Chapter Text
Frizzy, fiery, wavy red hair. Eyes. Beauty. A true fairytale.
Those four things were the first the brunette noticed about her when he grabbed his book. "'Pardon me," he interpreted. She immediately looked up from the novel she was reading and moved aside to allow him to reach his own. He gave her a polite smile as he rifled through the pages, which she returned shyly.
"Yes!" the boy exclaimed, finding the page he desired. He drew a pencil from the bag he wore and quickly wrote a note in the book. Then, after sticking the pencil behind his ear, he withdrew his phone, and took a picture of the note he had written on the page. Finally, he erased the note from the page and replaced the book on the shelf.
A quick glance up showed that the girl was still there, not bothering to hide her shock.
"You're-- I mean, you just-"
The boy nodded, showing no signs of embarrassment. "Yup, just wrote in a book. But I did it with pencil, and I erased it afterward. See? All trace of it is gone."
The girl snorted. "Sure. Don't you know that every mark you make in a book will be there forever?"
The other threw his hands up in defense. "Hey, no one will notice. Anyway, it's just a book."
If it was possible for the girl's eyes to get wider, they did. She made a choked sort of noise and continued the conversation by exclaiming, "Just a book? It's pure, iconic literature! I'll have you know," she put her hands on her hips, "my mother is a library director, and--"
He raised his eyebrows as she broke off. "Sorry," she muttered. "I don't even know you. But please, for the sake of sanity, please don't do anything to a book other than read it. Ever again."
He sucked in a breath, thinking. How could he do this smoothly? "Well," he began, tilting his head to the sky, "how do you know I'll never do this again? We're strangers."
The girl rolled her eyes. "What's your name?"
"James," James answered easily, running a hand through my hair.
"I'm Lily." Lily stuck out her hand, and James shook it. Her grip was firm and warm. She withdrew and finished, "See? We know each other's names. We're not strangers. Now, would you please promise not to ruin any more books?"
James shrugged. "Sure."
She raised her eyebrows. "Really? That simple?"
James nodded. "One condition, though. I want to get to know you."
Lily frowned. "Never mind. Destroy any books you want."
James gapped, honestly offended. "You would really risk innocent books being destroyed, rather than go on a date with me? You don't deserve to read that trashy book."
"I happen to think Dickens is fascinating, thank you very much, and I--" Lily stopped and stared at him. James grinned and hastily ran a hand through his hair, hoping the ginger wouldn't notice his pitiful mistake.
"Did you just say a date?"
James coughed uneasily into my hand. "I mean, I didn't really, I mean if you wanted to, but, maybe..." he trailed off desperately. Of course he wanted to go on a date with her. She was beautiful, and sassy, and obviously smart enough to be reading Dickens; everything James desired in a girl at the young, naive age he was.
Lily scoffed incredulously. "You honestly expect me to go on a date with you? We just met! I hardly know you! And, judging by our conversation, I'd rather date Dickens than hang out with you, let alone go on a date!"
James's face fell as Lily said this. “Wow, Lily, don’t be too hasty, now, I was just trying to be friendly…”
Lily huffed in anger, much to James’s dismay. “Hasty? Friendly? Really? I cannot fathom--” she broke off and stared at him, determined not to cause a scene. “You know what? I’m leaving.” She brushed past him and stalked off in pursuit of her sister. “Tuney?” James heard her calling in the distance as he stared after her.
He sat on a bench and shook his head in disbelief. The one bloody girl he wanted… he couldn’t get…. This had honestly never happened before, James realized. Girls, and occasionally boys, often flocked at his side everywhere he went, having a famous dad and all. But this girl, Lily, was extraordinary. And he had to see her again.
“Wait!” he yelled, earning a glare from a clerk while running after her, “Lily!” The said girl turned at the door, curious to see who was yelling her name in a bookstore, when James ran up to her. Immediately, the former rolled her eyes and began to leave with her sister, however James grabbed her arm before she could.
“James! Let go of me!”
“Please,” he begged, locking his eyes with hers as she tried to pull away. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you in any kind of way, and I just want you to have--well--here. Please use it, because you’re so intriguing, and your hair, and I just want to get to know you. I promise. It won’t be a date. I swear.” James thrust a piece of paper into Lily’s hand, and jogged off.
Lily watched him leave, dumbfounded. “Like hell I’ll call him,” she remarked to Petunia; the latter of which was absolutely disgusted.
“What did he mean about your hair?” Petunia wondered in a not-so-subtly jealous voice. Then, she shook her head. “Never mind. Lily, let’s go. I’ve had enough of this place.”
Lily agreed with a nod, and as she followed her sister towards home, she thought of the number crumpled in the pocket of her trousers. For if she dialed the digits, and pressed call (and that was a BIG if), would James answer? Or would he have moved on to another girl in the next minute?
…
Lily was an optimist. She had always been, for she yearned for a peaceful future. That was why, in the end, days later, she decided to call James, for (although she would never admit it out loud) she had been slightly intrigued by him as well.
“It’s not too late to hang up, It’s not too late to hang up, it’s not too late…” Lily chanted to herself as the phone rang.
Finally,
“Hello?”
Lily took a deep breath. It was too late.
“Hello?” the voice repeated. “Padfoot, I swear, if this is you butt dialing me whilst you have sex with Moony again…”
“Hello, James,” Lily interrupted, biting her lip. “It’s Lily. You know, from the bookstore?”