Chapter Twelve
A/N: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE OC'S (WHO ARE DEAD)
James looked at Remus, Sirius and Peter and just plopped on the bed.
"Did you honestly think we were going to give up?" Sirius asked. "Remember second year when we tried to get Moony to tell his secret?"
James forced a chuckle. Yeah, they were pretty persistent during that time.
"Come on, mate," Sirius knelt down by the bed. Remus and Peter backed off a bit. Actually, they left the room. They both knew that Sirius had the biggest reason to talk to James alone. "Just talk to me."
James turned around, making it so that his back was to Sirius. Sirius sighed. He really didn't want to do this but he had no choice.
"I found this," he said tossing it on James' bed, "at the bottom of your trunk. Thought you'd might want it."
James turned around to see what Sirius was talking about and his heart jumped into his throat when he saw that it was the Potter photo album. Tears began to well in the corners of his eyes.
"Mate, you really think I'm going to give you gruff for crying right now?" Sirius asked. Tears were streaming down his own face.
No, I've got to be strong! James thought.
But try as he might, he couldn't stop the flow of tears once the dam burst. He didn't even notice Sirius putting a hand on his shoulder. Finally, he just fell asleep.
"He okay?" Remus asked once Sirius pulled some covers over James.
"No," Sirius shook his head. "Bloody hell, I'm going to find out which of the mindless bastards did this and—"
"No!" Remus said sternly. "James needs you right now, and you won't do any good to him in Azkaban."
Sirius sighed. As usual, Remus was right.
"I just want him to be happy again," Sirius sighed. "To be himself."
"That would require us to actually know what was going on in his brain," Remus said with a small smile.
"I'll stay here with him," Sirius said and the way he said it, there was no option. Remus and Peter left again and Sirius sat down in a chair by James' bed.
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Lily climbed up the stairs to her dorm. For some reason, she stopped by James' dorm to see if he was alright.
"James?" she whispered. No, it's Potter, she thought. She already had a new date to the dance. But still….
"Shh!" Sirius shushed her. Lily blinked, what was Black doing up there? Both of them walked out and Sirius closed the door.
"What were you doing, Black?" Lily asked as soon as they walked down to the Common Room.
"Trying to get James to open up," Sirius said. "I thought you'd be able to help as well."
"I canceled our—"
"I know," Sirius cut her off, looking serious for the first time since Lily knew him.
"How?"
It had only happened two hours ago, for Merlin's sake!
"Portraits talk," Sirius shrugged. "Evans, let me let you in on a secret. When you finally agreed to a date with him, that was the happiest I'd seen him all year."
"So?" Lily asked. "I'm sure you can make him just as happy doing pranks and bulling other students."
"What makes you think I haven't tried?" Sirius asked. "I've tried everything to make Prongs…well Prongs again. You are the only person who can make him happy right now."
Lily didn't know what to feel. She should hate Potter, for fooling her like he did but she didn't. She remembered the ragged young man who gave her a place to stay after her parents were killed.
Potter's acting. He's got to be, a voice in her head scolded her.
"I don't know how much he's paid you to get me to agree to the date again but forget about it Black!" Lily said and stormed off.
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James proved to be more depressed than anyone had ever seen him. It seemed that simply talking about the massacre even upset him.
"Mate?" Remus said softly. "It's our turn to go get fitted for dress robes. You know, seeing as Hogsmeade is off limits ever since that Death Eater attack."
James sighed and got up from his homework. Normally, James would be joking around with Sirius. Now he lingered in the back of the group, scanning his eyes for any moving shadows.
"Ah!" the shopkeeper said with a smile. "Mr. Potter!"
James scowled but got up on the stool. He always hated dress robes; thought them pointless.
"Done!"
James blinked. Done already? The fabric was a nice black silk; it almost looked like a Muggle's tux.
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The month of February went by so fast James honestly thought some outside force was controlling it. Before anyone knew it, it was March, and the night of the dance.
"Sirius, get out of the bathroom!" Remus shouted. James chuckled, startling everyone in the room. No one had heard him chuckle since sixth year!
"So how do I look?" Sirius asked.
"Like a second rate version of James," Peter said dully. He was the only one of the group not attending the dance.
"Gee, thanks Pete," Sirius rolled his eyes. He was wearing dress robes that almost looked like James'. Remus was wearing a pair of light brown dress robes, to match his hair.
"Come on," Remus rolled his eyes and the three of them went down to the Great Hall. Once at the doors, the trio separated.
"There's Kathy," Sirius grinned and went off. Remus looked over at James.
"Go greet Emma," James shook his head. He'd be fine.
The dance seemed to last all night, with no one interested in asking James to dance at all.
"Attention!"
