Chapter 5- Do you trust me?
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Remus had been rather surprised at Lily's reaction when catching him out with Katherine. He had been more surprised at James' reaction. He had known that James would take house points, that didn't shock Remus in the least. Remus hadn't told James or Sirius that he had been seeing Katherine Tarbeck. Remus, James, and Sirius shared everything. Remus didn't know why he hadn't told them, Sirius had been trying to set Remus up with various girls for years. They would be happy for him, but in the back of his mind he knew the reason that he hadn't told his two best friends. Once he said it out loud, it would make their relationship much more real. Then he would think about his lycanthropy and its affect on his relationship with Katherine. He would feel guilty. Then he would end things with her, and Remus did not want to end things. Not yet.
After he had told Katherine good night, he sat in the common room in front of the dying fire. Watching the softly glowing embers, he thought about what he would tell Sirius and James. He worried that they may feel betrayed by him, and that they would take it as a lack of trust in them. Then he reassured himself that James and Sirius would understand, they wouldn't be mad at him. The voice in Remus' head did not sound very heartening. The sound of Lily and James' approaching footsteps was Remus' cue to head up to his dormitory. He was on the seventh step when they entered the common room.
"Lily, just tell me who it is you fancy."
"Now James you know it's you. Why what girl in Hogwarts isn't head over heels about the famous Quidditch star and leader of the infamous Marauders, James Potter?" Remus could hear the sugary sweet sarcasm in Lily's voice.
"Funny, Evans. I'll find out, you just wait and see."
Remus crouched down so he could see into the common room. James' face was red from frustration, his jaw set, and his inky black hair extremely messy. Remus saw Lily lean up on her tip toes to kiss James lightly on the cheek, then she headed up to her room. James' eyes followed Lily to the stairs and watched as she disappeared into the dark stairwell. He placed his hand on the spot where Lily's lips had brushed his face. With a triumphant grin, Remus snuck noiselessly up the remaining stairs.
Five minutes after Remus had gotten into his bed, James came into the dormitory, his hand still on his cheek. Upon seeing Remus he snapped back into reality.
"Remus, do you have a relationship that you need to tell Sirius and I about?"
"Oh, I'm game for this Prongs. I'm seeing Katherine, have been for the last two weeks."
"Why didn't you tell me," James and Sirius both blurted out.
"Oh no, you don't James. Now, it's your turn to talk. Do you have a relationship you haven't told us about," Remus countered.
"No, I'm not with anyone."
"Really? Is that a bit of lipstick on your cheek," Remus teased.
"Lily didn't wear lipstick tonight," the words were out before James could stop them.
Sirius, who had risen up on one elbow lazily when Remus had told about Katherine, was now sitting bolt upright.
"Lily wasn't wearing lipstick," Sirius repeated, a devilish grin on his face.
"No that's not what I meant Padfoot. Wh-"
"Oh and what else could you have meant?" Sirius' eyes were shinning.
"Lily and I are not together. She kissed my cheek okay. Just friends."
"Prongs, you are so thick sometimes," Sirius said.
"Wait one minute, how did this get turned around on me? Moony's the one wandering around the castle at night, getting caught."
James began wondering how it was that Remus had a girlfriend, and Lily liked him. No matter what she had said, James knew Lily fancied Remus. Why didn't she like James? He was smart, nice, a good student (even if he did goof off in classes), Quidditch captain, and he was very good looking. What did Remus have that he didn't? James was brooding sulkily.
"Sirius, you haven't answered the question, yet." Remus sensed that James needed a few minutes to cool off.
"Me, date a girl and it be a secret? You must be joking. However, I am taking Marlene for a fly on my motorbike this weekend. Made plans tonight, while you two were out having your sordid little rendezvous with Katherine and Lily."
"I was not having a 'rendezvous'," James said.
"And it was not sordid Sirius," spoke Remus disgustedly.
"Lily wouldn't want to be snogging in the halls with me, anyhow. She fancies someone and won't tell me his name, but I know who he is." James glared at the pile of dirty laundry near Sirius' bed. He couldn't look at Remus right now, and he knew if he looked at Sirius he would be interrogated. Sirius questioned him anyhow.
"James, if she doesn't like you why does she spend so much time with you? She doesn't have to. And who do you think she fancies? The word in the girl's dorm is that Lily thinks you're quite fanciable."
"Remus."
"Yeah, what?"
"No, it's you. She fancies you. She looked so upset when she realized you were attached. She denied it when I asked her. Then she had the nerve to joke and say she liked me. She knows I've cared about her for years. Bloody hell, everyone knows that."
"Prongs, listen to me. Lily does not like me. She wants to be with you. If you don't believe me, get her potions homework and read it. If you want to be with her, let her know. You won't be sorry."
"Really Moony?"
