The Spell That Can't Be Cast

AN: Well, after reading oodles of HP fanfiction, I've finally succumbed and wrote one on my own. I've completely switched over from the long epics to these shorts now -- I haven't as much time as I'd like to write long chapters, I'm afraid. Maybe this summer. (But then again, that's what I said last year. ^^;;)

Ready, set, GO!>>

"Damn it!" With utmost frustration, seventh-year Lily Evans slammed the thick tome in front of her shut.

She was rewarded with a cheeky grin from the other side of the Gryffindor common room. "Problems, Lily dearest?" purred one James Potter from his seat surrounded by his Marauder friends, who, to Lily, seemed a little too smug for her comfort. But now that you mentioned it, Lily glanced around the room at the faces that had just not-so-subtly averted their eyes from her and James' interaction; they ALL seemed a tad smug too, as if they knew something she didn't.

Her and James' interaction -- the very wording sent a chill up her spine and a nauseating flutter in her stomach. Ignoring James' comment with resolve, Lily picked up a quill and in her flowing script, added 'paranoia' and 'nausea' to her rapidly accumulating list under the title of 'Symptoms.'

Just as James Potter was most famous for his pranking, Lily was most famous for being at the opposite end of said boy's wand. Even James had to admit that Lily took the pranking with grace and cunning that few others possessed, oftentimes turning the Marauders' tricks back on them at double the initial damage. The challenge she presented was probably what branded her permanently as their favourite target. Normally, she didn't mind; Lily Evans prided herself on being a good sport. But this time, they'd gone too far! How dare they play tricks on her mind? Mental pranks -- honestly.

The redhead sucked on a sugar quill as she turned the conundrum over and over in her mind. What had the Marauders done to her to render her so... so... she looked at her list, 'volatile, irrationally jealous, moody, unnecessarily worried, paranoid, and nauseated'? Lily watched the four boys across the room that seemed to be innocently playing a game of Exploding Snap. Despite herself, she laughed quietly as Sirius slipped a card into Peter's back pant pocket right before she glanced up to meet James' brilliant blue eyes. His handsome face broke out into a full-out smile when he caught her eye.

Brilliant? Handsome? JAMES? At the realisation, a gasp flew out of her mouth, and, with a shaky hand, she slowly penned in the word 'delusional.'

'Oh, it's wonderful, Lily! HE'S wonderful!' Petunia's voice flitted in from a memory into Lily's mind. 'He just makes me feel so giddy! A little light-headed and dizzy and fluttery too, I admit, but that only makes it so much better! I'm positive I love him, Lils. I love Vernon Dursley.'

Love? Bah, Lily quickly dismissed the idea. That was the thing that bothered Lily, though -- she was paranoid and nauseated and all that, but aside from worrying, it didn't actually bother her! In fact, she was hard pressed to say it felt pleasant! Lily shook her head clear of her sister and all other nonsensical thoughts. After all, the concept of Lily being in love with James Potter was absolutely absurd.

Practically, she ignored the catcalls of her housemates and the fact that James was slowly making his way over to her desk (which was stock-piled with books.) Instead, she began to frantically flip through her books, jotting notes along the way. What spell could he have used? There was no one spell that could give her ALL these symptoms! Unless it was the Eros charm, but that had been outlawed years ago when some dolt tried to charm the Queen of England to fall in love with him, and surely, while mischievous, James would never do something illegal! ...Well, not to another living human being, anyway. Maybe it was some wonky disarming spell, because surely, if this had happened to her in a duel, she would've lost already for sure. Or maybe a weird concoction of hexes? Maybe she was over analyzing. Lily looked up to see James approaching her fast -- and panicked even more.

What if she WASN'T overanalysing? Maybe he hexed her food? Last night's pudding had tasted a little off, now that she thought about it -- but the symptoms had started before last night! Her robes! He'd hexed her robes! Or maybe he hexed her Head Girl Badge! Maybe he'd spent all summer creating a new spell and she was their guinea pig; after all, he WAS smart enough to create a spell when he put his mind to it -- look at that hex he created in third year! Only James potter would think up a spell that made one belch slugs!

But -- "Hey Lily," James had finally reached her desk.

Maybe it was an illusion spell he'd manipulated -- or maybe a disillusion spell? Maybe a potion -- Veela hair? Veela BLOOD, even. Maybe he'd snuck a charmed aphroyster in her food. Worse yet, maybe he'd dared to charm her chocolate!

"Lily?" He lightly grasped the hand that wasn't rapidly writing.

A Venusian endearment, perhaps?

"Lils, Peter's running around with his pants on fire."

Damn that infernal boy! He'd started this and now he wouldn't stop talking to let her figure it out! Maybe he'd conned Professor Dumbledore into erohancing that lemon drop she'd eaten earlier this year in his office. That was when the problems seemed to start anyway.

"Petunia's snogging Snape! Oh look, they're down to their underthings ALREADY..."

Maybe a dove feather --

"Lily?"

-- something in the air?

"Go out with me, Lily?"

Maybe -- "WHAT?!" Lily looked down incredulously at James, who had sat himself on the floor beside her. He looked amused, with his mouth quirked into a little smile. Positively kissable, but of course, that was the potion, charm, or hex speaking. His eyes sparkled with his usual amusement for everything in life, but this time, there was a darker undertone of -- nervousness, was it?

"You know, Hogsmeade weekend and all that. I know it's a bit cliche, but I hear it's customary thing for us males to ask you females to dates."

"Date?" She barely heard the word. Her mind was still spinning - now she was hearing things, too! "Argh!" Lily was about ready to pull her hair out in frustration. "I give up! What have you done to me? A charm? A curse? Whatever you're pulling, James Potter, you've won! Now stop it!" Her emerald eyes shone with frustrated tears.

Alarmed, James rose to his knees to meet her at eye level. His thumb stroked her fingers lightly, and exhausted, Lily responded by crumping off the chair and into his arms. "Are you alright?"

Defeatedly, Lily looked up to tell the bane of her existance that no, she wasn't alright at all and it was, in fact, all his fault, but upon meeting his gaze at such a close proximity, she couldn't help but blush and think that, now in his arms, she felt more alright than she probably would ever again in the rest of her life. So instead, she just dropped her head back onto his shoulder and shrugged.

"Lily?" She raised her head to respond and incidentally, met his lips with hers immediately. Her eyes fluttered shut as the kiss grew sweeter, and a fleeting thought told her to fight it, but as her last oriented thought, she decided that just this once, she'd allow him to work his magic on her.

Across the room, Sirius Black congratulated himself for a job well done and silently pocketed a vial of paranoid-awareness potion. :)

**fini.