bright eyes--open.

[james potter]

There was a smug look on the Head Boy’s face as he rounded the corner of a deserted corridor; an almost knowing look, albeit not without those mischievous eyes that hunted down any moveable object in sight. In short, one James Potter was up to something, and his increase in pace didn’t beg to differ. Rather hastily the Gryffindor brandished his wand, a gesture surely to be surprising to anyone passing by who saw that peculiar glint in his eyes, but even if anyone had James could pull off the whole ‘Head Boy’ excuse, an overused yet effective form of justification. Exactly what he was up to had played on his mind for a while. There was nothing more amusing than teaming up with his partner in crime and unleashing havoc worthy of recognition by Peeves, however subtle and carefully executed the idea may be. There was always humour in creating the most simple of tricks, traps or jokes that would bewilder the younger years, especially First Years who weren’t expecting this at all. At the beginning of the year was always the best time to get them, but since Sirius didn’t seem to be around James was by himself. Today was such a day where this didn’t bother James, although the company would have proved not only enjoyable but also useful, though the seventh year in him knew enough magic to suspend many things in the air---it just took longer alone.

The age old trick of water balloons often proved to be effective the most, so much so that he had gone to great lengths to gather as many as possible (by magic), fill them with water (again with magic) and suspend them in the air (yes, by magic), many floating concealed in the corridors most likely to home many first year students within… James quickly scouring the back of his mind; ah, yes---ten minutes. Some were mere centimetres from the doors, though all would require him somewhere near the scene, so he could wave his wand a little and the magic holding them in place would vanish, consequently causing them all to fall on the littlun’s heads. “Not bad,” he said to himself. Unknowingly James had constructed this idea following his lesson with Evans, and although the cocky-arrogant side of him wouldn’t permit admittance to fall in to place, he knew that this was just a distraction, as so he wouldn’t be thinking about how he could win her over. And why would he need to---she would come around, eventually. In fact since that night, James grinned to himself, progress had certainly been made. Now he had the upper-hand, and if he wanted, he could easily go out on a date with her. Everything would work, he guaranteed himself, but was he talking about Lily, or this current scheme?

James decided that this one crevice in the wall situated behind a statue of armour would be the best place to wait and watch. That was, until he heard a coughing noise and realised that either someone had seen him marching up and down, or someone had been curious enough to follow him in to his hiding place. “May I help you?” He turned to look at the new addition, his grin still in place.

[lily evans]

Today had been a good day, and the reason why, was because Lily had gone a whole day without having any interaction with one, James Potter. Sure in recent months, he had been sort of bearable, but since ‘that night’ he had become almost unbearable again. Not because of his personality -though not that that would ever be a discounting factor for Lily- or even anything he had done, far from it. No, what was making him unbearable to be around again, for Lily, was the constant look of satisfaction he wore on his face. It was a look that Lily could normally pass off as him successfully completing a prank, or even getting on over on a Slytherin. But this time she could not, because she knew the reason for that look and it was not a reason she particularly wanted to remember, because it was on of her biggest regrets.

Thinking about it, she was not even sure what had led her to do it. All she could remember was kicking back with some firewiskey, and the next thing she knew, she was kissing him. It was like some other Lily Charlotte Evans had taken over, and all she could do, was sit back horrified, while ‘that Lily’ willingly defiled her body. But that, sadly, was the denial talking. For the Lily Charlotte Evans that had kissed James Robert Potter, had been her, but her free of the worries that always stopped her ever saying yes to James. Because deep down, no matter how much it repulsed her, Lily had always sort of found James attractive. But he had always been to much a arrogant bully for her to actually like him as a person. Though as she watch him change, and grow as a man, she found herself more and more liking him. But the more those feelings grew, the more the denial and she dug her heels in, and refused to change her mind.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Lily got up from her Gryffindor table and exited the great hall, trying very hard to get all thoughts of James Potter out of her head. But it was hard, especially when she knew at any moment an encounter could happen, and she would once more be subjected to his smug grin and his constant need to get her to date him. She needed to get him off her case, and she needed to do it now. And that was when she remembered, remembered the ingenious plan that she had come up with last night, while talking to a fellow seventh year, Joelle Dippet. She had not been so keen on it, but Lily had her mind set on it, because she was convinced that it would, once and for all get James off her case.

