Chapter Five: A Kiss
By Natali K. A.
"Lily? You're quiet," Horace said shoving a piece of cod into his mouth.
Lily grimaced. No table manners. She couldn't help thinking that James had always exhibited excellent manners at the table-and everywhere else.
"Hmm." She shoved her potatoes around, appetite long gone.
"I know this is not best time to ask, but about clue-"
"Horace, don't start," Lily interrupted, closing her eyes. What a horrible, horrible evening. She should've stayed and worked on her essay. She didn't even like the food. Even worse, she would end up paying for it, just as she always did. He'd say he forgot his wallet or that he didn't have enough or that he understood she wanted to be equals so he'd let her pay tonight.
Bull shit. He was cheap. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why she was wasting her time. Deep down inside, she knew very well-she just didn't want to admit it.
"I am your-"
"You are my nothing, unless you mean the pain in my arse," she snapped, throwing down her napkin and standing up. "I'm heading back. This food's terrible."
"Lily!"
"I'll see you later, Horace." She grabbed her fur cloak and threw it around her, heading out into the white world outside of the little village restaurant. Blimey it was cold!
She was moping, she knew it. It had been such a boring, boring year, and she wished she'd stayed behind. Every morning, getting up was such a hassle because she knew that Horace-who was increasingly clingy day by day-would be waiting for her to have breakfast or to eat lunch or to sneak out for dinner. He was like a terrible fungus that she just could kill.
"Bastard," she muttered under her breath. Should she just Disapparate outside of Beauxbatons or walk the entire way? She didn't know how far it was, but she couldn't imagine it'd be terribly far. Besides, she needed some time alone so she could think.
Lily knew she should pick some other helpless bloke to make James jealous. No one else would have the same effect. The effect was quite was she was looking for.
Of course, the jealousy that overcame her whenever she saw Josette anywhere near James was probably exactly what he was looking for as well. Though she'd kept telling herself that she only thought the girl was an idiot after staying with James after the way he'd treated her, her heart told her something else.
It was cold and lonely lying in bed, consumed with jealousy.
What had made it all worse was the fact that she kept glancing at him whenever no one was looking. One particular Friday, when everyone was up at Beauxbatons having a grand old time partying in one of the dorms, Lily had stayed behind to avoid Horace (who had come to the door and knocked and called out her name, to which she didn't reply).
After reading about one hundred pages in a book she'd borrowed from Betty, she'd decided to get something to drink.
So that the students wouldn't have to walk over to Beauxbatons in the freezing snow every time they desired something to drink, Dumbledore had installed a sort of refrigerator-though it didn't run on electricity. Truthfully, it was difficult to explain, but a refrigerator was all Lily could liken it to.
Surprise, surprise when she'd stumbled upon James Potter, asleep on one of the couches with his button-down shirt open to his navel. Her eyes lingered a little too long on the hairs on his chest and he shifted, as if aware she was studying him. Scared he would awaken and jump to all sorts of conclusions-all of which would be correct-she hurried back to her bed and promptly lay there, trying to keep that vision of him out of her head.
He'd looked so much like a lion lounging in his lair-king of everything around him. Sadly, it was true.
His sleep was undisturbed and he'd looked like a fallen angel with that dark, shaggy hair and sooty eyelashes.
Suddenly, Lily heard some talking to her right. She stopped, peering around in the darkness, her hand going automatically to the wand in her pocket. It was then that she realized that she recognized the voice.
"But James, I vas just trying to-"
"Josette, it's alright," he muttered. To Lily, he sounded disgusted and disgruntled. She wondered what they were doing here.
"I thought vee could have a leetle fun."
"Your idea of having fun is very different from mine."
Lily cringed, even though she was not the one getting reprimanded. What had happened that James sounded so repulsed?
If Lily cringed, it was understandable that Josette was crying. She sniffled periodically during the next couple sentences.
"James, do not be mad. Eef I zought for a moment you vould be so upset, I vould never-" She stopped, choking down a sob. They came into Lily's view, James heading back to Beauxbatons and Josette trying to hold him back. "You blame me for trying to make you interested?"
"What are you talking about?" James snapped, stopping and turning around to face the sobbing French woman. No, she wasn't much more than a girl, if truth be told. She was sixteen, but her face made her seem fourteen. And while James had thought her mature at first and capable of handling a no-strings-attached relationship, he had been very wrong.
