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Chapter 2: A little help in Charms
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A beam of bright sunlight filtered into the seventh year girl's dormitory. Lily burrowed under her thick blankets, and tried to block out the constant shriek of the magical alarm clock that was currently wailing, 'it's time to get up!'
There was a groan, and a 'turn that bloody thing off' from across the room.
Lily shut her eyes tightly pretending to be asleep, so the others would leave her to get ready on her own. She heard the bed sheets rustling and the creaks of beds as the girls in her dorm rose from their tousled, burgundy Gryffindor sheets.
Lily remained silent and still, making sure not to put weight on her slowly recovering wrist. She heard Godric's loud purr coming closer to her head. He leapt over her back, and burrowed into the covers surrounding her. She felt his body move closer to her neck, and began to feel him snuggle and rub his head against her face. Lily tried to move her head out of his attack path, but he would have none.
"Should we wake her?" a voice sounded from across the room.
Lily pinched her eyes shut, keeping the loose fur out of her eyes, nose, and mouth.
"No, she always likes to get up on her own," a groggy voice said, stifling a yawn.
"Ok, more shower time for us then."
Lily waited for them to leave the dormitory, before she lifted her arm, and snuggled Godric to her. He purred contentedly, and stared up at her with large blue eyes. Lily kissed his fluffy head, before looking tiredly at the clock on her bedside table. It was 6:30 in the morning.
She was feeling particularly disgusting this morning. She sat up and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Lily massaged her aching wrist, before patting Godric's head and standing up. She retrieved her bathrobe from the desk chair, and wrapped it around herself, holding it tightly to her body, afraid to loosen her grip on it in fear of someone seeing her.
She hastily grabbed her wand just in case and went into began to walk toward the bathrooms.
The halls were somewhat silent, the school having already gotten up, and were probably down in breakfast. She clutched her wand tightly as she padded down the hallway, very aware of her surroundings.
When she finally reached the bathroom, she pushed the heavy door open, and walked slowly in. Her two roommates, Melissa Seekler and Kara Tobatski had their makeup bags propped on the ledge under the mirror, and they were both leaning in, applying mass amounts of shimmery lipgloss.
Their head turned her direction as she entered the bathroom.
"Oh hello, I see you're up," Melissa said sweetly. "We didn't want to wake you."
"Thank you," Lily muttered quietly.
"What?" Melissa asked kindly, obviously not able to hear her.
"Thank you."
Melissa nodded, as she zipped up her make up bag, and took one last look into the mirror above the sink.
Kara glanced over at Lily, her eyes roaming to her wand clutched tightly in her hand. So tightly in fact that her knuckles were turning white.
"May I inquire why you brought your wand into the shower with you?" she asked, her eyebrows rose in confusion.
Lily shrugged, and uncomfortably took off her bathrobe, and placed it on one of the vacant chairs in the room. She wore a long sleeve pajama shirt and long pants. "No reason." Lily replied quietly.
Kara nodded, and nudged Melissa to leave the bathroom.
"Well, we'll leave you to it then. See you at breakfast?" Kara asked kindly.
"Um.."
The two girls watched her fidget uncomfortably, before Melissa took it upon herself to move it along.
"Right, well, we'll see you later then," and she and Kara slid past Lily and into the hall.
Lily sighed with relief, and stepped into a stall. She was reluctant to take off her clothing, but she hastily pulled the shirt over her frail body. The bruise on her wrist was a dark purple, swollen, and sore. She sighed, and turned on the head to its usual temperature. It needed to be extra hot today, to sanitize her extra filthy skin.
She let the hott water flow down her battered body. She felt the familiar tears spring to her eyes, caused by the memories the bathroom, and the shower provoked.
A few minutes later, the door to the large bathroom opened.
"Hello, Lily, I lost my eyeshadow, I just came back too.." But what she was going to say by the sound of choked back sobs. "Lily? Are you ok?"
Lily held her breath, and crumpled against the cool wall of the shower.
"Lily?"
"I'm fine," she croaked.
"Are you sure?" the voice of Kara asked concerned.
