Moonlightgirl*ChoChang- I have to ask you something, but I don't wanna embarrass you in front of everyone or anything so I'll just e-mail you. Thanks for reviewing; I thought you had forgotten about me!
BlackLupin- I said it wasn't Nikki?!?! I don't remember saying that… Oh well. Thanks for the long review! Katherine isn't 'eyeing Mr. Black', as you put it, but…I dunno. Maybe it's a thing with best friends and that's how she knows or something… I know! Lily's so stubborn not to accept James but I guess she doesn't want to destroy her reputation or something…Hmm…~_^ Oh yeah, and they are allowed to leave the school premises, of course they are! Well, on holidays anyway…maybe this was a special privilege from the teachers…
Peachgirl1608- Well, I'm glad.
SjabRox- Thanks for reviewing!
Dragongurl4- Thanks for reviewing!
To Be Young Again
Chapter 16: Tricks, Deceit, and Heartbreak
Lily did not need Caitlin, Amanda, Arabella, Jane, or even Nikki herself to tell her what had happened at Hogsmeade. She knew. And it was all thanks to Katherine, the tech-freak.
Katherine had charmed, with special permission from Dumbledore, a Muggle video camera. She borrowed Arabella's invisibility cloak and slipped into Hogsmeade undetected. She had later taken it off at The Three Broomsticks to get a butterbeer. She videotaped James and Nikki's entire date without them knowing anyone was watching them.
All this was done without Lily's knowledge. This is how it happened:
"Lily, come here!" Arabella tugged on Lily's arm.
"What is it?"
"Never mind. You'll find out soon enough. Hurry! In here!"
Arabella dragged Lily into the nearest empty classroom. She shut the door and locked it. She sat Lily down in a chair.
Amanda, Caitlin, Jane, and Katherine were gathered at the front of the classroom.
"Uh, guys?" Lily ventured. "What's going on? And why is there a Muggle TV in here? I mean, it won't work anyhow."
"Lily," Jane said. She looked at Katherine. "Katherine charmed a Muggle- what do you call it? - cordcammer to work here. She… well, she videotaped Nikki and James', well… date."
"Katherine!" Lily exclaimed. "That's a downright scummy thing to do! And to think you're a Gryffindor! I thought you were better than that!"
"Lily, I taped it for you. You need to see this."
"I don't need to see anything! I've got enough in my way of becoming Head Girl without intruding on James' love life, thank you," Lily shouted. "It's none of my business!"
"Lily, I think it is your business," Amanda stepped in.
"How so?" Lily challenged.
"Lily, don't play dumb. We all-" Amanda looked at Caitlin, Katherine, and Arabella- "know you and James Potter love each other."
"That's outrageous!" Lily burst out. "I have nothing for him except scorn and disgust!"
"Oh, Lily," Amanda sighed. "It's so obvious. To everyone. You need to see this." She popped the video into the VCR.
"Lily tried to stand up, but discovered she was bound to the chair by thick ropes.
"Sorry," Jane whispered, who had a soft heart. She looked at the ground.
Lily averted her eyes from the screen, but found she couldn't resist. It was as if her eyes and heart worked as one against her will, and she looked at the screen.
The camera showed James and Nikki at the Three Broomsticks, Nikki chattering away and James looking utterly bored. He brightened a little when he turned Katherine's way. Lily suddenly got a partial view of Katherine's back; she had hidden the camcorder so James wouldn't see it. But voices could be heard.
"Hey, Katherine!" James called.
"Oh, um, hi," Katherine replied, stammering.
"Ja-ames," Nikki whined. "I was talking."
"Whatever," James responded. "Hey, Kat, have you seen… um… well, have you seen Lily?"
"Oh," Katherine said. She glanced at her wrist, which bore no watch. (The camera showed that.) "I just remembered, I have to go… um, feed my, um… deliver a… um, message to… um… go talk to Caitlin," she finished and rushed off.
"You should be in the CIA, Kat," Lily told Katherine."
"Thank you," said Katherine, not finding the sarcasm.
"The what?" Jane, the pureblood, asked.
"Nothing," said Lily.
"Muggle thing," Caitlin added.
"Oh."
Nikki and James left the Three Broomsticks. Half of the screen was taken up by a huge leaf.
"Lily's avoiding me," James muttered.
Nikki stopped mid-sentence. "Did you say something, Jamesie?"
"N-No. Go on. I'll show her," he muttered.
