Ch. 2: James's surprise

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize and everything you don't.

Hmm, looking back on it a day later, the first chapter was kinda rushed, wasn't it? Ah, well, I'll try and make this one a little better for you lot. And, damn, Lily has dark red hair! I think I was on something when I wrote that last chapter. Sorry!
And I'm probably not going to be able to update on a completely regular basis, but I am definitely aiming for once or twice a week, now that school has started..

This chapter is dedicated to PsychoLeopard, my first reviewer! Thanks so much!

…

"Let's go, Padfoot!" James called over his shoulder, pushing past Muggle after Muggle as he sprinted toward platform 9 ¾. "We're going to miss the train, you dolt!"

James heard Sirius scoff and respond in a very indignant tone, "I'm not a dolt! It's not my fault! I wasn't the one who spent an hour in the washroom! Bloody git…"

James, however, chose to ignore his comment. I have every right to look good. And it was not an hour… he thought. Pushing Sirius's hypocrisy out of his mind (Sirius had also spent a good while getting ready), he ran past a young Muggle who yelled at him, "Watch it, you!" They were almost to the Hogwarts Express. 6… 7…8… nearly there, James thought in his mind as he passed the platforms. He looked at his watch- 10:58! Great, this is just lovely…

"Come on, Sirius, you can't be that out of shape!" James called over his shoulder once more. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, however, Sirius came trotting alongside him, looking positively triumphant as he passed James and sprinted straight toward the brick wall that separated platforms 9 and 10. Sirius soon disappeared into thin air, and James followed in quick succession.

He passed through the barrier unnoticed, and soon found himself sprinting headlong toward a bright red, steaming train. The whistle blew, echoing over the voices of shouted good-byes. The wheels started to turn… slowly… slowly…

James hopped onto the moving train easily, and soon threw his luggage up before him. He looked at his watch once more as the door shut gently behind him. 11:00. Excellent, Prongs, you've still got it.

"That was close," James heard Sirius say somewhere to his right. "Lucky I'm so fast, huh? Oh, look, we have an audience."

James looked up and around, only to find younger students from numerous houses staring at him. He smiled at them all innocently, hoping that they would not bother him. He noticed one shy-looking fifth year Hufflepuff slump into a seat in her compartment, making a prospect of sighing loudly as she stared at him.

"They drop like flies around you, don't they, Padfoot? Prongs?" James heard a voice speak to his left. He grinned and turned toward a fellow Gryffindor and Marauder that stood, his arms crossed, a compartment's length away.

"Moony!" James and Sirius exclaimed simultaneously, happy to see his third-in-command and close-second best friend, Remus. James watched Sirius run past him, toward Remus Lupin with his arms outstretched. He gave him a huge hug, practically tackling him, and lifted him off the ground, grinning from ear to ear at his friend, whom he hadn't seen since the Quidditch Cup earlier this summer.

Remus was a studious boy with grayish eyes and an intelligent look plastered on his face. He was skinny, but still managed to look older than the rest of the Marauders. And James wondered how his hair turned out the way it did- it wasn't brown, or blonde, or black or red. It was all those colors mixed into one. James thought it was pretty cool. Remus was calm and collected, like Sirius, and quick with words and lies, like James. However, he normally didn't like to be much trouble to the teachers, nor did he like being the center of attention. That is, of course, unless he was dealing with Slytherins. Remus was very creative, in that case, to say the least.

"It's good to see you too, Sirius, but if you don't put me down this instant, I'll hex you to next week," James heard Remus say calmly into Sirius's shoulder, his voice muffled slightly.

"Aw, Moony, if they're going to stare, you've got to give them a show," Sirius said, still not letting the shorter Remus down. James saw Remus's stormy-like eyes make their way around the corridor from just above Sirius's shoulder. James followed his gaze. Sure enough, they're all still watching… May as well make this a little more fun.

James ran up to the other side of Remus and squished against him, managing to get his arms around Sirius. He exclaimed, "Moony Sandwich!" with a wicked smile.

"James. Sirius. If you don't let go of me now, I really am going to hex you to next week." At his statement, Remus reached for his wand inside his pocket.

"Uh-oh, Prongsie, ickle Moony-kinns sounds like he means it," Sirius said in a babying tone.

"Ickle Moony-kinns does mean it," Remus said, his voice doubly muffled from James hugging him from behind. Though he sounded very serious, James knew he heard a playful tone in his words. He decided to ignore what Remus said and, looking at Sirius's shoulder, replied shortly.

"Uh-oh. D'you reckon we should let him go, Padfoot?" James inquired, smiling happily.

"I reckon so. He just might murder us if we don't." Sirius responded. And with that, they both let their Remus go, where he fell onto his feet somewhat clumsily at the sudden drop. He regained his composure quickly, however, and sighed as he put a scarred hand to his forehead, pushing back his hair.

"Well, that's a great way to start of the last year, make everyone believe we're having a lovely little threesome," Remus groaned. "Fabulous."

"And they're still staring," James commented quietly, smiling at Remus's choice of words and looking around at the students that had encircled them. They all looked incredibly bemused at the sight. Excellent, we've made an impression, at least.

"Oi, c'mon you lot, we gave you a show, would you go about your own business already!" Sirius snapped, his playful tone not completely gone.

As if he were their leader, the crowd dispersed at Sirius's voice and they almost immediately had started back to chattering loudly and laughing as they had when James had first stepped onto the train.

"I love being a seventh year," Sirius said triumphantly, raising a fist in the air as if holding up a trophy of some sort. "We practically rule this school now."

James laughed, but it was Remus who responded with a huge smile, "It's not like we didn't already."

