James Potter and The Unogua Board
Chapter 1 : Lily Evans
'Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter!' Professor McGonagall called for the boy. James Potter looked up from his Transfiguration essay. The boy was in the Gryffindor common room all by himself since his gang, the Marauders, had gone home for Christmas break.
'Yeah, whaddyou want? I'm trying to do some work here,' James said, pointing at the parchments in front of him, 'Or rather, the detention you gave me for pulling some harmless pranks.'
'Potter, this is Lily Evans. She's a transfer student, and I want you to take her under your wing,' McGonagall said, ignoring him. James noticed a girl behind McGonagall. Her hair was a titan shade and her eyes were as green as jade.
'What? Why me?' James cried.
'It's okay, Professor. I think I'll manage it myself,' Lily Evans said quietly.
'Potter, you're the only one left in Gryffindor in her year. And perhaps you could do with some responsibility in your careless, no good attitude,' McGonagall said curtly, ignoring Lily. She narrowed her black eyes, as if to add 'Or else.'
'Big deal,' James muttered, when McGonagall left the common room.
'You don't have to look after me, thank you very much. I'll do well on my own,' Lily said smoothly, her eyes piercingly glaring at him as she studied him carefully. James felt uneasy, being glared and yet studied at the same time. He hurriedly regained his original manner.
'What, and let her give me another detention? Nope. No will have to do with you. You'll just have to bear and stay with me for the rest of the holidays, then,' James frowned. 'Who're you anyway?'
'Lily Evans.'
'Yeah, I know that. I have ears, y'know. I mean who are you?'
'Lily Evans.'
'Okay… and?'
'And what?'
'Which school are you from?' James said, with a bite of impatience in his voice.
'Epetons,' Lily said shortly.
'Well, I'm James Potter, Gryffindor house, year two – same like you, I guess, cause Professor McGonagall said we're same year – and the only one left now in Gryffindor,' James said, sticking his hand out. Lily looked at it solemnly, as if wondering whether or not to take it. Finally, she turned her head away.
'Not gonna take it, are you?' James said.
'…'
'I take that as a no, then,' James sighed.
'Where's everyone? The girls?' Lily asked quickly, looking around.
'Sorry?'
'Any girls?'
'Nope. Not now, if that's what you wanna know. There're only two though, in our year and they're both twins. There's no possible way you can join them,' James said, turning back to his essay.
'Oh. Anyone else?' Lily asked.
'I am the only moron left for Christmas, if that's what you mean. No one else in the whole school now save the teachers, some seventh year Hufflepuff and me,' James said, not looking up. Lily sat herself solemnly next to him and stared at the window.
'Hello? You don't talk, do you?' James asked, waving a hand before her eyes. Lily hardly even blinked.
'Hello?? Earth to Lily! Hey, wake up! Sleeping like a fish isn't much of a help, y'know,' James said, visibly annoyed by her ignorance.
'You're doing your work,' Lily said curtly. James sighed.
'I'm finished already and my hand's hurting now,' James said, holding up his right hand.
'…'
'Let's see… Now, what should I do? Aha! I'll plant a bomb in McGonagall's office!' James said brightly, pulling a huge trunk to view from under a couch. 'Hmm… this won't do… that's too big… too small… a waste on breath…'
Lily looked on with boredom, her eyebrow frowning deeply.
'That's it!! I found you!!! Boy, are we gonna have some fun!' James cried happily, as if speaking to a very treasured lover. Lily sniffed. James was holding out a tiny cuckoo clock.
'Oh. So?'
'You're under my wing – although I'm not any sorta bird – right?'
'Yes.'
'You're coming wth me, then,' James said firmly. Lily reluctantly stand up and walked after him to the portrait hole. Lily looked around the hallway, her eyes still holding its mysterious aura as they surveyed their surroundings quietly.
'You don't talk, do you?' James asked.
'…'
'Hello? Little itsy bitsy weetle girl!!' James cried.
'…'
'Answer me! Lily! Hey, you there?'
'… no.'
'Then where, may I ask, are you, dreamer?' James asked sarcastically.
'Nowhere in particular,' Lily said.
'Maybe I'd better bring you around. Y'know, know your way here,' James suggested.
'No, it's okay we can do what you want,' Lily said.
'The mother hen says go. So go. The chick don't voice out. Of course, I'm definitely NOT a mother hen,' James said, adding the last part hastily. He pulled Lily's hand. 'Come on!'
