Disclaimer: Yep, that's right. I am J.K. Rowling. I am also the queen of
England and I rule the universe. I have a pet cat.
Authors Note: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile but I haven't had inspiration! I planned out my entire story, like what is going to happen in the chapters, but I don't actually have them written!! I'm so sorry. I absolutely hate it when people don't update so I'll understand if you want to yell at me, but please don't. Also, I know that this is supposed to sound British, but I'm American so it poses a bit of difficultly because I don't know any British people. If you are British and would care to coach me, please be my guest! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Quidditch part one
After the incident at Hogsmeade, Lily hadn't spoken to James. When Sirius asked James about the situation, the only thing James could say was, "I have no idea why she is upset. It's not as if I did anything wrong anyway. It was all you. And it was Snivellus, and they aren't even friends!"
The only thing that could get James' mind off of Lily was Quidditch. He was equally skilled at playing Seeker and Chaser, but he preferred Chaser although he was the reserve Seeker. (A/N James did play chaser. read any J.K. Rowling interview) He was the captain this year, and a very good one at that.
The first match was quickly approaching. It would be Gryffindor versus Slytherin, and the Slytherin team did not want a repeat of last year's Quidditch Cup. The Gryffindor Seeker had been out with an injury, so James stepped up. The reserve chaser took James' place. The score was 560 to 420, with Slytherin leading, when James snatched the Snitch right out from under the other Seeker's nose. Gryffindor had won 570 to 560, meaning Gryffindor had won the cup for five successive years, and James did not want to break the trend.
After a particularly difficult training session in the rain, James walked into the castle, trailing mud behind him. He had taken his glasses off and was trying to clean them on him Quidditch robes when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, put his glasses back on his face and was surprised to find Lily standing in front of him.
"Did you tap my shoulder?" James was confused. Lily had been ignoring him unless they had to work together for classes.
"Yea, I just wanted to say good luck tomorrow. And I'm ummm." she seemed to have lost her nerve, but she finished lamely "I'm sorry for overreacting. It was all Sirius' fault."
James' face lit up. "Glad to see we finally agree on something." He tried to hug her, but she backed away in disgust.
"Don't touch me! You need to take a shower!"
James looked down at his robes. "You're right. You think this is bad? Sirius should be coming in soon. Him and Frank kept dive bombing each other and 'accidentally' landing in the mud!"
Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team came in, Sirius Black and Frank Longbottom leading the group. Each and everyone of them was covered head to toe in mud. They were all laughing and then Sirius noticed James and Lily talking.
"James! I'm surprised at you. 'You can't make someone love you, but you can stalk them until they give in' is my motto!"
James shook his head in disbelief and said, "If you must know. she was the one stalking me!"
"Look at this mess! POTTER! I knew you were behind this! Clear off! You are dirtying this castle!" Argus Filch had ambled towards them and was shaking his finger menacingly. The veins on his neck looked as if they were about to pop and his face was turning varying shades of purple.
Everyone scurried off in different directions and James and Lily headed back to the Gryffindor tower. By that time, James was dry and the mud was caked onto his robes. He grabbed Lily's hand and dragged her away from the portrait and into the Prefect bathroom.
He jumped into the empty bathtub and brought her with him.
"James! Stop it! My clothes are going to get wet and we could get in trouble!"
"Has the prospect of detention every stopped me before?"
He was turning all of the taps and the bath was filling up. Lily tried to climb out, but James held onto her. The bath filled up surprising fast and the Head Boy and Girl were sitting in it with their school robes on.
"So, does this remind you of anything?" James asked with a sly grin.
"Hmmm. Let me think." Lily feigned a look of deep concentration then lit up and said in a sarcastic, perky voice. "I know! How about the time when you threw me into the lake!"
"You're still sore about that?"
"No, not anymore. It was a bit rebellious. Amanda was telling me last night that I'm wound too tight and that I need to lighten up. That's what made me decide to apologize."
James gave her a hurt look. "Oh, I'm so touched."
Lily laughed. "Well at least we're talking again."
James pouted. "I suppose."
The door to the bathroom slid open and Remus Lupin stepped in with Selina. They were wearing bathing suits and when they turned around, they were surprised to see anyone else in there.
