2. Answer the questions of the person who tagged you
3. Write 11 new questions
4. Tag as many people, or not, at random
5. Tell them you tagged them
6. Tag me in your responses
Theirishpepper's Questions:
1. If you could live in any other place/time, where/when it be?
Place: If I could live in a different place than I do now it would be somewhere in Great Britain. The accents, the people, the no waiting for shows from the BBC. Ahh yess.
2. What is your favorite breakfast food?
I wouldn't say I have just one favorite breakfast food. I like the whole experience of breakfast. I like everything about it.
3. How do you tie your shoelaces?
Double knots all the way!
4. What do you doodle in the margins of your paper?
Mostly swirls and trees, but occasionally cat faces. College classes are great for doodling. Tree's are my specialty now.
5. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found in your pockets?
I found a coin from the United Arab Emirates, not weird but interesting.
6. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
My sister
7. What are you listening to?
More like watching, Sherlock Episode 2 Season 3 :) I like this episode the best, Character development!!
But the last thing I listened to was piano music
8. Is it cold where you are?
VERY. My classes got cancelled tomorrow because the high will only be -7 degrees. In all honesty I prefer this over it being 100 in the summer. Although the wind here in Chicago can be very scary (like right now)
9. Do you stop to smell the roses?
Not usually, only occasionally
10. Are newspapers dying out?
Print newspaper companies and magazines are "dying out" but they go where all publications seem to be going these days and that's online! So the medium in which we receive our news is changing, but we still get our news. So newspapers are on their way out, but not the news.
11. How many people do you live with?
Too many people.
___
My Questions:
1. What is your favorite show right now?
2. Do you have any pets?
3. What band has influenced your tastes the most? (Your gateway band)
4. What is your guilty pleasure?
5. Favorite dessert?
6. Favorite book or book series?
7. What is the bravest thing you've ever done? (Any steps outside of your comfort zone count)
8. Favorite subject of interest? What gets your wheels turning?
9. Have you ever been in love?
10. Where would you live if you could live anywhere?
A/N: Merry Christmas, apalapucian! I tried to work out the coffee shop AU for you for this exchange. I have played with this one quite a bit, so I really hope you like it. I'll try to post it to my FF account at some point in the week. :) Love, Tara
A Coffee Shop Christmas
“What can I get you?” she asked, brushing long red bangs away from her forehead.
“Oh, I don’t know. How about a steaming mug of ‘I-knew-it’?”
Green eyes snapped up from the crumpled steno pad. Lily Evans stared openly at the familiar person in front of her. How did he--? How could he--?
James Potter grinned impishly from behind the dark wooden tabletop. He was wearing a red button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A dark dinner jacket lay crumpled in the booth seat beside him. His wire-rim frames magnified the entertained look in his eyes.
“Oh, you did not,” she recovered finally, the dark liner around her eyes tightening. “I had you convinced I was spending the hols in Cokeworth.”
“As if,” he scoffed, grin still in place. “With Petunia and Vernon home, there was no way you were going to take the train out—especially not in this weather.”
Lily couldn’t argue there. The large glass windows of the shop displayed all-too-well the raging snowstorm that had started several days prior and still had yet to let up. The snow had climbed halfway up each window frame, leaving little room to see even the gray sky above.
“Well,” she sniffed, tucking her ballpoint pen back behind her ear. “I had Sirius convinced anyway."
James lifted his eyebrows amusedly. “That’s your big victory? You convinced Sirius? I still have Sirius convinced that Father Christmas left him Snuffles the puppy when we were ten.”
He had a point. Nevertheless, Lily flipped her steno pad closed and made to turn away.
“If you’ll excuse me, then.”
“Hey!” he said suddenly, grin sliding off his face as he grabbed her small wrist in his massive fingers. “I need to talk to you.”
“And I need to serve my customers.” Lily used her free arm to gesture to her section, which--despite the holiday--was quite full.
“Am I not part of your section?"
She sighed and relented, looking down at him. “The usual?” she asked.
Something glinted in the hazel of his eyes. “Yeah,” he said hesitantly. “The usual."
“Okay,” she said, before stalking away.
***
“Espresso with milk, hold the sugar—and one apple cider on the house.”
James looked up and raised a dark eyebrow. “Wow, two drinks. Whatever did I do to earn such an honor?”
“You wish.” Lily rolled her eyes and slid quickly into the booth across from him. “I’m taking my break.”
