Not a Chance
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Harry Potter, or any of the characters mentioned in this story, unless stated otherwise. Rated for some sexual content, violence and language. Any similarities to real life are purely coincidence and I will not be held responsible! Thanks!
WARNING: WILL CONTAIN SLASH (male on male)!! Ye be warned
Author's Note: Argh…still sick my lovelies. I shall endure just for you all. Ha hah. Oh man over 30k hits to the story!! YAY!! I love you people. Really. But, onward ho with the story? All right then!! Cheers.
---------
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
The next morning, James, Sirius, Lily, and Remus had Transfiguration, and were all chatting easily, when suddenly the Headmaster walked in. Immediately, all the students sat upright, even Sirius, and looked curiously at the old man.
Dumbledore looked grave. "Until further notice, I will be taking Professor McGonagall's classes. She has recently been removed to St. Mungo's, and is expected to make a full recovery."
"What happened to her?" someone asked from the back of the class.
"She happened upon a highly cursed magical object, and it transferred said curse to her." Several girls gasped and Sirius said "What the fu-?" before Dumbledore continued. "However, she was swiftly found, and the damage was limited. She is expected to make a full recovery. Now, human Transfiguration, a most risky business…" And he proceeded with the lesson.
---------
Content with her knowledge that yes, she would someday be the future Mrs. Potter (man that was weird to say) and that her and James were on stable footing once again (and with a healthy sex life to boot), Lily felt like there was never a time she stopped smiling.
"Someone's in lo-ove," Remus teased, as they strode through the castle that evening, on Prefect duty. Even such a loathsome activity seemed much more enjoyable.
"Right back at you, Lover Boy. Don't think I don't see the way Sirius looks at you over his bacon at breakfast."
Remus looked thoughtful. "Sirius does rather like his bacon. I must be pretty special for him to look at me rather than it…"
"Not to mention how he steals little kisses when you are doing something…"
Remus laughed now. "Lily, I'm glad you and James are back together, so that you will stop scrutinizing every minuscule minutia of my love life and perhaps try concentrating on your own."
Just then, none other than Sirius Black, looking handsome as the devil himself, came around the corner. "Evans! Just the bird I needed. James wants to talk to you RIGHT NOW in the common-room."
"Why?"
"Pfft, how should I know? Do I look like the type to ask stupid questions?"
"We-ell…" Remus drawled, and Sirius pouted. "I know; you were being rhetorical."
"Go, Evans, don't just stand here. It's important! I'll cover for you."
Lily rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile spreading over her lips. She went, leaving the werewolf and the Animagus alone in the hallway. "What did James want?" asked Remus.
"Come along and see." Sirius winked, taking his hand, and pulled him after Lily.
They got to the common-room just in time. There was a large crowd of people that they made their way to the front of, and in the center of the room, stood Lily and James.
"James," Lily murmured out of the corner of her mouth, "why are there people everywhere. He only grinned and squeezed her hand.
"People of…of well Gryffindor House! I, the wonderful, magnificent, uber sexy, intelligent-"
"Shut up and get on with it!"
"You shut up Sirius! Now, where was I? Oh yes, intelligent Marauder that I am, have recently come to the conclusion that, while I have my friends, I am in need of something more. In a word, Lily." He looked over at the red-faced Lily, who smiled back.
"James, this is sweet, but-"
"Hush Lily. Now. Ah yes…" He got down on one knee and Lily felt oxygen leave her lungs. Oh why the fuck hadn't she expected this? Why, why, WHY, WHY?? It was James Potter. He was the King of doing things In a Loud and Very Public Manner. She put a shaking hand to her mouth, her head bobbing form side to side as if to say 'No…No…'
"Yes my dear. Lily Evans, the one woman who stole my heart from the moment I saw her," There were several 'Aww!'s from the female portion of the assembled crowd, "I am asking you now, as I kneel here, will you marry me at some vaguely distant, yet to be disclosed date?"
Lily was shaking. She hadn't known a person could shake so violently, yet here she was. And everyone was looking at her expectantly, with their breath held, most of all James.
"Oh why the hell not?!" she finally cried, throwing her arms around him, and there was a sudden outburst of applause and wolf whistling and cheering. "Yes, yes, get up now, get up!" Lily cried over the tumultuous clapping. James got up, grinning, and pulled her forward to kiss her, dipping her back outrageously.
When she got her balance and footing and breath back, she looked up at him through over bright eyes. "Oh James…"
"Oh damn, I almost forgot." He pulled the ginormous ring from inside his pocket out, and there were gasps from the assembled people who could see. Grinning, he took her hand and slid it onto her left ring finger.
"I-I can't wear this! It's worth more than all my belongings put together James!" Lily hissed.
James kissed her. "Nonsense. You own me, and I am much more valuable than silly diamonds."
"We-ell…" James arched a brow to a rather lofty angle. "Only kidding. I know. But…do I have to wear it all the time?"
"Yes. I don't want anyone not knowing you picked me. Or thinking you're still available."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine." She was sure she would get arthritis from the weight of the damn thing, but consented anyway. Diamonds are a girl's best friend after all…
---------
"Snape" said the cool voice of Lucius Malfoy. "Fancy meeting you here." He was currently poring over his Potions book in the Slytherin common-room, and looked up at the smirking blonde.
"Whatever do you mean by that Malfoy?"
"I thought you would be off somewhere with the little Gryffindor Mudblood. Or is she back with Potter now? One never knows with the whore."
Snape grit his teeth, attempting not to rise to the barb, but it was hard. In fact it took all the self-control he possessed. Lucius reveled in the other boy's fury.