Remus turned bright red. He turned away and shielded his eyes. "Oops. Sorry James. I didn't know you were entertaining anyone in here." Clearly he hadn't gotten a look at who the girl was.
"Moony. Turn around."
"No, No James. That's ok. We'll just go."
"Moony. Turn around right now. As Head Boy, I have the authority to tell you what to do!"
"No you don't! Fine, I'll turn around." He slowly pivoted but didn't remove his hands from his eyes. He slowly spread his fingers apart, and when he caught sight of Lily, he removed his hands.
"Lily! What are you doing here?" Selina was startled.
Lily laughed and pointed at James. "This bloke here made me jump into the water." She stood up to reveal that she still had on her school robes. Selina breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, umm Prongs, do you want us to leave?" Remus asked uncertainly.
"Of course not. How about you go get Sirius and Amanda? We can have a pre- Quidditch party. Tell Sirius that he MUST wear something. No skinny dipping! Amanda too."
"Tell Amanda to bring me some clothes!" Lily shouted after Selina.
Remus and Selina left for a moment and Lily and James made small talk. When they reappeared, Sirius and Amanda were trailing behind them.
They all hopped into the water, (with clothes or bathing suits on) and started talking. They were each carrying on different conversations when James got a brilliant idea.
"Let's play 'I Never.' Do you guys know what that is? We go around in a circle and say something we have never done, and if someone else has done it, they drink out of the bottle. People end up pretty drunk."
"Brilliant idea James, only one problem. There is nothing to drink and I will not permit you to drink alcohol. And, even if I would, there is the first Quidditch match tomorrow. You don't want to be hung over! You could get hurt!" Lily said shrilly.
"How about truth or dare then?" Sirius suggested provocatively.
"How about we all owe each other a game of truth or dare? You two need to go to sleep. Quidditch tomorrow, remember?" Lily reminded them.
"Fine," James and Sirius said disappointed in unison.
Lily got out of the water, and Selina and Remus followed the suit. She grabbed a towel and stepped behind a curtain and shedded her robes. She hopped into the pajama's that Amanda had brought for her. She wrapped the towel around her hair and turned to James.
"Get out of the water! Please! We can study together on the couch in our private common room."
James groaned but hopped out of the water. He stripped down to his boxers in front of Lily and then wrapped a towel around himself. "Ok. Let's go. I haven't studied with you willingly in a while."
"Ok, but remember, you have to go to bed early. Quid-"
"I know. I know. Quidditch." He turned to Sirius. Mocking Lily, he said in a high, falsetto voice, "Now make sure you get to bed early. We have Quidditch tomorrow and you don't want to be too tired to play properly."
Lily laughed. "Hey, I don't sound like that!"
"If you say so. I've got to get some clothes before I freeze."
Lily and James exited the bathroom and headed back to the Gryffindor common room to get clothes and books.
James grabbed his pajama's and changed while Lily grabbed her Transfiguration book. It would be good for her to be back on speaking terms with James. She had boosted her Transfiguration grade significantly with his help.
When he reappeared at the foot of the boys staircase, Lily was ready to head to their common room. They exited the portrait hall and took a left. They headed back towards the Prefect bathroom and saw Remus and Selina on the way back. They didn't stop to chat. James didn't even stop to cuff Sirius on the head when they saw him and Amanda, half concealed behind a tapestry, snogging.
When they arrived at the portrait hole of Sir Cadogan, Lily said the password and they got comfortable at the couch.
They sat joking for a few minutes, talking mostly about how Sirius and Amanda were going to end up distorting each other's faces if they don't stop making out. Eventually they got down to business.
"Ok, Lily you are still having problems with animal transformation, right?"
"Well yea that, among other things."
"What other things?"
"James. everything except the stuff we went over. I just don't get it!" Lily was whining.
"Lily, you don't strike me as the type of person who would whine. Now, do you remember the first time we were studying?"
"Was that the time that Sirius and Amanda burst in on us?" James nodded. "Then yea."
"Well I was going to tell you something that might help you. Do you remember?"
"Oh yea. Can you tell me know?"
"Well, I can't tell you. I will show you though, as long as you promise to never breathe a word of it to anyone. Ever."
