Chapter 17
Lily sat across from James, Cat, and Peter on their way back to school. Peter looked paranoid, and Remus looked as though he was about to hurl. Lily's hair covered one side of her face.
"Lily, your hair's shorter, it's pretty," said Gabby.
"Thanks."
"Hey Lil, why's your hair over your face?" asked Sirius.
"It's the style," replied Lily.
"Where?" asked Cat, skeptically.
"America."
Lily continued to look out the window. The foot cart came by, and Lily moved to hand the woman her money, receiving candy in return. The woman left, and Lily turned around to go back to her seat. Cat stood up, as though she had just thought of something and began to dig through her trunk. The compartment door opened, and this tall, tanned, strawberry blond walked in. James, Peter, Remus, Frank, and Sirius stared at her, mouths open.
"Hi, have y'all seen a calico cat? I can't find mine," she said.
"Nope, I'm sorry, but if we see him, or her, we'll tell ya," said Lily, smiling slightly.
"Thanks. Oh, and by the way, I'm Em El."
"And I'm in love," said the five boys together.
Lily rolled her eyes, Jenni snorted, and Cat stood up really fast, causing her to stumble.
"Whoa, I stood up too fast," said Cat.
"Cat?" asked Em El.
"Em El? Oh my God! What are you doing here?"
"My mom and Step- dad decided that they never want to see me again, so they sent me to live with friends of his until I can live on my own. These people are AWFUL!!! They're son is always drooling on me, and I can't practice cuz the dad said that if he heard my guitar that he's break it over my head. THEN he said that if I were sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, he'd never let me in his house again. So, I'm praying that I'm NOT in Slytherin."
"What is their last name?"
"Malfoy. They're so TOTALLY AWFUL!!!"
"Elektra, don't worry about it. If they kick you out, I'll ask my aunt if you can stay with us. Wait-- what happened to your dad?"
"He died. Some guy from here killed him."
"Who did your mom remarry?"
"Some guy named Alexander Sweeney. Hey, y'all have the same last name! He's always talking about how he's gonna get his daughter back, and replace me, but I think he's a croc!"
"Hon, that's my dad."
"Seriously? That means were related! Isn't that cool? I hate your dad, no offense or anything, but he's a jerk."
"Yea, I know. Oh, yeah! Emerald Elektra Jackson, this is Lily Evans, Frank Longbottom, Jenni Alexander, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew, we lost our other friend, Gabby O'Connor, but she'll be back."
"Emerald Elektra? Awesome name!" said James.
"Thanks. I named myself. I either go by Em El, or Elektra. My parents named me Drive-in January, I still can't figure out why, but they only named me that until I was old enough to choose for myself, so...."
"Hon, your mom told us why she named you that," said Cat.
"She did?" said Elektra, sounding shocked.
"Yeah, she said that's when and where you were conceived, then you hit on the guy at the door."
"I don't remember that, but I remember him. We went out to dinner, then he tried to put the moves on me. Then I said something, and his mom took me home."
"What did you say?"
"I think it was: 'What's your name again?' And that kinda ruined the moment. Oh well."
Cat laughed.
"We were twelve you little skank!"
Elektra ginned. A calico cat jumped at Elektra, and she caught it.
"Tigger!"
"Huh?" said Cat.
"Cat this is my cat Tigger."
Elektra sat down with them, and told them all about her band, and how they were gonna make it big, and how she hopes to get away from the Malfoy's, and keep Malfoy from hitting on her again. They laughed and pulled up in front of Hogwarts. The train pulled up in front of the castle, they went up to the massive establishment, while Elektra went another way, and went into the Great Hall. The group sat down, and James ignored the sorting, and sub- consciously watched Lily.
'She's so beautiful. No she's not! I wonder why her hair's in her face like that, it's awful looking. She's wretched! Yes, she is. I love the way she moves when she walks, I love the way her hair shines in the candlelight, I love the way she laughs. WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE -- AM I THINKING!?!?!" thought James (he has loud thoughts).
