Disclaimer: JKR you are too awesome to steal from! Plus, I don't steal so this is definitely NOT mine.
A/N: Hi everyone! You guys are great for reviewing! Let's try for a bigger number of reviews than last time. OK guys?? So, read and review.
I am in a good mood, plus I gotta think about what I am gonna write so I am gonna thank everyone!!!
Ronsiesinbloom- thanks! I am going to try and update more since track is over but it is hard to between 4 stories. Check those out in the meantime. Thanks again.
Dracocard14- Thanks, I don't think I am going to stop with this story until I get to Lily and James' death so it's going to be awhile before I finish. Liked the Barty Crouch part? Glad you noticed, it was a little fun thing I wanted to add, make it more interesting.
Kitty McGonagall- Thanks, you've been a great reviewer! Um, I had to make that happen, for Sirius to become more mature and to develop into the person he is later on in the books. Responsible, caring, impulsive at times. I just thought (even though I didn't want to do it), that by allowing that to happen it would be a perfect opportunity to have Sirius grow up. Sorry, but that's the way it goes. Thanks again!
Stella!!!- Thanks, I'm only 13 so I have LOTS of room for improvement.
Lady of Masbolle- You've been reading since day 1! My first reviewer. Thanks for being such a great reader. I'll try and make the story good. Hope this chapter turns out okay.
Burning Ice 22- Unfortunately, Halle won't be okay. She is going to end up like the Longbottoms. But that does not mean that Sirius is going to give up on her. The increasing heart rate meant that she could understand what he was saying inside and her body was responding to it. I'm making it seem that the Cruciatus Curse leaves the victims mentally impaired on the outside but their true character is trapped inside with no way of communicating. So basically, Halle could understand Sirius but couldn't say how she felt. The whole heart monitor thing was a way of bringing that effect.
Also thank you so much to..
redhead Aquarius, CrazyGal, dains-numberone-fan, iris, Courtney.
And to everyone who's ever reviewed my story! You all rock so much!
Lily and James: Their Story of Love
Chapter 24:Spirit Broken
Two weeks had passed since the group's fight against Voldemort. This time, they were saddened to say that no one had been injured. The school had been shocked to hear of Halle's condition and many of the teachers burst to tears when they heard the news. Dumbledore had been clear in stating his deepest regards to friends and family of Halle Douglas. James didn't think that Dumbledore was being apologetic enough. Voldemort had gotten into Hogwarts right underneath Dumbledore's nose and Dumbledore was not apologizing himself for what happened to Halle. Partly, he was responsible.
Sirius was sitting in Transfiguration, Halle's empty seat beside him. The outside looked so tempting. Why didn't he just get up and fly away? Hogwarts reminded him too strongly of Halle.
"Mr. Black, can you please demonstrate how you would transfigure your desk into a raccoon?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"I could, but it really doesn't matter to me anymore." Sirius said.
"Sirius Black! Transfiguration is very important to your life outside of Hogwarts. Surely that matters to you." Professor McGonagall said.
The entire class was looking at Sirius. Lily and James stared sympathetically. Katy had started to cry, Remus sat holding her.
"Not really Minerva. You know what? I am about ready to just leave this place, I am hanging on a thread and guess what? You're about to break it. I am sick of this place." Sirius said.
"Really, now? You think you can just talk to a teacher like that?" McGonagall asked.
"Why, yes I do. I could be sitting with Halle right now but I am stuck sitting in your boring class, wasting my talent. I could be out there fighting right now!" Sirius said, his voice raising.
"Calm down Padfoot." James whispered.
"No Prongs. I am not calming down. What is the point of learning all this? Really? If everyone is going to die, why sit and wait for it to happen?" Sirius said.
"I will not tolerate you speaking like that in my class Mr. Black. See me after class." McGonagall said.
"Now you're in for it." James said.
"Turn around Mr. Potter. Would you care to demonstrate how you would transfigure your desk?"
"Why, certainly Ma'am." James said, Lily rolled her eyes. James could be so corny at times.
Sure enough, James successfully transfigured his desk into a raccoon.
When class was over, Sirius strode over to Professor McGonagall's desk.
"What's this about McGonagall?" Sirius asked.
