An incredible disaster

Alright, after that incredible disaster it is most important to just run away as quickly as possible. Just continue running, do not think of that stupidity. Left, right, left, right. Argh, this was al Lupin's fault. That damned recklessness potion… She would never eat something those idiots gave to her again. The marauders. Hmpf. Besides, that's such a childish name. You only devise something like that in second grade.

Lily looked over her shoulder to see if James was behind her. She had heard him screaming her name just a while ago, hadn't she? At this moment, it was as silent in the corridors as it was meant to be. Actually, she wasn't allowed to be this far from the common room. Perhaps I should go back, she thought doubtfully. She had just run around a corner, when she bumped into someone. James grinned, while he grabbed her arms so she wouldn't fall. Damn it.

'Hi Lily. You were gone so quickly,' he said, still with that horrible grin stuck to his face.

'Bugger off, Potter,' she sneered back. 'And get your hands off me.' He slightly loosened his grip, but his hands were still on her arms. Lily shook them off furiously.

'You and I have something to talk about, I believe?' James said. It wouldn't have surprised her if steam had come out of her ears.

With all of her self-control she looked him in the eye and said coolly: 'Do we? About what, Potter? Because I, for one, do not feel the urge to have a nice conversation with you right now.'

'Oh, you do know about what we have to talk. What does that thing you just did mean?' James' grin had disappeared, but now he looked rather determined. This doesn't make sense at all, Lily thought weary.

'Well, tell me then, Potter,' she said. She'd decided that he could start the conversation, since he was the persistent one.

'Oh Lily, you know what I mean. Why did you kiss me?' said James, again with a nasty grin. At least she thought it was rather nasty.

'O, well then!' Lily said disgruntled. 'I certainly did kiss you. But only because that traitor Lupin put a recklessness potion in that chocolate. He just knóws I can't resist a piece of chocolate! Jesus Christ, I trústed him!'

While she was talking, her voice had become increasingly louder and higher, causing her to be screaming at James at the end of her sentence. He was looking at her thoughtfully. Then his face lit up.

'But hang on a second… a recklessness potion you said, didn't you? That means your thoughts are simply magnified! You did want to kiss me anyway, but now you dared to really do it!' Now he looked at her triumphantly. Lily was pondering. Crap, I can't get away with this one… 'Go on a date with me, Lily. I know that deep down you really want it.'

They were in seventh grade of Hogwarts, and each year James had asked her out for at least a dozen times. And each year she had responded with 'no' just as often. He was looking at her with those brown puppy eyes of his.

'Once again, Potter, I'm not going out with you!' she told him. She turned around as she flicked her hair over her shoulder, and tried to walk away as dignified as possible. She had the feeling that didn't go quite well. Because of her conversation with James and all the events of this evening, she wasn't as sure of herself as until now.

James watched Lily go with a smile on his face. She didn't turn around. He hadn't expected her to do that of course. She still hated his guts. Except for that little part of her, that had caused her to kiss him tonight. He hadn't known what was happening. She snogged him in broad daylight, in front of every other Gryffindor. Many of them had cheered, but she had obviously not been happy about that.

He was the only one that had seen the look on her face after she had realized what she was doing. Lily was torn between two feelings. He knew he should distance himself a little from her, but he couldn't. She had been the most important girl since their first meeting, when they had only been eleven years old. He had had only one goal in his mind since: get her to like him. Until now, that had been a disastrous failure, but tonight, there had developed an opportunity. It was a tiny opportunity, but he grabbed it with both of his hands.

There were many whispers in the Great Hall the next day. In one way or another, it seemed that everybody had found out in one night that Lily had kissed James. She was hugely ashamed of herself. Everywhere she came, she saw girls giggling or boys whispering. A bunch of Hufflepuff girls had even congratulated her, after which they walked to their common room, roaring with laughter.

The only one that seemed to be sorry for her, was her best friend, Mina Russell. She hated James and his friends nearly as much as Lily did herself. The whole day she patted her arm empathetically when Lily was ranting about James.

'He's just such a cocky, awful gít,' Lily said furiously, after their double class Charms on monday afternoon. 'This was only our first class together this week, but James was constantly nudging me. He was trying to start conversations with me all the time. He's incórrigable. Why is he doing this? I'm already looking up against tomorrow. Then I'll have to sit beside him again, in Transfiguration. He'll be even more annoying, because he's the best of class in Transfiguration. Besides me, of course. I'm seriously considering skipping class tomorrow. I could just say I'm ill or something. Oh no, damn it, it's McGonagall. She's not going to believe me. And I have to attend class, because I want to get many NEWTs as possible. Argh, I really can't stand this anymore. Mina, what d'you think?

But her friend was humming quietly while taking little sips of tea. She was staring at someone at the Ravenclaw table.

'Mina? Did you even listen to me?' said Lily a little indignantly.

'Hm?' Mina looked at Lily with a jump of her head. She blushed a little. 'Yes! Erm, you, erm… You're totally right, Lils!' Lily lifted her eyebrows.

'At whom were you staring, young lady?' Mina was quite red in her face at this point. Stuttering she tried to say that it was nothing, but Lily didn't fall for that.

