Let me know what you think of this, it's going to be a novel length fic, and I would like constructive criticism before I go too much further. My next update probably won't be for a while.
Thanks to my sister for being my in-home beta. Thanks to JK and Warner Bros for letting me play in the sandbox.
Chapter One:
"It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was,
why don't you understand,
That I'm never changing who I am."
-Imagine Dragons
The sun had barely risen over the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but a small group of students was already headed down to the quidditch pitch. Most of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team was still half asleep, trudging to the pitch, their eyes still heavy with sleep. James Potter, however, walked with a definite spring in his step. His first year as captain of the team had been a huge success, and the Gryffindor House had a formidable lead for the house cup going into the last match of the season.
"We need to be in top shape today," He said, throwing his Nimbus 1500 over his shoulder, and walking backward to face his team.
"So you said, when you sent that bloody bird to wake us all up," Ernest McGinty, one of his beaters spoke from the back of the group. Both of the team's beaters were a year behind James, in their fifth year, and they were resistant to James' institution of early morning practices. James had taken to sending his owl, Bia, to deliver notes to the team to schedule practices. She tended to do whatever necessary in order to make sure the messages weren't ignored, which was evident in the deep nicks in the fingers of a few of the players.
"You won't be complaining about waking up when Gryffindor is holding the cup for the first time in ten years, McGinty," James laughed, turning around as they approached the pitch.
"He'll probably still be complaining, mate," Matthew Bronson, the other beater, said as he muffled a yawn. "An' so will I. It's bloody early, James."
The team murmured in halfhearted agreement as they filed into the locker room to put on their practice uniforms. James yelled out to the other players as he pulled on his protective gear over his clothes. "I know it's early, and I know you're all tired, but I just want to make sure we have all of our new plays and formations down. This will be our hardest game so far. Glass hasn't missed a snitch this year, and McKinnon has the second highest number of points scored," James sighed, and gave a small smirk as he couldn't help himself adding, "After me of course."
Barnabas Cuffe, one of the team's three seventh years, Head Boy, and one of the other chasers scoffed loudly. "And who assisted you on half of those goals, Potter?" He said, with a teasing air. There had been some issues at beginning of the season. Cuffe had been angry that James had made captain over him, and the two struggled to work together. However, when the first match came around they won by over four hundred points, and Cuffe conceded that James must be doing something right.
Penny Keddle, the other chaser, and James' fellow sixth year nodded and agreement. "And the only reason McKinnon has such as high average is because Wilkes was in the hospital wing during their last match and Slytherin had that runty third year playing keeper."
"Wilkes is big enough to guard two hoops without moving," James said, to the general laughter and agreement of the team. He fixed his glasses and picked up his broomstick. "Now, why don't we get started on that practice that I dragged you all out of bed for, yeah?"
"Here, Here!" Several members of the team raised their broomsticks and cheered.
Outside, there weren't ideal quidditch conditions. It was a bit cold for May, and the sun shone very brightly. James kicked off, and felt the wind whip his hair in every direction. While this was a feeling that he typically loved, it meant that the winds would probably affect their flying as well as the movement of the quaffle.
Once the entire team was in the air, James called out plays for all of the players, formations for the chasers, and patterns for the beaters and seeker to fly in. Despite the wind, he, Cuffe, and Penny flew well together, as usual. James was already dreading having to replace Cuffe next season.
The team flew well despite the weather, until a gust of wind jerked Cuffe mid-throw, and the quaffle hit Penny square in the face. The entire team landed, and rushed to surround her. When James had reached them, Cuffe had his wand to Penny's face, and his hand was shaking.
"Episkey!" He said, and Penny winced. Her face was scarlet with blood, and a deep bruise was already spreading over her nose and eyes, and there was a definite bump in her nose. "Merlin, Penny, I'm so sorry, the wind knocked me off bal-"
"Shut up- shut up," James said, pushing him out of the way. "Just run and get some towels, Cuffe." Cuffe didn't protest, he just ran to the locker room. "Are you alright, Penny?" He said, turning to his teammate, who was still bleeding profusely.
"Am I alright, or can I still play?" She said smartly, looking up at him.
James cracked a grin. "Both," He said, seeing the sparkle in her eye, despite the bruises surrounding them.
She sighed. "It's not the first time that this has happened to me, Potter." She said, as Cuffe came running back with a small white towel from the locker room. Penny took it, and pressed under her nose.
"I really am sorry," Cuffe said, grabbing her shoulder and squeezing it.
