InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You show up, you talk, you eat"

lily evans (ungilded) wrote in loremrpg,
@ 2011-03-14 21:59:00

Entry tags:

james potter, lily evans

Characters: Lily Evans and James Potter
Setting: Gryffindor common room, September 14, late evening
Content: SFW
Summary: Lily is minding her own business in the common room, when James does not so much cross the line as take a flying leap over it.

In Lily Evans' mind, there was very little that she liked as much as she did a good book. Even rereading books she'd read a million times before. Just the act of reading relaxed her, which was definitely something she needed at the moment. Not only was she still adjusting to classes and homework after the summer, but she was also adjusting to dealing with Potter and company after her lovely summer of peace. Once she finished her homework, she felt she was overdue for some Lily time, and anyway, she needed to read so she could have something to discuss at Book Club this week, and so she changed into her pyjamas and curled up on one end of a squashy sofa by the fire.

Instead of reading an old favourite piece of literature, Lily had decided to crack a relatively new piece of literature that her mother had given her when she came home over the summer. The American muggles had all been talking about it, she said, and she thought it was something Lily would enjoy. The book was The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan. True to her mother's recommendation, she found it fascinating. Lily had noticed that muggle women were more likely to be housewives than wizarding women, but she hadn't given any particular thought to it herself. She found the muggle author's point of view interesting, and she was more or less lost in the book when she was distracted by the sound of the portrait hole opening.

Of course it was Potter, the person she least wanted to see right now. Lily glanced at her watch and saw that it was approximately thirty seconds before curfew. "Cutting it close, are we?" she commented. Normally she would just have ignored him, but tonight, perhaps spurred on by the passion of the book she was reading, Lily was the one to confront him.

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stagswagger
2011-03-15 03:53 am UTC (link)

The evening had been nothing short of a case of whiplash for James Potter. Though the day started out with plans of pranks with his mates, schmoozing a few gullible professors, and making a scene at the Gryffindor table during lunch, it progressed steadily downhill following reprimand from Lily Evans on her journal. Apparently rescuing ickle first years from prejudiced Slytherin first years was no longer acceptable behavior. Naturally James turned the entire situation into an opportunity to sing his own praises and flirt around with less than receptive Lily, but she hit him below the belt this time. When James had asked her which boys were better looking than him, not only did she have a comeback, the name she pulled out of the air was none other than one of his best mates--Remus Lupin. James would have been adequately prepared to deal with just about anyone else. Hell, even Sirius Black would have been manageable. Why? Because he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt Lily couldn't tolerate Padfoot any farther than she could throw him. If she had said Pete, yeah, it would have stung, but he knew Pete didn't spend time with her apart from the group. Remus, on the other hand, shared prefect rounds with Lily. He always managed to be the one who tried to bridge the gap between the Marauders and Evans, and well, he didn't think it much of a long shot to see Evans and Remus together.

Needless to say, James was jealous. It wasn't the same kind of jealousy that arouse from Lily's former interactions with Severus Snape. No, he had written that off as pity long ago. This jealousy was stronger than that, but it was challenged by his urge to be happy for his mate. James had decided Lily was pretty much the best it got, and if she'd thought Remus worthy of her attentions... Of course she'd chastised James for being such a baby about it, and Sirius even brought forth the idea that just maybe that was the response Lily was shooting for. There was a good chance it wasn't true. Although that made sense, James was hardly thinking logically. He blew up on Remus, and Sirius for that matter, and after a few hours to himself wandering about the forest in his animagus form, he decided to return to the dormitory to leave an apology to Moony on his bed. He had written the note prior to returning to the dorm to ensure he would, in fact, deliver it.

After slipping through the portrait hole, he began to make his way to the center of the room. James hadn't noticed whose company he was in until her condescending voice cut through the silence. Quickly pocketing his letter in the back of his trousers, his hazel eyes shifted to the source of his mental anguish--Lily. He ran one hand through his unruly hair prior to stuffing both in his pockets casually. "I can go back out and come in again in if you'd like," he added cooly, motioning with his head toward the portrait hole as if to say he truly meant it.

