Chapter 14: Dodgy Conversations
Monday morning saw the last year Gryffindor's in a double potions class, where Professor Slughorn was introducing them to a few new potions, which had been unavailable top them in 6th year. The lesson they were currently doing was usually carried out in their previous year but due to unavailable resources they had been unable to do so.
So here they were in a bunch around a few interesting potions.
James and Sirius having arrived back at the castle very early in the morning had awoken late and made a mad dash to the potions classroom in the dungeons.
Peter of course had not achieved the OWLs needed to take NEWT level potions. So instead he was on his own in the Gryffindor tower.
Slughorn had been introducing two of the three when the boys burst through the door, James appearing first.
"Ah Mr Potter M'boy I see you have Black with you but where is Mr Lupin?"
James hesitated "Um sick, sir."
"Oh well that is dear shame that he misses a very good lesson indeed. Today class will be making a special concoction, yes very special indeed. I do believe we briefly went over it last year when it was given to a student as a prize. Isn't that right Miss Evans?" Slughorn said with a cheery grin.
Lily blushed slightly at his comment and nodded her head uncertainly.
"Today we will be brewing Felix Felicis, or more commonly known as-"
"Liquid luck" The majority of the class chorused.
"Now these will have to be left to brew for a long period of time so we will be returning to them later on in the school year, but I cannot say how joyful I am at giving you this opportunity.
James found his eyes wandering over to a certain crimson haired girl sitting near the front of the class. He felt dizzy and sleepy; his mind was all over the place.
Slughorns clapping hands broke his daydream, "Right, let the brewing commence!"
James saw a flash of red hair in the corner of his eyes and reacted fast. Grabbing onto Lily's arm and spinning her to face him.
"Where were you yesterday" James inquired.
Lily avoided his gaze and continued onto the shelves stacked with a mixture of exotic ingredients for hundreds of potions. Lily carefully selected a bunch and made her way back to her workbench, completely ignoring James and his pleas.
"This particular potion I should remind you is extremely advanced and dangerous, please proceed with caution" Slughorn reminded. He ended with a slight chuckle, which made his rather large gut wobble precariously close to near cauldrons.
Sirius was sitting down with his hands holding up his head and balanced on the desk in front of him.
"Ugh, that is completely revolting" Sirius said to no one in particular.
James had been staring incessantly at Lily when Sirius wet tongue on his ear snapped him back to reality.
James looked threateningly at Sirius who in turned shrugged and walked back to his seat to go back to gazing at Slughorns large belly, "So fascinating" He commented.
James sighed from his failed attempt at getting Lily to talk to him so he tried focusing himself on the task instead.
He found this very hard to do so as Sirius constantly interrupted him on various occasions. Consisting of mainly magically propelled parchment planes or some other object.
Lily on the other hand was working as hard as she usually would be in her normal everyday potions class. This potion was an exceptionally hard potion to do and she wanted to impress the professor as she usually would.
Every measurement, stir and pause was to be precise.
Lily of course had won the small vial of Felix Felicis as a prize last year for producing the best draught of living death amongst the sixth years. This small vial remained in her underwear draw in her room in the heads tower as she expected no one to even contemplate going there (except perhaps Potter, she thought to herself).
Lily continued to chop up her roots, which were required, while thoughts continued to wander through her mind.
The rest of the lesson went without confrontation between the two heads, James and Sirius eventually got on with their own potions accordingly although with much reluctance.
James and Sirius went their separate ways to Lily as they headed to Herbology as she went to Ancient Runes.
The boys joined Peter on their way to greenhouse one.
Herbology was boring as usual if you asked Sirius, but if you asked Peter he would tell you that it was a very good lesson, because Peter did not have a very good vocabulary and if you again asked Sirius he might just tell that Peter was a 'simpleton'.
The three made their way to lunch after Herbology when Sirius stopped dead in his tracks.
James quirked an eyebrow, "what's up Padfoot" Sirius hesitated before answering his best friend.
"I can smell something Prongs"
James snorted, "well that is what your nose is for"
Sirius shook his head "No Prongs, this is different. This is something else one of those special smells. I think its, oh Merlin it really is."
James smirked, " special smells for a special boy. Do you realise how much of a knob you sound talking like this?"
Sirius was on the verge of crying due to the unknown smells wafting from the Great hall.
His face brightened as it clicked, the perfect light bulb moment. "Prongs its hotdogs, its mother fucking hotdogs!"
He took off before anyone could stop him; Peter waddled off after the blur down the corridor looking like a real-life version of humpty dumpty. James chuckled at this image and continued on his way at his regular pace.
James reached the end of the corridor and was turning to go down the staircase when a figure came from behind a suit of armour. It was Snape.
