The fellow who laughs last may laugh best, but he gets the reputation of being very slow-witted.
Leo Rosten
Chapter Five
Lunch had gone well that day, and it started what I called a horrible habit. After that meal, I shoveled food into my mouth as though it were my last meal. I had to, otherwise no food would be left for me. I still didn't gain any weight, though, I guess I spent so much time worrying about classes for the first few months, that it gave me another habit that I've had my whole life. Yes, I was, and still am, a perfectionist. I've heard that a lot of muggle-born witches and wizards are. I've never quite been sure why, and to this very day, I'm not sure. I guess I always was a perfectionist, and it just so happened that when I went into Hogwarts, it got worse.
I would think so much about one thing, that in the morning, or before I went to bed, I would think of all of the things I could have forgotten to do, even though I knew that I already had done them. It would sometimes keep me up, until I got up and checked my bag to see if I had placed my homework in there. That might have also been a bit of something that made me have an unhealthy shade for the first few months.
When all of the trees were bare and the wind had a bite to it, I had gotten used to my schedule, my teachers, and Hogwarts life in general. Lily and I talked a lot, she mostly complained about James, but I didn't mind listening. She talked about Hogsmeade, and told me I would be able to go in my Third Year. I couldn't wait until the next two years passed.
As the school year progressed, Lily and I got closer as sisters, and I guess I hung out with her most than anyone in my own year. She seemed to hang out with the four boys, the Mauderors. The four boys spent more time flirting with girls (except for perhaps Peter and Remus, since they both seemed to be too nervous around girls), and causing chaos than actually doing anything productive. Nevertheless, I hung out with them anyways, it was fun. I loved sneaking out at night, it had a sense of danger.
The four Marauders didn't exactly complain about me tagging along, but they thought it was sort of interesting that a First Year, and Lily's sister, would actually sneak into the kitchens at night and get food, even if she didn't eat much at all. I still didn't like James or Sirius or Peter, but Remus was easy to get along with, and intelligent. I only became wary of him at all when I found out he was a werewolf.
It surprised me… a whole hell of a lot. It had been in my Second Year, when the trees leaves had just begun to change. It just... kind of popped up in our conversation and for a long time I didn't believe him. He even told me that James, Sirius, and Peter had become animagus just to keep him under control. Sirius turned into a dog, Peter a rat, and James a stag. Yet I didn't believe him until I was looking outside on a full moon. I looked down there, seeing four animals; a werewolf, a stag, a dog, and a rat following a little far behind. I gaped. He didn't lie.
Once Quidditch started up, I figured it was time I got onto the team. They needed a Seeker, and I seemed to be the smallest person to do the job. I was the one to get picked out of six possible choices. So, with that, I became the Seeker for the Quidditch team.
The only other person I knew on the team was James, who was one of the three chasers. With me as the new seeker, the Gryffindor team became undefeatable.
I was nearing the end of my second year, we had just finished our last game, which was with Slytherin, and I was showering up after chatting with Lily after our big win. We had definitely won the cup this time. I got dressed in a pair of cloth shorts and a t-shirt, grabbed my bag, put up my broom, and I was about to leave the field when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, it was one of the Slytherin beaters. I oddly remember her face...
"Hey, Evans."
Oh right, it was the girl I had met on the train... Xanders. Salem Xanders. I immediately felt challenged. "Hey, Xanders."
She smirked. "I couldn't tell if you were listening to me when we were on the train." I tried not to feel intimidated, Salem was at least eight inches taller than me. "Just wanted to say it was a good game... too bad you got the snitch before our Seeker did. You play better than he does and for some strange reason, it comes to me that you don't really belong in Gryffindor. Too cunning for that, and like I've told you before, you're cool. Too cool for Gryffindor. So think, Evans, do you really want to hang out with the scum you've been hanging around when you can make your way in life by being who you are? Cunning?"
I stuttered. "How'd you get cunning out of me?"
She laughed. "Because you're not courageous, you're not loyal, and you're certainly not a brain, but a person. What the hell does that leave you with?" She pushed a heavy old book into my arms and began to walk away. "See you later, Evans."
I looked at the book cover. Secrets of the Magical World. My eyebrows furrowed together. What's that supposed to mean? I thought. I walked off to the wonderful party that I was sure that Sirius had set up for our team. I mean, we were getting the Quidditch Cup.
When I entered the common room everyone was already eating, setting off dungbombs, and dancing. I wasn't much for parties, but I did grab some of the food before setting off to the second year dorm. Before I could reach the stairs, I was stopped by a pair of arms.
"Hey, where're you going, Dai?"
"Oh, hey, Lily." I pried her arms off of me and for the second time that evening my eyebrows furrowed together. Was... was Lily drunk? I watched for a second as she giggled and began to lean dangerously close to the wall. Before she could fall, I ran in to catch her. My eyes now narrowing, I helped her stumble over to where James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus were. I glared at James, who grinned sheepishly.
"Firewhiskey?" I shouted at him. "You gave Lily, Firewhiskey?"
"I didn't!" James began to defend himself. "Someone else brought that. I guess she just didn't realize she was drinking--"
"No excuse, James Potter. You're the one who was with her when she drank it, weren't you?"
"Uh... no.."
"Don't lie to me! I can't deal with Lily right now." I pushed the intoxicated Lily against him. "And I am not helping her with her illness tomorrow. You can explain that."
He was about to protest again when I went up the stairs into the second years dormitory. I had enough problems already. I opened up the book and began to read.
Ferret3136: I am so sorry that I haven't updated in forever... for those of you who are watching me, I guess I just didn't think about updating. And now I am... so don't kill me. I'm not sure if I like this chapter.
