Honeydukes Chocolate – Lily Evans Life Saver

Summary: We find Head Girl Lily in her bed, skipping class on a Monday and eating chocolate because chocolate makes the world a much happier place – except in Lily's case where even chocolate can't seem to lift her spirits… romance/humour NO ANGST

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, Lily, James or the brand Honeydukes

Inspiration: Inspired by… LINDT DAIRY MILK CHOCOLATE!!!

Petunia always used to tell me to never eat chocolate because if I did, I would have pimples and blackhead sprouting all over my face to cover it completely.

My mum on the other hand, was convinced that if I ate one gram of the delicious substance, I would turn into an over-weight slob who sat in front of the television all day whilst only eating chocolate and pizza and not knowing the difference between a turnip and a parsnip.

Despite these warnings and threats of horrible repercussions, I am currently sitting in bed, and for the third time in three days, I am spending my afternoon with the blankets pulled up to my chin, my face red, blotchy and tear-stained and am unwrapping yet another kilo block of Honeydukes chocolate (caramel fudge flavoured) to stuff in my mouth in hope that the taste will wash away my sorrows and the endorphins will kick in really soon.

Apparently a drug in chocolate makes you feel happy. I say 'apparently' because after eating my way through several Honeydukes kilo blocks in the time frame of a couple of days, I think I have enough evidence to support my opinion of never trusting scientific research on food again. No matter how much chocolate I consume, I don't seem to feel any happier. Rather, the horrible stomach ache seems to settle in…

What Petunia and my mum what say if the saw if they saw me like this…

Well, actually, Petunia wouldn't say anything but give me a dirty look on account of my being a witch, living in a boarding school and 'coming of age' the same year she does. (I am only a year younger than Petunia and magical people come of age when they are 17 rather than the muggle age of 18. For some reason, Petunia takes it as a personal insult that she is not as superior to me as she believes she should be.)

My mum would completely flip out for I was breaking so many of her rules.

For starters, I was eating chocolate. When I was younger, I would have to go for a run every time I was caught eating a sugary substance of any variety to burn off the excess fat I had eaten. With the amount of wrappers surrounding me and the fact that I have very little money in my purse, I would be sprinting non-stop for the rest of the week and still not be able to burn it all off.

I was also in bed and eating; another very bad habit.

I was in bed, eating chocolate and was also not dressed and it was well into the afternoon.

I was in bed, eating chocolate and was not dressed well into the afternoon and it was also a Monday.

I was in bed, eating chocolate and was not dressed well into the afternoon and it was Monday and the time was also 3.26pm.

I was in bed, eating chocolate and was not dressed well into the afternoon and it was Monday and the time was 3.26pm, also meaning that I should be in potions.

I was in bed, eating chocolate and was not dressed well into the afternoon and it was Monday and the time was 3.27pm, meaning that I should be in potions but I'm not…

…and I hadn't been in any of my classes at all today.

I break off a piece of chocolate (cookies and cream with chocolate whip) and delicately nibble the corner.

I can't really tell my teachers that I was sick for the day, can I?

It's not like I went to the hospital wing.

Perhaps it is time to get up before someone comes to find me.

Scratch that. I should be saying if someone comes to find me.

At least, I'm Head Girl, so I have a room to myself linking to the Heads Common Room. Imagine if I was in the Seventh Year Girls Dormitories crying my heart out when everyone walked in?

That would be beyond embarrassing.

Knock, knock!

Damn.

I pull the blanket further up my face.

I am not home.

Knock, knock!

The blanket is completely covering my face.

If I can't see you, you can't see me.

Knock! Knock!

Unfortunately, I can still hear you though.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Ooo… this could become exciting… did you hear that?

That was three knocks not two!

Knock! Knock! Knock! Bang!

Well, whoever it is, they are definitely determined for me to let them in.

They obviously don't realize that no matter how many times they knock – or bang – on my door, I am not replying, least of all letting them in to see me in the state I'm in.

'Lily! Can you let me in, please?'

Double damn.

I know that voice.

'Come on, Lil. Please?'

Saying please isn't going to work either, though.

