IN REALITY
“Awww, this is so sweet,” Mary sighed as she finished the Gemma’s fifth story concerning the romance of James and Lily. The Marauders and Gemma had discussed, and decided to let Mary in on Operation W.O.L.E. At first Mary had been rather annoyed that they hadn’t included her in the start (she, like Gemma, thought James and Lily made a cute couple, to James’ delight) but she had quickly gone from sulky to enthusiastic about Gemma’s little write-outs. “You should become a romance writer in future, Gem!”
Gemma beamed. “Thank you, Mary. At least someone here appreciates my work.” She threw the Marauders a scathing glance.
“Hey,” Sirius objected, “we’re guys, okay? All these mushiness is just too much for our emotional quotient.” Peter nodded in agreement.
James was injured. “Gem, I do appreciate your help. Why else would I even be using your plan?”
“Well, I think it’s brilliant,” Mary declared. “All you have to do now is convince Professor Slughorn to hold a party similar to that. And then James can dance with Lily and take her to the balcony where Lily will realise that she is madly in love with James. Dang, I wish I could go to one of his parties.” She sighed wistfully.
Gemma gave her a one-armed hug. “Don’t feel too bad, girl, I’ll ask if I can borrow Dumbledore’s Pensieve and show you what happens there. You too, Peter.”
“Dumbledore has a Pensieve?” Peter asked, impressed.
Sirius gave him a look that could only be described as pitying. “Wormtail, it’s that basin with the silvery stuff in the cupboard. Are you sure you don’t remember? We get sent to his office on an average of five times a year.”
“Oh,” Peter said, his face lighting up in recognition. “I always thought it was a basin to wash your hands in or something.”
Sirius rolled his eyes. “No, it isn’t.”
James was impatient as usual to begin working on W.O.L.E. Plan Number Five. “Can we cut the chit-chat and get straight to work?”
“Aye, aye, captain,” Sirius, Remus and Gemma recited dully, and James couldn’t blame them, either. This was Plan Number Five, for Merlin’s sake. Even he was losing hope. If this plan failed (please Merlin, no), there would just be one last plan left to try out.
“Okay, what you’re going to do is corner Slughorn after Potions, and then suggest the idea of a Christmas ball. And also, make it known to him that the Head Prefects should open the dance. I’m not going to talk to him with all of you, since it’d be too thick-skinned, but I’m going to eavesdrop under the invisibility cloak,” James said, peering over his shoulder to make sure that no one was spying on them. Lily was taking Arithmancy, while the six of them had free periods, so they were safe from her at the moment. “The students are all going home on the twenty-first, so Slughorn’s going to have a party on the twentieth, I suspect. Meaning if you tell him today, he’ll only have until tomorrow to prepare everything. So don’t forget.”
“We won’t,” Remus said. “We’re having Potions after this, and I’m sure you won’t allow us to forget.”
“Like hell I will,” James agreed, and made a mental note to bring along his invisibility cloak so he could listen to their conversation with Slughorn, and to remind the rest to carry out said conversation.
Although he suspected that the latter didn’t really need to be noted down.
After all, it concerned Lily Evans.
*
“So, Professor, we were thinking about your upcoming end-of-term party,” Sirius said, slinging an arm casually over the Potions Master’s shoulder, who seemed to be delighted to be on such close terms with one of the Blacks.
“What about it?” Slughorn boomed, twirling his mustache and looking at the crowd of three visible students and one invisible student who were gathered around him.
“We thought up this idea for it,” Gemma gushed. “We were thinking, since the Christmas mood’s already making its rounds, why not have a Yule ball of sorts, where people dance to a live band. And of course, your decorations are simply divine,” she added in a flattering voice.
Slughorn positively beamed. “Of course, that’s a brilliant suggestion!” he said. He looked hopefully at Sirius. “I suppose this means that you’ll be attending my party this time? You and James always miss them.”
