Disclaimer: I am not JK... Still waiting for someone to discover me :D
AN: Okay guys, this is my first fan-fiction ever, therefore reviews on what to do better would be much appreciated. PLEASE give it a try and tell me what to make better. I know there are hundreds of Lily/James stories an some of them are far better than this will ever be but I'll try not to bore you to death and throw in some action from time to time so as to make the lovely-dovely romance more interesting. Also you will probably notice that English is not my first language. If you notice something that doesn't make sense at all, you are free to point it out. I'll be only happy to correct it.
Kate xx
Update:
I said I won't give up on this story but at times I thought I would. See, in two years that passed by since I started this, a lot of things changed and this story didn't seem to go the way I thought it should, based on personal experience. I wanted my characters be realistic, but they didn't seem so. They seem immature at the very least, if not downright unrealistic. But then I thought I will make it a challenge to myself to take them from carefree teenagers to mature adults as the life will lead them through some important experiences. We will see if I succeed.
-Chapter one-
When potion teaches you a lesson
"Lily, Lily! WAKE UP!"
No answer.
"Lily, you really need to wake up!"
"...too early..."
"No, it's not! If you don't wake up in five minutes you are going to miss the breakfast and be late for classes."
At these words the redheaded girl sat up, suddenly completely awake. She wiped her eyes to look at the clock and groaned – they still had about an hour till the lessons started!
"Alice! You tricked me!" she said throwing a nasty look at the other girl and plopping back down onto her bed. "I hate you." Best friend or not, Alice Ford was a morning person. Bloody annoying morning person who knew exactly how to get her out of bed. Be damned best friends who knew you through and through.
"Oh, come on, Lils! You complain now, but you would have hexed me into oblivion if I didn't wake you up soon enough and let you be late."
"Yeah, well..." muttered Lily. It was true, she was the hard working, always perfect Lily Evans. She was prefect, an exemplary student who couldn't afford being late. And she also was the complete opposite of morning person.
After quick shower the girls, joined by Mary MacDonald, shy girl who was also woken by Alice, headed to Great Hall for the first breakfast of the semester. Their other two roommates, Penelope Wright and Anita Popping were, it seemed, still asleep. How they managed to sleep through the noise Alice made Lily couldn't fathom, but she couldn't honestly say she missed their presence. She got along with them, true, but their ever-present whispers and giggling sometimes drove her crazy.
When they reached the Hall, Professor McGonagall was already giving out new schedules.
"Miss Evans! Miss Ford! Miss MacDonald!" called professor, "I'm glad to see you are already hear. If only other students would follow your example...," she tailed of as she looked over the almost empty Griffindor table. Girls exchanged amused looks. Be blessed best friends who knew what's best for you. "Never mind, here are your new schedules."
Lily looked at hers, as professor rushed off to the group of third years that just entered the Hall. As she wanted to keep her options open she took almost every class she could. However she dropped divination – seriously, a bunch of tealeaves can't determine your future, Muggle studies – as muggleborn she new enough to teach the subject, although it was interesting and sometimes funny to see how her classmates dealed with muggle devices - and quite unwillingly also Care of Magical creatures. Still, with all the other subjects and prefect duties there was hardly any free time left.
Alice, on the other hand, squealed excitedly as she checked out her schedule.
"EEEE! Free period this morning!"
"What?!" asked Lily checking Alice's schedule.
Sure enough, while Lily had double Potions, Alice and Mary had free period and then Muggle studies. Alice had dropped Potions first chance she got. It was a good thing though. Considering her abysmal potion making abilities, complicated potions they were about to brew this year and her extraordinary attraction for accidents, she probably saved the school from some massive explosions. Still Lily couldn't help feeling a bit bitter about this. What would she do for a warm cozy bed now... But no, she had a lesson to attend. Without her best friends and – she glanced at her schedule once more – with slytherins too! There were so few sixth years that wanted to continue with Slughorn's lessons, that all houses had them together.
