Disclaimer: I own only the plot. So don't get excited.

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I've been working on my PotC story so much, that I've completely neglected this one. I apologize! Now, here's chapter two.

Lost time is never found again.

~Benjamin Franklin

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Lost Time Quidditch, Girls, and Chaos

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"And there he goes! Potter takes a sudden dive, swooping low to the ground…he's outstretching his hand…he obviously sees the snitch…oh no, look out! He's going to crash, he's going to get hurt, he's – he's got it! He's got the Snitch! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

An eruption of noise like that of an active volcano rose up from the Gryffindor side of the Quidditch Pitch. Scarlet flags with lions painted on them flapped merrily in the wind. The thrilled yells of the Gryffindors far outweighed the disappointing groans of Hufflepuff and especially Slytherin, who always enjoyed watching Gryffindor lose to anyone.

James held up the struggling Snitch in his hand and beamed haughtily. Taking a victory lap around the Pitch he spotted Remus and Peter clapping madly while Sirius let out a whoop of joy, punching his fist into the air. His eyes traveled along the mostly-smiling crowd to rest upon a beautiful burgundy-haired girl whose face was looking up towards him as she clapped, a trace of a small smile delicate upon her lips.

"She's clapping for me…Lily Evans is clapping for me…" James thought as his heart gave a great leap, grinning even more broadly. As he finished his lap he landed upon the ground. No sooner had he dismounted his broom than the entire Gryffindor team piled on top of him. Amongst slaps on the back and congratulatory handshakes, James was lifted up on the shoulders of the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, Justin Basil, and carried towards the locker rooms, the sounds of celebrating Gryffindors following him all the way.

"Nice one, James," smiled Anne Warrington, a Chaser, as they entered the locker rooms. "That was brilliant…you pulled up just in time."

"Any farther and we'd be scraping you off the field," grinned Arthur Weasley, a Beater.

James shrugged. "Yeah, well…Hufflepuff was a given."

Justin Basil shrugged. "You don't know that. More surprising upsets have happened, mind."

James nodded silently and quickly undressed out of his Quidditch robes. "Well, I'm off," he announced, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Where you off to so fast, reckon?" asked Arthur, his eyes shining. "It isn't to meet Lily Evans, is it?"

James turned red around the ears. News traveled fast at Hogwarts, to be sure. "NO…as a matter of fact, I'm off to meet Sirius, Peter, and Remus."

"Suuuuuure," smirked Megan Connelly from the other side of the changing curtain. "Yeah, I bet you are…just like Arthur sneaks out at night to look at the scenery on the grounds."

James grinned as he looked to Arthur, who turned redder than he did. "I'm not SNEAKING out anywhere, thank you very much," he muttered, pulling on his school robes. "If you're referring to that one instance where I met Molly – "

"You MET her, did you?" joked Justin, punching Arthur playfully in the arm. "Is that what they called it nowadays?"

"Last time I checked, it was called snogging," James piped in, winking at Justin who laughed.

"Oh come off it," growled Arthur, his ears still red. "You should be one to talk, James... 'accidentally' trying to kiss Lily, my arse."

Everyone laughed, and even James chuckled. "Alright, I've had enough of you blighters…I'll see you at dinner." And after an exchange of 'good-byes' and 'see you laters', James walked out of the changing rooms and into the bright, crisp sunlight of the beautiful December day. His breath dissolved in puffs due to the chilly air, and he shivered slightly as he headed up towards Hogwarts.

"Oi! James!" He turned around to see his three best friends hurrying up behind him. James offered them a lopsided smile.

"James…that was brilliant," breathed Peter, his eyes wide. "I've never seen anything like that!"

"Yes, I agree. Congrats, Prongs," smiled Remus, clasping him on the back. "Now it's Gryffindor versus Slytherin for the Quidditch Cup, yeah?"

As James nodded he saw Sirius snicker from the corner of his eyes. He turned to him inquisitively and Padfoot replied, "It was enough to impress Evans, all right."

"WILL YOU STOP THAT?" James growled, rolling his eyes. "The whole SCHOOL is aware of me fancying Evans…I don't need YOU reminding everyone, either."

"I thought the fact that you ask her out every time you see her in the hallways was a sure indication," Sirius smiled back.

"If only she'd say yes," he muttered, squinting against the cold breeze. "Alright, let's move…it's freezing out here."

The four of them traipsed into Hogwarts and made their way towards the Gryffindor common room. James ran another hand through his hair as he heard Remus argue with Peter about the ingredients in Vitaserum. Sirius walked at his side, shooting handsomely sly smiles at girls who were passing by. All of them giggled insanely, and one of them even waved, her face slightly flustered. "I'll never understand them," James commented as the group of girls ambled on. "They laugh at EVERYTHING."

"No, I've known a lot to cry about everything," Sirius countered. "Violent mood swings…I wonder how anyone gets married and stays that way."

James shrugged. "If you love each other, then it shouldn't be hard."

Sirius fell silent, as did Remus and Peter. James frowned and turned to look all of them. "What?" he exclaimed.

"We've never heard you talk like that," Moony admitted, raising his eyebrows.

"What, is Lily getting to your head?"

"Lily isn't-" But James didn't finish. Another group of girls, mostly Gryffindors, were approaching. They were all talking excitedly, and Lily was in the center of them all.

