Chapter 7

The Day Hogwarts Stood Still

James POV

They had been back in the castle for about three weeks now and everything was going about as smoothly as could be expected. James and Sirius had each been in 5 detentions together and one apiece with Remus. Remus figured out that by using the same spell as a pensieve they could get the map to retain their memories. But now it was being kept under floorboards with several protection spells on it until they could figure out a proper code for a lock method. The map had to be secret but needed to be able to be accessed for many generations to come.

So far the biggest news of his year had been released on the train. Alice had sat down to talk to him and told him that over the last 7 weeks of Summer break she had started dating Frank. James was bummed but had known that they would remain friends, after all, he and Alice had agreed that they were only fooling around with each other in the first place. But that left him with an opening for someone to keep his mind off of one Lily Evans.

Keeping his mind off of Lily was like trying to watch the sun. You couldn't do it for long periods of time. After a while it became painful. But he managed. He did not talk to her or about her. He did not ask her out, he did not bug her about anything at all. In fact, he didn't even talk to Alice if Lily was around. He gave her the space she had requested. After all, it wasn't his fault she had shown up at his house over the summer. He had been planning on leaving her alone this year and he was sticking to it.

Today was an odd day for the four boys. The first Hogmede weekend had fallen very early this year. James, who had been unaware had scheduled Quidditch tryouts for that very day. Sirius was already scheduled for a detention and as such had to miss tryouts, but seeing as his partner was returning to his beater position from the previous year he wasn't too fussed about it. Remus was recovering from the full moon the night before which meant Peter was going to Hogsmede alone. None of the boys would be together today. For some reason James was very nervous and had a sick feeling in his stomach.

He knew it wasn't tryouts, after all, he was captain, his spot was not up for grabs. Sirius and Kingsley were both returning, though this would be Kingsley's last year. So he wasn't fussed about his beaters, he had one returning chaser, fellow sixth year Morgan Patil (whom Sirius was infatuated with), and his returning fifth year keeper Gordon Fletchly. That meant he only needed a seeker and a chaser so the tryouts shouldn't take that long. However, he was worried about how Rem was coping in the hospital wing, and how Pete was going to do picking up all the supplies they had written down, and it didn't help that Sirius kept calling his name from the mirror in his pocket.

He just had this feeling that something was not right with today. Something was wrong.

oOoOoOo

He was right, tryouts took no time at all, they were over in two hours flat. After a quick team meeting to set up their practice schedule for the next month James headed back into the castle. He heard a familiar voice calling him.

"Potter, Oi Potter!" she yelled as he stopped and turned to watch her jog towards him.

"I didn't do anything I swear it Evans." He said with a frown on his face.

She laughed and fell into step beside him. He was thoroughly confused. He had never walked anywhere with Lily Evans before.

"So I noticed. I was actually trying to figure out what you frou are up to since Pete was the only one in Scrivenshafts while I was there for a minute. And you are the first one of the Gryfindor Goofoffs I saw so I thought I would ask you."

He rolled his eyes at her made up name.

"We aren't up to anything, I had Qudditch today remember? And Sirius is in detention for being caught during some um… er… extra-curricular activities….And Remus is visiting his sick mum this weekend." He replied with a shrug. "Why? Were you wanting us to plan something today?"

"No. I was just worried that you four were going to lose all the points we earned last week in Transfiguration that is all. I swear you lot are always up to no good."

James had a very bemused look cross his face.

"What did you say?" he muttered coming to a stop.

"Er. I was worried you were going to lose points? What is the matter with you Potter?" Lily replied, shaking her emerald hair away from her face.

James was so distracted his barely even noticed the way the sun gleamed off of it.

"No, not that, the last part."

"You lot are always up to no good? Well you can't argue that, you have had more detentions than days back to school if you add all four of you up."

He spun and grabbed her face, one hand on each side and pulled her forward into a fast kiss. She was so stunned she didn't even smack him back.

"Lily Evan you are a bloody genius!" he said before turning and sprinting off towards the castle.

It took her a moment to regain her thoughts and she realized that she should be mad about just being forced into a kiss by James Potter.

"James Potter don't you run off, you can't just kiss someone without their consent you prat." She shouted before chasing after him.

oOoOoOoOo

He was kneeling beside Sirius' bed when he heard her footsteps stop beside him.

"Why hello Lily, to what do I owe the pleasure of you being in my room?" he said innocently, turning away from the wards he was trying to release.

"You bloody know why I am here, Potter. You cannot just kiss me because you feel like it. I am not your girlfriend, I do not like you, I do not want to be kissed by you." She shouted.

"Yes, I know that, all of it. I was excited, I didn't mean it, I am sorry." He said earnestly as he stood up in front of her.

His apology brought her up short, he never apologized to anyone for anything. She was a bit taken back by his height. He had gotten a lot taller since the last time she was face to face with him like this. She hadn't noticed. And if she wasn't mistaken his arms were more defined than they were over the summer too. His white Tshirt showed them off well.

"Lily why are you staring at me?" he said nervously, shuffling his feet back and forth.

"I was not staring. I was thinking. I just. Merlin you are so..so…"

But what he was he never found out. At that minute the entire castle rocked. Lily flew forward into James' arms as he toppled backwards onto Sirius' bed. The walls shook and they could hear bangs, cashes and screams from all over the grounds.

As they stood up the door to the dormitory slammed shut and the squelching sound of it sealing shut seemed to deafen them.

"What did you do!" Lily shouted with tears in her eyes..

"Honestly Lily, how powerful do you think we are? We didn't do this. What the hell is going on?" he replied as he stood and walked over the window to look out.

Lily ran to the door and was shaking it violently and throwing every kind of unlocking spell at it. They both stopped dead when Albus Dumbledore's voice sounded though the castle.

"Students please remain calm. Hogwarts' defenses have been triggered as an attack has started on Hogsmede and at the castle gates. All rooms, corridors and dorms have been sealed to stop any infiltration. If you are in a corridor please proceed to the entrance hall were you will be directed to a safer location. If you could remain calm we will be in this situation for a bit of time so sit tight and we will have you safely moving around the castle as soon as possible.

James turned around at the same time as Lily. Both with the same question in their eyes.

Would both of them survive locked together in a small space for a long period of time?