Lily walked out of Transfiguration thoroughly annoyed. She was still seething from her fight with James and it appeared that no one was intending on making her feel better. She didn't wait for Jamie or Ellie as she headed to a much better subject, charms.
Lily sat at her desk and ignored everyone else.
The whole day passed like this until her last class of the day.
There was still half an hour before dinner so Lily headed to the library. While she was looking for a book on advanced Charms Jamie approached her.
'Lily, why have you been so grumpy today?'
'James,' she muttered.
'That's no reason. Just because you had a fight with him doesn't mean the whole world is your enemy. Ellie and I are your friends. We are there to help you. So don't push us away or we might not come back.'
Lily was silent. 'Sorry,' she apologised.
'That is fine.' She hugged Lily. 'Are you coming up to common room?'
'No. I just wanted to borrow this book. I'll meet you at dinner.'
'Fine. See you then.' She gave Lily one more hug and then left.
Lily waited until she was sure she had left and then slid to the floor. She felt so stupid. The tears started running down her cheeks like a silent waterfall. She thought about Jamie and Ellie. She didn't deserve them. She shouldn't treat them badly just because she had had a bad day. She thought about James. What if she apologised to him? That would make things a bit better. Yes. She would swallow her pride and apologise to him. She would probably be teased but that was the price she would have to pay.
She wiped her eyes, grabbed the book, gathered her things and headed to the Gryfindor common room.
She entered the common room to find the marauders sitting on their couch laughing. Lily took a deep breath and walked over to them. They stopped talking to look at her.
'Umm. James? Could I please talk to you a minute?' her heart was pounding in her chest.
He stood up. 'Sure.'
Lily walked over to the portrait and waited for him. James walked over. 'Yes?' he asked.
'I just wanted to apologise for before, about what I said. I'm sorry. It was un called for.' She took a deep breath waiting for the taunts to start.
James looked taken a back. Then he said 'that's fine. I'm sorry too.' Lily stared at him in disbelief. He wasn't teasing her? 'You are right about me.' He said 'I am arrogant.' He turned and walked back to the marauders leaving Lily speechless. He had just admitted he was arrogant and he wasn't teasing her about it. Lily sighed and headed to her dormitory to think.
I&
James couldn't believe Lily had just apologised to him. He was about to make fun of her but realising that she had swallowed her pride to apologise to him, he would do the same so instead he had replied with 'you are right about me. I am arrogant.' He hadn't been lying. He could admit it to himself that he was a jerk but that didn't mean he would change. He left Lily standing there and walked over to the marauders and sat down. James watched Lily walk up the stairs to her dormitory.
'What happened Prongs?' Sirius asked.
'Lily just apologised to me.'
'Oh.' He paused before saying 'I wish Jamie would do that to me.'
'What for, you provoke her more than she provokes you.'
Sirius looked huffy and turned back to the conversation he was having with Remus and Peter. James sat in silence for a minute before heading downstairs for dinner.
&O&87
Four weeks past between James and Lily's first argument. They had both kept their distance but Lily could feel James' eyes on her whenever she was in the common room studying or mucking around with her friends. It was because of this that Lily had decided that the library was a better place to study. It was safe because none of the marauders, except for Remus, had ever entered the library before.
This was actually where Lily was at this moment in time. Browsing between the shelves. Jamie was doodling on some parchment and Ellie was reading a book called 'Muggles: A reason why.'
She sat down again having found a book. She opened it and started copying down some information. Jamie noticed Ellie looking at Remus through the bookshelves.
Jamie spoke to Ellie 'What happened between you and Remus?'
Ellie turned to Jamie feeling a blush creep onto her face. 'Um… we decided that we were better as friends.' She sighed. 'I think he is to good for me,' she said sadly.
Lily's head shot up. 'Ellie, no one is too good for you. If anything you are too good for him.'
Ellie smiled at her.
'Thanks Lily.'
Jamie smiled. Ellie turned to her.
'What's happening between you and Sirius?' Ellie questioned.
Jamie turned to her. 'Sirius is the most stuck up, insensitive wart I have ever had the misfortune to meet. Sirius is…'
'…Standing right behind you.' Lily laughed.
Sirius looked startled at what Jamie had just said but recovered quickly. 'Oh, I love you to Jamie.'
Jamie's head whipped around. 'Sirius? What are you doing in a library?'
'Trying to find something to occupy my mind.'
'But you don't read books!' stated Jamie.
'I could always learn. Wanna teach me?'
Jamie looked at him, shocked. 'I do not have enough patience to teach you anything and you do not have enough brains to put two and two together. So leave me alone.' She said huffily.
Sirius retorted with something but by that time Lily had tuned out and was busy with her book again. Sirius eventually left and Jamie looked triumphant.
'Whoever gets the highest mark in the next history of magic test has to come up with something for the loser to do.' Jamie said.
'What?' asked Lily?
'Well if Sirius gets a lower mark than me I get to dare him to do something unpleasant.' She answered happily.
'But you don't listen to Binns! How are you going to get a good mark?'
'I don't mean a good mark, just a higher mark than him. It'll be O.K. I'll copy your notes. That's my advantage.'
'What if I don't let you see my notes?' asked Lily with a smile.
'You wouldn't do that to me. Besides you have to do the dare with me.'
'WHAT?' Lily basically yelled, making the librarian give her an evil look.
'Yeah you do the dare with me if I loose. James does it with him.'
'God!' Lily swore.
'You called?' Jamie replied.
'I can't believe you would make me do something like that,' Lily hissed at her.
'Yeah well, what's done is done.'
Lily sighed. She was going to have to help her friend. Why God why?
In the Gryfindor common room James was thinking the same thing as Sirius had just told him of the bet.
He didn't want to loose. Looks like he was going to have to pay attention in Binns' class and that, as everyone who had ever had Binns for a class knew, was no easy task.
A.NHope you liked this chapter.
Next chapter: the bet. Who will win?
