Chapter 7

There she was walking straight ahead of them, her red hair cascading down her back and bouncing back and forth with every stride. He waited patiently for his trusty friend to say a good opening line for him, after which he would jump into the conversation without seeming too over eager. He looked over at him expectantly, but his friend seemed more preoccupied weaving his wand back and forth between his fingers and examining the stone castle walls. Glancing back and forth between one and the other, he knew he would have to start it all himself.

"Oy! Evans!" Lily turned around and as soon as she saw who was calling, a tired a weary look of resignation appeared on her face.

"What do you want, Sirius?"

James fumbled his wand and dropped it on the ground. As he bent over to pick it up, he hissed, "I'm going to kill you, Padfoot." Sirius ignored him.

"What do I want, Lily? Well, right now, I want nothing more than the pleasure of your conversation." He paused thoughtfully as the rest of his friends caught up with her. "That and perhaps a few answers to some questions that have been bothering me."

"Answers? To some questions?" She repeated.

"Why, Lily, are you a Ravenclaw in disguise? With questions like that, I wonder how Gryffindor got you!" He smiled at her winningly and when she glared at him, he added quickly, "Yes, just some answers."

"Fine, here they are: No, and no," then, she inexpicably gave James a disgusted look that promised to shrivel up any hopes he had of future questions as well and turned around to walk off. In desperation, Sirius shouted out, "Wait! Merlin's beard, Lily, all I wanted to know is exactly what Zen has to do with fixing motorcycles!"

She stopped dead in her tracks and peered back over her shoulder. "What?"

He reached into his bag and pulled out the book Remus had forced on him. "This book," he explained, "is filled with information about repairing motorcycles." She was still looking confused, so he added: "You know, they have two wheels, an engine…muggles ride them?"

"I know what motorbikes are," she looked at the book, then back at Sirius with disbelief written across her face. "You're reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?"

"Yes, but I'm not entirely sure—"

She looked at James. "He's reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?" James nodded numbly, clearly not sure what he should say. She examined the two of them carefully. "You do know that that is a Muggle book, right?"

"Well, of course it's a Muggle book, Lily. I bought it at a Muggle bookstore." Sirius' voice became irritated. He wanted to ask questions, not the other way around.

"You went to a Muggle bookstore."

"Yes."

"You took him to a Muggle bookstore?" She asked James.

"Yes, they do have those in London," He answered, having found his voice.

"Well, I just don't know what to say." Her voice now sounded bemused and then finally she said to James, "What are you doing this Friday?"

"Er—excuse me?"

"Friday? Are you busy?"

"No?"

"Well, you are now. You're taking me to Hogwarts." She smiled at him warmly—something Sirius had never thought he'd see happen. It wasn't until she had begun to walk away that James found his voice.

"But this Friday isn't a Hogsmeade weekend!"

"And the great James Potter doesn't know how to get to Hogsmeade secretly?" she called back to him, causing a very stupid looking grin to spread across James' face. He grinned at her, he grinned at his three friends and then slapped Sirius on the back. "Well don, Padfoot. Well done."

Sirius frowned and looked at the book in his hands. "It's all well and good for you," he muttered, but she didn't answer any of my questions. She's the only person I know with real Muggle experience."

"Ah, Padfoot, you can't always have everything you want," James consoled him.

"I'm sure James will ask her for you on Friday," Remus suggested and James looked at him like he was a lunatic.

"Or not. Discussing motorcycles with Lily? In Hogsmeade? When we could be snogging? We might as well do homework!"

"Not motorcycles: Zen!" Sirius insisted.

"That sounds even more dull."

"Yes and it's that dull topic that made Lily agree to go out with you. She must like it, since she doesn't like you."

James ignored him.