A/N: You guys are all WAY too kind! I'm beyond flattered! I didn't expect my story to become this successful so fast! You all keep giving me such positive feedback, and quite frankly, I'm beginning to fear disappointing you! Hehe, yes I know the last chapter ended with a pretty big cliffhanger, and I warn you all now- I have a knack for doing that, so expect more of it.(Yeah I know I'm a tease) I'm also aware that I've been changing a couple of facts here and there. For example, the issue of Professor Trelawny not being present at Hogwarts till the year of Harry's birth. As I said previously, I apologize if this seriously bothers any of you, but I'm not perfect and neither can this story be- it can only be as fulfilling as I am capable of making it! On another note, my formatting is improving gradually, and I'm pleased with that. Now, I'll quit my blabbering and get on with this next chappy. To each and every single one of my readers- thank you! And PLEASE keep reviewing, it makes me so happy! Enjoy!
xox
Jade
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks before turning back to the twins with blank expressions on their faces. Fred and George were still smirking, but once they realized that the trio was too stunned to speak, they decided to be the first to break the ice.
"Well?" Fred prompted them.
"We don't have all day here." George said impatiently. "We've just been down to the kitchens, and mum says dinner should be ready in about an hour."
"How do you know what we've been up to?" Harry asked them quietly, looking slightly paler and definitely not feeling forward to their answer.
"Ah Harry, mate, you underestimate us!" Fred said, shaking his head disappointingly. "Tell me, do these look familiar?" He pulled out a pair of the famous extendable ears from the pockets of his overalls, and held them up for the three of them to see.
"Very." Harry said, with a feeling that the floor was sinking beneath him.
"We saw Dumbledore take you into that spare room on the first floor, and thought we'd do a bit of investigating." George said, grinning.
"Naturally we heard everything- so yes, we know exactly what kind of magic that book you're holding possesses." Fred told them, nodding at the novel Harry was holding on to.
"You two can absolutely never find the slightest amount of self control to keep out of other people's business, can you?" Hermione said, rather agitated, and George took a second to look like he was actually thinking her question over.
"Nope, I guess you're right, we can't."
Hermione just rolled her eyes.
"Now, if you don't mind, I think we should start getting on to the next memory, before out time limit runs out." Fred suggested, approaching the bed where they were sitting. But Ron had stood up suddenly, and was looking at his brothers disapprovingly.
"Whoa! Hold on a minute! There is no way that you two are coming with us!" He objected openly.
"And why not?" George asked accusingly. "Because you, our slimy git of a bother isn't giving us permission to?"
"Eat dung, George!" Ron yelled, glaring at him.
"Go join the Percy hall of fame!" He retorted, to which Fred laughed, and Ron prepared to jump him.
"WILL BOTH OF YOU JUST QUIT IT?!" Hermione leaped between them, storming. Ron and George heeded, but they both looked so pissed off it was surprising that steam wasn't emerging from the top of their heads. "Good! Now, personally I think that if anyone should decide who can come or not, that's Harry!" She said, staring pointedly at Ron.
Ron span around then and stared at his best friend, and Harry saw that there was nothing less than pleading in his gaze. This only depressed him more. In truth he had wanted this to be an adventure he shared with Ron and Hermione alone, but what would he tell Fred and George? Besides, how bad could it really be bringing them along? He almost laughed, in spite of himself, at the thought of them being inspired by the pranks his father and friends played. Figuring the more the merrier, he made up his mind to take the twins with them. He only prayed Ron wouldn't hate him too much for it.
"All right you can come." He said finally, and Ron's face fell. The twins beamed, obviously pleased. Harry looked at Ron then- his head was bent and he had turned away from them. "And Ron, if there's anything else you have to say, you might as well say it now, because I refuse to see anymore memories with you in a right state!"
Ron looked up.
"Why do you two want to come, anyway?" He asked the twins in a voice of forced calm.
"Well why wouldn't we?" Fred questioned. "It sounds quite fascinating, and believe me, we'd love to see Harry's father at that age!"
"Yeah!" Agreed George. "I mean, if he's anything like what Sirius said he was, we'll love him right off the bat!"
"Exactly!" Fred nodded.
Ron peered at them suspiciously for a moment, and then, feeling as though he had no other option, caved in.
