Thanks for the reviews, ShashankRaj, CB, Theblessedchild and Nupurlath. Cheers!
ShashankRaj: Well, here you go, another chapter!
CB: I know that, believe it or not. However, it is certainly plausible to like/respect athletes who may be of your age, give or take a few years. My dad, for instance, likes Sachin Tendulkar, who is arguably one of the best batsmen to ever play cricket, and he's older than Sachin. That's why, I think Lily's Dad admiring Muhammad Ali (he was known as Muhammad Ali after 1964, and this year, Lily's sixth, is set in 1976) is definitely plausible. Do you agree?
Theblessedchild: Thank you so much, it is certainly very kind of you to say that, and actually thank me for doing something I really enjoy!
Nupurlath: Thank you so much! I am flattered, you're too kind, really. I would encourage you to read several other fanfiction stories without comparing them to any others; each story on this site is a work of art in its own right. It's very kind of you to say that you find this story as good as the actual books. Your review totally made my day! I will definitely try to update as fast as I can, but there is only so much time I can spare for it, and sometimes I need a flash of inspiration as well. Also, the reason your review was invisible initially was because it's a guest review, and those need to be approved by me (I approve those in a heartbeat, anyway); so, it was very nice of you to open an account on this site just to post a review. Thanks! And finally, it's not guys… Just, guy. :-P
Hello everyone, here is chapter seven. Readers, please review. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All (well, most, anyway) characters are from J K Rowling's brilliant best-selling series.
Chapter Seven
"Black and James saved you."
"Here – I think that should do it," said James one Sunday afternoon in mid-October. He held up the parchment he was carrying with an air of satisfaction; Sirius took it from him and surveyed it with a critical eye. "Yes – looks OK to me," he said finally, "But I'm still going to double-check."
"I'd expect nothing less, Padfoot – our work has to be perfect," said James, nodding at his best friend. Sirius snorted and said, "C'mon, mate – nothing's perfect! I think we should be satisfied with doing the best we can, and keep in mind that while it won't be perfect, it'll still be bloody damn good!"
"Cheers, mate," said James, grinning. "So – we have the first and second floors mapped out, and here's the third which you're going to double-check. I think we're making good progress…"
"Seconded," said Sirius, clapping him on the back. He surveyed the parchment again, and his face brightened. "Hey! Is this a new shortcut?" he asked, pointing. James grinned and said smugly, "Yep – found it after one of the portraits told me that people occasionally enter that blank wall, so I tried it out!"
"Nice going," said Sirius appreciatively. "Great – I'll check these out and meet you back at the common room."
"How about the Hospital Wing instead?" James suggested. "I'm bringing Moony his Transfiguration stuff; I dunno why the prat insists on working so soon after dealing with his furry little problem. I mean, he was not himself less than twenty-four hours ago!" He shook his head in disbelief at Remus's studious tendencies.
"C'mon, cut him some slack, Prongs," said Sirius, "You know how he is – and you know that this year isn't the easiest, really…"
"Yeah, yeah – all right," said James, shrugging his shoulders. Sirius grinned as his voice dropped down to a whisper. "I've thought of something really cool… How about – we go to Hogsmeade next month?"
"There's a visit already planned in three weeks, I think – so what's so cool about that?" James replied, wrinkling his forehead.
Sirius shook his head and said, "You know, I used to think that you're thick only when it comes to Evans – but clearly, Pete's rubbing off on you."
"OI!" James exclaimed, and gave his friend a little shove, and Sirius stumbled back, laughing. "What d'you mean, then?" he added, bewildered.
"I mean," said Sirius in a conspiratorial whisper, "On the night of the next full moon, we should go to Hogsmeade. There – that clear enough for you?"
"What?" James breathed, his mouth open. "You're kidding, right? Padfoot – letting a werewolf lose in a village full of people –"
"We're not going to let him loose, idiot!" Sirius exclaimed. "You and I – we're big enough to keep him in check – we'll make sure he stays close to us at all times!"
"But –"
"C'mon, James – don't you think Moony is bored of just loafing around in the forest? I think he needs a new place to explore. In fact, we all need a new place to explore," Sirius said persuasively.
"Fine," said James softly, after a minute of deep thought, "We'll go from the forest up to Hogsmeade – but that's it. We see the houses, we turn back."
"Fair enough," said Sirius, nodding in agreement. "And if that goes well, we can explore more of the village next month…"
"Ugh, one bleeding thing at a time, Padfoot!" James said exasperatedly, and watched his best mate grin widely. "Knew I'd make you see sense!" he said happily, and James shook his head. "That's what I'm afraid of," he said tersely.
"Lighten up – we have nearly a month to prepare," said Sirius cheerfully, patting his back. Before James could retort, however, he spotted Peter walking up to them. "About time," he said, before turning to Sirius. "Didn't you have to recheck my work?"
"Oh – right," said Sirius, looking a little confused at the dismissal, but taking it in stride. He gave the morose-looking Peter a little wave before setting off, parchment in hand. James waited until he'd turned the corner, before asking Peter in an undertone, "Well, Pete? What have you found out?"
"Er," began Peter, uncomfortably, "Er – it was the usual, mate… They played a game, and she won… I tell you, she executed the Magyar Fortification to perfection this time –"
"Yeah, never mind that," interrupted James. "What did she talk about with him? How did they seem? Did that bloke ask her out on a date?"
"Er – no," said Peter, looking as though he'd happily be anywhere else but there. "He hasn't… By the looks of it, they're just friends, mate. I don't think he's going to ask her – though they did seem to be having a good time, they were laughing and chatting about things –"
"What kind of things?" James asked aggressively, and Peter actually took a step back. "The usual," he said, "Lessons, some Quidditch, a little about the war – and Chess, too."
"Right – then maybe Morgan isn't after her," said James, feeling a little reassured. "If he wanted to ask her out, he'd have done it by now… Which leaves – Wright. What have you found out on that front, Wormtail?"
