InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Boop!"

James C. Potter (stagswagger) wrote in loremrpg,
@ 2011-03-16 15:33:00

Entry tags:

!complete, !incomplete, james potter, lily evans

Characters: James and Lily
Note: Open to any student interested in joining in. Feel free to start a new comment thread or join in the main one. We don't mind!
Setting: The Great Hall around dinnertime, September 16th
Content: SFW
Summary: James had twenty-four hours (and then some) to suss out how to make things right.

James Potter was a great prat. As evidence of his recent act of stupidity, he had a lingering red rash in parts he wouldn't talk about again in front of Evans. At least not any time in the near future anyway. No, James was all too painfully aware of the extent of her vindication, and he wanted absolutely no further part in that. By no means was he a coward, but one more run-in with a hex to the goods, and he might find himself unable to have children in the future. As tempted as he was to suss that little tidbit out with Lily, he thought the better of it. All that free time away from classes at least served his better sense some.

The thorn in Lily's side racked his brain for what seemed like the entire evening in regards to how he could make amends with the fiery redhead. He knew a simple 'Sorry' wouldn't suffice in this case. Even if she had been willing to accept that, though, James preferred to dream bigger when it came to quality. He could half-ass many things, but his attraction to Lily wasn't something he wanted her to take lightly anymore. Although he and his mates could joke about it until the hippogriffs came home, at the end of the day it did bother him to some degree that she simply couldn't see. Or refused. He didn't know which it was, but Lily had him convinced she was blind to his intentions.

Without much further delay, James decided to send an owl home to his father for assistance. He kept things brief so as to prevent provoking his mum's questions, but even so, was able to adequately display the sense of urgency that they respond promptly to his request. Within no more than one hour of his owl delivery, what he had requested was delivered to him via return owl. He had to admit it was a bit smaller than anticipated, but he could make it work. Besides, the fact it wasn't as large as others he'd seen only had to imply it wouldn't take near as long to modify.

Just as he'd anticipated, his project had come to completion only two hours after lunch. It was amazing how much one could complete without the nuisance of classes to get in the way of things. He snuck in to the Room of Requirement to get a stack of items that he was told would do the trick, fingering through the thick stack prior to hauling it out of the room and back to his dormitory. By means of slipping the enchanted key in to position, life was introduced to the gadget. He spent the remainder of his afternoon practicing what he'd say, an idea totally foreign to him but one that was almost necessary at this point. If he could just make Lily see he wasn't all bad this once, maybe she would be willing to overlook those other times he was (and all future transgressions at that)!

James ran his master plan by Sirius and the others, though he didn't get the vibe his best mate was near as excited for him as he'd first expected. Literally shaking Sirius out of it, James managed to gain his support. The two planned their premature trip to the Great Hall for dinner, just to make sure everything was in place prior to. Then, to give himself enough time to appear casually late, James paid off a Gryffindor second year to watch the package addressed to Lily Evans. Within its contents were a note attached to a list. Once that was read in its entirety, the brown paper covering the actual gift itself was charmed to disintegrate to reveal the contents: a muggle record player and a handful of records. Sirius was standing by at the ready with the key that would bring the muggle contraption to life, and if he followed the game plan to a T, all would begin to unfold immediately after Lily's completion of the words James had written.

When the time finally drew closer to dinner, James retreated a ways back so as not to be seen by any other students, particularly not Lily or her mates. He watched as she made her way in to the Great Hall, and from that point slowly followed her in, giving her enough time to take her seat and sort through the prize on her own.

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ungilded
2011-03-17 02:05 am UTC (link)

For her part, Lily hadn't had the easiest couple of days either. First, she told her girlfriends about what had happened, and she expected them to placate her and complain about Potter as was typical--but instead, they defended him, and suggested Lily give him a chance, which certainly threw her. She trusted her friends implicitly, and if they thought he wasn't all that bad, then maybe she was wrong. Lily had seen a glimmer of something for herself before he kissed her, when he had made conversation with her, had actually made her laugh and smiled genuinely instead of arrogantly or mischievously. The above events alone would have been enough to leave her somewhat torn, but her conflicting feelings were only intensified when Remus, Peter, and Black all stepped up in turn to assure Lily that Potter was truly serious about her, and to implore her to give him a chance. Remus and Peter were Lily's friends, and Black knew Potter better than anyone, so their words meant more to Lily than she let on. Truly, the girl was conflicted. All that was missing was an apology from Potter himself.