"Fine. Come. But if you even dare slow us down, or do anything stupid-"
"Yeah, yeah!" George waved him off, irritably. "You can fry us till we're bat droppings! Now let's get a move on!"
And, laughing for the first time since they got back, Harry and the gang threw themselves on Ron's bed, and Harry turned to the third page of the novel. He didn't even have time to warn the twins to grab a hold of one another, before he felt himself being pulled into the book, and spinning in blackness.
A moment later they found themselves standing at the back of a full classroom. There was no teacher present however, and students were talking to each other openly about one thing or another.
Predictably, Harry spotted his father, Sirius, Remus and(he groaned)Peter sitting together at a table in the back of the class. They were laughing like idiots about something, as he pointed them out to Ron, Hermione and the twins.
"There's a spare table in back of them, if we sit there we should be able to hear them pretty well." Hermione said to the group, and nodding their heads in agreement, they followed her to it and took their seats.
Upon a closer look at his father, Harry realized he looked older. He was at least another three inches taller, and somewhat more built in his arms and shoulders. Even Sirius had matured drastically. He was already spurting early man hair on his face, and he too had grown in height. Lupin, on the whole, had still kept his baby face and light features, and Peter- well he was just as hideous as ever(possibly more).
"Gosh Harry, your dad and you look like twins!" Fred gushed.
"I know." Harry answered, proudly. He turned his attention back to his father again, and saw that he was talking to his friends in a lower tone now.
"I can't wait to see the look on her face, you guys! She's so funny when she gets scared, she looks like a duck without wings-" He said happily, and Harry noticed his voice was fairly deeper.
"Yeah. You know what I find funny, Jamsie? How bloody obsessed you are with the girl!" Sirius barked at his friend, and James was quick to take defense.
"I'm not obsessed, man! She's just so much fun tormenting because she's such an easy target!" He burst out howling with laughter then.
"Right." Remus said, looking at him like he was looking at a mad man. "Right."
Their conversation ended then, for Professor McGonagall had just entered the room. Looking as stiff and formidable as ever, she walked quickly to her desk at the front of the class, and as she turned around to face her students, they all fell silent.
"As I'm sure you are all aware of on some level by now, your fourth year will be the foundation for the next, when you will take your O.W.L.'s. Much more complex spells will be studied this term, and although I am not expecting you to be able to transfigure mice to men by the end of it, I will be setting a standard to which you will all need to reach-"
"Do it now." Sirius whispered to James, nudging him. And stifling a cackle, James took out a single red rose from his brown, leather bag, said an incantation as quietly as possible, and sent it flying to the table at the front of the class- straight into a girl's free hand.
Professor McGonagall, meanwhile, had her back turned from her pupils. She was writing a new method on the blackboard.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins poked their heads up to see whom the rose had been sent to, and even the class wasn't listening and focusing instead on the pretty flower. The girl it had flown to, sharply threw her pencil down on her desk, and turned around angrily, glaring at James.
It was Lily.
"Oh really witty, Potter! A flying rose! Come on, even YOU could do better!" She said loudly, obviously caring less of who heard her.
"You like it, Evans? I picked it because it's just as pretty as you." James grinned broadly, completely unscathed by her reaction.
"What I'd LIKE, would be to smash your huge head with a frying pan!" Lily bellowed from across the room at him. And, piercing him with her stunning green eyes, she grabbed the rose and started pulling out its petals violently.
Sirius clicked his tongue and shook a finger in a fake scolding manner.
"That's not very nice, Evans!"
"Not lady like at all!" James agreed, chuckling. "We're obviously going to have to teach you how to be a bit more feminine." And with that he lifted his wand, and the next thing Lily knew, the delicate rose had turned into a long, hissing, snake.
"EEEEEKKKKKKK!!!" Lily cried, struggling as the serpent curled itself around her neck and all the way down to her waste. Looking livid and at the same time too scared to even speak, she fought back the tears stinging in her eyes, and remained seated, helpless.
"I'll turn it back into a flower if you'll go out with me, Evans." James compromised, grinning slyly.
"I'D RATHER ROT THAN GO OUT WITH YOU! YOU EGOTISTICAL, WOMANISING, SON OF A B-" But the snake cut off her cursing, by twisting upwards and wrapping its body around her mouth.
