-Chapter 14-
-Final Preparations & Understanding Late Night Excursions--
James lay in bed that night with his bed curtains slightly opened, so he could watch the tiny Lily sleeping on the bed he made for her out of a muggle pencil box Peter had given him (and James had forgotten about) in their fourth year, he found lying in the bottom of his trunk. Her small figure was highlighted by the moonlight coming in through the castle windows. Even as a fake miniature, she was gorgeous. James smiled. Then he closed the curtains and slept through the night without one single dream.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Maggie!"
"I'm coming, Lily! Hold your horses." She was scribbling fast on a letter to her mother about extra money for the jewelry she was going to buy this weakened in Hogsmeade for the Queen's Ball at the end of the month.
Lily began to impatiently tap her foot. Maggie stopped writing to glare at Lily, Lily shrugged and made a motion to look at her watch. Maggie huffed and read what she had written for the umpteenth-time,
Dear mum,
Please send some more money. It's for the accessories I wanted to buy for the Ball I told you about. I finally have a date! I hope you'll get to meet him when the Express pulls in this summer. He's so wonderful. Oh! I didn't say his name, it's Remus. My friend Lily is getting impatient, we've got a class to be at. So! I'll be able to exchange the money for wizarding money at the village. All My Love To You!
Your Daughter,
Maggie
"There!" Maggie sealed and tied the letter with a blue ribbon to Mint, Lily's owl. "Thanks for letting me use her! She's really so much faster than the school owls." Maggie stated to Lily as Mint soared out trough the common room window.
"So, can we go now?"
Maggie smiled, "Um...not yet."
"WHAT!?"
"I'm just joking!" and Maggie ran laughing through the portrait hole with Lily on her heels.
They ran through the winding passages and up the many staircases to Charms. Maggie rounded a corner and Lily was about to when she bashed into a very tall someone. Lying on the floor Lily looked at the someone, she was tall and had long black hair. Her ice blue eyes pierced Lily. Lily would have confessed that she was prettiest girl she had ever seen except for the fact that well Lily didn?t like the way she was looking at her.
"Why don't you watch where you're going mudblood?" She bellowed, the nostrils on her Italian nose flared with disgust.
"Right back at ya." Lily mumbled under her breath as she picked herself off of the ground.
"What was that?" the girl asked, as they stood up the girl was a head taller than Lily.
Lily's eyes flashed with anger, "Nothing at all."
The girl's eyes narrowed. "Lo d?on ci??e giustamente per colpire in qualcuno importante come me, Malvagio Vile Creatura, Good." and she stomped off down the hallway with her Slytherin robes swishing behind her back.
"Lily!" came Maggie's voice echoing down the passage way. "Where are you?"
"I'm coming!" She picked up her book bag and ran after the source of Maggie's voice.
She finally arrived, panting, in the Charms classroom. Sirius turned around to see her, "What's up?"
"N-nothing." replied Lily, trying to calm her racing heart. She sat next to Maggie, who was next to Remus and Peter. James and Sirius sat one row behind them... Lily realized this could be quite bad...
"You guys aren't planning anything..." Lily searched for the word. "Dangerous?"
Sirius looked at Lily in shock, "Us?"
Lily narrowed her eyes, "Yes, YOU."
James grinned, "Now WHY would WE do something DANGEROUS?" He winked at her and Lily spun back around in her seat, hoping no one else had seen his brazen .... annoying.....cute..... Lily's mind kept wandering all through class.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Get out of my way, Severus."
"Oh. Has lcklie Potter finally learned how to say my name?" Severus Snape sneered at James, his crooked teeth bared and smiling with glee.
James clenched his jaw, not giving the slimy git any more satisfaction. "Move."
Severus bared his teeth again and glided past James, finally satisfied that James wouldn't lash out at him. James stood rooted to the spot for a few moments. He couldn't believe he had just done that.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid girl.' He thought repeatedly.
Then as soon as he was ready to go march up to Lily and tell her to forget it, he would mentally picture her in his mind. The deep red halo of cascading hair, making her creamy white skin blaze in glory. Then, he would see her eyes. Those orbs of dazzling emerald, most of the time blazing with fury. At least, that's how he saw them most of the time.
No matter what Snivellus could do, James screeched to a stop at the thought of losing Lily. At that moment, he would simply put one foot in front of the other and walk away. It was painful to let the slimeball leave unpunished, but he did it. Amazingly, he did it.
Amazingly enough to Lily.
She hadn't actually expected him to do it. She hoped he would, but she barely imagined it possible. James hated Severus with such a passion, so that meant...He loved Lily with greater one. It was too big of a thought to dwell on during the lazy afternoon time of rest she had created. She had finished her homework before the sunset and it became a habit. Then she had time to run outside and lounge around, breathe in the beautiful air, and soak up the fading rosy rays of light.
It was a beautiful time to think, or nap...either one was perfect. No other student would be out there, she was alone.
Alone.
Lily's brow furrowed, she seemed to be alone more and more often. Maggie had taken to hanging around with Remus more often then not. They were quite the pair, Lily smiled. That was not a bad thing though. Remus always seemed too cut off from anyone besides the other Marauders. It was such a wonderful thing, to see the two of them chatting in the library or just sitting side by side in the common room.
Lily sighed as she thought of the oddest turn yet, Peter had actually found a date. She laughed as she thought of the charming Hufflepuff that he seemed to have won. She had a sister in Gryffindor, but she guessed it didn't matter what house you're in anymore. Several young men from other houses had asked her to the Queen's Ball, even a seventh year Slytherin named Calhoun Alcatsol. She smiled as she thought of his dark hair and eyes... But whenever she began to think of young men a certain pair of hazel eyes introduced into to her reminisces.
James always seemed to be first in her mind. Lily rolled over on to her side in the grass next to the lake. She sighed and flicked a few ants a way from her. The ground was chilly, but thankfully winter hadn't set in yet. It looked like it had the previous week, snow and gray skies for a few days, but then an "Indian Summer" came by. Though by the looks of the sky, it wouldn't be lasting much longer. Lily sighed and rolled again onto her back.
She slipped her hands behind her head and laid there staring at the sky, watching a stay cloud tinged with gold and purple skate by. Students weren't really supposed to be out much longer than sundown, because of the increasing death threats in the Wizard and muggle worlds.
Lily sat up, on the premonition of going inside when the sky turned an odd shade of green. She blinked and as quickly as it was there, it was back to purple and red. A cold feeling settled into Lily's stomach. She reprimanded herself for not going inside earlier, and turned to go...
-~-~-~-~-~-
James looked up from his Potions essay to the portrait hole and saw Lily walk in, bright eyed and pink cheeked. She looked like a statue, one that took thousands of years to perfect... He ran a hand through his hair.
Lily strolled over to the fire, placing her hands in front of it, letting the slight chill she had received from the odd sky melt out.
