Chapter one – Arrivals, Badges and Lost Loves
It was another usual seventh year. Not so usual,
depending on the point of view. For Dumbledore, it was his first year as Headmaster,
even though he had been at Hogwarts for many years as a teacher. The prom they
were going to have at the end of the year would be new from his new
Headmaster's point of view, but as a teacher there at Hogwarts, it would be
just one more prom.
For Minerva McGonagall, an obstinate not-so-young
lady, who was going to replace Dumbledore in Transfiguration class, everything
was new. Of course, she had studied there for seven years, but even though
that, she had been in only one prom, her own. After all, being in a prom ball
as a teacher MUST be totally different from being there as a student.
There was also a new teacher there. He was
Minerva's acquaintance, after all, they had studied together for long seven
years, and she had been in love with him all along this time. His name was
Thomas. But everybody used to call him Tom. Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was going to
teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, replacing Quintus Moody, who had died very
mysteriously of a still unknown curse.
Rubeus Hagrid didn't like that man, Tom Riddle.
Because of him, he couldn't be a wizard. But Rubeus Hagrid wasn't the kind of
man who kept rancor with him. He used just to forget the things. Time had
passed and there wasn't why to remember those things. Even when it destroyed your
dream. But, after all, Tom Riddle, as long with the other people except for
Dumbledore, must have thought that hem Hagrid, had been the Slytherin's
descendant. It wasn't his fault, after all.
**
The Sorting Ceremony, was, as always, unique. Even
Lily Evans and Lucia Rossini, who were more than used to that antique ceremony,
liked it. It wasn't ever the same, it was always different, the people were
always different, and so was the music and the ornamentation. Everybody liked
it.
James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Petter
Pettigrew weren't used to that ceremony, because they were always in some kind
of confusion. They were the infamous marauders, who were always pulling pranks
on everybody. They had been present only to their own sorting, but the other
five they had passed doing something else.
The year before, they had passed the entire Sorting
Ceremony at the Forbidden Forest. Nobody knew what they were doing, but in the
middle of the Sorting, a big monster entered the Great Hall. Nobody could proof
it, but everybody knew it was another Marauder's mischief. They, of course,
denied, with their peculiar mischievous "of course not, why would I do it?".
Konstanze Angelkort had been absent at only one
Sorting. In the fifth year. She had been with James Potter. She were his
momentary girlfriend then. She was his most frequent momentary girlfriend. They
had never had a serious relationship, even though she used to think so.
Patricia Wilson was present at five ceremonies,
except the same Konstanze had been absent. Patricia was Sirius's girlfriend
then. But not momentary. They had a kind of serious relationship, but broke up
three months after that sorting.
As I told you before, Lily Evans and Lucia Rossini
were the only Gryffindor's seventh year students that year who had been present
in all the Sorting Ceremonies. Lily was very responsible, after all she was
prefect ever since her fifth year, thus, was now Head Girl of Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She felt honored, especially because she was a
muggle-born witch, and even though
having learnt all she knew about magic at school, not learning anything about
it at home, she was chose between all the other seventh year girls from all
other houses to that duty.
Lucia Rossini, as Lily's best friend since their
first year, felt honored too. Lucia had a little sister, named Paola, who was
entering her fifth year. They had Italian ancestry.
Lucia had high Divination skills (even though her favourite
subject was Muggle Studies), and it sometimes was bad for her, because she
didn't trust easily, and in the other side of the coin, she knew who she could
be friends with without fearing to be hurt. So she was friends with Lily, the
Marauders, Emma Quinn and with a boy who was in his sixth year, Frank
Longbottom.
Against the expectative, of having the very
responsible Severus Snape, from Slytherin house, as Head Boy, and for
everybody's surprise, this year's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Head Boy was the infamous James Potter.
Nobody could exactly say why. James Potter was in
fact a popular guy, and nobody could deny it. He was also an excellent
Quidditch chaser and captain, very clever, handsome and rich, but in the other
hand, he had countless detentions in all his school life (and proud of it), had
countless girlfriends… why the hell would Dumbledore and the teachers choose
him for this duty?
They all would understand in the end of this school
year that Hogwarts staff had chosen him to be Head Boy exactly to increase his
responsibility. His cleverness, of course helped, and also his popularity, then
he would be able to talk to every students.
Sirius Black, James Potter's best friend himself -
even him – didn't know that James would be Head Boy. It seemed that James
preferred to keep it to himself, just for the pleasure of seeing his best
friend's rare astonished face.
As Head Boy, James had to be present in this
Sorting, and so he had been.
**
The Great Hall was once again ready to the Sorting.
The oldest students were starting to arrive. The beginning students would come
only after some time.