"I heard she went and got herself engaged to Potter. Did you hear that one? A pity, she didn't choose you. I'm sure even you could have shown that Mudblood a thing or two, eh?"
Snape glared up at Malfoy, rage and hate flickering in his eyes. Close your mind, drain yourself of emotion…Snape took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly.
"Possibly. Sort of like how you've shown Potter's pathetic sidekick Pettigrew a few tricks of the trade, as it were."
Lucius' face paled in indignant fury. "Excuse me? You dare to speak to me like such?"
Snape forced a smile onto his face. "Just making observations." He stood and gathered his books. "Here's another for you. You might want to be more careful in future… Not everyone is as dumb as Narcissa." And with that, he swept away, leaving the blonde boy to sneer in anger.
---------
Snape met Lily as she was hurrying to Arithmancy later on that week. She literally walked right into him, as they both turned the corner at the same moment.
"Ouch! Oh, I'm sorry I wasn't watching…" she trailed off when she saw who it was. "Sorry," she repeated, gathering up her books.
Snape spotted the giant ring on her hand easily enough. "So you accepted then?"
"Yes."
They stood from where they had crouched to pick up their belongings. Then Lily looked at the textbook in front of her. "Umm…this is yours," she said softly, blushing as she passed it to him.
"Thanks."
There was a rather awkward silence, and Lily was about to break it to say she had better get to class (Merlin forbid she should be late) when Snape spoke. "I hope you're happy Lily. Really. I mean…well I know you love him, and I just…I hope he feels the same toward you."
"Thank you Severus."
And then they parted ways.
Lily slid into her seat, gasping for breath., on the bell. She had had to run the rest of the way to class to make it.
"Getting in some exercise?" Remus asked dryly.
"No…met Severus…on the way."
Remus looked up sharply. "He didn't give you a hard time did he?"
"Pfft. No. Despite what James may think, he is not evil."
Remus didn't say anything.
---------
James was talking with Sirius later the same evening as they strode down to the Quidditch pitch. James had been a little less than attentive to his second love, Quidditch, of late, and sought to make it up to her by having a practice. The weather was warm-ish, and the sun was setting a bloody red on the horizon.
"I thought you said you weren't going to have the team come down until seven," said Sirius, suddenly, glancing at his watch and tapping the face.
"I didn't."
"Then…why are they here?"
James looked at his own watch. Five-forty nine. That looked right… Then he looked at the players in the air over the pitch. "…Because that's not my fucking team! C'mon…"
They raced down to the pitch, and saw the Slytherin team soaring through the air. "OI! What the bloody fucking hell is going on here?"
Sirius' brother Regulus landed on the soft ground and strutted over. "Oh but I'm the filthy sodomite" Sirius muttered. James snorted his suppressed laughter.
"Regulus, go back to your dungeons before James and I are forced to hex you."
"Aww, Sirius, it looks as though Mother was right about you. All the time spent around filthy Mudbloods and blood traitors and scum has corrupted your manners."
"I'm going to corrupt something if you lot aren't off the damn pitch!" snapped James.
"Well Potter, we have the pitch booked until seven, so you can just run along now."
James made to leave, but Sirius stood his ground. "You think you're such a big man, don't you Reggie? What? You've got some psycho's little mark burnt into your arm? You think that makes you untouchable?"
"No, it makes me above the filth and vermin that will be crushed when the Dark Lord finally makes this world the place it was meant to be."
Sirius got up into his face. "And you would just let that happen like the well trained little git you are, wouldn't you?"
"Oh no. I would help."
"So you don't care that they would kill your brother?" Sirius asked, his voice low and dangerous. James was tugging on his sleeve, but he shrugged him off.
Regulus looked at him with the same grey eyes. The same silver lining around the pupil darkening to the rumbling dark grey just before it starts to pour. "I don't have a brother."
Sirius stepped back as though he had been physically assaulted and Regulus smiled. Sirius clenched his jaw. "Fine. Then I guess since I'm not your brother, its okay for me to do this." Then he hauled off and punched him in the face.
Several more Slytherin landed now, and Sirius whipped out his wand, daring any of them to attack him. None of them were dumb enough to.
He crouched by his younger brother's form lying on the ground, holding what was surely a broken nose. "Give Mother my regards." He got up and spit on the ground beside him, then stalked up to the castle with James.
"So…Regulus…" James said as they entered through the heavy wooden oak doors.
"I don't want to talk about it," snapped Sirius.
"Alright, I was just-"
"I said I don't want to talk about it! Got that?"
"…Sure."
They made it to the common-room and James plopped down beside Lily, who was reading, and kissed her neck, biting it rather possessively. "Not in public" she muttered. James frowned. "So what have you two been up to," Lily asked, as Sirius slumped into the seat beside Mooney.
He rested his head on the werewolf's shoulder, as James replied, "Oh nothing. Sirius just punched that little twit Regulus in the face."
Mooney looked around sharply. "Your brother? Why?"
Sirius glared at James. "When I said I didn't want to talk about it, I meant ever again."
James had the decency to look abashed. "Sorry?"
---------
Author's Note: oh Merlin, FINALLY!! GAH!! This has taken incredibly too long to punch out. Apologies, but I think the next one might be just as bad. Eh heh. Cheers?
Love to the reviewers!! LouisaB, serindraxx, Illyra (your comments are most appreciated…and true), Sw33t D4rk Ange1z, Lovinthehorses, Victoria Humblydum, SetTheTruthFree, MoonyIsTheMan, XjustmyimaginationX, Psycho Hippy, Veracityrules, mrs.Llupinblack, Maxine Braidmin, Cheru-chan, and Alichay (I updated, see?). Tonnes of love and…well that's all you get. Cookies are for ME!!