"It's fine," Penny said, muffled through the towel.
Deborah Simpson, the seeker, spoke up as well. "Keddle's not going to let us lose our last game,"
"Damn straight, I'm not," Penny said, "I'm just going to look a mess while we win."
James laughed. Besides the marauders, Penny was once of his closest friends. Though they didn't know each other as children, they had similar upbringings. James and Penny both came from very old, very wealthy wizarding families. The Potters' fortune came from centuries of public service, generations of high-ranking Ministry of Magic officials. Penny's ancestry was a slightly more exciting story. She was a descendant of the Keddles of Queerditch Marsh, the village where Quidditch came about. Her family had become one of the most influential families in the sport. She had several aunts and uncles who played professionally, and her father was the owner of Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon Alley. Though they didn't talk much in classes, quidditch and flying is where they bonded. He admired her "win-against-all-odds" attitude at times like this, because it was a trait that they shared.
"Dizzy at all?" James asked, making Penny sit down on the ground. As much as he needed Penny to play, he couldn't have her falling off her broom in the middle of the match.
"I-I'm fine," She snapped at him, but he could hear the hesitation in her voice. The towel that she was using to sop up the blood was completely scarlet.
"I'd feel better if you took some blood-replenishing potion," Cuffe said, slowly. "I can run back to the castle and ask Pomfrey-"
"She'd ask too many questions-" McGinty called from the back of the group. "And she wouldn't let Keddle play."
"I have an idea," James said, thinking quickly, and running back to the locker room.
Lily Evans was having a perfect Saturday morning. After a nice lie-in, she had dressed in full Gryffindor regalia, and headed down to breakfast. However, soon after sitting down at the tables, an unwelcome disruption to the perfect morning came in the form of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The three boys were also dressed in scarlet and gold, but in varying degrees of house spirit. While Remus and Peter sported rosettes and scarves, Sirius had taken the Gryffindor spirit to a level completely unparalleled. His face was painted in red and gold, and he had a school tie wrapped around his head. The top half of the buttons on his shirt were undone as well, and Lily could see that there was a lion painted on his chest. They sat down across from Lily.
"Good Morning, Evans," Sirius said, grabbing a piece of toast from her plate.
"Morning," She said, shooting him a look. "To what do I owe this-" She narrowed her eyes. "-Pleasure,"
"Listen, Evans- Lily-" Sirius said, leaning forward on the table. "I am about to ask you for a favor of the utmost importance."
Lily groaned. "No, I won't go out with James Potter," Lily said, rolling her eyes. If this was one of Potter's schemes to ask her out, it would be the eighteenth time this year that he would have asked her out.
Sirius let out a loud chuckle, and exchanged a glance with the other two boys. "Not what I was going to ask, but it is funny if that's what your mind falls to straightaway."
Lily felt color creeping into her cheeks. "What do you need, Black?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"There was an accident on the quidditch pitch a few minutes ago, and one Penelope Keddle is in need of a dose of Blood-Replenishing potion," Sirius said slowly.
"Is she alright- why doesn't she just go see Madame Pomfrey?" Lily knew the answer to this question before she finished asking it. Penny had been her roommate for six years, and they were practically sisters. She knew that Penny wouldn't do anything that could risk her chances at playing in a quidditch match, and Pomfrey would never let her play injured.
"She's fine," Sirius said, waving his hand. "Cuffe broke her nose. The break is healed, but I guess she lost a lot of blood, and she's a bit dizzy, and Jamesie doesn't want her playing dizzy."
"Cuffe broke- why - how do you know that?" Lily said, wondering what he could possibly do to help with this situation. "I can't brew a blood replenishing potion in the next half hour."
"I'm not asking you to. I just want you to swindle a bit out of your old buddy Slughorn," Lily opened her mouth to protest. "You know he can't say no to you, Evans. Be a sport. It'd mean a lot to James,"
Lily groaned, and looked regretfully down at her uneaten breakfast. "I'll do it for the team- for Gryffindor," She said.
"For Gryffindor!" Sirius said, with a triumphant look on his face. "Just bring it down to the pitch as soon as possible." He got up, and the other two followed him.
Remus looked over his shoulder and mouthed "Sorry."
Lily trudged her way to Professor Slughorn's office, which was a small room just off of the Potion's Classroom. She knocked on the heavy wooden door, and then stepped back.
"One moment, one moment," Lily heard, as heavy footsteps thundered toward the door. The door creaked open to reveal Horace Slughorn, with a bit of egg stuck in his mustache. "Miss Evans! What a surprise! I was just having a bit of breakfast before the match!"
