A/N: Must admit that I hit an insecurity issue about my writing because some of my constant reviewers seem to have stopped reviewing!! Must mean that they decided they didn't like my story and gave up. I was well depressed! But then MANY THANKS to Cecilia Orechio and ember marieclaire for sticking by me. You have no idea how much your comments encourage a hesitant writer such as myself and what relief it is when we know that you have enjoyed our writing! Sniffle...wow I'm going soft around the edges too!
TO: Marie Claire, I actually started off as a reader too! I have tried writing many stories and most of them kind of died out because they were all a bunch of ideas that I couldn't link up! That's why I thought I should give original fiction a rest and try writing a fanfic, and here it is!
Lily knocked tentatively before entering cautiously. This was the first time she had ever stepped foot into the Marauders' room although she had stood at the door shouting abuse at them many times for their pranks. Four beds were spread out in the hexagonal room with trunks in front of them. The bed on the left was neat and a pile of quills and books rested on the trunk, next to that was a bed covered with collections of all sorts from buttons to Frog Cards. Beside that one was a messy bed and a half-open trunk and Lily recognized the pair of boxer shorts that peeked out. Sirius occupied the last bed and he gave her a knowing smile.
"He's gone out for a walk." He said before she opened her mouth.
"Uh...right. Thanks." Lily began to close the door.
"Wait! Here, read this." Sirius jumped off his bed and handed her a newspaper. "It'll explain a thing or two." Lily took the paper and left quickly her cheeks warming for no apparent reason. By the time she was in her room the paper was clenched in her fist and she had a fairly good idea why James had lost his temper. Somehow Brent must have chosen the wrong time to say the wrong thing to him and that had set him off. He hadn't intended to hex him or he would have done so already. James was excellent in Transfiguration and he could have quietly turned Brent into a Possum any day without her knowing let alone doing something about it. Now that she knew this she felt worse than she did before. If only he was around for her to rectify things.
With a hiccup Lily looked at her reflection in the large mirror in horror. When had Lily Evans given a damn about James Potter? Now that was a scary thought and she was about to panic when she remembered that right now, she was in the wrong and that's why she had to apologize. It was the right thing to do, nevertheless she knew with certainty that somewhere along the line she had gone soft around the edges.
James didn't turn up for lunch or dinner. Lily couldn't help it as her eyes wandered off automatically to the empty seat beside the Marauders. Yoanna was the first to pick up on Lily's quietness.
"Are you okay, Lily?" She asked in a low voice so they wouldn't be heard over the chatter.
Lily sighed. "I think I've upset James." She told her unhappily.
To her surprise Yoanna smiled. "I don't think you could ever do that, Lily. Don't worry."
"But I made him really angry!"
Yoanna looked thoughtful. "I don't think he was angry at you. He adores you too much. Besides, have you seen the paper today?"
Lily nodded to indicate that she had. "Hey! He doesn't adore me! What are you on about?!"
"I'm not blind and don't insult my intelligence." Yoanna grinned and Lily felt like she was fighting a losing battle. Fine, she was entitled to think whatever she wanted, Lily decided.
"Enough about me, are you okay? You're looking a bit...peaky." Lily frowned. Yoanna had dark bags under her eyes and she was a lot paler than usual. Her normally glossy hair hung lank and lifeless.
"Sure I am, just haven't been sleeping to well that's all." Yoanna shrugged and pushed her plate away, apparently not having much of an appetite either. Cerise listened in to their hushed voices with interest but made no comment.
Meanwhile, Sirius had vacated his seat after spotting some potential mischief. Heads followed him with interest as he made his way over to the Slytherin table. He could see Snape tense and took great joy in the discomfort he caused just by walking past him until he stopped behind a girl with chocolate brown hair. Unawares of him she continued to chat until one of her friends tapped her on the arm and pointed. She swiveled in her seat and looked up at him.
"What do you want?" she asked bluntly. Sirius now playing out a well-used card ignored the hopeful glances of the other girls at her table so that he had only eyes for her.
"Hello, Rosie!" Her eyes went wide and she looked almost nervous.
"Don't call me that!"
"Why is that, Rosie?" Sirius replied loudly. He raised a brow and folded his arms easily. "Got an image to keep up?"
