FIC--Changing Perceptions--Part Three--The Hogwarts Express
Title: Changing Perceptions
Rating: PG13 (R in later parts)
Summary: How exactly did James and Lily get together in their seventh year?
Words: 6,461
Betas: queenb23more
Part Two---Diagon Alley
Changing Perceptions
A James and Lily Fan-Fiction
For the next day or two, Lily wore a permanent smile on her face. The memory, both mental and physical, of James' kiss would not go away, making her feel extremely giddy. There were times when she would absently touch her lips and sigh, the feeling of his lips and tongue bubbling up to the surface for some inexplicable reason.
She was no prude; she'd kissed a few boys before. James, however, was talented in the kissing department and the fact that their kiss lingered for days afterward was a testament to his style. Lily frowned as she pushed away the thoughts of who he had kissed before her. She knew he had other girlfriends; Mary was one of them. But that didn't really matter anymore; she was the one kissing him now.
"…So what do you think?"
Lily shook the cobwebs out of her head and remembered she was in a bridal shop with her mother and sister.
"Er…what?" Lily stammered.
"If you can't pay attention," Petunia huffed, "to the plans for my glorious day, I'm not sure if I want you involved."
Lily smiled a bit. Petunia was giving her the perfect opportunity to say something snarky and cruel.
"Promise?"
"Mother!" Petunia whinged. "Mother, she's making a mockery of my wedding!" She flung herself onto a chaise and began to sob. Lily knew she was faking it and merely rolled her eyes.
"Girls! Can't you get along? Tunie, things will be fine, you'll see. And of course, Lily wants to help. Don't you, dear?" their mother asked, emphasizing the words of the question.
"No, not really," Lily stated flatly. "She treats me like a freak, makes fun of me and my friends and my school. So why would I want to be involved in her wedding?"
She sprung off the chair she was sitting on and crossed over to the window of the shop, glancing longingly out onto the street. What she wouldn't pay to be out of here, away from her oppressive sister and smothering mother. It was stifling to be in the same room with them lately.
"Because you're my sister!" Petunia shouted. "What would the family say?" At her words, Petunia was wrapped in her mother's arms.
"Now see what you've done? She's upset," she scolded Lily.
Lily turned around. "Mum, she's always upset with me. Everything I do is wrong. Has been for six years."
Petunia wailed loud enough for the dressmaker to come over to the chaise.
"Is something wrong with the dress, Miss Evans?" the woman asked Petunia, who sniffed a few more times before looking up.
"No…no, it's perfect," she answered, standing up so the woman could check the fit.
Lily had to hold in a giggle as she looked at her sister standing there in her wedding dress. It was hideous, really, and Lily couldn't believe that anyone, much less her sister, would be caught dead in that sort of thing. It was white satin - bright, shiny, white satin to be exact - with nearly every bit of skin covered up. The neck was high with lace at the throat and what looked like a lace bib covered the neckline, and the long sleeves were tight at the wrists, fastened by five buttons. And it did absolutely nothing for Petunia, who had a nice hour-glass figure, and if it had been up to Lily, she should have shown a bit more skin. ‘Perfect’ was the last word Lily would use to describe the damned thing.
The dressmaker fussed over the dress and checked the hem while Petunia beamed as she stood on the little raised platform. Her mother circled, looking like a vulture waiting to dive in on its prey, clasping her hands to her mouth and nearly hyperventilating with excitement.
"That should do it!" the seamstress announced. "You can take it home, Miss Evans."
Petunia squealed and twirled around in her satin nightgown masquerading as a wedding dress. The look of utter jubilation on her face made Lily queasy and she turned away. Rusting of fabric signalled her sister's return to the fitting room, making her sigh at the prospect of leaving relatively soon.
"Lily, dear," chimed her mother. "Come here for a minute."
Lily sighed and rolled her eyes before turning around to find her mother holding another hideous dress in a dreadful shade of yellow. There were ruffles everywhere and it appeared to be made of dotted Swiss.
"What is that?" Lily asked in a disgusted tone.
Her mother smiled cheerily and Petunia flashed her a contemptuous smile from behid the curtain of her changing room. Lily felt her heart sink.
"It's your bridesmaid dress."
"Jimmy-Jam! You've got another letter from Dumbledore!" sang Thora Potter. Ever since James was named Head Boy, his mother called him his baby name as often as she could. No matter how many times he tried to tell her to stop, there was no changing her mind. She was entirely too proud of James and the fact that she was losing her baby boy in a few weeks made her tear up whenever the subject came up.
James groaned and glanced at the clock, pulling a pillow over his head.
Why the hell is Dumbledore sending me a letter at eight o'clock in the bloody morning? James asked himself. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep.
He'd been up until three that morning, having gone to a pub with Remus and Sirius, with the latter eagerly taking off with a heavily made-up girl, ditching his friends around one. Once Sirius left, James and Remus, who was always the more sensitive of the Marauders, began talking about what had been happening with Lily. James told him about the letters they'd written and the way things had changed between them. Much to James' surprise, Remus was very supportive, as he and Lily had dated for a bit the previous school term.
"You know, James," Remus had said, "even though she would deny it every time she was asked, I always knew she found you…desirable."
At that, James snorted beer out of his nose, flabbergasted at his friend's revelation.
"It's the truth. She always knew when you were out of the Tower, where you were sitting in the Great Hall and who you were dating," Remus stated. "It was like she always made it her point to find you whenever she walked into a room. Frankly, I hope it resolves a lot of the sexual tension between you two."
For the second time that night, James was caught off guard by his friend.
"What's with you, Moony? You seem…I dunno odd, even for you," he teased, eyeing Remus carefully.
He shrugged and gave James a wry smile. "Nothing's wrong with me, Prongs."
At the comment, James had leaned forward and playfully punched Remus' arm. "You got laid! I know that look!"
"I'm a gentleman," he answered, barely containing his smile. "I don't kiss and tell."
After that conversation, James had tried valiantly to ply Remus with liquor in the hopes of getting him to reveal what had happened when he was in Ireland. But it was a hopeless effort, in the end, as Remus could hold his drink much better than James.
A soft, almost imperceptible crack caused James to stir and bolt up into a sitting position. It was Wilbie, their House-Elf.
"Master James must get up! He has a letter from Dumbledore!" She began lifting the covers off the bed, exposing James to the cool air of his room. "Mistress wants Master James to get up and share the letter with her."
James groaned in frustration, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at Wilbie. Unfortunately for James, she was rather agile and ducked out of the way before tossing the pillow back at him with a mere wave of her hand. He knew this battle would end up like all those of his childhood in which he and Wilbie fought about this precise situation; Wilbie would toss conjured ice water onto his head and banish the blankets, sheets, and pillows, after which James would reluctantly trudge downstairs to greet the day with his mother. Which was, of course, exactly what happened.
A few minutes later, a bleary-eyed James stumbled into the dining room, where his mother was seated at her usual spot with a cup of tea and her usual breakfast of porridge and toast.
"Well, thank goodness Wilbie could always get you out of bed," she said, mildly irritated. "Read the letter. It looks important."
There was no hiding the fact that she was inordinately pleased with the fact that her son was Head Boy. Over the last few days, it was the main topic of conversation between her and her friends, and whenever James was around the old birds, they all cackled about him like a bunch of mother hens. It was stifling, really.
James took the letter and went out onto the flagstone terrace outside, desperately wanting to get out of his mother's presence. Once he was settled onto a wicker chair, he set about reading the letter.
