Full Summary: At the end of his 6th year at Hogwarts, James Potter realises he only has one year left to win his fair Lily's heart. He comes up with a new plan, to find out her passions and interests away from school. When he finds out she loves to play the piano and has a passion for Debussy, James vows to learn to play the piano over the summer, not just from the beginning, but to learn Clair De Lune!
Chapter 1 – James' New Plan
James Potter sat staring out of the window of the Marauders' compartment on the Hogwarts express. He was not tired, or bored, or sad, as this staring out of the window might imply, and certainly not interested in the view. No, he was thinking. Thinking of Lily Evans, the love of his life, who just didn't seem to realise yet, even after six years of him telling her so, that they were meant to be together.
He ran his hand absentmindedly through his messy dark hair, as a strange and sad thought came to him. They only had one more year left at Hogwarts! This meant only one more year to win fair Lily's heart. He could not fail this time, it was this coming year or never. He just couldn't imagine life without her.
But he'd tried everything! Nothing seemed to work on the redhead. He'd tried asking her out every day, chatting her up, making witty comments, hexing Slytherins (especially Severus Snape), being good at quidditch, and playing clever, amusing pranks. He also once ordered a load of roses and lilies to be delivered to her room on Valentines Day. But while all this got the other girls swooning and feinting around him, she would just scoff, insult, call him arrogant, or slap him. He needed a new plan.
BANG!
The stack of cards in front of Sirius and Remus exploded, followed by the smell of singing fabric as the hem of Sirius' cloak caught the impact of the explosion. Remus cheered loudly, and Peter, who was sitting on the seat watching, clapped with over excitement, and promptly fell off the seat.
'Ha ha Wormtail, great one! Honestly, its not that exciting, you silly rodent, get up!'
Laughed Sirius.
'Oy, Padfoot!' called Remus.
'What?'
'Look at Jamsie poo!' he said, pointing to their friend, still sitting staring out of the window, a blissful expression on his face. The commotion of the exploding snap game hadn't even penetrated his deep thoughts.
Sirius grinned widely. 'LILY EVANS IS NAKED IN THE CORRIDOR!' He screamed loudly.
James sprung out of his daydream immediately, wide awake, and looking eagerly around the compartment. Then he saw his friends smirking and knew he'd been had.
'Not funny!' he said scowling.
'Ha ha Prongs, you seriously need to get some dignity and sense!' replied Sirius. He opened his mouth to say more, but the compartment door opened and a furious Lily Evans towered in the doorway, bright green eyes blazing.
'What is going on in here?' she asked, and frowned as James' hand leapt straight to his hair. The way he always ruffled it really got on her nerves.
'Potter. I might have known all the noise was from you; you ought to know better by now how to behave on the train.' She said accusingly.
James eyes widened at the unfair statement. 'Evans, I-'
He was interrupted by Sirius. 'Actually, Lily, James had nothing to do with it, he was sleeping in the corner. It was me who screamed, and the explosion was me and Remus playing exploding snap. You shouldn't jump to conclusions, he's not all bad!'
Lily stared suspiciously at Sirius.
'He's telling the truth, Lily, James really was sleeping.' Confirmed Remus quietly. He and Lily were school prefects, and she trusted him more than any of the Marauders put together.
Lily looked slightly guilty. 'Sorry James,' she said quietly, looking him in the eyes briefly.
'No problem Lily,' he replied softly. She backed out of their compartment, feeling confused. Had she dreamed Potter's reaction? Normally he'd say something arrogant and clever as a come back. And she had slipped up and called him James. She shook her head to clear it. Then, 'Knew she just couldn't resist me' his voice boasted from behind her, erasing any newly found respect Lily had for him. Stupid Potter! Of course he hasn't changed.
'Just don't make me come in again to tell you to behave!' she called sharply to Sirius and Remus, before heading back down the train.
'Why does she always think the worst of me?' asked James with a woeful expression, after Lily slammed the door shut.
'Maybe because that's the character you've always shown her,' answered Remus wisely. 'She doesn't know the true James yet. When she finds him, she'll come around.'
