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.
A/N: Well, I'm back. My eyesight improved to the extent I could only dream about, I'm finally allowed to do some computer-ralated stuff. Honestly, the wonders of laser medicine are better than magic!
Once again I apologize of spelling and grammar mistakes. I'm out of spellcheck again.
Part Eight
The weekend was blessed with good weather - this time Professor Teiresias was correct and the students could carry out everything they had planned, the walks, the Quidditch training, even picnics, despite the winter cold. The road to Hogsmeade was more crowded than ever, the third-years still marvelling at the novelty of being out on their own. The shops in the village were flooded with Hogwarts students, but the owners didn't mind. It was hard to get better customers than unsupervised children.
"What do you think about this one?" James asked, pointing some broomstick as they entered the store with Quidditch supplies.
Lily looked ahead, her brain blank. What was she supposed to say, that all broomsticks looked the same to her? "Which one?"
"The one in the middle. It's a Rocket 77, much more manoeuvreable than old Star Flayers."
"Really?"
James rolled his eyes. "Lily, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, or if I'm boring you, you can tell me. We can do the thing we came here for quickly and have some fun."
Fun? The alarm bells in her head went off. She knew the boys well enough to know what kind of things they considered fun and she didn't think she was ready to participate in it.
"No, I'm not bored, I'm only..." she trailed off seeing James's sceptical expression. "All right, I have no idea what you are talking about and I think broomsticks are boring."
The sky didn't fall down upon hearing her admission and James didn't run off in fright. His smile broadened into wide grin. "You will only tell me the difference between the Scholastic's cushioning charm and the Bloomsbury one. Then we can go to the Honeyduke's."
Lily nodded, relieved that her lack of Quidditch expertise didn't bother him. She was afraid that her ingnorance about Quidditch would be a hindrance in their friendship. Fortunately, there were other things they could discuss. Joining James in talking to the seller, she helped him choose the charm the team was supposed to be operating on from now on. To her great surprise, she actually did provide some insight into he quality of the charms.
"Now we need to try them out on the pitch," James summed their purchase up when the seller handed him seven little boxes.
"I only hope it was a good choice," Lily said nervously. "I wouldn't like to be guilty of recommending the wrong thing."
"No worries. I'm taking the responsibility." James minimized the boxes so that they could fit into his pocket.
"But still..."
"Relax, Lily, OK?" he sounded slightly exasperated. "Although some people may talk as if Quidditch was more important than life to them, I assure you it's just an impression."
Walking out on the street, Lily couldn't help but ask, "So what is more important to you than the Gryffindor winning the House Cup?"
James slowed down, his brows furrowed. "It's a very hard question. There are some matters... I'm not sure I can tell you."
Lily maintained her smile with an effort. She didn't expect him to take her silly question that seriously. The answer was supposed to be something like: 'The only thing more important than Gryffindor getting the House Cup is Slytherin not getting it.' He was a little distant and she suddenly felt she wanted to know why.
"I would be honoured if you could tell me."
The expression that passed through his eyes was odd, containing traces of sadness and hope. But is was gone before Lily had a chance to register it properly and he shook his head as if to repel some disturbing thought.
"To tell you the truth, Quidditch scores pretty low on the list of my priorities. I would give it up if my preparation for the Auror Academy requiered it. Or if Marianne's well-being depended on it. Or if my friendship with Remus, Sirius and Peter was endangered because of it. Or..."
From the far-away look on his face she learned that this last reason was important, most important of them all. "Or?"
"Nothing," he smiled with his it's-nothing-really smile that was becoming his trademark. "So, what place do you prefer to visit first, Honeyduke's or Three Broomsticks?"
The swift change of subjects and moods bewildered her. "Huh?" she asked dumbly.
"Do you need more chocolate frogs or can we go to get some butterbeer at Three Broomsticks?"
The thing that clicked into her mind was 'butterbeer at Three Broomsticks,' just like in her earlier musings. "Three Broomsticks," she respondend without hesitation.
The inn was crowded when they got there, Hogwarts students talking over the glasses of mild beverages, filling the room with noise. Lily noticed Madam Rosmerta, a very attractive young witch serving the drinks and laughing at the teasing remarks of some young customers. The woman spotted them and waved in their direction.
"I'll be right there, Mr Potter!"
"You know her?" Lily muttered. She didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. Rosmerta was so... energetic.
"Not really," James said as Rosmerta made her way through the crowd to them.
"There, in the corner," Rosmerta said and led them to the back of the room. "I'm doing it for the first and last time, Mr Potter. Know my good heart."
