The Next Great Adventure (A Marauders Fan Fic)

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty

The Gryffindors flooded into the common room that evening, all made up to look like various magical creatures or old witches and wizards; it was strange, Lily realised as she looked around herself, to see the people who were the most common costume at Halloween for Muggles dress up as something else and she fought off the urge to laugh. Lily had been milling around the room for an hour, talking to members of the house and receiving thousands of admiring compliments as the Marauders boasted about her decorating skills, refusing to take the credit, and she was beginning to overheat; she and Cassie were dressed as vampires in heavy black dresses which brushed the floor and swayed around their feet which they had Transfigured from their school robes, not the best choice when the temperature of the common room soared as everyone filled it with their chattering voices. It was large, more than large enough to fit them all inside with ease, but with every person that piled in it became hotter and hotter and soon hands and any surface which people could find - be it the mantelpiece, tables, corners of the floor or windows which were set back in the wall - were filled with precariously balanced cups, either full of or utterly empty of the gallons of pumpkin juice and punch which Sirius and James had put on the table of refreshments.

Lily was talking to Jessica, Alice and Mary when James appeared by her side. “Are you okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Yeah I’m fine,” he replied as he frowned at her. “Do you want to come outside for a minute?”

With a quick glance back at her three friends Lily shrugged, shot them a fleeting smile and left with James, who looked much paler than usual and an expression of pain crossed his face as they left the portrait hole. The noise of the party faded instantaneously once it shut behind them, leaving them alone in the shadow-filled corridor. James moved off silently and Lily instinctively grabbed his hand, letting him lead her through the silence. After a while walking through more corridors than she had thought would be necessary Lily asked, “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere in particular…” he replied casually.

More minutes passed as James tugged Lily along the hallway. “James,” she tried again, “I really think we should head back to the common room now.”

“Nah it’s fine.”

“James! Cassie will be looking for me!” Lily cried, confused and exasperated.

“No she won’t,” he said, “she left with Padfoot; we have ages.”

“And just what do you think is going to happen Potter?” she asked, wondering what he needed ages for; she wanted to leave the corridors, chilly even in her heavy dress, and get back to the party and James’ mysteriousness wasn’t helping.

“Well you see Lily… I was thinking that… what with the party and everything… you might… reconsider.” James had noticed her reluctance to come with him and, with a sinking stomach, supposing that he may as well mess up one last time, he turned to her.

“Reconsider what?” she asked. James moved closer to her, watching the way her eyes widened slightly, shining in the faint moonlight which came through the only window to punctuate their journey.

“Going out with me,” he whispered.

“But I said yes to Hogsmeade James.”

“And your point is?” he frowned. “That’s not good enough for me. I want more Lily; I want you for my girlfriend.” A tiny unstoppable gasp escaped Lily’s lips and she smiled.

“Potter shut up!” she interrupted, stopping him before he could lunge into an enormous speech. “I said yes to Hogsmeade so surely if I reconsider then that means that I wouldn’t be your girlfriend.”