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ungilded
2011-03-15 04:28 am UTC (link)

Of course, James would have to mess up his hair the moment he saw her. And then a response like that? Lily couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You do and I'll give you detention, Potter, and don't think I won't," she replied immediately, raising one eyebrow in a perfectly challenging expression.

Even though she had about had her fill of dealing with James' ridiculousness today, and even though she was proud to be generally unconcerned with his welfare, she couldn't help but notice that there was something off about him tonight. He didn't seem to be oozing his usual effortless charm and confidence. Her brows furrowed, and she opened her mouth to ask about it--and then she stopped short. What was she doing? She had just come this close to asking James Potter if he was doing all right! Lily knew she was something of a bleeding heart, but this was ridiculous!

Frustrated with herself and redirecting it at James, Lily huffed slightly. She ran a hand through her hair this time, brushing some curls behind her ear, and then attempted to go back to her book, cursing herself for talking to him in the first place.

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stagswagger
2011-03-15 04:49 am UTC (link)

James was tempted to promptly exit out the portrait hole once more and remain outside long enough to either elicit some response from Lily or escape her chastisement. Typically he would rise to the occasion, but right now he was between overcoming his former episode with Remus and stepping all over Evans' tiny feet (figuratively speaking). When he had his wits about him, that usually meant James was quick to add in a witty remark and action that would provoke the reaction he expected from the fiery redhead, but tonight he certainly wasn't his typical, strapping self.

Despite his lapse of resolve, James still paid particular attention to the girl he fancied. He couldn't quite put a finger on how she managed to look ten times better than the rest of the girls in Hogwarts without even trying, and at so late an hour at that. Sirius had told James time and again he didn't get it. He would agree Lily was fine to be sure, but he didn't see her any more appealing than anyone else really. Three years ago, maybe James could have conceded. Somewhere along the way his thrill of the chase became something more. Only his closest mates could validate the truth of that though, and seeing as Lily was beyond believing them, James was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Lily's lips parted, and then promptly closed again as she ran a hand through her hair. James could hardly help himself for wishing he could have been the one to remove the stray hair from her eyes. To be completely honest, it bothered him. It toyed with him so much he thought it was only fair to do the same to her.

"All right then," he retorted after roughly a minute of silence. Turning around rather abruptly, James trudged right back out the portrait hole and into the corridor. If Lily didn't set off after him, he could at least rest assured he wouldn't have to stand in her presence prolonging the torture any longer. If she did, he would have that little extra flame added to the fire. Hopefully that would be all it took to get him back to his typical, insufferable self again.

James shoved both hands in his pockets as he walked, trying his best to keep his head up as he made his way back toward the stairwell. He hummed a few lines of Odo the Hero, only to raise his volume slightly when he heard a rustle in the stairwell just ahead of him. He had hoped it would be another prefect, at which point he could offer up the fact he'd just left Lily Evans in the Common Room. He could suggest since Lily didn't seem to mind it, assumed prefect should either. Well, given the source of the noise was, in fact, a prefect. Most students would dart for cover, some would at least tone the noise down a few notches. Not James Potter. He had to add an extra hop in his step as he belted the song out. "And Odo the hero, they bore him back home to the place that he'd known as a lad. They laid him to rest with his hat inside out, and his wand snapped in two, which was sad!"

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ungilded
2011-03-15 05:07 am UTC (link)

Of course Potter would take her threat as a suggestion. Lily had thought she was home free, because he didn't say anything for almost a minute, and then suddenly the portrait hole was open again, and he was gone. "Potter, get back here!" Lily called after his retreating back, but to no avail. He either didn't hear her, didn't care, or both. Many of the students in the common room looked up, eyes flitting between Lily and the portrait hole. They were well used to Lily and James' epic rows, and were clearly hoping for another one.

Lily told herself to ignore it. Potter would get caught by some other prefect, and get detention or worse from them. Or he wouldn't. Either way, it shouldn't matter to Lily. She didn't care about what he got himself into, especially because she wasn't on duty that night.

At least, that was what she kept trying to tell herself. When she noticed that she had read the same paragraph four times, however, she gave it up with an exasperated sigh. Lily slid her bookmark into place, slammed her book down on the small table next to the couch, grabbed her wand, and set off after James, a look of extreme irritation on her face. In her haste, she just barely remembered not to slam the Fat Lady.

