A/N: Alright, this chapter is dedicated to Spencer. What an asshole. Now that that's out of the way, please read and review! Thanks!
Chapter Twenty-Three: Good Work and Good Ideas
"Wonderful Ms. Evans! Simply brilliant!" enthused Professor Flitwick at the last session he would be having with Lily until after the holidays.
Lily beamed as she guided the books down with her eyes. "I practiced levitating chairs too, I got them to come up, but it was difficult to direct them."
Professor Flitwick smiled. "Well you've already exceeded my expectations, and believe me, after having you for a student for so long they are high."
"Now, let's try something a little more difficult." started Professor Flitwick with an eagerness Lily found adorable on the tiny old teacher. "This may be a step to fast—" cautioned Professor Flitwick as he produced a line of pillows. "But I think you have what it takes, don't be too discouraged if it doesn't work right away…we might back up to alhomora."
"Try to summon the pillows. Make sure your head is clear and that you're focused."
Lily exhaled and relaxed, opened her eyes gradually and focused in on one of the pillows. "Accio pillow!"
The pillow zoomed towards Lily and she caught it in mid air. As she expected, Professor Flitwick burst into applause. "Oh bravo, Ms. Evans!"
"Thank you, Professor." replied Lily, somewhat bashfully.
"Oh it's just a pleasure. Let's do that a few more times before we call it quits." he replied excitedly.
Lily nodded and focused again, ready to summon.
"Alright Mr. Potter, your test scores were satisfactory." said Professor McGonagall, handing James back his paper. She smiled a rare, broad smile. "Perfect in fact."
James smiled. "I'm taking this seriously, Professor."
"Well now that I know you are." she stated. "We can get to work."
James looked up at her eagerly.
"We'll start out simple…transfiguring needles to matchsticks, and I'll see how you do there." she started, pulling out a fine needle and laying it down in front of James.
"Now, hand me your wand."
James handed over his wand, eleven inches and made of mahogany.
"You are going to focus and relax your muscles. You are trying to get magic through your fingertips, and we've got to try and create the flow before we can get started."
James shook his arms loose and took a deep breath.
"Ready?" asked the professor. "On the count of three, press your finger tips together, be relaxed now."
James nodded and anticipated the countdown.
"One…two…three."
James pushed his fingertips together and concentrated, he felt sudden warmth, and as he opened his eyes, he saw the faintest of glows around his fingers.
"Good, Mr. Potter. Now let's apply it."
James cleared his head and put all of his attention on the needle in front of him, remembering it from his first year.
In a twitch of his fingers, the needle miraculously changed to a matchstick. James smiled confidently.
"Good, good. Do it four more times and then we'll finish up here."
"Now that I have established that the both of you are acceptable for this course, we can begin." came the dreaded voice of Professor Jareb in the depths of the dungeon he ruled over. Snape and Sirius were sitting at different tables, ready to take notes.
"Stand up, gentlemen. Ready your wands." he conducted, and watched as the boys stood up, Sirius rather grudgingly.
Without warning, Professor Jareb turned on Sirius. "Legilimens!"
Sirius, even with his quick reflexes, was not prepared as frantic images from his memory appeared in front of him.
He was four, his mother was scolding him and giving Regulus a lolly. He was seven, his Aunt Elladora was cutting off a house-elf's head in front of him. Eleven and home for the holidays, his mother beating him for getting into Gryffindor.
Sirius suddenly became aware that Professor Jareb was able to see all these as well. He grew angry, there were few people he trusted enough to let him into his family life—the Marauders exclusively.
Sirius grabbed his wand and threw the first spell he could think of towards Professor Jareb. "Tarantallegra!"
As absorbed with Sirius's thoughts as he was Professor Jareb met the jinx unprepared and found himself dancing across the floor, making a complete fool of himself.
Sirius shook his head now that his head was clear of the evils of his childhood.
After a few minutes of reckless movement, Professor Jareb did the counter jinx and stood up straight, glaring at Sirius.
"Legilimens!"
Sirius was ready, this time however, and put up a shielding charm, deflecting it so that it hit Snape.
Professor Jareb focused on Snape, and Sirius watched in mild amusement as Snape fought it, his face distorted as unpleasant memories seemed to fill his mind, making him look absolutely pitiful. But Sirius felt no remorse.
Snape finally broke it, left in a sweat, glaring at Sirius, who was smiling cheekily.
"That's enough for you two today. Be prepared for an owl when holidays over." breathed Professor Jareb, looking at Snape with a peculiar expression mixed with something Sirius could only identify as sympathy and confusion.
"Okay everyone," greeted James at lunch that same day.
All eyes, that is, Lily's, Remus's, Ellie's, Allison's, Sirius's and Peter's, focused on him.
"I'm inviting you all to my house on Christmas Eve, be there or be a Squib!"
Sirius smiled at his best friend. "Well, I plan on being there all break."
James nodded, even though Sirius had his own place James understood his need to be around a family at Christmas time. "My parents won't mind."
"I suppose they're going to the Ministry party." suggested Remus.