Lily wasn't necessarily expecting an apology, but if she had been, she would have predicted it to come over journals, or perhaps in person. She had clearly underestimated Potter's tendencies towards showmanship. As such, she wasn't expecting anything to happen that night at dinner. She knew instantly that something was up, however, when she headed for her usual seat, fairly close to the High Table, and there was a package there, being watched closely by a second year that she recognized. When the second year saw her, though, he took off.

Suspiciously, Lily took her seat. She identified the handwriting immediately as James', and felt a swoop of something in her stomach, though whether it was dread, anticipation, excitement, or a mixture of the three, she couldn't be sure. Unknowingly playing along perfectly with James' plan, Lily read the note first, and was surprised by the self-deprecation and sincerity that Potter was showing. The list was next, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face at that. Had Potter really done all these things? She only rolled her eyes at the one about him hanging a Slytherin from a chandelier, though even Lily had to admit that that was more or less justified.

She furrowed her brows at the seventh note. Something for her? And just then, as she moved the list to try and see where Potter was (she knew he would be watching), she saw it, and she couldn't help but gasp. A record player. Lily didn't even have to try it to know that somehow, some way, Potter had managed to modify it to work at Hogwarts. Even knowing who had given it to her, she couldn't keep the expression of surprise and happiness off of her face.

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stagswagger
2011-03-17 02:47 am UTC (link)

To validate her suspicions, James had been watching from the distance. It wasn't so far that he couldn't get a clear view of Lily's face, and needless to say, he would have been satisfied enough leaving it with that smile of hers. If he had known he could provoke such a response, James gladly would have done this sooner. To top that, he probably would have gotten one of the larger players. Making a mental note to check out larger ones in the future, because bigger is always better, James proceeded to slip into a crowd of students heading in to the Great Hall for dinner. It was still early yet, but several curious students had crowded around Lily to see what the package was all about. True to Sirius' style, he cut through the crowd to put a record on the player, simultaneously inserting the owl key in the appropriate spot.

Then came the music. James wasn't familiar with too many muggle artists of similar nature to this one, but he could hardly help himself from learning songs that tended to strike a chord with the ladies. That was his excuse anyway. Merlin only knew he'd never attempted to use such a means prior to tonight. Still there was a first time for everything, and James knew it would take something huge to bring back that smile he'd caught a glimpse of the other night. The instruments carried on for a few measures while James slipped through the crowd the table opposite of where Lily was facing. He was adorned in a black muggle tophat with matching cane, mostly owing to the fact he knew that would likely provoke a greater response, and maybe even laughter. James was definitely okay with that, especially if the laughter was coming from Evans. That aside, he couldn't deny he'd been dying to try out the ensemble for a while now. Now he merely had an excuse.

Hopping upon the table opposite of Lily, James strutted in sync with the beat, imitating a clip he had seen from a muggle theatre not long ago. He added in animated gestures to those nearby, tipping a hat or kicking his cane when appropriate (which admittedly was often because James couldn't figure out a reason why not)! All the while he was lip syncing to the lyrics. Thankfully he knew this song well enough to do so. By the time the song had made it to the second verse about forty seconds in, James had done a few tricks with his tophat, causing it to disappear and reappear magically (literally), rolling it around his shoulders, and then place it back on his head. His dancing skills were hardly comparable to, say, Fred Astaire, but at least he could keep a beat as well as entertaining the audience.

Halfway through the song, James hopped down from the table and made his way through the students to the Gryffindor Table. He tipped over a portion of the bench no one was sitting on, quite purposely mind you, while making his way up to his new stage. Tipping his at down when he made eye contact with Lily, James winked and continued to lip sync as he played up every little motion. Thankfully the plates weren't prepared yet. The house elves, let alone the staff and faculty, probably would have had his head. At about one minute and fifteen seconds in James offered Lily a hand to encourage her to join him on the table. He knew it was crazy, and even a leap of faith in front of all these people. That aside, this was far from Lily's norm. Fortunately he had anticipated it in advance, and before she had a chance to really decide one way or another what she wanted to do, Sirius helped another student lift her up onto the table. Ah, the perks of being tall and loved school-wide! James tossed his cane down to a student nearby, placing a hand on Lily's waist to pull her near, and another stretched out with palm up for her to grab. Thank Godric those partner dance lessons his mum insisted on giving him as a young boy were finally going to pay off! At that point he was no longer lip syncing, but rather was singing along with the record as he waited to be sure she was comfortable enough with doing this.