Sirius gave a thousand-watt smile. “Of course, Professor,” he said courteously, sounding remarkably like Remus. “We sincerely apologise for the other times we’ve missed your parties.”
“It’s all right,” Slughorn chuckled, waving him off. “Marauder business, eh?”
Sirius nodded, and added under his breath so only the four of them could hear, “And a few timely Quidditch practices.”
James, sandwiched between Remus and Gemma, grinned under his cloak.
“And we were thinking, sir,” said Gemma, “of having the Head Boy and Head Girl open the dance.”
“Ah, James and Lily, eh?” Slughorn said, his eyes gleaming. “Match made in heaven, that pair. Trying to get them together, aren’t you?”
“Well,” Sirius said, “yes, to put it that way.”
“And where’s said Head Boy?” Slughorn asked, looking around them.
“We got him to go off without us, if he knew we were doing this for him he’d get highly emotional,” Gemma said with a wicked grin.
James’ jaw dropped open, and he stomped on her foot.
Her head shot up in pain, and she was treating James to a death glare when Slughorn also peered curiously in his direction.
Remus made Gemma turn, wrenching her gaze from James. Slughorn was puzzled. “What were you looking at, Gemma?”
“Oh, nothing, she has a problem with her iris,” Sirius fibbed quickly. “Her eyes always go off focus for some point of time.”
“No, I thought I saw something move, but it turned out to be nothing,” Gemma laughed lightly, but when Slughorn turned his attention away from her she threw Sirius a dark look and mouthed indignantly, “A problem with my iris?”
James nudged Remus. “Wrap this up,” he muttered. “The job is done; we’re only wasting time.”
Remus cleared his throat. “Well, that’s all for now, Professor. We’ve got to rush to lunch. We haven’t got Potions tomorrow, so we’ll see you tomorrow at the party!” he said, and together he and James herded the now arguing Gemma and Sirius out of the dungeons.
*
“Do I look all right?” James said, fussing over his dress robes in the mirror. “I don’t know, but this midnight blue doesn’t seem to look good on me.”
“Why don’t you take that midnight black, then?” Sirius asked, smoothing down the front of his misty grey dress robes. “At least they won’t clash with your hair. Bring the colour out of it, to quote Gemma.”
After much contemplating, James decided to ditch his blue robes for his black one. Sirius was quite right. His hair did look blacker than usual.
Gemma came dashing into the dormitories in scarlet dress robes, and Remus yelped because he was only half dressed.
“Knock before you enter in future, Spinnet!” he yelled, leaping onto his bed and wrenching the curtains shut.
Gemma rolled her eyes. “Drama king,” she retorted. “Like I wanted to see you half-naked!” Then turning to James, she squealed, “Lily looks absolutely gorgeous! Now, James, you can’t get all nervous and stutter when you see her. Act cool and calm, and keyword, sweet.”
“Sweet?” James croaked. “How the heck am I going to be sweet?”
“You’ll manage,” Gemma said, and pushed him out of the dormitory and down the stairs.
When they got down, Lily was sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire, waiting. James swallowed. Gemma was right. Lily was totally gorgeous today. She was wearing dress robes of a silky gold with off-white cuffs, and her dark red hair was straightened to perfection and plaited into an elegant bun.
As they approached her, she turned around and looked mildly surprised to see James.
“Hello,” she said, standing up and smiling.
“Hey,” he said, his mouth dry and his throat hoarse. “You look very… You look very nice.”
She grinned. “Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.”
Gemma moved forward and pinched her, and James caught her whispering “Liar!” to Lily. Lily swatted her away and they both faced him.
“Yes?” he asked curiously.
“Nothing,” Lily said, smiling a little too brightly. Her face, James noticed, was slightly pink. “She was just telling me about what sort of party Slughorn’s holding. A ball sort of thing, wasn’t it, Gem?”
“Uh-huh,” Gemma affirmed. “Shall we go? I’m starving.”
