OPTIVUS by P.P.V.V.

Disclaimer: The Standard Disclaim Applies.

AN: Wow, I'm glad to see that so many people are interested in this story. I am really grateful for all the comments and reviews that people left me – honestly, you guys rock! Here it is, then, the second chapter.

Onward.

Previously:

James was surprised to see Lily fast asleep at the table, her books and quills neatly stacked beside her. She looked beautiful – and deeply asleep – and he didn't want to wake her up. At the same time, he knew that she would have back pain from the crooked position she had placed herself in.

Ever the gentleman he bent down and scooped her up into his arms, holding her securely under her legs so that she wouldn't fall.

He was surprised that she did not wake, rather, she buried her face into the hollow of his neck. It must be admitted that he paused momentarily, to savor the feeling, but then he began to walk up the stairs to her bedroom.

It took him a while to get the door open because his hands were occupied, but when he finally did, he gently deposited her on her bed, removing her shoes as he did so.

Lily still did not wake, rolling over onto her side. James unbuckled the sword at her waist so that she could be more comfortable and unhooked her cape so that she wouldn't tangle herself in it, placed those on her chair by her desk, and left the room.

Unaware of any of his ministering, Lily slept on, lost in her dreams.

Chapter 2

Jealousy –

Like every morning, Lily was the third to arrive on the balcony where the Elites sat in the Auditorium. Sir Severus and Sir Dane were already seated in their respective chairs.

Sir Lucius came soon after. "Sir Dane, where is Sir Lorien?" He demanded, when he saw one of the Ravenclaw chairs unoccupied.

Sir Dane swept his gaze toward the Slytherin Elite. "He has fallen ill. He will not be attending the Assembly, nor will he be attending classes."

Lily frowned and turned in her seat. "There are a lot of students falling sick." She noted.

"This is bad," Sir Severus agreed, cracking open one of his books on his lap, "we've got much to do and with one less in numbers, we will be struggling to keep on schedule again."

He was right, of course, and the other Elites exchanged glances. "I will take half of his duties," Dane announced, fingering his blue cape thoughtfully. "Lady Lily, do you suppose…?"

Lily forced a smile onto her face and was about to respond when Sir Lucius interrupted, "I will take the other half. I shan't want to burden the Lady any more than she is."

"I can manage." Lily said, but Lucius had already seated himself next to Severus, leaving a seat between them in answer to her feeble protest.

It took a while for the auditorium to fill up and when the last person had taken their seat, only then did the Headmaster step onto the stage.

Master Edmund, a man who seemed to have aged since the attack on the school, made his way to the center before stopping and looking up at the balcony.

Roll call, prayers and hymns went by rather quickly that morning. When it was over, Dane stood first, and the other Elites got to their feet as well, mirroring the Ravenclaw Elite's salute to the Headmaster. The crowd below followed the Elites' example and only when they had hailed the Headmaster and taken their seats again did the man begin to speak.

"It is a cold morning," He said, in his deep voice, "but the cold weather will not last forever. Nor will the cold atmosphere of studies. As you well know, there is an upcoming Festival. In honor of Sir Albus, we will continue with this Tradition. I encourage everyone to enjoy as much as possible: we will, of course, be awarding the different Branches a fair amount of House Points depending on their participation."

Here, he paused, and the students gladly took up his offer for chatter. It lasted for a little while before Master Edmund put out his hands for silence. "I will let the council elaborate."

Narcissa made her way up onto the stage. She had not changed since the first day Lily had laid eyes on her. She still looked lovely, her blond hair seemed to glow under the auditorium's lighting. Unlike Celena, though, Narcissa was not quite as charming, nor was she as amiable. She waited for everyone's attention to be turned on her before she began speaking. "Sir Oliver has come down with a cough so I will carry out the announcements alone."

Lily glanced at the other Elites, glad her earlier observation was proven.

"The Festival will take place in approximately three weeks in Hogsmeade Village." She announced. "We will have our usual festivities, but each House is asked to represent itself somehow during the Festival - be it a presentation or what have you.

"On that day, students are expected to behave accordingly in the fashion of young Ladies and Gentlemen. Curfew will be extended an hour later than normal, so be sure to be within your dorms by Lights Out. All students caught outside the gates after the Last Bell will be severely punished and disgraced."