The sorting ended, and Dumbledore stood up, and smiled, as the Hall quieted.
"We have a new student, Miss Drive-in-- oops, I mean Emerald Elektra Jackson. Please come up here."
She came up to cheering from Cat and the others from the Gryffindor Table. She blew kisses and waved as she walked up to the front. Cat laughed really loud at her friend. Elektra walked up to the stool, put on the hat and sat there for a minute. Then it finally made its decision.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
She smiled, took off the hat, set it back down, and did a kind of dance as she walked to the Gryffindor table. She sat next to Cat, and they talked non-stop through dinner. That night, they were getting to know Elektra. James, Sirius and Peter sat as close to her as possible, without their intentions being discovered.
"So, Lily, what's it like being at the top of the class? AND a prefect?" asked Elektra.
"It's boring! And plus, I haven't gotten anyone in trouble yet, so I can't say anything about the prefect bit."
Elektra laughed, and the boys followed suit. Lily smiled at the love- struck guys, hiding half of her face, and she stood up, slowly, very unlike Lily, and then stood by the fire, dazed, after getting something from her bag.
"Are you all right?" asked Remus.
Lily nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Let's play Truth or dare!" suggested Sirius.
Everyone agreed, except Lily who was staring into the fire.
"I'll go first, James, truth or dare," said Elektra.
"Dare."
"Okay, I dare you to choose between kissing Peter or Lily."
James looked from one to the other.
"I love you Peter!"
Pettigrew stood up and scurried up to bed.
"That leaves Lily," said Cat.
Lily looked up.
"What?"
"James had a choice between kissing you or Peter, so if he doesn't kiss you, he has to kiss Peter," said Jenni wrinkling her nose.
"Oh, okay," said Lily, bemused, not knowing what was going on around her.
Everyone stared at her in shock, Lily was still staring into the fire.
"So... can I kiss you?" said James.
Lily shrugged.
"Whatever you say."
James walked toward her, and moved her hair out of her face, then leaned in to kiss her, then he saw it, the right side of her face.
"Lily! What the hell happened?"
She came out of her daze, and slapped him across the face.
"What do you want, Potter?"
"Evans, all I want to know is what happened to you?"
Lily realized what he was talking about.
"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Lily, seeing the others were clueless as to what he was talking about.
"James, stop stalling," said Sirius.
"Does THIS," he turned her so the others could see the right side of her face, "look like I'm stalling."
The ENTIRE right side of her face was purple, green, black and blue. Immediately her friends ran to her asking what happened.
"Guys! GUYS!" she yelled over top of them, they quieted. "I fell down the stairs, that's all. No big deal."
Everyone seemed satisfied, except James, who seemed not to care and Cat who didn't believe her.
"Lily, I've seen bruises like that, just not that big, and they DON'T come from falling down the stairs," said Cat.
"Cat, we've got no reason to suspect Lily of lying to us," said Jenni.
Lily shot a pleading look at Cat, who backed down, James on the other hand, voiced his opinion.
"I remember Snape having a bruise like that, he said it was from running into a door, which he's stupid enough to do, but I had seen Crabbe and Goyle pounding him a few days before," he said, not noticing the look he was receiving from Lily.
Remus looked at Lily.
"Lily... did your sister... well --"
"No! Petunia would NEVER do that!" Lily lied to both herself and her friends.
In fact it WAS Petunia who had done that to her. Lily remembered doing her homework outside in the yard, when someone came up behind her and hit her with a cricket bat. When she woke up, she saw Petunia. She had hit Lily with the cricket bat so many times, she didn't remember much more than that. Lily stayed down in the basement until she somehow worked her way out of the clothesline her sister had used to tie her up. The next day Lily had covered her face with as much make up as possible, and covered what she could with her hair, which Petunia had used a dull knife to cut off bits and pieces, unevenly.
"Oh, sorry," said Remus, seeing Lily on the verge of tears.
"It's okay."
Professor McGonagall came in, and Lily covered up her face again.
"Go to bed, all of you," she snapped then left.
