Disclaimer – I only own Phillipa and Lucy. J K R owns all the good ones!
Note to Aziraphale – Cool! I actually live in Gateshead now, but I am a SAFC season ticket holder (West Stand). I hate the skunks, hope you do too!!
The next morning, and breakfast time for the Gryffindor Fifth years was a quiet and subdued affair. James, Sirius and Remus had turned up in grim silence. All three showed signs of recently being in the wars – James with his black eye inflicted by Lily, Sirius had a fat lip inflicted by James and Remus had a lump the size of a pigeon's egg on his forehead, also inflicted by James when Remus had tried to pull him off Sirius. Of Lily, there was no sign. Phillipa and Lucy exchanged glances. The atmosphere was oppressive, and neither of them felt inclined to break the silence. Thankfully, Remus came to the rescue.
'So, where's Lily this morning?' he asked. Phillipa looked relieved that someone had finally spoke. James continued eating his breakfast, careful not to show any interest in the conversation but curious to know where she was. Probably out beating up innocent villagers in Hogsmeade, he thought sourly.
'She told us she wasn't hungry this morning and didn't want any breakfast. Looking back, she seemed a bit pale, didn't she Lucy?' answered Phillipa. Lucy nodded in agreement. Phillipa gazed at the three boys. Honestly, she had never seen them like this before! James looked pale and tense, Sirius looked unhappy and Remus, well, at least he was trying to act normally but you could tell he was a bit strained. But Sirius – what a revelation. Usually he was bouncing around like a rubber ball and full of chat but today his eyes had scarcely left his plate.
'Look, don't kill me boys but what on earth have you been up to? Have you been fighting or something?' she asked curiously.
'No!' the three of them denied quickly, at the same time.
'Er, I walked into a door.' lied James, rather unconvincingly.
'A door, right,' murmured Phillipa in a disbelieving tone. 'Sirius?'
'Well, I was walking beside James and I didn't see the door either.' he replied.
'I see.' said Phillipa. 'So Remus, are you a door victim too?'
'In a way.' he answered. 'I was walking behind them and accidentally smacked my forehead off the back of James' head as he, you know, walked into the door.' Phillipa was relieved to see the tension drain from James' face, and a ghost of a smile flit across Sirius' lips.
'Sirius!' implored Phillipa. 'Please cheer up! You're beginning to freak me out by being so quiet.'
'Sorry Flip, but it's hard to be happy when you're suffering.' he said, mournfully.
'Suffering?' she repeated. 'How? Can I help in anyway?' There was definite concern in her voice.
'Well, you could try kissing it better.' he murmured throatily.
'What?!' she demanded.
'This!' he said, pulling at his swollen lip. 'I'm suffering from the pain and I'm sure if you kissed it better it would help. It doesn't matter if it doesn't work first time. You can keep trying as long as you like, I don't mind!' James burst out laughing, and slapped Sirius on the back.
'He's back!' he said. 'You can't keep a good man down.' Sirius turned towards James and smiled, a smile that James returned with interest. After all, you couldn't let a woman come between you and your best friend, could you? The tension had now completely left the table.
'Well, Flip,' Sirius pressed on, his good humour now fully restored, 'how about it?'
'Sirius, you are impossible!' she replied, looking over at him. What she saw both shocked and surprised her. His eyes seemed darker than ever, black almost and they were staring directly into her own, burning and intense. She felt a frisson go through her body, a feeling she'd never before experienced but not an unpleasant feeling. Confused, she looked away and broke eye contact.
'Sirius,' she replied sweetly, striving to act normally, 'I'd as soon as kiss a dog'
'That can be arranged.' he drawled, smiling his trademark lazy grin.
After breakfast they rushed back to the common room to pick up their book for their next lesson. Walking through the door, the first person James saw was Lily. She looked up and blue ice collided with green flames. James immediately looked away and bounded up the stairs to his dormitory. He was scrabbling away in his bedside locker when he heard someone move up beside him. Looking around, he saw Sirius with a troubled expression on his face.
'James, look I'm sorry about everything that's gone on__' he started to say but James cut him off.
'Sirius, just forget about it. I know you were trying to help and it went a bit wrong, but you've apologised to me, and I'm sorry about your lip so we're evens, ok?'
'But I can explain to Lily what happened, and she'll forgive you and then you can finally get together.'
'But that's the problem, Sirius, don't you see? She's got nothing to forgive me for because I didn't do anything wrong. She obviously doesn't have any trust in me or she would of asked me about it instead of listening to that creep Snape. I love her so much I felt as if she'd ripped my heart out last night but I can't be with her if she has no faith in me. I don't want you saying anything about last night to her.' Sirius looked on in dismay. All this was his fault and he wasn't getting a chance to put it right.
