Recap: James' Birthday, Lily gives him a vial of Felix Felicis and Misty gives him his father's old wand, saying his father wanted him to have it.

James and Lily get into a minor fight with the Slytherins during their patrol


Chapter 46: Preparing for the Final

"Hey Lily?" James said, as he came down stairs.

"Yeah?" I asked distractedly, trying to decipher and re-write my two-year-old History of Magic notes.

"D-Do you have a moment?" He asked, sitting beside me.

"Of course." I replied easily and put my quill down. I looked up at him and right away I could tell he was confused.

"Do you remember last week, on my birthday, we had that minor fight with the Slytherins?" He asked. I nodded in confirmation. It was the first one in a long time. "Well, I was upstairs and my dad's wand was right in front of me. I got curious and did Priori Incantatem and found the last spell to be casted with that wand was Silencio…by me. I remember I had both wands in the same pocket that day, and I'd picked the one that felt better in my hand. But right now, it's my own wand that feels better, the one that picked me at Ollivander's." He explained, looking as confused as before.

"Well,"I paused. "Wandlore's obviously extremely complicated. I can only give you an uncertain guess." He nodded in encouragement. "That day, you were overcome with emotion for him, especially since he gave you his wand. This wand might've recognized that, so it felt better in you hands, because of everything you were feeling. And because one of them said something about it to you, you anger and emotion increased, causing this wand to function as properly as your usual one, perhaps better." He was silent for a while as he tried to comprehend it.

"That makes sense, and saved a trip to Dumbledore." He said in awe. I smiled.

"It's five." I reminded him. He jumped up.

"Quidditch practice in a half an hour. Do you want to come?" He asked. Perhaps I could afford a break. "Actually, I need to go change. Tell me when I come back down." He said, and raced up his stairs. I suppose I could use a bit of fresh air. I picked up my notes, the quill and ink, and put them in a small bag. He came downstairs with his robes on and his broom in hand. He looked at the empty desk.
"Yeah, I'm coming." I said.

"Let's go." He grinned. We were walking out of the portrait hole when he noticed the bag. "You're bringing schoolwork?" He groaned.

"Well with the curfew put on me, I don't have as much time." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"That's what you get for making me clean my room." He said smugly.

"Your room was a pigsty. It looked like Sirius gone wild." I reminded him.

"No, it was just overdue for a clean." He replied defensively. I shook my head.

"I don't even know how you slept in there, it actually smelled bad." I crinkled my nose at the memory.

"I like keeping food in there!" He explained.

"I'm sure the rats in there love that, too." I replied. He pouted, but seemed to remember something and immediately lightened up.

"Well, I'm going to keep you so occupied, love, you won't even be looking at your notes." He smirked. "I know one of your weaknesses now. He grinned happily. "Well see you out there." He said, and practically skipped into the locker rooms. As I walked to the Pitch, I suddenly remember what he was talking about.

"Lily, I'm tired." He yawned. I briefly looked up from our Defense book.

"Then go take a break." I said, looking back down at it.

"I'm going to take a shower." He announced. I grunted in response. I pulled out a piece of paper and started answering some questions in the book. He was quick with his shower, and by the second set of questions, I heard the door creak open, and the steam from the bathroom came rushing into the rest of the room. I saw his shadow blocking my light as he leaned over me. "Question 10A is that." He said, pointing to a spot in the textbook I turned around to face him, and found him only dressed in a pair of pants.

"What?" I asked absentmindedly as my eyes ran over his toned muscles and his tan skin. He mistook my simple answer for not understanding. He sat down and started explaining, but I couldn't concentrate on his words. "P-put on some clothes." I said, looking at his eyes for the first time since he stepped out of the bathroom.

"What?" He said, now his turn to be confused.

"It's too distracting. Put. On. Some. Clothes." I said slowly. His mouth twisted into a crooked smile.

"Distracting?" He whispered, putting a hand on my thigh and leaning forward. His wet hair fell into his eyes and my throat went dry. I tried to say something, but found that I couldn't. Instead, I jumped up, and ran to his closet. I picked up the first shirt I found and put it over his head.

"Wear it." I growled.

"The things you do just to study." He chuckled, finally putting on the shirt.

I sat in one of the middle rows of the Pitch, so it wouldn't be too far away, but also not too close. I would not allow him to be a distraction.

"First, we're going to practice the tactics from last practice," James started. Through the corner of my eye, I could see red and gold rise up to about the height I was at. "And I'll be up there." James added. I internally groaned. No doubt he was coming to me. I couldn't but look up once I heard him sit down.

"They're doing great. You've shaped the up well." I told him, looking at each individual player. They were a lot better than they were last year. "How's John doing?" I asked, looking over at the youngest player, and the seeker.

"He's great. He's prepared for this. We can win this year!" He said looking determined.

"You better win this year, or McGonagall will kill you." I told him laughing.

"She actually talked to me about it the other day after Transfiguration. Said she'd even give the team less homework or extended due dates if it came down to it." He laughed.

"I hope you didn't accept." I said sternly.

"Don't worry, I didn't." He smiled, putting an arm around my waist. I started re-writing the notes again. "Alright, I need to go teach them the new tactics." He said, kissing me on the cheek.

"I'll watch after I'm done." I promised.

"I'll do my best not to purposely distract you, then. But, it's awfully hot out today…" He grinned evilly.

"If you try anything, Potter, I'm going to kill you." I teased, trying to look stern.

"Of course you will, love." He said cheekily, before getting on his broom and taking off.

