Chapter 3 - Patrol Duty
Lily arrived at their patrol station at 8.55, hoping that James wasn't going to be late. On exactly nine o' clock, James walked casually round the corner. "Evening Lils"
"James, you're on time. I'm amazed."
"Why's that? I'm always on time for important things like-
"Lessons?"
"No, no, Lils. Important things." Lily tried to look stern, but couldn't help laughing. They began their duty, but after 5 minutes they were both bored stiff. After about a ½ hour, James said
"Tell you what Lils. The kitchens aren't far from here. How 'bout I go and get us some butterbeers? I'll be back in 5 minutes." Ordinarily, Lily would have said 'no', but she had a weakness for butterbeer so she agreed and James disappeared round the corner. Five minutes later, Lily heard footsteps coming towards her. She turned round, expecting to see James, but instead she saw four very unwelcoming faces, leering at her unpleasantly.
"Well, well, well. Lily Evans" said Malfoy, clearly trying to be charming. He wasn't even in James' league.
"No shit" she replied bluntly. Malfoy's smirk faded.
"Quiet, bitch" he hissed. Snape, Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. They moved towards Lily backing her against the wall. Malfoy came up very close to her.
"Now, now Lily. Don't struggle. You know you want me to kiss you."
"Piss off twat." She spat back. Malfoy's face contorted. He held her arms tightly, stopping her from punching him. Meanwhile, Crabbe and Goyle held her ankles.
"Listen, mudblood," Malfoy yelled into her face, "you know you want me. Don't fight it, or you'll get hurt." Lily watched, terrified, at Malfoy's pale, pointed face moved towards hers.
Then, out of nowhere, a fist flashed past hers, hitting Malfoy in the jaw. She saw his jaw smashed across to the side of his face and back again. Then he crumpled onto the floor. Snape fell next, as his hooked nose became even more crooked than usual. Two stunning spells took care of Crabbe and Goyle. Then, all four were banished into a broom-cupboard, and the door locked.
"James!" Lily exclaimed, as she flung herself into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. James wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, and hugged her tightly.
"Sshhh, It's okay, Lils. They're not going to hurt you. They're not going to touch you," he whispered soothingly. "I'm here now. You're safe." She felt it as well. Wrapped up in James' arms, she felt as if nothing could hurt her. They stayed this way for a few more minutes; before she let James pull her down to sit on the floor with him. They leaned back against the wall, and James put a protective arm around her. She snuggled against him, tears still streaming down her face. He wiped her tears away with his hand, and pulled her into another embrace. She stopped crying, but still stayed snuggled against James and he kept his arm around her.
"Here, have a butterbeer," he said to her. She chuckled weakly, gladly took the bottle James offered and let her head rest on his shoulder. After about ten more minutes she heard movement from inside the broom-cupboard, and then some banging on the door. Lily stiffened, and instinctively grabbed James' arm. He already had his wand and she relaxed when she heard him mutter the silencing charm.
XXXXXXXX
Later on, Lily suddenly remembered something. "James?"
"Yes, Lils?"
"You know how you're always going out at night-times.?"
"Yeah?"
"Where do you go?"
"Hogsmeade,"
"WHAT? How?"
"Now that would be telling"
"Come on"
"No"
"Please"
"No"
"Pleeeeease"
"No"
"Fine then," Lily pouted, "I'll just catch you when you're going out." James choked on his butterbeer.
"You reckon?" he asked, disbelievingly
"I'm sure" James looked at her shrewdly.
"Care to make a bet on that?"
"Um, sure"
"Good," said James, "I'll give you a month. One month to catch the Marauders on a night-time stroll."
"Alright. What do I get when I win?"
"What do you want?" Lily thought for a second.
"You can't prank Snape or any Slytherin for a month." James looked at her, amazed.
"After what those bastards tried to do to you?" he exclaimed.
"You've still got the month where I'm trying to catch you to prank him" she told him, raising an eyebrow suggestively. James grinned. Oh, we'll prank him. You can be sure of that, he thought. Lily continued "Anyway, what if you win? What do you want?" James thought for a moment. Then smirked.
"I get the thing I was wanting for the last three years." Lily looked at him, confused.
"A date with you" he told her. He saw the startled look on her face and quickly added
"No trimmings. No hugs, no kisses, no nothing. Just dinner. I know a few places in Hogsmead. Come on" He grinned at her.
"Alright then, I guess I owe you."
Eventually, they finished their patrol. They went to bed, after reporting Malfoy and the others to Professor McGonagel. As Lily climbed into her bed that evening, she wondered whether going on a date with James would really be so bad.