I know that those manners are just manipulative tools to make me think that you're sweet and kind and actually care about my welfare.

'Lily! I know you're in there! Would you let me come in, please?'

That last part sounded almost sarcastic… the impatience must be kicking in…

I'm still pretending that I'm not home, though.

'Ok, Lily, it's enough, now. You haven't been out of this room since Friday.'

There is obvious impatience now showing through this guy's voice.

Well, I guess I can also say that he has been attentive and perceptive enough to know that he hasn't seen me in three days.

'That means that you've been in hear for three days!'

Bravo, monsieur. Excéllente. Tu es très intelligent!

People must think that I failed mathematics in primary school and still don't understand the days of the week that we learnt in Prep.

'Lily, if you don't answer me and open this door, I'm going to have force my way through.'

Ooohhh, now he's threatening me, is he?

It's still not going to make me move.

Hang on.

He might actually go through with the threat and use his wand to get through the door…

And look at this room!

And me! I'm still in my pajamas at 3.30pm on a Monday afternoon.

'Lily, I really mean it. I will blast my way through this door.'

Stop! Don't!

Give me ten seconds!

Just let me grab my wand…

'…5…'

5 seconds???

I wanted 10!

Where's my wand?

Oh, where is my wand?

Where did I chuck it on Friday, when I lost my temper?

'…4…'

Calm, Lily.

Think.

Um…

'…3…'

Um…

Oh, Merlin…

I think I threw it across the Head Common room…

And then it landed in a pot plant…

And I was in such a temper that I stormed into my room, slammed the door, and left my wand in the dirt of the purple agapanthus plant…

Thank goodness, no was there to see that embarrassing display…

'…2…'

2 seconds!!!!

And I don't have my wand to put defensive charms on the door!

I'm out of bed now, zooming around the room and picking up the chocolate wrappers and shoving them in my bed side drawer.

Quietly though, of course.

You never know, he might feel horrible at destroying my door and invading my privacy and will not go through with the threat…

'…1…'

Or maybe not…

The wrappers won't fit!

And he'll be in here in less than a second!

What about me?

My hair is a bird's nest from not being brushed in 3 days and my face… well, it's not pimple covered (Petunia was very wrong), but it's still red and blotchy and my eyes have puffed up and –

'Ready?'

Still clutching a huge handful of wrappers, I jump into bed and pull the blanket over my head.

I am forced to shove the remaining wrappers under my pillow.

Close your eyes, Lily.

Sleep.

The wrappers crinkle under my head.

I grab a handful and pile them next to my stomach and behind my back.

I have to remember to hold completely still.

I am asleep –

Bang!

I hear my door come off the hinges and land heavily on the floor.

Footsteps pad into the room and they sound closer and closer until something – a hand, perhaps? – taps my shoulder.

'Lily. It's just me – James.'

I don't answer.

I am asleep, see?

Actually, I am generally a horrible sleeper and there is no way in hell that I would ever sleep through knocking on my door, let alone my door banging to the ground and someone tapping me.

'If there's something wrong, you can always talk to me about it. You know that don't you?'

I still don't answer.

He doesn't understand that I will never tell him what's wrong with me at the moment.

I can imagine him screwing up his face in a frown now.

'Enough with the pretence. I think you've forgotten that I used to stalk you in 4th Year and I know that you're one of the worst light sleepers I've ever seen. Don't you remember the number of times that you would wake up at 2 in the morning and spend an hour or so in the common room until you felt that you could attempt to go back to sleep? Lily, I know that you are awake, so stop ignoring me and pretending that you're asleep and pull the blanket down and face me.'

Um, opps?

I'm caught.

I sigh loudly and turn around slowly as if just waking up.

I pull the blanket down so that only my eyes and the top of my head are exposed.

There is no way that he is seeing the rest of my face.

I blink in a confused manner and give a fake yawn.

'Ja- P- P- Pot- Jam- Potter… what are you doing in here?'

He grins knowingly and plays along with my act.

'Well, I heard you snoring quite loudly and I thought that I had better wake you up because classes have just finished and it's about time you got up.'

