Disclaimer: The ever-wonderful J.K Rowling owns all but the journal idea. I hope you've realized that by now.

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Chapter Ten: Quidditch Fever

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I'm feeling rather lucky today! We went to get school supplies from Diagon Alley and I didn't see Potter once.

I did run into Remus, but I've always gotten on well with him. We had a nice chat at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor about the lessons we're taking next year. Apparently he's going to continue taking Muggle Studies, as are Potter and Sirius. Remus says that it's an interesting class and that some of the things he learns could come in handy in the future.

I didn't bother to ask why Potter and Black are taking the class. Potter is taking it in hopes that he'll be able to impress my parents with his knowledge of Muggle life and Sirius is taking it because Potter's taking it. Whether or not Peter's taking it, I have no idea.

Myself, I'm planning on dropping Divination since I'm not learning anything useful from that class anyway. I can find other ways to waste my time.

Only three days until it's time to head back to Hogwarts! I'm so excited! I love it at Hogwarts. I've come to regard it as more of a home than my actual house. That sounds weird, but when you spend most of your year there with your friends, your dorm becomes your room and your friends become your family.

It was completely expected, but Potter and mates came to sit with us on the train again. Potter must have had a list of conversation topics up his sleeve because he certainly kept the conversation moving.

Potter: "So, Lily, your owls name is Galadriel? That's a pretty name. How did you come up with that?"

Me: "It's the name of an Elf in the book the Lord of the Rings…. Wait a minute, how do you know that's my owl's name?

Potter: "You mentioned it in that letter you sent mum about when we were to arrive."

Me: "Oh, so you read other people's mail now do you?"

Potter: "I asked first."

Me: "Sure you did."

Potter: "Sirius? Didn't I ask mum if I could read that letter?"

Sirius: "Merlin yes! He begged to see that letter."

Me: "That's pathetic Potter."

Potter: "I know. But I gained valuable information form it."

His valuable information turned out to be the name of my owl. When I asked him how that was valuable he merely said that every little bit helps.

Helps what, exactly?

It would seem that Potter has been named Quidditch captain of the Gryffindor team. I would have thought that Potter would have been bragging about his newfound position, but he wasn't. In fact, he didn't mention it once.

It was actually Remus who brought up the subject of Quidditch, which was slightly odd since he's a fan of the sport, but not nearly as much as Potter or Sirius.

Even after Remus brought up the subject of Quidditch, Potter didn't really talk about it much. He mentioned that he was pleased to be captain and that it had been a goal of his, but past that he said very little about it.

This time when the lady with the food cart came by, Potter simply purchased a few chocolate frogs and offered me one instead of buying them for me. That gesture made me feel that Potter is really making an effort to be a decent bloke.

Quidditch season is fast approaching and Potter can be seen carrying that stupid Golden Snitch that he liberated from the store cupboard last year. Why he has that thing I'll never know. Last time I checked Potter was a Chaser, not a Seeker. Although it would look rather stupid, it would make more sense if he carried a Quaffle around.

I asked him about the whole snitch thing and his response was that the position of Seeker wasn't available when he tried out and besides that, he likes being a Chaser just fine.

Speaking of Potter, (it seems like that I do nothing but speak of Potter) he hasn't asked me out once yet this year. Not once! I haven't had any dreams about him either!

Tonight I was in the library doing some research when Potter came up to my table and asked if he could sit down. He asked!

We worked in silence for a while until Potter got bored (which isn't too difficult) and started talking to me. That conversation showed that while he is trying, he has still got a long ways to go before he gets rid of some of those quirks in his personality.

Potter: "You going to the big match?"

Me: "Gryffindor versus Slytherin?"

Potter: "Of course!"

Me: "Maybe."

Potter: "Maybe? What do you mean maybe? It's only the biggest match of the season!"

Me: "I said maybe."

Potter: "Why maybe?"

Me: "My schoolwork and good marks comes before being a spectator at a Quidditch match, Potter."

Potter: "Lily, Lily, Lily. You just don't get it do you?"

Me: "I think I get it just fine."

Potter: (shaking his head) "No, you don't. Quidditch is something special. Not everyone can do it, you know? It takes talent, hard work, and lots of determination."

Me: "It takes those things to well in lessons too, you know."

Potter: "Nothing can compare to the feeling that you get when you play Quidditch. The wind in your hair, the cool breeze on your face, the sound of the crowd cheering you on, the feel of victory…"

Me: "But what about those of us who don't play?"

Potter: "Don't you get excited about a match? Don't you find yourself cheering for one team for no particular reason? Don't you feel your heart beat faster and faster as the Seeker closes in on the Snitch, feel disappointed when the Chasers' goal attempts are blocked?"

Me: " Not really…"

Okay, I do get all excited and my heart beats faster but I wasn't going to admit that to Potter. This was an argument.