She rubbed her eyes after her hands were warmed and looked around the darkening room. She saw a few fifth years doing their homework, and two first years playing Wizard's Chess. Then, of course, there was James grinning at his Potions essay. Lily turned up her chin and glided over. She gracefully took a seat next to him and began to examine his work.
"It's too choppy." She said. Her eye ever critical.
"How so?" James looked at Lily's face, almost forgetting what he was writing about...
"You're sentences don't flow. This paragraph should be here." She pointed a few sentences above where it was currently placed. Her white hand glided over the page pointing out a few more errors.
James sighed and again ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think can do this." This statement having more than the obvious meaning.
Lily smiled at him, "Yes, you can."
James looked at Lily, not really believing she meant it.
"I know you don't believe me, but if you'd just shape up a bit you could even be Head Boy next year. You could be that good. I know it."
James snorted at her comment, "I doubt it."
Lily's pleasant smile faded into steely resolve, "I don't."
James didn't want to make her angry, "Okay, okay..." He turned to his bag and pulled out another piece of parchment. He dipped his quill in ink and began again.
Lily sat next to him, watching his thought process appear on the paper. Soon she forgot they were in the common room. It was just James, the parchment, quill, and herself. It was glorious. She watched his hand scratch again and again over the paper...
Next thing she knew she woke up on the couch of the common room. The fire was down to smoldering ashes, just barely lighting up the figure on the arm chair next to her. Lily stretched and looked at her watch,
"What the #@&! are you doing up at this hour!? : 2:30 AM'
Lily yawned and stood, scanning the figure in the chair for signs of life. Only the steady rise and fall of the chest was visible in the gloom. Lily pushed her hair behind her ears and leaned in closer to see who it was. Then the arms of the shadow shot out and gripped her tightly. She tried to scream, but the hand of the man, it felt like a man now from the shadow's chest muscles, clamped itself across her mouth. She had one defense in this instance, but just as she was about to bite the hand it withdrew from her mouth.
"Lily!" The figure's voice hissed. "Please don't scream. It could be rather bad."
Lily Evans was sitting in James Potter's lap in the dark common room at 2 freaking 30 in the morning.
"What are you doing?" She hissed back, not making any move out of James's arms.
He laughed softly, "You fell asleep helping me with my homework."
Lily laughed lightly also, she remembered now. The scratching of the quill and steady scrawl of James's curly handwriting was hypnotizing. They sat in the chair for a few more moments before a pop from the fireplace nearly freaked the two out of their skin. James gripped onto Lily tighter and Lily sucked in her breath. The awkwardness of the situation was settling into her rational mind.
"James, let me go to bed now." she barely whispered.
"I can't." his voice was raspy with emotion.
"What?"
"I just need to hold on to you a bit longer."
"What?" She repeated.
"Please don't get mad," his voice had a slightly desperate note to it. "In order to hold out until I dance with you, I just need to touch you. Hold you. Oh, Lily..." His voice dropped off. Lily was glad of it, he was starting to set off alarms and whistles in her brain.
James felt her body tensing up. "Relax." he crooned into her ear. Lily felt his warm breath tickle her ear, and she was quite thankful that the light was so dim. Her cheeks were blazing pink, she could feel it. James rested his forehead on Lily's shoulder. Lily felt her body relaxing into his.
They sat like that for Lily never knew how long, she just knew that it was one of the highlights of her school years.
No class, dark secret, or adventure could compare with that moment of mutual understanding and . . . If she dared to think it at the time we'll never know . . . Love.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Lily!" Maggie shouted at her the next morning. "Where in freaking muggle earth were you last night!?"
"Wow. That sounds familiar..." Sirius mumbled into his eggs.
The Marauders and Lily had reached the breakfast table before Maggie, who had insisted on primping a bit more before coming down to breakfast.
"Answer me!" She placed her tanned hands on her slender hips and waited, Lily was waiting for Maggie to start tapping her heel impatiently.
Instead, Lily laughed. She ended up having to be escorted from the Great Hall she was laughing so hard. James and Remus dragged her out, Maggie clicking along behind and Sirius shoving one more slice of toast into his mouth. Peter had opted to stay behind with his date at the Hufflepuff table. Lily leaned against the railing of the main staircase, trying to regain some sense of speech. It took her another four minutes to get to the point of being able to speak properly.
Maggie gritted her teeth, "Well?"
Lily giggled slightly, "I just fell asleep in the common room. I woke up about 2:30 and went up stairs to bed. That's it." Lily was perfectly calm now.
James smiled and Remus sighed, "Was that worth it Maggie?"
Maggie looked enraged at Remus. "Yes. It was." She turned her back on the group and stormed off to her Advanced Arithmancy class.
Remus sighed, massaged his forehead and followed her, shuffling along the hallway.
James, Sirius, and Lily stood there gazing after them. Lily let out a sigh that resembled a giggle and turned to go back into the Great Hall.
"So. Now that they're gone. What really happened?" Sirius stated, quite bluntly.
"What do you mean?" James said, wary of what the question could imply.
"Don't be thick, because I'm not." Sirius rolled eyes and stared at James and Lily. "I left you downstairs to watch Lily, James. Then you didn't come to bed till 3:57 AM. Something's wrong with that."
James and Lily exchanged a glance. They didn't really want to share what went on it the common room, because nothing really happened. Nothing anyone could gossip about.
James looked Sirius square in the eye, "Nothing."
Sirius looked from James to Lily and back again. He nodded, "I understand."
And walked back into Great Hall.
James and Lily shared the same thought, 'What does he think he understands?'
~-~-~-~-~-~
The first news to reach James's ears through his "network", as he sat back down to breakfast, was that Lucius Malfoy was back at Hogwarts. A few months was what Dumbledore had said the limit was. Then again, when you're family is a powerful pure blood wizarding family...
You get my point. And exactly that fact is what upset James the most. Baron and Lucius always ended up getting their way. It infuriated James. Probably because he didn't have that attention because his parents didn't live up to what pure blooded wizards were assumingly supposed to.
And the second piece of exciting news was a certain rumor traveling around the Gryffindor table that Severus Snape, or more affectionately known as Snivellus, had a date to the Ball. And that, in fact, the girl had chased HIM down and pursued HIS attentions. No one among the entire table could guess who it would be. Or who it could be.
All the Slyterins that would go with Snape were the fourth and under years, they were desperate for getting into the social event of this school year, of maybe any school year.
Rumors were going around that Snape had tricked someone with a love potion. But the only ounce of truth in that rumor was how flawless of a student Snape was in Potions class.
"Please!?" James pleaded to Lily as they left breakfast.
"No, James." Lily crossed her arms. "We have a deal."
"Exactly! And Snivellus knows it. He keeps rubbing it in my face."
Lily was taken aback. "How so?"
James muttered something, his voice was lost in the tumult of the last changing of classes.
"I didn't catch that."
"He says I can't get a date without bribing them!"
Lily scoffed, "Since when did what Severus thinks make any difference to you?" She looked at James and he smiled, that was true...