I roll my eyes.

I know as well as he does that I do not snore.

'You do realize,' he adds, his voice back to being serious, 'that you've missed an entire days worth of lessons? N.E.W.T.S are only a month and a half away.'

This is another piece of evidence that James has changed dramatically compared to his immature, big-headed, prattish fifth year self. He actually knows when the exams are.

I don't answer. My eyes mustn't look too concerned because James raises his eyebrows at me.

I guess I've changed as well. Or maybe, I'm just in so much emotional turmoil that I am stopping myself from contemplating the fact that I might fail N.E.W.T.S if I don't attend lessons.

'Lily, are you sure you're alright?'

I nod.

He puts his hand on my forehand.

'Do you realize how warm you are? Pull the blanket off and get out of bed. A shower will help decrease your body temperature.'

I firmly grasp the blanket in my hands so that the blanket still covers my nose down. I am not moving from this bed until James is out of the room. Imagine if he saw my face.

James sees that I won't budge.

'By the way, you left this in the common room.'

He holds out my wand and before I can think, I drop the blanket from my face and grab it from his hand.

Whoops.

I feel my puffy eyes widen in horror as I anxiously make a grab for the blanket but unfortunately James has beaten me to it and is clutching the blanket firmly out of reach of my hand unless I sit up.

'James,' I moan, silently praying to god that his plan is not to rip it off me and force me to get up; or worse, talk.

He stops for a fraction of a second and I realize that I've called him James for one of the first time in 6 years – when I met him in first year, I was polite and called him 'James' but after a prank or two, his title changed to 'Potter.'

His hesitation vanishes and he yanks the blanket down to my waist revealing a bed full of chocolate wrappers and, of course, my completely disgusting looking face – courtesy of much distress over the last three days.

I am rewarded with a frozen, speechless James Potter dropping the blanket and giving me an eye to eye stare as his hazel eyes skim over my face in shock.

In his silence, I sit up, reach for the blanket and wrap it around me.

I attempt to inconspicuously clear the inside of my bed of chocolate wrappers by throwing them off the bed behind me.

The silence carries on and the only movement on James's part is his eyebrows lifting questioningly over his worried-filled eyes.

Trying to avoid question and answer time, I swing my legs over so that I am sitting on the bed and pull out a block of chocolate (hazelnut praline with a rich caramel whip) from one of the numerous boxes from beside my bed.

Unwrapping the block and attempting to smile – but probably failing abysmally – I break the silence by asking, 'want some chocolate?'

He accepts with a short nod of his head and breaks some off and puts it in his mouth.

He still does not utter a word though.

At this point, I decide that I have a few options:

Firstly, to cover myself with my blanket and pretend to fall asleep with the hope that he will leave.

Considering I am not the greatest actress, perhaps that option is not the most brilliant one…

Instead I could make a run for the hospital wing, mumbling something about feeling faint on the way out of the door.

To be honest, I really hate the hospital wing and I don't really want to spend the next few days there – or run through the school in pajamas and a blanket to get there.

Or option number three, slap him in the face for waking me up (and for asking Amanda Drismana out on Friday), and, using my newly-found wand, hex him straight over the moon.

Option number three sounds rather cruel though, doesn't it? Not that he wouldn't deserve it for asking Amanda out. But then he definitely won't ask me out.

I could try another option: scream at him for not asking me out in over six months and then, being very melodramatic, burst into tears, slap him in the face and make a run for the girls' toilets.

I don't really want to cry in front of Potter, though.

Or option five: throw my arms around his neck and passionately kiss him for the next couple of hours and when we finally break apart, make a run for the girls' toilets – I'm not very good in conflicts at speaking my feelings.

What if he didn't kiss me back? What if he actually does like Amanda?

Or I could follow option five and instead of running, pluck up the courage to ask him out myself after we finish kissing.

Who am I kidding? That wouldn't happen in a million years.

And on another thought, how do you initiate a kiss? In past experience (aka one muggle neighbour who was my boyfriend for a week during the summer holidays between sixth and seventh year), the guy starts the kiss and then the girl follows along. I've only ever kissed one guy and it wasn't that brilliant (he seemed to have an excess saliva problem in his mouth) and everyone says that James is brilliant at kissing. How do I live up to that standard?

