Disclaimer : I don't own Harry Potter...or his parents...or anyone for that matter.
Yes, there is a game of spin the bottle (or "Truth or Dare" or whatever you call it). No, there is no character confessing their undying love for another person (I know I'm cliché, but that's just cringe-worthy)
~~~~~
Chapter 9
"Oh, com on, Lils. Would it hurt to have some fun?" Mary asked as she tried to drag Lily out of the dorm.
"The Marauders are there. Are you asking me to play Truth or Dare with them? I would rather face a blast ended skrewt." Lily said stubbornly.
"I thought you're friends with them now." Marlene said.
"I am" Lily said, "But playing Truth or Dare with them is practically suicide."
Marlene thought for a minute before grinning evilly. "Remember when you said I can ask you for anything in return if I got you James's Transfiguration notes?"
Lily nodded, not liking where Marlene was headed.
"So you owe me. And I claim my wish now." Marlene said dramatically.
Lily shook her head frantically, but Marlene grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to the common room, ignoring Lily's complaints that she's still in her pajamas.
Lily sat down next to Alice in the circle, with Sirius sitting across her and James and Remus on both his sides.
"So, who's spinning first?" Sirius asked as he summoned an empty firewhiskey bottle from their dorm. Lily didn't even bother asking him how he got firewhiskey when he was clearly underage. She had long before learned that questioning the four boys about their 'marauding' was futile.
Marlene took the bottle from him. "I'll do it."
She spinned the bottle and Lily watched as the bottle slowed down and stopped pointing in Peter's direction. Marlene chose Truth.
"Most embarrassing incident in your life." Peter said.
Marlene rubbed her chin thoughtfully and then her eyes fell on Sirius.
"Fourth year" she said, "I had gone to this family gathering with my parents and my sister Michelle. I was bored out of my mind. There was this cute guy and he saw me and smiled at me. I was about to go and talk to him when I tripped on something and fell flat on my face."
She glared at Sirius. "After that I found out that the something I had tripped on was Black's leg."
Sirius grinned, fluttering his eyelashes. "You could say she fell for me."
Marlene rolled her eyes. "Your chance, Peter." she said as she gave the bottle to Peter.
The game went on until Alice spinned the bottle and it landed on Lily. Alice also chose Truth.
"How long have you liked Frank for?" Lily asked. Frank, who was sitting next to James blushed scarlet. Even though they were dating, they were both still very shy.
"Since third year." Alice said, looking at everything but Frank. The entire group burst out laughing and the boys wolf whistled.
Lily spinned the bottle next and it landed on Daisy.
"Truth or Dare?" Daisy asked.
"Truth." Lily knew very well that she wouldn't ask about anything embarrassing.
"Say one thing you like about each person here."
Lily looked around.
"Alice is helpful. Marlene is caring. Daisy is sweet and Mary is funny. More like dramatic but yeah, whatever." she said all that in one breath. Lily didn't need to think twice about her friends' personalities.
She turned to the boys then.
"Remus is intelligent. I know he's the mastermind behind all of your pranks."
Remus smiled.
"Frank is kind and Peter is loyal."
"What about James and me?" Sirius asked.
Lily bit her lip. "Black is unique. One of a kind. I don't think I've ever seen someone so spontaneous and indecisive. And....."
She stopped, wondering what she could say for James.
"And?" Sirius prompted.
"And Potter is determined. He gets what he wants."
She immediately looked down to her lap but she had seen a hint of a smile on James's face.
The game continued and Lily spinned the bottle for the second time. This time the bottle stopped pointing at Sirius.
"I can't take truth again?" Lily asked. Sirius shook his head. She looked at him suspiciously, more than sure that he had charmed the bottle.
"Fine. Dare." But Lily immediately regretted her decision when she saw the glint in his eyes.
"Kiss James." he said.
"What?" Lily spluttered.
"Sirius, no."
Everyone turned to look at James, who had almost pleaded to Sirius. Lily had gotten used to the Marauders calling each other by their nicknames. She knew that they only used their real names if something was extremely important.
She could feel eight sets of eyes on her but she was staring intently at James who was determinedly not looking at her. It had always been easy to read his expressions, but right now he seemed to have put up a guard, purposely keeping his face void of any expression that could give away his thoughts.
All the time she had known James, their lives had been in a regular pattern. He would ask her out and she would reject him. But now the tables had turned. He was the one rejecting her. Lily hated falling out of her pattern and that icy feeling that was currently in her throat which she identified as hurt.
Did he feel like this every time I rejected him?
The James she knew would never let go off this opportunity. That was everything he had wanted from Merlin knows how long. But here he was, asking Sirius to choose another Dare.
Hurt. She was hurt. She was shouting at herself in her mind for feeling bad. She was supposed to be unaffected of whatever he said and did. She was supposed to be relieved that he had finally given up on her.
I'm being hypocritical.
She remembered what she had told about James just a few minutes back. That he is determined. He never gives up before he's got whatever he wants.
