but only just. I just changed my inner chant. Instead of "I'm supposed to hate James Potter," it's "I'm just friends with James Potter." It helps. Sort of.

Now is a different story. It's Wednesday. My day with James in Hogsmeade is Saturday.

Three days.

If it wasn't for the fact that my stomach is growling something fierce I'd stay in be until our Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Maybe a shower will clear my head.

"Where are the waffles? Is it really too much to ask for waffles in the morning?" Marlene was asking the table. I passed her the plate that was hiding behind a tower of pastries.

"You really think that they would let us go a morning without them?" I told her.

"You're right. I think there's a law about not having waffles in a breakfast spread," she said, taking a big bite. I can't disagree. They're delicious.

Today, though, I need distraction. Chocolate-chip pancakes with strawberries. Dorcas was on my left and noticed my choice. She doesn't miss a thing with me.

She leaned over close to my ear. "What's going on? You only get chocolate-chip pancakes with strawberries when you have something weighing on your mind."

I looked at her then quickly shifted my eyes to James (who was on my right), hoping she'd catch the gesture. She nodded and mouthed the word "breathe" to me.

"That's what the chocolate-chip pancakes with strawberries are for," I whispered to her. Smiling I put a big bite in my mouth and suddenly felt at ease.

Oh, the joys of comfort food.

We were sitting in our usual formations for class while in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Creatures of habit, we were.

Helped me. I needed to talk to Dorcas.

When I noticed Professor Robertson (this year's "victim," so to speak - Defense teachers have this habit of leaving after a year for one reason or another) wasn't paying attention, I slipped a piece of parchment over to her.

[LE] - I'm not risking using the Notebook for this. I need distractions I can't think of Saturday or I'll go mad.

[DM] - Please, Lils. Don't tell me you're having second thoughts!

[LE] - No, not in the least. It's just hitting me now that I have three days until this date-thing and I'm getting excited.

[DM] - So? Tell him that. Glad to see you using the term "date," now.

[LE] - "Date-thing. And I can't tell him. It isn't a real date. It's a platonic meet-up between friends.

[DM] - Keep telling yourself that, Lils. Why can't you tell him?

[LE] - Because I want this to stay platonic. I share a suite with him. I don't want this to become awkward.

[DM] - You're going to make it awkward denying that you fancy him, even if it is just a little.

[LE] - I do not!

[DM] - Liar.

[LE] - I'm not lying!

[DM] - Denial doesn't become you. Don't make me quote Hamlet, again. Besides. You admitted it in our first Charms class.

[LE] - Damn, I hoped you would've forgotten that. Fine. I fancy him a little. Look, I just need your help distracting me.

[DM] - No, you don't You need to relax and let what's supposed to happen, happen. I see the way he looks at you. I see the way you look at him. I see how his hand twitches a little when he's next to you. Let the boy hold your hand or something. Or, better yet, take his. Shock him. Or if you really want to shock him, go ahead and snog him.

[LE] - No snogging. Talk about a distraction...

[DM] - You want to, don't you?

[LE] - I'm not admitting or denying anything.

[DM] - Look, just follow your intuition, okay? Your intuition is not stupid.

[LE] - Thanks, Dorcas. I'll keep that in mind. Let's get back our class notes. It's going to end, soon.

I finished up our notes and gathered up my belongings. I stood up from my seat, turned around, and came into direct contact with something hard.

"Ooof!" I lost my balance and someone caught me by the elbows and prevented me from falling back in my seat.

It was James and it turns out the "something hard" was his chest. His chest. Thank you, Quidditch...

"Sorry about that. Didn't realize I was that close," he said with sincerity.

Heart, please stop and get out of my throat and back behind my ribs.

"No harm done." I smiled up at him.

"Walk you to Slughorn's?"

That's when I noticed everyone was gone. I nodded and we started the trek towards the dungeons.

"Haven't talked about Saturday in a while. Wanted to make sure it was still on." He looked nervous. After all the rejections I've given him over the years, I honestly don't blame him.

"It's still on!" I assured him. He smiled at me. Please stop doing that... "I'm looking forward to it, actually."

"Oh? Good to hear! What time were you thinking?"

"I'm not sure. Depends on classwork and things. Let's play it by ear. You know where I'll be Saturday morning so it won't be hard to find me. We can just wing it."

"Sounds good. Let's see how classes go and when the guys leave the room. They won't appreciate us canceling our Friday night because of a date. 'Mates before dates' and all that."

"Agreed. I had fun last time, so I don't want to stop that any time soon. Although now since classing are going on we may have to use some of it for studying. Especially closer to N.E.W.T.s."

"You're right, there." He ran his hand through his hair. "So, you're excited, huh?"

"It sounds like it will be fun," I admitted.

"My treat. Don't expect to pay."

"I'm not allowed to argue that, am I?"

"Not even a little." There's that damn smile, again.

I sighed. "Fine. I'm still bringing some money just in case I want to buy something for me."

"Deal."

