Hi! I'm sure you're all thinking that I'd died or something- I haven't updated in so long. I just had no inspiration for any of my stories. Hope you like this chapter- I wasn't sure about it but you wanted me to continue so… it's your fault if its not too good!
Zellahxx
James stares blankly at the motionless figure next to him. He can not believe what has happened. He can't remember what has happened. His head hurts.
All he knows is that in a short amount of time he is going to be locked- he glances over at the door and sure enough the latch is magically shut- in a room naked- yep, he checked that too- with a VERY hungover and furious Lily Evans.
Fuck.
Fuck fuckity fuckfuck. James repeats it in his head like a mantra. He scratches his ear absentmindedly then freezes as Lily, disturbed by his movement, turns over and moans quietly. He holds his breath for about a minute until he is certain she is not going to wake. Then he relaxes. What in the name of merlin's fork collection is he going to do now?
As he is thinking this through another- more urgent- need becomes apparent. He looks at the floor next to the bed and sees several empty bottles. Oh. Ohhh.
He curses himself internally and looks at Lily again. She seems pretty deeply asleep…
Carefully he starts to lift the duvet off himself in order to climb out of the bed. Uh oh. He pulls it back into place quickly, his cheeks flaming. Maybe he needs to think this through a bit better.
He spots a piece of denim on the floor and reaches for it- being careful to keep himself covered up. Jeans, excellent!
He wriggles into them silently and attempts to fasten them around his waist. They seem a bit tight- funny, he must have eaten a lot too.
He gives up on fastening the button and just zips them up as best he can. Satisfied with his handiwork he stands up next to the bed, wobbling slightly. His head throbs and he winces.
He looks down at the bed again. Lily is lying on he front, he red hair covering most of her- bare- back. He frantically tries to remember something of the previous night, but fails miserably.
Possible his last night alive and he can't even remember it- bloody typical.
Turning away from the bed James spots an open doorway. He darts towards it hopefully. Yes! Sure enough, inside there is a sink, shower and- most importantly- toilet.
Blimey, he marvels enviously. The girls dormitories were much swankier than the boys! Double beds, en suite…
He shakes his head and enters the little room, shutting the door carefully behind him.
He tends to his needs quickly and hopefully silently. He has no chance of escaping with a flush- the Hogwarts plumbing is famous for being notoriously loud- so he reluctantly uses a drying charm. It works- sort of- leaving only a lingering smell of solder.
He peers into the overhead cupboard, to look for some air freshener. On the way he happens to catch sight of himself in the mirror.
Holy crow, he looks like a man who's been buried alive. His eyes are red and blotchy, his face is deathly pale, his hair is slick and sticking upright and his mouth is smeared with what could be red lipstick, wine or any number of unpleasant things.
Oh dear.
He dips his face into the sink and splashes it with cold water. All this achieves is for the mess on his lips to be spread in a thin layer all over his face and down his chest.
Hi grabs at one of the towels hanging up nearby and scrubs at himself furiously. His skin clears mostly, just leaving him pale pink in places. He looks at the towel. Oh no. It has big smears of red on its fluffy white surface. He sticks it under the tap and reaches in the cupboard for some washing liquid. He finds some shampoo and sniffs it. It smells alright so he empties the bottle into the sink as well.
He rubs it in furiously with both his hands, splattering his jeans and glasses with soapy suds. He turns the tap back on and rinses off the shampoo. It seems to go out alright and he feels quite triumphant. The red seems to have disappeared too. He holds it up to the light. There's something not quite right…
He picks up another towel to compare, not noticing the reddish marks he's leaving on it. His mouth opens in a look of dismay. Compared to this one, his towel looks beige! He picks up the empty shampoo bottle furiously and studies it. "Auburn colour tinted shampoo for red heads" It reads.
Holy shit. He drops the bottle in the bin under the sink, shoves the other towel back on the rack and looks in dismay at the one in his hands. Maybe the best thing to do would be to hide it…
He looks around for a suitable hiding space. The only possible location is behind the toilet and he hopes that the house elves will take it away before she has time to notice. He can swap it for one of his later.
Who has white towels anyway?