I guess option five and six are both out.

I could ditch the kissing, the slapping and the screaming and just tell him I have a huge crush – ok, perhaps, no be honest, definitely a little bigger than a crush – on him and then see if he still likes me.

But that won't work either. He doesn't like me. He hasn't asked me out all year. I would just make an absolute idiot of myself.

So, I guess I'm opting for option eight then: pretend that everything is fine, grab some clothes, grab some chocolate and walk in a normal fashion to the Heads Bathroom, have a shower and then attack my face with cover-up stick and foundation to hide my awful looking face. And of course, never mention the incident again.

'Ok,' I mutter, hoisting myself out of bed and walking towards my trunk (with the blanket wrapped around me and in its original position – covering my face except for my eyes). I kneel and begin to search for my robes.

'Lily,' James's solemn voice proves that he has finally melted from his reverie. 'Can you please tell me what's wrong?'

I hum a little tune out loud until I finally find my robes screwed up in a ball at the bottom of my trunk and refuse to answer him.

Straightening up, I feel two hands on my shoulders that spin me around and I am back to facing James. The blanket slips a little around my face.

'We are friends aren't we?' he asks, not taking his eyes away from mine or lifting his hands from my shoulders.

I bite my lip to stop myself from saying that we were otherwise; or more like, I wanted us to be otherwise.

'Lily?'

I nodded.

'Of course we are,' I replied with a little smile that is visible because the blanket has accidentally slipped and my entire face is fully seeable.

The hands on my shoulders tighten slightly.

'Then, because we are friends, you would definitely tell me if something was wrong?'

His gaze is more intense then ever.

I pause before nodding in agreement.

His hands relax slightly and his face looks down at me in a caring way.

'So, what's bothering you?'

Being positive to continue to meet his gaze, I reply, 'oh, nothing at all.'

His caring face turns a little doubtful as his forehead crinkles slightly.

'Really. Nothing is bothering me. I've just been really tired lately and I think it's taken its toll on me. I haven't had a good sleep in over months.'

He doesn't answer so I take his hands from my shoulders, take my robes in one arm and make my way to the door.

'I just had the impression that it was a little more than that,' he replies smoothly, taking my free arm in a firm grip as I come close to the exit and pulling me back so that I am facing him again. 'And I'm positive that my impression was correct.'

I take a few breaths to control my emotions as a hot heat of anger rises inside me.

'James,' I say calmly. He doesn't hesitate this time and continues to stare at me. I feel as if I've lost a secret weapon. I try a smile. 'I'm perfectly alright. Now, I'm going for a shower so please, let go of my arm.'

Surely, the request was quite simple.

'No,' James replies easily.

The smile didn't work. I frown.

'Let go of my arm,' I say, my voice dropping dangerously but with my anger still under control. 'Now.'

James seems indifferent to my change of tone and glare.

'No,' he repeats. 'You're not going anywhere until you tell me why our common room was an absolute mess on Friday night, why you've been hiding in your room pretending that you're asleep for an inhumane time of 36 hours and why you look as though you've been crying non-stop for the past three days.'

I feel my anger control slipping slightly.

'Oh, really?'

Ok, not the best retort, I'll admit, but what do you say to a guy that you've recently discovered you liked after hating him for years and you don't want to offend him?

His grip tightens on my arm and I can feel the imprints of his hand being left there. I refrain from wincing at the slight pain.

'I've given you three days to get your feelings under control. It's about time you became assertive and say what you really feel and stop avoiding the situation.'

Say what I really feel? What, and then be mocked because Mr. Everyone Reveal Your Feelings To Me asked some gorgeous blonde girl out three days ago?

'From what I can see, there is no situation, so how can I be avoiding one?'

James gives me a small glare of impatience.

'You know exactly what situation I'm talking about. In fact, I should be the one asking you what the situation is that caused you to go completely off your rocker for three days.'

Suddenly, I don't care about offending him.

