Thanks for the reviews, Nupurlath, CB, Pratha, Theblessedchild, -E and Anna. Cheers! And apologies, there was an issue with the fanfiction servers, so I couldn't upload it sooner (then again, I just finished writing it yesterday, so…).
Nupurlath: Thank you so much! I'm glad you find the interaction between the characters cute!
CB: Agreed, I think we've had enough disagreements between Lily and James over their first five years!
Pratha: Haha, here you go! Personally, I like a story that keeps twisting and turning, that remains unpredictable… That's what I'm trying to write, myself!
Theblessedchild: Pleasure! Thank you for your review, and I hope you like this chapter too!
Lily. Potter-E: Thank you so much, and thanks a lot for sticking to the story after the first part too! I hope you like this chapter!
Anna: Haha, exactly! Just like James/Liz, we need some Lily/Sirius friendship moments, too… Which is why, I couldn't resist coming up with that one! And yeah, I agree – but then again, it's James friggin' Potter, who pushes the boundaries of 'extravagant' on a daily basis!
Hello everyone, here is chapter ten. 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 Ten
"My dream is to make the world we live in – a better place."
James sprinted away from the castle courtyard, ignoring Lily's cries at him to stop. The scene was ironically familiar; he frowned as he painfully recalled her running away from him that summer day last year, after he'd taunted Snape and the git had ended up calling her – that terrible, unforgivable word. James had felt partially responsible for that, and he hadn't blamed Lily for ignoring him as she'd run away from him and Snape…
But this was different. Sure, he was running away from her because he was upset, but that wasn't all. Nay, he was livid… And he knew that if he'd stayed there for a few more seconds, all his fury with her would've boiled over, and he'd surely have said something he'd have regretted later. Lily isn't the only one with a temper, he thought wryly… He knew that he couldn't have controlled himself from screaming at her; and so, he'd made a quick getaway, slightly regretting the fact that he'd hurt her…
He was so frustrated with her. First, she decides to go out with Adam bloody Wright, and that throws a spanner in the works for my plan, he thought furiously. Then she comes and tells me that she doesn't mind if I date someone else… That's essentially saying that she didn't have any feelings for me, and that it was time I moved on, too… Well, he'd taken her advice, hadn't he? He'd tried to distance himself from her and Adam, mainly because it was so darn painful to see them together… And he'd even tried to be civil to Adam, not only because he was really nice and a teammate, but also for Lily's sake…
Then he'd started to spend some more time with Ollie. Sure, she was fun to hang out with, and she did need his help with the Stunner and a couple of other Hexes… He'd really enjoyed teaching her; she was an excellent student, hardworking and eager to learn. James had figured out in their first session itself that it was important to her if the teacher was nice and patient with her; she learnt things faster that way – and it explained why she was having difficulties with DADA, especially with Professor Burke in charge. Nonetheless, it was enormously satisfying to see the person you were teaching work hard and master different spells… It was the same feeling he got every time he helped Pete.
Then, about a week before Slughorn's Christmas party, she'd mastered the Reductor Curse, and after ten particularly gruelling minutes when he'd Levitated chairs towards her at blinding speed and she'd Blasted them apart, she'd actually whooped around in joy before hugging him tightly. Before he could return the hug, however, she'd drawn back, and after a second's pause, proceeded to kiss him gently on the lips.
James had hardly had time to recover from the shock when she'd turned around and sprinted away, blushing furiously. He'd set off in hot pursuit, finally catching up to her as they'd arrived at the library. After a couple minutes' discussion, they'd set off again – with James leading her to the same room where he'd brewed the Widerwille Potion with Lily nearly two years ago (well, to be fair, Lily had done most of the brewing).
James paused at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, only a little way ahead of Hagrid's cabin. He closed his eyes at the memory…
"Now, Ollie," he said firmly, "C'mon – why did you run away? And what – was that?"
Olivia was determinedly avoiding his eyes. She looked like she'd rather be anywhere else but there; deciding to put her out of her misery, James tried again. "Ollie," he said, his tone gentle. "Please – explain."
Olivia threw her hands up in frustration. "What's there to explain, James?" she exclaimed, still not meeting his eyes. "Look – it was something I'd been wanting to do for a while, and it just happened in the heat of the moment – especially after I'd mastered another spell, thanks to you! I was just so ecstatic – I wasn't thinking straight!"
"Clearly," said James, with a slight smile, and Ollie made eye contact with him at last. "Look, I'm sorry," she said, and James suspected that she was quite close to bursting into tears… Indeed, her eyes were glistening. "I didn't mean to – you know, kiss you like that –"
"You just said you'd wanted to do that for a while," James pointed out, and she looked sheepish. "Yes – yes, I did," she said, looking discomfited – and he grinned. She gave him a pleading sort of look, and added, "Look – I'm sorry, OK? It's just – well, you're a really good teacher, and you've helped me so much… I don't want things to be awkward, OK? Please – I still need your help!" She gazed at him imploringly.
James thought back to the kiss… It had been nice, certainly, and he hadn't kissed anyone since his short-lived relationship with Rachel Burke, back in fourth year. Now that he thought about it, was she related to their Professor? Hmm… Maybe she might know something about the antidote research the teacher was working on, apparently collaborating with Slughorn… Not now, he thought firmly as he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on Ollie's kiss… It had felt so good, so good, to have someone kiss him like that. Sure, he knew that there was a sizeable number of girls at Hogwarts who were probably interested in him, but the one girl he'd wanted to go out with – wasn't. Hell, she'd even told him to go and date other people if he felt it appropriate…
He looked at the girl standing in front of him; she was still regarding him beseechingly, and for the first time, he noticed something he hadn't quite before…
She was beautiful. Her eyes reminded him of the summer sky, and her black hair was long and lustrous… Of course, she tied it into a ponytail and wore a hairband whenever she played Quidditch, but when she let it loose, she looked very, very attractive… He regarded her high cheekbones, straight nose, and dimpled chin. He remembered how her cheeks had had dimples on them when she'd whopped in excitement a few minutes ago… And, to top it all, she'd kissed him. There was no doubt about it… She was not only nice, clever and friendly, but also smart, funny and an excellent Quidditch player. Honestly, it's a no-brainer, he thought, making his decision.