"I would have loved to hear the rest of that Evans, but bad language is not permitted in the classrooms." James told her, as Sirius and Peter cackled, and Remus tried to look innocent by looking down at his textbook.
Then, a second later, James wand zoomed out of his hand, and the snake fell to the floor, twitching as it changed back to a petal less rose.
Professor McGonagall was staring straight at Harry's father, white-faced with fury.
"POTTER! EVANS! THE TWO OF YOU GET OUT OF MY CLASSROOM IMMEDIATELY! AND MAKE SURE YOU SEE ME AFTER THIS PERIOD! WITHOUT A DOUBT YOU'LL BE SERVING A MONTH'S WORTH OF DETENTIONS AFTER THIS UNCALLED FOR ACT!"
"But Professor-" Lily stood up, outraged.
"I REFUSE TO HEAR IT!"
"Um, excuse me Professor," Sirius raised a hand cautiously. "but might I just say, that my friend James here was only attempting to test his transfiguration skills, and considering the poor results of his last exam, I must say that I think he's improved MARVELOUSLY-"
"GET OUT!!!"
"Ok maybe not." Sirius reconsidered, making himself small in his chair.
"Nice try buddy." James said, apologetically. And reluctantly, he got up and headed for the door, followed shortly by a fuming Lily.
"Hurry up guys, we have to follow them." Harry told his friends, and jumping out of their seats, they practically ran out of the room. It didn't take them long to find James and Lily, they were standing outside in the middle of the corridor, screaming their lungs out at one another.
"YOU MAKE ME WANT TO VOMIT! I'VE NEVER MET ANYONE MORE SELF-CONSUMED THAN YOU!" Lily spat at him.
"YEAH I KNOW, SELF CONSUMED, EGOTISTICAL, AND BLA, BLA, BLA! DO YOU REALIZE YOU ALWAYS USE THE SAME WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE?" He retorted.
"I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU A BLOODY CHANCE- I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! JUST LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE! FOR A WHOLE YEAR YOU'VE BEEN BEGGING ME TO DATE YOU, AND I ALWAYS GIVE YOU THE SAME ANSWER! WHEN IS IT GONNA SINK IN, POTTER?"
Just then the bell rang, and second period was over. The classroom door banged open and Sirius came falling out, with Remus and Peter right behind him.
"OI James! What happened with EV-" But when he saw her there in front of him, a grin flew to his face, and he skipped towards them.
"Hey Evans, what's crackin?"
"Put a sock in it, Black!" She scowled at him, but he ignored her comment.
"Having a row with Jamsie boy again?" He smiled widely, and moved his face closer to hers. She pushed him away, looking disgusted. "Didn't like his gift, huh?" He asked her, and then he looked at his best friend. "Tough luck, bro, you'll have to try harder next time if you wanna score this tiger!"
Lily raised an eyebrow.
"I have a better idea. Why doesn't Potter just go out with himself? Now that's a match made by the God's, Potter. Imagine, you could talk about yourself twenty four seven, and your date would still be holding on to you, hook, line and sinker!" She giggled then, at her own joke, and James glowered at her.
"You're lucky I even WANT to date you so bad, Evans! What with your carrot head and celery body and all-"
"OK!" Sirius held up a hand between them. "Let's change the subject shall we? So Evans, are you coming to watch James' big day tomorrow?"
"Big day?" Lily looked puzzled.
"HELLO! The QUIDDITCH match!" Sirius reminded her as though she were an alien.
"Oh. Right."
James laughed.
"Evans knows nothing about the greatest sport alive, Sirius. She finds her school books a lot more interesting."
"Evans you MUST come! This is James' first match, EVER! And he's the SEEKER of the team! That's the most important position!"
"That's right!" James said, smugly.
"Oh, well this explains why your already overlarge head has been even more inflated lately!" Lily said, finally understanding. "But personally, it doesn't really spark my attention, so I don't think I'll be coming. It's a bit of a shame though, I'm sure I would of enjoyed watching Potter lose."
"Oh, so you think I'll lose, is that right?" James piped up, hotly. "That's fine with me. I'm glad you doubt me, it just gives me more reason to push myself to win. And when I do, you can bet I'll rub it in your face for a very long time!"
"We'll see then." Lily crossed her arms, and smiled her fakest, sweetest smile.
