Challenges:
HPFC:
The Marauders Era Challenge: Prompt – Setting – Great Hall
1 Prompt per Story Challenge: Prompt – Pumpkin Juice
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments):
Assignment #3: Survival Studies, Task #3: Write about trying to communicate with someone.
The Houses Competition:
Round 5:
House: Ravenclaw
Year: 7
Category: Standard
Prompt: [Location] Hogsmeade
Word Count: 1711
I do not own any of JKR wonderful wizarding world, I am merely borrowing it for a time.
James Potter had chased Lily Evans for the entirety of his Hogwarts career. This had not worked out for him so far. James may be a troublemaker and a rogue but he was no quitter. However, it was the mischief-making part that was ironically causing issues with Lily.
This was especially the case after the incident with Snape the year before, now known as the 'Let's See Snivellus' Underpants' operation. James and his friends had flown off the handle when the slimy git had called Lily a 'Mudblood', hexing and jinxing him more than they ever had before.
Lily, who might occasionally talk to James, stopped doing so altogether after that. James had thus turned into a bumbling mess. He noticed that his friend Remus was watching him with some amusement. James could almost guess what Remus was thinking - that he acted like a prat so Lily got upset. They then argued. James turned into a wimp until he found some ridiculous way to get back in her good books. It was the same pattern over and over again.
The ceiling in the Great Hall was sunny, but the patch above James at the Gryffindor table matched the boy's gloomy mood. Well, he was originally okay when he had arrived for breakfast until Lily blatantly asked her friend for the pumpkin juice that stood right in front of him. No amount of prodding and joking from Sirius could save James from spiralling deeper into a pit of self-loathing
Once the young redhead had left the hall, Remus leaned over to James. "I know a way for you to get back in her good books," he said with a kind smile. James looked up hopefully at his friend. "Hogsmeade," Remus elaborated wolfishly.
James raised his eyebrows at Remus. "That's not much to go on. What about it?" His first thought was asking her to spend time with him during the Hogsmeade weekend, but that wouldn't do. There was no way that Lily would agree to that.
"I overheard the Lily talking to Mary. She needs to do a lot of shopping during the next Hogsmeade weekend," Remus informed him. "No doubt it will be more than she can carry alone," he said, looking over at James and waiting to see if he would pick up the hint he was giving him.
It was as if a light bulb flashed in his head. "Moony! You are a genius!" James said with a giant grin. "That would be perfect." Finally hungry, he began stuffing his face as an idea for redemption began to formulate in his head.
It was the first day of the Hogsmeade weekend. James had spent the last few days working on his plan to get back in Lily's good books. Who knew, maybe this would also make her want to go out with him as well? He had been pondering the real reason why Lily was mad at him.
It wasn't Snape's reaction that had made her angry, it was what had caused it. Lily had expressed her displeasure at his bullying ways for some time now, but it had never resulted in her shunning him aside before.
He stood in front of the mirror in the boy's dormitory, trying to flatten his hair. Deciding this was a lost cause, he headed out, his friends calling out to him to wish him luck. He had told them why he wouldn't be hanging out with them today and they had offered to help, but this was something he needed to do alone. He was going to make Lily talk to him again.
Down in the Entrance Hall, he consolidated his game-plan. There was no way that she would agree to let him help her straight away, so he would insist on walking alongside her. Lily would be annoyed, but since she wasn't speaking to him anyway, she wouldn't be able to make him go away. It was foolproof — or so he thought.
The group of students were given the all-clear to head down to the village, and James saw his red-haired crush just up ahead. He waited until she entered the first shop - Scrivenshaft's - and followed her inside. Acting as if he was browsing, he lightly bumped into her.
"Sorry!" he said, pretending not to see who it was. "Oh, Lily. I didn't see you there, sorry about that."
Lily just narrowed her eyes at him, then she turned her back to select the quills and parchment she needed. It was an awful lot; was she buying all her writing supplies for the next century or something? Already in this first shop, she had bought enough to fill both arms full of bags. Without even looking at him, she left the store in a hurry, seemingly to get away from him. This move did not stop James, however. He grinned impishly at the shopkeeper and followed the girl to the next shop.