Of course, the minute her feet hit the cold stone, she realised she was not wearing shoes (she wasn't wearing a bra, either, but that wasn't apparent under her sweater, or at least she hoped not). She nearly turned around to go put some on, but Lily could hear James loud and clear, though he had been out here, walking away, for at least a minute before she followed him. He must be making such a racket! Not to mention, there were several prefects who would likely just send him back without a bit of punishment, considering he was James bloody Potter. Deciding not to take the time to go back up, Lily crossed her arms over her chest and stalked off in the direction of his obnoxious voice.

It didn't take her long to find him, either. The first thing she did when she found James was take the excellent opportunity to practise one of her nonverbal spells, and hit him in the back with a silencing spell. There, that would fix her problem quite nicely. Lily continued her quick walk until she was just a couple of feet away from him, still looking furious. "Potter, you are insufferable. You have two detentions, now, for being out past curfew and for challenging my authority. See Professor McGonagall for them tomorrow morning, but now come back to Gryffindor Tower or I'll levitate you back myself," she declared, letting her wand arm drop.

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stagswagger
2011-03-15 05:33 am UTC (link)

Long before James heard Lily's voice, he heard the sound of her feet smacking the cold stone as she hastened toward him. Next her footsteps hesitated briefly, and as if on cue, felt a pinch in his back followed by his own muteness. Smirking to himself, he swiveled around to face his pursuer. From within his pocket he could feel his wand, but he didn't make any sudden movements just yet. Acting as casual as possible, he continued to mouth the lyrics to Oro the Hero to himself until Lily was within range. He took her chiding like a pro, especially given the circumstances, and stood there a few seconds longer, staring at her vacantly as if expecting something more. When nothing came, James decided it was time to act. He pried his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at Lily's, not needing to mouth a word to accomplish his means. Without delay, the redhead's wand shot into his free hand. James used that very wand to reverse the silencing spell. "After all you've preached at me today, Evans, I thought you would know better than to cast at a man's back." He shook his head condescendingly, pocketing his and her wand together within the elastic of his pants. Of all the things he could possibly fathom Lily rising above, he reckoned she wouldn't be bold enough to reach within his trousers to retrieve her wand. However, now was as good of a time as ever to test her. "You're not getting your wand back until you apologise for your misconduct. Unless you'd prefer we kiss and make up. Your choice."

James fought the urge to cross his arms, knowing he was better off anticipating physical retaliation from Lily than a verbal spar. He wanted to be ready in case those tiny fists of hers came flying his way. Detention was hardly punishment, particularly detention with Minerva. Sure, the old bird was stern, but Sirius and James had interacting with her down to an art. By the time the first day's detention found itself drawing to a close, Minnie would be begging someone to take the second. James was sure of it. That aside, he could always work on getting Sirius, Peter, or both roped in with him.

Adjusting the waist of his trousers so that both wands were covered snugly beneath, James continued to walk toward the stairs, making it onto the first set just prior to them beginning to shift. He acted as if Lily was hardly any consequence whatsoever, knowing well enough she'd have little choice but to attempt to follow him if for no other reason than to retrieve her wand. Leaning his back against the railing, he gave a confident salute to the redhead as if challenging her to follow. Where, he wasn't too sure just yet, but he had her undivided attention whether Lily liked it or not.

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ungilded
2011-03-15 05:54 am UTC (link)

Lily saw the disarming spell coming before it did, but just wasn't quick enough to block it. James was, after all, one of the top duellers in the school, him and his stupid group of mates, and Lily was only average because her reflexes weren't the greatest. Before she could cast the first hex that came to mind, her wand was flying out of her hands, and James was giving her snark again.

More than the words, Lily was upset by the loss of her wand. She was mad at herself, of course, but it was more than that. Ever since they had first learned how to do it, Lily had always hated disarming. Secretly, she had always feared that one day she would wake up and all this wouldn't be anything more than an extremely elaborate dream. Her wand was the one tangible thing she had as proof that yes, she was a witch, yes, she could do magic, yes, this was all real, and so she hated getting it taken away from her.

