Chapter Three: Dark Nights
"So are you going to do it?" quietly asked Remus in a secluded corner of the Gryffindor common room where and his friends were sitting. "Do what?" asked James. "Meet Lily." "I guess so." Sirius snorted in response to James's reply. "You're being stupid, risking so just meet with a girl." "Excuse me?" James snapped. "You heard me." "What's your problem? We risk things every week for goodness sake, with our sneaking out to Hogsmeade!" "James is right, Sirius." "Shut up." "What did you just say to him?!" James barked. "Do you have a hearing problem? You know very well I told him to shut up!" "Don't you tell him to shut up!" "Back off you love sick retard!" That was the final straw, James couldn't take it anymore. Within an instant, James had pounced Sirius and was rolling on the floor with him, struggling to make as many punches as he could, while the crowd they had lured cheered on for who they thought would win. "James! Sirius! Stop this right now!" scolded Remus, who was completely ignored over all the screaming. There was suddenly a flash of blinding white light followed by the sound of something crashing hard into a wall. When the light faded out, everyone could see Sirius leaning on the floor against the wall, his bangs in a messy fashion. On the opposite side was James, using a table to help him stand up, with a small trickle of blood running down his forehead from his ruffled black hair. All eyes were on him. Slowly, James walked out of the room and to the bathroom. He could hear the sounds of people whispering amongst themselves, but he didn't care. It was time to meet Lily. James looked into the mirror and stared at the reflection of the messy 17 year-old. He grabbed a nearby cloth and slowly damped it before dabbing it repeatedly on his wound. Then he grabbed a comb and straightened out his hair, even though he knew it wasn't likely. Then he took one final look at his reflection and left the room, through the common room, avoiding all the staring, and then out of the porthole. His footsteps were soft as he stormed through the corridors, and in the deep silence they were slightly noticeable. He was about to turn a corner when he heard a voice that caused him to stop abruptly. "I'm getting annoyed, Mr. Snape. This is absurd, I don't know why I even believed you in the first place! Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans are some of our best and brightest students!" yelled the first voice. It was obviously Professor McGonagall. "Trust me professor, I know what I heard. They'll be here." Whispered the second voice in a sinister manner, with a slight hint of nervousness. No doubt it was Severus Snape. "You'd have better be right, or I'll give you detention for wasting my time!" How could James have been so stupid? He had seen Snape pass by him and Lily when she had told him to meet her! And worst of all he had forgotten the invisibility cloak! Far too many errors for something so serious. Now he had to watch out for Lily in case she came through the other side, but that would risk his concealment. There had to be something he could do, and there was, but he wasn't sure if he could do it. But maybe if he could just.. James quickly took out his wand and carefully calculated the sounds of the two people's shuffling footsteps until he heard the sound he wanted. Right when it came, he shot his want out from the corner and yelled a clever freezing charm he had learned for other unmentionable purposes. James had to move fast now. He knew very well the charm would ware off soon, which only gave him a few minutes less then usual since the charm had been divided on to two people. He began to run across the two and then passed on to the other side. He looked down the hall but there was no sign of Lily. Then a sudden hot flash of surprise surged over him as a figure jumped onto him. "Hi." Said a sweet voice. Lily's voice. She stood up and straightened out her dress. Then, she offered her arm and helped James up, but she didn't let go and instead pulled him down the hall and into another room, where she pushed him onto a table. "So." she muttered as James sat on the table. "What was it that you wanted?." James asked. "To stop us." "What?" "I can't fall in love.. Not anymore." "Can't fall in love? That's ludicrous." "No. It's not. I'm under strict order from Dorien." "How come?" "Well.. He says if I fall in love, that love will hold me back. It'll ruin everything." "That's not true! If anything it will make you stronger!" "I want to become an actress James! There's no room for love in that!" "Yes, there is! I just know it!" "No, listen to me! There isn't, ok? So I'd just appreciate it if you left me alone." "I will when you stop sending back the signals." "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." "You do. You looked straight at me when you preformed." "Oh.that. Well, it wasn't by choice. It was all apart of the routine, and you just happened to be in the way." "I thought it was something like that. I never thought you'd like me." "I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way." "I guess so." "So I guess this is goodbye then." "Right.. Bye then." Slowly, James stood up and walked out of the room without looking back at Lily, his heart shattered in a million pieces, each one heavy with guilt. Sirius had been right. James had wasted his time.