Chapter Five: Let The Games Begin
By Natali K. A.
-Lily's POV-
The next week there was a Quidditch game. I won't lie and say I'm a major Quidditch fan, but I definitely don't mind seeing everyone flying about and having a good old time. There was, of course, the added fact that my boyfriend was the Gryffindor team captain, which sort of required me to attend and root on.
But I definitely didn't mind.
It was quite amusing, actually, to see how everyone reacted to our relationship. Most couldn't believe it, some thought it was a joke, others thought we'd gone mad. Considering how we used to fight (well, alright, how we fight period because we still love having those arguments), I cannot actually say that I blame them.
Yet here I am, James Potter's girlfriend and everyone is looking to me for… well I don't know what exactly. But I know everyone's eyes are on me.
I was made to be famous!
"Good luck," I told him, right outside the changing rooms. I'd snatched him before he went out to give him a good luck kiss. I pressed another to his lips. "Kick their arse, alright? I've heard way too many taunts from the Slytherins to let them get away with it."
He grinned handsomely and popped a kiss on my nose. "Will do, Lils. Go sit down, I want to see you cheering for me."
"You do get a little thrill from that, don't you?" I snorted, walking with him towards the pitch where the fans were already rooting or booing loudly as Slytherin came onto the field. "I hate how cliché we're becoming."
"Got to run." He jogged off toward the rest of the team. They were met with wild applause and cheering. I smiled and made my way for the seat I usually occupied next to Ariana.
"Look at that girl," Ariana scorned, pointing her chin in Chloe's direction. "Disgusting, isn't it? I sometimes wonder if she's got any femininity about her. She's probably got more testosterone than Pettigrew."
"Let's be honest, Ari," Remus snickered. "Any female's got more testosterone than Wormtail."
I shook my head but smiled nonetheless. "You two are terrible. She's a spectacular Beater, Ari. I don't know why it bugs the hell out of you so much."
Ariana scrunched her nose. "The Quidditch pitch is no place for a lady."
"And you would know what a lady is because…?" I asked, laughing when she glared at me. "Now shut up, the game's about to begin. The team captains shook hands (I am quite proud in saying that the other captain winced as James succeeded in strangling his hand) and when Madame Hooch blew the whistle, they were off.
"Speaking of spectacular," Ari leaned over to whisper in my ear, sniggering. "You're infatuated, aren't you?"
"Unfortunately," I conceded. With a sigh, I added, "Now I have to play the besotted, excited cheerleader girlfriend. Oh, joy."
---------------
-Three Months Later…-
---------------
-James' POV-
"Hate to rush you," I muttered as I leaned against the doorway. "But we're going to be late."
Lily rushed around, throwing things into the smallest purse I've ever seen. It was amazing what she fit into it though.
"Damn it," she mumbled as she dropped her lipstick. I peered at her arse appreciatively as she bent over to retrieve it. "Stop looking at my bum, James."
I frowned. She was getting exceptionally good at reading my mind lately.
"All set," Lily declared. "We're using the Floo, right?"
"Yep. McGonagall's office is all set up."
"Nice to be a Seventh Year, eh?"
"Undoubtedly." He ushered her out the door.
It was a privilege of Seventh Years to be able to go home once a month with permission, something James used to full extent. Only this time, he was bringing home a girlfriend for his parents to meet and approve of.
But I seemed to be more nervous than Lily, because she was as suave as could be. Not a single hair out of place. Mind you, she always looks awesome (and I mean that, besides having been trained since birth that your woman was the most beautiful person on earth and never looked bad), but there was a sort of confidence about her that escapes me at the moment.
It's not so much that I think my parents won't like her, it's… well I don't know. She'd taken it as her due to come with me to my parents' dinner party and though I had planned on inviting her anyway, I hadn't known she was so… comfortable.
Adapted.
It was definitely something new for me, to be with someone for as long as I have been with Lily. Chloe probably hadn't been too unjustified in warning me not to hurt Lily-I just got bored. I'm not the type of bloke that can stay with a girl just because everyone expects me to.
"Good, you're ready," I nodded to Sirius as he met up with us at the portrait hole. "You're usually an hour late or so."
"I want to see your parents' reactions," Sirius grinned, kissing Lily's cheek. "You look lovely, my dear."
"I try," Lily sighed prettily. "You wouldn't believe the price at which I got this dress-just 30 pounds, isn't it a find?"
Sirius-who I sometimes wonder about-nodded, looking over it. "Plain yet elegant. Excellent stitching."
I rolled my eyes. "Bloody hell, you're a faggot."
"Just because your father was concerned about your masculinity later in life and refused to teach you about the finer things does not mean I'm a faggot," Sirius replied smoothly. "Years ago, every noble wizarding male knew about fashion. It's a dying art."
Even Lily couldn't resist giving him a patronizing look. "Welcome to the 20th century, Black. Get out of the Old World, would you?"
"Now, now, ladies, don't get your knickers all in a bunch," I said. "The party hasn't yet begun and there's plenty of time for that later, isn't there?"
-------------------
-Lily's POV-
"This is Lily Evans. Lily, my mum and dad. I apologize beforehand."
