A/N: Um, merry belated Christmas?
I think I've figured out the key to not having writers block after every chapter. Plan them in advance. hits head for being so dumb Which, I have, so this shouldn't be such an enormous problem from now on.
Milady's Eyes
By Adia
Chapter 7: Confusion & Quidditch
Life had almost returned to normal.
As normal as the lives of exuberant young wizards and witches could be, that is.
With the onset of more difficult coursework and greater responsibility, the Gryffindor 6th years found themselves spending a great deal more time studying, paying attention in class and generally having an abominable time.
"I hate Hogwarts!" A ruffled girl had announced in the middle of a difficult potions exam, her healing elixir having scalded her robes and the robes of everyone in her immediate vicinity.
Having gotten ahead in all her coursework, but still unable to face either James or Sirius, Lily began spending numerous unnecessary hours in the library, researching everything from advanced transfiguration to the breeding of dragons, courtesy of an extended pass that allowed to her to visit the restricted section whenever she liked.
"It's the least I could do." The librarian had said on Lily's receiving the specially un-erasable piece of parchment that granted such permission. "I was afraid that you were going to run out of books!"
Although this seemed hardly the case from Lily's perspective. Considering the frequency with which she had ducked into the library in order to avoid the pair, Lily's corresponding numerous exploits in the stacks were beginning to prove how boring an excess of knowledge could be.
One particularly lonely evening, after pursuing through a worn copy of Magical Maladies and Common Cures, Lily glanced up at the clock above the librarian's desk and realized that she had little time before lights out. Seeing as though she was still on probation, Lily hardly believed it to be in her best interests to be late.
Although it suddenly occurred to her that being directly on time would be mean facing James, as prefects were responsible for making sure tardy students, like herself, got to bed.
Perhaps one more book, she thought as she returned to the stacks. There are so many prefects anyway, I hardly doubt anyone would miss me for a few minutes.
Lily retuned to book to its proper place. She then noticed that the librarian had forgotten to lock the gates to the restricted section on her way out.
That's odd, she mused. Oh, well. It isn't like I don't have a note anyway. And I'm sure just looking for something that isn't harmful to the touch will give me enough to time to do my duties without having to deal with anyone…unsavory.
Lily scrunched up her nose. She was finding it harder and harder to refer to the two by their names without becoming sour.
Well, that's what you get when you decide to seclude your entire life! Her brain shouted acidly.
Lily looked at the clock. 5 minutes wouldn't do much harm. Figuring it was just as well she took advantage of the open gate, anyway, Lily scuttled inside and closed it behind her.
Lily began to peruse to shelves, inwardly estimating the physical danger each volume might pose.
Hmmm…older ones are generally more violent…Although, thin ones are known to be just ass nasty if you don't know how to handle them…Black books are never good…Is that a blood stain? Oh, my…
Suddenly, Lily heard some shuffling from a few stacks over. She froze.
Pinning herself against a shelf of books, Lily strained to listen, barely making out the muffled conversation
"…See? What did I tell you? It isn't hazardous, you panicky git."
"…don't know what you mean, Sirius…"
Sirius?
She pressed her ear against a empty slot on the shelf.
"…Says right here, Peter….spit isn't dangerous…"
"…Never know with werewolves…James…"
Werewolves?
Lily was afraid to breathe, lest she made a sound.
"…Don't be a dunderhead…Says right here…"
"Shhh…someone might hear us…!"
"…No one's here…everyone's going to bed…stop fidgeting."
"Oiy….Sirius…we've got to get back…prefect check-in…"
"…still don't know about this…"
"Shut your trap…says right here in the book…gerroff, I know what I'm talking about!"
"Stop it….already late, let's go…"
Lily instinctively slid to the ground, holding her breath.
She watched as the three wizards glided past the stacks where she lay, robes billowing in the dark.
She heard the gate to the restricted section shut. Lily breathed a sigh of relief.
However, her complacency was only temporary. After waiting a few moments in order to put a comfortable distance between her and the three, Lily remembered to be worried about the content of their conversation.
