A Tale Of Does And Stags ✨

10 • Drew Mikaelson

The next day James woke up with a pounding head and a weight over his torso. As he opened his blurry eyes grabbing his glasses from the coffee table where he had kept them the previous night, he saw a mop of red hair on his stomach.

He saw that Lily was laying down on his stomach grabbing his shirt in one hand. Her legs were spread out with her mouth slightly open, she looked cute, he thought snickering.

Moving ever so lightly he stood up, scooping Lily in his arms. He gently carried her back to her room and tucked her in the warm sheets. Now that he was awake and his head was killing him, he couldn't go back to sleep.

He went back to his room knowing exactly what would cure his problem. He rummaged through the drawers until he found a cardboard box filled with vials of potions. He removed the cork and downed an entire flask in one gulp. The fiery taste burned along his oesophagus and into his stomach.

He shook his head against the dizzy feeling and within minutes he could feel his hangover slipping away.

As the last of his pounding dissolved he stepped under the warm water from the shower. Soon he was bathed, dressed and fresh. He put his glasses back on and moved to go back in his room.

In his room he found Sirius rummaging in his closet. "it's not there pads," he said rolling his eyes. Sirius jumped, clearly surprised. "Yeah, whatever. I know where to look" Sirius said moving to another drawer.

James shook his head and brought out another one of the flasks and tossed it to Sirius who caught it abruptly.

"Thanks" he said before gulping down the potion.

In the next hour or so each of their friends woke up and took the potion which cured their equally pounding heads. The girls left to bathe and get dressed. The guys hung around a little while before going down for breakfast.
James followed them out leaving a note and a flask of potion on Lily's bedside table.

Going for breakfast. The potion's for the hangover. Thank me later.
Xoxo ~ James

                           *        *        *

The next few days passed in a blur of their usual routine. Lily had gotten more used to p- James over the past month or so that they spent together. They did rounds together, Go to breakfast with both their friend groups, chatted with much less hostility than the old days. Sometimes they would help each other with homework or topics the other couldn't understand.

Thursday morning they sat comfortably in their regular spot eating breakfast when a Ravenclaw girl came up to them.

"James" she called in a sickly sweet voice. The girl had long sandy blonde hair and muddy brown eyes. Lily vaguely remembered this girl from her charms class. Her name was Drew Mikaelson. She batted her eyelashes at James flopping down a little too close to him.

"I was wondering, since we clearly look so good together, why don't you join me at hogsmeade this weekend?" She asked. The way she it, made it sound more like a command than a suggestion.

Fir some reason her behaviour annoyed Lily. Why was she twirling her hair? Why did she have to keep batting her lashes like that? Why did she keep staring at James? Why was she sitting so close to him? The questions on her pathetic behaviour went on forever.

Lily was sure that either James or Sirius would probably shake her off with a stupid joke. But she was proved wrong when James smiled back at her.

"Sure Drew. See you then" he said casually.

Drew seemed to be expecting something more. But after hovering for a few moments she huffed before going away to her table.

The rest of the day Lily couldn't shake Drew from her mind. Why did this particular girl irritate her so much? Ugh!

She was so distracted that she would've ruined her potion by putting a unicorn hair in it, if it werent for James.

"Okay, You've been totally distracted all day. And Lily Evans doesn't just mess her potion. So what's wrong?" He said pulling her hand away from the cauldron.

Leave it to James Potter to be observant the one day that Lily absolutely did not wish him to be.

"Nothing." She said trying play cool. But James obviously didn't buy it.

"I don't know. I'm just a bit off, I guess" She replied sighing

"One of those days?" James said without thinking. Only when Lily looked like she was about to put his head as an ingredient in the potion did he realise his stupidity.

"No! No! That's not what I meant. I mean- I just... You know when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed- not- I didn't mean- I- please don't kill me!!" He hurried trying to explain himself.

He was sure Lily was going to turn him into some sort of goblet. It came as a shock when she burst out laughing covering her mouth with her hand to control her giggles. Wow. Did he, James Potter, just make The Lily Evans giggle? Yes. Yes he did.

James returned Lily's giggles with a cheeky grin of his own. At least he had contributed to making her feel better. If only for a little while.