"Yes James."
"Now Remus," began Sirius. "Why didn't you tell us about Katherine?"
Remus told James and Sirius his reasons for keeping Katherine a secret. James felt better by the end of Remus' speech, and began trying to devise a plan to get Lily's potions essay. Sirius wanted to go all out, true marauder style. Remus suggested just asking Lily to read what she had written. James found himself leaning more towards Remus' idea than Sirius'. Remus' plans usually went better than those of James and Sirius. He was much more logical and realistic, but when James or Sirius concocted a scheme that succeeded it was much more memorable. They always included the proverbial bells and whistles. Sometimes the bells and whistles were not so proverbial.
Lily lay in her bed thinking about the hour she had just spent with James. She couldn't believe that he thought she fancied Remus. Remus was a great friend, and boyishly handsome, but he was not what she was looking for. Lily couldn't believe how daring she had been just minutes ago. She had told James that she liked him, and had given him the tiniest peck on the cheek. She knew that had really sounded sarcastic and joking when she told him that she fancied him, but Lily felt very brave none the less.
"Oh, I am such a Gryffindor," Lily groaned, burying her face in her pillow.
She heard laughter from Dorcas and Marlene.
"Lily, this wouldn't be about James now would it?" Dorcas' soft gilded voice came through the darkened room.
"Of course it is. He has been chasing after me since we were first years. Why can't I just admit the truth to him?"
"The truth, which part? Do you mean the truth that you have been pining for him for almost seven years? Or the truth that you get up early on Quidditch game days, just to be in the Great Hall when he's having breakfast?" Marlene said her voice was thick with sleep.
"Or that she made us help her learn to develop magical pictures in second year, so that she could photograph James when he flies? Or that she never goes to bed until James has climbed the boy's stairs?"
"Lily, he's mad about you. Just talk to him. Don't be such a chicken."
"Lily the lion-hearted, that's me," Lily said weakly.
Lily tried to work up her courage for the next two days. In her head she planned what she was going to say to James. Then he would walk in, and she would simply lose her nerve. In Lily's mind he was unreachable, especially for her. James Potter was intelligent, talented, loved by almost everyone, and so handsome. He had warm hazel eyes, like pools of syrup, and a strong jaw line. James was tall, but not so tall that he towered over Lily. He was thin, but muscular. She hated feeling so flustered in his presence. In sixth year, she had overcome the embarrassing habit of yelling at James and insulting him whenever they spoke. She didn't do this out of dislike or loathing, it just came out of her mouth before she could stop it.
Lily had just had what she hoped would be her last encounter with James for the day. She had been almost incapable of normal speech, because she was so nervous. It was just after eight o'clock. James had gone upstairs about five minutes ago, after the fiasco as Lily was now calling it in her head. He had asked her if she wanted to meet up with Sirius, Marlene, Remus, Katherine, and himself in Hogsmeade the next afternoon. Lily remembered making a funny noise, something between a hiccup and a squeal. James had laughed, and Lily had said that she had to oil her potions scales.
"Um, alright then. See you," he had said before going dejectedly up to the boys' dormitory.
Lily lay her head down on her arms, which were folded on the tabletop.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid. That was your chance to tell him. Why didn't I say yes, like I wanted to? Now, not only am I not going to Hogsmeade with James, I can't go at all," Lily said aloud to herself.
"Maybe you should go to Hogsmeade with me tonight instead," Lily heard James' husky voice low in her ear. It gave her chills, and made her heart race.
He continued whispering, "Go tell Dorcas and Marlene to leave your dorm window open. I'll be waiting right here."
Lily didn't know what came over her. She walked as calmly as she could manage to the girls stairs, as soon as she thought she was out of sight she began taking the steps two at a time. When she burst into to the room she shared with Marlene and Dorcas, they were both sitting on the edge of her bed.
"You're not wearing your uniform," Marlene said.
"And you had better take your hair out of that ponytail," Dorcas finished.
"I don't have time to dig out anything to wear! I'll just… Wait, how did you two know?"
"Sirius told me," Marlene answered.
"We're going to leave the window opened, but we'll be waiting up."
"We took the liberty of finding you something to wear."
Dorcas tossed Lily a pair of jeans, and a bright blue shirt. Lily quickly changed. As soon as she had finished putting on the fresh clothes Marlene pointed her wand at Lily. Marlene never said a word, but waved her wand. As she did, Lily's hair was back in a neat braid.
"Marlene, you're the only person I know who learned to do nonverbal beauty spells. Thanks you two," Lily said as she headed towards the door.
"Wait Lily," Dorcas cried. As Lily turned, Dorcas handed her a caramel colored cloak.
Lily slipped it on. With a nod of approval from the other two girls, she raced down the steps.