"Yes."
"Well ok, I'll just.." They fell into an awkward silence.
Lily turned off the water, and waited for the sound of the door to shut again, so she could gather her clothes and dress into it.
She shakily stepped into her uniform, buttoning her cloak up to her neck, and walked in front of the mirror.
Her reflection was pale, and tired. Her usually sparkling emerald eyes were a dull green showing no happiness, all that was notice, was sadness, fear, and loss. Her vibrant red hair was wet and dripping limply against her face, and it was hard to seen, but her robes hung loosely, drooping over her shoulders.
Her lips formed a meek, vulnerable look as she grabbed her wand and managed to charm her hair dry, and give her a somewhat fresher appearance, before making her way back to her dormitory.
She grabbed her Charms book, her first class of the day, and made her way down to breakfast.
The Great Hall was lively with chattering students, eating, and talking about their summer. Lily sadly realized that she would never be involved in this anymore. Surely no one would want her friendship. Face it, even if they did she could never truly talk to them. She knew that whomever she talked to long enough would eventually suspect something about-about, the abuse, about Vernon. She couldn't risk anyone finding out, she couldn't let anyone get hurt, hadn't Vernon warned her?
She clutched her books tighter to her chest, and made her way toward her seat at the end of the table, near the teacher's table. She sat down, placing her books carefully next to her, and bent over her nearly full plate. She ate silently, lost in her rampaging thoughts.
After a few minutes, there were shouts and screaming from the Slytherin table, just as the Gryffindor's erupted in laughter.
Lily snapped her head around, and her eyes widened in amusement. Everyday it never failed the Marauders somehow got the Slytherins, and they seemed none the wiser. She smiled to herself, as she watched Severus Snape jump up from the table, like his butt was on fire. His hair was slowly turning Gryffindor red, gold, and yellow, and his robes began flashing 'Go Gryffindor Go! We Slytherins are much too low!'
Lily's eyes wandered to the Marauders, and she was instantly sorry that she had. James Potter was looking directly at her. She snapped her head back down at her plate. Her cheeks grew red, as she shakily brought her piece of toast to her mouth. How embarrassing that she was caught!
She hastily finished her toast, before gathering her things, and fleeing the Great Hall to go to class early.
Further down the table James crunched lazily on his strip of bacon. He watched as Lily Evans practically flew out of the Great Hall. Was it something he had done? She seemed amused with the Slytherin's prank. She should be able to laugh, to joke around sometimes. His heart constricted painfully, she was dyer need of friendship. He could see it in her lost and lonely expression. Her fear of confrontations, yet her enjoyment at seeing other people's relationships around her. She deserved her own, and not to watch everyone else's. She deserved to be noticed. Probably more so than some of the girls that he'd met in his lifetime.
A hand waved in his face, snapping him out of his contemplation.
"Prongs? Where's your head lately? You barely laughed!" Sirius shouted at him in mock anger. "What's happening to you? Can you be saved!"
Remus snorted into his milk. "Sirius you're a prick."
"How am I a prick?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know, it just felt like the right moment to inform you of your unfortunate condition." he grinned.
"Whatever Moony! So anyway, Prongs want to talk, you know man to man."
"You mean man to ass?" Remus offered helpfully.
"You're not helping Remmy, darling." Sirius said in a singsong voice.
"Oh so sorry your highness."
"And you better remember that!" Sirius said puffing his chest proudly.
James chuckled.
"He laughs! Hallelujah! He can be saved!"
James shoved his shoulder. "Shut up Padfoot."
"No really what's on your mind lately?" Sirius asked suddenly serious.
"You know Lily Evans?"
Sirius's eyebrows came together in confusion. "Quiet, kinda..quiet?"
"Yea."
"What about her?"
"I was just wondering about her, I'm curious, like does she have friends? Why is she so quiet, those kind of things."
Sirius looked at him oddly, before placing a hand on James's forehead. "Are you feeling all right? Where'd this new sprout of heart come from?"
"Nowhere, I was just wondering. I feel bad for her, should I talk to her."
