Playing House [James/Lily]

[JAMES POTTER]

How long has it been? A few days? A week? Months?! James didn't want to know that answer - as far as he concerned, it's been far, far too long. Yet, he still didn't do anything about it, now did he? Yes he wrote so many letters that his whole side of the room was covered in balls of paper, but he didn't send a single one. None of the words seemed to fit, or they weren't exactly what he wanted to be said, or he was afraid they'd be misinterpreted. Either way, James was tired of not speaking with Lily. They had a few classes together; James was going to force himself to say something to her. "How's this sound, Padfoot?: Lily," Immediately he scribbled over her name on the parchment, and wrote something else, "Firefly, so... we haven't spoken in awhile." James caught the 'what the hell James?' look on Padfoot's face and immediately rolled the parchment into a ball and threw it over his shoulder. "I need Ella for this." He muttered, shoving a couple of books into his bag and walking out of the dorm with a wave to Padfoot. "I'll meet you and Moony in the shack later." With that, he fled out of the dorms, out of the common room, and to the Great Hall.

Lately, since the events at the tavern, James has hung out a bit more with Ella, even grew a bit more fond of her, but he wouldn't admit that, nor show it. Ella seemed to be the person he actually needed to confide in - well, sort of confide in. James looked around the student body that were eating breakfast. Normally he'd find Ella right by a few other Ravenclaws. After a moments search, James finally found Ella and sat right beside her, not caring who was there, or around the two. "Ella, I need some help" He grinned, hoping she wouldn't question him there. "Before you ask, yes it's about Evans." He was back to last-name basis at the moment. Only when he regarded Lily to other people, that is. No one was supposed to know about their spying - and he never told anyone, not even Padfoot. "See, I keep trying to figure out a way to talk with her, but nothing seems to.. fit." With a roll of her eyes, Elladore stood up and ruffled James' hair - he hated when people did that. It was perfectly a mess, just the way he liked it. "No help then?" She shook her head and laughed a bit. She was busy, and he did intrude, but now he was left to figure things out alone.

"James, you didn't have a problem talking with her before. Just TALK with her, be your arrogant, jerk self like always. Eventually she'll talk with you." Ella turned away from him after saying that, in front of anyone within a ten foot radius of the two. Sighing, James pulled his bag over his shoulder some and headed towards Ms. Rae's class.

Pulling in a breath just before slipping pass the door to the class, James let it out when he saw the red-headed Gryffindor. Why this class? Of all the classes to have to sit just behind Lily in, it had to be the sex ed class and with a ridiculous teacher at that! Ms. Rae wasn't awful, but she was quirky and was up to something - some big class project. Today would be the day that project was announced - the last thing James wanted to try and focus on was some sex ed project. He would rather sit through potions with Sluggy. Then again, the project could be humorous and distract him.

"Attention! Your class project will now be announced![/color]" Most students rolled their eyes, groaned, and others even chuckled at the possibilities of the project. "I'll be pairing each of you with one other person - boy and girl couples. Sorry if that's not your preference, but that is how babies are made!" James stared at her for the longest time really believing she's finally lost it. Why pair them up that way? And who was she planning on pairing together at that?! James looked around the class and didn't see a single person he wanted to be paired with. That is, until he saw the red-head in front of him. A small smile placed over his lips before he hid it and leaned back in his chair a bit. The professor kept going on and on about WHY she was doing this, exactly how she was pairing the students together, and so on.

"What's the project?" A student asked, bored with the teachers excuses.

"First I'm pairing you." The teacher directed students to stand up - James stood - and boys go to ones side of the class, girls to the next. James went to one side and stood there, leaning against the wall. After awhile, she began to pair slyth's with some of the half-bloods they hated; some gryffindor's with slyths, Ravenclaws with Hufflepuffs, and so on. She purposely paired people that hated one another with one another. Either way, James was thankful he hadn't been sorted with quite a few of the students in that class. "Potter and Evans." James' eyes shut up at the teacher, surprised she even paired them.

