Chapter three part two…Quidditch, Dreams, and Detention.

When the four reached the oak doors to the Great Hall, Lily pushed them opened with all the force that she could.  She scanned the room for James and once she spotted him, she yelled over all the other students talking, "POTTER!"

Many people ceased their talking and turned their heads towards Lily.  They, along with Lily, watched James turn his head and smile.  "Do my ears deceive me, or do I hear but not a flower call?"

Lily gritted her teeth, "Oh you hear a flower call alright!"

James' smile did not leave his face, although he did look slightly put off.  He stood up and walked over to where Lily stood, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Lily held up the small piece of red parchment, "I want to know what kind of potion you put in my drink, and I want the antidote!"

James' smile now faded and he glanced up at the Head Table to where all the teachers were sitting and watching, "Don't you think we should take this outside into the hall or something?"

"No."

"Alright.  Well, I didn't put anything into your drink, Sirius did, and I don't have the antidote."

"Oh sure, blame your best friend, that's good of you!"

"I swear, I didn't!"

"Fine, whatever, I don't care who did it, but I want the antidote now!"

James' glanced around the large hall; nearly everyone was staring at them.  When James spoke it was so quite, his whisper sounded like a scream, "I already told you, I don't have it!"

"Well, get it then!"  Lily was looking daggers at James, "Now!"

James left Lily standing there and went over to Sirius.  Sirius took a small vial from his robes and handed it to James.  As James started back towards Lily, nearly everyone else in the Hall decided to get back to their conversations thinking that nothing else was going to happen.

Now that not everyone was watching James, he seemed to gain his entire composer back, "I'll give you the antidote under one condition." 

"I'm not playing games with you Potter.  Just give me the bloody vial or I'll hex you!"

James' smile from before returned to his face, "I just have one request, then I'll give it to you."

Lily rolled her eyes; all she wanted was the damn antidote, "Fine."

The charming smile on James' face changed to a very suggestive one if that, "Just tell me something."  Lily was looking at James impatiently before he continued with a raise of his eyebrow, "How was I?"

SMACK.  Lily's mouth dropped open.  She couldn't believe he asked that, so she smacked James as hard as she could.

"Ms. Evans!  Mr. Potter!  Both of you into my office now!"  Professor McGonagall was walking briskly over to the pair.  Lily walked out of the Great Hall with a look of satisfaction and fear.  James just walked out of the hall holding one hand up to his cheek.

Once outside of the Great Hall, McGonagall lead the way to her office.  When they got there, the professor opened the door and walked briskly over to her desk.  She pointed to the two chairs that were in front of it.  James and Lily obliged and sat down silently.  McGonagall's gaze went from Lily to James and back to Lily.  "Ms. Evans, I never thought the day that I had to speak to you about appropriate conduct would ever come.  I expected better of a prefect, of you."

Lily felt ashamed.  Never in her six years at Hogwarts was she ever sent to one of the Professors offices until now.  "I'm sorry Professor."

"Well, Ms. Evans, I'm sorry as well, but I must punish you for your actions.  It is a prefect's duty to be a role model for other students, and hitting someone, for whatever the reason might be, and we will get back to that, is not acceptable.  You will have detention tomorrow night."

Lily nodded, "Yes Professor."

"Now back to the cause of this situation.  Mr. Potter already has detention for all this week; I need to determine if he needs more."

"Professor!  Why would I get detention for this?  I was the one who got hit!"  James said incredulously.

"Because Mr. Potter, if you did something to provoke Ms. Evans, which I'm sure you did being this isn't normal behavior for her, you would be in the wrong as well.  Now what was the cause?"

Lily looked quickly at James and then back to McGonagall.  "He just said something that I found distasteful.  He shouldn't receive detention for this."  Lily saw James look at her shocked, from the corner of her eyes, but she tried to stay staring back to McGonagall.

The professor didn't seem to believe Lily, but said nothing of her makeshift story.  "Well, if that's all, Ms. Evans, you will join Mr. Potter up in the owllery for detention tomorrow night at 7:00.  Mr. Filtch will supervise and give you your instructions."

"Yes Professor."  James and Lily said in unison as they were dismissed.  James reached the door fist and held it open for Lily.  She walked past him and walked quickly trying to get away from him.  Unfortunately, James' legs were longer and he caught up to her without any trouble.

