Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or pretty much any of these characters except for the ones that live in my head.
a/n: thanks to all of you who've reviewed, you guys are amazing! I love you all soo much!
Of Deals and Dates
By Nicecupoftea1107
"My only love sprung from my only hate!"
-Juliet in "Romeo and Juilet" by William Shakespeare
Lily had left him in the infirmary with a giant grin on his face. He was still in pain, but his insides were squirming with excitement. He lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling for a long while, thinking about what had just happened.
James sat up quickly when he remembered exactly what had happened the night before which had caused him to become so injured. He felt a small bubble of anger growing inside him. Sirius had known that Severus would try the knot and find Remus in werewolf form. Snape could've been killed…or worse…turned into a werewolf himself.
James felt extremely stiff, like every bone had been popped out and then been shoved back into place. Madam Pomfrey came bustling in with a bottle of purple liquid and a crystal glass. "Well Potter, you survived…I didn't think you'd make it but here you are." She looked at him with satisfaction, as if the person in front of her was something she had created.
James grinned at the middle-aged woman. "Well you know me Poppy, always escaping those horrendous 'accidents'." He gave her a roguish wink.
James had been in the hospital wing many times over the years. Several for Quidditch related injuries and even more for Marauder related injuries, so he and Madam Pomfrey were on relatively good terms.
"Yes, you do seem to have knack for getting trouble." She shook her head and set the glass down on the small oak table that sat beside the bed. She uncorked the bottle, gently pouring the purple liquid in the glass. The potion fizzed slightly when it hit the glass and turned light blue.
"Here you go Potter. Drink this all up and it'll ease some of the stiffness." She handed him and he quickly downed it all in one swallow. "Mmm…cherry torte." He smacked his lips together savoring the taste of the potion.
"Well, that's done. The potion should also put you to sleep so I'll see you when you wake up." Madam Pomfrey walked away briskly to tend to other patients.
James felt his eyelids droop as if they were weighted down with lead. He laid back and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, to dream of how he had won Lily Evans over.
Lily was walking toward the infirmary when she heard frantic shouting coming from within. She stopped at the door and gently pushed it open just so she could see through. She saw James sitting up straight, his fists clenched around part of his sheet in anger. His normally perfect, easy going face was crinkled into a scowl. Sirius was standing at the end of James' bed, looking shocked, angry and pained. Sirius had both hands wrapped around the metal bar that ran along the bottom of all the beds.
"James…you know I didn't mean to…" Sirius was looking desperate.
"I don't care Sirius! You could've gotten Snape or me killed! Or even worse, Lily! For the love of Merlin, Sirius! Have you no common sense!" James' face contorted in anger and pain for having to yell at his best friend.
"I didn't think..." Sirius was shouting now as well. He was about to finish his sentence when James interrupted him.
"That's right Sirius, you didn't think! You didn't think about what could've happened to Snape, or you for that matter! If he would've gotten killed it all would've been blamed on you and you would've been expelled and then you would've been locked up in Azkaban for murder!" James was shaking with anger now.
Sirius shrank from James's glare. James gave a sigh and sank back against the pillows. "Ok Sirius. We never talk of this again, I SHOULD give you detention…but I won't because if the teachers find out about this whole thing we're screwed…but next time if ANYTHING happens I swear I'll have you writing lines for a month." James gave him a significant look.
Sirius grinned at his best friend. "Righto mate."
Lily wasn't sure what to do. Sirius should be punished but James seemed to have given him a piece of his mind…she decided to just drop it and pretend that she hadn't heard anything. She walked briskly into the infirmary and smiled at both boys.
"Hello Sirius. James." She nodded at James and he sat up quickly and smiled at her.
"Well…I guess I must be off." Sirius grinned at his friend and ambled slowly out of the infirmary.
"How are you feeling James?" Lily sat precariously on a tiny edge of bed that was unoccupied by the long lean Quidditch player.
James seized her long fingered hand in his own rough callused one. "Well my Lily-flower…where do you want to go on our date?"
"I don't care…we could go to the Three Broomsticks for lunch and then wander around the town and go to Honeyduke's and Zonko's." Lily shrugged. "Whatever you wanna do is fine with me."
"Ok well then I shall plan it and we shall do something fun and exciting." James grinned at her.
Lily laughed. "Ok well, I brought you your books." She handed him some books that he hadn't seen her carry in. "You have a lot of Transfiguration homework, so do I. I don't know HOW I'll get it done…I'm HORRIBLE at Transfiguration." She shook her head.
"I'll help you as soon as I get out of here." James' face went seriously quickly.
"Really?" Lily inquired.
"Sure…I have top grades in Transfiguration…its Charms that I'm worried about." James absentmindedly smoothed out his sheets with one hand while the other was still holding Lily's creamy skinned hand. He said this with no amount of bragging in his voice. Lily was still astounded over the change that he had made in the past year.
"I'll help you. I have really good grades in Charms." Lily stated this as a fact as well, not as a brag.
"Ok it's a deal then?" James dropped her hand and held out his hand once again to shake on it.
"Ok…it's a deal." Lily grinned and shook his hand vigorously.
"Well my Lily flower…I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship." James smiled at her and leaned back against the pillows once again.
FINALLY! I'm done! I hope you all enjoyed this!
