That's the longest part till now, I think. Hey, my English teacher would be glad if I should ever put as much effort in my homework. But it's stupid sometimes. Just imagine: I'm able to recite Shakespeare and I know parts of the American Declaration of Independence by heart ("We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and so on), but if I should ever need a doctor, I wouldn't be able to tell him exactly what would hurt me. That's what I call a good selection... Anyway, here's the next part, and please don't forget to review! *smiles*
Nail a pudding on the wall!
Part 6
The next morning (Sunday, just under two weeks before the Ball), Remus, Sirius, Sarah and Jessie sat on the Gryffindor table. Lily and James were still sleeping, and that's why the others had the chance for a nice little conversation about them.
"Did one of you notice that Jamie-boy's behaving oddly lately?" – Sirius
"Yeah. He's often absent-minded, lost in thoughts. Doesn't catch questions. Reads books backwards. And sometimes, he gazes at Lily as if she was the first girl he'd see in his whole life."
"Exactly, Moony, 'couldn't express it better. We all know that he'll never admit it, but I think he's in love, he just needs a bit help to realize it. Sa, Jess, what about Lily?"
Sarah and Jessie exchanged a glance, then Sarah wrinkled up her nose.
"Uh, honestly, I don't know. She says over and over again that he's just a friend and that she's not naive enough to fall in love with him and that she hates the way he treats girls and so on. But I think she's just afraid."
"Okay." Sirius leaned forwards. "So, what are we going to do to get them together?"
"You? Nothing!" Jessie shook her head. "You'd only embarrass both of them, and then they'd be too shy to ever talk to each other again."
Remus blinked and smiled at her. "Jessie, dear Jessie, not with your help."
She blushed, thought for a moment, then grinned. "Well, in this case..."
"Good. Now that we sorted this out, I want to hear some suggestions. Should we lock them up together in a room? Some time alone, you know..." Sirius' eyes sparkled.
"Not a good one, Padfoot, they'd kill us."
"Sure. But what about Lily's birthday? Wouldn't it be romantic if he offered her a love letter with a red rose? Remus, you're good in faking hand, aren't you?"
"I think so. But, Sarah? If they already kill us for locking them up in a room, we would be tortured to death for this one! No, there has to be another way... What if, er... Lily's in danger and James is the one to save her? Then she'll embrace him, he'll kiss her and they'll be together for forever and a day. Or something like that."
They all looked at each other.
"The Forbidden Forest." four voices said at the same time.
"But how?"
"We'd have to initiate Hagrid into it. He'll help."
"She'd need to get detention!"
"What about him?"
"Team practice. She must be near the edge of the forest so that he can hear her when he walks back to the castle."
"And Lily? We mustn't endanger her for real, you know. But it must look real enough to take her in."
Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then, after a minute or two, Remus spoke.
"Why don't we ask Hagrid? Maybe he can make one of his, er... pets help us? Imagine: One or two of us are in the forest with Lily to control it, Sirius, you are with James when he comes back from his practise, and one gives the two in the forest a sign when you're approaching."
"Hagrid must tell her to wait for a moment so that she's alone, except Fang. – Oh, and Nero, I guess."
"What about her detention?"
"Hagrid tells McGonagall that he needs some student for the forest, and then, uh..."
"Lily's cauldron explodes in Potions. She'll never know that it was our fault."
"Agreed?" Everyone nodded. "All right. I'd say that Sarah gives the signal, she's best in flying of you three, then you, Moony, and you, Jessie, you can go into the forest to look after Lily." Sirius grinned silently. There was no need to let them know that he thought it also a good idea to make Remus and Jessie spend some time together.
In this very moment, James and Lily entered the Great Hall, not even trying to hide that they walked in together and ignoring the whispering and the looks that accompanied their appearance. Jessie, Sarah and Remus agreed with Sirius in a whisper and then they quickly changed the topic.
***
On Tuesday, Lily woke up early, only to discover that all the other beds in her dormitory were empty. She frowned while she was dressing herself and doing her hair. That was odd. Normally, Lily was the one to wake up her friends, especially Sarah was a chronic late riser. And then, it was her birthday, so why couldn't they wait for her with breakfast? She pulled the mirror a face, then left the room and walked down the stair - and was greeted by a loud bang and one of Sirius' fireworks, glimmering stars that formed themselves up to letters, finally to words and then to a sentence:
Happy birthday, Lil!
Under the writing, the whole Gryffindor house was assembled, and in the centre of the crowd, grinning broadly, stood her friends, Jessie, Sarah, Sirius and James. She rushed over, hugged each one of them, and while the biggest part of the Gryffindors was walking down to breakfast, the six friends and a few other house members sat down and Lily studied her presents.