As James spoke, Lily's initial expression of surprise shifted. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow, looking both angry and worried at the same time. She wasn't going to let Potter see how much this was bothering her. She was going to go after him and get her wand back, though she didn't know how, exactly.

Of course, she waited a moment too long, and he headed off towards the stairs, which promptly began to move. "I am not apologising to you, Potter. Give me back my wand this instant!" she shouted, all rules about quiet in the corridors forgotten. Lily chased after him, grabbing the railing and pulling herself onto the stairs just in time. "Now, Potter!" Lily continued. She wasn't resorting to physical violence just yet, but she would if he didn't listen to her.

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stagswagger
2011-03-15 06:14 am UTC (link)

Duelling was James' passion. Anything that he could turn in to competition was, but particularly when it meant he could be the hero. In this given circumstance he had to admit he was acting less than heroic, but he justified that it was for a more positive future. If he and Lily didn't learn to get along with one another, free of magical interference, he might find her casting Silencio on him every other breath. That would get them absolutely nowhere! As far as James could see, he did the most appropriate, and even humane, thing he could have done at that time. His other idea was to pin her arms down so she couldn't pull such a stunt again, but that left him with nothing left to return to but the Common Room. Restraining her only would have meant his own hands were occupied, and thus the former spell she cast against him would stand. No, James Potter simply couldn't have that.

Unfortunately his lack of experience with muggles, muggleborns, and Lily Evans in general only meant he had absolutely no clue where she was coming from. He didn't pick up any hint of wavering in her voice, so James had no cause to believe she was sincerely in panic mode. Sure, wands were a witch's or wizard's bread and butter, but it hardly mattered if neither party was using one, right? Well, little did he know, but that wasn't the case with Lily. Her demanding of the wand was grounded a bit deeper than simply wanting it back to hex him into oblivion. James was too thick to pick up on that though.

Lily nearly missed the stairs as she followed him down, James instinctively reaching out out for her waist to both balance her and ensure she didn't fall. When he realised she was well enough alone, he retracted his hand from her torso almost as immediately as it had reached for Evans. He didn't want to give her a means for shoving him off first, for starters. Secondly, he didn't want to open himself up to her kneeing him in the groin and skipping off with her wand. Making sure he was guarded enough to usurp any attempts at her getting the wand back, James smiled that carefree, couldn't give a damn smile that meant he had finally arrived. The solemn, negative note of the prior evening seemed to dissipate despite the tension between him and Lily that given second. "You're more than your magic, Evans. You don't need it. Hell, I don't need it," he lied, James stepping down the stairs the rest of the way when they settled on the sixth floor. He knew well enough this time of night Peeves would be making his rounds throughout the underused floor, and for that reason it would likely be a safe bet as a means of evading other prefects. After all, most students avoided Peeves because he'd raise a ruckus and lead them toward getting caught. James and the other Marauders, however, had some form of unspoken understand with Peeves ever since besting him at his own game first year. If anything, he'd have to see to it the poltergeist didn't raise hell over Evans being in his company that evening.

Switching the tone of the conversation to something a little more lighthearted, taking a leaf from his best mate, James made smalltalk. Insufferable, yes. Did he realise it was? Yes. Did he care? Not in the slightest. "Favourite colour," he prompted Lily, glancing over his shoulder at her as he started down the echoing corridor.

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ungilded
2011-03-15 06:36 am UTC (link)

Predictably, James reached out to steady her waist when she jumped for the stairs. Lily huffed, shrugging off his grip even as he pulled away, and made a futile grasp for the wand.

He continued walking away, still carrying her wand, and Lily felt the first little bits of panic begin to flutter in the pit of her stomach. She had seen firsthand the sorts of things Potter was capable of, and who was to say he wouldn't pull his stupid pranks on her, leave her incapacitated and stranded until morning or worse? Even magic aside, James was almost a foot taller than Lily, and significantly sturdier built. Should he try something, she had almost no way to defend herself, which was scary to say the least. Lily hated feeling this vulnerable, especially around James, someone who she didn't trust one bit.