"You didn't tell her about the potion!"  James said with a smile on his face.

Lily looked at him with disgust, "Don't go thinking it's because I like you or anything Potter, because I don't."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Because you said you didn't do it.  You said Sirius did it, therefore the only thing you did Potter, besides not having decent morals and gave me the drink with the potion in it, was asking what you asked in the Great Hall."

"Lily, I was only joking, but I shouldn't have said that.  I'm sorry."

"I don't care Potter."

"What happened to you calling me James and us trying to be friends?"

"That was a brief moment of insanity on my part by thinking you could ever change."  With that Lily quickened her pace trying to get away from James.

This time, James took the hint and stayed back.

Lily made a turn up the stairs, but not towards the common room.  She was thankful that James hadn't followed her.  She was heading towards the astronomy tower.  She loved going up there to think; it had the best view of all Hogwarts during the day and at night, Lily swore she could see every star in the sky from there. 

'I can't believe I have detention!  Merlin, I only slapped the boy!  It's not like I hurt him really, only his goddamn ego!  Damn that Potter, it's his entire fault.'  Lily sat there for about an hour cursing James.  Finally she decided to go back to the common room. 

When she reached the portrait of the fat lady, she gave the password, and walked into the common room.  Most of the Gryffindors were in there, some doing homework, some playing games, some talking about the latest gossip (i.e. the James and Lily row in the Great Hall) or just sitting around with their friends.  Lily noticed Erin, Tiffany, and Heather sitting in their little corner by the fireplace talking.  Well, Erin was reading, Tiffany was listening, and Heather was talking absentmindedly about nothing in particular.  Lily walked over and sat down next to Erin who looked up from her book.

"Were you at the astronomy tower?"

Lily looked at her, "Yeah, how did you know?"

Erin gave a small smile and stated simply, "You weren't at the lake."  Lily looked at Erin questionably.  "If you're not at the lake, then you're always up in the astronomy tower."  Lily just kept looking at Erin.  Then in an after thought, Erin added, "Unless you tell us that you're going to the astronomy tower, but go to the Library instead."

Lily laughed.  All this was true and she never realized it before.  "Am I that predictable?"

In unison, her three best friends answered, "Yes."

"Except for today."  Lily looked at Heather.  'Here comes the wrath of Marx.'  "I don't think any of us expected you to smack James.  It was quiet shocking, but effective nonetheless."

Lily didn't say anything.  She didn't know what to say.

Tiffany broke the silence, "What did he say for you to hit him?  We saw him say something, but we couldn't hear it."

Lily's felt her face heat up, both in anger and embarrassment, "He was just being a pig headed buffoon."

Heather, along with Erin and Tiffany, laughed, but she spoke, "He asked how he was in your dream, didn't he."

Lily just looked at her once again, "How do you know EVERYTHING?!?"

Heather just shrugged her shoulders, "I read people very well, what can I say?" 

Lily rolled her eyes, and Erin decided to change the subject to something else.  She knew that if Lily and Heather continued, they would fight.  "So what did McGonagall say to you?"

"She gave me detention!"

"Are you serious…?"

Before Erin could finish her sentence, she was interrupted, "She can't be Sirius; I'm Sirius!"

The four girls turned around and faced the four Marauders.  Lily's expression soured at the sight of James, but she said nothing.  She didn't want to say anything to him; she didn't even feel like telling him off.  Tiffany had a small smile on her face; she always had a soft spot for the good looking pranksters.  Heather seemed delighted as well, but that was because she was thinking about the prospect that might occur between Lily and James.  Erin just looked at them like she looked at anyone else.  She got along with all of the Marauders, she got along with everyone. 

"Sirius, don't you think that that whole bit got old in the first year?"  Erin smiled.

"I suppose so, but it still works to get someone's attention, doesn't it." 

Erin shook her head jokingly, "You're an annoying git, you know that right?"

"Of course I know."

Lily rolled her eyes, 'Sirius is just as bad as Potter.'  "What do you want Black?  You so rudely interrupted our conversation, so get on with what you wanted and leave."