"Oh this is GOOD!" Sirius exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly. "Let's make a deal, alright? Evans you'll promise to come watch the match tomorrow, and if Gryffindor win you have to date Potter."
"NO WAY! I OBJECT! I-"
"BUT if they LOSE-" Sirius interrupted her. "James has to leave you alone forever, and never ask you out again." He finished.
Lily looked from Sirius to James, and then back at Sirius.
"Do you PROMISE Potter will leave me alone?" She asked him, and Sirius turned to James.
"James?"
"Of course I promise. If I lose that game tomorrow Evans, I'll stay out of your face for the rest of my life." He said sincerely, and she smiled at him.
"Good. And I'll agree to go out with you if you win." She said.
"Great then!" Sirius said cheerfully. "Now that that's settled, we'll let you get back to your friends, Evans. Tootles! And see you tomorrow!" He waved her off, and pulling her book bag up a little, she turned around with a last determined look at James, and walked away from them.
"Well, I know you're risking a lot here, mate, but it'll definitely be worth it if you win tomorrow!" Sirius patted his friend on the back.
"Yeah." He replied, absent mindly. He was still gazing at Lily. But when he turned to look at Sirius again, Harry saw there was fire in his eyes. "I'm going to win that match tomorrow- I'm going to win it if it's the last thing I do!"
And then, the floor began to shake, and the image was once again starting to fade.
"Everyone hold on!" Harry shouted to the others. They all grabbed on to each other, as they felt themselves spinning away from another precious memory.
Back in Ron and Harry's room everyone was talking at once.
"Your dad rocks Harry!" George told him as soon as they had returned.
"Yeah you definitely take after his side!" Fred winked, and Harry beamed.
"Thanks. It's just so weird seeing him and my mum fight like that." He was honest with them.
"I know. Funny how they ended up getting married." Hermione laughed.
"Yeah." Ron nodded, a misty grin plastered on his face. "Anyways, come on you guys, we better get down to the kitchens!" And without waiting for anyone else to say anything, he got off the bed and left the room on his own.
"Yeah he's right, George. Let's get out of here! See you at dinner Harry, Hermione." Fred said. But before he left he walked over to Harry and whispered in his ear. "Meet us back here at exactly seven thirty. We have something important to ask you." And with that, the twins disapperated.
"Is it just me or is something wrong with Ron?" Hermione asked Harry when they were alone.
"No you're right. I've noticed too." Harry told her.
"I'm not sure, but I think it's got something to do with Fred and George." Hermione confessed.
"Hmm, maybe." And he privately decided he would ask Ron about it during supper. "Come on, let's go." And the two of them left together for the kitchens.
xox
Jade
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks before turning back to the twins with blank expressions on their faces. Fred and George were still smirking, but once they realized that the trio was too stunned to speak, they decided to be the first to break the ice.
"Well?" Fred prompted them.
"We don't have all day here." George said impatiently. "We've just been down to the kitchens, and mum says dinner should be ready in about an hour."
"How do you know what we've been up to?" Harry asked them quietly, looking slightly paler and definitely not feeling forward to their answer.
"Ah Harry, mate, you underestimate us!" Fred said, shaking his head disappointingly. "Tell me, do these look familiar?" He pulled out a pair of the famous extendable ears from the pockets of his overalls, and held them up for the three of them to see.
"Very." Harry said, with a feeling that the floor was sinking beneath him.
"We saw Dumbledore take you into that spare room on the first floor, and thought we'd do a bit of investigating." George said, grinning.
"Naturally we heard everything- so yes, we know exactly what kind of magic that book you're holding possesses." Fred told them, nodding at the novel Harry was holding on to.
"You two can absolutely never find the slightest amount of self control to keep out of other people's business, can you?" Hermione said, rather agitated, and George took a second to look like he was actually thinking her question over.
"Nope, I guess you're right, we can't."
Hermione just rolled her eyes.
"Now, if you don't mind, I think we should start getting on to the next memory, before out time limit runs out." Fred suggested, approaching the bed where they were sitting. But Ron had stood up suddenly, and was looking at his brothers disapprovingly.
"Whoa! Hold on a minute! There is no way that you two are coming with us!" He objected openly.
"And why not?" George asked accusingly. "Because you, our slimy git of a bother isn't giving us permission to?"
"Eat dung, George!" Ron yelled, glaring at him.