"Uh, think I'll open Petunia's first, then I can enjoy the other presents even more."
At the thought of her older sister, Lily scowled. Petunia was three years older than her, and since the moment Lily got this letter from Hogwarts, she had changed completely. She was no longer Lily's friend, no, since that day, Petunia had tried her best to pick on her little sister whenever she got the chance to. But Lily quickly banished the thought of her sister. This was her birthday, and Petunia wouldn't waste it. She even laughed when she saw what her sister had sent her: A pink hair ribbon. Knowing that this colour wouldn't suit Lily with her dark-red hair at all, that was even a strange sort of humour Petunia had shown.
The next one was much more exciting. It was from her parents, a long, rather big parcel, and when Lily opened it, she felt her jaw drop. For ages, she had begged her parents for her own broom, and now, they had given her a TotalRace 9, the best broom on the market at the moment. When she had calmed down a bit, she decided to send them an owl as soon as possible and opened the next parcel.
It was from Remus, a quill, and when he saw her helpless face, he grinned and explained.
"That's a cheating quill, Lil. When you do your homework with it or other stuff, it remembers every word you've written, and when you ask it, it will tell you all the ingredients you need for an itching potion, for example."
Lily got up and danced with him around the table, her eyes sparkling.
"That's great, Remus, thank you, over and over again, thank you."
She was finally stopped by Sirius, who gave her his present. She shook it slightly.
"Bet it's something from Zonko's, eh, Sirius? An annual stock of Dungbombs or..." She looked at the contents, stood still for a moment, then threw her arms around his neck.
"I can't believe it! Where have you found it? I mean, it is one of those only-for-you candles, isn't it? That only shines for the one who carries it, right?"
He gave her a prod on the nose. "'Course it is, Lil! And now hurry up, or we'll miss breakfast."
The next parcel had a letter attached which she opened first.
Hello Lily!
Happy birthday! Fourteen, eh? Well, we all get
older. Enjoy your present, hope I'll see you soon!
Hagrid
It was a huge box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
The next one was from Jessie, the latest copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Subscription for a year, Lil. Thought it would come useful for you, you know, with your Muggle parents, so that..."
She couldn't say anymore, because Lily now hugged her tightly enough to choke her for a moment.
There were only three presents left, a letter and two parcels. Lily decided to open the letter first.
"Hey James! It's from Annabelle!"
He pulled a face. "That's not fair! She's never sent me a present for my birthday!"
Lily ignored him and unfolded the parchment.
Dear Lily!
James mentioned yesterday that you'll have your
fourteenth birthday, today, so I thought I'll write
you to wish you all the good you could wish for.
Oh, and this letter's also coupon for free drinks a
whole evening long. Not only for you, but also for
the friends you'll bring with you, doesn't matter
if it's only James (keep him on tenterhooks, girl!)
or also the other two girls and Sirius and Remus.
Happy birthday, dear!
Annabelle
James, who had read the letter over her shoulder, frowned, but after a moment, he laughed. "That's what I call a good present! Not only for you, but also something for us!"
"What's this, Sa?" Lily had opened the last but one parcel and had found inside a glass, filled with a glittering, yellow liquid.
"Well, Lil, you said that you love sunflowers. The only problem is that they only blossom in summer. This one here not. When you pour it for the first time, the flower will grow, and it won't fade till you're dead."
Lily hugged her friend, but she didn't say anything. There was no need to: Her eyes sparkled with joy and gratitude.
Now only one present was left, and Lily knew that it had to be from James. When she opened the parcel, she let out a quiet scream: A shining piece of cloth slid in her hands, gleaming blue and reflecting every ray of light that reached it
"Actually, I wanted to get you an owl." James grinned sheepishly. "But with Nero, I guessed this would be no longer a good idea. And so I thought of a robe like this. Madam Melton made it for you, and as long as you're wearing it, you won't freeze. I know, it's..."
"James?" Lily placed a finger on his lips. "I love it. Really."
And with a smile, she kissed him on the cheek, not noticing that he seemed to be rather dazed afterwards. She was the only one, though, Remus, Sirius, Jessie and Sarah exchanged glances and then turned away quickly for not bursting out with laughter in view of the dreamy expression on James' face.
Remus was the first one to gain his self-control back. "So, let's go down for breakfast, shall we?"
***
"What are they doing? They are away for half an hour now!"
Together with James, Sirius, Sarah and Jessie, Lily sat in Hagrid's hut and eyed the door to his little garden with suspicion on her face. She had been talking about Remus and Hagrid, both had disappeared for some time now.
