'Kay well I got my first complaint, so I'm feel'n reli louzi. So like a certain anime character I luv (SANA, I LUV U) I'm not going to let them bothr me, so I hope this chaptr will change the opinion of 'Liz the Laugh.' LOL
Ch 5:
James turned to see June sitting in the chair opposite him, and as usual, had her nose in a book. James felt a sting of disappointment in him seeing as it wasn't the person he had hoped for. June seemed to had understand his expression and mentioned,
"So how long do you think they'll be back?"
"Huh," James asked, looking confused.
"Lily and Eric I mean."
"Oh, I don't know."
"They left together after the game Eric said something about wanting to congratulate his opponent."
"His opponent?"
"Didn't they tell you?" James shook his head, and waited, hoped that June would go on.
"Lily filled in for you today." James' could have sworn his jaw dropped all the way to the ground.
"Lily? And Quidditch?" his expression seemed to read. Looking at this, June smiled.
"Do you want me to tell you the whole story?"
"That would be nice." James assured. June placed a silk bookmark in between two pages and shut it tight. She looked at James, and she reminded him of a wise woman telling an old legend.
"Well, of course you can guess what happened when no one could find you,
(I'm using the Italics, like when I do when sum1's thinking. So don't get mixed up. June is telling all of this to James, but is thinking about it too. I know othr ppl use 'flashbacks' but I find them more confuz'n)
I was coming down form the girl's dormitory when I heard, "Black, please inform Potter the game is in an hour." It was Professor McGonagall right outside the common room, talking with Sirius. "Of course Professor, I bet he's already eaten and ready to go." I heard Sirius assure her.
"He better be, for my sake. Oh and Black, please win."
"Will do Professor," he finished and that sounded like the end of their conversation.
I noticed that people were really excited about the game, although I'm not too fond of Quidditch, although I noticed you weren't around so I believed you to be at the field. But when I was sitting with April this morning, Sirius came up to her and asked,
"Say, April, have you seen Prongs, lately," he asked.
"No, I haven't Sirius. I was thinking he'd be with you, getting ready for the game," April answered, confused.
"Well, if you see him, tell him the teams down at the field warming up," Sirius said, then left, mumbling something about maybe forfeiting. Well we went down to the field, I noticed Lily hadn't arrived, so I decided to go back, but when I got near enough I heard Sirius and Lily shouting at the top of their lungs,
"THAT'S BECAUSE HE IS A GIT! ARE YOU THAT BLIND EVANS?" Sirius hollered.
"DON'T CALL MY BOYFRIEND A GIT, BLACK! AND I AM NOT BLIND! I CAN SEE YOUR JEALOUSY QUITE CLEARLY!" Lily screamed, her face becoming red.
"JEALOUSY? HA! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!"
"THEN, DON'T MAKE ME HEX YOU!"
"OH, PLEASE DO! SPARE ME THE SHAME OF SURRENDERING!" Sirius hollered, and stomped off, leaving Lily in a state of complete shock.
"Surrendering?" I heard her ask Remus, but Madame Hootch walked past me and came over to them.
"If Gryffindor cannot play with the required players, right this very instant, then they must surrender to Ravenclaw."
"I knew Lily was shocked that you weren't even there, and I think she knew how much this meant to you, so she took your place." June said, looking at James, who was still speechless.
"Are you serious?" he nearly shouted, over the music.
"YEAH!" Sirius popped out of the crowd.
"NOT YOU!" June yelled at him. He shrugged and continued partying.
"Idiot. Anyway, yes I'm serious," she said the last word in a tinier voice so Sirius couldn't interrupt, "So the next thing you know….
"I'll play," Lily chimed.
"What?" Sirius asked, shocked.
"I'll substitute for James."
"Lily, please I know you're mad right now, but think about what you're saying," Remus noted, sounding frantic.
"I know what I'm saying, Remus. I know very well how much you guys work for this, and I'm sure James would be here if not for me, so I'll substitute for him."
"Evans, there's no way you could play seeker. You don't stand a chance," Sirius argued, Like him, I knew exactly how dangerous Quidditch could be for an amateur like Lily.
