WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU PUMPKINS , james potter

━ nine. gingers do have souls!!

CHAPTER NINE:
- gingers do have souls!! -
1977

JAMES HAD BEEN CONTENT WITH SIMPLY staring at her. It seemed like every time he did, he discovered something new. Like how the corner of her eyes would wrinkle before she laughed or how her cheeks would flush at the simplest compliment. Sometimes she'd do this weird thing with her lips when she concentrated. They'd move back and forth and her nose would scrunch up. It was cute in a oh-Merlin-just-marry-me-already kinda way.

She was funny but mature, never laughed at dirty jokes, but was an absolute sucker for puns. Though, James swore he once saw her snicker at a "that's what she said" joke made by Peter. It was obvious when she was holding back a laugh. Her face would turn bright pink, the whole thing, and her eyes would look anywhere but at you. James never understood why she did that. Her laugh was like the kind of song you could listen to everyday without getting tired of. Why hide something so beautiful? Regardless, the wrinkles around her eyes always gave her away.

Lily was beautiful in pretty much any and every way imaginable. She was a genuinely good person, better than James could ever be. Honest and brave too, never afraid to speak her mind or tell him off for being a total git.

And Merlin, was she fit.

Fairly tall, with slender legs and just-sit-on-my-face-already curvy hips that made James a tad bit dizzy when thinking about them. Yet, her eyes were the most enchanting thing about her.

To put it simply (or according to Sirius): Lily Evans was a total babe.

But in a sophisticated, doesn't give a single fuck what you think, good grades without trying, I'm pretty and I don't know it kind of way.

     You know?

She'd gotten a haircut over the summer after visiting a relative in France, with bangs and everything, wore it down too. Just when he thought she couldn't get cuter, she does shit like smile and twirl her hair, and get bangs, and speak French, and it's like what the fuck? How could someone be so amazing?

     Sirius, of course, was quick to comment the moment he and the Marauders saw her at the beginning of the year.

"She's finally grown out of her pigtail days I see," joked Sirius, throwing his arm over James's shoulder. He'd been too in awe to shrug his friend off. "You know what that means, don'tcha Prongs?"

"What's it mean?" James inquired, finally tearing his eyes from Lily.

"Our darling Miss Evans got laid."

James knew it'd been a joke, it wouldn't be the first time Sirius had joked about someone's virginity (which, by the way, was painfully ironic), but he couldn't get it out of his head. The thought of Lily with another guy made his stomach churn, his head spin, and a nasty taste infiltrate his mouth. Lily would be his, no one else's. And nothing, especially not some stuck up, baguette eating, girlfriend-stealing-weasel was gonna take her away from him.

Well, not according to Bethany Marshall.

     It happened on a Monday morning because obviously everything bad happens on Sunday nights and Monday mornings. James was being, well, James — goofing off with his friends, throwing bacon at unsuspecting first years, flirting with insecure sixth years, and playing truth or dare. Basically, anything but eating breakfast like normal people. But by now it should be a universally known fact that the Marauders were not normal.

     James loved being in Gryffindor. He was practically a king, especially in the eyes of the younger years. Each day was exciting, even he didn't know what to expect some mornings. He most certainly didn't expect to have Bethany Marshall and her posse of nail-biting, stalker wannabes to approach and surround him minutes before the start of class.