"Don't worry – things won't be awkward between us," he said reassuringly, and she looked momentarily relieved. "Really?" she asked hopefully, and he smiled. Now was the moment to throw caution to the winds… "Really," he said, his voice low, "Especially – after I do this." In a swift, fluid motion, he moved forward – and kissed her delicately on the lips.
After a few hours (or so it seemed to him), they broke apart. He could see a slow smile spreading across her face. "Well – you're a good kisser," she complimented, and he grinned back at her. "Right back at you," he said, and she nodded before turning away, her smile fading. "What is it?" James asked her, nonplussed.
She turned back to him and said, "Nothing, I was just wondering – where we go from here."
"To dinner," he replied dryly, and she laughed. "Not what I meant," she said, and he gave her a little wink. "I know," he said, "This is where I ask you out on a date – let's see, d'you want to come to Slughorn's Christmas party with me – next Friday?"
"Oooh, I'd love to!" said Olivia happily, and he grinned and said, "Great, it's a date…"
James opened his eyes. The memory was still fresh, and he'd relived it several times over the holidays. They'd had a great time at Slughorn's party, and for the first time in months, James hadn't felt the usual twinge of envy as he'd watched Lily dancing with Adam Wright… Nay, he too had a beautiful girl on his arm, and what was more, she liked him, too…
He'd bought Ollie the Beater's bat from the Freddie Greengrass auction, and he'd read her letter to him with a degree of smugness combined with satisfaction as she described to him how she'd cried for a full five minutes because of his gesture, she'd been so overwhelmed. The party at Liz's had been fun, too – until Lily had decided to speak to him. He narrowed his eyes; the way she'd spoken, the way she'd seemed to imply that Ollie was with him because she was sure he'd just buy her things, was something more than he could endure. Lily didn't even know Ollie. She didn't know the way Ollie's cheeks blushed every time she smiled at him, or how gentle she was as a person… Indeed, Ollie had assured James that kissing him out of the blue was completely out of character for her, which was why she'd immediately fled after it had happened. She was such a nice person… And yet, here was his friend, making assumptions about her, just because of something that he, James, had done…
James kicked a stone in frustration. You said you wouldn't mind if I dated someone, Lily, he ranted mentally. And so, when I did – and still am, by the way – who the hell d'you think you are, to question why she's with me? Did I ever say anything bad about Adam bleeding Wright? I said he was a good bloke, didn't I? So why did you have to bad-mouth Ollie – even without knowing how sweet she is? Can't you bear to see me happy? He kicked another stone violently.
James suddenly stood straight and rigid, and furrowed his brow in concentration… He quickly transformed into the maroon stag, and bounded away into the forest… It was so much easier being Prongs, he didn't feel his human emotions quite so intensely when he was a stag. He simply galloped into the forest, not quite caring where he was going, and began to relax as he felt the cold night air whistle past him; his thick fur protected him from the frigid temperatures.
About fifteen minutes later, James slowed to a trot. He wasn't sure where he was, but he was confident that he could find his way back to school; being a stag heightened his sense of smell. He kept wandering around aimlessly, trying to collect his thoughts. Much calmer than before, he began to think a little clearly…
He felt a little pang of shame. Lily was just trying to apologize, said the voice inside his head. She was trying to apologize… But you, you just saw red (he smiled inwardly at the pun). You walked away… There was no need of that. You could've been nice…
The stag drew in a sharp breath and gave a low, mournful rumble. Did she act like this when you apologized to her, moron? asked that needling voice again. No! She forgave you – it was pretty gracious, considering what a git you'd been to her friend that day. And now, for something that isn't really as bad, come to think of it – you're all consumed in self-righteous anger! What are you, some kind of sanctimonious priest? People make mistakes… And you don't have to act like a wanker when for once, you're in the right!
The stag let out another rumble. James didn't like the way his conscience was reproaching him, but he knew that it was right… He had to go back, and it would be better if he simply accepted Lily's apology so that they could both move on from the incident. He realized that Lily hadn't meant to hurt him, and that she really was trying to look out for him… It was just bad luck that Ollie had unknowingly got in the way.
James turned around, and began to trot back towards the castle. He let his sense of smell guide him; he was sure that he'd be horribly lost in his human form. He kept following the path, confident that it had been the one he'd taken – until something out of the ordinary caught his eye.
There was a light coming from somewhere to his right. It didn't look like moonlight; nay, it looked yellow… Curious, he stealthily followed a narrow path towards the light, eager to see what it was… Why would there be yellow light inside the forest? Was someone there? Was anyone looking for him? No, that couldn't be – no one even knew that he was in the forest.
As he came up to the yellow light, he realized that it was emanating from what looked like a cave, a well-hidden one, at that; if it hadn't been for the light, he wouldn't have realized that it was there. He peeked inside cautiously, and saw the light source – a torch on the wall of the cave. What was it doing there? A torch means people, thought James… Someone was here!
A quick peek into the cave told him that it was deserted, which prompted him to try and enter it – at once, he was thrown back, and landed rather heavily on his flank. Cursing (though it came out only as a rumble), he slowly stood back up, and shook his head in frustration. Someone had probably placed a shield on the entrance – which meant that he wouldn't be able to enter, not without attempting to break it open with a wand…
After a two-minute inward debate, he regretfully decided against it. He didn't know what shield it was, and if the person who had placed it there caught him, it wouldn't be pretty. He'd have to come back – with backup, mostly. He memorized the scent of the pine trees near the narrow path, before turning away from the cave and beginning to trot back along the path he'd come by. He thought hard as he made his way along the snowy path… Who was using that cave? Was it serious enough that Dumbledore had to be informed at once? No, he thought. It might just be nothing – maybe he ought to investigate it first, before going to the Headmaster…
A big black dog suddenly appeared in front of him, and gave a little bark in his direction. James grinned inwardly; Padfoot, like the loyal friend that he was, had come in search of him. The dog gave another bark, and fell in step with the stag as both made their way towards the castle. Finally, as they emerged from the forest in front of Hagrid's cabin, James decided to transform back into himself; a second later, the dog followed suit.