"Go join the Percy hall of fame!" He retorted, to which Fred laughed, and Ron prepared to jump him.
"WILL BOTH OF YOU JUST QUIT IT?!" Hermione leaped between them, storming. Ron and George heeded, but they both looked so pissed off it was surprising that steam wasn't emerging from the top of their heads. "Good! Now, personally I think that if anyone should decide who can come or not, that's Harry!" She said, staring pointedly at Ron.
Ron span around then and stared at his best friend, and Harry saw that there was nothing less than pleading in his gaze. This only depressed him more. In truth he had wanted this to be an adventure he shared with Ron and Hermione alone, but what would he tell Fred and George? Besides, how bad could it really be bringing them along? He almost laughed, in spite of himself, at the thought of them being inspired by the pranks his father and friends played. Figuring the more the merrier, he made up his mind to take the twins with them. He only prayed Ron wouldn't hate him too much for it.
"All right you can come." He said finally, and Ron's face fell. The twins beamed, obviously pleased. Harry looked at Ron then- his head was bent and he had turned away from them. "And Ron, if there's anything else you have to say, you might as well say it now, because I refuse to see anymore memories with you in a right state!"
Ron looked up.
"Why do you two want to come, anyway?" He asked the twins in a voice of forced calm.
"Well why wouldn't we?" Fred questioned. "It sounds quite fascinating, and believe me, we'd love to see Harry's father at that age!"
"Yeah!" Agreed George. "I mean, if he's anything like what Sirius said he was, we'll love him right off the bat!"
"Exactly!" Fred nodded.
Ron peered at them suspiciously for a moment, and then, feeling as though he had no other option, caved in.
"Fine. Come. But if you even dare slow us down, or do anything stupid-"
"Yeah, yeah!" George waved him off, irritably. "You can fry us till we're bat droppings! Now let's get a move on!"
And, laughing for the first time since they got back, Harry and the gang threw themselves on Ron's bed, and Harry turned to the third page of the novel. He didn't even have time to warn the twins to grab a hold of one another, before he felt himself being pulled into the book, and spinning in blackness.
A moment later they found themselves standing at the back of a full classroom. There was no teacher present however, and students were talking to each other openly about one thing or another.
Predictably, Harry spotted his father, Sirius, Remus and(he groaned)Peter sitting together at a table in the back of the class. They were laughing like idiots about something, as he pointed them out to Ron, Hermione and the twins.
"There's a spare table in back of them, if we sit there we should be able to hear them pretty well." Hermione said to the group, and nodding their heads in agreement, they followed her to it and took their seats.
Upon a closer look at his father, Harry realized he looked older. He was at least another three inches taller, and somewhat more built in his arms and shoulders. Even Sirius had matured drastically. He was already spurting early man hair on his face, and he too had grown in height. Lupin, on the whole, had still kept his baby face and light features, and Peter- well he was just as hideous as ever(possibly more).
"Gosh Harry, your dad and you look like twins!" Fred gushed.
"I know." Harry answered, proudly. He turned his attention back to his father again, and saw that he was talking to his friends in a lower tone now.
"I can't wait to see the look on her face, you guys! She's so funny when she gets scared, she looks like a duck without wings-" He said happily, and Harry noticed his voice was fairly deeper.
"Yeah. You know what I find funny, Jamsie? How bloody obsessed you are with the girl!" Sirius barked at his friend, and James was quick to take defense.
"I'm not obsessed, man! She's just so much fun tormenting because she's such an easy target!" He burst out howling with laughter then.
"Right." Remus said, looking at him like he was looking at a mad man. "Right."
Their conversation ended then, for Professor McGonagall had just entered the room. Looking as stiff and formidable as ever, she walked quickly to her desk at the front of the class, and as she turned around to face her students, they all fell silent.
"As I'm sure you are all aware of on some level by now, your fourth year will be the foundation for the next, when you will take your O.W.L.'s. Much more complex spells will be studied this term, and although I am not expecting you to be able to transfigure mice to men by the end of it, I will be setting a standard to which you will all need to reach-"
"Do it now." Sirius whispered to James, nudging him. And stifling a cackle, James took out a single red rose from his brown, leather bag, said an incantation as quietly as possible, and sent it flying to the table at the front of the class- straight into a girl's free hand.