Sirius looked at him oddly again. "You want to get Lily Evans to talk. You know James we've known her for 6 years, and I still have yet to hear her voice. Now Melissa on the other hand.." He sighed. "Now that girl can talk, and kiss."
"You forget Padfoot, you talked to her on the train, AND, what does THAT have to do with anything?" James asked with a slightly disgusted look on his face. He honestly didn't need to hear one bit of Sirius' love life. It was too much information.
"I don't know, what were we talking about?"
James rolled his eyes, and gathered his books. "You done?"
Sirius looked down at his mess of a plate. "I guess, it's not like I can find anything edible on this plate."
Remus laughed, and hit Peter upside the head, knocking him out of his daydream.
"What?"
"Class, Sunshine!" Remus declared happily.
"Right," Peter said also gathering his books.
The four Marauders all followed the crowd out of the Great Hall.
The Seventh year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs all filed into the Charms classroom.
James was quick to notice with raised eyebrows that Lily sat way in the back alone, in the shadows. He was sad to realize that he'd never noticed before, never cared to make a note of where Lily Evans was during the day. He also noticed that whenever he saw her she was alone. He had a sudden urge to take her under his wing, to get her to open up to people, be apart of society, but this train of thought was interrupted by none other than Professor Flitwick.
The Professor climbed clumsily on his stack of books that he used as his pedestal and regarded the class.
"Good morning class."
There was a general murmur throughout the class of greeting to the Professor.
"Today, we'll be learning the 'Engorgo' charm. You position your wand over the thing that you want enlarged, like take his frog for example."
A large green frog was placed on a tall stool next to him. He positioned his wand over the frog.
"Now, you flick your wrist, like so," he demonstrated this, "and say the incantation, 'engorgo,' let's try."
He went through the steps, and sure enough when he was done, the frog had swelled to the size of a house cat.
James's eyes bulged; he didn't like that too much, giant frogs. Sirius might get some clever ideas. He shivered at the thought.
"The object that you will need is placed in front of you, I'll be around to see everyone's progress." He slowly climbed down from his perch, and began to walk around the room.
James looked down at his object; it was an ordinary shirt button. He looked over at Sirius, who was grinning ear to ear.
"What are you smiling at?" James asked cautiously.
"Nothing." Sirius said in his singsong voice. It was the one he used when you knew that he was up to something, and that something was always something against you.
"Sir, what are you planning?" James growled.
Sirius positioned his wand over his tee light candle, and turned his cat eyes on his best friend. "What ever makes you think I'm planning something?" he asked in his most innocent voice."
"You're always planning something." Remus smiled, leaning in over Sirius's work.
Sirius turned to glare at Remus. "For your information Moony, I am NOT ALWAYS planning something. It just so happens that I'm usually planning something."
"Oh, so sorry, my mistake," Remus chuckled, and turned back to his gumball.
James rolled his eyes at his friends before turning back to his button. He began to concentrate, and positioned his wand over the button. He opened his mouth, just as Sirius turned to James, and pointed his wand at him.
"Bracium Imende!" Sirius shouted, just as James said "Engorgo."
Sirius's charm seemed to have reached James first, as his wand arm fell limp to his side, as his button exploded.
Students around the room gasped, some shrieked, and turned in their direction, eyes wide and wondering.
"Mr. Potter! What was that wrist flick! It's a wonder you managed to blow up only the button and not your hand!"
"Professor, it was.." James waved his hand in Sirius's direction, which was looking at him innocently, shaking his head. His eyes were wide, and he seemed to be trying to act that the explosion was as much a surprise for him, as it was for anyone.
"Quiet, please Mr. Potter!" his little eyes scanned the room. "Miss Evans, will you please come down here, since you are finished, and help Potter here? Quickly, before he kills himself."
Lily's eyes grew wide as she stared at Professor Flitwick. She nodded slowly, before standing up, and gathering her books.
Every eye in the class was watching her as she made her way to the Marauder's table.
James stood there in shock. Lily Evans! Lily Evans was going to help him! This was his chance! His big chance to become her friend!
