Chapter 6- Is that what you wanted to hear?
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling or entities associated with her.
Lily awoke much earlier than she would have on a normal Saturday morning. She had already showered and dressed, and was toweling her hair dry when Marlene finally stirred.
"Lily, why are you up so early? It's not quidditch today, you know," Marlene said through hearty yawns.
"No, but it is Hogsmeade. I'm going with James."
Dorcas popped her head out of the bathroom the girls shared.
"Doth mine ears deceive me? Lily Evans going to Hogsmeade with James Potter? Giant Squid already taken, eh," she said through peals of laughter.
Lily grimaced at the memory of telling James that she would rather date the giant squid than him. He had deserved it at the time though. She only hoped he didn't remember the incident.
Lily tossed her towel in the hamper, and headed down to the common room to see if James was up yet. She didn't find him there, so she headed down to the Great Hall. She saw Remus sitting at the far end alone, and went to join him.
"Good morning Remus," Lily bubbled sliding onto the bench beside him. "Where's James? He's usually up by now."
"He decided to sleep in since you wouldn't go to Hogsmeade with him today."
"What do you mean," Lily asked bewildered.
"Well you told him last night that you wouldn't go with him to Hogsmeade today, so he decided to just not go."
"But I changed my mind. He has to go Remus. Surely he knew I wanted to go now. Of course I really wanted to go with him all along and now…"
Remus' laughter stopped Lily's ramblings.
"If you want to go to Hogsmeade with James just ask him. I doubt he'd say no"
Lily thought about what Remus had said for a moment. She bit at her bottom lip, a nervous habit from childhood.
"Lily dearest, if you're that hungry why not have some bacon and toast," Sirius said as he sat down.
Remus told Sirius what Lily was upset about. Sirius also encouraged Lily to ask James to Hogsmeade. She was leery of taking any advice given by Sirius Black, but he was James' best mate.
Lily didn't know how her feet had led her to the door of the seventh year Gryffindor boys' room, but they had. She had once more been playing scenarios over and over in her mind. She knocked lightly on the door, it was answered moments later by Peter.
"Is James…"
"Asleep," Peter squeaked, pointing towards the only bed whose hangings were still shut tight.
"Pardon me, I'm going to get some breakfast," Peter said slipping past Lily.
Lily hated to wake James, but she hated the thought of not going to Hogsmeade with him even more. She tiptoed cautiously to his bed, and pulled back the curtains ever so slowly and carefully. He looked so peaceful. Looking at him at that moment Lily found it hard to imagine that awake this was one of the most mischievous and disruptive people in the entire school. His long dark eyelashes touched his cheeks lightly. His breathing was so steady and even. The corners of his mouth turned up as if he were having the most glorious dream, Lily wished she could know what it was that made him smile in his sleep like that. His hair was as unruly as ever. Lily couldn't help herself, she had to run her fingers through it. James' silky dark hair was every bit as soft as it looked. Smiling, she looked down at his face once more. The same euphoric smile was on his lips, but now his hazel eyes were staring up at her.
"Sleep well," Lily asked. James nodded in reply. "You looked like you were having a good dream, I'm sorry I woke you."
"Don't be," he said his voice husky and deep from having just woken up. "To what do I owe the honor of your presence this morning?"
"To whom," Lily responded. James looked at her quizzically.
"Remus, oh and Sirius I suppose. I heard that you're not going to Hogsmeade today, because some little twit said she wouldn't go with you."
"Well I did get turned down, but I don't know about her being a twit."
"I was hoping that maybe you'd consider going to Hogsmeade with me."
"I might," he replied.
"Might? I'll throw in a butterbeer and something from Honeydukes," Lily said, remembering the large bribe James had given to the whole of Gryffindor tower.
"I'll pass on those thanks, but I'm sure we can work something out."
Lily beamed at him
"Well I need to get ready then, since I have a date to Hogsmeade," James said as he sat up.
"I'll meet you in the Great Hall," Lily said as she walked to the door.
"Give me ten minutes and I'll walk you there."
Much later that day, Sirius and Remus sat beneath a tree at the edge of the lake. Sirius was waiting on Marlene to change so that he could take her on the motorbike ride he had promised. Katherine had just left Remus because she had to tutor a second year student in Charms.
"Where do you think Prongs and Lily are? I haven't seen them since we left Dervish and Banges, that was hours ago," Sirius pondered aloud. Remus didn't answer, he continued reading his book.
"Moony,"
"Yes, what is it?" Remus was tired of the endless stream of chatter that had poured from Sirius for the past five minutes.
"I was thinking about the Amortentia, and I can't figure something out."
"What would that be Padfoot?"
"Why do you smell lavender? Is that what Katherine smells like?"
Remus rolled his eyes and shut his book. It was apparent that Sirius was not going to let him read in peace.
"No that is not what Katherine smells like. I smell it because it's calming. When I haven't changed but I feel the wolf welling up inside me, the smell of lavender calms me. I feel human after I smell it. I would love to be a normal person once again, and that's how lavender makes me feel."
"Moony, you're just as normal as me and Prongs. You just happen to have your furry little problem."
"You meant that to be comforting, didn't you Sirius?"
James landed his broom in the lush manicured grass of the quidditch pitch beside Lily. She was lying on her back staring up at the sky.
"What's so interesting," James asked, noting the intensity of Lily's gaze.
"I'm looking for cloud pictures."
"Cloud pictures? What are cloud pictures?"
"You know how clouds sometimes look like something. Like that one there looks like a chicken," Lily answered, pointing to the left slightly.
James shook his head.
"Lily, I don't see anything."
"You will if you look long enough and hard enough."
He lay down beside her. To James every still and silent minute was an agonizing hour. He didn't see how Lily could lie there so patiently waiting to see if she could find a cloud that looked like a plimpy or a camera or whatever. James wanted to see a shape in the clouds, but he did not want to wait to see it.
"I still don't see anything." She laughed at his exasperated tone.
"What else do you smell in the Amortentia?"
"Happiness and you" Lily said.
"I smell a well earned victory that is finally won on the quidditch pitch," James said. His words were chosen carefully, having weighed each syllable in his mind.
Lily sat up, and looked at him.
"Quidditch? You can smell winning a quidditch match," she said incredulously.
James sat up, leaning towards her.
"That is not what I said."
"Yes it is, you said a victory on the pitch," she stood, towering over him.
"What would you have liked for me to say Lily? That I smell the way your hair always smells like peaches? Or the scent of your perfume as it trails down the hall behind you? Maybe I should have said that I can catch the scent of your robes when you come back from holiday and they've been dried in the sun?" James had now risen to his feet, and stood so close to Lily that it took her very breath from her. "No? Oh I should have told you that I can smell the firewhiskey that was on your breath in fifth year at the party when we won the house cup and you kissed me for the first time. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"You don't really smell all those things, do you?"
James didn't answer her, instead he pulled Lily close to him and kissed her, something he had been waiting to do for a very long time.
Lily tensed up as James pulled her to him, but as soon as his lips touched hers she relaxed. His kiss was warm and inviting. James marveled at how soft Lily's lips were. He put his hand to her cheek, his other arm holding her close to him. She moved one hand across his strong muscled arm, the other hand ran once more through his already messy black hair. When they broke apart, Lily breathed in deeply. It felt like air was filling her lungs for the first time.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed. We have now reached the half way point in this little journey. ~T