James almost lost sight of his target until he saw a glimpse of her red hair entering the bookshop. Stepping inside, he weaved around the throng of fellow students who were looking at books and chattering amongst themselves. Lily seemed to have thought that she had lost him and was looking at a selection of books about charms without a care in the world. James saw a book titled Men Who Love Dragons Too Much and was momentarily intrigued by it enough to flick through it, forgetting what he was supposed to be doing.
Hearing that Lily was paying for the books she had picked out, he put the book down and began to follow her again.
"Need a hand?" he asked, seeing her struggle to hold everything. She looked at him indignantly for a moment, then she promptly ignored him and started moving away. Her foot got caught in a crack in the cobblestone path, and her packages fell onto the ground all around her.
James heard Lily sigh as she began to collect her shopping bags. He rushed to help, gathering the books that had fallen in his direction. He was about to give them back to her when she put up a hand and gave him a couple more without a word.
James was amused at this development. He had thought that she would put up more of a fight before giving in. Lily still wasn't speaking to him, but at least he was getting somewhere. He gestured for her to lead the way and they were off.
The day went by uneventfully. Lily still wouldn't speak to him, but she wasn't exactly pushing him away either. James was carrying most of her purchases without complaint, and he was enjoying spending time with her regardless. They also visited Zonko's, much to James' confusion - he hadn't thought her to be interested in such things, but she came out with a bag laden with Hiccup Sweets. He raised his eyebrow at her but didn't want to risk his success by asking her about it.
The day was almost over, and they were now both laden with a whole manner of items. Even James' arms were beginning to ache. They were on their way towards Honeydukes, or at least James thought that was where they were going when he heard someone mutter near him. Lily cried out as her purchases went flying and she fell to the ground. James hurried over to her.
"Are you alright?" he asked, looking her over. She seemed fine, as if she had tripped. It was then that James heard the laughter.
"Stupid Mudblood, can't even walk right," said a cold voice and James looked up to see Mulciber followed by a posse of Slytherins, including Snape. "And look, a blood traitor, too," Mulciber said looking down at James with contempt written across his face, they laughed again.
James felt his blood boil. It was one thing to provoke him, but to jinx Lily when she hadn't done anything? He pulled out his wand, ready to retaliate and then hesitated when he saw the look on Lily's face. She wore an expression of both fear and irritation. This was why she was mad at him. He was no better than these boys when it came to picking on someone. He put his wand away and pulled Lily to her feet. James heard the Slytherins snigger at him.
"Some Gryffindor," one of them taunted. "Too scared to fight back." This resulted in another roaring laughter from the Slytherins.
He ignored them. "Come on, Lily, we can just about make it to Honeydukes before we have to get back," he said, taking the books from her arms when he saw she was limping. It was difficult carrying so much, so they finished their shopping quickly and headed back to the castle. While Lily still wouldn't speak to James, she smiled just a little when he took all her things and told her to get her ankle checked out by Madam Pomfrey, saying that she could get them from his dormitory later.
As he watched her leave, James hoped that he had made some progress today. He wanted desperately to hear her voice again, even if it was to scold him. Despite this, he was on cloud nine after his day with her and couldn't wait to see her again.
That evening, he sat at the Gryffindor table recounting the day to Sirius, Peter and Remus. They were outraged by what had happened to Lily and asked if she was alright. They were also impressed by his self-restraint; Sirius had exclaimed that he would have hexed them right then and there. The group fell quiet as Lily pulled up next to them, waiting to see what would happen between the pair. James was nerve-stricken and tried not to look in her direction, suddenly feeling very bashful.
"Pass the pumpkin juice, would you, Potter?" came a voice beside him and it took him a moment to realise who had said it. Remus elbowed him in the side, and suddenly it struck him. It was Lily! He picked the jug up and with a little too much enthusiasm, poured her a drink.
"Of course, ma'am," he said in a jovial voice, a huge smile spreading across his face.