Hi there everyone. I sure you're all wondering where I am, why the hell am I not updating quicker ect. =( I'm sorry! I'm getting there, promise lol. Now on to this extra, well it's not really long enough to be called a chapter so scene would be best. ^^ As I'm sure you know, the third Chapter of First Steps (the previous one in fact) was a scene showing Snape's Worst Memory as I imagined it in AOA, in other words how it fits in with my story. Anyway, one reviewer criticised it on two different points in a review that this chapter is I suppose in answer too. Before you all scowl at me don't worry, you must know I'm not the type to take critisisme badly ;)
What I first want to say is that one the points is a valid one; it is possible, I daresay probable that in the HP books, Sirius' betrayel and attempter murder of Snape did happen before the OWL's and not after. I admit to not being sure on this point and I don't have the books with me right now to check =( All I can do is apologise and say very shamefully that I really can't change the entire story now, as is it such a key point to the entire plot. So point one is completely true and valid.
Point two however is the one I would like to argue; hvwlkjg accuses me of deliberately leaving out the fact that James is scribbling Lily's initials on a piece of spare parchment before leaving, for the reason that it doesn't fit in with the story. To a certain extent this is true; it isn't mentioned in the chapter but NOT for that reason but a completely different one altogether. Quite simply, at the beginning of the scene, we are in Sirius' POV, Sirius' mind and thoughts and view of whats going on. In the scene, he does see James scribbling out something BUT he is in fact two rows behind, therefore not in a position to see what was actually being scribbled out. It seemed a little far-fetched to have Sirius being able to have a bird-eye view of the room. ;)
So that's why it wasn't mentioned but, thinking about it, I really do think the question is a valid one. It doesn't seem at first glance to fit in with James' character and the situation of him disliking her and only asking her out to wind up Snape. So here is a 2000 word piece that was written to set my mind at ease as much as anyone elses, on how it could tie in. "Could" please note, as in not necessarily the most obvious explantion but one that is entirely possible ;).
Read it, review if you love me enough, and I send it all back at ya =D
Lili
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James leaned back in his chair with a sigh and a cocky grin. The test was even easier than he'd expected, which really was saying something. He'd scribbled out the entire thing before taking another, more expensive piece of vellum and re-writing the essay in his best, French script handwriting. All before three quarters of the time were up. James ruffled his hair in deep satisfaction. Sometimes being a genius really did have it's plus points.
The king of the school allowed his eyes to meander slowly around the Great Hall with no absolute destination. All the students in the five rows in front of him were still scribbling frantically away and James was just about to turn around discreetly in search of Sirius, when a horribly familiar black curtain of hair caught his eye.
The greasy head bobbed up and down like a floating apple, so far bent over the desk that his huge nose had to be touching the parchment. James' lip curled in distaste as suddenly it twitched, glancing over to the right in a furtive, greedy action that made him follow the gaze, curious despite himself. Across the chairs, desks and students until…
The smirk broke loose as if being freed from it's bonds, tearing his lips upwards with that typical haunting beauty, the cruelty in his eyes turning them so dark as to almost be black.
Of course, he murmured, watching as the girl shook out auburn curls and stretched her arms out and over the desk in relief at having finished. The copper locks tumbled into her face and she pushed them back with a cheery smile, glancing around the room as she did so, gaze automatically searching for her friends. Blackwater…Greycloud,…Jenny,…James' sneered a little, Sirius…before halting briefly on the ugly Slytherin that had been sneaking glances at her mere seconds before. James snorted and folded his arms, irritated despite himself. Hazel eyes narrowed as still the girl smiled with gentle affection towards his enemy and James decided he'd had enough. He tilted back his chair and then let the front legs fall back to earth with a thump loud enough to make almost every head spin round. The school idol ignored them all as well as Flitwick's disapproving look, waiting impatiently for that burnished head to turn.
The green eyes met his in a spark of…something and James couldn't help but rumple his hair with a obnoxious grin. Even as she turned away, the satisfaction still lingered, inexplicably pleased to have pulled her attention away from the slime ball who was probably wanking off to her photo every night with those bony hands.
"He probably hopes they'll get married," James thought, eyeing Snivellus contemptuously, "have lots of greasy-haired babies and live happily ever after despite the fact that he's working for people who'd see her dead quicker than you could say 'Mudblood'. "
The expression on his beautiful features turned suddenly harsh, anger igniting with a blaze of fire as the just thinking the word made him want to murder the git. Pathetic, weak little hypocrite. Bitch or not, even Evans was light-years out of his league. She deserved someone not ashamed to admit he was her friend, her confidant and her admirer. Someone who actually fought for what he wanted instead of drawing her initials all over his books while refusing to even sit with her at lunch. Lots of little "L.E" splattered all over his textbooks and essays and a creepy little black diary.
James hadn't even noticed the two letters he'd traced roughly on the scrap on parchment reserved deliberately for doodling, but when he did the idea grew as did his smirk. His eyes danced wickedly, warming to his theme and letting his imagination run riot. Hmm colour; red as her hair maybe he pondered before snickering. Nah, the slimy git wouldn't want to remind himself that she was Gryffindor and thus at opposite ends of the spectrum from him. Green then? The smirk widened. Yeaaah, the colour of her eyes and his house, he grinned, picking up a spare quill and dipping it into the emerald ink-well, following the original lines with care until the two letters shone wetly back at him.
What next? Then the answer came to him in a flash and James had to repress a laugh. He picked up the green quill once more and pulled it easily around the initials into a smooth, perfect heart. The creep simply had to be pathetically romantic. James admired his own work approvingly, before dipping the quill into the ink once more. Another vine was added, snaking its way around the first like a lover. Then tiny leaves, thorns, twirls before finally changing his quill and drawing a full, ruby red rose.
James placed the quill on the desk, smirk gone, a tiny frown now replacing it. What had started out as merely a joke had grown into a full blown-out crest, one red petal of the rose almost touching the edge of the gold and silver snitch he'd doodled earlier. Almost but not quite.
Then Flitwick's voice cut piercingly through the silence and the L.E was hastily scribbled out. The last thing James Potter wanted was for someone to get the wrong idea. Merlin, imagine THAT uproar.
Quills, ink and paper was quickly put away, eyes already searching for Sirius through the masses of escaping students when the last item on his desk caught his eye.
The boy threw a quick glance at the nearby bin and paused, hesitating.
James stuffed the scrap of parchment roughly into his bag.
I know that's all! I think it's a record lol, the shortest scene I've ever written. Still, I quite liked it, so sue me ^^ I think it seemed oddly fitting that the intials were again only "supposed " to be to annoy Snape but...well, who knows ;) Tell me what you think qnd I promise I'll be updating soon. I've got too many scenes in my head at the moment and keep on dotting between them all without focusing on any of them. Chapter 22 is almost done. Tears of Gold Chapter one is all but finished and should hopefully be up soon, Chapter 2 is planned. A future chapter of AOA depicting the entire story of Moniqua, Henry and their link with Voldemort is almost finished but can't be posted for a good while yet sigh =( And on top of that, I'm in the process of working out my own book, not a fanfiction but something completly original and all my own. My head is like a sandstorm right now! =s
Anyway, luv you all :)
Lili
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