Chapter 7: Competition
Lily, Wilona, and Alice waltzed into the Great Hall, all three laughing and giggling loudly at an early- morning mishap in the bathroom. Lily tucked her vibrant, flowing hair behind her ears and dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. Her face was flushed and fresh, with natural beauty shining through the laughter. She smiled lazily and contently when the humor died down a bit and her friends sat down at the Gryffindor table to eat.
"Ahhh," Alice sighed. The three girls smiled at eachother. Neither of them had noticed that their loud arrival had caught the attention of half the school, so began eating and talking as if nothing had just happened. It was only a matter of minutes before they burst into giggles again when Wilona, who had just made eye contact with Sirius, tried to take a sexy swig of pumpkin juice but missed her mouth by a couple of inches and ended up pouring the juice down her face. Lily and Alice hunched over onto the table in fits of laughter, while an incredibly embarrassed Wilona ran to the girl's bathroom.
"Oh God, oh god." Lily repeated as she gasped for air. Both girls were now very pink and began to notice the curious stares of students surrounding them. Lily coughed. Her face turned a shade darker.
"Um. So anyways..." she began, attempting to make the rest of breakfast as normal as possible. She glanced around and behind her. Everyone was still staring.
"Alice! Alice, is there something on my face?" Lily asked anxiously. A wide- eyed Alice shook her head quickly. Lily cowered down in her seat and reached for a blueberry muffin. Slowly, people stopped whispering and turned back to their own conversations.
After a few seconds of silence and muffin chewing, Alice let out a soft giggle.
Lily couldnt help but smile, and tried her very hardest not to laugh.
Further down the Gryffindor table, the Marauders had watched the entrance of the three girls, and the exit of Wilona. They all watched keenly as Lily and Alice began emitting the loudest laughing they had ever heard. They noticed that Lily looked like a cherry. With red hair. James thought she looked positively beautiful.
"Look at that girl, Prongs, totally enjoying herself, WITHOUT you," Sirius commented. Remus turned to see James's reaction. Surprisingly, he sat quietly staring at Lily intently. But only for a few seconds. He then cracked a huge grin and chuckled.
"But if only she knew what I had to offer, I mean, clearly she is missing out on the best thing that isn't happening to her," he paused, "Did that make sense?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Sorta..." said Remus. He looked back at Lily. She was eating a muffin and talking to Alice. Her face was still slightly pink, and she was engulfed in an aura of energy and happiness. Remus couldnt help but smile. James saw him.
"WHAT! That's MY girl, you're smiling at there, Moony! Don't you even think about it!" he said half jokingly, half serious.
"She does look really pretty though" Sirius said, grinning at James.
James sputtered. "Wha- What? Stop it! I know she's pretty. What are you playing at?" He looked about wildly from friend to friend.
Remus and Sirius just shook their heads, trying to contain their laughter. It was a fun little game they played sometimes. Getting James riled up was easy, not to mention amusing.
Peter was looking down towards the girls.
"Hey look! Haha, looks like ol' Ted's about to pull a move on her. Whaddya think about that?" Peter said, giggling girlishly afterwards.
James whipped his head around towards Lily. A tall, blond-haired boy was standing next to her, his back facing James.
"He wouldn't..." James said threateningly. "But Evans is smart, she wouldn't fall for a guy like that..."
Just then, Lily made some motions with her hands and the boy sat down next to her. James's mouth dropped open in awe, and his eyes widened. He watched on as Lily began chatting with the boy. In a few seconds she began to blush and looked down into her lap.
"He's making her blush! He's saying innapropriate things to her! I'll kill him! I'll kill him if he lays a hand on her," James burst out. He was about to get up when Lily lifted her head. She was smiling. She said a few words and then nodded quickly, still blushing.
"What are they saying? What are they talking about?" James continued, still shocked. He looked at his friends. Remus and Sirius were looking at Lily with their eyes slightly wide as well. Turning back to James, they both shrugged.
"Peter!" James said abruptedly. "Turn into a rat and go listen. Now!" He kept snapping his head back and forth from his friends to Lily, his face getting more angry with each glance at her. His fist clenched
"James, we're in the middle of the Great Hall. Be quiet," Remus said. Then his face contorted and he closed his eyes, grimacing.
Sirius continued. "Don't get all worked up about it. She hates your guts, man." He nodded knowledgably. "Anyway, its almost time for classes, let's go." He began to gather up his books.