She felt foolish, too, for thinking for one moment that Potter was off this evening. Clearly he was perfectly capable of his usual torture. The comment he said about her not needing her magic hit a little close to home, and Lily's glare intensified. If her eyes could burn a hole in his back, they would have. Lily wanted to just go back to Gryffindor, but she needed her wand back, and James had it, so she saw no alternative but to follow him.

Then, out of the blue, he asked for her favourite colour. For a moment, the fury on her face was replaced with confusion, and a furrowed brow again. Why on earth did he want to know that? "If I tell you will you give me back my wand?" she asked drily, not expecting a positive answer. "Blue," she said without really pausing for a response. "What do I have to do to get it back, Potter." Her tone of voice was flat; she wasn't really asking a question, but demanding he give her a way.

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stagswagger
2011-03-15 06:51 am UTC (link)

It was difficult for James to deny how cute Lily could get when put out, even if the entirety of her anger was directed only at him. As far as he knew, this was the only means of securing her attention thus far. It was elementary at best, but James Potter didn't care. Everything that worked with other birds didn't work on Evans, so he had to result to acting childish to get his way. He didn't feel the least bit guilty when she huffed and glared. To the contrary, it made him that much more committed to his plan to keep her with him, talking to him, as long as possible.

If James had only known the extent of Lily's concerns that given minute, as well as what she expected he was capable of, it would have left him completely humbled. If he had realized that was what she took him for, he would have surrendered her wand and returned to the Common Room under her lead. He just took the entire situation as what was the norm between them, not thinking any less or more of it. It was a good thing at that point because James could hardly take any further emotional disturbances within the remaining hours of the day.

As Lily attempted to bargain with James, he couldn't help but laugh to himself. He only assumed she wanted the wand back for the sake of teaching him a lesson prior to turning him in to McGonagall. For that very reason James didn't intend to return her wand to her until they were close to the Common Room once more. "In due time, Evans. Lily," he corrected himself, glancing back to her again with a reassuringly cheeky grin. He had to admit, this little game he had created was entertaining and beneficial. That aside, hearing her response caused James to visualize Lily wearing blue. He couldn't lie that it was a proper choice, despite the fact it wasn't Lion scarlet and gold.

When she asked what she had to do to get the wand back, James stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face her. It was at that point he realized that, like everything else, Lily was going to make this a difficult feat. "I just want to talk. Is that too much to ask?" He didn't want to give her much opportunity to respond, so James continued to question, this time shifting toward a nearby bench to sit. He had to readjust the wands, of course, but he figured it would be easiest to defend them and maintain some level of comfort if he took that alternative to walking. "Your first concert?"

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ungilded
2011-03-15 07:09 am UTC (link)

The stunt, childish and obnoxious as it was, wasn't necessarily out of character for James. However, the small talk was, as was the use of her first name. What on earth was he playing at? Did he think that if he knew her favourite colour and ice cream flavour that she would suddenly give in and swoon into his arms? Or was he actually interested in the answers?

Either way, the questions threw Lily off-guard, and she had to pause, take a breath, and shake her head. She wasn't sure what to think. Again, because years of education as a teacher's pet had trained her to respond to questions immediately when she knew the answer, she replied first before trying to appraise the situation. "Tommy Scott and the Senators. My Dad took me to a pub to see them because he had taught the drummer. It was over the summer after my second year." Lily remained standing, even when James sat, and kept her arms crossed tightly across her chest, fists balled in the soft fabric of her sweater. "Why do you want to talk? I'll sit here and talk with you for ten minutes if you give me my wand back at the end of it." Lily couldn't help but keep trying.

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stagswagger
2011-03-15 07:31 am UTC (link)

James didn't know exactly what he wished to accomplish by this short question and answer session, but he was learning about Lily as the time progressed, so he left that as his main aim. He had already gleaned a great deal of objective knowledge about her from her: anything from her nonverbal tendencies to how she handled herself in given situations. It just always escaped his better judgment to do the obvious thing, which would be asking Lily things about herself and what she could determine about herself thus far in life. A bit loaded maybe, and even a bit deep for James, but it hit him like a ton of bricks when Sirius had mentioned to him the suggestion, driving it home even further by repeating time and again he still didn't understand why James fancied Lily so much. If he couldn't make his best mate believe it, maybe there was a chance Lily didn't believe it herself. Perhaps that was why she was so unresponsive. He wasn't sure at that point in time, and quite frankly wasn't considering things near so deep in nature. He just wanted to talk. It was as simple and innocent as that, though he figured Evans would hardly take it as just that.

