Harry Potter Prompts

Bullseye

{Entry for @Eternal_Potterhead 's one-shot contest (Second Place) }

James and Sirius both snickered, their laughs deep and contagious, Peter chuckled feebly, and Remus sat half disapproving, half amused. The joy on Sirius's long face dissipated and his wavy brown hair fell in a curtain over his face. "Evans is a prat," the seventeen year old boy continued darkly, glaring past his friends. The foursome were huddled around the Gryffindor Common Room fire. Their faces flickered ominously against the flames, the high-ceilinged tower otherwise wreathed in shadow. "Dumbledore should've never appointed her Head Girl," he muttered. "It would've worked...." Sirius trailed off, citing the prank he had been about to execute.

James's laugh died a little. Ever since he'd been appointed Head Boy, he'd tried to clean up his act a bit. Except for the occasional hex or curse on Snivellus, James mostly behaved. He carried out his duties as a Head, being lenient without turning a blind eye. He wondered if his friends thought the same of him as Evans.

"She's just doing what Dumbledore asked," James defended quietly, more to himself than Sirius.

Sirius turned toward him with furrowed brows and his mouth turned up in a disbelieving frown. "What?"

"Blimey, James," Remus chuckled, leaning back into the squashy armchair. "I knew you fancied her, mate, but...." Remus rubbed his face with the palm of his hand, a smile visible between his dirt-encrusted fingers. The boy's nails were filthy; small flecks of blood sat lodged under the beds from the last full moon.

Peter sat with his back to the fire on the floor, and stared absently past his friends, eyes wide.

James noticed, and eager to change the subject, he turned to him. "What's your problem, Wormy?" he inquired.

Wormtail didn't break his gaze with the far wall, but shifted his body facing James. He hesitated for a moment, and his lips floundered silently before properly meeting his friends. James had gotten all of their attention by now. Still refusing to meet the older boy's eyes, Peter's wandered from the floor to his lap before he answered. "Jus-Just thought I heard s-something outside," he squeaked, his mousy silhouette trembling.

In his silence, Remus and Sirius's heads had both snapped back to where Peter was looking, but found themselves staring only at the bare walls surrounding the porthole backed by the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Sirius stood up to get a better look, and apparently both satisfied and dissatisfied with the air he saw, he turned back to the fire with a puzzled scowl on his face. "Barking mad," he muttered. Sirius looked to James. "You really like her, don't you, mate?" he said, not allowing the direction of the conversation to be manipulated so easily.

James nodded solemnly. "But seeing as I'm an 'arrogant toerag,' I don't think I have much of a shot," he said, recalling the remark from two years ago.

Sirius chuckled. "I don't see why you fancy her," he said bluntly.

James shot a look of shock and incredulity at his best friend. The expressions on his face quickly turned to anger. He opened his mouth to argue, but no sound came out. He suddenly seemed drained and deflated and his eyes fell to the patterned rug as he slouched back into the warm cushion. When he looked up, he saw that Peter had scurried off, and Remus was dozing in the chair to his right. He was alone with Sirius. Still, he couldn't bring himself to say it. The words I love her, seemed too serious for having never dated, but it was exactly how he felt. "She's different," he said finally.

Sirius nodded. "I still don't know why you're choosing Evans," he teased.

"It's not funny, you git," James snapped. "She hates me. And not without good reason."

Sirius paused for a moment, thinking. "I know what'll cheer you up," he said slyly. "Why don't you say we throw on the ol' Cloak and give Filch a run for his money, eh?"

"You know I keep it in my trunk. Go with Remmy and Wormtail," he sulked. "I'm heading up." Sirius's mouth hung open in disbelief.

***

Lily was stunned. She stared dumbly at James as he moped up the staircase to the boys' dormitories. Even from behind, she could tell Sirius was duly aghast and floored. After a while, Sirius trailed up after Potter and Pettigrew had slunk off, Lupin still out in the chair.

Lily didn't even know how she'd gotten so wrapped up in the boys' conversation. One minute she'd been coming back from a late night excursion to the library, and the next Lily found herself eavesdropping on a conversation revolving around her. She'd quickly cast an illusion Charm upon herself to form a weak invisibility -- something Peter, who'd been facing her, was quickly able to spot. She lifted the Charm for a moment just long enough to hold a finger to her lips, and crunched down, wary of the bolder, more confident boys spotting her. Peter's mouth gaped like a fish, but he didn't tell.

Lily slid down the wall and let her Charm die. She leaned against the canvas of the Fat Lady portrait backing the porthole, watching the fire flicker out through the maze of armchairs and end tables. James Potter. The word swirled in her mind, sending a strange feeling plunging down into her stomach. "Potter...." she whispered, allowing the name to roll off her tongue.

Potter wasn't just harassing her all these years? Lily's mind flipped over itself at the thought of her unknowingly and unintentionally sending James Potter into such a state. She felt her stomach drop again and the blood rushed in her ears.

***

"Bullseye."

James stopped in the middle of the hallway. "What?" Evans stood before him with a rebellious look plastered on her face, eyebrows raised above mischievous jade eyes. She grinned.

"I heard you and your... friends," she motioned absentmindedly to Peter and Sirius next to him, "talking last night." Lily laughed, as if experiencing her own private joke.

James furrowed his brow. Then his eyes widened, and he realized. She'd heard their entire conversation last night! James looked back to Sirius, who had a mixture of anger, confusion, and amusement tugging at his features.

"You said you had no shot," she said seamlessly, ignoring James's dumbfounded expression. Determined to appear confident, Lily muscled on, oblivious to the embarrassment burning James's face.

"W-what?"

"Just meet me at The Three Broomsticks on Saturday?" Lily finished in a question, her courageous façade crumbling.

James leaned in suddenly, and pressed his lips into hers. Lily smiled under the kiss.