There was slight chatter after her last sentence and she cleared her throat. "If there are any further questions, feel free to ask the council members. The Elites are welcome to join us on that day, if they so desire."

So, they were given a choice, Lily was impressed. They must have known that the Elites were completely up to their neck in work, and that it was work that had to be done no matter what the circumstances.

Usually, for Academy Affairs, the attendance of the Elites was a requirement: this was so that the other students would feel encouraged as they were the symbols of the school.

The announcements continued and Lily lost track of whatever it was that Narcissa was saying because she leaned against the balcony's railing and caught sight of James down below, talking to someone.

It made her sit up straighter.

That someone was another girl.

For some reason or another, Lily felt a bolt of jealousy run through her. It wasn't so much that he was talking with her, but that he had his arm draped around the back of the girl's chair and his head was quite close to her ear and they were laughing.

Confused with the sudden emotion, she sat back. What gave her the right to get jealous? Hadn't she told him just yesterday that she wasn't interested in dating him? He was bound to get over her – he couldn't very well dote on her forever.

That realization seemed to burn a hole through her and she got up from her seat.

"Where are you going?" Dane asked, looking up at her.

"The washroom." She answered, stiffly.

He looked like he wanted to say something but she never gave him the chance, turning and stalking out of the room, her red cape flapping behind her.

Lily didn't go to the washroom though. Instead, she found herself wandering to the Front Hall, a section of the school that had been closed off due to needed repairs. The Third Floor Corridor had caved in a while back and its reconstruction was slow-going.

Because of the collapse, Aesalon had died.

Feeling tears prick at her eyes, she moved on: no, she would not allow herself to dwell on the past. Everyone told her that doing so would only bring her despair, and she didn't want that.

Aesalon wouldn't want that.

Because the students were in the Assembly, the school hallways were clear, and the sound of her shoes clacked away unhindered, against the sturdy, solid floors. The King's Army stood at attention by the walls, unmoving, like statues. It was rather eerie having their eyes trained on her every move.

Lily's mind wandered back to James.

Despite all her denials, she couldn't lie to herself – he had caught her fancy. It had started the day he had taken her on an adventure through the school during a storm, and she had finally been able to vent her frustrations with him. What made her comfortable around him was that he always listened, no matter what.

Still, something held her back in that she didn't want to commit to him, even though James had openly confessed to her. In truth, she was afraid: after what had happened to her parents, she couldn't bear the thought that that might happen to her too.

Her parents had been forced to divorce due to the fact that her mother was not of Noble kin. Sir Eric, her father, had left them alone in France after that, and had extricated himself from their lives. Only when her mother had fallen ill and had been hospitalized had Sir Eric decided to take care of Lily again. Even then, he stuck her in a boarding school for the Noblemen and he had disappeared from her life once more.

No, Lily didn't want her heart to be broken again, and she wasn't willing to surrender it to James just yet.

Her wanderings took her to the library, where Madam Pince looked up briefly upon her entry. The Librarian did not ask why Lily was not at the Morning Assembly, rather, she ducked her head back to her book and continued reading.

Taking the opportunity, Lily made her way toward the restricted section where no one was allowed to enter unless given special permission. The Elites, of course, were exempted from that rule so she took the liberty to let herself in.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw something move in the shadows at the far end of the bookshelves to her right. When she looked closer, she realized that it was a person and before she could so much as make a sound, the person moved forward urgently so that she could see his face.

It was Pavel Mihailouik – one of the Russian students that had transferred to their Academy.

His earnest gaze and finger to his lips made her racing heart slow down. "You nearly scared me to death!" She hissed, coming over to him.

He smiled apologetically and she demanded, "What are you doing back here? Students aren't allowed - "

"-I know." He softly cut in. "I fell asleep in the library last night, and when Madam Pince came in this morning, I panicked and rushed in here!"

Lily thought it was cute the way he nervously peeked out from behind the bookshelf.

"You missed Morning Assembly." She pointed out, when he ducked back again.

He tilted his head to the side. "Forgive me for taking the liberty, but may I ask why you are not present in the Assembly either?"
Lily paused and quickly answered, "I came to get a book for this morning's class." She could feel her ears heating with the lie, and she knew that Pavel did not believe her. She couldn't very well tell him that the sight of James with someone else had made her jealous.

