Hello every one. Thanks for you Patients, and thank you for your reviews, please keep them coming. And remember, these Are not my imaginary people, they belong to JK Rowling…..the lucky rich woman.
The rain eased and pattered softly on the tower ceiling, as night began to creep ever nearer. Lily pushed herself gently away from James' warm embrace and stared out the window.
"It's six-thirty." She said as the large clock tower across the grounds chimed the half hour.
"It is." James said lying back studying her moves…she was so graceful.
"I haven't eaten yet." She said as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her shirt. "And then we have to patrol the corridors tonight, and I need to work on my potions, and…." She stood up and went to the door. She was reaching for the handle when James stopped her.
"Lilly, eight thirty?" she was acting peculiar.
"Yes." She said in a breathless yet preoccupied voice, she was distant. Then without another word she just reached for the door handle and walked out the door. James sat on his bed alone again.
So that was that, just as fast as it had come, it had gone. One moment Lily Evans was in his arms and they were sharing a beautiful, wonderful kiss, the next she just upped and left. And why was she acting so oddly, had he done something wrong…no, he couldn't have…it was after all Lily who initiated the whole thing in the first place.
The sound of laughter and bounding foot steps announced the coming of his roommates.
The door swung open wide and Sirius swaggered in and sat on James bed. Remus was next; he came in with a wide smirk, and leaned casually against the door frame. Peter came last and just fell face down into his bed.
James slowly looked from one smirk to the next. How odd? He thought, is it in the water? Why is everybody acting so funny?
"SO?" Remus finally prompted.
James looked totally lost. "So….what?" he asked.
"SO WHAT?" exclaimed Sirius thumping James hard on his back. "SO, can you explain why Lily came downstairs looking dazed?"
James snorted, "No Idea." He said, "That woman is so odd. She is the most temperamental being that ever existed."
"So you didn't kiss her?" asked Sirius still smirking.
"What…yes…but…"
"HA I TOLD YOU, MOONEY, I TOLD YOU!" said Sirius practically jumping up and down on the bed. "I TOLD YOU IT HAD TO BE SOMETHIG LIKE THAT FOR HER TO HAND OFF HER….." He stopped after catching the look on James face. "Sock." He finished rather abruptly.
"Sock?" James was plainly puzzled.
Remus shook his head and held up a hand to silence his friend.
Sirius heeded the nonverbal warning.
James looked form one friend to the next. He was so lost. Not three minutes ago he was kissing Lily, now…well now he was left trying to sort through the jumble of Twiddle dumb and Twiddle dumber.
"Jamie, Miss Lily Evans wanted me to inform you that she is not going to be walking the halls with you tonight. As Gryffindor Prefect, She wants me to do it instead."
"WHAT!!" James felt blood rush to his head. Why was he so upset? "Why not? What did I do?"
Sirius shrugged. "Who knows? She's a female, a woman. They're temperamental, women, and I am afraid that you've gotten yourself in a situation with the most temperamental woman I have ever met."
"Yeah…" Sirius nodded.
James smirked, she might be temperamental, but he liked it….why…well maybe because it intrigued him, a puzzle almost, and James Potter was one to enjoy puzzles.
Remus then fell on his own bed facing James and Sirius. They both looked up at James with almost misty expressions.
"What?" he asked.
"So…." Remus pushed
"So…what?" James said trying to buy time.
"Come off it you, Prat!" Sirius barked having enough, "What is like to kiss her?"
James couldn't find the words. How do you explain such a beautiful, blissful, abstract emotion? He thought for a bit longer then said,
"Do you know what it's like when you take a long sip of butter beer and that warm feeling you get right on the tip of your tongue? And the way velvet feels when you brush your hand across it? Then imagine as you feel the Butter beer on your lips, and the velvet in your left hand, you reach up with your right, and run your fingers through the softest strongest silk ever made."
Sirius sighed.
"Kissing her was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. It was like all I need was right here in my arms, it was like taking in a new strength. The way she fit in my arms, and the way we kissed was so perfect, like she was made specifically for me."