"Er – about that," said Peter unwillingly, "Er – he did ask her if she wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him –"
"And she said?" James asked, drawing in a sharp breath and praying that the answer wasn't what he feared it would be. Please, no, he thought desperately.
"Er – she –"
"What?" James snapped, and Peter took another step back. "Easy there, James," he said nervously, and James regretted his rashness at once. "Sorry," he said quickly, "What did she say, Pete?"
"Er – she said yes," said Peter, looking as though each word was being forced out of him, against his will. "I'm sorry, Prongs," he added apologetically. "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear…"
"No – tell me, tell me everything," James pressed. He was trying extremely hard to push away the impulse to kick Adam Wright off the team… That interfering pithecanthropus, he thought, his eyes narrowed. Just when I was making progress…
"You sure?" Peter asked nervously, and James gave him a firm nod. "OK, then," he continued, "He asked her yesterday, and she blushed before saying yes. By the looks of it, she's enjoying spending time with him… They weren't half cosy yesterday, all laughing and joking while they exercised. I think she likes him, too…"
"Dammit – this isn't how this was supposed to go," said James, more to himself than to Peter. Looking up at his friend, he said with as much kindness as he could muster, "You did well, Pete – that's all, no need to keep tabs on them anymore."
"Really? That's great, I was afraid I'd start falling behind my work," said Peter, a relieved smile on his face, which faded as he added, "And besides – I didn't feel comfortable doing it, James… She's my friend, too."
"I know, mate," said James, clapping Peter on the back. "I only asked you 'coz you're the only one who can do it, you're tiny enough to escape notice when you're a rat! And besides, I am coaching you, aren't I? Like I said – you were doing me a favour, so making sure that your schoolwork didn't suffer was my responsibility."
"I'm glad it was," said Peter fervently. "Well – I know that Sirius is better at talking about this stuff, but don't worry about it, mate," he added comfortingly, "There are other girls – several ones who would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend."
"Really?" James said, feeling a little better for the first time since Peter had relayed the most unwelcome news he'd received since his parents' kidnapping. Peter grinned and said, "Oh, of course, mate! You're Quidditch Captain and you're one of the top students in the school! Trust me, they'd be queuing up to go out with you!" He clapped James on the back.
"Yeah – thing is, there's only one girl I want to go out with, Pete," said James, attempting to smile and failing. "And her saying yes to another bloke – well, let's just say that it's not what I thought would happen, especially with us becoming friends and all…"
"I know," said Peter. "Anyway – c'mon, let's go to the kitchens. There's nothing like some treacle tart to cheer you up…"
"I'm supposed to bring Moony his Transfiguration stuff," said James, and Peter grinned. "Moony can wait another half an hour – this is more important. Now, c'mon – let's go and eat."
"Why don't you just say you want to eat, mate?" James asked, amused. Peter's grin widened and he said, "Well – that didn't last very long, did it? Ahh, trust me, mate – you'll feel better. Food always makes one feel better."
"Can't argue with that," said James, and allowed Peter to lead the way towards the kitchens. "Oh, and one more thing – not a word about this to Padfoot or Moony. I don't think Moony would approve, and Padfoot will just scoff at me for – you know." He grimaced.
"For pining after just one girl?" Peter asked, his mouth twitching. "Don't worry, Prongs… Like I said at least ten times before, our secret is safe with me. No one will know how you bribed me to spy on Lily while she was having fun with a couple of blokes…"
"Yeah – you'll get your Chocoballs soon, mate," said James, rolling his eyes. Peter nodded happily, and they proceeded to walk the rest of the way in silence. Dammit, thought James despairingly. I really thought I was making progress… Why did I tell her I was through asking her out? That was basically withdrawing from the race to date her! C'mon, Potter, he thought angrily. How could you have been so blind? She's frightfully intelligent, funny, vivacious and beautiful… Oh, she's perfect. How did I ever think that she wouldn't start going out with someone before she liked me back? This is a disaster…
"Gah!" he exclaimed, startling Peter. "What? What is it?" the fat boy asked, and James shook his head. "Nothing," he said, attempting to smile; however, he must've looked like he had a bad toothache, for Peter awkwardly patter his arm and said, "C'mon, mate – I know it's going to hurt, but trust me, you'll feel better. I can tell you that from experience…"
"What d'you mean?" James asked, distracted. Peter grimaced and said, "Well, you know – I've had a crush on Mary since ages, and she's been completely oblivious… Except for that time in third year when I tried to kiss her, when you and Padfoot put Firewhiskey in my drink?" He gave James a sideways glance, and James felt abashed. "Sorry," he said in a small voice, but Peter grinned. "Nah, don't worry about it… My point is, I used to like Mary for the better part of the last three years… But I never had the guts to tell her. She's always been nice to me, mate – and I don't want to change that."
He paused, but James didn't break the silence. He continued, "Anyway – when she started to date Hathaway last year, I was really upset. Don't you remember that?"
"I do – but you always said it was because you were worried about failing your OWLs, and not getting the Animagus transformation right," replied James thoughtfully, trying to recall the memory. "So – you were upset about Mary? Why didn't you tell us?"
"I was sure you lot would've made fun of me," Peter replied. "Besides, I had enough on my mind – so, I just concentrated really hard on the Animagus stuff, and by February, I was doing just as well as you and Padfoot." There was a distinct note of pride in his voice, and James clapped him on the back. "Well – that explains your drastic improvement," he said, nodding.
Peter grinned. "I guess what I'm trying to say is – don't worry, it gets better. You'll feel bad for a while, but if you move on sooner rather than later, it'll help… And I'm not telling you to stop being friends with her," he added, shaking his head, "No, nothing like that… Just – just keep in mind that if you like some other girl, don't hesitate to ask her out on a date. I was too cowardly to do that… But you're braver than I am, and I don't doubt that you'll find someone else who likes you back."
"I don't want someone else, Pete – I want her," said James hopelessly. "Blimey, don't you understand? She's the only one I want to date!"
"It's a two-way street, Prongs," Peter said gently. James mulled over this for a few seconds before an unwilling smile came onto his face. He clapped Peter on the back again and said, "You know, mate – I guess I needed to hear that. Since when did you become so smart?"
