A/N: Hi! I hope you're all having a good week so far! Here's another chapter to hopefully brighten it or make it better than it's already going. I really appreciate you reading this, it means the absolute world to me! Without further ado here is the next chapter…
CHAPTER 8
16th September 1966
Lily's POV:
It's been almost 2 weeks since I joined the band. It's been going well…
*FLASHBACK*
5th September
"No, I like the harmony on this line instead." James says.
"But it doesn't work for me to come in there." I argue.
"Yeah it does."
"I don't like how it sounds."
"Well I do. It's my band."
Remus jumps in, "Hey come on cut it out it's our band. We'll never get anything done if you two continuing quarrelling the whole session."
"I'll stop once she agrees to do the harmony on this line."
"I'll stop when he actually listens and hears that it doesn't work there."
7th September
"You're early Evans."
"I'm perfectly on time, we agreed on it Potter."
"No, the time you agreed on."
"Yeah because it's obviously correct."
"I don't think it sounds right at all!"
"Then there's something wrong with your hearing!"
9th September
"This song will never get finished because of you!"
"Me? Potter don't be ridiculous! If you weren't so stuck on your own ideas without even properly listening to mine!"
"I know what I want for this song and your ideas just don't work."
"You don't even listen to them how would you know?!"
12th September
"I'm so sick of this Evans! Can't you just do what I ask?"
"For your information Potter I don't exist for you! No, I can't do what you ask because in my opinion I would prefer to sing it my way!"
"You can't get your own way all the time!"
"Says the boy who has become well accustomed to getting his own way every time!"
14th September
"So I thought that the bridge would be better if-"
"No, I think the bridge is perfectly fine the way it is Evans."
"But this could make it better Potter!"
"It doesn't need perfecting."
"Everything needs perfecting!"
"Nope not this."
"Ugh that is it Potter! Do you even want me here?"
"I thought I did. I guess it turns out this was a huge mistake! How were we ever going to get you to sing in front of a crowd when you can barely even sing in front of us?!"
"Fine! You know what you're right! How was I ever gonna do that? Surely not with your support! I guess that's it then we tried, and it didn't work! Good luck with the band guys! I QUIT!" I then proceeded to storm out. I went back to my dorm and had a good cry with Emma.
So, as you can see it hasn't been going very well…
I QUIT THE BAND!
I just couldn't deal with all the arguing every single rehearsal. James and I are getting off on an extremely rocky start which isn't helping our newfound friendship at all. To be honest, I think it's gone down the drain. They don't have another practice session until Sunday, so I've decided to take the opportunity to work on a couple of my own songs this weekend.
It's Friday afternoon and McGonagall has just released us from double Transfiguration:
"So, it's finally the weekend! What are we going to do?" Emma eagerly asks.
"Our homework like we always do on Friday afternoons." I reply.
"After that?"
"I don't know." We step over the threshold of the portrait hole. We begin our homework beside the bay window, a spot we had held since 2nd year.
Halfway through explaining the Potions essay to Emma the four people I really don't want to see come strolling into the common room. Ever since I quit the band, I've been trying my absolute best to avoid them so there isn't any awkward tension. Sirius looks over at me and I accidentally stare back at him which results in some awkward eye contact. How am I supposed to keep this up for a whole two years?
"Earth to Lily!" I jump slightly Emma's fingers clicking in front of my face.
"Sorry, what?"
"You know I think you quitting the band was quite stupid of you."
"Oh, you do?" I raise my eyebrows at her. Can't she understand that constantly arguing with him was just too much effort?
"I know that you and James got started on the wrong foot-"
"You think?" The sarcasm is evident in my tone.
"But Lil, don't you think you could just try again. I personally thought you guys sounded perfect together."
"Right after we sung that for you, we fought. I just can't do it Em."
"You're not willing to fight for it? That's very unlike you Lily." Uh oh Emma sound disappointed, I hate disappointing people.
"Look, can we please just drop it?"
"Okay, but I have a feeling you'll be back in that band soon enough." She smiles knowingly.
"Humph." I huff. I suppose I do miss it sometimes, but the fights aren't worth it, or are they? I'll worry about that later. I continue to explain the essay and eventually after about two hours Emma and I have completed our weekend homework and are free for the weekend.
"Lily, has James said anything about Quidditch trials?" Emmeline asks me as we pack up our stuff to take it to the dormitory.
"No, I don't think I'd be the one he would talk to about that sort of stuff. Why?"
"Well…I was thinking…that I might…try out." I am astounded. Don't get me wrong I think Emma is an excellent Quidditch player, she'd be the perfect beater for the team not that you'd ever guess that looking at her. It's Emma though! She's always too nervous to ever to anything like that!
"Really? That's awesome Em! I feel bad that you have to see Potter more than usual though."
"Oh, stop it! He's not that bad and I think he's a great captain."
"I suppose so."
"Did I hear that correctly? Did Lily Evans just agree that James Potter is a good Quidditch captain?"
"Maybe I did and what about it? He is!" It even sounded weird coming out of my own mouth. I wasn't used to saying nice things about him. I hear footsteps descending from the boy's dormitories and speak of the devil it's James Potter.
"There's your chance, go ask him!" I shove Emma in his direction before she can protest and promise that she'll do it another time when I know she won't.
