Lilies
JPOV
I woke up before any of my friends. I got out of bed and changed quietly. I didn't want them waking up and finding out where I'm going or doing. Not yet at least. I walked out of the room down the stairs into the common room down through the portrait hole and into the corridor.
I headed to the Transfiguration classroom. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Enter," a voice said.
I entered her classroom and found her at her desk grading papers. She looked up and surprised crossed her features and then suspicion.
"May I help you Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Yes professor. I was wondering about the Hogsmeade trip tomorrow."
"Yes what about it?" she said sternly.
"Well. . . ."
LPOV
I have always woken up earlier than my dorm mates. Especially on a Saturday. I moved around the dormitory in silence trying not to wake them up. If I do it'll be my neck to pay. I got dressed and went to the common room. It was November and you could tell the weather was getting colder. I tightened my scarf and cloak around me and went outside. I headed down to the green houses where Professor Sprout was attending some pods.
"Good morning Miss Evans, you want to attend your flowers no doubt," she said. I nodded and followed her to green house 1 where the flowers I have been growing since the school year started.
"They are coming along nicely. What kind are they? I have never seen them."
"They're a type of muggle flower called lilies. My parents names me after the flower. They're my favorite flower," I told her. My parents told me that when I was born the nurse brought in lilies to our room. They fell in love with the name and so did I.
"Well it's a beautiful name and flower. It suits you," she said smiling warmly at me. I blushed and said, "Thank you professor."
"Ok what you need is right in green house 1. You know where everything is, its ready for use. I'll be attending some plants in green house 3 if you need me. Ok?"
"Thank you professor. I'll put everything back when I'm done," I said. She nodded and walked away. I went into the green house and got what I needed. I didn't think lilies would survive in this weather but thank you to some simple charms I'm able to grow them at this time of the year.
I went on my knees and started caring for the flowers I promised my parents I would plant at Hogwarts.
Ten minutes later I heard a voice behind me say, "Isn't it a bit cold to be growing flowers?" my heart skipped a beat. I would recognize that voice in a crowd of a million people. I turned around and met the eyes of whom the voice belonged to. My heart skipped a beat again.
"Y-yea but I used some c-charms to make sure they s-survive," I stuttered entranced by his gaze. He smiled a smile that if I was standing would make me weak at the knees.
"Your lucky its not December, you'd be frozen solid right now," James Potter said. Chuckling. He moved closer and bent down to take the hand-rake from my hand.
"May I help you?" he asked. We were at the same level now with a foot of space between us. He was holding my hand and the hand-rake in the same hand.
I felt a tingly sensation in my stomach as he touched me and being locked in his gaze. Electric currents were running up my arm from his touch. My heart beat going faster and faster.
"S-sure," I said. He smiled again and took the rake from my hand. As he pulled away I felt suddenly colder, emptier, incomplete.
He started raking the dirt around the lilies and taking out excessive weeds. I picked up another hand-rake and helped him.
"Are lilies your favorite flower Lily?" he asked smiling. He looked up at me and waited for an answer. Some of his hair went in front of his face, obscuring his hazel eyes. I had a sudden urge to comb my fingers through his hair. My hand inched toward his hair but didn't extend. I saw his eyes drop down to my hand and his smile got wider.
"Yea they are. My parents named me after lilies," I answered him finally. Then I realized he knew what kind of flower they were.
"You know their called lilies?" I asked shocked.
He chuckled before answering, "Don't look so shocked. Yes I know what they're called. My mother has some in her garden. I help her take care of them," he said all of this while taking a lily that was almost bloom and tore it out. I was going to protest but he held up a finger to stop me. He got out his wand and did some wand movements over the flower muttering incantations I've never heard. The flower went full bloom and it seemed to sparkle a bit. He leaned over and put the flower above my ear. As he reached over I could smell him. I didn't realized he had a slight flowery scent to him mixed in with the smell of broomstick, parchment, and soap. He pulled away taking his scent with him.
"Pretty flower for a pretty lady," he said.
Just like with Professor Sprout I blushed but unlike with the professor I blushed a deeper shade of red because it was coming from him.