And there was that annoying little voice inside her head that was telling her that he never really wanted her or he wouldn't have given up. He was in it for the chase. She was just another one of his fascinations which he had eventually gotten over.
Get over it, Lily. Be happy that he's not obsessing over you anymore.
Sirius refused to change the dare, so the others decided to skip Lily's chance and continue. The rest of the game passed in a blur and Lily was thankful that the bottle didn't land on her after that.
~~~~~
"Are you out of your mind, Prongs? That was such a good chance." Sirius said when the boys were alone in their dorm.
"Padfoot, you don't understand." James said.
"What? What do I not understand?" Sirius asked.
James sighed, exasperated. "I didn't want to force myself onto her."
Sirius stared at his friend, his eyes widening in realization. "Have you finally gotten over her? Given up after chasing her all this time?"
James's shoulders stiffened. "No. It's not that I've given up on her. If I had let her do that today, I know she'd hate me again. I don't want her to regret thinking that she'd done something she didn't want to do."
"What if she liked it?" Sirius tried to reason with him, "What if she gives you and her a thought after that?"
"There is an if in it, Padfoot. It's just a probability. I couldn't risk losing her. Not after finally things between us have started getting better."
"If you think exchanging notes and not fighting every time you talk is getting better, then sure." Sirius said.
James flopped down on his bed, looking at the painting he had done earlier that day at the other end of the room.
This is such a mess.
~~~~~
Lily's next day did not start as good as she had expected it.
For one, Lily had fallen off her bed while dreaming about Mcgonagall and Dumbledore dancing to the latest Weird Sisters song. She unsuccessfully tried to go back to sleep because it was Sunday and she hadn't planned on getting out of bed at least until ten.
She looked at the time and saw it was seven thirty. Since breakfast at Hogwarts starts at seven, Lily decided to go and get some breakfast.
Rubbing her slightly sore elbow (which had hit the head board when she fell from the bed), Lily walked into the Great Hall. The hall was almost empty at such an early hour. There were a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and on the Slytherin table she saw Severus. She quickly turned around and walked towards the Gryffindor table.
There weren't many on her house table either. Andrew Gamp was talking to Elisa Brown and......
"Potter?"
She had forced the incidents of the previous night out of her mind after finishing half of her chocolate stash and a lot of internal debate.
Chocolate should be officially announced as the solution to every girl's problem.
James looked up and smiled at her.
"Good morning, Evans."
She sat down across him."I didn't know you were a morning person."
He shrugged. "I went for a jog. Anyway, what are you doing up so early on a Sunday?"
Lily smiled sheepishly. "I kinda fell off the bed."
He had the audacity to laugh. Lily mock glared at him but soon started laughing along. Almost immediately, James stopped, staring at something behind her.
She turned around. Severus was glaring at both of them and his knuckles had turned white from gripping his fork hard. Lily sighed.
"What is it with him?" James asked.
"He's probably angry seeing me talking to you. Seeing his former best friend and mortal enemy talking, laughing together actually, wouldn't be a good way to start the day, right?" she said.
"Evans, I don't know if I can ask but what was he talking to you about on the train that day?"
Lily squirmed a bit in her seat.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." he said, noticing her uncomfortableness.
"He was talking about the incident near the lake. He kept telling me that it's all your mistake and that he didn't mean to say it. That's why I called you. I had to get out of there before I lost my temper."
"So, you were using me?" James asked, wiping away an imaginary tear and pouting.
Lily laughed. "Dramatic much, Potter?"
He grinned and was about to say something when Sirius came staggering to the table, still in his pajamas and bed hair.
"You alright, Padfoot?" James asked, "I thought you didn't know that any time before nine existed."
Sirius scowled. "Remus kicked me out of the dorm because I was snoring too loudly. Ha, as if."
As he sat down next to James, he noticed Lily. His eyes snapped open fully and his lips turned up in a grin.
"James and Lily" he sang loudly, "sitting on a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
James banged his head on the table in a very Marlene like manner.
"First comes love. Then comes marriage." Sirius continued.
Lily groaned, covering her face with her hand. Everyone in the hall was looking at Sirius now.
"Then comes the messy haired boy in a baby carriage."
Sirius finished his song and stood up, giving a bow and blowing kisses to everyone who was listening. Lily saw Severus storm out of the hall.
"I've got some shit mates." James said, his face still on the table.
Sirius smiled at him and patted his head. "Thank you, my dear elf."
"Is he always this hyper in the morning?" Lily asked as Sirius started chatting with Elisa about Celestina Warbeck's new album.
"You have no idea." James said.
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A/N : I siriusly think Sirius should become a seer.
Finally our little Jily ship is sailing, guys. Everyone get aboard. We'll be sailing off into the metaphorical sunset.
I put the "Peter is loyal" part there purposely. Because I love irony. *cue the evil laugh*
Another more than 2000 words chapter. I deserve cookies.
All those who vote and comment will get to listen to Sirius singing (I swear he has a good singing voice but it only comes out when he's drunk tho).