"Life is just not fair!" she groaned.
"Cheer up Lily, old Sluggy loves you."
Contemplating whether that was a good thing or not, Lily merely nodded. Keen to change the subject to more cheerful topic she asked Alice what does she think about a new Head Boy. She knew Alice had a crush on Frank, but she was simply too proud to admitted it. Alice thought it would put her down to the level of silly girls who had nothing better to do that salivate over the cute guys and giggle irritably in the back of classes and they had sworn in their fourth year that they will never-ever fall so low. Nevertheless, Lily continued teasing her poor best friend about the boy until it was time to part.
Lily sighed as she made her way to Potions. Yes, she was rather good at the subject, natural, as Slughorn called her, but a double period with slytherins wasn't exactly something to lift your mood.
Some people were already there including Severus Snape, her former friend, with Carrow twins and Mulciber, whom Lily deeply despised. She was angry and saddened by the fact, that Severus would choose such an evil friends over her. Averting her eyes from the group she scanned the rest of the room. Three Ravenclaws and one Hufflepuff girl were sitting in the back of the class which left her only free table right in front of professors desk. She wandered if she was the only one from Griffindor to take the potions this year. Just then the bell rang and three other panting figures entered. She rolled her eyes. Of course fortune just loved her today, she thought to herself sarcasticaly.
The Marauders, though one member shorter since Peter failed his OWL exam, approached Lily's table.
"Evans! Fortune must love me today!" said the boy with disheveled jet black hair and wide grin on his face, as if he read her mind.
"Shame, I can't say the same" growled Lily in response.
"Aw, Evans, that's really not a way to speak to your boyfriend and potion partner."
"You are NOT my boyfriend!" she hissed.
"Yet," winked James as he moved towards her. She rolled her eyes.
"I'm working with Remus, you may stay on the other side of the table." She quickly grabbed the only marauder she could withstand by his elbow and dragged him to her side before Potter could reach her. Remus was a nice boy with magnificent blue eyes. He wasn't arrogant like his friends and he was a prefect too. His potion skills were similar to ones of Alice, but at least he paid attention to what he was doing.
"Er, Lily, I don't know if this is the best idea," he said.
"I'm not working with those stupid morons. "
"Oi, we can hear you Evans" said Black, Potters best friend. He would be handsome, had he not an awful arrogant smirk plastered across his face almost permanently.
"So? It's not like it wasn't true."
"It hurt our feelings."
"You would have to have ones first," snorted Lily.
Potter look as though he was about to say something, but-
"All right class, calm down," interrupted them professor. "All of you have manged to pass a required OWL level to study more advanced, more interesting and therefore more dangerous potions. Some off you have natural talent for the subject", he smile fondly at Lily and she forced a polite smile on her face in return, "others will have to work harder than ever," he turned his gaze on Remus, who shifted uncomfortably. "Nevertheless, you passed and I want you to show me the best that's in you. Today I want each pair to brew one potion they think will impress me. You have 80 minutes, you may start now."
Rustling of a pages filled the room, when everybody looked through they books for some interesting potion. Lily was desperate, most of the potions in her book took weeks to brew or had really rare ingredients. Then, at last, she found it. Just what she needed. She showed the book to Remus.
"Euphoria" she whispered, not wanting someone to overhear her, and she rushed off to get ingredients. Remus looked delighted. Lily and Severus were the best potion-makers he knew. This should be easy.
He glanced over the table at his two best friends, who seemed to be arguing about something.
"Geez, Prongs, that won't work."
"That's not your problem, Padfoot."
"As a matter of fact, it is. I'm supposed to be your parter, remember?"
"What are you two doing?" he interrupted them.
"Nothing."
"Our Prongsie thinks, we will brew Amortentia today, so he can slip some to Evans later."
"James-"
"No, listen! I'm not going to slip it to Evans, I wouldn't stoop so low. I just want to show her that we are not evil like those gits over there," he nodded towards Slytherins, "that we have feeling too, as opposed to what she thinks."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right, by brewing love potion..." he muttered.