Pavel did not comment on that, rather, he peeked out from the bookshelf again. "His Highness fell ill." He said, referring to the Russian Prince and thankfully changing the topic. "He must have caught a cold from the outdoors yesterday."

"A lot of people are falling sick." Lily told him. "It's not a surprise with the weather, but I'll have to take a note down that the flu seems to be rampant within the school grounds."

He sighed, letting his head thump back against one of the shelves. Particles of dust scattered around him when he did so and he absently brushed the pieces off of his brown uniform. "How am I going to get out of here without the Madam noticing me?"

Lily glanced around the stack of books they were hiding behind. "It's not like you did anything bad." She pointed out. "Hiding in here makes you seem more like a criminal, doesn't it?"

He huffed in dismay. "I'd rather not get a lecture." He said, turning pleading eyes to her.

She found his stare to be adorable. "I'll help you, then." She offered, knowing that that was what he had been thinking. "But you've got to be quick and sneak by or else all my effort will be put to waste and I'll have to scold you as well because I'm an Elite."

Satisfied with the exchange, he nodded in agreement.

So, taking a deep breath, Lily stepped back into the aisle and quickly crossed over to the partition that separated the restricted section from the regular books, letting herself through again. She strode toward Madam Pince, purposefully, clearing her throat.

"Sorry to interrupt," Lily said, "but I was wondering if you had any more copies of H.W Academy: A History?" That was the first book that came to her head and she desperately searched her brain for an excuse as to why she would need it.

Madam Pince put down her book and looked over her glasses up at the Gryffindor Elite. "I have three copies." Was the response.

Lily looked back at the restricted section and saw Pavel peeking out, hopefully. "Well," she declared, "I thought there would be at least one in the restricted section. I had hoped that it could easily be found there, but I guess I have to search through the stacks."

The librarian didn't seem impressed by Lily's decision. The redhead glared at Pavel before looking back at Madam Pince and smiling sweetly. "Do you happen to know just how many copies of the books are in the other libraries?"

Madam Pince creased her forehead suspiciously. "Why are you looking for that book in particular?"

Lily quickly thought of a lie. "Professor Binns is in need of a few copies because they're doing an in-class project and he needs copies that don't have any notes written inside them. You know how it is, with students writing things in the margins of their texts." She chanced another quick peek at Pavel and was relieved to see that he had managed to slip through the partition and was now hiding behind another row of books closer to the exit. She turned her smile back to Madam Pince and asked, "So, do you know how many copies are in the other libraries, for reference? He kind of needs it for this afternoon's lecture."

This time, the Librarian closed the book she was reading and stood. "I could try to find out for you, if you would just wait here."

"I'd appreciate it, thanks." Lily said, and with that, the woman got up and made her way to the office where all the catalogues for the book lists were stacked neatly in filing cabinets. As soon as she was out of sight, Pavel shot up and made a dash for the exit, managing to make it out just in time as Madam Pince came back.

"There are another four volumes in the East Wing Library, and two more in the South Wing." She reported. "Did you want to sign out those that I have here?"

Knowing that it would be suspicious of she did not do just that, Lily fervently nodded. "Thank you so much, Madam!" she said. "I'm sure Professor Binns will appreciate it."

How did I get myself into this? Lily thought as the Madam moved toward a stack of books toward the back of the room, saying, "Professor Binns usually checks his books out a week before lessons begin. I wonder if he forgot this time?"

"Uh…yes, that must be it." Lily said. "I don't suppose it will happen again."

At that, Madam Pince actually laughed. "I won't be surprised if it does: that man's memory is fading with his age, and believe you me, he's quite old – but don't tell him I told you that." She stopped by a shelf and began to run her finger down the spines in search of the aforementioned books and proceeded to hand them to Lily when she found them.

Lily promised she would have them back on the Library shelves within the week and made to exit just as the Bell's Chimes began to gong – it was time for breakfast. Actually, for the Elites, it meant it was time for their morning classes.

Pavel was right outside, looking about anxiously, when she came out of the Library. He brightened upon seeing her, dimples creasing when he grinned and she felt herself blush. He was a very handsome creature in his own way. While he didn't have the rugged, dark appeal that Sirius possessed, or the cool composed perfection that James did, he had a unique look to him.