Maybe she'll be pleased he added a bit of colour to her white bathroom. Maybe…
From the other room he hears another moan. He peers round the door to see Lily stretching and yawning. She looks around herself, her back to him, probably confused, like he was.
In horror he shuts the bathroom door, looking desperately for somewhere to hide. There is actually nowhere. He stands behind the door, praying that she'll be too hung over to notice anything like the red stain on the white sink, or the soap suds on the floor or the smear across the mirror, not to mention the solder smell he had forgotten to remedy. He hopes valiantly, yet pointlessly.
This is Lily- when has good luck ever been on his side?
He hears her climb out of the bed and pad softly towards the bathroom. He cringes back in horror, flattening himself against the wall as the door is pushed open, into him.
Lily walks over to the shower and steps in, pulling the curtain around her. James breathes a sigh of relief. She hadn't seen him. And also- he saw her naked! Soberly!
He fights down the euphoria that's threatening to erupt in the form of a victory dance, and plans his next move.
The shower curtain is opaque, though white of course, so he is able to sneak into the bedroom quite easily. He runs straight to the door and tries it, but it is ,of course, locked. He whips out his wand and alohomoras it, but to no avail. Cursing he searches the floor for his mirror, before finding it under the bed.
He picks it up, dusting some sort of sticky goo off the surface and says into it:
"Sirius."
It clouds up and a minute later Sirius's face appears, looking sleepy and mildly irritated.
"Er James, not really the best time." He turns his head to the side, looking at someone James cant see and smiles.
James clenches his teeth in irritation.
"I don't give a damn Sirius! I need help!"
Sirius rolls his eyes and talks to the person James can't see.
"Yeah I'm real sorry about this…I know…some knob needs me…yeah….okay sugarbell…see you."
He turns back to James, who is fuming slightly at Sirius's reference to him.
"Well? I do hope this good cos I just sent away the opportunity of getting' some-"
"Sirius." James says through his teeth, "I don't CARE! I am in such big trouble, I-"
"Okay, okay. Tell me." Despite his "missed opportunity" Sirius looks at James with interest. He does look peculiar, smeared all over with that pink stuff. And his hair! Sirius shakes his head, thanking the gods once again that he is so much better looking than his friend.
James quickly relates to Sirius the problem. When he's finished Sirius looks at him with anxiety and some hilarity. Only James could get into a mess this bad!
"You are soooooooo gunna-"
"Yes Sirius." James snaps impatiently, "I am aware of exactly what will befall me if I am caught. But let me just remind you who's idea it was to gatecrash, who persuaded them to let us go to the party and also…"He paused for a moment to think of another example, "…who set you up with Skye."
Sirius pauses thoughtfully.
"true, very true." He murmurs "Okay well…I'm guessing you haven't got much time, from what you've told me so far. Also, there is way too much evidence of you around so you need to gather that up…"
James nods quickly, casting his eyes around locating anything that might be linked back to him.
"The main exit is unapproachable soooooooooo" Sirius grins, "See any big windows?"
James blanches. There is no way he's going to climb all the way down the side of the castle. No way at all. Especially shirtless… He shivers and shakes his head.
"No way Sirius. Any other ideas?"
"Not really, wait a sec, I hear footsteps. Just gunna go answer the door…"
His face disappears for a second, only to reappear a moment later looking confused.
"Hmmm, no one there my end, maybe…?"
James is suddenly very aware that the sound of the shower has stopped. He is surrounded by a sort of eerie silence.
"Sirius," he mumbles, "Sirius, I think you better go now."
"What?" Sirius is indignant, "I don't see wh-"
With a wave of his wand James clears the screen, leaving himself staring at his own reflection.
He turns towards the bathroom door in horror as in slow motion the handle begins to turn….
In a James Bond style roll, James lurches to action, flinging himself under Lily's bed. However as he does so, his glasses, already loose from dampness, slide off his nose and clatter to a stop directly at the feet of Lily Evans.
He is silent for a moment, sending a last prayer to the gods. He thanks them for his life which, though fraught with disappointment, will end at the hands of a beautiful, irate, girl.
She bends to pick them up. James, motionless under the bed watches as her slender fingers curve around the wire frames before vanishing out of sight.
He doesn't understand why the end has not come yet. Surely she must know who's they are?
