Lily was standing with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed. James caught the edge of her glare and knew that he had some work still to do.
'We knew it would be perfectly safe,' he tried. 'We'd tested it and everything.'
'You'd tested it.'
She was actually tapping her foot now. He wondered if she'd got that from McGonagall.
'Well, Sirius tried it out on Peter and it didn't seem to do him any harm.'
This didn't seem to reassure her. If anything, Lily's expression became more outraged. 'You let Sirius experiment on Peter? You let him, Potter?'
Oh dear, she'd reverted to calling him Potter. Fleetingly, James wondered if she'd still be doing that in fifty years time. He tried what he hoped would be a winning smile. 'Technically, Sirius makes his own decisions.'
He deserved the withering glance she gave him then. Oh well. Time for another tack. 'You've got to admit it was funny, Evans.'
'Oh, hilarious,' she replied bitingly. 'I'm sure Severus thought so. And those first-years who sprouted cherub's wings were simply splitting their sides with laughter.'
'We didn't mean for them...'
She stepped forward then, waving her finger at him and interrupting him. 'That's exactly the point, Potter. You didn't mean it but still people got hurt. Severus was in the Hospital Wing for hours having those lipstick marks removed. And poor Cynthia Johnson is hardly going to be able to show her face tomorrow now that everyone's seen the contents of her underwear drawer. And what for? To give the Gryffindor four a good laugh? It's not good enough, Potter.'
'Wasnwhaiwafor,' he muttered.
'What?' Lily asked coldly.
James lifted his head and stared straight into her beautiful eyes. 'That wasn't what it was for.'
She didn't say anything then, just lifted one eyebrow slightly and waited.
James took that as his cue to sit on the sofa and tug Lily down beside him. He kept hold of her hand and began to explain.
Five minutes later and Lily was red in the face and wheezing with uncontrollable laughter. 'You mean you...' she began, then dissolved again into giggles. 'It was supposed to...'
James nodded, a small smile playing about his own lips. 'It was going to be the final flourish. The Valentine's Day gift that would go down in history. In years to come, men would quake at the thought of having to live up to the great James Potter. Girls would dream of being the object of such a romantic gesture.'
'You are an idiot,' Lily told him, now that she had recovered her composure. But she didn't sound cross any more and, James noticed with some pride, she was still holding his hand.
'I know. Do you mind?'
Lily heaved a loud and dramatic sigh. 'I suppose you can't help it.'
James grinned. 'It's your fault, you know.'
'James Potter, if you think you can turn this around...'
He leaned over and kissed her quickly. 'If I didn't love you so much, I wouldn't have to find such spectacular ways of showing it.'
'Oh James,' she murmured between kisses. 'You don't have to find spectacular ways to show me. Next year, just send a card, like a normal person.'
'Next year,' he breathed. 'I'll remember that.'
Lily kissed him again and carefully stifled the tiny premonition of doom that had assailed her. Even James couldn't get things too badly wrong with a card. Could he?
no subject
Lily was standing with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed. James caught the edge of her glare and knew that he had some work still to do.
'We knew it would be perfectly safe,' he tried. 'We'd tested it and everything.'
'You'd tested it.'
She was actually tapping her foot now. He wondered if she'd got that from McGonagall.
'Well, Sirius tried it out on Peter and it didn't seem to do him any harm.'
This didn't seem to reassure her. If anything, Lily's expression became more outraged. 'You let Sirius experiment on Peter? You let him, Potter?'
Oh dear, she'd reverted to calling him Potter. Fleetingly, James wondered if she'd still be doing that in fifty years time. He tried what he hoped would be a winning smile. 'Technically, Sirius makes his own decisions.'
He deserved the withering glance she gave him then. Oh well. Time for another tack. 'You've got to admit it was funny, Evans.'
'Oh, hilarious,' she replied bitingly. 'I'm sure Severus thought so. And those first-years who sprouted cherub's wings were simply splitting their sides with laughter.'
'We didn't mean for them...'
She stepped forward then, waving her finger at him and interrupting him. 'That's exactly the point, Potter. You didn't mean it but still people got hurt. Severus was in the Hospital Wing for hours having those lipstick marks removed. And poor Cynthia Johnson is hardly going to be able to show her face tomorrow now that everyone's seen the contents of her underwear drawer. And what for? To give the Gryffindor four a good laugh? It's not good enough, Potter.'
'Wasnwhaiwafor,' he muttered.
'What?' Lily asked coldly.
James lifted his head and stared straight into her beautiful eyes. 'That wasn't what it was for.'
She didn't say anything then, just lifted one eyebrow slightly and waited.
James took that as his cue to sit on the sofa and tug Lily down beside him. He kept hold of her hand and began to explain.
Five minutes later and Lily was red in the face and wheezing with uncontrollable laughter. 'You mean you...' she began, then dissolved again into giggles. 'It was supposed to...'
James nodded, a small smile playing about his own lips. 'It was going to be the final flourish. The Valentine's Day gift that would go down in history. In years to come, men would quake at the thought of having to live up to the great James Potter. Girls would dream of being the object of such a romantic gesture.'
'You are an idiot,' Lily told him, now that she had recovered her composure. But she didn't sound cross any more and, James noticed with some pride, she was still holding his hand.
'I know. Do you mind?'
Lily heaved a loud and dramatic sigh. 'I suppose you can't help it.'
James grinned. 'It's your fault, you know.'
'James Potter, if you think you can turn this around...'
He leaned over and kissed her quickly. 'If I didn't love you so much, I wouldn't have to find such spectacular ways of showing it.'
'Oh James,' she murmured between kisses. 'You don't have to find spectacular ways to show me. Next year, just send a card, like a normal person.'
'Next year,' he breathed. 'I'll remember that.'
Lily kissed him again and carefully stifled the tiny premonition of doom that had assailed her. Even James couldn't get things too badly wrong with a card. Could he?