“Ah, brill,” said James, reaching for the espresso. “So, how’s things? Busy day, I see. Looks like you lot are a bit short-staffed with the—”
“James,” she intoned, loosening the tie on her apron.
“All right, all right,” he said. “I didn’t want to jump right in, but it looks like you don’t much feel like small talk.”
She gazed at him expectantly.
James looked back at her, biting his lip, then down at the mug in his overly large hands. There was a long beat as he tried to find the words on his mind. Finally, he settled for something simple.
“You didn’t come.”
And just like that, Lily felt her heart sink.
“To the party?”
“Yeah.”
“At your parents’?”
“That’s the one.”
“Oh,” she said. She pulled at the dilapidated plait in her hair, the steam from her cider rising on the old mahogany table between them. “I didn’t think you were…serious.”
That set him back. His eyebrows furrowed at the center of his silver frames. “Sorry?” he asked, a conflicted look settling over his face.
Lily took a breath and raised her chin. She felt this was a strange conversation to be having today, with the jukebox playing “Deck the Halls” on repeat and the scent of peppermint mocha in the air.
“I thought…you were just extending the invite,” she said, then cleared her throat quietly. “Y’know, as a courtesy.”
The fact was, she hadn’t known what to say when James had first brought up the soirée. He didn’t understand the enormity of the event. Christmas Brunch at the Potters was the London social occasion of the season. It was so much more than a party. It was where all the wealthiest and brightest of the British social elite gathered to drink, dance, make rounds, and be merry.
And all Lily knew how to do was the first.
So when James mentioned it to herself and Remus a few weeks back as they strung popcorn for the tree of the boys’ flat, Lily didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t something she would be attending. Hell, she didn’t even own a dress fancy enough for her sister’s wedding. Why would she even think about going to the Potters’ Christmas party?
But it was apparent to her now that James had expected her to be there. And she really didn’t know why.
“I’m sure it was a lovely brunch,” said Lily after a beat, cautiously watching James for any hint of a reaction.
“Of course it was,” said James. “Save for the fact that you weren’t there.”
Well that was blunt. At least he wasn’t—
“Why the hell didn’t you come, Lily? Did I say something wrong? Did I make you angry again? I swear I told you about the—”
Ah, there it was.
“James,” she repeated, laying her palms flat on the table. “I didn’t know! I didn’t know you wanted me there.”
Now he looked at her like she was crazy. “Of course I did!” he exploded. His espresso mug rattled on the table with the force of his hand motions.
“Well, how was I supposed to know that?” And there it was. The anger. The impassioned fury that was Lily Evans. “You mentioned it the same way that you mention that Manchester United lost a match or Peter got a promotion at the bank! I didn’t think it was important.”
“Not important? Not important to—Lily! Of course it was important. Don’t you get it? You’re important.”
Lily sucked in a breath and sat up straight. What was he--?
“I wanted you there today. I wanted you to meet my parents and spend the holiday with us. I wanted to show you the house where I grew up and introduce you to all my insane relatives. I wanted to drag you out on the dance floor and show you that Christmas can be better with me than back in Cokeworth. And then, like the stupid bloke I am, I wanted to give you this.” He tossed a small blue box across the table at her. It skidded on the wood’s edge and landed in her lap.
She opened her mouth to give him some excuse, anything that would make him stop what he was saying before her heart sank any further.
But nothing came out. So she looked at the box instead. She pulled on the small green ribbon that was perfectly tied and carefully slid the lid’s top from place. Inside, on a small plush cushion, sat a bronze key.
“Then I find out from Marlene that of course you’re not there. But you’re not back in Cokeworth, either. No, you’re Lily Evans. You’re here. Because where else would you be?”
She pulled the key from its nest and held up to the light. Then she interrupted.
“Is—is this what I think it is?” she asked, voice shaking.
James stopped ranting for a moment, roughly pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his crooked nose.
“Probably,” he mumbled, suddenly looking quite embarrassed. He had obviously not expected her to open the gift after all. “Just didn’t seem right…you not having one…considering you come and go all the time.”
She set the piece of metal on the table slowly and met his gaze. She had to ask. “Why?”
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and let out a rush of breath. “Evans.” The name rolled off his tongue easily, a reminder of their days at uni, when he’d rush through the courtyard just to walk her to her next class. “You’ve got to know. You have to know that I’m mad about you.”
Lily just stared at him. Her heart thumped in her chest. She couldn’t move. He had never spoken so blatantly about their…relationship before.