Lily drew back her hand hurriedly.
'…'
'You listen to me, Lily Evans, or I'll dungbomb you. Now march!' James ordered.
'I know my way around, thanks,' Lily said coldly.
'McGonagall never bothered with that!' James said, laughing at the thought of Professor McGonagall bringing prim Lily around the castle.
'No. My cousin did. Sort of,' Lily said.
'Who's your cousin?'
'She's the DADA teacher.'
'Professor Hart?'
'Rebecca,' Lily said.
'Okay… but I doubt that you memorize every single way,' James pointed.
'…'
'How about we give Hart a little visit, then?' James suggested. Trying to entertain this new girl was harder than he had thought. Lily seemed to be annoying him on purpose.
'…'
'Off we go!!!' James cried, pushing Lily in direction of Professor Hart's office.
~**~
'Come in!' Hart called, when the door rapped. James ran in as Lily, panting, staggered into the neat office. 'Lily!'
'Hello, Bec,' Lily panted. She gasped for breaths heavily as she fell onto the comfy couch opposite Hart's table. Hart magicked a cold glass of water and handed it to the girl. Lily gulped it down gratefully.
'When did you come?' Hart asked in surprise, 'You were supposed to be at Epetons!' James raised an eye. So, Hart didn't know that Lily was here.
'The school blew up, Bec,' Lily said gently, calmer after the glass of water. James had slumped onto the couch, feeling that this little reunion might go for a while. He looked up, at the tone of Lily's voice. He hadn't heard Lily speak that way before to him. It was always the short, curt and a do-not-ask-anything tone.
'Really? When?' Hart asked, biting on her quill. By her tone of voice, James had a feeling that she didn't believe Lily.
'Just last week,' Lily said shortly.
'What happened?'
'I don't know. I wasn't in the school at that time. I was picnicking, when the school suddenly burst into pieces,' Lily said tonelessly.
'How's your parents now? And mine? And heard anything from Petunia?' Hart asked.
'They're fine. But Petunia's being a bigger pain,' Lily replied. James yawned.
'Hello!! Am I visible to eyes or had I died and went for angel registration?' James cried at last.
'Oh, James! I don't recall assigning you any detentions. Minerva did, I remember. Something about writing an essay, right?' Hart said.
'Exactly. And no, you didn't give me any detentions. We were just visiting. Your little baby cousin sister – is it? – here is under my wing,' James said, pointing at Lily. Lily's face was still but her green eyes burn fiercely.
'Really? Well, better not get her into your scrapes, or I'll be forced to take points off and assign detentions,' Hart said, smiling at them. However, her voice carried no threat of any sort.
'I'll do my best to get into mischief then,' James grinned, 'But unfortunately, I couldn't. I just get into it by luck.'
'I have work to do now. Why don't you two run along?'
'Sure. Bye!' James said.
'Bye, Bec,' Lily said.
'Uh, one moment, James. I have something to say about your, uh, essay,' Hart said, pulling James away.
'What? I didn't do anything wrong about the essay on cornish pixies, did I? I was so sure they were from Cornwall!' James said.
'No, that was just a reason. I notice Lily's being really angry around you. Ignore her. She hates boys,' Hart whispered.
'Her previous schools are-?'
'They're all girls's school. She has a sort of rivalry with a boy when she was young, and the result to that is what you're seeing now. Sometimes, I think her goal in life is to hate boys forever,' Hart said.
'No wonder she's so cold to me,' James muttered.
'Yes. Ignore that. She just needs to know that not all boys are bad. And don't tell her this!!' Hart said, smiling.
'Bye!' James waved. 'Hey Lily!'
'What did Bes say to you?' Lily asked, the cold voice coming back. Somehow, James rather the warm one she used when she's conversing with Hart. It was way more friendlier than this tone, which is specially reserved for enemies.
'Oh, nothing. Just about my essay on cornisj pixies,' James said, feeling that is he let it out, Lily might – as Hart suggested – hate boys even more.
'Oh.'
'So what d'you wanna do now? I'll let you choose.'
'…'
'Special offer here!'
'…'
'Go on. I'm serious!'
'Out,' Lily replied.
'Okay. Out where?' James said. At least she wasn't really mute.
'I notice a forest when I came. I want to go in there,' Lily said.