He had a head full of dark blond hair and possessed blue eyes that she swore could see the truth in everything. His English was impressive despite the fact that he had only been in H.W.Academy for less than three months. Everything about him made Lily's insides squirm with anticipation.

He spoke, making her stomach flip eagerly. "Lady Lily, I apologize for the complications you had to undergo on my behalf."

Lily tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear, balancing the three books she held in her right hand. "That's okay. But don't expect me to do that every day for you." She teased.

His dimples were shown again as he smiled. "And what do you plan to do with those books?" he asked.

She glanced down at the textbooks as if noticing them for the first time. "You're right," she said, "Madam Pince will ask after them and if Professor Binns doesn't get them, I will have a lot of explaining to do."

"I'm really sorry." Pavel said again. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Lily shook her head. "I'll think of something." She said, cheerfully. "In the meantime, sir, I have to go to class or else Professor McGonogall won't be happy with me either." She gave him a little wave and he bowed smartly, watching her walk away.

"Lady Lily, wait!" he called, jogging up to her. She gave him a questioning look and he said, "I…uh…do you…will you take tea with me later?" he asked, hopefully.

She took a moment to understand what he was asking – it had been quite some time since anyone had asked her to take tea with them, especially since becoming an Elite.

Asking an Elite to tea was like asking Royalty to join you for dinner.

Not that Lily thought herself above others: it was just a general rule that Elites were of a different class than the other noblemen and women.

And that was precisely why Lily hesitated. Sir Lucius had made it very clear to her that the Elites did not grant special audiences with anyone for two main reasons. One, because of the amount of work that the Elites were expected to do, their time was very limited to spare. The second, if they began doing so, they would have to accommodate the whole school and there wasn't enough of them to go around.

Lily discovered very early that the job of an Elite was a very difficult and a very lonely one – and unfortunately for her, she could not hand it off to just anyone.

The Elites were chosen from the top two students in every Branch. Each year, an examination had to be passed in order to gain the position, however, if the Branch's students were unable to meet the requirements of the examination, the post would be unfilled until the following year.

There had been 8 Elites – that is, until three of them died in the unfortunate incident when their institution had been infiltrated and held as hostages. Now, they were down to five, and with seats unfilled, they were having a hard time keeping up.

The Elites were practically worshipped to the point that everyone stayed respectfully out of their way and showed them the utmost respect. So, it was a little bit of a shock to have someone with whom she was not so familiar with to ask her to tea.

How she hated the rules of the Noble Houses!

Endeavoring to put a smile on her face, Lily repeated the action of tucking her hair behind her ear as she thought. It had only been a few months since she was introduced to the Academy anyway, and she had defied the rules before. Surely it wouldn't hurt to do so one last time, would it?

"I'd love to."

Pavel seemed to be expecting a negative response because a look of confusion passed over his features before he registered her answer. A special smile took its place though and he calmly took her hand and raised it to his lips, leaving a kiss there. "I'll meet you in front of the Slytherin Tower, then?"

Lily felt a shiver run down her arm and she found she could not quite pull her hand away from his. "I'll be there." She managed to say. It sounded more like a squeak in her ears, but he didn't seem to mind.

"You'd best get to class, then." The man said. "I'm looking forward to it. Good day."

Lily watched as he turned toward the Dining Hall.

"Lady, you'll be late if you stand there all day." Lucius' voice came from her right shoulder and she jumped, guiltily. "And might I remark that that was one long trip to the washroom."

She had a lot of explaining to do.

0-0-0-0-0

The hospital ward was off in its own corner of the Academy, located on the first floor for easy access and in the East Wing. It was here that James decided to spend his breakfast hour, within the white-washed walls and shadowed over-hangings.

He had come here often in the past, not because he himself was sick, but because Peter Pettigrew, one of his dearest friends, had frequently visited the place.

But Peter was gone now. He had been sent away, and of his current condition, James did not know.

It was eerily quiet, and his footsteps could be heard clacking away at the floor as he crossed the room to a bed where another familiar friend lay.

