Cruel Summer - Lily and James Potter

Chapter 19 - Curtain of Dreams

Shut up now! She needs you! Stop thinking with your dick!

Lily looked up into his face again and smiled weakly, '...sorry for being stupid...'

'You're not being stupid...you're just upset at the mome...'

'No,' she stopped him, and continued quietly, 'for not believing you at the beginning...I-I thought you and Sirius were just doing it to annoy me...or that maybe you were jealous...but I was being stupid, I was blinkered into thinking that he was right for me and...I'm sorry.'

James smiled gently, caressing the side of her face and answered, 'Lil...you're not stupid, you never have been...Reede was a mistake, you deal and move on...you know?'

Lily studied the boy in front of her. He was so gorgeous...too gorgeous really; his messy black hair fell in front of his deep cerulean eyes and it was all she could do but not gasp as she felt the intensity of them on her. Her gaze flicked down to his lips and she tore her eyes away from his face, and pulled his hand out of her hair, which had moved to the nape of her neck at that point.

James frowned at the change across her face and pulled away from her slightly, 'Lily, what's the ma...'

'What's the matter?' she asked him incredulously - and in a slightly hysterical tone, he noticed, 'The matter is that I just broke up with my boyfriend about...hmm, 10 minutes ago and now I'm feeling totally caught up on you...and I don't think I can take all of this...I think I'm going insane...'

The Head Boy missed the rest of the statement after the 'totally caught up on you' part, and had to mentally shake himself to let his brain take in the rest. He glanced at Lily, who, he then realised, had stood up while he had his little 'motionless episode'.

Standing back up fast, James realised that the tears were freely spilling down her cheeks now, and from her little declaration, he was a bit disorientated to really know what to do then.

'Please James,' she pleaded to him, bringing him back quickly to the situation in hand, 'just...just leave me alone okay?'

Seeing her turn around to walk to her room, he grasped her arm firmly, making her stop fast. Her arm felt delicate under his grip, he noted subconsciously as he pulled her back to face him.

'I asked you not to push me away Lil',' he said calmly, sliding his hands tenderly up her bare skin to her shoulders, 'please don't...I need you to know that...I'm not like him...please don't think that I am...'

Lily looked up at him, her eyes wide in a startled expression. She grasped his hand, which had roamed to the silky skin at her neck, and squeezed it subconsciously, more tears spilling down her cheeks.

'I don't, James,' she whispered, her hand running down and gripping his forearm, 'I could never...you're too different to him to even consider it...with you...it's just so...'

Lily stopped to close her eyes at her thoughts and let a small sigh escape her lips. The Head Boy was faintly aware of the girl in his arms moving closer towards him, he could feel her warmth radiating through the dress he had bought her, and wanted desperately to press it against him. His eyes searched her face as she opened her eyes to him, and his gaze darted down to her slightly parted lips. James could feel her chest rising and falling; just brushing his, and he slipped his hand down to her waist.

Lily shivered from his hand, as it slid slowly from her neck, down her front and to her waist, creating a tingling feeling wherever his fingers brushed. She leant into the caress, letting another little sigh escape, and the thought of him actually doing this was making her mind reel with incoherent emotions. The intensity of the small touch was unbelievable, it was as if the sensitivity of her skin had increased, making her aware of the slightest thing he did...even through the fabric of The Dress.