Lily ran up to the dorm, got ready for bed, and then closed the curtains on her four-poster bed. Late that night, Gabby, Jenni, and Cat woke Lily up.
"Wha--?" said Lily, still mostly asleep.
There was a creak and Lily saw Sirius, Remus, and Frank standing at the door.
"Lily did you really fall down the stairs?" asked Jenni.
"You know you can tell us anything," said Gabby.
"We're worried about you," said Frank.
"We won't tell anyone, promise," said Cat, as they all promised.
"I'm fine, I swear," she said.
They nodded, and went back to bed. Over the next few weeks, Elektra became one of the group, as Cat had, and she noticed a little something between Lily and James. Sirius grinned.
"You see it, too," said Sirius, knowingly.
"What?" asked Elektra.
"That thing between Lily and James."
"Yes. They act like they hate each other, but I think they, deep inside, love each other." Across the room, Lily slapped James, stomped up to her room, and slammed the door. "Very, very, very, very deep."
Sirius laughed.
"Yes, I've been trying to bring it out, but it's just not happening."
"Let them come together on their own, it'll be quicker, and they won't yell at everyone else when it happens."
"I like that plan."
A few weeks later, in Potions, Malfoy was glaring at Elektra, so Cat flicked him off, causing Cat to get a detention. The bell rang, and Lily, Elektra, Jenni and Gabby burst out laughing, as the boys congratulated her. They went to dinner.
"I can't BELIEVE you Cat!" said Jenni, trying to be responsible.
"That was GREAT! The look on his face!" said Lily, breaking into another fit of giggles.
After dinner, Professor McGonagall came up to the table.
"Miss Evans, would you please come up to my office?"
"Yes, Professor."
Lily said goodnight to her friends and followed her professor. When they were in the office, and seated, Snape walked in.
"Now, Miss Evans, I have brought you here to ask if you wouldn't mind tutoring Mr. Snape in Charms, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical creatures, and Miss Jackson in all classes."
"I don't mind at all."
"Good. Tutoring begins tomorrow night, right here. Goodnight Miss Evans."
"Goodnight."
Lily walked back to Gryffindor Tower. Cat and Elektra met her at the portrait hole.
"Well?" asked Cat.
"It's nothing. She just wanted to say that I've got the highest grades in the year."
"All ready?"
"Yup."
"You must be pretty smart!" said Elektra.
"She's a genius," said Cat.
"No, I'm not."
James glared at her for no reason.
"I'm going to go finish my homework," said Cat.
"Okay. I have some, too."
Lily sat in her usual chair by the fire, and she started her homework. James watched her inconspicuously. Around eleven, after nearly everyone had gone to bed, Lily realized that she was alone, except for James, who had crept back down, and was scratching away on his parchment. She looked up at him the exact same time he looked at her.
"A lot of homework?" he asked.
"A lot of subjects, too many I'd say. You?"
"Same. I thought you liked all the classes."
"No way! I only had them because my parents loved me being at the top of everything, telling me that they knew I could do everything and be the best at it. I took that to mean: 'We'll love you more with the more you do.' Which is what Petunia did and succeeded at. So..." Lily laughed uncomfortably. "Sorry. I forgot you don't care."
"No, I don't mind. It keeps me awake."
Lily smiled at him.
"You're not going to curse me or anything if get up, will you?"
Lily stood up and stretched.
"No. Evans? What do you think of me? Honestly?"
"Honestly?"
"Yes."
"I think that you can be sweet, and a gentleman if you want, but you can also be a horrible self- involved, mean git. But that's only toward me and the Slytherins."
"Only so Sirius doesn't get any ideas. I don't really dislike you as much as I act."
"Really? And what do you think of me?"
"You're kind to everyone, you're clever, intellectual, sophisticated, brilliant when it comes to pranks, but you're a little annoying sometimes."
"I know. I tell myself that everyday, in hopes that I'll be perfect, just like my parents wanted. I've tried, and right now I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown."
"I thought you all ready had one."
"Nope, that was a nervous breakdown. I'm emotionally stable now."