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ungilded
2011-03-17 03:16 am UTC (link)

There was a time when Lily would have been thoroughly embarrassed by such a stunt, and would have stomped off in a huff before Potter even started lip-syncing. This wasn't that time, however. She was feeling generous towards him already, after the pleas she had gotten from all sides to give him a chance, and the combination of that with his letter, his ridiculous list, and his thoughtful gift? It was enough for Lily to throw her 'better' judgment to the wind and let her Gryffindor sensibilities take over, just enjoying the moment. Like the rest of the school, she let herself laugh at James' antics, enjoying the ridiculousness of his dance, a little corner of her heart touched that all this was for her. Not that James didn't take every opportunity to enjoy public spectacle, but this must have taken even more planning than usual.

She certainly wasn't expecting him to come over and essentially ask her to dance. Lily was surprised, but before she could react, there were hands helping her onto the table, making the decision for her. Who was she to refuse, after this? It was often forgotten by those who got in her way when she was on Prefect duty, but Lily liked having fun too. Still laughing, she took James' offered hand and played along, beginning to dance with him. "James, you are ridiculous," she said through her laughter, though not entirely sure he could hear her over the music.

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stagswagger
2011-03-17 03:43 am UTC (link)

Much to James' great pleasure, not only did Lily refrain from hexing him, she took his hand in order to allow him to lead her in the dance. This had to be a milestone for them, and the fact it was in front of the entire school, more or less, only managed to fan the flame. James wasn't too impressive as a solo dancer, but he could certainly hold his own with a partner. Good thing too, else they would have both found themselves on the floor. The tables were sturdy and wide, but not nearly as much as one's typical stage or dance floor! Lily's eyes had that familiar light in them, her smile exceeding what he could remember from the night before, so naturally it was difficult to keep himself modest when holding her in his arms. James had resolved prior to walking in that evening that he would attempt to keep from doing what was expected of him, and snogging her right in front of the entire school would have fallen under that category. When attempting to make amends it requires one to take drastic measures, and denying himself was probably as drastic as it could get for him. He wasn't exactly the most selfish boy in school, but James had his desires. Rarely did he deny himself something he wanted, at least up until tonight. As was said before, a night of firsts!

James saw Lily's laughter break prior to hearing her words, but he quieted down ever so slightly in order to make sure he didn't miss a single syllable. When she'd finished saying how ridiculous he was, and calling him by his first name in the process, James smiled broadly in response as he kept singing, only slightly louder as he swept her further down the table. He had prepared in advance for how he wanted to end the dance, and he hoped she'd only trust him to lead her. If she tried to fight the movement it could mean the two of them toppling over a few of their peers or even a strained muscle (particularly in the back). As was normal for James, however, it was full speed ahead. He slowed his movements considerably as they reached the end of the song, and when it came time for the final few notes, prepared Lily by removing his hand from hers and lifting it to the side of her face and stretching just behind her head. Tightening his grip just a little on her waist as his arm wrapped more securely behind her, James lowered his partner down to finish with a dramatic dip. Of course he kept his eyes on hers the entire time, so it wasn't until the room erupted in applause and voices that James realized that was it.

Both proud and a wee bit sorry to see it end, James laughed slightly before slowly guiding Lily back to an upright position. He then lowered his hand from her face and reluctantly from her waist. Not knowing what to do with them, he scratched under his hat for a second before removing the top hat and tossing it into the crowd. Clearing his throat as he shifted his attention back to Lily, James shrugged slightly with a faux exhausted huff, jumping from the table to the floor prior to turning to face her again. Keeping his eyes on Lily, he stretched his hand out to her in an attempt to offer to help her down. He would have carried her down himself, but he didn't want to be too bold. Moderation was key tonight, at least as much as James knew of moderation! "Forgive me?"

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ungilded
2011-03-17 07:56 am UTC (link)

Though she hated to admit it, even to herself, dancing with James on the tables in front of the whole school? It was fun. Really, that was the sort of general tomfoolery that Lily could get behind: it didn't hurt anyone, it didn't disrupt classes, and everyone involved walked away with a smile on their faces. That, and James still got his customary ego boost and rush of attention, so he ought to have been pleased too.

