Seventh Year – Part One
James fingered the shiny Head Boy badge, and sighed as he stared at all the new and old prefects alike in the carriage. He never wanted the job, but Dumbledore had appointed him, and he would be with Lily more often. The latter thought made him smile as he stared adoringly at the Head Girl.
"All right, being a prefect is a very great honor," began Lily, with a sideways glance at James. "Professor Dumbledore made sure that the best girl and boy from each House in fifth year be appointed with this duty. You must set an example for the younger children, especially the incoming first years. Anyone found abusing their position will be stripped of their badge, and a worthier being will take their place. You may not deduct points, but detentions can be given when necessary. Any questions?"
"Yeah," sneered a long-nosed Slytherin boy, "why did Dumbledore appoint a Mudblood as Head Girl?"
"Excuse me," said James sharply, "but there will be no foul language as a prefect! I shall let the Headmaster know of this immediately after the feast."
"And you're a Potter," continued the boy, unfazed. "At least you're a pureblood. I hear that you're going out with our Mudblood Head Girl. Blood traitor, you are."
"Oh, shut up, will you?" James roared, causing the Slytherin to jump in surprise. "You pathetic excuse for a human being!"
"James, let it go," said Lily, sighing. "It doesn't matter."
"But Lily, he insulted you!"
"James Potter!"
"Oh, fine." He pouted, causing the other girls sigh audibly.
Lily frowned. She was quite a possessive person, and as far as she was concerned, James was as good as attached now, even though they weren't officially going out as a couple.
"You will patrol the corridors for forty-five minutes," informed James, turning to the group of prefects again.
Just like two years ago, there were shouts of protests of this.
"Oh, come on, you didn't think being a prefect was fun and games, did you?" James rolled his eyes.
"Are you single?" asked a Ravenclaw girl, smiling.
"Not anymore, I'm not." He looked over at Lily, who immediately blushed and looked at her hands.
"So it's true then?" the girl persisted. "You're going out with her?"
"Yes, I am. Do you have a problem with that, whatever-your-name-is?"
"Emmeline Vance," she said at once.
"Right. Well, what're you all waiting for? To the corridors, all of you! Yes, even you, Vance."
"You have good leadership," said Lily, grinning, as she followed the prefects out of the carriage.
"Thanks." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not much, but I am trying. I guess it all comes naturally."
"That Vance was openly flirting with you," said Lily angrily. "Can you believe the nerve of her?"
"Well, we aren't going out officially, so I have every right to ask her out," said James teasingly. Seeing Lily's face, he added hastily, "Of course, I'm not going to. You're too good to lose. I've waited two years for you, Lily Evans."
Lily smiled and kissed James on the cheek. "I know you're not going to, James."
James felt a warm desire to protect her, and slipped his arm around her shoulders, sighing contentedly. Emmeline, who was sent by the other prefects to call out the Head Boy and Girl, interrupted them, however, before they could do anything else.
"Er—hello," said Lily amicably, as she slipped out of James' grasp.
"We need you at the corridors," said Emmeline stoically. She obviously wasn't pleased that James only had eyes for Lily, instead of her.
"Oh, of course. C'mon, James."
Lily and James followed Emmeline out of the carriage and into the corridors, where the other prefects were waiting. Some of them were smiling knowingly, while the others raised their eyebrows in confusion.
"Sorry for the wait," apologized James, clearing his throat. "We were a bit distracted."
"Some Head Boy you are, then," said the same Slytherin who had called Lily a Mudblood.
He glared. "Who gave you permission to talk, kid? Who are you, anyway?"
The Slytherin smirked. "I'm surprised you can't recognize me, Potter." He stuck out his hand. "Regulus Black."
James jumped back in alarm. "You!" he hissed venomously. "I knew the word 'blood traitor' sounded familiar! You're Sirius' kid brother."
"Who's Sirius?" asked Emmeline.
"My best friend. Sirius Black…you know him. We're the ringleaders of the Marauders."
"Oh, him." She sighed dreamily. "He's so handsome; is he taken?"
"'Fraid so," said Lily, looking amused.
"Anyway." James turned to Regulus again. "You and your stupid family has made Sirius' life a living hell. You're nothing but a—"
"Now, now, Potter, you're Head Boy," said Regulus smoothly. "No foul language."
James opened his mouth furiously, but closed it tightly. "Get to work, Black."
Regulus raised an eyebrow, and then sneered. "You'll be sorry for insulting my family, Potter. And you'll be sorry you ever dated that stupid Mudblood."