Potter: "I feel sorry for you. You have no idea what you're missing."

Me: "Somehow, I think I'll live."

Potter: "So…Hogsmeade weekend coming up. I know Remus is really looking forward to it. There's a new book out that he wants to buy. Are you…planning on going?"

Me: "Possibly."

Potter: "Only if all your homework gets done I suppose."

Me: "I don't need your attitude Potter."

Potter: "I'd look at your own attitude a little more closely Evans before you talk about my attitude."

Me: "Go away!"

Potter: "If that's what you want."

My attitude? Just who does he think he is? Oh, I forgot: he's James Potter, Quidditch extraordinaire!

Isn't it weird how even though I tell myself that he has no idea what he's talking about and that his words didn't hurt …they did hurt? And I have no idea why.

Today, Potter came and apologized to me. He said that he was under a lot of stress what with all the schoolwork teachers have been giving us and his Quidditch captain duties. He also said that he was sorry and that he'll try not to be such a pest.

I don't recall him being so much a pest as downright annoying.

At least he apologized without asking me out.

It seems that no matter where I go, people are talking about the impending Quidditch match and Potter.

Since Slytherin and Gryffindor are such rivals it stands to reason that this would be a big match, but seriously, is there nothing else to talk about?

Even my own friends have been caught up in the Quidditch mania that has been sweeping the castle. Alice, Emmeline, and Hestia have all taken to wearing a red and gold ribbon in their hair. They've been trying to get me to wear one too, but I won't. First off, I don't even care that much about the match anyway. Secondly, a red ribbon is going to clash horribly with my hair and provide some prat with an easy target for a joke.

Lately, Potter's been a bit more subdued with his pranks, but he's gotten into the House spirit thing I suppose.

Yesterday, all of the house banners were gold and scarlet with the roaring Gryffindor lion on them. (There was actually a roaring sound filling the hall and making it very hard to hear the people next to you). Oh, I can't prove it, but I know it was him

This morning, Sirius and Potter gave a rousing speech on Gryffindor pride in the common room atop a rickety table that looked like it might collapse under their weight.

The Quidditch team has even taken to wearing their uniforms around school instead of their regular black robes. The Slytherin team fell victim to Potter and Sirius this morning when they charmed the Slytherins's robes to look like the Gryffindor uniforms. It was amusing sight when they realized what they were wearing, that's for certain

This morning I woke up early and decided to leave for breakfast before my friends. When I reached the common room, there was Potter at the same table he and Sirius gave their speech at, writing in the same book I saw at his house. He must really keep a journal! I never imagined Potter to be the journal keeping type, but really, a guy keeping a journal is pretty admirable once you think about it. How many guys do you know who are willing to write down their most inner-felt feelings on a piece of paper?

Another weird thing happened today. I was paired with Sirius Black in Potions, which was an adventure in itself. We had an interesting conversation.

Sirius: "Going to the match?"

Me: "Probably."

Sirius: "Should be good, James is in top form."

Me: "Really."

Sirius: "He hopes you'll be impresed, you know."

Me: "How is showing off supposed to make me like him?"

Sirius: "He's not showing off…okay, maybe a little, but he wants you to see his good qualities."

Me: "I'm sure Potter has more good qualities than just being a Quidditch prodigy."

Sirius: "Like what exactly?"

Me: "Well, he seems to be a good friend to you and Remus and Peter. He's loyal, chivalrous, he can give a good speech, he's daring, a little reckless perhaps, but he's brave and…"

And then I realized that I was complimenting Potter in front of his best friend.

Smart, Lily. Real smart.

Me: "…you're going to tell him I said all that aren't you?"

Sirius: "Anything you say can and will be used against you."

Me: "Life is so unfair."

Sirius: "Yeah, it is. I know this bloke and there's this girl he fancies, but she won't even say his name. So, he pines away for her and writes her name on scrap pieces of parchment, hoping that someday, she'll like him back. He's really a great guy and they would look smashing together, but she won't even give him a chance. That's unfair."

Me: "You make it sound like I hate him!"

Sirius: "Don't you?"

Me: "I don't hate him…I just…don't like him very much."

Hestia just noticed me writing in this journal; she looked suspicious. I'd better be more careful. I do have some protective charms on here, but spells can be broken.

I admit it, this Quidditch fever is slightly addicting. I'm feeling rather excited for the match. I even joined the house chant of "Go, Go Gryffindor" this morning. Who would have thought that the girl who chided Potter for caring so much about a sport would suddenly become a Quidditch fan herself?

Well, today is the day! I have decided, after giving it lots of thought, that I will go to the game. It'll make Sirius and my friends happy and it's supposed to be a good match.

Once again, Potter gave a speech in the common room, but this one was more directed to the actual team.

