Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter, nor will I ever.
A little note: The word "Snarfwizzlemonkey"was invited by my friend Chelsee. We have absolutly no idea what it means but she was eating a peanut butter and crack sandwich, what can we say. Chapter Four: The Meeting with McGonagall
Lily had expected the year to be difficult, what with N.E.W.T exams and all, but she hadn't expected it to start so soon. It was only the fourth evening of classes, and she had tons of homework to do.
She was sitting in the library after the fourth day of classes, frantically scribbling away on an essay for Transfiguration, when someone stood over her, blocking her light.
"Do you mind?" she grumbled, not looking up. She had no need to, for she knew it was James.
Grinning, James moved out of her way and sat in the empty seat beside her.
"Stressing out already Lily?" James asked easily.
"I have a lot of homework to do James, I don't have time for you silly games and pointless chatter." Lily replied. If she had been looking up, she would have seen James's smile fade ever so slightly.
"Everyone needs to make time for silly games and pointless chatter." He told her, leaning forward in his chair. "What are you working on anyway?"
"Transfiguration," Lily replied, still not looking up. She dipped her quill in ink and continued writing.
"Easy stuff," James replied. Lily snorted.
"Guess it comes easily to you," she said, nearly snapping. Lily was annoyed that she had to work so hard in Transfiguration to receive the grade James and his friends seemed to get by sitting back and lazily waving their wands.
"It's something I'm good at, just like your good at Charms and everything else you do." James replied, smiling at her when she finally did decide to look up.
"I guess everyone has to have something their good at," she shrugged, ignoring the slight shock she felt when his hazel eyes bore into her green ones.
"Guess so," James agreed, leaning back in his chair again.
"Did you come here for a reason?" Lily questioned roughly, finishing off her Transfiguration essay and starting on the Potion essay on Moongrass and it's importance in healing potions.
"Not really actually, I was wondering if you were mad at me though," James replied, ruffling his hair. Lily grinded her teeth in annoyance, she really hated when he did that. Does he think it makes him look cool or something? Does he think it impresses me? She thought.
"No, I'm not mad at you. I'm just annoyed that you're distracting me." Lily replied, glaring at the blank parchment in front of her.
"I can be quite distracting," James agreed, flashing her one of his charming smiles that made most girls in the school swoon.
"I didn't mean that way James, contrary to your belief not every girl at this school is in love with you. You're just keeping me from working with your chatting." Lily snapped, causing James to grin even wider.
"I didn't know you were insecure with every girl in the school being in love with me," James joked, earning a warning glare. "Alright, alright, I'm going. I just wanted to make sure you weren't mad at me."
Lily rolled her eyes as he got up.
"You know what though Lily? It would be nice if you actually acted like you wanted to be my friend." James told her, leaning over the table and looking solemn. Then he started walking out of the library.
Rolling her eyes again, Lily tried to go back to her homework, but she couldn't concentrate.
The next evening, Lily made her way down to Professor McGonagall's office on her own. James had not been in the Head's common room when she left, not that she was looking for him.
"Lily, nice of you to join us," Professor McGonagall said when Lily knocked and pushed open her office door. James was already seated in a chair in front of McGonagall's desk, grinning at her.
"Evening Professor," Lily replied, sitting in the chair beside James and doing her best to avoid him.
"You have the patrolling schedule?" Professor McGonagall inquired, raising her eyebrows in question. Lily nodded and pulled out the parchment she had worked on with James.
"And we've chosen a few Hogsmeade dates." She added, watching as the Professor surveyed their work with a distant smile on her face.
"Very good, you've accurate with the times and took into consideration that you would both have a later creview, therefore you'd both be doing the late shifts." Professor McGonagall stated, setting down the paper. "As Head Boy and Head Girl, you will be patrolling together." Lily inwardly groaned, but smiled up at the professor.
"Of course, that's no problem," she said sweetly.
"The Hogsmeade dates look good, post the dates in each common room tomorrow evening. Is there any questions or concerns either of you have?" Professor McGonagall questioned, looking at both Lily and James closely. They both shook their heads. "Good, now aside for the Samhain Ball, which I want you both to plan by the first of October, we have no other business. Perpare for a meeting with the Prefects this Tuesday."
Nodding, both James and Lily stood up.
"Good evening Professor," they chorused, leaving the Professor's office and closing the door behind them.
As they walk, James was smiling at her and watching her. Lily was finding it irritating.
"What are you looking at Potter?" she snapped. He shrugged, still grinning rather cockily.
"Our first patrolling duty is on Wednesday." He informed her.
"Yes, I know that," Lily replied, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. He went to run his hand through his hair again, but Lily grabbed his arm before he could.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"Don't do that, it's annoying and it just messes up your hair more," she said, rather annoyed. James grinned at her.
"Doesn't seem to annoy most people," he commented as she started walking again.
"Why do you act like that?"
"Act like what?"