"Of course I could, Eric showed me, over summer break. At least I stand a thirty-five percent chance. (sorri, fairest # I thought of) Besides what other choice do you have Black? You can either let me try, or surrender," Lily threatened Sirius.
Knowing Black I thought he'd say no on the spot, but to my surprise, he grinned and sighed,
"You know Evans you're going to have to face against your pretty little boyfriend. And I'm not sure if he'll go easy on you, just because you're his girl."
"Exactly, besides, I need to have a little chat with my pretty little boyfriend, anyway. Come on Black it's now or never." Black hesitated, so I decided to step in.
"Give her a go Black. This is Lily we're talking about. She wouldn't let us down," I defended. Black and Remus looked at me expectedly, but nodded and faced Madame Hootch.
"We'll be ready in a few. Our seeker just needs to get changed," Sirius assured her. I knew she was about to object, but Professor McGonagall decided to save us the debating.
"What in Merlin's beard holding us up? And where is Potter?"
"It seems your Quidditch Captain has failed to arrive Minerva, but Black here has suggested a substitute. What do you think?" Madam Hootch explained. Professor McGonagall looked at Black seriously and shrieked,
"Well, who do we have to replace the great Potter?"
"We got Evans, Professor." I gave Lily a tiny push and she stepped up.
"Evans? Evans, are you sure about this? I know you to be an accomplished young lady Evans, but you have been denied the chance to practice." Professor McGonagall asked.
"Professor, if I may. Lily and James are Hogwarts' head student, am I correct? So the heads are suppose to be a team, so if one of them isn't able to do something the other should be able to take charge while they're gone and I think Lily is doing just that, Professor," I said to her. It took a minute for her to consider it, but then someone else decided to come to our aid.
"Let her play," a calm voice came from behind us. We turned around to face Dumbledore with his usual smile.
"I believe Ms. March has made an excellent point. Ms. Evans is simply helping out her fellow head student and house, although, if I recall, Ms. Evans, you have a slight fear of heights." Lily gulped but held her head up high.
"Professor, I'm sure James would do the same for me." Everyone silenced for a moment, before Dumbledore spoke.
"I believe that should be enough for us. Evans, go get changed quickly and we shall begin very shortly."
"Thank you Professor," Lily cried, and we rushed to the changing room.
"He really let her play?" James asked, still shocked.
"Yes, he did. I was surprised myself, but he did. But while we were in the changing room, Lily seemed to have lost her senses, which by the way rarely happens…
"Are you sure about this Lily?" I asked, as I handed her a broom. She looked stunning in Quidditch robes, especially in ruby ones.
"Of… course, June," she stammered. I knew how much she was afraid of heights, but she was more terrified than she let on.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. And I know this may sound too much like my sister but, you don't look too bad either." We chuckled, before we headed out, but I wanted to ask her something before we left,
"Lily, is what you said true?"
"What did I say?"
"You're sure James would do the same thing for you?" It took a while for her to answer, but she did,
"Yes, June. I'm sure."
"How can you say that? I mean, how can you be sure?"
"Because………he's James," And with that we walked to the side of the field where we were suppose to meet Sirius. He was waiting with the rest of the Quidditch team, who seemed just as surprised as you were, but didn't utter a word.
"Well, team let's go," Sirius hollered to them, and they rushed out. I could hear the commentary call out their names.
"Sirius," I cried before he flew off, Lily after him. He seemed to understand what I wanted to talk about, so he said,
"Um, Evans, why don't you go on ahead?"
"Sure, oh and Black," she said as she mounted the broom.
"Yeah?"
"Call me Lily," she said and pushed off. We stood aside and heard the crowd go wild whiled the commentary cried,
"I don't believe it folks. It seems James Potter has disappeared somewhere and his replacement is none other than Lily Evans, our head girl and the girl of Potter's dream. Although, poor Potter, I hear Eric O'Bryan is the boy of her dreams." We found the last comment unnecessary, and so did the nearest teacher to the commentary. We could hear some boos and hissing, but they were drained out by the cheers, and gasps.
"June?" Sirius addressed me. I looked back at him, trying to get him serious.
"Look, we both know Lily is dead afraid of heights, and she's not that talented on a broom, so please make sure…"
"She won't get hurt, of course June. I know as much as you do, how dangerous this can be, but I'm willing to let her play. Plus, Prongs would probably kill me, if I let the girl of his dreams get so much as a scratch." He moked, but I knew he meant it. He wouldn't let her get hurt.
"So that's what happened," James asked. He had noticed a few people were heading to bed, but he couldn't see Lily which upset him a bit.
"Yes, that's what happened. She did pretty well, for her first game."
"Did she get hurt?" James asked frantic. Of course that should have been his first question, but he was too shocked about the whole event.
"Well, James, you have to admit. She was bound to get hurt, but she kept going, kept going until that snitch was in her hands."
"How much damage did she take?"
"About a twisted wrist and a broken leg, she fell off her broom, because of that boyfriend of hers."
"WHAT!" James hollered, feeling the blood in his veins about to burst.
"HOW!" he snapped when June didn't answer. Instead she yawned and picked up her book.
"Well, I think that's enough for tonight. Good night James," she said and made her way up to the girls' dormitory.
"Wait June," James pleaded, but said,
"Why don't you ask Lily?" and she closed the door.
James rushed down the flight of stairs, after telling the other Marauders that he was going to bed. Instead he was hoping to catch up with Lily in the hospital wing, seeing as Madame Pomfrey probably wouldn't let her go so soon, with a broken leg. He went to the heads' common room first to grab his cloak and when he was right outside the door to the hospital wing, he could hear two people talking,
"Look Lily, I'm sorry okay. I didn't mean to, honest," Eric pleaded.
"Eric, forget about the game. I know it was an accident, but what about James huh? Sirius told me what you did." Lily fumed, as James peeked in.
"I didn't do anything Lily. He probably just slept in."
"I know James. He LOVES Quidditch. He wouldn't just sleep in on the day of the first game of the year. Not to mention against you."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"I mean, it's not exactly like you two are on the friendliest terms. I see how you two glare holes into each other, also how you wrap your arm around my waist. I'm not some prize to win between you two."
"OY LILY, I just have to ask, are you my girlfriend or his?"
"Now what's that suppose to mean?" Lily challenged.
"I've seen things too Lily. I've seen how he looks at you, hoping you'll dump me for him. Not to mention how you respond. You've been a bit too friendly to him I mean just a month ago, you had hated him. And now instead of saying his surname, you guys are on a first-name basis?"
"James is different than a month ago. He's really changed, that doesn't mean I'll dump you because I like it. I mean he probably doesn't like me anymore. He's got….loads of other girls. Not to mention April." James could feel the wind get blown out of him. She didn't think he was interested in her. What was he going to do now?He could see Eric looked pleased when Lily said this.
"So you won't dump me for him?"
"Of course not, but if you keep treating me like a prize, then maybe I'll reconsider."
"But you are a prize Lily," Eric said seductively, and leaned over.
"You're my treasure." James heard him hiss. But Lily just shoved him away.
"See, like that. I'm not some object that you can play with. I'm not a toy." At this Eric just smirked and straightened.
"Oh, come on Lily. I am your boyfriend, aren't I?"
"Yes, and an overprotective one at that. I mean Sirius wasn't going to hurt me, during the game."
"So you're defending him from his own mistakes?"
"No, I'm defending him, from you mistakes."
"My mistakes?"
"Eric, Sirius may not be perfect, but you aren't either."
"Well, may I remind you, Little Miss Head Girl, you aren't either."
"I know I'm not, but at least I can admit it. Can you?"
"I don't have to admit anything."
"Don't? Or won't. Honestly I'm begining to think you and James switched bodies."
"WHAT!"
"Every since James has shown he's matured, you've been acting rational."
"Lily, how can you compare me with that...that...loser?" James' blood boiled, but he wasn't the one that exploded.