This was cake. Right off the bat, the mother loved me and the father was intrigued. I had learned from a young age to assess a person's thoughts, especially when meeting them for the first time.
"Well you're certainly a pleasant surprise," his mother-whose name I knew to be Kathryn-smiled. "We always thought James tended to sway towards the docile ones. But everyone knows redheads have quite a nasty temper."
I inclined my head. "Never more true in my case."
"I can second that." Sirius joined us, hugging and kissing Kathryn and giving James' old man a slap on the back. "Hello there, Bobby."
"I hate that name," Robert Potter rolled his eyes. "I remember when you used to call me Mr. Potter."
"Yes, but that hasn't been since I was seven."
"Ah, the good times." Mr. Potter turned to James and me. "Go get yourselves a seat. We'll be serving dinner soon, I think."
"Usually seats?" James asked his mum.
"Yes. Give Lily the one next to me." She gave me a wink before walking away.
"Now you've done it," Sirius cried in a sing-song voice as if Christmas had come early. "Lily's going to get tested."
James grimaced. "Sorry. I suppose you might as well know, in case you want to get out early."
"Know what?" I asked casually, trying not to laugh.
"Mum tends to ask embarrassing questions without feeling the slightest bit guilty. She'll know if you lie to her too."
"But I have no intention of doing so and I've got nothing to hide besides. Now why don't we have a seat, I'm starving."
-------------
-Kathryn's POV-
"So Lily, how long have you and my son been on speaking terms? From what I gathered, you weren't the chummiest pair."
Alright let's just admit it, shall we? I'm impressed. I've always been rather displeased-disgusted, really-with the choice of girls James has chosen to surround himself with. They whimper, they whine, and they're bloody annoying. Not to mention that they couldn't run a household to save their lives. As James is going to come into a lot of money when we croak, he needs to have a wife who knows what she's doing or who is at least capable of learning from her mistakes.
My prayers have been answered.
"Early this year, actually," Lily replied smoothly. "We weren't very amicable the first six years of school, I must admit."
"We hated each other is more accurate," James quipped.
"Hush, I'm interrogating her not you," I told James. I saw him smirk. "What changed your minds?"
"It all started with a detention," Lily said histrionically. "Then he begged for me to be civil and lo and behold, here we are."
"I highly doubt that's the end of the story."
"We'd originally agreed to try a friends with benefits thing-there was no denying some sort of attraction-but that never worked out." James choked on his chicken on overhearing this. "After spending a lot of time with a person, you begin to like them no matter how hard you try not to. Of course, this was after I found a dead mouse in my bed."
"Carrots, Lily?" James asked loudly, heaping a gigantic amount of carrots on her plate. "I think you need carrots. You obviously don't have enough in your mouth, even with your foot in there."
I laughed, glancing at Robert. "Sounds exciting."
"Life is never boring with James," Lily mused.
"With Potters in general, dear. It's a hereditary thing that I just happened to get by marriage. Some consider it a disease but I think it's quite entertaining."
Lily turned her head to look at me better. I saw her emerald green eyes assessing me and I couldn't help but feel elated that she liked what she saw immensely. "It's utter chaos."
--------------
-James' POV-
"I'm going to steal her for a minute or thirty." I gently grabbed Lily's elbow and led her away from my mother. God only knows what the devil woman has been up to (whether I'm referring to Lily or my mother is beyond me).
"Yes, sweetheart?" Lily asked in a honeyed voice.
"I thought you might like a tour of the house."
"With a rest stop in your room, no doubt."
I grinned wolfishly at her and she had the good grace to blush.
"One hell of a tongue on you, Lils."
"Your mum seems to appreciate that."
"No doubt," I said under my breath. "They're completely besotted with you, you know."
Her tinkling laughter bounced off the empty hallways as we walked toward the beginning of my tour. Opening one side of the wooden double doors at the very end, I let Lily in first. Her gasp was barely audible.
"Bloody hell."
"This is the Hall."
"Just the Hall? Looks like a bloody cathedral to me."
I chuckled. "It is rather impressive isn't it?" I watched as Lily's eyes took in the surroundings. The carpet from the Middle East, more books on more bookshelves than I'd care to count (though I did once have a House Elf tally it up though the sum must have changed since), couches and poufs and little secret niches all throughout. It was one of the larger rooms but also my favorite.
Each and every time I took a minute or so to explore it, I found something new.
"But we can peruse this place later." I grabbed her hand and led her to one of the several doors against the wall. Taking two flights of stairs, we came onto my floor.
"This is definitely your room," Lily stated as she stepped inside. "Quidditch posters and clutter."
"This isn't cluttered!"
"Yes, it is. I can't even see the carpet in that corner."
"Well of course. That's my Pile."
Lily shook her head as she walked over to my dresser mirror. She reached up and took out a few of the pins holding up her hair and shook it out. I caught her gaze through the mirror and she smiled invitingly.
Bloody siren.
"My parents and a whole lot of their guests are downstairs," I warned. "If they notice we're gone…"
"What? They'll gasp and point fingers?" She turned. "These aren't the times ruled by society and strictures. Everything's pretty lax nowadays. Let go."