Lily feigned a chuckle. "I assumed, professor," She said, gesturing to her own face, indicating where the egg had gotten stuck in the walrus-like mustache.
"Oh dear!" Slughorn laughed, turning back into his office. "Come in, Miss Evans, come in."
Lily walked into Slughorn's office. It was very small, and instead of desk, there was a large dinner table. Nearly every bit of wall space was covered in shelves. Some of the shelves housed various potions and potions ingredients, while others were adorned with pictures and newspaper articles of Slughorn's favorite students. It was common knowledge in the school that Lily was one of these favorites. Slughorn had taken a liking to her in the very first week of second year, when she had brewed a perfect Swelling Solution, and then asked James Potter if someone had used it on his ego.
"I'd wager that you didn't come down here to join me for breakfast," Slughorn said, trying to wipe the egg from his mustache with a silk napkin, and missing.
"No sir, but perhaps another time," Lily said, hoping that he wouldn't schedule a rain check. "I was wondering if I could ask you a favor, Professor, you see. There was an accident during the Gryffindor Quidditch practice this morning, and I was wondering if I could get a bit of blood replenishing potion for Penelope Keddle. She is alright, but just a little bit faint."
"Oh, dear," Slughorn said, his brow furrowed. "It's against regulations for me to give away medicinal potions to students if it is not an emergency- could she go to the hospital wing?"
"If she goes to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey won't let her play in the match," Lily said, before abruptly changing tactics. "You know, Professor, it is Barnabas' last game, and he was telling me that the Editor of the Prophet will be there. You were kind enough to set up that meeting for him about the Sports Columnist position, and Barnabas is sure that winning the game would secure him the position."
Slughorn appeared to be considering it. Barnabas was one of Slughorn's chosen few as well. Several papers that he had written in his fourth year had been published in various educational journals. Lily could tell that she had Slughorn now. There could be no question of letting one of his favorite students down. "Oh, alright, Miss Evans," He said, getting up, and walking over to one of the shelves. He picked up a small vial and handed it to her. "Just have her drink half of this bottle, and the effects should be instantaneous."
Lily grinned, taking the vial. "Thank you professor! From the entire Gryffindor Quidditch Team," She added, with a small wink.
"Good Heavens, girl," Slughorn said, walking her out. "The only thing worse than my colleagues finding out that I broke protocol to give you this, would be the students in my house finding out that I helped the enemy," He whispered, in faux scandalized tones.
"Well, my lips are sealed, " Lily said, leaving the office.
"Oh! And Miss Evans!" Slughorn said, just as she turned to walk away. Lily turned back around, and Slughorn was holding three fancy envelopes. "My end of the year dinner is in a few weeks, and I would be delighted if you could make it. I've invitations for Miss Keddle and Mr. Cuffe as well."
"Thank you sir, I will make sure that they get them!" Lily said, taking the envelopes. She rolled her eyes as she walked away, heading down to the quidditch pitch.
At the pitch, dozens of people had already made their way down to the stands to get seats closer to the field. Lily jogged to the locker room, and slipped inside. Penny was laying face down on one of the benches.
"Is that Lily?" She asked, sitting up. "Merlin's pants, Lily tell me you got the potion."
Lily nearly blanched at the sight Penny's face. She had cleaned off the blood, but her dark skin had gone sickly pale. This stood in stark contrast to the black and blue that spread over her eyes and nose.
"She knows she looks like hell, Evans, just give her the potion," James Potter said, strutting out of the Captain's Office, "You, however, look like a ray of sunshine."
Ignoring him, Lily walked over to Penny and uncorked the vial. "Take half of this, and then I'll try to do a charm to lighten the bruising for you."
"What would I do without you, Lily?" Penny downed half of the potion and winced. Color pooled in her cheeks, and the bruise darkened a bit.
"Fall to your death, most likely." Lily smiled. "And you'd probably never get your invitation to-"
"Stop. Don't-"
"Slughorn's end of the year dinner." Lily finished, pointing her wand at Penny's nose. "Exfrendus."
The color faded several shades to a lighter yellow shade, but her nose was still swollen. Lily pulled out both of the invitations and gave them both to Penny. "Feel okay?" Lily asked, as Penny touched her nose gingerly, and smirked.
"Much better, thanks," Penny stood up. "Good as new, 'cept I think this bump in my nose is permanent."