"Shut it. I'm going to get the ingredients."
Remus laughed. But he was a bit disturbed by the determination in James' voice. This wasn't just normal crush on a girl. If James would risk making fool of himself in front of Slytherins by brewing love potion, there had to be something else behind it. Still, poor Sirius, his reputation will be damaged forever after today's lesson. He shook his head and set to work in silence as Lily returned with ingredients.
They had only ten minutes left. The class was filled with vapor and various scents, the best one by far coming from cauldron in front of Remus and Lily. On the other side of the table Sirius was reading the last instructions, when suddenly-
"Oh."
"What is it, Padfood, did we forget to add something?"
"No"
"Than what? We don't have much time left."
"Well, I think... I mean, that is the problem, see, you didn't read the whole instructions before we started, did you?"
"Er, I scanned it. Why?"
"Well, you obviously didn't read the last paragraph, here," he shoved it to James, looking rather apprehensive.
James took the book and began to read.
Now if you added the Ashwinder eggs, and your potion turned deep purple (theirs was a shade of plums, so it should do) it is almost finished. You have now successfully completed the Hate potion.
What?! No! No! The title says Amortentia! How could this bee- he read on.
As the deepest hatred can be cured only by time and warm approach, the potion needs to be kept warm for two months, until it ca be used. The power of the potion grows by time. Be warned, that the temperature determines the nature of potion. If kept in cold it will only cause stronger hatred.
James looked as if someone had slapped him. Sweat was running down his forehead. What will they do now?
"Something went wrong, Potter?" laughed Lily, now adding the last ingredient to her perfect potion.
He looked up at her, devastated. And then an idea hit him. He was saved.
"Not really," he said smugly.
Sirius, taken aback by this sudden change, looked at him questioningly.
"Just leave it to me, mate" James answered his look with huge smile.
Sirius shrugged. "As long as my manliness is still untouched after this lesson..."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Sirius didn't look entirely convinced, but he let it be.
Five minutes later Slughorn called: "Alright, time is up! Let's see what you've got for me."
He went over to the Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw table first. He wasn't very impressed by the Forgetfulness potion of first pair, but nodded approvingly over the Wit-Sharpening Potion. "May come in handy sometimes," he smiled, Then proceeded to Slytherin table. The Carrows tried to brew Strengthening Solution, but it turned into thick gray paste smelling like rotten eggs. Obviously, Severus was too busy with his own potion to help them, because when Slughorn reached his cauldron, he jumped slightly. "Oh my dear, oh dear," he said, "is this your first attempt?"
"Yes sir." A victorious smirk was playing on Snape's lips. Clearly, he was convinced that nothing could overtake this.
"Indeed, a perfect Drought of living death. This is an incredibly difficult potion." But then the delighted look on his face flattered a bit, as if remembering some unpleasant memory. "But you know my dear boy, that this is very dangerous potion, don't you? I warn you never to use it in this concentration, if you don't want to spend rest of your life in Azkaban."
"Sure sir, I won't sir."
"Oh, well then, it would be shame, you are an excellent potion maker, you are, just like Miss Evans here. Let's see what she and her partner prepared for us today."
Sirius and James looked at each other. If Slughorn was impressed with that that, then surely hate potion wasn't so bad. But then again, Snape was one of Slughorn favorites students, Slughorn would forgive him pretty much everything, so they still might be in trouble. They watched as the teacher went to Lily's cauldron and bent down to inhale the scent of bright yellow liquid.
"Another perfect potion!" He chuckled. "You know, if it wasn't for it's side effects, I would even taste this one. This elixir induces Euphoria, for those of you who don't know. But tell me my girl, did I smell something unusual there?"