Dear Mr. Potter,
As this year’s Head Boy, you, along with Head Girl Lily Evans, are responsible for planning and leading bi-weekly meetings of the prefects as well as planning a timetable for patrols. Your first meeting with the prefects should take place on the Hogwarts Express on 1 September, and I encourage both you and Miss Evans to plan the meeting and timetable before that time.
Listed below is a list of prefects for each House:
Gryffindor
5th year-Rhiannon Wood, Gregory Jones
6th year-Jeannette Kettleware, Samuel Haworth
7th year-Pamela Monahan, Remus Lupin
Hufflepuff
5th year-Bertha Jorkins, Robert Abbott
6th year-Elisha Warren, Thomas Boot
7th year-Lauren Winkler, Aaron Macmillan
Ravenclaw
5th year-Li Yeung, Charles Smith
6th year-Shannon O'Connell, Joseph Bloom
7th year-Emily Marx, Hamid Patil
Slytherin
5th year-Erin Gallagher, Amycus Carrow
6th year-Phoolan Duranjaya, Simon Lennox
7th year-Narcissa Black, Severus Snape
James groaned when he read the last name on the list. Snape was not one to be given much leeway as far as his behaviour went. The git simply had no class and was always going on about how much better he was than everyone else. The fact that he once called Lily, his former friend, a Mudblood made James' disgust for Snape that much worse. The thought of actually being required to spend time in the same room with him made James shiver.
But all thoughts of Severus Snape disappeared when he remembered Dumbledore's advice; he and Lily needed to get together and plan things out. She must have received the same letter and he hoped that she would want to see him again soon. Not only did he want to see her, he wanted to kiss her again. Many times. The one brief taste of her lips wasn't nearly enough to satisfy him. The way her lips felt against his and the way she tasted was indescribable. He wanted more.
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to remember the way her hair smelled and the faint taste of ice cream on her lips. He swore under his breath as he felt the beginnings of an erection in his jeans. He had to see her. Soon.
James dashed back inside the house, past the empty dining table, and into the study. He rifled around in the desk, found some parchment, and began scribbling a quick note to her. Smiling broadly, he called for his owl and sent her on her way to Lily's. James was just about to head over to Sirius' flat when his mother's scream stopped him in his tracks.
"James! I need your help!" she wailed from their room down the hall.
He bolted from the study, knowing instinctively that the tone of her voice meant nothing good. James knew his father was in poor health lately and the thought of losing him, even though he was a bigoted arse, made his heart drop.
"Mum?" he exclaimed as he slid into the room.
His father was pale and breathing rapidly, almost constantly, and there was a sickening wheeze coming from his mouth as he exhaled. His mother was waving her wand over him, performing spells from her days as a Healer, obviously hoping that her diagnosis would be wrong.
She turned around, her face stained with tears, and visibly shaking.
"James…you…you need to help me get him to hospital. I-I'm…" She began sobbing and crumbled at the side of the bed. He kneeled beside her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Mum, it'll work out. What do I need to do?"
"Ca-call St. Mungo's and tell them he's coming. They-they'll need a cardiac unit," she stammered between cries.
"Okay." He got up and returned to the study where he Floo'd as he was asked. Once he identified himself as Thora Abbott Potter's son, his request for assistance was met with enthusiasm. He was assured that an ambulatory service would be there in a matter of minutes.
"They're sending a service, Mum," he said softly to his mother, as she rubbed his father's forehead with her hand. "Can I let Sirius know?"
"Of course, dear." She turned her attention back to her husband. "It'll be fine, Corney. Don't you worry, my love." She bent forward and kissed his cheek, causing a surge of emotion inside the area around James’ heart. It was ironic that he was just beginning to feel the first stirrings of love when it appeared to him that his parents' love may be coming to an end.
James had to turn away and brush the tears from his eyes. He had to be strong for his parents. But who would be strong for him?
Even as he picked up the mirror to contact Sirius, he desperately wanted Lily to hold him.
Lily clutched the two letters to her chest, one from Professor Dumbledore and the other from James. Her mother had called her down the stairs about ten minutes earlier when the two owls arrived, depositing their parchment envelopes on the kitchen table. Neither one would let her mother take them and waited impatiently until Lily was there.
Once inside her bedroom, she threw herself onto the bed and eagerly ripped into the letter from James. Dumbledore could wait.
Lily-
Hey there. I just wanted to write to you. Is it stupid of me to say that I miss you? That I really liked getting together with you in Diagon Alley? I did, honest. But I have to say that I wish your sister would have stayed inside. I really liked kissing you. She shouldn't have interrupted like that.
Lily paused and went over those five words that he'd crossed out. He liked kissing me! She had to admit that she did, too. More than liked it. James lit a fire inside her that wouldn't go away, fuelling her dreams, and prompting her to touch herself. She felt her face grow warm as she recalled whispering his name as she brought herself to the crest of pleasure.
Sirius got a flat. He moved a few days ago. It's really lonely here without him and my mum's driving me mad.
Got a letter from Dumbledore this morning. A bunch of prefect stuff. Did you know Snape was a prefect? It's gonna be a long year if I have to put up with that git him all year. Remus is one again. That should be fun.
Well, anyway, I wanted to ask if you and I could get together and get timetables and such all squared away before the first. Doesn't sound like me, I know, but, well, it's an excuse to see you again.
Well, I better go before Mum pinches my cheeks again.
Yours,
James
She suddenly became giddy with anticipation at the thought of seeing James again. She'd never felt this way over any of her other boyfriends, so why was this happening with him? And why so quickly? How could a few letters and a day spent in each other's company change her perception of him so drastically? Instead of analyzing the situation as she normally would, she pushed the thoughts aside and turned her attention to the other letter.
James was right. Severus did tell her that he had been named prefect, sneering in a gleeful way once Lily had admitted that she was Head Girl and surprising herself at how easy it was to keep the truth from him when he asked about her counterpart. The upcoming school year, just as James had written, would be extremely long and tedious if James and Severus couldn't somehow get along. She made a mental note to try and figure out what to do about it.
Once she finished scanning the brief letter from the headmaster, Lily got up off her bed and returned to the kitchen, anxiously wanting to ask her mother if James could visit and make plans.
"Oh, I don't see why not," her mother answered once Lily posed the question. "Is he the boy you went to the Alley with?"
"Y-yes," Lily answered, her face warming a bit.
"And you're going to let another freak into the house? Mother, it-it's just not right! It was bad enough when that Snape boy was here and now you're going to let another one inside?" Petunia shrieked.
"Petunia! Don't you dare speak to your sister like that!" the mother scolded. "She has every right to invite her friends here."
Lily and her sister had this argument every time Lily wanted a friend from school to come over. It didn't matter if it was Mary, Pamela, Severus, or now, James. Petunia would fuss as if the prospect of another magical person in the house would set the world off its axis and bring about catastrophe.
"Shut up, Petunia!" Lily shot back at her sister. "Do you think it's fun for me to have that blow-hard Vernon around? But do I act like you? Do I interrupt you every fifteen minutes or insult him to his face? No, I don't. I'm courteous and stay out of his way. Why can't you do the same?"
Lily spun around and headed back to her bedroom where she wrote a short note to James telling him it was fine for him to come over in the next day or two. With a heavy sigh, she watched her owl fly off into the blue sky.
