Chapter 4- Erotic Nose Bleeds
James let Lily lead him to the Hospital Wing. The two traveled in silence, but every now and then Lily would murmur another apology. This is a nice change, he thought happily as she open the door for him. He still thought this even his nose was gushing out blood.
"You're here again, Mister Potter?" asked Madame Pomfrey with tired disbelief. "Why are you always picking fights with people who are bigger and stronger than you?" James looked completely offended. The nurse had just called him weak. James Harold Potter was not a weakling.
"But I didn't fight," James protested and almost whined at the elderly nurse.
"Well, I can understand that you don't want to admit to fighting and losing in front of a girl but you're looking in a right state, Mr. Potter," the nurse tutted.
"But I really didn't have a fight!" James attempted to explain.
"Mh, was it a younger student who beat you up like this?" asked Madame Pomfrey sympathetically. "You wouldn't be in so much denial if it had been an older student. You can tell me, Mr. Potter."
"No!" James growled losing his patience, "I didn't have a fight!"
"It was me, Madame Pomfrey," said Lily finally seeing that James was about ready to blow his top, "I accidentally bumped into him and caused him to lose his balance. He fell down the stairs."
"Miss Evans! You?" Madame Pomfrey asked in complete disbelief.
"I didn't do it on purpose," Lily confessed with large puppy dog like emerald eyes, "it was an accident, I swear."
"I believe you Miss Evans. You would never intentionally harm anyone," the nurse agreed and went to fetch her wand.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," hissed James.
"I didn't do it on purpose!" Lily protested, "How many times do I have to say `I'm sorry'?" James ignored her question.
"Whatever," James grumbled. Lily looked like she had just been slapped across the face.
"Hey! At least I brought you in the Hospital Wing!" Lily huffed putting her hands on her hips; "I could have let Gudrun have her way with you . . ." James shuddered.
"You wouldn't dare," he muttered darkly, "Plus bringing me here was the least you could have done."
"The least is good enough for you!" Lily exclaimed glaring at him.
"You are a sweet little ray of sunshine today, aren't you Evans?" Prongs smirked as well as he could but it hurt, "Compared to you, a Banshee would be considered a high society, aristocratic, well-behaved, charming escort at a Ministry ball."
"Don't push your luck, Potter," Lily threatened while hardening her glare.
"Ha!" James laughed dryly, "I'm already injured and profusely bleeding from my nose. It can't get much worse!"
"Are you sure?" Lily taunted as a vindictive glimmer came to her green eyes, "I could break your nose again if I wanted to."
"You wouldn't dare!" James growled at her coldly.
"Well then don't tempt me, Jamesie," she said coating her voice in false sugary sweetness, a coy smile on her lips.
"I'll tempt you all I damn well please," James grinned with a still bleeding nose. "You know you want me Lily. I can see your desire in your eyes. You can tell me; I won't tell anybody."
"Oh, yes, Potter," Lily said sarcastically rolling her eyes, "There is nothing more erotic on God's green earth than watch your nose bleed."
"Now you're getting into it, Evans," James went on arching his eyebrow suggestively "You want to pounce on me and make hot passionate love for hours on end."
"Oh yes," Lily drawled coldly in monotone, "I want to pounce on you for the sole reason of hitting you real hard upside the head!"
"Oh please, you couldn't hurt me! You're just a girl," James mumbled into his tissue. Lily's jaw dropped in outrage.
"Just a girl?" she demanded, "just a girl!"
"Yes!" James hollered at her
"Fine, then! I will give you `just a girl'!" Lily snarled and she pinched his broken nose causing him to yell out in pain. But just as she did so, Madame Pomfrey chose that moment to walk back into the ward.
"Miss Evans! What are you doing?" the nurse exclaimed. She was completely flabbergasted that one of her patients was being attack right in front of her.
Lily stopped and stood deathly still but she still had a firm grip on James's nose, "Uh . . . um . . . nothing," She said as innocently as she could before she pinched him again.
"Do you really expect me to believe that, Miss Evans?" Madame Pomfrey said angrily, "Now take your hands off my patient. You will be receiving a detention for attacking a fellow student!"
"But he provoked me!" Lily protested glaring at James who had a smug look on his face, "He said I'm `just a girl' and that women can't do anything right," she lied without missing a beat. James was flabbergasted, but Madame Pomfrey cut him off before he could respond.
"Mr. Potter will receive a detention as well," hissed the nurse furiously before muttering, "You will see what girls can do!"
"Damn women's rights activists," James murmured painfully cradling his nose but Lily still could hear him.
"Hey!" she said slapping him hard on the arm. James winced.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" yelled the nurse, "Miss Evans you should go." Lily didn't move. "NOW MISS EVANS!"
"Yes, Madame Pomfrey." Lily said softly and left the Hospital Wing; but not before she shot him another look that sent chills down his spine.
That damn arrogant, big-headed, immature, snot-nosed, idiotic, so stupid he couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were on the heel, whining, good for nothing, spoiled, shallow, delinquent, little shit, thought Lily as she stormed from the Hospital wing.