Lily got the idea what this was all about when she saw what Rosmerta pointed to them. It was a table. Nothing fancy, just a regular table at Three Broomsticks. But it was a free table in quite a secluded area, shielded from the rest of the room by the decorative wall. A free table at Three Broomsticks on Saturday, just before noon? It was a miracle.
"How did you do it?" she exlaimed, sitting down.
"It's a secret," he smirked at her.
"I bet you paid her," she taunted. "Rich boy."
He sighed theatrically, putting his hand at his heart. "Why do the girls see only money in me and not my dazzling flawless personality?"
Although James seemed to see it as a joke, Lily felt ashamed. "I'm sorry, it's not true. You're much more than money."
BR>
His smile faltered. "You really think so?"
There was an unfamiliar uncertainity in his voice, something almost approaching self-doubt. She put her hand on his, squeezing it tightly.
"I don't think so. I know it."
They looked into each other's eyes and the noise of the room seemed to fade into background, the moment stretching in time. The memory of their dance together stronger than ever, Lily could almost hear the music. The warmth of James's hand getting to her, she felt very self-conscious but didn't remove her fingers from his.
"Your butterbeers!"
The spell was broken. Madam Rosmerta cheerfully placed the drinks they ordered in front of them and returned to the rest of her guests. Blushing hotly Lily quickly jerked her hand away and clasped it around her glass. James too looked a little uncomfortable. It was why Lily liked being with Remus - she never felt uncomfortable around him, never felt the silnce buzz with unspoken words.
"Only three weeks left until Christmas," James remarked.
Lily smiled melancholically. "Hard to believe, isn't it? I don't see people around getting into the Christmas spirit."
"Things are being difficult of late."
She circled the rim of the butterbeer glass with her finger, staring down. "You're not talking only about the fact that Professor McGonagall decided that all Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs need additional two hours a week in Herbology, and that the prefects screwed up in maintaining order during the last Quidditch match, are you?"
"You know very well I'm not," James sighed. "I'm talking about you and Remus dancing around each other. Can't you just talk to him?"
"I tried, James." Lily looked up, her eyes sincere with just a hint of bitterness to them. "Honestly, I tried. But it's like I don't know him at all, he never behaved that way before."
"It's getting wearisome. Did you notice how the people in the common room have been reacting?"
Lily laughed. It was hardly a hilarious situation, but she perceived the reactions of her fellow Gryffindors as ludicrous. Given the moodiness of the normally level-headed Remus, the other students - girls in particular - were all trying to 'cheer him up'. The situations that resulted because of that cheering-up excercies were sometimes worthy of being written down in the annuals of Hogwarts under the 'most ridiculous ideas' title.
"You mean Bethany trying to involve him in her 'priestesses of love' movement or Andrew asking him to act as a Quidditch loop for his 'dry practice' in the common room?"
"I was actually thinking of Daisy requesting that he pose nude for her."
Lily's eyes teared up, the butterbeer almost going up her nose. "Don't remind me!" she wheezed. "I've never seen such an expression on his face! I doubt even Sirius is ever going to come up with anything that would put that look on his face again!"
"What was her excuse anyway?"
Lily shook her head and wiped her eyes with a napkin. "She said that the instructions concerning the making of the wizarding paintings recommended 'familiarizing oneself with the anatomy of a human body' and that she wouldn't ask Professor Flitwick to show her anything."
James gaped. "She really said that?"
"Uhum."
He burst out laughing. "Can you imagine that? Professor Flitwick as the example of human anatomy?"
"James!" Lily started coughing into her butterbeer. "Quit it or else I'm going to choke myself to death here!"
"Oh, that would be definitely a pity."
Lily sighed, but it was not an unhappy sigh. It was amazing how James was able to shift her mood from grave and bitter to merry. She wished she could talk to him more often. She wished she didn't feel ill at ease whenever she saw him conversing with Remus. She wished all this horrible situation would end and she was able to go out with James Potter without worrying about causing somebody pain, without disguising it as a shopping trip.
"Merlin, I hope everything returns to normal, and soon."
James raised an eyebrow, his eyes suddenly darker and his tone biting. "What do you mean by 'normal', Lily?"
She gestured helplessly. "Not my easy little relationship with Remus, if that's what you're thinking of. 'Normal' like in 'without loads of emotional and mental stress'."
BR>
His expression softened as he pushed his glasses up his nose with his index finger. "I suppose everybody will come around after Christams. You know, go home, have a break from everyody else and think a little."
She took a deep sip. "Not for me."
"Why? Do you plan on staying at Hogwarts for Christmas?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. It might be better than arguing with Petunia again." Getting into the confessional mood and spoiling the nice atmosphere beetween them was probably not the best idea, but Lily couldn't help herself. The mere thought of Chrismas was making her depressed and without having Remus to talk to - Daisy, being the only child, was not particularly understanding - she usually wallowed in self-pity at the prospect of her time with her family. "She's terribly angry with me that I won't be there for her wedding."