"Well, Mr. Black, this is about your friend Halle. I understand you two never got along. That is, until recently. You two grew close didn't you?" she asked him.
Sirius nodded.
"What has happened has happened. There is no way you can fix it. She was one of my favorite students and now she is gone. I understand somewhat of how you are feeling. Don't blame yourself."
"I wasn't, I was blaming the whole system." Sirius said.
"The system that has created some of the most successful witches and wizards there are? Many of us feel safe in our beds knowing those type of people are out there fighting evil. I happen to believe that you will be one of those people Mr. Black. That is, if you finish your education and grow up." McGonagall said.
Sirius stepped back. Had he just been given a reality check by Minerva McGonagall?
"Think about that Sirius. I'll see you tomorrow in class?" she asked him.
"Yes Professor." he replied.
-----
"James, do you think that what we have is real?" Lily asked.
"What makes you ask that?" he asked her.
"Well, this whole thing with Halle is sort of making me think. How long have we been going out? Um, like a month. And we already said that we love each other. Don't you think we're going too fast? I mean, look at how Sirius feels because he rushed into a relationship with Halle." Lily said.
"If you love someone, it's not going to just go away. Sirius and Halle weren't even going out when she well, you know. I think it would be harder in Sirius' situation. Look what happened, he hesitated and now he can't fix it. He's going to spend his whole life wondering what happened." James said.
They were in the Heads Common Room, sitting on the couch, thinking, as they did a lot that year.
"I don't know if I can do this anymore James. I don't spend enough time with my friends because I am doing homework, Heads duty and spending my free time with you. I didn't even have proper time with Halle before she got sent to St. Mungos. We saw each other in battle, that's it. We barely spoke. I didn't get to talk to her beforehand, I didn't get to spend time joking around or hanging out. She was an amazing person and I don't think I could handle not being with my friends for a guy anymore. Katy and Halle mean too much to me." Lily said. James looked at her in shock.
"What are you doing?" James asked.
"I can't go out with you anymore. I think I am going to go sleep in Katy' s dorm o I won't have to think about you. I'm sorry James." Lily said.
What? I saved her life and she breaks up with me?!? , James thought.
"But Lily, can't we work this out. You have no idea what you mean to me. I love you." James said.
"We're seventeen. Do you really think we end up with our Hogwarts sweethearts? I need to spend my life the way I want to before it's too late. Voldemort's at his peek and I don't think I could handle another thing like this happening." Lily called from her room. She was holding back the tears, she was the one who broke up with him, she shouldn't be crying.
She emerged from her room carrying her belongings. She was at the Portrait hole when she whispered "Goodbye James."
"Lily." James said to the closing door. She didn't turn back.
"DAMN! First Halle, now Lily's breaking up with me. DAMN VOLDEMORT!" he screamed. He sat down on the couch and clenched his fists. He went to fetch his invisibility cloak. Good old Moony deserved a visit.
-----
"Um, Remus can I borrow Katy from you. I need a little girl time." Lily said, eyes bloodshot, cheeks red from crying.
"No problem Lil." he said. Katy thanked him silently and followed Lily up the stairs.
"What happened Lils?" she asked.
"I broke up with James." Lily said, grabbing Kleenex from Molly King's bed.
"Oh, Lily honey, why'd you go and do that?" Katy asked. The whole dorm of girls came to sit on Halle's old bed where the two girls were seated.
"You know why I did it! We never spend time together anymore. I didn't spend half as much time as I wanted with Halle before she got hurt. I need to spend more time with the ones I really care about." Lily said.
"And that doesn't include James?" Molly asked.
"Lily, you love James Potter. I know you do. You may think that this is only a school girl 'like' but guess what? You're in 7th Year! You have to find a man somewhere! This doesn't mean forget about Halle or me or even the other girls in the dorm, but giving up on James? I've never known you to take the easy way out. But you know what, it's your choice." Katy said.
"Katy, are you mad at me?" Lily asked.
"Why would I be Lils? You know I love you. We're sisters, even if you did the worst thing possible I would still be by your side. You know that. I just feel bad for poor James too. He loves you so much. But, if you think you two aren't meant to be, then I will back your decision." Katy said.