"You need to forgive her, mate," Sirius said at once, without preamble, and James drew in a sharp breath. "You talked to her?" he asked, a little aggressively. Had she decided to start talking about what had happened, then? James felt angry once more; whatever it had been, it was their problem, there was no need to involve anyone else… He couldn't believe she'd –
"No," said Sirius shortly, and James felt relieved at once. His best friend continued, "But – she just stood there when you left her in the lurch, before sitting down for a good cry in the courtyard…"
James sighed; he'd known that would probably happen. "I comforted her," continued Sirius, "As Padfoot, obviously… She didn't say why you two are quarrelling, but she's sort of convinced herself to give you your space, and not bother you anymore…"
"Right," said James. He paused only for a second to wonder about the weirdness of Lily patting Sirius and feeling comforted. "I think you should forgive her, mate," said Sirius again. "Look, she's really upset – dunno what she did, but she clearly regrets it. Talk to her – I think this has gone on for long enough. Don't want to lose that friendship now, do we?"
"No," agreed James. "Even if I'm with Ollie now – Lily's a good friend to have."
Sirius clapped him on the back and said, "Knew you'd see sense, mate… Now, c'mon – let's go to the kitchens, maybe we can take some sweets for her as a peace offering."
"She's off sweets," James pointed out as they walked towards the castle doors. Sirius snorted. "She'll make an exception," he said dismissively, and James didn't argue… He'd already decided to let bygones be bygones, and getting sweets seemed to be a good idea.
An hour later, James was sitting in the common room (Ollie was doing her Transfiguration homework in her dormitory), trying to read his Charms textbook but in reality, just stealing glances at the portrait hole, waiting for Lily. Finally, just as his watch showed nine o'clock, the portrait hole opened – to his relief, it was the very girl whom he was waiting for, and he noticed with a wave of shame her drooping shoulders, her bowed head, and how she continually wiped her eyes as she walked.
He stood up and strode purposefully towards her. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Remus and Sirius both give him encouraging sort of nods before going back to the Chess match between Peter and Liz, who seemed to be done with her Runes homework. "Er, Lily?" he said tentatively as he stood right in front of her. "Er – a word?"
He noted the momentary delight that appeared in her emerald-green eyes before she smiled uncertainly at him. "OK," she said, and followed him towards an armchair by the fire. James gently prodded a first-year out of it, and aside from a reproachful look from Lily, she made no objection. She must really want to talk to me, he thought with an inward smile…
They sat down, and Lily began to speak at once. "James, I –"
But James held up a hand. "It's fine – forget it," he cut across her. "It's OK – I know you never meant to hurt me."
"I never did," she repeated. "I'm sorry –"
"I said, forget it," he said, and gave her a little smile. The grin he got in response sent a warm glow spreading across his body. "In fact – I'm sorry for running away like that, earlier this evening," he said, turning towards the fire, "I shouldn't have done that – you were only trying to apologize –"
"Don't worry about it, it was a justified response," she said quickly, and he felt relieved at once. He quickly Summoned a couple of cupcakes from Sirius (Peter had been warned to keep his hands off them, and he'd given in a little sullenly; however, he'd cheered up after they'd given him two cupcakes as a reward) and offered one to her. She took it tentatively, and said, "I shouldn't –"
"It's OK, once is fine," said James, and she nodded before taking a small bite of it. "Where's Wright?" he added, and she averted her eyes before saying, "Library – we were studying together, but I couldn't concentrate – so, I left early."
"Sorry," James said in a small voice, and she gave him a wan smile. "It's my own fault," she said softly, before staring into the fire again… Something was clearly bothering her. On impulse, he asked, "D'you want to talk about it?"
She looked at him sheepishly. "Am I that obvious?" she asked, and he grinned. "Little bit," he said, holding up his thumb and forefinger with about an inch between them. She laughed and said, "Oh, I dunno – I guess I wanted to ask you something…"
"Fire away," he responded, raising his eyebrows.
She hesitated before asking, "Er – have you ever considered playing Quidditch – professionally? I mean – it's a serious career prospect, any team would be lucky to have you." He noticed a faint blush on her cheeks, and grinned. "Buttering me up, are we?" he said mischievously.
"Why – is it working?" she returned with the familiar dry tone, and his grin grew wider. "Perhaps," he said, "To answer your question – I did, when I was younger – but why do you ask?"
"Nothing – just like that," she said evasively. "What do you mean, you did?"
"I thought that was obvious," he replied, raising his eyebrows. "I can't even think of playing pro Quidditch – let alone playing it – when we have a war on our hands. It's going to be our responsibility in about a year… And once I graduate, I'm going to join the fight."
"Very admirable, James," she complimented, "But what about pro Quidditch? Isn't it your dream?"
"Not anymore," James said grimly. "The war comes first… People are dying, there's a maniacal murderer on the loose, and you expect me to play Quidditch?" He gave a scornful, disbelieving laugh. "Not now – maybe after the war is over, I can consider it," he added, shrugging. It was true, after all; James dreamed of joining the Order of the Phoenix as soon as he was out of Hogwarts – to join in the fight for good, against the evil of Lord Voldemort.
"Admirable sentiments," she said, a proud sort of smile on her face. "I expected nothing less… I guess I just wanted to know what had happened to your dream."
"My dream is to make the world we live in – a better place," he said firmly. She looked like she was holding back a laugh, and he gave an embarrassed sort of chuckle. "OK, OK – I heard it, I know it sounds cheesy –"
"Yes," she agreed, chortling. He continued, "But – it's the truth."
"I know," she said simply, before staring into the fire again. James stood up.
"Well – I'm going to bed, early start tomorrow – Muggle Studies," he said, and she nodded. "'Night, James," she said, and he gave her a little wave. He nodded to his friends as he passed by their table, noting that Peter had Liz backed into a corner, where she was desperately trying to hold on. Shaking his head, he made his way to the dormitory and settled into his warm and comfortable four-poster. He felt relieved for the first time in days, having buried the hatchet with Lily… But as he snuggled under his blankets, he couldn't help but wonder if there had been more to Lily's Quidditch questions than what met the eye.