She smiled at his nervousness, he saw her, then relaxed.
"I'm starved," said James, standing up. "Wanna go to get something to eat form the kitchens?"
"Sure."
James was surprised.
"Okay, hold on."
He went up to his room, grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and came back down.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Yup. Can you promise me not to tell anyone about this?"
"No one's going to care that we went to the kitchens."
She looked at his face.
"That's not what I meant."
"Okay, I promise."
They both got comfortably under it, and snuck off toward the kitchens. When they got to the portrait and tickled the pear, James helped Lily in, then he followed her. The House Elves lined up to serve them, offering them tea, crumpets, chocolate, cake, anything.
"Come with me," said James, pulling Lily into the adjoining room which had huge pillow chairs, and a table, with 'The Marauders' glowing in letters, floating around the ceiling.
"Wow, this is cool."
"Yeah, Peter designed it, which worries me."
Lily laughed.
"Yes, and rightly so. What shall we have this lovely evening, Mr. Potter?"
James laughed.
"Hmm... milk and cookies sound good to me, what about you?"
"I think you're not going to be able to stay in the air, or continue to be Seeker, the way, you're eating." They laughed. "I'm in the mood for strawberries and confectioners sugar."
"And who here is having straight up sugar?"
James grinned, as did Lily.
"Me!"
They laughed, then stopped realizing they were having fun... together.
"Okay then."
The House Elves came back minutes later with what they wanted and they ate in silence. When they got back to their chairs, they burst out laughing.
"Well, I have to get to bed, Quidditch tryouts tomorrow. I think you should try out. You'd make a damn fine beater, you're strong, and I'd know better than anyone else," said James.
Lily smiled.
"I'll think about it, 'night James."
"Night Lily."
They went up to their rooms, not noticing a pair of eyes awake and watching them. The next day, Lily was raring to go, ready for tryouts, then realized she didn't have a broom, so she went down to Hogsmeade and into the Quidditch store, which had just opened for the day. She walked in and looked around, then saw the top of the line broom, the Stargazer 45, she picked it up, amazed and paid for it. As she headed back through Hogsmeade, she decided to stop by the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer. When she walked in, and looked at Madame Rosemerta.
"The usual, Lily?"
"Yes, thank you."
Lily stared out the window and watched Sirius make faces at her as he passed by, several times. She laughed.
"What's so funny?"
Lily jumped and turned.
"Your best friend. Hello, James. Would you like to join me?"
"Sure."
They sat there and talked, as people, no tricks, no jokes about one another, and no interruptions. At Quidditch practice, that afternoon, a small blonde boy walked up to James.
"Mr. Potter, can I PLEASE tryout as Seeker? I've done nothing but practice all summer, and all of my life. PLEASE?" he begged.
James looked at him, bewildered. Sirius laughed, and so did Lily, Gabby and Jenni.
"Are you even IN Gryffindor? And who are you?" replied James.
"Lockhart, Gil Lockhart."
Lily walked up behind James.
"Well... Gil... you didn't answer Potter's question, are you in Gryffindor? I haven't seen you around. And I believe that I'm a bit more perceptive than Potter is," said Lily.
"Well... umm... not exactly... I'm in..." Gil mumbled something.
"What was that?" asked James.
Sirius was grinning ear to ear.
"I'm in Hufflepuff!"
"Then try out for the Hufflepuff team," said Lily simply.
Gil began to cry.
"They wouldn't let me," he wailed.
Lily, James, Gabby, Sirius, and Jenni all looked astonished. The five of them backed away slowly, and turned. By the end of the day, the new team had been chosen. This list stood thus:
Chasers: Gabrielle O'Conner Francis Longbottom Caterina Sweeny
Keeper: Jennifer Alexander
Beaters: Sirius Black Lily Evans
Seeker: James Potter
"See Evans? I told you you'd make a fine beater," said James.
Sirius pretended to faint.
"You TOLD her something?" he gasped.
"It was a suggestion he made. He said I hit pretty hard, and let's face it, he'd know," said Lily, laughing.
The crowd around the list laughed.