"He has a date."
Lily almost dropped her books, "What? Snape? Are we talking about the same chap?"
James nodded a sparkle in his hazel eye.
Lily stared blankly down the hallway. "Whoa."
James laughed. "I know!"
When they had finally reached Transfiguration (they had had a staircase change midweek) everyone was already in the classroom.
Professor McGonagall looked about the room, narrowing her eyes to little slits. "And where is Mr. Black?"
A small girl in one corner raised her hand, "He's talking to the Headmaster."
"What?" McGonagall looked shocked. James was wearing the exact same expression on his face.
The small girl shrugged and went back to burying her nose in a book.
"Very well. We'll have to begin without him." She turned to her blackboard.
"Today!" Her voice pierced the student's ears. "We will be working on Animagi."
James's eyes went wide. He muttered something under his breath.
"Some of you!" McGonagall eyed the room. "Will never be able to change into Animagi."
"And some of you..." Her voice lowered so that everyone leaned forward in their desks to hear her speak. "....will...." Her eyes searched the room, as if she was trying to pick out that one amazing student...
"Now! For those of you who cannot, do NOT be discouraged. This is common! The gift of being an Animagi is quite rare. Even if you have the potential, it's quite difficult to master." She nodded sadly, her eyes looking off into the abyss. "Quite difficult indeed."
The class shifted in their seats, uncomfortable with the amount of emotion Professor McGonagall was emitting.
"Now! I would like you to write a report on what you can find out about these Animagi! What are the registered Animagi? Is there something special about an potential Animagi? Can anyone, after much work, become an Animagi? Answer these and any other questions you can think of. If you're able to find out what you could be, then I want to know that also. This is due the next time we meet." She nodded to them.
"On page 36-42 is where you'll find SOME of this information." She looked at her watch.
"You may begin."
~-~-~-~-~-~
James pounded down the hallway, "I could seriously strangle that woman." He muttered violently.
"Why?" Lily was shocked.
"Doesn't she know she's teaching us stuff we've all heard before!?" His face was turning red.
"James, no she's not." Lily shook her red head, dodging past the Ravenclaw quiddtich team. "She's going to help us determine if we can BE one, didn't you hear her?"
"I did. And It's stupid. It's all stuff I know." He went on grumbling until Lily grabbed his arm and made him stop. The people behind them swore and pushed around the two.
Lily's face showed every bit of puzzlement, "How do you know?"
James's eyes grew wide with realization of what he almost gave away..."Well, I was just saying...I HOPE I know what I'll be. You know... Everyone wants a certain ANIMAL...A COOL one...Ya know."
Lilly squinted at him and then shrugged, continuing down the hallway, pushing the conversation to the back of the mind...
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Mr. Black. I cannot allow you to do this." Dumbledore sounded like he was talking to a wall, a very thick one.
"But Headmaster..."
"No!" Dumbledore stood up out of his chair, ready to end it this time. "You will not be able to get me to go to Mr. Snape and tickle who his date is out of him!"
Sirius's face dropped. A sparkle flashed in Dumbledore's eye, "Although I am rather curious myself."
Sirius grinned. He knew Dumblybore would never go do that. He just wanted to instill something. And something he did instill. He grinned and strutted from the room, only to fling to door open and reveal James, poise and ready to knock on the door.
"Oh! Sirius!" James exclaimed.
Dumbledore sighed and exclaimed, "Are Remus and Peter coming also!? Will you all make my office your secret meeting room!?"
James gave the aged Headmaster a sly smile, "Only with your permission, sir."
"Well, it's not given. What did you want?"
James strode boldly up to Dumbledore, they were the same height, James looked him straight in the eye.
"I need permission to go to Hogsmeade."
Dumbledore was taken aback, "Whatever for, Mr. Potter?"
James wasn?t so bold with this reply. He shuffled his feet, "To buy something..."
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled, "You know, Mr. Potter," He said while returning to his chair. "That a visit to Hogsmeade is crucial to the upcoming Ball, do you not?"
James was puzzled, "No sir."
"Well, it is." Dumbledore nodded. "You must pick up your costumes and buy any other..." He searched for the right word. "Necessary gifts?"
James' face split into a smile, he rumpled his hair and nodded. "Yes sir."
James and Sirius spun on their heels and strutted form the room, leaving behind a quite confused Dumbledore.
As the were wandering through the hallways Sirius asked James, "What do you want to go to Hogsmeade for?"
James faltered.
"What?"
"A present for Lily."
Sirius laughed, and James bit back. "Hey! You know how good Remus is with the ladies?"
Sirius was still laughing but managed to nod.
"Well," Continued James. "He's buying Maggie something. If he does it, then obviously it wouldn't hurt if I did it too, right? At least when it comes to this..."
Sirius calmed his laughter, "Yeah, I guess so."
James looked at Sirius with conviction in his eye, "Are you buying Elspeth anything?"
Sirius stopped walking.
Now it was James' turn to laugh.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Please stay together!" Professor McGonagall shouted over the teeming mass of students lining up to go to Hogsmeade. "Would you all sort yourselves into houses and years. Just like last time! Please! Listen up! Thank you! Sort yourselves like last time!"
The students milled around a few more minutes and finally everyone was ready. McGongall looked like she was on her last straw, but she held together and led the students into Hogmeade.
The students had their cloaks on in the wet weather. Rain was a steady mist on their backs as they walked into the little wizarding village. McGonagall shouted and screamed again for their attention, telling them to please go in to the same place and persons they went to the first time. The students sighed and looked around. Luckily for the Marauders they were in the same year and house. The huddled together and discussed another aspect to their costumes that they were ordering today.
"We don't need them!" Remus huffed in the cold.
"But it would be so fun to!" Peter squeaked.
Sirius chafed him on the shoulder, "Yes. And we can be our Animagi forms too!"
"Keep your voice down!" hissed Remus.
"Aw, come off it." James shrugged. "Who's gonna care?"
Remus narrowed his eyes, "The pretty red-head behind ya."
James halted, "Oh...yeah."
Remus nodded and buried his hands deeper into his cloak, "It's so cold out here. You'd barely believe we lived in the same place as yesterday!"
Sirius nodded and blew on his hands. He stopped after a moment, his breath was only worsening the coldness. "But why can't we, Remus? It would be fun to have masks."
James shook his head. "I don't know..."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Not you too!"
"It's very dangerous!" Peter squeaked. "What if someone goes...'Hey! I've seen those animals before!' What would happen then?"
"Then," Sirius said irritably. "We would say, 'How odd!' And walk off."
"Guys! Why are you fighting?" Lily said, turning around to stare incredulously at them.
"Lily!" Sirius pleaded. "Wouldn't it be cool if us four wore masks?"
Lily nodded, "Sure. I don't see why not."
"Then it's decided!" Sirius shouted. "We're wearing our Animagus forms as masks."
"How do you know your Animagus form Sirius?" Lily asked, genuinely curious.
