Rating: PG-13
Pairing: L/J-that's all I seem to be writing these days, huh?
Summary: A certain redhead is caught under the mistletoe and disaster ensues. Yeah, I couldn't resist adding my own holiday story to the mix, even though I don't celebrate Christmas.
Disclaimer: Oh, yeah, I own everything. And there are purple bunnies with pink polka dots floating around my head. ~snorts~ People, if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm not J.K Rowling and nothing belongs to me. So don't sue. Really. Don't sue.
~Okay, Lily. Focus. The twelve uses for dragon's blood are…~
She stared at her book blankly. Why all of a sudden did nothing on the pages seem to make any sense?
Three words: James bloody Potter.
Lily's lip curled at the thought of him.
~Just who the bloody hell does he think he is?~
~And who came up with the idea of putting mistletoe underneath the portrait hole? Just wait 'til I get my hands on them…~
Joyce Johnson, a fourth-year, tapped on Lily's shoulder.
"Psst. Lily."
Lily glared up at the younger girl. "What?" she demanded grumpily.
"Just thought you should know that he's still staring at you."
Lily restrained a shout. ~Of course I know he's still staring at me, you daft twit! Why else d'you think I can't remember anything I've learned since first year!~
Then she got an idea.
"Joyce?"
The girl leaned over curiously. "Yeah, Lily?"
"Could you pass on a message to Potter for me?"
Joyce's eyes gleamed with interest. "Sure, what is it?"
"Tell him to go to hell," Lily said flatly.
Joyce laughed uncertainly. "You're-you're kidding."
Lily looked up again at her, and Joyce suddenly took a step back, as if she was sorry she'd asked the question. "Do I look like I'm kidding?" Lily asked dangerously.
"N-no," Joyce quavered. "I'll-I'll go tell him."
Lily watched with interest as Joyce timidly walked over to James. The audience-for that's what everyone there was-watched with almost morbid curiosity as Joyce went to James and whispered in his ear. As Joyce relayed what Lily had told her, she could see the smirk on Potter's face growing wider.
He turned in her direction and grinned at her.
Lily wanted to bite his head off.
~Don't you dare waste another thought on him, Lily Maria Evans. Don't you dare.~
Frowning, Lily returned to her book.
After five minutes of reading, Lily suddenly realized that she hadn't taken in a thing. Sighing slightly, she put the book away in her bag and reached in her bookbag for her quill, some ink, and a piece of parchment.
~Maybe I can get started on that Potions essay…~
Then she noticed Sirius Black walking toward her and quickly amended that thought. ~Or maybe not.~
"So," Sirius drawled out. He was far too smug for her taste. And the fact that he was best friends with He-Who-Will-Not-Be-Mentioned-As-His-Name-Is-Too-Vile-To-Be-Spoken didn't exactly help him either.
"What d'you want, Black?" Lily asked tiredly, not looking up from her essay.
"Well, James wants to know when you're going to talk to him."
"How about never?" she snapped.
Black raised an eyebrow. "No need to bite my head off here. I'm not the one who kissed you."
"You were the one who dared him to kiss the first girl who walked in and stood under the mistletoe, weren't you?" Lily shot back despite herself, aware that the whole room, including him, was listening.
"Well, yeah," Black admitted without a trace of remorse. "But it's not my fault that you were the girl that walked in." He lowered his voice an octave, and Lily had the urge to tell him not to bother, since everyone was listening avidly. "And it's certainly not my fault that you decided to kiss him a second time."
Lily's cheeks burned, and she pressed her lips together in a straight line. Black walked off, smirking, and she looked back down at the parchment.
~For the love of God, focus. Don't you dare let anyone think that he actually affected you…~
Joyce came over again nervously. "James wanted me to tell you something."
She raised an eyebrow at the girl. "And that would be…"
"He said-he said that you look really cute when you're pissed off," Joyce said quickly and backed away, obviously concerned about being hexed all the way to next Tuesday, as well she should have been.
Two little white dents appeared near Lily's nostrils, but she said nothing and returned to her essay. Dipping her quill in the ink, she began to write, her lips pressed tightly together.
After a few seconds had passed, Joyce ventured to ask, "D'you want me to tell him something for you?"
Lily considered, and then said, "Yeah. Tell him he can shove that fancy broom of his up his arse and that I hope he breaks every single bone in his body at the next match."
A fifth-year boy sitting near them suddenly had a severe coughing fit.
Lily studiously refused to look at Potter while Joyce meticulously repeated what she had said. Of course, she was aware of his eyes constantly watching her. Didn't he realize that the whole of Gryffindor house was watching them? Wasn't he even the slightest bit embarrassed?
~But of course, the great James Potter never gets embarrassed,~ Lily thought furiously. ~Bastard.~
Lily, of course, was so embarrassed she was surprised that she had managed to stay in the common room instead of fleeing to the relative safety of the dormitory where she'd be safe from everyone's questions and amusement…where she'd be safe from James Potter's eyes…
~I did not just think that, she thought, stunned. Since when am I afraid of James Potter?~
~Since he gave you that mind-blowing kiss,~ another part of her mind answered.