"James is not a loser Eric! And I'd appriciate it if you'd stop bullying my friends."
"Like they haven't been bullies themselves?" Eric hissed.
"Get out," Lily murmmered under her breath.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, get out. No matter how true that might have been, you have no reason to sink that low."
"Come on Lily. I was only..."
"You were only being a git, now I said get out! Or else!" Lily growled.
"Or else what? Hm?" Eric teased, but Lily dove into her robe and pulled out her wand. Even Eric knew Lily wasn't to be messed with when she was this furious.
"Fine you want it to be this way, fine!"
"Fine and don't even think of coming back any time soon!"
"So what, are we over?"
"I don't know, you tell me." Eric looked furious, but didn't say a word. James stepped aside as Eric opened the door and stormed towards the Ravenclaw house. James didn't believe what he had just heard. Lily...defening...him. It sounded so sweet to hear her shout at her pathetic boyfriend because he had insulted him.
"But she didn't direct that to you. She said friends, so it could mean you and the others in general." James thought as he head towards the heads' common room for the night.
That night, Lily tossed restlessly in her sleep. Her dream kept changing between the two events on the day at Diagon Ally...
"Potter, this is the trashiest thing I've ever seen. Just because it's expensive, you think I'll just buy you're lies. Token of love? More like token of lame." She hollered right in his face. Suddenly, he leaned in and kissed her hard on the mouth. Taken by surprise, it took a minute for Lily to realize what he just did. As he straightened, Lily's whole face was red with anger.
"Will that be taken as a token of love?" James asked, giving her a cheesy smile.
SLAP!
It happened so fast almost no one saw it. Lily had brought her hand up to his face and slapped it with all the force she had. A deep handprint was pressed onto James' face, as he stood there shocked.
"God, Potter! Can't you take a hint. You're the most bastardly person I've ever met! I hate you!" Lily screamed, and stormed off, leaving her bags behind.
Then, it shifted to when she met up with Eric...
"Well, there's something I've wanted to ask you, but since this is our last year together, now's a better time than any, right? Lily, will you be my girlfriend?"
Lily's jaw dropped completely, also the book, which landed on Eric's foot. His sudden expression woke Lily up immediately.
"What? I'm sorry. What did you say again?"
"I said. Do you want to be my girlfriend?"
"Um, yes. I'd love to."
She had taken up one offer joyiously and rejected the other, cruely.
The next morning, Lily woke to find a bouqet of lilies on her bed side table. She leaned forward and took the card that was sitting next to it.
To: My Lily Flower
I'm Sorry + Get Well Soon
From: Eric
Every negative emotion swept threw Lily as she starred at the card. Confusion, hatred, disappointment, and hurt. Then a knock at the door woke her from her thoughts. Madam Pomfrey hustled out of her office and asked,
"Who could that be? You students don't have classes today, but this early?" When she opened the door, she chuckled,
"Don't tell me. Another fight, Potter?"
"Actually no, Madame Pomfrey. Not even a scratch. I'm actually here to visit a patient. Is Lily still here?" Lily's heart froze. She couldn't stand to see him, now. Not after the fight with Eric. So she leaned back and pulled the covers up to her face. Madame Pomfrey led James inside and James couldn't help but smile at Lily's attempt to avoid him. Although he knew this wasn't the time, he thought she looked adorable, trying so hard to pretend to be sleeping. Then, he decided that he'd have a little fun with her. For old time sake. He sat on the side of the bed, and sighed loudly,
"It's a shame Lily isn't up yet. I'd hope I would be able to thank her." As if understanding his little tease, Madam Pomfrey sneaked back into her office. When Lily heard the door shut she panicked. What would happen now that they were alone. A devilish smirk crept on James' face as he moved to the other side of the bed and put his knee on it. He took hold of the railing to keep his balance and leaned forward. He waited a bit for Lily's reaction, but she just kept her eyes shut.
"If she's awake, she would've done something by now. She better be awake, or I might actually kiss her."he rambled on in his mind.
