Chapter Seven: A Very Happy Christmas
Winter was fast approaching and with it came a cold season. By the end of November, Hogwarts was coated in a layer of powdery snow. As James left his Transfiguration class, on the way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, he saw Lily walking down the corridors as well. She looked so beautiful with her fiery-red hair swishing behind her and her robes flowing. Without thinking, he decided to talk to her about last night, inquire as to why she darted away so quickly and to try and patch whatever went wrong up.
"Hey Lily!" he called, jogging to catch up with her.
"What is it, Potter?" she asked, turning her head irritably.
"How are you today?" he asked in as charming a voice as he could muster.
"Give it up," she told him, turning away and heading down to the dungeon.
"Oh right, last night," James recalled. "I guess I owe you an apology."
"I'm not going to speak to you until you realize that you can't intimidate me," Lily said, continuing on her march towards the Potions classroom, not even glancing back at James.
"I said I was sorry," James said, trying to sound sincere. When she didn't answer he continued. "Have a nice sleep last night?" he asked.
"It was fine," she replied blandly.
"I wish I could say the same for myself. I was up thinking about you all night," he told her, trying this from a different angle.
"I thought we agreed that we were going to be friends," Lily reminded him.
"Yes, well, unfortunately I can't just switch the `on' button to `off.'" James replied. "The sad fact of the matter is that you've intentionally rubbed off on me."
"And that's a bad thing?" Lily asked incredulously.
"I'm trying to better myself," James explained, "but the one person who can help me is the same one pushing me away.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not here to be your savior."
"Well, try this one on for size," James suggested, hoping, praying that this next line would work, "I think I'm falling in love with you. Actually, I think I've loved you ever since I got to know you."
"You don't know me," Lily replied, hoping he'd get the hint.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?"
"Yes," Lily informed him and James' heart jumped-maybe he was finally getting to her. "However," God that words are killer, James thought, whoever created a word like "However" that could turn a whole conversation around just in 3 syllables? "Only when the feeling's mutual. And this is far from mutual."
"Ouch!" James replied, wincing. "Do you think we could spend some time getting to know each other, as friends should, this morning?"
"I can't. I, well we, have Potions-but seeing as you don't care much about classes, I guess I'll be the only one of us showing up. I, however, am already five minutes late." With that, she turned and started down the stone steps.
"Wait!" James called after her.
"What, now Potter?" Lily asked, extremely irritable now. "I have to get to class!"
"Oh what does it matter if you get to class or not, Slughorn loves you! It wouldn't matter if you ever showed up, you'd still graduate with an `O' in Potions!" James ranted, and Lily scowled in return. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"You shouldn't have." Lily agreed, continuing down the stone steps.
"How about tonight?" James suggested.
"What about tonight, Potter?" Lily asked.
"Do you want to spend some time getting to know each other, as friends, tonight?" James clarified.
"I'm busy," Lily offered in return.
"Doing what?" James pried.
"That's none of your business!" Lily replied dubiously
"Tell me what to do, Lily," James said, getting somewhat frustrated. "How can I possibly win your heart?" he asked, without realizing he'd done so-he hadn't meant to sound like this challenge was too great for him, because it wasn't. To try and patch things up he added, "I'll do anything to win you over because I can't get you out of my mind."
"You truly want to do something to make me happy?" Lily asked.
"Yes." James replied.
"And you promise to abide by it?"
This caused James to hesitate--however, he didn't show it and replied, "Without question."
"Alright," Lily said, taking a breath, "I want you to go home for the holidays-I'm staying at school and it would be much easier for me if you weren't here."
"What?" James asked, flabbergasted. He, Sirius, Remus and Peter always stayed at Hogwarts over the Christmas Holidays to catch up their pranks and to plan something big for when everybody got back-it was tradition.
"If that's for a problem, then I'll make arrangements to stay with some friends," Lily told him, trying to sound like it was no inconvenience, but making it absolutely clear to James that if he didn't leave for the holidays he would have absolutely no chance to win her over.
James thought for a moment, weighing his options. "Alright, I'll leave the second we get out, happy?"
"It's not about being happy." Lily informed him, "You and I can't-" However, before she had a chance to answer, James turned and started toward the grounds, skiving off potions for the fifteenth time that term.
.*.*.*.
James took a turn and headed out the front doors and onto the grounds-a relaxing fly was exactly what he needed to clear his head. What could he possibly of done to make her hate him so much that she wanted him to leave over Christmas? Oh well, over the Holidays, he'd make sure to make a faultless plan that would ensure his winning over his heart. For the time being, he just had to find out what Lily had told Remus, who, unless he was mistaken, had just come out the oak front doors.
"Moony!" James shouted, running over to him, "Just the man I wanted to see!"
"Why aren't you in class?" Remus asked.
James shrugged, "I could ask you the same thing."
"Professor Slughorn sent me to look for you." Remus explained.
"Since when has he cared if I existed, let alone if I was in class?" James asked.
"Well it's just Lily said-" Remus stared
"Oh don't tell me Evens told him I was skipping!" James interrupted and Remus nodded. "God, that bitch! Why can't I just land her already? Sirius was right maybe she is out of my league!"
"What do you mean `out of your league'?" Remus questioned. "You're not still trying to…" giving James a meaningful look, "are you?"
"So what if I am?" James asked, shooting an annoyed look at Remus.
"James, you can't keep doing this. You have to grow up at some point."
"But the challenge is way too good to pass up, Moony. If I can convince her to sleep with me, she'll be my greatest conquest ever! Plus, if I land her, I promise that I'll stop."