Lily sat across from James, Cat, and Peter on their way back to school. Peter looked paranoid, and Remus looked as though he was about to hurl. Lily's hair covered one side of her face.
"Lily, your hair's shorter, it's pretty," said Gabby.
"Thanks."
"Hey Lil, why's your hair over your face?" asked Sirius.
"It's the style," replied Lily.
"Where?" asked Cat, skeptically.
"America."
Lily continued to look out the window. The foot cart came by, and Lily moved to hand the woman her money, receiving candy in return. The woman left, and Lily turned around to go back to her seat. Cat stood up, as though she had just thought of something and began to dig through her trunk. The compartment door opened, and this tall, tanned, strawberry blond walked in. James, Peter, Remus, Frank, and Sirius stared at her, mouths open.
"Hi, have y'all seen a calico cat? I can't find mine," she said.
"Nope, I'm sorry, but if we see him, or her, we'll tell ya," said Lily, smiling slightly.
"Thanks. Oh, and by the way, I'm Em El."
"And I'm in love," said the five boys together.
Lily rolled her eyes, Jenni snorted, and Cat stood up really fast, causing her to stumble.
"Whoa, I stood up too fast," said Cat.
"Cat?" asked Em El.
"Em El? Oh my God! What are you doing here?"
"My mom and Step- dad decided that they never want to see me again, so they sent me to live with friends of his until I can live on my own. These people are AWFUL!!! They're son is always drooling on me, and I can't practice cuz the dad said that if he heard my guitar that he's break it over my head. THEN he said that if I were sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, he'd never let me in his house again. So, I'm praying that I'm NOT in Slytherin."
"What is their last name?"
"Malfoy. They're so TOTALLY AWFUL!!!"
"Elektra, don't worry about it. If they kick you out, I'll ask my aunt if you can stay with us. Wait-- what happened to your dad?"
"He died. Some guy from here killed him."
"Who did your mom remarry?"
"Some guy named Alexander Sweeney. Hey, y'all have the same last name! He's always talking about how he's gonna get his daughter back, and replace me, but I think he's a croc!"
"Hon, that's my dad."
"Seriously? That means were related! Isn't that cool? I hate your dad, no offense or anything, but he's a jerk."
"Yea, I know. Oh, yeah! Emerald Elektra Jackson, this is Lily Evans, Frank Longbottom, Jenni Alexander, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew, we lost our other friend, Gabby O'Connor, but she'll be back."
"Emerald Elektra? Awesome name!" said James.
"Thanks. I named myself. I either go by Em El, or Elektra. My parents named me Drive-in January, I still can't figure out why, but they only named me that until I was old enough to choose for myself, so...."
"Hon, your mom told us why she named you that," said Cat.
"She did?" said Elektra, sounding shocked.
"Yeah, she said that's when and where you were conceived, then you hit on the guy at the door."
"I don't remember that, but I remember him. We went out to dinner, then he tried to put the moves on me. Then I said something, and his mom took me home."
"What did you say?"
"I think it was: 'What's your name again?' And that kinda ruined the moment. Oh well."
Cat laughed.
"We were twelve you little skank!"
Elektra ginned. A calico cat jumped at Elektra, and she caught it.
"Tigger!"
"Huh?" said Cat.
"Cat this is my cat Tigger."
Elektra sat down with them, and told them all about her band, and how they were gonna make it big, and how she hopes to get away from the Malfoy's, and keep Malfoy from hitting on her again. They laughed and pulled up in front of Hogwarts. The train pulled up in front of the castle, they went up to the massive establishment, while Elektra went another way, and went into the Great Hall. The group sat down, and James ignored the sorting, and sub- consciously watched Lily.
'She's so beautiful. No she's not! I wonder why her hair's in her face like that, it's awful looking. She's wretched! Yes, she is. I love the way she moves when she walks, I love the way her hair shines in the candlelight, I love the way she laughs. WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE -- AM I THINKING!?!?!" thought James (he has loud thoughts).
The sorting ended, and Dumbledore stood up, and smiled, as the Hall quieted.
