LyKe OmG I ChAnGeD mAh MiNd aNd HaRrY aNd The GaNg LyKe ToTuLLee BeLoNgZ 2 MEH!
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I made up the ones you haven't seen before. And this is probably the longest chapter, I should get to updating later…
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS :D
NOW, BACK IN ICKLE JAMSIE'S WORLD…
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James lay wide-eyed in his bed, still dazed by the day's events. He was the only one awake. Remus had gone up earlier, dreading the coming of the full moon in two nights' time. Sirius had fallen asleep before his head hit the pillows, and he'd started to mutter things in his slumber ("No, no, not now, Catalina, we're not completely alone quite yet…"). Peter…doubtless he was fast asleep as well.
The Quidditch match…that was definitely big. He'd never been so heralded for his Quidditch performances since two years ago when he first joined the team. After the game, there was even more buzz about him than about Dave Morgan, who Deanna Mackensie described as "the handsomest, smarmiest and most adorable bloke I've ever set me eyes on." Maybe she changed her mind after he almost cost us a win, he contemplated, cringing at the thought of tying with the Slytherins.
Remus would be transforming in two nights. Rather than feeling sad and angry that he wouldn't be able to talk to him like he used to be three years, James grinned. He'd been lucky that he and Sirius found out about Remus in their second year; since then, they'd been working on becoming Animagi, along with Peter Pettigrew. Last month they had gotten to use their abilities for the first time, and Sirius, Peter, and James found it exhilarating.
Then there was that girl. Lily Evans. She's incredibly pretty, he thought. As pretty as she is bitchy. He chuckled, remembering how he heard her shriek unforgettably and let out a chain of expletives upon her discovery of the pudding.
She deserved it, he said silently to himself.
Did she really?
Yes. She did. She's a lovely girl, but incredibly cold and a bit harsh.
But she helped you with your perfume problem.
Yeah, she did, but…But what?
Nothing, I guess. Why are you talking to me? Shut up.
You started the conversation.
I'm going to sleep.
He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the confusing voice inside his head. Winning an something for Gryffindor that hasn't been won in years, his upcoming transformation, Lily, talking to himself…he must be going nutters.
*
Lily woke up feeling angry and vexed. Not something new, but she was particularly furious about jumping into bed and being covered in vanilla pudding.
"Bastard," she muttered as she took out her wand and proceeded to make her bed, which Ilona had cleared of all food the night before.
She had a dream last night. She couldn't quite recall it clearly. All she remembered was that there were scenes flashing before her, illuminated by an eerie green light, and she heard shrieks as she saw slightly blurred faces. One seemed like it had no face; though it was the haziest, she could make out that it was white, with what looked strangely like crimson eyes. Another had dark hair, dark eyes, and his mouth was open, as if he was screaming. There was one with dark, matted hair, and hollow face whose countenance seemed twisted in anger, grief, and shame. There were three more; a pudgy man whose cheeks were flushed yet whose face exuded nervous excitement, and that of a baby, with dark black hair and vaguely familiar green eyes. As she watched the child, she remembered how, curiously, a small lightning bolt-shaped line began to appear on his forehead—weakly at first, but the shape became ever more distinct.
The last face had a startling resemblance to her own. Dark red hair, bottle green eyes. The woman in her dream looked panicked, shaken, scared. Lily had watched for several seconds as the woman's mouth moved, obviously saying something, but what, Lily didn't know. The face's eyes closed, but before they did Lily saw something in them she didn't think she could have—something that made her stomach churn—but before she could make sure that it was what she thought it was, the woman screamed, and her face was clouded by a strong light.
That was when she had opened her own eyes. She hadn't screamed; she wasn't quite scared, but more curious, maybe excited. She lay on her side, gasping, trying to remember each detail as if it might slip away. Yet…what about what she saw in the woman's eyes? Why was that there, reflected in who she was sure was her older self's eyes?
Trying to erase it from her mind, she headed down the stairs. It's just a dream. Forget about it, she told herself, though she wasn't convinced. She had a feeling that it wouldn't be the last time she'd see it, either.
Her train of thought was interrupted by a cheerful greeting.
"Sleep well, Mademoiselle Evans?"
She knew who it was. She was sort of happy that he would stop and say good morning to her, annoyed at why he was doing it, and extremely angry at what he did last night.