That's when I noticed what Dorcas mentioned during our note-passing session. My free hand was hanging at my side between us, and his hand did a little twitch next to me. Like he quickly changed his mind or caught himself early enough in the act. Might as well put the boy out of his misery, right?

I slipped my hand in his.

I felt him jerk a little in surprise. I pretended not to notice but I did send a glance his way. He glanced down at our interlocked fingers and smiled, as if relieved.

I think I felt that way, too.

The rest of the day was... Interesting, to say the least. Slughorn had some hair-brained idea to make us brew Laughter Potions.

So, naturally, everyone had to taste it.

The guys were lucky. They had a free period after lunch (during which we were laughing so much we were scaring the first years). The girls and I had Ancient Runes immediately after lunch and we were still having a hard time suppressing our fits of giggles. Professor Zodds didn't notice, thankfully. He's a little hard of hearing.

Transfiguration was next and the gang was all together again. And still flying into major fits of giggling on occasion with the rest of the students that were in Potions with us. McGonagall made it easy. She cast a Silencing Charm on all of us so we could take notes on animal-to-animal transfigurations, including a bit on Animagi.

She almost forgot to release the charm on us at the end of class. I had to go up and silently plead for about ten minutes before she released the charm. I think nine and a half of that was her enjoying herself all too much.

Now we're in the library, and luckily the potion finally worn off. Madam Pince would have given us hell, otherwise. We wanted to get these essays on the Laughter Potion done while the feeling was fresh.

"I think he only assigned these because the entire class snuck a taste," Marlene sighed.

"It's not a hard topic," Remus added, "but stretching it over three feet of parchment?"

I measured mine. "Ugh. I've already covered how it felt, the fact that my diaphragm still hurts, and how I now almost feel hung-over and I still have to write at least another foot of work."

"Seconding that 'hung-over' feeling," Dorcas said. "I just want to sleep."

"I actually laughed until I had the hiccups," Emmeline moaned. "Most painful hiccups, ever."

"I ended up in the loo. I've never laughed myself sick before," Peter added.

"Never want to do that again. I'd rather have drunk laughing fits," Sirius said, his head face-down on the table. "At least I have a stash of hangover potions in my trunk."

"Good to know, Black. I'll keep that in mind," Dorcas mumbled.

I scribbled Laughter is not always the best medicine on my paper. I'll fluff it up later. "Guys, I'm wiped. I'm heading back to my room. I have enough done to be able to finish it tomorrow."

"I'll walk back with you," James said. "I wanted to talk to you about something with Muggle Studies but all my stuff's in the room."

I nodded and we said our goodbyes to our friends. He took my hand as we were turning away. I saw Dorcas wink. So I acted gracefully and stuck out my tongue.

As we left the library, something struck my memory. "Um, James? Didn't I help you do your Muggle Studies lesson last night?"

"Guilty. I just knew if I said something like that they wouldn't follow because Muggle Studies bores them."

"Clever."

"I just wanted to be able to spend some time together in the common room alone is all. Just to chat."

"About...?"

"Anything."

"Well, I was going to give my History and Charms papers a once-over. Then make up a few dreams for Divination."

"You have to make up dreams?"

"Well, we don't have to, but I prefer to. Professor Mims makes some random students read their dreams aloud to the class so we can all give our interpretations. She doesn't seem to grasp that sometimes dreams are private."

"So your dreams are private, eh?" He squeezed my hand.

"I'm a girl. They're dreams. What do you think?" I shook his arm playfully without breaking our grip.

I like how my hand fits in his.

We arrived and I said the password, "Wronski Feint," and we went into the common room. I grabbed my homework from the study table and sat in front of the fire. He joined me with his Thursday work. We both finished most of it Tuesday evening after dinner in the library, so it didn't take much time for me to be thinking of things to "dream."

"How about something about being on an airplane but all the seats were on the ceiling? I want to make this as Muggle as possible. See what happens." I thought out loud.

"Maybe you'll make Mims completely lose it. Break her 'third eye' or something," he commented. We laughed.

"She doesn't have far to go to completely lose it," I admitted. We laughed again, then I looked at him.

He was sitting next to me on the floor, leaning over and looking at my phony dream in curiosity. His face was so close to mine. My heart quickened when he looked up at me. His gaze kept going from my eyes to my lips, and I caught myself doing the same. The gap between us started to get smaller, and smaller...

"Well, I think it's time to go to bed. That potion earlier really zapped my energy," I said quickly. The sound of my voice snapped us both back into reality and we enlarged the gap between us.

"Yeah, you're right on that one. I can barely keep my eyes open," he lied. He looked a little guilty, and I wouldn't be surprised if my face shared that look.

"Goodnight, James," I said, softy.

"Goodnight, Lily," he replied.

I turned and walked quickly up the stairs to my room and put my class things to the side. I then went to the bed and flopped down on my back.

That was close...

You know what... I don't think I'll mention this to Dorcas. Or ever use whatever dream may come tonight in a Divination class example. Ever.