CHAPTER NINE: FRIENDS
James stayed in the Hospital Wing until the day after Christmas. In the end Madam Pomphrey had virtually thrown him out saying that if she didn't, he'd soon start eating the bedding. It was true. James's appetite had come back. He was eating everything put in front of him, and often had seconds. By the time he was ready to leave the Hospital Wing he looked almost like his old self. He was sleeping much better and his hair was now only as untidy as it had been before the events of the last few weeks had happened.
The major difference in James wasn't so much how he looked, but in his attitude. He was a lot quieter. He thought about things more. He realised that this was largely due to everything that had happened. He thought about his parents often. He still missed them, but whereas before it felt like a big black tunnel he couldn't see the end of, or a weight on his chest that was crushing him, it was now something completely different. Sometimes he still felt like crying when he talked about them. Silly things would set him off, but on the whole now, he could look back on the happy times he had with them. Even Voldemort couldn't wipe out the happy memories. James knew now that as long as he remembered his parents, they would always be with him. They would want him to get on with his life now and that was what he was going to do.
In his last few days in the Hospital Wing James had visitors. He was surprised one afternoon to see Professor McGonagall standing at the bottom of his bed. James could only vaguely remember now what had happened the last time he was in Transfiguration, he knew he had some explaining to do. 'Professor McGonagall, I am really sorry for the way I spoke to you. I should never have…' Minerva McGonagall shook her head. 'Don't worry about it Potter. Let's just agree that you didn't know what you were saying' James felt giddy with relief. But then McGonagall looked at him more firmly. 'But if you ever speak to me like that again I'll….' Something from the past tugged at the corners of James's mouth and he smiled sweetly at Professor McGonagall. 'You'll give me detention Professor?' McGonagall looked confused, appearing to forget what she was going to say. 'Who said anything about detention? Why would I give you detention?' James chuckled. He could obviously still charm Professor McGonagall! She walked away muttering to herself about detentions and smiling and silly boys.
Later that evening Sirius came to the Hospital Wing. James couldn't help but notice how strained and edgy Sirius appeared to be. He wondered why until he remembered another of his outbursts. This one had to be put right. 'Hi Padfoot…er Sirius'. Sirius smiled nervously. 'Hi Prongs…er James' he mimicked. The two laughed briefly. James swallowed and took a breath before he spoke. 'Look, Padfoot, mate, I'm really, really sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said. I know they were my parents but…' James swallowed again, 'But they thought a lot of you too…and so do I'.
Sirius beamed at James, looking almost beside himself with glee. 'Oh shut up you silly tart, you'll be proposing in a minute, and sorry mate, you're just not my type…now, did I tell you, The Fat Lady fancies me?' James felt relieved again, but confused too. 'Padfoot, unless you've failed to notice, The Fat Lady is a portrait. She blocks the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, we have to give her passwords to get in, remember?' Sirius rolled his eyes in mock exasperation, 'I know what she is and where she is you silly sod, and I'm telling you she fancies me!' James shook his head. Sirius had definitely gone crackers in his absence. 'Go on then, I'll take the bait, how do you know she fancies you?' Sirius grinned wickedly. 'Because pal, she wolf whistled at me the other day' James nearly hurt himself he was laughing so much. 'She did what?' Sirius was laughing too, enjoying the way James was back to normal. 'She wolf whistled at me! She saw me and she wolf whistled at me! She's got such great taste!'
The two boys laughed hysterically until Madam Pomphrey came along and threatened to throw Sirius out for disturbing the patient. But then James noticed something on Sirius's forehead and stopped laughing. 'What happened to your head? How did you get that bruise?' Sirius closed his eyes, and thought. He wondered how to answer this. He decided it was better to be honest. 'Actually mate, you did it, you threw some stuff at me.' James was mortified. 'But I couldn't…I mean…' Sirius shrugged and laughed softly. 'Forget it. It was just a lucky shot with an orange' James shook his head. 'There is one thing though' Sirius beamed. 'What?' replied James; he couldn't see anything remotely funny in this. 'You'd better get back to Quidditch as soon as possible. You've started to throw like a girl!'
Sirius left the Hospital Wing roaring with laughter at the memory of watching Gryffindor's best Chaser throwing like a girl! James grinned as he watched Sirius walk away. James Potter was back!
Lily Evans was spending time with James too. He was pleased they were friends. It would do for now. He realised that he wanted much more than that, but he also knew he didn't want to push her away again.
James accepted now that Lily didn't feel for him as he did for her. He knew she had come to see him that day when he cried, and she'd been to see him every day since, but she only wanted friendship while he wanted…he pushed the thought away. If Lily wanted a friend, then a friend was what she was going to get. They were making good progress too. She was sitting with him in the Common Room one afternoon. Remus and Peter had got back from their holidays that morning, pleased to see James looking so much better. New Year had just passed and the new term was rapidly approaching. James asked Lily if she knew how Gryffindor had been doing in Quidditch practice. He had stopped following the sport after his parents died. 'I'm sorry James, I don't know, I don't follow Quidditch. I've never been to a match' Lily said casually.