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The 7th year Gryffindor boys dormitory was dark as James slowly crept in. He hoped Sirius was asleep by now, or possibly in the hospital wing. He didn't think he'd be that lucky though after what Lily has just filled him in on. "Back so soon?" muttered Sirius from his bed. James squinted and saw that he was sitting with his arms crossed on his bed, his robes still on. "I don't want to talk about it." James replied sternly. "Oh, well excuse me for wondering." James sighed. "Please, not now, Sirius. I'm not in the mood." "Why? What happened? Did she stick you up?" "No." "Then what, you bloody git?" "She can't love." Sirius snorted again. "And you took that for an answer?" "No.. I argued a bit." "Then what's your problem?!" "She wants to be left alone. Its over." "No, it's not over because there was nothing there in the first place." "I suppose so. You were right. It was all just a waste of time." Sirius's jaw dropped. Had James just admitted he was wrong? "What?" "You were right." This was ridiculous. Sure, Sirius liked being right, but at such a cost! It wasn't worth it. "Oh, god. I'm sorry James, you silly prat. I didn't want to be right." "Well you were. Goodnight." Slowly James crawled into bed with his robes still on, leaving Sirius to stare at him with utter guilt. He didn't know it, but tears were slowly seeping out of James's eyes and down to his pillow. It wasn't fair. Slowly, he fell to sleep. "He's asleep." Muttered Remus. "I can see that." Replied Sirius, still in the same position as when James had entered. Remus on the other hand was in his pajamas, sitting comfortably on his bed across from Sirius. "What are you going to do now?" "Nothing." "So you're going to poke around a bit." "M'hm." "Do you want me to come along?" "Nah. You stay with James. He's not going to forgive me for a while and Peter's been missing for nearly a year now. You're the only one he can count on." "Alright then. Where are you going to start?" "Rehearsals. I'll monitor her moves from there." "But that means you'll miss class!" "So? It's not like anyone will notice." "Yes, they will." "Goooodnight, Remus." Remus frowned. "Goodnight I suppose." No response. And that was it. Sirius would spy on Lily.
"So are you going to do it?" quietly asked Remus in a secluded corner of the Gryffindor common room where and his friends were sitting. "Do what?" asked James. "Meet Lily." "I guess so." Sirius snorted in response to James's reply. "You're being stupid, risking so just meet with a girl." "Excuse me?" James snapped. "You heard me." "What's your problem? We risk things every week for goodness sake, with our sneaking out to Hogsmeade!" "James is right, Sirius." "Shut up." "What did you just say to him?!" James barked. "Do you have a hearing problem? You know very well I told him to shut up!" "Don't you tell him to shut up!" "Back off you love sick retard!" That was the final straw, James couldn't take it anymore. Within an instant, James had pounced Sirius and was rolling on the floor with him, struggling to make as many punches as he could, while the crowd they had lured cheered on for who they thought would win. "James! Sirius! Stop this right now!" scolded Remus, who was completely ignored over all the screaming. There was suddenly a flash of blinding white light followed by the sound of something crashing hard into a wall. When the light faded out, everyone could see Sirius leaning on the floor against the wall, his bangs in a messy fashion. On the opposite side was James, using a table to help him stand up, with a small trickle of blood running down his forehead from his ruffled black hair. All eyes were on him. Slowly, James walked out of the room and to the bathroom. He could hear the sounds of people whispering amongst themselves, but he didn't care. It was time to meet Lily. James looked into the mirror and stared at the reflection of the messy 17 year-old. He grabbed a nearby cloth and slowly damped it before dabbing it repeatedly on his wound. Then he grabbed a comb and straightened out his hair, even though he knew it wasn't likely. Then he took one final look at his reflection and left the room, through the common room, avoiding all the staring, and then out of the porthole. His footsteps were soft as he stormed through the corridors, and in the deep silence they were slightly noticeable. He was about to turn a corner when he heard a voice that caused him to stop abruptly. "I'm getting annoyed, Mr. Snape. This is absurd, I don't know why I even believed you in the first place! Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans are some of our best and brightest students!" yelled the first voice. It was obviously Professor McGonagall. "Trust me professor, I know what I heard. They'll be here." Whispered the second voice in a sinister manner, with a slight hint of nervousness. No doubt it was Severus Snape. "You'd have better be right, or I'll give you detention for wasting my time!" How could James have been so stupid? He had seen Snape pass by him and Lily when she had told him to meet her! And worst of all he had forgotten the invisibility cloak! Far too many errors for something so serious. Now he had to watch out for Lily in case she came through the other side, but that would risk his concealment. There had to be something he could do, and there was, but he wasn't sure if he could do it. But maybe if he could just.. James quickly took out his wand and carefully calculated the sounds of the two people's shuffling footsteps until he heard the sound he wanted. Right when it came, he shot his want out from the corner and yelled a clever freezing charm he had learned for other unmentionable purposes. James had to move fast now. He knew very well the charm would ware off soon, which only gave him a few minutes less then usual since the charm had been divided on to two people. He began to run across the two and then passed on to the other side. He looked down the hall but there was no sign of Lily. Then a sudden hot flash of surprise surged over him as a figure jumped onto him. "Hi." Said a sweet voice. Lily's voice. She stood up and straightened out her dress. Then, she offered her arm and helped James up, but she didn't let go and instead pulled him down the hall and into another room, where she pushed him onto a table. "So." she muttered as James sat on the table. "What was it that you wanted?." James asked. "To stop us." "What?" "I can't fall in love.. Not anymore." "Can't fall in love? That's ludicrous." "No. It's not. I'm under strict order from Dorien." "How come?" "Well.. He says if I fall in love, that love will hold me back. It'll ruin everything." "That's not true! If anything it will make you stronger!" "I want to become an actress James! There's no room for love in that!" "Yes, there is! I just know it!" "No, listen to me! There isn't, ok? So I'd just appreciate it if you left me alone." "I will when you stop sending back the signals." "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." "You do. You looked straight at me when you preformed." "Oh.that. Well, it wasn't by choice. It was all apart of the routine, and you just happened to be in the way." "I thought it was something like that. I never thought you'd like me." "I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way." "I guess so." "So I guess this is goodbye then." "Right.. Bye then." Slowly, James stood up and walked out of the room without looking back at Lily, his heart shattered in a million pieces, each one heavy with guilt. Sirius had been right. James had wasted his time.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The 7th year Gryffindor boys dormitory was dark as James slowly crept in. He hoped Sirius was asleep by now, or possibly in the hospital wing. He didn't think he'd be that lucky though after what Lily has just filled him in on. "Back so soon?" muttered Sirius from his bed. James squinted and saw that he was sitting with his arms crossed on his bed, his robes still on. "I don't want to talk about it." James replied sternly. "Oh, well excuse me for wondering." James sighed. "Please, not now, Sirius. I'm not in the mood." "Why? What happened? Did she stick you up?" "No." "Then what, you bloody git?" "She can't love." Sirius snorted again. "And you took that for an answer?" "No.. I argued a bit." "Then what's your problem?!" "She wants to be left alone. Its over." "No, it's not over because there was nothing there in the first place." "I suppose so. You were right. It was all just a waste of time." Sirius's jaw dropped. Had James just admitted he was wrong? "What?" "You were right." This was ridiculous. Sure, Sirius liked being right, but at such a cost! It wasn't worth it. "Oh, god. I'm sorry James, you silly prat. I didn't want to be right." "Well you were. Goodnight." Slowly James crawled into bed with his robes still on, leaving Sirius to stare at him with utter guilt. He didn't know it, but tears were slowly seeping out of James's eyes and down to his pillow. It wasn't fair. Slowly, he fell to sleep. "He's asleep." Muttered Remus. "I can see that." Replied Sirius, still in the same position as when James had entered. Remus on the other hand was in his pajamas, sitting comfortably on his bed across from Sirius. "What are you going to do now?" "Nothing." "So you're going to poke around a bit." "M'hm." "Do you want me to come along?" "Nah. You stay with James. He's not going to forgive me for a while and Peter's been missing for nearly a year now. You're the only one he can count on." "Alright then. Where are you going to start?" "Rehearsals. I'll monitor her moves from there." "But that means you'll miss class!" "So? It's not like anyone will notice." "Yes, they will." "Goooodnight, Remus." Remus frowned. "Goodnight I suppose." No response. And that was it. Sirius would spy on Lily.