Chapter 8- Reconciled
James ran his hands through his hair ruffling it up and then trying to smooth it flat. It looked messier than ever, and a sure sign that he was nervous as hell and didn't know what to do about it. Lily had her hands folded in front of her at about her waist level. It looked like she was praying, praying that what he just unfolded before her wasn't true. While they went through these actions over and over, one thing didn't change.
They continued to stare at each other with expressions of utmost shock on their faces.
"This can't be happening to me . . ." Lily whispered as she leaned against the wall by the girls' steps for support, "It can't be him!" She allowed herself to sink to the floor, completely dejected.
"Merlin, why did you do this to me?" James asked quietly as he looked at the ceiling in defeat, "I did everything I could to forget her! And then you pull this stunt . . ." Remus tried to show shock and concern for the two heads, but he was ready to burst out of the room to tell the others. As they stood in silence, he decided it would be best if he left.
"I'm sure you two want to talk about all this," he suggested waving his hand in the air dismissively, "I'm off."
"NO," they both yelled causing Remus to start slightly before turning back to the two of them.
"Please don't leave," begged Lily softly. James's last strand of hope that she wasn't the girl from the passage was suddenly stamped into oblivion like a herd of hippogriffs trampling a flobberworm. Her voice . . . there could be no mistake. She was the girl.
"No," replied Remus firmly, "This is your business." Without another word to the two, he left the common room.
When the portrait closed behind Remus, he paused for a moment before sprinting down the halls in the direction of the Great Hall. All the while he made sure that he avoided the steps that vanished from time to time and he was forced to push several students out of his way. Completely out of breath, he entered the Great Hall and almost fell totally exhausted down on the floor at Sirius' feet.
"What's up with you?" Aurelia asked astonished and shoveled a biscuit in her mouth, "Did Snape finally wash his hair?"
Sirius laughed loudly and clapped her on the back, "That was a good one, you learn so quickly, Marks! I must say I am impressed." Aurelia coughed, preventing crumbs from clogging her air pipe.
"No," Remus said, still gasping for air, "They found out!" The remaining three looked at him in astonishment.
"How?" Peter asked.
"James was telling me what happened last night and, oh boy…" Moony trailed off.
"What happened? What did they do?" Aurelia demanded as she stared at Remus.
"Oh yeah, they did something!" smirked Remus.
Padfoot laughed, "Don't tell me they shagged. There is no way that would happen."
"Well, they actually did," Remus replied and saw three shocked faces.
"Never," Aurelia couldn't believe it.
"Bloody hell," Sirius murmured disbelievingly.
"I'm telling you! James had three buttons off of her blouse because he had ripped off last night," Remus explained, "And Lily was wearing his robe he had given her. His initials were under the collar, where his mother had placed them!"
"Unbelievable!" Peter squeaked.
"Yeah, tell me about it!" Remus said taking a swig of water as his breathing returned to normal.
"So what they are doing now?" Sirius asked a big fat grin on his face, "Continuing where they left off?"
"No, they're actually staring at each other quite shocked and disbelieving. I'm hoping that they won't murder each other," Remus prayed.
"I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to miss that," Padfoot said and hurried out of the hall with Aurelia and Peter on his heels.
"Oh well," Moony mumbled and went after them grabbing a piece of toast on his way out.
When he arrived at the entrance to the Gryffindor common room Aurelia, Sirius and Peter had squeezed themselves together and were listening intently. The portrait of the Fat Lady stood slightly open and she, along with all of the other painting in the general vicinity, listened too.
"What's happened," Remus whispered.
"Not much," Aurelia whispered back, "Lily's sitting on the floor and James is pacing around the room. They look like deer caught in the sights of an archer." Suddenly a voice in the room made all jump.
"I'm in hell," Lily said with an eerie amount of calm in her voice, "I'm dreaming and this is all a nightmare. But any moment I'll be waking up! In just a moment it will happen…" and she closed her eyes. Not only was she trying to block out her surroundings, but she was also trying hard not to look at James who was the cause of her quickening heartbeat.