He stares with wonder at her ankles. Such beautiful ankles, so sweet and lovely and smooth. He hopes that when she chooses to destroy him, her ankles will be there too.
He shakes his head. He must be getting delirious from the stress.
Then the moment of independence comes. He cringes against the underside of the mattress as the cool, clear voice of death reaches his ears.
"Well, well, well. James Potter." James waits for a moment before realising he is expected to answer.
"Uh, yes?" He reddens and cringes again at how weak and terrified his voice sounds.
"I was surprised to find you here, under my bed."
James frowns. She seems to have the emphasis in all the wrong places. Is she toying with him? Just prolonging the torture? James has no clue and, strangely, the idea doesn't seem to bother him too bad. If torture is what it takes to have her talk to him a while then torture will have prime place on his Christmas list next year.
"W- were you?" he mutters.
"Oh yes." Her voice is calm, rational, calculating. This scares James more than if she is shouting and cursing him.
"You see," She continues serenely, moving to sit on her bed just above James- the mattress sinks slightly, cutting off his oxygen supply- and crossing her ankles, "When a girl goes to bed with a boy she generally expects to wake up with him too."
What?What!WHAT!?
James can not believe what he is hearing. Is she serious? Is she joking? Or lying? Are there video cameras watching him at this moment? (he glances around quickly but spots none, he supposes they weren't banking on him being under a bed) Is she going to get up so he can breath?
"L-Lily" He rasps.
"What?" her tone is sharp but surprisingly vulnerable.
"Could you, please, get up so I can breath again? Please?"
"Oh goodness!" she exclaims, jumping to her feet. "I'm so sorry, I forgot!"
"S'ok." James pants heavily, still unable to take in the situation. Once he is able to breath freely once more, Lily asks timidly:
"James?"
"Huh?"
"Do- do you want to get out from under there?"
Hmmm. He considers this carefully. Does he? Does he want to make himself an easy target for any wrath that's yet to come? Does he want to stand there while she ridicules him for ever believing she might be telling the truth.
"Well?" Her voice is uncertain again and he realises he hasn't answered her question.
"Uh, sure."
In a very dignified manner, he wriggles out from under the bed on his belly. He jumps to his feet and turns to face lily who is sitting on her bed once more.
He is suddenly very aware that he is topless.
Lily looks at him, but not in a way that makes his want to cover himself, in fear of an attack. More like, she's seeing him for the first time and wants to commit it to memory.
He studies her too. She doesn't look mad like he'd expected. More like…sad, tentative and doubtful. He wonders what made her feel that way.
"Hey!" He exclaims suddenly, startling them both, "You're wearing my clothes."
She blushed slightly and crosses her hand over her chest defensively.
"Well…yes. Mine were otherwise unavailable."
Her eyes slide further down his body than he feels comfortable with, and he blushes furiously.
"Oh hell." He mumbles, agonisingly, "I didn't- I mean, I wasn't paying any- …I was panicking." He confesses, blushing even more.
"Apparently so." She agrees, appraising him again. James puts his hands just below his stomach in an attempt at nonchalance and she grins at him saucily. It seems she has as little problem with him in her clothes as he has with her in his. Actually…he studies her again. It kind of turns him on.
"Uh, Lily?" James hates to ruin the moment- tender as it is- but he really needs to ask.
"Yes?"
"Am I…" He grimaces, feeling like a prise fool, "Am I…being filmed?"
This seems to be nothing like what Lily is expecting. Her eyebrows pull together and she looks at him in confusion.
"being…filmed?" She repeats, "uh, oh!" He gaze clears as she understands what he is asking.
There is a moment of silence before Lily bursts into peals of hysterical laughter.
"Are you…..being filmed……filmed……you thought……..hahahaahahahahaha" She gasps, in between giggles.
James frowns. He was totally serious. But apparently he was not, so that's one worry off his mind.
Lily carries on for another minute or so until finally, tears trickling down her face, she rolls to a stop, gulping big lungfulls of breath.
"Finished?"
"I'm sorry." She wipes her eyes. "But honestly, the thought that you might be-"
"yes, yes, alright." James snaps. He feels there has been quite enough humour at his expense for one day.