“You are?” she blinked. The question was genuine, no hint of sarcasm or anger. Just a question.
“Yeah,” he said, watching her face. “I am.”
“Well, then,” she said, smiling up at the strange, wonderful man in front of her. “Good. ‘cause I think I’m mad about you, too.”
And when reached across the table to take her small freckled hands in his, she interlaced her fingers with his and held on for dear life. Because Lord knew that even if they couldn’t figure out most things, she could puzzle out one thing this Christmas: She absolutely loved this boy.
Title inspired by 'Love is an open door' from Frozen! I hope you like it!
For: Tara (theirishpepper)
Happy Christmas!
"You make me sick!" Lily practically shrieked.
She was fuming at this point; her face was almost as red as her hair.
"Oh, I make you sick?" James scoffed. "Why are you so defiant of us? Honestly, all I did was give you a kiss under the mistletoe!"
"In front of everyone!"
It was quite a simple gesture, and James thought it wasn't a big deal. It shouldn't have been. They had walked into the Great Hall and there was a mistletoe, and James kissed her. Not a long kiss, just a tender short kiss. Which is nothing compared to how they've kissed, seeing that they've been (mostly secretly) dating for a month. In the past week Lily had become more and more distant, and James had just assumed that because it was her first Christmas without her parents. And now they were here, fighting in an empty classroom about — in James' opinion — nothing.
"So what? We've been dating for over a bloody month! Are you embarrassed of me?" James spat back.
"Yes, I am!" Lily visibly lied, but the words still hit James like a venomous bite.
"Liar," James said quietly under his breath.
The room was now silent, just the sound of their heavy breathing filling the emptiness of the room.
"Leave," Lily finally said. "I need— I need time alone."
"No, why won't you tell me what's wrong?" James said earnestly; the look of anger was washed away with complete concern.
"Nothing is wrong!" She was lying again.
"Lily…" His eyes bore into hers.
She looked away from his, not able to look at him.
"Why won't you just tell me?" He prodded her along, taking a step towards her.
Lily looked back up at him with pursed lips.
"Fine—"
"Finally!"
"— shut it! You wanna know why I'm distancing myself? All my life people have shut me out, people I've gotten closed to! People I've loved, and still do love! My life has been a series of doors in my face. First with Tuney, then with Sev, and now my parents are gone… I can't do it anymore, okay? I'm done. Now: will you please leave? I need some space—"
"Lily, I would never—"
"That's what they all say," She spat at him.
She grabbed his wrist, and pulled him towards the door, and with a bit of a fight James let her. She slammed the door in his face, and then proceeded to lean against it with tears pooled in her eyes.
James didn't move away from the door, he stood there with a frown as he heard her mostly silent sobs.
"Lily…" He said just loud enough for her to hear through the door.
"Go away!" She cried out.
James went silent for a moment, pondering his thoughts.
"I know you've gone through a lot, I can't even imagine what you've been through. I won't even pretend to know, but I do know one thing: love is an open door."
Lily's breath got stuck in her throat, and her heart skipped a beat. He loved her? No, no, impossible, she thought to herself.
"Please let me in," he pleaded softly.
She sniffed a bit before slowly opening the door to look at him. Her eyes were red, and her face was wet from her tears. They didn't say a word, they just stared at each other for a long moment. James then opened the door more and took a step towards her, wrapping his arms around her. James kissed her tears away, before planting a long, loving kiss on her lips.
"I love you," James murmured against her lips.
"I opened the door for you," She murmured back, and he just grinned.
It wasn't exactly an 'I love you', but he'd take it.
theirishpepper replied to your post: I have three drabbles/fics written, ready to post....
NEW DRABBLES? :D YES, PLEASE.
YES and it is the best feeling! Right now they're Percabeth and Jily but I have some Beca/Jesse from Pitch Perfect in the works as well. Lots of fic! Fic for days!
Hi, there. You probably already know me from FanFic (as 100-percent-Harry-Potter-obsessed), but I saw Zayz's (Zay's?) video. I'm willing to wait for "Quiet Summer" for as long as it takes. :) I've been reading it since the beginning, but I will admit I would love to see the rest. Whenever you get there. You have an awesome friend - and she's pretty convincing. -Tara
HI TARA! I do! Thank you so much. I do have an awesome friend in Z, and awesome friends in you guys, too. I can't believe you're still sticking with it but I am so glad you are :)
