Lily-watching

She's so gorgeous, Lily Evans. It's not right - she's so hot she burns. Her hair's even the right colour. I smile, and wonder if it's that same colour everywhere.

It's our evening off tonight - no homework, no adventuring. Just sitting in the common room and getting in the way. And, of course, for me, there's Lily-watching. My second favourite pastime.

Moony and Padfoot are over in the corner, just in my line of sight. Remus's been teaching Paddy to play chess - they're playing now. I can tell from Sirius's loud protestations that Moony is winning.

Peter's sitting by them on the floor, trying to study. He's got this great huge book on his lap, almost bigger than he is. My eyes meet his over the pages, and he looks down, quickly.

And Lily - well, what to say about Lily? Sitting with her girlfriends discussing things in the hushed tones girls use when they're talking about boys, and crushes, and other such crap. Her hair's out, and she's got it tucked behind her perfect little shell of an ear. I really want to nip it.

I don't bother to pretend I'm not watching her. Everyone knows it anyway. She knows it too, and hates me. I don't care - that'll make it all the more fun when I finally do get her.

One of the girls at her table, whose name I never bothered to learn, looks pointedly over at me. I wink at her, and look away in mock innocence. Lily glances over her shoulder at me, and I catch her out of the corner of my eye. I smile to myself, languid, and sit up straighter in my chair. My throne, as I like to think of it - noone else dares sit here, even the sixth and seventh years avoid it. It's mine, and they know it. Just like Lily's mine. She just isn't willing to admit it yet.

Padfoot swears, off in his corner of the room. Remus is grinning, and Peter's peering up at them. Lily, I note, is glaring. She looks like she wants to go yell at them. I wonder why she doesn't, as I slip off my chair, and siddle over to where my boys are sitting.

"Remus got you again?" I ask Sirius. He rolls his eyes, and slumps down in his chair. Remus laughs. He doesn't laugh often enough, our Remus.

"I think I'll go up, before Remus embaresses me entirely," Sirius says. Peter scrambles to move out of his way.

"I'll join you then," Remus says. "No point staying down here if I'm not embaressing you." He packs up the chess-board.

"Ha hah. You two coming?"

"I have to study," Peter says, in his small voice. Then he accuses, "You two'll distract me."

"Right enough," Sirius says, with a laugh. "You coming then, Jamesy?"

Only Sirius can get away with calling me Jamesy. Although, I suppose, if Lily...

"Nah," I say, "You two go on ahead."

"Lily-watching, eh?"

I grin at Sirius.

"Right in one," I say, and we laugh as we cross the room. Peter looks after us with a sigh, then heaves whatever he's reading up onto the table.

"See you, then," I say, upon reaching my throne.

"Have fun," Sirius says.

"Don't get slapped," is Remus's advice.

I watch them disappear upstairs together, with a wave of my hand. Then I turn back to my main employment, and I watch Lily.