When she finally reached him, he got to look at her face closer up. Her large strikingly emerald eyes were tired, and somewhat frightened. He wanted to wipe the fright away from them. Her beautiful red hair fell in waves around her narrow shoulders, as she gingerly laid her books down on his table.
"Is it ok if I leave my books here?" she asked not looking up from where she'd dropped her books.
He wanted to get her to lift her head.
"Oh, that's fine." James said reassuringly.
"Lily Evans! We met on the train remember? Sirius Black?" he held out his hand, and shook hers.
She blushed, and pulled her hand back quickly as he released hers.
"Don't mind him," James muttered. "He's getting help."
Lily raised her head, and smiled at him, it was weak, but still a smile.
James mentally gave himself a pat on the back for getting her to flash her gorgeous-wait.James' brow creased lightly as he realized what he was thinking.
"So what is it that you need help on?" Lily asked, looking at him with her large emerald eyes.
"Oh, that, that, was a mis." Sirius started, before James jabbed him roughly in the ribs, and smiled winningly at Lily.
"Actually, I can't get the wrist movement right," he lied.
Sirius rolled his eyes, and turned back to his project. "The older he gets, the weirder he gets."
Remus and Peter chuckled.
"Oh the wrist movement isn't that hard, all you do is.." She demonstrated it, and James faked being bad at it. She had to demonstrate several times before James appeared to be frustrated with himself. "No, it's okay. Here." Lily took his wrist in her hand and guided him through the motion slowly. James completed the wrist flick flawlessly this time.
Lily smiled. "Great, now try it on the button."
James did it wrong on purpose, and Lily smiled lightly.
"It's ok if you don't get it right away." Her robe slipped down her arm, and she jerked slightly, pulling it roughly over her exposed wrist. She looked up at James nervously to see if he'd noticed anything, he hadn't, he was too busy going through the motions.
Finally James successfully enlarged his button to roughly the size of a dinner plate. Lily smiled, and gathered her books again.
"Good job."
"Thanks.." James ran a hand through his unruly hair, thinking of someway to keep the conversation going. "Um.Can you tutor me.erm.in Charms?"
Lily looked at him, her eyes wide, and disbelieving. She shifted the weight of her books on her other hip, as she fidgeted from foot to foot, biting her lower lip.
"If you.if you want. that is." James added hastily.
Lily breathed deeply, before giving her answer. "Can I think about it?" She still held her gaze to the ground.
James nodded, almost too quickly. "Sure, take all the time you need."
Lily nodded, just as the bell signaling the end of class rang.
James turned to his friends then, to see them all staring open mouthed at James.
"Prongs! Why in the HELL did you ask that? You don't need help, you have the second highest marks in our charms!"
"Yes, but Lily has the highest." James reasoned.
Sirius, Remus, and Peter all looked at him blankly.
"Look don't worry about it guys!" James shouted. "It doesn't concern you anyway!"
"Our best mate, partner in crime, going batty doesn't concern us?" Sirius asked baffled.
"I want to befriend her."
"Why?" Peter asked.
"Because she needs one." James looked hopefully at his friends. Yeah. Lily needed a friend, all right. Besides, it always felt good to help someone, and get to know new people, and James being the kind person he is, found this reason enough for becoming Lily Evan's friend.
"Why's it got to be you?" Sirius asked.
"Because no one else will. She deserves friends, just like everyone else does, and she can't be silent for no reason. What ever is bothering her is probably eating away at her, and I think that she needs someone to confide in."
"How are you going to get her to confide in you?" Remus asked curiously skeptical as the four made it out of the classroom.
"Time, dear Moony, all in good time," James smiled at them. The headed toward Gryffindor Tower for break.
"I still say you've gone batty." Sirius said shaking his head. "But since you're my best mate, I won't question you."
"Thank you Si."
"No problem, Fruit Cake."
"I thought you weren't going to make fun of me."
"Now I never said that, I said I wouldn't question you, I can still have fun with you though." Sirius smirked.
"Oh lucky me," James muttered shaking his head, before they all disappeared into the portrait hole.