"Uh, Hagrid'll show some of his sweet little monsters to Remus, I guess..." Sarah tried to distract her suspicion.
At this moment, Hagrid and Remus came back, both grinning broadly, and an hour later, the six Gryffindors walked back to the castle, four of them especially happy about their visit.
***
"Okay, so Hagrid tells McGonagall that he needs some student on Monday morning, then we make Lily's cauldron explode, and on Tuesday, when James comes back from his Quidditch training, she'll be in the Forbidden forest, facing a giant spider. Jamsie will hear her screams, transfigure it into whatsoever and then they'll both confess their undying love for each other."
***
Lily hated Potions. Especially the double lesson on Monday. Not that she wasn't able to brew all these potions her teacher asked for, it was just some sort of natural aversion. And the teacher, a tall woman who just graduated, made this lessons not more comfortable. Professor Jenkins was the Head of Slytherin house, and although she was fair most of the time, when she was in a bad mood, it was a sort of attempted suicide to cause trouble in her lessons. This Monday, almost a week after Lily's birthday, she was in a bad mood, just like a volcano that was ready to erupt at every moment, and so her students were trying to figure out how to brew an resisting-to-pain potion in complete silence except the sound of the burning logs and bubbling liquids, while Professor Jenkins was walking through the row to examine their work.
"Retry it, Mr Dowl, you forgot to add the Dragonleaves, and now it's too late... - That looks good, Ms Evans, in five minutes, you can add the Helfrich, but not a second earlier, please... - Not again, Ms Kettelar, how often have I told you to control the temperature of your fire? - What the...?"
A loud bang came from the cauldron Lily was working on, and a moment later, the liquid had dissolved the bottom of it and was dropping hissing into the flames. No one saw that Jessie pocketed her wand again.
"Ms Evans!" The Professor was approaching, looking furious. "Did I tell you not to add the Helfrich yet? Did I?"
"But I didn't, Professor! I was looking up something in my notes when..."
"Oh, yeah, of course, so it decided to jump into your cauldron of its own accord, eh? - Out! Please talk to the Head of your house, she'll tell you what to do in your detention."
"But..."
"It's enough now, Ms Evans!"
Seething with rage, Lily got her stuff together, woke up Nero, then they left the dungeon and set off for McGonagall's office. Great! Probably she'd have to scrub the trophies again, and this time alone. Stupid, boring thing to do, nobody ever took a look at all these cups, medals and diplomas. Probably, they were only kept to give a lesson to all these troublemaking students. Not that she was one, Lily thought half-grinning, oh no, of course not, she was only playing pranks on those who deserved nothing better, why couldn't McGonagall just admit this and let her off? Besides, she hadn't done anything this time. She hadn't the faintest idea how this stupid little weed got into her cauldron. When she reached the door, she knocked timidly, not sure if the Professor was there.
"Come in, please!" Seeing her visitor, McGonagall shook her head. "Ms Evans? Coming to get another detention? And I hoped that the three you got last week would be enough for at least a few days..." She sighed. "Sit down, please."
Lily took a seat, biting her lips and looking defiant.
"Professor, it was an accident, really! My potion went wrong, but I don't know why, I didn' do anything, really!"
"So Professor Jenkins sent you?"
Lily nodded.
"I'm sorry, Ms Evans, but when she gives you detention, then you'll have detention, even if I should believe you. - Hagrid told me this morning that he'd need some student for the forest. You'll meet him tomorrow at six in the evening."
The Forbidden Forest? Lily was almost relieved. This wouldn't be her first time in there, and her other visits had been rather interesting. Maybe it was just luck, but she had never met anything dangerous, and with Hagrid and Fang, she would be perfectly safe...
***
"I hate winters!" Jessie shivered slightly in the cold air and Remus looked at her in concern (although he couldn't see her, he could hardly see his hand before his eyes). "It's just... Well, it's only six in the evening, and it's completely dark. Okay, this is also because of all these trees here, but still..."
"D'you want my cloak, Jess?"
"Nah, then you'd get cold. But thanks."
"Hm. It's big enough to cover us both, you know."
He couldn't see her smile but he could hear it by the sound of her voice. "Sure?"
"Um, we could try it, at least."
She reached shyly for his hand. "Yeah, why not?"
Then they stood in silence for a while, much closer now, as they shared Remus' cloak.
"You're sure we are at the right place? It's time!"
"That's the place Hagrid showed me."
"Hope they'll... - Listen, I think they're approaching!"