"Well excuse me Evans!  Just because Jamesy-boy here," James shot Sirius a death glare at the name, "supposedly got you in trouble, doesn't mean you have to be an ice-princess to me or anyone else!"

Lily just glared at him.  'Ice-princess?  Ice-princess!  Who the fuck does he think he is?'  She stood up abruptly and grabbed her bag that was by Erin, "I'm going to the Library."  With that she stalked out of the common room.

Lily stayed in the Library until dinner. She was half way down to the Great Hall when she decided she wasn't hungry and didn't feel like talking to anyone, so she went back up the stairs towards the common room.  She went up to her dormitory and grabbed her things, getting ready for her shower and then for bed. 

It was 8:00 when Lily downed the entire bottle of the antidote that James had given her and then climbed into her four poster bed.  The sooner she went to sleep, the sooner the day would be over.  Hopefully tonight she would have a dreamless sleep and tomorrow would be better.

When Lily woke up the next morning it was still dark out and everyone else in her dorm were still asleep.  She looked at the small clock she had on her nightstand, '4:30!  Argg, that's what I get for going to bed so early.'  Knowing that she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, she decided to get all of her things and get ready for school.  At 5:30 she was finished and still waiting for at least one of her roommates to wake up. 

Finally at 6:00 Erin woke up, "What are you doing up and ready so early for," she asked yawning.

"I got up early," Lily answered with a shrug.

"Ok, well, if you give me a few minutes, I'll be done shortly and we can go down to breakfast early and talk.  I took my shower last night, so I'll only be a little while."

Lily didn't seem to care that much, but nodded, "Yeah, sure."

With that, Erin hurried into the bathroom to get ready, and within 15 minutes, she came out, "I'm done, ready to go?"

Lily nodded her head and grabbed her school bag, Erin did the same and they left down for the Great Hall. 

"So you have detention tonight?"  Erin asked as she and Lily were leaving the common room.

"Yeah, Potter told you?"

Erin nodded, "After you left for the library, he told us what happened."

"I can't believe that I have to spend time with him, isn't detention bad enough in itself, let alone with him!?!"

Erin shrugged, "Well, I'm sure it's not like you're gonna have to talk to him, just ignore him like you usually do, right?"

"I know, but he'll still stare at me, or try to talk to me like he always does."

"I suppose so."  The rest of the walk down to the Great Hall was quite.  It seemed that Lily and Erin were the only ones awake and out yet, but it wasn't surprising, it was after all only twenty minutes after six.

Once they reached the Great Hall, they went over to the Gryffindor table and started getting their breakfast in silence.  But after a few minutes Erin couldn't stand it.

"You know Lils, he really is sorry that you got detention because of him."

"Erin, I don't care if he's sorry or not.  I don't care anything about him.  He's just the egotistical prat that he always has been and always will be.  I wouldn't care if he screamed that he's sorry while jumping off of the astronomy tower's roof!"

Erin looked at Lily surprised, "That's a bit cruel don't you think?"

Lily said nothing at first.  "It was just an expression!"

"A pretty harsh expression!"

"Fine, I'm sorry.  I wouldn't want the fool to die, but I could care less how sorry he is."

Erin sighed, "Fair enough.  But you should give him some credit.  I'm sure you remember how hard it was to make the triple d Potion…"

"Dark Dream Draft Potion?"

"Yeah, don't you remember?  We did it back in September.  It was deep blue and didn't have a…"

"I know what it is Erin!"

Erin looked a put off, "Sorry, then why'd you ask?"

"I wasn't asking what it was.  I was making sure I heard right."  Lily said snidely.

"Well, you did."  Erin responded just as cool.

"It couldn't have been," Lily said quietly, more to herself then to Erin.

"That's what he told us it was."

"But, the Dark Dream Draft Potion only…" Lily stopped abruptly.

"Only what?"

Lily sighed, "Bloody hell!"

"What?  What is it?" Erin asked confusedly.

"A regular dream draft potion will work on anyone.  It gives another person control of someone else's dreams, right?"

"Yeah," Erin answered slowly, "so what?"

"A DARK dream draft potion works differently."

"It does?"

"You really should pay more attention in class."