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Chapter 2: A little help in Charms
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A beam of bright sunlight filtered into the seventh year girl's dormitory. Lily burrowed under her thick blankets, and tried to block out the constant shriek of the magical alarm clock that was currently wailing, 'it's time to get up!'
There was a groan, and a 'turn that bloody thing off' from across the room.
Lily shut her eyes tightly pretending to be asleep, so the others would leave her to get ready on her own. She heard the bed sheets rustling and the creaks of beds as the girls in her dorm rose from their tousled, burgundy Gryffindor sheets.
Lily remained silent and still, making sure not to put weight on her slowly recovering wrist. She heard Godric's loud purr coming closer to her head. He leapt over her back, and burrowed into the covers surrounding her. She felt his body move closer to her neck, and began to feel him snuggle and rub his head against her face. Lily tried to move her head out of his attack path, but he would have none.
"Should we wake her?" a voice sounded from across the room.
Lily pinched her eyes shut, keeping the loose fur out of her eyes, nose, and mouth.
"No, she always likes to get up on her own," a groggy voice said, stifling a yawn.
"Ok, more shower time for us then."
Lily waited for them to leave the dormitory, before she lifted her arm, and snuggled Godric to her. He purred contentedly, and stared up at her with large blue eyes. Lily kissed his fluffy head, before looking tiredly at the clock on her bedside table. It was 6:30 in the morning.
She was feeling particularly disgusting this morning. She sat up and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Lily massaged her aching wrist, before patting Godric's head and standing up. She retrieved her bathrobe from the desk chair, and wrapped it around herself, holding it tightly to her body, afraid to loosen her grip on it in fear of someone seeing her.
She hastily grabbed her wand just in case and went into began to walk toward the bathrooms.
The halls were somewhat silent, the school having already gotten up, and were probably down in breakfast. She clutched her wand tightly as she padded down the hallway, very aware of her surroundings.
When she finally reached the bathroom, she pushed the heavy door open, and walked slowly in. Her two roommates, Melissa Seekler and Kara Tobatski had their makeup bags propped on the ledge under the mirror, and they were both leaning in, applying mass amounts of shimmery lipgloss.
Their head turned her direction as she entered the bathroom.
"Oh hello, I see you're up," Melissa said sweetly. "We didn't want to wake you."
"Thank you," Lily muttered quietly.
"What?" Melissa asked kindly, obviously not able to hear her.
"Thank you."
Melissa nodded, as she zipped up her make up bag, and took one last look into the mirror above the sink.
Kara glanced over at Lily, her eyes roaming to her wand clutched tightly in her hand. So tightly in fact that her knuckles were turning white.
"May I inquire why you brought your wand into the shower with you?" she asked, her eyebrows rose in confusion.
Lily shrugged, and uncomfortably took off her bathrobe, and placed it on one of the vacant chairs in the room. She wore a long sleeve pajama shirt and long pants. "No reason." Lily replied quietly.
Kara nodded, and nudged Melissa to leave the bathroom.
"Well, we'll leave you to it then. See you at breakfast?" Kara asked kindly.
"Um.."
The two girls watched her fidget uncomfortably, before Melissa took it upon herself to move it along.
"Right, well, we'll see you later then," and she and Kara slid past Lily and into the hall.
Lily sighed with relief, and stepped into a stall. She was reluctant to take off her clothing, but she hastily pulled the shirt over her frail body. The bruise on her wrist was a dark purple, swollen, and sore. She sighed, and turned on the head to its usual temperature. It needed to be extra hot today, to sanitize her extra filthy skin.
She let the hott water flow down her battered body. She felt the familiar tears spring to her eyes, caused by the memories the bathroom, and the shower provoked.
A few minutes later, the door to the large bathroom opened.
"Hello, Lily, I lost my eyeshadow, I just came back too.." But what she was going to say by the sound of choked back sobs. "Lily? Are you ok?"
Lily held her breath, and crumpled against the cool wall of the shower.
"Lily?"
"I'm fine," she croaked.
"Are you sure?" the voice of Kara asked concerned.