"I can't be zat Lily Evans!" Josette cried out, stomping her foot in outrage. "You lust over her, don't zink I don't see it every time you look at her. Everybody in zee damn school can see it!" Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. "Do you understand vat it is like to valk around with everyone vispering `There goes zee girl `oo tries to be zat Potter's girlfriend'?"
James was almost sympathetic. She was genuinely ailing, but there wasn't really a thing he could do about it. She was completely right-she could never be Lily and he didn't want her to be.
Lily leaned forward to get a better view around the tall tree and in the process of doing so, stepped on a dead branch. The crack resounded through the snow-covered forest.
Both James and Josette whipped their heads around wildly trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. Lily silently prayed they wouldn't come upon her. James, however, with his Chaser's eyes sought her out almost immediately.
"Josette, go back and get your cloak and then get back to the school," he said firmly, averting his eyes from Lily's still form momentarily. "This isn't a discussion to have in this weather."
Josette sniffed loudly, wiping the tears away from her eyes and did as she was told. While she was gone, James' eyes never once lifted off of Lily, preventing her from running in the other direction.
When Josette returned, she had her cloak in her hands instead of on.
"You're going to get frostbite. Put your cloak on," he commanded, trying to snatch it from her.
"No," she said, side-stepping him. "I vill freeze, zank you. Per'aps zen zee pain inside me vill numb…?" She Disappareted before he could change her mind.
"She's so dramatic," he called out, heading for Lily's hideout behind the tree. "You were spying?"
"I was not," she said indignantly. "I was on my way back, minding my own bloody business, when I stumbled upon the two of you arguing."
"But you didn't make your presence known."
"To be quite honest, I'd hoped to get away without you ever knowing I was here."
He nodded, noticing that she was shaking from the cold. "You really must make it a habit to warm yourself up better." Without her permission, he swept her under his cloak, holding her against his body for warmth.
Lily suppressed a shudder, trying to push away from him. His hands wouldn't let her, however.
"She was trying to seduce me," he said, anchoring her against him. "Stop fidgeting, you're cold."
"I didn't ask what you were doing here. It's none of my business," she muttered. "This isn't at all proper, you know. You've got Josette and I've got…" She let her voice trail off.
"Speaking of the dim-witted fellow, where has he got to? Or was he spying from behind yet another tree?"
Lily narrowed her eyes at him. "That's of no matter to you."
He raised a brow. "Very well. Shall we get back to our nice, warm tent? I don't think I feel my nose."
Unable to resist, Lily reached up and cupped her hand around his strong nose, heating it up with the warm of her palm. He closed his eyes in pleasure.
Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she dropped her hand and tried to pry herself out of his grip one more time. As before, it was useless.
"I came this way to be alone and clear my mind," she said, gritting her teeth. "Horace seemed to understand."
"Probably because he didn't want to look stupid, but I doubt he gets half of the things that come out of your mouth. Do you know that he asked me one day what you meant by a refrigerator? I don't care how pureblood your family is, you've got to be a moron not to know what a refrigerator is."
"What right do you have to judge him?" Lily retorted. "Let me go, Potter."
He fell silent for a moment as if contemplating something. And indeed, he was.
"On one condition. Kiss me."
Lily scowled. "How pathetic are you? Have to blackmail girls into kissing you now, eh? Oh, how the mighty have fallen!"
James let out a bark of laughter. "Don't be stupid, Evans. Or did you forget that just five minutes ago Josette had her naked body on display for me with her arms wide and beckoning me to join her?"
The instant the words were out of his mouth, he knew he shouldn't have said them.
"If you could be a gentleman for two minutes and please not tell me things like that, I'd very much appreciate it. Let go of me or I will accuse you of sexual harassment."
Very slowly, he pressed his warm lips against her cool, unresponsive ones. As she hadn't yet tried to bite him, James pushed forth. His tongue slipped out and licked the corner of her mouth. The corresponding shudder pleased him. He continued to move his lips against hers, but still she didn't move. Finally, he picked her up and pushed her against the bark of the tree.
Perhaps it had been the pressure of his body against hers or just that she didn't see the point in resisting, but either way her defenses were no longer defending. Her arms rose up to encircle his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at his neck. Her long legs went around his waist, bringing him even closer to her.