Erin shrugged, "I'm doing fine in class.  Just because I don't know every detail of a potion, doesn't mean I don't pay attention."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Ok.  Anyway, the triple d works differently then a regular dream draft."  Lily took a deep calming breath, "It only works if the person who drank the potion has any sort of," Lily stopped to search for the right words, "umm, any sort of, err, feelings, for the person who gave them the potion."

Erin's mouth dropped, then she smiled, "And it worked!  That means you have feelings for James!  Real feelings for him!"

Lily shrugged, "Apparently." 

"My god!  I can't believe it!"

"Nor can I.  I mean, I can't stand the bloody git!"

Erin laughed slightly, "You know, my mum told me and my sister once that you can love a person, but still hate them all at the same time.  I thought she was acting mad, but I guess she wasn't."

Lily gently hit her head on the table and mumbled, "This is NOT happening to me."

Erin chuckled a little more, "I wonder if James knows the difference between the two potions."

Lily's head snapped up, "Oh God!  I didn't even think about that!  And now, if he does know the difference, I made it pretty clear, that I did indeed have a dream!"  Lily's head dropped to the table again.

The rest of the day went by uneventful.  She went to her Monday classes, and although James was in every one of them, she was able to avoid him for the most part.  So, the day wasn't all that horrible thankfully.  That is of course until 6:45 came around.

James went over to where Lily was standing with her friends.  "Don't you think we should head up to detention?"

Lily looked up to meet his face, something she hated she had to do.  She never liked looking up at any male, let alone James Potter, but being that most males were taller then her, she had to.  "I suppose."  With that Lily said goodbye to her friends and walked away, followed closely by James.

The walk up to the owllery was silent, except for thunder that could be heard from outside.  Lily was thankful for this, the less she had to speak to James, the better. 

When they reached the owllery, Filtch was already there waiting.  He glanced down at his pocket watch, "You're just in time."  Lily looked at the man.  He had always given her the creeps a little, him and his cat Mrs. Norris. 

"Well, we're here, mind telling us exactly what we have to do?" James asked crudely.

A sick smile came to Filtch's, "The two of you have to clean the owllery floor.  Without magic.  So, hand over your wands.  They'll be brought to Professor McGonagall; you can get them later, after I have inspected the room and decide if it's done well enough."

Lily looked miserable, she was expecting something like this was to be done, as she handed over her wand.  But James had his trademark grin on his face as he handed his over.

Filtch looked at him with disgust, "Potter, what are you smiling about for?  You find detention fun do you?  You and your friends never seem to learn."

"Well, you always have to make the best of a bad situation." James continued to smile as he walked into the dirty owllery.  Lily trekked in behind him and Filtch left Mrs. Norris outside of the door to make sure they didn't leave.

There were brooms and other cleaning supplies in the corner of the room.  James had already gotten a broom of his own, and was holding out one to Lily.  She looked at him and grabbed the broom from his hand without saying anything.  She went over to one side of the room and started sweeping while James went over to the other.

After a few minutes Lily stopped sweeping to look up at the sky after a particularly loud crack of thunder.  Through the holes in the roof and the back wall, Lily could see the storm approaching even in the dark night sky.  She felt the winds blowing outside, and her teeth started to chatter slightly. 

'I knew I should have worn a sweater.  Damn Heather, "You'll ruin it."  Why do I listen to her sometimes?  I rather l ruin a sweater then catch pneumonia.'  At that precise moment while she was looking up to the sky, rain started to pour down, and Lily groaned as the water hit her face hard.

Before Lily went back to sweeping her side, she decided to see how James was doing.  She was determined to be done before him for some reason or other.  She expected to see him sweeping vigorously, but was surprised to see him sitting on a crate, his side finished no less, in one of the corners stroking a very handsome owl and staring at Lily.

"How are you done already?!?" Lily asked slightly outraged.

His famous smile crept to James' face and he took out a wand from inside of his robes and waved it a little.

Lily looked at him shocked, "I saw you give Filtch your wand, whose is that?"

"Sirius'," James said with a shrug, "so what?"

"Do you have any regard for the rules?!?"

James chuckled slightly, "Of course I do.  Now move aside so I can do yours."

Lily closed her eyes and shook her head, 'I can't believe him!!!  He is unreal!'