When she blurted out her answer, James narrowed his eyes as if picking through his brain to determine whether or not he had heard of the band before. It was muggle in nature, that much he could tell. Obviously it had to be if Lily's dad had taught a band member. That aside, Senators were muggle politicians of some sort. Most of James' experience with popular culture in muggle society was surrounding bands and songs Sirius had exposed him to. Peter also grounded him a great deal in such things, but for the life of him he couldn't pin a song to the band. That still didn't lessen the interest he had in the fact Lily's father had experience with one of the members. "Sounds wicked. I don't reckon I've heard of them before," he responded frankly, giving a slight smile prior to leaning his back against the stone wall behind him as he stretched his legs out.

His cool, collected responses were slightly muted when he saw Lily's continued closed off state. For a brief second his face betrayed him, James frowning slightly. It was probably all just a means of getting her wand back. He realized that. He was left with the option of giving it back to see if maybe she'd stay regardless or hanging on to it for that assurance she would. James hardly felt confident enough in his relationship with Evans to risk handing it over, but part of him urged James to do just that. It was gutsy, albeit stupid, move. He had to give it his best go though. "I'll give it back to you now if you sit down and try to relax a bit," he offered in response, slipping her wand and his own out of his pants. To further show how sincere he was about giving it a chance, James not only handed her wand over but placed his own beside him on the bench. He wanted to make it clear that stealing her wand back was not in his immediate plans for the future. Looking back at Lily with another grin, he crossed his arms over his torso and waited for the stones to fall where they may before deciding to continue his conversation. After all, if she chose to leave he didn't want to embarrass himself by attempting to connect with her more.

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ungilded
2011-03-15 07:41 am UTC (link)

Lily listened to James' comment about the band, not expecting him to have heard of them. They were a fairly obscure local band, after all, though their lead singer was just a tad bit more famous these days. She didn't intend to mention that, though, because she wasn't really interested in continuing the conversation.

She was honestly surprised, however, by the little frown that James let slip. Where did that come from? She just could not seem to suss Potter out this evening. Then he surprised her even more, by offering her her wand back straight away. Immediately she reached out and snatched it back, relaxing instantly when the familiar warmth flooded her fingers. For a moment, Lily closed her eyes and sighed, some of the tension easing from her shoulders, and then processed what James had said.

Did he truly just want to talk with her? That suggestion alone caused Lily to open her eyes and peer curiously at him. What could be his ulterior motive here? He had given her her wand back, which made Lily feel miles better about the whole situation. A moment ago she would have said she wanted nothing more than to run back to Gryffindor, but now...

Lily Evans had a giant heart, this much was a fact. The reason she spent so much of her life defending others was because she cared for them so much. Her heart was trying to win her brain over, because for some reason she felt that if she left now, James would not just be disappointed that his little game was over, but genuinely sad, and that would make Lily feel guilty. She didn't want to feel guilty over James Potter of all people, but at the same time, what if he started being obnoxious again?

Well, she supposed she could always hex him and leave then, if the need arose. For the moment, a wary, confused look still on her face, she sat down on the bench very slowly. Her arms were still crossed over her, but more loosely now. They fell across her stomach, and it seemed she was trying to keep warm now as much as protected. She did take a moment to push some hair behind her ear again, which was a tactic she frequently employed to give herself an extra couple of seconds to think in conversation. After her moment, eyes downward instead of looking at James, she continued the concert thread of conversation from earlier. "I don't think you would have heard of them. They were just a local band. But...I don't suppose one of your mates has shown you Tom Jones? He's their lead singer, and a sight more famous than they ever were."

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stagswagger
2011-03-15 08:01 am UTC (link)

As Lily's eyes drooped shut momentarily, James continued to stare silently at her. He couldn't quite fathom why she had such an intense reliance on her wand, specifically considering there was little need for it with his guard lowered. James just assumed it was a matter of her having the one-up on him. Hell, he would have offered his wand to her if that meant it helped ease her tension that much more. However, James wasn't too entirely sure she wouldn't make off with it to save future students from his senseless pranks. He could only see himself tomorrow, attempting to explain to the Marauders why he couldn't help them finish the touches on their upcoming prank on the Charms wing.