James glanced at her. He knew he shouldn't think it, but he did. She was so completely gorgeous when she was close to hyperventilating. He stopped walking around and sat down right in front of her.
Lily was still whispering, "Now I'm waking up, now I'm waking up…" when he pinched her leg.
"Ouch! What was that for?" she protested opening her eyes and suddenly her heart was racing again. She didn't think he realized how close they were, but her body was aware of it, extremely aware.
"To wake you up," he smiled and his laughter carried up to his eyes.
"That is not funny," she looked at the floor, "That was terrible, James. It hurt, too."
"Are you telling me that I was awful? I didn't think it was that bad . . ." he looked hurt.
"Yes… I mean - NO," she replied fast, "Merlin, no. I know… I can… I want… I… that… it was… oh I feel like I'm going to be sick." And she almost fell to the side; even though she was sitting on the floor. James caught her by the shoulders and steadied her.
"Okay, calm down Lily," he soothed her gently rubbing her tense shoulders, "Close your eyes and breathe slowly in and out, in and out…" he told her like he was talking to a small hysterical child. He could feel her shoulders relaxing. He took his hands off her shoulders and she felt some fingers brush over her cheek.
"Calm down, it's ok. I'm nervous too," he said softly as he cradled her cheek in his large calloused hand.
"You are?" she asked weakly looking up at him. James found the action completely adorable.
"Hell yes!" he replied instantly.
"But you don't look like it," Lily pointed out.
"But I am. Believe me," James said with a nervous hitch in his voice causing it to break.
"But you don't…"
"Hey, let's not start bickering, okay," James said cutting her off and taking one of her hands in his.
"Okay I won't if you won't," Lily replied softly sounding like a child who had just received the scolding of her life.
"Great, so are you calm now?" James asked.
"Yes I am," Lily replied with a smile that drove James nuts.
"Wonderful," he replied with a smirk that had the same effect on her.
"Uh . . . James?" she said unsurely.
"Yeah?"
"You can stop touching my cheek now," she said sheepishly. James blushed the color of her hair.
"Oh, sorry," he muttered and he took his hand away. They fell silent but after a few seconds James spoke again with an unsure tone, "So did you like it?" Lily blushed.
"I take that for a yes," he said.
"I didn't say anything," Lily protested, but only blushed even more.
"But you blushed, when I asked," James replied knowingly.
"No I didn't!" Lily continued to argue as she attempted to force the blush to go down, but to no avail.
"Oh, yes! And you're still blushing. Your cheeks match your hair," he grinned. Lily attempted to glare at him but failed miserably.
"No they don't" Lily proclaimed, "and stop smirking like that, James!" James still continued to grin.
"Okay, fine. I liked it," She blurted out shocking both James, herself, and the people at the door, "but you did as well."
"I didn't say I liked it," James said smartly causing Lily to look downtrodden, "But I do say that it was abso-fucking-luteley great," he said in his soft, deep voice that made her hair stand on end. Lily blushed again as a shiver shot up her spine.
"We shouldn't be talking like this," she eventually murmured, "We're supposed to be enemies and that makes this whole situation is so…"
"Damn complicated," he ended the sentence.
"Well, yes!" Lily exclaimed.
"We don't have to make it complicated," James pleaded, "Look at it positively. It was actually really nice for both of us." She glared at him.
"Positively? Really nice?" She asked with an edge of anger, "James, you make it sound like you opened a door for me and I had wished you a good day. The fact of the matter is, we fight every second when we meet."
"Don't you think I know that?" he asked her.
"No, it seems you forgot," Lily said hotly, "Nice things between us don't happen, James. They can't happen."
"Well, then," James said with just as much anger, "I guess it was a mistake." Lily looked at him outraged.
"A mistake?" she asked rhetorically and stood up. James also got up.
"Well yes," he answered a little bit nervously. He had seen Lily angry, but never furious. Suddenly she stamped on his foot.
"Ouch, what was that for?" he said stepping back.
"Well that was a mistake," she answered and she pushed him, "and that too!" Before she could hurt him any more he caught her hands and pulled her close.
"Why didn't you just tell me it wasn't a mistake for you?" James asked.