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The next morning, James came down the stairs to find a small crowd of people in front of the common room notice boards. A large sign had been pinned to the board, which read:
APPARITION LESSONS
If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate. Cost: 12 Galleons.
Hmm, about time, thought James as he added quickly signed his name at the bottom. He could see about just one signature there – Lily's, which meant that she was already up and had probably gone down for breakfast… He sat down in one of the armchairs near the fire to wait for Ollie, trying not to think about how this time a year ago, he'd have grabbed the opportunity to have breakfast with Lily alone…
His thoughts drifted to the Apparition lessons he'd just signed up for. It'll be nice to learn to Apparate, he thought… His Dad had Side-Along-Apparated him once before; it had been the day of the attack on the Tilbury Stadium after the QCL final nearly two years ago… While he hadn't particularly enjoyed the suffocating sort of sensation, he'd been somewhat impressed to make the trip from London to Godric's Hollow in less than two seconds. Sure, he'd seen his parents Apparate before, but he hadn't grasped the nuances and benefits of the process until he'd done it himself…
Someone hugged him gently from behind, and James smiled widely before turning around and saying softly, "'Morning."
"'Morning," whispered Ollie as she planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Shall we?"
"'Course, I'm famished," said James, and they began to make their way towards the Great Hall for breakfast. "You know, I keep telling you – don't wait for me," said Ollie as they walked, her tone mildly reproving. He grinned and said, "And I keep telling you – I don't mind." She shook her head; they'd had this discussion before, and he fine waiting for her if it meant that they could have breakfast together every morning.
They exchanged greetings with Lily at the Gryffindor table; she seemed to be halfway through her scrambled eggs as she read the Daily Prophet. "Anything interesting in there?" asked James, as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Lily set the paper aside and said, "Nah, not really – there was a raid by the Aurors in Manchester, but no one was captured. Something about a hoax tip-off… As if the Ministry didn't have enough on their plate!" Shaking her head, she took a sip of her coffee.
"Must've been someone from the Dark Side itself – a wild goose chase, see?" said James, now loading boiled eggs and bacon on his plate. Lily wrinkled her forehead and said, "Hmm, that's true – didn't think about that." Turning to Ollie, she said, "So – James teach you the Stunner?"
"Oh, yes," said Ollie with a smile and a half-glance towards him, "That – and several others, too! James is a very good teacher." She planted another little kiss on his cheek, and he could feel himself blushing slightly. Lily smirked (though it seemed a little forced to James) and said, "Yeah – that he is." She didn't say anything more, however, and quickly finished her coffee before muttering a hurried goodbye to them and dashing off.
"Well, she seemed to be in a hurry," said Ollie, drinking her tea. James shrugged and said, "She's always like that – a little uptight when it comes to classes… She just seems to have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge." He carefully avoided mentioning that the first class of the day wasn't for another thirty minutes.
"Right," said Ollie, and something in her voice made James ask, "What is it?"
"I – it's nothing," she said, and he saw a little blush spreading across her face. He smiled at her and said, "Oh, c'mon – what is it?"
"Well – it's just that, I get the feeling that she doesn't really like me," said Olivia, sighing and staring determinedly at her food. James shook his head… Girls, he thought admiringly. How in the world do they sense these things? "Well – she doesn't really know you," he said, a little evasively, trying to put his girlfriend at ease. "I assure you, she can come across as a little prissy, but she's – she's really nice." He didn't know why he was defending Lily, especially after Ollie was voicing out something that was probably accurate. Maybe it was because they'd buried the hatchet just last night…
"I guess," said Ollie, still sounding unconvinced. Nevertheless, she finished her tea, pecked him again on the cheek, and walked away to Divination with a little wave. He waited for Sirius and the others; he'd woken them up, but he was sure they'd just gone back to sleep after he'd left. At least he could count on Remus to shepherd the others to breakfast… Remus might not like waking up early, but he was the sincerest of the lot, making sure that everyone got to class all right… He's like our Mum, thought James, laughing inwardly. Sure, I wake everyone up early, but that's about it… Remus is the one who takes care of us, really – makes sure we stay in line… Though he's too lenient as a Prefect, come to think of it…
James didn't get a chance to show the hidden cave in the Forbidden Forest to the others throughout their first week back; their teachers were starting several new topics, and he wanted to concentrate on getting back into his routine first. He scheduled Quidditch practice twice that week, too, and quite happily congratulated Adam Wright when the latter told the team about his contract with the Madrid Guerreros… Though in his head, he branded the Keeper a selfish coward. He knew that he was being harsh and even a little biased, but like he'd stated so emphatically to Lily the other night, James couldn't even consider any other direction for his life apart from joining the fight against Voldemort… He curiously wondered if Lily's questions to him that night had anything to do with Adam's news. Indeed, Adam appeared to have told her before he'd told them all, for when he made the announcement, she didn't look surprised at all…
That Saturday night he sneaked out of the castle with Sirius, Remus and Peter in tow, to investigate the secret cave. Peter hadn't been too keen on the idea; he wasn't very inclined to go into the Forbidden Forest in the dead of night, especially after Sirius had convinced him that it was home to manticores which feasted on humans… Until Remus debunked that claim by reassuring Peter that Dumbledore would never allow such dangerous creatures to live in the Forest.
James, Sirius and Peter transformed into their Animagi forms as soon as they entered the Forest, while Remus had followed them on foot, concealed under the Invisibility Cloak. James sniffed around, trying to let his nose guide him to the cave – until he picked up the familiar scent of the pine tree, reassuring him that he was close by; and sure enough, there it was… He nodded to the others, who transformed back into themselves in a trice. A second later, Remus emerged from beneath the Cloak.
"Here," said James, "That's the cave – I'm sure it still has that barrier –"
"I'll check," volunteered Sirius, and before James could stop him, he strode brazenly towards the cave entrance. The next moment, he was being thrown back in the air, flailing his arms wildly… "Molliare!" James shouted just in time, and the Cushioning Charm broke Sirius's fall.