"Why won't you?"
"N.E.W.T.S."
"She doesn't want to accept that?"
Lily took another sip. What a shame that one can't get drunk with the butterbeer, she thought idly. "She thinks it's my sisterly duty to make the friends of her precious Vernon Dursley feel like gods adored by stupid little girl whose only ambition is getting married off as soon as possible."
"I take it that it's not your ambition?"
His attempt at injecting humour into her confessions proved succsessful. "If it was, I would have been sorted into Slytherin."
"And since you've been not..."
"Since I've been not, I will certainly not miss my N.E.W.T.S, even if I'm going to have my Christmas spoiled by her whining and setting our parents against me."
James leaned back in his chair. "Staying at Hogwarts isn't going to be a picnic either. Having a Head Girl with them all the teachers would want to catch up with the work. You would get no rest."
"Yeah."
His expression turned thoughtful, then a hesitant smile crossed his features. "Well, I know the remedy to your problem."
She looked at him doubtfully. "And that would be--?"
He leaned forward. "Well, what about the Christmas with the Potters?"
The butterbeer getting up her nose was starting to feel familiar. "I beg your pardon?"
"I'm invinting you for Christams, Lily," he said clearly, as if she were a slow-to-understand child.
"Why?"
He frowned. "What do you mean: why?"
"Why burden yourself with me? I know next to nothing about the way wizards celebrate Christmas--"
"You know enough!" he interrupted her. "Lily, stop feeling inferior!"
"I don't--"
He put his hands up, calling for peace. "We shall talk about this some other time. Now, tell me if you accept the invitation."
She could barely hear his words, her brain covered with the fog of incomprehension. Even Remus has never invited her for Chrismas! "But why?"
James made sure the glasses were settled on his nose correctly once again. "And why not? You need time out. I might use some company. My house is big enough so that if you don't want anybody to see you, it shouldn't be a problem. C'mon, Lily," he added with a wry smile. "You know you want to."
"I..." Image of Petunia lecturing her shot through her head, followed by the picture of herself sitting between Professor McGonagall and Professor Kettleburn. "I accept."
"Great!" James grinned, "Let's drink for it!"
"Looks like you're having good time," Lily heard.
Turning around in her chair she came to see a beautiful dark-haired girl standing next to the decorative wall that separated their spot from the rest of the room. Leocadia Lowell.
"Quite," she replied, inwardly about as calm as a raging thunderstorm. Leocadia, with her friendly smile and helpful attitude, meant nothing but trouble. Who knew what kind of rumour she would report to her Slytherin friends. "What can I do for you?"
Leocadia came closer and leaned against the table, almost knocking their butterbeers off and then rearranging them clumsily. "Just tell me your secret. How did you manage to get a free table?"
James raised an eyebrow displaying a sense of superiority that would put any Slytherin to shame. "And you believe I would tell you because--?"
The Hufflepuff gestured to the entrance. Lily and James saw three Slytherin girls standing there, waiting.
"Because a fellow prefect is in need. I invited them and now we have nowhere to sit."
"Tough luck," James said. "Because it was my very own charming skill of persuation that got me this table."
Leocadia's smile faded. "Circe, not even a sense of loyalty, Potter. And to be doing the Head Boy - Head Girl meetings in the middle of Three Broomsticks, occupying the tables... not a thought to others."
Muttering in offence, Leocadia took herself off, to the friends that awaited her.
"Company of the Slytherins isn't healthy," James noted.
"Yeah," Lily confirmed. "To think we used to be on really good terms with each other..."
"Don't think of it," James advised. "We didn't get to our toast." He raised his glass. "To the fun we're going to have on Christmas! Cheers!"
Obvious contentment in his tone made her lighten up. "Cheers!"
They clinked their glasses together and drank. After a couple more minutes of easy chatter Lily shifted in her chair.
"Tired?" James asked. "We've been sitting here for quite some time. Do you want to leave?"
Lily drummed her fingers against the surface of the table, feeling more at ease than ever, a devilish spirit unexpectedly entering her. "No," she pointed her empty glass towards the bar where Leocadia and her guests were seated, waiting for a free table. "If we leave, they will take our place."
James was amused, blue eyes sparkling with merriment. "Naughty girl."
"Very." Wouldn't be it wonderful to see that sparkle again, a sparkle she would bring out? She leaned forward, like him when he proposed her Christmas at his place, and whispered, "What do you think about sex, James?"
A/N: The obligatory whine: please review! What do you think?