Lily and Lucia arrived there. They both looked
amazed, because the Great Hall wasn't ornamented soberly, Professor Dippet's,
the last Headmaster, style. It seemed somehow more happy, and at the same time
a bit more obscure, but it had nothing to do with the ornamentation, but with a
strange air of novelty that seemed agreeable and at the same time, terrifying.
The girls sat at Gryffindor's table, and Lily was
displaying since then, her new Head Girl Badge. She was all happy about it.
For her surprise, some minutes late, the Marauders
entered the Great Hall. "Lucia," she asked her friend "What are they doing
here? Aren't they always absent to the Sorting?"
"Well, Lily" said Lucia "I would say that they have
something important to do… or to show."
"Oh, no!" cried Lily "Are they wanting to ruin my
being HeadGirl?"
"Oh, no, of course not, Lily" said Lucia "They are
going to behave well. Trust me."
"You and your Trelawneyish tone of voice."
Complained Lily. Lucia just smiled.
As it happened, James, who had stopped his walking
to talk with Lucia's sister, who pretended not to be, but was his biggest fan,
sat opposite to Lily. "Hello, Lily".
"Hi, James." Greeted Lily.
Finally, the beginning students arrived, and they
were sorted into their houses. Just after it, Dumbledore stood up and started
to say "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I know neither of you are used to
me in this duty, since this is my first year as Headmaster. Our dearest Charles
Dippet left us for a little retirement in his last years of life, and here I
am, leaving my Transfiguration class duty, subject which I had taught for
almost eighty years, to be Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's
Headmaster." Everybody clapped "First of all, I'd like to greet the new
students, who still don't know what are going to come, hard studying days, but
many happiness, and the seventh year students, who are going to leave us soon,
but will have a whole schooldays to tell their children. Welcome to Hogwarts!"
everybody clapped again "Now, I'd like to introduce you, your new
Transfiguration Teacher, Miss Minerva McGonagall." People clapped again "I
won't like to tell you the bad news, but somebody has to do it. Our beloved
Quintus Moody, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher died this summer." There
was a whining sound as Dumbledore told the news. The staff already knew this
sad happening, but not all the students knew it. "Now, I'd like to ask you all,
a minute of silence for him." And this question was prompted accomplished, as
almost all the students loved Moody, and those who didn't like him, had for him
at least some respect. "In my humble opinion, nobody can be replaced, and I'd
like to leave it clear that Quintus Moody will never ever be replaced. But
Defense Against the Dark Arts class has to have now another teacher. There will
be another person occupying his duty, but never his place in our hearts. I'd
like to introduce you Professor Thomas Marvolo Riddle. From now on, your DADA
teacher will be him." Everybody clapped, but with only a little enthusiasm.
Lily, who was until now all happy for her Head Girl
Badge, felt some fresh tears running across her cheek. She already knew
Professor Moody's death, since she used to read The Daily Prophet every day,
but it still hurt very much.
"Oh! And before I could forget, please, come here
Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, the newest Head Girl and Boy from our school."
The astonishment of James being Head Boy was huge,
but as every girl in that school loved him, and as almost all the boys liked
him as the great promise for British's Quidditch team, everybody clapped with
enthusiasm. And they also clapped for Lily, even though she wasn't much popular.
Severus Snape couldn't pretend he wasn't hurt.
After all, he had been a very good student all along his school career. He had
never in his whole life had been in Detention. In his mind, it wasn't fair
James being Head Boy instead of him. But what could he do?
**
It was nice to see the common room again, at least
for Lily. She liked home because of her parents, but in the other hand, there
was Petunia, who had been a bitch for her ever since the very day Hogwarts's
invitation letter arrived, six years ago.
Lily was very used to fights and didn't like it.
She still loved her sister, but a relationship between them was fairly
difficult. Everyday life was intolerable living with Petunia.
On the contrary, Hogwarts, especially Gryffindor's
common room always had been her home, and she had great remembrances about it.
The happiest memories of her whole life.
She had
been a week at Lucia's home. How was it different from her own! It was a warm
home, Lucia's parents, Amadeo and Mary Ann Rossini (her mother wasn't Italian
like her father) were very pleasant people, and even her sister, Paola, who had
always been kind of insipid, had made her best to be nice. Lily had had a good
time there. After this week, they all, including her, traveled to Italy to
visit Lucia's family in her father side. Her grandmamma, Genoveva, and her
grandfather, Tadeo, had an audible Italian accent, which was quite funny for
Lily. That was the best part of her vacation.
Then she had to come back home, and look to Petunia
every single day, every single hour. It was quite terrible.
