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Title: Pride and Prejudice
Recipient's LJ name: xdinowhore (previously capcha)
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Lily/James
Word Count: 1074
Warnings: None
Prompt Chosen: Pride and Prejudice
Authors notes: Hope you enjoy and happy holidays!
Pride and Prejudice
Lily Evans can’t remember the first time she saw James Potter but ever since then she’s felt like they’re destined to be enemies, the way others are fated to be lovers. Theirs is a relationship of constant bickering, assertions of hatred (from Lily) and declarations of love (from James). Something about James makes Lily want to punch him in the face. Maybe it’s the way he runs his hand through his hair or the way his face has contorted itself into that annoying arrogant smirk so many times that for all Lily knows, it could be stuck that way.
Lily’s initial opinions and first impressions of people are usually right so she’s never thought twice about hating James Potter. It’s routine, like the way she brushes her teeth as soon as she gets up in the morning or the way she leaves her curtains open at night so she can fall asleep to starlight. To Lily, not hating James would throw everything off balance. Lily likes balance.
Her routine’s already off balance the morning he pulls her aside after Transfiguration. She’d been up late writing an essay the previous night and slept through her alarm clock that morning. By the time she woke up, she’d missed breakfast and therefore hadn’t had the coffee that was necessary to functioning on mornings like this. By the end of her first class she’s tired and irritated and being this close to James Potter isn’t making it any better.
“What is it, Potter?” she asks wearily. “Whatever it is, make it quick. I don’t want to be late to my next class because of you.”
James runs his hand through his hair. This only aggravates Lily further and she stops listening to whatever he’s asking.
“Yeah, fine,” she snaps just to shut him up, completely forgetting who she’s talking to (an indication that she’s in dire need of caffeine because who else would run his hand through his hair so continuously?) and starting to walk away.
“Wait.”
She turns around. “What do you want, Potter?”
He looks stunned. “You just agreed to go to Hogsmeade with me.”
Lily can’t tell if he’s questioning it or stating it. “I what?”
“I’ll see you on Saturday at eleven,” James smirks.
Lily knows he’s never going to let this go so she just storms off to class, where she vents her frustrations to Alice, who only laughs at her.
“You said yes to James Potter?” she repeats.
“Don’t say it that loud, someone might hear,” Lily hisses.
“Lily, he’s probably announced it to the whole school by now. There are probably posters and fireworks somewhere.”
“Thanks.” Lily glares at her.
“It’s true. There’s no use hiding it. Do you have any idea how long he’s been waiting for you to say yes to him?”
Lily groans. “I wasn’t even listening to him. I just said yes to shut him up. And you know he’d never let it go if I backed out. He’d just keep begging me for a date.”
“So listen better next time. The next time I want you to do something for me I’ll make sure I ask you before you’ve had any coffee.”
“I hate you.”
Alice just laughs.
“I hate him, too,” Lily continues. “Going on a date with him is not going to change anything. Especially when I don’t want to go in the first place.”
“Okay, Lily.”
“I’m going to hate him forever,” Lily vows.
“No, you’re not,” Alice mutters under her breath and Lily just glares at her again.
--
Lily makes sure to drink coffee the morning of her date with James in case he does something like ask her on another date or ask her to be his girlfriend in the hopes that she either actually likes him or hasn’t had caffeine.
Their date isn’t bound to go well anyway, considering that Lily doesn’t want to be there in the first place and James is trying too hard to make conversation. She tries to make an effort for about five minutes but once they run into Severus Snape and the two exchange threats and insults, Lily’s had it with James.
“You’re so immature, Potter,” she shouts once she’s finally dragged him away from Snape. “It’s disgusting, the way you treat people. I know you think you’re funny but you’re not. You have some stupid fantasy that it’ll somehow work out between us but there’s no way it ever will. And it’s not even worth my time to take that chance. You can’t treat people the way you do and expect me to fall for you. It doesn’t work that way.”
James stares at her for a moment, but when he opens his mouth to speak, Lily just walks away, leaving James’s words lost in the conversations on the crowded street.
--
James doesn’t talk to her for the last two months of their sixth year and Lily doesn’t mind at all. She thinks she’s escaped him until he approaches her in the common room a few hours after they’ve finished their last exam.
“Lily.”
“What is it, Potter?” she asks impatiently.
“Lily, I know you think I’m an arrogant prat and I don’t deserve you, but I can’t go the whole summer without seeing you or talking to you or telling you this,” he says.
“The not talking bit didn’t seem to bother you at all the past two months,” Lily retorts. She hates the way he’s talking to her like a walking cliché. She can guess what’s coming next. But she’s not going to give in. Her first impression of James Potter has proved to be right and she’s not giving him the chance to prove her wrong.
“Lily, I really like you. Can’t you give me just one chance?”
Lily doesn’t say anything and he misunderstands her silence as her actually thinking about it and he moves closer and for a moment she thinks they’re about to kiss until she pulls away.
“No, Potter.”
This time it’s James who walks away.
--
When she sees James in Diagon Alley during the summer, something about him seems different. He still looks the same and he still does that annoying movement of his hand through his messy hair, but his once arrogant smile has softened. Something about James Potter has changed for the good.
Under fading summer sunlight, Lily Evans finally decides to give James Potter a chance.
