The Adventures of James and Lily Potter

Chapter 9 - A Not So Mutual Interest

Lily:

It was the second dinner, and while Lily ate she couldn't help smiling. Hogwarts had been great so far; she had Severus, a new friend called Alice, excellent teachers and classes, oh and the food was to die for. It was paradise!

Alice was telling Lily about her family. "Well, both my parents have magic, so I knew I was going to Hogwarts as soon as we had evidence that I had magical powers." She bit into her bread roll. "My dad works in the administrators office in the Ministry of Magic, and my mum is a journalist for the Daily Prophet."

"Oh that so interesting, they're quite similar to muggle jobs then."

"Well sort of, except better! The ability to use magic means that they don't have to waste time writing things down into graphs or whatever muggles do. Anyway, what do your parents do?"

"Well, my dad works for an advertising company, and my mum stays at home and does all the house work."

"You need people to do your house work for you? It doesn't do it self?"

"What... no? You mean you can get your house work to do it for itself here?"

"You mean to tell me you can't get your house work to do itself?"

"No! It called chores, Alice."

"Dam being a muggle sucks. Welcome to the life of a witch!" Alice patted Lily on the shoulder.

Lily smiled at Alice, but as her eyes drifted away from her she saw Alice wasn't the only one looking at her. The boy from yesterday, James, was staring at her, obviously listening in on the conversation.

As she made eye contact, he quickly adjust his eyesight to the enormous piece of chicken in front of him. Lily nudged Alice.

"Mhm?" She asked, stuffing her face with a baked potato.

"Do you know anything about James Potter?" She made sure to keep her voice low, so that there was no way he could hear her.

Once Alice had swallowed, she whispered into Lily's ear "He's a pure blood, very famous family, one of the oldest families to exist in our world. I think the Potters are all Gryffindors, so it's no surprise that he's in our house. They're the... over confident kind." Alice had made sure to add emphasis on the 'over' part.

"Hm interesting."

Lily continued to eat her dinner, but she couldn't help thinking at to why James was staring at her. Why was he doing that? She looked up to see if he was still watching her down, and not to her surprise, he had. She blushed and quickly focused her vision to the Slytherin table.


It was at this moment Severus's head turned to face her, and they both gave each other a wide grin. 
"You good?" Severus mouthed to Lily

"Never better" She mouthed back.

Severus smiled even wider, and help up his chicken leg in the air to salute the common joy filling the room. Lily giggled, glad that the difference in the houses hadn't ended their friendship.

James:

"And did you see how that horrible Severus boy was smiling at her, like he'd never seen her before." James said as he stormed up the stairs

"Yep." Sirius said, clearly fed up with the conversation.

"You'd swear they were boyfriend or girlfriend. God the thought makes me sick!"

Sirius nodded, but his eyes had started to drift towards the paintings on the wall.

"Sirius!" James exclaimed, making Sirius jump. "Pay attention, please. I need help, I need Evans to start appreciating me the way how she appreciates Severus."

"James I really can't hear about her anymore. Have you even tried to approach her yet?"

"Sirius, that's what I'm going to do now, in the common room. It'll be perfect, and they'll be no way that oily slug Severus can mess it up."

Sirius rolled his eyes "God, you've got it bad James."

✨✨✨

As the painting swung open, allowing Sirius and James to walk into the common room, James puffed up his chest and walked with long strides, attempting to express his confidence. Sirius had to try really hard to not burst out laughing right there and then, but he knew this meant a lot to James, so he contained himself.

James was in luck. As soon as they entered the room, Lily was sitting in one of the the arm chairs, reading her Potions textbook next to the fire. James walked to her, leaning over the arm rest.

"Good book?" James said, trying to lower his voice.

Lily closed her book, and made eye contact with him.

"Yep, Potions class is super cool."

"As cool as me?"

"What?"

"Oh um, never mind." James had to resist the urge to turn red. He had this, he had to keep it together. Lily opened up her book again, and resumed reading. Dam.

"So enjoying Hogwarts so far Evans?" James asked, leaning over the car a bit more. She closed her book again, but this time a bit harder.

"It's great! I never knew magic could be this complex. Everyone's super nice and welcoming too, well, so far at least."

"Yea, I mean, my mum and dad both have magic, so I've always been exposed to it, but still,it's just great to finally be here. What about you?"

"My parents are muggles, yet I feel like I'v been waiting for Hogwarts my whole life."

"Really?" He sat next to the arm chair, trying to keep eye contact. He had heard somewhere that keeping eye contact made the person fall for you, or something like that.

"Um... yea. But, I knew about Hogwarts before I got my letter because of my friend Severus. He lives close to me, and he told me all about the magical world. I don't know what I would do without him!"

Are you kidding me!? Was all James could think. Maybe he could try to ridicule Severus, and change her perspective of him.

"Severus? Do we have any classes with him?" 


"We have transfiguration with him. He has black and is super tall. I think he sat in front today"

"Oh, that boy. Has sort of big nose, right?" He gave a small laugh, but Lily didn't smile. Oh no, she was frowning.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she spat out

"Oh um nothing it's ju-'"

"So you think it's funny to make fun of people like that?"

"Evans, it's just a joke, calm down. I say that kind of stuff about everyone."

"So you're some kind of bully?"

"No it's just a way to see the brighter side of life Evans"

"To see the brighter side of your life, while drawing a cloud over someone else's. Wow." Lily got up, grabbed her Potions book, but just as she turned away to walk off, she faced James and sneered. "And it's Lily."

James was startled as to how badly that had gone. No girl had ever rejected him like that. Hell, no girl had rejected him - ever. He could see in the corner of his eye Sirius was covering his mouth, hiding his laughter. James hit him on the shoulder. Sirius broke out into hysterics, and through laughter said "James, sorry to say it, but I don't she's that into you."