James nodded. "Of course, can't pass up the Ministry Christmas party…any other day they are out stopping evil, but Christmas Eve, it's party time!"
Allison laughed. "I suppose my entire family will be there then, so I can make it."
James turned to Lily. "Do you apparate?"
Lily nodded, although she hadn't much practice, she had gotten her apparition license on her seventeenth birthday in August.
"Can you make it?" he asked, eagerly hoping, he wanted to give Lily her gift then.
"I believe so, my family usually goes to the vigil, but I can go to the five-o'clock service instead."
"Brilliant." James replied, smiling broadly.
"Yes and the rest of us can make it as well, so don't worry." interrupted Ellie, laughing at the sight of Lily and James, who were yet again wrapped in their own little world.
James and Lily blushed hard.
"So I'll expect you all then. Jacob's invited as well." informed James to Ellie and Allison.
"We can all exchange gifts!" squealed Allison in excitement. "Oh I can't wait!"
"Can I ask you something?" conversed Allison as she, Lily, and Ellie worked on homework in the library.
Lily chewed on her quill and nodded. "What is going on between you and James?"
Lily stopped chewing abruptly and flipped a page in her Transfiguration book. "Oh, nothing."
Ellie and Allison both scoffed at the same time.
Lily looked up at her two best friends and put down her quill, and let out a breath, she suddenly felt like she was preparing to do magic with her eyes.
"Oh fine." she sat back. "I don't know…we're just nothing, really…just…"
"Fooling around? Flirting shamelessly? Friends with benefits? Lovers?" asked Ellie excitedly.
Lily laughed and shook her head. "No…no, I don't know. Honest. We aren't doing anything…just there's like…something."
Lily frowned as she failed to explain her relationship in even the vaguest details. She honestly didn't know what was going on, she was just so unsure.
"You two are so hopeless. And I don't think either of you realize it." added Allison.
Lily smiled bashfully. "Whatever." she attempted to get back to her work.
"So what are you getting him for Christmas?" asked Ellie. "It's kind of hard if you don't know how you stand, right?"
A wave of uncertainty passed over Lily's pretty features. "I think I'm going to get him some records. Muggle records. A couple Grateful Dead, maybe a Bob Dylan…a Van Morrison…and then an ABBA one, for a joke."
Ellie nodded. "Well those are all very good. I mean, that's the music you like, right? So there's a personal level to it. But it's still a very friend-ish gift."
"Well he's just a friend!" replied Lily. "That's the kind of gift you give friends."
Allison shook her head. "Correction. That's the kind of gift you give friends that you expect to stay just friends with. James has potential!"
Lily sighed. "Well you two come up with something better, and I'll see what I can do!" she replied, on the verge of frustration.
"Well there's always a watch. Or a …I've got it!" whispered Ellie with animation.
Lily looked at her friend expectantly. "What? What have you suddenly thought of that would be the perfect gift that I couldn't have thought of if I thought for a hundred years?"
"A scrap book! Of your years at Hogwarts…show how James has changed…how your relationship has changed. It's perfect! It can be crafty and it will be personal and it's perfect!"
Lily nodded. "Only problem is that I haven't exactly been a fan of James for the last seven years and despite was Sirius says I do not have thousands of photos of him stashed under my bed."
"That won't be a problem." replied Ellie with a grin. "With his millions of fans, I'm sure we can get some donations."
Allison laughed. "I doubt that, those girls are attached to those pictures. They cherish them and place them under their pillows at night."
Ellie smiled mischievously. "We'll just have to get them from them, then."
"We are not stealing James's Christmas present!" whispered Lily in harsh tones.
"Of course not." assured Ellie. "We'll have a contest for the best pictures taken of James…photos will be donated during submission and we'll have a prize for the best photo."
Lily shook her head. "I don't think that will work. I don't want anything to do with it."
"You will. Me and Allison will take care of the pictures."
"We have three days before holidays!" protested Allison, sensibly.
"We'll manage." replied Ellie. "We can do it. Because God help me, if we let you give him a gift that reverts you back to friends and have to put up with this flirty sickness that's wiped over you two for any longer with a chance that it might never get anywhere, I will go mad!"
"Fine. You get the photos. I'll make the album." resigned Lily. Besides, it was really the perfect idea.
hpgirl7777, Zippy-Wings, chikichiki, stumble till you fall, and Galasriniel- Thanks for the great reviews. Please keep reading!
Lily Evans 4 Life: It is Marlon Malfoy, the little brother of Lucius, (my character). I wanted to have a Malfoy, and Lucius is a bit older than the Maruader- Era, I think, at least. I think I explained Marlon in chapter7 or so. I try to mention that group when it seems logical for them to be around. But thanks, I'll try to give them more cameos.
bananaslugg: Yes, Lily's response was a bit on the dumb side, but it's sensible. I know I would be terrified to enter a relationship to a guy I was just warming up to while he's pronouncing his undying love for me. Lily's just scared.
Fox Scribe/ Inkish Quill: (I didn't know which name to use) Thanks for such a compliment! I'm glad you like the story, and I hope you continue to read.