Sirius faltered, "I've looked it up before."
"What about you James?"
James smiled, "I'll know it by next week."
Maggie screeched, "OH MY GOSH! IT IS NEXT WEEK!" She began to fan herself and breathe quickly. Remus laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Calm down!"
"There's still so much to be done Remi!"
Remus calmly acknowledged this fact and told her all would be fixed by that time. Only after she calmed down and got back into her place in line did he see everyone else's faces exhibiting utter amazement.
"What?" Remus asked, worried he had something on his face or hanging from his nose. . .
"You let her give you a nickname?" Sirius gaped. "You barely let us give you 'Moony'."
Remus went pink and shrugged. Luckily for him the doors opened to admit the 6th year Gryffindors. Everyone ran to their seamstress or seamster, who were standing in the reception area.
Lily's eyes lit up as she skipped over to Tabitha. "Hello Tabitha!"
"Good afternoon Lily! I hope you love it, it's my best work yet!" She presently pulled the gown from it's hiding spot and Lily nearly fainted at the sight of the gorgeous dress.
"Oh... Tabitha..." she breathed.
"I take it you like it?" Tabitha asked, a glint of ecstasy in her eye.
"It's beautiful! Thank you!" Lily hugged Tabitha tightly.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"How will this work?" Mr. Figg asked James, holding up a scarlet and mahogany outfit.
James gaped. "Whoa! That's the coolest costume ever!"
Mr. Figg grinned, "I thought so too. And I made something for ya." He pulled out a hat, matching the costume in color and fabric, a long red feather with a gold glint to it stuck out a foot from the right of the hat.
"This is so awesome Mr. Figg! Thanks!"
Mr. Figg shook his head, "Anytime, anytime."
"Oh I have a date now." James motioned to the other side of the room where Lily was giggling with her seamstress."
"Ah. Congratulations." Mr. Figg nodded his approval and laughed slightly to himself.
After the screams of joy had finished the prices were rattled off, Hogwarts helped pay for half of the price, but it was up to the students to come up with the rest. They all had the money, paid and their costumes were wrapped up. The moment they exited the building into the cold, gray day they were asking each other for a description of their get-up.
Some gurgled the information willingly and others said, "You'll have to wait and see."
James slipped away from the group and meandered slowly down the High Street, searching for a shop that could cater to his needs. The shifted his bundle to his other arm as he reached the shop he had spotted Lily and Maggie in an the last Hogsmeade visit.
He opened the door and a mixture of lavender and something deeper...richer...reached his nostrils. It wasn't at all unpleasant and he quickly ducked behind some display shelves so no one from Hogwarts could notice him. He sifted through some smaller displays of jewels, not really interested. They looked too cheap, they weren't good enough for Lily. . .
"Find anything' ya like?" came a girlish voice from behind him.
James spun around, feeling like a two year old with his hand caught in the cookie jar. A short, pretty, brunette with an odd accent was standing in front of him.
"Not yet. . ." James replied warily.
"Have any idea of what you'd like?" She asked nonchalantly.
"A present."
The girls melodic laughter rang though the store, "I guessed as much!"
James grinned, "Who are you?"
The girl gave a flourish and a bow, "None other than Young herself."
"Oh. YOU own this shop?"
The girl nodded, "I'd rather be known as merely Sarah, if ya please."
"All right. I'm shopping for a present, Sarah."
Then the question came at him like rapid fire, "Male or female?"
"Female."
"A family member or special someone?"
James blushed.
"Special someone then, Birth month?"
"Mine?"
"Hers."
"I don't know. . ."
"Okay. . .Eye color?"
"Vivid emerald green."
Sarah's brown eyes lit up with a smile, "Perfect! This way!"
She led James over to a counter which boasted an array of green jewels.
Sarah sighed, "Of course, it would help if you knew what kind of dress she has... You do go to Hogwarts School which's having a ball, correct?"
"Yeah. . .I don't know. Sorry."
Sarah shrugged. "It's all right. I wouldn't expect my date to know either."
"Are you going? Do you attend Hogawrts? I've never seen you before..."
Sarrah laughed out loud, "Oh no! I went to another school in Ireland. My parents died last year so I moved here."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Do you want a ring or a necklace?"
"Necklace." James quickly blurted. Sarah laughed again and James chuckled along.
"I understand. Rings have allot of ... commitment in them." Her smile faded. "I understand."
James noticed the change in her countenance.
Sarah quickly recovered, "Well. Look at this one." She reached up and lightly fingered a light green, heart-shaped jeweled necklace. James shook his head. It looked to light for Lily...
"Okaaaay ... How's about this one?" She pointed to a lovely green, circular jewel in the middle of an ornate gold coin. James shok his head fervently. That was way too heavy.
Sarah sighed, "Why don't you just look through 'em then. I need t fix around the arrangement anyways. Tell me if you see anything." She nodded and reached for a raindrop shaped emerald, it seemed to have a flame burning inside.
James' face lit up, "What's that one?"
Sarah handed it to him, "It gets warm when the giver is near. One of those silly little magic stones." She noticed how closely James was inspecting it. "You like it?"
"Oh yes." James breathed, it was more perfect then he could have imagined.
"Oh. All right. Some over to the counter." He walked across the store still staring at the stone.
Sarah slipped behind the counter and wrote something up on a piece of paper. She looked up from what she was writing and asked for the stone. He handed it to her, the spell broken.
Sarah studied it for a few moments and wrote some more things in a scrawling handscript. She slammed her book shut and asked James for his hand.
"What?"
"Give me your hand."
James reached out his hand, Sarah laid the stone in it. "Keep it open." She bent behind the counter for something and came back up holding an ebony wand.
"What are you doing?" asked James, more curious than scared.
"Amora Mira Siempree!" Sarah whispered to the stone in James' hand. Immediately the stone grew warm in his hand and glowed a little brighter.
"There!" Sarah declared, "It will now respond to your presence. Must be a special girl..."
James let down his defenses. "She is. She's got this amazing red hair and those vivid green eyes I told you about. And when she's mad they get a glint of fire in them...allot like this stone."
Sarah paused, "What's her name?"
"Lily."
"Oh! I've met her... She's really nice. I liked her. You best be nice to her, young master."
James smiled and ran a hand through his hair, "Oh don't worry. I've waited too long to ruin my chance with her."
Sarah handed him the bag with his stone it, "Well, thanks for shopping here. I hope things work out between you two."
James smiled at the and slipped out of her store, he shoved his precious gift deep into his pocket and scanned the street for any signs of Hogwarts students. They all seemed to be down the street at the Three Broomsticks.
He sauntered nonchalantly down the High Street, a wide smile splitting his face. A that moment a ray a sunshine sliced through the clouds and lit up the street, making this cold, dreary day into a storybook land...but only for a moment.
(End Chapter 14)
(For Serpena, yelling [in essence!] at me to update and for fixing her 'insult'.)
