Catch Me If You Can.

[James Potter]

JAMES LIAM POTTER

[/color]
.
Requesting the presence of Lily Evans.
Time: After dark.
Plot: Some reprimanding and hopefully a bit of swooning.[/right][/size]

The day had gone accordingly. Potions with Professor Slughorn was interesting as ever. That man always knew how to present a good time for his students. Defence Against the Dark Arts (being James' favourite class) was a little on the boring side today, but it had gone off without a hitch. Transfiguration nearly put him to sleep, and Charms did the very same, but altogether it was a successful day. James had managed to stay awake during every professor's lecture, and was even successful in correctly answering some of the questions sprung on him. It wasn't that he wasn't a smart student, it was just rare for him to being enough attention to even know which class he was in half the time.

After a delicious dinner in the Great Hall, James had found himself wandering around aimlessly. Sirius was busy wooing some girl, Lupin was studying for a test that was coming up and then heading to Prefect duty. As for Peter, he had stayed behind in the Great Hall to continue eating dinner. It was probably going to be a long night for the kitchen staff, seeing as to how hungry that boy seemed to be after a long day of classes. Nevertheless, James had left and was looking for trouble something to do. He had found it almost impossible to hex people the way he used to with his new Head Boy badge glistening on his chest, aside from the nasty Severus Snape when they ran into each other. This whole maturing process was a real bore sometimes, especially times like these.

The corridors were beginning to clear out, and even Peter must have finally dabbed his lips and exited the Great Hall to return to the Common Room by now. However, as much as James loved spending time with good old Wormtail, he couldn't help but want to do something else for a change. That's when the idea overwhelmed him that he might find something interesting to do outside. Sure it wasn't a place he should go, as he knew he would probably end up in one of two places (detention or lost in the Forbidden Forest), but when did James ever turn down the opportunity to be mischievous? That was a bad question. He had been turning it down a lot lately...

So where was the harm in one little trip outside to find out where it might lead? Impulse told him there was none, and reasoning told him there was. He of course denied reason for the first time in what seemed like years (though it had really only been a few days by now) and headed out of the large double doors to the sweet smell of night air. It was strange being out here alone, but somehow exhilarating. Maybe it was truly luck that he had been without the Marauders for the night so he could do a little wrong without having it held against him for it later. Lupin especially would have lunged at such an opportunity, being that he seemed a little more on edge now that James had received the title of Head Boy over him.

Lazily he walked along the path that many students had made throughout the day toward the Black Lake. Though the water was dark during the day, it seemed even darker at night. The sun had completely set by now, for there was no traces of pink or orange left in the sky. The stars were twinkling ever so nicely, and the moon looked closer to their world tonight. It wouldn't be long until it was full and the Marauders would have a little fun with their werewolf friend. James found himself walking away from the lake and toward, where else, but the Forbidden Forest. It was a place he enjoyed exploring, but it was also dangerous, and a little frightening even for him. As he closed in on it, he looked around to be sure no one had followed him. The darkness was like a veil of shadows, though, and if anyone were around, he would most likely not see them without a little illumination.

"Lumos!" he uttered, after sliding his wand smoothly out of his pocket. The light burst a little too brightly for his taste and he shielded it from the castle's sight with his hand. He took another glance around and then began inching closer and closer toward the trees he so ached to venture into. It was just then that he heard a noise. It was a rustling sound unlike that of an animal, and it didn't seem likely that it was coming from inside the forest he was about to enter. He spun around on his heels and moved his hand from the light of his wand. "Who's there?" he demanded to whoever might be lurking behind him.

[/font][/blockquote]

[Lily Evans]

Hate is a strong word...

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

...Antidotes, while beneficial and efficient, take time to produce and an abundance of resources that may not always be obtainable....

....Alternatively, the creator of the antidote may not always be a sufficient potions brewer. The possibilities a dysfunctional amalgam are, quite frankly, infinite...

...Even Professor Juniper, well known alchemist of the Department of Mysteries (1912-1967) and esteemed author, states explicitly his observation of the complications of utilizing an antidote that has been allowed to age too long in his book Great Notable Works of the Potion's Realm, despite his wonderful claims that antidotes are the upmost form against crude potions or magnificent poisons! And while, of course, I rever the many wonderful things that man has produced for this world , I also can't help but respectfully disagree and wonder if maybe the wizarding world could its faith in something much more reliable and abundant, instead of giving ourselves these doubts about the capacity of strength these antidotes really contain....?

Almost complete silence. The wondrous sound of the library at dinnertime. No one but Lily and a few other diligently working students (all Ravenclaws, shocker there) would spend their precious few minutes of freedom from school work in the library doing more work. But Lily? She had been waiting for this all day. Of course, she'd already finished all the school work she needed for the week--she'd finished about six essays and two practicals, all of which weren't due until the following week--just so she could indulge in some quality library time. So yea, she may be in the library working during her dinner break, but to be honest it wasn't really work to her.

Satisfied, Lily closed the three books in front of her and went to set about completing the last paragraph of her letter to Professor Slughorn. She knew he'd have the letter read and responded to by the time next time she walked into the potions classroom, chuckling and patting her cheek to tell her what a cheeky little thing she was. And she supposed it was true--who on earth would argue that a bezoar might be the most useful antidote in the world, when so many other antidotes had been tried and true? But she had a lot of good arguements, and she was sure that this letter was bound to stir up some interest in Professor Slughorn's mind. Maybe he'd even give her a couple of the resources to do a bit of exterior research on her own...she'd probably have to give up a few weekends to do so and a few weeknight's sleep in which to finish her homework properly, but it'd be so well worth it...

With a flourish, her name was signed at the bottom of the paper and Lily leaned back in her chair, satisfied and content. There was just something about finishing a good job that left this wonderful feeling in Lily's heart, as if she could conquer the riddle of any Sphinx or tackle the world's cruelest boggart. She didn't get much time to relax, but the two or three minutes after she finished something of which she was proud were a few of the best moments of her life. She felt like she could fly (though Merlin knows she wouldn't want to--her fear of heights was way too strong--but it'd be nice to know she could).

And it was with this attitude that Lily lay her head on the table for a minute to look out at the grounds outside of Hogwarts. She really was one of the most fortunate people in the world to be able to experience the wizarding world and all it had to offer. It's intellect, it's beauty, it's--

--Was that someone trying to walk into the Forbidden Forest?! Lily jumped up from her seat and approached the window, squinting hard to try and see through the dimming daylight. She swore she saw...and yes, she had been right. It had been difficult to see, but there was definitely a tall figure trying to break into the Forbidden Forest. Mouth setting into a front and perfect mood ruined, Lily collected her belongings and practically ran out of the library. If she was quick enough, may she could catch them without having to try and call through the trees herself...Merlin knew she'd never wandered through those woods and she wasn't about to start today.

She barely registered the cool freshness of the air or the fact that goosebumps were beginning to rise on her arms. She had, of course, forgotten her robes in the Gryffindor house but it was no matter. She was on a mission now and her anger was enough to melt even the coldest of winters...

The day had slipped away into night quicker than Lily could have comprehended and suddenly she was walking through darkness, a twinkle of fireflies floating above her head in the form of stars. She gripped her hand tightly on her wand as she wandered ahead into the darkness, a slight fear gripping her but her determination and resolve stronger than ever. And suddenly, before she knew it, a wand was lit right in her face and an all too familiar voice struck out at an all too horrified Lily Evans.

"Who's there?"

"Potter? POTTER?! HONESTLY?!?! What in the name of Merlin do you think you're playing at, you pig-headed, selfish, irresponsible, idiot of a person! You're Head Boy for crying out loud! Does the word responsibilty mean nothing to you??" Taking advantage of his startled appearance, Lily smacked him upside the head for his stupidity. Honestly, did he want to lose his badge? Did he yearn to put her in positions such as these? She should just go to the Headmaster right now and tell him of Potter's insolence, but she was stuck to the spot in anger and the need to lay a fist into Potter's smirk.

"What on earth is going through your head?" she asked him again, smacking him once more upon the head for good measure. Of course, a perfect moment for Lily would be ruined by this stupid berk. Groaning angrily, she grabbed him by the tie, secretly hoping it strangled him, and started trying to lead him back towards the school, lecturing the whole time.

"The Forbidden Forest, honestly. It's forbidden for a reason. I know Dumbledore may make a few mistakes like every human--for example making you Head Boy--but he's not stupid, Potter. It's Forbidden for a reason! Do you want to get your head ripped off by an angry centaur or a giant spider or whatever lurks in those woods? Because--because--URH. YOU'RE SO INFURIATING."

Of course it was Potter. Of course.

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

...but I really, really really don't like you.