James was sitting on the arm of the couch in front of the fireplace. He was wearing a pair of dark colored khaki pants and a soft yellow shirt that complemented his tan skin well.
"Ready," Lily asked.
"Let's go," he said, leading the way up to the boy's dorm. She followed him cautiously.
Suddenly Lily stopped.
"James, why is the common room empty at eight on a Friday?"
"Let's just say it wasn't easy, but it was well worth the price."
"What did you-"
"Magic, Lily. That's what I did."
He opened the door on his right. Lily looked around the room before entering. Remus was lying on his stomach on the first bed. He was writing furiously on a piece of paper. Lily noticed that he was figuring up several columns. On the next bed, Sirius was studying a large scrap of parchment. Peter was sitting in the open window, holding James' broomstick, and a shimmering cloak.
"The coast is clear mate, don't forget to tell me before you come back so I can check the map," Sirius said.
"We're going to take the order to the Flumes in a bit, should be able to get it all tonight. I'll tell them to charge it to your Gringott's account," Remus told James.
"Thanks. I owe you guys."
James took the broom from Peter, and stepped through the window onto a small balcony. He held his hand out to Lily to help her outside. He mounted his broom, and Lily slid on behind him, wrapping her arms about his waist. James kicked off smoothly, and Lily held on tighter as they rose into the night sky. She buried her head into James' back to keep the cold air off of her face. She breathed in deeply, drinking in the smell of his cologne.
After they had touched down in Hogsmeade, James took Lily for a drink at The Three Broomsticks. James had some of Madame Rosmerta's mulled mead, while Lily opted for sweet Elderflower wine. They sat in a booth and talked for quite a while. After James paid Rosmerta, he and Lily walked in the moonlight along the deserted cobblestone streets. In the distance they could hear the clock tower at Hogwarts strike eleven.
"We should be heading back I suppose," James said. Lily nodded in agreement.
As they walked back towards The Three Broomsticks, where James had left his broom, Lily broke they silence.
"How did you make sure that the common room would be empty tonight?"
"Bribery."
"You bribed the whole house?"
"No, not the whole house. I didn't have to bribe Marlene, Dorcas, Sirius, Remus, or Peter."
"What did you offer them?"
"Let's just say that I put in a large order for butterbeer to Rosmerta tonight, and the guys took a nice list to Honeydukes for me," James replied with a smile.
"That must have cost you a fortune. I'll help you pay for everything," Lily offered.
"No you won't. Besides I already told you that it was worth every galleon."
"Thank you."
James had the sudden urge to hold Lily's hand. She was sure to pull away, and he would have ruined all of his hard work. It's now or never, he told himself. She didn't pull away! She instead closed her small soft fingers around his large rough hand. James noticed that her hand was quite cold. He stopped in front of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, and picked two pale pink begonias. He easily transfigured them into a pair of gloves, which he put on Lily's hands. They were possibly the softest, warmest, and best fitting gloves that she had ever worn. James didn't reach for her hand again as they continued walking. As they approached the post office, Lily slipped her gloved hand around James' calloused palm. He smiled down at her.
Lily could feel her heart racing. What was she doing? She was in Hogsmeade in the middle of the night with James Potter, and now she was holding his hand. What if they got caught? They would be expelled, she wouldn't be able to return home. What had he gotten her into? She couldn't breathe. This was going to end horribly, Lily just knew it.
"I'm going to get my broom," James told her, releasing her hand. He walked down the side of the building to a small broom shed.
"Are you ready Lily? I'll let Sirius know to keep a watch out while we're on our way back."
"James, what if we get caught?"
"Lily, I have snuck into Hogsmeade more times than I can count, I wouldn't have done this if I thought there was any chance of getting you in trouble. All I ask is that you trust me." She didn't say anything.
"Lily, do you trust me?" He asked, forcing her to look at him. His eyes were so full of confidence and caring. Lily knew that she could trust him with her very life.
"Of course I trust you."
"Good. Now you'll need to keep us in contact with Sirius on the way back."
James took a small mirror out of the pocket of his shirt. He tapped it with his wand and said "Sirius Black". Lily could no longer see the proper reflection, but instead saw Sirius' handsome face smiling at them.
"All clear Prongs," Sirius said.
"Lily, hold the mirror until we get back to Hogwarts. Sirius let her know if anything shows up on the map."
"Will do mate"
James mounted the broom, and Lily settled herself behind him once more with the mirror in one hand and her free arm wrapped securely around James.
They were almost back to Gryffindor tower when Lily heard Sirius speak.
"Lily, tell him to come at the tower from Hogsmeade Station, Filch just went out the front doors of the castle."
She relayed the message to James, and felt him shift the broom to vary their course. In a matter of minutes, Lily found herself climbing back in the window of her room. She couldn't wait to go to Hogsmeade with James again in the morning.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed it.