"We have a new student, Miss Drive-in-- oops, I mean Emerald Elektra Jackson. Please come up here."
She came up to cheering from Cat and the others from the Gryffindor Table. She blew kisses and waved as she walked up to the front. Cat laughed really loud at her friend. Elektra walked up to the stool, put on the hat and sat there for a minute. Then it finally made its decision.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
She smiled, took off the hat, set it back down, and did a kind of dance as she walked to the Gryffindor table. She sat next to Cat, and they talked non-stop through dinner. That night, they were getting to know Elektra. James, Sirius and Peter sat as close to her as possible, without their intentions being discovered.
"So, Lily, what's it like being at the top of the class? AND a prefect?" asked Elektra.
"It's boring! And plus, I haven't gotten anyone in trouble yet, so I can't say anything about the prefect bit."
Elektra laughed, and the boys followed suit. Lily smiled at the love- struck guys, hiding half of her face, and she stood up, slowly, very unlike Lily, and then stood by the fire, dazed, after getting something from her bag.
"Are you all right?" asked Remus.
Lily nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Let's play Truth or dare!" suggested Sirius.
Everyone agreed, except Lily who was staring into the fire.
"I'll go first, James, truth or dare," said Elektra.
"Dare."
"Okay, I dare you to choose between kissing Peter or Lily."
James looked from one to the other.
"I love you Peter!"
Pettigrew stood up and scurried up to bed.
"That leaves Lily," said Cat.
Lily looked up.
"What?"
"James had a choice between kissing you or Peter, so if he doesn't kiss you, he has to kiss Peter," said Jenni wrinkling her nose.
"Oh, okay," said Lily, bemused, not knowing what was going on around her.
Everyone stared at her in shock, Lily was still staring into the fire.
"So... can I kiss you?" said James.
Lily shrugged.
"Whatever you say."
James walked toward her, and moved her hair out of her face, then leaned in to kiss her, then he saw it, the right side of her face.
"Lily! What the hell happened?"
She came out of her daze, and slapped him across the face.
"What do you want, Potter?"
"Evans, all I want to know is what happened to you?"
Lily realized what he was talking about.
"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Lily, seeing the others were clueless as to what he was talking about.
"James, stop stalling," said Sirius.
"Does THIS," he turned her so the others could see the right side of her face, "look like I'm stalling."
The ENTIRE right side of her face was purple, green, black and blue. Immediately her friends ran to her asking what happened.
"Guys! GUYS!" she yelled over top of them, they quieted. "I fell down the stairs, that's all. No big deal."
Everyone seemed satisfied, except James, who seemed not to care and Cat who didn't believe her.
"Lily, I've seen bruises like that, just not that big, and they DON'T come from falling down the stairs," said Cat.
"Cat, we've got no reason to suspect Lily of lying to us," said Jenni.
Lily shot a pleading look at Cat, who backed down, James on the other hand, voiced his opinion.
"I remember Snape having a bruise like that, he said it was from running into a door, which he's stupid enough to do, but I had seen Crabbe and Goyle pounding him a few days before," he said, not noticing the look he was receiving from Lily.
Remus looked at Lily.
"Lily... did your sister... well --"
"No! Petunia would NEVER do that!" Lily lied to both herself and her friends.
In fact it WAS Petunia who had done that to her. Lily remembered doing her homework outside in the yard, when someone came up behind her and hit her with a cricket bat. When she woke up, she saw Petunia. She had hit Lily with the cricket bat so many times, she didn't remember much more than that. Lily stayed down in the basement until she somehow worked her way out of the clothesline her sister had used to tie her up. The next day Lily had covered her face with as much make up as possible, and covered what she could with her hair, which Petunia had used a dull knife to cut off bits and pieces, unevenly.
"Oh, sorry," said Remus, seeing Lily on the verge of tears.
"It's okay."
Professor McGonagall came in, and Lily covered up her face again.
"Go to bed, all of you," she snapped then left.
