Summary:
James would never come off his stupid pranks, and nor would his love for Lily, ever fade.. And like always, Lily so hated the Marauders for their lack of sanity.
But here's a magical one shot, about how Lily starts harboring feelings for her mischievous prat, hers only... James.
*
The train rustled past, fuming smoke, through the rocky lands and fresh green patches, with the cows grazing on, lazily. The trio had lounged themselves comfortably on their seats, as Sirius looked away intently at the distant sky, turning to shades of amber from piercing blue. The mist began to fade away as the sun rose higher, and kissed their windows with its first gentle rays, as the compartment door slid open-
‘Oh man! Phew! I don’t understand how people can be so… so… uhmm…’
‘So, what?’ asked Sirius, finally looking away from the window.
‘So… Crazy?!’ Remus retorted.
‘Crazy?’Sirius laughed, ‘Well then, “happy realization” to you. But what makes you say that?’ he chuckled even harder, given the expression on Remus’ disgruntled face.
‘U daren’t laugh, mate.’ He replied. ‘Move along. Make some place for me.’ Remus nudged Peter who had fast fallen asleep. He seated himself next to the vast motionless body of Wormtail, heaved a sigh and said, ‘It’s hell of a thing out in the corridor. People are running mad and wild all down to compartment 14.’
‘Compartment 14?’
‘Yea. As far as what I’ve heard, Lily is in compartment 14.’
‘Lily who?’ James jumped on his seat as though Moony had just exploded into a werewolf, in front of the entire Hogwarts Express.
‘Oh! So you’ve been here all along? I didn’t notice you.’ Moony teased.
‘What were you up to?’ he quizzed raising an eyebrow.
‘Mr. Romeo has been trying REAL hard to make a “picture collage” of his beloved Juliet. Aren’t you, Jamsie?’ Sirius stuck his tongue out and taunted as his lovelorn mate groaned sadly.
‘Whose Juliet, now? I thought you were mad about Lily!’
‘Ah! Never mind.’ James rolled his eyes and sighed even louder. ‘But did you just say something about some Lily in some compartment 14?’
‘I did? Really? I don’t remem – …. Arrrgh!!!’
James had taken a plunge on Remus. It’s not always easy to tackle “love” affected men, Sirius thought as he himself plunged on the duo and sent both of the them tumbling to the floor. Just then, the compartment door slid open again –
‘Anything off the trolley, dears?’ A young, fine woman stood at the compartment door with a trolley over flooding with sweets.
‘Nah-...’
‘One chocolate frog, two pumpkin pasties and uhmm… yea, that’s it.’ Came a girls voice.
The threesome looked up from the ground, as the lady fetched her customer some chocolate frogs. They craned their neck but could not sight the girl. There were just too many people outside. The lady pulled the sweets trolley all over the train, Sirius thought, but he had no clue as to why everyone thought of buying something so abruptly, this very instant and outside their compartment!
‘Make it quick Lily.’ Came a second voice.
‘In a minute.’ She replied.
‘Lily?’ The trio gasped. Still lying on the floor, like maniacs.
They found their answer to the budding crowd. After all, Lily was a thing by herself. A true beauty. Almost every guy dreamt of dating her, except the Pure blood wizards, that is. Since Lily Evans, was a Muggle. But that did not hinder James’ thought as he looked up at her, his mouth slightly open. They all were the same age of fifteen, and Lily was turning out to be a gorgeous and graceful woman, he said to himself and smiled.
‘Ahem!’ she cleared her throat, looking down at the heap of three motionless bodies, her hands resting on her hips.
‘Huh?’ James stirred into reality from fantasy. ‘Oh!’ he gasped again. His face, fear stricken now. Lily had always given James a feeling that, even if he were the last person on earth, she would never, NEVER ever even dream of seeing him out.
‘Ouch! Watch it boy.’ Remus cried.
‘Shut it and GET UP!’ he hissed as he tried to straighten up, with Remus and Sirius on top of him.
Lily quickly glimpsed across their compartment and saw her picture collage, half done though, on the couch which lay next to Wormtail, who was trying hard to keep his eyes open. She tossed a flick of her hair from her emerald green eyes, handed on some Knuts and turned sharply on her spot. She gave the boys one last fleeting look and made way down the corridor, passing and pushing through the other students.
‘Lord! She’s going to
hate me.’ James cried.
‘When did she ever like you?’ Sirius pulled on, again.
‘Thanks mate, some friend you are.’ He said nonchalantly and sat with her picture in his hands.
But as Lily walked down the corridor, the recent event ran past her mind, endlessly. There was something nobody knew, maybe even she wasn’t aware of the fact. But yes it was true, that she was growing a soft corner for the Marauders. No matter how weird, misbehaving selfish brats they were. She had especially grown to like James. She blushed each time she thought of him gaping at her wide eyed, mesmerized, paralysis stricken, every single time she passed by him. ‘Weirdo.’ She said to herself and smiled. And for the first time, quite unusual though, but she heard her heart say, ‘I think I like him. Erm… I think, I do. And I wish my weirdo upgrades from gaping at me, to asking me out. Ha!’ she blushed. ‘Oh! I so love him. My cute lil Tinkerbell. Muah.’ She kissed him in her thoughts and turned slightly pink in the cheeks.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ quizzed Charlotte, surprised by Lily’s unnatural behavior.
‘Nothing.’ She lied, as she closed the compartment door behind her.
