DISCLAIMER: I don't own James or Lily but I love them together! Go J/L!
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The early rays of morning shone through the cracks in the deep velvet curtains, onto a sleeping figure that stirred. A hand stuck out from under the duvet reached out and seemed to grope for something on the bedside table. Instead his hand was simply grabbing the empty air.
The figure jolted awake immediately and squinted at the bedside table frantically. There was no sign of his glasses. Shit. His glasses always disappeared at least 2 times a term either because he forgot where they were or lost them and James hated those days as much as he hated Snivellus and losing the Quidditch and House Cup rolled into one. But at the end of the day he'd always find them on the floor... he scrutinsed the floor carefully. Maybe he had knocked them off the table in his sleep. But there was no sign of them. Damn. Without them James was perpetually blind and it didn't help that there were classes today. Maybe he'd just call in sick.
Groaning and falling back on the pillows he knew that this just wasn't going to be his day.
- - - - - - - - - - - --
Lily was sitting on the couch in the Heads Common Room, waiting for James to come out so that they could walk to the Great Hall for breakfast together. After a LONG period of arguing and bickering, they had finally decided to bury the hatchet much to the relief of the Marauders and her best friend, Melanie Reid. Lily had grown to enjoy James's presence and they became what one would call, best friends.
She glanced at the clock worriedly. It was almost 7.15 and classes started at 8.15. Where was James? Was he sick? A few months ago, she wouldn't have bothered whether he lived or died but now here she was, worrying when he didn't appear for breakfast. The ironical thought made a smile tug at her lips as she climbed the stairs to James's room.
"James?" She called softly. "Can I come in?"
She heard no reply and so deciding that silence meant consent, she entered the dark room hesitantly. She'd never seen James's room before and was pleasantly surprised to see it was bearably neat, except for a big pile of textbooks and Quidditch books that were scattered on the floor which she skillfully skirted. She sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled back a corner of the duvet.
"James." She whispered again. This time the figure turned over to face her.
"Good morning Lils." He smiled genially.
"Morning to you too. It's already 7.30 am sleepy head." She teased as she tapped his nose with her index finger.
"Really?" James yawned. "And anyway I don't think I'm going for lessons today."
"Why not?" She looked at him more care worried. He looked fine to her but you never really knew whether boys were sick or not. "What's wrong? Are you sick or something?"
Was that concern he heard in her voice? "No I'm not. It's just that..." He paused, sighing. "My glasses are missing. And I can't see anything without them."
There was a quick whoosh of relief in Lily's heart and she smiled. "That's all? And you made me think that it was life-threatening. Come on. Get up. I'll help you through." She scanned the floor for his glasses but there was no sign of them.
"Really?" James was surprised. Here was the girl he'd loved offering to do something for him when a few months ago she'd just called him names? He sat up, wondering if she was actually feeling something for him.
"Of course. You're my best friend, remember?" Somehow it felt wrong to say so and was that a hint of sadness in his eyes? She pushed it away and bounced on his bed. "Hurry up. Breakfast will be over soon!"
"Alright," He grumbled. "I'll meet you outside."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Finally James appeared in the common room about 15 minutes later. Lily couldn't help but giggle when she saw his appearance. One side of his shirt collar was folded in and the other was out. His tie was hapzardly hanging on his neck.
"Can you help me? I told you I was blind." He walked towards her as she tried to restrain her laughter.
She stood on tiptoes and gently adjusted his collar then redid his tie since it was all in a knot anyway. Sudden nervousness seized her and silenced her desperate need for laughter. She had never stood so close to him before, their faces were only centimeters apart.
All James could see was just colors, red and green but nothing clear. He sensed that Lily was extremely close to him and he heard her breathing, soft and even. He was grabbed with a desire to press his lips on hers but he controlled himself which much difficulty.
Finally the tie was neatly done and Lily pulled away from him rather relieved. The breath that James had been holding in released itself with a whoosh.
"Come on Mr. Potter; let's get you to the Great Hall." She broke the uneasiness and dragged him away.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"It's on these days that I hate steps." He muttered mutinously as he maneuvered his way cautiously down the flight of steps. Lily chuckled as she took his arm.
"A few more steps." She pronounced.
"Thank Merlin." James proclaimed in relief. But he spoke too soon. He missed a step and stumbled, falling down the last few steps, dragging Lily with him. They ended up in a heap at the bottom of the steps, Lily lying on top of James. She couldn't hold it in anymore and just kept giggling.
"Sure, laugh." James grumbled. "I'd like to see it happen to you."
"You really are blind." She snorted.
James realized what a compromising situation they were in. Lily, who was lying on him, suddenly stopped laughing as she stared into his hazel eyes. Gosh, his eyes looked bigger and cuter without his glasses. Why hadn't she seen that before? And why was she even thinking that in the first place?
She pulled herself off him quickly, afraid that someone might see and helped him up. Together in silence they entered the Hall rather awkwardly.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -
"The last lesson of the day is Potions with the Slytherins." Lily read from James's schedule. She had practically spent the entire day helping him out. The Marauders were of no help at all, Remus was going through the last phase of his "werewolf" state and didn't come to classes but he was going to be alright by tonight. Sirius, Peter and Melanie kept disappearing for some reason or the other. So it was just James and Lily.
"Great, just what I need, to embarrass myself in front of the Slytherins." James looked miserable. The whole day had been nothing short of horrible. In Transfiguration, he had changed his kitten into a striped mushroom instead of a puppy because he read the incantation wrongly.