"Lily." He fixes her with a serious stare. She looks right back into his eyes, face solemn.
"James."
"Tell me, please, so I can spare us any more confusion, why aren't you angry with me?"
Lily bites her lip. James can see she was hoping this question wouldn't show up.
She sighs and stands up, pacing round him as he takes her seat on the bed. She pulls at her fingers nervously as she spoke.
"I- I don't know entirely. I mean, I am sure you are aware that you have been far from my favourite person and not without due reason- I'll not get into that now, and that I have never felt any need in refraining from expressing my dislike for you…but I don't know really, recently, I suppose the last few days you've seemed, I don't know, sweeter? Perhaps. Anyhow, you were definitely not as terrible as before, who knows why. So when I met you in the shop, do you remember? It was a few days ago now, I was half inclined to invite you to my party there and then, you were so sweet. But you see, the problem now is that I- and you- have built up a…persona, I suppose you could say. People expect me to dislike you and they expect you to make a fool of yourself to impress me. So you see, when I felt genuinely warm towards you it scared me more than I could admit to myself at the time. However I put it behind he and thought it was just due to excitement about my birthday, etcetera. Anyway then you broke all the rules, and my careful façade by gate crashing my party. Boy, was I furious with you then! But also, a tiny part of me was relieved- glad even. You see, if you had done nothing, made no half baked effort at all I would have felt let down, discarded, not even worth the attentions of James Potter! I couldn't allow that. So I can not even begin to express the feeling that overcame me when you appeared out from behind the curtain. It was just so….James. It was only later that I began to wonder that this feeling was not relief that my reputation was still intact- like I had supposed, but something more personal, more exactly related to you. But I fought this idea down once more. How ridiculous that I, after holding you off for so long could possible be feeling attracted to you! It was inconceivable. And well, you know it pretty much from there. I drank far too much and went a bit crazy- its not often I let my guard down. You may be wondering why I came specifically to seek you out- oh you didn't know that? Well, yes, that was my purpose. I needed reassurance that I was still the best in someone's eyes at least. And then I saw you hunched over in the corner, alone and miserable and I just felt for you! How you had come all that way- no matter what other intentions you may have had in mind- just to give me a present (which is wonderful by the way, if I did not thank you before) and were there miserable. Well! I wasn't having anyone miserable at MY party. So I went over to you and…well, you know. When I woke up this morning I felt so terrible. But not like I regretted it, which is how I would have assumed I would feel, but like I was…mournful that you may have felt that I was acting… "under the influence" as they say. And for a reason I still wasn't ready to acknowledge, this bothered me. And then when I was fully alert I discovered that you were not, as I had assumed, beside me sleeping away, but somewhere I didn't know quite possible bragging over your conquest. I know, I shouldn't have thought like this. It was wrong and belittling towards you but you must understand how I was feeling. I barely knew you anyway! And I had only just that night become legal- you have no idea the turmoil I felt. It took me all the way until I was standing in front of you as you hid under my bed that I could even begin to acknowledge why I was feeling such remorse. And then- when I did realise I just knew that I had to tell you, to let you know- no matter what course of action you will take. Though I hope and, yes, assume that you will take the one expected by not only you but everyone else in Gryffendor practically. So, James, I've said it. You know my side. I hate to admit it but I love you very much and quite possibly for a very long time and I do hope that you love me too."
James gapes at Lily as she finishes her speech in one breath and comes to halt in front of him. Lily loves him? Lily doesn't even like him! He stares at her open mouthed in disbelief at her declaration. It is only when her face begins to show hurt once more that he jumps to his feet.
"Lily." He says, his voice hoarse, he steps forward and places his hands on her shoulders. She looks up at him, her big green eyes glittering like gems.
"Lily, I have loved you every day since third year. And if you'll let me, I plan to love you for ever else as well."
And carefully, slowly, he bends his face down to meet hers.
Ha! Now I'm finished! What do you think? Funny? Sweet? Utter crap? Whatever you want I'd like to hear it. And if you like this check out my other Lily and James story- "Welcome Sirius" thanks so much all you guys for making me carry this on- you were all really supportive! Thanks so much- I'm glad you did. And I hope I finished this in a way you like. Thanks so much!
Zellahxx