This time, his friend was no longer delirious and he took the opportunity to sit down next to his bed. "A good morning to you, sir!" He greeted Remus, who looked much better than he had the night before. "I see they've moved you to the Ward. Your fever must have been really high."

"I feel better now, thank you." Remus said. "As much as I hate this wretched room, I have to admit that it is very effective."

"It's the people working in it that are effective." A lady's voice interrupted with fond sternness. "The room in itself is nothing to be given credit for."

At that, Remus chuckled. "I apologize, my Lady. I thank you for your pains."

Madam Pomfrey had just entered, a round, robust woman nearing her late 30s. She was garbed all in white, including her soft-shoes which would explain how James had not even been aware of her presence.

She was the main Nurse at the Academy, and everyone knew that her sharp tone was not always out of anger. Still, it could pause some people in their steps.

Remus took it all into stride as she bustled around him, checking his temperature and making sure that he was supplied a meal before leaving to check on another patient.

James watched him pick at his porridge before saying, "You know, you must learn to control that flippant tongue of yours. It will be the death of you, someday."

His friend merely grinned. "At least I will go with some humor." He said, tapping his spoon against the bowl he held. "In any case, that's not what you're here for, is it?"

Scowling, James resisted the urge throw a punch at his friend's leg. "I can't drop in to visit a sick patient?"

"Why, thank you for caring." Remus said, smoothly. "With luck, I should be out of here by tomorrow." He proceeded to eat his food and the two sat side by side in silence until he had finished.

Remus broke the silence by saying, "I'm worried about them, too, James." The former Elite knew he was referring to Sirius and Peter. "And I'm sure they remember that today is your birthday."

James should have known that Remus wouldn't forget either. This was the first time his birthday would not be celebrated with his friends by his side. With Peter and Sirius gone, and Remus in the hospital, his special day was quite dull. In the past, they had always had a feast in the Chamber of Secrets. He nodded his appreciation and Remus asked, "Did you make a wish?"

"My wish would only be for Peter's recovery and their safe return when the time comes." James said, automatically. "The Marauders are incomplete without them."

"The Marauders will not last forever." Remus said, quietly finishing off his meal. "We will all have to go our separate ways."

"The Marauders will be the Marauders until death." James argued. "Even if time moves forward, and we go separate ways, we will still be friends."

Remus chuckled again, placing the now empty bowl down on the dresser next to his bed. It held a bouquet of dried flowers, a few of its petals littering the white wood, the strong red color looking like blood. "You sound like a youngster for someone who is a man grown."

This time, James did punch him, hitting him softly on the shoulder for the banter.

They continued their conversation for a long while. It felt good to relive memories and to speak freely about anything and everything. With his friends, there were no secrets he was afraid to keep, and he should have known that Remus could see right through him.

"The Lady Lily seems to have taken an interest in you."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I hear you fancy her too."

Feigning innocence, James asked, "Whoever could have told you that?"

Remus smirked. "Oh, come now, James! You make a terrible liar – we've all seen it: the minute she walks into the room, you can't take your eyes off her."

Knowing that his blush was a dead giveaway, James let his shoulders slump in defeat. "I don't know why she does not reciprocate my feelings. I know she fancies me but…" He sighed, frustrated. "Am I not charming enough?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Sir, these things take time. I'm of the mind that Lady Lily will be a hard one to win over: she's got a will of her own, as stubborn as a…well…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence and say something that might hurt any feelings.

"Yes, she certainly is stubborn." James agreed. "Now that she has become a Philologus Elite, it is near impossible to speak with her. I had the chance to speak with her at dinner last night, though."

The Morning Bells rang just then, signaling the end of the breakfast period and the beginning of classes for those who were not Elites. It also signaled the end of James' visit and he stood, reluctantly. "I'll consider what you said." He clapped his friend on his shoulder and promised he'd swing by later that night to check up on him.

Remus lay back down on his pillows. "We'll celebrate when I'm fully recovered." He promised, and James hurried away, before Madam Pomfrey could chase him out.

0-0-0-0-0

The day passed slowly and James wished he could speed it up. Nothing of event happened and worst of all, there was still no news from Sirius' end about Peter's wellbeing. He was starting to worry that something had happened to the two.

He became hopeful when by tea time, the Headmaster summoned him to his office.