When Lily opened her eyes, her side was just as clean as James'.  She glared at James for doing that, but she really was pleased that she didn't have to clean it herself.  Lily walked over to a corner on her side and sat on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest.  She was rubbing her arms absentmindedly because of the cold and she was looking up through the holes in the ceiling at the sky.  It was pitch black except when lightening cracked in the sky.  Then everything was aluminous.

For about 10 minutes Lily stayed like that, trying to get as far from the rain as possible, but it was useless.  The rain was coming in from all different directions and fell everywhere.  The only things safe in the room, were the owls, and that was only because they had a shield charm placed on them automatically when it started to rain. 

Lily felt James staring at her, but she refused to look at him.  She was still mad, and confused, about the whole situation.  'I can't have feelings for him, I just can't!  It wouldn't make any sense if I did!  Damn that boy, how dare he take control of my dreams!  This is all his fault!  I'm gonna get pneumonia because of this toe rag!'

Just then, Lily's reverie was interrupted, "Lily?"

Lily heard James call her name, but she pretended she didn't hear him.

"Oh come on Evans, I know you heard me!"

Lily looked up when he called her 'Evans.'  James hardly ever called her Evans.  "What is it?"

"You're gonna get sick getting wet like that."

"Oh really?  Well, how am I supposed to stay dry when rain is coming through ever damn hole in the wall, eh?"  That's when she noticed, that James wasn't very wet at all.

James pulled out Sirius' wand again with a smile, "Allow me?"

"I don't need your help; you've done enough thank you."

"What is your problem?  I mean, I figured you'd be mad for a little while that I messed with your dreams, but this is absurd!  I just want to help you so you don't catch pneumonia!"

"Absurd?  Messing with someone's dreams is absurd!"  With this Lily started crying, but her tears went unnoticed because of the rain.  "You have no right to enter my dreams or anyone else's!"

"I don't understand why you're this upset about it!  It was just a dream; no harm or anything was done by it!" 

Lily mumbled her response, "That's what you think."  She was glad that James didn't hear that.

"You know what Lily, everyone's right about you.  You'll never fall for me, I don't know why I'm still trying, and I don't know how much longer I can take your rejection.  No matter what I do, good or bad, all you ever do is get mad at me, maybe it isn't worth it, I don't know.  But either way, you are like no other girl, and no matter how hard I try not to like you, it doesn't work.  I'm sorry for whatever the reason you're mad at me."  With that, James went back to where he was sitting before and Lily stood there, not knowing what to do.

After a minute or so of standing in the middle of the room, Lily went over and sat next to James.  She wasn't looking at, but she spoke anyway, "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry about?"

Lily shrugged, "I just think I owe you an apology.  I really shouldn't be mad at you for this, and actually, I'm not mad at you.  Granted, I was at first, but, well, now I'm just, umm, not mad at you."  'Yeah, you can talk Evans!  Just tell him that you like him too, and you're sorry for the way you've been acting!  Tell him about the triple d potion!'

James looked at Lily slightly bemused, "Aren't you articulate?

Lily looked at James with an apologetic look, "Yeah."  They continued to look at each other and Lily was sure that both of their heads were leaning into each other, but then the door squeaked open and Mrs. Norris mewed loudly and Filtch came right in.

"You two are finished already?" Filtch said disappointed.

James stood up and so did Lily, "Just finished," James lied.

Filtch looked around the room, "Very well, you can go and get your wands from Professor McGonagall."

Lily and James walked out of the owllery and down to McGonagall's office in silence.  They retrieved their wands, after some questioning as to why Lily was soaked and James wasn't.  James had told some far fetched story to her, and she didn't believe it, but allowed them both to go up to the common room as it was late and they had classes tomorrow.

The walk up to the common room was silent also, but it was a comfortable silence.  When they reached to portrait of the fat lad, James gave the password and they walked in.  James said goodnight to Lily and walked over to the corner where the rest of the Marauders were still up waiting for James' return.  Lily said goodnight as well and walked up to the Girls Dormitories.

A/N… Well this concludes chapter three, "QUIDDITCH, DREAMS, AND DETENTION."  I hope you liked it.  I'm so sorry that this has taken so long to get up, but I haven't been able to get onto the internet, my server has been down.  The next chapter, "HIS SEEKER," will hopefully be up in a couple of days.