"Remember that you are from Gryffindor! You're brave and fearless; you will not surrender! Slytherin is the enemy and we will defeat them! We've got the best team Hogwarts and Gryffindor has seen in a long time! We won't let their dirty ploys mess us up, we won't let them get to us because we're Gryffindors! And the rest of you, let's give those bloody Slytherins a show! Down to the Great hall, follow them team! Go, go Gryffindor!"

And so with a chant of "Go, Go Gryffindor", practically the entire house marched down to the Great Hall in two columns, myself included. We must have been a sight coming from the tower, this thunderous racket coming from afar.

I have to leave now, my friends are about to leave for the match and I don't want to be left behind.

We won! We won! Go, Go Gryffindor!

During that match, I found myself cheering for our House team as I have never cheered before. As of this moment, I'm very hoarse and Emmeline and Hestia are laughing at me because I'm a hypocrite.

I suppose that Potter's speeches might have had some impact. I know just what he was talking about. I got excited when one of the Chasers went to score and I felt outraged when the Slytherin fouled our team. I realized that when Frank went into his dive to catch the Snitch, I started holding my breath, afraid that if I didn't, I would break the silence and ruin the moment.

The Gryffindor crowd swarmed the pitch and Alice dragged me down with them, wanting to catch a glimpse of Frank.

People were carrying the team on their shoulders and I noted that Potter seemed to be enjoying all the attention. However, when he saw me look his way, he instructed the people carrying him to put him down on the spot. Back on the ground, he came over to me.

Me: "Good game. You were great out there."

Potter: "It was a team effort really."

I couldn't help but smile when he said that. It was so unlike him in every respect and not a bit arrogant. He must have taken my smile the wrong way though.

Potter: "Well it was! I'd have a hell of a time without my fellow Chasers and Frank caught the Snitch."

Me: " I wasn't disagreeing with you."

Potter: " But I – oh. You weren't?"

It was his turn to smile.

Must go, there's a victory party starting up, courtesy of Potter and his gang who have, by the description Alice just gave me, raided both Honeydukes and Three Broomsticks.

Oy, I'm tired. But, I need to write this down before I forget.

During the victory party, Alice and I were talking by the fire when Potter came up to us and asked to have a word with me.

He's been much better lately – and hasn't me out in ages — so I decided to oblige and followed him to an unoccupied corner of the room by the boys' staircase. Potter seemed somewhat awkward at first and finally he pulled something out of the pocket of his Quidditch robes and held it out to me.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was my shoe. The same shoe that I threw at Potter nearly a year ago at the last Gryffindor versus Slytherin match. He had magnified his voice and for everyone in the stadium to hear, asked me out. It was then, in a moment of anger, that I had thrown my shoe at him. I hadn't seen so much as a glimpse of that shoe until tonight when he gave it back.

I'd had Remus search his trunk twice without any luck. When I told him that, he sheepishly admitted that he's been keeping my shoe in his Quidditch locker as some sort of good luck charm.

Wonky, but he claims it's brought him luck.

You know, I don't even have the right shoe anymore? I never expected to see it again, so I threw it out at the end of last year when I was packing. Funny how that worked out.

This may sound daft, but I let him keep the shoe. He was hesitant to take it, but I told him about not having the other one and that if it really was his good luck charm then I didn't want to take it away.

Potter then gave me one of his famous smiles, the one that makes so many other girls go weak in the knees, and a kiss on the cheek before disappearing up the boys staircase. Presumably to put away his good luck charm that was my left shoe.

Today was a Hogsmeade day and my friends struck again. I did have a nice conversation with Remus until he and Peter decided to wander off in search of that new Defense Against the Dark Arts book. Something on werewolves I think.

Emmeline was off with that Goldstein bloke again, and Alice was asked out by Frank. Hestia and Sirius disappeared, together or alone, I have no idea, but I would guess together even though Hestia doesn't like Sirius like that. I know for a fact that she likes Remus, but he, as I have managed to deduce, likes some Ravenclaw girl.

So once again, Potter and I were left alone. It was surprising; we actually had a nice conversation and he didn't ruin it by asking me out. We talked about our favorite books, music, lessons, schoolwork, and a bunch of other random things that I'm sure were not-so-random to him.

We ended up at Three Broomsticks again. Potter and I both went to get the drinks and something very surprising happened. Madam Rosmerta greeted James and asked if he's be paying for his girlfriend. I was about to protest when Potter said: "No, I'll be paying for my friend."

Bac at our table, I questioned Potter about what he had said up at the bar.

His response? "I want to be your friend Lily. If I can't have you as my girlfriend, I want you for a friend. That is, if you'll let me be your friend. Will you? Please?"

I didn't even hesitate in my answer. I told him I would like that.

And I would. Potter has grown up a lot this year and he's a much better person for it. So, James Potter is my friend. Who would have thought?