James looked around the Great Hall and noticed that it was a little emptier and students were beginning to get up and head out. Most of the teachers were already gone. He saw Dumbledore sitting alone, reading a book and eating what looked like a treacle tart. He glanced up and saw James looking at him. He winked.
"Hey, did Dumbledore just wink at you?" Peter asked in wonder. He stood up and stared pointedly at Dumbledore, trying to get a wink for himself.
James stood up and shoved Peter aside. "She does not hate me. I mean really, who could possible hate me? She just doesn't know me. Watch, I'll talk to her, you'll see. She was just overreacting in Potions class." He did not sound very confident.
"Right.." Sirius said.
James grabbed his bag and made his way towards Lily, who was already leaving the Great Hall with the boy named Ted. Alice was no where to be seen.
"Hey Evans! Evans!" he called.
She turned around and he flashed her a big grin. "Hey Evans, how's it going?" he asked when he caught up to her. He shot Ted a quick evil glance.
Lily stared at him in disbelief. "I don't believe you," she said, "Leave me alone, Potter." She moved closer to Ted. He put a protective arm around her and glared at James.
"What are you doing with THIS guy, Evans? Come on, you can do so much better than that! You could go out with ME!" James said, as if this was the most obvious fact in the world. Ted made a move towards him but Lily held him back.
"He's not worth it, "she muttered softly, but James heard her.
"EVANS! Are you crazy? You're making a huge mistake here. I dont believe YOU!" he said incredulously. He stared at her with a slightly open mouth. People were beginning to look at the little standoff and whisper amongst themselves. This was sure to be the gossip of the day.
"Listen, Potter," Lily spat. James winced slightly at her harsh tone. "I don't like you. I want you to leave me alone. I want you to never talk to me again. I want you out of my life completely." Her once bright green eyes were dark and cold as they stared straight into his. Before he could answer her, she turned and dragged Ted with her. James stared as her bright head disapeared into the sea of students that were now pouring out of the Great Hall. He looked around and glared at the people who were still staring at him and they quickly scurried off to their classes.
Still trying to overcome his shock, he stumbled to his next class, his head full of new and perturbing thoughts. This had never happened to James Potter before. How dare someone reject him like that? Continously. How was it possible? What kind of person was capable of this?
It baffled him.
Lily, Wilona, and Alice waltzed into the Great Hall, all three laughing and giggling loudly at an early- morning mishap in the bathroom. Lily tucked her vibrant, flowing hair behind her ears and dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. Her face was flushed and fresh, with natural beauty shining through the laughter. She smiled lazily and contently when the humor died down a bit and her friends sat down at the Gryffindor table to eat.
"Ahhh," Alice sighed. The three girls smiled at eachother. Neither of them had noticed that their loud arrival had caught the attention of half the school, so began eating and talking as if nothing had just happened. It was only a matter of minutes before they burst into giggles again when Wilona, who had just made eye contact with Sirius, tried to take a sexy swig of pumpkin juice but missed her mouth by a couple of inches and ended up pouring the juice down her face. Lily and Alice hunched over onto the table in fits of laughter, while an incredibly embarrassed Wilona ran to the girl's bathroom.
"Oh God, oh god." Lily repeated as she gasped for air. Both girls were now very pink and began to notice the curious stares of students surrounding them. Lily coughed. Her face turned a shade darker.
"Um. So anyways..." she began, attempting to make the rest of breakfast as normal as possible. She glanced around and behind her. Everyone was still staring.
"Alice! Alice, is there something on my face?" Lily asked anxiously. A wide- eyed Alice shook her head quickly. Lily cowered down in her seat and reached for a blueberry muffin. Slowly, people stopped whispering and turned back to their own conversations.
After a few seconds of silence and muffin chewing, Alice let out a soft giggle.
Lily couldnt help but smile, and tried her very hardest not to laugh.
Further down the Gryffindor table, the Marauders had watched the entrance of the three girls, and the exit of Wilona. They all watched keenly as Lily and Alice began emitting the loudest laughing they had ever heard. They noticed that Lily looked like a cherry. With red hair. James thought she looked positively beautiful.
"Look at that girl, Prongs, totally enjoying herself, WITHOUT you," Sirius commented. Remus turned to see James's reaction. Surprisingly, he sat quietly staring at Lily intently. But only for a few seconds. He then cracked a huge grin and chuckled.
