Title: Understand Me (7/?)

Author: Eleret

Author E-mail:Eleret@aol.com

Category: Romance/Angst

Rating: PG-13 (For some kissing, depressing stuff, and adult themes)

Spoilers: PoA GoF (maybe) (Knowledge in all of the books is recommended but not necessary.)

Summary: Lily Evans and James Potter have been on the same Quiditch team for a while, yet they know almost nothing about each other. Narcissa Claude and Sirius Black are completely different and they don't even know each other yet. Remus Lupin can't figure Nancy Bode out. Sybil Trelawney and Peter Petigrew form a club for unappreciated people. And no matter how much they deny it, what all of these eight teens want most is someone to understand them. N/S, L/J, R/OC (not a Mary Sue), and P/Sybil.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I own only Nancy Bode's first name and Narcissa Claude's last name.

A/N: Movies, and fics and tons of Homework, Oh My! *sigh* that's been my life lately. But, after far too long, I've finally finished it. I meant to finish it over Christmas Vacation, but as you can see it didn't happen. I am very sorry. And hey, it's up now.  Personal thanks at the bottom, but a big round of applause for WhetherRose and Hollie now because they are making my head as large as the Moon! You spoil me horribly! Thank you! Okay, this chapter. You'll find out about Lily and James's conversation and perhaps I'll forage into a bit more of a romantic edge.

Chapter Seven: Liking, Rudeness, and Lost Tempers.

After Potions, Lily went first to her dormitory to put her books down and get her broom. She raced up the many staircases, panting with lack of breath. There was quite a difference, after all, in being in perfect shape for Quidditch and being in perfect shape for running up thousands of halls and staircases. The reason for the racing was to avoid James.

In her head, Lily knew that it was pointless. Why on earth should she avoid James? After all, weren't they about to go flying? She would have to talk to him then. And yet, she kept on running until she got to the Fat Lady's portrait, very out of breath.

Gasping the password, "Gibbering Blue Beetles," she entered the common room and raced up the spiral staircase to her dormitory. There, she collapsed onto her bed, throwing her book bag onto the ground beside it. It was after she had caught her breath that she realized Alanna was already in the room, sitting on her own bed and looking at Lily with some amusement.

Her blue eyes twinkling in still more knowing amusement, Alanna asked with her usual precise tones, slightly accented from her Irish background, "And what would you be racing back to the dormitory for, so quickly? Trying to avoid someone, perhaps?"

Lily rolled her eyes. Unlike James, she was quite good at lying; it was a talent that had always come naturally to her, "Of course not. I just have to go straight out to Quidditch practice, and I have to change first, and I'm already late. Look, I'll talk when I get back, okay?" and with that she grabbed her Quidditch robes and began to change.

However, as easily as Lily's lie had been and as natural as it had sounded, her friend was not to be fooled. She gave her a skeptical look, "Didn't you just have Quidditch practice yesterday?" she asked.

"Yes," Lily said, her voice muffled by the fabric of her robes, which were half over her head, "But James wants us to practice a lot because we really need to win the cup this year. He has us practicing several days a week."

However, a soon as she said the word, "James," she knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Alanna had a spark in her eye that Lily knew far too well.

"And how is your relationship with Mister Potter these days? You seem much friendlier lately. And I saw the way you were looking at him in charms, so there's no need to even try your little lies with me, Lily Evans! You like him, don't you?"

Lily yanked the robes over her head and grabbed her broom from beside her bed, "Like James? Well, of course I like James! What's not to like; he's a wonderful Quidditch player and a very good captain. But like him in the way that you mean? Certainly not!"

Alanna made it plain by the look on her face that she didn't believe her friend, but all she did was shrug and say, "Well, whatever you say, Lily. I suppose you know best, don't you?"

Lily scowled; she hated Alanna's condescending tone. Her temper flared, but she refused to get into a fight at the moment; she didn't want the weight of having to make up with Alanna on top of everything else at the moment. Instead, she simply snapped, "Yes, I do," and jumped out of the window on her broom, leaving her friend behind shaking her head.

***

James, unlike Lily, had gone straight to the Quidditch pitch after classes. He had brought his broom down to the shed at lunch time, and he could pick it up there and then fly to his meeting with Lily. Jumping astride his broom, he soared up into the air with a sigh of contentment. Whatever might be about to happen in the next few minutes, whatever Lily might be about to say, he was alright for the moment; up in the sky.