"Thanks, Evans." Potter said, leaning casually against a locker. "You're an angel, really," It was times like this that Lily wished that she wasn't a prefect. She wished that she could just fly off the handle, wheel back, and make Potter's face look like Penny's had just moments ago. His persistence infuriated her. He was so smug, he looked at her with a lively humor in his eyes, like he knew something that she didn't and he refused to tell her.
"An angel that could kick your ass, Captain," Barnabas said, stepping forward and slinging an arm around Lily's shoulders.
Penny shot a look a suggestive look at Lily, but she brushed it off.
"I don't doubt it," Potter said, grabbing his broomstick, and standing up. "But right now, Evans, if you don't mind, we have a whole set of asses to kick. If you want to hang around, though, I'd be glad to give you a private tour of the showers after we win the match." He winked at her. Lily balled her hands into fists, but kept her temper.
"Like I've said before, Potter, I'd prefer the Giant Squid." She put on her most sickeningly sweet smile. "Good luck everyone."
"You need to cool down with Evans, mate," McGinty called from the back of the line, as the players took formation to walk out onto the pitch. "The shower thing?"
James just shot a glance back at the beater and chuckled. "I've got the Evans thing under control, thanks." He said, pushing open the doors as the team walked out onto the pitch.
"Do you, though?" Penny said snippily.
"I'd like to think so, yeah," James retorted, quickly.
"I think you're the only one who thinks so," Cuffe said, from somewhere behind James in the line.
"What's with the criticism today, team?" James said, with false betrayal in his voice. Everyone knew that he had been asking Lily out for years. He'd liked other girls, he'd been with other girls, but Lily was the one who had stuck with him. Most people would have described her as 'The One That Got Away' but James had a shorter attention span. People said that, and he only heard 'The One.'
"We're just saying, Potter, you've got to start showing her a bit more respect or-"
"Or what," James cut Cuffe off midsentence.
Cuffe reached past Penny and grabbed his shoulder. James looked back. Cuffe had a strange look on his face.
"Or someone else might start."
James avoided responding as the team fell in his wake. He stepped up to Madame Hooch, and stood across from Warren McKinnon, the Ravenclaw captain.
"You both know the drill, I want a clean game, don't end the season on a bad note," Madame Hooch said sternly, her hawk eyes narrowed on the two captains.
"Yes ma'am," James said at the same time as McKinnon. James reached for his hand, and McKinnon took it firmly. Both captains nodded at one another.
James walked back to his team. "It'll be a fair game, McKinnon is a decent guy. Keep it clean," he nodded at the beaters, who responded in kind. "We are the best," He said to the others. "We will win this,"
And they all took to the sky.
Lily found a seat right behind Remus Lupin. She tapped him on the shoulder just as the game was beginning.
"Hey! I take it everything went well?" He said, looking back and forth between Lily and the match. "Penny seems to be flying alright."
"She's fine," Lily said, "She's stubborn."
Remus laughed out loud, and glanced over Sirius, whose painted chest was entirely exposed, as he yelled and cussed as Ravenclaw took the quaffle. "Oh, I understand."
"Potter was charming as ever," Lily groaned. "Invited me on a private tour of the showers if they win."
"That's a new one," Remus mused, glancing back at Lily. "You must understand the way that James works by now. He like to win. He's used to getting what he wants," As if on cue, James threw the quaffle through one of Ravenclaw's goal hoops. Everyone in the Gryffindor stands stood up and let out a cheer. "You intrigue him, Lily. You don't give him what he wants, so it makes him want it even more."
"Stop psychoanalyzing with Evans, Remus, you're putting me to sleep," Sirius said, without taking his eyes off of the match.
"So the only way to get him to leave me alone is to give him what he wants? That's so asinine," Lily complained, as on the pitch, Penny tried to score a goal, only to have it blocked by Ravenclaw's keeper.
"Give him what he wants, and you'll be stuck with him for life," Peter chirped up for the first time.
Lily groaned, and put her chin in her hands. James Potter had girls throwing themselves at him left and right, but instead he had committed himself to an endless devotion, or, as it seemed to Lily, and endless harassment, when she wanted no part of his affection.
Lily didn't know much about quidditch, but it became quite obvious over the course of the game that Gryffindor had the upper hand. When Ravenclaw scored one goal, Gryffindor scored two or three. After nearly two hours, the Ravenclaw seeker caught the snitch, but it didn't matter. Gryffindor was more than three hundred points ahead. They had won the Quidditch Cup, and they now had such a lead for the House Cup that Lily could practically see the trophy in McGonagall's office.