"Yes."
"Well ok, I'll just.." They fell into an awkward silence.
Lily turned off the water, and waited for the sound of the door to shut again, so she could gather her clothes and dress into it.
She shakily stepped into her uniform, buttoning her cloak up to her neck, and walked in front of the mirror.
Her reflection was pale, and tired. Her usually sparkling emerald eyes were a dull green showing no happiness, all that was notice, was sadness, fear, and loss. Her vibrant red hair was wet and dripping limply against her face, and it was hard to seen, but her robes hung loosely, drooping over her shoulders.
Her lips formed a meek, vulnerable look as she grabbed her wand and managed to charm her hair dry, and give her a somewhat fresher appearance, before making her way back to her dormitory.
She grabbed her Charms book, her first class of the day, and made her way down to breakfast.
The Great Hall was lively with chattering students, eating, and talking about their summer. Lily sadly realized that she would never be involved in this anymore. Surely no one would want her friendship. Face it, even if they did she could never truly talk to them. She knew that whomever she talked to long enough would eventually suspect something about-about, the abuse, about Vernon. She couldn't risk anyone finding out, she couldn't let anyone get hurt, hadn't Vernon warned her?
She clutched her books tighter to her chest, and made her way toward her seat at the end of the table, near the teacher's table. She sat down, placing her books carefully next to her, and bent over her nearly full plate. She ate silently, lost in her rampaging thoughts.
After a few minutes, there were shouts and screaming from the Slytherin table, just as the Gryffindor's erupted in laughter.
Lily snapped her head around, and her eyes widened in amusement. Everyday it never failed the Marauders somehow got the Slytherins, and they seemed none the wiser. She smiled to herself, as she watched Severus Snape jump up from the table, like his butt was on fire. His hair was slowly turning Gryffindor red, gold, and yellow, and his robes began flashing 'Go Gryffindor Go! We Slytherins are much too low!'
Lily's eyes wandered to the Marauders, and she was instantly sorry that she had. James Potter was looking directly at her. She snapped her head back down at her plate. Her cheeks grew red, as she shakily brought her piece of toast to her mouth. How embarrassing that she was caught!
She hastily finished her toast, before gathering her things, and fleeing the Great Hall to go to class early.
Further down the table James crunched lazily on his strip of bacon. He watched as Lily Evans practically flew out of the Great Hall. Was it something he had done? She seemed amused with the Slytherin's prank. She should be able to laugh, to joke around sometimes. His heart constricted painfully, she was dyer need of friendship. He could see it in her lost and lonely expression. Her fear of confrontations, yet her enjoyment at seeing other people's relationships around her. She deserved her own, and not to watch everyone else's. She deserved to be noticed. Probably more so than some of the girls that he'd met in his lifetime.
A hand waved in his face, snapping him out of his contemplation.
"Prongs? Where's your head lately? You barely laughed!" Sirius shouted at him in mock anger. "What's happening to you? Can you be saved!"
Remus snorted into his milk. "Sirius you're a prick."
"How am I a prick?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know, it just felt like the right moment to inform you of your unfortunate condition." he grinned.
"Whatever Moony! So anyway, Prongs want to talk, you know man to man."
"You mean man to ass?" Remus offered helpfully.
"You're not helping Remmy, darling." Sirius said in a singsong voice.
"Oh so sorry your highness."
"And you better remember that!" Sirius said puffing his chest proudly.
James chuckled.
"He laughs! Hallelujah! He can be saved!"
James shoved his shoulder. "Shut up Padfoot."
"No really what's on your mind lately?" Sirius asked suddenly serious.
"You know Lily Evans?"
Sirius's eyebrows came together in confusion. "Quiet, kinda..quiet?"
"Yea."
"What about her?"
"I was just wondering about her, I'm curious, like does she have friends? Why is she so quiet, those kind of things."
Sirius looked at him oddly, before placing a hand on James's forehead. "Are you feeling all right? Where'd this new sprout of heart come from?"
"Nowhere, I was just wondering. I feel bad for her, should I talk to her."