Why on earth would they need to know anything about werewolves? She wondered.
And why wouldn't they go to Dumbledore first if it was that important?
Then Lily remembered to whom this pertained.
What loggerheads. She thought miserably as she reached the portrait hole.
They just won't stop until somebody's dead…
A few days later, on a warm autumn Saturday, Lily had been coerced by many of her Gryffindor girlfriends to attend the annual Slytherin vs. Gryffindor quidditch match, an annual favorite amongst the die-hard competitive players of all houses.
"It'll be fun, Lil." Her friend Annette had remarked while pulling on her winter robes and hat. "Honestly, you're the only person I know who wouldn't mind studying while half the school is having the time of their lives."
Lily shrugged. She had a point.
A quarter of an hour later, however, Lily was not quite as ready to concede. Clouds and a few gusts of wind that proved to be particularly blistery had already spoiled the warm autumn morning. Pulling her robes around her person rightly, Lily secretly hoped it would be quick match.
Annette and Remus, who had somehow predicted the weather more successfully then she had, joined her that morning, armed to the tooth in blankets and butter beer. However, upon noticing Lily's shivers, they became more then willing to share.
"Isn't this exciting, Lily?" Remus remarked, puffed breathes billowing into the chilly air. He snuggled closer to her. "Too bad it's so bloody cold."
Lily smiled, ruffling his soft brown hair. "It's not too bad," she remarked, "And I'm sure it'll be worth it."
Annette's eyes opened wide. "Will it? Of course!" She scooted to the edge of her seat. "Just check out the starting seeker!"
Lily didn't have to look to know whom Annette was referring to. "What about him?"
Annette giggled. "Isn't he dreamy? I'd bet you a hundred galleons that he'll take us to the quidditch cup this year. I just know it." She sighed.
Remus, knowing full well what was racing through Lily's head, glanced up to see how she'd react. But Lily said nothing. She merely peered down onto the field, pretending to be very engrossed in Gryffindor pre-game warm ups.
He leaned into her shoulder. "Why don't you just talk to him?" He whispered. "I'm sure you two would make great friends if you gave him another chance."
Lily didn't face him. "I know who my great friends are." She said softly. "I don't need any help."
Remus looked slightly wounded. He pulled away from her and took another swig of butter beer.
Lily just stared.
James stood in the middle of the pitch, robes billowing in the breeze, armed to the teeth (and knuckles) in protective gear, filling out his normally lanky form. He looked somewhat like a warrior, if such a fighter was about to conquer a quidditch pitch and prove to every spectator who could glimpse him that he was truly king of this mountain.
Lily could just make out his barking orders to his team, arms and fingers pointed in various directions, the rest of the Gryffindor squad tossing around balls and flying in tight formations. She secretly wondered where he had garnered all the discipline.
Suddenly, the referee came onto the pitch, and motioned for the Gryffindor team to stop practicing. Then, the Slytherins took the field.
The arena suddenly came to life, the side adorned in green and silver erupting into waves of applause and shouting, the Gryffindors immediately transformed into impassioned hecklers.
Lily glanced at Annette, who had risen from her seat in order to join the fray, shouting wildly:
"I love the Gryffindor seeker!"
Somehow, James managed to hear this above the clamor, and blew a kiss in her general direction. Annette bounced.
Lily rolled her eyes.
Remus looked concerned. "You are planning on becoming friends again…aren't you?"
Lily looked back at him, suddenly somber. "I'm not sure we were ever friends."
But Remus didn't have a chance to respond. The two teams had lined themselves up in their respective positions, and referee was poised to toss the quaffle in the air. The noise from the spectators was deafening.
The ball was flung in the sky. The whistle blew. The two teams immediately plunged themselves into each other's ranks in a mad attempt to control the ball.
The crowd was hysterical. Lily, having not seen a quidditch match in some time, was unsure of what she was supposed to watch, seeing as though four kinds of players were each doing battle with the competitor of the same role on the opposite side.
This is like watching four different games at once. She mused.
A Gryffindor chaser emerged victorious, clutching the quaffle and making a beeline for the Slytherin keeper. A few moments and a couple of player's worth of confusion later, the crowd roared.