I sat with my notes and carefully finished re-writing everything. I looked up in time to see him take his shirt off and throw it next to me. I resisted picking it up and smelling it, since everyone could see. For a little bit, I tried hard not to look at James, but it proved to be difficult, so I gave up. Once he came into view, I couldn't stop looking at him, and my eyes followed him everywhere he went. Eventually, I was able to actually watch them play. As I watched them, I remembered when James taught me how to fly, this time last year. Suddenly, I thought of something. I looked towards James, and he was conveniently looking at me. I waved him over and he quickly came.

"I have an idea." I said, and quickly explained what I thought of, pointing to the various players and the directions they were supposed to go in, although, with a lot of pauses and stammers. Even though I was bubbling with excitement because of this idea, his bare chest was still distracting.

"That's a great idea!" I He said happily, and pulled me into a tight hug. I felt myself blush, but he was too excited to notice. "I think we something like this to win the Cup." He said excitedly, and raced off to tell the rest of the team. They practice and practiced it, and as it was getting dark, they mastered it. It was easy to tell that they all like the idea and were just as excited as James had been.

"It was such a good idea! I don't know how you came up with that, or why I didn't think of it!" He later said to me, on our way back to the locker rooms. "I wish you played, you would've been great on the team. You would've probably made captain! On a second though, I'm glad you're not on the team." He chuckled.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have accepted it, and I would've given it to you." I assured him.

"Then I wouldn't have accepted it, because I would've known that you deserve it." He countered.

"Which is how I feel about Transfiguration." I told him.

"You won't give that up, will you?" He grinned.

"Of course not, Potter." I mimicked. He laughed and put an arm around my shoulders.

"Oh, are we going to visit you sister over Easter break? Or are we staying here?" He asked. I didn't really want to talk to her just yet. I wasn't ready for that.

"No." I decided. "We'll visit her after school ends."

"Yeah, we'll have a huge reason to." He muttered.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"What? Oh, nothing." He said, turning red and rushing into the locker rooms.

"I've been looking for you two everywhere!" Sirius said, coming up to us in the Library.

"We just came back from Quidditch Practice." James replied, looking up. Sirius sat down across from us, and Remus and Peter followed, sitting on either side of him.

"You better win. Minnie will kill you if you don't." Sirius said, looking quite serious. James and I held in laughs when a tall shadow fell above him.

"There is truth in that statement, Mr. Black, however, I would prefer you called me by my proper name." McGonagall told him, staring down at him.

"Of course, Professor." He said, giving her his most charming smile. "Now, what's a pretty lady like you doing in a dingy library like this?" Sirius asked, giving her the most innocent look I've ever seen on him. Madam Pince turned around and almost yelled at him, but seeing McGonagall, she left. McGonagall chose to ignore Sirius' remark.

"I was watching your practice today, Mr. Potter, and I am indeed impressed, especially with that last tactic." She complimented.

"Thank you, Professor, however, that idea wasn't mine, it was Lily's." James said, patting my hand. She raised her eyebrows.

"Really? Well, I suppose with a brain like yours, Miss Evans, you would think of something like that." She said. "Now, I hope to have this year's Cup in my office, Mr. Potter."

"We'll do it." James said confidently. She bid us all goodbye, and quickly left, probably before Sirius could say something else.

"I'm going to miss her when we leave." Sirius said, looking fondly after her.

"She'll miss you, too." I assured him. He grinned.

"I'll be sure to visit her then. None of that 'No Student-Teacher Relationships' crap will be in our way." He said dramatically, putting a hand over the right side of his chest.

"Your heart's on the other side, you idiot." I said, rolling my eyes.

"This is only rehearsal, Lily-pad." Sirius huffed. "I don't have to get it right."

"Rehearsal." I stared.

"He's been practicing for weeks." Remus muttered, looking bitterly at him.

"We silencio'd him a few times." Peter added, holding his head.

"She is my one and only love! It must be perfect!" He snapped.

"Mate, you need to get laid, to control those hormones." James said, shaking his head.

"What makes you think I haven't already?" Sirius smirked.

"Because you've been flying solo since you moved in? And that was the summer after fifth year." James pointed out.

"But, if you recall, I had a girlfriend before then." He said, keeping his smirk.

"You…you did it with Mary?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, and she was pretty damn good." Sirius said proudly. James and I exchanged a glance, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. He had sex, even before either of us had gotten our first kiss.

"W-why don't either of you looked surprised?" I asked, once recovering. Peter shrugged.

"We got bored and played Truth or Dare." Remus said.

"And you know the rules. What happens in there stays in there." Peter added.

"You did that with Mary McDonald." James said, still not comprehending. "Imagine if that thing didn't happen, and she didn't leave to Italy. She probably would've been all clingy and whatever, and wouldn't have accepted your decision to start flying solo."

"Yeah, it was good timing, wasn't it? I had it all planned out…well, the getting laid part, and then dumping her. It was just good that she agreed." Sirius said, looking proud of himself.

"Oh, well. Uh, that's nice." I coughed uncomfortably.

"It's okay, I'm sure Jamsie will come around soon enough for the same." He said to me. I kicked him under the table. "OW!" He screamed out, and I knew what was coming, since McGonagall's presence wasn't here to protect him anymore.

"LEAVE!" Madam Pince said, coming up behind Sirius.


A/N: A few things to say.

1) I will not, once again, be updating for another two week. I apologize for that, and the brevity of this chapter! It was a filler, and I had terrible writer's block once again. However, if all goes well, the next ones should be good!

2) It's quickly coming to the end of the year in this story, and that means it's also coming to the end of the story. I'm ending it at Chapter 50.

3) The one year anniversary of this story was yesterday! The same day the last movie came out in the UK! If anyone saw it, I'd love to hear about it. - don't give away details! -

4) Review please!

Love,
SAM :)