Master Edmund was a tall man who held himself with an air of authority. He had dark eyes that reminded James of a hawk's; penetrating and never missing anything. Despite his calculating gaze, he was a jovial fellow, who did his best to live up to the previous Headmaster.

"Professor." James stood in the doorway to his office, announcing his presence and waiting to be invited in. The room, as he remembered it, had not changed at all. It was built in a somewhat circular manner, rows of books looking down at him from their shelves on the walls.

"Sir James, pray be seated." The offer was extended.

James did as he was told, sitting down in the middle-most chair that faced the Headmaster's oak desk.

"Would you like some wine?" Edmund offered, and James politely held his hand up to decline. Seemingly disappointed, the former shrugged. "Might I wish you congratulations on your birthday?"

"Thank you, sir." James said. He couldn't help the note of anxiety in his voice, and Master Edmund must have heard it because he wasted no more time in making small talk. "We've received news from the Palace."

At that, James sat up straighter. "Peter…?"

Edmund shook his head. "No…the King writes with explicit instruction that his Treaty be returned to him."

Perplexed, James repeated, "His Treaty?" He gripped his armrests. "Does His Grace mean to go to war with Russia after all?"

"I don't know, my boy." The man said, as he poured two glasses of wine despite the fact that James had not wished to drink any. "He never thought to explain it to me in his letter. It merely states that in the time of emergency, he thinks it best to keep the Treaty in the Castle where it will be safe. He fears that it will be used as a device that against the Academy again." He held out a glass to James, who accepted it without a second thought.

"But his army is here – we're protected! Why let it leave the Palace in the first place if he thought it safer there?"

It didn't make any sense.

Master Edmund took a sip of his wine and stared out the window, where the sun had already set and the stars had begun to take their places in the sky. "I can only guess that is it because Sir Albus no longer heads this institute, and until he is found, we cannot risk the Treaty being in the Academy."

James demanded, "Have we made any progress in finding where he is being held?"

"I've not heard any news from the Council." Edmund reported. "We will have to be a little more patient."

James threw back his glass of wine in one swallow, angrily.

Waiting. That's all he ever did. He was tired of waiting. But if it was the King's orders, he had no choice but to comply. He had, after all, made a promise in service to the Crown. His mind worked, snagging on that empty air that he had mulled over for months. Somehow, he could not piece the puzzle together completely. Something was missing…something was wrong…

He knew that Master Edmund had called on him specifically because he was always able to analyze situations and come to the right conclusion. In this though, he was having a hard time solving the riddle. There had to be something more to that request than met the eye. "Professor, I don't have an answer." He said, at last. "I need time to think."

Edmund nodded. "Very well. I would like your opinion on the matter before I speak with Sir Lucius. More wine?"

"No, thank you." James said, standing up and straightening his uniform's shirt. "If you'll excuse me."

Without waiting for a response, he left, thoughts swirling in his mind's eye. He hadn't expected the King to make such a request. He didn't see the rationale behind it at all.

All thoughts about the problem flew out of his head as he saw a certain red head making her way in his direction, hugging textbooks to her chest as she ran. She looked up in time to avoid a collision with him and he felt a smile well from within him as her green eyes locked with his.

"Lady Lily!"

"Oh…Sir James…" she fumbled momentarily with her burdens before saying, "I'm sorry, I'm really busy right now…"

"Do you need help?" He asked.

"No. No, I'm fine." She answered.

"Ah, I see." He took a deep breath and said, "Where shall we meet for practice tonight?"

At that, her face fell. "Oh…um…I'm really sorry...I spent more than an hour with Pavel earlier and..." She cast him a guilty look. "I lost track of time so now I have a lot to catch up on. Maybe we can practice tomorrow night instead?"

He forced his smile to stay on his face. "Yes, I understand."

Lily shifted the books to her left hand. "I'm really sorry…" she said again.

He raised his hand. "That's quite all right." He heard himself saying. She dipped her head gratefully before making her way back down the hall. He found he could not move from his spot as he watched her retreating figure.

This year it hadn't been a very happy birthday at all.

To Be Continued…

AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter too and I really hope that you will leave me your thoughts in a review. It really encourages me to write and I would really appreciate it if you did!

That said, thanks for reading,

-P.P.V.V.