Rosie also crossed her arms. "Yes, I do actually." Sirius shooed the girl next to her away so that she shuffled along until there was enough room for him to sit down. He lent his back against the table and rested his elbows on it. "Don't get too comfortable. I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate you bothering me." Sirius looked to the direction she nodded in to see a burly seventeen-year-old. Jacob something or another; Sirius had played against him in Quidditch. Not impressed with the threat Sirius gave him a hearty wave. He believed that things might get interesting.
Back on the Gryffindor table Yoanna nudged Remus. "What is he doing?" Remus looked across and frowned."No doubt taking things up to a fine line."
"I see." Yoanna said and sneezed.
Later that night Lily was pacing the Common Room. It was approaching midnight and it was almost empty and James still wasn't back yet. Growing more impatient by the minute Lily stepped outside the portrait and began pacing the landing out there instead. The Fat Lady watched her, shaking her head slightly before creeping into the portrait next to hers for a bit of tea and gossip.
An hour passed and Lily had tired herself out pacing. She sat balanced on the banister with her legs dangling over the edge. The sound of footsteps alerted her and she jumped back down onto the landing just as James approached with his hands in his pockets and head hanging low as if deep in thought.
"Hey." James' head shot up surprised that there was somewhere there."Hey." He returned stopping a few feet in front it of her. Lily found herself twisting and fidgeting under his questioning scrutiny in what she felt was an uncomfortable silence. Knowing that she should apologize was one thing but actually saying the words was a whole different matter.
"I...uh...wanted to give this back to you." She pulled his wand from her pocket and held it out for him.
"Right, okay. Thanks." He took the wand from her out stretched hand and turned towards the portrait. Lily could tell instantly that he was still upset with her. He was polite but his ever so subtle change in mannerism towards her was deliberately distancing.
"I'm sorry!" Lily blurted out. "I really am! I know that you weren't trying to hex Bent!" Lily noticed the slip of her tongue but didn't bother to correct his name. If Sirius could parade around and even call him that in front of his face then she could mispronounce it once in a while. Normally James would have grinned at her and inform her that she was turning more and more like a Marauder each day, but this James just nodded muttering "Thanks." Before going back to the door. Lily was not satisfied that her apology had gotten through.
"James!" She tried again this time reaching out and tugging him back by the wrist. "Are you still mad at me?" she asked earnestly looking up at his lowered head. James was more surprised than anything else. He was not used to having concern coming from Lily and moreover, she had just called him James.
"No, I'm not." He wasn't mad at her at all, well maybe a little earlier on but that had passed quickly. He had completely lost his rag over a minor misunderstanding and if anything he thought that he ought to have apologized for not bothering to explain.
"But you're not okay." Lily stated. He had worry written all over his face. He must be with his father and the Hearing and all. Being scoffed at by the rest of the Wizarding community couldn't be easy either.
"No, I'm fine. Honest!" James pulled his wrist out of her grasp. He was touched by her concern and more than a little taken back by the beauty it emphasized in her. He tore his eyes away from her and he wandered a little way off to lean against the banister. He suddenly felt the need to bang his head on it, repeatedly, before he could do anything stupid. He was doing precisely what he had sworn not to do earlier. He was falling for Lily Evans. This was not the time for this, there were more important things than his crush to be tended to.
He had gone to speak to Dumbledore hoping that he would give him permission to return home for a few days to look after things while he father was gone. However, his mother knew him back to front and had already sent an owl to Dumbledore well in advance warning him not to let James return. The Headmaster was highly amused by James' surprise and had offered him some pear drops to make up for it before making arrangements for his own absence when he would go to the Hearing. Disappointed James had spent the rest of the day sulking in the kitchens watching the house elves scurry about hard at work. He was no stranger to the kitchens and the house elves loved the Marauders as much as they liked them.
Misreading his actions completely Lily reached out for him again, this time taking his hand.
"James-" What ever she was about to say was lost because a blood- curdling scream cut the quiet air-
A/N: I just couldn't let things go too smoothly, could I? Yes, fluff in chapter but do note that Lily isn't doing it on purpose and isn't too aware of the effects she has on James. James is also trying very hard not to get dragged in with it because the timing is all off. Aww poor James and Lily. I'm trying very hard to show them falling for each other slowly (well, in Lily's case anyway) so it won't be the case that she suddenly looks at James and realizes that she madly in love with him. I also believe Sirius will start something and it may not end up with fluff.
Anyways, enough with the fluff, had enough of fluff. Puff. Onwards with the story.