"Fine I swear."
"Can I trust your word?" Lily looked at James with such a severe look, that he didn't need to know the answer to the question. "Er, right. Ok. Well maybe I should tell you first, so you don't freak out when I show you. I'm an illegal animagus."
"You're what? How did you manage that? That is really advanced transfiguration. Does anyone else know?"
"Yea, Sirius and Peter and Remus. We're all unregistered animagi. Well, except Remus. He's something else, but we don't need to go into it. Would you like me to show you?"
"Yea, this is so cool."
With that, James concentrated and transformed into a beautiful stag. Lily was awestruck. He transformed back into a human and Lily let out a squeal. "That is wonderful. Too bad I'm horrendous at transfiguration, I would love to do that."
"Peter is horrible too, and he somehow managed it. We did help him a lot of course, but he still managed it. Now that you have seen it from someone other than McGonagall, maybe you'll understand it better."
"Maybe. Can you tell me all about how you did it? And what is Sirius' animagus form? How about Peter's? How long did it take?"
"Ok." James took a big breath and continued. "Well we started trying it in our third year (A/N I forget which year, so please don't yell at me.) and finally managed to do it properly in our fifth year. Now, you saw that my form is a stag. Sirius' form is a big black shaggy dog. It looks a little bit like the Grim, if truth be told. Peter, well his form is a rat. Fitting, isn't it?"
"Yea, he does look a bit mousy. That was mean. Don't tell him I said that!
"Don't worry, I won't."
They spent the rest of the night studying animal transfiguration and Lily occasionally begging James to turn into a stag again. Three hours after studying, Lily and James went back to the Gryffindor common room. James wanted to sit in front of the fire and relax, but Lily refused.
"Get up to bed James, you have Quidditch tomorrow."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Authors Note: I am soooooooooooo sooooooooooo unbelievably sorry for not updating. I feel horrible!! Please don't hate me! Lots of stuff has been going on like my Dad leaving for Iraq and a bunch of school projects, so my mind was on other stuff. To all my faithful readers and reviewers, if you are still reading this, thanks for putting up with the wait. I'll have the next installment out soon. Read and Review!!
Moony2187
Authors Note: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile but I haven't had inspiration! I planned out my entire story, like what is going to happen in the chapters, but I don't actually have them written!! I'm so sorry. I absolutely hate it when people don't update so I'll understand if you want to yell at me, but please don't. Also, I know that this is supposed to sound British, but I'm American so it poses a bit of difficultly because I don't know any British people. If you are British and would care to coach me, please be my guest! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Quidditch part one
After the incident at Hogsmeade, Lily hadn't spoken to James. When Sirius asked James about the situation, the only thing James could say was, "I have no idea why she is upset. It's not as if I did anything wrong anyway. It was all you. And it was Snivellus, and they aren't even friends!"
The only thing that could get James' mind off of Lily was Quidditch. He was equally skilled at playing Seeker and Chaser, but he preferred Chaser although he was the reserve Seeker. (A/N James did play chaser. read any J.K. Rowling interview) He was the captain this year, and a very good one at that.
The first match was quickly approaching. It would be Gryffindor versus Slytherin, and the Slytherin team did not want a repeat of last year's Quidditch Cup. The Gryffindor Seeker had been out with an injury, so James stepped up. The reserve chaser took James' place. The score was 560 to 420, with Slytherin leading, when James snatched the Snitch right out from under the other Seeker's nose. Gryffindor had won 570 to 560, meaning Gryffindor had won the cup for five successive years, and James did not want to break the trend.
After a particularly difficult training session in the rain, James walked into the castle, trailing mud behind him. He had taken his glasses off and was trying to clean them on him Quidditch robes when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, put his glasses back on his face and was surprised to find Lily standing in front of him.
"Did you tap my shoulder?" James was confused. Lily had been ignoring him unless they had to work together for classes.
"Yea, I just wanted to say good luck tomorrow. And I'm ummm." she seemed to have lost her nerve, but she finished lamely "I'm sorry for overreacting. It was all Sirius' fault."
James' face lit up. "Glad to see we finally agree on something." He tried to hug her, but she backed away in disgust.