James, it turned out, didn't answer her letter right away, which really surprised her. From his letter, she figured he was as anxious as she was to get together again. Two days after she sent it, James returned her note, indicating that he'd be there that afternoon. Before his visit, Lily flitted about the house, straightening up and getting the study in order in between glaring at her sister. She even dressed carefully for his arrival, putting on a t-shirt similar to the one she wore to meet him in Diagon Alley and slipping into a pair of denim shorts. She knew that the shorts would really get his attention and the thought of him running his hand down her thigh was enough to make her groan in anticipation.
The ringing of the doorbell drew her attention, but before she could run down the stairs to let him in, her mother's voice rang through the foyer.
"You must be James!"
Before he could answer, Lily met his eyes; she could see them darken across the distance. He was dressed more casually than she'd seen him before and wore a Puddlemere United t-shirt, a pair of jeans with holes in the knee, and a glint of a gold necklace peeked over the top of his neckline. His eyes roved over her body, pausing at her chest, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Her breathing quickened under his gaze.
"Er, hey there, Evans," James said hoarsely, moving his satchel to the front and making her blush.
Lily made her way across the floor and stood next to her mother. "James, this is my mother, Astrid Evans. Mum, James Potter."
James extended his hand and was pulled into a hug by her mother. Once released, James' face was as red as Lily's hair.
"Now, before you two set to work, I've got tea ready for you in the dining room," her mother announced and led James into the other room by looping her arm through his. "Can't have the Head Boy and Girl starving, now can we?" She ushered him to a chair and sat him down, placing a bottle of soda in front of him.
Lily found him ensconced at the table surrounded by her mother's idea of a small tea: scones, ham sandwiches, cheese, pickles, and a plate of biscuits. She looked down at him, his mouth full of a scone as he reached for the bottle.
"Whud?" He tipped the soda to his mouth, stopping mid-drink to swallow hard and blinking purposefully at her. "'s good!"
"Oh you are such a boy!" Lily exclaimed, falling into the chair next to him and grabbing a soda for herself.
"Lily, leave the poor boy alone. He looks so tired and I'm willing to bet that he hasn't had a good nosh in a while," her mother stated. "He's so skinny. But gorgeous."
He snorted and soda squirted from his nose, sending Lily into fit of giggles. James recovered his composure and turned to her mother.
"Er, thanks, Mrs. Evans. Actually, things have been a little weird at home lately," he said in a soft voice.
Lily couldn't help but notice the hint of sadness in his voice and promised herself she would ask him about it in private.
"You two finish up in here and then you can work in the study. I have some gardening to do." She reached over and ruffled James' perpetually messy hair and left them in the kitchen.
"Sorry about her," Lily said, her laughter having faded for the most part. "She was thrilled to have another wizard in the house."
"Another one?" James raised an eyebrow as if in shock. "Who's been here before?"
Her mind swirled, telling her not to let James know that Severus had been in that same chair.
"Er…Dumbledore," she blurted out. "He-he was here to talk to my parents." Please believe me.
She watched as James wiped his mouth with a napkin and finished off his soda, burping behind his closed mouth.
"Lily, it's okay to tell me that Snape was here. I know you were friends, remember?" He stood and took his plate to the kitchen sink. "I've decided to ignore him. Really," he said as he turned around, grabbing his bag off the chair.
"That's gonna be difficult to do, Potter. He is a prefect, after all," she said with a smirk, leading him into the study.
"I choose to ignore that statement," he answered, chuckling.
James woke the morning of September first excited, more excited than anyone should be on the day he returned to school. He smiled as he stretched his arms above his head, thinking of a particularly pleasant moment at Lily's house a few days before.
"So that's it then. Timetables…meeting agenda…duty list. All done," Lily said with a broad smile, stretching her arms in front of her and cracking her knuckles.
"Yeah," James answered. Ever since arriving at her house, he'd been unable to take his eyes off her. It was rather fortunate that they had so much work to do, giving him an excuse to look at her without being too obvious.
When he'd seen her for the first time that day, he had an immediate, purely male reaction to her. The t-shirt. Merlin, her breasts were…indescribable. Her legs, oh her legs, were shapely and curvy, showing off those thighs that he couldn't help but picture wrapped around him. He hoped she didn't notice when he shifted his bag to the front.
"Anything else we need to do?" Her voice was like a soft melody, bringing happiness whenever he heard it.
"Well, I did have a question I wanted to ask you." He scooted closer to her, their proximity on the couch becoming quite dangerous.
She licked her lips and cocked her head to the side. The sight of that tongue made him shiver.
"Okay," she whispered. Her eyes, he noticed, were wide and the green was nearly hidden by the pupils.
James cleared his throat and put a hand on her thigh, willing himself to not move it just yet.
"I…I just wanted to know if you and…if you and Snape ever sno-kissed," he managed to spit out. Why was he so nervous to talk about this?
Without saying a word, she shook her head and closed the distance between them, touching his lips with hers. He was startled at first but then kissed her back, careful to keep his ardour in check. The last thing he wanted to do was get carried away. They were, after all, in her parents' study…well, more specifically, her father's.
She opened her mouth and their tongues met. He moved his hand from her thigh to the back of her head and held her to him. Lily moaned and it fuelled desire within him that James could barely hold in check. All the years of pent-up desire and sexual frustration threatened to burst out of him as they kissed there on the sofa. Somehow, she ended up in his lap with one of his hands on her bum and the other cupping one of her breasts. It was blissful.
That is, until her father interrupted them.
"Oi, Prongs! Get your sorry arse outta bed!" came Sirius' voice from the kitchen.
Ever since James' father was admitted to St. Mungo's, James had stayed at Sirius' flat in London. It was close quarters for the two of them, but it allowed them to have some well deserved bloke time. He felt guilty leaving his mother, but she insisted and made arrangements to stay with her great-niece.
"Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on," James yelled back and rolled off the couch where he'd been sleeping for the past week. "Looks nice out. Good omen, I hope."
James found Sirius in the kitchen, but he wasn't alone. His friend's companion was perched on one of the kitchen chairs, her legs curled under her and she wore one of Sirius' old t-shirts.
"Hi, James," purred Hestia Jones. "You snore like a troll, you know that?"
James watched as Hestia uncurled herself and rose from the chair, clutching her coffee cup. He felt his face warm as he noticed her knickerless crotch right before she stood.
"I'm going to take a shower. I might be up for some company." She swatted Sirius on the arse. "Or two." James backed away before she could swat him on the behind, whistling a happy tune as she made her way to the bathroom.
Once she was out of earshot, James turned toward Sirius hissing, "What the hell was that all about?" James' eyes widened and he was livid.
"Her? Oh come on, James," Sirius chortled. "You were at the pub last night. She picked me up."
"She's my cousin!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "James, everyone is your cousin. I think she's mine, too, somewhere on the bloody family tree. Now excuse me while I go clean up," he said slyly, making his way to the bathroom.
Once Hestia cleared out, a mere two hours and several screams of ecstasy later, James watched while Sirius scrambled to get everything into his trunk.
"You should have packed last night, mate," James scolded, ducking out of the way as Sirius' possessions flew into the trunk.
"Oh stuff it! You could help, you know!"
"But that wouldn't be nearly as fun as watching you, Padfoot," James answered. "Hurry up, mate. I've gotta be there early."
"Yeah, early for Lil-eee," teased Sirius, earning him a flip and a turn upside down in the air, courtesy Levicorpus. "Lemme down, you toss pot! I heard you moaning in your sleep the other night, so obviously things have progressed nicely."
James shook his head in annoyance and did the counter-curse, sending Sirius crashing to the floor with an oomph. He then flicked his wand at the remainder of clothes and books, and they flew into the trunk, folding and organizing themselves neatly inside. Sirius smiled and locked the trunk before placing a levitation spell on it and following James into the kitchen. Taking one last look around the flat, Sirius turned to James.