Lily squinted, unable to see much of anything.
"Ten points for us!" Annette reiterated happily, all the while keeping her eye on the watchful seeker.
Lily glanced over to where Annette was looking. There he was, soaring atop the action, squinting with all his might for a glimpse at the golden idol of the game. He swooped through trees and dived towards the pitch, making Lily dizzy with the effort of following him with her eyes.
"Isn't this exciting?" Annette remarked.
Lily felt sick. "Bloody incredible." She muttered.
James glided through the players, soaring effortlessly like a bird atop his broomstick.
Atop his broomstick.
Lily suddenly burned with anger.
The broomstick that nearly had me killed.
Suddenly, James changed directions and sped upwards, towards the Gryffindor section.
"What is he doing?" Remus remarked offhandedly. He and Lily had both never quite understood the logistics behind quidditch.
Up he climbed, until he reached the high box where the three of them were sitting.
Lily tried valiantly not to look away.
James winked at her. Then, before she could even comprehend what had happened, he zoomed away in the opposite direction.
The crowd grew noisy.
"…And it seems the Gryffindor seeker has already found the snitch! No, no, the game isn't over yet, the Slytherin seeker isn't giving this one up without a fight!"
Annette stood, shouting and cheering at the top of her lungs.
"…there they go! Up, no, down…the Gryffindor seeker can't decide where to go! He fakes left…No, he's faking right….what's this…the two are diving dead center into the pitch…down, down, down….someone's got to give, or both the players will be seriously hurting tonight …!"
Annette covered her eyes, spreading her fingers so that she could peer through the gaps.
"They're both speeding up! This looks like it's going to be one ugly crash landing…! WAIT! POTTER IS PULLING AHEAD!"
Lily strained to see what was going on.
"HE'S GOING…GOING FASTER…HE'S JUST INCHES AWAY…HE'S GOT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"
The crowd erupted. Annette jumped up, cheering and screaming. Even Remus, who was normally subdued and good-natured, was suddenly exuberant.
"We won! We won! Wow, Lily, we won in record time! This has got to be some sort of a Hogwarts record, don't you think?…Lily…?"
She didn't respond. Lily looked at her feet, happy for her house, but unsure about how to feel.
James had just won by taking another unnecessary and dangerous chance.
It was necessary in the respect that it allowed Gryffindor to win the game, but in the grand scheme of life, Lily couldn't help but think that it may have left him seriously wounded.
Although the thought of James wounded by his own doing was not exactly unwelcome in the darker corners of Lily's mind.
She looked back up. Fans were pouring onto the field, and players swooping and cheering, and congratulating themselves on such a quick and decisive victory.
James, however, was not apart of the celebration.
Lily searched the field for him amidst all the clamor of the players and spectators. But somehow, he had seemingly vanished not long after he'd caught the snitch.
Odd. She thought.
You'd think he'd want to revel in his idiocy.
Then something swooped not far from her head, leaving her curls dancing in the wind. Lily frantically tried to pull them back down.
Remus glanced upwards.
"Hello, James." He called pleasantly.
James circled back around and hovered about their heads. Then, without a word, he dropped a single rose into Lily's lap. He took off towards the other side of the stadium.
Annette was beside herself in jealousy. "Honestly, You sit there and pout while I give my all, and he plucks flowers for you! What is it about you, Lily? And why aren't you happy?"
Lily laughed mirthlessly. "Common sense."
She chose to ignore the last question.
Remus glanced at the flower. He picked it up gingerly, examining the nuances of the petals with his fingers. He smiled.
Lily raised an eyebrow. "What? What is it?"
Remus smiled. "Nothing…don't worry about it." He set the flower back in her lap.
"No, what?"
Remus sighed, complacently.
"Just wait. You'll see."
A/N: Ya, you know the drill. Believe it or not, all comments are very helpful. If you have an interesting plot idea that you'd like to share (Twists are always fun), I can be reached at Tilligirl@aol.com, lest you'd rather give it away for all to see in a review. J