James led Nikki behind a tree. (No, not the one Katherine was behind.) He planted a firm kiss on her mouth. Nikki looked shocked at first, but then kissed him back, her fingers intertwining with his hair.
Lily's brilliant emerald orbs filled with tears. She jumped up as best she could.
"I've seen enough," she choked.
Jane, her eyes watering as well, waved her wand. Lily ran out of the room, fat salty tears pouring down her pale face.
*
"Lily- I mean, Evans- is something wrong?" A very concerned James Potter asked. Lily had run straight into him, blinded by her tears on the way to the Ravenclaw common room. "Is it something…I did?"
Lily stopped crying for a moment at the sound of his voice, and hiccupped. She slapped him smartly across his cheek. The sound echoed in the hall. She burst into tears again, and fled.
James looked surprised. He was deaf to Nikki's voice in his ear. Lily's slap instead, rang in his ears.
*
That night, Sirius lay in his bed. I have to meet Caitlin tomorrow to study for finals, he thought. He didn't need to study. He was top in his year. Him and Lily, anyway.
But why was he helping Caitlin? He had never helped his girlfriend before. So why were things different with Caitlin?
Because… because I care for her, he realized with a jolt. And frankly, it scared him. He was always in control of his emotions before, and now… well, he didn't know what.
*
Lily lay on her bed; soaking her pillow with still more tears.
Why did that video affect me so much? She thought. Why does he affect me so? Why does he make me feel a way I've never felt with any other guy? Why do I… care for him?
I don't care for him, she contradicted herself. I hate his slimy guts. I-
Do you really? Bob asked. I don't think so. Do you?
Lily stopped crying. Because she knew Bob was right.
She was in love with James Potter. And she couldn't deny it.
*
Caitlin gazed at the ceiling, counting the grooves. She was deep in thought. She knew Sirius was a player. She knew he toyed with girls until he was tired of them, and then dumped them. She knew hundreds of girls had gotten the heart broken by him.
She however, was different. She had dated maybe two guys before Sirius. Caitlin didn't date for looks alone; they had to have brains as well. Sirius had both. And a good sense of humor, and charm…
She sighed. She was meeting him the next day, and she was a bit scared of what he'd say. The past couple of days he had been avoiding her. She wasn't dumb. She saw. She knew. The last time he had kissed her, even on the check, was…3 days ago? About that, Caitlin decided.
She knew he was pondering breaking up with her. She could see it in the way he looked at her. He was unsure. Unstable. Uncertain.
She didn't want to lose him. But she wanted to be hurt and humiliated even less.
*
Sirius glanced at the Slytherin table. Snape didn't look his way. He was talking to Lucius Malfoy. When he looked at James, he glared. A look of longing came over his face when he looked at Lily. Sirius decided to see what they were whispering about.
"Psst…James," he whispered. "You got your invisibility cloak on you?"
"For once, yeah," James replied. "I was planning on… taking a walk during first period. Why?"
"Just give it to me," Sirius hissed. He put a finger to his lips so Peter, Remus, and Caitlin saw and slipped on the cloak.
"…and then we'll have nailed him. Next Quidditch match," Snape hissed.
"But…kill Potter? Jealousy is one thing, Severus, but murder?"
"Shut up. People will hear. I know what I'm doing."
Sirius crept back to the Gryffindor table and slipped off the cloak.
"What was it?" James asked.
"Uh…nothing. Snape planning something stupid."
"Let's counter his plan."
"Nah," Sirius said.
"Wow, Padfoot, you've changed. Instead of doing something to Snivellus, you…well, don't."
Sirius shrugged. But that wasn't what he had in mind.
*
"Hey, Sirius," Caitlin said softly. She was waiting for him under a tree by the lake.
Sirius did not return the greeting. "Listen, Caitlin," he said instead, "We need to talk. Now.
"I don't know how to say this. I don't want to hurt you," he started softly. "You…me…we…can't…I-"
"No, you listen!" Caitlin cried. "I know what you're going to say, and I won't let you. We're through. I beat you to it. I dumped you. So there. I've won."
"W-what?"
"I don't want my heart broken by someone who doesn't even care. A player," she stated simply. She turned on her heel and left Sirius standing there, gawking at her, like someone ditched at the altar. He became conscious of the fact and closed his mouth.
But I do care, he thought as he silently watched his ex walk away.