Sirius looked at him oddly again. "You want to get Lily Evans to talk. You know James we've known her for 6 years, and I still have yet to hear her voice. Now Melissa on the other hand.." He sighed. "Now that girl can talk, and kiss."
"You forget Padfoot, you talked to her on the train, AND, what does THAT have to do with anything?" James asked with a slightly disgusted look on his face. He honestly didn't need to hear one bit of Sirius' love life. It was too much information.
"I don't know, what were we talking about?"
James rolled his eyes, and gathered his books. "You done?"
Sirius looked down at his mess of a plate. "I guess, it's not like I can find anything edible on this plate."
Remus laughed, and hit Peter upside the head, knocking him out of his daydream.
"What?"
"Class, Sunshine!" Remus declared happily.
"Right," Peter said also gathering his books.
The four Marauders all followed the crowd out of the Great Hall.
The Seventh year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs all filed into the Charms classroom.
James was quick to notice with raised eyebrows that Lily sat way in the back alone, in the shadows. He was sad to realize that he'd never noticed before, never cared to make a note of where Lily Evans was during the day. He also noticed that whenever he saw her she was alone. He had a sudden urge to take her under his wing, to get her to open up to people, be apart of society, but this train of thought was interrupted by none other than Professor Flitwick.
The Professor climbed clumsily on his stack of books that he used as his pedestal and regarded the class.
"Good morning class."
There was a general murmur throughout the class of greeting to the Professor.
"Today, we'll be learning the 'Engorgo' charm. You position your wand over the thing that you want enlarged, like take his frog for example."
A large green frog was placed on a tall stool next to him. He positioned his wand over the frog.
"Now, you flick your wrist, like so," he demonstrated this, "and say the incantation, 'engorgo,' let's try."
He went through the steps, and sure enough when he was done, the frog had swelled to the size of a house cat.
James's eyes bulged; he didn't like that too much, giant frogs. Sirius might get some clever ideas. He shivered at the thought.
"The object that you will need is placed in front of you, I'll be around to see everyone's progress." He slowly climbed down from his perch, and began to walk around the room.
James looked down at his object; it was an ordinary shirt button. He looked over at Sirius, who was grinning ear to ear.
"What are you smiling at?" James asked cautiously.
"Nothing." Sirius said in his singsong voice. It was the one he used when you knew that he was up to something, and that something was always something against you.
"Sir, what are you planning?" James growled.
Sirius positioned his wand over his tee light candle, and turned his cat eyes on his best friend. "What ever makes you think I'm planning something?" he asked in his most innocent voice."
"You're always planning something." Remus smiled, leaning in over Sirius's work.
Sirius turned to glare at Remus. "For your information Moony, I am NOT ALWAYS planning something. It just so happens that I'm usually planning something."
"Oh, so sorry, my mistake," Remus chuckled, and turned back to his gumball.
James rolled his eyes at his friends before turning back to his button. He began to concentrate, and positioned his wand over the button. He opened his mouth, just as Sirius turned to James, and pointed his wand at him.
"Bracium Imende!" Sirius shouted, just as James said "Engorgo."
Sirius's charm seemed to have reached James first, as his wand arm fell limp to his side, as his button exploded.
Students around the room gasped, some shrieked, and turned in their direction, eyes wide and wondering.
"Mr. Potter! What was that wrist flick! It's a wonder you managed to blow up only the button and not your hand!"
"Professor, it was.." James waved his hand in Sirius's direction, which was looking at him innocently, shaking his head. His eyes were wide, and he seemed to be trying to act that the explosion was as much a surprise for him, as it was for anyone.
"Quiet, please Mr. Potter!" his little eyes scanned the room. "Miss Evans, will you please come down here, since you are finished, and help Potter here? Quickly, before he kills himself."
Lily's eyes grew wide as she stared at Professor Flitwick. She nodded slowly, before standing up, and gathering her books.
Every eye in the class was watching her as she made her way to the Marauder's table.
James stood there in shock. Lily Evans! Lily Evans was going to help him! This was his chance! His big chance to become her friend!
