James or the Giant Squid? by x_GinnyPotter_x
Chapter Notes: A BIG thank-you to my wonderful beta Melissa (solemnlyswear_x)!
Enjoy!
“Oh come on, Lily! That boy has been fawning over you since third year. You can’t keep saying ‘no’ forever,” complained Olivia Hart, Lily Evans’ best friend and advice-giver since her first year at Hogwarts. It was the girls seventh and final year at the school, and James Potter had just made his first attempt of the year to get Lily to go on a date with him. It was almost predictable now, since at the end of every summer since their third year, the first thing Lily would hear was the all too familiar shout of, “Hey, Evans! Want to go out with me?” It seemed impossible to get her persistent ‘no’ through his thick head. James Potter was quite possibly the most stubborn man on the planet. Unfortunately for him, Lily Evans was the most stubborn woman on the planet.
They were boarding the Hogwarts Express for their return to school, the last time for Lily and her friends. Lily rolled her eyes at Olivia as the pair found a compartment with their other friends. “Olivia, my answer has stayed the same for four years. What makes you think I’m about to change it now?” Lily said exasperatedly as she took her seat next to Audrey Bishop, another close friend of hers. James was arrogant, for sure, but deep down a part of Lily actually didn’t hate him as much as she said she did. If only he wasn’t such a complete, immature git, she might have actually considered him. Unfortunately, it seemed like his cocky attitude would never change. Well, she thought to herself, that may not be entirely true. He did seem different today. Almost… polite. He actually said hello before asking me out this time. Shaking these thoughts from her head, Lily concluded James was just trying to get on her good side. She wouldn’t allow herself to give in to someone so immature.
Meanwhile, her friends had taken up the subject of James as well. The five of them were roommates, and had grown close over their six years at Hogwarts.
“Ooh, did you see how handsome he’s gotten? Talk about a good summer!” said Heather Aldridge, who was one of the many girls who wished James would be crazy for her instead of Lily.
“There’s no denying he’s good-looking. Even you must see that, Lily,” pointed out Audrey.
Across from her, Kelly Lexington sighed and said wistfully, “I’d give anything to have a boy that desperate for me.”
Olivia turned to Lily, a small smirk on her face. “Come on, Lil,” she persisted, “surely you’ll go out with him at least once?”
Lily shook her head. “Trust me, the day I date James Potter is the day I’ll go skinny-dipping with the Giant Squid,” she declared, causing her friends to laugh. “But anyway, guys, I better go to the prefects’ compartment to give them their assignments,” Lily said after her friends became quiet again. She had been made Head Girl this year, and she certainly didn’t want to be late for her first duty as such. She was also anxious to see who the Head Boy was…
---------------------------------------five months later----------------------------------------
“I knew it,” squealed Olivia loudly. “I knew you liked him!” Several nearby heads turned in their direction from along the table, and Lily hissed, “Keep it down, will you?” Her cheeks visibly flushed, however. She had just arrived at lunch to deliver her friends the news she had never thought she would get to say.
After having to spend the past five months patrolling hallways and performing other Head duties with James, Lily had been forced to recognize a change in him. He wasn’t nearly as self-centered and immature as he had been in years past, and the fact he was better looking now more than ever had not helped the matter. After his initial attempt at the beginning of the year (which Lily suspected had been out of habit), he hadn’t asked her out all year until today. Usually he would have taken every Hogsmeade weekend and then some to try again, but this year he had refrained. He didn’t even hex every student in the vicinity this year “ she hadn’t even seen him jinx Severus more than once. For a long time she had been convinced it was some ‘good boy’ act to win her over, but she had lately realized this was the real James. Lily had finally accepted he was actually showing some maturity when it got to the point that Sirius complained about it.