So, coming back to Hogwarts was a very pleasant
experience. Hogwarts was her home, and now, as Head Girl, she would feel even
more acquainted to the place, because finally she had an duty there that no one
had at the present moment.
"Happy, Lily?" asked a voice behind her shoulder.
She immediately recognized James's voice. "Yeah"
she said, "And you?"
"Well, I won't deny I myself am even now a bit
astonished about they choosing me to be Head Boy. But I can't deny I'm happy
either. Even because I knew Slimy wanted…" as he said it, Lily glanced at him
with reproachful eyes "I'm sorry. I always forget he's your friend. It's quite
difficult to accept it."
"Why?"
"Because
you're a Gryffindor, Lily. Not that all the Slytherins are bad people. But
Snape always have been one. You can't see it because you're his friend. But
he's not what you think he is."
Lily
crossed her arms and asked "And what do I think he is?"
"It's
not so easy to tell, even because I can't say exactly the way you feel about
him, but you think he's a sensible guy, who's just kinda shy, and then, to hide
it, he tries to be harsh towards strange people. Like me or Sirius."
Lily was
really angry as James said it. It was almost exactly what she thought about
Severus, but the way James's expressed it made all her friendship towards
Severus look like something banal. After all, if Severus was harsh to him or to
Sirius, it was because they liked to tease him. "Look, James, I know you really
don't like Severus. But it's kinda hypocrite for you to say he's harsh to you
or worse, to Sirius. Have you ever realized how do you and your friends like to
tease him? You're always pulling pranks on him, always making him feel
ridiculous. And you, James Potter? Don't you think you are harmful to him?"
James
looked at Lily with his usual expression of calmness. It's strange how people
acts calm when they are really nervous. "Lily, Snape deserves all we do for
him. I agree with you that I and my friends, our friends, are sometimes harmful
to him, but…"
Lily cut
him off. "Sometimes?!"
"Okay,
almost always."
"And
why, James?"
Very
energetically, James said "Because he struts, because he's a Slytherin, because
he…"
"Halt!
Severus never goes around showing his excellent grades. It doesn't interest
him. He isn't even popular to strut!"
"It's
the most revolting thing. He doesn't do nothing exceptional and struts."
Lily
glanced at James with reproachful eyes.
"Okay, I
know I strut, not him. But I'm trying to change." he said
"Really?"
asked Lily in a suspicious tone of voice.
"I'm
doing my best, Lily. I assure you." Was his answer.
"But,
come on… why do you hate Severus so much?" she asked in a mix of curiosity and
outrage.
James
bent his head, and said very quietly "Because he took you from me. You left me
for him."
Lily
seemed very indignant at those words. "James! You know very well I've never
dated Severus."
James
glanced at her seriously. "But he always wanted you in a not very friendship
like way. I always knew it."
"Severus
and I are friends since our first year." She said incredibly calmly.
"You were
his friend since then. He always looked at you as if he could take off your
clothes with a glance."
"Stop
it, James!"
"Sorry."
"After
all, I didn't break up with you because of Severus." She said quietly.
James
looked into her eyes, and asked "So why did you do that?"
"Oh,
no!" cried Lily "How many times do you want me to tell it all over again? We
had our chance, James. And it didn't work! We weren't meant to be."
James
said very angrily "You didn't tell me why did you break up with me. You just
told me to grow up."
"And I
still suggest for you to grow up."
"For
Heaven's sake, Lily! Do you think that if I weren't more mature now than I used to be, I would talk to you so
clearly about my feelings? Do you think I wouldn't just go around with a girl a
day? Even about Snape. I saved him last year. He could have been killed, but
because of you, I saved him!"
"THAT is
why I still don't believe you grew up. You do the things wanting a reward. You
saved Severus expecting me to come back to you."
"Why do
you have always an ill opinion of me?"
"I have
a much better opinion of you than I really had to have." She said coolly "And
you have already told me you saved Severus only thinking of the reward."
James
seemed even more angry "Has Snape ever told you why he was there at the
Shrieking Shack?"
"Well,
he was… he was… what was he doing there?"
"I admit
it was another of Sirius's pranks, but this was a dangerous one, you know.
Sirius made him go there, making him believe going there he could discover
something about… about, you know, our Animagus stuff… and have proofs about it,
and make us be expelled from Hogwarts…"
"James,
listen to me. Your Animagus stuff is dangerous. Maybe Severus was thinking
about your own safety."
This
time, James burst into nervous laughter. "What? Snape caring about me? Did you
drink much butterbeer?"
Lily
frowned. "You don't know Severus."