When she finally reached him, he got to look at her face closer up. Her large strikingly emerald eyes were tired, and somewhat frightened. He wanted to wipe the fright away from them. Her beautiful red hair fell in waves around her narrow shoulders, as she gingerly laid her books down on his table.
"Is it ok if I leave my books here?" she asked not looking up from where she'd dropped her books.
He wanted to get her to lift her head.
"Oh, that's fine." James said reassuringly.
"Lily Evans! We met on the train remember? Sirius Black?" he held out his hand, and shook hers.
She blushed, and pulled her hand back quickly as he released hers.
"Don't mind him," James muttered. "He's getting help."
Lily raised her head, and smiled at him, it was weak, but still a smile.
James mentally gave himself a pat on the back for getting her to flash her gorgeous-wait.James' brow creased lightly as he realized what he was thinking.
"So what is it that you need help on?" Lily asked, looking at him with her large emerald eyes.
"Oh, that, that, was a mis." Sirius started, before James jabbed him roughly in the ribs, and smiled winningly at Lily.
"Actually, I can't get the wrist movement right," he lied.
Sirius rolled his eyes, and turned back to his project. "The older he gets, the weirder he gets."
Remus and Peter chuckled.
"Oh the wrist movement isn't that hard, all you do is.." She demonstrated it, and James faked being bad at it. She had to demonstrate several times before James appeared to be frustrated with himself. "No, it's okay. Here." Lily took his wrist in her hand and guided him through the motion slowly. James completed the wrist flick flawlessly this time.
Lily smiled. "Great, now try it on the button."
James did it wrong on purpose, and Lily smiled lightly.
"It's ok if you don't get it right away." Her robe slipped down her arm, and she jerked slightly, pulling it roughly over her exposed wrist. She looked up at James nervously to see if he'd noticed anything, he hadn't, he was too busy going through the motions.
Finally James successfully enlarged his button to roughly the size of a dinner plate. Lily smiled, and gathered her books again.
"Good job."
"Thanks.." James ran a hand through his unruly hair, thinking of someway to keep the conversation going. "Um.Can you tutor me.erm.in Charms?"
Lily looked at him, her eyes wide, and disbelieving. She shifted the weight of her books on her other hip, as she fidgeted from foot to foot, biting her lower lip.
"If you.if you want. that is." James added hastily.
Lily breathed deeply, before giving her answer. "Can I think about it?" She still held her gaze to the ground.
James nodded, almost too quickly. "Sure, take all the time you need."
Lily nodded, just as the bell signaling the end of class rang.
James turned to his friends then, to see them all staring open mouthed at James.
"Prongs! Why in the HELL did you ask that? You don't need help, you have the second highest marks in our charms!"
"Yes, but Lily has the highest." James reasoned.
Sirius, Remus, and Peter all looked at him blankly.
"Look don't worry about it guys!" James shouted. "It doesn't concern you anyway!"
"Our best mate, partner in crime, going batty doesn't concern us?" Sirius asked baffled.
"I want to befriend her."
"Why?" Peter asked.
"Because she needs one." James looked hopefully at his friends. Yeah. Lily needed a friend, all right. Besides, it always felt good to help someone, and get to know new people, and James being the kind person he is, found this reason enough for becoming Lily Evan's friend.
"Why's it got to be you?" Sirius asked.
"Because no one else will. She deserves friends, just like everyone else does, and she can't be silent for no reason. What ever is bothering her is probably eating away at her, and I think that she needs someone to confide in."
"How are you going to get her to confide in you?" Remus asked curiously skeptical as the four made it out of the classroom.
"Time, dear Moony, all in good time," James smiled at them. The headed toward Gryffindor Tower for break.
"I still say you've gone batty." Sirius said shaking his head. "But since you're my best mate, I won't question you."
"Thank you Si."
"No problem, Fruit Cake."
"I thought you weren't going to make fun of me."
"Now I never said that, I said I wouldn't question you, I can still have fun with you though." Sirius smirked.
"Oh lucky me," James muttered shaking his head, before they all disappeared into the portrait hole.
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