Disclaimer: No, not mine. I tire from tell you this. I have to tell you every stinking time I post something. It's bloody annoying. I own the plot (and the critter mentioned in this chapter) but nothing else. Why can't you people listen the first time I tell you these things?
"The Ones You Just Can't Avoid"
'At the Feast, By the Lake, and in a Dark Classroom'
James was drifting back and forth between reality and the 'quidditch pitch,' as Sirius referred to it. The murmur of students had silenced as soon as Professor Dumbledore stood to make his beginning of the year feast, giving James less things to distract him from thinking about Lily. Her beautiful auburn hair, her amazing emerald eyes, her—but his thoughts were cut short by hearing his own name.
"—James Potter and Lily Evans will be Head Boy and Girl this year. If you have any troubles I am certain they will be able to help you or contact someone who can if they cannot. Mr. Potter, Miss Evans: will you please stand," Dumbledore said. Lily stood at the opposite end of the table; James sat there and stared at her.
"Oy, Prongs! Get up!" Sirius hissed from across the table. James then snapped back to reality, again, and stood for recognition. After being told set down and drifting out of the Great Hall, mentally, again, the feast began. The three Marauders filled their plates with food. The first subject of conversation that was brought up was that of Peter. Where had he been all evening? No one had seen him since when he appeared on the Express. Where had he come from anyway?
After finishing half a helping of steak and kidney pie, James suddenly dropped his fork and marched off towards the front of the hall. "What's he doing?" Remus asked Sirius. "Prongs! What are you doing?" James didn't answer, he just looked forward and smiled to him, mind clearly set on something.
One of the few open seats in the Hall was, luckily for him, right beside Lily. He sat himself in this seat, back to the table, legs in the aisle. Before Lily noticed him, he had whispered something that sounded an awful lot like 'I'm sorry' in her ear, kissed her on the cheek and gone back to his seat. When he was almost there, Lily called, "Potter!" He highly considered not turning around for fear of being yelled at again, but he did. She smiled at him. A genuine smile. There was no trace of the venom that was usually present when she looked at him.
James was highly pleased with himself and his decision to kiss her instead of slap her, which he had also seriously considered. He turned back toward his seat and heard the catcalls coming from Sirius and Remus, mainly Sirius. After a moments decision, James passed them and left the Hall.
Once he was outside the doors and they were firmly closed, James leaned against them and sighed heavily, sweating slightly. He'd done it. He'd kissed Lily Evans. Not quite like he wanted to, not like the kisses in his dreams that they shared nearly every night, but still, he'd kissed her.
Slowly the shock of what he'd done wore off and he was able to make his way to Gryffindor tower. He stopped on the second staircase he came to, thinking that he didn't know the password but then remembered that Lily had told him that it was 'chocolate kiss.' Yeah, he wanted a kiss but not a chocolate one.
Unfortunately, James had stood there too long and the staircase began to move. Before he could gain his balance from the sudden jolt and jump to a landing and to safety, the stairs had moved too far to leap off safely. They stopped right in between the landing he had been aiming for and one across the hallway, with no possible chance of getting down until they decided to move. As he knew, there was no point in trying to jinx them into moving because one of the original founders, he wasn't certain which, had jinxed them to move on their own and at no other time.
"So," he mutter to himself, "I can either sit here, waiting for them to change again or I can go back down."
Peeves the Poltergeist floated past, saying something about James talking to himself and always knowing that he was loony.
As if he had made up his mind too hastily and forgot to worry about not falling down the stairs, James turned around, almost losing his balance. Quickly as it had happened, he regained his composure and staggered down the remainder of the steps.
Now where was he to go? Maybe he would go to the quidditch pitch for old times sake, or wander the grounds, maybe even Shrieking Shack or the Forbidden Forest. He finally settled to a walk around the lake. It was quite lovely this time of year. Though there was no moon, billions of stars that were present in the night sky lit the stone pathway out of the castle.
He sighed, though the year had just begun, there was already so much weighing on his mind. He kicked a rock that tumbled down the steep incline and rolled into the lake below. The path was a bit more grown up than it had been the last time he had been to the lake, which had been a little less than a year ago.