Honestly, Lily was expecting James to dip her. After all, what better way to end a dramatic, very public partner dance than a dip? Maybe Lily hadn't had dancing lessons, per se, but she had gone dancing before once or twice, with blokes from the neighbourhood, and her mother had showed her what to do. She could tell, therefore, that James was going to dip her, so she continued playing along and being a good sport, arching her back when she felt him shift his grip and bend. As the music ended, James was still frozen looking into her eyes, which made Lily a bit surprised. Did he really fancy her that much? Truthfully? Sure, he had said as much in his note, and his friends had said the same, and there was all the evidence of tonight's ridiculousness, but it was one thing to know it on paper and another entirely to experience it.

They both came back to life once the applause began. Rolling her eyes a bit sheepishly, Lily obliged her fellow students with a delicate little curtsy, then she took James' offered hand as help down from the table. After all, proportionally speaking, that was a much further distance for her than it was for him! Lily let go of his hand when she was properly down, though, and that was when he asked her to forgive him.

After a display like that, how could she not, truly? Still, she wasn't going to make it that easy for him. Lily enjoyed not making things easy for James whenever possible. She scrunched up her face as if she were seriously thinking about it, then appeared to arrive at a conclusion, one that she had actually been considering before tonight's events even began. Of course, James didn't need to know that. Lily cleared her throat, and then extended her right hand for a handshake. "Hello there. I'm Lily Evans. It's a wonder we haven't met yet, despite being in the same house and year for such a long time, isn't it?" Hopefully, James would figure out what she was doing and play along, as she had done for him.

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stagswagger
2011-03-18 05:19 am UTC (link)

Of course James was beaming when he saw Lily dip down to curtsy for their adoring audience. That was a side of her that didn't come out too frequently when he was around, so the fact James helped cause that to surface made him feel even more accomplished. It also didn't hurt to be reminded she was capable of handling the spotlight. James could name so many girls off the top of his head who would have shied away when all was said and done, but that was far from Lily's response. She proved once again why Gryffindor was the house for her, facing the crowd just as confidently as ever prior to allowing James to help her down from the table.

The time that passed between the point when he'd asked forgiveness and when Lily actually verbally responded was brutal, James nearly jumping then gun by offering further words in exchange for her pardon. He forced himself to remain quiet, though, watching Lily's every change of facial expression. Initially he thought he'd have to figure something else out. Surely if it was taking her such deep thought that couldn't mean anything good! After she'd cleared her throat, however, Lily offered her hand to James. Admittedly he was shocked at first. His eyes looked down at her hand briefly as if surprised she was willing to forgive him, let alone breach the strict 'no physical contact with Potter' rule. Smiling as he shifted his eyes back to hers, James took Lily's smaller hand in his. "Lily Evans," he repeated, smiling as he grabbed the outside of their hands with his other one. "James Potter, at your service. You'll have to forgive me. I would have introduced myself sooner, but this gangly, messy-haired twot threatened to hang me from a wall sconce if I tried." James playfully carried on with Lily, attempting to keep himself from giving in to the urge to kiss her hand. Typically he would have done just that, but he wanted to prove there was more to him than that alone. James would have given anything in the world right then just to pull her in to a hug, but again, didn't want to ruin all he'd fought to secure.

Removing both of his hands from hers, reluctantly as ever, James began to escort Lily down the table back to where her record player was located. "So tell me, Miss Evans. Is there any chance you have a spare seat nearby this evening? My mates reckon they've seen enough of my ugly mug today and have exiled me from my typical spot at the table."

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ungilded
2011-03-18 04:58 pm UTC (link)

A part of Lily acknowledged that James' hands were warm when they wrapped around her own, but Lily quickly shoved that thought away. Her smirk grew into a smile when he picked up on the game, though she had to break character and laugh at his suggestion of what had kept them from 'meeting'. "You ought to have hung him from one instead, then, and see how he liked it. If anyone deserves to be hung from a wall sconce, it's gangly, messy-haired twots," Lily responded, a playful tone edging into her voice. This was the first time in recent memory that she had been playful with James; normally she was exasperated or furious. She much preferred playful.

Lily allowed James to accompany her back down the table to her prior seat, pointedly ignoring stares, whispers, and the occasional catcall from their peers nearby. It was ridiculous to be sure, but nothing she couldn't handle, and to prove it, she responded to James as if there were no one else around, almost-playful smile still clearly present. "I suppose that could be arranged," she said. Part of the reason Lily said yes was out of gratitude for James' gift, and part was to continue to test her hypothesis that James was much more tolerable when separated from his mates.

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