"Well, we'll be back at Christmas, yeah?"
"Too right," replied James, clapping his friend on the back before Disapparating.
The train station was relatively quiet when they reappeared, as it was only ten-thirty. After quickly piling their stuff on a trolley, they made their way to the platform and the waiting Hogwarts Express, red and shiny, like a fresh-faced first year. That was one of James' favourite things about going back to school. The train represented everything right and wonderful with the world, and it was what brought her into his life.
James pushed his trolley to the train and loaded his trunk and duffles into the luggage compartment before making his way toward the prefect car. Once inside, he placed his bag on the table to retrieve the parchments he'd written on at Lily's house. He smirked at one he'd doodled on while trying to pay attention to the discussion Lily was leading. Her voice captivated him like a Siren lures a sailor to the rocks of certain death. There was no cure for Lily and every time he kissed her that day, he felt himself fall further and further under her spell.
He was startled out of his thoughts by the door of the compartment sliding open to reveal Remus and Sirius.
"Hmmm, nice digs," Sirius said, his eyes roving over the chairs in all four House colours and the large oak table bolted to the floor. "Wonder what it's like to shag in here!" He waggled his eyebrows.
"Shut up, you big wanker!" James said, more irritated with his friend than he'd been in a long time. "Maybe you outta suggest it to Moony here. He's the one who finally got laid over the hols."
Sirius' dark eyes quickly shifted to Remus and could have bored into his soul if it was possible. Sirius' mouth opened several times, but no words came out.
"Perhaps I should have done it earlier. The image of seeing you speechless is the best remedy for my sour disposition," Remus stated flatly and without expression as he sat down on one of the Gryffindor coloured chairs. "And Sirius?"
Sirius stared back.
"Your mouth is open," Remus pointed out before placing his feet on the table in front of him, crossed at the ankles, looking utterly pleased and proud of himself.
Sirius made a dash across the compartment, most likely to accost Remus when a lovely laugh made James whack him across the back.
Lily, already wearing her school robes and uniform, had just entered the compartment and he had no desire to subject her to his friends' behaviour. He looked up and her and beamed, joy bubbling up inside him and her presence.
"Er…hey there, Lily," James said, walking over to her and taking the bag from her hands and placing it on the table. "So, you two really should leave. Lily and I have a meeting to plan. And Remus, be back at 11:30 for the meeting, okay?"
Sirius shook his head at James' remark and leisurely strode across to the door.
"Go easy on him, Evans, he's the only one we've got." He motioned for Remus and the two of them left the compartment, heads close together, a plan clearly forming in their minds.
James watched as his friends left the compartment and once the door slid shut behind them, a sense of foreboding enveloped him, accompanied by a tremendous amount of silence. Silence was always uncomfortable for him; he had thrived on noise from the time he was a small child. His parents never told him to be quiet or to sit still. That was the greatest part of having older parents; they let him get away with anything.
But silence was different. He felt as if Lily could hear his heartbeat or his mind thinking of all the wicked things he wanted to do with her. If it stayed quiet much longer, she might regret walking in the door.
"Sorry about him. Sirius has been a right arse lately."
Lily smiled. "He was rather pleasant and not annoying in my opinion," she quipped.
They continued to stare at each other. James took a moment to look her over. Her hair was held back by a clip or something, and there were a few strands of hair hanging loose. He preferred her hair down, flowing free around her shoulders and down her back. Her blouse was loose at the neck, showing him a wide expanse of her creamy skin and the colour of the tie accentuated her colouring. While the shirt fit her, James was sure it was a little tighter than normal around the chest area. He then remembered the feel of that soft breast under his hand and he groaned inwardly.
"So, James, have you got the agenda?" she asked, thankfully breaking the silence.
"Er…well, yeah." He began shuffling through his bag until he found what he was looking for. He held it out to her and she reached for it, her fingers brushing against his, sending tingles up and down his body.
With a whistle and a sharp lurch, the train moved forward, sending Lily toppling into James' waiting arms. She looked up, and it took all of his restraint to keep from kissing her right there, or even more, if he was truly honest with himself.
"S-sorry…" she whispered, looking up at him, eyes wide and so very…sexy. Much to his disappointment, she stepped away from him. "Er, maybe we should get ready for the meeting." She turned her attention to her own bag and set about retrieving her notes and a sheaf of papers with the timetables to hand out to the prefects.
Damn, he swore to himself and sat at the table next to her, too mad at himself to really concentrate on the meeting that would happen in a few moments.
The prefects began filing in, and James made a point of greeting Snape cheerily, bringing a look of utter disgust on the other boy's face. James was well-behaved, in his opinion, and avoided making any remarks that would be cause for additional tension. The meeting went off without incident and James very nearly shoved Remus out of the compartment once it was concluded. He had to ask her before he lost his nerve.
Lily was putting her things back in her bag, and he watched her intently. She was so organised, even as she packed up her bag. It was a bloody turn on. Taking a deep breath, he closed the distance between them and placed his hand on the small of her back, causing her to jump slightly.
"Yes?" she asked once she settled down.
Summoning all the Gryffindor courage in his bloodline, he took a deep breath.
"Lily, would you be my girlfriend?"
Silence followed his question, making him nervous, mad, and ashamed all at the same time. It was stupid to ask her, he thought. Blokes don't ask a bird to be his girlfriend…they just become a girlfriend. Right?
"What did you say?"
That wasn't the answer he'd anticipated and his heart sank. He had to get it out or it would fester inside him like an ache that wouldn't go away. Gone was the confident man he usually was, to be replaced by the shy, insecure boy he was on very rare occasions.
"Lily, I've been asking you this for five years now. This'll be the last time, I promise." He looked up at her, hoping beyond hope that her usual answer would not follow. "Will you go out with me?"
Over the past five years, he'd asked her this question at least once a week, and every time, there was hope inside him that she'd say 'yes.' However, this was the only time he thought that she'd turn him down. She'd say 'no' and he'd have to be content with being her friend.
"Yes," came her whispered answer. "Yes, I'll go out with you, James."
He stood there stunned, either unable or unwilling to move from the spot. Even though his feet remained still, his mouth formed the biggest smile James had ever worn. He felt his heartbeat speed up and his blood raced though his veins. With a shake of his head, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her firmly, soundly and enthusiastically.
Minutes, hours, or several sunlit days passed before they pulled apart, flushed and breathing heavily. Lily's hair was coming out of her clip and he watched in amusement as she went to straighten it. Oh, how he adored her.
"Sorry 'bout that," he teased. "Just got carried away. You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that."
She blushed again, making her skin fairly glow.
"I can't believe I actually said I would." She laughed lightly and took his hand. "But can we not shout it from the Astronomy Tower just yet?"
James' laughter echoed through the compartment, blending with hers.
"I…I think I can curb my enthusiasm," he said once their laughter died down a bit. "But I can't say that I won't keep it from the other three."
"James," she said in a tone full of warning, "I'm not going out with them. I don't want them tagging along all the time."
"Believe me, I won't want them around when I want to kiss you." He pulled her closer. "And I want to do a lot of kissing."
She cocked her head to the side and eyed him warily. "Please tell me we won't be kissing all the time." Her smile told him she was merely teasing him.
"Maybe not all the time but some of the time. Is that okay?" He ran one hand down her smooth, shiny hair.
"Definitely," she said with a devilish light in her eye. "Can't think of a better use of your mouth than that."