Despite Lily's confused expression, or rather in light of it, James was granted a little more time to truly look into her eyes. It might sound cheesy, but he rarely received such benefits unless he managed to catch her dazing or staring intently at something in class. He could hardly blame himself for going crazy over those eyes now that he had a proper look at them, and frankly couldn't understand how Sirius didn't pick up on such an obvious bit of perfection within Lily's person. Granted, James was a little biased, but that was beyond the point!

All sense of uncertainty diminished when Lily took her seat next to James. It gave him an extra bit of confidence to continue forward. He was tempted to say something along the lines of 'not so bad now, is it' but thought the better of it. In no way did he want to turn Lily off to this rare opportunity to get along. James decided to branch out a bit and turn ever so slightly to face her a tiny bit more, repositioning his arms lower on his torso so as to still remain casual. He just didn't want to miss out on those tempting nonverbals Lily offered so frequently, and staring straight ahead would do that. Fortunately, he turned just in time to see her fidget with her curls again, James watching her every move as she did while smiling goofily at her. It took a few seconds for him to get himself back in check, James clearing his throat as Lily continued her thought about the band.

"Tom Jones. Sounds familiar. He's Welsh, innit he?" James asked, almost 99.9% sure of the answer prior to asking it. Giving Lily a bit of leeway to dispute the fact might help her open up a little more though, so he let it rest for a second before continuing. "Sirius let me listen to some of his stuff before. We went to a muggle football match and heard the Welsh singing the chorus of 'Delilah.'" Before he had realized what he was doing, James had taken the conversation back over. A bit put off by his discovery, the boy switched the attention back to Lily. "You like Tom Jones then? Reckon you'd ever want to see him again if given the chance?"

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ungilded
2011-03-15 08:15 am UTC (link)

Though Lily knew that some wizards did listen to Muggle music, she was still a bit surprised that James knew who Tom Jones was. He wasn't necessarily her favourite artist in the history of time, or anything, but it was something, and more of a connection than she ever expected to have with James Potter.

Actually interested in something he had to say for once, Lily listened to his story and tried to ignore the thought that she was currently having a perfectly civil conversation with James Potter. She even smiled when he mentioned the song. "Yes, well, we're proud of our own," she commented, remembering a few football matches with her father and even her sister when she could be persuaded to come. James had continued to talk, however, and she had more to respond to. "Yeah, I suppose I do. I mean, of course, a twelve year old in a pub, I thought everything was wicked, but I do like his music." Lily did not respond to the question about seeing him again, because James being James, he would likely turn up with Tom Jones concert tickets next week, having procured them from Merlin knows where. After a beat, though, she kept talking. "Really, I just miss music at Hogwarts. Wish I could have a record player in my dorm somehow, but it wouldn't play with the magic even if I did. Be fun to listen to things with mates, swap records, dance like no one's watching, and all that, you know?" Her anxieties about this conversation were drifting away as it progressed, and so she let herself look up at James as she finished that sentence, hoping to make her point.

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stagswagger
2011-03-15 08:40 am UTC (link)

The fact that James could provoke a smile from Lily was somewhat shocking to him, regardless of the fact he was shooting for just that. Usually that was only accompanied by some cold, disconnected laughter or just following another reprimanding him and his mates. He was happy to take it for what it was at this point in time, returning the smile all the more.

James picked up on the alteration in Lily's facial expressions and how much more interested she seemed when he mentioned 'Delilah.' Though the song seemed a bit creepy at points, he couldn't deny that he had picked up on the connection the Welsh had taken to the tune. Whenever their players did something fantastic, or at the very end when they had actually won that one match, James heard the chorus ring out as loud as day. It was a catchy tune despite it's peculiarity, and James was glad to have made the association with Lily. Just like Sirius had instructed him, he was making headway by showing common interests. Granted, he didn't have near as much of an interest in Jones prior to that very moment. He made a mental note to attempt to seek out tickets as soon as humanly possible, if not for him to escort Lily then for the hopes of reaffirming that this little conversation truly did happen.

