Gateway to Heaven - James and Lily Potter (Jily) #Wattys2016

Dates - Lily

Guys guys guys. I reached 990+ reads. What the hell. Thank you all so, so much. I never thought I would make it to this many reads, votes and comments. You guys have given me so much confidence in my writing. 

On a less happy note: I'll be going on a holiday soon. Which is good, but I won't be able to update, which is not good. I am so, so sorry. Expect a six-week pause - I might do a surprise update or two in-between, but nothing's sure yet. 

However, this story is NOT on hold. I'll start updating regularly again as soon as the new term starts. Until then, I wish you all happy happy happy summer holidays!

The air is hot and sticky in the dungeons. Potion fumes - we're brewing dragon cures - arise in colorful hazes from the cauldrons and it's hot, too hot. 

"Hot damn!" I hear Sirius exclaim from the right. His brew is a mushy grey and has just let out an enormous bubble of smelly gas. The entire class lets out squeals of disgust as our nostrils are filled with the smell of dragon dung and rotten eggs. 

"Call the police and the firemen!" cries Laura randomly. I laugh at her stupid rhyme, squeezing my nose shut with my fingers. It's nice having someone around with decent muggle experience. 

"You ruddy git, Padfoot!" I hear James yell, "you're killing us all off!" "It wasn't my fault!" Sirius exclaims defensively,"I didn't put the bezoar in there, you did! Professor!" he cries out, searching for the potbellied man in front of the class, "Professor, we need to get out of here!"

"Right as always, Potter!" Slughorn yells and points at Sirius. "Detention, Black! Class dismissed!"

We all hurry to clean up our business, leaving a disgruntled Sirius to clean up all the mess. I see James sticking his tongue out at him while he leaves the class. I can tell, from the look on his face, that he's the one behind the smelly potions incident. 

"Oi, James!" I nudge him as I pass by,"go help your pal out of this mess." "It wasn't me -" he starts, but I raise an eyebrow and his cheeks redden while he mumbles,"I was payback for him purposely wronging my aim during Charms. Don't look at me like that!" he exclaims, his face showing fake surprise, "he bloody deserved it!"

"I'm sure he did," I state as the students leave the dark corridor one by one,"but you've got a reputation to change, and considering pretty much everyone's aware that you did it, I'd get back in right now."

"Fine," he says,"but in return I get to take you out on a date." His expression is playful but I know he means what he says, I know it too well, and I'm not ready to respond to that question yet.

James sees me hesitating and pulls off his puppy-dog eyes effect, and I try to refuse him, but the problem is that the puppy has an extremely well-defined jaw and messy hair that lets every girl go bonkers, so I find myself nodding in response, earning a jubilant smile in return.  

"But!" I say, regaining my senses, still red in the face,"after that you get to leave me alone for at least a month."

"Leaving you alone as in ignoring you or-?"

"No. Leaving me alone as in not asking me out five times a day in public."

"Oh, come on, Evans, you can't be that cruel -"

"Oh but I can!" I say, eyeing him defiantly. 

"I like it when you look at me like that," James says, smirking. "Very well. Challenge accepted."

"Good," I respond,"now go help that bloody friend of yours." I start turning to leave the empty corridor, but he takes my arms very suddenly and it seems like a million butterflies erupt from his touch.