My free arm drops my robes and I bring my hand up to slap him across the face.

He catches my hand before I successfully reach his cheek. I try to pull my hand away but it is trapped in his. My anger control snaps.

'How dare you?' I yell. 'How dare you insinuate that I'm some sort of crazy woman? And how dare you threaten me? I am under no obligation to tell you anything about me, my life or the past few days so get off my case because NOTHING IS BLOODY WRONG WITH ME! Aren't I good enough for you? Is it because I'm a red-head? Or do you think I'm a goody-goody Head Girl who doesn't get out and doesn't have tones of boyfriends because she's too scared of what would happen if she failed 7th Year? Because you know what, I don't give a shit if you asked gorgeous and popular Amanda Drismana out last Friday! I –'

I stop talking.

Shit.

I definitely was not meant to say that.

And damn, James is back to staring. With his mouth hanging open.

Contrary to what he thinks, I am not breaking this silence. If he wants to find out why I mentioned Amanda Drismana, he can start talking and stop staring at me.

'Lily?'

I haven't got a clue why he is saying my name so I don't answer.

Despite the increasing pressure on my arm and hand, I think now is a really good time to escape questioning. Perhaps I could pretend to faint? Or act like I was about to throw up? The throwing up could be a good idea. Then he'll be clearing right away from me immediately.

Before I can bring myself to fake dry-reaching, James starts to laugh softly.

Thank goodness I didn't tell him straight out that I liked him.

My temper still flares.

How dare he mock me?

My humiliation mixed with anger must have been displayed across my face because he stops laughing and looks me straight in the eye, still retaining grip of one of his hands on my arm and the other on my hand. A second later, he moves closer to me but pulls me in as well so that there is no way for my escape – not that I can though because I'm frozen to the spot.

Standing in front of him, I realize just how perfect the height distance is between us. I'm a head shorter than he is – just the right height to tuck my head under his chin.

He releases my arm and brings it up to one of the many stray ringlets in my hair and tucks it behind my ear.

'So,' he says slowly as if contemplating just what to say. 'Is word going around that I asked Drismana out?'

I will myself to open my mouth.

'Well… actually… I didn't hear it from rumours… I was kinda there…'

James looks startled.

'In the transfiguration classroom? You were there? Only Drismana and I were in the classroom.'

I mentally sigh, feeling a pang of guilt.

'Well… actually… I kinda found your invisibility cloak in the common room… and I was returning it to you… but I sort of put it on while I was trying to find you… and then I walked past the classroom and Amanda and you were talking and well… yeah…'

James raised his eyebrows with a grin of understanding.

'I think that someone jumped to the wrong conclusion.'

It's my turn to look confused.

What the hell does he mean by that?

'I didn't ask Drismana out – '

'Then what were you doing – '

'She was asking me something about Sirius. She's interested in him not me,' he says before grinning wryly and adding, 'these days, no one's interested in me because they know that, unless they are one particular person, they have no chance of having the feeling returned.'

I sigh loudly.

I had spent the last three days in a wreck over something that hadn't happened!

And there was something else that James's speech had meant - that there no hope for me then. He hasn't asked me out all year.

And why would I be that person, anyway?

There are so many other girls at Hogwarts – prettier… better at quidditch… more outgoing… more popular…

Now is the time finally for my escape.

'Well, in that case, I apologize for being wrong about the whole… whole… situation,' I begin, speaking in a more polite, formal manner. 'I hope you forgive me for misjudging you and now I had better go and see all the professors for the work I've missed.'

I force a half smile – it may be more of a grimace because it is very, very difficult in these circumstances – and walk out into the Heads Common room and to the door leading to the northern 7th floor corridor.

I exit the common room by the portrait of the red moose and realize I am in my pajamas.

Brilliant.

And I also realize that James isn't chasing me.

Disappointment settles in hard.

I sink to the floor and lean against the wall and try to stop from crying.

It's not fair.

How ironic.

He used to like me and I didn't like him.

And now when I like him, he doesn't like me.

It reminds me, a little bit, of my one of my favourite muggle books "Gone With The Wind." Except, Scarlett did like Rhett during most of the book, she just didn't realize that she loved him until the end.