They made their way to Slughorn’s office, discussing Gryffindor’s chances of winning the Quidditch cup.
“Hufflepuff’s Quidditch team this year’s pretty strong, if we’re not careful they might just win us,” Gemma said. “As soon as January arrives, we’re beginning training.”
“January?” James asked, horrified. “Are you crazy? Much as I love flying, I don’t want to be an icicle.”
Gemma glared at him. “You dare defy your Quidditch Captain?”
“You’re dead, James,” Lily said, chuckling. “Once she glares at you, your life as you know it is over.”
“Ah, but Gemma can’t kill me,” James said cheerfully. “I’m one of her best Chasers.”
“One of my best Chasers,” Gemma reminded. “I can still kill you off and get a replacement. Sirius isn’t too bad a flyer, although he did tell me the only way he’d be on the team was if hippogriffs replaced broomsticks…”
They laughed.
“Do you like flying?” James asked Lily.
“Yeah, sure,” she said. “I just don’t quite like playing Quidditch.”
“Why?” James asked, aghast.
“You have to chase after balls, and balls and people chase after you,” Lily said.
“That’s oversimplifying Quidditch!” Gemma said in indignation. “It’s not just a game where you chase after balls and balls and people chase after you, Lily! It’s a game where utmost””
“Concentration is needed, and your soul must be put into it,” Lily and James recited. They looked at each other in surprise and laughed. “She tells that to me every time I,” she made air quotes around the next word, “oversimplify it,” Lily said wryly.
“She says that every time we have Quidditch practice,” James said, rolling his eyes.
“Well, it’s the truth,” Gemma said, ever the protector of the noble sport of Quidditch, but by then they’d already reached Slughorn’s office. Slughorn greeted them cordially, and led them inside.
“We’ll just have to wait for a few more people to start,” he boomed cheerfully, and before leaving to welcome more people, he winked hugely at James, who knew exactly the reason behind the wink (and blushed, too).
“What was that wink for?” Lily asked curiously.
“Erm, I don’t exactly know,” James said, and received a thumbs-up sign from Gemma. “He’s just spontaneous sometimes, I guess.”
“You could say that.” Lily laughed.
“Oh, I think I see that cute Ravenclaw guy again,” Gemma said conspiratorially, suddenly tugging at Lily’s cuffs. “Do I look all right?”
“Hang on…” Lily said, straightening her best friend’s dress robes. “There. You look great!”
“Thanks, Lily, see ya!” She walked casually over to the Ravenclaw whose face brightened when he saw her.
“Aww, aren’t they just a perfect couple?” Lily sighed, smiling at the scene.
“Uh-huh,” James said, not quite getting how one defined “perfect couples,” but thinking it safer to agree.
Just then, Slughorn cleared his throat. “Now that everyone’s here, the party has just officially… BEGUN!” At once, the lights dimmed, and the tables at the middle of the room cleared out by themselves. Then Slughorn himself waddled quickly over to them, and pushed them out gently into the middle of the room, making others clear the floor at the same time.
“What are we doing?” Lily asked, puzzled.
“You’re going to dance with James,” Slughorn said. “The Head Prefects are to open the dance.”
Maybe it was the dim lighting, but Lily’s face had suddenly drained of its colour.
“What is it?” James asked worriedly.
Lily took a deep breath. “James… Ican’tdance. I’veneverbeenabletodance.”
“It’ll be all right,” he tried to assure her. “It’ll be fine. We’ll just dance slowly…”
And then the music came on, and it definitely wasn’t a slow, soothing piece.
“I can’t do this!” Lily mouthed at him, panicked.
“All right, all right, we don’t have to dance if you don’t want to,” James soothed, leading her off the dance floor. Some people shot them puzzled looks, but most of them had already joined in dancing, Gemma and the Ravenclaw included.
Moments later, they were sitting down at the side, sipping Butterbeer in goblets.
“I’m sorry, James,” Lily said.