'The Forbidden Forest?'
'We're forbidden to go?'
'Yep, but-'
'I'll go then,' Lily said, walking off determinedly.
'Eh? Uh hey! Wait up! I hadn't finished yet! And I didn't say I wouldn't go!' James called. Lily walked on steadily.
'How did you know your way around?' James asked, jogging next to her.
'Bec.'
'Yeah. She doesn't know that you're here, so how could she?' James pointed out. Lily pulled out a parchment from her robes and showed it to James. It was dotted with black lines and James could see it was a fair plan of Hogwarts. But without any secret passages, of course.
'A map. Bec drew it,' Lily said shortly, taking it back.
'Oh… why'd you wanna go to the forest?' James asked.
'Because.
'Cause what?'
'…'
'Tell!'
'Look, how about we go our own ways? You don't wanna babysit me, I'm fine without company,' Lily said curtly.
'Like I'd said, I don't have nine lives and I want to live,' James said.
'You can die, for all I care,' Lily said airily.
'Oh fine. I'll turn into a ghost and haunt you,' James threatened.
'Go ahead,' Lily said uncaringly. But James dared swear that a worry look had sat upon her features. Lily pushed the castle doors open to the cold winter air. James sneezed, regretting that he hadn't brought a coat. However, Lily was just the same, showing no reaction to the temperature. James blew his nose on his robes and Lily stared at him, horror and disgust on her face.
'What? You hate boys that much?' James sniffed. 'Sheesh!'
Lily was wading halfway through the thick coat of snow. James sighed. Never in his life had he met a girl this bad – no, terrible. Even Sirius's demonic sister and his sister put together are way better. Lily simply ignore him.
'Hey! Don't go alone!' James called, running after her, deciding that he want his head intact with his neck. Lily was already standing before the forest, admiring the tall trees.
'Leave me alone,' Lily said irritably.
'I want my head intact,' James muttered. 'Come on, I'll tour you. Free of charge.'
'Yeah right,' Lily muttered.
'Hey, I'd been sent in here a couple of times already,' James said, trying to pick up some spirit in her.
'How can I trust you? You'd probably just leave me there at the deepest end,' Lily said, eyeing him.
'No, I won't. Sirius probably would,' James said.
'Who?'
'My friend. He thinks everything's a trick.'
'So how can I trust you? Bec probably let slip to you that I hate boys, didn't she?' Lily said cautiously.
This girl's clever, James mused.
'Yes… but she didn't say you wouldn't trust anyone,' James said slowly.
'No. I only trust myself, my parents, Bec and a few others,' Lily said curtly.
'Well, you can add me to your list, then. I'm a trustworthy one.' Lily snorted and made her way into the forest. 'Hey, aren't you ever social?' James asked.
'What?'
'Do you have friends?'
'Why? It's none of your buisiness!' Lily snapped.
'Trust me! I can even bring you to the Unicorn's corner,' James said. Lily didn't even turn. 'How about the centaur's village? Or the wolf pack?' Lily perked at that. She turned back in a second.
'I think I'll find that myself,' she said.
'I'm the only one who knows all those. It took me days to find that!' James said.
'Maybe you got lost.'
'Did not! And I won't leave you out there,' James said.
'Yeah right. I don't trust you,' Lily said.
'You can get lost in there. I'm an experienced guide,' James said, leaning to a tree restlessly.
'I shan't visit the forest today,' Lily said, stomping off.
'How about we go to Hogsmeade then, huh? I know a good way, and you could do with some butterbeer,' James suggested, running after her.
'Thanks, but no thanks,' Lily said haughtily, walking back.
'I wonder what her problem is. Hating boys is ridiculous, if it's at this stage. And why do I have a stupid feeling that I'm beginning to act like how that stupid seventh year Head Boy was when he's trying to get the Head Girl's attention?' James muttered to himself, looking at Lily, who was throwing stones at the lake to see if she can break it.
~***~
AN: Am back!!!! With a new story!!!! And I wanna dedicate this to Denise, Bob and the others I'd known out there. You guys are all really sweet to me, especially Denise! My friend just complained to me the other day that Lily had all the limelight of fanfictions, so I thought I'd just prove to her that I can write one with James AND Lily in the limelight. Anywayz, this is a whole new different set of story [obviously] and hopefully, you'll like this [*crosses fingers*]. Please tell me what you think!!