mrjpotter:
This’ll be good—cheers, mate -James slurs, leaning tipsily into the front of the cab and handing the driver a mess of gold and silver coins. He stares in confusion at the wizarding money, looking up at James a moment later. “What the hell—”- Oh, er…Confundo -James mutters, pointing his wand sloppily at the Muggle cabbie. A glazed look comes over the man’s eyes for a moment, and then, with a shake of his head, he nods vaguely at James, pocketing the money. Fumbling for the door handle, James slides clumsily from the cab, tipping a salute to the driver before slamming the door. As the car speeds away, he glances at the slightly swaying houses around him, trying to get his bearings. Finally spotting the Evans’s home, he sets an unsteady course for it, hands in his pockets and off-key tune issuing from his pursed lips. About to mount the steps to the porch, he changes his mind at the last minute, nearly pitching into the rose bushes under the front windows as he turns on the spot. Steadying himself on the porch railing, he picks a careful path through the dark to the back of the house. After tripping for the third time over a stray stick, James takes out his wand, lighting the tip and following the bouncing spot of light to the second window from the north corner. Deliberating for a moment, he finally settles for summoning a few small pebbles from the path through the small back garden. Praying that he’d remembered the location of Lily’s bedroom correctly, James lobs the first of the pebbles at her second-story window. It bounces off the frame with a dull crack, and he waits a few seconds before following it with a second pebble. This one misses its mark slightly, and James lets out a curse as it smashes directly through the window pane. Cringing, he tosses the remainder of the pebbles into the grass, wondering for the first time that night if this was a bad idea. Before he can deliberate too long on the thought, the window rises with a protesting squeak, and Lily’s face appears in the frame.- Oi, Evans! -James whisper-shouts. He takes a step back to crane his neck up for a clearer look at her face, accidentally slips on the pebbles he’d dropped, and falls unceremoniously to the ground with a loud- Shit!
-When the surge of nervousness that preceded every start of term subsides, Lily feels her eyelids finally feel heavy, falling slowly until they stay closed. It is not long after that she hears something crash against the glass of her window. At first, she swears she has imagined it, but before she can close her eyes again, there is another one. Kicking the covers off of her and striding to her window, she lifts it open with some difficulty. There on her lawn, swaying slightly on his feet, is her boyfriend, calling out her name.- James, what— -she hisses back, but stops when he tumbles to the floor. She freezes at his loud curse, straining her ears for any sound from the room down the hall. Her parents, however, appeared to be undisturbed. Her attention back on her boyfriend, she calls back in a loud whisper.- I’ll be right down. -But James doesn’t seem to hear her. Lily only sighs, not risking repeating herself in case she woke her parents up. Instead, she hastily throws a sweater on top of her camisole and pajama short, slips into a pair of slippers, and quietly but hurriedly goes out into the hall. Every creak of the floor sounded like a firecracker in the silence, but Lily appeased her mind by telling herself that no one would her them anyway. It worked until her father opened her parent’s bedroom door, squinting at her. “Lily?”- Dad!- she responds quickly.- He yawns loudly, asking, “What are you doing up, darling?” Thinking quickly, she says,- I’ve just remembered I forgot to pack a few things from downstairs. -Her father is rubbing his eyes, appearing to be only half conscious. “All right. Make sure to turn off the lights when you’re done, okay?” Lily nods, watching him close the door behind him. When she is sure he is back in bed, she sprints downstairs, quietly opening the back door. James is still sitting on the grass, grinning crookedly at the sight of her.- You’re drunk, -she asserts, sounding amused and offering him her hand for support. After pulling with all her might, he manages to help him back on his feet. Before he can say anything else, however, she takes his hand and rushes him inside, explaining in a rushed whisper.- My dad is the lightest sleeper in the world. I’m surprised he didn’t hear you before I did. -Being extra careful not to make much noise on the way back, they successfully reach her room without waking her father again. When the door is closed safely behind them, she takes her wand from the nightstand and murmurs a silencing spell just to play it safe. Turning back to her boyfriend, hands on her hips, she shakes her head.- James Potter, what am I going to do with you? You do realize how miserable you’re going to feel tomorrow when we go back to school?