"This doesn't have anything to do with smartness, mate," said Peter, grinning. "I see and I hear things, and I'm free to draw my own conclusions from them – wherever that applies. Which is why, I'm telling you… Just – get on with your life, OK? It's not like Wright has asked her to marry him, is it? There's a lot of things that could happen – be patient, and give it time."
"Thanks, Peter," said James sincerely. Peter was right; if she didn't reciprocate his feelings, there really was no point going after her. He'd hoped she'd start liking him after he'd vowed to stop pestering her… But that wasn't in his control, was it? I'll have a chat with Sirius and Remus later, he decided firmly. See what they think… I'll have to be careful that I don't reveal how I know Wright asked her out, though…
Peter grinned and said, "Sure – no problem! Now, let's have that treacle tart – we're almost there!" He pointed to the painting of the fruit bowl at the end of the corridor, and James realised with a jolt that they'd arrived at the kitchens. How had they gotten here so fast?
"Right," he said, regaining some of his cheer. "C'mon, then…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The fact that Lily had agreed to go out on a date with Adam Wright became common knowledge over the next few days. James suspected that it had to be Jane Carter; he knew that she was a bit of a gossip, and news like these didn't escape her notice – indeed, he supposed that she'd overheard Lily tell Liz or someone else… And once that happens, nothing more needs to be said, he thought, shaking his head.
Sirius and Remus had immediately checked on him once they'd heard, and he'd needed some persuasion to tell them his true feelings about the whole business. He could proudly say, though, that he was taking it in stride… Oh, it wasn't easy, but he couldn't appear weak in front of Lily; that would defeat the whole purpose of his declaration to her last year, wouldn't it? And so, he went about his business trying his best to remain unaffected: he still jogged with Lily almost every morning, and continued to help her with her fitness at Quidditch practice. He noted with pride that she was showing a lot of improvement, and unwillingly ignored the passing glances she and Wright kept giving each other… But he couldn't help being a little cold towards his Keeper, something which Sirius, Liz and Marlene caught on to, and told him to stop it after sympathizing with him.
He hadn't given Lily any indication that he knew about assent to go out with Wright, though. It still made him feel upset and angry, but he swallowed his emotions… Being friends with her was the top priority, and he didn't want to ruin that. And so, after their jogs around the pitch, he kept the conversation light, mainly directed towards classes and academics. She'd confided in him that she wasn't comfortable with non-verbal spells in Transfiguration yet, and he'd given her some tips that had helped. Anything to avoid discussing Wright, he thought grimly.
But on Hallowe'en morning, she'd broached the subject of Adam bloody Wright herself. "So, James," she said as they walked towards the Great Hall at the end of their jog, "There's something I've been wanting to tell you." She looked unsure of herself, as though weighing whether to tell him or not, and James gave an inward sigh. He knew where this was going… Biting back a wisecrack ("I told you I'm irresistible! Finally realised it, have you?"), he merely looked at her inquiringly.
"Er," she said, "Well… Adam asked me out on a date – Hogsmeade weekend. And I… I said yes." Her words came out in a rush. James frowned. "So?" he asked in what he hoped was a politely interested tone, though it was taking him every ounce of self-control he possessed to bite back a cutting remark.
"Er – I just thought you should know," Lily replied, clearly confused with his lack of reaction.
"Why?" James asked, a little more aggressively than he'd intended, causing her to frown, too. "It isn't my business who you date… Is it?"
"Er – I'm tempted to say no," said Lily, "But since you've played on the same team for two years, I was – I was curious as to – what you think."
He turned to face her, and caught a searching look in her emerald-green eyes. He understood: she was trying to gauge if he still liked her, and how he was taking the news… Well, I've never felt the need to hide my emotions, he thought. Until now… There was no way he was going to let her know his real feelings. He kept an impassive expression on his face as he asked, "Er – why are you asking me? Isn't Jane the authority when it comes to – er, people?" That got a little smile out of Lily, and he felt proud that his tone was still pleasant.
"What I'll get from Jane is information," she said, "But from you – I want an opinion… Er – 'coz we're – we're friends." She sounded discomfited; clearly, she'd sensed that something wasn't right, that he was proving to be curiously difficult to talk to about this. He sighed; if he kept this up, there was a chance that she'd understand his real state of mind, and he couldn't have that… "Oh, all right," he replied with a wry smile, relenting at last as they entered the Great Hall. "About Wright – well, he's an excellent Keeper, and from what I know, he's a good student, too. He's quiet… But when he talks during practice, he usually has an interesting insight to share. He's a good sort." It was true, after all; Adam was certainly an asset to the team, and overall, a pleasant person to have around.
Lily's face relaxed visibly. "I'm glad you approve," she said, before clapping her hand to her mouth. James grinned and said, "Well, that's a first – I never thought you'd come to me, seeking approval –"
"Ugh," she groaned, before hitting him on the arm. "I didn't mean to say that –"
"But why is it important to you that I approve?" he asked curiously.
"Nothing, I – I dunno," she said, and James could see that she was telling the truth. "So, what about you? D'you have a date to Hogsmeade?" He could see that she wanted to change the subject, and he decided to go with it – anything to avoid talking about Wright. "Nah," he responded with a shake of his head as they entered the Great Hall, "I'm going to spend it with my mates – it's more fun than going on a date."
He regretted that last bit as she gave him a confused look but thankfully decided to ignore that. "C'mon – I bet there's a lot of girls who'd go out with you in a heartbeat," she said as they took seats at the Gryffindor table.
"People keep saying that," said James truthfully, buttering up his bread and giving Lily another wry smile. "But I dunno – I just don't think it's a good idea to date –"
"After spending the last two years chasing me?" Lily interrupted shrewdly, a glint in her emerald-green eyes as she chewed her scrambled eggs. Completely thrown, James exclaimed, "Er – no! Nothing like that!" He felt disbelief, though; her guess had been perilously close to the real reason: that he was still harbouring feelings for her, but he'd rather eat rat droppings before telling her that.