***
Lily couldn't help but think that this visit was different from her other excursions in the Forbidden Forest. She tried to convince herself that it was just because it was dark, the other times had been in the bright daylight. Although it was exaggeration to talk of 'bright daylight' in the forest, the trees, most of them as old as the hills, caught nearly every ray of light before it could reach the ground. But nevertheless, something was different this time. She had the strange feeling that someone - or something - was watching her, following every of her movements, and she wasn't sure if she was keen on knowing why. At least, Hagrid, Fang and Nero were with her, the last one was tangling in her legs, but it was comforting, somehow.
"Er, Hagrid? What exactly are we going to do in here? Will it take us a long time?"
He smiled at her, trying to look reassuring. "Don' worry, Lily, we'll 'ave finished in an 'our or so. We only need to... - Oh, 've jus' remembered tha' I need to fetch something from my hut, forgot to take it with me. Could yeh wait 'ere for a moment? I'm back in five minutes." (A/N: Sorry, I tried to let Hagrid talk the way he talks in the books, but, well, I failed gloriously, as you can see. Please forgive me, you know that I learn English only in school, so...)
"Um... Can I not come with you?"
"It's much easier if yeh wait 'ere with Fang an' Nero. 'Aren't afraid, are yeh?"
"Er..."
"Okay then, I'll be back in no time at all! Jus' wait 'ere for me, okay?"
And before Lily could say anything to hold him back, he had disappeared and she was standing alone on a large clearing. Well, she thought as she leaned on a tree, at least it was a bit brighter here.
***
"Hagrid? Is that you?" Jessie tried to recognise the black shadow that was approaching her and Remus.
"Sh, yeh two, or Lily'll 'ear you!" He came to a halt next to them. "Good place, we can see 'er perfectly. What's this sign Sarah'll give us?"
"She'll send a blue star in the sky, and then you can tell your... er, friend, to show itself."
They looked up at the sky, trying to see it through the gaps of the trees, but for a minute or two, nothing happened. Then Remus made a sudden move.
"There! I saw it. Hagrid, give - what was its name again? Aragog? - the sign!"
***
Lily held Nero tightly in her arms, she was stroking him to comfort him a bit, but to tell the truth, Nero wasn't the one who need to be comforted, he didn't seem to mind the forest at all. But it was reassuring to hear him purr, somehow, it gave her the feeling not to be alone. Fang was sitting to her feets, then, suddenly, he stood up and began to growl, his hair standing on end. She looked at him, fear in her eyes, and tried to figure out the cause of his sudden excitement. But she couldn't see anything. Not until she looked at the facing edge of the clearing, at least, and when she saw it, she wished she could just open her eyes and wake up from this nightmare. A giant spider was approaching her, and her only hope was that it had eaten enough for the next few days, so that it wouldn't need another victim. Unfortunately, it didn't look as if this was the case. It was approaching her, hissing quietly, and before she even realized what was happening, Nero had jumped out of her arms and was standing between the creature and Lily, while Fang was hiding behind a tree.
"Nero! Noooo! Come here, please!" Lily was crying and screaming at the same time.
***
"I hate it when they do that!" James narrowed his eyes and looked at the girls who were following him and Sirius. "They are so stupid! None of them knows me, still they think that I'm the prince that'll come someday on a white horse and take them to wherever. That's ridiculous! They only like me because I'm the Gryffindor Quidditch captain."
"It's not that I think you're wrong, Prongs, but a month ago, this didn't bother you in the slightest. May I ask what the reason for this change of mood is?" Sirius grinned evilly.
"What's the idea? Can I not change my opinion?"
"Oh, 'course you can, Prongs..."
"Then why do you have to sneer like that?"
"Just because."
James decided to change the topic. "It's Lily's detention today, isn't it?"
Sirius' grin even broadened, if this was possible. "If you say so..."
They reached now the edge of the forest, their brooms shouldered, when they heard a scream, obviously from a girl. They exchanged a glance.
"Lily!" And with that, James threw his broom away and sped towards the direction he heard the scream coming from, while Sirius was following him, but much more unhurriedly. After all, Lily and James needed some time on their own.
***
Lily didn't know what to do, she felt like she had been petrified. There was her cat, facing a monster to protect her, and she couldn't move, could just watch, with tears running down her face. With an enormous effort of will, she shook her head to clear her mind, then she leaped forward to get Nero, but before she reached him, the spider had caught him in a cobweb, wrapped him up and was about to drag him away when Lily heard the voice of an angel muttering some words, and a moment later, the spider had changed into a salamander. Okay, it was the voice of James Potter, but in this moment, that made no difference to Lily. She kneeled down, freed Nero from its shackles, then she collapsed into the grass next to him.