"Don't touch me! You need to take a shower!"
James looked down at his robes. "You're right. You think this is bad? Sirius should be coming in soon. Him and Frank kept dive bombing each other and 'accidentally' landing in the mud!"
Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team came in, Sirius Black and Frank Longbottom leading the group. Each and everyone of them was covered head to toe in mud. They were all laughing and then Sirius noticed James and Lily talking.
"James! I'm surprised at you. 'You can't make someone love you, but you can stalk them until they give in' is my motto!"
James shook his head in disbelief and said, "If you must know. she was the one stalking me!"
"Look at this mess! POTTER! I knew you were behind this! Clear off! You are dirtying this castle!" Argus Filch had ambled towards them and was shaking his finger menacingly. The veins on his neck looked as if they were about to pop and his face was turning varying shades of purple.
Everyone scurried off in different directions and James and Lily headed back to the Gryffindor tower. By that time, James was dry and the mud was caked onto his robes. He grabbed Lily's hand and dragged her away from the portrait and into the Prefect bathroom.
He jumped into the empty bathtub and brought her with him.
"James! Stop it! My clothes are going to get wet and we could get in trouble!"
"Has the prospect of detention every stopped me before?"
He was turning all of the taps and the bath was filling up. Lily tried to climb out, but James held onto her. The bath filled up surprising fast and the Head Boy and Girl were sitting in it with their school robes on.
"So, does this remind you of anything?" James asked with a sly grin.
"Hmmm. Let me think." Lily feigned a look of deep concentration then lit up and said in a sarcastic, perky voice. "I know! How about the time when you threw me into the lake!"
"You're still sore about that?"
"No, not anymore. It was a bit rebellious. Amanda was telling me last night that I'm wound too tight and that I need to lighten up. That's what made me decide to apologize."
James gave her a hurt look. "Oh, I'm so touched."
Lily laughed. "Well at least we're talking again."
James pouted. "I suppose."
The door to the bathroom slid open and Remus Lupin stepped in with Selina. They were wearing bathing suits and when they turned around, they were surprised to see anyone else in there.
Remus turned bright red. He turned away and shielded his eyes. "Oops. Sorry James. I didn't know you were entertaining anyone in here." Clearly he hadn't gotten a look at who the girl was.
"Moony. Turn around."
"No, No James. That's ok. We'll just go."
"Moony. Turn around right now. As Head Boy, I have the authority to tell you what to do!"
"No you don't! Fine, I'll turn around." He slowly pivoted but didn't remove his hands from his eyes. He slowly spread his fingers apart, and when he caught sight of Lily, he removed his hands.
"Lily! What are you doing here?" Selina was startled.
Lily laughed and pointed at James. "This bloke here made me jump into the water." She stood up to reveal that she still had on her school robes. Selina breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, umm Prongs, do you want us to leave?" Remus asked uncertainly.
"Of course not. How about you go get Sirius and Amanda? We can have a pre- Quidditch party. Tell Sirius that he MUST wear something. No skinny dipping! Amanda too."
"Tell Amanda to bring me some clothes!" Lily shouted after Selina.
Remus and Selina left for a moment and Lily and James made small talk. When they reappeared, Sirius and Amanda were trailing behind them.
They all hopped into the water, (with clothes or bathing suits on) and started talking. They were each carrying on different conversations when James got a brilliant idea.
"Let's play 'I Never.' Do you guys know what that is? We go around in a circle and say something we have never done, and if someone else has done it, they drink out of the bottle. People end up pretty drunk."
"Brilliant idea James, only one problem. There is nothing to drink and I will not permit you to drink alcohol. And, even if I would, there is the first Quidditch match tomorrow. You don't want to be hung over! You could get hurt!" Lily said shrilly.
"How about truth or dare then?" Sirius suggested provocatively.
"How about we all owe each other a game of truth or dare? You two need to go to sleep. Quidditch tomorrow, remember?" Lily reminded them.
"Fine," James and Sirius said disappointed in unison.
Lily got out of the water, and Selina and Remus followed the suit. She grabbed a towel and stepped behind a curtain and shedded her robes. She hopped into the pajama's that Amanda had brought for her. She wrapped the towel around her hair and turned to James.