Remus sighed this time, and Sirius let out a long low noise that seemed to be resting comfortably in his chest.
"Wow, James," Sirius with a glazed misty expression, "that's so sweet."
"I can't believe you kissed Lily." Remus said lazily. "She's so pretty."
"I know!" James said feeling so much better about himself. Then after a long silent pause, they all jumped to their feet, and spread out in the room.
"This better stay between us!" James snarled.
"Most definitely." Sirius said in the lowest manliest voice he could muster.
Remus nodded, "No problem. Just us."
James eyed his friends, then said, "Good, now, I-I'm going to go nick some food from the kitchens. When I get back, were talking Quditch and broomsticks. Agreed?"
"Agreed." the others said in unison.
"Good…." Then like realizing for the first time Peter wasn't involved in the conversation, "Pete? Peter…." James looked over his shoulder while Peter answered him with a long snore.
James and Remus didn't stay outside too terribly long, weather outside was cold and wet, the October air was getting steadily more bitter. They quickly walked the court yard, and then checked the Marauder's map for any lingering students around the boundaries of the forest, after finishing up outside, they went in and walked the castle.
"It's amazing how weird this place looks in the shadows." Said James
"What do you mean?" Remus asked looking somewhat puzzled.
"I mean," James said opening a door and peeking inside, "I think this place at night looks creepy with all the shadows bouncing off from every where."
Remus was quiet for a moment, and then muttered something about not being that dark. James shook his head and the walked on.
Their last official stop was the Astronomy Tower. It was completely black except for the low light that came from their wands and the innocent twinkle of the stars.
The moon was three days away from being full again. It's orange glow made the Astronomy tower a prime place for hormonal teens to get all sexual energy out of their system. After breaking up a few couples, James let out a low whistle.
"No wonder…this place is PERFECT for shagging. It's damn near impossible to see when the moon and stars are hiding." Then almost on cue, low thunder announced the coming of more rain clouds over Hogwarts.
"And now," he continued, "It's going to start raining again and more couples are going to make their way up here. I don't know why we even try. They're just going to find some where else."
James and Remus leaned over the rail. They looked across the grounds of the school. The clouds were moving fast and soon the moon and stars were gone again covering them in complete darkness.
"Well, Prongs," Remus said turning to face James. "Let's go back to the dormitory."
But James was unable to move. What he saw had made him froze where he stood.
"Remus… A-Are you alright?" James asked.
"Yes why."
It was unreal. James had only seen his friend's eyes grow that strange yellow color only when he had turned into the werewolf.
"Can you see?" James asked.
"Yes perfectly well. Why?"
James lifted up his hand. "Can you see how many fingers I am holding up?"
"Yes four. Now, James, are YOU alright, because you seem to be going a bit mad."
James tried to look down at his own hand but couldn't see it. It was too dark for a normal person to see in that room the way Remus had.
They went up to Gryffindor tower around midnight. They changed quietly then tucked themselves into bed.
"Goodnight, prongs." Remus said through the curtains of his bed.
" 'Night." James replied. But James did not sleep. His mind was full of worry.
What was going on with Remus? Why was he getting more aggressive? Why did his eyes adapt to the dark like a wolf when he was in a human state. Then there was this thing with Lilly. She had acted weird today, but what else is new? He figured if he gave her some time then maybe she'd come around. And possibly, given enough time, she may find herself wanting James as much as he wanted her. Maybe. Then there were the Qudditch trials bothering him. It was his second and last year to be captain. He LOVED being a seeker, but what if he couldn't find a suitable chaser? Then he would have to Chase and let someone else seek….maybe Beth Olsen. Yes, she was a first year but he would bet a million galleons that that girl had skills. Poor Peter, he was so useless to Quditch. But he did try so hard. Why couldn't he find Peter's passion to play in some of his other team mates? Well, either way, Peter wouldn't make the team.
James hoped out of bed, he went over to Peter's bed. He figured he should talk to Peter about this now and get one worry off his mind. But, when he pulled back the curtains around Peter's bed, the only thing there was a jumble of blankets and an empty pillow.