He zoomed quickly to the edge of the forest, and then slowed to a leisurely pace. He was a bit early, so he could fly at a relatively easy pace and enjoy his surroundings. Of course, he thought with a sigh, he wouldn't have minded prolonging their talk for quite a while (a few centuries should do). He was not in a hurry to have Lily yell at him. He didn't even want to think about the possibility that she might like him; it would simply be too much to hope.

So, he dawdled as long as he good on the way to their meeting place. He stopped to watch Hagrid going for a walk with Fang, he practiced some dives right down the foliage of the forest, and he got around to flying back towards his destination; the Quiditch Pitch.

As he got there, he saw that Lily was just arriving. With a sigh of someone going towards his doom, James Potter flew over to meet Lily Evans.

***

As Lily got to the Quidditch Pitch she saw James flying towards her, and her stomach fluttered with nerves that she quickly tried, and failed, to banish. Putting on her usual cheery smile she called out, "Hi James!" as he grew nearer, and gave him a wave.

James smiled back at her, "Hey Lily," he said as he stopped beside her, "So…"

Lily took a deep breath, "Yeah…um…all right. So. How was your day?" she finished brightly, not having the courage to say what she wanted. Lily was not a frank person, and she often had a hard time saying what was on her mind for fear of other peoples' reactions.

James ran a hand through his hair. He was half glad that Lily was making small talk and not asking The Question, but he also have wished she would just spit it out so he could get it over with. He smiled nervously, "Um, it was all right. How was yours?"

She shrugged, trying to ignore the fluttery feeling in her stomach at his proximity, "Oh, it was so-so. Yours?" she asked, not realizing she had already asked him.

James smiled, "You already asked me that."

"Right. I knew that, of course. Sorry," Lily was mentally yelling at herself in mortification. You imbecile! You couldn't have just answered, could you? No, you had to show him just how out of it you are, didn't you? Oh, as if he didn't know already. Will you just ask him and get it over with?

Lily took a deep breath and plunged ahead in a way that she very rarely did, "So, why did you kiss me, anyway? I mean, was it just a friendly kiss, or was it more? Or…or…what?"

James gulped. It had come; she had asked The Question. Now, he just had to answer it somewhat intelligently. He bit his lip, "Er…I-I kissedcauselikeIyou." The words were out of his mouth before he'd gotten his tongue around them, and so they made very little sense. He could have kicked himself. What sort of idiotic answer was that?

Lily blinked, "Pardon? I didn't quite catch that."

James took a steadying breath, and then tried again, "I kissed you because I like you. Actually, I like you a lot. I mean, you're smart, and funny, and nice, and you can play Quidditch, and-" James stopped and turned bright red with embarrassment. He could have just said he liked her. But no; he'd had to go rambling on about why.

Lily stared at him for a second, going red herself. James liked her? Really liked her? As in, liked her a lot? She was having a bit of trouble processing this. And how was she supposed to react? Should she tell him…what? That she…might like him too? Did she even really like him?

Lily stopped and made herself think about it for a second. Did she like James? Yes; she definitely did. But…did that mean she should just tell him? What if she only thought she liked him? Or worse, what if, after she'd told him, she suddenly stopped liking him? Well, she thought determinedly, I'll just have to deal with it. But right now James has just told you he likes you. Do you really have the courage to just snub him? She knew the answer: no.

She gathered her courage and said, "James, I…I like you too," and with that she leaned forwards, grabbing his shoulders to stead herself, and kissed him full on the lips.

At first it was awkward. James was stiff with shock and Lily really didn't know what to do, but then James' lips softened against her own, and Lily relaxed against him. Her hands tentatively moved from death-lock on his shoulders to his neck, twining around it. She could feel his own hands on her back, and she shivered at the very thought of it. It was might have been a just a second or it might have been an hour before they stopped; neither were ever very sure.

***

At lunch, Nancy quickly swallowed half a sandwich and then headed for the Library once more. She wasn't sure whether she was going to the Library to try to avoid Lupin-No, Remus, she reminded herself-or to see him again, and she didn't really want to find out, either. At the moment she was content with just taking her automatic route towards her favorite place in Hogwarts.

She opened the door to the Library and walked in, scanning the tables for his face. He wasn't there yet, but she was now relatively sure that he would be. She got a random book off a shelf and sat at a table, waiting. She didn't have to wait long. Remus walked into the Library after a few minutes.