-Final Preparations & Understanding Late Night Excursions--
James lay in bed that night with his bed curtains slightly opened, so he could watch the tiny Lily sleeping on the bed he made for her out of a muggle pencil box Peter had given him (and James had forgotten about) in their fourth year, he found lying in the bottom of his trunk. Her small figure was highlighted by the moonlight coming in through the castle windows. Even as a fake miniature, she was gorgeous. James smiled. Then he closed the curtains and slept through the night without one single dream.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Maggie!"
"I'm coming, Lily! Hold your horses." She was scribbling fast on a letter to her mother about extra money for the jewelry she was going to buy this weakened in Hogsmeade for the Queen's Ball at the end of the month.
Lily began to impatiently tap her foot. Maggie stopped writing to glare at Lily, Lily shrugged and made a motion to look at her watch. Maggie huffed and read what she had written for the umpteenth-time,
Dear mum,
Please send some more money. It's for the accessories I wanted to buy for the Ball I told you about. I finally have a date! I hope you'll get to meet him when the Express pulls in this summer. He's so wonderful. Oh! I didn't say his name, it's Remus. My friend Lily is getting impatient, we've got a class to be at. So! I'll be able to exchange the money for wizarding money at the village. All My Love To You!
Your Daughter,
Maggie
"There!" Maggie sealed and tied the letter with a blue ribbon to Mint, Lily's owl. "Thanks for letting me use her! She's really so much faster than the school owls." Maggie stated to Lily as Mint soared out trough the common room window.
"So, can we go now?"
Maggie smiled, "Um...not yet."
"WHAT!?"
"I'm just joking!" and Maggie ran laughing through the portrait hole with Lily on her heels.
They ran through the winding passages and up the many staircases to Charms. Maggie rounded a corner and Lily was about to when she bashed into a very tall someone. Lying on the floor Lily looked at the someone, she was tall and had long black hair. Her ice blue eyes pierced Lily. Lily would have confessed that she was prettiest girl she had ever seen except for the fact that well Lily didn?t like the way she was looking at her.
"Why don't you watch where you're going mudblood?" She bellowed, the nostrils on her Italian nose flared with disgust.
"Right back at ya." Lily mumbled under her breath as she picked herself off of the ground.
"What was that?" the girl asked, as they stood up the girl was a head taller than Lily.
Lily's eyes flashed with anger, "Nothing at all."
The girl's eyes narrowed. "Lo d?on ci??e giustamente per colpire in qualcuno importante come me, Malvagio Vile Creatura, Good." and she stomped off down the hallway with her Slytherin robes swishing behind her back.
"Lily!" came Maggie's voice echoing down the passage way. "Where are you?"
"I'm coming!" She picked up her book bag and ran after the source of Maggie's voice.
She finally arrived, panting, in the Charms classroom. Sirius turned around to see her, "What's up?"
"N-nothing." replied Lily, trying to calm her racing heart. She sat next to Maggie, who was next to Remus and Peter. James and Sirius sat one row behind them... Lily realized this could be quite bad...
"You guys aren't planning anything..." Lily searched for the word. "Dangerous?"
Sirius looked at Lily in shock, "Us?"
Lily narrowed her eyes, "Yes, YOU."
James grinned, "Now WHY would WE do something DANGEROUS?" He winked at her and Lily spun back around in her seat, hoping no one else had seen his brazen .... annoying.....cute..... Lily's mind kept wandering all through class.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Get out of my way, Severus."
"Oh. Has lcklie Potter finally learned how to say my name?" Severus Snape sneered at James, his crooked teeth bared and smiling with glee.
James clenched his jaw, not giving the slimy git any more satisfaction. "Move."
Severus bared his teeth again and glided past James, finally satisfied that James wouldn't lash out at him. James stood rooted to the spot for a few moments. He couldn't believe he had just done that.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid girl.' He thought repeatedly.
Then as soon as he was ready to go march up to Lily and tell her to forget it, he would mentally picture her in his mind. The deep red halo of cascading hair, making her creamy white skin blaze in glory. Then, he would see her eyes. Those orbs of dazzling emerald, most of the time blazing with fury. At least, that's how he saw them most of the time.
No matter what Snivellus could do, James screeched to a stop at the thought of losing Lily. At that moment, he would simply put one foot in front of the other and walk away. It was painful to let the slimeball leave unpunished, but he did it. Amazingly, he did it.
Amazingly enough to Lily.
She hadn't actually expected him to do it. She hoped he would, but she barely imagined it possible. James hated Severus with such a passion, so that meant...He loved Lily with greater one. It was too big of a thought to dwell on during the lazy afternoon time of rest she had created. She had finished her homework before the sunset and it became a habit. Then she had time to run outside and lounge around, breathe in the beautiful air, and soak up the fading rosy rays of light.
It was a beautiful time to think, or nap...either one was perfect. No other student would be out there, she was alone.
Alone.
Lily's brow furrowed, she seemed to be alone more and more often. Maggie had taken to hanging around with Remus more often then not. They were quite the pair, Lily smiled. That was not a bad thing though. Remus always seemed too cut off from anyone besides the other Marauders. It was such a wonderful thing, to see the two of them chatting in the library or just sitting side by side in the common room.
Lily sighed as she thought of the oddest turn yet, Peter had actually found a date. She laughed as she thought of the charming Hufflepuff that he seemed to have won. She had a sister in Gryffindor, but she guessed it didn't matter what house you're in anymore. Several young men from other houses had asked her to the Queen's Ball, even a seventh year Slytherin named Calhoun Alcatsol. She smiled as she thought of his dark hair and eyes... But whenever she began to think of young men a certain pair of hazel eyes introduced into to her reminisces.
James always seemed to be first in her mind. Lily rolled over on to her side in the grass next to the lake. She sighed and flicked a few ants a way from her. The ground was chilly, but thankfully winter hadn't set in yet. It looked like it had the previous week, snow and gray skies for a few days, but then an "Indian Summer" came by. Though by the looks of the sky, it wouldn't be lasting much longer. Lily sighed and rolled again onto her back.
She slipped her hands behind her head and laid there staring at the sky, watching a stay cloud tinged with gold and purple skate by. Students weren't really supposed to be out much longer than sundown, because of the increasing death threats in the Wizard and muggle worlds.
Lily sat up, on the premonition of going inside when the sky turned an odd shade of green. She blinked and as quickly as it was there, it was back to purple and red. A cold feeling settled into Lily's stomach. She reprimanded herself for not going inside earlier, and turned to go...
-~-~-~-~-~-
James looked up from his Potions essay to the portrait hole and saw Lily walk in, bright eyed and pink cheeked. She looked like a statue, one that took thousands of years to perfect... He ran a hand through his hair.
Lily strolled over to the fire, placing her hands in front of it, letting the slight chill she had received from the odd sky melt out.