[James Potter]

JAMES LIAM POTTER

[/color]
.
Requesting the presence of Lily Evans.
Time: After dark.
Plot: Some reprimanding and hopefully a bit of swooning.[/right][/size]

-bats Lucius on the hand for trying to steal his woman and tries posting again-

[/center]

It was a little shocking when he turned around and saw his pursuer face-to-face with him. He had half expected to see absolutely nothing at all and to credit the noise to his imagination. It was plausible, but unlikely, and now it was impossible. There, standing before him, looking fiery as ever, was who else but Lily Evans, the last person he would want to find him here, even above the Headmaster. He took one step backward out of shock, though under any other circumstances he would have appreciated being so close to his long time crush. Hell, he might have even taken that added step himself if she hadn't just caught him about to sneak his way into the Forbidden Forest. He should have known this situation was far too good to be true.

"Lily?"

[/color] he questioned, his mind still not quite comprehending whether this was real or an elaborate joke. "Ah, Lily, it's a good thi -" he began with a start to one of his impressive lies, but he was interrupted abruptly with a hit to the side of the head. He really should have seen that coming by now, after all these years spent trying to win this feisty girl over. His face wrinkled as he acted like she had hurt him, knowing he would gain no sympathy from her, especially not now. "Ouch, what was that for?" He rubbed the side of his head where she had hit him. It really did sting a little, but he wouldn't ever let her know it. That would just give her more reason to beat the snot out of him. "Let me explain. You see -" and with that once again before he could finish, she had hit him again.

Sighing and rubbing his head again, the stinging get a lot sharper now. What on earth is going through your head? she snapped before she had him again. He shook his head slowly. "Right this very moment? Something to the effects of 'Will she ever stop hitting me?' mixed with a little bit of pain." He somehow always tried to make light of any situation, no matter how serious it was. He especially couldn't help it when in the presence of this ever so serious girl. She made it too easy for him too joke, and he usually felt it was his duty to do so because she never seemed to have any fun at all. "If you want to try the whole good cop/bad cop routine, you should probably look into investing in a bit of good cop, you know. And a big part of interrogation is letting the suspect talk."

Before he could move onto his scheme, she had grabbed him up by his tie and started pulling him back toward the castle, going on about lecturing him. "Oh, I never expected to bring this sort of animal out of you, darling. James likes..." He rolled his eyes while she went on and on. Really? Was he never going to get an opportunity to give her a clever story in place of what was truly going on here? Obviously she wouldn't believe him, but that was beside the point. She could at least humour him a little. It would be a funny tale to tell his circle of friends later that evening, too. He decided it was best to let her get it all out before he made any further attempts at speaking.

When she had finally quit to take a damn breath (seriously, did this girl have gills hidden somewhere she used to gather oxygen), James stopped in his tracks. They were probably about fifty yards from the castle now, and they wouldn't be that close if he didn't want to let her feel like she could control him for a minute. Sure, she still had a firm grip on his tie, but he had the leverage here, because to put it simply, he weighed the most. And he also was the strongest. "Are you finished? Yes? Good, it's my turn now."[/color] He looked down at her slender fingers holding his tie and grinned. He lifted both of his hands and used them to pry her dainty hands off of it as gently as he could.

"Now that we can both stand here, talking like two adults would,"[/color] he began, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it (she would get him for that later, but maybe she wouldn't notice now). Her skin was incredibly soft against his lips. "I was not entering the Forbidden Forest, I was just taking a stroll along the premises when I so happened to hear a rustling in the brush. I pulled out my wand, concerned something might be about to jump me and doing a little investigating. After all, dear, it's better to be prepared for a fight than to ignore one and be completely helpless. Ah, but I do appreciate your concern for my safety."[/color] He held eye contact with her the entire time he spoke, hoping it might help make his case more believable but doubting it would. She had a way of seeing right through all of his cleverly disguised lies.[/size][/font][/blockquote]

[Lily Evans]

Hate is a strong word...

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

It was a very good thing for James' rapidly diminishing chances at living past this encounter that Lily was too caught up in her lecture to notice his advances once she had grabbed his tie. Who knows what could have happened? Beheading? Stabbing? Loss of the ability to father children? The world was an open book of possibilities when it came to Lily's imagination of various ways to punish James Potter. Most of them, unfortunately, could never happen...but a girl can dream right?

Fire was fueling through her veins. For some reason, there was no one in the world who could make her as angry as Potter. Maybe it was because he was handed such potential and not only took advantage, but he used and abused those around him. Maybe it was because he took fun in hexing others, whether he felt they "deserved" it or they actually deserved it (though Lily felt no one deserved ridicule such as that. Cruelty was more like it.) Maybe it was because he didn't take a single thing she said seriously. It was like she was a walking joke he could poke at whenever the moment struck. Okay, so maybe it wasn't for some reason that he bothered her so much, but for many reasons, each worse with the next.

If she wasn't so angry, she would have just had to look back and see that he was only humoring her. Not one word was sinking into his thick skull. But why would it? It never had before, and it never would. He just wanted her to be finished so he could move on with his life. And, as if on cue, he said: "Are you finished? Yes? Good, it's my turn now."

She opened her mouth to retort when Potter started to pull her hands off his tie. As two adults talking? Yea, she was really the one acting like a child here. Who was the one trying to break his way into a forbidden forest simply because he wasn't allowed to? And who was the one trying to keep order in store and keep to the authority she had been given? He was acting as if she was a tender little child, prying her off carefully. She half expected him to pat her on the head soon. What she got instead was much worse: he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Ugh, if he hadn't done it so many times before, she'd be appalled. She was still sickened, but at least now she was used to it. Not that that was a better deal.

Wrenching her hand out of his grip, she backed away and leaned against a nearby tree, trying to create space between the two of them. She swore she was going to drown in his cologne. And he had been inching closer, whether he was aware of that or not. She couldn't handle being in the same vicinity as him, let alone so close. Crossing her arms, she listened to his half-assed excuse and couldn't help but let a small grin of disbelief grace her freckled face. Did he really expect her to believe a word he said?

"You were taking a stroll..." Lily asked him slowly, the first major part of his lie. Potter didn't just "take a stroll." If he wasn't blowing something up, mocking someone horribly, or making her life miserable, he was eating or sleeping or trying to look cool playing Quidditch...and that was about all his life consisted of. "Taking a stroll" is too boring for him. He can't do anything unless there's something wrong about it.

"...in the dark. Right next to the Forbidden Forest. By yourself?" she raised an eyebrow. And that was when it occured to her--was there possibly another Marauder around aiming to attack her when she wasn't looking? Potter was the distraction and the other Marauders were going to dump rat dung on her head or something. She flinched a bit, uncrossing her arms and slouching less as she looked around with her wand in her hand, as if making sure he was really alone. For the moment she was satisfied, and she leaned back against the tree again, though she kept her eyes peeled.

"And by the way," she added with a stern look, "Keep your grimy lips away from my hands. Merlin knows where they've been and I pride myself on being virus free, thanks."

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

...but I really, really really don't like you.

[James Potter]

JAMES LIAM POTTER

[/color]
.
Requesting the presence of Lily Evans.
Time: After dark.
Plot: Some reprimanding and hopefully a bit of swooning.[/right][/size]

There were a few things going on here. First of all, why was it that Lily always looked so damn beautiful? Even when she was so angry with him, James couldn't help but want to compliment her. He usually refrained because of how angry it made her, though. That was hard, because complimenting any other girl in the school (with the exception of, perhaps, most Slytherins), he would have gotten her to turn a shade of pink and a giggle, followed by some flirty conversation. How was it that he was the most popular boy at the whole school, who made his interest in her widely known, and yet she still was completely unimpressed by him. Moreover, she made it a point to act as disgusted as possible with him. God was not looking on him with kindness, giving him this girl to have to write home about.

He really did write home about her, too. His parents thought their exchanges were hysterical, so he made it a point to tell them all about her. He wrote many letters to his parents during his time at school, mostly for a keepsake in the future without being feminine enough to actually write in a diary or journal. He could only imagine what Sirius would say if he did something like that... regardless, he could see just how this letter entry was going to go. Dear Mum and Dad, Lily caught me near the Forbidden Forest tonight. She grabbed me by the tie and pulled me all the way into the Headmaster's Office to rat me out... the good news is I am no longer under the limitations of Head Boy - the bad news is she hates me even more. I didn't even realise that was possible. If things keep going this way, we'll have a great "how your mother and father started dating" story for our children later. He almost snorted at the thought. It would be just how he started it, too. The would get a kick out of it.

"You were taking a stroll..." she had started, talking very slowly. This was not normal, as James thought Lily only had two speeds to her speech; fast and very fast. He considered commenting on this, but instead decided it might be best to nod his head in agreement and let her go on. "...in the dark. Right next to the Forbidden Forest." she continued. He thought about this lie - it had actually exceeded his usual quality. Sure, it still wasn't believable in any way, but it didn't seem like such a stretch. James was Head Boy after all. Maybe he was making sure the grounds were clearing out. No, that wasn't exactly realistic. He wouldn't patrol without being told he had to. Maybe he needed some fresh air? That's not a stretch. People need fresh air all the time. Yes, that sounded like a good plan.

