SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1~*~ James And His Death ~*~

~Just thought I'd tell you

~Exactly how I

~Feel about you

~Not quite sure myself

~But if I

~Were to lose you

~Don't know how

~But I'd live

~Because your heart

~Has touched me

~And I know you'll

~Always be with me and you'll

~Always keep me alive

Being back at school was nice, despite the gloomy mood that had hung over the castle since we arrived. But now people were moving on, and the staidness was slowly ebbing, things were beginning to return to normal.

Our first lesson on a Tuesday was Charms. This was my favourite subject. It was also Gray's, but for a completely different reason.

Flitwick's idea of dealing with trouble seemed to be that if you ignore it long enough, it will go away. So for Gray, Charms equaled free period.

Speaking of dealing with trouble, Gray's way to deal with his dad's death was to be more annoying than ever. This didn't please the teachers, but he did get somewhat of a free rein, as they found his tragic little sob story quite heart-wrenching.

'Mr Parkson, please refrain from disturbing my class,' Flitwick sighed without even turning around. He knew it was Gray without looking. Every disturbance was Gray's doing these days.

Today, Gray was leaning casually back his chair, feet up on the desk.

'Yessir,' he said, saluting Flitwick's back. He had an arrogant look on his face, and I could tell it was not one of his good days.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as he reached into his bag and pulled out a hexshooter. I closed my eyes and took a breath.

Why did he have to be this way?

I saw Bella watching Gray with amusement, not bothering to be subtle about her staring. I observed with a sudden surge of curiosity. He tore off a corner of parchment, rolled it into a small ball and held it to his wand, whispering something at it. The ball glowed slightly with light before dimming to its original colour. Gray placed it in his hexshooter and aimed right at Toni's back, since she was the only person actually paying attention to FLitwick by then. I winced as he blew into it and the ball hit her square in the back of the neck. Toni jumped in shock at the small explosion of fireworks. Then in a poof of smoke, she was gone. In her place was a small, black rabbit. At the squeals of laughter and shock, Flitwick turned slowly around, hand still raised holding the chalk, to face the class.

Half the class was howling with laughter. The other half were staring in disbelief at Toni the bunny.

Flitwick, still somehow remaining cool, completely overlooked Gray and turned to me. 

'Miss Evans, would you mind escorting Miss Baker to Professor McGonagall? I do believe she needs to be transfigured back, and I'm rather hopeless at it myself.'

'Yes, Professor,' I said, standing up and walking over to pick up Toni. I couldn't hide my smile when I walked past Gray.

I knocked tentatively on the door to the Transfiguration classroom, trying to keep a hold on the wriggling rabbit. I noticed Sirius sitting up the front of the room and caught his eye. He grinned and gestured back over his head. I followed his motion to where James was. He hadn't seen me, though, he had his eyes down on his paper. I grinned.

'Yes, Miss Evans?' asked Professor Celesta, the young witch who normally taught astronomy.

'I was wondering if Professor McGonagall was here?'

'Your transfiguration teacher is ill, I'm afraid. Can I help you?'

By now James had looked up and was eyeing me with curiosity. I smiled at him, and he returned it.

'Er, Toni has been transfigured into a rabbit,' I said, holding out Toni, who was still struggling in my grip. Celesta's eyes widened a little.

'I see. However, I'm afraid that I am not very skilled in Transfiguration, myself.'

Gods, it was one of the compulsory branches of magic. You would think that a few more teachers would know how to transfigure a student back to her original form.

I nodded at Celesta, and was just about to leave when James put up his hand.

'Yes, Mr Potter?'

'I could do it, if you like,' he offered. Celesta just looked at him for a moment.

'Potter, I don't think you are quite at that level, to be making human transfigurations -'

'Come of it, Professor,' Sirius scoffed. 'He's top of the class. He gets everything first go. McGonagall herself says he's as good as a fourth or fifth year.'

The class murmured their agreement, and James grinned.

'Very well. Miss Evans, take Mr Potter outside. This isn't a class spectacle. And Mr Black, may I remind you that it is Professor McGonagall,' Celesta said wearily. James stood from his seat and followed me out into the hall.

'What happened to her?' he grinned as soon as we got outside.

'Gray shot her with his hexshooter,' I sighed, placing Toni on the ground. James gave a small laugh, just as Toni started off down the hall. But he had his wand out and shot a spark just ahead of her. Alarmed, the rabbit changed directions, but James was ready with another spark. Again, she wheeled around to run the opposite way, towards us. When she was about two metres or so away, James hit her directly, this time saying a spell. In another cloud of smoke, Toni was sitting dazedly on the floor.

'Nice shot,' I commented.

'Thanks,' replied James, as we walked over to Toni. I offered her my hand and helped her up.

'I'm not even going to ask,' she sighed. 'But let me guess - Gray?'

'Mm-hmm,' I said with amusement. 'See you, James.'

'Yeah, and thanks. I'm presuming it was you that changed me back?'

'Yup, that was me. See you Lily. And you're welcome, er - Toni, was it?' He gave a wave before slipping back into class.

'He can be so annoying sometimes,' Toni growled, though good-naturedly.

'Who?' I asked. 'James?'

'No, that guy you're going out with? Geez, Lily. I think you've got James on the brain,' she teased. I narrowed my eyes.

'Don't you start.'

