Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. All rights go to JK Rowling/Warner Bros. I do not profit in any way.
Of Patronuses and Professors
"No chance, Potter."
Dearborn's voice rang loud and clear across the classroom, and I watched James look up at her, halting his movement towards Sirius.
"Yes, Professor?" he asked innocently.
"You remember the events of last lesson, I presume?" Dearborn asked. I could hear people snicker, and I just about managed to stop the smile that was threatening to spread my lips. Only James Potter and Sirius Black could make a lesson on Patronus conjuration as eventful as it had been. Needless to say, no-one had the chance to produce a corporeal patronus, since the boys had filled the classroom with silver smoke after the first ten minutes ("Oh, you said Expecto Patronum, Professor. We were sure you'd said Expecto Patanene. Many apologies.)
"Last lesson..." Sirius pondered. "Remember anything, Prongs?"
"Not at all, Padfoot," James replied smoothly, "But I'm sure the Professor will refresh our memories."
I couldn't help a grin that time. Pompous prat. He was supposed to be behaving better now, as Head Boy and all.
Apparently some James Potter mannerisms would never die.
The Professor snorted at his comments. "Enough, Mr Potter. Work over there, with Miss Evans and Miss Macdonald.
James grinned and waved goodbye to Sirius cheerfully, walking over to join us.
"Right," Professor Dearborn said. "I hope to see some corporeal forms today! You may begin."
"Alright Evans," James said with his normal grin, "Macdonald."
James and I had become closer over the last few months. Strange it may have seemed to the general Hogwarts population, but we'd bonded over Head Duty in a way I wouldn't have believed possible. True, I still had to put up with his suggestive remarks and pranks with the Marauders; but he'd grown out of the obnoxious attitude he'd possessed at fifteen. Mostly.
"Hi, Potter," Mary greeted him with a grin. "Feel like getting us out of here again?"
James's smirk was just becoming more pronounced when I added, "Don't you dare pull something like that again."
I needed to get this damn charm mastered.
I wouldn't admit it to him, but this Patronus charm was giving me real trouble. I'd been practising it every night, but still the best I could produce was a feeble whisper of smoke.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied with a cocked eyebrow and a grin. "Let's get started, shall we?"
And with that, James pulled his wand out of his robe pocket. He concentrated for a few seconds before smiling. "Expecto Patronum!" he said confidently.
Silver mist swirled from the end of his mahogany wand, slowly forming a shape that took a moment to take in its surroundings, and then pranced off.
I'm ashamed to say that my mouth may have dropped open.
James, unaffected, looked at me and said, "Your turn."
"You... since when could you do that?" I said.
"Merlin, James," Mary said, looking just as surprised as I was.
James shrugged. "Just got to find the right memory. The rest is easy."
It might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn that his glance lingered on me for a moment longer than necessary before he shrugged it off.
"Go on, Lily," he said. "Try it."
Oh, trust me Potter, I've tried.
"Mary first," I said immediately.
Mary shook her head. "I'm going to go see how Marlene's getting on. S'later!"
And with that, she walked off – leaving me alone with Potter.
Traitor.
"Mary!"
She waved without turning around, her short brown hair bobbing with each step.
I turned back to James, who was watching me expectantly.
"Go on!" he said.
Ugh.
I really didn't want to make a fool out of myself in front of James, but it seemed I had no choice.
I took out my wand, flourished it a few times out of nerves – practising the wand movement. Left-Right-Up-Down.
A memory next.
I thought the memory of the day I got my Hogwarts letter should suffice – although that day was tainted with the tantrum of my dear sister.
Worth a try.
"Expecto Patronum!" I said tightly.
And a wisp of silver smoke escaped from the end of my wand.
Bugger.
I was still half-expecting James of fifth year when I looked up at him, who'd be bound to laugh at me. Lily Evans: Straight-O student, couldn't produce a full Patronus. Pathetic.
I could feel myself getting angry, but when I glanced up at James Potter, he looked thoughtful.
"Which memory were you using?" Then he shook his head, as if realising asking that was an invasion of privacy. "Doesn't matter. Whatever it was, it wasn't powerful enough."
My face was burning, I could feel it. And the anger at myself hadn't yet disapparated. "You must teach me your ways, oh great Patronus Master," I snapped.
James smirked.
"What?" I asked grouchily
"You always do that when you're defensive."
"What?"
"Put on a sarcastic front. Honestly, Lily. You're doing fine! Just choose a better memory."
My pride was crumbling into a million tiny pieces as I stood there, watching Potter run a hand through that mane of his, trying to explain how to get the charm to work.
"When was the last time you really laughed? Properly? Think about that."
I took a minute to think about it... that would probably been last night. With Potter. At Head Duty.
Goodbye to what remained of my pride.
You'll be sorely missed.
"I'll try it," I grumbled, steadfastly ignoring his wide grin. Maybe I should rethink this whole 'friendship' thing.
Okay Lily. Concentrate. Ignore the prat.
And concentrate on last night's memory of the prat?
Someone remind me to make some more memories. Seems I'm in need of a greater variety if Potter was the best I could do.
So I ignored the boy in front of me, with his stupid hair and stupid grin and stupid second button on his shirt undone...
I'm sure someone slipped something into my Pumpkin Juice this morning.
Okay, so we were patrolling down the Charms Corridor and James made some stupid joke about Flitwick and McGonagall having an affair in a broom cupboard. And it had been so ridiculous, but James justified his argument with all of his 'evidence'. I started laughing, and once I started, I hadn't been able to stop – the absurdness of it all made so much funnier by the serious face he'd managed to keep; as if he was arguing a case in court.
But he'd gotten to the point whereby he'd theorised that Flitwick and Mcgonagall were able to make exact clones of themselves with their joint magical skills so they could skip lessons to get it on in the broom cupboard. Or maybe they paid the other teachers to take their places with Polyjuice Potion. James's composure only broke when he suggested that maybe Filch was in on the plan; and then he'd started laughing just as hard as I was – throwing his arm round my shoulders for support as we kept on walking.
He was an idiot.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Much to my delight, there was far more silver substance erupting from my wand this time; and it gathered until it formed a shape that pranced away from me.
My first corporeal patronus.
"Well done, Lily!" James exclaimed as we watched the silver form amble around the classroom. He through an arm around my shoulders, just as he had the night before. Perhaps this would be another moment to add to my Patronus Memory Bank.
"It's a doe," James said, as the animal came near. Apparently the thought occurred to him at the same moment that it did to me; for he said, "Hey!" and pulled out his wand to reconjure his patronus. "We match!"
I smiled. "We do."
Neither James nor Lily would know the true meaning of their matching patronuses until years later; but Severus Snape, who was already well-read in the Dark Arts – and by extension, Defence – did. He watched the soon-to-be couple from across the classroom, both of whom were still watching their patronuses, which were chasing each other and playing.
Snape didn't produce his patronus in the classroom, but in his dormitory that night – when everyone was asleep.
That weekend, he was branded with the Dark Mark.
A/N: For my amazing friend, Camilla! Happy Birthday!