"By yourself?" And that was where he messed up. He almost wanted to slap himself in the side of the head now. This was completely unreasonable and unrealistic now. For James to ever be by himself was a stretch in itself, let alone on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. He was done for. She was going to catch him right in the middle of this lie he obviously had not thought through as completely as he had originally assumed. Damnit, James, you're better than this. His mind was racing for a reason that would save him now - and then it hit him. Thank God.

"Exactly. All alone. Do you ever see me getting into trouble alone? Please, name one time that I've done something all on my own."

[/color] He felt like this was successful. He had a shit-eating grin on his face bigger than he may have ever had. "And you can't include hexing Sevvy," he said quickly, deciding it was best to tack that on. She would definitely use it against him if he let her, so he wouldn't give her the chance. Now he would certainly like to see what she had to say. Although he tended to outwit her in clever remarks (or so he thought, at least), she always found ways to outsmart him. Had he finally won for once? The word wasn't foreign to him in most cases, but with Lily, it was a completely new term. "Win?" What is this word? It helped that she had the upper hand here, knowing how he felt about her and all.

Why had she asked him to keep his lips from her hand? That did a lot right there. It hurt his pride a little (not enough, considering who it was) and it also made him more interested in doing it again. Without thinking, he ran a hand through his hair and tousled it around a little. It looked much more attractive unkempt rather than lying perfectly. "I will do no such thing,"[/color] he retorted, taking a few long strides toward her. "I very much so like the feel of your hands against my lips, thank you." He grabbed both of them up and kissed them each once. Dropping them again, he placed a hand on the tree behind her for leverage and got as close to her face as possible.

He had never been this close to her before, and he didn't want to miss a single moment of it. Drink it up, buddy, because it won't last long, once she realises what's going on. He used his free hand to touch her cheek gently, his eyes taking in her beautiful face in full. "I'd like to think one day my lips will touch something a little more inviting, frankly."[/color] He smiled, eyes falling on her pretty lips. Any other girl would have completely melted to him at this point, but he knew with Lily, she was about to do something drastic, dramatic, and possibly even a little bit crazy. Hopefully this might give him a little distraction on the whole being about to enter the Forbidden Forest fiasco, though.

[OOC: My bold wasn't working throughout the post, though it still is at my opener... so I coloured my speech.][/size][/font][/blockquote]

[Lily Evans]

Hate is a strong word...

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

If there was one thing out of the many, many, many, many, many things Lily Evans couldn't stand about James Potter that stood out more than others, it would have to be his nonchalance about everything. He knew he was lying. She knew he was lying. He knew she knew he was lying, and yet he kept coming up with more and more without blinking an eyelash. The more angry she got, the more liberty he seemed to think he had to piss her off in whatever way possible. And it mattered little to him when he was doing something wrong. Was there a guilty bone in his body? He acted as if he was having a casual conversation, and that a fuming petite-but-scary red head wasn't standing inches in front of him with a wand clutched tight in her experienced fist.

"Exactly. All alone. Do you ever see me getting into trouble alone? Please, name one time that I've done something all on my own." Even if the excuse had been plausible, Lily would have known it was a lie because it was written across his face. He may not think she paid him any attention, but how could she not when he was trailing her at every possible moment? She could tell by the little things that he was lying, like the smirk on his face and the fact that his right eyebrow slightly higher than his left.

And then she frowned a little more. Maybe the excuse was a little plausible. He was slightly correct in what he was saying....when had he ever done anything wrong by himself? He couldn't do anything stupid without having witnesses to his stupidity. But then again, the rest of his life was like that too. James Potter wasn't happy unless he had a gangling flock of fans surrounding him. Which led her back to her theory about other Marauders being in the area....but no, they weren't that patient. She knew them too well by now. So what was James Potter doing by himself? She cursed herself for pausing too long, a definite sign that he may have won himself a point in this battle, but persisted anyway. She opened her mouth to respond when--

"And you can't include hexing Sevvy,"

Red flashed behind the green of her eyes. He'd hit a sore spot now. Sevvy?! What did he think he was playing at? Anyone who ever knew Lily Evans had known her past with her ex-best friend Severus Snape. That was a name that only Lily had ever called Severus. That was her name, a name she hadn't utilized in years!! All emotion had dropped of her face and now her expression was cold. Pure, raw, unadulterated hatrid hung rancid from her gaze. He'd taken it one step too far.

"For your information, Potter," she spat his name, as if she could barely get the syllables out from the back of her throat, "That name is off limits to anyone. Especially yourself. And as to your question, when are you ever alone? That proves nothing. The fact that you are alone just makes it all the more suspicious to me. Are you getting into so much trouble that even your precious cohorts and dwindling admirers can't see? Or maybe you're brainstorming new ways to make yourself look like an idiot later."

[/b]

Oh god, the hair tussle. Potter had a strange affinity for running his hand through his already unruly hair to make it look much more messy, if that was even possible. It was another of those endless things back him that Lily couldn't stand. She knew he only did it in moment he was trying to look cool, windswept like he had just come off of a broom, and it irked her that he had decided to do it right now. Did her anger really mean nothing anymore. Back in the day, all she had to do was throw him a look and he'd run away with his tail in between his legs. And now? It was she who was wary of the look he was giving her, though it was not one of anger or of the nonchalance it had been before. Now, it was of hungry attraction and--dare she say it?--seduction. Ew. From Potter. The thought, as usual, made her want to gag. If he thought he was winning this battle by trying to make her into one of his melty knee-ed, wide eyed, shaken flings to distract her, he had another think coming.

She was, however, a little thrown at first at his audacity. Sure, he'd been torturing her heavily ever since their first year at Hogwarts, when she had instantly grown to not like them during their first encounter on the train. He knew more than anything else that she hated when he said that they were going to end up together, and he relished in it. For some reason, he needed to make her miserable to be happy. It was somewhere in his greedy, selfish make up to be a jerk, and she was a hard target but presumably a satisfying result. But never, in all her years, had he ever dared to get that close to her. His hand was just above her head, lightly pinning a lock of her red hair to the tree by accident and just inches above her ear. She'd never noticed before, but he had a freckle right underneath his right eye...She could feel the heat from his face meeting the heat from hers, almost as if they were creating a heat barrier in between the two of them that kept them still just inches apart. He better not dare to cross that line.

But just as the thought crossed her mind, he ran a hand down her cheek. She flinched at his touch, not quite believing the situation she was in. It became all too aware to her that this is the first she'd really been alone with him since before the summer. That explains some things. He'd worked up some more guts over the summer in her absence. Obviously, he wanted to win this thing, and that was just something Lily couldn't do. Oh, he may have worked up the balls to throw her off like this, but it was just a matter of time. She'd just have to remind him of the consequences.

Before he could even dream of doing anything further, she lifted her knee hard into his stomach. Taking his moment of pain and surprise to her advantage, she flipped out from underneath him and pinned him to the tree, wand just barely grazing the tip of his nose and eyebrows scrunched in their own sort of grimace.

"And just what do you think you're doing, Potter?"[/b]

He'd remember the consequences alright.
[/size][/blockquote]

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

...but I really, really really don't like you.

[James Potter]

JAMES LIAM POTTER

[/color]
.
Requesting the presence of Lily Evans.
Time: After dark.
Plot: Some reprimanding and hopefully a bit of swooning.[/right][/size]

Little Severus Snape, James' sworn rival, if he could call him that. Rivals usually computed to also being one's equal, and Sevvy just could not measure up. He may have slightly better marks, but he also worked twice, no, three times as hard as James. That wasn't hard to do as James very rarely worked for anything in his life. Really, the only thing that he had ever put his mind to was catching this girl who stood before him now. And thus far, it was the only battle he was losing, too. It was just proof that if it didn't come easy to James, he should probably just give it up and move on. Too bad there was something about Lily that kept him coming back for more physical pain and emotional discomfort.

Anyway, back to Severus. That boy had landed himself on James' bad side from day one, as they waited to be sorted into the Entrance Hall. The grungy little soon-to-be Slytherin had insulted Gryffindor. From then on, it only got worse. James had met Lily and felt an instant attraction to her, and who just so happened to hang around her like a lovesick puppy, but that slimeball. And worse yet, she was actually nice and sweet to him, whereas James could make flowers sprout from the ground with every step she took, and she would still use it to stomp over to him and deck him one good time. It was extremely frustrating. Therefore Severus received the brunt of his frustration, as he would never lay a finger on the girl he cared about so much.