The only problem with that was, in order to do it, she would have to do something she had been resisting to do for years. Go on an actual date, with James Potter. Of course it would not be real, at least not to her, James on the other hand…well he would think that she was finally giving in, and she would have to live with that humiliation of having given in, until the date occurred. But it would be worth it, because Lily was convinced that after one date, that she would be able to get James off her case.

Rounding the corner, she paused in her tracks as she noticed James ducking behind a statue. ‘James’ she questioned, raising her eyebrow gently. ‘What exactly are you doing?’

ooc. a little meh, but i just wanted to get it up.

[james potter]

Oh, well that was unexpected. Albeit a good unexpected---Lily was here with him therefore how could it not be?---but unexpected, surprising, out-of-the-blue, unforeseen, all those fancy words. He couldn’t stop that grin from staying pasted to his face, anymore than he could stop that feeling of smugness when he took in her appearance---the same, shocking green eyes and the fiery red hair. Her pale face positively glowed… was there anything James didn’t like about this girl? Not even her ability to insult him on a regular basis. Of course he wouldn’t say this; she wouldn’t believe it anyway, and it wasn’t like him at all---James just wasn’t that kind of person to confess mushy feelings and he wasn’t in any hurry to become one, even to win over this one girl. This one girl who was looking at him in such a way that forced all the arrogance to the front of his mind.

“Lily. What a pleasure it is to see you here.” His wand he held at his side, the confident schemer in himself deciding that it wouldn’t be any better to hide it behind himself. Besides, they were in a magic school and therefore it was completely normal to have wands out. “What am I doing?” He pretended to muse on the idea, straightening himself up as he came forward, perhaps stepping a little closer than he normally would have to anyone else, before he continued, still sporting the mischievous grin that rarely went anywhere. “Exercise. Its good to walk around the castle every once in a while---you get to, bump in to people you’d rather like to see.” There was a small inclination of his head as he watched her eyes; James would have been more than happy to stand here and talk to her all day, possibly all night too, and then more following that, but the scuffle he heard emitting from the closest classroom door twitched the initial purpose in his mind, and he moved his wand-hand a little.

This probably wasn’t a good idea, given that here he had the perfect opportunity to potentially… almost blackmail her in to going on a date with him, and yet within moments that was going to be ruined. There wasn’t a question about it, really---it would happen. Lily wasn’t going to be very happy with the stunt he’d set up, and it almost made him chuckle to think of Lily attempting to unleash her Head Girl authority. Nobody would ever link him to this incident, since he had been making an effort to tame down on these… well, escapades. Still without one of his best friends he had felt the longing to do something to amuse himself… and this was it.

3-2-1… James ducked skilfully out the way as the doors opened from the classrooms, students pilled out in to the corridors and the balloons, carefully positioned, lost their hovering charm and fell with a rather pleasant splosh! “Oops.”

[lily evans]

There it was, the smug grin. It spread slowly over his face, like an ugly rash, and over-powered anything attractive about him, and left Lily with a repulsive feeling in her gut. One, that very much wanted her to keep on marching, without a second thought. But that was not why she was here, she had something to do, and that involved talking to James. No matter how much his grin repulsed her, she was going to force herself to do it, because she was so unbelievably convinced that this plan, would get James off her tail once and for all. Of course, others did not think as much. Joelle, a fellow seventh year believed that it would never work, and that James was to interested in her, to be distracted by a bad date. And Remus…well he was already imagining them living in a little cottage in the countryside, with three kids and a dog. But Lily was having none of it, she did not want to be with James, and if this had the smallest chance of working, she was going to grab onto it with both hands and give it a good old fashioned try.

But as Lily watched him, as he tried to behave swerve and casual, and failed, she noticed something else. He seemed to be a little distracted, but by what Lily could not tell. But there was something, because there was no chance in hell, that James Potter would simply be walking around the castle by himself. He always had an agenda behind everything he did, or at least Lily liked to think so. As seeing that face, and pretending that it was up to something, made it all that much easier to dislike him…more than she already did of course. But this time, something about the way her carried himself, the way he held his wand ready and waiting by his side, and his shifty eyes and mischievous grin! Lily could simply not shake the feeling that he was up to something.

