Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

A light from back stage shows Lily shadow as she mulls about in her room acting as if she really were busy doing something, when in reality she is just lifting her arms in the air to make it look like she is pulling down her sheet.

James stepped out into the light, but stayed relatively under the balcony. “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks,” James says loud enough for the audience to hear, though he is acting as if he is whispering to himself.

Lily heard the lines, but thought nothing of it at the voice, since she could barely hear it through the door. With a quick nervous breathed Lily walked out onto the balcony, she looked around the audience, before leaning one elbow on the railing, and resting her chin on her hand.

“It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! Arise fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far more fair then she,” James continued peering up at Lily though the bars of the balcony, and the fake vines wrapping around t. He could tell that she had noticed something different by the way she shifted.

Where do I know that voice from? It has to be Sirius though, Lily thought to herself but did not break character.

“Be not her maid, since she is envious. Her vestal livery is but sick and green, and none but fools do wear it. Cast it off!” James said climbing a bit up the wall as he said this, keeping his eyes locked on Lily as he did so. He dared to glance at the audience who was eating out of the palm of their hands before looking back at Lily.

Lily sighed lightly before dropping her hand, and looking up at the ‘moon’ in the sky. She still did not look down, though her curiosity was digging away at her. Maybe Sirius had enhanced his voice a bit to make this scene more dramatic, but the voice sounded like someone else she knew, though she was unsure who.

“It is my lady. O, it is my love! O that she knew she were!” James said his head now even with the foot of the balcony, though he was still hidden behind the vines and flowers.

“Ay me,” Lily said before turning to walk back inside, then hesitated while her hand rested on the door handle.

“She speaks. O, speak again, bright angel!”

Lily turned back around before looking longing toward the ‘night sky.’ “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Rome?” She said frustrated into the air. “Deny they father and refuse they name. Or, if thou wilt not, be sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”

“Shall I hear more?” James asked, letting go of the lattice on the wall daringly with one hand to look at the audience before turning back to look at Lily. “Or shall I speak at this?”

“’Tis but they name that is my enemy. Thou are thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? It is not hand nor for, nor arm nor face nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name!” Lily cried balling her hands into a fist before walking away from the railing to pace slowly about the balcony. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for they name which is no part of thee,” Lily paused. “Take all myself.”

James reached a hand up to climb the rest of the way, careful to put his feet in the steps that were built for climbing, though they were hidden from the audience. “I take thee at thy word! Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo,” James said before throwing himself over the wall, and landing on his feet to face her.

Lily screamed just as planned in the script, but half of it really was from surprise. There was James standing before her as Romeo. No wonder his voice sounded different, she fought with herself to say something, which only added to the allure of the play.

“What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night, so stumblest on my counsel?” Lily asked backing up a bit away from James.

James put his hands up to surrender and show that he meant no harm. “By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am: my name, dear saint, is hateful to myself because it is an enemy to thee.”

Someone off stage made a noise, and both Lily and James ducked behind the wall as if to hide from the watchman.

“What are you doing here?” Lily hissed since their faces could not be seen as the guard wandered by in the ‘garden’ below.

“Sirius got sick,” James said with a wink, before Lily could ask more though, both of them stood up to continue the scene.

“Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?” Lily asked him standing rather close.

“Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike,” James replied his hand reaching out to her.

Lily looked into her lit bedroom nervously before looking back at James. Quickly she grabbed his hand, and pulled them to the other side of the balcony away from windows and doors.

“How cam’st thou hither, tell me, and whyfore? The garden walls are high and hard to climb, and the place death, considering who thou art,” Lily said looking down to the garden again to make sure no one was there, before looking at James. “If any of my kinsmen find thee here.”

James put his hands in the air, “With love’s light wings did I o’er perch these walls. For stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do, that dares love attempt. Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me,” he said pounding his fist on the wall.

Lily quickly grabbed his hand, and glanced into the window on her tiptoes before pulling him even further into the corner. Her face shows real fear now, “If they do see thee, they will murder thee,” she stressed squeezing his hand.

James pulled Lily close to him, and he could feel his palms begin to sweat. There was no one to stop what was going to happen next. Sirius was sick backstage, and no one would dare to interrupt the scene.

“Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords; look tou but sweet, and I am proof against their enmity,” James said looking at her.

“I would not for the world they saw thee here,” Lily said relaxing a bit.

“I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes. And but thou love me, let them find me here. My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of they love,” James said pulling Lily tight to his body.

She looked around at the night sky before looking back at James, “by whose direction found’st thou out this place?” Lily inquired tilting her head.

“By love, who first did prompt me to inquire; he lent me counsel and I lent him eyes. I am no pilot; yet; wert thou as far as that vast shore wash’d with the farthest sea, I would adventure for such merchandise.” He locked eyes with her before slowly moving in for the moment he had been waiting for since he was fifteen.

Lily swallowed looking up at James, her heart was pounding as he came dangerously close, but she closed her eyes and gave into him. His kiss was very gentle, yet there was a need behind it. His lips were soft and full against hers, and Lily found herself gripping tightly to his upper arms not wanting to let go. Her mind slipped away for a moment until James gently squeezed her. The lines came flooding back, and Lily shoved him off acting worried.

“Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,” Lily said breathlessly as she stared deep into James’ eyes. “Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek, for that which thou hast heard me speak tonight. Fain would I dwell on form – fain, fain deny what I have spoke. But farewell compliment! Dost thou love me?” Lily asked James desperately.

James tries to speak, but Lily places one gentle finger on his lips to silence him before continuing on with the scrip.

“I know thou wilt say ‘Ay’, and I will take they word. Yet, if thou swearest, thou mayst prove false. O gentle Romeo,” she said, her fierceness draining away for now. “If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully. Or if thou think’st I am too quickly won, I’ll frown, and be perverse, and say thee nay, so thou wilt woo. But else not for the world. In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond, and therefore thou mayst think my ‘haviour light. But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true than those that have more cunning to be strange,” Lily finished, her chest heaving slightly before looking at the ground.

James watched her for a second, before a smile broke across his face, his hand moving to lift up her chin to look at him again. “Lady, by younder blessed moon I vow, that tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—“ he began before Lily interrupted him again.

“O, swear not by the moon,” Lily said stamping her foot lightly. “Inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circle orb, lest that they love prove likewise variable.”

“What shall I swear by?” James asked amusement in his voice.

“Do not swear at all.” Lily said smiling at James. “Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry, and I’ll believe thee,” she finished her hand moving lightly to his cheek. It was amazing, Lily felt completely swept up in the moment, and for a brief few minutes she wished this was real.

James nuzzled her hand gently, his lips kissing her soft palm gently. “If my heart’s dead love—“

“Well do not swear,” she said dropping her hand. “Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden; too like the lightning, which doth cease to be ere one can say ‘it lightens.’ Sweet goodnight.” Lily said brushing past him and heading toward the door. “This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.” Her hand was brushing along the wall and she walked backwards toward the door. “Good night, good night. As sweet repose and rest come to thy heart as that within my breast,” Lily said touching her free hand to her heart.

She then turned around and rushed toward the door, and heard James behind her say “O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?”

Lily turned around with a shocked, and confused look. “What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?”

“The exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine,” James said breathlessly.

Lily ran the few steps back to him and threw herself in his arms. “I gave thee mine before thou didst request it!” Lily said smiling up at James, he moved in. Their lips met for a very passionate kiss, his hand moving under her hair to the base of her neck. They stayed like this for a few moments before both pulling back.

“And yet I would it were to give again,” Lily finished, her heart pounding.

“Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose love?” James asked an air of amusement in his voice.

“But to be frank, and give it thee again, and yet I wish but for the thing I have; my bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.” Lily stood on her tip toes to kiss him again quickly.

“Juliet!” the nurse, played by Phoebe called from the inside.

Lily looked at the door before sighing uphappily. “Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed. If that thy bent of love be honourable. Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow, by one that I’ll procure to come to thee, where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, and all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay and follow thee my lord throughout the world,” Lily said happily, though quick.

“Juliet!” She called again more urgent.

“I come, anon – but if thou meanest not well, I do beseech thee…” she said starting to get annoyed with the nurse.

“JULIET!” The woman called frustrated.

Lily opened the door and stepped inside, “by and by I come! To cease they strife and leave me to my grief. To-morrow I will send.” As she said this though she kept her eyes locked on James.

“So thrive my soul-“ James began before the nurse called again.

“A thousand times good night!” Lily said kissing him one more time before going inside.

“A thousand times the worse, to want they light. Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books; but love from love, toward school with heavy looks,” James said as he climbed back down the wall, jumping down the last few feet.

Lily rushed back out onto the balcony to lean over and see James standing there looking up. “Romeo! What o’clock tomorrow shall I send to thee?” She asked quietly before looking over her shoulder through the glass door.

“By the hour of nine,” James replied as Lily began to remove the necklace from around her neck.

“I will not fail. ‘Tis twenty year will then. Goodnight, goodnight! Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I shall say goodnight till it be morrow,” Lily said sweetly as she leaned over the railing, the necklace dangling in her hand before letting it go, and watching it fall into James’ hand.

“Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast, would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest,” James replied before the lights cut for a scene change. The crowd clapped loudly, and Lily smiled to herself before holding on to the railing.

There was no time to talk with James as the crew ran out on stage to move everything. Lily stayed at the top of the stairs in the back of the balcony set up, and it was pushed off the side. She climbed down to see a few people looking at her utterly confused, and in response, Lily just shrugged. Rushing off, she ran to help with the rest of the scene set up since it had to be a short transition.

She passed by Remus who just smiled at her, and she watched from behind stage. Across the way she could see James, and she smiled at him, and her returned it before going down stage for his scene with Remus.

It was a while before Lily was on stage again, but it was not with James just yet. She was with Phoebe, and she felt as if she were walking on air, as if this play were real, and she was falling in love with someone. Her voice was light, and her mannerisms happy, as she acted and she found herself looking of stage when she could for a glimpse of James.

Finally it was the marriage scene, she had done yet another wardrobe change into a long, white, billowy dress, but that was all. She stood at the pulpit as their lines were said, and they kissed gently before the lights fell on the house once again.