Oh you don't know the half of it, Lily.
Part Four--Autumn
Rating: PG13 (R in later parts)
Summary: How exactly did James and Lily get together in their seventh year?
Words: 6,461
Betas: queenb23more
Part Two---Diagon Alley
Changing Perceptions
A James and Lily Fan-Fiction
For the next day or two, Lily wore a permanent smile on her face. The memory, both mental and physical, of James' kiss would not go away, making her feel extremely giddy. There were times when she would absently touch her lips and sigh, the feeling of his lips and tongue bubbling up to the surface for some inexplicable reason.
She was no prude; she'd kissed a few boys before. James, however, was talented in the kissing department and the fact that their kiss lingered for days afterward was a testament to his style. Lily frowned as she pushed away the thoughts of who he had kissed before her. She knew he had other girlfriends; Mary was one of them. But that didn't really matter anymore; she was the one kissing him now.
"…So what do you think?"
Lily shook the cobwebs out of her head and remembered she was in a bridal shop with her mother and sister.
"Er…what?" Lily stammered.
"If you can't pay attention," Petunia huffed, "to the plans for my glorious day, I'm not sure if I want you involved."
Lily smiled a bit. Petunia was giving her the perfect opportunity to say something snarky and cruel.
"Promise?"
"Mother!" Petunia whinged. "Mother, she's making a mockery of my wedding!" She flung herself onto a chaise and began to sob. Lily knew she was faking it and merely rolled her eyes.
"Girls! Can't you get along? Tunie, things will be fine, you'll see. And of course, Lily wants to help. Don't you, dear?" their mother asked, emphasizing the words of the question.
"No, not really," Lily stated flatly. "She treats me like a freak, makes fun of me and my friends and my school. So why would I want to be involved in her wedding?"
She sprung off the chair she was sitting on and crossed over to the window of the shop, glancing longingly out onto the street. What she wouldn't pay to be out of here, away from her oppressive sister and smothering mother. It was stifling to be in the same room with them lately.
"Because you're my sister!" Petunia shouted. "What would the family say?" At her words, Petunia was wrapped in her mother's arms.
"Now see what you've done? She's upset," she scolded Lily.
Lily turned around. "Mum, she's always upset with me. Everything I do is wrong. Has been for six years."
Petunia wailed loud enough for the dressmaker to come over to the chaise.
"Is something wrong with the dress, Miss Evans?" the woman asked Petunia, who sniffed a few more times before looking up.
"No…no, it's perfect," she answered, standing up so the woman could check the fit.
Lily had to hold in a giggle as she looked at her sister standing there in her wedding dress. It was hideous, really, and Lily couldn't believe that anyone, much less her sister, would be caught dead in that sort of thing. It was white satin - bright, shiny, white satin to be exact - with nearly every bit of skin covered up. The neck was high with lace at the throat and what looked like a lace bib covered the neckline, and the long sleeves were tight at the wrists, fastened by five buttons. And it did absolutely nothing for Petunia, who had a nice hour-glass figure, and if it had been up to Lily, she should have shown a bit more skin. ‘Perfect’ was the last word Lily would use to describe the damned thing.
The dressmaker fussed over the dress and checked the hem while Petunia beamed as she stood on the little raised platform. Her mother circled, looking like a vulture waiting to dive in on its prey, clasping her hands to her mouth and nearly hyperventilating with excitement.
"That should do it!" the seamstress announced. "You can take it home, Miss Evans."
Petunia squealed and twirled around in her satin nightgown masquerading as a wedding dress. The look of utter jubilation on her face made Lily queasy and she turned away. Rusting of fabric signalled her sister's return to the fitting room, making her sigh at the prospect of leaving relatively soon.
"Lily, dear," chimed her mother. "Come here for a minute."
Lily sighed and rolled her eyes before turning around to find her mother holding another hideous dress in a dreadful shade of yellow. There were ruffles everywhere and it appeared to be made of dotted Swiss.
"What is that?" Lily asked in a disgusted tone.
Her mother smiled cheerily and Petunia flashed her a contemptuous smile from behid the curtain of her changing room. Lily felt her heart sink.
"It's your bridesmaid dress."
"Jimmy-Jam! You've got another letter from Dumbledore!" sang Thora Potter. Ever since James was named Head Boy, his mother called him his baby name as often as she could. No matter how many times he tried to tell her to stop, there was no changing her mind. She was entirely too proud of James and the fact that she was losing her baby boy in a few weeks made her tear up whenever the subject came up.
James groaned and glanced at the clock, pulling a pillow over his head.
Why the hell is Dumbledore sending me a letter at eight o'clock in the bloody morning? James asked himself. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep.
He'd been up until three that morning, having gone to a pub with Remus and Sirius, with the latter eagerly taking off with a heavily made-up girl, ditching his friends around one. Once Sirius left, James and Remus, who was always the more sensitive of the Marauders, began talking about what had been happening with Lily. James told him about the letters they'd written and the way things had changed between them. Much to James' surprise, Remus was very supportive, as he and Lily had dated for a bit the previous school term.
"You know, James," Remus had said, "even though she would deny it every time she was asked, I always knew she found you…desirable."
At that, James snorted beer out of his nose, flabbergasted at his friend's revelation.
"It's the truth. She always knew when you were out of the Tower, where you were sitting in the Great Hall and who you were dating," Remus stated. "It was like she always made it her point to find you whenever she walked into a room. Frankly, I hope it resolves a lot of the sexual tension between you two."
For the second time that night, James was caught off guard by his friend.
"What's with you, Moony? You seem…I dunno odd, even for you," he teased, eyeing Remus carefully.
He shrugged and gave James a wry smile. "Nothing's wrong with me, Prongs."
At the comment, James had leaned forward and playfully punched Remus' arm. "You got laid! I know that look!"
"I'm a gentleman," he answered, barely containing his smile. "I don't kiss and tell."
After that conversation, James had tried valiantly to ply Remus with liquor in the hopes of getting him to reveal what had happened when he was in Ireland. But it was a hopeless effort, in the end, as Remus could hold his drink much better than James.
A soft, almost imperceptible crack caused James to stir and bolt up into a sitting position. It was Wilbie, their House-Elf.
"Master James must get up! He has a letter from Dumbledore!" She began lifting the covers off the bed, exposing James to the cool air of his room. "Mistress wants Master James to get up and share the letter with her."
James groaned in frustration, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at Wilbie. Unfortunately for James, she was rather agile and ducked out of the way before tossing the pillow back at him with a mere wave of her hand. He knew this battle would end up like all those of his childhood in which he and Wilbie fought about this precise situation; Wilbie would toss conjured ice water onto his head and banish the blankets, sheets, and pillows, after which James would reluctantly trudge downstairs to greet the day with his mother. Which was, of course, exactly what happened.
A few minutes later, a bleary-eyed James stumbled into the dining room, where his mother was seated at her usual spot with a cup of tea and her usual breakfast of porridge and toast.
"Well, thank goodness Wilbie could always get you out of bed," she said, mildly irritated. "Read the letter. It looks important."
There was no hiding the fact that she was inordinately pleased with the fact that her son was Head Boy. Over the last few days, it was the main topic of conversation between her and her friends, and whenever James was around the old birds, they all cackled about him like a bunch of mother hens. It was stifling, really.
James took the letter and went out onto the flagstone terrace outside, desperately wanting to get out of his mother's presence. Once he was settled onto a wicker chair, he set about reading the letter.