“For what?” he asked.
“Losing it just like that,” she said. “It’s just… I’m not good at dancing. Two left feet. My parents once sent me to a dance lesson, you know, over the summer holidays between Third and Fourth Year… In a single lesson, I managed to trod on everyone’s toes, and sprain a few ankles. Mine included.”
He chuckled. “Disaster?”
She grinned. “Definitely. The teacher sent me home and made my parents swear never to bring me back.”
“That sounds bad, but definitely not as bad as my golf lessons,” James said.
“Oh, James Potter is actually bad at something?” she teased, putting her goblet down. “Well, spill. I’m all ears.”
“When my Dad brought me to the nearest golf range, I made a big fuss about how the balls didn’t move by themselves,” James said.
Lily gasped, but she was trying hard not to laugh. “Did any Muggles hear you?”
“Yeah, they did,” he reminisced. “Dad had to say that I read too many fairytales. And when we actually got to the sport itself, I swung the whole bat thing ””
“Golf club,” she corrected.
“” at the teacher.”
She laughed.
He liked her laugh.
“And then what happened?” she asked.
“We tried a few more times. Each time, I either hit him with the club, or with the golf balls.”
She shook her head, smiling.
He liked her smile, too.
“Gosh, you must’ve been a handful when you were younger,” she said.
“You dare speak!” he said dramatically. “But anyway, that’s what Dad and Mum always say,” he added cheekily, “but they still love me.”
“Prongs, you liar! They love me more,” said Sirius’ voice from behind. Whirling around, James saw him and Remus approaching them.
“You wish!” James said, grinning.
Lily looked at either of them. “I don’t know who to believe.”
“Well, it’s definitely me!” Sirius said righteously, and launched into an explanation of why the Potters loved him more.
Remus took this chance to ask in a low voice, “Did it work, then?”
James shook his head. “Not really.”
“Bad luck, mate,” he said sympathetically.
“Nah, it’s fine. She can’t dance.”
“I did try to tell you,” Remus said. “You keep saying how perfect she was. But no one’s perfect, James.”
“Oh no, you’re wrong, Moony,” James said. “She’s still perfect, or at least, to me.”
Remus looked at his contented smile and said, “Love has no flaw.”
James felt surprised. “Yes,” he said at last. “So it would seem.” Then, he turned to look at Lily. She was listening disbelievingly to what Sirius was saying, amusement in her emerald eyes. As if sensing his gaze on her, she turned to look at him, and gave him a winning smile. Feeling slightly dizzy, he turned back to Remus and said, “Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m stopping Operation W.O.L.E.”
Sighing, Remus muttered, “Apparently, love doesn’t give up, either.”
James overheard him, and, cocking his goblet of Butterbeer in a toast, said, “You got that right, Moony.”
Plan Number Six
On a particular day, the Marauders, Lily, Mary and Gemma were having a little snowball fight on the grounds. Suddenly, Lily and Mary came up with a brilliant idea of ice-skating.
“After all, the lake is frozen, so why not take the chance?” Mary said brightly, and she and Lily conjured up ice skates for everyone present.
James and Sirius, who were pureblood and had never seen ice skates their whole life, looked at the shoe-like equipment handed to them quizzically, and looked at the rest for an idea of how to put those ice skates on.
But it wasn’t the only thing that boggled them. What was worse was the bit where they actually had to skate on the ice. After minutes of torture in which he the number of times he had fallen down exceeded the number of steps he had taken, James decided that he didn’t like skating much.
“How the heck are we supposed to move?” Sirius bellowed from where he was: sitting on the ice after a particularly violent fall. None of the others answered, they were too busy laughing at his and James’ “accidents,” as they called them.
James, whose ego was bruised enough already, thought sulkily that “antics” would sound better. “When you’ve finished laughing…” he said to the rest, annoyed. Lily was the first to stop laughing.