"Sure," Lily responded in a tone that made it perfectly clear that she didn't believe him one bit. Then her voice softened. "Look, James – if you're not looking to date someone out of respect for my feelings or something as preposterous – forget it," she said firmly, and she actually placed her hand over his. "If you start going out with some girl only months after asking me out, honestly – it doesn't matter; I won't think that you're a flirting Casanova, or something like that." She smiled slightly and added, "I said no to you, didn't I?"
They were into awkward territory again, and James didn't know how to sidestep this question. "Er – yes," he said finally, and she nodded in agreement before saying, "Look – I wouldn't mind at all if you start going out with someone else. Why should I? It's your life, after all."
"So, just to be clear – you think the reason I'm not dating is out of respect for your feelings?" James asked her, fighting to keep himself from snorting. "Er, yes," she responded, with a little blush on her cheek, "Isn't it?"
He smirked slightly; she'd completely misread him, but if she thought that was the reason, he was fine going along with it. "You're right," he said, with a smile about as real as the possibility of Leprechaun gold being used as money, "That is the reason… And if you're OK with that, I may just say yes to the next girl who asks me out."
"Great – that's the spirit," Lily responded brightly, as Liz, Marlene and Remus joined them. James immediately engaged Liz in a discussion of Puddlemere United's victory against the Appleby Arrows over the weekend, glad for an excuse to stop talking about Lily's social life…
He wasn't really paying attention to Liz's take on the strength of Puddlemere's Chasers this season; he simply nodded distractedly as she fretted over the possibility of Harrison being benched after a mediocre performance in the match against the Arrows… Nay, his thoughts were elsewhere. He was starting to feel morose again… Lily had told him that it didn't matter to her who he dated. Clearly, she didn't feel about him the way he felt about her… Well, maybe he was better off dating someone else after all. He shook his head and gave Liz an inattentive sort of smile, hoping that she wouldn't notice his disinterest…
He brooded over the same thoughts for the rest of the day. He acted falsely cheerful throughout the delicious Hallowe'en feast that evening, forcing himself to laugh at Sirius's jokes and ribbing Peter about the Shield Charm he'd cast in DADA that day (Peter hadn't been very confident about his ability to cast the Charm non-verbally, and had reacted instinctively by shouting "Protego!" when Remus had shot a Disarming Charm at him, causing his wand to fly out of his hand and hit Professor Burke right on her nose). But his mind was elsewhere… By the looks of it, the door had closed on anything happening between himself and Lily, and it was a big, big blow.
He somehow found it in himself to tell Sirius about all this the next day, and his best mate had been most sympathetic – even offering to use a couple of creative Hexes on Adam Wright, but James had declined. The match against Slytherin was too close – it was going to take place that weekend – and he didn't want any of his teammates sidelined due to other teammates, however tempting that may have been in case of the Keeper…
Finally, at the end of the last practice before the match (a particularly rough one where they flew for almost three hours straight, with no breaks), James gathered the team around himself in the centre of the Quidditch pitch. "Well, everyone," he said proudly, "I am quite satisfied with the level of our gameplay. Slytherin may have surprised us last year – their Chasers were on par with ours, something that isn't a very common occurrence – but this year, we're going to trounce them! Gryffindor for the Cup!" he yelled, and there was an answering 'Yeah!' from the rest of the team – reserves and Lily included.
James had been surprised that she'd stayed till the end of practice – she rarely did so, and with a sinking feeling, he realized that it was due to Wright, obviously. "Right – disperse," he said shortly, and his teammates began to move towards the changing rooms, talking tiredly amongst themselves. Lily and Wright lingered, talking quietly amongst themselves – James felt a horrible pang of envy when he heard Lily's tinkling laugh, presumably at something Wright said… He resisted the urge to throttle his Keeper before turning away from the pair of them and beginning to walk towards the changing rooms.
He reminded everyone to be there by ten-thirty (for the eleven o'clock start of the match) and watched as his teammates dispersed, with Sirius walking between Marlene and Liz, an arm around each of their shoulders. He shook his head; the art of charming girls came easily to his best friend, and he couldn't help but feel a little envious… Why couldn't he have had the same luck with Lily?
Olivia Dunbar stayed behind to help him replace the crate containing all the balls in Madam Hooch's office, which was just a little way away from the changing rooms. She was a pretty girl – tall, dark-haired, athletic, and a talented Beater. She could hit Bludgers with nearly as much ferocity as Sirius, but it was her accuracy that made her so effective – while Sirius often hit Bludgers to intimidate or distract, Olivia's hits were almost always on target. Indeed, that very session, she'd managed to hit James on the arm, and he'd glowed with pride at the red welt on his elbow before drawing his wand and repairing it without further ado. Olivia had been a little shy when she'd joined the team last year, preferring to do as she was told, never really offering any opinion or advice to him… But this year, she'd grown a lot more in confidence, and he had a good feeling about how she'd do in tomorrow's match.
"Whew," Olivia said as they walked out of the changing rooms, "Really, James? Did you have to make the last practice before the match so tiring? At this rate, we won't even have the strength to play tomorrow?"
"Ah, c'mon, Ollie," he said, grinning as he pointedly averted his eyes from the pitch where Lily and Adam Wright were still talking. Olivia rolled her eyes at the nickname he knew she didn't really like. James continued, "You know that's not true – I'm whipping you lot into shape, so that even after a rigorous practice session, you're able to give your best during the match!"
She grinned back and said, "I know – I know. I guess I expected you to go easy on us today, at least –"
"You know me by now, Ollie," he interrupted, "When have I ever gone easy on you?"
"Good point," Olivia responded wryly. Then her brow clouded over a little. "I dunno how I'm going to make it through this year, James," she said, and her tone was fretful. "It's OWL year, after all… And why does each Professor think that theirs is the only subject taught at Hogwarts?" she added with a frustrated sigh.
"Trust me – you'll be fine," said James reassuringly. "I can't believe I'm saying this – but if you study consistently, and stick to a timetable, there's no reason you won't ace your OWL!"