Having fought with denial for several months now, Lily was still in a slight state of shock. Over the year, she and James had talked much more than argued, which was a feat in itself. She felt like she was getting to know a side of James she’d stubbornly refused to accept for four years, if not six. She had thought it impossible; but James Potter the seventh year was not the same as James Potter the fourth year, desperate for a date with the ‘most brilliant, beautiful girl in school,’ as he had called her. She had always found his arrogance irksome, but now he was polite and thoughtful, even courteous. He’d opened a door for her without asking her for a kiss as a toll. He’d given her a present for her birthday that didn’t include a card asking for a date. Not to mention, he had been on time to almost every Head meeting and patrol duty all year. It seemed like he was a new man.
Certainly, the qualities had been there before, just not noticeable under his cocky and self-centered exterior. By this point, Lily had to admit she did like James “ even enough so to say yes to accompany him to Hogsmeade this weekend… on Valentine’s Day.
“He’s… different this year.” Lily shrugged, blushing lightly as she fiddled with her fork.
Audrey was grinning ear to ear. “Oh, Lily, it’s been so obvious you were getting feelings for him. I haven’t heard you scold him in nearly three months,” she said with mock exasperation.
Meanwhile Kelly and Heather were still looking quite taken aback. “I can’t believe it,” Kelly said, looking at Lily in awe. “I didn’t even notice “ and after all these years you’ve finally given the poor boy his hearts desire. I just can’t believe it. And to think just at the beginning of this year you wouldn’t have gone near him with a twenty-foot pole.”
Her other friends agreed at this, Audrey and Heather laughing and nodding their heads. Olivia, however, suddenly lit up as she always did when struck by an idea. Her smile turned into a mischievous smirk as she looked back at Lily.
“Wait, Lily… I do recall a certain statement you made earlier this year,” she said, her eyes twinkling with delight. “And I quote: ‘The day I date James Potter is the day I’ll go skinny-dipping with the Giant Squid.’ I would count this trip to Hogsmeade with James on Valentine’s Day as a date, wouldn’t you agree, ladies?” Olivia asked, looking at the other three girls. Lily’s friends’ faces lit up with delight and they laughed and agreed, while Lily’s mouth opened in protest; though she could find nothing to defend herself with. It was true; she had said exactly that back on the train at the beginning of the year. Damn Olivia’s good memory!
“No way,” she said leaning back in her chair as though backing away from the group, “I know what you all are thinking… and it is not going to happen!”
“Oh, yes, it is!” said Audrey, delighted at Olivia’s recollection. “You have to do it!”
Around her, the other girls voiced their agreement and encouragement. Then Olivia spoke again.
“Alright, fine,” she said, her smirk once again visible, “but if you don’t do it, we’ll be sure to leave Carl’s rat in your bed tonight.”
Lily’s expression immediately changed to horror. “You wouldn’t!” she gasped, shivering slightly. If there was one thing in the world Lily could not stand, it was rats. They were the most disgusting creatures alive and carried all sorts of diseases. Her boggart had always been a giant one trying to eat her. The mere thought of them gave her the chills.
“Oh, yes, we would,” seconded Kelly, immediately taking up Olivia’s threat. “Come on; we can go tonight when no one’s around, and it’ll be dark. Unless you’d rather do it right now “ we could bring the Marauders out with us, if you like. Though I doubt Professor McGonagall would think highly of that.”
Lily groaned, but knew her friends were not giving up on this. “Fine,” she grumbled, crossing her arms. “But we’re doing it tonight. And if you all get me caught, I swear I will never let you talk me into anything ever again.” It was a risk, and if she was caught, her Head Girl position was pretty much in the garbage “ but a part of her didn’t want to look like a sissy in front of her friends. Besides, every Gryffindor likes a dare once and a while “ even if Lily wasn’t thrilled with the idea of going starkers in the freezing lake.
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The cool night air whipped Lily’s auburn hair around her face as she and her friends snuck quietly across the grounds, which were no longer covered in snow, but replaced by a cold, muddy surface. “You are aware,” hissed Lily to her friends as they fought to suppress their giggles, “that it is February?”
“Guess the lake might be a bit chilly,” replied Audrey airily, though her grin was visible despite the darkness. The other girls laughed at this, and Olivia said, “Well, then I guess you should watch what you say from now on, and maybe pick a warmer time of year to date James. You could have gotten this over with in September while it was still warm.”
