Priori Incantatem [HARRY POTTER FANFICTION]

Chapter 33: The Thought That Counts

Chapter 33: The Thought That Counts

The first thing James noticed when he woke up the next morning was the excruciating crick in his neck. Then, as he tried to move, he became aware of the fact that his arms and legs were numb. Wondering why he was so cramped, James opened his eyes and remembered. He and Lily were still curled up together in the armchair, except now sunlight was streaming through the windows and tell-tale sounds coming from above indicated that they wouldn't be alone in the common room for much longer.

"Shit," James mumbled under his breath as he tried to disentangle himself without waking Lily. Finally succeeding, he was so pleased with himself that he forgot all about his cramped limbs until they refused to support him and he fell promptly onto the common room floor with a thud.

"Huh?" a sleepy voice from the armchair said, and a moment later Lily was peering down at him, bleary-eyed. "James? What are you doing?"

"Shh!" James hissed desperately, pointing frantically upstairs.

"Oh bloody HELL," Lily whispered, rising gingerly to her feet and surveying her wrinkled robes with dismay. "We fell asleep!"

"I know," James hissed back. "The real question is what do we do now?"

"Er............." Lily glanced round her frantically.

Before either of them could come up with a brilliant solution, the sound of footsteps thundering down the stairs distracted them. Acting on impulse, James wrenched open the portrait hole and shoved Lily into the corridor before tumbling out himself and banging the door shut.

"There's no need to slam," the Fat Lady huffed indignantly.

"Sorry," James replied, breathing hard.

"Great plan," Lily said sarcastically, flipping back her mussed hair irritably. "Now instead of being caught in a compromising position in the common room, we can be caught in a dishevelled state in the hallway and people can gawk on their way to breakfast."

James glared at Lily, hurt by her lack of faith. But before he could think of a suitable retort, the portrait swung open yet again and Sirius appeared, almost toppling to the floor as Peter knocked into him in his haste to see.

"Why, James, whatever are you doing out here so early in the morning?" Sirius grinned innocently at Lily and James.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Remus grumbled in exasperation, shoving Sirius and Peter out of the way so that Lily and James could re-enter the common room, where approximately a dozen Gryffindors were now gathered, peering curiously at the disturbance at the portrait hole. The curious buzzing stopped as everyone in the common room looked at Lily and James expectantly.

"Uh - "James wracked his brains for a good excuse, hoping that his renowned ability to get himself out of trouble wouldn't fail him now.

"Nothing like a brisk walk through the corridor before breakfast," he heard himself saying into the silence.

Sirius turned his laughter into a very unconvincing coughing fit; Remus, Peter, and Lily just regarded James in disbelief. James was having trouble believing that he'd really just said that himself.

"Well," Lily said as normal conversations finally resumed. "I'm going to go and - err - oh, sod it. See you at breakfast." She practically ran up the stairs.

*** 

Once she had reached the top floor of the tower, Lily paused to catch her breath before facing her roommates and their inevitable questions.

Burying her face in her hands, Lily was fairly certain that she'd never been so embarrassed in her life. Now instead of thinking that she and James had slept together in the common room, Gryffindor Tower would think they'd slept together somewhere else in the castle. Wonderful.