"I know, I know," said Olivia sighing as she pinned her Prefect's badge onto her chest. "But with all the extra work, Prefect duties and three-hour Quidditch practice sessions, I'm not even getting the time to eat or sleep… And on top of that, I'm having trouble with Defence! That new Professor – she could at least try being a little friendlier! I mean, if someone's struggling with the Stunning Spell, you shouldn't bring them in front of the class and Stun them to demonstrate the Spell!" she exclaimed.
"I take it you're having trouble with the Stunner?" James said sardonically, raising an eyebrow at her in amusement. She blushed and said, "Yeah – I know, it's pathetic, I can't even do a simple Stunner! But if they ask me to demonstrate it in the OWL practical, I'm – ugh!" She groaned and shook her head in frustration.
"Er – I could help you, if you want," James offered. "I have no problem with the spell, and with the reduced number of subjects in sixth year, I can certainly find the time to teach you – if you like," he added quickly. She considered this briefly before saying, "Would you really?"
"Yep," said James firmly, as the castle's front door came in sight. "If you want, we can meet on the Sunday afternoon after the Hogsmeade weekend – classroom thirty-two, how does that sound?"
"Sounds great," said Olivia in relief, a smile on her pretty face that reached her blue eyes. "Thank you, James – this is a life-saver, this is," she added sincerely.
"No problem – happy to help," said James, smiling pleasantly at her. "You know, you need to relax a little – the Hogsmeade visit should help."
"I'm not going," she replied, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why not?" he asked curiously.
She shrugged. "Well – I think I should use the time to study, to catch up on my work, and to practise Stunning some more so that you don't think I'm a complete waste when we meet the day after," she said, and he shook his head, laughing. "You're not a moron!" he said lightly, and she gave him a little smile before ploughing on, "Besides, both my best friends have dates, so I'll just get bored anyway…"
"Ahh, that's the real reason," said James, smirking as they entered the castle. She blushed slightly and said rather defensively, "Well – would you go third-wheeling on a date with Sirius and Liz?"
Taken aback, he exclaimed, "What? Sirius and Liz – on a date?"
"I dunno if it's already happened yet," Olivia replied quickly. "But c'mon – they're so obvious! If I had to bet on it, I'd say sooner rather than later."
She's sharp, James thought admiringly. He knew that Liz liked his best mate, but so far, Sirius just clammed up when James tried to prod him about his feelings towards her… James wasn't sure if Sirius felt the same way, but he did seem to enjoy spending time with Liz – with the two of them bantering, flirting and bickering back and forth. "I dunno – hard to say," he said vaguely, unwilling to mention that he had a deeper knowledge of Liz and Sirius's friendship. "But if you want to see what happens, you can join us in Hogsmeade – me, Remus, Peter and Marlene, that is. Like I said, I think you need a break," he added quickly.
Olivia seemed to consider this. "Oh, fine, then," she said at last. "You're right – I need a break, and I don't want to just sit around studying in the castle, I'd get bored. But if I'm with the famous Marauders, I know I won't," she added, giving him a sideways glance and smirking. "Besides, Marlene will be there, too, right?"
"Yup, she will… Great – that's settled, then," said James, smiling back at her. An evil smirk replaced his smile as he added, "And – if Sirius and Liz do go on a date, we could give them a hard time…"
"Sounds like fun," said Olivia dryly as they entered the Great Hall. "Blimey, if it happens, I hope Marlene will be OK," she added, her voice gentle and a little fretful. "I'm sure she will," James said reassuringly. "She's a whole lot tougher than she appears to be… Besides, she and Liz are friends, so they'll be all right."
"I hope so – otherwise, we'll get World War Three," Olivia responded sardonically. Clearly catching his confused glance, she amended, "Oh, c'mon – the two world wars are important aspects of Muggle history, responsible for having huge, long-term impacts! You should hear my Mum go on about it – she's a professor of Muggle history, which means that I have a top-notch knowledge about the history of the Muggle World. It's way more interesting than the Wizarding World, anyway," she said, and James grinned. "I agree with that despite knowing diddly squat about Muggle history," he replied and she chuckled. Spotting her friends at the Gryffindor table, she said, "Well – thanks for the offer, James. See you later!"
"Later," said James, and with a little wave, she went off to join her friends. James approached where Sirius, Liz, Marlene and Peter were sitting, and threw himself in a seat neat them. "We just have to win tomorrow," he said tersely. "Can't lose to Slytherin…"
"We know, mate," said Sirius reassuringly. "And don't worry – we have tomorrow's game all sewn up – right, girls?" he added, looking at Liz and Marlene.
"Yep," they said in unison, and Peter nodded eagerly. "I can feel it, Prongs – we're going to win tomorrow," he said, and James smiled before attacking his food with great gusto. His thoughts were on Olivia… Sure, it had been a little impulsive on his part to ask her to join them in Hogsmeade, and he was sure that it had (at least, partially) been triggered by the conversation he'd had with Lily a few days ago.
After dinner, James played his usual game of Chess with Remus this time, beating his friend in about an hour… He didn't need the 'chess therapy' anymore, but he'd found that it helped with his concentration and state of mind, so it had almost become a pre-match ritual. He usually played with Peter, Remus or Mary (since his other friends were on the Quidditch team now); he knew that they never played their 'A-game' against him on the night before a match, but he appreciated it all the same… This wasn't a competition; it was an exercise in concentration and focus, and he was grateful for his friends' help.
Just as he was going up to bed, however, a familiar voice called out his name. He turned to see Lily standing right behind him, and for the first time in his memory, the automatic smile (that usually came to his face whenever he saw her) didn't come. "Yeah?" he asked her with an unconvincing stab at pleasantness.
To his surprise, she gave him a quick, perfunctory hug, and said, "Good luck tomorrow – I know we're going to beat them!"