Lily scowled and repeated, for the tenth time that night, “I was trying to make a point, I didn’t mean it!”
“Too late now “ now off with your knickers and get in there! You’ve said for years that you’d rather date the Giant Squid,” Audrey shot back as they reached the water’s edge.
Lily glared at her as she glanced at the enormous black lake, which was smooth as glass and reflected the starry night sky above. After some more encouragement (and laughter) from her friends, Lily blushed furiously and took off her winter cloak. She only had her nightgown under this, so immediately the cold air sent chills down her spine.
“This is madness!” Lily hissed as she shivered, clinging to her thin nightgown.
“Chicken,” declared Kelly, smirking at her friend.
“Come on now, Lil, the sooner you get it over with, the sooner you can go back inside,” encouraged Heather.
“You guys are going to pay for this,” Lily growled as she unbuttoned her gown and let it fall to the ground. The other girls had to stifle their laughter so they wouldn’t make too much noise.
Freezing in the cold breeze, Lily gritted her teeth and waded into the water. She winced as it rose to her knees; the water felt like a hundred daggers piercing her skin. Her foot soon found the edge of the slippery ground beneath her, where the lake bottom dropped off rather steeply. Inhaling deeply, Lily raised her arms and dove into the deeper water. Immediately her exposed body screamed in protest, and she fought frantically to reach the surface again. Upon being reunited with oxygen, Lily gasped and yelped slightly at the water’s temperature, while going slightly numb at the same time. Swimming hastily for the shore, Lily practically ran off the lakes murky shore, nearly slipping on its slimy surface. Grabbing her cloak and wrapping it tightly around her shivering slender figure, she hissed at the laughing girls, “There! Now are you all satisfied?
Olivia was grinning widely at her friend, and replied, “Yes, actually; this shows how much you really like Potter, you know. You could have just given up your date with him instead.”
Lily glared at her. “So this was what, some sort of test?” she asked, teeth chattering as she picked up her nightgown and put it back on.
“Exactly,” Olivia replied, as the other girls grinned at one another.
“Ooh, wait until James hears what you did for a date with him!” Heather teased. “The boy might die of shock when he finds out you fancy him this much!”
Lily turn beat red and sputtered, “I, you… you all made me, I didn’t… You wouldn’t!” but the girls were all howling with laughter. Instead, Olivia wrapped her arm around the shivering red-head and advised they all get back to their common room before McGonagall found them or Lily froze to death. Her lips were starting to turn blue.
After successfully reaching the warmth of the Gryffindor common room, Lily and her friends were talking and laughing as Lily warmed herself by the fire. She was now wrapped in a warm bathrobe and she had her hair wrapped in a towel.
“Oh, Merlin!” gasped Audrey suddenly, as the other girls looked at her curiously. “I forgot to bring my camera “ James might have liked a picture,” she continued, shooting a sly grin at Lily, who threw a pillow at her.
“A picture of what?” inquired a voice coming from the portrait hole entrance. Lily gasped and spun around, seeing the unmistakable messy hair of James Potter, with Sirius, Remus, and Peter following in his wake. She blushed, but Olivia piped up instead.
“Oh, nothing… just Lily here fulfilling a promise,” she said, which caused Lily’s eyebrows to furrow in annoyance. James’ eyes found her, wrapped in a fuzzy robe and a towel on her head, and looked at her with a puzzled expression. “What…?” he started to ask, but suddenly Sirius howled with laughter.
The other boys looked at him in confusion, but Sirius was looking at Lily with an amused expression. “Lily, I must say I’m offended “ going starkers in the lake and not even inviting us along.”
Everyone gaped at him and Lily turned as red as her hair, asking furiously as she evaded James’ eyes, “How did you “ I mean, what made you think…”
Sirius’s eyes twinkled mischievously, and he replied casually, “Well, it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together.”
“Damn,” said James, still staring at Lily in amazed amusement, “you really are full of surprises, Lily.”
Lily smiled sheepishly and shrugged, and mentally thanked Merlin for letting her friends forget the camera.