~
Lily stood in shock as James’s lips met hers, not quite sure she wasn’t dreaming. Or having a nightmare. She finally regained her senses and pulled away quickly.
James’s eyes widened as he realized what he had done, and the possible consequences. However, strangely enough, Lily didn’t look mad. Instead, if worse, she looked disappointed. “James,” she whispered quietly, her voice wavering.
The sound alone broke James. How stupid could he be, to kiss her after all she had just gone through? “Lily? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to! It just… happened! I-I-”
Lily cut him off. “Just-just forget about it, okay? And please don’t do it again. Ever.”
She opened the door and walked out. James followed her, somewhat more subdued. Try as he might, he couldn’t forget about that split second when their lips had first touched, and the lightening he saw in his eyelids. Nor could he forget the sweet smell of her shampoo, or the way her emerald eyes had looked at him after he committed the deed.
So wrapped up was he in his thoughts that he didn’t look up and see the tear trickling down Lily’s cheek, or the way she fingered her tingling lips in confusion.
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Alex looked thoughtfully at the Marauders, who were sitting nearby. Sirius was laughing at some joke of Peter’s, and stuffing food down his face at the same time.
Their relationship was very strange, even for the wizarding world. There was physical attraction, oh yes; there was much of that. There were also the similar situations their school environment forced upon them. Both were popular, attractive, and known ‘players’ of a sort. All of Alex’s old boyfriends had expected a simple, short relationship, and that’s what they received. Sirius’s old one week stands had never expected to be dumped, but were nonetheless.
Alex looked to Sirius for companionship at times of convenience, and vice versa. They were ‘together’ in some senses, but independent in many others. However, a casual observer may have noticed that much less attention was placed on their respected opposite senses since their first kiss.
Alex knew that that was the way things were, and probably how they were going to stay. Emotions had definitely heated up over the summer, but Alex wasn’t sure if Sirius had noticed.
Sirius chose that moment to look around, and caught her eyes upon him. He gave her his customary arrogant smile, before turning back to his friends.
“So, we’re doing it tonight?” Peter asked excitedly.
Remus nodded. “James said it can’t wait, and we have all the supplies now.”
Sirius was about to ask if anyone else thought that James’s prank had anything to do with Lily, when the two people in question entered the Great Hall.
Lily looked greatly distressed, and James looked much worse for the wear. They seemed to be ignoring each other in any way possible. Lily quickly sat down next to her friends, and James joined his at a much slower pace. Sirius exchanged puzzled glances with the rest of the Marauders, as he strained to hear what the girls were saying. However, he couldn’t over the din in the Hall. He only saw Alex march up, grab James by the collar, and drag him outside. Peter and Remus looked just as confused, as Peter asked, as usual, “Did I miss something?”
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Lily sat down next to Alex after entering the Great Hall. Alice immediately noticed that something was wrong. “Lily! What happened?”
Lily froze. “Wha- what do you mean?” she asked nervously.
Alex rolled her eyes. “You can cut that out, we can see you’ve been crying.”
“Oh really?” Actually, Lily hadn’t even noticed.
“So tell us! What happened?”
Lily shifted her gaze around nervously, trying to avoid the question. Her eyes looked everywhere, including right at James. She could feel her cheeks turning red. Alex followed her gaze and saw what she was looking at and stood up. “I’ll be right back,” she told her friends.
She walked over, grabbed Potter, and pulled him out of the Hall.
“All right Potter,” she snarled. “What in Merlin’s name did you do to Lily?”
He cleared his throat. “Err… what- what do you mean?”
“You know bloody well what I mean!” Alex shouted. “Lily’s not talking, but I know you did something to her!”
James just stared at her in a nervous state of shock and worry, watching Alex turn redder and redder.
“Potter!” she snarled one last time.
Truly scared for his life, James started to stutter quietly, “Well- I sorta- I mean, I didn’t mean to- but we were in a broom closet, and-”
Alex looked taken aback, clearly not expecting anything of that sort. “You two were in a broom closet! Together!”
James nodded, and continued. “We were talking, and she was standing there, and I- I- I-”
He whispered something silently, and trailed off, looking into the air. Alex, expecting the worst, gently prodded him on. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that,” she said sarcastically.
James grumbled out, “I kissed her, okay?”
“YOU KISSED HER!” Alex shouted, calling the surprised attention of several nearby students. James cringed, expecting this reaction.
“Wait. You kissed her?” Alex said again.
James nodded, and Alex broke out into a grin. “Oh, this is good. This is good!”
James just stared some more. He was not expecting this reaction. “Err… Alex? Aren’t you mad?”
“Mad? Mad? Why would I be mad? This is just perfect, and not a moment too soon.”
James just gave her a blank look. Alex was flushed, and grinning widely. “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice!”
“Notice what?”
Alex clapped her hands together. “Oh, this is good. You didn’t even know! Lily didn’t hate you anymore!”
“She didn’t?” The thought finally struck James, and he let out a loud whoop. “She didn’t!” His face fell. “Well, she does now.”
Alex shook her head. “Men. No imagination. All Lily needs is some prodding in the right direction from someone she trusts, and she’ll be falling into your arms in no time!”
James frowned. “But who would do that?”
Alex bowed her head in exasperation. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“Now?”
“No, not now. You have to get back in the Great Hall in case Lily has to leave. You are supposed to stay with her, aren’t you?”
However, James never went back in, because Lily came out with Alice and the Marauders at that moment. James sighed as he and Alex jogged to catch up with them. He never did get his breakfast.
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Author’s Notes:
I fully believe in being able to identify with my readers, so I’ll probably have I weird question or two every time, so what color is your hair? And what word or words best describe you? What job do you have or want to have? You don’t have to answer.
My answer: I’m blonde, weird, obsessive compulsive, a perfectionist, procrastinator, terrified of authority in the school system, and I would love to be a lawyer someday!