"Let it go, James," said Lily quietly, putting her hand on his shoulder. "He isn't worth the trouble."
"He's Sirius' little brother," said James coldly, glaring after Regulus. "I'm going to get him some day. Sirius said that he was a Death Eater."
"Oh, James." Lily withdrew her hand. "You don't mean that."
"'Course I do. Sirius told me that Regulus was brainwashed by his parents, and that they all support Voldemort."
"But Sirius is so different from them…"
"Yeah, he's the black sheep of the Black family. Good thing, too, or else he and I would be enemies." James chuckled slightly.
She smiled. "Well, I'm glad that he doesn't believe in purebloods ruling the world."
"Sirius? He'd never believe that crap."
"James!"
"Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.
"Hey, Prongs!"
The heads turned around to see the Marauders and girls waving joyfully at them.
"How is Head Boy duty, Prongs?" asked Remus, smiling.
"Terrible. Padfoot, you won't believe who one of the new Slytherin prefects is!"
"Who?"
"Regulus."
"My brother, a prefect? Oh, mother must've been jumping for joy when she got that news." Sirius snorted, rolling his eyes.
"Ah, Mother was pleased, in fact, brother, which is more than I can say for you," said Regulus, smirking. All the prefects forgot their duties and watched the exchange with interest.
"Oh, wonderful," said Sirius sarcastically. "I get to deal with a soon-to-be Death Eater. How does it feel to almost be one of Voldemort's servants, Reg?"
"Shut it, Sirius," spat Regulus disgustedly. "You blood traitor! You broke Mother's heart by leaving home without a single glance back. You, mingling around with blood traitors, Mudbloods, and halfbloods!"
"Don't you dare call Lily a Mudblood, you Dark Arts follower! You and the rest of our blasted family follow Voldemort's path. Well, I don't! I'm on my own now, Reg, so none of you can stop me. I'm nearly eighteen, which is the legal adult age."
"Ha! You've been living off of charity of blood traitors, you have, Sirius."
"For your information, Regulus, my best friend, James, and his family are not blood traitors."
"Sirius," said Arabella, sighing. "Please stop."
"Oh, so this is your half-Squib girlfriend, Sirius." Regulus looked at her up and down. "Well, she's good-looking, to say at the least. But she's got a mum who's a Squib! If you need to pair up with someone, dear brother, then pair up with Walker here." He jabbed his finger toward Violet. "She's got a Slytherin mother, at least."
"Excuse me?" said Violet incredulously. "I happen to have a boyfriend already, thank you."
"Right, that Bradley from Ravenclaw. Well, he isn't a Gryffindor, is all I can say."
"Let's ignore him, Sirius," muttered Jennifer, rolling her eyes.
Sirius reluctantly left his little brother alone, and went to talk with his friends instead, but cast furtive looks around at the younger Black now and then with a hateful expression upon his face.
"Damn brother," he muttered ferociously.
"So, Prongs, are the little prefects listening to you?" asked Remus, trying to make the atmosphere more cheerful.
"Most of them," replied James, deciding not to mention Regulus' interruptions.
"There's this Vance girl from Ravenclaw that keeps making eyes at James," said Lily huffily.
Arabella, Jennifer, and Violet laughed, while the boys (excluding James) held amused expressions upon their faces.
"Lily, Prongs isn't even yours yet," said Sirius, grinning.
"But we're planning to date," she argued.
"Yeah, but Prongs can have a rendezvous with any girl before you agree to date him, and it wouldn't be called an affair, either."
"Yes, but—"
"Oy!" James waved his hand around impatiently. "Don't worry, Lily, I won't date Vance or any other girl, no matter how tempting they might be."
A look of relief went upon Lily's face. "Thank you, James."
"This is getting too fluffy for me," muttered Sirius.
Arabella scowled. "Shut UP, Sirius! Merlin, sometimes I don't even know why I started to date you."
"Aww…but you know you love me, Bellsies."
"If you must call me something, than call me 'Bella' or 'Bells'! Not Bellsies."
"Come on, can you guys just stop bickering for once?" said Jennifer resignedly. "You two are just like Lily and James!"
"Where's Jackson?" said Lily, looking at Violet, and trying to start a decent conversation.
"He's with his Ravenclaw friends again. He was with us for a while, but then his friends dragged him away and I have a feeling they're lecturing him on the importance of studying this year, since we're taking our N.E.W.T.s."
"Oh Merlin!" cried Lily. "I forgot!"
James couldn't help but smile. "You, the Gryffindor bookworm, forget that we're taking our most important standardized tests this year? What's the world coming to?"
