The Love of Patronus | JILY

Evans

Lily was sitting and laughing in the Gryffindor common room with Marlene, Mary, and Alice. 

          "So, Lil, you gonna tell us why you're so smiley?" It was Marlene who asked and her eyes twinkled as she did so.

          "Ooo am I sensing a story?" Mary giggled.

          "Does this have something to do with your boyfriend?" Marlene was grinning now.

         Lily glanced away and muttered, "I don't know what you're talking about."

          "Did you guys have sex?"

          Alice leaped into the air letting out a howl of excitement and Mary gasped, still giggling. Lily, on the other hand, had blushed pink in embarrassment.

          "No! No, we have not had sex! Merlin, Marlene!" 

          "Well you did something, I can tell." She was having fun. Lily glared at her.

          "Oh like you and Sirius?" She hit the spot.

          Marlene's eyes widened and she turned a furious shade of red as she spluttered embarrassedly for words.

          Alice howled again and Mary hiccupped with excitement. 

          "How- What- No! Lil- What- I-" This was the first time Lily had ever seen her splutter so badly. She laughed and winked at Marlene as she stood up.

          "It's late and I'm turning in. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

          As she made her way down the hallway she heard hushed voices from the other end of the corridor. She made her way a little closer.

          "- and I hear that he's already slept with her too! He didn't shag me when we hooked up, Lily Evans is a lucky girl."

          "He shagged her? Are you sure?"

          "Yeah it's all anyone's talking about it in our year."

          Lily felt her heart skip. Why would anyone think that? She felt frustration and nerves pounding through her as she made her way back down the corridor and into the Head common room.

          All of the marauders were here laughing and sipping at some butterbeer. They welcomed her loudly and cheerfully when she appeared in the doorway, but their smiles died down when they saw her face.

          "I'd like to speak with James." Her tone was clipped but inside she was fluttering with nerves. All of them stood up and filed out, but James stopped in front of her.

          "What's going on, Lil?"

          "Have you been telling people that we slept together?"

          There was a pause, James' face was surprised. And then he seemed to pull himself together a little bit.

          "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

          "There are two six years talking about it and how big news it is, and it definitely didn't come from me. You haven't been spreading it?"

          "Not spreading it-"

          Anger sliced through Lily, and she saw her eyes flash in the reflection of his glasses looking down at her.

          "But you said it. To who?"

          "I didn't really, I said we almost did and then he asked what that meant and so I kind of lazily just answered with 'yeah sure whatever we did.'"

          Lily could not believe what she was hearing.

          "Well I'm glad that it's such an unimportant thing to you." Her voice was ice as she glared at him. "Who were you talking to?"

          She could guess but she had to know for sure in case she took an innocent life instead.

          "Just to Sirius, Lily, and I explained it all later. It was just one time I don't see the big deal-"

          "The big deal? The big deal? The big deal is that I actually care! I give a fuck about this kind of stuff." James was just watching her. "Yeah, I know big surprise, right? I'd actually like to have sex before I hear about myself doing it." Her voice was dripping with fury and sarcasm.

          "It means a lot to me too." His voice was quiet and nervous. A side she rarely saw with him.

          "Yeah I can tell by the way you're throwing it around. Now everytime I go near you I have to wonder what you and Sirius are going to say about it later?"

          "Of course not."

          "No?" Her voice was raised now. "How dare you. How dare you?"

          "Lily, I'm sorry. I didn't think he would tell anyone, I swear."

          "I don't give a flying fuck about who told who. I thought you understood how important it was to me to be with you. In any way. I guess a reality check is always good."

          "Lily-"

          "I'm going to bed." She pushed by him, but he grabbed her wrist.

          "Lily, I need to know that we're okay." His voice was low, worried.

          "We are. I'm not." She tugged at her wrist but he reeled her in.

          "What do I do to fix it. I'll shout from the astronomy tower that me and Sirius Black are the biggest prats in the entirety of the wizarding world and that it was all a bunch of lies and that really we're in love-" 

          Lily chuckled against her will. He smiled a little and his confidence grew as he searched her face.

          "I'll do it! I'll tell the whole school that Sirius and I are in love and that we shag in the broom closet every night, I don't care. I messed up, and I know how special it is for you and I put myself first. Bad habit of mine, you know, big ego." 

          He winked at her.

          "You know that won't do anything. I don't know why it's bothering me so much. I mean, of course its going to happen-"

          James' eyes widened and Lily rolled her eyes.

          "But I heard it and the second I thought it might've been you who told people, it just felt like it was just another thing for you to do-"

          "I know. I understand. Lily, I'm never going to pressure you, okay? And I'm going to make this go away."

          He ducked his head down, bringing her eyes which had wandered to the floor back up to his.

          And then he kissed her and all the stress, frustration, anger, nerves disappeared in a whirl of electricity. Her hands were in his messy hair and his were holding her close to him.

          "Mmmm- I'm going to bed." It took all of her effort to pull her head away from him. He sighed a little, but smiled as he released her. She felt cold without him around her.

          "Goodnight, Potter." She winked, and his hand went flying up to his hair, ruffling it up a bit extra.

          "See ya, Evans." He licked his lips a little, looked her up and down, then strutted meaningfully into his room.

          Lily laughed after him, but part of her had awakened just a little at the look he had just given her.