Lily ran up to the dorm, got ready for bed, and then closed the curtains on her four-poster bed. Late that night, Gabby, Jenni, and Cat woke Lily up.
"Wha--?" said Lily, still mostly asleep.
There was a creak and Lily saw Sirius, Remus, and Frank standing at the door.
"Lily did you really fall down the stairs?" asked Jenni.
"You know you can tell us anything," said Gabby.
"We're worried about you," said Frank.
"We won't tell anyone, promise," said Cat, as they all promised.
"I'm fine, I swear," she said.
They nodded, and went back to bed. Over the next few weeks, Elektra became one of the group, as Cat had, and she noticed a little something between Lily and James. Sirius grinned.
"You see it, too," said Sirius, knowingly.
"What?" asked Elektra.
"That thing between Lily and James."
"Yes. They act like they hate each other, but I think they, deep inside, love each other." Across the room, Lily slapped James, stomped up to her room, and slammed the door. "Very, very, very, very deep."
Sirius laughed.
"Yes, I've been trying to bring it out, but it's just not happening."
"Let them come together on their own, it'll be quicker, and they won't yell at everyone else when it happens."
"I like that plan."
A few weeks later, in Potions, Malfoy was glaring at Elektra, so Cat flicked him off, causing Cat to get a detention. The bell rang, and Lily, Elektra, Jenni and Gabby burst out laughing, as the boys congratulated her. They went to dinner.
"I can't BELIEVE you Cat!" said Jenni, trying to be responsible.
"That was GREAT! The look on his face!" said Lily, breaking into another fit of giggles.
After dinner, Professor McGonagall came up to the table.
"Miss Evans, would you please come up to my office?"
"Yes, Professor."
Lily said goodnight to her friends and followed her professor. When they were in the office, and seated, Snape walked in.
"Now, Miss Evans, I have brought you here to ask if you wouldn't mind tutoring Mr. Snape in Charms, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical creatures, and Miss Jackson in all classes."
"I don't mind at all."
"Good. Tutoring begins tomorrow night, right here. Goodnight Miss Evans."
"Goodnight."
Lily walked back to Gryffindor Tower. Cat and Elektra met her at the portrait hole.
"Well?" asked Cat.
"It's nothing. She just wanted to say that I've got the highest grades in the year."
"All ready?"
"Yup."
"You must be pretty smart!" said Elektra.
"She's a genius," said Cat.
"No, I'm not."
James glared at her for no reason.
"I'm going to go finish my homework," said Cat.
"Okay. I have some, too."
Lily sat in her usual chair by the fire, and she started her homework. James watched her inconspicuously. Around eleven, after nearly everyone had gone to bed, Lily realized that she was alone, except for James, who had crept back down, and was scratching away on his parchment. She looked up at him the exact same time he looked at her.
"A lot of homework?" he asked.
"A lot of subjects, too many I'd say. You?"
"Same. I thought you liked all the classes."
"No way! I only had them because my parents loved me being at the top of everything, telling me that they knew I could do everything and be the best at it. I took that to mean: 'We'll love you more with the more you do.' Which is what Petunia did and succeeded at. So..." Lily laughed uncomfortably. "Sorry. I forgot you don't care."
"No, I don't mind. It keeps me awake."
Lily smiled at him.
"You're not going to curse me or anything if get up, will you?"
Lily stood up and stretched.
"No. Evans? What do you think of me? Honestly?"
"Honestly?"
"Yes."
"I think that you can be sweet, and a gentleman if you want, but you can also be a horrible self- involved, mean git. But that's only toward me and the Slytherins."
"Only so Sirius doesn't get any ideas. I don't really dislike you as much as I act."
"Really? And what do you think of me?"
"You're kind to everyone, you're clever, intellectual, sophisticated, brilliant when it comes to pranks, but you're a little annoying sometimes."
"I know. I tell myself that everyday, in hopes that I'll be perfect, just like my parents wanted. I've tried, and right now I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown."
"I thought you all ready had one."
"Nope, that was a nervous breakdown. I'm emotionally stable now."
She smiled at his nervousness, he saw her, then relaxed.