And then the day finally in their fifth year came when Snape snapped and called her that disgusting name most of the Slytherins tossed around like it was every day speak. Mudblood. Some longtime friend he turned out to be - and when James demanded that he apologise for the foul term he had used, Lily still refused to date him, or even look at him as decent. She had even gone so far as to tell him the two were just alike - it may have been James' biggest disappointment to date. He wouldn't let it show, though. He had refused to do that. He had wondered every once and a while that if he let his guard down and became a sweet reflection of himself how she might react... but at this point, she would think it sarcastic, and quickly brush it off.

It was hard to think that after two years of her breaking off her friendship with Severus that the use of the name she called him still bothered her. If he had been anyone else, James might have said sorry for so obviously hitting a soft spot. Unfortunately for her (and for him), he wasn't, and he actually took offence to it. "Really, Lily? Off-limits? That mutt doesn't deserve for you to still have that anger or sadness or - whatever the hell it is you feel!" He was outraged, and he was tempted to grab her shoulders and shake her out of that stupid feeling, but he had more pressing matters to deal with than the stupid Snape drama she was so willing to bring back up.

At this point he had become too peeved to care what she thought about his explorations into the Forbidden Forest. Although he wouldn't admit to it, his feelings had been hurt, and his pride was a little shot. How could she still even care? "What does it matter what I was doing out here anymore? Obviously if I was on my way into the forest, you've caught me and it isn't happening now. Why are we still here going on about it?" By the end of everything he had said, he was finally calm again. It helped that after he had taken an extremely deep breath and let out and equally long sigh. It was impressive that even with him so close to her face, he still hadn't kissed her.

The tension in the air was stronger than ever now. It felt like someone could come right in and cut it with a knife. No, something much tougher... a diamond? Things had never been this tough, mostly because James had never really gotten this irritated with her. He had ordinarily taken all she had to say with a grain of salt and moved on with it. And even though he was so angry with her, those lips were so perfectly tempting... and the passion he felt, though mostly negative at the moment, was making him feel a need to press his against hers... he had started moving in slowly, not considering how she might react... ""And just what do you think you're doing, Potter?" she asked, after kneeing him in the chest and turning him about so he was in the piss poor position now.

"There's something very sexy about how you dominate me in these sorts of situations." James always had a clever way of covering up his mistakes... as seen just in this one evening of maybe five minutes, one can perceive that they rarely ever worked. She had surely seen his face moving in and knew he was vulnerable - silly James, thinking she might close the rest of the gap between the two of them. "I would think you might be smart enough to figure out what I was doing, Lily," he answered, feeling light as a feather again, "You could also probably assess that I didn't do a very good job." A grin returned to his face. How was it that even with her wand jabbing his nose he could still remain so intrigued? Maybe it was the fact that physically, he could outmatch her any day, and magically, he at least had a chance.

He grabbed her wrist with a small amount of force, just enough to show that if he wanted, he could regain control of their situation. A crooked smile came over him as he kept his hazel eyes held firm with her green ones. "You know, there's so much more I would enjoy doing in this position than having a wand in my face. If you might ever like to experiment sometime, please let me know. As for now, I would appreciate the dropping of your weapon." His eyes crossed so he could look at the wand and nod. Sure, if he wanted, he could whisk away her hand at any given moment, but it wasn't what he wanted to do. What he wanted was for her to pronounce her undying love for him, but that was most likely not going to happen, so neither would her relaxing that arm of hers. And boy, was it ever tense.

[/font][/blockquote]

[Lily Evans]

Hate is a strong word...

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

It unnerved her, to say the truth, when Potter lost his cool. It was very, very rare to see anything but a grin on his face, but his vulnerability scared her. In her head, he didn't have that side to him, and she didn't like being reminded that he was only human. But as he yelled for her, not at her but in her defense and in his own anger at injustice, Lily let slip a little of her own vulnerability. For the first time in probably a few years, she broke his gaze in a situation such as this and looked at the ground for a moment--not enough to give anything away, but enough to know internally that she couldn't even look him in the eye.If it wasn't obvious enough, Lily had a bit of a problem trusting people. In her entire life, she'd had two true best friends. Yes, just having Alice's presence in the room calmed Lily down and she'd spent a time or two crying in Mary's arms, the one and only person she'd wanted to go to in those situations...but there was just something about having another half to complete your whole, a person who made you feel like you could conquer the world just by holding his or her hand...Lily hadn't had that in a long, long time...

The first of these people would, of course, be her sister Petunia. Two years of age difference meant nothing between the two. They'd spent every moment of their childhood together, fighting like sisters should, but ultimately making up within a span of five minutes. It was even to the point that they made few friends in between, simply preferring the company of the other. That is, until that fateful day at the park where Severus Snape took interest in an adorable and oddly extraordinary redheaded girl. It wasn't until weeks later that he finally admitted he had been watching her, but the damage had been done as soon as Severus had laid eyes on her pretty little freckles.

Now Lily had two other halves and, as we all know, three halves don't equal a whole. The closer Lily seemed to get with Severus, the farther Tunie pulled away. What was Lily to choose? Her new life of wonders or her best friend from the moment she had been born? She tried to keep both, promising her shattered sister that she'd try to get her into Hogwarts as well. If magic worked for Lily, then it must work, it had to work for Tunie too, right? Lily simply could not live without her sister, but her sister was making it extremely difficult to live with her...

And the moment she decided to board the Hogwarts Express was the moment that the first person had ever broken her heart. "Freak," she had called her, despite her tears, her pleas, her promises, her slowly crumbling childhood. In that one moment, with that one word, Lily Evans grew up. The little girl who once was more concerned with skipping through puddles and spinning in circles to feel the buttery grass beneath her feet was no more. And this meant that she had, more or less, chosen Sevvy over Petunia. She didn't realize it until she had gotten on the train, sobbing her eyes out despite the presence of two other boys in the compartment, two boys who entirely ignored her. But when they picked on Severus, her new other half, the boy who had accepted her despite what she was (in his case, a muggle born, which she knew to be a bad thing from his family), she knew that Severus was her new best friend.

She arrived at Hogwarts, strayed away from anyone who wasn't Severus, ignored everything that mean James Potter threw at her, and applied herself. Everything that once was fun--breaking the rules, playing in the sun--just wasn't anymore. She wasn't accepted in the muggle world anymore--that much was made clear by her sister--so she would do everything possible in her power to make sure she was accepted into this world. She needed to belong somewhere, and being a muggleborn still ruled her out. At least she still had Sev. At least losing Petunia had meant she had Sev. But she began making new friends that he didn't like, he began making new friends that she didn't like, and then that fateful day...

She'd only had two best friends in her whole life, both leaving her broken hearted and unwilling to face the pain again. Petunia had turned against her when Lily was just looking for her sister to be accepting. Lily had lost Petunia to Sev, who had dumped her anyway. Either way, she wasn't good enough.

" I just don't like being reminded of the name, okay? It brings back bad memories," she muttered thickly and almost too quietly for him to hear. And then, with the strong air of trying to keep a subject closed and snatching upon a new subject with strong force,"And we're still here because you've decided to try and make a few moves on me. Not only are you breaking the rules, but of course you're disrespecting my boundaries as well. Shocker there, right?"But all of this was said to a patch of ground just beyond her feet. Her feet looked distinctly small next to his right now, and it was then that she was reminded who she was dealing with.

Who was he to make her feel this vulnerable? She was feeling miserable and uncomfortable and even guilty--she shouldn't feel bad that he--as usual--crossed a line. It was this, more than anything else, that kept the wand in her hand pointed at Potter's face so tightly. Even so, it was (for the first time in her entire life) almost a relief to hear a joking atmosphere enter the conversation once more. Potter's sexual harassments, she could handle. Potter reminding her that she had lost everything that had meant anything to her? Not so much.

"There's something very sexy about how you dominate me in these sorts of situations.I would think you might be smart enough to figure out what I was doing, Lily. You could also probably assess that I didn't do a very good job."

"Seeing as you're pinned against a tree, you're bound to have a giant bruise on your chest tomorrow and if you so much as lay another finger on me inappropriately you may not live to see that new bruise? I'd say not so much, buddy," but even this, even though she was furious that he thought of her as a little play thing, was still all the more better. She could breathe now, and her strength pushed past her previous vulnerability.

"You know, there's so much more I would enjoy doing in this position than having a wand in my face. If you might ever like to experiment sometime, please let me know. As for now, I would appreciate the dropping of your weapon."

"Experiment? I'm not picky where I stick this thing, if that counts as an experiment, but I'm sure it'd be a lot more pleasant for me than it would be for you," she told him warningly, feeling his hand on her wrist once more. It was this, more than anything, that reminded her of how close the two were. Even though she wasn't the one pinned to the tree anymore and she technically had the upper hand, she was still pretty damn close. She took a step back (unfortunately unable to shake his hand off her wrist) but kept her wand pointed at his face. And she knew that he knew her well enough to know this wasn't a laughing situation. Her threats were just pretty legitimate. He may have her in strength, but she had him in evil dirty trickery.