~Okay, it was not mind-blowing,~ she told herself. ~In fact, it was…slimy. Yes. Slimy and disgusting and completely revolting-and why am I arguing with myself?~
"You look busy."
Lily froze. The small buzz of chatter inside the room stopped. Everyone was staring at them.
She refused to answer, to even turn her head to see who it was. Of course, she already knew, but that was beside the point.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" James asked, sounding amused.
How nice. How very nice that he could find amusement in an evening, that for Lily at least, had been ghastly.
She kept writing furiously. Or at least, until he gently tugged the parchment away.
"You are aware that this isn't due for two weeks, right?" James asked, trying to get her to look at him.
She didn't reply and he sighed. "You know this would be a lot easier if you would at least acknowledge my existence."
"Are you going to apologize?" she asked, taking back the parchment without looking at him.
"No," James replied coolly.
Remus Lupin winced at that, muttering, "Now he's in for it," to Peter Pettigrew, who nodded, his eyes wide.
"Then we have nothing to talk about," Lily told him angrily, dipping her quill into her inkwell and continuing to write.
"Well, it's rather hypocritical to apologize for something you've been wanting to do since you were eleven years old."
The quill froze.
For a second, Lily could have sworn time had stopped.
~He did not just say that. He did NOT just say that.~
Someone, probably Sirius Black, whistled into the silence that had taken over the room.
She took a deep breath and resumed writing. "You don't mean that," she told him.
There was a pause before he spoke. "No offense, Lily, but I don't think you really know me well enough to know if I mean something or not."
"And you don't know me at all," Lily shot back. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to finish this essay, so…"
"Would you just listen to me?" he demanded in frustration, tugging her face up so that her eyes finally met his.
"Why should I?" she demanded icily through gritted teeth, glaring at him.
"Because of this," James growled, and kissed her again.
Somebody-maybe Joyce-gasped.
When they finally stopped, both were gasping for breath. James's eyes looked like they were on fire. "That is why you have to listen to me, Lily."
"Okay. I'm listening," Lily mumbled. Too many brain cells had been fried from that scorching kiss to remind her of the numerous reasons why she shouldn't.
He looked around the common room at the stunned faces that were staring at them. "Don't you people have something else to do?" They all shook their heads, wide-eyed, and James sighed in disgust. "Figures."
"You didn't mind the audience when you were snogging me senseless," Lily sniped at him, starting to feel more like herself.
He at least had the decency to blush at that. "You didn't exactly seem to mind," he replied pointedly.
Lily flushed scarlet and looked at the floor, wishing a hole would open up under her feet.
He sighed. "Lily-I don't-I don't want to fight, okay? I just want-"
"You want what?" she demanded angrily, her eyes snapping up to meet his. "You want me to be your next fling, is that it? To be the girl who's stupid enough to trust you not to break her heart, only to have it smashed the minute you decide you're bored? What, James? What do you want from me?" The last sentence was almost a shriek and her eyes burning, Lily turned to grab her books and run.
James grabbed her arm. "Lily, please-just-just stop."
She looked down at him.
"Lily-I-" James was at a loss for words, and Lily reflected briefly that it was odd that she'd be the one to make the oh-so-wonderful James Potter flustered. "Can't-can't we just be Lily and James?" he pleaded.
For a moment she just stared at him in wonder.
Lily and James.
Just like that.
~Can it really be that simple?~ she asked herself.
And from somewhere deep inside, a voice replied, ~Yeah. It can be that simple.~
For the first time that evening, Lily smiled at James.
He grinned back in relief, stood up, and before she had time to do anything, kissed her.
The common room exploded in cheers and catcalls. Not that Lily and James noticed…they were too busy snogging each other senseless.
Or they were-until Professor McGonagall came onto the scene.
The common room fell into a hushed silence as the professor stared, her mouth agape, at the two prefects. Lily quickly wiped the smeared lip gloss off her lips and James's face was burning.
"Pro-Professor, we can explain-"
"You see what happened was-"
But McGonagall held up a hand, stopping them. Shaking her head slightly and in a dazed voice, she said, "Well… I see I shall have to collect those five Galleons from Professor Flitwick. He was sure it would take at least two more months for you two to come to your senses…" And with that, she left, surrounded by more cheers and laughter. Even Lily was giggling.
Or she was until James kissed her again.
~I could definitely get used to this…~Lily thought hazily.
As she put her arms around James's neck, Lily reminded herself to thank whoever had put up the mistletoe…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Remus nudged Sirius with his elbow. "So," he asked, "are you ever going to tell them that you were the one who put up the mistletoe?"
Sirius looked at his friend in horror. "Are you mad?" he demanded. "I rather like having all four limbs attached to my body, thankyouverymuch." Then he shook his head in disgust. "Figures. I put up the mistletoe, and James gets the girl. Life just isn't fair, I tell you."
End