Everyone laughed appreciatively as Lily blushed to the roots of her hair.
"So, James," said Emmeline coyly, "would you like to go to our first Hogsmeade trip with me?"
He sighed inwardly. This girl certainly couldn't take a hint even when she had walked in on him and Lily kissing. "No, I'm sorry, Emmeline, but I'm taking Lily."
Emmeline looked at him wonderingly. "Oh! You're going out!"
"Took you a while," muttered Sirius to Arabella. She snorted in response.
"Er—sort of," said James nervously. "We're going to go out as soon as Lily feels comfortable to publicize it."
"But then you can take me somewhere before Evans agrees!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, girl! Can't you take a hint? James won't ask any girl out except for Lily, so you can just bugger off."
"Well, what about you?" She batted her eyelashes.
"I, miss, have been attached since my very first year at Hogwarts." Sirius grinned at Arabella, who smiled back.
"And you?" Emmeline turned to Remus, smiling.
"I am, as well. Sorry to disappoint you." He put his arm around Jennifer possessively.
She looked crestfallen and didn't even bother glancing at Peter, who was eyeing her hopefully.
"Hey, guys," said Jackson, tumbling out of the compartment next to where they were all standing. "Sorry I disappeared, but my friends dragged me into their compartment and started to lecture me on our N.E.W.T.s and homework."
Emmeline's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Oh, go out with me!" she squealed at him, flapping her arms wildly, which made her look oddly like a maniacal duck.
"Er—" Jackson looked at his friends and girlfriend for an explanation, but they roared with laughter instead. "Sorry, I have a girlfriend."
"WHAT? Why are you all attached? How come I don't have a boyfriend?"
"Bad luck, dear," said Lily briskly. "Now, shouldn't you be inspecting the corridors?"
"Yes," she replied sulkily, and set off to marching around with the rest of the prefects.
Lily suddenly pitied Emmeline. Even though she was a flirty coquette, she was still a prefect and therefore must've gotten good grades throughout her Hogwarts years. And Lily knew exactly how she felt, seeing everyone else paired off but herself.
"Wait, Emmeline!" she called. In a lower tone, she said, "You can go off into other compartments and search for a boyfriend if you want. But only fifteen minutes, mind you."
Emmeline beamed. "Oh, thank you, Lily!" She quickly rushed off to the compartment where Jackson had just exited.
"Bathroom," she informed all the other puzzled prefects.
"What was that all about?" said Arabella, perplexed.
"Let her off for fifteen minutes so she can find a boyfriend," said Lily.
"You can't find a boyfriend for fifteen minutes!" her best friend exclaimed.
"Well, at least the poor girl wants to be attached for once. Just let her have a fling, even, I say."
James smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist. "You're one in a million, Lily."
Emmeline came back, exactly fifteen minutes later, in the arms of a good-looking boy that they recognized as Kenneth Hughes, a sixth-year Gryffindor who had been prefect last year.
"Hello, Emmeline," greeted Lily, taken aback at the sight of Kenneth.
"I'm attached now; thanks Lily," whispered Emmeline, her eyes shining, as Kenneth followed her around like a puppy as she proceeded her prefect duties.
Violet blinked. "That was interesting."
"How did she snag Hughes so fast?" said Sirius in awe. "I heard that he was one of those hard-to-get guys!"
"Like you?" said Lily wryly.
"Of course! I'm very hard to get, since I've had a girlfriend for seven years now. And hey, I stayed with the same one, too!"
"Oh, yeah?" said Arabella, frowning. "Then what about Alanna Macmillan? Or Lori Paterson? Or—"
The couple had gone off to another compartment to argue, while everyone else sighed helplessly.
Lily smiled at James. "We've got a lot to do this year, Mr. Head Boy."
He grinned back. "Are you up for it, Ms. Head Girl?"
"Definitely."
***
"I'm not up for this," groaned Lily, staring at her list of Head Girl duties and her homework at the same time.
James sniggered. "You said you were definitely up for this year, Lily."
"Shut it, Potter."
"Hey, don't say 'shut it' to your boyfriend, now! Remember, we're actually going out now, and the whole school's in shock about it."
Lily couldn't help but smile. "Well, we have hated each other for—what, five years?"
"Pretty much. I stopped hating you around the middle of our fifth year, though."
"Oh, right." She rolled her eyes. "You kept asking me out constantly like a stalker."
"I was not a stalker!" said James, pouting.
"You were!" She laughed merrily, and tumbled out of her chair in the common room as James started to tickle her.
