A/N: okay, yay! I hope the length of this chapter is more agreeable to you all. And thanks to everyone that reviewed! )
The Wind Through My HairThe bell rang, signaling for lunch, and James ran after Lily.
"Hey…hey, oy, Lils!" James shouted over the crowd. She stopped and turned around.
"Yes, Potter?" she said.
"About next weekend. Is Friday all right with you? At 7? I'll take you to dinner, so, you won't have to worry about eating in the Great Hall," James said. Several girls walked by, looked at him and giggled silently, as if he couldn't hear them. He pretended he hadn't anyway (he was quite good at ignoring those things), and waited for Lily to respond.
"Er…that's fine I guess," she said, uncomfortably. It was really very weird to be asked out by someone you used to sort-of-hate. He nodded, satisfied with her answer, and walked off to lunch.
He waltzed in with a bit of arrogance to his stride and took his usual seat next to Sirius, who had already scarfed down 3 sandwiches, and was draining his glass of water. He looked up when James took his seat, and went back to his food. However, his head snapped back up, and he studied James with a suspicious look on his face. James gave Sirius a "Why-am-I-being-stared-at-by-an-insane-person look" and Sirius's suspicious face broke into a grin.
"You! Okay, who did you ask out?" Sirius asked.
"What? That's crazy, I didn't say anything about asking anyone out," James said.
"Hah, tell me, or I'll spread an, ahem, 'rumor' about you going on a date with your cousin to the Yuletide Ball that the Longbottoms' invited your family to 5 years ago," Sirius said, wiggling his eyebrows to suggest he was dead serious/Sirius.
"Agh! Oh, god, Black, you wouldn't!" James said. Sirius simply did not say anything and let his looks do the talking.
"Aright, I asked Lil—"
"AH-HA! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT KNEW IT KNEW IT!" Sirius shouted, unable to control his excitement. More than a few people were looking in their direction, and some girls could be heard whispering conspiratorially. James sighed exasperated and rolled his eyes. "You git, I don't know why I tell you these things…I'm going to go…to the dorm now," he said. Sirius chuckled.
"Going to check up on what you're going to wear and plan what you'll say, hm? I know you too well, Prongsie!" Sirius sang tauntingly.
Remus walked into the hall at that moment, but no one seemed to notice. Remus' named mysteriously disappeared from the story, and no one outside the people present at the night's events knew that he had anything to do with anything. However, Sirius' playful natured dissipated almost immediately as he spotted his friend. Things were quite tense between them. Sirius still felt as if his rash actions were justified, and Remus was indignant that Sirius had used him as part of a ploy to get back at Snape. Things were not as bad between James and Sirius. It was a little strange, but they both tried to keep things normal. Sirius and Remus, however, were not on good terms at all. James saw trouble right away, and got up to avoid any spats between them.
"Shut it!" James said in response to Sirius' last comment, preparing to get up and leave. Before he could leave though, he saw Professor McGonagall heading his way, so he tried to make a quick getaway in case he was in any trouble. No such luck, though.
"Mister Potter!" Her voice rang. James closed his eyes in ashamed failure of inability to escape the professor's wrath, and quickly formed his face into a pleasant smile before turning to face her.
"Why, hello, Professor McGonagall! What a pleasure to see you. Why, I was just now thinking about your riveting class and what I ought to write for that awfully interesting essay topic you assigned us just yesterday!" James flashed her a bright grin and tried to look genuinely happy to see her. He was, however, unable to detain the sarcastic tinge in his voice.
"Save your wheedling for later. I've just been told that I am to deliver you to Professor Dumbledore's office. He has something to discuss with you of great importance," she said.
"Wheedling…what the heck is that? Wait—Professor Dumbledore's office? But what have I done? Whatever it was, I swear it wasn't me!" James said, moving immediately to the claim of innocence.
"Oh, hush, Potter. You'll find out when you arrive there. Now, follow me. Though, I'm sure you are quite familiarized with the direction to his office, practically having a personal seat there, but I'm to lead you anyway," she said briskly, and turned heel.
James was so completely confused, and was still running a list through his mind of possible reasons as to why he would be going back to Dumbledore's office so soon. The walk went by quickly, as James didn't even have to look at McGonagall to find Dumbledore's office, and before he knew it, they were in front of the stone gargoyle.
"Blood Lollipops," She said, and the gargoyle sprang to life, revealing an elaborate spiral stone staircase.
They walked up and McGonagall knocked on the door before entering and greeting Professor Dumbledore, who was sitting serenely at his desk and peering into a peculiar, sparkling crystal with interest. He looked up, and smiled kindly at them both, motioning for them to take a seat.
"I suppose you are wondering why you are here, James, so I will tell you now, that you're not in any trouble…not any that I will address here," Dumbledore said, with a laughing twinkle in his eye. "No, the reason that I called you here is because we no longer have a head boy. His parents were a tad angry when hearing about Serverus's incident, and came to take him home. So. The position is open, if you'd like it," Dumbledore said.
James looked at him, a bit in shock. "Snape's parents took him away? What school will he go to now? There's none better…"
"I'm pleased to know that you think so highly of our educational establishment. However, there are other schools, and many different opinions. I cannot say for sure, but I do believe Severus will be attending Durmstrang, or something of the sort. Ah, excuse me; I'm trailing off the topic. What was I saying? Oh, yes, Head Boy. You were my next choice, Mister Potter, and it would be very appropriate if you took up Severus's Head Boy duties in his place," he said.
James raised his eyebrows. "Do I really have a choice in the matter?"
"Why, of course, Mister Potter. One always has a choice…" Dumbledore said. James looked relieved that he would be able to turn down Dumbledore on his ludicrous offer. "Your other choice is to be recognized in your unnoticed crimes of the school," he said, innocently, winking discreetly at James. James' jaw dropped and he made an indignant scowl.
"That's not a choice! That's like…like…blackmail!" Dumbledore pretended to not hear as he opened a jar and put a Lemon drop in his mouth. "Hm, I rather like this candy. Would you like one?"
"Professor Dumbledore—I..."
"The next Prefect meeting is tomorrow night, right after dinner. I expect you'll be there, no?"
James sat in sullen silence for a few seconds and nodded. "Yeah, I guess, then."
Dumbledore looked very pleased, and pulled open a drawer, handing to him a shiny silver "Head Boy" badge. "Miss Evans will be there tomorrow night, so she'll fill you in all everything that needs to be done," Dumbledore finished. James got up, assuming from the tone of his voice that their conversation was over, and his cards were done and dealt. James thought about it as he walked down the twirling staircase—how hard could ordering around a few people possibly be?
A/N: haha. Okay, well, now, James has finally become Head Boy, just as J.K. Rowling planned it so! Back when I made Snape head boy, I got several angry reviews about how "inaccurate" that was. ;D Good thing I was planning to make James head boy anyways. Gosh, don't you people have any faith in me at all? I can't just have him be head boy like he becomes it in every other L/J fic, now, can I? I hoped you enjoyed. The next chapter should be rather interesting—it will contain both James' first head boy meeting, and his date with Lily. Are you happier with my quick update? REVIEW!