James groaned. Why was Sirius at the mic?
"We have a request! For this dance, you have to dance with someone you didn't come with!"
All the boys—minus James—chuckled. James rolled his eyes. Why was Sirius so enamored with trying to get him back to normal when he was fine?
Everyone scrambled to find someone to dance with. James glanced over the crowd when he saw a vision of beauty.
"Lily?" he gasped. As if she heard him, Lily turned to look at him. Her hair was pulled up into a fancy do, while her emerald green robes went well with her eyes.
"What, Potter?" she asked coldly.
James held out his hand. "May I have the honor?" he asked and Lily flushed a little. James had expected a cold retort, not acceptance!
Going on to the dance floor, James could see Sirius and Frank consorting with the band.
You're in my arms
And all the world is calm
The music playing on for only two
Frank had a good voice. Who knew?
"Potter, you can look at my face," Lily said, amusement in her voice. "I won't hex you if you step on my feet."
James looked up, and smiled a crooked little smile.
So close together
And when I'm with you
So close to feeling alive
Little did the two of them know that every other couple in Hogwarts was watching them enviously.
"Why don't you look at me like that?" Ellen Vane hissed at her boyfriend. They'd broken the rules and danced together but so had everyone else.
That's what Sirius had intended of course.
A life goes by
Romantic dreams will stop
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew
So close was waiting, waiting here with you
And now forever I know
All that I wanted to hold you
So close
So close to reaching that famous happy end
Almost believing this was not pretend
Lily looked up into James' eyes when the singing seemed to be closer than she thought. But then she gasped.
Is that…Potter? she thought in amazement.
And now you're beside me and look how far we've come
So far we are so close
The two of them danced in the middle of the floor in unison, not looking anywhere else but at their dance partners.
How could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?
We're so close
To reaching that famous happy end
And almost believing this was not pretend
Let's go on dreaming for we know we are
So close
So close
And still so far
The song ended and James blinked. The crooked little smile he had worn while dancing faded.
"I've got to go," he muttered.
"James," Lily said and James halted. "Stay, please."
James sighed. He honestly didn't want to, but the way Lily was looking at him made him happier than he thought possible.
"Oi!"
James looked up to see John Smith, a Hufflepuff standing over him. Smith was a really big guy, now that he thought about it.
"Yes, Smith?" James asked politely.
"What are you doing with my date?" Smith growled.
"Dancing. I thought I was the one who needed the glasses, not you Smith," James said and everyone chuckled. Sirius smiled; there was the James they all knew and loved
PUNCH!
Everyone gasped to see Smith's fist go smack dab into the face of James Potter.
"Smith!" Lily glared and smacked him right across the face. "Forget about the date!"
"No one says no to John Smith!" the blond sneered.
"I believe she just did," Sirius said in a cold voice. James blinked; where had Sirius come from?
"Screw you, Black!" Smith sneered.
"Is there a problem?" Remus asked; his eyebrow raised as he took in the bruise on James' face and the dark look on Lily's.
"No problem," Lily almost growled. "Smith was just leaving."
"You'll pay for this, you little slut!" Smith shouted and reached over to kiss her. In a blink of an eye, James had his wand out and pointed straight at Smith's throat.
"Apologize," he growled in Smith's ear, "and you won't have the Marauders dogging your footsteps until Graduation."
Smith paled and everyone knew what James had threatened.
"My apologizes, Evans," Smith said in a somewhat shaky voice. He turned and left. James had disappeared as well.
"Come on, everyone!" Sirius shouted. "The dance is still on!"
Lily ran out of the room, searching for James.
"James?" she called, looking left and right. She finally found him sitting out by the lake.
"Lily?" he looked up and Lily frowned to see his eyes red. Had he been crying? But then, he had the most reason to cry of them all.
"I was hoping for another dance," she said softly. James got up and bowed a little towards her. Giggling a little, Lily curtseyed.
There you see her
Sitting there across the way
She don't got a lot to say
But there's something about her
And you don't know why
But you're dying to try
You wanna kiss the girl
"SIRIUS!" both Lily and James shouted.
"Listen to the song, mate!" Sirius popped up from his hiding place. "Kiss her! You've been wanting to since fifth year!"
"Excuse me," James said to Lily, "I've got a best mate to neuter!"
Lily raised an eyebrow at the comment but Sirius seemed to understand as he squeaked a little and ran off.
"Where were we?" Lily asked as James chuckled, "and how did Black know those lyrics?"
"He did take Muggle Studies, Lily," James said with another chuckle.
Lily smiled and then thought back to what Sirius had said a month ago exactly.
You are the only person who can make him happy right now.
Was that true? She didn't think so. What she did know what that James was an amazing dancer.