All the younger students stared in awe as their Head Boy and Girl teased and flirted in the most immature way possible.
"Oy!" Sirius waved his arms around. "Stop it, Prongs, Lily, before you corrupt the ickle firsties!"
"Geroff…James!" cried Lily desperately, as James had started to tackle her mercilessly again.
"Oops…" He grinned and waved at the smaller children, who immediately turned back to their homework again.
Arabella went into a fit of giggles, while Jennifer and Violet just smiled at the scene that had just occurred. The rest of the Marauders grinned at each other. They didn't care that it was rather too mushy; they were just happy that Lily and James were finally together and in love.
"Oh, yeah," said Lily, perking up. "I just got a letter from Alice yesterday. She and Frank are getting married in June, and they want us all to attend."
"They're getting married so early?" said James, flabbergasted. "But they're barely nineteen."
"Voldemort's getting stronger, James, and Frank didn't want to take any chances. He proposed right after they got off the Hogwarts Express this year."
"Hey, Frank never told me a thing!"
Lily put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. "Well, you didn't expect him to tell you, did you? You would've told the world already and spoil the whole surprise!"
"But he didn't seem at all excited when I went over his house on the first day of summer."
"Well, he's good at keeping his emotions in check, then. Which is more than I can say for you, by the way."
The whole Gryffindor common room watched with amusement as Lily and James continued their little bicker. They were too used to these to even be affected by them; even the first years were starting to adapt to their little arguments.
"Do they always do this?" asked one first year to Sirius.
"Always," he corroborated, grinning at his best friends.
"Hey, Head Boy and Girl!" cried Kenneth, waving his hand. "Prefect meeting right now. Have you forgotten? You were the ones who set up the date."
"James, hurry up!" shouted Lily anxiously.
She nearly dragged him all the way down to the Prefect Lounge, where nearly all the prefects were getting settled in and waiting for their Head Boy and Girl. Most of them smirked when they saw them come in with disheveled appearances.
"Sorry we're late," said James, flashing one of his heart-winning smiles that made all the girls sigh dreamily. "A bit preoccupied."
Regulus snorted in disbelief. Kenneth burst into the room, panting.
"Gee, you could've slowed down!" he said, and immediately seated himself next to Emmeline, who giggled.
"We have to decide on a Hogsmeade weekend," began Lily, "so does anyone have any suggestions?"
Laura Smith's hand shot up at once. "I think it should be on Halloween."
"Anyone else with any suggestions?"
No one raised their hand.
"So is it unanimous, then?" said James questioningly.
Everyone nodded wordlessly, as they slowly raised up their hands dully.
"Why the long faces?" asked Lily curiously. "You don't look so enthusiastic."
All the prefects, even Regulus, poured out their woe stories of too much O.W.L. homework, and for the sixth-year prefects, just homework in general.
"Ah, yes," said James sympathetically. "We know how you feel. We're taking our N.E.W.T.s this year. I remember my O.W.L.s very well."
"Were they hard?" asked Laura at once. "And what did you get?"
"No, they were not too hard, at least not to me at least. And I got fifteen O.W.L.s."
She gasped in surprise. "That's hardly possible."
"Well, I'm not joking. And Lily got fifteen O.W.L.s herself."
"You weren't a prefect," pointed out Regulus, rolling his eyes. "How can you be Head Boy, then?"
A slight murmur of surprise rippled through the prefects as they looked up at their Head Boy in shock.
"True, I didn't get the prefect badge; my friend, Remus Lupin, did instead. However, I do believe that Dumbledore found me competent enough to ignore the usual rule of having the Head Boy have records of being a prefect as well."
"I hear your dad's Daniel Potter," said a Hufflepuff, Naomi Jones, in a hushed voice. "Is it true? The famous Auror?"
"Er—yeah, that's him all right." James laughed nervously.
"And I take it that you're following right into his footsteps," said Regulus disdainfully.
"Well, what else, Mr. Black?" He sounded oddly like Professor McGonagall scolding Sirius.
Regulus grinned. "You know, Potter, you are very useful to the Dark Lord. You can always follow his footsteps instead of your father's."
James raised his eyebrows, and looked at Lily. What was Sirius' brother getting at? Surely, he knew that Potters were all against the Dark Arts.
Lily froze when she had heard those words from Regulus. It was now known to the Marauders and girls that Voldemort was after James, because he had the potential to be just as a powerful wizard as he, maybe even more. But Lily also knew that James would never turn sides for things like power and glory. However, the thought of James going over to the Dark Side still unnerved her at times.