Dear Mr. Potter,
As this year’s Head Boy, you, along with Head Girl Lily Evans, are responsible for planning and leading bi-weekly meetings of the prefects as well as planning a timetable for patrols. Your first meeting with the prefects should take place on the Hogwarts Express on 1 September, and I encourage both you and Miss Evans to plan the meeting and timetable before that time.
Listed below is a list of prefects for each House:
Gryffindor
5th year-Rhiannon Wood, Gregory Jones
6th year-Jeannette Kettleware, Samuel Haworth
7th year-Pamela Monahan, Remus Lupin
Hufflepuff
5th year-Bertha Jorkins, Robert Abbott
6th year-Elisha Warren, Thomas Boot
7th year-Lauren Winkler, Aaron Macmillan
Ravenclaw
5th year-Li Yeung, Charles Smith
6th year-Shannon O'Connell, Joseph Bloom
7th year-Emily Marx, Hamid Patil
Slytherin
5th year-Erin Gallagher, Amycus Carrow
6th year-Phoolan Duranjaya, Simon Lennox
7th year-Narcissa Black, Severus Snape
James groaned when he read the last name on the list. Snape was not one to be given much leeway as far as his behaviour went. The git simply had no class and was always going on about how much better he was than everyone else. The fact that he once called Lily, his former friend, a Mudblood made James' disgust for Snape that much worse. The thought of actually being required to spend time in the same room with him made James shiver.
But all thoughts of Severus Snape disappeared when he remembered Dumbledore's advice; he and Lily needed to get together and plan things out. She must have received the same letter and he hoped that she would want to see him again soon. Not only did he want to see her, he wanted to kiss her again. Many times. The one brief taste of her lips wasn't nearly enough to satisfy him. The way her lips felt against his and the way she tasted was indescribable. He wanted more.
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to remember the way her hair smelled and the faint taste of ice cream on her lips. He swore under his breath as he felt the beginnings of an erection in his jeans. He had to see her. Soon.
James dashed back inside the house, past the empty dining table, and into the study. He rifled around in the desk, found some parchment, and began scribbling a quick note to her. Smiling broadly, he called for his owl and sent her on her way to Lily's. James was just about to head over to Sirius' flat when his mother's scream stopped him in his tracks.
"James! I need your help!" she wailed from their room down the hall.
He bolted from the study, knowing instinctively that the tone of her voice meant nothing good. James knew his father was in poor health lately and the thought of losing him, even though he was a bigoted arse, made his heart drop.
"Mum?" he exclaimed as he slid into the room.
His father was pale and breathing rapidly, almost constantly, and there was a sickening wheeze coming from his mouth as he exhaled. His mother was waving her wand over him, performing spells from her days as a Healer, obviously hoping that her diagnosis would be wrong.
She turned around, her face stained with tears, and visibly shaking.
"James…you…you need to help me get him to hospital. I-I'm…" She began sobbing and crumbled at the side of the bed. He kneeled beside her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Mum, it'll work out. What do I need to do?"
"Ca-call St. Mungo's and tell them he's coming. They-they'll need a cardiac unit," she stammered between cries.
"Okay." He got up and returned to the study where he Floo'd as he was asked. Once he identified himself as Thora Abbott Potter's son, his request for assistance was met with enthusiasm. He was assured that an ambulatory service would be there in a matter of minutes.
"They're sending a service, Mum," he said softly to his mother, as she rubbed his father's forehead with her hand. "Can I let Sirius know?"
"Of course, dear." She turned her attention back to her husband. "It'll be fine, Corney. Don't you worry, my love." She bent forward and kissed his cheek, causing a surge of emotion inside the area around James’ heart. It was ironic that he was just beginning to feel the first stirrings of love when it appeared to him that his parents' love may be coming to an end.
James had to turn away and brush the tears from his eyes. He had to be strong for his parents. But who would be strong for him?
Even as he picked up the mirror to contact Sirius, he desperately wanted Lily to hold him.
Lily clutched the two letters to her chest, one from Professor Dumbledore and the other from James. Her mother had called her down the stairs about ten minutes earlier when the two owls arrived, depositing their parchment envelopes on the kitchen table. Neither one would let her mother take them and waited impatiently until Lily was there.
Once inside her bedroom, she threw herself onto the bed and eagerly ripped into the letter from James. Dumbledore could wait.
Lily-
Hey there. I just wanted to write to you. Is it stupid of me to say that I miss you? That I really liked getting together with you in Diagon Alley? I did, honest. But I have to say that I wish your sister would have stayed inside. I really liked kissing you. She shouldn't have interrupted like that.
Lily paused and went over those five words that he'd crossed out. He liked kissing me! She had to admit that she did, too. More than liked it. James lit a fire inside her that wouldn't go away, fuelling her dreams, and prompting her to touch herself. She felt her face grow warm as she recalled whispering his name as she brought herself to the crest of pleasure.
Sirius got a flat. He moved a few days ago. It's really lonely here without him and my mum's driving me mad.
Got a letter from Dumbledore this morning. A bunch of prefect stuff. Did you know Snape was a prefect? It's gonna be a long year if I have to put up with that git him all year. Remus is one again. That should be fun.
Well, anyway, I wanted to ask if you and I could get together and get timetables and such all squared away before the first. Doesn't sound like me, I know, but, well, it's an excuse to see you again.
Well, I better go before Mum pinches my cheeks again.
Yours,
James
She suddenly became giddy with anticipation at the thought of seeing James again. She'd never felt this way over any of her other boyfriends, so why was this happening with him? And why so quickly? How could a few letters and a day spent in each other's company change her perception of him so drastically? Instead of analyzing the situation as she normally would, she pushed the thoughts aside and turned her attention to the other letter.
James was right. Severus did tell her that he had been named prefect, sneering in a gleeful way once Lily had admitted that she was Head Girl and surprising herself at how easy it was to keep the truth from him when he asked about her counterpart. The upcoming school year, just as James had written, would be extremely long and tedious if James and Severus couldn't somehow get along. She made a mental note to try and figure out what to do about it.
Once she finished scanning the brief letter from the headmaster, Lily got up off her bed and returned to the kitchen, anxiously wanting to ask her mother if James could visit and make plans.
"Oh, I don't see why not," her mother answered once Lily posed the question. "Is he the boy you went to the Alley with?"
"Y-yes," Lily answered, her face warming a bit.
"And you're going to let another freak into the house? Mother, it-it's just not right! It was bad enough when that Snape boy was here and now you're going to let another one inside?" Petunia shrieked.
"Petunia! Don't you dare speak to your sister like that!" the mother scolded. "She has every right to invite her friends here."
Lily and her sister had this argument every time Lily wanted a friend from school to come over. It didn't matter if it was Mary, Pamela, Severus, or now, James. Petunia would fuss as if the prospect of another magical person in the house would set the world off its axis and bring about catastrophe.
"Shut up, Petunia!" Lily shot back at her sister. "Do you think it's fun for me to have that blow-hard Vernon around? But do I act like you? Do I interrupt you every fifteen minutes or insult him to his face? No, I don't. I'm courteous and stay out of his way. Why can't you do the same?"
Lily spun around and headed back to her bedroom where she wrote a short note to James telling him it was fine for him to come over in the next day or two. With a heavy sigh, she watched her owl fly off into the blue sky.
James, it turned out, didn't answer her letter right away, which really surprised her. From his letter, she figured he was as anxious as she was to get together again. Two days after she sent it, James returned her note, indicating that he'd be there that afternoon. Before his visit, Lily flitted about the house, straightening up and getting the study in order in between glaring at her sister. She even dressed carefully for his arrival, putting on a t-shirt similar to the one she wore to meet him in Diagon Alley and slipping into a pair of denim shorts. She knew that the shorts would really get his attention and the thought of him running his hand down her thigh was enough to make her groan in anticipation.