"Wrong
answer, Lily. YOU don't know him. I know Snape really well"
"Okay,
let's suppose you were right. Even if Severus went there just to make you be
expelled, you are still wrong playing to become an animal. If the Ministry
discovers it…"
James
seemed not to believe what he had already heard. "Playing? Do you think we just
go there to play zoo?"
Lily
glanced at him seriously. "Well, you never told me the real reason you were
always going there…"
James
looked at her in disbelief and said, very disappointed "Yeah, you're right. We
love to play zoo." And walked upstairs to the boy's dormitory.
Lily
watched him go away, and sat down heavily on the love seat. Something totally
out of sense occurred to her. It used to be their love seat. Hers and
James's.
She
immediately shook her head and tried to think about something less disturbing.
**
Emma
Quinn was a very clever fifth year girl who was always with Lily and Lucia.
Even their two years difference of age wasn't an impediment to their
friendship.
Of
course, it wasn't because of the age difference, just because of they could
never do school works in group together, never studied for tests together, but
concerning to talking and walking around, they were inseparable.
Of
course, there was also Severus Snape, who neither Emma or Lucia liked very
much. Then, Lily had to spend half of her free time with her best female
friends, and the other half, with her best male friend.
Paola
Rossini, Lucia's young sister, who was in the same year as Emma, used to be
jealous of her. After all, about Lucia befriending Lily, it was okay, because
Lily was Lucia's age, but, a girl of her age being more friends with her sister
than she herself was disturbing. She loved Lucia, but in her own way.
She was
friends with Emma too, but as Emma was much more mature than she and most of
the fifth year girls, acquaintanceship was kind of hard.
Just
after the Sorting, when everybody arrived the common room, Paola watched as
James approached Lily in a way she would wish he approached her. She couldn't
listen, but the way she could feel he talking to her was so intensely passionate
that even knowing Lily and James were a couple a long time ago, and weren't
anymore, she felt jealous. Even knowing that for James, she wasn't anything
more than a fifth year child.
A smile
played on her lips as she saw him running upstairs, and, at the same time, she
felt herself upset because he was sad.
It was
love.
But just
after James entered his dormitory, Paola felt a hand touching her shoulder.
"Paola. What's the matter?"
She
turned around. It was Emma, meddler, as ever. "Nothing."
"And for
nothing, you were snooping James and Lily."
Paola
felt a urge to tell Emma it was none of her business whether she snooped James
or not, but as she didn't want anybody to know her feelings, she just said
"Well, I think they are meant to be. It's a pity Lily dumped him. I would be
glad seeing their marriage." She said in a very firm tone of voice, even though
it hurt too much saying something like this, that even Emma with all her
cleverness and maturity, couldn't doubt. But she did. Smart kid, Emma was.
"Paola, seriously. We've slept in the same room for five years now. Your sister
is my best friend" as she said it, Paola felt butterflies in her stomach "Why
don't you tell me what's really going on? I mean, if you're in love with James
or something like that…"
"NO!"
Paola almost shouted "James is like a brother for me…. A big brother."
Emma
giggled. "Paola, my dear, I understand you don't want to tell me what's going
on, but seriously, this big brother thing is soooo antique. I mean, you and
James aren't even friends. How can you say he's a brother for you?"
"Well… I
know he probably doesn't even know my name, yet I like him. I mean, I admire
the way he's nice to everybody, I admire the pranks he pulls on the Slytherins.
I admire his grades. I'm nothing more than his admirer."
Emma
smiled from ear to ear and sighed. "Oh, dear! You're in love. But if you fear
Lily, that's not a problem, since Lily herself was who broke up with him."
Paola
felt blood flowing to her face. She was blushing, and now, she had to admit her
love to a girl she didn't even like! Yes, Emma Quinn, the girl she had hated
for five years for stealing her sister was now her confident! Maybe she could
become a friend…
Paola
bent her head and started talking "You're right. I'm in love with him." Then
she raised her head to see Emma's expression. It was blank, but a smile played
on her lips. Paola went on "Since ever. Since the very day I saw him. I knew he
was the one for me… I mean, I always knew he was the one for me, yet I think
I'm not the one for him." A tear rolled her cheek.
She
could have expected any answer from Emma, save the one she indeed gave "I'll
help you, Paola."
"You…
you… will you help me?" Paola stuttered. "Aren't you Lily's friend?"
"Yeah, I
am." Said Emma "Still, I'm going to help you, even because I think James's
happiness will make Lily happy too. I mean, at least from what Lily says, she
isn't in love with him anymore, yet, he's still head over heels for her. And as
Lily like him, in a friendly way, of couse, she doesn't' seem to like seeing
him that way. Anyway, I also think James needs a new girlfriend, and…"
"Well,
but he can have any girl he wants!"