"But if only she knew what I had to offer, I mean, clearly she is missing out on the best thing that isn't happening to her," he paused, "Did that make sense?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Sorta..." said Remus. He looked back at Lily. She was eating a muffin and talking to Alice. Her face was still slightly pink, and she was engulfed in an aura of energy and happiness. Remus couldnt help but smile. James saw him.
"WHAT! That's MY girl, you're smiling at there, Moony! Don't you even think about it!" he said half jokingly, half serious.
"She does look really pretty though" Sirius said, grinning at James.
James sputtered. "Wha- What? Stop it! I know she's pretty. What are you playing at?" He looked about wildly from friend to friend.
Remus and Sirius just shook their heads, trying to contain their laughter. It was a fun little game they played sometimes. Getting James riled up was easy, not to mention amusing.
Peter was looking down towards the girls.
"Hey look! Haha, looks like ol' Ted's about to pull a move on her. Whaddya think about that?" Peter said, giggling girlishly afterwards.
James whipped his head around towards Lily. A tall, blond-haired boy was standing next to her, his back facing James.
"He wouldn't..." James said threateningly. "But Evans is smart, she wouldn't fall for a guy like that..."
Just then, Lily made some motions with her hands and the boy sat down next to her. James's mouth dropped open in awe, and his eyes widened. He watched on as Lily began chatting with the boy. In a few seconds she began to blush and looked down into her lap.
"He's making her blush! He's saying innapropriate things to her! I'll kill him! I'll kill him if he lays a hand on her," James burst out. He was about to get up when Lily lifted her head. She was smiling. She said a few words and then nodded quickly, still blushing.
"What are they saying? What are they talking about?" James continued, still shocked. He looked at his friends. Remus and Sirius were looking at Lily with their eyes slightly wide as well. Turning back to James, they both shrugged.
"Peter!" James said abruptedly. "Turn into a rat and go listen. Now!" He kept snapping his head back and forth from his friends to Lily, his face getting more angry with each glance at her. His fist clenched
"James, we're in the middle of the Great Hall. Be quiet," Remus said. Then his face contorted and he closed his eyes, grimacing.
Sirius continued. "Don't get all worked up about it. She hates your guts, man." He nodded knowledgably. "Anyway, its almost time for classes, let's go." He began to gather up his books.
James looked around the Great Hall and noticed that it was a little emptier and students were beginning to get up and head out. Most of the teachers were already gone. He saw Dumbledore sitting alone, reading a book and eating what looked like a treacle tart. He glanced up and saw James looking at him. He winked.
"Hey, did Dumbledore just wink at you?" Peter asked in wonder. He stood up and stared pointedly at Dumbledore, trying to get a wink for himself.
James stood up and shoved Peter aside. "She does not hate me. I mean really, who could possible hate me? She just doesn't know me. Watch, I'll talk to her, you'll see. She was just overreacting in Potions class." He did not sound very confident.
"Right.." Sirius said.
James grabbed his bag and made his way towards Lily, who was already leaving the Great Hall with the boy named Ted. Alice was no where to be seen.
"Hey Evans! Evans!" he called.
She turned around and he flashed her a big grin. "Hey Evans, how's it going?" he asked when he caught up to her. He shot Ted a quick evil glance.
Lily stared at him in disbelief. "I don't believe you," she said, "Leave me alone, Potter." She moved closer to Ted. He put a protective arm around her and glared at James.
"What are you doing with THIS guy, Evans? Come on, you can do so much better than that! You could go out with ME!" James said, as if this was the most obvious fact in the world. Ted made a move towards him but Lily held him back.
"He's not worth it, "she muttered softly, but James heard her.
"EVANS! Are you crazy? You're making a huge mistake here. I dont believe YOU!" he said incredulously. He stared at her with a slightly open mouth. People were beginning to look at the little standoff and whisper amongst themselves. This was sure to be the gossip of the day.
"Listen, Potter," Lily spat. James winced slightly at her harsh tone. "I don't like you. I want you to leave me alone. I want you to never talk to me again. I want you out of my life completely." Her once bright green eyes were dark and cold as they stared straight into his. Before he could answer her, she turned and dragged Ted with her. James stared as her bright head disapeared into the sea of students that were now pouring out of the Great Hall. He looked around and glared at the people who were still staring at him and they quickly scurried off to their classes.
Still trying to overcome his shock, he stumbled to his next class, his head full of new and perturbing thoughts. This had never happened to James Potter before. How dare someone reject him like that? Continously. How was it possible? What kind of person was capable of this?
It baffled him.