"Well, yes, as you said it has a various side effects such as excessive singing and lightheadedness," began Lily with explanation,"and though peppermint can take care of these, I decided to experiment a bit and I added lavender instead of peppermint. You see lavender has calming effects that should also extinguish the side effects and it would not contradict with other ingredients in the potion. It also smells nicely. Lavenders are my favorite flowers, though people tend to think it's Lilies..." she ended with a shy smile.
Slughorn looked as though he might jump out of his skin from the excitement.
"Brilliant! BRILLIANT! Oh you really are natural, I have never seen something like that... and from muggleborn too. But I'm not prejudiced my dear, no, you are a living proof that anybody who cares about blood is wrong. Take ten points for Griffindor."
"Thank you, sir."
"And now only one potion left." He turned to the other side of the table still beaming. Then his expression fell. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Black? What is the meaning of this?" he asked them expectantly.
"Well, sir, what you see now is the Hate Potion. It is not something we want you impress with, but we, that is Sirius and I," -Sirius pretended to be invisible- " we think it is very interesting potion. As you surely know, if kept cold, the power of the hate in potion will increase, however if it is kept warm for long enough time, the Hate in this potion will change to another emotion. It will become the most powerful love potion known to Magic world – Amortentia. I think that this potion also reflects human behavior. If you are patient enough, even the deepest hate can change into love." James finished and glanced over at shocked Lily and then back to Slughorn.
Slughorn just stared at him. Then, slowly, his expression turned back to beaming. "You've got some nerve boy, really, but you are right, absolutely right. Indeed it's very interesting potion, take another five points for that." Then, just like with Severus, he added: " I hope you are not planning to use it, dear boy, I have seen what it can do, and in the end it cases more trouble than it's worth." He blushed slightly and James wandered if he was speaking from his own experience.
Snape was murderous, he didn't get any points, while that idiot Potter got five for an unfinished potion. Of course, he had to show off in front of Lily. But it won't work, no, he knew her well enough for that. And he was right.
"I can't believe it, you mess up and then even get rewarded for it," she hissed as Slughorn turned away, assigning homework. "You didn't even know it will turn into hate potion before you started with it."
"Well, some people just know how to work their way out of the trouble," replied James sweetly. "But really, I should thank you for that. You inspired me."
"What? What do you mean, Potter?"
"I mean what I said, just think about it." And with that he got up and walked out of the class.
„You know Prongs, I thought we were done." said Sirius as he joined James outside the class. "Old Sluggy doesn't scare me, but brewing Hate potion in first class isn't the brightest idea."
"Yeah, for a few minutes I thought we had it counted too."
"I can't believe we got out of it so easily. Did you see Snape's face? He was furious,"
"If Snape was furious, it was nothing compared to Lily," Remus caught up with them, "Slughorn might have bought James' little talk, but she didn't."
"Ah, Evans will come around. She can't be mad at us for whole year."
"I'm not sure. She hated you two for five years. I somehow don't see why this one should be different. What interests me more is when James got so deep with his words."
"Deep?" snorted Sirius, "I had to gulp back my vomit by the last sentence."
"You see Padfood, that is your problem. Sometimes a few well aimed words make the difference between being rewarded and having a week's worth of detention," retorted James.
"Sure and sometimes they make difference between man and a silly lovesick girl. I just want to show her that we are not evil, that we have feeling too," Sirius quoted James' words in high pitched voice.
"Oh, drop it already. I was under the impression that you were glad that we got out of it."
"I'm, but I'm concerned about my best friend, who all of the sudden acts like a twelve year old girl."
"If someone acts like a twelve year old, it's you. But don't worry. I won't snog you, you are not my type." With that James turned from his friends and stormed down the corridor on the left.
Sirius stopped walking. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" he yelled after his friend, who disappeared behind the corner. He frowened. Girls went crazy after his troubled gray eyes and long black hair. Once he was even asked out by a guy.
"What's wrong with him?" he turned to Remus.
"I'm not sure."
"But you have an idea." It was not a question. Remus was the brain of Marauders, not that the others were stupid. They were all rather intelligent – well, maybe except Peter – but Remus was the one who always had some explanation.