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

...but I really, really really don't like you.

[James Potter]

JAMES LIAM POTTER

[/color]
.
Requesting the presence of Lily Evans.
Time: After dark.
Plot: Some reprimanding and hopefully a bit of swooning.[/right][/size]

What was this? Her head hung down in the saddest of manners. This wasn't right. It wasn't how things ordinarily played out, nor were they how they should be. He had wanted to take his two fingers, placing them underneath her chin, and lifting her head to see her eyes, and to find whatever emotion was present underneath. She had never revealed any emotion besides perseverance and anger as far as he knew, let alone to him. Of course, though lately they had been spending a lot more time together because of their titles, there had never been a time prior that they had been alone together like this. It made James feel sentimental again, welling up with romance and feeling the urge to kiss her, even with her wand damn near going up his left nostril.

It took her a long while to give any response aside from her fallen head. He almost bent down low to see her face. He chewed the insides of his cheeks a little nervously, biting back some of the things he wanted to say to her. Sure he wanted to further call her out for what seemed to him like a defense for the git he couldn't stand, but with her sunken posture, he just couldn't find it in him to do. He had mocked her many times before, purely because with her he never knew how to flirt or attract her interest. It seemed that the only way he ever got any kind of reaction was when he was causing trouble or he made it a point to disregard her feelings and pick on her. After all, she was very studious for a Gryffindor, and much too competitive even for James' taste.

Words had left her mouth, so small and airy that they were nearly swept away on the breeze. Now he felt really bad, worse than he had ever felt before for anything, aside from when she had compared him to Snape. "I - I'm sorry, Lily," he said, they being the only words he could muster up. He felt an ache in his heart that could he couldn't explain, and again he could only compare it to the pain he had felt that day in their fifth year. "I won't do it again." His body relaxed and he lowered his head as well. How could she make him feel so many emotions in such little time? If Sirius were present, James would never hear the end of all this... he was acting so - not like himself.

Quidditch Captain, Head Boy - hell, some even called him the leader of the Marauders, who just so happened to be the most popular and mysterious group in school. And James himself? Considered the most popular boy in school. He might as well have had a "James Potter" fan club. He had his pick of the girls, outstanding marks, friends he could call family, acquaintances he could call on for any favour, enemies who loathed him because of his status - and here he was, sinking because he had hurt one girl. How many girls had he hurt in the past by telling them he wouldn't try a date with them? How many innocent bystanders had he hurt by tossing a random pick of hexes at them? And here Lily was, nearly breaking his heart with just the drop of her head. This was completely ludicrous.

And then just as quickly as she had lost face, she regained it. It caused him to all too quickly bring his face back up and look at her. Hopefully she hadn't noticed how she had affected him. Apologising was sufficient enough for torment alone. Tacking on "drooped head" would just fuel the fire there, and Merlin knew that Lily would look for any excuse to put James in a tough spot, especially after tonight's goings-on. "I put moves on you because you're a pretty girl. If I wanted to be disrespectful I could, and you know it," he said, motioning with his head to the hold he had on her wrist. "We both have wands here, and we both remain determined and learned students, mine just comes more naturally, whereas yours requires hours upon hours of studying and extra credit. Now the only other difference I see is the physical aspect. I'm a might stronger than you - correct me if I'm wrong."

It was true. If he had wanted to really disrespect Lily, instead of moving in for that kiss slowly, he would have pressed her against that tree and forced one out of her. If she didn't see that as fact, then she was far less intuitive than he and everyone else thought. There had been plenty of times recently that much more than just kissing could have happened between the two of them if he so wanted, but the fact was he needed her to want it, too. The idea of overtaking her was a tempting one, but not enough so that he would give up his chances of ever being in a relationship with her. If all he wanted was a little bit of physical affection, he merely had to waltz up the Gryffindor Common Room, or any of the rooms occupied by females, and shout, "Girls?" and he would have a flock ready to accompany him. He probably could have whispered it and still gathered up at least four or five.

And then she had popped completely back up into her usual self now, going off on a tangent about inappropriately touch her, yada, yada, not live to tell the tale. James rolled his eyes at this, a smile coming over him again. "Again, I never touched you inappropriately. Many, many people touch hands and I've never heard it called inappropriate until you, so please tell me where I went wrong here." He fidgeted and stretched in his spot, stepping his feet out and leaning further against the tree. He could get used to this position if she wanted to keep him there. It really wasn't uncomfortable, and what with her so close, it may have even been complacent. Maybe she might even scoot herself closer without knowing it, especially if he made it a point to piss her off - her emotions had already caused her to pin him against a tree, what else could they do?

And as that thought went through his mind, she had taken a step back. Of course. He had given her too much time to consider what she was doing and where she was standing. He just needed to get her worked up again. But how? "Where were you thinking of sticking it? By 'more pleasant for me than it would be for you,' I do have a particular spot that comes to mind. I can see how I would be a little frustrated being put in that position, but I wouldn't mind it. I just didn't know that the reason for having your wand didn't end with magic and casting spells." He almost laughed out loud at the comeback he had made, but he refrained. He found he was most effective at getting to her when his tone was completely serious, aside from that sour taste of sarcasm. Hopefully this might get her heart racing and her body closer. It was getting awfully chilly out - maybe that alone would get her instincts to push her nearer to him.

[/font][/blockquote]

[Lily Evans]

Hate is a strong word...

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

Lily Evans had known James Potter for a little over six years now. Six long, grueling, tedious, disturbing, exhausting years. She'd witnessed every cruel hex he'd thrown for amusement, every disgusting joke he'd crack at another's expense. She'd rolled her eyes as he zoomed around the Quidditch pitch, tussling his hair and pushing his chest forward to all of his admirers. She'd gagged at his advances on innocent and not-so-innocent bystanding females, and had that gagging turn into almost full out vomiting as those advances turned to her. She'd seen his temper flare out of control, often times ignited by her flaming words, and she'd observed him sulk broodingly in a corner of the common room when he didn't get his way. In few words, she had seen what she had considered all of the many faces of James Potter. But never, in her ever giving, ever persisting life had she heard an apology leave his lips.

Apologies were funny to Lily. What did they really ever accomplish? It wasn't like you could take anything back. Apologies were just words that a person may or may not mean, meant to try and pull a scrap of fabric over a mistake and hope that tucking the edges in tightly would sufficiently hide the problem. It didn't change what had happened and it didn't make promises to prevent the occurrence again in the future. But still, despite the reality of an apology, it still took quite a lot of pride to push the realization up from the bowels of your conscience and speak it allowed. James Potter was not one known for swallowing the amount of pride required to accomplish this feat, let alone swallowing his pride at all. Maybe he really had realized he'd crossed a line, and it was all Lily could do to nod her head in acceptance, for no words graced her lips for once. Speechless was an ugly color for Lily, so of course she felt she had no choice but to try and push away the experience altogether and try to find even footing in familiar territory.

And, of course, James Potter was quick to provide her with just that. It was enough to think that the apology hadn't even happened. Could he really bounce back that quickly? Thanking whatever greater being existed for the dark cover of night, Lily breathed deeply to try and alleviate her flushing skin and looked up to find him watching her as she watched his lips forming the words "pretty girl". It unnerved her, the way he looked at her sometimes, because he just looked so hungry. She wouldn't be surprised if he had been a vulture in another life. Or maybe even in this life, she could never be too sure. He certainly always seemed to be on the prowl, sniffing out for any sign of weakness he could pounce upon. And, of course, that was how he saw her. A "pretty girl", a little girl, fun to toy around with, who had a spitfire temper and tried to pack a punch. But oh no, it was never good enough for James Potter, but the fact that she tried was more than enough amusement for him.

"I'm much more than a 'pretty girl', Potter, and certainly a lot more than the 'pretty girls' you usually try this act on. And of course I've seen you disrespectful. A good 80% of your life is filled with disrespectfulness, and the other 20% usually finds you sleeping in class when you should be taking notes....which come to think of it, is still showing disrespect. But just because you've chosen to live and breathe disrespect doesn't mean you understand the meaning of the word. I've asked you to stay away from me and respect that I have boundaries, and instead of respecting my wishes, you've bothered me for six years now. If thats not disrespect, then I don't know what is."

Bewildered anger set stonily upon her face at his next comment. What was he trying to imply here, that he was absolute perfection? That, although they were what he called "evenly matched", he didn't have to work at all for it and that made him all the better?

"You can throw around a few hexes here and there, Potter, but that does not create a mastermind. That creates cruel jokes, not a great student. And having it all 'come more naturally' to you just makes you lazy, not a great wizard," her tone was cold but balancing on the edge of conversational, not nearly as furious as she felt. "And physically, you may have me, but I've got a lot more strength than you could ever imagine in everything else. And physical strength is but a weak bonus. You may think you've got me outmatched, but you're wrong, Potter, you're wrong."