He decided to close his eyes, while Lily on the other hand opened hers. She had wondered where the warm air was coming from and didn't expect anything like what she saw. With her mind on overdrive, she pulled her legs forward and pushed James completely off the bed.
"POTTER!" she cried, as he straightened up.
"Morning Lily."
"Don't 'morning Lily' me, Potter. What exaclty do you think you were doing?"
"I just wanted to thank you, but I didn't think you'd wake up so easily."
"Well, your awful breath was what woke me up. It stinks. Is there a scent from all the girl you've kissed contained in your mouth Potter?" Lily whinned, fanning her face. James chuckled and said,
"Well, I've kissed you haven't I and you never said anything about how bad my breath was. So you shouldn't make complaints when you're in no position to, Evans."
"Honestly James, I'm startung to think you'll always be an immature idiot." James felt a sting of pain, but it lightened, when he saw the teasing glint in her eyes.
"Honestly Lily, I'm starting to think you'll alwats be a nagging hipocrite."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"I mean, you say nothing can last forever, and then you say I'll always be an immature idiot?" Lily smiled, but it fadded instantly. James looked at her concerned as he saw her eyes darken.
"Yeah, you're right, James. Nothing can last forever." Lily tried laughing, but it only came out in a sniffle. She starred at the lilies. James followed her gaze ad sighed. He sat on the side andplaced the box he had near the end of the bed.
"Don't worry, Lily. I'm sure O'Bryan will forgive and forget."
"How do you know?" Lily asked. James didn't answer. He wasn't sure if she meant how he knew O'Bryan would forgive her, or how he knew about their fight. So he decided to answer how O'Bryan would forgive.
"Look, Lily. You've known my reputation with girls, don't you?"
"How could I not. The oh-so-great James Potter. God's gift to women," Lily scolded. James felt this was going in the wrong direction, so he explained,
"What I'm trying to say is, I've met a lot of girls, and you know the reason why none of them have boyfriends?"
"Because they only guy they'll ever want is you?"
"No. It's because they aren't..."
"Aren't what?" Lily asked. James wasn't sure if he should say what he really thought or say something else to comfort Lily.
"They aren't... flowers!" he blurted as he looked at the lilies on her bedside table. Lily looked at him, expecting him to explain, so he did.
"You know how flowers, need time to bloom?"
"Yeah? So?"
"So, the girls I know aren't ready to bloom. Sure they think it's time, but it really isn't. They want to rush to show they're ready, but to tell the truth, they aren't even close." Lily still looked confused, so he decided to take a different route with the flower topic.
"Look, there are different types of flowers, right?"
"Right?"
"Well, the girls I know are...dandelions."
"James, dandilions are weeds."
"Exactly, and because you know why? Because they grew too soon, and try to spread out like a desease. They also become a nuisunce to other flowers, or killers."
"James where are you going with this?"
"Listen Lily. Those girls are like dandilions because they try to do things too soon. So it makes them look ugly, and they try to get other people involved with them. When they do that, they're only putting them and their partner in regret.Although, you're not like them. You value what a real relationship means. You don't consider it as a 'snog fest,' but as a true bond between two people. You're like a... lily" At this Lily couldn't help but laugh. It just felt so weird for the oh-so-clever James Potter to be caling Lily...a lily.
"I'm serious. Sure lilies grow under different circumsatnces, but in the end they're much prettier than a dandilion. You've got a different personality than any girl I've met Lily, an even better one actually, and if O'Bryan can't see how great it is. Then he's an idiot and he's not worth your time." Lily didn't say a word. Here she was, sitting with the very guy she and her boyfriend were agueing about in the past few hours. She didn't know how to feel. She felt confused bacause of the Jame's open opinion about Eric. She felt angry, for James calling Eric an idiot, even though right now she agreed. She felt happier from Jame's comfort, but then she felt deprssed that she's having this kind of conversation with him, of all people,in the first place.
James watched Lily's eyes turn different shades of green. At first they turned into a mixture.
"She's probably confused. Maybe about what she's going to do with O'Bryan." Then they flared aenvy green.
