Cruel Summer - Lily and James Potter

Chapter 9 - Invisible embraces

The sun streamed into the lounge through the Patio doors, lighting up the dark room until it shone over Lily Evans' face, making her eyelids flutter open. She groaned at the rude awakening and tried to turn over with much less success. She couldn't comprehend why she could hardly move until her thoughts flew back to last night.

Slept on the sofa. Okay, not in a straitjacket thank god!

Lily blinked again and tried to focus her tired eyes on something solid, the room slightly swaying as she did. She looked over to the large Grandfather Clock that sat on the other side of the room, watching the second hand tick by and quickly reassuring herself that it wasn't the hour hand that was moving fast.

What the hell did I drink last night?

The old clock said 9 hours and 25 minutes and Lily moaned at how early it was to wake up from a night out. Damning the sun rising over the tall trees in her back garden, she attempted to get up and swing her legs around to rest her feet on the soft carpet. Feeling only a slight twinge of a headache, she stood up and adjusted her clothes that had crumpled up as she slept.

She looked at her shoes that laid haphazardly on the floor as she walked past them into the kitchen. The kitchen was also very light as the sun shone into it, and she mumbled how awful she must look in the glare.

Lily opened the kitchen cupboard to get the Special K, made her breakfast and sat at the large oak table. Deciding to have a quick shower after eating, she quietly made her way up the stairs into the bathroom.

The large room was warm as she undressed quickly, throwing the transfigured clothes onto the floor and turning the shower to hot. Stepping inside, she revelled in the hot water pulsing against her back. Lily closed her eyes and moved her head under the jets, making her hair wet and turning the colour a dark red.

Mmm, I'd stay here forever if the hot water wouldn't run out.

Massaging the cherry smelling shampoo into her hair, Lily thought about last night.

'What was the matter with him?' she thought to herself.

She didn't know the answer.

Rinsing the shampoo from her hair, she reached for her fluffy, blue towel and wrapped it around herself. She brushed her teeth at the sink and walked from the bathroom, and into her own room.

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What the fuck am I gonna do?

James laid on top of his bed trying to find a rational explanation for the object of his desire. He was driving himself crazy thinking about this, not wanting to believe that this was actually happening to him. He was coming up with stupid excuses and annoying himself even more with not being able to find a good one.

'Maybe she put a spell on me?' he thought.

What? How lame is that?!?

'Well, why do I want her then?'

I dunno! I'm just the voice in your head!

James sighed in exasperation and pressed his head into the soft pillow. How stupid was this? Lily hated him with a vengeance, there's no way that she'd even consider considering about it. He closed his eyes firmly and breathed out.

'Why can't I stop thinking about her?'

Because you like it.

'No I don't!'

Yeah you do! Just give in, you know you want to.

James thought about giving into the feelings for her. Part of him wanted it desperately, needed it like his body needed air, but the other percentage was pulling away ferociously, not wanting to stop to listen to reason. He felt torn between these two intense emotions, his body being pulled in two directions, but his mind stationary, trying wildly to decide which way to go.