'Executive Team Meeting', ahem [Lily]

[James Potter]

James Potter, Head Boy. It was so ludicrous, right? Even he had to laugh. Certainly no one, least of all himself, could have seen it coming. Expulsion, maybe. Dropping out after OWLS had got more than fleeting consideration. But staying on for NEWTs and becoming not only Quidditch Captain (okay, he’d seen that one coming since qualifying for the team, but still, the humble act went down well) but Oh-my-God Head Boy? Even his parents, glancing through the rose-tinted spectacles with which they viewed their miracle son, had half-thought it was just another Marauder’s joke, and he’d dismissed it as such, especially when he saw who they’d paired him with… until the badge arrived.

Funny, he though, glancing down at the scrap of silver, that something so small should cause such a sensation. How the hell had he managed to wing that one? Perfect Prefect Remus, maybe, sure, but him? Hell, Peter had to have been a better bet. Even though he’d lived in the wizarding world all his life, somehow it still managed to throw up surprises.

Yawning, pins and needles starting to creep up his idle limbs, James stretched out across one of the Common Room’s many couches, a huge grin spreading spontaneously across his features. He really did have it all, didn’t he?

Well no, not really. There was one thing missing, which had started as a slight niggle around 4th year and continued into what Sirius termed a ‘bloody obsession’. Call it what you will, Lily-stalking was still James’ favourite hobby (some things never change, even with so-called maturity) although even that had become slightly closer to the ‘perfect life’ now that she had to spend time with him however much she continued to pretend to hate his guts. Like now, for example – an ‘Executive Team Meeting’, he’d termed it, or something like. Sheer genius - although some would have thought the first day back a little early for such a meeting, it still had just enough credibility. Perfect.

If she ever showed up, that was.

[Lily Evans]

Nearly everyone, except for the red haired vixen, could have seen her becoming a prefect any day of the week. But Head Girl? She was always guiding people to do things, catching students in the act of doing something wrong, even before she received that small Gryffindor Prefect Badge back in her fifth year. It was hard to believe this was her last year and she’d leave Hogwarts forever, never to walk these halls of learning or sit by the comfy, blazing fire in the Library. No longer would she have the dread of being late to a class, despite the fact she was always the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. However much she hates to admit it, she actually preferred the attention of being admired by her teachers when students like the Marauders were trying to avoid attention by causing devastation. She could remember the first time she walked through those heavy oaken doors at the front of the school, thrown open wide for its entourage to spend their scholastic year inside. Hogwarts was amazing.. The Wizarding World in itself was astounding.. And Lily Marie Evans had been so ecstatic to be apart of it all.

But this year.. Well.. Wasn’t going to be the greatest, now was it? Beside a studying Lily, there lay a three creased piece of parchment with carefully curved writing on the face. It had been read several times and folded probably just as many because she simply could not believe it. Maybe she did deem the position possible, but with him?? Was Dumbledore trying to make some sort of sick joke by putting the two of them in charge? It was an outrageous act and when she had first got here, (which seemed so long ago, but in fact was only yesterday), she marched straight to the Head Master’s office, demanding someone else be placed in the rank beside her. She told him she would not tolerate that inconsiderate, persistent, arrogant little prick of a pathetic excuse for a Gryffindor. He merely smiled at her, had that annoying twinkle in his eye and suggested putting James Potter to be in the same authority as her might let them get better acquainted. Acquainted? Acquainted?! What the heck for? It’s not like she fancied him or anything.. It was when she was thinking this did her face blaze with a violent shade of red, very similar to the crimson color of her hair. Could she have feelings for him? Why!? In truth, Lily Evans would rather make out with the giant squid than acknowledge emotions for that cruel, heartless, annoying little brat that was poor pretense for a boy, much less a man. Ouch much? She didn’t think so at the time and, though she was puffing in angst, turned on her Mary Jane-clad heels and stormed out of the room. She had been defeated by Albus, but so what? Not even the bravest of teachers could budge a decision made by the best Headmaster Hogwarts had seen. Lily had hoped she would be the first student and person ever to change his mind, plead why she simply could not have Mr. James Heart-of-Stone Potter to be in route with her, but she could not. He was like a boulder when it came to authority positions and she knew she should had known better than to make an inquiry on his judgment. That was like making Petunia actually say hi to her.. For once.

Feeling the tears begin to well in her eyes about her sister and childhood best friend, she rose up from the desk, placing the book on the seat before straightening herself up. She hated apprehension and, now that this was her last year, had enough of it on her plate. Not only did she feel her younger sister was forever snatched from her grasp, but she had to bring her mind to a good understanding that this year determined who she was going to be in this so.. High class society. She wasn’t exactly poor, considering her parents both had a dental practice, but she came into this foreign populace with only the knowledge that she was to attend school here, thus furthering her education. How far it was to extend, she couldn’t even begin to imagine. She had learned so much about the people, the way of life in the Wizarding World that she felt like she had been one of them the whole time. Blood had nothing to do with it, that she now knew and prejudiced families like the Malfoys, Blacks and others were just grown up to believe that being pure was the only thing that mattered. That was a load of crap and she learned that when Potter took such an interest in her.

