JAMES
The team flew like bullets everywhere. Red clashing with green. Sirius hit a Bludger before it came too close to my head and aimed it at Yaxley. It hit him in his thick skull, which I assumed was thick because he didn't even stagger. Rick Mane passed me the Quaffle and I threw it into Slytherin's goal, right past the awful Margie Shrill's head. She was the only girl on the Slytherin team and she had a right to be. Even though she was a Keeper didn't mean she couldn't pack a punch or send the Quaffle right back and make you fall off your broom.
I listened to the commentator saying, "Another ten points for Gryffindor by Potter." I caught Lily cheering for Gryffindor, but I hoped in the back of her mind she was also cheering for me. She was beautiful in her own way. Her flaming re-wait-auburn hair (she hates when I tell her that her hair is red), emerald green eyes, and her personality. Lily didn't wear make-up like other girls, or try to get my attention. She just did, without trying. I wasn't that interested in her physical appearance as much as I was with her personality.
Lily didn't worship me. She hated me. She was stubborn, impatient, smart, loyal, funny, witty, and she had a short temper. Lily hated wearing expensive clothing, didn't mind getting dirty, and she got jokes that other girls didn't. My mind has strayed a little bit hasn't it?
Where was I? Oh, right, Quidditch! Heidi Bush, our Seeker, continued looking for the Snitch. Sirius and Marlene were repelling the Bludgers and sending them back, making their senders the target. Our Keeper, Toby Pike, blocked the Quaffle every time a Slytherin dare try to score. The other two Chasers, Mane and Lara Sunfield, and I kept passing the ball to each other, swerving and weaving around other players, all the way to the goal. Soon the score was 70 to 0, Gryffindor in the lead.
A whoop of joy from Heidi Bush and she dove to her left and grasped something small and golden in her fist. Skit's whistle blew and the players descended back to the ground. The commentator screaming, "And Gryffindor wins. Two-hundred and twenty to zero. Slytherin is slime! They suck basilisk eggs!" You could hear Professor McGonagall, Gryffindor's Head of House, screaming, "LELAND SCOTT! Stop saying that aloud, even if it is true!"
I chuckled to myself and turned to the spectators. Gryffindor fans cheering, whooping, screaming, and running around. I loved bringing cheer to these guys. There was definitely going to be a party in Gryffindor Tower tonight. Slytherins booed and gave dirty glares to any passing Gryffindors. I even saw Severus Snape hang his greasy head in shame.
From behind, Sirius tackled me. "What a game, James! I was hitting those Bludgers like Duperman. I never really got why Muggles would name a superhero Duperman."
"Sirius, his name is actually Superman. Lily told me."
"That makes a lot more sense!" Sirius grinned. "Where's Remus? And Peter?"
"They're with Evans," I replied my smile fading.
"Why the hell would you leave them with Evans? Peter probably started telling her about your undying love for her while Remus continues to read!"
"I don't have undying love for her!"
"Yes, you do!"
"Why are we having this argument? Why am I letting you hug me when you're all sweaty?"
"In my defense, mate, you're all sweaty too," the grin on Sirius' face couldn't have been wider.
"Then let's go to the showers. We have to find them before they tell her I have a crush on her!" I was horror struck 'cause I just let my secret out to the greatest prat ever, I clamped my hand over Sirius' mouth. "You will not tell anyone about that last sentence or I will cut off all your hair. We all know how much Sirius loves his hair don't we?"
Sirius nodded, fear flashed in his gray eyes. If anything happened to his black locks he would personally kill me. And he knew that I always carried out my threats. Four years of friendship leads you to learn these things.
We flew our brooms back to the locker room and showered with the rest of the team, minus Marlene, Lara, and Heidi who were in the girl's locker room. We exited the locker rooms and congratulated each other.
We were met with Remus, Peter, Evans, and Mary all talking to one another. Sirius bounced next to me and trying to make conversation, opened his mouth. I, of course, shut it and whispered in his ear, "One word and snip goes your hair." He gulped and tugged on Remus' arm.
Remus asked Sirius, "What do you want, you oaf?" Sirius looked greatly offended but pointed at me and whispered something in Remus' ear. Remus looked confused because he asked, "You're scared that James is going to cut off all your hair? Why would he do that? What did you do t-? Did you tell her, Sirius? Did you tell her what James told us not to tell her?"
The last person I wanted to take interest in our conversation did. Evans asked me, "What did Black say to who that you told him not to say?" There were a lot of questions and answers going on around us. I did the sensible thing and ran away. I hightailed it out of there. You would swear someone had threatened to tie me in front of the Whomping Willow!
I heard rain falling lightly on the ground. It instantly went from a bright and sunny day to dreary and wet. It was like the weather was in tune to my emotions. The rain pattered harder and harder. By the time I got to my favorite beech tree by the lake, rain was flooding the grass, making it impossibly slippery and I was drenched. To tell the truth, I didn't care.
Lily knew exactly where to find me. This could be a problem, why was I so damn predictable? I heard footsteps thudding against the soaked ground and I looked up. She was beautiful, even when she was soaked through and through. Her auburn hair tinted darker due to the amount of water it held and it was plastered to her neck. Evans sat next to me and we said nothing.
I was surprised when I heard my own voice speaking for me. "Look, Evans they were talking about you. I told them," I took a breath and continued, "I told them that I had a crush on you," I finished lamely. She nodded and she wasn't all too impressed. I could tell by the look in her eyes.
I plucked courage out of my Gryffindor bag. "So, Evans, will you go out with me?" She hesitated and then her eyes went cold.
"No."
Her simple answer sent a shock through me. I had never been rejected for a date. Not even once!
"Why not?" My tone was quite desperate. She shook her head.
"We're not even on first name terms. You hex everything that walks by because you can, you mess up your hair so it looks like you just got off your broom, you are the biggest, most egotistical jerk there has ever been. When you wink and smile you expect every girl to fall into your arms."
"So, no, I refuse to go out with you," her tone was ice cold, like she could turn anybody she wanted into her own personal ice sculpture.
And she stormed away, leaving me alone in the rain. I thought about what she said. True, we didn't call each other by our first names. Mostly true, that I hex everybody that walks by. I would never hex my friends, only the Slytherins and a few others. False, that I run my hands through my hair to look even messier. I do that only when she's around (because I'm nervous) or whenever I'm nervous.
It's not my fault every girl thinks I'm cute, well, every girl except two. Mary and Evans. The duo. It was odd how they befriended really.
FLASHBACK
Sirius, Mary, Remus, Peter, and I sat under the beech tree during first year. It was the beginning of fall and I saw Evans talking to Severus Snape, a Slytherin first year whom I disliked. Evans had always been friendly with him. From what I could tell, they were friends long before Hogwarts – like the way Mary and I had known each other since we were six. She waved bye to him and sat under a tree not far from us. Sirius poked Mary in the ribs. "Mare, why don't you go say hi to her? She looks nice enough. I remember meeting her on the Hogwarts Express," Sirius paused here and gave it a thought. "Okay, maybe not so friendly."
Evans had treated us rather coldly on the train. She had stuck up for Snape when he couldn't do it himself. Mary lit up like a spark. "She doesn't like you guys?" I nodded and Mary walked away. Apparently, Mary wanted friends who didn't fawn over Sirius and I. Mary and Evans struck up a conversation and walked away, chatting.
END OF FLASHBACK
I finally understood what she meant. It would be rather tiresome to have a friend who kept asking if they had a chance with your neighbor or his best friend.