And still, he just didn't know when to stop! She was almost at the point where she just wanted to let her shoulders drop in exasperation and throw her head back in frustration--where did he get it all from and how did she ever make it stop?? She was surprised that she still had a strand of red hair left on her head, on account of the many times she had tried to rip out her hair to avoid ripping out his(although a beautifully wonderful idea, not quite the thing a Head Girl and role model could do). He knew she was fuming, he knew she wasn't kidding, and yet he still had to try and make a sexual joke out of her threat. What did it take??

Her second mind--the mind that actually took a minute to pause and consider her actions--shut down and instinct took over. Her wand lowered only just enough to jam itself just underneath his throat, poking him slightly...enough to press into his skin and make a small pulse from his neck veins. She closed the space between then, gripping the collar of his shirt in a death clench, her nails grazin his collarbone just slight in the process. If her arm hadn't been in the way due to threateningly choking his shirt around his throat, they would have been chest to chest. Lily had to tilt her head back just to look at him. Of course, with anyone else, looking up at their opponent would have been demeaning. But not Lily--no, her look was terrifying no matter the size of Potter. It was a look to send even the greatest wizards fleeing in fear.

"You want to try that again, Potter?" she asked him slowly,each syllable pronounced with a bite of bitterness. This (unbelievably) was actually Lily keeping her temper in check, as she'd yet to lash out at any of his words, but it was only a matter of time until she broke.

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

...but I really, really really don't like you.

[James Potter]

JAMES LIAM POTTER

[/color]
.
Requesting the presence of Lily Evans.
Time: After dark.
Plot: Some reprimanding and hopefully a bit of swooning.[/right][/size]

The air was warm enough, but there was a biting effect to it like no other. It wasn't something that anyone else who might venture outside now could tell, but James could feel it. Lily's angry eyes could pierce anyone like a sharp icicle in the coldest of winters. However, it wasn't just her eyes that made things a little more chilly - it was her demeanor. Other than her one short fit of what had seemed like sadness (though part of James still doubted it), her entire persona was cold. James thought that if he, by chance, touched her bare arm, she may have felt like an ice block - figuratively speaking, of course. Then again, any coldness her emotions was giving off would have certainly melted by how heated he had just gotten her.

James had always been told he was the best from a very young age, and it had never stopped. Parents always tell their kids how great they are if they're any good at the task of parenting at all, but for him it was different. James wasn't just great, he was the greatest. He was the kid that got in trouble at school, only to come home to his parents spoiling the hell out of him. Sure, he got in his fair share of trouble - limited playdates with friends, no dessert, etc. - but he never got in nearly the amount of trouble as he should have. He wasn't exactly a bully, but he didn't share. He also adamantly refused to apologise and wouldn't dare play nice. He also expected (and received) kisses from most of the girls in the area. Needless to say, James was very used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it.

That meant Quidditch, magic, friends, titles, girls, money - everything. He tried his best not to work hard for anything at all, because to him it was just an utterly pointless thing to do. Why work for anything that isn't natural? It defeated the purpose of talent and skills. Most would say that if it was something you had to work at, it was worth it, but James would disagree completely. Well, not completely. There was Lily he put a lot of effort to, but he tried not to show it. In her opinion, surely, he was just fooling around for another lay. She was just some prize to be won, but not fought for whole-heartedly, which for once was entirely untrue. She was the only girl at the entire school James would be interested in fighting for. The others were too easy, anyway. There really was no fighting involved there.

What a surprise, another rant on Lily's part. James was getting a little sleepy now, and he made it a point to let out a good old fashioned yawn during her speech. He even lifted his arms up in a stretch to magnify the situation. Once she was finally finished speaking, he cleared his throat to talk. "First off, I'd just like to say that I do think you're more than a pretty girl - you also talk too much. Sometimes I find myself forgetting just how pretty you are and considering walking away during your rants. Moving on. I don't always fall asleep in class, but who cares if I did? My grades are up to par with many of the students who actually pay attention and take their silly notes. I'm like a sponge, I soak it all up." He paused for a moment. "And now you've got me putting on my own rant, but if you gave me a chance to speak, I would have only responded shortly to the things you said."

It wasn't too soon after that, and Lily was pressed completely against him. Her look was too horrifying to even describe, as he had finally done her in this time. Yes, he had put an end to Lily's life, because she was about to implode on herself from all of the anger he had caused her. He wouldn't even be invited to her funeral, as everyone would know who had finally done her in - they would be saying, "Oh, there's James Potter - he pushed poor Lily Evans passed her limits and she was no more - what a cruel boy." Yes, perhaps he should have reconsidered what he was saying before he did it, because he had obviously plucked her last nerve, and it was a little too late to pull out of the race now. Go all out, or go home - and James was not going home now... not with Lily's wand nearly puncturing his throat, at least.

He gulped hard, his Adam's apple pushing against the wand. It had been a natural reaction, but not one he exactly wanted to let go. Showing fear in a position like this was the worst thing he could possibly do, because that would make her feel powerful - truth was, he was a little scared. Lily knew her way around some spells, although they may not be the hexes James could pull out. No, Lily knew the real spells. At the rate he was going, he wouldn't be surprised if she pulled one of the Unforgivable Curses out of her bag of things unseen. Maybe she would create a new one especially for him that might be added to the predetermined list at a later date. If anything would make her go bad, it would definitely be James. At least he had that to put in his short list of possible achievements with Lily. Date? Negative. Kiss? Negative. Causing her to go evil? Check!

"Now, now, Lily... put the wand down. Although I'm sure it would be an easy thing to do, slitting my throat with that, blood just isn't befitting on a lady such as yourself." He was trying to keep up with his unconcerned profile, but it was hard to make light of the situation when this is where he was at - pinned against a tree with a girl three fourths his size. Not to mention the wand... that was the scary part. "What was I supposed to do? You gave me so much to work with, as usual. If you had the same chance, you would have taken it gladly." He moved his hand toward his throat and pulled the wand away from it, then covering where it had been. No magic had been used yet but she had already done some damage. His throat was sore and tender now.

James looked back down at her. He didn't really have to look far as she had almost climbed up his chest to his face. Another situation at another time and he would have taken full advantage of this opportunity, as he had considered doing before. It seemed to him that one wrong move and he would possibly wind up with the nurse in the Hospital Wing, and that was the last thing he needed - just a good reason for the other Marauders to stop by for a visit and throw some bad humour his way. "Oh, Lily finally snapped, eh? We can't leave you alone for ten seconds before -" So on and so forth. Point being, the only thing worth doing right now was calming this crazed redhead down now that he had worked her up. Hopefully she enjoyed going on emotional rollercoasters or they were both in trouble...

[/font][/blockquote]

[Lily Evans]

Hate is a strong word...

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

If there was one thing Lily had to hand to James Potter, it was his knack for digging himself into deeper holes. Oh wait, but she was so silly! That's not a good thing. And yet, Potter had managed to somehow get it down to a minute science. Lily was pretty sure you could derive a formula for it, even. It was because he--how best to explain it?--took risky and rather large plunges. For some reason, the more theatrical and exciting, the more amusing and utterly absurd, the more Potter seemed to think it helped his case. And sometimes this was the truth; even Professor McGonagall had let slip a grin or two at his antics (usually coupled with the antics of his equally preposterous other half, Sirius Black).

Unfortunately, trying to flatter and bamboozle his way out of situations worked on pretty much everyone else but Lily. When he pretended to compliment her, she took offense. When he offended her, she took offense. When he merely made comment on something, she usually found a way to take offense. She would never see it this way...dear Merlin, no, the reason she took offense was because she was justified in taking offense in her head...but it did tend to makes Potter's chances of getting out of these situations a lot more unachievable.

So, of course, Lily's foot made contact with his shin when he accused her of talking too much. She did NOT talk too much. She lectured because someone had to try and keep Potter's head deflated, and he unfortunately always seemed to pass the task over to her again and again throughout his many adventures of stalking her. But now, in her head, she had picked up "talk too much", "too pretty", and "walking away during one of your rants" and had interpreted the former as such: "You are like one of those ditzy girls I mess around with who I like only because you have a nice bum, I don't have a care in the world as to what you say because its not worth my time, I probably couldn't repeat a single word of it back to you, and I'm not going to rest until I'm passed out snoring loudly on top of you in the nude for a night before we never speak again."

And, to be frank, that just didn't fly with Lily.

"So now I'm just one of your bimbos who is only worth your time because I'm pretty?! Of course it doesn't matter what actually comes out of my mouth, does it, Potter? You disgust me, you know that? Maybe you should try listening to girls for once instead of just trying to sleep with them. Disgusting pig, you revolt me."