Professor McGonagall, meanwhile, had her back turned from her pupils. She was writing a new method on the blackboard.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins poked their heads up to see whom the rose had been sent to, and even the class wasn't listening and focusing instead on the pretty flower. The girl it had flown to, sharply threw her pencil down on her desk, and turned around angrily, glaring at James.
It was Lily.
"Oh really witty, Potter! A flying rose! Come on, even YOU could do better!" She said loudly, obviously caring less of who heard her.
"You like it, Evans? I picked it because it's just as pretty as you." James grinned broadly, completely unscathed by her reaction.
"What I'd LIKE, would be to smash your huge head with a frying pan!" Lily bellowed from across the room at him. And, piercing him with her stunning green eyes, she grabbed the rose and started pulling out its petals violently.
Sirius clicked his tongue and shook a finger in a fake scolding manner.
"That's not very nice, Evans!"
"Not lady like at all!" James agreed, chuckling. "We're obviously going to have to teach you how to be a bit more feminine." And with that he lifted his wand, and the next thing Lily knew, the delicate rose had turned into a long, hissing, snake.
"EEEEEKKKKKKK!!!" Lily cried, struggling as the serpent curled itself around her neck and all the way down to her waste. Looking livid and at the same time too scared to even speak, she fought back the tears stinging in her eyes, and remained seated, helpless.
"I'll turn it back into a flower if you'll go out with me, Evans." James compromised, grinning slyly.
"I'D RATHER ROT THAN GO OUT WITH YOU! YOU EGOTISTICAL, WOMANISING, SON OF A B-" But the snake cut off her cursing, by twisting upwards and wrapping its body around her mouth.
"I would have loved to hear the rest of that Evans, but bad language is not permitted in the classrooms." James told her, as Sirius and Peter cackled, and Remus tried to look innocent by looking down at his textbook.
Then, a second later, James wand zoomed out of his hand, and the snake fell to the floor, twitching as it changed back to a petal less rose.
Professor McGonagall was staring straight at Harry's father, white-faced with fury.
"POTTER! EVANS! THE TWO OF YOU GET OUT OF MY CLASSROOM IMMEDIATELY! AND MAKE SURE YOU SEE ME AFTER THIS PERIOD! WITHOUT A DOUBT YOU'LL BE SERVING A MONTH'S WORTH OF DETENTIONS AFTER THIS UNCALLED FOR ACT!"
"But Professor-" Lily stood up, outraged.
"I REFUSE TO HEAR IT!"
"Um, excuse me Professor," Sirius raised a hand cautiously. "but might I just say, that my friend James here was only attempting to test his transfiguration skills, and considering the poor results of his last exam, I must say that I think he's improved MARVELOUSLY-"
"GET OUT!!!"
"Ok maybe not." Sirius reconsidered, making himself small in his chair.
"Nice try buddy." James said, apologetically. And reluctantly, he got up and headed for the door, followed shortly by a fuming Lily.
"Hurry up guys, we have to follow them." Harry told his friends, and jumping out of their seats, they practically ran out of the room. It didn't take them long to find James and Lily, they were standing outside in the middle of the corridor, screaming their lungs out at one another.
"YOU MAKE ME WANT TO VOMIT! I'VE NEVER MET ANYONE MORE SELF-CONSUMED THAN YOU!" Lily spat at him.
"YEAH I KNOW, SELF CONSUMED, EGOTISTICAL, AND BLA, BLA, BLA! DO YOU REALIZE YOU ALWAYS USE THE SAME WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE?" He retorted.
"I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU A BLOODY CHANCE- I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! JUST LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE! FOR A WHOLE YEAR YOU'VE BEEN BEGGING ME TO DATE YOU, AND I ALWAYS GIVE YOU THE SAME ANSWER! WHEN IS IT GONNA SINK IN, POTTER?"
Just then the bell rang, and second period was over. The classroom door banged open and Sirius came falling out, with Remus and Peter right behind him.
"OI James! What happened with EV-" But when he saw her there in front of him, a grin flew to his face, and he skipped towards them.
"Hey Evans, what's crackin?"
"Put a sock in it, Black!" She scowled at him, but he ignored her comment.