"I'm fine," she replied coolly, brushing back a piece of red hair. "Nearly choked on Every Flavor Beans given by an idiot. Ruined my best night robes. Had a strange dream with a bunch of hazy faces that I hardly recognized." Lily looked at him, puzzled that his mouth dropped open and then closed several times. She balked at this.
"If you've got something to say, Potter, then say it."
James recovered quickly. "Nothing, actually, except sorry about your robes." He blushed, clutching something in the back of his own robes.
Lily stared him down suspiciously. "What've you got behind your back?"
"Nothing."
"I expected that from you."
"Actually it is. Something, I mean." He threw a charming at her, and outstretched his hand so he could pull her off the last missing step, which, to his shock, she took. Her hand was very soft.
Lily tried to look behind his back, tried to summon it to her, but it stayed put.
"An anti-charm charm," he replied smugly, looking pleased.
She tapped her foot impatiently. "Fine, Potter, if you're going to pie me in the face with another one of your stupid foods, then do it now."
"As you wish."
She closed her eyes, partly in anticipation for cream smothering her face, and partly because she was afraid of what would happen if she didn't close them. Instead, she opened her eyes after several seconds to a bundle of brilliantly colored wildflowers with a lily in the middle.
Lily tried to hate them and him. But she couldn't. Not even if she tried her hardest. Instead, she looked up at James, who was smiling a little nervously.
"D'you like them? If not, I didn't really reckon you would, it's just an apology for—"
"They're beautiful," she almost whispered.
At that moment she softened up to James Potter. He's still repulsive, arrogant, and full of himself, but…
"Thank you," she said finally, closing her eyes. "They're absolutely lovely."
James just smiled. He turned to head out the portrait hole, but just before he reached it, he heard Lily call out to him.
"Potter—"
He turned around. She stood there, with the flowers cradled in her arm, the delicate lily nestled in her hair. He swallowed.
"Why did you do this?"
He stood there, not having any response. Why had he done this? What compelled him to sneak out under his Invisibility Cloak to pick flowers off the school grounds?
James thought of an answer. "My way of apologizing, I guess." He gave her a small grin and disappeared behind the portrait hole.
Lily stood stupidly at the foot of the stairs, her head tilted, looking more confused than ever.
"What was that, Lily?"
She whirled around to see Ilona inches away from her, looking extremely amused and smug.
"Those are from Potter, I'm presuming."
Lily brushed the flower out of her hair crossly.
"So what if it is?" she snarled.
"Nothing, really. I just think it's rather sweet."
"My ass."
"You like them."
"Do not." Lily's eye twitched slightly.
"Don't deny it, I heard you," Ilona laughed. Eye twitching is a definite sign of a lie. "And you were wearing one in your hair."
"So?"
"I'm just saying…"
"You have a reason to?"
"Well—"
"Then don't," Lily said, with a tone that clearly meant ended of discussion. Still, when Lily thought she had turned away, Ilona saw that Lily had picked up the flower that she'd brushed out of her hair and tucked it into her robes before heading out the portrait hole.
Ilona turned around, sensing that someone was there, and came face to face with Remus Lupin.
She laughed, cocking her head to the side.
"Fancy seeing you here, Remus," she said, reaching out to touch his light brown hair.
"And you," he replied, before smiling gently. "What'd you do to Lily Evans to make her change her mind about James?"
She giggled again. "Nothing really. I don't think pudding helped much, although I would say she was quite charmed by the flowers."
"I'd imagine," Remus said, giving her one last grin before looking at her with uncomfortable seriousness. "I'm leaving again tomorrow."
"What?"
He could tell she was disappointed. Her honey-colored eyes suddenly looked tired, distress etched all over her face.
"Grandmum's ill again. Father said I had to come home tomorrow."
He hated lying to her. He hated himself. He hated who he was.
"Family comes first, I guess, right?" she told him, smiling weakly. "Besides, I know how much your Grandmum means to you. Take care, send my prayers to her, and come back soon." She turned away again, but he grabbed her wrist and kissed her.
"I'm leaving after Divination," he said, his nose touching hers." Keep Lily and James at a safe distance for me, alright?" He smiled.
Ilona nodded, feeling warm and cold and full and empty as she watched him pull away and go through the common room exit.