“It really isn’t so hard, you know. See that blade at the bottom of your skates?” she asked.
James and Sirius looked at their ice skates. “Yeah?” they said simultaneously.
“Well, when you stand on the ice, dig those blades into the ice. That way you can have more control over your movement,” Lily said, lending her hand to James, and then Sirius, so they could stand up.
Truth be told, James didn’t quite want to let her hand go.
He did as what Lily said, but still didn’t quite manage to travel very far before he fell down again. This time, Gemma fell down herself from laughing so hard.
“Thanks, Gemma, for your unwavering support,” he said, giving her a withering look. “How come you can skate so well, anyway? I don’t believe your parents have taught your ice skating.”
“No,” Gemma said, grinning. “Over the last summer I stayed over at Lily’s house with Mary, and Mr and Mrs Evans brought us to the local skating rink.”
“She learned how to skate really quickly,” Mary added. “She’s an old professional now.”
Gemma gave a self-satisfied smile.
“Just you guys wait,” James said. “I’ll be an old professional, too.”
“Oh, we’ll wait, all right,” Gemma said, grinning. “But perhaps you need to know the basics first, hmm?”
For James had tried to skate again and ended up slipping, falling on his bottom.
Lily and Mary both laughed, but Lily took pity in James in the end, and skated towards him. She took his arm and guided him on the ice. It was a very perilous journey; James almost broke his bones twice. But after fifteen minutes, he had begun to get the hang of it, and soon he was skating around faster than she was.
Sirius was sulky. “Isn’t any kind soul going to help me learn how to skate?” he complained, and brightened when Remus and Peter offered to teach him.
“This is fun!” James called to Lily, who was skating somewhere behind him. He wobbled a little but soon regained his balance.
She chuckled. “Yeah, it is, isn’t it? My Dad brought me and my sister to skate loads when we were children.”
“No wonder you’re so good at it,” James said, skidding to a halt and turning around slowly to face her. She didn’t see him stopping and collided into him. They both fell to the ice and gave cries of pain as their bodies took a beating from the solid ice.
“Oh my God, I’m sorry!” Lily kept saying to him as she sat there dazedly. She winced slightly, rubbing her lower back.
“No, it’s fine. Are you okay?” he asked her concernedly. She looked up at him and suddenly he realised how close she was to him. He could see some snow in her eyelashes from the snowballs that were flung about at everyone earlier on. He could see her freckles. He could see her green eyes, clear and vivid and deep. If he plunged into them he might probably never reach the bottom.
And suddenly, without planning to, without thinking about what he was doing, James leaned over and kissed her on the lips.
They were soft and warm. She kissed back, too, at first shyly, but then as seconds passed, the kiss deepened. It was a long time before they broke apart, and by then, James’ glasses were fogged up, and Lily’s cheeks were flushed.
They stared at each other in shock, then surprise.
James decided to break the awkward silence. “Er… I honestly don’t know how come I did that. But perhaps it’s got to do with the reason that I think you’re amazing.”
And then he immediately wished that he hadn’t spoken, because he felt like the biggest fool in the universe.
Lily’s eyes were examining him. He shifted uncomfortably. “Well,” she began slowly, “I don’t exactly know how come I kissed back, but perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I’ve liked you since last year.”
“Well, I kind of enjoyed it, to tell you the truth,” James said.
“You know what? So did I,” Lily replied. They looked at each other for another while.
“By the way,” James said, feeling like a fool again, but he just had to break the silence, “do you have any idea why our friends are so quiet?”
Lily looked at where the rest were, standing and looking at James and her with beatific smiles on their faces. “I don’t have a clue,” she said, and paused. Then she added, with a smile, “But frankly, I don’t really care.”
And then she pulled him down for another kiss.
A/N: Well, I hope this chapter is up to expectations. Thanks goes to my brilliant beta-readers Katie and Alex for helping me edit this chapter! Now, you readers ought to know what to do. Concerns that little white box down there. :D