"Fine! Then I will tell you now," she hissed, "I didn't plan on giving up my virginity to some guy by mistake. Got it?"
"Yeah got it," James said hotly before softening his voice greatly, "and it wasn't a mistake for me either, Lily." Emerald eyes looked in hazel.
"You mean that . . . it mean as much to you as it did to me?" Lily asked him softly.
"Yes, Lily," James said gently stroking her hair, "it did."
"Even though it was me?" she asked unsurely.
"Especially because it was you," he grinned, "Do you regret it, now that you know it was me?"
"I don't know," Lily stammered, "I still can't believe that was you there in the passage. You were so different."
"Well it was me," James said with an edge of laughter, "And I can prove it. I can show you the marks you left on my back."
"Sorry," she mumbled wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him close as he tighten the hold around her waist. They were so close again, just like the time James had pushed her against the wall in the passage. He was about ready to lower his head and kiss her, but suddenly a voice yelled, "What are you looking at?"
Both of the Head students looked to the portrait hole and saw it was slightly open. They also saw four pairs of eyes staring at them.
"This can't be happening!" James groaned as Lily and he broke apart. The four in the hallway entered and smiled sheepishly at their friends.
"You were standing there the entire time," Lily suddenly yelled at the four of them and they winced.
"Don't be mad Lily," Aurelia tried to explain, "We already knew for a couple of weeks . . ."
"WHAT?!" James and Lily both shouted. Their friends shared a panicked look.
"Well, we did," Sirius agreed.
"You knew and didn't tell us? That's it!" she shouted and Lily turned around and walked up the stairs. James glared at them.
"Thank you for messing everything up!" he roared. He then took his wand out and muttered something to the steps. He walked them up like there was no enchantment that prevented boys from coming up to the girls' dormitories. He was up the stairs in no time and saw her go in the last dorm on the right side. Without knocking he walked in and closed the door behind him.
"What are you doing here," she asked astonished as she sat down on the edge of her bed.
"I want to sort this out," James said
"There is nothing to sort out," Lily replied and crossed her arm in front of her chest as she looked away from James.
"Yes, there is," he insisted as he sat down beside her and forced her to look at him, "I won't let our stupid friends mess everything up before it even has a chance to be started."
"You're calling your friends stupid?" she asked with the ghost of a smile on her lips.
"Well, yes," he said and ran a hand through his hair, "At the moments I have only one priority!"
"Which is?" Lily asked in a huff
"You!" James exclaimed.
"Excuse me?" Lily asked softly with astonishment.
"You heard me, Lily," James pleaded, "Just pretend you didn't know the guy in the passage was me, would you go there again?"
"Yes I would," she answered without hesitation.
"So, you liked that guy?"
"You know I do! Remember what I said about the virginity thing?"
He grinned. "Yes I do."
"Okay, so what are you up to," she asked.
James walked to her coming very close. "Well, we have to face the facts. It was me, and it was you. We can forget about the things the years before. To be honest, I really am sorry about the things I have done to you, even turning your hair yellow that one time. I was just trying to get you to notice me . . . because I liked you . . ."
Lily looked up at him. She stood silent, looking into his wonderful hazel eyes. Thinking about what he had said.
"You are sometimes a real pain, you know that?" Lily asked mockingly, "That's all I've ever known you as."
"Well are you too," he replied.
"And I actually haven't liked you," she continued. James looked hurt once again, "ever since you were a real prat since the first time I met you on the train." He looked even more hurt.
"Okay, I get it," he said, turning away but Lily stopped him.
"But in the passage I finally saw the real you, not that stalking smart ass," She took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. James was so astonished he didn't kiss her back, at first. After they broke the kiss she smirked at him.
"You thought I would turn you down, did you?" Lily taunted knowingly.
He grinned sheepishly, "Well yes," he admitted. Lily laughed lightly causing James to smile.
"Friends?" she asked and James scoffed.
"Bloody hell, Lily," James exclaimed, "We did not just go through all of that just so we could be damn friends. You're my girlfriend whether you bloody like it or not." Lily laughed as he swept her up into a tender embrace and spun her around the room before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.
-->