"" He was shocked, but also hiding a grin that was attempting to surface, he went to his chair and grabbed his bag before sitting at the same table Lily was at before the sorting began. It took a lot for him to not grin - yeah he still felt a sharp pain whenever he thought, or heard about tavern, or even the forbidden forest at that. Then again, he was trying to let it go - hoping that he'd forget it. He even consider going to Dumbledore and having him remove that memory. He couldn't do that though; he wanted to remember everything that happened, even if it ended in a bad way.

"Your projects," Rae was holding up some sort of muggle doll, James' brows pulled together as he tried to get a better look. She sat a doll between the two and James lifted his hand, lightly poking the cheek.

"What the-" Before he could finish, the doll began to scream. "Oi!" He picked the doll up and shook it a bit, getting a laugh out of the class at his reaction. "How in Merlin's beard do you shut it off!?" He twisted it around to find some button, or some wording to get it to shut off. Ms. Rae came over and shook her head at him.

"It's a CHILD, Potter. You don't shake it or flip it around, hold it like a baby and rock it to sleep." James did as she said, finally getting it to shut off. His head fell back in relief for a moment before Rae went on. "It will cry when it's hungry, so give it the plastic bottle that's in each of the bags. It'll cry if it needs to be changed, you can guess what to do there. It'll cry if it feels tension built up between the parents - you guys. AND! If ANY of you try to shove it under a pillow, abandon it, or even give it off to another person to take care of, I will know. There's a charm put on each baby; it will know the parents, know if it's being denied any attention or love, and so on. Most of all, I will know if you do anything wrong. So, be sure to keep up on the project and TAKE CARE OF THE CHILD!" James was near ready to stand against the assignment, but it WAS a reason to spend more time with Lily, so he bit his tongue.

"Are you being SERIOUS? What on earth is this supposed to even teach us?! Not to mention, You placed me with this.. this.. mudblood!" James recognized that voice - Malfoy. James turned to see the disgusted look on his face.

"You know, Malfoy, I agree with you. This project is quite useless for you. Mainly because no one is stupid, nor desperate enough to allow you to reproduce any sort of child." James smirked, hearing the girl beside Malfoy laugh and nod some in agreement. Others chuckled and agreed, but Ms. Rae stood in and began to speak.

"I can give you an automatic zero and deduct five-hundred points from Slytherin, Mister Malfoy. This assignment is meant tot each you students what it's like to have a child at such a young age, and, hopefully, teach you some responsibility while getting to know one another. Oh, and your grade is depending upon one another - one screws up, you both screw up. Just as is the way of life." At that, Miss Rae turned from the students and stepped towards her desk. "Enjoy, class! and LEARN from it!" At that, class was beginning to end. Students tried to come up with ways to negotiate time with the doll, but James sat quiet for a moment, trying to clear his head.

"Firefly." He muttered so she could hear him. "What do you think?... How're we gonna go about doing this?" He was actually attempting to do this ridiculous assignment - mainly because it was WITH Lily, and their grade depended on one another. James looked to the doll he was still holding, "Mreh.." He mumbled a bit to himself before holding the doll to Lily. "We're a team, right?"[/size]

[LILY MARIE EVANS]

"You're really looking in to this all the wrong way Lily." Andromeda sighed which had Lily jerking her head over to her best friend with a fine eyebrow raised over her pale forehead. There were times Lily wondered if Andromeda had any of the same traits of her demented sisters, now was one of those times as she shook her head letting it fall down to the table in the great hall with a heavy thud. No one really seemed to pay attention to the red head as she avoided breakfast for the upteenth time relaxing at her best friend's side.

"He hasn't spoken a bloody word to me in three weeks. I think I scared him off. I used him Dory. I used Potter despite my better judgement and let him get too close. Think I broke his little rabbit heart?" She asked from her folded arms as she finally lifted her forehead off of the table rubbing at it gently to make the red mark go away.