"Er, yes, I have a theory, but as I said I'm not sure."
"Come on, Moony, your theories are almost always right."
"Okay, but don't tell James, he would get mad."
"Yeah, yeah, now, what is it?"
"See, I think that our Prongs might be in love," he said slowly.
Sirius looked at him almost pityingly, clearly expecting him to say 'April fool' or something like that. When nothing of sort came, he burst out laughing. "No way, that's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. We are the Marauders. We don't do love." He said the last word with digusted expression.
"He chased Lily for years," argued Remus.
"Yes, but just because she is the only one he can't have doesn't mean he is in love with her. He doesn't even know her." said Sirius through the tears of laughter. "It's just fun, that's all."
"I don know, mate. I still don't think it's normal. He asks her out ten times a day."
"Look, Remus, he can have every girl in this school. Why for heavens sake would he want the only one that turned him down?" Sirius asked exasperated.
"I don't know! Maybe that's the reason! You tell me why he made that potion? Or why he acts like a complete moron around her? Or why he just yelled at you, because you pointed it out?"
For a while silence fell between the two boys. Then the gray-eyed boy asked quietly. "You really think he is in love than?"
"Yup."
"Oh. Oh, Merlin help us."
"Indeed. Especially if he took his potion talk seriously."
"What do you mean by that?" frowned Sirius.
"That by warm approach you can change hate into love if you are patient enough. That he can make her love him back. Though I'm not sure if he got the meaning of 'warm approach' right."
Their conversation was interrupted with the bell announcing the start of the next lesson. "Let's go, we will be late for Charms." They hurried off to the class. Flitwick's lesson was rather uneventful. They started on nonverbal spells. Naturaly, Lily was first one to levitate her quill without a single syllable slipping her mouth, thought she didn't seem as pleased with it as she would usually be. She was still angry at how Potter got away with his cheek, but there was something else bothering her. You inspired me. What could he possibly mean by that? Surely, she wasn't turning into some prank-inspiring monster. No, that's not it. It was just James Potter with his perverted mind. She shouldn't take anything he says seriously. With that she pushed it out of her mind.
"Lilyyy!" Her best friend was waving her hand in front of Lily's face desperately trying to catch her attention. "Finally," huffed Alice when she looked up. They were sitting at Griffindor table in Great Hall eating lunch. "Honestly Lily, if I didn't know you better, I would have thought you went into some kind of trance or were Imperiused."
"I was just... thinking."
"Yes, so we have noticed," joined in Mary, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What did Potter do this time?" she went on in conversational tone.
"He-" Lily started, but then stopped. "Wait, how do you know he did something?" Gossips traveled fast around Hogwarts, but this must be some kind of a record.
"Lily," said Alice slowly, "we are not your best friends for nothing. First Potter storms in the class looking like he wanted to kill somebody. Then you come in looking not much better yourself. You would just shot nasty looks in his direction an refuse to speak."
"We were practicing nonverbal spells," Lily pointed out. Alice just gave her a you-know-what-I-am-talking-about look and continued.
"Then his friends come in after the bell rings and don't even bother to excuse themselves. Not a big deal, Marauders do that all the time, even Flitwick didn't bother to remind them, but for some reason Potter would ignore them as well. They wouldn't speak togeth-"
"They hardly could, the class was completely silent," interrupted Lily again, though she was already deep in thoughts. Potter argued with his friends after potions? The Marauders never argued, in fact the only time she had seen them on not-so-friendly terms was after the Whomping Willow incident. She was still friends with Severus then. It was two years ago, so why now?
"Like that would stop them,"Alice's voice brought her back to present. "Potter looked really angry. And Black just kept looking at you as if he never seen something so intriguing before. He stared at you whole the time. Of course you wouldn't notice because at first you were concentrating on the spell and then you went daydreaming. I wonder how you can walk straight in that state."
"I wasn't daydreaming, just thinking."