James nearly choked on the Pumpkin Juice he was drinking. 'Lily Evans, how can you say that?' 'I say it James, because it's true, I don't understand Quidditch' she smiled softly at the shocked expression on his face. James rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. 'My dear girl you've had such a poor education, allow me to tell you about Quidditch'.
James spent the next half an hour telling Lily all about the sport he loved. By the time he was finished she looked impressed and promised him that at some point she would watch him play. James was elated, but he dare not show it. He wanted to ask her about something. When James was talking about Quidditch, Lily pulled a face when he said the words 'brooms' and 'flying'. James loved to fly. 'Why don't you like flying Lily?' he asked. 'I don't dislike flying James, I hate it!' James couldn't suppress a grin. 'But Lily you're a witch!' Lily smiled and James's heart raced. She smiled at him! 'Yes James, I'm a witch and I hate flying on brooms!' James laughed softly. 'But why do you hate it?' Lily sighed. She wasn't going to get out of this. 'Because I fell off a broom in the first year, after that I wouldn't go near a broom. I'm scared of flying.' James stopped laughing. He did vaguely remember Lily falling off a broom in the first year. How could he have forgotten that! 'Would you let me take you flying Lily?' he'd asked the question before he thought. He knew she would say no. In spite of everything he was still an idiot! 'Would you promise not to let me fall?' Lily asked nervously. 'Of course I would' he answered, almost mechanically. His heart thumped wildly…she wasn't going to….surely she wasn't. 'Then yes James, I'd love to go flying with you'. 'Good, we'll go tonight'. He replied, almost too shocked to believe that she, Lily Evans, the most gorgeous girl he had ever laid eyes on, was going flying with him.
James waited for Lily on the steps of the castle that night. He was pacing up and down with nerves. 'Why did I ask her to go flying with me?' he thought. 'I'm in such a state I'm bound to crash the broom or throw her off, and then she'll think I've done it deliberately to scare her, that's if she turns up at all. That's it, she won't turn up, she'll…' 'James' a voice cut across his thoughts. It was a very familiar voice. James suddenly felt weak at the knees. He turned. Lily was standing behind him looking every bit as nervous as he felt. 'James, I'm ready to go flying with you'. She smiled at him tentatively. James struggled to stay upright. She was waiting to go flying with him! He grinned at her. 'Come on then, let's go flying'. He quietly took her hand. He noticed it shook a little when he took hold of it. 'It's all right Lily. I promise I'll take care of you'. He understood she was scared. 'I know you will' she replied, almost whispering. Lily's throat was dry. He was much too close to her!
They made their way to the shed that stored the Quidditch brooms. James found his quickly and then went back to Lily. 'Right, now the worst bits for you might be take-off and landing. You might want to hold the broom tightly for that. Other than that, you'll be fine. I won't go too fast, I promise.' Lily nodded. Her heart was beating furiously now and she felt a bit dizzy. She knew perfectly well that it was nothing to do with the thought of flying and everything to do with who she was going flying with! Lily went weak at the knees when James smiled at her again 'Ready then Lily?' 'Yes James, I'm ready'.
They got onto the broom and James kicked off from the ground. The broom took off gently. He expected Lily to grab the broom and start screaming to be put back down but she didn't. James suddenly felt two arms go around him, holding him tightly. She was so close he could feel her heartbeat. 'She's really frightened', he thought. 'Her heart is going mad'. Lily, on the other hand, felt like cheering. She was alone with James Potter and she had her arms around him. She felt safer on that broom than anywhere else in the world.
They flew around the castle for an hour. Lily kept her arms around James all the time. He couldn't believe it. It made him even more careful to fly safely, firstly because he knew she was obviously so terrified she couldn't let go of him and secondly, because if he flew erratically he knew she would demand she be put back down, and he'd have to move out of her arms. He didn't want to do that just yet.
Eventually James reluctantly decided they should land and he did so as lightly as he could. Lily still didn't let go of him. He coughed and then said 'Lily it's safe now, you can let go of me'. Lily let go of James, but she knew she would rather have stayed where she was. They both got off the broom bumping into each other as they lost their balance. James held his breath, 'She's so close I could easily…' Lily gulped, 'He's so close all I would have to do is…..' They looked into each others eyes. 'I think we should go inside Lily' James said after a moment. He knew now he was still an idiot. He had really wanted to kiss her. 'Yes, we had better get back inside' Lily replied. She was so disappointed. She knew that James no longer cared for her like that. She was his friend, nothing else. It was a shame, Lily thought. She had really wanted to kiss him. The two walked back to the castle together.