She not-so-subtly watched him as he scanned the tables until he saw hers. She couldn't contain a small flinch as their eyes met. Damn those eyes!

He walked casually over to her table and sat down across from her with a small smile.

Her heart skipped a beat at his smile, and she thought that she was probably doing a wonderful imitation of a deer caught in a muggle car's headlights. She wouldn't be surprised if he had frozen her, but to her surprise she could move quite easily when she tried.

"Hello," she said, trying to sound as casual as he seemed.

"Hey. What're you reading?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

Nancy glanced at the title of the book, and felt her cheeks go hot. I must remember to look at books before picking them out, she decided as she mumbled, "The mating habits of the Acromantula."

Remus raised his eyebrows, "Is it interesting?"

Nancy cleared her throat, "Well…um…actually it was just sitting here so I kind of picked it up. I haven't started it yet," Luckily, though she wasn't wonderful at it, Nancy was a passable liar.

Remus shrugged, "Well, if you find it interesting, do tell me," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

She scowled at him, "You're terrible!" she snapped.

He chuckled, "I know. So, how was your day?"

***

As Remus saw Nancy leaving the Great Hall he quickly followed her, gobbling down the last of his lunch in one bite. He had been very vexed with her earlier in the day, but he had decided to give up on it after a bit of thought. After all, he was clearly in control of how things went from now on, so he had no reason to be annoyed. She was obviously much less capable of hiding her emotions in his presence, so it should be easy for him. And besides, he was still quite fascinated with her, and wanted to learn more about her.

And so, naturally, he walked out of the Great Hall after her, and followed her down the corridor to the Library. He opened the door without hesitation and scanned the tables until he noticed her. She was staring back at him, looking quite like a deer caught in a muggle car's headlights, he saw with some amusement.

He walked up to her, not bothering to wipe off the slight smile that stayed in his eyes.

"Hello," she said calmly- too calmly. He immediately knew that she was really nervous, although her expression was now neutral. However, he decided to play along and pretend he didn't see through her mask.

He saw there was a book in her hand, and decided it would be a good topic for conversation. "Hello. What're you reading?" he asked, trying to catch a look at the book title.

He saw her glance at the books title, and her cheeks colored to quite a fetching pink. However, he ignored that, and the slight jerk in the pit of his stomach that came along with it. He looked at her questioningly.

 "The mating habits of the Acromantula," she muttered so softly he almost didn't catch it. When he did, he had a hard time not bursting out laughing.

Instead he raised his eyebrows and said, "Is it interesting?" amusing himself with the embarrassment he knew he was causing her.

She cleared her throat, "Well…um…actually it was just sitting here so I kind of picked it up. I haven't started it yet," she said, and he guessed that she was telling the truth. After all, who would actually pick out such an odd book?

However, he didn't want to give up his game of teasing. He shrugged and said, his eyes twinkling with amusement, "Well, if you find it interesting, do tell me."

At this he knew that her pretense of ignoring his teasing was gone. She scowled and snapped, "You're terrible!" in a very exasperated tone.

He chuckled genuinely, knowing that he had achieved his goal of forcing her to stop being polite to him, "I know. So, how was your day?" he asked to spare her having to keep being annoyed at him. He was actually quite surprised that he had let himself become so annoying. Usually he forced himself to be polite and nice around everyone, and usually he was quite embarrassed when he caught himself being less than perfect. He supposed it was just something in Nancy's nature that happened to bring out his most obstinate side.

She sighed and scrubbed her face with her hands, "Really it was just the regular."

"Yeah, mine was basically the same."

He was now trying to think of something polite to say. He knew he was pushing it being so rude to her, although to most people it might have actually seemed quite polite. However, Remus forced himself to set a higher standard of courtesy than most people, and he intended to hold true to it. It annoyed him that Nancy seemed to just be begging for him to be rude. Finally, he decided that the only way to keep from acting less polite than he set his standard was to go away for a while.

He stood up, "Well, I've got to go. See you later." And with that he exited the Library wondering what it was about Nancy Bode that made him want to act like a normal boy.

Nancy had long since given up trying to figure out what it was about him that made her act so tongue-tied and un-typically flustered.

***

After Lunch, the rest of the day past in a blur for Narcissa. She breezed through all her classes with the rest of the brainy Ravenclaws and then, after dinner, headed not back to her dorm, but instead outside. Narcissa always liked to take a walk before she went to bed. It seemed to clear her mind and make her more able to sleep well and put up with the other girls' chatter.