Title: Pride and Prejudice
Recipient's LJ name: xdinowhore (previously capcha)
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Lily/James
Word Count: 1074
Warnings: None
Prompt Chosen: Pride and Prejudice
Authors notes: Hope you enjoy and happy holidays!
Pride and Prejudice
Lily Evans can’t remember the first time she saw James Potter but ever since then she’s felt like they’re destined to be enemies, the way others are fated to be lovers. Theirs is a relationship of constant bickering, assertions of hatred (from Lily) and declarations of love (from James). Something about James makes Lily want to punch him in the face. Maybe it’s the way he runs his hand through his hair or the way his face has contorted itself into that annoying arrogant smirk so many times that for all Lily knows, it could be stuck that way.
Lily’s initial opinions and first impressions of people are usually right so she’s never thought twice about hating James Potter. It’s routine, like the way she brushes her teeth as soon as she gets up in the morning or the way she leaves her curtains open at night so she can fall asleep to starlight. To Lily, not hating James would throw everything off balance. Lily likes balance.
Her routine’s already off balance the morning he pulls her aside after Transfiguration. She’d been up late writing an essay the previous night and slept through her alarm clock that morning. By the time she woke up, she’d missed breakfast and therefore hadn’t had the coffee that was necessary to functioning on mornings like this. By the end of her first class she’s tired and irritated and being this close to James Potter isn’t making it any better.
“What is it, Potter?” she asks wearily. “Whatever it is, make it quick. I don’t want to be late to my next class because of you.”
James runs his hand through his hair. This only aggravates Lily further and she stops listening to whatever he’s asking.
“Yeah, fine,” she snaps just to shut him up, completely forgetting who she’s talking to (an indication that she’s in dire need of caffeine because who else would run his hand through his hair so continuously?) and starting to walk away.
“Wait.”
She turns around. “What do you want, Potter?”
He looks stunned. “You just agreed to go to Hogsmeade with me.”
Lily can’t tell if he’s questioning it or stating it. “I what?”
“I’ll see you on Saturday at eleven,” James smirks.
Lily knows he’s never going to let this go so she just storms off to class, where she vents her frustrations to Alice, who only laughs at her.
“You said yes to James Potter?” she repeats.
“Don’t say it that loud, someone might hear,” Lily hisses.
“Lily, he’s probably announced it to the whole school by now. There are probably posters and fireworks somewhere.”
“Thanks.” Lily glares at her.
“It’s true. There’s no use hiding it. Do you have any idea how long he’s been waiting for you to say yes to him?”
Lily groans. “I wasn’t even listening to him. I just said yes to shut him up. And you know he’d never let it go if I backed out. He’d just keep begging me for a date.”
“So listen better next time. The next time I want you to do something for me I’ll make sure I ask you before you’ve had any coffee.”
“I hate you.”
Alice just laughs.
“I hate him, too,” Lily continues. “Going on a date with him is not going to change anything. Especially when I don’t want to go in the first place.”
“Okay, Lily.”
“I’m going to hate him forever,” Lily vows.
“No, you’re not,” Alice mutters under her breath and Lily just glares at her again.
--
Lily makes sure to drink coffee the morning of her date with James in case he does something like ask her on another date or ask her to be his girlfriend in the hopes that she either actually likes him or hasn’t had caffeine.
Their date isn’t bound to go well anyway, considering that Lily doesn’t want to be there in the first place and James is trying too hard to make conversation. She tries to make an effort for about five minutes but once they run into Severus Snape and the two exchange threats and insults, Lily’s had it with James.
“You’re so immature, Potter,” she shouts once she’s finally dragged him away from Snape. “It’s disgusting, the way you treat people. I know you think you’re funny but you’re not. You have some stupid fantasy that it’ll somehow work out between us but there’s no way it ever will. And it’s not even worth my time to take that chance. You can’t treat people the way you do and expect me to fall for you. It doesn’t work that way.”
James stares at her for a moment, but when he opens his mouth to speak, Lily just walks away, leaving James’s words lost in the conversations on the crowded street.
--
James doesn’t talk to her for the last two months of their sixth year and Lily doesn’t mind at all. She thinks she’s escaped him until he approaches her in the common room a few hours after they’ve finished their last exam.
“Lily.”
“What is it, Potter?” she asks impatiently.
“Lily, I know you think I’m an arrogant prat and I don’t deserve you, but I can’t go the whole summer without seeing you or talking to you or telling you this,” he says.
“The not talking bit didn’t seem to bother you at all the past two months,” Lily retorts. She hates the way he’s talking to her like a walking cliché. She can guess what’s coming next. But she’s not going to give in. Her first impression of James Potter has proved to be right and she’s not giving him the chance to prove her wrong.
“Lily, I really like you. Can’t you give me just one chance?”
Lily doesn’t say anything and he misunderstands her silence as her actually thinking about it and he moves closer and for a moment she thinks they’re about to kiss until she pulls away.
“No, Potter.”
This time it’s James who walks away.
--
When she sees James in Diagon Alley during the summer, something about him seems different. He still looks the same and he still does that annoying movement of his hand through his messy hair, but his once arrogant smile has softened. Something about James Potter has changed for the good.
Under fading summer sunlight, Lily Evans finally decides to give James Potter a chance.