As she flattened out her sea green skirt, pulling it off her waist a bit so it would look like it was at least close to knee length, she began to wonder what it was exactly that made him so relentless in trying to get next to her. She was pretty, intelligent and, though fiery to the core, was generally a good-hearted individual. Oh yes, she could be the jealous type, knowing this was true when she saw James and Sirius flirting with other girls like mad. She was off with her friends, just talking as she observed the primal behavior of men her age. Sometimes she found herself fantasizing, even day dreaming, that she was on of those all beauty-and-no-brains women that giggled as loud as a banshee. She laughed dryly, the mere truth that she was better than them when it came to academics. Oh, sure, there were a couple of them that were on the Gryffindor team and could most likely out fly, possibly out play, them any the two berks any day of the week. It gave her comfort to know hardly any girl could catch on with Charms as quick as she often displayed. And yet.. She still wanted to be like them.. In terms of being in their place when James gave them compliments. Mentally she smacked herself as she began organizing her school bag, filing papers in appropriate folders, replacing any that fell out, refilled her ink wells, leveled each quill that was bent out of shape, that sort of thing. Maybe she was stalling for time, having heard the boy’s dormitory door click open. She knew it would be James because she herself was still up here. He followed her a lot more often these days, always trying to get her alone so he could ask that same, Lily aggravating question. When would he learn that ’no’ meant ’no’? “Most likely never. He‘s too pigheaded,” she stated out loud. “That’s why you love him so much, isn’t it dear?” Lily dropped one of the ink bottles when she turned just in time to see her reflection make a reply. She rolled her eyes slightly, despite the fact that her cheeks were deep pink. She scooped up the book bag, forgetting the small pool of ink and shattered pieces of glass.

Lily came down the spiral staircase, shoulder bag bouncing slightly against her hip. Her skirt, though form fitting, moved with her alongside her lower body, giving her a certain grace. Her hair, too, was following perfect suit as she descended the stair well. She shifted the bag a little when she came in contact with the soft carpet, eyes almost instantly falling onto the figure that had become all too familiar for her taste. She pretended to ignore the badge on his chest, but emeralds could not stray any longer. It was insulting having him in anything dealing with authority. The same clasp (with the exception hers read Head Girl) was pinned to the front of her blue denim jacket, open just enough to expose a tank top that matched her skirt. When she suddenly felt those unrelenting butterflies in her stomach, she rubbed her lips together, tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear and walked passed him, avoiding his gaze at all cost. She was almost to the door, just about free when she felt his eyes boring into the back of her neck

[James Potter]

“Looking radiant as ever, Evans” James grinned, re-arranging himself into something more composed – an affectation of nonchalance, if you will – on her arrival. It was typical Potter, of course, but true none the less; jaw-droppingly, heart-stoppingly gorgeous Miss. Lily Evans, head girl, had only improved over the Summer, and he mentally smacked himself for daring to doubt the possibility of such a thing.

It seemed that underestimating her had become something of a persistent habit for the Prankster Prince – certainly he’d never expected the barrage of angst she’d apparently hurled at Dumbledore over his own appointment. The details, as ever where the famed Grapevine was concerned, were sketchy as best, but word had it that ‘cruel’ and ‘brat’ had been two of the less inflammatory remarks made. He didn’t know whether to be impressed or aggravated, since knowing girls (well, who really knew girls?) they were probably some hideously distorted terms of endearment (she could protest all she wanted, he knew the truth because, seriously, who could resist?)… Then again, Lils wasn’t girls, was she? Who’d’ve thought she had it… who was he kidding? That fire was all Evans. Even so, he couldn’t just let such a slur on his reputation (ha!) slide, now, could he? Not without at least trying to get one over. “Glad to see that the pressure of your, well, our” – the word stretched almost to breaking point under all that emphasis – “recent appointment hasn’t got you all spent and worn out yet… Then again, you’ve only got the one badge to worry about, haven’t you? And it’s not like you’ve done anything much yet…”

Ouch. Hah. He was in for it now. Well, whatever. Lily-baiting was nearly as fun as Lily-stalking, which had been deprived of its challenging elements now they were officially a duo of sorts. And he couldn’t go too easy on her, however much he worshipped the woman, it wouldn’t be fair on all the others… Others? Well, James might have been saving himself, but… well, who are we kidding here? He was a teenage god, for crissakes, and it would be madness not to take advantage of the fact. Besides, playful banter (read merciless taunting / acerbic wit respectively) had always passed between James Potter and the Crimson Vixen, and now there wasn’t anything she could do to curtail him. His grin widening, he stretched again, crossing his arms behind his head in total slackening flippancy.