Nah, She Didn't

~ Part 52 ~ What The BLOODY HELL Is Going On? ~

Ramble On - Led Zeppelin

-James POV-

"Well then," I say, looking at her pink cheeks fondly. "Why don't I go get us some punch?"

She nods with a shy grin, and I walk away into the crowd over to the punch table.

As I grasp the ladle, pouring the fruity drink into two cups, I smile to myself, thinking how lucky I am to even be friends with Lily. Though honestly, I don't know what we are. I mean, friends don't particularly kiss that often, right? But if we weren't friends, then what were we? What the bloody ruddy were we?

Maybe...

Just maybe...

If tonight goes well...

And there's a perfect moment...

I'll ask her out.

My stomach got butterflies just thinking about it. I probably shouldn't think about it too much, or I'll explode of nerves.

I feel liquid running down my hands, and I look down. The cups are overflowing.

I shake my head, and pick up the two cups full of fruit punch, leaving the spill on the table. I maneuver my way slowly through the crowd to where Lily was standing last. But then I hear the very same girl yelling at someone.

"Ha! Sure, go ahead and break me down with words. I don't give a shit!" I hear Lily yell. "But you don't get to do that to Lily Evans and get away with it."

I feel my heart swell in pride at her strong... ness. Strongness. Damn, how did I get this lucky? But then I feel confusion as to why she would be yelling, or who she would be yelling at. I swear, I'll pound the idiot who did something to her. I push through the crowd to the clearing. I see Lily, and one other person surrounded by everyone. I get distracted a moment, just staring at her, when I hear the other person talk.

"Oh, and what will you do?" I hear the person say haughtily. I turn to who had just spoken and see...

What the hell...

I see... myself. Same weird, circle glasses, un-neat brown-black hair, same everything. I feel my face scrunch up in confusion and disconcertance.

"What the bloody hell," I hear myself murmur. I see Lily turn to me, and then her face turns into utter confusion too. She looks from me, to the other James, to me, to the other, and back again.

"What the fuck," Lily mutters. All three of us just stand there looking at one another for a moment. Lily and my face aghast, the other James's face hard, and tight.

"Okay, what the BLOODY HELL is going on?!" I exclaim finally. Nobody answers. "Come on! There's two fucking James's!"

Again, no one replies.

"There's got to be a reasonable explanation here! Lily, help me out!" I say. Her face goes stony when I speak to her. Huh?

"Fine, then. Let's look at the facts. You walked away, and almost immediately you came back," Lily states. She pauses. "There are currently two people who look like James. What could possibly have done that?"

Everyone stands there, racking their brains for something that would've caused this.

Two people. Same person.

They look exactly alike.

Hm....

"I've got it!" I exclaim. "Polyjuice potion! You need the hair of someone, and then you put it in the potion, and then you drink it, and then you turn into whoever's hair you got! I know because one time, me and Sirius-I mean, because of that time Sluggy taught us about it!"

Lily narrows her eyes, contemplating whether or not Polyjuice potion could've caused this.

"Yeah... yes. I believe that would be a reasonable cause," Lily agrees. "But then, who the heck is the real James?"

"It's me!" I exclaim. But unfortunately, the other James had said the exact same thing at the exact same time.

"Damnit," Lily mutters. "Well, the potion will eventually wear off. If it was poorly concocted, it'll wear off even sooner. So we just..."

"Wait?" I say.

"Wait," Lily replies. I see the other James start to run in the other direction, but Lily immediately says, "Oh no you don't. Petrificus Totalus!"

We all just stand there on the dance floor, the other James frozen in place, everyone still staring at us.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT, BEEFHEADS?" I yell. Everyone murmurs, and turns away. "Right. Then I suppose we just stay here and..."

"Wait," Lily says.

"Wait." I repeat.

~ ~ ~
NOTES: X

-Amelia