*
"Listen, Peter," Sirius whispered the next day, while they were outside a few meters away from Snape. He whispered his plan to Peter. Peter nodded excitedly. He just wanted to feel important and included.
"Ok, Pete, this is really important," Sirius said loudly. "You can't tell anyone."
"Yeah?"
"I've figured out how to get into the Whomping Willow. We'll go in tonight."
"But how?" squeaked Peter.
"You just press the knot and the branches freeze. It's really easy."
They pretended not to notice Snape slinking away. Sirius grinned at Peter.
"What's done is done," he whispered.
*
*Night of the Full Moon*
7:40 pm
"Hey, James, do you know what time we're supposed to meet Remus tonight?" Peter asked.
"Eight, as usual," James responded.
"Oh." Silence. Then, "James, weren't we planning to go out half an hour later tonight?"
"Why? What would the special occasion be? We always go out at eight. We have for the past five years."
Peter twisted in his seat. "Um, didn't Sirius tell you?"
"Tell me what?" James was getting nervous. He wanted to hear what Peter had to say, but he didn't at the same time.
"Um, well I thought you knew…Sirius told Snape to meet…well, meet Remus, actually, but…see, it's like this," Peter stuttered, trying to form a complete sentence. "Sirius accidentally-on-purpose told Snape to go to the Whomping Willow and how to get inside so Remus could meet him when…well, when he was transformed."
"WHAT?!" James exploded.
"Well, he wouldn't tell me what it was for, exactly. He never tells me anything. I'm always the last to know around here. But anyway," Peter quickly continued at James' glare, "Sirius would never do a thing like this. Not to kill Snape. It's usually just a little humiliation here and there, and sometimes a big humiliation. I just don't understand.
"James, why do you care so much? Snape is your worst enemy. I thought, and Sirius thought, you wouldn't have minded him dead."
"He's my archenemy, sure, but I don't hate him enough to commit murder. Peter, how could you let Sirius do such a thing?!"
Without waiting for a response, James tore out of the Gryffindor common room and down seven flights of stairs. He ran across Hogwarts grounds until he came to the Whomping Willow. He transformed. Prongs dodged the branches, for his animal form had more agility, and he pressed the knot.
He darted up the stairs, all the while thinking, Oh please, don't let Snape have gone in yet. Please.
He met Snape at the top of the stairs, his hand on the knob.
"Snape!"
Snape turned around. '
"What?"
"Don't go in there. I mean it, Snape. Do not go in there. I swear you'll regret it."
"Why the hell not? Why should I listen to you, Potter?"
"Because, you slimy git-"
"You've never helped me, you conceited arrogant little-"
"Snape, shut up. And don't go in there. There's-" James gulped- "a werewolf inside."
Snape snorted.
"And now you give me this 'there's a werewolf inside' rubbish? I don't believe it, Potter. You just don't want me to discover your secret little meeting area or whatever the hell you have in there."
"There's nothing in there besides a werewolf. I'm serious. Do not go in there."
Snape snorted derisively and pushed the door open. A werewolf met him, snarling with saliva dripping from its teeth. Snape froze in terror.
"Run!" James shouted. Snape didn't move. "Come on, you idiot, run!" Snape was still petrified. James sighed in irritation, pointed his wand to him, and muttered "Wingardium Leviosa."
James ran to the castle with Snape in tow. He could hear Remus' growling and snarling, praying that they would reach the castle in time. The snarling came even closer. James used the last of his energy to sprint toward the castle, lock and bolt the door, and then slid down the door and sat.
"Jesus, Snape, you could have killed us!" James said.
"I didn't know there was a werewolf in there," Snape said lamely.
"Right. And I didn't warn you. Uh-huh."
Professor Dumbledore then approached them.
"What is going on, Mr. Potter and Mr. Snape?" he asked calmly. "Are we having a bonding session?" His eyes twinkled.
James snorted. "Yeah, right." And he told Dumbledore the whole story. Dumbledore's face was grave.
"You must swear, Mr. Snape, not to tell anyone, ever. And you must live by that word."
Snape gulped. "I-I promise."
A/N: Sometimes I think I'm so cruel to you guys. BlackLupin- This is all for this chapter. Those other 2 things will have to wait (the ones that were gonna be in the chapter but aren't. You don't know what they are).
Everyone,
The next chapter will be delayed, due to the fact that I will be working on re-doing chapter 9.
Thanks for your patience.
Don't forget to review!
~*OutofAzkaban*~