He closed his eyes resignedly, trying to block out the rest of the memories. Lily couldn't help but sympathetically hug him, in the middle of the hallway. James was stunned, he could have been turned to stone as the masses bumped into or stared at them.
"Don't worry. Everyone has a terrible day once in a while. " She backed away as if struck by the enormity of what she had done, but then put her arm through his and fell in step with him.
Suddenly James felt better and little more hopeful. But only for a moment. When he walked into the class and he saw the Slytherins' s sneers, he knew he was in for a rough time. Lily squeezed his arm reassuringly again and a shiver went up his spine.
"Alright." The Potions teacher, a doddery old geezer walked in and started assigning the partners for the day. "Now Black, pair up with Miss Reid. Potter, with..." James hoped against hope that he would pair Lily up with him, but sank into his chair when he heard the name. "Serverus." Lily's eyes went wide but she shot James a comforting look at him before moving to a spare seat beside this Slytherin girl.
Oh great, James groaned inwardly as the gaunt youth moved into the seat next to him, stiffly sitting a distance away from him. How was he going to actually get through this? Snivellus was the prize student of Potions, and now with James without his glasses, Snivelly could easily get revenge on him.
The chalk magically flew across the board, writing out instructions for the day's potions. James knitted his brow and prayed that nothing would go wrong.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Well that wasn't too bad." Sirius unhelpfully remarked as the four of them walked out of Potions, drenched in some weird greenish substance.
"It was the worst." James gloomily commented, not even concerned about the potion in his beloved hair.
"Now James, it really wasn't too bad. In fact it was hilarious how your erupting potion mostly hit Snape." Melanie smiled, not in the least bothered about the blotches of green that streaked across her cheek and her robes.
"Yeah right." James looked unconvinced.
"At least it's the last lesson of the day." Lily shrugged.
"Yeah but if I can't find my glasses I'll have to do this everyday." James was horrified. "WHAT ABOUT NEWTS?" He panicked.
"Don't be overly dramatic." Sirius said rather briskly.
"You'll definitely find it. Sooner or later, I'd say." Melanie stopped in front of the Gryffindor portrait hole with Sirius. "Bye guys."
Lily and James made yet another perilous ascent to the Heads Common Room.
"Look James." Lily stopped in front of the portrait hole, looking into his irresistible eyes. She shook her head. Where had that come from? "We'll find them. I promise."
"Thanks, Lily." His brown eyes sparkled and she was unable to stop the pink blush from suffusing across her face. For once, she was glad he couldn't see that. As she stepped forward to give the password to the waiting guardian, she was suddenly hit by an idea.
"James!" She gasped.
"What?" He sounded worried, or was that just her imagination?
"I just thought of a way tofind your glasses. What an idiot I was!" She shook her head.
"You're not an idiot, in fact I owe my life to you today. If you weren't my eyes today, I might not be even standing here in one piece." James was so grateful to her and prayed whatever method she had thought of would make his glasses would come back. He hated to be helpless and clumsy without them.
"Accio James's glasses." Lily flicked her wand. A wire-rimmed pair of glasses flew to her up the stairs and she caught it deftly, handing it to James. He put it on gratefully and looked down at her, glad to at last see her clearly.
"Thank you so much Lils." He impulsively took her hands in his and stared into her eyes, smiling in gratitude. Lily blushed again and kept her eyes down at their clasped ones.
"It's perfectly alright." Her expression was one of pure shyness, even though James didn't really know why.
"Lily, I..." He hesitated. "Would you..."
"Just spit it out already." She joked nervously.
"Would you go with me to Hogsmeade next weekend? I'd like to thank you for helping me."
Lily's breath caught in her throat. She wanted to say yes, but somewhere deep inside her she wasn't quite sure and needed time to think about it.
"Erm..." Shepaused for a minute, trying to avoid answering the question for a minute. Jamessimply grinned roguishly, something which sent shivers of thrill and anticipation down her back.
He captured her lips with his before she could say anything. She was stunned but gave in to his soft touch. Her knees felt weak like they were going to give way but his arms wrapped themselves around her waist, holding her up. She deepened the kiss and ran her hands through his hair softly, raking it so that it was even messier.
Then slowly, she pulled away, reluctantly, breathless.
James sent yet another cheeky smile her way. "So it's a date then."
She could only nod, her features illuminating in a sweet smile that made James lean in to kiss her. But before their lips could meet, the guardian spoke sharply.
"Are you two love-birds taking it inside or somewhere else? I want to rest." The two looked up at the guardian who was smiling in a sort of tired way. Lily gave the password, giggling as she entered the portrait hole with James behind her.
"Thanks for letting me be your eyes today James." She smiled and traced his cheek bone with the back of a finger.
"Anytime." He whispered, pressing his lips against hers in yet another kiss.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
A slender figure sneakily skipped up the stairs to the boys' dormitory in quick nimble steps. The three guys inside were apparently waiting for her as she sat down on the edge of one four-poster, bouncing on it in an excited sort of way.
"So?" The first spoke calmly.
"I spoke to the guardian. They kissed!" The girl squealed as quietly as she could. The guys broke into grins that could have illuminated the dark.
"See? I told you taking his glasses was a good idea." The second chuckled.
Melanie Reid laughed as she looked around at Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. "We should definitely do it again."