"Hi guys," waved a cheery, rather plump girl by the name of Alice Reed who was dating another Gryffindor, Frank Longbottom. James nodded at Alice but his eyes remained intently on Lily, who seemed unconvincingly distracted by the hem of her robe.

"Hi, Sirius," commented Ashley Moore, a rather pretty blonde girl. It was widely known she had been fancying Sirius for ages…along with most of the other girls in the school.

"How goes it, Ashley?" Sirius asked back, apparently unperturbed by the giggles that ensued after his seemingly unfunny question.

"Hey, Evans," piped up James…if he was going to ask her, it had to be now. "Er…can we, ah, talk…in private, I mean?" Excited whispers and even more girly giggles followed his question, but he kept his eyes directly on Lily. She stopped playing around with her dress robes, and looked at him intently. "James, I'm off to study for Potions. I'm really busy-"

"This'll only be a minute," he interrupted. "C'mon, Evans…please?"

Lily looked to Alice who shrugged and smiled, giving her a shove forward. Lily frowned slightly, but then heaved a heavy sigh. "Oh, all right. But I haven't got all day," she grumbled, flipping her long red hair behind her shoulders. James smiled. He always loved when she did that. He led her up the main stairs, pausing as soon as they reached the landing. He could hear giggles and whispers from the others at the base of the staircase, but tried to pay them no mind. He had to focus, he had to relax…

"Are you going to talk, or are we going to stand here all day while you smile at me?" Lily asked. James looked into her eyes and nearly fell over with excitement – there was a twinkle in her eye that he had never seen before.

"Er…well, see the thing is…there's…ah, well, um…"

"So…the great James Potter is speechless?"

James rubbed the back of his neck. WHY was he so nervous? "Well, you see…the Christmas Ball…I was wondering…um, if you don't have a date that is…I was just curious if you would, um, like to…to go with me." As he finished, James winced, almost in pain, waiting for Lily's reaction. When the expected yelling did not come, he lifted his eyes from the floor to look at Lily. He peered at her, puzzled by the strange look on her face. It wasn't a look that suggested she thought of him as a "toerag", nor was she smirking as if someone had told a really naughty joke. Instead, she was grinning.

"Sure, James. I'll go with you."

It was only after Lily smiled genuinely at him and trotted back down the stairs to join her squealing girlfriends that Sirius informed him his mouth had been hanging open for the past few minutes. "So she just said YES?" Sirius asked incredulously, slapping his forehead. "I thought she HATED you, Prongs."

"Me too," James muttered. "Apparently not."

"Girls," Padfoot replied, shaking his head. "They make no bloody sense…"

"Or maybe you're too thick to understand them?" Moony suggested, grinning.

"Oi! I don't see YOU with a date," growled Sirius.

"I do," boasted Remus, grinning devilishly.

"WHO?" Peter, James, and Sirius asked at once.

Moony shrugged. "Bellatrix Lestrange," he replied simply.

Sirius nearly tripped over himself as he stared viciously at Remus. It was only when Moony laughed that Sirius exploded. "That was NOT FUNNY!" he roared, sulking. "It's disgusting, mind you."

"I know, I know, keep your pants on," Remus laughed as they walked towards the common room. "Me going with Lestrange holds as much water as James going with Severus."

"But you do have a date?" Peter asked, somewhat sulkily.

"Yup."

"Are you going to bother to tell us who within the next century?" James asked impatiently.

"Sarah Burkowitz," Remus answered as they stepped through the portal into the common room.

"SARAH BURKOWITZ?" repeated Sirius, shocked. "But she's – she's –"

"…the prettiest girl in school, I know," Remus replied, plopping down in an armchair. "And most popular, to boot."

"The SECOND prettiest girl in school," James smirked. "I happen to be going to the Christmas Ball with the prettiest."

"She's a looker, no doubt," Sirius agreed, walking up towards the dormitories. "You're kids will be famous for their good looks, Quidditch abilities, and big heads," he shouted as he walked into their room. James was about to respond when he heard Sirius shout, "JAMES! GET UP HERE!"

"What?" Prongs asked, frowning.

"Just get up here."

The three trotted up the stairs and into the dormitory where James's eyes widened as he nearly gasped.

Everything was thrown apart. The bed was slashed, the pillows were ripped, the furniture was toppled over. His books and homework lay scattered across the floor, his clothes hastily thrown about. He looked around the dorm and frowned. What could've they been looking for? James knelt down and began sorting through the debris. Everything seemed to be there except –

"My wand."

"What?"

"They took my wand," James muttered, readjusting his glasses. "It's gone…they must've taken it when the school was at the Quidditch Pitch."

"Who would want your wand?" Peter asked shrilly, his eyes darting from place to place.

"Someone who would want him defenseless, I presume," Remus answered softly, kicking aside a stray piece of parchment on the floor.

James and Sirius sent each other dark looks. Did this have something to do with the events of the night before? Sighing, he stood up and rubbed his neck. "You need to tell Dumbledore about this, Prongs," said Remus, his eyebrows raised. "This can't go without being reported."

James nodded. He didn't want to admit it, but Moony had a point. "Alright, I'll ask to speak with him tonight. You guys head on over to dinner…I'll be there in a few. I've got to somehow organize this mess."

The others headed down the stairs to head off to the Great Hall, while James stayed behind, lazily cleaning up the chaotic disorder that surrounded him. As he folded up his last cloak and placed it in the drawer, he realized that not only his wand was missing.

So was his invisibility cloak.

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Next chapter=action. Get excited.