What was he going to do with his life? He was a seventh year. He should've thought about this way before now. That was, after all, the purpose of all the career lessons he'd endured during his fifth year. He didn't even know which N.E.W.Ts to take for the future aspects of getting a job. Maybe he'd work for the Ministry as an aortor or he could try out for England's team as a Seeker. He had been told on numerable occasions that he was good. What N.E.W.Ts are you supposed to take when you want to play quidditch?
He was now about a third of the way around the lake and at his favorite place on the grounds. He turned around to face the castle, which was partially hidden by brush and trees. (A/N Think the scene from PoA where Sirius asks Harry to live with him.) This had to be the most marvelous view of Hogwarts' billowing towers and torrents. Lights were shining from many windows; the feast was obviously over. In the astronomy tower, he saw a light flicker off. It was beautiful. He looked at his wristwatch: nine o'clock. He decided to finish his walk around the lake and go back up to the castle.
As he stood up from the rock he had been sitting on, James heard something rustle in the trees behind him. He knew this part of the lake was right at the edge of the forest but he didn't think anything would hurt him here. Slowly he turned around and saw a pair of gleaming yellow eyes peering back at him. Startled, he drew his wand. The creature slowly, very slowly, took a step forward. When James realized what it was, he pocketed his wand and took a deep bow.
The creature, a hippogriff, stared at him long and hard before cautiously lowering itself into a bow, as well. James remembered from his O.W.Ls that hippogriffs were half eagle, half horse and very conscious of their pride. He patted the creature on the beak and slowly moved back to his head. Slower still, he backed off, knowing he needed to go.
He turned around and proceeded to backtrack up the path the way he had come. James could feel the animal staring at him as he left. Once this feeling was gone, he looked over his shoulder at the bird-like creature that was drinking from the lake, one eye still on James.
Once he was back at the castle, James took the longest route that he knew of to Gryffindor tower. Though he knew he probably had Head duties to attend to, he didn't feel like doing them. He knew that that was irresponsible and that he could be in loads of trouble if he got caught attempting to skiff duties, but he really didn't care. It wasn't his idea to make himself Head Boy, after all.
The corridor outside of the History of Magic classroom appeared to be empty so he chose that hallway. Just a few feet past the statue of Gwenivier the Giver James jumped when he heard his name called. Someone hiding beside the statue stood up. "James," they said again, this time more softly. It was Lily.
"Evening," James replied smoothly.
"Come on, in here," Lily said, pointing to the History of Magic classroom then added, "Please? I want to talk to you." He consented to a little chat and followed her into the room. It was very dark until she waved her hand over a small candle and lit it. They sat down on either side of the candle.
"You shouldn't have apologized," she said quickly before he could get a word in.
"I shouldn't have kissed you," he mumbled, unknowing that she had heard him.
"You're the one who disserves the apology. I had no right to yell at you on the train. I was in shock, honestly I didn't expect to see you in the Heads compartment."
"I understand. You didn't want to spend your year with your favorite person at school," he replied sarcastically.
"So, I guess all I wanted to say was that I'm sorry and that I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"You didn't, really."
"Yes, I did. I saw you before you left. You were shocked and hurt." Lily fidgeted with her necklace. "I'm sorry," she repeated.
"Truce?" James asked then, in hopes of ending the war that had been going on between them for so long, held out his hand to her. Instead of shaking it, Lily kissed him on the cheek and walked out of the room quietly.
"Truce," she whispered, even though she knew that James couldn't hear her.
A/N Sooo... what do you all think? Like it?, love it?, hate it? Review and let me know! It's not hard! Just click the pretty little button in the corner, yeah, that one. Just there. I'll give you one of those chocolate kisses... please?! Tell everyone that you know that likes Harry Potter (maybe I should say James and Lily?) about me! (I remind myself of the cat, whose name has fleeted from me at the moment, from 'Cats and Dogs' that was bent on world domination. Mr. Snuffles or something like that.) Now, review! (Pushes button on plastic wand mentioned in chapter two, causing it to light up.) I've been working on my magic, so review. (Pokes anyone who doesn't review with glowing plastic stick.)
To my most wonderful readers:
Crystaldreams611: Thanks for reading! It's great to know that you think I disserve more reviews than I've got! Tell people! (Pulls wand out again. Smacks it when battery has died and it won't light up.) Thanks and keep reading/reviewing!
LilyFlower1001: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the chapters. I think this one so far is the best. I liked it a lot. You'll have to let me know what you think.