Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.
Author's note: Hello. Well, this is my first story and I really do hope you enjoy reading it. I would love some reviews. Ok, well here goes.
James Potter looked down at his almost blank parchment, fighting the waves of fatigue that had been overwhelming him the entire lesson. He closed his eyes, shutting out Professor Flitwicks high voice and concentrating on not falling asleep. A hand thumped him gently on the back, startling him slightly.
"Mate, you alright?" He heard Sirius Black mummer next to him. James tried to nod, only to find that his head was too heavy for the action. Instead, he waved his hand dismissively at his best friend's concern. Sirius laughed unconvinced, but turned back to face the Professor.
James had always been like this in the first week back at school. He had never gotten the hang of adjusting sleeping patterns to fit changing schedules. So now, ending the third day in his seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, James was directing all his strength on not collapsing onto the desk. Which in turn, ended up making him weaker as he was trying so hard. He knew he wouldn't have been this tired if he hadn't needed to do rounds every night. James had been chosen as Head Boy. The position was only deemed mildly interesting as Lily Evans was Head Girl.
The bell shocked him out of his eventual slumber with a jolt. James attempted to heave himself from his seat, only to fall painfully back to where he had just been. Sirius chuckled un-helpfully.
"Interesting lesson," Remus Lupin commented from behind him, "what did you think of it Prongs?" James could hear the rare smirk in Remus' voice as Sirius laughed again.
"Oh ha ha," James grunted sarcastically, turning his head to face his friends, "very funny you two. Help me up, will you?" They both rolled their eyes, but grabbed James around his elbows and steadied him as he stood up.
The three friends slowly headed out of the classroom, making their way back to the Gryffindor common room up in North Tower. They casually walked down passage ways and up the moving staircases until the boys finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Hello Lady," Sirius said with an offhand tone of voice, "How are we this fine afternoon?" The broad woman in the painting rolled her eyes with a laugh.
"And what would be the password?" she answered with mock-stern.
James opened his mouth impatiently, ready to answer with 'lemon tart' before a familiar, squeaky voice called out from behind them.
"James! Remus! Sirius!" Peter Pettigrew came scampering up the stairs to join his friends. His large stomach heaving as he panted, "I couldn't find you after last class, so I thought you might be up at the common room and I was right!" He finished breathlessly.
"Thank you Wormtail, for pointing out the complete and absolute obvious," James scorned his friend, causing Sirius to chuckle and Remus to remain exceptionally silent, "Fat Lady, the password is lemon tart." The portrait nodded and finally swung open to reveal the familiar red and gold common room. The four boys entered and James fell gratefully down into one of the comfortable arm chairs in front of the fire.
James closed his heavy eyelids, intending to fall into an intense slumber. He heard Sirius snort from the chair next to him.
"James…" Sirius' voice had taken a slight tone of amusement. James moaned,
"What?"
"You might want to get a quick look at this before you fall unconscious." James opened his eyes, annoyed and looked around the common room. He didn't have to look far to find the source of his friend's amusement.
Sitting at in one of the far corners of the room was a pretty girl. Her long, red hair was framing her pale face like scarlet curtains. She was reading a book propped up on her legs and seemed extremely unaware of the people around her.
"You know," Sirius continued, failing to hide his amusement, "I believe you haven't asked her out yet this year, she might be thinking you've lost interest." He winked and Peter laughed hysterically. James scowled at his friends, and then returned his attention back to Lily. He examine her, longingly. She was just so… beautiful. How could he not want to ask her out every chance he got, until she said yes?
"Come on Prongs!" Sirius hissed, "she's all alone and vulnerable, and if you keep that look on your face you may just get a pity date." James shot a quick spell, which Sirius dodged with a laugh.
"Fine then, I'll do it. But," James heaved off the arm chair and gave his friend a sly look, "only for you, Padfoot darling." Sirius chuckled as James gave him an exaggerated wink.
"Good luck, Prongs." Remus encouraged him as he walked over to the corner where Lily sat.
As James walked away, he just caught what Sirius said next, to Peter and Remus, "I give it ten seconds before she shuts him down." Git, James thought with a laugh.
He reached the corner where Lily sat, rumpled his already un-tidy black hair and stood over her, expecting her to notice. When she didn't, he sat down across from her.
"Hey Lily, I-" he began until he was swiftly cut off with a curt,
"No."
"I haven't even asked anything yet!"
"No, but I know what you were going to ask." Her eyes never left the book on her lap.
"Really, what was that?" James questioned sarcastically.
"You were going to ask me out, as you have done on numerous occasions previously. Which," she looked up at him now, her green eyes blazing with irritation, "brings us back to my answer given earlier. No." she finished emotionlessly.
"Come on." He continued, hopefully.
"No."
"Just one-"
"No."
"I'll be good-"
"No. Got the idea?" Lily finished crudely.
"You're just scared you might have fun!" He teased, hoping to earn points on wit. She didn't laugh.