"I'm starved," said James, standing up. "Wanna go to get something to eat form the kitchens?"
"Sure."
James was surprised.
"Okay, hold on."
He went up to his room, grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and came back down.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Yup. Can you promise me not to tell anyone about this?"
"No one's going to care that we went to the kitchens."
She looked at his face.
"That's not what I meant."
"Okay, I promise."
They both got comfortably under it, and snuck off toward the kitchens. When they got to the portrait and tickled the pear, James helped Lily in, then he followed her. The House Elves lined up to serve them, offering them tea, crumpets, chocolate, cake, anything.
"Come with me," said James, pulling Lily into the adjoining room which had huge pillow chairs, and a table, with 'The Marauders' glowing in letters, floating around the ceiling.
"Wow, this is cool."
"Yeah, Peter designed it, which worries me."
Lily laughed.
"Yes, and rightly so. What shall we have this lovely evening, Mr. Potter?"
James laughed.
"Hmm... milk and cookies sound good to me, what about you?"
"I think you're not going to be able to stay in the air, or continue to be Seeker, the way, you're eating." They laughed. "I'm in the mood for strawberries and confectioners sugar."
"And who here is having straight up sugar?"
James grinned, as did Lily.
"Me!"
They laughed, then stopped realizing they were having fun... together.
"Okay then."
The House Elves came back minutes later with what they wanted and they ate in silence. When they got back to their chairs, they burst out laughing.
"Well, I have to get to bed, Quidditch tryouts tomorrow. I think you should try out. You'd make a damn fine beater, you're strong, and I'd know better than anyone else," said James.
Lily smiled.
"I'll think about it, 'night James."
"Night Lily."
They went up to their rooms, not noticing a pair of eyes awake and watching them. The next day, Lily was raring to go, ready for tryouts, then realized she didn't have a broom, so she went down to Hogsmeade and into the Quidditch store, which had just opened for the day. She walked in and looked around, then saw the top of the line broom, the Stargazer 45, she picked it up, amazed and paid for it. As she headed back through Hogsmeade, she decided to stop by the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer. When she walked in, and looked at Madame Rosemerta.
"The usual, Lily?"
"Yes, thank you."
Lily stared out the window and watched Sirius make faces at her as he passed by, several times. She laughed.
"What's so funny?"
Lily jumped and turned.
"Your best friend. Hello, James. Would you like to join me?"
"Sure."
They sat there and talked, as people, no tricks, no jokes about one another, and no interruptions. At Quidditch practice, that afternoon, a small blonde boy walked up to James.
"Mr. Potter, can I PLEASE tryout as Seeker? I've done nothing but practice all summer, and all of my life. PLEASE?" he begged.
James looked at him, bewildered. Sirius laughed, and so did Lily, Gabby and Jenni.
"Are you even IN Gryffindor? And who are you?" replied James.
"Lockhart, Gil Lockhart."
Lily walked up behind James.
"Well... Gil... you didn't answer Potter's question, are you in Gryffindor? I haven't seen you around. And I believe that I'm a bit more perceptive than Potter is," said Lily.
"Well... umm... not exactly... I'm in..." Gil mumbled something.
"What was that?" asked James.
Sirius was grinning ear to ear.
"I'm in Hufflepuff!"
"Then try out for the Hufflepuff team," said Lily simply.
Gil began to cry.
"They wouldn't let me," he wailed.
Lily, James, Gabby, Sirius, and Jenni all looked astonished. The five of them backed away slowly, and turned. By the end of the day, the new team had been chosen. This list stood thus:
Chasers: Gabrielle O'Conner Francis Longbottom Caterina Sweeny
Keeper: Jennifer Alexander
Beaters: Sirius Black Lily Evans
Seeker: James Potter
"See Evans? I told you you'd make a fine beater," said James.
Sirius pretended to faint.
"You TOLD her something?" he gasped.
"It was a suggestion he made. He said I hit pretty hard, and let's face it, he'd know," said Lily, laughing.
The crowd around the list laughed.