Lily had been doing a lot of soul searching whilst the others were at breakfast. Like a lot of red headed people she had a quick and fiery temper but as quickly as it flared up it died back down. Last night, after she had punched James she had gone straight up to her dormitory and crawled into bed, the events of the evening flashing around her brain. In fact, she had had no sleep that night, so troubled had her thoughts been. But sitting in the empty common room that morning, her thoughts had finally reached a conclusion: she was in the wrong. She had thought James guilty of a nasty trick and she hadn't even the gumption to accuse him of it to his face. No, she had taken the word of James' arch enemy, a boy who hated him and wanted to discredit him at every opportunity. She had hit him, told him she hated him and all without telling him why. Lily knew that she had to apologise unreservedly. She still didn't know who had set her up, but in the cold light of day she realised that James would never be that cruel. In all the years they had been friends he'd always been nice to her.
Lily got her chance to apologise during morning break. James had blanked her during first lesson, and he had rushed out of the classroom as soon as the lesson was over. Standing in the corridor, Lily made a grab at Sirius as he left the class.
'Sirius,' she implored, 'please I need a word with you.' Sirius looked unhappy, all this was his fault. He drew her over towards the window.
'Sirius, I don't know if James has said anything to you about what's happened, but I really need to speak to him urgently, and I was wondering if you knew where he was.'
'I don't think it's a great idea to talk to him at the moment Lily. It might be best if you let him calm down for a few days.' he told her gently.
'This can't wait, Sirius! I've done something dreadful to him, and the sooner I apologise the better. If he accepts my apology I might even start liking myself again.' Sirius debated with himself. It wasn't a secret that James had gone to the broom shed to give his broom the once over before Saturday's game.
'Lily,' he said carefully, 'if I tell you where he is, do you promise not to tell him that I told you where he was, just in case?
'Yes, no problem, just tell me, please.'
'At the broom shed.'
James was engrossed in his broom and the first he knew he wasn't alone was when he felt a small hand gently touch his shoulder. He looked up startled, and saw Lily standing beside him. His heart leapt at the sight of her, although he wished it wouldn't. He stood up, wiping his hands on his robes.
'Lily,' he nodded to her by way of greeting. He noticed that she was avoiding looking at him.
'James, I have something to say to you but please don't interrupt. I have to get this off my chest.'
'Ok,' he agreed, 'say what you want to say.'
'Well, yesterday I went completely off at the deep end with you. I accused you, not to your face but in my own mind, of a terrible trick and I never gave you the chance to defend yourself. I tricked you into closing your eyes so I could wallop you and then I did the worst thing ever; I lied to you and told you that I hated you and that couldn't be further from the truth. I hope you'll forgive me and I hope we can still be friends but I understand if you don't want to.' She glanced upwards and looked at his face. It was blank. Her heart sunk, he wasn't going to forgive her.
'I'm so sorry,' she whispered, and before she could stop herself, leant forward on tiptoe and gently kissed his face where she had hit him. He stood there, staggered, as she turned and walked away.
He was staring at her walking away when Sirius and Remus walked up.
'Was that Lily?' asked Remus.
'Yes it was.' replied James, still staring after her, a thoughtful look on his face.
'What did she say?' asked Sirius. 'Do we have anything to celebrate?'
'You know lads, I think we might!' James' face broke into a grin and he ran off in the direction that Lily had taken.
'Lily!' he shouted. 'Wait!' She turned around in surprise and saw James running towards her. Hope burned in her heart, and as she saw him get closer she saw he was smiling. She felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and smiled back as he caught up with her. He stopped within 1 foot of her, smiling.
'Lily, you must know how much I like you.' he said, blushing slightly. She looked away, shyly.
'Me too,' she said, 'I mean, I like you a lot too.'
'Does that mean…'
'I think it does, James.' He whooped with joy as she burst out laughing and flung her arms around him with happiness.
'Lily, you've made me so happy,' he told her, before lowering his head and claiming her lips in a kiss so stirring it took her breath away.
Sirius and Remus looked on from a distance.
'What did I tell you?' bragged Sirius. 'My plan worked after all.'
'Remind me never to ask you to set me up!' Remus retorted, picking up James' broom and returning it to the shed.
'Well, actually, now that you mention it, I know the perfect girl…' started Sirius.
'No! For the love of God, no! Whoever it is, I'm not interested! I can sort my own love life out, thanks very much!' shouted Remus, panicking.
'Ok, ok,' laughed Sirius, before continuing. 'The only drawback in the Lily – James plan was not seeing Snape's face as he made a total fool of himself…' The pair of them began walking slowly back towards the school, their voices fading. Neither of them noticed the dark figure lurking near the broom shed: Severus Snape. He stood, staring after them.
'So,' he hissed to himself, 'Black, not Potter…I'll get even, just you see…'
A/N – sorry, but there is one more part to go. I didn't intend to write a mini series but Sirius and Phillipa started to write their own story and I think it deserves an end!!