She rubbed her eyes after her hands were warmed and looked around the darkening room. She saw a few fifth years doing their homework, and two first years playing Wizard's Chess. Then, of course, there was James grinning at his Potions essay. Lily turned up her chin and glided over. She gracefully took a seat next to him and began to examine his work.
"It's too choppy." She said. Her eye ever critical.
"How so?" James looked at Lily's face, almost forgetting what he was writing about...
"You're sentences don't flow. This paragraph should be here." She pointed a few sentences above where it was currently placed. Her white hand glided over the page pointing out a few more errors.
James sighed and again ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think can do this." This statement having more than the obvious meaning.
Lily smiled at him, "Yes, you can."
James looked at Lily, not really believing she meant it.
"I know you don't believe me, but if you'd just shape up a bit you could even be Head Boy next year. You could be that good. I know it."
James snorted at her comment, "I doubt it."
Lily's pleasant smile faded into steely resolve, "I don't."
James didn't want to make her angry, "Okay, okay..." He turned to his bag and pulled out another piece of parchment. He dipped his quill in ink and began again.
Lily sat next to him, watching his thought process appear on the paper. Soon she forgot they were in the common room. It was just James, the parchment, quill, and herself. It was glorious. She watched his hand scratch again and again over the paper...
Next thing she knew she woke up on the couch of the common room. The fire was down to smoldering ashes, just barely lighting up the figure on the arm chair next to her. Lily stretched and looked at her watch,
"What the #@&! are you doing up at this hour!? : 2:30 AM'
Lily yawned and stood, scanning the figure in the chair for signs of life. Only the steady rise and fall of the chest was visible in the gloom. Lily pushed her hair behind her ears and leaned in closer to see who it was. Then the arms of the shadow shot out and gripped her tightly. She tried to scream, but the hand of the man, it felt like a man now from the shadow's chest muscles, clamped itself across her mouth. She had one defense in this instance, but just as she was about to bite the hand it withdrew from her mouth.
"Lily!" The figure's voice hissed. "Please don't scream. It could be rather bad."
Lily Evans was sitting in James Potter's lap in the dark common room at 2 freaking 30 in the morning.
"What are you doing?" She hissed back, not making any move out of James's arms.
He laughed softly, "You fell asleep helping me with my homework."
Lily laughed lightly also, she remembered now. The scratching of the quill and steady scrawl of James's curly handwriting was hypnotizing. They sat in the chair for a few more moments before a pop from the fireplace nearly freaked the two out of their skin. James gripped onto Lily tighter and Lily sucked in her breath. The awkwardness of the situation was settling into her rational mind.
"James, let me go to bed now." she barely whispered.
"I can't." his voice was raspy with emotion.
"What?"
"I just need to hold on to you a bit longer."
"What?" She repeated.
"Please don't get mad," his voice had a slightly desperate note to it. "In order to hold out until I dance with you, I just need to touch you. Hold you. Oh, Lily..." His voice dropped off. Lily was glad of it, he was starting to set off alarms and whistles in her brain.
James felt her body tensing up. "Relax." he crooned into her ear. Lily felt his warm breath tickle her ear, and she was quite thankful that the light was so dim. Her cheeks were blazing pink, she could feel it. James rested his forehead on Lily's shoulder. Lily felt her body relaxing into his.
They sat like that for Lily never knew how long, she just knew that it was one of the highlights of her school years.
No class, dark secret, or adventure could compare with that moment of mutual understanding and . . . If she dared to think it at the time we'll never know . . . Love.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Lily!" Maggie shouted at her the next morning. "Where in freaking muggle earth were you last night!?"
"Wow. That sounds familiar..." Sirius mumbled into his eggs.
The Marauders and Lily had reached the breakfast table before Maggie, who had insisted on primping a bit more before coming down to breakfast.
"Answer me!" She placed her tanned hands on her slender hips and waited, Lily was waiting for Maggie to start tapping her heel impatiently.
Instead, Lily laughed. She ended up having to be escorted from the Great Hall she was laughing so hard. James and Remus dragged her out, Maggie clicking along behind and Sirius shoving one more slice of toast into his mouth. Peter had opted to stay behind with his date at the Hufflepuff table. Lily leaned against the railing of the main staircase, trying to regain some sense of speech. It took her another four minutes to get to the point of being able to speak properly.
Maggie gritted her teeth, "Well?"
Lily giggled slightly, "I just fell asleep in the common room. I woke up about 2:30 and went up stairs to bed. That's it." Lily was perfectly calm now.
James smiled and Remus sighed, "Was that worth it Maggie?"
Maggie looked enraged at Remus. "Yes. It was." She turned her back on the group and stormed off to her Advanced Arithmancy class.
Remus sighed, massaged his forehead and followed her, shuffling along the hallway.
James, Sirius, and Lily stood there gazing after them. Lily let out a sigh that resembled a giggle and turned to go back into the Great Hall.
"So. Now that they're gone. What really happened?" Sirius stated, quite bluntly.
"What do you mean?" James said, wary of what the question could imply.
"Don't be thick, because I'm not." Sirius rolled eyes and stared at James and Lily. "I left you downstairs to watch Lily, James. Then you didn't come to bed till 3:57 AM. Something's wrong with that."
James and Lily exchanged a glance. They didn't really want to share what went on it the common room, because nothing really happened. Nothing anyone could gossip about.
James looked Sirius square in the eye, "Nothing."
Sirius looked from James to Lily and back again. He nodded, "I understand."
And walked back into Great Hall.
James and Lily shared the same thought, 'What does he think he understands?'
~-~-~-~-~-~
The first news to reach James's ears through his "network", as he sat back down to breakfast, was that Lucius Malfoy was back at Hogwarts. A few months was what Dumbledore had said the limit was. Then again, when you're family is a powerful pure blood wizarding family...
You get my point. And exactly that fact is what upset James the most. Baron and Lucius always ended up getting their way. It infuriated James. Probably because he didn't have that attention because his parents didn't live up to what pure blooded wizards were assumingly supposed to.
And the second piece of exciting news was a certain rumor traveling around the Gryffindor table that Severus Snape, or more affectionately known as Snivellus, had a date to the Ball. And that, in fact, the girl had chased HIM down and pursued HIS attentions. No one among the entire table could guess who it would be. Or who it could be.
All the Slyterins that would go with Snape were the fourth and under years, they were desperate for getting into the social event of this school year, of maybe any school year.
Rumors were going around that Snape had tricked someone with a love potion. But the only ounce of truth in that rumor was how flawless of a student Snape was in Potions class.
"Please!?" James pleaded to Lily as they left breakfast.
"No, James." Lily crossed her arms. "We have a deal."
"Exactly! And Snivellus knows it. He keeps rubbing it in my face."
Lily was taken aback. "How so?"
James muttered something, his voice was lost in the tumult of the last changing of classes.
"I didn't catch that."
"He says I can't get a date without bribing them!"
Lily scoffed, "Since when did what Severus thinks make any difference to you?" She looked at James and he smiled, that was true...