She walked out of the entrance hall and onto the grounds of Hogwarts, breathing in the chilly, early November air. It was crisp and cool with the promise of a cold winter to come. A pile of fallen, brown leaves came swirling past her, and she sighed. Narcissa had always found fall sad, not that she would ever admit to being so sentimental. She hated seeing the leaves turn colors and fall to the ground, and she hated the empty month of November. December was filled with the promise of the Holidays, and with the magic of winter. But November was in between the excitement of fall and the cheeriness of winter. It was completely devoid of happiness and there was nothing to look forward to except barren trees and piles of sad, dead leaves.

However, simply because she didn't like the atmosphere of November, it didn't mean she would give up the chance to take her evening walk. She'd been taking it ever since she first began Hogwarts, and never let anything save a heavy snowstorm or a particularly vicious cold stop her. She loved seeing the moon high in the sky, she loved the smell of evening air, and she loved the feeling of being totally alone.

However, it seemed that tonight she would not get to walk alone. As she strode across the Quidditch pitch she saw Lucius approaching. Her stomach tingled unhappily with the fear and annoyance mixed with weary resign-ment that always accompanied the sight of her boyfriend. And tonight, especially, she did not look forward to talking to him. She had had too good a day with Sirius to enjoy talking to her icy boyfriend.

And yet, as he walked towards her, she made no move to walk away. She stood still, head held high in the proud position that she refused to drop, no matter how tired she was of it. She would not make it easy for Lucius to have her. If need be, she would have to be hauled kicking and screaming to the alter. And even then, she didn't know how her parents would make her willingly participate in being married to Lucius. She decided that they would probably have to resort to the Imperius curse, and hope that no one noticed.  

"Hello, Narcissa," he said in his cool voice as he walked up to her. "Waiting for someone out here?" His tone was casual, but she knew better. He was annoyed.

She sighed, "Must always be waiting for someone, Lucius? If you must know, I was going for a walk-alone."

He raised his eyebrows and took a step towards her, "Are you sure, Narcissa? Are you sure that you aren't waiting for someone? Are you sure that you weren't meeting someone yesterday when you were supposed to meet me?" He was now doing his equivalent of a yell. That is, a harsh, purring, icy, snapping tone that was controlled, but just barely.

And then Narcissa knew what was bothering him, and she could have hit herself. He had told her to meet him in the Prefects room yesterday, and she hadn't. Of course, she always said that she would come only if she wished, but she knew that there would be serious consequences if she didn't, so she'd always obeyed. Now, however, she had disobeyed Lucius and her family, and she both relished and dreaded the realization that she had stood him up.

She gave him a small smirk, "Did it hurt your poor ego to be stood up, Lucius dear?" she asked icily, marveling at her own daring and wishing that she could have stopped herself.

His face went pale with rage, and he stepped so close to her that she almost had to bend backwards to continue looking at him. His eyes were steely with anger, and they flashed. "Narcissa, you will not forget to meet me again. Is that understood?" his voice was now beginning to shake a bit with anger, but he was firmly controlling it. Damn but she hated when he could control everything he said.

She, however, ignored the danger and plunged on, "Afraid that I'm going to find someone else, Lucius dearest? Afraid that I'll find someone who I actually like? Afraid that I will someday give you up for Sirius?" Narcissa almost gasped herself at the last part. She hadn't meant to even think that last part, much less say it out loud. But now that she had said it, she wished that she hadn't. Lucius was livid.

For once, Lucius's icy control had broken. His eyes were wild with rage, and he towered over her. She had forgotten how tall he really was. He had to be almost as tall as Sirius, which was saying something. And now he grabbed her wrists to keep her from moving away from him. Leaning close to her face he whispered, "You will never leave me, Narcissa! You're too afraid. And for a dirty Gryffindor like Black?" he laughed harshly. "You wouldn't dare!"

That made Narcissa mad. So mad, in fact, that she completely forgot about what her parents would say, what Lucius would do, and what would happen to her future. She yanked away from him, pulling her wrists free, and shoved him back away from her. She was shaking with anger as she yelled, "You think I wouldn't leave you because I'm afraid? You think that you're better than Sirius? Do you truly think that you are any competition for him? He is twenty times the man that you will ever be. He had the nerve to befriend me and stick up for me when no one else would! He isn't afraid of you, and neither am I!" Her eyes were blazing and she suddenly knew what she would do. What Narcissa hated more than anything else in the world was when people told her what she could and could not do. She would go to any lengths to prove them wrong. "You know what, Lucius? I'll prove it to you. I am not afraid of you or my family. We are over!" and with that she grabbed the betrothal ring off her finger, the one that she was forbidden by everyone to take off, and threw it in his face. Then, feeling strangely satisfied, she stood back, knowing what would happen next.