"James, that's horrible. Are you even listening to yourself?"
"Moony, please, just tell me what she told you."
"Okay fine. Besides, I don't know why I'm worrying it's not like…"
"Not like what Moony?" James questioned.
"Well, it's not like you're actually going to get her to sleep with you."
"Why would I be doing all this work,\ if I couldn't succeed?"
"James, do you honestly think that you could get Lily, or any girl for that matter, to fall in love with you? Or moreover, to think that you honestly love them back?" Remus asked.
"Why not, Remus?" James asked, "Is it too hard to believe that anyone could possibly fall in love with me?"
"Well, honestly James, not when you act like such a git all the time. Just tone it down a couple of notches and you'll be fine," Remus said, but then he considered the advice he'd just given James and said. "God! Why am I telling you this? It's only going to encourage you, isn't it?
"Possibly," James shrugged, "but cut to the chase, what did she tell you? Who wrote the letter?"
"Alright," Remus paused, "It was Mrs. Codwell."
"No way that nosey bitch!" James said, outraged, "Are you sure?"
"Positive," Remus confirmed. "She knows Lily's father since she's involved with muggle-wizard relations and her father's the prime minister. When corresponding with Lily about Florence's coming to Hogwarts the next year, she asked her about the infamous James Potter, and when Lily didn't know what she was talking about, she filled her in on your history."
"Arg…God!" James replied, frustrated. He then walked away.
"Where are you going?" Remus called after him.
"To take a fly," James called back.
"What about class?"
"Don't feel up for it," James replied turning back towards Remus and shrugging. "Anyways, Evans has made it pretty clear that she doesn't want anything to do with me. Moreover, I don't think I could stand being in the vicinity as her `til after I think things over and get back from the holidays."
"What should I tell Slughorn?" Remus asked.
"I dunno," James replied, "You're better at making up stories than I am, you'll think of something." With that, James ran down to the broom shed to grab his nimbus. This day had gone from bad to worse-he really needed to clear his head now. Besides, if he was going to have to give his broom up to Melanie, he might as well have gotten as much use out of it as possible beforehand.
.*.*.*.
That evening, Melanie stood in the Library, watching Florence and Ronald in their weekly Charms lesson. Ronald was showing Florence how to do a "Cheering Charm" and Melanie was getting annoyed. "Enough with the Charms," she muttered under her breath, "just fuck her already."
"You would not believe what-" said a voice coming from behind her.
"Shhh!" she turned around quickly, hushing James. The last thing she needed was for Ronald and Florence to discover her there. After James stopped talking she turned back to the scene. Ronald had just charmed books in the library to look like a rainbow and Florence was clapping. Ronald then took a bow and James snorted.
"That was beautiful," Florence said.
"Almost as beautiful as you," Ronald replied, causing Florence to pause. After an awkward silence Ronald added, "Well, it's getting late and our hours up."
"I'll see you next week." Florence said, gathering up her things.
"Absolutely." Ronald replied, enthusiastically. Then turns to Florence and awkwardly shakes her hand.
"Idiot," Melanie mumbled, frustrated. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, turning to look at James.
"Are you ready for this?" James asked, and Melanie nodded in reply. "I've recently discovered that our good friend Mrs. Codwell is the one who sent the letter to Lily urging her to stay away from me."
"Interesting," Melanie said, hoping that this meant that James was finally coming to his senses and would help her.
"So now I plan to devout all my energies to destroying the old hag," James explained. "Any luck corrupting her daughter?"
"No," Melanie grumbled.
"Have Florence meet me in your dorm tonight," James suggested. "I'll bust that cherry in a heartbeat."
Melanie nodded and filled James in, "It seems the plot has thickened as Florence has fallen for her mudblood charms tutor."
"Ooo," James replied, "I'm sure Mrs. Codwell will love that."
"Not to mention Court Reynolds." Melanie added, smiling. "Unfortunately, Ronald's moving at the speed of a flobberworm."
"What's your plan of attack?"
"I rat Florence out to mommy over the Holidays. Mommy goes ballistic and ends their relationship. Boo, hoo."
"But who will she turn for help?" James asked.
Melanie smiled and pinned James against the wall, her long dark hair flowing. "Florence is going away with Court over the Holidays. I'll need you to speed up her sexual awakenings."
James turned Melanie around and started to massage her shoulders. "I'm at your service," he whispered in her ear.
"Thank you," Melanie replied, sensually. "Mmm…that feels good," she added, as James slid her hand up her shirt and under her bra and started massaging her breast in their semi-private area, hidden in-between two of the back shelves in the library. "I hate it when things don't go right, it makes me so horny."
"Me too," James agreed, taking his hand out from her shirt and running it between her legs and up her skirt. "Oh baby, you're soaking."
"I know." She replied, closing her eyes, and rubbing his crotch, before proceeding to unzip his fly and massage his cock. "Any luck with you're girl yet?" she asked seductively.
"Moving along quite well," James replied, moaning.
"Have you succeeded in your task?" she asked again.
"Any day now."
"Well let me know when you do. But until then," Melanie ordered, as she took her hand out from underneath his pants, and turned to face him. "Down boy," she instructed, looking at his penis. She then zipped up his fly rather quickly, causing him to wince in pain.
.*.*.*.
A/N: There you go! Another chapter added to the story. FYI, this is the last chapter of this story that I will add for a week. I'm sorry, I'm just way to busy and I won't be home for the rest of the week. And for you "To Be Without Fault Fans" don't expect another update until next Monday either. Sorry!