She shook her head, clearing away all those thoughts. "I was thinking," she pronounced slowly, "that maybe we should have a Halloween dance this year. If you all want to, of course."
There were murmurs of excitement at this announcement, especially from the girls. The boys just stared up at the Head Boy and Girl blankly, as if contemplating their sanity.
"I think it's a grand idea," piped up Emmeline, her cheeks flushed. "I vote for a dance!"
"Hear, hear," cried Laura.
"Do we have to adorn ourselves in frilly costumes?" asked Irwin Macmillan, whom James recognized as Alanna Macmillan's younger brother.
"It is a choice, but I suppose it doesn't have to be mandatory," said Lily.
"Now, for Christmas, I was thinking—" began James.
"Wait!" exclaimed Kenneth, waving his hand in the air.
"Yes, Mr. Hughes?"
"I was thinking that there might be more activities than just the dancing," he said rather timorously, for nearly every single eye was on him in the room. "You know, in cause we don't know how to dance, or something."
Lily nodded emphatically. "Yes, all right, Kenneth."
"You don't know how to dance?" said Regulus rudely.
"N-no," replied Kenneth in an even smaller voice.
"Mr. Black, that will be all," interrupted James sharply. He was sympathetic to Kenneth, since he didn't dance very well either.
Regulus glared at him, but did not reply back. After all, he didn't want to lose his prefect badge, or his mother would be sorely disappointed.
For the rest of the meeting, the prefects and Lily and James were planning all the other activities for the Halloween party. They all looked up to their Head Boy and Girl, for most of them knew that Lily and James had hated each other ever since their first year at Hogwarts, so it struck the younger prefects that they were actually dating and in love.
"That's all for tonight," concluded Lily, nodding at all of the prefects. "You may go."
Lily and James walked out of the room hand-in-hand after the prefects had exited. James inhaled Lily's sweet lilac scent, and sighed happily. He finally had his girl, and all was well with the world…well, except for Voldemort. But he could wait.
When they entered the common room, they found everyone still glued to their seats and scribbling on parchment or leafing through textbooks. The Gryffindors looked up briefly to acknowledge their Head Boy and Girl, but then went back to their work again. Lily and James found their friends huddled together in a corner, with the boys muttering spells under their breaths and pointing their wands straight at pincushions.
"'Lo, guys," said James with a yawn. "What're you doing?"
"Levitation charms," muttered Sirius, glaring at his dark blue pincushion. "Damn thing! It won't budge."
"Did you do a nice swish with your wand?" said Lily knowledgeably.
"Er—I don't think so."
Lily then went off explaining about Levitation charms, while James just stared at her with a lovesick expression upon his face, which the Marauders found quite amusing.
"And I thought you knew everything," she finished, grinning at a red-faced Sirius.
"I need to go to bed," announced James, his eyelids drooping.
"What about your homework?" said Lily sternly.
"Finished," he mumbled tiredly. "Stop nagging, Lily."
"You're finished? But that Transfiguration essay is two rolls of parchment!"
"Well, that happens to be my best subject, with my wand and everything." James grinned, despite his fatigue.
Remus smiled at his friend. "Go off to bed, now, Prongs. We'll wake you up in the morning if you don't yourself."
"Thanks, Moony." He clapped his werewolf friend on the back, and headed for his dormitory.
"Isn't he wonderful?" sighed Lily, watching her boyfriend go up to his dormitory with a dreamy expression.
Arabella exchanged looks with Jennifer and Violet.
"If we told you last year that you'd be dating James Potter later on, you would've told us we've had too much mead or something," said Jennifer, shaking her head.
"Well, I still can't believe I'm going out with James," said Lily, with a goofy smile on her face. "But I guess it was inevitable from the start, huh? We were 'meant to be', like you guys always love to say."
"We all have our soul mates, in my opinion," said Arabella quite forcefully. "Even Vi."
"You think?" asked Violet curiously.
"I don't think, Vi; I know."
"You know, that sounded exactly like something Sirius would say," commented Jennifer.
"Well, obviously; we're soul mates, aren't we?"
The rest of the girls just looked at each other and shook their heads.
***
"Oh, Merlin," breathed Lily, grasping James' arm. "James…the Ministry!"
Everyone in the Great Hall that day, which happened to be Halloween and a Hogsmeade weekend, was poring over the Daily Prophet. Voldemort and his Death Eaters had recently attacked the Ministry, and many of the students' parents, neighbors, or relatives worked there, including James' parents.