Lucius stood there for a second, shocked and sputtering. Then, angry again but more despairing, because he knew what Narcissa could be like when she decided something, he gave a yell of frustration. Narcissa knew what would happen next, but this time she didn't mind. She didn't even flinch as his hand descended on her cheek, slapping her so hard that it left a mark. She stood there as smirked. Then, leaving him defeated, she walked away. She almost skipped. She was free.

***

The end of Chapter Seven! Woohoo! That's the longest chapter I've ever written, by the way.

A/N2: Alright, I wanted to put this in the beginning but I didn't want to ruin the surprise for anyone. So here is a note about this chapter that I felt had to be included. So, you might think that James and Lily saying they "liked" each other wasn't nearly a strong enough word, but you have to remember that they are both insecure teenagers. In my experience with teenagers (and that should be quite a lot- I am one, after all) they have a bit of trouble saying "love", and Lily and James are especially shy. Alright, that's about it.

Now, onto thank-you's!

Flashy20000~ My cousin, everyone! It turns out that she actually *doesn't* need to help me with the fluff- it looks as though I'm good at it after all. Thanks for the comments Lu, but you need to read the rest of the story! And thanks for reading the first chapter and reviewing! By the way, when are you going to get Molly and you an account here so that you and I can post and edit her stories? It better be soon! Also, guess what I'm listening to? A hint: "She hates me…Lalalala." Ring any bells? Only on the radio it's on key.

Hollie~ Thank you! I know what you mean about time, too. Where does it go? Also, I hope you absolutely love Lioness Rampant to bits! It's a wonderful, beautiful, amazing book! And I agree with you: EVERYONE should read all of Tammy's books! And you praise me so wonderfully! I think you'd better brush up on your poetry, however, if you think I'm one of the best poets you've read! The information sheet is something I adapted from the one on Fictionalley.org, and have formatted to fit my purposes. I like it too: it helps me keep all my thoughts in order. Thank you so much for all your comments! Really, they were wonderful, and they made me blush! You rock! And about Alanna/George…Tammy explains (in an essay on her website) that Alanna wanted to be with George because he loved her for who she was, and he could make her laugh. I think that at the time I first read the books I was probably sad about Jon, but he gets someone- if you haven't met her yet, however, I'm not going to give it away! And I always liked George very much!

Lama~ Thanks…erm, I think. I do try my best with spelling and Grammar, and have gotten a beta-reader after your suggestion. However, I tend to usually not get along that well with betas I either forget to email them with the chapter or they take forever and I give up. However, this latest one is working on the first chapter, so we'll see how it goes. I may post a revised version of this story on FF.Net later. Actually, a lot of my mistakes are basically carelessness and laziness. I happen to like Grammar quite a bit, but I write for fun, not to drive myself crazy editing and re-editing over and over again. I will try my best with spelling. However, I'll admit to you now, I'm a pretty hopeless speller. And thank you very much! Also, I really don't mind if a review is short, although of course I love long ones, so long as it tells me what you like and what I need to improve. I think you definitely did this, so I'm happy!

WhetherRose~ Last, but definitely not least! Once again, you are horribly spoiling me! I must have done something to get such wonderful reviewers, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it is! I've run out of words to describe my gratitude for you. Saying thank-you over and over again seems so redundant, but it seems to be all that I can do! So, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Yes, about the stereotypes, I love breaking those, and I agree completely with you! And about the friendship, it almost wasn't on purpose! You see, Narcissa is very good at hiding her feelings around people whom she doesn't know or care about, but if she is very close to someone she can't hide her emotions. And about the hacky-sack, that is very interesting! Mostly because I got to see your physical reaction, but also because I find it amazing that anyone can manage to toss one while reading! You must be extremely talented! I have to keep my eyes on one all the time if I'm tossing it, and it *still* falls! And thank you about the grammar tips! I love them- they are extremely helpful!

Thanks to all, once again! You are all so perfect! Luv ya!

~Eleret~