"Blimey – this seems to be happening too often," said Sirius, standing up and grinning. James shook his head and said sarcastically, "That's 'coz you can't help being such a duck-billed platypus." Sirius scowled as Remus and Peter laughed. "What d'you propose then, O clever one?" he asked, mock-bowing to James, who rolled his eyes.
"Let's try to break the barrier by – ah – magical means," he replied with a straight face, before raising his wand. Stupefy! he thought, deciding to test for the Obice Shield first – but the jet of red light simply vaporised about a foot away from the cave entrance. "Hmm – not the Obice," he said, "C'mon, then – brute force it is!"
"My favourite kind," said Sirius, and strode next to him purposefully. Remus and Peter flanked him and Sirius, and Remus said, "Hang on – before we attack, we should see if anyone is inside the cave…"
"Yeah, you're right, Moony," said James, and strode forward, with his friends following him. The cave interior of the cave was dark as the night sky, though – clearly, the person who had left the torch in the cave that night hadn't done so again. Shaking his head, James said, "C'mon – let's stand back and try to break this Shield. No, Padfoot," he added, as Sirius took another step forward, "I swear, if you take another step, I won't cushion your fall this time!"
Scowling, Sirius nodded and followed him and James. Just as they took their positions about ten feet from the cave entrance, however, Peter came hurrying up to them and said excitedly, "You lot – I think I found something!" He waved a piece of parchment; intrigued, James took it from and began to examine it. There seemed to be some writing on it:
Nisi thadof per thodef vera thulot Gryffindor thow ab beloc anglicus
"What in the world –?" said Sirius, "What language is that?"
"I dunno," responded James, thinking hard; he knew that 'vera' meant 'true' in Latin, but that was all – the other words were nonsensical. "I can only understand two words – Gryffindor, and 'vera' – which means 'true' in Latin," he added, his forehead wrinkled. What was a piece of parchment with gibberish on it doing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest?
"Nice going, Pete – where did you find this?" he asked, and the fat boy glowed. "Just at the cave entrance – it was on the ground," he replied, and Sirius and Remus clapped him on the back appreciatively before Remus said, "Well – now that we've checked the cave – how about we try breaking the barrier?"
"Yep – let's try that, it's what we came to do in the first place," said James, pocketing the piece of parchment and drawing his wand. The other three followed suit, and together, the four boys rained spells on the cave barrier; Stunning Spells, Blasting Curses, Severing Charms – whatever they could think of, but nothing happened; their spells simply vaporised as they came within a foot of the entrance.
Not ready to accept defeat just yet, James used the spell Lily had introduced to him, that had successfully smashed the Obice Shield. Praying that it would work, he shouted, "Ictumalleo!" He could feel the force of his spell heading towards the cave barrier, but just like earlier, nothing whatsoever happened. The barrier stayed static and unmoving.
"That was the last thing I could think of," said James dispiritedly. "I guess – we need to come back…"
"Yep, that's what it looks like," said Remus. "I wonder if the library will have something about that shield…" His brow grew furrowed. "Maybe there's something on a shield that can vaporise spells," he said, "I'll look into that. Yep – that's what I'm going to do."
"Leave it to Moony with the fancy research," said Sirius, and Remus snorted. "Would you rather do it, Padfoot?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. Sirius looked revolted at the very idea, and Peter guffawed. An unwilling smile came to James's face. "All right, then – Moony, you look into that," he said. "Maybe I can help, too – this bloody shield has intrigued me, I'd surely like to figure out what the hell it is!"
"Hmm – and until then, Worm and I can try to decipher what that parchment says," said Sirius, and James nodded; he handed over the parchment to his best friend, who pocketed it. "And remember, you lot," said Sirius, "I mean – this stuff is interesting and all, but our main project shouldn't take a backseat –"
"Yeah, of course," said James reassuringly. "Pete's almost ready with some of the sections we weren't gaining access to before – but he says he has the Ravenclaw Tower area roughly mapped out, don't you, Pete?" He looked hopefully at the fat boy, who nodded eagerly. "Give me three days, at most – I'll map out the exact route, and then – then we can use that Homen – er, Human –"
"The Homonculous Charm, mate," supplied Remus, and Peter nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that – blimey, what a mouthful of a name, isn't it?" he asked with a sheepish smile.
"You said it," agreed Sirius. "Right – well, should we head back?"
"Yeah – nothing left to do, I guess," said James, a little dispiritedly. "We need to figure out how to break that damn shield!"
"We will," said Remus, sounding like he always did – quietly confident. James gave him a grin in response, and the Marauders set off towards the castle, wondering what on earth that cave was hiding…
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"No, James – that was a stupid stunt, there was no need of that," Ollie chided as they sat down for dinner one evening after practice. James grinned and said, "Ah, c'mon, Ollie – it was grand, didn't you see how Marlene flailed after I intercepted Liz's pass?"
"I did – and no thanks to you, I nearly got a heart attack!" Ollie exclaimed as she loaded chicken stew and rice on her plate. "Really, there was no need to jump off your broom to grab the Quaffle! You could've been hurt –"
"But I landed back on my broom, didn't I?" James countered airily as he served himself a generous helping of rice and chicken stew as well. "I knew where it was, I was always in control –"
"All the same, don't do that again," reprimanded Ollie. She regarded him with an intense look in her blue eyes, and he sighed. "Fine – I won't," he said, "Happy?"
Ollie grinned and said, "Considerably!" She regarded his face once again with a frown on her face, though it looked more appraising than irritated. "Er – what?" he felt compelled to ask, and she shook her head. "Has your hair always been this unruly?" she asked, and he nodded. "Hmm," she said thoughtfully, "Maybe you ought to consider wearing a hairband – like I do…"
James snorted and exclaimed, "What rubbish! I'd look daft!"