Lily arrived at their patrol station at 8.55, hoping that James wasn't going to be late. On exactly nine o' clock, James walked casually round the corner. "Evening Lils"
"James, you're on time. I'm amazed."
"Why's that? I'm always on time for important things like-
"Lessons?"
"No, no, Lils. Important things." Lily tried to look stern, but couldn't help laughing. They began their duty, but after 5 minutes they were both bored stiff. After about a ½ hour, James said
"Tell you what Lils. The kitchens aren't far from here. How 'bout I go and get us some butterbeers? I'll be back in 5 minutes." Ordinarily, Lily would have said 'no', but she had a weakness for butterbeer so she agreed and James disappeared round the corner. Five minutes later, Lily heard footsteps coming towards her. She turned round, expecting to see James, but instead she saw four very unwelcoming faces, leering at her unpleasantly.
"Well, well, well. Lily Evans" said Malfoy, clearly trying to be charming. He wasn't even in James' league.
"No shit" she replied bluntly. Malfoy's smirk faded.
"Quiet, bitch" he hissed. Snape, Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. They moved towards Lily backing her against the wall. Malfoy came up very close to her.
"Now, now Lily. Don't struggle. You know you want me to kiss you."
"Piss off twat." She spat back. Malfoy's face contorted. He held her arms tightly, stopping her from punching him. Meanwhile, Crabbe and Goyle held her ankles.
"Listen, mudblood," Malfoy yelled into her face, "you know you want me. Don't fight it, or you'll get hurt." Lily watched, terrified, at Malfoy's pale, pointed face moved towards hers.
Then, out of nowhere, a fist flashed past hers, hitting Malfoy in the jaw. She saw his jaw smashed across to the side of his face and back again. Then he crumpled onto the floor. Snape fell next, as his hooked nose became even more crooked than usual. Two stunning spells took care of Crabbe and Goyle. Then, all four were banished into a broom-cupboard, and the door locked.
"James!" Lily exclaimed, as she flung herself into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. James wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, and hugged her tightly.
"Sshhh, It's okay, Lils. They're not going to hurt you. They're not going to touch you," he whispered soothingly. "I'm here now. You're safe." She felt it as well. Wrapped up in James' arms, she felt as if nothing could hurt her. They stayed this way for a few more minutes; before she let James pull her down to sit on the floor with him. They leaned back against the wall, and James put a protective arm around her. She snuggled against him, tears still streaming down her face. He wiped her tears away with his hand, and pulled her into another embrace. She stopped crying, but still stayed snuggled against James and he kept his arm around her.
"Here, have a butterbeer," he said to her. She chuckled weakly, gladly took the bottle James offered and let her head rest on his shoulder. After about ten more minutes she heard movement from inside the broom-cupboard, and then some banging on the door. Lily stiffened, and instinctively grabbed James' arm. He already had his wand and she relaxed when she heard him mutter the silencing charm.
XXXXXXXX
Later on, Lily suddenly remembered something. "James?"
"Yes, Lils?"
"You know how you're always going out at night-times.?"
"Yeah?"
"Where do you go?"
"Hogsmeade,"
"WHAT? How?"
"Now that would be telling"
"Come on"
"No"
"Please"
"No"
"Pleeeeease"
"No"
"Fine then," Lily pouted, "I'll just catch you when you're going out." James choked on his butterbeer.
"You reckon?" he asked, disbelievingly
"I'm sure" James looked at her shrewdly.
"Care to make a bet on that?"
"Um, sure"
"Good," said James, "I'll give you a month. One month to catch the Marauders on a night-time stroll."
"Alright. What do I get when I win?"
"What do you want?" Lily thought for a second.
"You can't prank Snape or any Slytherin for a month." James looked at her, amazed.
"After what those bastards tried to do to you?" he exclaimed.
"You've still got the month where I'm trying to catch you to prank him" she told him, raising an eyebrow suggestively. James grinned. Oh, we'll prank him. You can be sure of that, he thought. Lily continued "Anyway, what if you win? What do you want?" James thought for a moment. Then smirked.
"I get the thing I was wanting for the last three years." Lily looked at him, confused.
"A date with you" he told her. He saw the startled look on her face and quickly added
"No trimmings. No hugs, no kisses, no nothing. Just dinner. I know a few places in Hogsmead. Come on" He grinned at her.
"Alright then, I guess I owe you."
Eventually, they finished their patrol. They went to bed, after reporting Malfoy and the others to Professor McGonagel. As Lily climbed into her bed that evening, she wondered whether going on a date with James would really be so bad.