Chasing Lily Evans

Lily's Lie

James and Lily walked solemnly behind a purposeful Minerva McGonagall, who was so angry, one could almost see the fumes emitting out of her ears. 

"In!" she barked, pointing aggressively to her office as Peeves the poltergeist came whizzing by. "Jamesie and Lily, sitting in the Astronomy Tower," he sang gleefully, "K-I-S-S-I-N--" He choked suddenly as James discreetly flicked his wand and muttered, "Langlock". Lily glanced at him, impressed, and he almost grinned in reply, but McGonagall's blazing hot glare made him refrain.

"Well?" she asked, seething, "What are you waiting for? Would you like a biscuit, perhaps?" Her sarcastic tone made Lily flinch, while James just reached for the tin. "I do love your biscuits, Professor," he said, stuffing one in his mouth.

Professor McGonagall huffed in annoyance, smoothening her tartan dressing gown. "Would you care to explain, Miss Evans, why you and Mr Potter were out of bed after hours and in the astronomy tower, no less?" 

Lily took a deep breath. "Professor, I thought it would be a good idea to get a little fresh air and Potter... I mean, James... found me and told me to come straight back, when I convinced him to stay." James shot her a questioning look but she just shook her head.

Professor McGonagall looked back and forth between the two and asked James, "Well, is that true?" James nodded, sparing another glance towards Lily, whose face was flushed.

McGonagall nodded and fixed her disapproving glare on Lily, who squirmed underneath it. "I hope you know what you did was not only highly irresponsible, but also downright dangerous. What would have happened if you would have lost your footing? With no one to hear you! I might have expected such of Mr Black and Miss McKinnon, but not from, you, a prefect." Lily averted her gaze, tears threatening to spill, but somehow she willed them back inside. "I didn't know what to think when Peeves come around the corridor shouting some nonsense about you two in the astronomy tower, in posession of firewhiskey-- I shall not even peruse that matter-- but I had hoped it was just that, nonsense." McGonagall rubbed her temples and sighed.

"A hundred points from Gryffindor and detention, for you both."

***

"What'd you do that for?" James asked Lily once they had awoken a very annoyed Fat Lady ("I need my beauty sleep, even if you don't", she sniffed, looking at Lily). "Do what?" Lily asked, suddenly longing for her warm bed upstairs. "Lie to McGonagall." 

"Oh, that," Lily sighed, falling onto one of the armchairs, "You've been in enough detentions, I thought your record shouldn't be blemished more." 

James smiled at the half-joke. "You sure it wasn't the firewhiskey?" he teased, "I've never seen anyone quite so terrible at holding their liquor." 

"How dare you, sir."

Lily slumped even further down the armchair and James groaned, "I'm already hearing the ruckus Sirius is going to cause in the morning." Lily laughed weakly, "I live right next door, you know." 

"I can't wait to tell everyone your spot-on ABBA impression."

Lily glared, "You. Won't. Dare." James smirked, "Maybe I do dare." 

"Friends don't tell on each other," she whined, "About, er, embarrassing mome-times." She yawned, too tired to care about her fumble. 

"So, we're friends?" James' eyes lit up and Lily punched him in the arm (it hurt, but he would never admit it), "I didn't get screamed at by McGonagaaleelieu-- she has a difficult name--," she muttered, "For nothing, you know."

James sighed in relief, "Maybe now you'll let me teach you how to ride a broomstick."

"Was that flirting?" Lily chuckled, woozy, "I tell you, it's not that good." James' eyebrows knitted together and as comprehension dawned on him, colour flooded his cheeks and he slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Who knew Lily Evans was one to make dirty puns? And really, really stupid ones?"

"Hey, my puns are goo-ooo-ood." 

And so they bantered with Lily's responses more stunted and less intellectual by the minute, until finally Lily's head rested on the back of the armchair, her legs curled underneath her. James was lost in thought as he grinned to himself. He had had perhaps the most interesting conversation of his life. 

----

A/N

I'm sorry for this short chapter but like--

Okay no excuses, I'm just not that interested in this story anymore and sleep deprived. Gonna go read prisoner of azkaban for inspiration (except I don't have the time hahah). 

Honestly, this story's just been coming to me in bits and pieces and I'm making it up along the way, which is not how a good book is written, I know, but I can't bring myself to do that much work for a fanfic.

I hope to write a proper book someday and be like a bestselling author and Wattpad is honestly the best place to start. Like After and Fifty Shades of Grey (by the way I do not like these stories they are so problematic I swear I could go on and on but like whatever). 

So here ends the author's drunken, sleepless, panic-driven (cause I have an exam tomorrow and I  literally started studying today and I'm screwed) rant.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk!