Author's Note: I'm back! After—oy—over a year and a half of hiatus, chapter 21 is finally coming out. I am so sorry. I didn't even realize how long it'd been. Feel free to email me regarding lack of updates. I'm very ashamed that it's taken me this long to get a single chapter out.
Title: Partners in Love
Rating: PG
Spoilers: As always, Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire, but just a little bit.
Summary: In Transfiguration class, Lily gets paired with James for the whole year and, well, you can guess what happens…
Disclaimer: Nope! Not me! I don't own anything except for… the non-famous stuff.
Setting: This story is set in Lily and James's days at Hogwarts. It starts out in 5th year.
--- - setting change
italics - emphasis
italics - thoughts
-Where Do We Go From Here?-
"Headmaster?"
Albus Dumbledore looked up from his abnormally cluttered desk. "Ah, Miss Evans. Please, sit." Clearing the space in front of him, he said, "Please excuse the mess. I had a very disoriented student in here earlier—James Potter, as a matter of fact—muttering about noodles, I believe, and creating quite a disturbance. Now, what brings you to my office?"
Lily frowned at the noodle comment and sat in a chair. "I'd like to know more about—" She took a deep breath and plunged right in. "I'd like to know about Voldemort, sir."
Dumbledore's light blue eyes twinkled knowingly. "Why would a student concern herself with such matters?"
"Well, shouldn't I?" Lily looked down solemnly at the newspaper in her lap. "Everyone is a potential victim. If I know more about Voldemort, maybe when I'm a little older… Maybe I'll be able to stop the death and destruction he causes. I—I don't know anything about him except for what's printed in the paper." Her fingers very lightly brushed against the locket around her neck. The crystal was colored a dull, grayish-blue. Very quietly, she murmured, "I want to help."
"Very well." The headmaster looked away for a moment, and Lily thought he looked very sad. Then Dumbledore began his story.
---
Five o'clock. Time to wake up. Victoria forced her eyes open, quickly silencing the alarm spell she had placed the previous night. Luckily, Lawrence had taught her how to keep the sound from leaking out through the curtains around her bed, so none of the other girls were disturbed before they needed to be.
Victoria sat up and put her feet on the floor. She had quite a bit of work to do before Alyssa woke up. If she were as skilled as say, Professor Flitwick or Dumbledore, then her task would be very easy indeed. However, she still had time to become an expert, and this was as good a time as any to practice.
Holding up the piece of parchment that Lawrence had given her, she held her wand in front of it and said, "Lumos."
There. Now all she had to do was follow the instructions written on it and wait for Alyssa Parker to awake from her slumber.
---
Plotting revenge on Severus Snape for jinxing them, three of the Marauders gathered in a corridor near the Slytherin common room early that Saturday morning.
Sirius yawned. "It's too early in the morning for mischief."
"Padfoot, I'm surprised at you," James admonished him. "It is never too early for mischief."
"I'm sure I'd agree if I was actually awake." Sirius looked over at Peter, who was carrying a large spear. "What's that for?"
"You'll see," declared James, grinning devilishly.
Sirius raised his eyebrows in interest. "You've piqued my curiosity, Mr. Prongs."
Peter yelled, "James, watch out—!"
"Merlin's beard!" yelped James. "Wormtail, you nearly skewered me!"
"Sorry!" squeaked the plump boy. "You're the one who wanted me to do this!"
James sighed in mock exasperation. "Is it my fault that you're clumsy?" He frowned, looking around impatiently. "Where in the bogey-filled world is Moony?"
---
When Danielle Phillips awoke that morning, her eyes were greeted with the sight of a highly decorated room. The hangings around Alyssa's bed were covered with birthday greetings and multicolored ribbons. Amidst all the festive materials stood her best friend.
Victoria held a finger up to her lips and walked toward Danielle's bed. "Don't say anything," she whispered. "Let Alyssa wake up on her own." As Danielle mutely nodded her head, Victoria spoke again. "I've been planning this with Lawrence—you know, Alyssa's brother. We're—we're going together now."
Danielle closed her eyes for a few seconds, struggling to keep her face impassive. "Congratulations," she said so quietly that Victoria almost didn't hear her.
"Thank you." Victoria said, "Dani, this is Alyssa's day. I just want to ask you to try to be happy for her sake. She wouldn't want to see you unhappy." Her blue eyes pleaded with Danielle to be strong.
"I understand." The girl turned her head toward Victoria, reaching up with one hand to move some auburn waves over her shoulder. "Vicky, you're my best friend. I want to ask you for a favor."
Victoria pursed her lips in confusion. "What is it?"
"I can't work with him," replied Danielle. "Kendall, I mean. I want to switch partners with you. I'll take Peter."
"Are you sure?" asked Victoria.
"I'm not strong enough, Vicky. If he doesn't want to be with me anymore, I don't see why we should be forced to remain in contact." Danielle put her feet on the floor, about to get out of bed. She perched there for a moment. "I'm not sure I can be happy today."
"If you can't, don't worry about it. I won't ask you to fake anything."
---
Alyssa sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She turned to the side and set her feet on the floor, also pushing aside the hangings around her bed. She stood up, blinked a few times, and promptly sat right back down on the bed.
"Andras the Invincible!" Alyssa gasped. "What is this?"
"Happy birthday!" three voices shouted happily.
She turned around to find Lily, Melanie, and Victoria holding several boxes of presents. "I can't believe you all did this for me."
"Thank Vicky," said Lily, nodding toward the dark-haired girl, "and her new boyfriend."
Alyssa grinned and ran downstairs, followed by her friends. She reached the common room and looked about quickly. She saw Lawrence sitting in a chair, next to the largest cake she had ever seen. She ran to him,
Victoria following closely.
"Thank you two so much!" exclaimed Alyssa, hugging both Victoria and Lawrence. "I really appreciate this. I've never had a big party before."
Lawrence winked at Victoria. "Then why don't we get it started?" he asked, right before he grabbed a piece of cake and rubbed it in his sister's face.
"Cake fight!"
---
Laughing and uselessly wiping at the remnants of cake on her clothes, Alyssa plopped into a chair, tired from running around the common room.
"Time for gifts," announced Lawrence, placing a big box in her lap. "That's from mum and dad."
Remus Lupin stood slightly distant from all the fun, leaning against the wall near the staircase to the boys' dormitory. He watched Alyssa open gift after gift, waiting for the right opportunity to give her his own present. James and the others were a little peeved that he wasn't joining them today, but he thought Alyssa's smile would make up for that guilt.
"Hey, Remus!"
Remus looked up. Lawrence was looking at him and gesturing for him to come closer. "Do you have anything to say to the birthday girl?"
Alyssa put aside the gift she had just opened and looked up, wondering who Lawrence was calling to. Remus was suddenly standing in front of her with his hands behind his back. "It isn't much, but I made it. I hope you like it." He handed her a very small, gift-wrapped present. "Happy birthday."
Alyssa took the gift in curiosity, wondering what Remus could possibly have made for her that would be so small. It wasn't a book, because it wasn't the right size. The object had a flat, rectangular shape. What would he give her that would be so flat? Alyssa carefully removed the Spellotape holding the gift wrap together and shook into her hand whatever was inside.
A bookmark. A simple bookmark—but it wasn't really so simple, was it? The girl watched as colors shifted on its surface. A charm lay over the object, changing the image on the small page-marker to the last scene she had come across in the book she was currently reading. Alyssa looked up at Remus. "You made this for me?" she asked, sounding almost surprised. She smiled appreciatively. "Thank you."
"It'll change for whatever book you're reading. That way you'll really be able to see what's happening." Remus looked away, slightly bashful. "I thought you'd appreciate having something like this."
"You were right," answered Alyssa, not taking her eyes off the boy in front of her.
Victoria, Lily, and Melanie exchanged looks. They wondered just what was going on in the head of the female bookworm.
---
Minerva McGonagall sat at her desk, grading essays. This batch was horrible. She'd have to ask her second years to rewrite them. She was just about to dip her quill into her inkwell when she heard a voice that she had often heard laughing.
"Professor McGonagall?"
McGonagall looked up, quickly taking in the appearance of Danielle Phillips. "Yes, Miss Phillips, can I help you?"
Danielle cleared her throat. "Professor, I was wondering if I could switch partners with Victoria."
"Oh?" McGonagall looked at Danielle over the top edge of her spectacles. "Is something the matter?"
Danielle fidgeted under her gaze. "Kendall and I are having—problems, and we barely want to talk anymore… That's getting in the way of our classwork, and I don't believe we can withstand the effects this is having on our performance in class. Transfiguration is very important, and I don't want to get bad marks because I can't get along with my partner."
"I see." McGonagall shuffled some papers. "Well, if Miss Arlington and Mr. Pettigrew are willing to switch, then you have my permission to do so."
"Thank you, Professor." Then the girl was gone.
McGonagall returned to her work. It was a shame. Kendall Wexler and Danielle Phillips really had made a rather good team. Their grades weren't quite as high as Lily Evans' and James Potter's were, but they had never had a shouting match in her classroom, as the latter two often had. Although, come to think of it, those spats were occurring less often, thankfully.
---
After enough partying in Gryffindor Tower, the fifth years went down to the Great Hall for lunch. Alyssa, clad in a ridiculous pink cape and matching tiara, drew stares from the other students. She hadn't wanted to wear the costume, but Victoria and Lawrence had insisted that she had to wear something that identified her as the birthday girl. "Where's Danielle?" she asked, furrowing her brow as she looked around.
Victoria sighed heavily. "I don't think she'll be coming. She isn't in much of a celebrating mood. She and Kendall aren't together anymore. He's moving this summer. To another country."
"What!" Lily exclaimed. "I ought to hex him!"
"He made a choice," murmured Melanie. "We don't have to agree with it, but we have to respect it."
Lawrence, who had decided to join the fifth year Gryffindors for lunch, nodded. "That's true. There's really nothing to do except be there for Danielle."
"I don't know what to do," Victoria said sorrowfully. "Dani's a sensitive person. When she cries, she doesn't stop for a long time."
"She's never been this broken-hearted over anyone before," commented Alyssa.
"Maybe she just needs to be left alone for a while," said Melanie. "Sometimes people just need to wait it out."
The others all murmured agreement.
Lily looked around and sighed. Where was James? She needed to talk to him. "Where are the boys? They haven't wished you a happy birthday yet, Alyssa." She stood. "I'm going to go look for them."
---
Lily turned a corner in the hallway and spotted her boyfriend standing near a suit of armor.
"James, there you are!" Lily strode toward him, smiling. "I wanted to talk to you."
"Lily!" James's eyes darted quickly from side to side. "Er, I'll talk to you later, all right?"
"James, I haven't seen you all day." Lily furrowed her brow and continued toward him. "It's Alyssa's birthday, and you haven't seen her yet. I also have something important—"
James took a step toward her. "Lily, please, just go back. I'll talk to you later."
Lily tilted her head. "But you're right here. You can't say a simple hello to your girlfriend? I mean, you don't look as if you're busy or anything—"
"Evans, leave me alone!"
Lily's eyes widened. Underneath her face, her locket flashed an angry red-orange, quickly melting into a sad blue. Without another word, she ran toward Gryffindor Tower, leaving James standing by himself in the hallway.
---
After a long, grand day of being the birthday girl, Alyssa was actually glad for a little peace and quiet. She climbed the spiral staircase up to the sixth year girls' dormitory and entered the room, where all the others were getting ready for bed. She immediately went to her nightstand and placed her new bookmark inside the book she was reading. After pulling off the tiara and cape, she smiled to herself and lay back on her bed. "I'm really glad that I've gotten to know Remus so much better lately. He really understands me."
Lily, facedown on her bed, said in a muffled voice, "James doesn't understand anything."
Alyssa raised an eyebrow but did not pursue the matter. Lily would tell her the problem soon enough. Looking mainly at Victoria, she said, "Thanks, everyone. This was… the best birthday I've had since I came to Hogwarts. I'm so glad to have you as friends. You know, we've only got one more set of birthdays left to celebrate at school, and then we're going to graduate."
"That's true," Melanie concurred. "We're growing up." She smiled. "I'm glad you had a good birthday, Alyssa."
"Me too."
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author's Note: Each new book that comes out is making this story harder to remain true to canon… Keep in mind that I began this story before the fifth book came out. Hmm… What will happen next? Stay tuned!