Andromeda shot her one of those looks. "No one breaks Potter's heart. Even I know that." She mused softly, "Look there he is, going to talk to Elladora."

Lily's stomach filled with lead as she groaned biting in to her bottom lip and letting her head smack right back on to the breakfast table. Andromeda nudged her and she muttered something of him moving on. "I don't know why I care so much." Lily muttered lazily as she pulled her head up to look across the great hall with her lips twisting down in to a frown. "Its not like I have claims on Potter. Its Potter! Who would want claims on the toadling." She found herself lying softly to her best friend.

All her spying with him, all his arrogance had a soft side that she had seen way too much of. Her emerald eyes watched him talking to his new friend Elladora. Lately everyone had seemed to notice just how close the two were getting and Lily was top among them on trying to avoid seeing such a sight. Her fingers clenched tightly around her books as she tried to avoid watching the seen anymore.

"I'm going to class." She spoke up finally, tearing her gaze away from Potter and Guffy. "I've got Sex Ed next but then a free class. I figured I'll meet you up to the Black Lake for studying on Herbology. Thanks you're the best!" Lily spoke so fast she wasn't sure Dory had even had the chance to hear her as she pulled her books together and yanked herself out of the bench. She carelessly fled the great hall moving her way up the winding staircases before she entered the Professor's classroom first as usual before others began filing in. She was surrounded in a sea of Yellow, Green and Scarlett as the class began to fill up, Lily seating herself down next to an unsuspecting Hufflepuff girl as she waited for the page number to crack her book in to. Though the page never came as The Professor entered the classroom with her whimsical hair and extravagant robes waving her hands.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily could see Potter moving in to the classroom, late as usual as she shifted down on her seat, wondering if he really hated her for what she did to him. Not only had she hurt his feelings but she had gone and ditched him twice. Inwardly groaning she listened as the assignment was handed out in pairs. As soon as Professor Clearwood started naming off pairs, Lily felt dread pooling in her system. Either she was going to be paired up with Severus or...

"Potter and Evans."

Lily nearly fell out of her chair as her eyes went wide and she froze in her chair, quill falling from her finger tips as reality began to sink in. She felt heavy in her seat, the world was spinning and before she could catch her breath, James was sitting next to her at the table. Lily swallowed hard, tempted to raise her hand and ask for a new partner but it seemed Malfoy beat her to it. Unhappy with the blood line pairing he lashed out with the word that struck Lily to the core however before she could turn around and snap to him, Potter beat her to it. She blinked a few times, looking over to him, tempted to say thank you but she kept quiet. Her attention went to the doll set in front of them.

The high pitch whine had Lily covering her ears as James shook it. "Good lord don't shake it!" Lily put her hand on the doll trying to still the movement to hush the doll up as she looked over to the Professor unsure if she was hearing her correctly. She was suppose to parent the doll with Potter. Disbelief was starting to settle in as he finally spoke up, calling her by the nickname he had given her. She blinked over to him curiously, wondering if he had decided to hate her or not.



"I think this is a little over the top. However, we are a team after all I have a feeling Professor won't let us skip out on this." Lily spoke quietly as she glanced over the doll contemplating a way out of the assignment but she kept quiet. Maybe this would be a good thing, she could apologize to James and then find out why all of a sudden he was all about Elladora Guffy. Maybe he had moved on after all, he had decided she wasn't worth waiting around for, that she had lied to him before. Maybe Ella didn't lie to him like she had.

Lily glanced over to the doll once more and carefully closed her book setting it back in her bag as she tried to figure out what she was going to do with the doll. What were they going to do? She hadn't been prepared for this kind of assignment.

"I have no idea what we're going to do with this, thing." She murmured softly as she reached out taking the doll from him as he handed it out to her. "Though I dont suppose we're supposed to know what to do with it."