"Grant Anderson wears one," Ollie pointed out, and James drew in a sharp breath; he'd met the England National Team Captain at the Quidditch World Cup nearly two years ago, courtesy of Liz's Mum. He remembered Anderson sporting a hairband that day – in fact, he wore one during every game. "Interesting," he said, "Huh – I didn't think about that…"
"Hey, James, Ollie," greeted a familiar voice, and Liz slid into the seat in front of him. "Hi, Liz," he said, as Ollie smiled at her, "Where's Padfoot?"
"Why, missing your other half?" said Liz, winking at him, and he smirked. "Jealous 'coz he lives with me?" he countered, and she made a face. Ollie looked a little revolted, too, and Liz said, "OK, OK – you win the battle of shamelessness…" She put up her hands as if to indicate that he cease with the stupid jokes, and he grinned. "Where is he, anyway?" he asked nonetheless.
"Still in the common room – he's going over some Herbology stuff with Peter," said Liz, shrugging. "He told me to go ahead and eat – he must've figured out how famished I was," she added fondly, and James snorted. "Or maybe – he just wanted some alone time with, er –"
"Oh, please stop with the gay jokes," interrupted Liz, and James laughed. Ollie shook her head in amusement as Liz continued, "Hasn't he proven that he's as straight as broomstick handle?"
James dissolved into hysterical laughter; so did Ollie, and Liz shut her eyes tight. "OK – I heard it, that came out wrong," she said, flushing, but James and Ollie were too busy guffawing. Liz waited patiently as he collected himself, before saying, "Right – anyway, when you're ready to act your age – oh, for Heaven's sake!" She shook her head as he burst into laughter once again, and Ollie joined in once more. "I think I'll eat with someone else today," said Liz, and she actually made to get up; that sobered James up at once.
"Sorry, sorry," he said, wiping his eyes, "What is it? Did you want to talk to me about something?"
"Obviously – did you think I was here to third-wheel?" Liz shot back, her eyes glinting with mischief. He grinned and said, "How am I to know? You may have other fantasies –"
"Anyway," Liz cut across him quickly, "I came to ask you if you wanted to chip in for –" she paused momentarily before continuing, "—Lily's birthday present. And it's nice to see you're talking to her again," she added with a slight smile, "I was getting a flashback to the past five years, and it wasn't pretty."
"Why – you and Lily had a quarrel?" Ollie asked curiously, and James glared at Liz, who looked apologetic. He turned to face Ollie, and gave her a winning sort of smile. "Er – yeah, but it's old news now," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "We're back to talking."
"That's – good," said Ollie slowly. "I mean – you're friends, right? I guess it's important to sort things out before they go too bad."
"Yep," interjected Liz, "And on that note, James – would you like to contribute? We're getting her one of those coming-of-age watches…"
"How much do they cost – an arm and a leg?" asked James, raising his eyebrows. "If we're getting her something special for her seventeenth birthday, shouldn't it be something – grand?"
"Yeah, I know about your inclination towards grand," said Liz, placing undue emphasis on 'grand' as she gave Ollie a mischievous sort of wink; his girlfriend blushed and gave him an embarrassed sort of smile. "But – I have a feeling that the watch will mean so much more to her than a grand present, James," Liz said further. She lowered her voice before adding, "Sometimes – I think she feels that – er, well, she isn't truly a part of our world. Now, I know that's rubbish –" she said as James snorted, "—and don't ask me why. Hence, getting her that coming-of-age watch is a way to make her realise that this is her world, too… And that we all feel the same way." She gave him an inquiring sort of look, as if daring him to counter-argue…
"Your logic is ironclad," he responded, and she relaxed at once. "Count me in! What do I do, give you the money now?"
"Later," said Liz, shaking her head. "I know it seems too small a gift for her seventeenth birthday, but – I have a feeling that it'll mean more to her than if we give her any other present!"
James nodded in understanding. "You're a good friend, Liz," he said appreciatively, and Liz smiled. "I know," she said with a twinkle in her sea-green eyes, and James snorted. Before he could say anything more, however, Ollie's soft voice came from next to him, "Er – Can I chip in, too?"
There was a pause as James and Liz exchanged a glance, following which Liz turned to Ollie with an uncertain sort of smile. "Er – that's very nice of you, Ollie," she said, "But – d'you really want to? I mean – are you even –"
"Friends with her? No," said Ollie, shaking her head. "But I'd like to be… She helped me out once when James was teaching me the Stunning Spell, and I've seen her in Prefect meetings… She seems to be really nice – she's friends with you both, and – well, I'm friends with you both, too…" Her voice trailed off, and she gave James a hopeful look.
"C'mon, Ollie," he said gently, "You don't have to –"
"I know," she cut across him swiftly, "But I want to…"
James exchanged a quick glance with Liz, mentally asking for advice… She gave him the tiniest of nods, and he blinked once before turning back towards Ollie. "Fine, then," he relented, "I'm sure she'll appreciate it." Ollie smiled in relief and went back to her food. Conversation moved on to other things, and James retreated into his own mind as the two girls began to giggle about a Ravenclaw bloke and some girl who had been set up by their friends…
He debated inwardly whether to tell Ollie what Lily had said about her. True, Lily may have been looking out for him, but she didn't have to insult Ollie while doing it, however implicitly that may have been… But it was in the past now, and he had no wish to dredge it up again. Besides, Ollie clearly wanted to make an effort to be friends with Lily – despite telling him a few days ago about the unfriendly sort of vibe she got from the redhead. What a girl, he thought admiringly. She's amazing…
Lily's birthday dawned a couple days later. According to Liz's plan; all of them were to meet in the common room at midnight (James and Sirius had tried and failed to persuade Liz to shift the party to the Three Broomsticks instead), and James waited with Ollie and the Marauders as the girls made their way down the spiral staircase, followed closely by Adam. Peter Summoned the cake he'd procured from the kitchens and left on a table near the fire (it wobbled in the air dangerously and threatened to tip over before landing smoothly on the table in front of them), and Liz proceeded to light seventeen candles on it. "Now, blow!" she instructed, and Lily obeyed happily; they proceeded to sing 'Happy Birthday' in different, off-tune keys as Lily cut a piece of the cake and offered it to Liz (James couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of satisfaction that it hadn't been Adam who got first bite), who responded in kind.