"Having a row with Jamsie boy again?" He smiled widely, and moved his face closer to hers. She pushed him away, looking disgusted. "Didn't like his gift, huh?" He asked her, and then he looked at his best friend. "Tough luck, bro, you'll have to try harder next time if you wanna score this tiger!"
Lily raised an eyebrow.
"I have a better idea. Why doesn't Potter just go out with himself? Now that's a match made by the God's, Potter. Imagine, you could talk about yourself twenty four seven, and your date would still be holding on to you, hook, line and sinker!" She giggled then, at her own joke, and James glowered at her.
"You're lucky I even WANT to date you so bad, Evans! What with your carrot head and celery body and all-"
"OK!" Sirius held up a hand between them. "Let's change the subject shall we? So Evans, are you coming to watch James' big day tomorrow?"
"Big day?" Lily looked puzzled.
"HELLO! The QUIDDITCH match!" Sirius reminded her as though she were an alien.
"Oh. Right."
James laughed.
"Evans knows nothing about the greatest sport alive, Sirius. She finds her school books a lot more interesting."
"Evans you MUST come! This is James' first match, EVER! And he's the SEEKER of the team! That's the most important position!"
"That's right!" James said, smugly.
"Oh, well this explains why your already overlarge head has been even more inflated lately!" Lily said, finally understanding. "But personally, it doesn't really spark my attention, so I don't think I'll be coming. It's a bit of a shame though, I'm sure I would of enjoyed watching Potter lose."
"Oh, so you think I'll lose, is that right?" James piped up, hotly. "That's fine with me. I'm glad you doubt me, it just gives me more reason to push myself to win. And when I do, you can bet I'll rub it in your face for a very long time!"
"We'll see then." Lily crossed her arms, and smiled her fakest, sweetest smile.
"Oh this is GOOD!" Sirius exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly. "Let's make a deal, alright? Evans you'll promise to come watch the match tomorrow, and if Gryffindor win you have to date Potter."
"NO WAY! I OBJECT! I-"
"BUT if they LOSE-" Sirius interrupted her. "James has to leave you alone forever, and never ask you out again." He finished.
Lily looked from Sirius to James, and then back at Sirius.
"Do you PROMISE Potter will leave me alone?" She asked him, and Sirius turned to James.
"James?"
"Of course I promise. If I lose that game tomorrow Evans, I'll stay out of your face for the rest of my life." He said sincerely, and she smiled at him.
"Good. And I'll agree to go out with you if you win." She said.
"Great then!" Sirius said cheerfully. "Now that that's settled, we'll let you get back to your friends, Evans. Tootles! And see you tomorrow!" He waved her off, and pulling her book bag up a little, she turned around with a last determined look at James, and walked away from them.
"Well, I know you're risking a lot here, mate, but it'll definitely be worth it if you win tomorrow!" Sirius patted his friend on the back.
"Yeah." He replied, absent mindly. He was still gazing at Lily. But when he turned to look at Sirius again, Harry saw there was fire in his eyes. "I'm going to win that match tomorrow- I'm going to win it if it's the last thing I do!"
And then, the floor began to shake, and the image was once again starting to fade.
"Everyone hold on!" Harry shouted to the others. They all grabbed on to each other, as they felt themselves spinning away from another precious memory.
Back in Ron and Harry's room everyone was talking at once.
"Your dad rocks Harry!" George told him as soon as they had returned.
"Yeah you definitely take after his side!" Fred winked, and Harry beamed.
"Thanks. It's just so weird seeing him and my mum fight like that." He was honest with them.
"I know. Funny how they ended up getting married." Hermione laughed.
"Yeah." Ron nodded, a misty grin plastered on his face. "Anyways, come on you guys, we better get down to the kitchens!" And without waiting for anyone else to say anything, he got off the bed and left the room on his own.
"Yeah he's right, George. Let's get out of here! See you at dinner Harry, Hermione." Fred said. But before he left he walked over to Harry and whispered in his ear. "Meet us back here at exactly seven thirty. We have something important to ask you." And with that, the twins disapperated.
"Is it just me or is something wrong with Ron?" Hermione asked Harry when they were alone.
"No you're right. I've noticed too." Harry told her.
"I'm not sure, but I think it's got something to do with Fred and George." Hermione confessed.
"Hmm, maybe." And he privately decided he would ask Ron about it during supper. "Come on, let's go." And the two of them left together for the kitchens.