He couldn't help it; he grinned. "Glad to have your support, Lily – that'll win us the match, that will," he responded dryly, and she chortled before going off to join Liz. Shaking his head, he made his way up the spiral staircase, his thoughts still on the conversation they'd had a few days ago…
James slept badly. Lily wove in and out of his dreams, appearing in several forms – the oddest of which was an apple that hung on a low-hanging branch of the tree; however, as he jumped to pluck it, the tree kept moving the branch upwards so that the fruit remained out of his reach, laughing at him as it did so before turning into Adam Wright, and the fruit turned to Lily who gave him a little wink before scuttling off, hand-in-hand, with Wright… There were several others, but when he woke up at the crack of dawn, that was the one he remembered clearly. So much for 'chess therapy', he thought as he got dressed; grabbing his wand (he always carried it everywhere), he made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
He remained at the table long after his breakfast, giving several last-minute instructions to his teammates, particularly encouraging Donnie Martin to catch the Snitch as soon as he could. He smiled in greeting at Olivia before engaging Liz and Marlene in discussion about their latest tactics, culminating with, "I want a win today at all costs, girls, so make sure that it happens!"
They nodded back reassuringly, and James forced himself to smile at Adam and tell him to block as many shots as he could, before rising to his feet. "Changing rooms, everyone – be there in ten minutes," he said, before setting off alone, going over his strategy for today. He knew that the Slytherin Chasers were nearly as good as himself, Marlene and Liz… Which meant that their strategy to build up a big lead was more important than ever, if they were to give Donnie any time to catch the Snitch. Admittedly, Donnie was the only weak link in the team, but he'd surely out-flown the clowns who had showed up at tryouts. We should score as many goals as we can, he resolved as he reached the changing rooms.
His thoughts went to Ashley Bond, the Slytherin Captain. Her rise had been meteoric; she'd just joined their team last year, but she was already leading it – the previous Captain had graduated, and it had been due to her prolificity in front of the hoops that Slytherin had won the Cup last year. On a more serious note, though, James knew that her father was fighting for his life in St Mungo's and while he'd (a little unwillingly, owing to his general mistrust of Slytherins) written to his Dad about it, he hadn't been able to help her much. He couldn't count on her being distracted while she played, though…
By the time the rest arrived, James was already changed. He waited for them to wear their scarlet-and-gold robes before saying, "Right… First match, Slytherin, and like always – we have to win! On three, then – one – two – GO LIONS!"
That last bit was shouted out by the entire team; it was their battle-cry of sorts. Liz and Marlene came up to him, and he grinned widely before they all slapped their palms with each other whilst standing in a triangle; it was a ritual that they, as Chasers, always performed before stepping out onto the pitch. James was the one who had started that; in his head, it indicated the coordination and trust they shared with each other.
Applause, cheers and scarlet flags greeted them as they came out onto the pitch. "Welcome, everyone – to the first game of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin!" came Dorcas Meadowes's familiar, perky voice. "An unchanged team by the players in scarlet and gold – McKinnon, Huntington, Black, Dunbar, Wright, Martin, and the Captain, Potter!" James head the Gryffindor supporters yelling and cheering at his name, and as is always did, it heartened him. It was endearing, the adulation he received; indeed, it reminded him that he wasn't just playing for his team, but for their fans, too…
"And here come the Slytherins, with several new faces – Pritchard, Baines, Cahill, Selwyn, Hastings, Black, and the Captain, Bond!" The Slytherin supporters whooped and cheered as their team walked out, and stood in front of the Gryffindors. Ashley Bond gave James a friendly sort of smile, an action which he returned out of courtesy. Madam Hooch arrived with the crate containing the four balls, and said, "Captains, shake hands."
James and Ashley approached each other, and shook hands; it was a different experience for James, having almost had his hand crushed last year by the previous Slytherin Captain, Croft. "Thank you for your help, Potter – I appreciate it," Ashley said softly, and he was a little surprised; granted, she did know that he'd written to his Dad on Lily's behest, and he felt a little gratified to have his actions acknowledged. "No problem, I hope your Dad gets better soon," he replied with a little smile, and she nodded her thanks. "Good luck," she said, and he echoed her, not bothering to hide his surprise… Sportsmanship from Slytherin players wasn't something he was used to. Shaking his head, he returned to his teammates and mounted his broomstick.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and James kicked off from the ground, taking a full five seconds to breathe in the fresh morning air before grabbing the Quaffle that Marlene passed to him and speeding off. He dodged Bond and Cahill before passing to Liz, who had arrived onto his right. He kept pace with her as she dodged the Bludger Hastings hit at her before giving an underarm pass to Marlene, who sped forward towards the hoops – but instead of scoring, she reverse-passed to Liz, who took a shot at the middle hoop –
"Huntington scores!" Dorcas shouted, and the Gryffindors cheered in appreciation. "Ten-nil to Gryffindor!"
Liz exchanged celebratory claps with James and Marlene, and the game resumed. James ignored Dorcas's commentary as he flew, dodging Bludgers and players with equal ease… He managed to score twice, but Ashley scored at the other end to open Slytherin's account. With twenty minutes of the match gone, Gryffindor were leading with a margin of forty points, with the score at eighty-forty in their favour.
"Here's McKinnon, passes to Huntington who's away – Potter onto her right, and Huntington passes to him –"
"Look out, Liz!" James shouted in alarm as the huge black Bludger came hurtling towards her; she clearly hadn't seen it in her haste to pass. He watched on, horrified, as the Bludger hit her straight on the head – he could do nothing as she was thrown cleanly off the broom and began to hurtle towards the ground. He dropped the Quaffle at once and sped off to catch her, praying that she wouldn't hit the ground before he could reach her –
Time seemed to freeze for James as he sped towards Liz, urging his broom to go faster. No! he thought desperately; he was too far, and his broom was too slow. He wasn't going to reach her in time –
And out of the corner of his eye, James spotted another figure in scarlet-and-gold; it was Sirius. He watched in horror as his best mate jumped off his broom and cleanly caught Liz, but they were both still about ten feet from the ground… Thinking quickly, he whipped out his wand, and screamed, "Molliare!"
