Curly Red Hair

~ Chapter Three: Consequences ~

What happened to me? What on earth is he talking about?

Lily felt herself frowning.

"What happened to your hair, I mean."

"What happened to my ...." her voice trailed off and she suddenly felt the clasp holding her hair out of her face vanish. The simple black hairclip reappeared in Sirius's outstretched palm and he was grinning rather maniacally.

"Don't move," Black said and began to fumble inside his bag. He proceeded to take out a camera and took several pictures of her. "Souvenirs. I doubt James will ever have the chance to see you like this ever again."

"What on earth is going on?" she demanded nervously. Remus silently conjured a mirror so that she could look for herself. When she saw her reflection, she abruptly sat down across from Sirius, gripping the mirror with a trembling hand.

Oh no!

She started chewing on her lower lip, an indication that she was really nervous. Mum's never going to let me rest in peace now! She placed the mirror on the empty seat beside her. She drew out her wand and tried to lift whatever curse had been placed on her. It didn't work.

**********

It has to be a Potion,

James thought resolutely as he watched the girl he'd always admired trying to charm her hair back to normal. And there's only one bloody person who is capable of doing this to my Lily. He stormed out of the carriage to search for Severus. He faintly heard Sirius's remark to Lily, "You never cease to make his life exciting."

How true.

He found himself blocked by a group of Slytherins. All of them pointed their wands at him, eyeing him warily. "My fight's not with you, but if you wish to be turned into a half-pigeon-half-rat ...." He shrugged suggestively and they immediately backed down.

As he searched each compartment carefully, his eardrums were abused by loud screeching. This time, it was a blond Slytherin girl, who was wailing in dismay, "My father's going to kill me!!!"

James shook his head, trying to clear his ears. He finally found the Slytherin he was searching for. Severus was calmly drinking his own bottle of pumpkin juice. "Hello, Snivellus," James greeted sweetly. "Thanks to you, you've finally confirmed for all of us that Lily is a beautiful witch indeed."

"What nonsense are you blathering about, Potter?" Severus hissed.

"Don't be coy now," James replied with a smile. "What? You don't want to see the art you've made with her hair?" And the Gryffindor left with a bright smile, shocking the Slytherin with the fact that he had not cursed him after the odd interview.

**********

Snape managed to ignore the Gryffindors and repressed his curiosity to see what had happened to those who had drunk the spiked juice. His patience was rewarded when he got off the train. Now he had the chance to see what his potion had done to Lily's hair. He blinked his eyes in disbelief. Instead of making her hair extremely curly and puffy, her brilliant red hair was prettily curled, framing her heart-shaped face perfectly. What have I done? Severus moaned as he muttered a Lightening Spell on his trunk before carrying it.

**********

They had just crossed the magical barrier and Lily was begging Sirius to give her clip back.

"Why? You look great with your hair down like that." Sirius pouted but gave the clip, not to her, but to his friend.

Potter glared menacingly at his best friend who merely chuckled. Remus meanwhile, nodded his head encouragingly.

Lily felt herself blushing suddenly and wondered what James was going to do now that he was approaching her. She felt frozen and broke out into a cold sweat when the boy stood behind her. She jumped slightly when she felt fingers gently combing through her now curly hair before gathering all of it up.

He's so gentle!

Her mind screamed and her cheeks burned even more. Am I about to die of spontaneous human combustion now?

James, on the other hand, was careful with her hair and deep in concentration. He finally caught onto the trick of how girls tie their hair up. "There!" He sighed, smiling and feeling as though he had accomplished something great.

Lily carefully moved away and looked shyly up at the boy who had just tied her hair up for her. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"My pleasure," James murmured in reply. Then he suddenly paled. Lily looked to where his eyes were fixed.

"Oh no!" both of them groaned in unison, seeing that Mr. and Mrs. Evans were watching them. James hurriedly backed away from her to rejoin his friends. Lily's father was still scowling in his direction while her mother smiled broadly.

"Come on," James hissed to his friends. Then to Lily, "Uh ... see you again ... soon?"

The girl stared at the boy, green eyes gleaming brilliantly. "I'm going to Diagon Alley on the twentieth next month," she said impulsively. What am I doing?

"Really?" James's eyes lit up. He gave her a stupid grin and she rolled her eyes in exasperation and approached her family.

The first thing she said to her mother was, "It is not what you think it is."

"Oh really?" her mother asked skeptically, still grinning at her. "He's quite a handsome bloke."

"Mum!" Lily groaned as they walked into the parking lot. What have I gotten myself into? Lily asked herself but she couldn't stop her thoughts from straying to just how nice it had felt to be touched by James, even on the hair. Soon, she was imagining just how it would feel if she sat on the floor while the boy sat on a chair behind her to brush her hair. I'm hopeless!

"Nothing, eh?" her mother's voice penetrated her awareness. "Then what's the blush for?" she asked in a knowing tone.

"Mum!"

~ The End ~