She looked Mina in the eye sternly and she blabbered: 'Well, all right then! I was looking at Tommy Larson! He's in seventh grade of Ravenclaw and we're kind of dating. I really was going to tell you!' she said pleading as she saw the look on Lily's face.

James knew that everybody was talking about Lily and him. He didn't really mind, but he knew Lily thought it was terrible. During Charms he could see in her whole posture that she was still very angry with him. He felt that he'd not improved that. Guiltily he thought about his attempts to make her talk to him. He hadn't been able to stop himself. Sirius had been laughing at him the whole time. He considered James' argument with Lily as a big joke. Well, I'll prove him wrong! thought James, and he resolutely ran up the stairs to the dormitory.

Lily and Mina were doing their Potions homework when the Marauders came in. Lily turned her back to the portrait hole demonstratively. Mina looked at her while heaving a sigh.

'Don't act so childishly!' she whispered angrily, although she cast a few bitchy glances at them too. Lily looked at the clock.

'Damn!' she said annoyed, and she looked at James. He looked back surprised and he wanted to say something, but Lily was quicker. 'Potter! It's nine o'clock!'

'Shit,' said James and he turned around hastily to the portrait hole. Lily spurted after him. Raising his eyebrows, Sirius looked at Mina. Simultaneously, they shrugged.

James stomped through the corridors. 'It's your fault, Potter,' Lily whispered angrily at him, while she tried to keep up with him running. 'Why do I always have to pay attention to the time? You could try to look at the clock for once too! Why did Dumbledore make you Head Boy for god's sake? You do not have a bit of responsibility. Jesus, you're like a 4-year-old toddler! And I'm like your mother. God, do I always have to take care of you? Since the first year I've had to solve your problems. Do you recall our first christmas at Hogwarts? You had sneaked off to Hogsmeade with the older students, because you wanted to go to Zonko's at all costs. After that, I lied for you! To a teacher! Do you remember that, James Pleamount Potter? And you never even thanked me! Every time I saved your guts, you just went on with your life cheerfully, like it was nothing!' And Severus…'

But now was the first time James responded. 'Do not talk about that filthy rat to me, Lily. I know you've always had a soft spot for Snape, but I don't want to hear anything about him now!' Lily narrowed her eyes to slits. Now she really started screaming.

'You're just jealous, Potter! I knew it! I do not have a soft spot for Snape, but if he didn't love the Dark Arts so much he'd be a dozen times better than you! You arrogant, presumptuous imbecile!' James stopped abruptly and Lily almost bumped into him.

'You didn't mean that,' he said softly. 'Please tell me you didn't mean that.'

'I…' Lily stumbled. But she was interrupted by a sluggish voice behind them.

'Perhaps she did.' Without noticing him, they had walked past Snape. 'It wouldn't surprise me, Potter.' Lily's eyebrows were almost halfway her forehead.

'Well, Severus, if you had listened to me for a change, you'd have heard that I said that you'd be better than James if you didn't love the Dark Arts as much as you do,' she snapped at him. Snape was dumbfounded for a second. Then he smiled, which was possibly meant to be casual, like James could smile, while he looked rather uncertain.

'Well, from such a mudblood I don't need any approval anyway.' Now James got angry. Lily already wanted to stop him, because normally he jinxed Snape as much as he could. But after a brief moment of anger, he pulled Lily with him around the corner.

James had expected her to tear herself loose right away, but she ran a while with him. 'James,' he heard her panting. She called him James a lot more often than before, he noticed. He didn't know if that mattered. He stopped and let go of her arm.

'I'm sorry,' he said. 'For what?' she asked quietly and she looked at him with her beautiful green eyes. 'Everything.' And he ran back to the common room.

Lily didn't get it anymore. James had apologized to her. He had never done that before. He hadn't even jinxed Snape. He used to do that all the time. Maybe he's changing? asked a voice in her head. No, she thought stubbornly. James is only trying to impress me, this is not really who he is.

'What…?' She had bumped into someone again. 'Oh…' she said and she blushed. It was Tommy Larson, whom Mina liked. He was truly quite handsome from this close. Although… James' eyes are much prettier. And Tommy's hair is so neat. It's nicer when it's more ruffled, like James' for example. Just an example, right? It's not that James is handsome or something.

'Excuse me,' he said and he looked at her attentively. 'Aren't you Lily Evans? Head Girl of Gryffindor? Friend of Mina's? She told me very much about you, you know.'

'Erm, yeah, that's me, yes,' Lily said suspiciously. Something about this boy made her stomach tickle, but not in a good way.
'Excuse me,' he said again, and he looked at her contritely. 'I'll introduce myself. I'm Tommy Larson. I'm in Ravenclaw.' He stuck out his hand. Lily hesitated if she'd shake it. Her instinct screamed that he wasn't as nice as he acted right now.

More out of courtesy than out of genuine pleasure she shook his hand and said: 'Pleasure to finally meet you. Mina has told me much about you too.'

'Yes, a great pleasure,' he said thoughtfully. 'You know, Lily, if I wouldn't have Mina, I would've fallen for you straight away.' Gross, such a slimy git, Lily thought at once, and she tore her hand away.

He probably saw from the look on her face that she didn't see that as a compliment, because he said hastily: 'But naturally I do have Mina, and I love her with all of my heart, so don't worry.' And with a wink he walked around her, in the direction of the tower of Ravenclaw.