Their tongues entwined, lips caressing each other's. It was one of the most incendiary kisses she'd ever experienced-if not the most. Though her mind seemed almost separated from her body, it was still running. For instance, she was still very aware of where his hands were and what they were doing.
Abruptly, they'd Disapparated, at what she supposed was his own volition. The kiss ended soon thereafter, with him placing one last tender peck on her swollen lips.
"Tomorrow, we'll meet in an empty classroom to work on the potion?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.
"Hmm." She was incapable of forming coherent words. He let her slide down his body-gosh that was a painful, pleasurable experience for them both-and it took her legs a moment to remember how to support her.
Without a goodbye of any sort, she stepped to the side and walked away, crossing her arms and bending her head against the cold. Unable to resist, she turned around after walking about fifty feet and met his gaze.
He was right. They would one day be more than just Head Boy and Head Girl. Something inside of her told her the last thing she wanted to admit:
Lily Evans would someday, without fail, fall madly in love with James Potter. The worst part of this?
He had already fallen for her.
*~*
"So, let me get this straight," Ashley said, munching on a caramel apple. Where it had come from, Lily had no idea. "You're going to help Potter."
"Yes."
"After what happened after the Yule Ball?"
"Yes."
"Even though you're… whatever it is you're doing with Horace?"
Lily grimaced as she remembered Horace. "Yes."
"And he kissed you last night?" Betty piped up.
"Yup."
"Just minutes after being seduced by Josette?"
"Well, she tried. Apparently he hadn't liked the idea, which is when I came upon them arguing."
"You kissed him back?" Ashley asked slyly, already knowing the answer. Of course Lily had kissed back. If she hadn't or hadn't really wanted him to kiss her, he wouldn't've had any male parts to speak of.
"Yeah."
"But you're going to keep stringing Horace along."
Lily was about to ask why Betty had phrased it as a statement and a question, but then decided she didn't really want to know. She had a feeling the response wouldn't please her.
"Exactly."
Betty and Ashley fell silent, giving each other meaningful looks in the meantime.
"What's the point?" Ashley groaned, rolling onto her back on her bed. "Lily, he's so bloody boring and clingy and just… Well, he's lovely to look at, but then he opens his mouth and it's all over!"
Lily snickered. "You're terrible. He really isn't that bad, if a bit cheap. And stupid."
"Lils just wants a trophy boyfriend," Betty teased, smiling. "Two champions at her every beck and call. Had the Beauxbatons champion been a bloke or a lesbian, Lily would've-"
"Alright, you've had your fun," Lily interrupted, shrugging on her mink coat. "As for me, I've got an appointment to help Hogwarts receive all the glory. Do try not to get into trouble, will you?"
"And if Horace stops by? Do we tell him that even though you refused to help him, you're off helping James-who he's terribly jealous of?" Betty asked, stealing a bite of the caramel apple.
"No!" Lily hissed. "Please, if you do, I promise you'll pay for it. I can't stand just the thought of hearing him rant about how my entire life revolves around Potter, and-"
"Has this rant occurred before?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because while you have been a bit of a skank around Potter lately, I can hardly say your life revolves around him. You talk about Horace more. You'd think he'd be happy."
Lily laughed cruelly. "Ash, the only reason I talk about Horace more is because I complain about him so much. And yes, he's given me that lecture a couple times, once after the Yule Ball because I disappeared with Potter. He's such a… bother, really."
"So dump him," Betty said exasperatedly. "We've been telling you to for months!"
"I can't! Then Potter will think I broke up with Horace for him!"
"But that is why!"
"I know, but I can't go around inflating that big head of his anymore than I already have. He's going to think that he can just up and snog me anytime that he wants-"
"And he would be perfectly right," Ashley interrupted, sniggering evilly along with Betty. "You whore."
Lily smiled. "Bite me." With that, she walked out the door to meet James at the fortress.
*~*
A/N: Well… I'm not quite sure what to say about this chapter or what my feelings about it are exactly. I don't know why they kissed. Actually, it had started off as that this chapter would be the one that comes next-what happened in the empty classroom that no one was surprised to hear about.
But I think it's better that I put this little bit here, as I think that jump from the Yule Ball to February sort of threw a few people off. So… here it is!
Leave a comment or a chocolate or Josh Groban wearing just that cute smile of his. Either way, I'll adore you for it.
Much love,
NKA
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