"Very
true." Agreed Emma "But still, half of the girls of this school doesn't fit
him. He needs somebody who gives him support. He needs somebody who loves James
Potter himself, not the skilled Quidditch Player or the clever Head Boy, or the
mischievous prankster or anything he is. I know you admire all his skills, yet,
as a good observer, I know you don't love only this about him."
Paola
nodded, and even doesn't knowing what to think or what to trust, she trusted.
She needed it.
**
James's
bag fell heavily on his bed. He was rejected again. It hurt so much. It hurt his
heart, it hurt his self-pride, it hurt his hopes. The pain was almost physical.
Sirius,
who was already lying down, stood up, and sat down. "What did happen, Pot
Head?"
James
turned his head to Sirius. "Nothing."
He said very quietly.
"Okay,
Prongs. You don't need to say anything. It was Lily again, right?"
"Yeah."
"Prongs,
listen to me. There are about five hundred girls in this school, and all of
them are head over heels for you, you know that!"
"Correction,
Padfoot. Lily hates me."
"Okay,
so there are four hundred and ninety nine girls head over heels for you."
James
smiled weakly.
"Come
on, Prongs! Let's come back to our libertine life! A girl a day makes
heartbreak away!"
James
shook his head, and laughed quietly.
"For
Heaven's sake, Prongs! In June, Rita Skeeter asked me if you had changed your
team."
"Huh?"
"If you
had started listening to Barbra Streisand…
dancing Macho Man… crying in sappy romantic muggle movies… those
things…"
James
rolled his eyes.
"Come
on, Potsie!"
"Oh,
no! Potsie, no! If you keep calling me Potsie, Rita Skeeter will
think you dance Macho Man with me." Said James in a playful voice
Sirius
threw a pillow at him.
"But,
coming back to the subject," said James in a very serious tone "Lily left me
exactly because of my being inconsequent."
"She's
so…square!" complained Sirius "But she has a breast that…"
And this
time, James threw the pillow playfully at Sirius.
"Welcome
to Earth, Jealous Prongs!"
James
laughed.
"And as
for Lily hating you, I don't agree," said Sirius seriously "I mean, even
breaking up with you, she had always been so attentive about what put concerns
you, always so friendly…"
"But I
don't want her friendship, at least not only this."
"Well,
but then, she doesn't want you as a boyfriend either."
"Thanks
for reminding me, Padfoot."
"So, you
saved Slimy, and even though that, she doesn't think you're mature enough?"
"Nope.
She said I just saved him because of her. And it's kinda true, though not totally.
I mean, what you and Moony were planning to do to him was too much for my
taste."
"Maybe.
I mean, Slimy Snake deserved that, but we could have been expelled. It was a
good thing you stopped us."
"Padfoot!
He could have been killed!"
"I know.
But he's so snoopy…"
"Well,
past is past. Let's forget it."
"But
then, Lily's wanting too much. I think you should forget her and search another
girl."
"If it
was so easy as you make it seem, Padfoot, don't you think I would have done it
a long time ago?"
"Maybe
you like to suffer." Sirius said seriously. "I always advised you that being so
much involved with a girlfriend can be dangerous, but you didn't listen to me!"
"It's
not dangerous if you don't like the girl. Anyway, I would have been involved
with Lily even if we never dated."
Sirius
made a face "Have you realized we're having girls talking now? About love,
that's just so square. Let's change the subject!"
James
just shrugged.
**
To be continued...
**
A/N- Well, I hope nobody has ever done
this ex boy/girlfriend relationship between Lily and James, I really wanted to
write something original. I would be very glad if you wrote anything about this
story: comments, constructive criticism, flames, praises, whatever. Your
opinion is much important to me, so, you can e-mail me or write a review in this
nice box below this text. If you e-mail me and write a review, I'll be glad
forever. Anyway, if you read this chapter through the end, I'm already able to
call you god or goddess. I have this story's whole plot in my head, I just need
to work in it, but I'll let the readers decide the end. If you're wondering if
Lily still love James or not, the next chapter may help you.
I don't know when I'm going to post the
next chapter, but I have something written until now for it.
I'd like also to leave a note to Potter
vs. Evans readers: I didn't give up writing, the next chapter will be up as
soon as possible.
Again, thanks to Shanleigh Kennedy for
her patience and good will for spending her time correcting this story. Her pen
name is Polgara La Fae and you can visit her profile page to read her stories
going to http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=Directory-AuthorProfile&UserID=44726
, she has great stories!
Love,
J The Girl Who Lives J
PS.: This story's title was an idea from
Shanleigh