"'Aurors Daniel and Sarah Potter are one of the many Aurors who were at the scene
shortly after the attack. No one was killed, but several Ministry workers were slightly injured.' Merlin, Voldemort means business now. I mean, attacking the Ministry?" James looked very apprehensive after reading the sentence.
"He won't take over our world," said Lily firmly. "After all, Dumbledore's the only one that he fears, so we'll be safe at Hogwarts. But what about my mum and dad? Voldemort knows who I am, and he kills Muggles and Muggle-borns." Her voice shook slightly as she said this.
"I won't let Voldemort get you, Lily," said James, putting his arm around her. "Not you or your family. Ever."
Lily smiled weakly, despite her doubt. "Thank you, James," she whispered.
"Well, well, if it isn't Potter and his Mudblood." Lucius Malfoy sneered at them, as he strolled over to the Gryffindor table.
"Bugger off, Malfoy," snapped James. "We don't need slime at this table."
Everyone laughed, as Sirius gave James a thumbs-up.
"The Dark Lord wants you, Potter," spat Malfoy. "So you'd better not make a wrong move. He does not like it when people defy him."
"How would you know?" said Sirius bitterly. "Work for him, do you?"
"If I did, I wouldn't be telling you, would I, Black? Pity you aren't like the rest of your family…especially that cousin of yours."
"You stay away from Narcissa," said Sirius threateningly. "She may be just another Black, but she's still my blood relative."
"Oh, but your dear aunt has already approved of us, together, Black," whispered Malfoy. "As she has for Bellatrix and Rodolphus. You could have been one of us, Black, if you weren't such a Mudblood-lover and sorted into Gryffindor."
"Go away, Malfoy," said Lily wearily.
"I didn't ask you, Mudblood."
"You take that back!" roared James, standing up with his wand pointed straight at Malfoy's chest.
"James, no!" hissed Lily. "It's not worth it."
"'Course it is," he muttered back.
"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, what do you think you're doing?" said McGonagall furiously, as she marched up to the boys. "Mr. Potter, I expected better of you, as Head Boy! You should set an example for the younger children."
"Professor," said Malfoy in his oily voice. "Professor, this is all Potter's fault, and I had nothing to do with it."
"You insulted Lily," snarled James. "You called her a Mud—a Mud—a you-know-what!"
"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall glared at the blond boy. "Thirty points from Slytherin for such abominable name-calling."
"Professor McGonagall, you can't," said Professor Hurst angrily, standing up to the elder witch from the High Table. "It was just a name, Minerva, there's nothing—"
"Oh, just a name, is it?" shrieked McGonagall. "Well, you would think that, Professor Hurst, since you do use the name yourself, but I assure you, I will not tolerate it in this school by myself as deputy headmistress to boot!"
"My dear Minerva, do calm down," said Professor Dumbledore with equanimity. "Thirty points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy, and ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter. That will be all." As serious as the situation was, Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled with amusement as he allowed a small wink, which only James saw.
The Great Hall had gone completely silent, as they witnessed the scene with amusement, interest, or anger. James' face was still red with fury, but he calmed down considerably after Dumbledore's wink. Malfoy stalked back to his Slytherin table, still fuming.
"It's just like you, James, to pick out a fight on a Hogsmeade weekend," said Lily, sighing.
"Oh, well." He shrugged. "You're going with me, anyhow."
"Am I?" She feigned mock surprise. "I thought you'd be asking your girlfriend, James Potter; not me!"
James laughed. "Who else would I ask but my girlfriend, Lily Evans? Will you go with me to Hogsmeade."
"Of course, you dope." She chuckled and went on eating her breakfast.
"I can't believe I'm going to be related to the Lestranges and Malfoys," groaned Sirius, putting his head in his hands. "Not that I'm not already related to them, anyway, but I have no idea how I'm related to them now."
"What?" said Jennifer, confused.
"All the pureblood families are interrelated," explained James. "Like, we're related to the Blacks, Figgs, Walkers, and practically every pureblood family. There aren't many left now, since we're all marrying Muggles so that we don't die out. But Sirius' family…"
"All right, Prongs, I think that's enough," Sirius growled. "Anyway, what he means to say is that the Blacks have a very long pure bloodline, but I could care less, unlike the rest of my damn family, except for Andromeda. I wish I could've seen my aunt's face when she found out that Medie married Ted and had a Metamorphmagus child named Nymphadora."
They all laughed only out of politeness, for they weren't very keen on touching upon family histories. The Marauders and girls knew that Lily and Jennifer had Muggle blood in them, despite them having magical powers.
"So, Prongs," said Sirius subtlety. "Going to tell us what's in store for us at the party tonight?"
James sighed. "Haven't you bugged me enough? No, I won't tell you, Padfoot."
However, James couldn't be really mad at his best friend, for he was too happy. Having Lily as his real girlfriend now…what could possibly get him to be angry again? The thought of telling every single person he met that Lily was his girl made him feel happiness he thought he'd never have again. He smiled, thinking of his parents' faces when he had written to them just a couple of days ago, telling them that he and Lily were officially going out. They had sent him a reply full of raptures and congratulations, especially from an ecstatic Mrs. Potter. Life was perfect at that very moment.
Even though Voldemort was gaining full power and was murdering Muggles, Muggle-borns, and even some pureblooded families who were a threat to him, James didn't really care at that point. He had his family, his friends, and especially Lily. It was perfect for him, and even though the world started to crumble outside the castle walls, he still felt safe and alive.
"James?" Lily poked her boyfriend. "Is there something wrong?"
"Huh?" He looked up from his reverie. "Oh…nothing wrong, Lils. Just thinking, that's all."
"The almighty James Potter thinking? What is the world coming to?" She grinned at him playfully.
"Yeah…"
"James, really, what's wrong?"
He took a deep breath. "I was just thinking how everything's perfect at the moment. I have my family, friends, and you. But I can't help feeling guilty that I'm so happy when Voldemort and his followers are killing so many people. Do you think me despicable?"
"Oh, James, of course not!" exclaimed Lily. "There's nothing wrong with feeling happy. In fact, feeling happy during hard times will pull you through easier. You have to have some optimism during these times, and I'm glad you do."
"Really? Thanks, Lily; you can really cheer up a guy, you know."
Lily giggled. "Yeah, I'll bet you're the only one who thinks so. I'm not that much of a popular girl like Deanna. I still don't know why you like me."
"Love you," he corrected. "And I already told you, didn't I? Do you want me to give you a sappy speech again?"
She thought for a moment. "No, I think I'll pass on the offer."
"Having fun, kids?" said Sirius. "'Cause breakfast is over and everyone left."
"WHAT?" cried Lily, and sure enough, there was no one there but her, James, and Sirius.
"C'mon, you'll be late for Hogsmeade," insisted Sirius, looking a little impatient.
"It's not like it'll affect anything, Padfoot," James pointed out. "We can always use our own way of getting there."
"You've got a point, Prongs." Both boys grinned at each other and walked off, leaving a very confused and angry Lily behind.
***
I wonder how I ever made it through the day
How did I settle for the world in shades of gray
When you go in circles on the sea it looks the same
And you don't know why and I looked into your eyes
And the world stretched out in front of me and I realized
Lily and James were slowly swaying to the music, along with many couples in the Great Hall, which was elaborately decorated, thanks to the Head Boy and Girl.
"I love this, James," whispered Lily, kissing his cheek. "Just being with you…"
"Yeah, I love it to," he whispered back.
I never lived before your love
I never felt before your touch
I never needed anyone to make me feel alive
But then again I wasn't really living
I never lived before your love
Lily pondered on those words. Yes, it was true. She never did live before James' love. His love for her made her feel special, like she was someone unique and worth living and dying for.
I wanted more than just an ordinary life
All of my dreams seemed like castles in the sky
I stand before you and my heart is in your hands
And I don't know how I survived without your kiss
Because you've given me a reason to exist
Everything was perfect for her. Just being with James and all her friends, and knowing that her family was safe and alive…it was all she needed. Who cared about being Head Girl? Who cared about striving to achieve her best in everything and winning the respect of her classmates? It was all a dream of her past, and her change of heart was all because of James.
I never lived before your love
I never felt before your touch
I never needed anyone to make me feel alive
But then again I wasn't really living
I never lived before your love
I never lived before your love
James grinned and waved at Sirius and Arabella, who had passed him, dancing at a rather fast pace. Typical Sirius to rush when dancing with his girl of seven years. But Arabella didn't seem to mind. Remus and Jennifer were sitting at a table, sipping punch, and holding hands, while Jackson and Violet, neither very adept at dancing, played the games set up in booths. Yes, everything was perfect for that very moment.
And I don't know why,
Why the sun decides to shine
But you breathed your love into me just in time
He slowly leaned forward and captured Lily's lips with his own. It was like a magical moments, as sparks flew between them. They weren't aware that all the couples had stopped dancing to watch their moment together, smiles playing on everyone's lips as they deepened the kiss. After they pulled away, everyone started clapping and cheering.
I never lived before your love
I never felt before your touch
I never needed anyone to make me feel alive
But then again I wasn't really living
I never lived, I never lived before your love
The song ended, and Lily and James reluctantly pulled away from each other. It had been a magical night, and there was only one song left before the Halloween dance ended, but neither one of them felt like dancing. They seated themselves next to Remus and Jennifer, who were laughing at a joke that Sirius was telling them, while Arabella just smiled and shook her head.
"You guys looked wonderful out in the dance floor," said Sirius, as he saw his best friend. "Best couple out there. The little kids nearly wet their pants seeing you two dance, I believe."
Remus snorted and rolled his eyes, while Arabella and Jennifer burst into giggles. James grinned and rolled his eyes as well, while Lily sighed with an air of resignation.
"Lily? What's wrong?" he asked nervously.
"Nothing." She smiled at him warmly. "It's just that this is too perfect to be true."
"Nah. You're too perfect to be true." James held her close to him.
"And you guys call Arabella and I bad," said Sirius.
"Oh, shut it, Padfoot! At least we don't snog at every hour of the day."
"Snog? Why that isn't snogging, Prongs! It's merely expressing our love for each other."
"Yeah, more like lust and desire."
"Take that back!"
"No!"
Arabella laughed. "Will you two ever grow up?"
"Not in a million years, Bella," replied Remus, eyeing his friends.
"James has grown up enough for me," interrupted Lily. "And I think he's perfect."
"You would." Jennifer scoffed. "He's your boyfriend, after all."
"Hey, guys," greeted Violet cordially, as she and Jackson strolled toward them.
"Hey, Vi," said Lily enthusiastically. "Having fun?"
"Oh, yeah, great fun. But I see that you're enjoying yourself the most with your James. And don't try denying it, Lily! You're going out with him now, so you can't say you don't love him."
Jackson eyed her carefully. "Since when have you been so social all of a sudden?"
Violet smiled secretively. "Oh, it's their fault." She pointed to the Marauders and girls. "They're the ones who brought me out of my shell." She kissed her boyfriend square on the lips, and grinned at his stunned expression. "C'mon, let's dance, Jack."
"Whoa, how did that happen out of thin air?" said Sirius, shocked.
Arabella looked at her friends. "Looks like Vi is finally out of her shell."
"Yes!" Jennifer punched her fist in the air triumphantly. "I knew it'd happen someday! It's all me, everyone!"
They all laughed at her ridiculous gestures.
"James?" whispered Lily, leaning closer to him.
"Yes, Lily?"
"This is a perfect moment and a perfect night." She sighed contentedly. "I'm glad I stopped being so darn stubborn and finally accepted the fact that I love you and that nothing can tear us apart."
Happiness surged through James' body again, as he gave her the shy smile that she loved so much. "I'm glad, too, Lily," he whispered.
- - - - -
Disclaimer: I own nothing and J.K. Rowling owns everything, except for the song lyrics. The song lyrics are in the song "Before Your Love" by Kelly Clarkson.
A/N: Hehe – I hope I updated soon enough for your sake and patience! This chapter really did suck, though. I loved my last one, so I'm sorry if you hate this. Don't kill me, please! Oh, and sorry if this was a bit too mushy for you :P No flames, please!
Thank you to all my reviewers:
Princess Punky – Yep, they are FINALLY together! Took them a while, eh?
Franchesca – thank you!
James-Padfoot – no, sorry, not a Josh Groban fan. I just like the phrase, "Just joshing!", that's all :)
Agloechen – I'm glad you liked it!
Kady Rilla Wholi – Heh, glad you can endure my fluffiness! Oh yes, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is my God book, besides Harry Potter.
carol – thank you!
Brook – Aww…I feel so loved! LOL!
LynXkittY – Well, I don't really know what happens next…there's more fluff, they get married, and they die. Happy, huh? I know, I love sarcasm ;)
Erynwen – thanks!
X-Girl X-File – here's more! Hope you liked my chapter!
SilentMidnight – I'm glad you like it :)
Kat44 – Really? There's such a person as Jennifer Black? Well, I'll never get Sirius and Jennifer together, that's for sure :P Still…very interesting! Thanks for reviewing!
Alya – Well, I'm sorry if you don't like Lily's attitude in this story, but that's the way it is (or was). Because since Lily only started going out with James in their seventh year, then she must've still be stuck-up before. I just follow the rules of J.K. Rowling, that's all.
Phedre no Delauney de Montreve – Will do! Thanks for reviewing :D