Adam kissed Lily and handed her a little box; she squealed, "C'mon – you shouldn't have! You said you weren't going to!" He simply smiled, indicating to her to open the present, and she cheerfully found a beautiful but flimsy-looking necklace with a heart pendant. Liz proceeded to give Lily their gift (James curiously wondered why Adam hadn't been part of this before understanding that he'd probably wanted to give her a separate present), and he looked on, gratified, as she was moved to tears after receiving the watch and being told of its significance.
A round of hugs to wish the birthday girl ensued; James glanced at his girlfriend, who was standing awkwardly on the side, and gave her an encouraging sort of nod. As if taking heart from this, she stepped forward and shook Lily's hand, saying, "Er – happy birthday, Lily… I'm glad you liked the watch."
"Thanks, Olivia," said Lily, a genuine smile on her face. "You chipped in, too?"
"Yep," said Ollie, grinning (a little nervously, according to James), "Like Liz said, it's a tradition to gift that watch on someone's seventeenth birthday – like the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge!"
"You know about the Summer Solstice tradition?" Lily asked, her eyebrows raised. Ollie's grin widened. "Yeah – but it's the history behind the tradition which interests me more. Wizarding history is intertwined with the arguably more interesting Muggle history… For instance, I doubt if any of this lot knows how much Grindelwald's reign of terror was tied into the Second World War," she said, catching James's eye and winking.
"Really?" Lily asked, interested. James caught on to how her emerald eyes were lit up; it was her thrill of learning something new – he decided to interrupt before the first minutes of Lily's seventeenth birthday became a full-fledged history lesson. "Happy birthday!" he exclaimed, and pulled her into a hug. He felt her arms around him as she whispered, "Thanks, James." She drew back, and he saw a little blush on her cheeks. Unfortunately, Peter chose that very moment to Levitate a piece of cake towards Lily – before losing control and managing to splat it on her face instead of feeding her. Everyone laughed and chatted for at least an hour more before Mary regretfully announced that it was still a weekday, and they all had lessons in the morning…
James quickly kissed Ollie goodnight before proceeding to follow the other boys up the spiral staircase. He was feeling proud of his girlfriend; she was making an effort to befriend all his friends – even the ones not on the Quidditch team. She must really like me, he thought, gratified. His thoughts went to Lily and the blush on her face as she'd drawn back from his hug… What was that all about?
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"C'mon, concentrate," said James tersely, mostly to himself than to Lily as he struggled to make a corporeal Patronus appear. No one in their class had succeeded so far, which meant that Professor Burke was calling them names markedly less polite than 'dunderheads' – and that was getting on James's nerves. Judging by the look on Lily's face, he wasn't alone…
"I am, James," she responded, just as succinctly. "But she's annoying –"
"Ignore her," he said. "Now – I'm going to try again…" He concentrated on Ollie's sweet smile, and yelled, "Expecto Patronum!" However, just as it had several times before, only a ball of silver mist appeared from his wand. "Try something happier," said Lily, her voice gentle. "I think you nearly got it."
James understood; she was encouraging him, regardless of her inability to conjure the Patronus herself… Maybe she thinks that if I can cast it, I'll help her too, he thought, before dismissing the notion; she wasn't someone who gave up. Nay, she was gritty and stubborn – a fact that had been demonstrated by her flame barrier last year.
He'd been so happy when she'd agreed to be friends with him in the aftermath of that battle. He'd performed a jig after he'd left the Hospital Wing that morning, so ecstatic he'd been… Wait a minute, he thought. That's a happy memory, isn't it? Concentrating on how he'd felt that night, he narrowed his eyes and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
A large, silver animal shot out of his wand. His eyes widened in surprise – it was a stag, complete with antlers and even a little tail. The stag cantered around the classroom as everyone turned around to watch, before coming back to stand in front of him… He heard Lily clapping as he extended a hand to his Patronus, trying to pat it – but it vanished just when his hand was inches away.
"See? I told you you'd get it," said Lily jubilantly, as Professor Burke called from the other side of the room, "Well, it's about time someone cast a Patronus in this classroom… Potter, don't get cocky, boy – try it again until you can cast it five times in succession!"
He nodded once at the Professor as Lily said, "Nicely done – proud of you, James!" She exchanged an overhead clap with him, and he gave her a triumphant grin. "C'mon – you can do it, too," he replied, "You need the perfect memory for it…"
"What memory did you use?" she asked him curiously.
"It's different for everyone," he said, sidestepping the question. "Now, c'mon – try it…"
He spent the rest of the lesson practising with her, and about five minutes before the bell was due to ring, he whooped in happiness as another silver animal emerged from Lily's wand. "You did it!" he exclaimed, before taking a closer look at her Patronus… His mouth fell open in surprise. Her Patronus looked just like his – except for the fact that it was smaller, prettier, and lither; but most importantly, it had no antlers. It was a doe, and she pranced around in front of them before regarding them imperiously and vanishing.
James stole a glance at Lily, who was standing there rigidly, her cheeks flaming. He felt disquieted, too… His Patronus was a stag, and hers was a doe. They seemed to complement each other, for whatever reason… But whatever did it mean? Was it significant that her Patronus was a female counterpart of his own?
As he stood there thinking, a movement caught his eye; he was startled to see another silver doe, identical to Lily's, prance around the classroom elegantly. He wondered if she'd cast it again, but her wand was lowered, and she was staring in disbelief at someone a few feet away from them… He followed her gaze and felt the familiar rush of hatred as he spied Snape, standing with his wand raised, returning Lily's stare with an inscrutable expression on his ugly face.
The bell rang at that moment, and Lily quickly rushed out of the classroom with her bag, without even stopping to say goodbye to James. He supposed that it had been too much for her, the whole bit about their complementing Patronuses; add Snape's doe Patronus to that, and what remained was a massive sort of muddle. What in the world did it mean?
