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J A M E S
"So, James," Lily began, twirling her fork into her seafood spaghetti. "What made a guy like yourself apply for the job of a lifeguard in a resort like Hogwarts?"
James laughed, taking a spoonful of his fish soup. It warmed his throat, the delicious taste clinging to the root of his mouth.
"I mean, I get to be at the beach, staring and hopefully saving pretty women like yourself and then get paid for it." He grinned. "Who wouldn't want a job like this?"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Seriously, James," she said, her emerald gaze boring into his hazel one. James didn't realize he was holding his breath for a moment.
"My friend's dad is the manager of Hogwarts. When the resort opened this summer, he was in need of staff, and God knows I was in need of some extra money, so . . . it was a win-win situation, really. Remus, Sirius and Marlene decided to apply for positions as well, so here we all are."
"Wow." Lily shook her head, a soft smile playing on her lips. "That's kinda awesome, working at a summer resort with all your friends. I'm jealous."
"What can I say? We're a supportive bunch," James said. "I didn't know how I was gonna feel about Florida at first. I had never been outside the Great Britain before. But I love it here."
"Can't see why you wouldn't." Lily replied, a look of delight flicking to her face as her head tilted sideways to observe the dark, tranquil sea. She closed her eyes for a minute to enjoy the soothing sound of water and the gentle summer breeze that blew some locks away from her face.
She looked so beautiful - the corners of her cherry lips twisted upwards, creating crinkles around her closed eyes and in the sides of her mouth, giving more emphasis to the dusting of caramel freckles on her nose and cheekbones. James couldn't help but gawk at her senselessly, like a sailor finally looking at a patch of land after weeks of feeling lost at sea. What was it about her that pulled him in like a magnet, like a drug he couldn't resist?
"So," James cleared his throat, trying to pull himself out of the hypnotic state caused by Lily's presence."What about you then?"
"Hm?" Lily asked, snapping out of her trance and turning to look at James with her eyes - oh, God, those shimmering green eyes of hers that put the sheen of the moon above to shame; just one look and he felt as though her gaze had pierced into his soul and seen everything he was made of.
James suddenly felt naked, an inexplicable heat creeping up his neck. He turned his gaze sideways, not trusting himself to speak while she looked at him intently like that.
"What do you do for a living?" he asked tonelessly.
"Well, I currently work as a waitress at my friend's dad's coffee shop," Lily said. "But my dream is to become a therapist. I'm a psychology major, starting my last year of uni in September, but that's nowhere near the end of my studies. For the branch of therapy I want to specialize in, I will need a master's degree, a doctorate and I'll quite possibly be required to undertake a one-year internship at the end of my doctoral programme."