"You dad really sounds great. My dad would have had to go through mum if he attempted to do that when I was your age." Okay, so it wouldn't have been too hard for Charlus despite that fact, but it was still the point that counted. When Lily continued on about music at Hogwarts and how she longed for a record player, James mentally began to work through ideas on how to incorporate magic into the creation in hopes of satisfying Lily's desires. He couldn't deny it would benefit the entire Gryffindor tower if one was within a student's possession, but even greater still was his desire to make it a reality for the sake of giving Lily that which she desired. Though part of him wanted to be her hero in that respect, the greater part of him just wanted to see her smile at him like this again. He figured in the future they could expect further discord, and this perhaps was his next big safety net. He'd have to work to make that a reality, but he figured with the help of his mates it was manageable. Failure was never an option for James.

When Lily closed off her statement with a question, James gave a lopsided half-smile. He nodded in agreement before adding to her remark. "I think it could do the lot of us some good when you put it that way," he remarked. A few strands of Lily's hair fell into her eyes again, and without really thinking, James reached up to brush them to the side as she had done so frequently before. However, that contact with her skin left him feeling an unavoidable urge to linger. He knew it wasn't something she owed him, and truly he probably shouldn't have even touched her without asking permission at this point, but James wasn't exactly thinking straight. His hand slipped away from her briefly, as if he was about to fully retract it, but as if his brain was sending mixed signals to his hand and his face, James' eyes remained fixed on Lily's. Then they trailed to her lips, at which point there was no turning back. He had to take the plunge or forever regret it. With no further hesitation, James cupped his hand just below Lily's ear and leaned in for a gentle, albeit intentional, kiss.

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ungilded
2011-03-15 08:52 am UTC (link)

When James mentioned that his father would have had to go through his mother, Lily laughed. Sure, it was a small laugh, a chuckle really, but it was leaps and bounds of progress. "My dad's always had a way with my mum. She can't say no to him, not really." Again, Lily was remembering. Even as a kid she had always known that her parents truly loved each other, and maybe that notion combined with the arguments in the book she was reading was what had put her off her game a bit tonight.

Off her game or not, she was fairly sure she'd never seen James Potter smile like that before. He was more commonly found with a great, ridiculous grin, or a mischievous smirk, but this? This was a real smile, and Lily liked it rather better than his usual arrogance. Though there was a part of her brain still screaming at her, wondering what on earth she was doing sitting here conversing with James when she had her wand back now, she couldn't help but smile too after a look like that.

That was when things started to change, however. First James reached out and brushed some hair out of her eyes. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was playing at, firmly ignoring the butterflies that were trying to flutter in her stomach, but before she could say anything, their eyes were locked, and then suddenly, they were kissing.

At first, Lily did not pull away. If she were completely honest with herself? Yes, of course she was attracted to James Potter. Not his arrogant persona, but when someone so attractive and charming paid so much attention to you, and then went to so much trouble just to get you to talk to them, it was difficult not to. That, coupled with the surprise and a healthy dose of instinct kept the kiss going for several seconds longer than Lily would have logically preferred.

Then, suddenly, her brain kicked into high gear. James sodding tosspot Potter had just kissed her! The arsehole who bullied Slytherins, who had made her best friend's life a living hell for years, who thought the world existed to revolve around him, he had kissed her and she was kissing him back? All at once, her eyes shot open, she brought her hands up to his shoulders, and she shoved him away, letting out a horrified gasp. The hand not still holding her wand came to cover her mouth.

After just a moment, though, that horror shifted to anger, and she leapt up from the bench. "I can't believe you! I should have known," she said, eyes shining with fury. Lily hadn't hexed him all night, but thought that for this heinous violation of her wants and personal space, he deserved the worst she could think of. After about two seconds, she decided that would be a stinging hex to his privates; perhaps that would stop him thinking with them next time. Hex delivered, Lily turned around and ran off, back towards the Tower as fast as her feet would carry her. And here she had thought for a second that there was more to James' feelings for her than a desire to get in her pants and then check her off his list. She knew better than that now, at any rate.

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