The ringing of the doorbell drew her attention, but before she could run down the stairs to let him in, her mother's voice rang through the foyer.
"You must be James!"
Before he could answer, Lily met his eyes; she could see them darken across the distance. He was dressed more casually than she'd seen him before and wore a Puddlemere United t-shirt, a pair of jeans with holes in the knee, and a glint of a gold necklace peeked over the top of his neckline. His eyes roved over her body, pausing at her chest, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Her breathing quickened under his gaze.
"Er, hey there, Evans," James said hoarsely, moving his satchel to the front and making her blush.
Lily made her way across the floor and stood next to her mother. "James, this is my mother, Astrid Evans. Mum, James Potter."
James extended his hand and was pulled into a hug by her mother. Once released, James' face was as red as Lily's hair.
"Now, before you two set to work, I've got tea ready for you in the dining room," her mother announced and led James into the other room by looping her arm through his. "Can't have the Head Boy and Girl starving, now can we?" She ushered him to a chair and sat him down, placing a bottle of soda in front of him.
Lily found him ensconced at the table surrounded by her mother's idea of a small tea: scones, ham sandwiches, cheese, pickles, and a plate of biscuits. She looked down at him, his mouth full of a scone as he reached for the bottle.
"Whud?" He tipped the soda to his mouth, stopping mid-drink to swallow hard and blinking purposefully at her. "'s good!"
"Oh you are such a boy!" Lily exclaimed, falling into the chair next to him and grabbing a soda for herself.
"Lily, leave the poor boy alone. He looks so tired and I'm willing to bet that he hasn't had a good nosh in a while," her mother stated. "He's so skinny. But gorgeous."
He snorted and soda squirted from his nose, sending Lily into fit of giggles. James recovered his composure and turned to her mother.
"Er, thanks, Mrs. Evans. Actually, things have been a little weird at home lately," he said in a soft voice.
Lily couldn't help but notice the hint of sadness in his voice and promised herself she would ask him about it in private.
"You two finish up in here and then you can work in the study. I have some gardening to do." She reached over and ruffled James' perpetually messy hair and left them in the kitchen.
"Sorry about her," Lily said, her laughter having faded for the most part. "She was thrilled to have another wizard in the house."
"Another one?" James raised an eyebrow as if in shock. "Who's been here before?"
Her mind swirled, telling her not to let James know that Severus had been in that same chair.
"Er…Dumbledore," she blurted out. "He-he was here to talk to my parents." Please believe me.
She watched as James wiped his mouth with a napkin and finished off his soda, burping behind his closed mouth.
"Lily, it's okay to tell me that Snape was here. I know you were friends, remember?" He stood and took his plate to the kitchen sink. "I've decided to ignore him. Really," he said as he turned around, grabbing his bag off the chair.
"That's gonna be difficult to do, Potter. He is a prefect, after all," she said with a smirk, leading him into the study.
"I choose to ignore that statement," he answered, chuckling.
James woke the morning of September first excited, more excited than anyone should be on the day he returned to school. He smiled as he stretched his arms above his head, thinking of a particularly pleasant moment at Lily's house a few days before.
"So that's it then. Timetables…meeting agenda…duty list. All done," Lily said with a broad smile, stretching her arms in front of her and cracking her knuckles.
"Yeah," James answered. Ever since arriving at her house, he'd been unable to take his eyes off her. It was rather fortunate that they had so much work to do, giving him an excuse to look at her without being too obvious.
When he'd seen her for the first time that day, he had an immediate, purely male reaction to her. The t-shirt. Merlin, her breasts were…indescribable. Her legs, oh her legs, were shapely and curvy, showing off those thighs that he couldn't help but picture wrapped around him. He hoped she didn't notice when he shifted his bag to the front.
"Anything else we need to do?" Her voice was like a soft melody, bringing happiness whenever he heard it.
"Well, I did have a question I wanted to ask you." He scooted closer to her, their proximity on the couch becoming quite dangerous.
She licked her lips and cocked her head to the side. The sight of that tongue made him shiver.
"Okay," she whispered. Her eyes, he noticed, were wide and the green was nearly hidden by the pupils.
James cleared his throat and put a hand on her thigh, willing himself to not move it just yet.
"I…I just wanted to know if you and…if you and Snape ever sno-kissed," he managed to spit out. Why was he so nervous to talk about this?
Without saying a word, she shook her head and closed the distance between them, touching his lips with hers. He was startled at first but then kissed her back, careful to keep his ardour in check. The last thing he wanted to do was get carried away. They were, after all, in her parents' study…well, more specifically, her father's.
She opened her mouth and their tongues met. He moved his hand from her thigh to the back of her head and held her to him. Lily moaned and it fuelled desire within him that James could barely hold in check. All the years of pent-up desire and sexual frustration threatened to burst out of him as they kissed there on the sofa. Somehow, she ended up in his lap with one of his hands on her bum and the other cupping one of her breasts. It was blissful.
That is, until her father interrupted them.
"Oi, Prongs! Get your sorry arse outta bed!" came Sirius' voice from the kitchen.
Ever since James' father was admitted to St. Mungo's, James had stayed at Sirius' flat in London. It was close quarters for the two of them, but it allowed them to have some well deserved bloke time. He felt guilty leaving his mother, but she insisted and made arrangements to stay with her great-niece.
"Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on," James yelled back and rolled off the couch where he'd been sleeping for the past week. "Looks nice out. Good omen, I hope."
James found Sirius in the kitchen, but he wasn't alone. His friend's companion was perched on one of the kitchen chairs, her legs curled under her and she wore one of Sirius' old t-shirts.
"Hi, James," purred Hestia Jones. "You snore like a troll, you know that?"
James watched as Hestia uncurled herself and rose from the chair, clutching her coffee cup. He felt his face warm as he noticed her knickerless crotch right before she stood.
"I'm going to take a shower. I might be up for some company." She swatted Sirius on the arse. "Or two." James backed away before she could swat him on the behind, whistling a happy tune as she made her way to the bathroom.
Once she was out of earshot, James turned toward Sirius hissing, "What the hell was that all about?" James' eyes widened and he was livid.
"Her? Oh come on, James," Sirius chortled. "You were at the pub last night. She picked me up."
"She's my cousin!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "James, everyone is your cousin. I think she's mine, too, somewhere on the bloody family tree. Now excuse me while I go clean up," he said slyly, making his way to the bathroom.
Once Hestia cleared out, a mere two hours and several screams of ecstasy later, James watched while Sirius scrambled to get everything into his trunk.
"You should have packed last night, mate," James scolded, ducking out of the way as Sirius' possessions flew into the trunk.
"Oh stuff it! You could help, you know!"
"But that wouldn't be nearly as fun as watching you, Padfoot," James answered. "Hurry up, mate. I've gotta be there early."
"Yeah, early for Lil-eee," teased Sirius, earning him a flip and a turn upside down in the air, courtesy Levicorpus. "Lemme down, you toss pot! I heard you moaning in your sleep the other night, so obviously things have progressed nicely."
James shook his head in annoyance and did the counter-curse, sending Sirius crashing to the floor with an oomph. He then flicked his wand at the remainder of clothes and books, and they flew into the trunk, folding and organizing themselves neatly inside. Sirius smiled and locked the trunk before placing a levitation spell on it and following James into the kitchen. Taking one last look around the flat, Sirius turned to James.