Well, in better news, at least she could feel the grim satisfaction of hearing the slightly shaky quality that had just blossomed in his voice. His nervousness just made her itch to flick her fingers just a millimeter more, not too much to kill, only to hex him into oblivion...although, of course, the former would be okay too. Normally, she wasn't a very sick or twisted person, but in the case of James Potter, she'd love to play around with her food before ultimately disposing of it. And the possibilities were endless...a splash of pain, a dose of humiliation, maybe even a tinge of his own remorse if she could manage it...

She surfaced from her dark thoughts for a moment as he tried to shakily wager with her, lowering her wand from his throat. She suppressed a triumphant grin at the little spot on his throat. The lengths of insanity he drove her into! The normal Lily Evans would be appalled, but after six years, enough had become enough. She couldn't hold back her dark chuckle as tried a different, slightly more efficient flattering technique. At least the boy had a bit of fear in him now.

"Oh, so now I'm a lady? After I've gotten you into a position of begging for mercy? I see how it is, Potter, a true gentleman. I'm truly flattered by your sweet, heartfelt claims here." She allowed him to lower her wand but in turn tightened her grip around it, no less threatening than a moment before. It was natural instinct to roll her eyes at almost every word that came out of his mouth, but she especially couldn't contain himself as he claimed she had set herself up and that she, of all people, who take advantage of it if it had been the other way around. "No Potter, I wouldn't because I have a little attribute too vast for you to attempt with your small, peaky mental capabilities. It's called maturity.I would suggest you try it except I think I've made that particular request a hundred million times. Some things just can't change, no matter how much you beg and wish, can they?"

[/color]

She enjoyed having this position of power over him. Not so brave without his friends around to impress, was he? Or maybe he was just smarter than she gave him credit for. Whatever the case, her thoughts calmed their dark growls into just justice-seeking revengeful purrs. She didn't change her stature or the threatening crinkles outside of her narrowed eyes, but her tone was just the slightest bit lighter.

"Are you ready to grovel at my feet yet? The price for freedom is easy, really. One: behave. I know I say easy because for most people, it just comes naturally, but I know it will take every ounce of energy you possess. Two: leave me alone. And not just for five minutes, not just for a day, but forever. This one is self explanatory. And very crucial."
[/blockquote][/size]

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

...but I really, really really don't like you.

[James Potter]

JAMES LIAM POTTER

[/color]
.
Requesting the presence of Lily Evans.
Time: After dark.
Plot: Some reprimanding and hopefully a bit of swooning.[/right][/size]

Lily, Lily, Lily... where to begin with that girl? It really did not matter what James had to say, because it always somehow wound up being wrong. Whether it was disrespectful, rude, arrogant, something else, or some combination of all of the previously listed, he was wrong. Like James being sweet on her, trying to pay her a compliment instead of picking on her for once. "James, you are such a jerk! I hate your sarcasm!" And at that sort of moment, the only think he could do was go along with it. He wasn't going to take that hit to his pride, and so he would just prefer to shrug and humour her assumptions. It was like the girl really had no idea how beautiful she was, or how much he cared about her. Maybe that was his fault (something he also would not admit) since he was constantly messing with her head, and his widely known sarcasm was also a hindrance in this case.

Now he had somehow called her a bimbo? How did that add up. Because he called her a pretty girl? This did not compute. He almost pulled his wand to pretend to do math in the air and figure out the reasoning behind this. Oh, wait, he actually pulled his wand out to wave it around sarcastically. That was really only supposed to happen in his brain, but apparently his thoughts had possessed him to do something absolutely insane in front of Lily during her fit of rage. Wonderful, well, once again, he might as well roll with it. Balls to the wall now, right? He almost jumped at the realization of this transpiring in real life but kept his composure and continued doing his phoney math. "Pretty girl plus Lily equals Lily, you're a stupid little bimbo whom I would really like to take advantage of, so please, please let me? It sounds to me like someone likes to play victim..."

And of course she had punched his pride once again with what she had tacked onto her statement. "Maybe you should try listening to girls for once instead of just trying to sleep with them. Disgusting pig, you revolt me." Ouch, that one hurt a little. Not the names she called him or the fact that he apparently revolted her, because this had become and every day insult she flung at him during the most genuine (to him they might have been) conversations. No, it was the fact that she assumed he only worked for one common cause - a little action. If James wanted some action, he could go get it, so really, any girl he pursued romantically was obviously something special. She was just kidding herself if she thought any differently. His face felt a little warm and he knew that he had turned at least slightly pink in the cheeks with his outrage bubbling up inside him.

"Now you listen here, if all I wanted to do was sleep with you, I would have walked away from you ages ago. Don't you think I'm at least smart enough to know that isn't going to happen?" He wanted to shake her silly for that comment. "If you must talk, at least don't do so out of your ass, Lily. You lose the Head Girl essence if you sound ignorant, and I don't care how good your marks are." He threw his head backward into the bark, too hard. He made a grunting noise and looked back at the tree as if it had thrown itself at his head rather than the other way around. Out of anger he elbowed the trunk of it and turned his attention back to Lily. Well, nearly back to her... at least he was now facing the same direction as where she stood.

Maturity? Now she wanted to harp on his immaturity and lack of responsibility. It wouldn't bother him except that she had already made it a point to attack him for something that wasn't true. "Oh, I'm immature? First off, I'm trying to fit into this mask that you call maturity for my Head Boy position. And secondly, don't lecture me on maturity when you make false accusations with no basis to them." He had turned back around again, running his fingers through his hair and then shaking his head roughly. His hair flew back and forth and back into it's usual unkempt state, but he felt a little better as far as an emotional state went. His eyes couldn't even meet with her figure at this moment. He had never really let her get to him before this, but now that they were really, truly alone, out of earshot from everyone, he had opened up a whole can of worms that had been bothering him for probably their entire days in school.

She was certainly threatening, but at this point he wasn't about to back down. She wasn't scaring him anymore either since her comment on his sexual appetite, and he found a new strength that outmatched even his physical and magical attributes. He grabbed her shoulders and drew his face near to hers again, as close as he could without touching. His eyes glared angrily into hers and he bit his lip before he spoke, choosing his words very carefully. "Alright, Lily. I'll behave. I'll be a good little boy and won't go wondering off into the Forbidden Forest or hex innocent bystanders or anything like that - but mark my words, I'll never leave you alone. Not being I don't respect you or because I like being mean to you, but because I lo-" And he stopped abruptly.

What did he just almost say to her? Did he even mean the word that almost escaped his lips? He let go of her and stepped away from the tree, turning his back on her. It was probably a bad thing that he had done this, but at the moment, he wasn't considering her attacking him as a possibility. What kind of opponent attacked when one's back was turned? Either a weak one or a crazy one... Lily isn't weak, but damn, she's crazy, he thought to himself, catching himself in almost muttering the words under his breath. Hopefully she hadn't realised what that word was... "I care about you. You can avoid me all you want, but one day, you'll admit you care about me, too. I'm telling you, Lily - you had better figure it out, because I am not going away."

[/font][/blockquote]

[Lily Evans]

Hate is a strong word...

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

"Play victim? Excuse me? I'm not playing victim, Potter. Do you even hear yourself when you speak? You only listen because I'm pretty, but even so you 'forget' sometimes in the lieu of not wanting to listen to me talk."she wasn't even sure that sentence entirely made sense, but she crossed her arms in a dignified huff anyhow, longing for an odd combination of things. The comfort of the indoors was strong, but yet not as strong as her desire to sink her fist into Potter's face, or even the tree behind his head would do. Anything. She was exhausted and furious and in a state of disbelief at his arguments. Why did she even put up with it? Why didn't she just walk away right now and never look back?

The thought sat in her mind for a minute, pulling up an armchair to stay for a while but shifting uncomfortably in it's seat. The answer seemed quite obvious to her: he'd just come back to her. That was all. She knew, even if she managed to get away from him today, he'd be back again the next day and the day after that and she'd never have a moment to breath. Plus, her anger fueled her to the point where she couldn't stop fighting. She needed an outlet for the hard work and the heartbreaks and the difficulties of trusting people and Potter just kept coming back for more and more and more and more and Potter just kept coming back for more and she felt like she was going to burst and why couldn't he just leave her alone? and the dizziness, oh she'd forgotten to eat all day since she'd been so busy working on her essay and she had so much more schoolwork she'd have to perfect just to keep up and the spinning and the frustrations and the velocity of her thoughts racing and racing and stupid Potter--

But, despite her rush of excuses--any excuse, whatever excuse it was--she knew the reason she stayed. It was because he knew her. He knew precisely which words would boil her blood and what type of smirk to give if he wanted to watch the colors in her face change rapidly.He knew dumb little things about her too that people ought not to remember, like that she could raise her right eyebrow when she was thinking sarcastic thoughts and that saying anything poor about her Head Girl position was sure to hit exactly the right chord. Probably why he used it against her right now.