"Thanks. What did you do to the flower?" I asked astounded by the magic he performed and to avoid the blush.
"A Preservation Charm and a Blossom Spell. My father uses them when he wants to give flowers to my mum and they haven't blossomed yet."
"How sweet. He taught you the spell?"
"Yea. He told me to use it when I find. . .it necessary," he said smiling his smile I'd come to love.
"What are you doing tomorrow Evans?" he asked after a pause.
I quirked my eyebrow as he used my last name. I told him in an annoyed voice," Studying and homework. I don't need anything from Hogsmeade so I'm not going. Why?"
His smile grew as he heard the tone of my voice, "McGonagall called me this morning and told me we need to go to Hogsmeade with the rest of the students. To supervise the students, its been known that recently there have been trouble by the students and they want us to keep a lookout."
This didn't sound like something plausible. I mean of course there'll be kids causing trouble but McGonagall wouldn't force us to go and supervise. Something was up and apparently McGonagall was in on it. I'll go along with it. . .for now.
"Ok. Do we need to go the whole day or just a few hours?"
He breathed out what seemed to be a sigh of relief and said, "Yea it's the whole day."
"Ok then. I guess I have to finish my homework now since I can't do it tomorrow," I said sighing. I was done with my flowers so I stood up and brushed off all the dust.
"Now Lily what have I told you about lightening up?" he said. "Do I need to remind you on how to have fun?" he asked while smirking and tailoring his wand between his fingers.
My eyes narrowed and I took out my wand, "Do it and die Potter."
He laughed. I loved hearing his laugh since it wasn't a cocky laugh. "Calm down Lily. I won't do anything. . . again. Your prepared this time, I'll wait until your off your guard."
"I'll be watching you Potter."
"Are we back to surnames now Evans?"
"Continue being a git and we will be."
"Ok ok truce. I won't do it again Lils, a Marauders Promise."
I knew that's what they call each other, The Marauders. I smiled and said, "Ok good now we're back on good terms again, James," I said pocketing my wand. He smiled as I used his name and pocketed his wand too.
"Looks like we're done here. Your flowers are going to over shadow Sprout's," he said laughing.
I laughed too, "No they're not. But I hope they do grow, I promised my parents to plant some at Hogwarts."
"Well if you don't mind I'll help you with them. I do know about growing plants my mum told me a few things. Only if you want to though, I don't have to help you if you don't want me to," he offered. He looked nervous, like he knew my answer and was afraid of hearing it. I think I have rejected him a bit too much.
I walked to his side and gave him a hug saying, "Thank you James. My parents and I would appreciate it."
I felt his arms go around my waist and felt him kiss my forehead.
"Your welcome Lily. It'll be my pleasure," he whispered in my ear. I didn't want to let go, I realized. It felt good to be in his arms. Like I fit there, it felt. . . right. We stayed there for what felt like several sun-lit days. When we did come apart, reluctantly, I looked up at him and felt myself melting. I want in that moment to kiss James Potter. I would trade anything and everything in the world just to have his lips on mine.
His eyes were locked with mine for seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years. I didn't pay attention. With every passing second the urge to kiss him grew. I looked down at his lips and right back up. He broke the staring contest and stepped back. As he looked away I saw a blush come to his cheeks. A blush came to my cheeks too but luckily he didn't see as he was trying to hide his own.
He looked back at me and said, "I'll meet you at the Great Hall at ten to go to Hogsmeade. Is that ok?"
"Yes of course, ten is fine," I mumbled.
"I'll see you around Lily," he said his cheeks still a slight pink but smiling none-the-less.
I smiled back saying, "Ok. Thanks for helping me James."
He smiled wider and said, "Its my pleasure Lils."
He turned and walked toward the castle. I turned around and looked at my flowers and breathed in deeply helping my heart beat go back to normal. Is it me or do my flowers look a lot prettier? I felt something in my hair fall, I went to get it. It was the flower James gave me. I held it to my chest. I would be lying to myself if I said I like him. I didn't like James Potter, I loved him.
