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Tweak says, "I woke up singing top cat!"

miss l. a. evans, HBIC (fleurderouge) wrote in incanesco_rpg,
@ 2011-06-03 00:11:00

Entry tags:

!incomplete, james potter, lily evans

Who: Lily Evans & James Potter
What: Lily is going to try her level best to teach James how to be a respectable Head Boy. So, you know. Epic failure ahead!
Where: Heads' Study, sixth floor
When: Thursday, 2 September, 8PM
Rating: Probably no more than PG-13 for swearing
Status: Incomplete

Lily's first two days back at school were completely different from what she had been expecting. Lily had expected to feel nostalgic on the train ride, conduct a relatively successful Prefect meeting with a competent Head Boy as her partner, and enjoy her last Opening Feast. What had happened instead was that she had felt panicked on the train ride as whispers passed from compartment to compartment that three students were missing, dispelling rumours about their gruesome deaths. Her last Opening Feast was marred by Dumbledore's confirmation that all the rumours were true and the students and their families had been brutally murdered, with eighteen deaths in all. And the Prefect meeting on the train had been anything but successful, because her partner as Head Boy was none other than her worst enemy, James Potter.

At the moment, Lily felt that even the Slytherin candidate, Anthony Zabini, would have been preferable to Potter. Although Zabini would have likely have undermined her authority and insulted her in private, at least he would have done his job. Potter, on the other hand, had been content to lounge around and let Lily do all the work--except, of course, for when he wanted to interject with a flirtatious comment. As usual, Potter was left looking like the devil-may-care class clown, and Lily looked like a swot with a stick up her arse for merely trying to do her job. However, Lily was no shrinking violet. She was hardly going to sit by and let Potter get away with his immature little games. Lily was going to do her level best to get Potter to do at least a portion of the work he was meant to do, if it was the last thing she did.

With that goal in mind, she instructed him to meet her in their private study at eight o'clock the following evening. The study was one perk Lily was really looking forward to. If the Prefects' Bath was anything to go by, surely the Heads' Study would be similarly lavish and highly enjoyable. Lily followed the instructions to access the room that she had been informed of in her letter, and when the knight opened the door for her, she wasn't at all disappointed. Rather, she was a bit awestruck, and also glad that she arrived a couple of minutes early, so she could just stand and look around the room without Potter there to bother her. Lily strolled around the room, a look of almost childlike wonder on her face, one hand running across the dusty books on the shelves. She was so absorbed in the room that she didn't even hear the door open.

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championswagger
2011-06-04 11:44 am UTC (link)

Having nearly given in to the temptation to fight Lily on the Remus issue, James decided to give it up. Truth be told he couldn't care in the least what the rest of the prefects did. As long as he had his rounds with Lily that was all that mattered there. James was fully aware of the fact his best mate could handle his own with Rosier, and frankly figured it would do Remus some good all the same. He needed to let loose a little more, and with a patrol buddy like Rosier, it was only a matter of time before someone came undone. Merlin only knew Rosier deserved whatever was coming to him.

Though James was half-assing his attempt at pairing Prefects, he was taken aback by the effort Lily put in to the entire thing. Not only did she remember each one he listed, quite impressive to say the least, Evans was able to brush off some for reasons beyond James. Of course he didn't remember Bill and Mary's potential issues. He gave himself props for simply recalling their names. Yet Lily was able to pull that and more from memory, smashing some of his suggestions like a bad habit. As she went to town, James smiled at her in that dumbfound way he did those times he didn't realize he was staring. His eyes darted between hers and her lips, only returning to her eyes permanently once she'd mentioned a week off for Zabini. Surprisingly enough he remained silent as the grave while she jotted down all that was exchanged between them.

It wasn't until she brushed his question off that he interjected again. "Hold the hippogriff, Evans. I wasn't asking you on a date. Cheers for that anyway. Would you like to give the knife a slight twist before pulling it out of my chest, hm?" He meant it in jest, but only slightly. If he was honest with himself, and with her for that matter, every time she turned him away it felt as if she was chopping his feet from under him. Far be it from James Potter to flinch regardless. "I was just wondering what the Head Girl does in her free time is all. A little small talk, if you don't mind humouring me for once in your life."

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fleurderouge
2011-06-05 05:02 am UTC (link)

Even as Lily was ticking off Prefect pairings on her fingers, she could tell that James was staring at her. Before she moved to write down what she had said, she glanced at him and caught the slightly goofy grin on his face, the one he got when he stared at her for too long. Lily's instinct was normally to quirk an eyebrow and say something along the lines of 'I'd suggest you take a picture, but I don't want you wanking to it later,' but this time she ducked her head and just started writing, glad of her curtain of curls for concealing her face, because she felt a little bit of heat rising in her cheeks. Why was she blushing at Potter staring at her? The only explanation Lily could think of was because maybe she had earned it this time; after all, she knew it was fairly impressive to know all the other Prefects already, as well as information about them, and it wasn't as if she had happened across that by accident. Lily was proud of her position, and she had already started putting a lot of work into it, which was part of why she was so irritated at James not taking his seriously at all.