Lily seemed to subtly avoid James as January faded into February. He didn't mull over it too much, though – he had more pressing business on his head. In their proof-read of the map they were creating, the Marauders had found a mistake in their mapping of the fifth floor, and were currently occupied with fixing it; they'd gone out for their first full-moon outing since the Christmas holidays, successfully going up to Hogsmeade through the Forbidden Forest (James had made sure that Moony didn't exit the Forest, choosing to leave that part of the adventure for next month instead); he and Remus had spent some time reading up on magical shields and barriers, but hadn't found anything helpful; they all had their lessons, though admittedly James wasn't having much of a problem keeping up with his work; and lastly, the Marauders had all been able to conjure corporeal Patronuses – with James unsurprised at everyone's Patronus forms; a dog for Sirius, a wolf for Remus, and a rat for Peter.
The sixth-years' Apparition classes took place in the grounds, where a diminutive Ministry wizard came to teach them the nuances of the process. However, the first two classes produced no positive results at all, and by the end of the second, James was beginning to think that he'd be better off with brooms or Floo powder instead – but he knew how powerful Apparition could be, so he decided to redouble his efforts to learn it, whether he liked or not.
The Valentine's Day Hogsmeade weekend was scheduled on the Saturday a few days after the day in question, and James and Ollie decided to walk to the village instead of the carriages. They spent most of the morning shopping (Ollie bought him a hairband, and he reassured her that he'd wear it on the day of their next practice) before meeting up with Liz and Sirius for lunch at the Three Broomsticks. After a healthy discussion about Quidditch and speculation on how in the world had Adam Wright secured a contract with the Madrid Guerreros, Sirius and Liz headed off to Zonko's; Ollie gave a most unladylike snort when James asked if she wanted to go to Madam Puddifoot's, and they spent the next five minutes laughing hard at the cheesy old teashop before going uphill towards the Shrieking Shack (Ollie wanted a closer look at the building that had been haunted since the past six years). As they neared the fence around the Shack, however, Ollie came to an abrupt halt.
"What's on your mind, James?" she asked, causing James to pause midway through a retelling of a funny story involving Peter, Sirius, and a bet that forced the loser to run around in his underpants in the common room. He wrinkled his forehead and asked, "Er – I don't know what you're talking about."
But she shook her head. "You and Lily have a row again?" she asked, and he regarded her with confusion. "Why would you think we had a row?" he asked, and Ollie shook her head. "I dunno – I mean, I've noticed that she's been a little – I dunno, distant, with you? Since the end of last month, I think," she added thoughtfully, "After her birthday, I think… Yes, definitely after her birthday."
James decided against telling Ollie about the weirdness about their Patronus forms; in his head, he didn't know what it meant, and as far as he was concerned, it didn't matter. "Nah – nothing," he said dismissively; smirking a little, he added, "In fact – I'll show you what's on my mind…" He bent downwards and kissed her gently, and she responded in kind with great gusto.
Talking and laughing, the two of them made their way back to the castle as the sun dipped low in the sky. As they neared the Entrance Hall, however, James paused, and gave Ollie a box he'd been holding on to all day – waiting for the right moment. She opened it eagerly, and gave him a delighted look as she removed a pair of golden earrings with an odd pattern… "My, it's like Stonehenge!" she exclaimed, and James grinned. "I know – I had these custom-made," he said proudly. "Happy Valentine's Day!"
"Oh, really – you shouldn't have!" she said softly, her cheeks red as she tried to conceal her pleasure at receiving them. "You already got me Freddie Greengrass's bat –"
"It was worth it to see you so happy," James replied serenely, and Ollie beamed at him before kissing him once again. She immediately put on the earrings, and they walked into the Great Hall hand-in-hand for dinner, where they met Remus, who had opted to remain in the castle all day, finishing up his homework. They exchanged small talk before Ollie announced regretfully that while it had been an amazing day, she really, really had to get started on her homework. Giving James another kiss, she waved goodbye to Remus before departing the Great Hall.
"So – have you talked to Lily?" Remus asked him as soon as Ollie was gone. James shook his head, and Remus sighed. "C'mon, mate – you need to, sooner or later. Just – do it… I've been telling you that for days now."
"I dunno, Moony," he said, "I mean, she clearly thinks that there's more to our Patronus forms than pure coincidence – and we're fine, she's still quite friendly towards me!"
"I know," said Remus, "But it'll always be an elephant in the room, mate. Just tell her that it means nothing – that her and Snape both having a doe Patronus also means nothing…"
James sighed. "Fine – I'll talk to her… No time like the present, is there?" He stood up, and gave Remus a little wave before heading off to find Lily and have what was sure to be an uncomfortable conversation…
He didn't find her in the common room. He ran into Marlene, who said that she hadn't seen Lily either. Curious, James decided to look for her, and began a meticulous search of the castle using his many shortcuts. I wish we had that map now, he thought regretfully. But – Pete messed up – and we can't have map that's wrong. No way…
About half an hour later, as he walked by the Astronomy Tower, he saw a solitary figure standing near the balustrade, staring into the night. A closer look confirmed that it was indeed the person he'd been looking for, and he strode forward quickly. "Hi, Lily," he said, smiling… A smile which faded as she turned around and faced him.
Even in the dim moonlight, he could see that her eyes were red, and that there were tear streaks on her cheeks. His smile faded, and he asked with some concern, "Er – you all right?"
"No," she said softly, sounding like she had a cold. She sniffed and turned away from him, deliberately avoiding his eyes.
"What happened, Lily?" he asked gently, but she shook her head. "Nothing, I –" she began, but he cut across her. "You've been crying," he pointed out. "What happened? Why are you so upset?" He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she still refused to meet his eyes. Sighing a little, he moved directly into her line of sight. At that, she let out a little sob, and he quickly said, "There, there – it'll be all right, whatever it is… C'mere –"
He embraced her, and she began to cry in earnest over his shoulder. He gently stroked her hair, wondering what had caused her to get so upset… His question was answered almost immediately. "Adam and I split up," she managed to choke out, and James delicately stroked her back, not quite sure what to say. A few months ago, he'd have rejoiced at this turn of events, but now – now, he wasn't so sure…
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Author's note: When I read the scene where James kisses Ollie, I couldn't help thinking, "Smooth!" Is it just me, or does anyone else think the same?