Status: Finished :)
Taking Down the Sunrise
Three
Lily sat alone in the Gryffindor common room, cradling her potions book in her arms. The light of the fire flickered across her face. A small smile had spread across it somewhere between the time she had sat down and now. She was staring at the book in her arms as if it was her baby; she both loved it and resented it.
Severus had handed this particular book to her when she was eleven years old and told her that if she ever needed any help in the subject, she should come to him. She traced the coil of smoke on the cover with her finger, remembering how he had said it was ‘unrealistic’ because potions only truly smoked when you got them wrong. And she remembered how he had written all over his copy, making ‘improvements’ and asking if she wanted them copied into hers. She sighed.
“Why so down, Evans?”
She jumped and whipped her head around. James smiled at her as he leaned against the portrait hole as if it was no big deal. Knowing she was going to regret it later, she said, “It’s three in the morning, James. What the hell were you doing out of the common room?”
He shrugged, “I was taking care of some business. And then I came in and saw you and I was wondering why on earth someone would want to be down here at this ungodly hour.” He paused as if waiting for something and then prodded, “So why are you down here?”
“It’s none of your business,”
Lily moved to leave, but James reached forward and snatched the book out of her hands. His black hair was messier than usual and his maroon pyjamas were rumpled, but still he managed to be excruciatingly annoying. He opened the cover and flipped through a couple pages before commenting, “This is a first year textbook, Lil. You do know we’re fifth years, right?”
Grabbing for the book, Lily stepped towards James, but he tossed the book casually to the side. She tried to dodge around him, but he took her hand lightly in his and said, “Lil, there’s obviously a connection here. And it’s really been long enough. Don’t you think it’s time we went out?”
“No.” She snapped, pulling her hand from his grasp, “Will you please just go away?”
“Don’t tell me this is about Snivellus.” James said scathingly.
“It’s none of your business. And don’t call him that.”
“Lil, he’s a-”
“Slytherin. Yeah, I noticed. Do you think I’m blind?”
“Oh, come on. You’re really going to go out with a-”
“He’s just a friend, James!” Lily exclaimed, weaving around him to pick up the textbook he had thrown away. She turned back to him against her better judgement and added, “But I’d rather date him then date you. If you ask me, the sorting hat was confused because he’s better than you in every conceivable way.”
She turned and stalked up the stairs to the girl’s dormitory. James watched her, his eyes analysing every movement she made and his fingers clutching a golden chain he had planned on giving to her. But she would never love him, and as he thought that he turned to the fire and threw in the chain.
Severus had handed this particular book to her when she was eleven years old and told her that if she ever needed any help in the subject, she should come to him. She traced the coil of smoke on the cover with her finger, remembering how he had said it was ‘unrealistic’ because potions only truly smoked when you got them wrong. And she remembered how he had written all over his copy, making ‘improvements’ and asking if she wanted them copied into hers. She sighed.
“Why so down, Evans?”
She jumped and whipped her head around. James smiled at her as he leaned against the portrait hole as if it was no big deal. Knowing she was going to regret it later, she said, “It’s three in the morning, James. What the hell were you doing out of the common room?”
He shrugged, “I was taking care of some business. And then I came in and saw you and I was wondering why on earth someone would want to be down here at this ungodly hour.” He paused as if waiting for something and then prodded, “So why are you down here?”
“It’s none of your business,”
Lily moved to leave, but James reached forward and snatched the book out of her hands. His black hair was messier than usual and his maroon pyjamas were rumpled, but still he managed to be excruciatingly annoying. He opened the cover and flipped through a couple pages before commenting, “This is a first year textbook, Lil. You do know we’re fifth years, right?”
Grabbing for the book, Lily stepped towards James, but he tossed the book casually to the side. She tried to dodge around him, but he took her hand lightly in his and said, “Lil, there’s obviously a connection here. And it’s really been long enough. Don’t you think it’s time we went out?”
“No.” She snapped, pulling her hand from his grasp, “Will you please just go away?”
“Don’t tell me this is about Snivellus.” James said scathingly.
“It’s none of your business. And don’t call him that.”
“Lil, he’s a-”
“Slytherin. Yeah, I noticed. Do you think I’m blind?”
“Oh, come on. You’re really going to go out with a-”
“He’s just a friend, James!” Lily exclaimed, weaving around him to pick up the textbook he had thrown away. She turned back to him against her better judgement and added, “But I’d rather date him then date you. If you ask me, the sorting hat was confused because he’s better than you in every conceivable way.”
She turned and stalked up the stairs to the girl’s dormitory. James watched her, his eyes analysing every movement she made and his fingers clutching a golden chain he had planned on giving to her. But she would never love him, and as he thought that he turned to the fire and threw in the chain.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry about the delay! It's been a busy few days starting school and all, but I will be back on track updating very soon, so bear with me and the chapters will come out fairly fast.Thanks for reading, subscribing and I would be happy to hear any comments.
Love y'all,
Pigzxo