"I do not believe, nor will ever even fathom that I could ever possibly enjoy being alone with you. Even talking to you right now is a stretch. Which brings me to my next comment; leave. Now."
"I'll get you one of these days, Evans." James said, standing up, "One day you'll go out with me and it'll be the best date you'll ever have." He smiled a smile that would've caused any other girl to give in. But not Lily Evans.
"Let me know when you wake up from this highly improbably dream of yours, Potter."
The clanging of hundreds of knives and forks against china plates filled the hall as dinner commenced. Lily Evans sat alone at the Gryffindor table, picking at her food and not listening to the conversations going on around her. She didn't know why, but she looked across the Great Hall, to the table on the opposite side, searching for one black haired boy. Severus Snape was sitting apart from the rest of Slytherin house, staring down into what looked like an empty plate. His eyes flicked up to meet Lily's. He smiled tentatively and she sighed, her eyes falling back down to her hardly touched food. Lily felt a wave of sadness overwhelm her. She missed him, a lot. She missed his easy company, his good conversation and the way he only ever seemed to talk while with her. Like she was the only one who would be interested in hearing what he had to say, or that she was the only person that would be worth talking with. Lily wished she could be friends with him again and forget why she had pushed him away in the first place.
The hate-filled words rang in her ears as clearly as they had when she first heard them,
"I don't need help from filthy, little mudbloods like her!" Lily blinked, wishing away the tears collecting in her eyes. Before then, she had tried to believe that Severus wasn't changing. That it was merely her dread clouding her judgement.
Then, he had said those spiteful words as easily as if he was only calling her name. She had thought that, despite all the taunts and insults Lily received that Severous would be the one Slytherin who would never, ever call her that. And when he did, she realised that nothing she could do would stop him from his eventual fate of a follower and Death Eater of You-Know-Who.
Lily sighed, wishing that was the only reason she ended her friendship with Severus. But, she knew that it wasn't. Yet, she didn't like thinking that she had ever done a Death Eater a favour. Not even for a Death Eater that she had once been friends with. However, it had been on her mind when she had told Severus that they needed to go their separate ways.
When she had seen Severus, hanging in mid-air by his ankles- a show for all the bored prats who were watching- she knew that something had to be done about it. Fortunately, she had also known that Potter was a jealous git who paid more attention to actions, rather than words. So, she thought that perhaps if Severus and herself ended their friendship, Potter would stop seeing him as a threat and lay off him. This assumption proved only mildly accurate as, in the months that proceeded, Potter and Black chose more productive things to do with their time, other than hexing anyone and everyone in sight.
Lily sighed and got up, casually looking back at the Slytherin table and finding Severus absent. She was about to return to the common room before someone called her back.
"Lily!" Lily turned around and was almost knocked off her feet by the giant hug and mane of wavy, jet black hair that greeted her, "I only just got here! I've missed you!" Rose Gates squealed as she let go of her friend.
"ROSE!" Lily bellowed, so loudly that a few heads turned to see what all the commotion was about. The two girls laughed hysterically at the looks some of their fellow Gryffindor's gave them before they skipped happily out of the Great Hall. The stopped in the Entrance Hall and Lily turned to her friend, "I've missed you so much, Rosie." She said before jumping on the dark girl in a full-fledged bear hug. Lily was enjoying the reunion with her best friend before a voice pulled her out of her care-free attitude.
"Rose is back, I see." The familiar, smooth sound commented from beside them. Lily climbed off her friend and turned around, an expressionless face ready to greet James Potter and his three gang members, "The dynamic duo reunited." He continued whilst Black sniggered slightly and Peter giggled.
"Fuck off, Potter." Lily said curtly. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all looked startled at her new choice of vocabulary. James' looked of stunned admiration lasted for a second before the familiar, lopsided grin was back in place.
"Ah, Evans been reading the urban dictionary I see? I was starting to wonder whether you don't swear or you just didn't know how. You proved me wrong on both points, kudos." James flashed a quick, sarcastic smile at the two girls before leading his gang into the Great Hall. Lupin stayed back smiling awkwardly at the girls.
"Lily, Rose," he nodded to each of them in acknowledgement, "Good summer?" They nodded, "Good. Lily, could I speak with you for a moment?"
"I'll meet you up in the common room." Rose smiled before departing.
"What is it?" Lily asked, turning to the one member of Potter's gang she could stand. She thought Lupin looked thinner, more ragged and the scars on his face and neck were shallow, but fresh. His short, blonde hair was un-kempt and dirty. The school robes he was wearing appeared more ragged then usual. Lily wished Remus had been chosen to be Head Boy instead of Potter. He was much easier to resist hitting in the face. He looked at her with slight concern on his face.
"It's just, don't be too hard on James this year, ok? He's changed." She was about to snort loudly and obviously before Lupin stopped her, "Just, give him a chance." And with that, he followed his friends into the Great Hall.