17 Going On 7

Chapter 3
It's A Charmed Life

James walked up behind Lily and wrapped his arms around her. "Hiya, Lils."

Lily quickly elbowed him off her and turned around. "Hello, James."

"See, look!" James said to Sirius, grinning. "I toldja Lils was calling me James now! See!"

"For crying out loud, Prongs..." muttered Sirius, pushing his hair out of his face. "I bet you're gonna wet yourself when she confesses her undying love for you!"

"Shut UP, Sirius!" yelled Lily, playfully punching him in the arm. Sirius was somewhat of a big brother to her for some unknown reason - there was really nothing particular. He protected her like a sister and she would stand up for him ... most of the time. "Is it clear that I don't love James?"

"Now, see here, Prongs," demonstrated Sirius, slinging his arm around Lily's shoulder. "Lils here has been calling me by my first name for ... well ... forever." He ran a hand through his hair. "I can't help it if I'm dangerously shexy."

Lily burst out laughing and pushed Sirius away. "Sorry, but not in your wildest dreams!"

Sirius raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Wild dreams? Hmph."

Lily laughed again, but rolled her eyes. "Come off it, Sirius. Enough, you crazy git."

"And, she jokes with me."

James rolled his eyes. "Lils, you like me better than that git, right?"

"I love both of you - not like that, James, so wipe that smirk off of your face - even though you're crazy gits!"

"And we love you too, Lily!" James planted a kiss on Lily's cheek. She pretended to wipe it off, but couldn't hide her grin. Sirius laughed at her face.

"Lily's blushing again!" he laughed.

"Am not!" insisted Lily, trying to hide her face.

"Aww, she's trying to hide it!" teased James.

"Oh, shut UP, James!" cried Lily, running off to go find Chloe, Mel, and Allie.

***

James plopped down next to Lily at lunch. Sirius was practically tearing apart the chicken as he ate it. It was impossible for Sirius to speak, so it would be great to say something that would make him choke. Of course, James is James. He can't pass up a chance like this.

"Sirius, you're ugly and you smell like a ruddy dog," James said with a smile plastered to his face.

Sirius sputtered and spit out the chicken in his mouth. "What!" he yelled. "That isn't fair! That isn't FAIR! I was eating and that ISN'T FAIR!"

James laughed, which made Sirius even more annoyed. Clearly, he wasn't angry though. In fact, he was probably just going along.

"Yeah well you - you look like a girl!" laughed Sirius, causing himself a face full of mashed potatoes.

Lily, Chloe, Mel, Allie, Lupin, and Wormtail all grinned as they ate, watching Sirius and James' little show. They were good at causing lunchtime comic relief, especially before a stressful Quidditch match. Of course, then they were a bit nervous too, but luckily, when they got nervous, they were incredibly amusing. Well, this was just everyday amusement, anyway. Nothing to cause an uproar of laughter.

James cleared his throat as the comedy of the situation died down and it was no longer worth it. "So, uh, Lils, what are you doing tonight?"

Lily grinned. "I don't know. Nothing so far. And no, I won't go out with you, James. Sorry."

James sighed. "Well, it's not exactly a ... date. We just need to practice our dancing skills for the Winter Ball."

Lily sighed and pushed some hair out of her face. "Oh, right. Forgot about that. Well, then, I guess it's something to do."

James nodded and picked up a piece of chicken. "Shpountz 'ud."

"Huh?" Mel and Allie said at the same time.

James swallowed his bite of chicken. "I said ... 'sounds good'."

"Oh yes, James, it sounds excellent for you," commented Chloe. "Of course, poor Lily here is dreading the mere thought of spending time alone with you dancing to a slow -"

"Chloe! Enough!" shouted Lily. "No need to lay it on thick."

Mel raised an eyebrow. "Oh? For you or James?"

A smile played on James' lips as Lily replied, "Both of us."

******

Lily was sitting in her common room, trying to finish up an essay for Binns. She heard James and Sirius walk in noisily, and she turned around to grin and wave at them. "Hiya, Lils!" said Sirius, making himself comfortable on the couch. "So, you and Prongs here gonna learn to dance from me, eh?"

Lily dropped the book she had been holding. "Y-you?!" she cried. "No!" Sirius had a fake hurt look on his face. "Sorry, Sirius, but there is no way I could get him to focus! He'd be stumbling all over himself, laughing at something you say, or making a joke out of -"

"Lily! Calm down!" said Sirius. "I'm instructing you for the most part. James, here, is good at everything, isn't he? After all, that's the beauty of his arrogance. It has a reason. That he can do anything. And if I must say so myself, the boy is a good dancer!"

James glared at Sirius, but gave him a grateful smile. "Well then, should we start this?"

Lily rolled her eyes and put the book away in the mini library. She rolled up her homework, stuffed it into her bag, and walked over to the boys. "Let's get this over with."

"Right..." Sirius was grinning like a madman, which couldn't be a good sign. "Right ... okay then ..." He tried to look thoughtful, like an old teacher who'd forgotten the lesson plan.

"Sirius, just get on with it!" Lily screamed.

"Okay, okay, chill out Lils!" said Sirius. "James, you'll put your hands on Lily's waist. Lily - yep, okay, so I see we have that down." Lily had her arms placed awkwardly around James' neck and James had his arms placed quite comfortably - too comfortably for Lily - around her waist. "Merlin! You can't expect to dance when you're so stiff you can't move!"

