Be Here Now
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I cannot say that I own Harry Potter.
A/N: This has been faster than the last update, which took a few days.
Eclare LJ and Percabeeth: Thank you! You're very welcome! That's Maya's purpose. ;) I quite agree, but I'm not 100% sure about that yet. Hope this was fast enough. :D
Aurora White: Thank you, thank you, thank you! Was this fast enough? :D
And here is chapter eleven!
x.o.x.o.x.
On Saturday morning, Lily awakens at the ungodly hour of five A.M. She ponders why, but leaves it alone. Changing quickly into Muggle clothes, she grabs her wand, a book, several scrolls of parchment, and a large eagle feather quill. She exits her dorm and flops onto the coziest couch, the one nearest the fire. Before settling with a biography of American Clara Barton, she picks up the scrolls James had left on the table the night before.
"Why do you have my Quidditch plans in your hand, Evans?"
Lily whirls around, accidentally hitting James in the face with her auburn hair. "Sorry, Potter. I don't know, maybe because they were right next to the ball plans?" She pauses, studying the parchment. "If you have Charles Robbins doing the Sloth Grip Roll and other fancy stuff, he'll lose the Quaffle for sure. Just let him fly straight with a few curves. He's more controlled like that."
James narrows his eyes at her. "How would you know that?"
"I observe, Potter, and he's my ex-boyfriend," Lily answers, leaning forward to snatch the ball plans from his grip.
"Robbins is your ex-boyfriend?" James asks, surprised.
Lily sighs. The old protective James was back. "Yes. Why?"
"Why, that scum-"
"Shut the bloody hell up, Potter! You have your own girlfriend, so why worry about my love life?" Lily shrieks, practically tearing the ball plans.
"I'm your fellow Head; I worry about this stuff," James replies lamely.
"Well, I don't worry about your girlfriend or your love life! So keep out of mine!" Lily glares at him before sinking back onto the couch to reread the ball plans.
James glares at her when she becomes oblivious to the world around her. He also reaches forward, grabbing the Quidditch plans, and beginning to arrange a whole new play, but not using Lily's advice.
"We need non-alcoholic drinks, Potter! There are fifth and sixth years there that are not yet of age!" Lily says suddenly.
"What was alcoholic?" demands James.
Lily sighs. "Firewhiskey," she answers, as if talking to a two-year-old.
"Fine, take it off," James grumbles.
"No, you may not spike the punch," Lily answers to his unspoken idea.
James looks at her in awe. "How did you know-?"
"As I said before, I observe," Lily replies vaguely.
They lapse into a silence.
x.o.x.o.x.
At seven, Lily stands, allowing parchment and her book to fall to the ground. She heads for the kitchen passageway when knocking at the portrait stops her. Her green eyes slide to James, who takes the hint and rises to get the portrait. As it swings open, the two Heads can see Maya Santiago fist fighting Hilary.
Lily, groaning, grabs her wand and runs over. Muttering a spell, the two girls are thrown apart from each other. The three fully expect Lily to launch into a lecture and take off points and assign detention, but she stomps up to Maya. "I tolerated this once before! You have abused Hilary enough! I really wish you'd just got to freaking hell!" Lily explodes, completely forgetting her wand and slapping Maya hard across the face. The smack reverberates around the empty corridor. "And if you keep on doing that, expect a lot more of that!" Whirling around, she storms into the Head Common Room, and Hilary follows after giving a civil hello to her brother.
x.o.x.o.x.
In the kitchens, Lily stabs a spoon into the bowl filled with cereal, sliced strawberries, and milk.
"That girl gets on my nerves!" Lily breathes out a loud, frustrated breath.
"She gets on everyone's nerves," agrees Hilary. "Are you going to Hogsmeade?"
"Of course! I need a fantastic dress," replies Lily.
"Let's go!"
x.o.x.o.x.
"No," Lily says, examining Alice. "I think black would work better."
"And white is better for Marl," Hilary adds. Being the two fashion-conscious of the group, Alice and Marlene had enlisted help from them.
"I'm going black," Lily announces.
"And I'm doing white," Hilary smiles.
"Perfect! Who's going with whom?" Marlene asks.
"Alone. Well, except for the first dance, which I have to do with James," Lily replies, slipping up on his first name.
"Aw, the love!" teases Alice.
"What about you, Alice?" Lily replies, grinning.