'I really hope so…'
'So Prongsie, mate,' interrupted Sirius, 'Were you daydreaming earlier about that same…lovely… woman who just bit our heads off?'
'I was thinking of how I only have one year left to win her heart, then you rudely interrupted by screaming that she's naked!'
'Sorry,' sniggered Sirius. 'So do you have a plan to win fair lady's heart?'
James was suddenly much cheerier. 'I most certainly do! I shall find out what her true interests and passions are!' Silence followed this declaration.
'Well,' spoke Remus finally, 'it certainly is different. What happened to sending her love notes that sing over and over until she gives you an answer?'
'That was last year's plan, as you well know, Moony!' answered Sirius, 'and it didn't really work.'
'I thought her only interest was school work and following the rules?' piped up Peter.
'That's why I will find out what her interests are outside of school, Wormtail.' James explained in a 'you're so thick' tone.
'It sounds brilliant Prongs, except for one thing, one tinsy winsy bitty thing.' Said Sirius.
'Oh yeah?'
'How are you going to find out what her interests and passions are?'
James looked at Sirius, with the plain, 'are you crazy' marauders look, and ruffled up his hair again, hazel eyes gleaming. 'I just will. There must be some way, and I'll find it! Lily will realise she loves me in our final year, I wont have it any other way!'
The other three marauders rolled their eyes at each other. They went through this every train journey home after a year at Hogwarts. They had learned by now to humour him and agree with whatever new plan he came up with.
Sirius patted James on the arm. 'Ok, Prongsie, I'm sure you'll manage. I just wish I could be with you this summer to help.'
Normally, Sirius would stay at the Potters' in the holidays, but this year James' parents were on holiday in Spain, and James was to stay with his aunt. Sirius was staying with Remus instead this summer.
'Thanks Padfoot, this will work! You'll see!'
'Well good luck, it will indeed be a miracle if it does!'
'Guys, we're nearly at Kings Cross,' reminded Peter.
Sirius smiled. 'Enough time for one last game of exploding snap then. You on, James?'
'You bet!'
The train slowed to a halt at the platform, and doors opened all the way along the scarlet body of carriages. The marauders trooped out pulling their trunks, Remus now with a singed eyebrow, and James a smouldering sleeve to go with Sirius' burnt cloak hem. Peter, as usual, had been scared of the noise, and had huddled at the back of the compartment, so managed to stay unburned. They moved through the barrier together, joking, and winking to admiring girls. On the muggle side of the station James spotted Lily approaching her mother and headed over.
He stood behind her and said into her ear, 'goodbye my Lily flower,' in what he thought was an attractive way. Lily however shrieked and twisted around.
'Potter, how dare you!'
He grinned at her and bowed, taking her hand and kissing it, then was gone, leaving Lily's mother asking her who that 'charming young man' was.
Still grinning, James headed over to Sirius and Remus. They thumped each other on the back and said goodbye, planning to keep in touch by owl to arrange times to meet up. James watched his two friends leave with Mr Lupin, Sirius blowing fake kisses back to James, who stuck his tongue out in reply then turned to search for his aunt.
He soon saw her, standing a little way off, tall with short black hair, and wearing a purple jacket, jeans and a flowery hat. She was a witch, but preferred to live as a muggle, had lots of money, and always spoiled James whenever he came to stay.
'James!' she cooed as he approached, and pulled him into a tight embrace. 'How are you dear?'
James extracted himself from her arms and grinned. 'Perfectly well, thank you Aunt!'
'Good, good!' she said. 'How was your year? Car's this way.' She continued to chatter non-stop all the way to the car, and then all journey. This left James to daydream once again about Lily. He thought how wonderful it was that she had called him James and not Potter back in the carriage, and how he had shocked her into letting him kiss her hand as a goodbye at the station. He relished this last moment with her, as he probably wouldn't see her until September the first. Little did he know he would be seeing Lily Evans much sooner than he expected.
A/N: Hello! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Clair De Lune. Please leave a review to let me know what you think! This story is completely written, so i will be posting regularly if i get enough reviews going per chapter!
Rose :)