She was so mad, she could spit nails. She had to find a way to dispose of her anger. Luckily she knew just the place to do it. Lily glanced around to see if there were any other students nearby. But seeing that the coast was clear, she stepped behind the tapestry. As soon as she had closed the door of the secret cabinet, she completely exploded.
"If Potter says one more word demeaning word about me or any of my friends, or if I catch him when he is breaking yet another rule, I swear on Dumbledore's white long beard I will turn him in! I've had so many chances to turn that little bastard in and I didn't do it but now he has crossed the line and I am not going to put up with his arrogant ass anymore," and so Lily went on and on and on about how much she hated James Potter. She was screaming at the top of her lungs. She had been yelling for so long that her voice finally became very hoarse and she couldn't carry on.
"Damn it," she said in a low rough voice, "My voice!" It hurt for her to talk. She attempted to clear her throat several times, but only a croaking sound came out.
Just great, she thought again and decided to walk back to Gryffindor Tower. As she stepped into the passage she could hear steps coming towards her and Lily stopped. She listened intently but the sound was gone for the moment. She walked further and again she heard footsteps. Once again she stopped walking.
"Hello," Lily whispered.
"Hello," someone responded back. It was the same voice that she had encountered in the cabinet two nights ago.
"You're here too?" he asked with a friendly tone, but Lily could hear some note of concern.
"Yes," Lily said in her usual soft voice, not the angry voice she used to scold James and the other troublemakers.
"Are you hiding again?" he asked gently, but Lily could tell he was smiling. She smiled back unconsciously.
"No, I actually just wanted to be alone," she said calmly with a hint of sadness thinking of how James had just treated her with blatant disrespect.
"Stress?" he pondered aloud not really asking her, but she responded anyway.
"Yes," she said softly, "I suppose you could call it that."
"You want to talk about it?" he asked softly not wanting to force her into anything. Lily appreciated his kindness; it made Lily smile.
"Do you really want to know?" she asked in a tone that sounded disbelieving and humorous. The other voice laughed softly; Lily decided that she liked his laugh. It caused goose bumps all over her skin.
"Maybe I can give you some advice," he suggested nonchalantly, "I've been known to have a few good ideas from time to time."
"Well okay," Lily said slowly, "There is this guy. He's just completely awful. He thinks that he can get away with anything and everything. He thinks he has the answers to everything and he knows that he drives me up the wall. I swear that at the next sight of him or hearing him act all cocky I'll just explode." Lily finished and let out a tired sigh.
"Well, it sounds to me like the guy is a real idiot, Maybe he wants to impress you or get you attention," the stranger told her, "Try ignoring him. Either he gets the message or you tell me and I'll talk to him and tell him to back off." Lily couldn't help but laugh.
"Thanks," she said shyly, "that's so sweet of you. Now, if you don't mind my asking, what are you doing here?"
"I have . . . stress too," he responded after a moment of silence.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Lily offered him the same deal he had just given her. The stranger laughed again sending warm thrills down her spine.
"Do you really want to know?" he asked her and Lily got a pleasant tickling sensation in her stomach.
"Maybe I can give you some advice. I've been known to have a few good ideas from time to time," she said and grinned.
"Well, okay. There is this girl. She won't let me finish a sentence or get a word in edgewise. She looks at me like I've got an infectious disease and she yells at me in this voice that's just . . . oh boy . . . completely terrifying," he said quietly.
"Well, it sounds to me like she is just trying to seem like a bitch. It's all just show, a mask that she puts on. Believe me. The truth, actually, is that she is completely the opposite of that. She just doesn't want someone to get too close," Lily explained to the stranger.
"I don't think that she has a normal speaking voice," the stranger brooded, "Like you. I mean, you've got a wonderful, soothing voice."
"Thanks," Lily said and blushed, "actually, I have a bit of a cold," she lied. The stranger didn't need to know she had just yelled till her voice was gone.
"Then I want to hear you when you're feeling better," he said in a deep, husky bass. Lily felt a pleasant shiver fly up her spine.
"Thanks," she said again and took a step forward as did the stranger, and they bumped into one another again. It was like magic. They were really close, and his hands wrapped around her waist to steady her and her hand rested gently on his . . . muscular . . . chest. Lily knew he was taller than her. She just felt it and looked up into the darkness.
"You are really nice," Lily said after a few moments of silence, "Much nicer than any of the other guys I know."
"Thanks," he responded and Lily could tell he was smiling, "I can't remember that last time I've had a decent and intelligent conversation with a girl who's not judging me." Lily smiled.
"Perhaps its fate," she suggested softly.
"Yeah, seems like it," he answered just as softly. Distantly, they could both hear the bell tower tolling.
"I need to go to class," both said and then laughed.
"Are you going to be coming back again?" the stranger asked with a hopeful tone.
"Yes, I think so," Lily responded with a smile.
"Well, then," he said happily, "until we meet again."
Lily couldn't explain to herself later why she did it, but she stood on her tiptoes and moved to kiss his cheek. Well, at least that's what she thought she was doing. But fate had other things in mind, because at that moment the stranger turned his head and their lips lightly brushed against each other. It was just a nice, sweet, simple, brief kiss.
"See you," Lily joked with a wavering voice after they had broken the kiss. With a swish of her robes, she was gone.
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