"Yeah, sure Lils, we know." Mary assured her. "Alice, here, is just trying to point out that we are not stupid. We can put two and two together. Besides, It's not the first time you and James fought."
"We don't fight, I never fight. He just annoys the hell out of me." argued Lily. Alice rolled her eyes. This girl can be so stubborn.
"Will you please tell us what happened in Potions?" The lunch was almost over, but they had free period now, so it didn't matter.
"Oh, okay," muttered the redhead. With that she lunched into long explanation. "And then he tells me that I inspired his little nauseating talk and leaves the room." They were back in Griffindor common room by the time she ended. "I mean he really needs to get his head checked. I think that Bludger that hit him last year might have caused some permanent damage, because the stupid arrogant toe-rag has now gone insane too."
Mary and Alice looked at each other. Alice fully agreed with Lily, but Mary was thinking hard. James Potter was arrogant git, but he had his pride. And this just didn't seem like a thing he would do. She didn't say anything, not risking a fight with Lily who, as she knew, would totally neglect the possibility that James actions might have another motive that irritating her, but she made a mental note to talk about it to Remus. If he will be willing.
The rest of the day passed quickly. Before the dinner Lily managed a quick trip to Library. She wanted to start on the homework soon, knowing that she will have to leave for patrols later. After the meal she headed to her dormitory, hoping it will be deserted. She couldn't focus in common room, especially not the first day, when everybody was still talking about summer holidays not bothering with homework. She was lucky. Plopping down onto her bed she started working on Charms essay – Theory of nonverbal spells. She got so wrapped up in her work, tat she didn't notice it was time for patrols.
"Lily," came Mary's voice from the doorway, "Remus says it's time for your patrols."
Lily looked at her watch. She was already late. She grabbed her wand and smoothed her robes before hurrying out of the dorm. In hallway Lily caught up with her friend who was returning to common room. Mary wore strange expression on her face.
"Are you okay?"
"What?" asked Mary, "Oh, yeah, I was just thinking," she repeated Lily's statement from earlier that day with grin.
"Mary MacDonald, what were you thinking about?" teased her Lily.
"Nothing important," said Mary just a bit too quickly.
"I see," she smiled knowingly, "It couldn't be certain good-looking Ravenclaw named Amos Diggory, could it?"
"Lily Evans, you surely are impossible. And to think I call you my friend!" With that Mary showed the redheaded girl aside and walked away pretending to be angry. But Lily new better. She was still smiling when she joined Remus.
"I see your spirits improved since morning."
"Sure, I can't let bloody Potter spoil my whole day," she replayed still smiling, though her eyes darkened at the mention of the boy.
"Aw, Lily, you are too harsh with him."
"Am I, now? Remus, I know you are his friend, but he has been practically stalking me for five years. Not to mention his need to show-off every time he gets a chance. Besides, you didn't seem too happy with him in Charms either."
"Ah, I thought we might get there. James acts a bit stupid sometimes, I'll give you that..."
Lily gave him stern look.
"Okay, very stupid quite often," Remus laughed. " But what you see is not real him. I think he started with whole oh-so-great Potter business for a reason."
"And what might that be?" she asked, highly doubting there existed a good reason for such a bigheadness.
"It's not my story to tell, Lily. Besides, you wouldn't believe me anyway. The Marauders have many secrets, some of them more serious than you can imagine."
Lily thought about Severus' theory on Remus' illness and wandered if that was one of their secrets. If he trusted them enough to tell them or if they found out by themselves. She was almost sure Severus was right, but she never told anybody, nor did she ask Remus. So what if he was werewolf? She got to know him during their prefect patrols last year. When he wasn't with Marauders, he was very nice to everybody, and even when he was with them, he wasn't the one to pull pranks. But he didn't stop Black and Potter either. Why? She must ask him about it next time. Right now she was too tired to argue with him, so she dropped it and they finished patrol in silence.
Thanks for reading! More coming soon (or so I hope)!
And now it's time review this chapter :)