"Frank," Alice replies, beaming from ear to ear. She had forgiven Frank, and they still weren't officially a couple, but they had agreed to test out going to the ball together.
"No one," Marlene and Hilary chime together.
Lily taps her chin thoughtfully. "You know, Sirius seems to like you, Hils," she says softly, not wanting to upset Marlene.
Marlene bites her lip. Since the train ride on September first, she had tried to rid herself of the feelings for Sirius Black, but they had only intensified. Sirius still saw her nothing more than a good friend.
Hilary shakes her head. "He's become tolerable, but not dateable."
Lily nods. "I think we're done. Let's go to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer, yeah?"
Her friends nod, and she leads the way out of the shop.
The moment she steps out, a jet of red light comes hurtling toward her. She gasps, withdrawing her wand and blocking the spell in record time. "Death Eaters have invaded Hogsmeade," she whispers. Hilary, Marlene, and Alice hear her, and all three breathe in sharply.
"Come and play, Mudblood!" sneers an eerily familiar voice.
Lily intakes a breath sharply. "Bellatrix," she snarls, trying to rush forward. Hilary, however, grips her elbow. "Let me go, Hilary!"
"No! Sirius, James, and Remus are coming!" Hilary whispers urgently, inclining her head ever so slightly to the right.
Lily's eyes dart quickly over, and she sees that Hilary is right. She relaxes as the boys come up.
"Bellatrix," Sirius greets coldly.
"Sirius," his cousin replies just as coolly.
"Fancy seeing you here, Cousin," Sirius continues.
Before Bellatrix can snap a reply, another voice comes from under a mask. "Get on with it already, Bella, the Dark Lord is waiting."
"Patience," hisses Bellatrix.
"Yes, patience is a virtue. Why didn't I get an invitation to your wonderful wedding, Bella?" taunts Sirius.
Bellatrix spits in Sirius' face. "You are not worthy of an invitation, blood traitor!"
James growls. "Let's get this over with, Padfoot."
"Oh, darling Padfoot!" teases Bellatrix in a disgusted voice.
"Stupefy!" the three Marauders cry together.
Bellatrix, cackling madly, blocks all three spells. "You've got to try harder than that, filthy blood traitors!"
Now the three fire silent Stunning spells. Caught off guard, Bellatrix deflects two and has to spin away, narrowly missing the third.
"Let me go, Hilary!" snarls Lily.
Startled by her sharp tone, Hilary accidentally lets go of Lily's arms. Taking advantage of this, Lily races forward, drawing her wand rapidly. From behind Bellatrix, she whispers, "Stupefy!" The jet of red light catches Bellatrix in the back.
As she falls, Stunned, the second Death Eater growls, stepping forward. "Filthy Mudblood!"
"The filthy Mudblood that just took down Bellatrix Lestrange," taunts Lily, her hand holding her wand steadily.
Rodolphus Lestrange rips off his mask. He draws a slashing motion while performing a silent spell.
"Protego," Lily replies softly, throwing up a strong shield. As strong as the shield is, the Dark spell is stronger, and it bursts through the shield, cutting Lily in the same motions as the Death Eater had drawn.
Meanwhile, the Marauders are dueling other Death Eaters and receiving mild cuts. However, once the Death Eaters see what Rodolphus had done to the Head Girl, they Disapparate.
Seeing Lily's state, her friends come rushing out of the shop completely, surrounding her.
"Why is it always her that gets injured?" cries Hilary, drawing her wand.
"No."
Hilary looks up at her brother's firm voice.
"Don't try Healing her, Hils. Madam Pomfrey would be angry," James advises.
With that, James Harold Potter earned the respect of Hilary Catherine Potter again.
Telling his friends and sister to go back into Hogsmeade, James picks up Lily Evans and carries her up to the castle. She isn't completely unconscious yet.
"I love you." The words are spoken softly, yet James can hear them. And Lily blacks out, knowing no more. Knowing not that the love of her life is staring at her incredulously. Because as much as he had tried to stamp his feelings for the beautiful Head Girl, feelings that strong cannot be stamped out. A mysterious figure lingers in the shadow of James Potter, and he hears the words as well. A solitary tear slips down his face, and he touches his left arm.
x.o.x.o.x.
A/N: I can't believe I missed James's birthday four days ago! I feel so bad. So this chapter is dedicated to James Potter. Happy belated birthday! Please review, as always! Until chapter twelve…
~TrueLoveis4ever