"Like your God's gift to woman or something!" Lily exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air as if he was the biggest idiot in the world, and to her he was.
"I don't," James replied defensively. They were rounding the corridor where the Head's Quarters were located now.
"You do too! You and your womanizing ways!" Lily cried exaggerated, coming to a stop in front of the painting and mumbling the password.
"Womanizing ways?" James repeated, amused, "What womanizing ways?"
"Going from girl to girl, just to get what you want and not ever even caring about any of them! Thinking you know exactly what they want and acting like we're all toys!" Lily replied, growing very impatient. She had no idea why she was bothering to tell him this, but she thought that maybe it would bring down his ego a little.
James threw himself on the sofa, finding everything that Lily said extremely amusing.
"How do you know I've never cared about any of them? I care about you." He said, rather softly and catching Lily off guard. She paused at her door.
"No James, you only think you care about me," She told him, going into her room and closing the door behind her.
James sat on the couch, shaking his head in wonderment. What was with Lily lately anyway? She acted like she hated him, then went and said really confusing things.
So she thinks I don't care about any of the girls I ask out? James asked himself, still half laying on the sofa. I wonder what she'd say if I told her the reason none of my relationships work out because she's on my mind all the time!
The next day Lily was almost late for Transfiguration, she had made another trip to the library to get away from James at the breakfast table. He had been acting so full of himself and flirting with a bunch of sixth years, it just made her so mad.
What's going on Lily? You don't like him, so why are you mad that he was flirting with those sixth years? Lily asked herself, only to have the response stated clearly in her mind moments later; because it's repulsing, the way he thinks so highly of himself!
She rushed into the room and took her seat just as the bell rang, singling the start of class. She usually sat beside Marlene but because of her tardiness, Remus was now in her seat, leaving the chair beside James empty.
He flashed her one of his charming smiles that had most girls swooning at his feet. Lily just scowled and tried to pay attention to Professor McGonagall.
"Today we will be transforming staplers into ducks," Professor McGonagall informed her. Lily looked on her desk and wasn't at all shocked to see a goblet sitting there in front of her. "I want you all to pair off and use the spell 'Staduculaous'. Begin."
Lily glanced around and wasn't shocked to see that Marlene was paired off with Remus, and Alice and Ellie were working together. She sighed deeply, making a mental note to yell at Marlene after class.
James had noticed her looking around for a partner, and he leaned over to ask Sirius if he would find another partner for the day. Sirius grinned and gave him the thumbs up before pairing off with Peter.
"Would you like to be my partner Lily?" James questioned, looking at Lily. She looked so pretty with her dark red hair falling into her face and her emerald green eyes searching the room for a partner, and James knew she was looking to pair off with anyone except him.
"I guess I have no choice," she said rather sadly, "Alright." She pulled her wand out of her robes and tried to change the goblet into a duck. "Staduculaous!" she said firmly, swishing her wand in the air. The goblet didn't change into anything. She tried it three more times with James watching her before she looked at him, her eyes dark with anger. "Well, you do it then!" she demanded.
"Staduculaous," James yawned, flicking his wand to the left and turning the goblet into a quacking duck. Lily glared at him.
"Show off," she mumbled as Professor McGonagall walked around, watching the progress of the class.
"Very good James and Lily," she praised, "Five points to Gryffindor." James smiled briefly at Professor McGonagall before turning back to Lily, giving her his full attention.
"I recall you asking me to do it, and I did it," James replied softly. He loved how the sun from the windows made Lily's hair glow, almost as if it were on fire, and bring out the pale freckles on her face. Yup, there was no one quiet like Lily.
"Whatever." Lily sighed, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest, where James's eyes rested a moment before she sent him another glare.
He innocently looked away, chuckling to himself.
After Transfiguration, Lily stormed up to Marlene and grabbed her by the arm and dragging her away from Remus.
"What?" Marlene whined.
"Why did you let Remus take my seat? I had to sit beside Potter!" Lily complained, walking arm and arm with Marlene. Marlene smirked.
"Oh, well that's to bad." Marlene said.
"Where's Alice and Ellie?" Lily questioned, ignoring what Marlene had said and glancing around.
"Well, Ellie was flirting with Sirius last time I checked, and Alice was talking to Peter because she said he looked lonely." Marlene replied.
"Ellie? Flirting with Sirius? What's going on around here?" Lily exclaimed. She knew Ellie to only go after guys with decent reputations, and Sirius did not have a decent reputation.
"Dunno, you tell me," Marlene replied as they walked into the Potions class.
"I think your all pairing off with the Marauders so I have no choice to go out with James," Lily sulked. "Come to think of it, James hasn't asked me out once this year."
"Sounding a little disappointed there, Lils?" Marlene asked, sitting down.
"I am not disappointed, just wondering if he's finally over me," Lily said, defending herself as the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins trudged into the classroom and a rather difficult lesson of creating a complicated sleeping potion began.