Lily rolled her eyes and slouched. "Better?"

"No!" cried Sirius. "Lily, stand up properly! Okay then, just move your feet - yep, that's it - left, right, left - good! Not so complicated after all!" He grinned. "The music?"

"Yeah, the music," sighed Lily. "Then maybe it won't feel so strange."

Sirius signaled for the music to play with a flick of his wand. Lily almost feinted when she heard her favorite song of all time start playing softly throughout the whole room.

It's a charmed life
Innocence wild
Crayola skies for a thousand miles
It's a good life in the happily ever after
Last page of a very last chapter
It's the story of a charmed life

James was smiling as he steered Lily to the tune of the music. She seemed to have loosened up a bit. "See, Lils, you think I'm no good for you," he whispered softly. "Then how do I know your favorite song?"

Lily looked up at him and grinned, then muttered, "Suck up." They both laughed.

Sirius was straining to hear the conversation, but so far all he'd heard was them laughing. He watched as Lily half-consciously rested her head on James' shoulder.

It's a charmed life
Unexplainable grace
Stumbling, you fall right into place
It's a childlike world and you can feel the magic
Far from the typically tragic
That's the beauty of a charmed life

Sirius quietly muttered, "Epeatray Ongsay" and slipped out of the room, leaving James and Lily to practice alone.

It took a few seconds before James figured out that Sirius was gone, but rather than telling Lily, he continued to dance with her and smiled to himself. Her hair smelt so good...

Who needs to know
When it all comes and when it all goes
Who needs to know just when
Fate will take you there

As the song came to an end, Lily seemed a bit mesmerized. She looked up at James and grinned at his brown eyes. Maybe she didn't see him for all he was. How many guys in the school actually got to know her enough that they cared what her favorite song was?

James noticed her looking into his eyes and couldn't let himself pass up the perfect chance. He leaned in and softly kissed Lily right on the lips, fully expecting her to smack him and run away or something. But she didn't. She kissed him back.

After Lily finally pulled back, she rested her face in James' robes for a second, hearing the song start again. After a few awkward seconds of just standing there - not dancing or commenting or anything - Lily finally whispered, "'Night, James." Then she turned around and walked to her dormitory.

******

Lily arrived at breakfast feeling a bit dazed and confused. She avoided eye contact with James at all costs, and halfway through the meal, it was quite apparent that she was hiding something. "Lil? What's up?" said Mel when she noticed that she was completely avoiding James, yet James was staring uncontrollably at her.

"N-nothing," Lily, who had been silent through the whole meal, muttered.

"Are you sure?" asked Chloe, raising an eyebrow. "I mean ... is there something we should know?"

"No," James interrupted. "Leave her alone. She probably doesn't feel well - she was sneezing like crazy last night."

Allie snorted in disbelief. "Oh, yeah. Sure. Well, I've got some Pepperup Potion just in -"

"No!" cried Lily. "I mean ... no, I'm fine. I just need some rest is all."

"Oh, up all night, were we?" Allie asked suspiciously. She leaned closer to Lily and whispered, "Lily Evans, I know there is something going on with you and James. You'll tell me, eventually, whether or not you like it. I know for a fact that Holbins has some Veri-"

"Leave me alone!" cried Lily, before Allie could continue. She stood up and stormed out of the Great Hall.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "She seems to be doing that a lot lately."

Everybody but James nodded in agreement.

******

James walked into the Gryffindor common room and immediately spotted Sirius and Remus. "Sirius! Remus!" he cried. "We gotta talk."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. Then, playing along with a joke that was never really there, he burst into fake tears and cried, "Oh! That's what every boy says before he breaks up with me! But I'll never have a man as -"

"That's not what I was thinking." James frowned.

"Wow, somebody has their pissy pants on," muttered Sirius. James walked over and sat down next to Sirius and Remus.

"It's Lily?" Remus guessed automatically.

James shot him a 'how-the-hell-did-you-know-that' look. "Yeah..." he took a deep breath. "I kissed her."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "That's all? You kissed her, she screamed, and suddenly this weekly event is something that amazes you? Honestly, James! I mean, every -"

"That - is - not - it," James said in a huff. "Take two seconds out of your life, Sirius, and be serious."

Sirius grinned impishly. "That's my name, don't -"

"SIRIUS!" shouted Remus, punching his best mate in the arm. "Stuff it, you old bag."

"I'm not old!"

"Well, you're acting like a 75-year-old man who just wants to be young again!"

"But I'm not! I am young and I think I have the perfect rights to act it!"

"Oh, but you -"

"SILENCE!" shouted James. "She kissed me back!"

Remus' face turned at least fifteen different colors, with expressions to match each one. Sirius fell forward off the couch.

"Sh-she what?" Remus questioned in a half-whisper.

******

Lily took a long look at her friends, knowing that after she told them this, nothing would ever be the same. They'd all scream and feint and make a huge deal out of ... almost nothing.

"Okay, Lily, you called an emergency meeting," Chloe said, in a tone that a teacher would use with an anxious four-year-old. "What about?"

"James," Allie answered automatically, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah, James," Lily repeated, causing Allie to dramatically bring her hand to her forehead and fall backward onto the couch. "Not funny, Alexis. Anyways. Last night, we had to do that dancing thing, right?"

"Oh! I heard Sirius was your teacher. Sucked, right?"

Lily looked at her friends for a second longer. She had to tell them. Had to. But how?