"He has a date."
Lily almost dropped her books, "What? Snape? Are we talking about the same chap?"
James nodded a sparkle in his hazel eye.
Lily stared blankly down the hallway. "Whoa."
James laughed. "I know!"
When they had finally reached Transfiguration (they had had a staircase change midweek) everyone was already in the classroom.
Professor McGonagall looked about the room, narrowing her eyes to little slits. "And where is Mr. Black?"
A small girl in one corner raised her hand, "He's talking to the Headmaster."
"What?" McGonagall looked shocked. James was wearing the exact same expression on his face.
The small girl shrugged and went back to burying her nose in a book.
"Very well. We'll have to begin without him." She turned to her blackboard.
"Today!" Her voice pierced the student's ears. "We will be working on Animagi."
James's eyes went wide. He muttered something under his breath.
"Some of you!" McGonagall eyed the room. "Will never be able to change into Animagi."
"And some of you..." Her voice lowered so that everyone leaned forward in their desks to hear her speak. "....will...." Her eyes searched the room, as if she was trying to pick out that one amazing student...
"Now! For those of you who cannot, do NOT be discouraged. This is common! The gift of being an Animagi is quite rare. Even if you have the potential, it's quite difficult to master." She nodded sadly, her eyes looking off into the abyss. "Quite difficult indeed."
The class shifted in their seats, uncomfortable with the amount of emotion Professor McGonagall was emitting.
"Now! I would like you to write a report on what you can find out about these Animagi! What are the registered Animagi? Is there something special about an potential Animagi? Can anyone, after much work, become an Animagi? Answer these and any other questions you can think of. If you're able to find out what you could be, then I want to know that also. This is due the next time we meet." She nodded to them.
"On page 36-42 is where you'll find SOME of this information." She looked at her watch.
"You may begin."
~-~-~-~-~-~
James pounded down the hallway, "I could seriously strangle that woman." He muttered violently.
"Why?" Lily was shocked.
"Doesn't she know she's teaching us stuff we've all heard before!?" His face was turning red.
"James, no she's not." Lily shook her red head, dodging past the Ravenclaw quiddtich team. "She's going to help us determine if we can BE one, didn't you hear her?"
"I did. And It's stupid. It's all stuff I know." He went on grumbling until Lily grabbed his arm and made him stop. The people behind them swore and pushed around the two.
Lily's face showed every bit of puzzlement, "How do you know?"
James's eyes grew wide with realization of what he almost gave away..."Well, I was just saying...I HOPE I know what I'll be. You know... Everyone wants a certain ANIMAL...A COOL one...Ya know."
Lilly squinted at him and then shrugged, continuing down the hallway, pushing the conversation to the back of the mind...
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Mr. Black. I cannot allow you to do this." Dumbledore sounded like he was talking to a wall, a very thick one.
"But Headmaster..."
"No!" Dumbledore stood up out of his chair, ready to end it this time. "You will not be able to get me to go to Mr. Snape and tickle who his date is out of him!"
Sirius's face dropped. A sparkle flashed in Dumbledore's eye, "Although I am rather curious myself."
Sirius grinned. He knew Dumblybore would never go do that. He just wanted to instill something. And something he did instill. He grinned and strutted from the room, only to fling to door open and reveal James, poise and ready to knock on the door.
"Oh! Sirius!" James exclaimed.
Dumbledore sighed and exclaimed, "Are Remus and Peter coming also!? Will you all make my office your secret meeting room!?"
James gave the aged Headmaster a sly smile, "Only with your permission, sir."
"Well, it's not given. What did you want?"
James strode boldly up to Dumbledore, they were the same height, James looked him straight in the eye.
"I need permission to go to Hogsmeade."
Dumbledore was taken aback, "Whatever for, Mr. Potter?"
James wasn?t so bold with this reply. He shuffled his feet, "To buy something..."
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled, "You know, Mr. Potter," He said while returning to his chair. "That a visit to Hogsmeade is crucial to the upcoming Ball, do you not?"
James was puzzled, "No sir."
"Well, it is." Dumbledore nodded. "You must pick up your costumes and buy any other..." He searched for the right word. "Necessary gifts?"
James' face split into a smile, he rumpled his hair and nodded. "Yes sir."
James and Sirius spun on their heels and strutted form the room, leaving behind a quite confused Dumbledore.
As the were wandering through the hallways Sirius asked James, "What do you want to go to Hogsmeade for?"
James faltered.
"What?"
"A present for Lily."
Sirius laughed, and James bit back. "Hey! You know how good Remus is with the ladies?"
Sirius was still laughing but managed to nod.
"Well," Continued James. "He's buying Maggie something. If he does it, then obviously it wouldn't hurt if I did it too, right? At least when it comes to this..."
Sirius calmed his laughter, "Yeah, I guess so."
James looked at Sirius with conviction in his eye, "Are you buying Elspeth anything?"
Sirius stopped walking.
Now it was James' turn to laugh.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Please stay together!" Professor McGonagall shouted over the teeming mass of students lining up to go to Hogsmeade. "Would you all sort yourselves into houses and years. Just like last time! Please! Listen up! Thank you! Sort yourselves like last time!"
The students milled around a few more minutes and finally everyone was ready. McGongall looked like she was on her last straw, but she held together and led the students into Hogmeade.
The students had their cloaks on in the wet weather. Rain was a steady mist on their backs as they walked into the little wizarding village. McGonagall shouted and screamed again for their attention, telling them to please go in to the same place and persons they went to the first time. The students sighed and looked around. Luckily for the Marauders they were in the same year and house. The huddled together and discussed another aspect to their costumes that they were ordering today.
"We don't need them!" Remus huffed in the cold.
"But it would be so fun to!" Peter squeaked.
Sirius chafed him on the shoulder, "Yes. And we can be our Animagi forms too!"
"Keep your voice down!" hissed Remus.
"Aw, come off it." James shrugged. "Who's gonna care?"
Remus narrowed his eyes, "The pretty red-head behind ya."
James halted, "Oh...yeah."
Remus nodded and buried his hands deeper into his cloak, "It's so cold out here. You'd barely believe we lived in the same place as yesterday!"
Sirius nodded and blew on his hands. He stopped after a moment, his breath was only worsening the coldness. "But why can't we, Remus? It would be fun to have masks."
James shook his head. "I don't know..."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Not you too!"
"It's very dangerous!" Peter squeaked. "What if someone goes...'Hey! I've seen those animals before!' What would happen then?"
"Then," Sirius said irritably. "We would say, 'How odd!' And walk off."
"Guys! Why are you fighting?" Lily said, turning around to stare incredulously at them.
"Lily!" Sirius pleaded. "Wouldn't it be cool if us four wore masks?"
Lily nodded, "Sure. I don't see why not."
"Then it's decided!" Sirius shouted. "We're wearing our Animagus forms as masks."
"How do you know your Animagus form Sirius?" Lily asked, genuinely curious.