"Like you have any room to talk?" her voice raised several octaves in her disbelief, her green eyes wide with taunt and a merciless need to set things right in the little world that existed just beyond her eyes. "I have no idea what has made Dumbledore pick you as a Head Boy, but you've done nothing but flaunt your new powers for days! And I speak with plenty of basis. How about every other girl you've strung along, including one or two I've had to witness sobbing myself? How about the fact that you have very little feeling towards others feelings when it comes to getting what you want, example being your stupid pranks! I play down to your level when yelling at you because you drive me out of my mind!"

[/b]

Which was true. Her mind was still rushing through all of the little tiny things he seemed to know about her, how to irk her, how she had become his favorite little game and he was beginning to become very good at his little game. He knew so much about her and it bothered her, not because he bothered her with it, but because she had stopped letting people know so much about her and he plunged ahead and knew more about her that she knew about herself anyway! It was insane and she didn't give him permission to know her, and she hated it. But right now, in the cool autumn night that sent an array of goosebumps trooping up and down her skin, he was intense and she was furious and it felt good and horrible and wonderful to be letting her anger get out now. His yelling just fueled her yelling and it was a beautiful spiral of all the pent up frustrations she had simply because he noticed what others didn't. He had no right to know her. He had no permission to know her. And he certainly wasn't about to get any.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the tips of her fingers into the space right underneath her eyebrows, trying to ward off the inevitable headache that was going to rack her brain tonight. It was already late, and she was freezing and this was absolutely pointless. She crossed her arms, more to try and conserve body heat than out of anger at this point. She didn't remember that she had senses and emotions other than anger until she took a deep breath to calm down. Oh, there's a world around her besides James Potter and his annoying pigheadedness.

Why did he know her, that was another question. How did he know her? She wasn't an open book, she didn't give all that much away, and normally she was a very hard person to read. But he acted as if she was a children's picture book he'd thumbed through a million times already and could quote by heart. It was like she had no complicated plots or words too difficult not to trip over or crucially significant side characters in her pages. She was simple to him, simple and easy to read and probably something he only persisted in reading because he had nothing better to do. The book was not ripped down the seam yet, was it? Why not finish the book off? Nothing like a job well done, and the only thing Lily seemed to have on Potter was that her spine was tougher to break than he'd thought. While this was a good thing, it also meant he'd never stop coming back until he'd figured her out entirely and thrown her to the side...

It took her a moment to realize she had been looking up at the stars. There had been a silence between the two of them, and Lily looked down to find that she had let Potter turn his back to her, no longer pinned in a trap against the tree. He turned and his eyes were like daggers, groping her soul. She twitched uncomfortably, trying fruitlessly to shake him off. Her fingers clenched and unclenched a few times, waiting for something to alleviate the hefty pause sitting between them, yet roping them both together...

"Alright, Lily. I'll behave. I'll be a good little boy and won't go wondering off into the Forbidden Forest or hex innocent bystanders or anything like that - but mark my words, I'll never leave you alone. Not being I don't respect you or because I like being mean to you, but because I lo-"

He broke off. She gulped thickly and hoped beyond all hope that he'd stop talking.

"I care about you. You can avoid me all you want, but one day, you'll admit you care about me, too. I'm telling you, Lily - you had better figure it out, because I am not going away."


The atmosphere had changed completely. Where before it had been choking, now it was suffocating and drowning Lily with doubts and worries. She held herself closer, debating what to do. Right now all she wanted to do was leave, leave and not have to face this disaster and pretend that Potter wasn't trying to break her once again. She somehow found the strength to turn around and walk a few paces in the other direction without uttering a word, but she wasn't strong enough in the end. She couldn't leave. The air wasn't cleared, it wasn't finished, and it would only grow worse if unattended. So she said the only thing on her mind right now, the only time the entire night that she'd only had one thought plaguing her:

"I don't believe you," she whispered from a safe distance, staring at his forehead to appear as if she was looking at him, but she knew he'd know. He knew her too well. He always knew. She simply let her gaze fall and shuffled her foot around on the ground, trying to think of something else to say but failing miserably. What was there to say? She just wanted, begged, pleaded for the safety of dreams--something that wasn't reality and didn't have to be dealt with later. Sleep was calling to her, escape was calling to her, but her feet stayed put. Why couldn't she move, why wouldn't her damn feet move??

Because he knew too much about her. And she just couldn't handle that.
[/blockquote][/size]

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

...but I really, really really don't like you.

[James Potter]

JAMES LIAM POTTER

[/color]
.
Requesting the presence of Lily Evans.
Time: After dark.
Plot: Some reprimanding and hopefully a bit of swooning.[/right][/size]

This girl was totally impossible. Could she never admit to being wrong about anything? Now he was starting to see how frustrating he could probably be sometimes. If there was one thing he and Lily did share, it was their stubbornness. Although Sirius didn't back down from fights, he was usually at least a little open-minded, and definitely more nonchalant about things. Whereas, here were James and Lily, fighting like cats and dogs, over what? He couldn't even remember anymore. Then again, that might have been his frustration talking. Either that or the darkness was really getting to his eyes which was then affecting his mind. He hadn't realised he was getting sleepy until that moment, and he wouldn't dare utter a yawn in front of her. This was a time to be serious, as she had always wanted him to, apparently.

He knew it was early in the year, but when, if ever, was she going to get over the fact that he was her equal as Head Boy? Even if her marks were higher than his, he was her equal in this one instance. More than this instance, but this one in particular. She really needed to stop mentioning how unbelievable his position was before he did or said something he might regret. He heard all of it enough from the Marauders, specifically Remus, who seemed to be a little more than disgruntled about the entire situation. Sirius just made it a point to poke at him for being "responsible" and "mature" now. Peter kept his nose out of it, but that was about it. Then the way Professors kept their eyes on him, as if he was about to get into some trouble that would give them cause to take away his title... it was starting to bother him. Lily wasn't helping.

The one thing he thought might impress her had actually happened, and instead of being impressed as he had hoped, she had dogged him since the day they were on the Hogwarts Express. He shouldn't have expected her to be happy about the whole thing, but he had hoped for some sort of positive reaction eventually. "Get over it, Lily! I'm Head Boy, alright? We all get it. But you know, I suppose I shouldn't be happy for myself, right? And as far as the girls I've strung along, what am I supposed to do? Don't you understand that you hold a pretty regular spot in the back of my mind?" His eyes narrowed upon her at his last question. It wasn't something he particularly wanted to say, but anything to get her to stop holding his knack for dating around against him.

It was the truth, though he didn't expect her to believe it. She seemed to think that his interest in her was a rouse come up with by the Marauders. As if they all sat around trying to come up with ways to screw with people's minds... well, forget that. That they did, but not in this case. In fact, Sirius made it a point to pick on him as often as possible about his affections toward Lily. So not only was he in the constant line of fire with his friends about this obnoxious girl he had in the forefront of his mind, but she thought it was just another joke, too. And how many times had he tried to get over her? Obviously she knew, or she wouldn't make the comment of leading girls on. He wished he could just let her have a look inside his mind so she might understand his true feelings, but that was impossible, or at least improbable at the moment.

There was an awkward pause of silence after his near mess-up with the l-word. He gulped as he waited for a response from her, knowing it wasn't going to be a good one. Then again, when was it ever good with Lily? Her eyes were on him, but she wasn't really looking at him at the same time. His gaze dropped also, and he found himself staring at his feet as he twisted his wand over and over in his hand. He felt a little hot. Thankfully, in the darkness, blushing couldn't be seen. He wondered if she was just as red as him. He figured she probably was, what with all he had just said to her. And really? Almost telling her he loved her? He didn't even know if all that was true. Or if he did, he hadn't yet admitted it to himself. I don't believe you, was apparently all she could muster up in response to him.

This set him on edge again, and his head shot up faster than it ever had. He had almost expected her to storm off from him, but he would have never expected, in his wildest dreams, that she would try and accuse him of lying, again. Sure, he should have, but once again he expected better of her. After six years of working toward a common goal in gaining her approval as a human being, let alone a wizard or a possible suitor, she still thought he was just putting on an act. Even James couldn't see himself this determined to pull of an elaborate prank. Sirius would be proud if it were the case, but it wasn't. She had never sounded any more stupid than she did at this very moment. I don't believe you, he thought, her voice on repeat inside of his head. I don't believe you.

"You - you don't believe me? he whispered quietly, not expecting to sound so soft. He cleared his throat to sound a little more intimidating, but not feeling the emotion at all anymore. He felt numb, to say the least. "Lily, have you ever seen me work so hard toward anything in my entire life? But then, I guess I'm just having fun here, right? In a constant fit of shots to my pride by the only girl I could never have. You know how much I love to lose things in general, let alone being shot down in public view. You caught me." Placing his wand back into his robes, he turned around, hands in pocket and started to walk toward the school again. He stopped momentarily and looked over his shoulder at her. "You know, you just boggle my mind sometimes as to where you get these silly ideas in your head."

[/font][/blockquote]