"Well, we'll be back at Christmas, yeah?"
"Too right," replied James, clapping his friend on the back before Disapparating.
The train station was relatively quiet when they reappeared, as it was only ten-thirty. After quickly piling their stuff on a trolley, they made their way to the platform and the waiting Hogwarts Express, red and shiny, like a fresh-faced first year. That was one of James' favourite things about going back to school. The train represented everything right and wonderful with the world, and it was what brought her into his life.
James pushed his trolley to the train and loaded his trunk and duffles into the luggage compartment before making his way toward the prefect car. Once inside, he placed his bag on the table to retrieve the parchments he'd written on at Lily's house. He smirked at one he'd doodled on while trying to pay attention to the discussion Lily was leading. Her voice captivated him like a Siren lures a sailor to the rocks of certain death. There was no cure for Lily and every time he kissed her that day, he felt himself fall further and further under her spell.
He was startled out of his thoughts by the door of the compartment sliding open to reveal Remus and Sirius.
"Hmmm, nice digs," Sirius said, his eyes roving over the chairs in all four House colours and the large oak table bolted to the floor. "Wonder what it's like to shag in here!" He waggled his eyebrows.
"Shut up, you big wanker!" James said, more irritated with his friend than he'd been in a long time. "Maybe you outta suggest it to Moony here. He's the one who finally got laid over the hols."
Sirius' dark eyes quickly shifted to Remus and could have bored into his soul if it was possible. Sirius' mouth opened several times, but no words came out.
"Perhaps I should have done it earlier. The image of seeing you speechless is the best remedy for my sour disposition," Remus stated flatly and without expression as he sat down on one of the Gryffindor coloured chairs. "And Sirius?"
Sirius stared back.
"Your mouth is open," Remus pointed out before placing his feet on the table in front of him, crossed at the ankles, looking utterly pleased and proud of himself.
Sirius made a dash across the compartment, most likely to accost Remus when a lovely laugh made James whack him across the back.
Lily, already wearing her school robes and uniform, had just entered the compartment and he had no desire to subject her to his friends' behaviour. He looked up and her and beamed, joy bubbling up inside him and her presence.
"Er…hey there, Lily," James said, walking over to her and taking the bag from her hands and placing it on the table. "So, you two really should leave. Lily and I have a meeting to plan. And Remus, be back at 11:30 for the meeting, okay?"
Sirius shook his head at James' remark and leisurely strode across to the door.
"Go easy on him, Evans, he's the only one we've got." He motioned for Remus and the two of them left the compartment, heads close together, a plan clearly forming in their minds.
James watched as his friends left the compartment and once the door slid shut behind them, a sense of foreboding enveloped him, accompanied by a tremendous amount of silence. Silence was always uncomfortable for him; he had thrived on noise from the time he was a small child. His parents never told him to be quiet or to sit still. That was the greatest part of having older parents; they let him get away with anything.
But silence was different. He felt as if Lily could hear his heartbeat or his mind thinking of all the wicked things he wanted to do with her. If it stayed quiet much longer, she might regret walking in the door.
"Sorry about him. Sirius has been a right arse lately."
Lily smiled. "He was rather pleasant and not annoying in my opinion," she quipped.
They continued to stare at each other. James took a moment to look her over. Her hair was held back by a clip or something, and there were a few strands of hair hanging loose. He preferred her hair down, flowing free around her shoulders and down her back. Her blouse was loose at the neck, showing him a wide expanse of her creamy skin and the colour of the tie accentuated her colouring. While the shirt fit her, James was sure it was a little tighter than normal around the chest area. He then remembered the feel of that soft breast under his hand and he groaned inwardly.
"So, James, have you got the agenda?" she asked, thankfully breaking the silence.
"Er…well, yeah." He began shuffling through his bag until he found what he was looking for. He held it out to her and she reached for it, her fingers brushing against his, sending tingles up and down his body.
With a whistle and a sharp lurch, the train moved forward, sending Lily toppling into James' waiting arms. She looked up, and it took all of his restraint to keep from kissing her right there, or even more, if he was truly honest with himself.
"S-sorry…" she whispered, looking up at him, eyes wide and so very…sexy. Much to his disappointment, she stepped away from him. "Er, maybe we should get ready for the meeting." She turned her attention to her own bag and set about retrieving her notes and a sheaf of papers with the timetables to hand out to the prefects.
Damn, he swore to himself and sat at the table next to her, too mad at himself to really concentrate on the meeting that would happen in a few moments.
The prefects began filing in, and James made a point of greeting Snape cheerily, bringing a look of utter disgust on the other boy's face. James was well-behaved, in his opinion, and avoided making any remarks that would be cause for additional tension. The meeting went off without incident and James very nearly shoved Remus out of the compartment once it was concluded. He had to ask her before he lost his nerve.
Lily was putting her things back in her bag, and he watched her intently. She was so organised, even as she packed up her bag. It was a bloody turn on. Taking a deep breath, he closed the distance between them and placed his hand on the small of her back, causing her to jump slightly.
"Yes?" she asked once she settled down.
Summoning all the Gryffindor courage in his bloodline, he took a deep breath.
"Lily, would you be my girlfriend?"
Silence followed his question, making him nervous, mad, and ashamed all at the same time. It was stupid to ask her, he thought. Blokes don't ask a bird to be his girlfriend…they just become a girlfriend. Right?
"What did you say?"
That wasn't the answer he'd anticipated and his heart sank. He had to get it out or it would fester inside him like an ache that wouldn't go away. Gone was the confident man he usually was, to be replaced by the shy, insecure boy he was on very rare occasions.
"Lily, I've been asking you this for five years now. This'll be the last time, I promise." He looked up at her, hoping beyond hope that her usual answer would not follow. "Will you go out with me?"
Over the past five years, he'd asked her this question at least once a week, and every time, there was hope inside him that she'd say 'yes.' However, this was the only time he thought that she'd turn him down. She'd say 'no' and he'd have to be content with being her friend.
"Yes," came her whispered answer. "Yes, I'll go out with you, James."
He stood there stunned, either unable or unwilling to move from the spot. Even though his feet remained still, his mouth formed the biggest smile James had ever worn. He felt his heartbeat speed up and his blood raced though his veins. With a shake of his head, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her firmly, soundly and enthusiastically.
Minutes, hours, or several sunlit days passed before they pulled apart, flushed and breathing heavily. Lily's hair was coming out of her clip and he watched in amusement as she went to straighten it. Oh, how he adored her.
"Sorry 'bout that," he teased. "Just got carried away. You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that."
She blushed again, making her skin fairly glow.
"I can't believe I actually said I would." She laughed lightly and took his hand. "But can we not shout it from the Astronomy Tower just yet?"
James' laughter echoed through the compartment, blending with hers.
"I…I think I can curb my enthusiasm," he said once their laughter died down a bit. "But I can't say that I won't keep it from the other three."
"James," she said in a tone full of warning, "I'm not going out with them. I don't want them tagging along all the time."
"Believe me, I won't want them around when I want to kiss you." He pulled her closer. "And I want to do a lot of kissing."
She cocked her head to the side and eyed him warily. "Please tell me we won't be kissing all the time." Her smile told him she was merely teasing him.
"Maybe not all the time but some of the time. Is that okay?" He ran one hand down her smooth, shiny hair.
"Definitely," she said with a devilish light in her eye. "Can't think of a better use of your mouth than that."
Oh you don't know the half of it, Lily.
Part Four--Autumn