"Get out of the water! Please! We can study together on the couch in our private common room."
James groaned but hopped out of the water. He stripped down to his boxers in front of Lily and then wrapped a towel around himself. "Ok. Let's go. I haven't studied with you willingly in a while."
"Ok, but remember, you have to go to bed early. Quid-"
"I know. I know. Quidditch." He turned to Sirius. Mocking Lily, he said in a high, falsetto voice, "Now make sure you get to bed early. We have Quidditch tomorrow and you don't want to be too tired to play properly."
Lily laughed. "Hey, I don't sound like that!"
"If you say so. I've got to get some clothes before I freeze."
Lily and James exited the bathroom and headed back to the Gryffindor common room to get clothes and books.
James grabbed his pajama's and changed while Lily grabbed her Transfiguration book. It would be good for her to be back on speaking terms with James. She had boosted her Transfiguration grade significantly with his help.
When he reappeared at the foot of the boys staircase, Lily was ready to head to their common room. They exited the portrait hall and took a left. They headed back towards the Prefect bathroom and saw Remus and Selina on the way back. They didn't stop to chat. James didn't even stop to cuff Sirius on the head when they saw him and Amanda, half concealed behind a tapestry, snogging.
When they arrived at the portrait hole of Sir Cadogan, Lily said the password and they got comfortable at the couch.
They sat joking for a few minutes, talking mostly about how Sirius and Amanda were going to end up distorting each other's faces if they don't stop making out. Eventually they got down to business.
"Ok, Lily you are still having problems with animal transformation, right?"
"Well yea that, among other things."
"What other things?"
"James. everything except the stuff we went over. I just don't get it!" Lily was whining.
"Lily, you don't strike me as the type of person who would whine. Now, do you remember the first time we were studying?"
"Was that the time that Sirius and Amanda burst in on us?" James nodded. "Then yea."
"Well I was going to tell you something that might help you. Do you remember?"
"Oh yea. Can you tell me know?"
"Well, I can't tell you. I will show you though, as long as you promise to never breathe a word of it to anyone. Ever."
"Fine I swear."
"Can I trust your word?" Lily looked at James with such a severe look, that he didn't need to know the answer to the question. "Er, right. Ok. Well maybe I should tell you first, so you don't freak out when I show you. I'm an illegal animagus."
"You're what? How did you manage that? That is really advanced transfiguration. Does anyone else know?"
"Yea, Sirius and Peter and Remus. We're all unregistered animagi. Well, except Remus. He's something else, but we don't need to go into it. Would you like me to show you?"
"Yea, this is so cool."
With that, James concentrated and transformed into a beautiful stag. Lily was awestruck. He transformed back into a human and Lily let out a squeal. "That is wonderful. Too bad I'm horrendous at transfiguration, I would love to do that."
"Peter is horrible too, and he somehow managed it. We did help him a lot of course, but he still managed it. Now that you have seen it from someone other than McGonagall, maybe you'll understand it better."
"Maybe. Can you tell me all about how you did it? And what is Sirius' animagus form? How about Peter's? How long did it take?"
"Ok." James took a big breath and continued. "Well we started trying it in our third year (A/N I forget which year, so please don't yell at me.) and finally managed to do it properly in our fifth year. Now, you saw that my form is a stag. Sirius' form is a big black shaggy dog. It looks a little bit like the Grim, if truth be told. Peter, well his form is a rat. Fitting, isn't it?"
"Yea, he does look a bit mousy. That was mean. Don't tell him I said that!
"Don't worry, I won't."
They spent the rest of the night studying animal transfiguration and Lily occasionally begging James to turn into a stag again. Three hours after studying, Lily and James went back to the Gryffindor common room. James wanted to sit in front of the fire and relax, but Lily refused.
"Get up to bed James, you have Quidditch tomorrow."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Authors Note: I am soooooooooooo sooooooooooo unbelievably sorry for not updating. I feel horrible!! Please don't hate me! Lots of stuff has been going on like my Dad leaving for Iraq and a bunch of school projects, so my mind was on other stuff. To all my faithful readers and reviewers, if you are still reading this, thanks for putting up with the wait. I'll have the next installment out soon. Read and Review!!
Moony2187