"Now, she's angry I even suggested the idea of her leaving him, after what she said last night." Then they lightened a bit.
"At least she's thought of something good. That's a relief." Then they darkerned.
"Is she going to cry?"
"Although," James added, seeing her face. "If you do feel he's worthy, than I'm sure you'll be able to get back together as if this never happened."
Lily looked up at him to see his eyes full of nothing but concern. Feeling her eyes burn into his, James turned to grab the boxas the end of the bed and thrust it at her. Taken by surprise, Lily blurted,
"What's this?"
"It's a gift. To say thanks for taking my place. I know it must have been hard."
When Lily ripped the wrapper off and pulled the lid open, she gaped. Inside the box was a Gryffindor Qudditch team robe. It's ruby material shone brightly in the morning sun and was softer than any silk Lily had ever felt. It had gold linings and the words, EVANS, were sewn on the back. Lily couldn't help but feel speechless.
"James...I...you really...shouldn't have. I can't accept this," she gasped, gazing at the marvilous gift.
"Of course you can."
"No I really, can't."
"Don't worry about it Lily, it wasn't a problem. I asked the house elves that work here if they could make it for me. I would have made it myself, but I haven't accoplished it, sucessfully."
"James...I don't know what to say."
"Well, I hear 'thank you' is popular in this sort of occassion." Lily chuckled and leaned over to hug James tightly.
"Thank you," she whispered, gratefully. When she didn't release him, James tried to move, but he was frozen stiff.
"Okay, James. She's just giving you a hug, SO HUG HER BACK," he sreamed in his head.
When he made an effort to, Lily pulled back hastily and her face was as bright as the robe.
"What did you just do Lily? That seemed more than a friendly hug," she scolded herself. Minutes of silence passed by until James got up and smiled,
"Well, I've got to go. Padfoot's waiting for me, so I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, sure see you later."
"And get better, okay. We still have a lot of work to get done." He waved goodbye and left out the door. In some akward way, Lily felt enlightened. Out of interest, Lily pulled out the robe and grabbed the crutches leaning over thebed stand. After pulling out the curtains, Madame Pomfrey used, when she helped dress Lily, sheplaced it on for size. It fit perfectly and, Lily had to admit, she liked the color. Then, the joy washed away as she realized what she was doing.
"Okay, calm down Lily. You're just interested." she told herself.
"Interested in what, though? The robe? Or therobe giver?" a voice in her head asked.
"In the robe," she answered herself, irratably. As she stepped out from behind the curtains, she glanced at the lilliesEric had given her and the robes James had given her. The feeling seemed so familiar it was uncanny. Then, a replay of the fight flashed in her head,
"OY LILY, I just have to ask, are you my girlfriend or his?"
"Now what's that suppose to mean?" Lily challenged.
"I've seen things too Lily. I've seen how he looks at you, hoping you'll dump me for him. Not to mention how you respond. You've been a bit too friendly to him I mean just a month ago, you had hated him. And now instead of saying his surname, you guys are on a first-name basis?"
Then, her conversation with James invaded the memory,
"Listen Lily. Those girls are like dandilions because they try to do things too soon. So it makes them look ugly, and they try to get other people involved with them. When they do that, they're only putting them and their partner in regret.Although, you're not like them. You value what a real relationship means. You don't consider it as a 'snog fest,' but as a true bond between two people."
"I'm serious. Sure lilies grow under different circumsatnces, but in the end they're much prettier than a dandilion. You've got a different personality than any girl I've met Lily, an even better one actually, and if O'Bryan can't see how great it is. Then he's an idiot and he's not worth your time."
Agian, she was left with two offers, or in other words, gifts. But now, whose would she chose?
'kay, well sorri i'm so late. Here r my rezuns.
1st:i wrote the 1st part on summr break, but then we traveld +i havno internet on the open road
2nd:i wrote the next part wen we got home, but my computr got a bug + crashd, so i had 2 stop 4 a while.
3rd: I STARTD SKOOL, OKAY!
So pleez read+review.
'kay luv ya, bye. KT