I honestly didn't believe that people could fall out of love before I read that book. Maybe James has fallen out of love with me after all of these years. Or maybe he has been joking all of these past years and the whole 'asking Lily out' scheme was just another prank.

I frown and wipe at a lonesome tear streaking rapidly down my cheek.

I decide not to let Potter get the best of me.

He doesn't have to know that I fell for his prank.

I am going to go back into my room, get changed and then get on with my life and not care a thing about Potter.

I stand up and prepare to say the password to the moose when the portrait swings open revealing James.

My impulsive reaction of happiness turns to a glare as I remember my prank theory.

Before I can say – or yell – anything at him, I am being pulled into the common room by James.

'Lily,' he whispers softly in my ear, causing goose bumps on my skin and my knees feel as though they are about to collapse.

I feel his lips press gently on the top of my head. My heart beats faster at the lip contact – even if it isn't on my lips.

I tell myself that it is all a joke but somehow I can't make my brain function properly to tell my arms to push him away.

His hands travel to my face and, cupping my chin, they lift my head up so that my eyes meet his. He face comes closer, but instead of yelling at him, I forget what I am going to say and hold my breath to see what will happen.

The next thing I realize is that his lips are no longer near my ear but are laying light kisses down my jaw line. My stomach drops. He arrives at my lips and his soft butterfly kisses turn into a long and slow passionate kiss on the lips, soft at first and then, after I find myself beginning to kiss back, growing more and more intense as he kisses me harder.

His hands roam over my back, sending shivers through my spine as they travel up under the back of my pajama shirt. I find that my hands have embedded themselves in his hair and are succeeding in making it even messier than it was originally.

He stops kissing my lips and I feel his breath on my throat and I suddenly wake up and break away from him.

'What are you doing?' I hiss. 'Is this more to make your prank more believable? Because I'm not falling for it.'

His hands continue to rub small circles on the bare skin of my back.

'Prank? Can't you see? Lily, I'm head over heels in love with you.'

He kisses me quickly on the cheek but I continue to stare at him in shock.

'But you haven't asked me out in so long.'

'Well,' he says with a small grin, 'you told me that I should stop asking you out because you were always going to reject me. After that, Remus suggested that I give you a break and try and become your friend and then see what happens. Despite his lack in experience, Remus seems to understand girls much better than I do – not that I'll admit it, of course.'

I open my mouth two or three times but have absolutely no idea what to say so shut it.

'So, gathering from the way you blew up at the Amanda Drismana incident, I decided that maybe you had actually developed some sort of feelings for me. If you don't mind me asking, if I asked you out now, what would you say?'

I look down at the ground, feeling a steady blush creep over my cheeks.

'Yes,' I whisper.

Once again, he cups my chin in his hands and lifts my head up so that I can see his hazel eyes dancing with excitement.

'You do mean it, don't you? You're not joking?'

I smile – a true smile, not a forced one – and shake my head.

'Really?'

Rolling my eyes and realizing that there is no other way to persuade him, I snake my arms around his neck, stand on my toes and silence his doubts by kissing him on the lips.

A/N

Aw… last fic I get to write before school goes back… :(

Anyway, this was quite a random one shot, but I've been so bored during the last couple of day before the holidays end (my internet hasn't been working again) that I decided to write something. I'll post it up when I finally get internet back and working:-)

So, PLEASE REVIEW!!! Tell me what you think/thought or just SAY HI!

Or you could tell me your favourite chocolate flavour/ brand…

I conveniently have a couple of dairy milk Lindt Balls sitting in front of me at the moment begging to be eaten… yum…

Oh, and Guylian Shells are yum too… and Ferrero Rocher… and…

Don't worry, I've stopped the incessant chatter about chocolate…

Oh, if you like L/J fics, I have some other fics on-the-go: (much more humour in them then this one but still romance!) 'The Key To Apparition is Concentration' and 'Musings, Notes and Broken Resolutions of Lily and Co.' Have a look if you get a chance!

Anyway, please review! It'll make my day!:)

redglasses