James' POV:
"Hi, James." I hear a timid voice below me. I look down and see that it's Emmeline Vance. I had just been on my way to go get snacks from the kitchens for the boys and myself. What could this be about? Did Lily send her over here? I don't know why Emmeline would ever want to talk to me about anything I mean there was that one time:
*FLASHBACK*
It was the Christmas holidays last year. Sirius and I had decided to stay at school and there were only a select few Gryffindors left. Emmeline Vance being one of them. Sirius said he had a date she I left him be and decided I would go up the Owlery to write a letter to my parents.
I heard sobs as I entered and with her back to me there was Emmeline Vance with her light brown hair in messy braids wearing a dress clearly meant for summertime. Her head was bent down. She was gripping the window-still so tight I could see her fingers burning red. I went over and gently put my hand on her shoulder. She was frozen:
"Hey you're Emmeline Vance, right?" She nodded slowly.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." She says through sobs. She wipes her tears and tries to start breathing normally.
"It doesn't look like nothing. Do you want to talk about it?" She sniffles and shivers. I shrug off my dad's old cardigan I was wearing and wrap it around her. I guide her back to the common room sit her in front of the fire and rush to the kitchens and come back with some hot chocolate.
She laughs, "I hate to break it to you, but I don't like hot chocolate."
"What? How can you not like hot chocolate?! You're crazy!"
"I just don't think it's very appealing."
"Alright well would you like me to get you some tea?"
"Oh James you really don't have to go through any trouble-"
"It's not trouble let's call it helping a friend." I say as I wrap a blanket around her, "So, would you like some?"
"Yes please." Around 10 minutes later I had returned with tea. Emmeline was still slightly shivering with bloodshot eyes, but she looked a little bit better.
"Would you like to talk about why you were standing in the freezing cold owlery in winter in a summer dress?"
"It doesn't really matter…"
"Of course, it matters! I understand if you would rather wait until Lily gets back and confide in her, but I'll do my best to lend an ear."
"Well I just found out that my mum and dad are getting a divorce and they forgot about my birthday," she stares into the fire, "I know it's stupid."
"No Emmeline it's not I'm sorry to hear that. You'll be okay. You're so strong. It sucks they forgot about your birthday. Any explanation for your choice of clothing that nearly gave you hypothermia?"
"It was my mum's she got it for her 16th birthday and promised I could wear it on mine. She sent it with me at the start of the school year because I wasn't going to be able to go home for Christmas anyways because my parents said they were going to move, and I shouldn't worry about it. I guess that translates to one of us are moving out we just didn't know how to tell you."
"I'm so sorry Emmeline. Your birthday is today?"
"Yeah…"
"Oh. Happy Birthday! I feel bad that I don't have anything to give you but here's a birthday hug."
"Thank you." I give her a fierce hug and she stays tucked under my arm while I distract her talking about the most random things.
I wonder if she ever told anyone about that. Probably not. I hadn't either. That's sort of how we became friends.
"Hi Emmeline. How are you?"
"I'm good. I was just wondering when you were thinking of holding Quidditch trials?"
"Oh, I was thinking about holding them on Sunday. Any reason why you ask?"
"I think I'm going to try out." Emmeline plays Quidditch? Huh that's a shocker!
"That's great! What position?"
"I guess you'll just have to find out. Thanks James." She says and saunters off back to where Lily is sitting.
They needed a new seeker, beater and keeper. It'll definitely be interesting to see her at try outs.
Lily's POV:
Emma and I are reading in the dormitory and when I finish my chapter, I feel an urge to go to the recording studio.
"Hey Em, I'm going to head to the studio. Do you want to come?"
"No thanks it's getting exciting." She says while completely engrossed in the book barely even listening to me. I leave her to it.
I walk into the studio absentmindedly,
"You tell all the boys no
Makes you feel good yeah
I know you're out of my league
But that won't scare me away oh no
You've carried on so long
You couldn't stop if you tried it
You've built your wall so high
That no one could climb it
But I'm gonna try"
I froze when the piano stopped playing, I thought that was in my head but no low and behold James Potter was sitting behind the grand piano pressed up against the right side of the studio.
"I'm so sorry. I'll go." I go to turn around, but his voice stops me:
"No, stay."
"So, you can play piano too?"
"What can I say? I'm a versatile performer, I'm definitely not as good as Moony though." Moony? Who? Oh right, Remus, "So what did you think?"
"It sounded beautiful James."
"Good because I think it would be a really awesome duet. I'm really sorry about everything that happened during band practice Would you like to try and write the rest of it with me? I promise not to argue with you as best I can."
"Alright. I'm sorry too things got out of hand. I promise I'll try not to point out your wrong choices as best I can." He smiles and I sit down beside him on the piano bench.
He sang the first verse for me again and the chords he had worked out for the chorus and the beginning line, "Would you let me see…"
That's when an idea struck me, "Beneath your beautiful."
"Oh, I love that!"
Something just clicked and we continued writing. We completed the song in about 2 hours.
"We'll have to show the boys this on Sunday."
"You mean you'll have to show the boys on Sunday."
"What?" realisation strikes him, "Oh right, well I can hardly sing this by myself. Would you consider coming back to the band? I promise to actually listen to you this time."
"I don't know…"
A/N: I'm sorry! It's over! Good news though I've already started writing another chapter so it should be up by tomorrow of Friday. Thank you for reading this, leave a review if you'd like to and absolutely any suggestions you have give me them all! I hope you have a great day! I love you!