"I knew there was a reason I liked you."
"What, I'm easy?"
"No. You're in charge of your life." I kissed her and it'd never felt any better. It wasn't the smartest thing to do with at least 100 of the most influential magical folk of the magical world downstairs, but it didn't seem to bother me much.
I lifted her up and carried her to my bed, not breaking contact.
"Careful with my dress," she muttered. "Hair I can redo, but I'm not such a hot seamstress-wand or no wand."
"We'll just have to take it off then, won't we?" I whispered. She raised herself up so that I could reach the zipper and I slowly peeled the white material from her skin. In a moment of prudence, I released her and slung the beautiful dress over a chair. "Is it ok there?"
"Yeah." She beckoned to me with arms open wide and I couldn't help but smile fondly at her.
"We go well together don't we?" I asked as I kissed her neck.
"I think so," Lily replied. Her nimble fingers worked on my shirt buttons. I shrugged off my dress robes and helped her with the damned buttons.
After we'd overcome that particular obstacle (bloody buttons, who the devil made them so impossible to deal with? I was tempted to just rip it off but I thought that might raise a few eyebrows), I went back to kissing my way around Lily's body.
"I see London, I see France…" I said hoarsely when my lips found the elastic of her white knickers.
That made her chuckle, which made me look up at her. She had the sexiest look I've ever seen in her eyes, her hair a red halo about her.
My heart stopped beating just for a second.
"Did I say you could stop?" she asked cheekily, tapping my nose with her finger. "Back to work."
--------------
-Sirius' POV-
"Have you seen James anywhere?" Bobby asked me.
"I believe he went into the kitchens to fetch something for Lily," I lied through my teeth. I'd wondered how long it would take the horny pair to get up to his room.
Bobby looked at me doubtfully but nodded nevertheless. "I must keep missing him. Is Lily with him?"
"Yes." Which was the truth.
"In the kitchens?"
"I would suppose so."
Bobby rolled his eyes at me. "You're terrible. Never would betray him, would you?"
"I haven't the foggiest idea of what you speak of, Bobby m'boy," I said, chuckling.
"If I know James, he is nowhere near the vicinity of the kitchens."
"Depends what you consider `near'."
Bobby grinned appreciatively. "Yes, I suppose that would be it, wouldn't it? He's definitely within a mile of the kitchens, but probably closer to his bedroom than anything."
"You didn't hear it from me."
"I just hope they finish with whatever they're doing because I'd rather not have the Minister of Arabia suspect things."
"I'll keep an eye on that."
-------------
-Lily's POV-
"We should get back downstairs," James said into my hair, his voice muffled.
"I can't be bothered to move just yet," I sighed. "I can barely keep my eyelids up."
"Falling asleep is not an option."
"Never said it was. Doesn't make it any less difficult to refrain from doing so, however."
James turned onto his side, drawing me even closer to him. "I wish we'd had more time."
I beamed at him lazily. "I'm quite satisfied anyway. I like your bed. It's fit for a king."
Which was the truth. Goose down and some of the warmest sheets that I've ever lain in my entire life.
"If the queen approves, it must be good." He pressed a kiss to my temple and sat up with a groan. "Come on, we've got to put on appearances."
I didn't budge. "You go down first and spread the rumor that I had to use the powder room. My hair might take awhile to put up again." I did finally roll out of bed, yawning. I glanced at his window, but there was nothing to see. It was pitch black as English country sides tended to be. There weren't any city lights, something which I always appreciated.
"Be quick," James said as he zipped up my dress and prepared to back downstairs. "Remember: you're beautiful no matter what. Try not to get lost." With a final kiss he departed.
I licked my lips, staring at my hair. At least I'd had the foresight to do something simple to it. It shouldn't take me more than five minutes.
After a quick check for any hickies (which I told him repeatedly to avoid), I joined the rest of the party downstairs.
*~*
A/N: Ok, so I'm still sick, and yes, I know I'm a day late, and no, I don't feel particularly bad about it as I'm sick and do not feel well. It's not just a minor sore throat. No, I've got to have fever, a stuffy nose, and my body's got to ache from head to toe (I want to inject morphine into myself). I don't know if any of you have ever felt like you forgot what it feels like to feel good, but I have. I'm sure it must be pleasant.
On the bright side, I haven't vomited, and I haven't had a fever so high that I've gotten the chills for more than ten minutes (which I really, really hate as I abhor the cold).
So I basically wrote this in two hours, after I woke up at 3 am (yuck) because of course the Benadryl wore off and I'll overdose and I don't have Nyquil and Dayquil keeps me up for days. Ok. But I'm alright.
I changed this chapter completely from what it originally was. Originally James was accosted by Lily's "colorful" family and James' parents were quite boring in the sense that they were normal.
I deleted that because it was Boreville and I almost put myself to sleep. The only thing that did remain the same is that A) Lily met James' parents and B) they shagged.
Read and review, it's like cough medicine to me. Please? (*wink*) Love you all!
Natali K. A.
-->