Sirius and Liz landed onto the pitch in a heap, but to his relief, his best mate seemed to be fine – the Cushioning Charm had worked, then. James landed beside them as Sirius gently lowered Liz onto the pitch. "Hunt? Liz? Can you hear me?" he panted urgently, shaking her shoulders – but there was no response. He bent over her chest as James knelt down too, his heart hammering… Please, please, let her be all right, he thought desperately as out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Madam Hooch landing next to them.
"She has a pulse," Sirius said, relief etched upon his pale and sweaty face. "She's been knocked out, though –"
"She needs Hospital Wing," said Madam Hooch firmly, conjuring a stretcher. "Good job, Potter – that Cushioning Charm stopped Black here from breaking his neck – and possibly saved both their lives."
"Yeah, thanks, mate," said Sirius, mustering a swift smile at him. James nodded back and said, "We'll talk about your heroics later – right now, we need to make sure she's OK." He vaguely heard screams and jeers from the crowd, but he tuned them out… Right now, Liz was the top priority. She appeared to be bleeding from her head, and his fear went up by a notch… Before he could do anything, however, the rest of the team arrived next to them, followed closely by Professor McGonagall who bent over Liz, muttering something with her wand out.
"Liz!" came a familiar, distraught voice, and James looked up to see Lily sprinting over towards them, her beautiful face terrified. "Oh, God, Liz! How is she?"
"Unconscious – but she'll be fine," said Professor McGonagall reassuringly, standing up. "She needs to be taken to the Hospital Wing –"
"I'll do it," said Sirius immediately, but Lily jumped in. "I'll do it – you still have a match to play, Black," she said firmly. "You lot can come to the Hospital Wing afterwards –"
"But –"
"I told you, I'll do it," snapped Lily. Then her tone softened. "She'll be all right, OK? Madam Pomfrey can fix her up in a jiffy, I'm sure of it… Right, Professor?" she added to the Transfiguration teacher, who nodded. "Go on, then, Miss Evans," she said, and there was a ghost of a smile on her face. Lily gave James and Sirius a reassuring smile, and James understood that she was trying very hard to be strong… He could tell that she was just as worried about Liz as they were. She began to walk away, levitating Liz behind her, carrying Liz's broomstick in her other hand. The crowd stood up and clapped as the two of them left the pitch, and James felt heartened once again. She was going to be all right…
"Bloody hell, the match!" he shouted suddenly, just realizing that the match was still going on – he'd forgotten to call a time-out, and only the Captain could do so. He couldn't imagine how far ahead Slytherin could be now…
"We can recommence after you name your substitute, Potter," said Madam Hooch, and James felt surprised.
"Recommence?" he repeated blankly. "But I forgot, I didn't call a timeout –"
"I know," interrupted a voice, "I did."
He turned to face Ashley Bond, who was standing a few feet away, her blue eyes fixed upon him.
"Er – why?" he couldn't help asking. "It was my job, and you were within your rights to continue playing, we're competitors –"
"So?" asked Ashley, her eyebrows raised. "We're athletes first, Potter – or have you forgotten that?"
He gaped at her, he couldn't believe it. Again, he thought about how rare it was to see a display of sportsmanship like this from the Slytherins, and he was more than a little shocked. Granted, he'd have done the same thing if he'd been her position, but he'd learnt to expect the worst from their traditional rivals…
"Er, thanks," he said lamely. Ashley gave him a small smile before going back towards her waiting team. Shaking his head, James looked at the substitutes' bench, and called, "Hey – Alastair! You're in!" A short boy grabbed his broomstick and sprinted towards them. The team took their positions, and James said to his Seeker, "An early catch is what we need now, Donnie – we're down one of our main Chasers, and I dunno how long we can stay in the lead!" Donnie Martin nodded tersely as Madam Hooch blew her whistle, restarting the match.
James played like a man possessed; he involved Alastair Carlisle minimally, preferring to have Marlene with him as they attacked, and the Gryffindors managed to hold on to their lead over the next fifteen minutes. "McKinnon scores – one-fifty-ninety to Gryffindor!" announced Dorcas Meadowes as the Gryffindor supporters cheered. "Potter and McKinnon are playing with incredible skill, keeping the Lions in the lead – ooh, and it looks like Martin has seen the Snitch! Black is on his tail – but Martin edges ahead – and he's caught it! Gryffindor win!"
"Yes!" cheered James as he joined the rest of the team in converging on Donnie Martin, who miraculously stayed on his broom as his teammates hugged him, cheering madly. They'd beaten Slytherin with a main player down, and James couldn't feel prouder of his team… But there was something else he had to do. He extricated himself from Marlene and flew straight towards Ashley Bond, who was in the process of scolding a disgruntled-looking Regulus Black. "Er, Bond?" he said tentatively, and she turned swiftly to look at him. "What?" she asked, a little curtly.
"Er – I just wanted to thank you… If you hadn't taken that time-out, you could've easily scored several goals and put the game beyond our reach," said James, his words coming out in a rush. Looking gratified, Ashley said, "No problem – I'm sure you'd have done the same thing. Besides, I'd rather beat Gryffindor fair and square."
"Yeah, well – don't count on it," said James with a little smile, and she grinned back at him. "There's still next year," she said, her tone wry. "Now, go and celebrate with your team, and check on Liz. Tell her I said hi." He gave her a little nod before sprinting back towards his team. There would be no celebration until everyone was sure that Liz was going to be fine…
A few minutes later, James, Sirius and the rest of the team arrived in the Hospital Wing. Lily was sitting by Liz's bedside, and she gave them a tired smile as they approached. "She's going to be fine… Didn't even crack her skull," she said, sounding as if she had a cold, and a wave of relief immediately shot through James's body. "Figures – I always knew she was thick-headed," he said sardonically, and Lily laughed. He noticed that her eyes seemed rather red.
"Uhh," groaned Liz, stirring slightly; her eyelids fluttered before she opened her eyes. "What happened?"
