Mischief Managed!

13.

"Of all the times for that to happen," James complained, lying on his back on his old bed in the seventh year dorm.

"It's only natural," Remus murmured comfortingly, struggling to hide a smile.

"It's not like it hasn't happened before, Prongs," Sirius added, flashing a grin. Sirius, it appeared to James, seemed to be deeply and darkly amused by the whole incident. "Lily should be flattered."

"Yes, but I've been in human form and wearing robes, Padfoot! It's not half as obvious!"

James was quite sure he had been fortunate that Lily had not castrated him on the spot… something that, considering the circumstances, may have been both easy and appropriate. He was never going to be able to look her in the face again! He desperately wondered what she was thinking, and was greatly apprehensive as to her reaction. He supposed she would tell Art – of course she would tell Art – and then he would have not one but two people coming after him with wands raised… for something that James very much wished he could take back. Lily probably thought he was the most disgusting person in the entire castle after that display, and that was no mean feat when Snivelly's hair was oozing grease several floors below them.

"What did she actually say?" Peter asked, curious. James very much doubted whether Peter had ever, or would ever, experience such embarrassment. Especially because Peter's animagi was a rat. Ruefully, James realised that it all boiled down to the fact that he had chosen a rather large and exceptionally masculine animal to transform into. It was his fifteen-year-old self's fault entirely.

"Nothing," he murmured, hiding his burning face behind a pillow. "She didn't say a thing. She didn't need to." Could his year possibly get any worse?

"Prongs?" Remus called, gently. "James!"

James was miserably busy ignoring him. Currently, he was quite seriously considering moving back into the dorm with his friends. In fact, maybe he could stay in here for the rest of the year? Moony would certainly be able to supply good notes, and if he was lucky he would only have to emerge for exams…

"James!" Remus smacked him in the head with his pillow. "You need to go and explain things to Lily. Save face, James. Maybe she will understand. She's not as scary as you think, and she's not as perfect as you think either."

James decided that there was no better time to test his theory that Hogwarts wasn't as big as it looked. He decided to take the long way back to the Head's Tower, which involved visiting not only the Astronomy Tower and the Divination classroom, but also the very long, dark and winding passages that branched off the Entrance Hall. For good measure, James threw in a few trick staircases and several moving doors. At one point, he decided he might as well race himself to the Head's Tower. If he got there last, he lost. If he arrived first, he lost. So, reasonably, he had nothing to lose. On his way past the Owlery, James considered sending Lily a letter of apology. But that wouldn't do because he would then have to return to his room to find paper and a quill.

James arrived in the fourth floor, eastern corridor much too soon for his liking. Then, struck by sudden inspiration, James remembered that he hadn't been to visit Hagrid in a few weeks… and maybe he had time for a spot of Quidditch on the way home?

"Potter?"

Bother. Lily had appeared in the corridor, and was staring at him in surprise.

"The Carved Witch told me you were out here," Lily said. The Carved Witch waved helpfully. "She thought you'd forgotten the password."

James grimaced. Of all the interfering, imposing and nosey fixtures of Hogwarts, the Carved Witch had to be the worst.

"Potter, I think we need to talk," Lily said carefully.

James looked at the floor. His head was throbbing painfully, and his instincts were violently arguing with his conscience.

Run for it, mate! His instincts cried in Sirius' voice, rather sensibly dreading the inevitable shame that James was doomed to suffer.

Just get it over and done with, his conscience, which sounded strangely like Remus, advised him calmly.

This made his instincts leap around, which resulted in the throbbing….

But I can't do either, said Peter's voice, very indecisively.

Hang on…

James was quite alarmed to hear his friend's voices invading his head. Positive this was not normal, James felt a sudden need to go and visit Madam Pomfrey. Actually… yes, a nice long stay in the Hospital Wing might do him some good, actually… especially if the nurse allowed him to hide behind a partition, like the one she used for Remus after the full moon…

When James looked up again, Lily had vanished, although the Carved Witch was still sitting open. She smiled at him encouragingly. And this made James sure of what he had to do.

Taking a deep, slightly shaken breath, he set one foot in front of the other and made his way inside.

Much to James' surprise, Lily looked quite composed by the time he had made it down the short hallway and into the common room. There she was, sitting uncertainly on a lounge, a worry line streaked across her brow and her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"What," she asked," was that all about, before?"

He blushed but was determined to meet her eyes. Maybe Moony had been right, he hoped desperately.

Unfortunately for Lily, he was giving her that special, terrible look that was apt to make her weak at the knees.

I have a boyfriend, Lily reminded herself sternly, then blushed, wondering if she had that effect on Art too. She could not understand how this had happened, and this scared her. Happily for James, Lily was so confused that she hadn't had time to get indignant yet.

"I'm sorry, Lily," he rasped. "It's… well, I was worried you'd be mad, and you're quite scary when that happens."

"No, silly," Lily told him gently. "I meant –" she cleared her throat significantly " – well, before."

"Oh," was James' highly intelligent reply.

He took a deep breath, and attempted a painful smile, which eventually looked more like another grimace. James felt the need to take another breath and – Oh hurry up! Remus' voice interjected impatiently. And suddenly, it all tumbled out.

"Well … I… as an animal, your feelings are much more… raw. I mean, well… things are much more simple, and, well, Lily, you must know by now how I feel about you, and normally I can fight it, because I don't want to feel like that about you, but you were right there…"

As far as she knew, Lily could not recall having had that effect on Art. Lily wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe they were too young or pure for such things, yet? And James, being James, wasn't. No, of course he wasn't. He was just attracted to Lily for her looks, after all… Wait, what had he just said?

"You don't like being attracted to me?" Lily repeated, stunned.

"No!" James yelped. Anxiously, he ran his hands through his hair, wondering how to put what he wanted to say. "No, I mean, yes, I do, I like being attracted to you very much… It's just that I don't want to like you, if you don't want me to. And I know you don't, so I just… ignore it."

Much to James' amazement, Lily's face softened. He looked so confused, and embarrassed, and, well… cute. After all, she supposed, the – er – incident… really hadn't been his fault.

"Who knew you were so sweet?" she murmured, stunned. "I – erm – I forgive you, Potter."

She stepped forward and gently kissed his cheek, before stepping away and turning to go. Lily was quite aware that she had just kissed Potter's cheek, and was mildly mortified. The way he was looking at her changed again, all of a sudden, and Lily was now definitely sure she wasn't comfortable with the look in his eyes. Thankfully, she had the perfect escape.

"I've got to meet Art. I'll see you later," she whispered, hurriedly.

With that, Lily Evans subtly hastened out of the still-open Carved Witch, leaving one very stunned, confused James Potter in her wake.