"Are you okay? - Uh, no, bad question, I guess." James put his arms around the girl.
"It.. it wanted to kill Nero... James... If... If you didn't come..." She was still crying, shaking all over, the cat clutched in her arms.
"It's okay now, Lil, it's okay..." He stroke her hair, thought for a moment, then he lifted her and the cat up. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital wing. To be sure that you're okay." He stood up, staggering for a moment under the weight of the girl and her cat, but had found his balance again when Sirius came towards them.
"Lil? What happened?"
As she was all mixed up, James answered. "There was a giant spider, Padfoot, it attacked her and Nero. I transfigured it into, er, a salamander, I think."
"Where's Hagrid?"
This time, Lily answered, her teeth chattering. "He... wanted to get something from his hut... Should wait here for him..."
"Oh... - Prongs, why don't you carry her to the hospital wing, and I go looking for Hagrid, then I'll let the others know, and we'll meet in the hospital?"
James nodded, then he proceeded through the trees in direction of the edge of the forest, still carrying Lily who leaned her head against his chest, still shivering from time to time.
***
"Damn! That was a narrow escape!" After Lily and James were out of sight, Hagrid, Sarah, Remus and Jessie joined Sirius. "A moment later, and we'd have to send Hagrid to save Nero! Should've told this spider not to go for him."
Hagrid picked up the salamander. "Could yeh please change 'er back, Sirius? Yeh know, it was nice from 'er to 'elp us."
He nodded, though not very keen on seeing this monster again, but a promise was a promise, and a moment later, the spider was back, took a bow to Hagrid and then it set off for the heart of the forest.
"Let's go to my hut firs', should let 'em some time to talk."
And so they left the clearing as well, two of them still holding hands (though not sharing a cloak anymore) and not noticing the amused glances Sirius and Sarah gave them.
***
When James finally succeeded in shaking off the girls that were following him, Lily and Nero, making mean comments and looking jealously at Lily, they had nearly reached the hospital wing, and Lily, though still looking very pale, had calmed down a bit.
"What happened?" Ms Stevens, the school nurse, rushed towards them the moment they entered, bending over the girl and the cat in James' arms.
"She had been attacked, in the Forbidden Forest, by a giant spider. Didn't get hurt, but I thought you should look after her all the same."
"Good thought, boy. Lay them down on this bed here, please."
James did as he was told, then he dragged a chair to Lily's bed and took her hand, while the school nurse was studying her.
"Much too dangerous, the Forbidden Forest. They should stop sending students in there, honestly! - Anyway, dear, I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate, and then you'll stay in here for the night. Your cat can stay with you, if you want."
"What about me?" James raised his head.
"I'm sorry, but I have to throw you out in an hour or so, I'm sure you'll understand this."
James didn't look as if he was understanding that, but Ms Stevens left the room before he was able to contradict.
Lily smiled at him. "James? I... Thank you, okay? If you didn't come then... I don't want to think about it. So, just thank you."
She sat up, and for the second time in a good one week, she kissed him on the cheek, while Nero was curling himself up on her pillow, purring loudly.
He was staring at her like a hypnotised rabbit - or at least, that's how he thought of himself afterwards - when the door opened and Sirius, Sarah, Hagrid, Remus and Jessie entered the room and rushed over to Lily's bed.
"Lil! Are you feeling better now?" Jessie sat down on her bed, concern in her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was a shock first, but now I'm fine."
"Okay then." Sirius had found his grin again. "Do you want us to leave the room for spending some time with Jamsie or would you prefer a party?"
Lily scowled. "Of course I don't want you to leave, Sirius, what are you talking about?"
He grinned at her. "Okay, then let's have a party!"
*****
Puh, there's not much to say. I think it will take me a bit longer to upload the next part, I'm no longer sick, so... My teachers miss me... Okay, maybe they don't miss me, but I have to go to school anyway. But I guess it will be up on Wednesday.
Disclaimer: I won't write a disclaimer this time. I think you all read the other parts of this story, so you know this stuff anyway. I don't want to repeat the same sentences over and over again.
- Saraléa
P.S. Oh, and special thanks to Sherry and Hermione Potter for reviewing almost every part! :)
P.P.S. I won't change the age of Lily and James. Most of the reviewers didn't complain about it, and it would require too much of energy. Oh, and it's right that they say in book 1 that Lily and James where head girl and boy in their year, but unless I'm very much mistaken, it doesn't say that they were Head girl and boy in the same year. But if you can prove me wrong,' :)', then I'll think it over.