James sighed, "I don't have time for this just leave," He said as if he was exhausted from the troubles.
Snape shook his head, "This won't take a second, I promise you it will be worth you time"
James felt curious, the way Snape had said this seemed genuine, and he almost appeared worried. James nodded and followed Snape who moved into a vacant classroom.
James sighed again before entering the room after Snape, shutting the door behind himself.
Lily watched this from the same corridor James had just come from, confused about what she had just seen, what was going? Why was it that those two certain people, the greatest rivals Lily had ever witnessed, agreeingly entered a classroom together with no one but themselves?
Mary Macdonald, her fellow seventh year Gryffindor and friend appeared next to her and could see Lily's vacant look her eyes
"What is it Lily?"
Lily shook her head to gain her focus back; she smiled at Mary to reassure her that everything was finally and that definitely nothing suspicious was going down.
"What? Oh nothing Mary. I was just thinking about Head duties, but they can wait. Do you want to go to lunch? I haven't talked to you in so long!"
Mary still seemed as if questioning Lily's previous empty look but her good nature took over and Lily's enthusiasm convinced her that everything was going just fine and agreed to head to lunch.
Lily and Mary entered the hall to find that they were of the last to get there, as the hall was practically full.
The only seats available on the Gryffindor table was either next to a group of giggling immature first years or opposite Black and Pettigrew, figuring that she couldn't cope with the headache of the first years, Lily led Mary to the closest seats.
She immediately regretted this decision as Sirius welcomed her with a grin filled with pieces of hotdog and bun.
Lily appalled by the sight in front of her wrinkled her nose in disgust and almost emptied the contents of what she had thought to have been empty stomach.
Instead she put on her brave face and nodded curtly, " Black"
Sirius seemed sad with the greeting and swallowed the great mouthful, "Evans" he replied in a mocking tune.
Lily shook her head, "You are insufferable"
Sirius made a puzzled expression "I thought that insult was reserved for Prongs?"
Lily had no comeback and simply sighed and reached for a buttered roll, which she ate immediately.
"Where is your man of mystery?" Sirius said waving his eyebrows suggestedly "Ooh is he locked up in the heads dorm waiting for his – Woman! Merlin's left one, what in the fuck"
Lily had enough of being teased and the fork swayed at the point it had been jammed into the wooden table next to Sirius's hand.
"Next time Black, I'd move that hand of yours if you want to use it for..Other uses."
Sirius who at first had been looking startled, smiled warmly at Lily, "Wrong hand darling" He finished with a wink before getting up from the table and heading out of the Great hall with Peter trotting along after him.
Mary who had been staring open-mouthed at the altercation in front of her and turned to Lily with awe, "Lily that was so cool! No one ever stands up to the Marauders like that" She gushed.
Lily smiled to Mary and turned back to her lunch.
"Slytherin looked strong eh Prongs" Sirius said to James as they were in the Gryffindor common room the next Monday night playing a game of wizards chess against each other while Remus read and Peter was struggling to come to terms with the latest homework for DADA.
James nodded whilst stroking his chin trying to think about the chess as well, "After the Christmas break we'll ramp the trainings up, we need to be prepared. We have the team we just need to be at top form. Queen to D5 "
Sirius laughed, "Well, its not as if their IQ goes above room temperature, especially with Mulciber as your captain I guess its no surprise."
James smiled but his heart wasn't in it, he hadn't seen Lily all day today not even in classes, and that seriously worried him. She'd had been acting strange ever since Monday now that James thought about it.
"I'm gonna call it a night lads, see you tomorrow." James said standing up to leave the practically deserted room apart from the 6th years making out in the far corner. James chuckled "Vance" He called across the room "do you want to infect every boy in the castle?"
The girl pulled off to reveal her stunning features before smiling sweetly and flicking James off before continuing the snogging session with however it was lucky enough to be tonight's guy.
James grinned and walked out of the common room and headed back towards the heads tower.
James said the password and walked into the room expecting to find it empty but instead saw Lily lying peacefully on the armchair facing the roaring fire with her legs hanging over the sides, James allowed himself a small grin at the cuteness factor of the image in front of him.
Lily's head hung backwards resting on the arm of the chair and her fringe of red hair covered her eyes from view.
James grabbed the woollen throw from the couch and laid it over Lily and repositioned her head so she wouldn't be sore when she woke and gave a delicate kiss on the forehead, with one last longing look he entered his own room.
A/N: Short chapter yes I know I apologise if too short. This story is now practically fully planned out, all I have to do is write it. Feedback very much welcomed, tell me what you like/dislike, want more of or less of and who you want to see more/less. Thank you for reading; hope you are enjoying it.