* * *

Lunch time, I retreated to the library, annoyed with all the attention Gray was getting for being a stupid git. As sorry as I felt for him, he was beginning to get on my nerves.

But when I got to the library, I just had to bump into him.

I had been scanning the shelves under 'Muggle Studies', aware that someone was nearby but not bothered to look. I had come across a book called A Light Switch Is...? The ABC of All Things Muggle. I had laughed aloud at that.

'A light switch is... something James does not know how to turn on,' I said with amusement to myself, recounting a time I had found him rather fascinated by the light switch in my room. The lighting in his house was obviously controlled by someone else.

The person that had been nearby moved closer, and this time I looked up. It was James, of course. Who else?

'What was that, Lily? I turn you on... ?' he said playfully, raising an eyebrow. I whacked him.

'Yeah, totally.'

'Really?'

'Nope. It's all in your head.'

'Which one?' he asked innocently. I gaped at him.

'The one you think with, you gross and disgusting dolt!'

'That would be the one in my pants, then,' he smirked. I hit him a second time.

'You are gross.'

'Not really, just not self contained.'

'No, you're gross. You can't have a normal conversation - you have to bring up something perverse.'

'It's a known fact that teenage boys think about sex every three seconds,' he shrugged. 'Who am I to go against what's been scientifically proven?'

I rolled my eyes and moved down the shelf a little to look at the next set of books. James followed.

'What are you doing?' I asked, giving him an odd look.

'Looking at books,' he replied, returning the look.

'You actually know how to read?' I queried teasingly.

'No. I'm hoping these books can teach me, though.'

'Oh, good, good,' was my distracted reply.

It was beginning to become slightly scary how often we were bumping into each other. I mean, sure - we were in the same house, but it was still rather odd the places we often met accidentally.

'If I didn't know better, I'd think you aren't too happy to see me,' he said playfully. I looked up at him.

'I'm happy. Why?'

'You don't look it. What's your prob?'

'Don't have one,' I insisted.

'I think you need a good tickle.'

'I think otherwise,' I said quickly, but James had already grabbed my sides.

'Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhh!'

'That's more like it,' he laughed thoughtfully, his hands still working at my sides despite my attempts to push him away. A minute later we were up against a bookcase, and I was laughing hopelessly. After glaring at us for a long time, Madam Pince come over and kicked us out for creating a disturbance. Muttering tempestuously to herself, she pushed us all the way to the door, telling us to either calm down or go outside. I'll give you three guesses as to what James opted, and the first two don't count. Yeah - he wanted to go outside. 

'Two days, and it's Quidditch tryouts!' James said happily as we walked alongside the lake. 'Two days and I'll be in heaven.'

'You sound confident that you'll get in,' I noted.

He shot me a dirty look.

'Of course I'll get in. I'm the best flyer in our year, and better than a lot of people in the other years, too.'

'So, what position do you hope to play?'

'Seeker. They don't have one,' he replied casually. 'It'll be a cinch. You have to have skill to be a seeker. Good reflexes. Not too many people try out for it. I've grown up on a broom, and my dad is president of Puddlemere United. He funds them. They've practically got a position with my name on it already, guaranteed. Wouldn't it be awesome, being paid to do what you love?'

'I guess,' I said quietly.

'James, you really do love your dad, don't you? I mean, tell me it's none of my business, but you two never seem to get on. But you are proud of him, aren't you?'

'My dad is a great man, I don't argue with that. He can do a lot of good. But he has old views, and doesn't want to change. Him and I don't agree on much. But yes, he is my father, and I do love him.'

I nodded, and decided to change the subject.

'You had Divination today, didn't you?'

The third years had been asked to select some special subjects to study on top of their regular program, subjects that would supposedly assist them in their career choice. James and Sirius had both chosen Divination, as well as Muggle Studies. Which, come to think of it, was probably why he had been in the library earlier.

James gave a short laugh.

'Yeah - it's a bit of a joke, really. Professor Pradere shattered a cup when she saw me.'

'You're that scary, huh?' I laughed.

'Mmm. I guess so. Actually, she said that the fates foretell her that I will die an early and tragic death in the process of protecting my loved ones. Load of hippogriff dung, if you ask me.'

I nodded, then something came to my mind.

And through their friendship and their love they will somehow save us all... though all shall perish in saving lives...

'You know, James, have you ever thought about what the... about what the Sorting Hat said the other night?' I asked cautiously. Unlike I had expected, James did not look at me in surprise. In fact, I got the feeling he had been thinking the same thing.

'It could be a coincidence,' he said, pulling a stone from his pocket and throwing at the lake. It skimmed the surface before sinking into the ripples.

'As far as I'm concerned, that teacher is bonkers.'

'But the Sorting Hat isn't,' I pressed.

'No, it isn't.'

'Did the hat say that the four would know who they are?' I asked.

'No.'

'Your family is all pureblood, right? There's a big possibility that you could be related to one of the founders.'

'I know. I know I'm going to die and blah, blah, blah. I heard enough from the shrink.'

'But James...'

'Lily, do you think I want to be one of those four people? Because I don't particularly. And I don't want to think about dying. But god knows, my death could be a treat for us all.'

And with that, James said no more.

~*~*~*~*~

I LOVE u all so much!!! hehehe

well, this might only be part one. Im not sure. Maybe ill add on, or maybe ill make a new chappie. Oh well. Me update quick since im on holidays.

Well bye byes gotta fly

SezZie