"You got hit by a Bludger," said James at once. "But don't worry – you're OK, you'll be out of here by evening –"
"Black and James saved you," said Lily, with an admiring glance at him and Sirius. "Black caught you – he even jumped off his broom in the process – and James used a Cushioning Charm to soften your landing…"
"Uhh," Liz moaned again, before turning towards James and Sirius. "I suppose I have you prats to thank," she said, and James grinned. "I'm glad you're OK, Liz," he said simply, and she smiled at him before asking, "And the match?"
"We won – three-hundred to ninety," said Sirius proudly, and Liz grinned at him in relief. Before she could say anything, however, Madam Pomfrey arrived and said firmly, "Now – this girl needs her rest, so how about you all clear off now? You can visit later…"
"Er – OK," said James, patting Liz's hand one last time. The rest of his teammates whispered reassuring words to their injured Chaser, and James gently dragged a reluctant Lily away from her best friend. "Just a minute," Liz rasped, "Blackie – could you stay, please?"
"Sure," said Sirius, and sat down next to her at once. Lily shot James a confused look which he returned before the two of them joined the team near the door of the Hospital Wing. James craned his neck to see what Sirius and Liz were doing; they appeared to be talking quietly. Then, all of a sudden, Sirius bent down, and to James's shock, kissed Liz gently on the lips.
James let out a low whistle; this was an interesting development. Next to him, Lily had a little smile on her face, as though she'd been expecting this… "That's not surprising at all," whispered Olivia Dunbar from behind them, her tone satisfied, and he turned around with a mischievous grin on his face. "Looks like we're going to have a fun Hogsmeade weekend," he whispered back, and she winked at him. His gaze went to Marlene, who had a smile on her face, too; he felt relieved at once. Thank Heavens she's OK with this, he thought. I don't want another – what was the phrase Ollie used? Oh, yes – World War Three…
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"You're evil, mate," Peter grumbled as he walked with James, Remus, Marlene and Olivia towards Hogsmeade. "C'mon – why are we giving them a hard time? We should be giving them a wide berth!"
"Yeah, I agree with Peter," said Marlene. "I don't want to barge in on their date… Then again, I'm going to meet Paul at the Madam Puddifoot's at eleven, so you're all free to do what you want," she added with a little grin. James wheeled around to face her, and asked indignantly, "You have a date? I thought we were all going to have fun together today!"
"I know – which is why I'm going there with you, aren't I?" Marlene said defensively. "Paul wanted to walk with me to Hogsmeade this morning – but we had plans, so I told him I'd meet him there instead. I don't ditch, you see? Well, not completely, anyway," she added with a twinkle in her eye.
"Ugh," said James, making a face. "Fine – you can go at eleven, we won't hold it against you. We'll have fun anyway, won't we?" He looked around as he spoke, and the less-than-enthusiastic expressions from Remus and Peter dampened his spirits a bit. Oh – how I wish I was on a date, too, he thought… But Lily is going with Adam bloody Wright, who can seem to do no wrong…
"Yes, we will," said Olivia loyally from his right, grinning at him, and his spirits lifted at once. Here was someone else who would willingly partake in annoying Sirius and Liz… James mulled over how that had happened. His best mate had curiously provided very little information about that kiss, other than stating that they'd be going out on a date on the Hogsmeade weekend; however, he'd let slip that they'd be stopping by at the Three Broomsticks some time during the day, and this was where James was planning to irritate them. He couldn't help but notice that Sirius had sat next to Liz in every class throughout the next week, and the two of them kept passing each other covert glances when they thought no one was looking. There was no doubt about it – he knew that Liz liked Sirius, and he was now under no doubt that Sirius certainly liked her back.
They arrived at the Three Broomsticks and ordered a Butterbeer each. Remus produced a set of playing cards, and they began an enthusiastic game of Exploding Snap that culminating in Peter's eyelashes being singed off. Marlene left soon after, but they continued, and James was relieved that Olivia didn't seem to mind hanging out with his friends, who too were warming up to her. They continued their game throughout lunch, before Peter suggested that they go to Zonko's; but Sirius and Liz walked in just then, and the three Marauders had fun trying to get under Sirius's skin – they made several paper aeroplanes and levitated them towards him, made faces and suggestive winks at him and, orchestrated by Olivia, managed to slip powdered Cockroach Cluster into Sirius's glass of Butterbeer (that last bit backfired because Liz took that glass instead and immediately spat out the terrible-tasting liquid).
James was just trying to decide what to do next, when an unwelcome sight met his eyes: Adam Wright walked into the pub, arm-in-arm with a radiant-looking Lily Evans. Lily waved at them all, and Adam acknowledged their presence with an imperious sort of nod before they took a table some distance away from where James and the others were sitting. Trying to ignore them, James cast his mind around to the next trick – but found that his heart wasn't in it anymore. He kept shooting glances towards Lily and Adam – until he caught sight of him bending forward to kiss her.
James suddenly stood up. "Er – be right back," he mumbled, "I have to – sneeze." He knew that his excuse was terrible, but he hurried out of the pub, unable to stay in the same room with Lily kissing another bloke. He crossed the Main Street and entered the first lane he could find, before stopping dead in his tracks.
Three people were duelling at the end of the lane. Two were hooded, masked and wearing black robes, while the third looked strangely familiar – with an awful blast of recognition, he realised that it was none other than Professor Burke. They're attacking her! he thought, whipping out his own wand. He wondered why no one had come to help, before realizing that he could hear nothing – no even the dustbin lid that flew up and hit the wall of the house next to it. They must have used Silencing Charms, he thought in trepidation. Well – that's not going to stop me!
He took careful aim, and thought, Stupefy! At once, the Stunner shot towards one of the hooded figures, but about five feet away from him, it seemed to hit a wall; it shot skywards before dissipating harmlessly. Oh, no, he thought, is that a more permanent Shield Charm! He shot a couple more spells at it, but the barrier held, and one of the hooded figures spotted him. He dodged the jet of blue light that came his way, desperately trying to think of a way to break the Shield... He noticed that the Professor seemed to be holding her own, but he didn't know how long she could do so. But if he couldn't break the Shield, how was he going to help her?
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