"Oh, I love you Katy. You are so sweet. Thanks for not being mad at me. Do you think Remus will be?" Lily asked, still sniffling from her crying.
"I can almost guarantee it. That's his best friend you just dumped. But Remus is very forgiving and has known you too long to give up on you. Maybe James will feel the same way."
"I don't think I can even look at him anymore. It reminds me that Voldemort wants to kill me. Voldemort killed my mother, and now, I am thinking my father and sister are next." Lily said.
Molly King said goodbye to Lily and walked off with Arabella Figg to the Common Room. She leaned in to Bella and whispered "She just made the worst mistake of her life."
-----
"Moony! Let's go to Hogsmeade. Or better yet, we could go prank some Slytherins! You in? We need to find Wormtail and Padfoot! Marauders united once again!" James said, bursting into the Common Room.
"Prongs, are you ok? You haven't been this excited since 6th Year." Remus said. He had just seen Katy and Lily walk off and he was wondering what Lily was so upset about.
"Never better. Come on, we need to get moving. Maybe we could charm their food for tomorrow. I know some of the House elves in the kitchens, they could help." James said, excitedly.
"Calm down. We can go find Sirius. Peter's in the dorm. I can go get him if you'd like." Remus said.
"Sure, but hurry up, ok? I want to get lots of pranks in, maybe we could sneak out and play a game of Quidditch, even though we're not allowed. That's never stopped the Marauders before. We could put a hex on them to make them sing the National Anthem non stop…" James continued on and on, not even noticing that Remus had gone to go get Peter.
Remus and Peter came down the stone steps and heard James still babbling on and on about pranks.
"I told you, he's a little off the wall right now. We'll find out what happened. Gotta go find Padfoot first though." Remus whispered to Peter.
"Prongs? Hello, no one was listening." Peter said.
James looked up, he looked pale, his dark hair even messier than usual, as though he had been ruffling it again. Molly King and Bella Figg came down the stairs whispering and saw James.
James' hand immediately flew to his hair and he said, "Hello ladies!"
They whispered more and gave him a disgusted look. Remus looked at his friend.
"Come on Prongs, we need to find Padfoot and have a little chat. Then maybe we can think of pranking some Slytherins." Remus said. He was of course lying about the pranks but felt James wouldn't come with them unless he thought they were going to do something fun.
"Accio Map." Peter said. The Marauders Map flew into his hand and they were off. The Invisibility Cloak barely fit over them.
The map showed that Sirius was pacing inside the Room of Requirement. The 3 of them saw a handle and they opened it to find Sirius sitting down on a single couch that was in the middle of the room.
"What exactly did you need?" Peter asked curiously. Who would want a couch?
"I needed a place to think." Sirius said briefly.
"Well Padfoot, our dear friend Prongsie wants to go and have an adventure." Remus said.
"What spurred this?" Sirius said.
"Prongs, come sit down. I have to ask you something. And if you say what I think you're going to say I will think you're the biggest jerk. Did you dump Lily?" Remus said.
"No." James said. "We should go in the forest. I bet Hagrid would let us borrow Fang. That'd be great, see what we could find in there." James said.
"Oh my god, you did. You jerk, how could you do that?!?" Sirius yelled, he pinned James against the wall. James returned a look of hate.
"I told you I didn't." James said through gritted teeth.
"Why were you checking out Molly and Bella then? Why did you all of a sudden clear your calendar for the Marauders? Why was Lily crying when she came into the Common Room?" Remus asked.
"SHE DUMPED ME! Ok, you got me to say it, she dumped me. She doesn't love me, she wants nothing to do with me, and she pretty much made it clear she wants to completely forget about me. There Moony, you got what you wanted." James said, he walked over to sit on the couch.
"Sorry man. I was just mad because I thought you of all people would know not to let a good thing go after what happened to Halle." Sirius said.
"Well, I told Lily that but she had her mind set on dumping me. I don't even know what sparked her to do it." James said.
"You know we're here for you Prongs." Peter said.
"Thanks you guys. I am so lucky to have you guys. I know you would never turn your backs on me. You're like my brothers." James said. Peter avoided eye contact with James from then on.