Sirius faltered, "I've looked it up before."
"What about you James?"
James smiled, "I'll know it by next week."
Maggie screeched, "OH MY GOSH! IT IS NEXT WEEK!" She began to fan herself and breathe quickly. Remus laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Calm down!"
"There's still so much to be done Remi!"
Remus calmly acknowledged this fact and told her all would be fixed by that time. Only after she calmed down and got back into her place in line did he see everyone else's faces exhibiting utter amazement.
"What?" Remus asked, worried he had something on his face or hanging from his nose. . .
"You let her give you a nickname?" Sirius gaped. "You barely let us give you 'Moony'."
Remus went pink and shrugged. Luckily for him the doors opened to admit the 6th year Gryffindors. Everyone ran to their seamstress or seamster, who were standing in the reception area.
Lily's eyes lit up as she skipped over to Tabitha. "Hello Tabitha!"
"Good afternoon Lily! I hope you love it, it's my best work yet!" She presently pulled the gown from it's hiding spot and Lily nearly fainted at the sight of the gorgeous dress.
"Oh... Tabitha..." she breathed.
"I take it you like it?" Tabitha asked, a glint of ecstasy in her eye.
"It's beautiful! Thank you!" Lily hugged Tabitha tightly.
~-~-~-~-~-~
"How will this work?" Mr. Figg asked James, holding up a scarlet and mahogany outfit.
James gaped. "Whoa! That's the coolest costume ever!"
Mr. Figg grinned, "I thought so too. And I made something for ya." He pulled out a hat, matching the costume in color and fabric, a long red feather with a gold glint to it stuck out a foot from the right of the hat.
"This is so awesome Mr. Figg! Thanks!"
Mr. Figg shook his head, "Anytime, anytime."
"Oh I have a date now." James motioned to the other side of the room where Lily was giggling with her seamstress."
"Ah. Congratulations." Mr. Figg nodded his approval and laughed slightly to himself.
After the screams of joy had finished the prices were rattled off, Hogwarts helped pay for half of the price, but it was up to the students to come up with the rest. They all had the money, paid and their costumes were wrapped up. The moment they exited the building into the cold, gray day they were asking each other for a description of their get-up.
Some gurgled the information willingly and others said, "You'll have to wait and see."
James slipped away from the group and meandered slowly down the High Street, searching for a shop that could cater to his needs. The shifted his bundle to his other arm as he reached the shop he had spotted Lily and Maggie in an the last Hogsmeade visit.
He opened the door and a mixture of lavender and something deeper...richer...reached his nostrils. It wasn't at all unpleasant and he quickly ducked behind some display shelves so no one from Hogwarts could notice him. He sifted through some smaller displays of jewels, not really interested. They looked too cheap, they weren't good enough for Lily. . .
"Find anything' ya like?" came a girlish voice from behind him.
James spun around, feeling like a two year old with his hand caught in the cookie jar. A short, pretty, brunette with an odd accent was standing in front of him.
"Not yet. . ." James replied warily.
"Have any idea of what you'd like?" She asked nonchalantly.
"A present."
The girls melodic laughter rang though the store, "I guessed as much!"
James grinned, "Who are you?"
The girl gave a flourish and a bow, "None other than Young herself."
"Oh. YOU own this shop?"
The girl nodded, "I'd rather be known as merely Sarah, if ya please."
"All right. I'm shopping for a present, Sarah."
Then the question came at him like rapid fire, "Male or female?"
"Female."
"A family member or special someone?"
James blushed.
"Special someone then, Birth month?"
"Mine?"
"Hers."
"I don't know. . ."
"Okay. . .Eye color?"
"Vivid emerald green."
Sarah's brown eyes lit up with a smile, "Perfect! This way!"
She led James over to a counter which boasted an array of green jewels.
Sarah sighed, "Of course, it would help if you knew what kind of dress she has... You do go to Hogwarts School which's having a ball, correct?"
"Yeah. . .I don't know. Sorry."
Sarah shrugged. "It's all right. I wouldn't expect my date to know either."
"Are you going? Do you attend Hogawrts? I've never seen you before..."
Sarrah laughed out loud, "Oh no! I went to another school in Ireland. My parents died last year so I moved here."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Do you want a ring or a necklace?"
"Necklace." James quickly blurted. Sarah laughed again and James chuckled along.
"I understand. Rings have allot of ... commitment in them." Her smile faded. "I understand."
James noticed the change in her countenance.
Sarah quickly recovered, "Well. Look at this one." She reached up and lightly fingered a light green, heart-shaped jeweled necklace. James shook his head. It looked to light for Lily...
"Okaaaay ... How's about this one?" She pointed to a lovely green, circular jewel in the middle of an ornate gold coin. James shok his head fervently. That was way too heavy.
Sarah sighed, "Why don't you just look through 'em then. I need t fix around the arrangement anyways. Tell me if you see anything." She nodded and reached for a raindrop shaped emerald, it seemed to have a flame burning inside.
James' face lit up, "What's that one?"
Sarah handed it to him, "It gets warm when the giver is near. One of those silly little magic stones." She noticed how closely James was inspecting it. "You like it?"
"Oh yes." James breathed, it was more perfect then he could have imagined.
"Oh. All right. Some over to the counter." He walked across the store still staring at the stone.
Sarah slipped behind the counter and wrote something up on a piece of paper. She looked up from what she was writing and asked for the stone. He handed it to her, the spell broken.
Sarah studied it for a few moments and wrote some more things in a scrawling handscript. She slammed her book shut and asked James for his hand.
"What?"
"Give me your hand."
James reached out his hand, Sarah laid the stone in it. "Keep it open." She bent behind the counter for something and came back up holding an ebony wand.
"What are you doing?" asked James, more curious than scared.
"Amora Mira Siempree!" Sarah whispered to the stone in James' hand. Immediately the stone grew warm in his hand and glowed a little brighter.
"There!" Sarah declared, "It will now respond to your presence. Must be a special girl..."
James let down his defenses. "She is. She's got this amazing red hair and those vivid green eyes I told you about. And when she's mad they get a glint of fire in them...allot like this stone."
Sarah paused, "What's her name?"
"Lily."
"Oh! I've met her... She's really nice. I liked her. You best be nice to her, young master."
James smiled and ran a hand through his hair, "Oh don't worry. I've waited too long to ruin my chance with her."
Sarah handed him the bag with his stone it, "Well, thanks for shopping here. I hope things work out between you two."
James smiled at the and slipped out of her store, he shoved his precious gift deep into his pocket and scanned the street for any signs of Hogwarts students. They all seemed to be down the street at the Three Broomsticks.
He sauntered nonchalantly down the High Street, a wide smile splitting his face. A that moment a ray a sunshine sliced through the clouds and lit up the street, making this cold, dreary day into a storybook land...but only for a moment.
(End Chapter 14)
(For Serpena, yelling [in essence!] at me to update and for fixing her 'insult'.)