“James…” Lily began, but as soon as the name left her lips, a balloon full of cold water hit the top of her red head and sent water spilling all over her body. “…Oh” she expressed with shock, as the water began to drip down her body, and what had happened began to sink in. She had, without doubt, fallen victim to one of James’s immature pranks and within seconds the anger began to boil in her veins. “Potter…” she growled in frustration, her bright emerald eyes narrowing as them homed right in on him, as he stood out of the splash zone, with a grin that was a little brighter! “JAMMMMESSS POTTTERRRR” she said with a little more aggression, her voice, this time, rising above the crowd of students that were gathering around them. “YOU…YOU…YOU” she spluttered, -still in the same tone-, as she moved towards him, backing him up against the wall. “IMATURE…LITTLE…BOY. IS THIS FUNNY TO YOU? IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED….you make me sick” she ranted, as the anger she felt towards him bubbled over and she could not longer control it. But as the last words rolled off her tongue, and she was greeted with the silence of forty or so watching eyes, she controlled herself.

Stepping back, composed herself, before she looked him dead in the eye and said clearly. “I may look like the fool right now. Standing here soaked to the skin and a victim of one of your many pranks. But James, what you don’t realise is you are the fool here. I come here to tell you that I would finally accept one of your many desperate invitations to go on a date with you. But once more, you have proved what a immature, arrogant and foolish little boy you are, and I would much rather date acromantula…or Severus, than you!” With that, Lily turned sharply, and began to walk away from James and into the crowd. But just as she hit the outskirts, she paused and turned back t face him. “But I will see you in detention for the rest of this month” and with that, and a smug grin, she turned and walked away into the crowd!

[james potter]

James felt bad. Well… perhaps a little; if not a little then a smidgen guilty. All because of the look on Lily’s face which, for a few precious moments could be described as priceless, now made him feel as though he’d ruined yet another opportunity to win over her heart. Ah. Oops. James mentally kicked himself, if one could do such a thing, and slapped on an innocent bystander’s grin. This was his attitude whenever something happened; he would rather act as if he were oblivious to everything, than to take on the blame (but then, who wouldn’t do this), although with the look on her face James knew running away wasn’t going to work and that the possible threat of detention was far from his worse troubles.

Perhaps it was wrong to think so, but it did please him to hear her say his name. The cheeky grin spread---he couldn’t help himself. Lily had this effect on him. Her own anger seemed only to want to make him laugh. And then, of course, she had to back him up against a wall, or at least near enough, and James was almost in his own personal heaven---naturally not including her yelling at him. If only she would calm down a little he’d be able to point out what exactly she had done. Then again, kissing her in front of all these people was likely to shut her up, at least for a few moments. Perhaps he could use those moments of shock to run away before she hit him, something that was extremely likely to happen if he allowed himself to remain in that close a vicinity to her following his would be action. Still, it certainly would be amusing. And it would stop her shouting like that, as he was beginning to get a little bit of a headache.

His face fell a little when he heard her explanation as to why she had been there, why she had even acknowledged him. Definitely a huge oops. He had messed up this time, hadn’t he? The small amount of happiness came though, that James knew in that moment he had somehow won her over. Success! If he had done that, then covering up for this wouldn’t be difficult at all. James didn’t say a word; he just watched, tried not to look too smug. However, the detention remark kicked him back in to focus, and he stared after her, winked at a couple of first years watching, and then proceeded to run after her, slinging an arm around her shoulder as he continued to match her pace. “Now Evans, you know very well that wasn’t meant to happen.” He moistened his lips quickly, and shot her a widespread grin. “At least not to you.” They rounded a corner, but James refused to let up. He wouldn’t let her get away, not after he had achieved this milestone.

“That’s not true, is it?” He did a double take in his mind of her final words. “I’m far better than Sniv-Severus. Come on, Evans---” He grinned at her, even though there was nothing desperate about his intentions. He knew that they would end up together; everybody saw it, and how could you ignore that fate? All that stood in the way was her refusal to go out on a date with him so that she could see how… well, James struggled to find a word other than simply amazing. “One date couldn’t hurt anyone. And I promise, I’ll be on my best behaviour.” Because, he said to himself (and certainly not out loud), I really like you. And I want this to work.