Of course, once she finished, James managed to make her feel sheepish by saying he wasn't asking her on a date. Lily didn't entirely believe that, and it was that one shred of disbelief that allowed her to keep her composure. "Sorry, but given our history, you can't really blame me for assuming, can you?" she said with a wry smile. If asking her out hadn't been his intention, then humouring him would be her apology, and if it had been...well, so long as they got everything done in the end, a little small talk couldn't hurt.

Lily twirled her quill between her fingers as she spoke. "The Head Girl doesn't have overmuch free time, not with this being NEWT year, and her not being one of the lucky few who can pull top marks without cracking a textbook," Lily continued, shooting James a glare at that--but the glare had none of her usual venom behind it; indeed, it was almost playful. "Saturday night..." Lily scratched her chin with the end of her quill, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "I'll probably have spent all day slaving over that awful essay we were set in Transfiguration today, and most of the evening doing the extra practise Professor McGonagall set me, and so by the time the night comes around I'll feel rather like turning my wand on myself. Of course, since you are infuriatingly good at Transfiguration and the essay will probably take you about a tenth as much time as it'll take me, you're going to spend your Saturday practising Quidditch and/or faffing around with your mates, am I right?"

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championswagger
2011-06-05 07:04 am UTC (link)

James could have bet his wand he saw the hint of a blush on Lily's cheeks, but she ducked behind her hair too quickly for him to determine for sure whether or not he'd just imagined it. On any typical day he would have pulled the curtain of hair back from her face to validate one way or another what it was, but at this point in time he was content with taking a spectator's role.

When Lily began to speak again he was grateful for having done so. Sure her words were biting at best, but that smile she now donned had nothing of its usual snark behind it. James allowed himself to believe that maybe he was getting somewhere with her this time. His own smile mimicked hers when Lily mentioned 'our history', at least remotely proud of that small feat. Whether Lily liked it or not, the two of them did have a history together. Being the insufferable romantic he was, James hoped it was only the beginning, but he kept himself focused in the present. It wasn't often he got time alone with Lily, so to not take advantage of the situation would be foolish. He made a promise to himself he wouldn't discuss any more business until she agreed to spend more time with him. A bribe, yes, but one he was willing to bet she'd benefit from as well as he would. "Maybe I should ask, in that case. Would hate to make a liar out of you," he teased.

It was a miracle in and of itself he was able to keep a straight face when Lily referred to herself in the third-person, but not only that, he managed to follow her words despite her fidgeting with the quill. "So let me get this straight. You're going to spend the first few hours of your day at a memorial service, return to the common room to slave over homework, opt for additional practise work you won't get marks on despite putting in all that precious time, and you're going to turn in early?" James looked completely surprised by her response despite the fact his shock was entirely manufactured. He assumed she'd be doing something along those lines. This was Lily Evans he was talking to, after all. The term 'overachiever' didn't even scratch the surface with this one. "Well I was going to donate my time to helping a couple of first years figure out the trick behind Wingardium Leviosa, but it would seem there is a cause more pressing I have to deal with. As Head Boy I'm charged with keeping close watch on the Head Girl in order to make sure she doesn't experience burnout prior to Christmas holiday. Dumbledore's orders and all," he added with a shrug, hopping down from the table before reaching down to twirl Lily's chair to face him. James crouched down in front of her with a hand on each arm of her chair, making himself completely vulnerable to any physical aggression that might ensue after such a bold move.

"Miss Head Girl, I find myself obligated by the law set down by Head Boys who've gone before me to relieve you of your obligations for Saturday night. Instead might I suggest some good, old fashioned House bonding with your fellow seventh years over an innocent game of Truth & Dare and various snacks destined to make you ill by night's end. What say you?"

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fleurderouge
2011-06-05 07:22 am UTC (link)

Lily fully expected James to ridicule her Saturday plans, and she was not disappointed. Not only did he put on a face of exaggerated disbelief, he gave her some of his usual straight-faced lies about how it was the Head Boy's responsibility to make sure the Head Girl didn't get burned out. "I've been working like this since first year, Potter, and I haven't been burned out yet," said Lily flatly, but the protest sounded half-hearted at best.

Of course, then, James got fairly close to her, putting both hands on the arms of her chair. Instinctually, Lily leaned away from him, but there really wasn't far for her to go. The expression on her face was a pretty clear warning, but she did listen to James' offer. Though a rejection was on the tip of her tongue, Lily actually thought about it for a moment. If everyone else was going to be there, then it would probably be tolerable--fun, even. Besides, as a small voice at the back of her head reminded her, she could possibly use this to her advantage.

"Let's not lie here, Potter. There's no such thing as an innocent game of Dare or Dare, which is what it is when Gryffindors are involved." Her expression hadn't changed, but it was clear she wasn't done speaking, either. "However..." Again, Lily let that pause hang between them before she continued. "If we get everything done tonight that we're meant to do, you swear on your honour as a Gryffindor that you won't act up at the next Prefect meeting, you promise to still help those first years with their Charms, and you don't forget to invite everyone else, or they don't have last minute plans, then...all right." That was a positively wicked smirk she was sporting now, and she even went so far as to extend a hand for James to shake.

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