James chucked, Too true, he thought. Sirius looked somewhat surprised at Remus's words, but absorbed them quickly. He dropped his hand and put it in his pocket nonchalantly. "Now that's the Moony we all know and love." He commented, draping his arm over Remus's shoulder. He didn't object, knowing it was probably useless. James followed in suit. Remus put his arms around his two best friends' waists and they walked down the corridor, barely fitting. James and Sirius dragged their trunks behind them.

That's what James loved about his three best friends. They were like brothers to him, and could hug and laugh with one another without embarrassment. Sirius was the most prominent one at this. Like the siblings he never had, James always said proudly.

"Seen Wormtail yet?" James questioned aloud to Remus, looking around for any sign of the missing Marauder.

"Yeah," Remus responded. "He's got us a compartment saved about halfway down the train. However," -he stopped in his tracks- "James and I have to go back up front, don't we, Prongs?"

Sirius sighed long, loud, and irritated. "Yeah, yeah… you two are such gits, parading around like you own the place," he grinned, once again contradicting himself. He lifted his arm up and, ruffling his hair as he went, took his arm off of Remus. James also dropped his arm and stuffing it into his pocket—where he felt a cool, metal badge graze his fingertips. He took in a deep breath.

"Yeah, well, we both know Dumbledore's off his rocker, now, eh?" James commented, taking his hand out of his pocket.

"I always suspected so, you know—" Sirius started, but Remus cut him off.

"Will you take Prongs's stuff to the compartment, Padfoot, so we can just go and get this whole thing over with?" Then he added, "I promise I won't keep your precious little boy very long."

Sirius seemed to contemplate Remus's statement in mock thought. James and Remus started walking away. "Well, alright you two, but don't be too late now. Be safe! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He called after them, his voice sounding very fatherly.

"Which is nothing!" James and Remus both yelled in unison over their shoulders, knowing that the statement was very true. They turned around and started walking past witch and wizard of every sort, toward Compartment A.

…

Lily was sitting in silence. She was alone in Compartment A, though not uncomfortable. The velvety cushions were somehow much more comfortable than the normal ones. She dared not lay down, no matter how much her body wanted to, knowing that she would fall asleep. So, instead, and patiently waiting for her counterpart, she stood up and looked out the window. She gently rocked back and forth with the movement of the train, and she wondered who would be walking through the door behind her in a few minutes' time.

It could be Frank, she thought hopefully. I mean, he wouldn't tell me, so maybe he wanted to keep it secret, but then… he wasn't ever a prefect! Is it possible to be Head Boy without being a prefect first-? Well, who else could there be? I suppose it could be Remus Lupin, he's very smart and hardworking. I just hope it's not a Slytherin…

She stared out the window, watching the English countryside flash by in blazes of green. It was only a moment's time before she looked down at her watch, growing somewhat impatient at the Head Boy's lack of prompt. Honestly, she thought. What is taking him?

…

"Alright, Prongs, you go on in, and I'll catch up with you in about, oh, five minutes," Remus instructed, consulting his watch. They were standing outside a large compartment, which's door had translucent glass and in fanciful writing, "A". James sighed.

"I'm a bit nervous, Moony," he confessed, looking inside in vain; the glass was so blurry, he could only make out colors. Dark red, he saw, atop a black and white indistinguishable figure. He gulped. Yep, it's Lily alright…

"Well, it's nothing to worry about, Prongs, you'll be fine," Remus responded. Great, James thought sarcastically, say it in a tone that makes it seem like she's going to blow up at the sight of me.

"So reassuring, Remus," James retorted. Remus clapped a hand on his shoulder and stocked off in the other direction.

James let out a sigh and tugged on his shirt nervously. Here goes nothing. Pulling in a deep breath, he propped up his shoulders slightly and opened the door before him.

…

The door slid open. Lily turned away from the window she had been staring at- she had sat back down with one leg crossed over the other, and a hopeful look on her face. She looked up at the newcomer, curious, hopeful…

But all those emotions dripped away when she saw who it was standing in the doorway. Him, with his messy black hair and stupid round glasses, and that stupid smirk on his face. Great, she said in her mind sarcastically. Just what I need, a wonderful conversation with my favorite person in the entire world..

"Can I help you, Potter?" she asked, looking back out the window and, while pretending to watch the scenery, she really watched his reflection in the glass. She didn't want him to pull anything.

He didn't, though. He merely reached into his pocket and pulled out something, and then meddled with the front pocket on his shirt. She turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

…

James nervously pinned a shiny, silver badge to his shirt. Quidditch Captain, it read, with a trademark Gryffindor lion behind the lettering. He had owned that badge since the week before sixth year started. James thought he deserved the honor, and smiled at it quickly. However, he frowned at the other badge in his hand, and fumbled as he put it next to the Captain badge.

Head Boy, James read, completely and deliriously happy at the honor, except all the while horribly confused and shocked.

And when it was on, James sat down across from Lily. "So," he finally dared to try his voice, which had failed him earlier. "What do we tell the Prefects?"

"Excuse me?" she asked. James heard the annoyance laced in her voice.

"I mean, what do we have to tell the Prefects at this meeting thing?" James repeated, bewildered at how she could have not heard him in the silence in the room.

Lily stared at him. "Are you lost, Potter?"

James quirked an eyebrow, wondering what she was on about. "Pardon?"

"This is Compartment A, Potter, the Heads' compartment. What are you doing here? Are you lost?" Lily said. James noticed that she decided not to hide her annoyance any longer. "Or have you got tired of hexing Snape and come after me?" Vindictive. Ouch.

James sat in thought over her words for a minute. "I would never hex you," he said calmly, looking straight at her. She didn't look away.

"Then what is it that you're doing here, exactly?" She asked. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. Her foot jiggled as she waited impatiently. She kept glancing at her watch and the door.

"What else would I be doing here?" James replied. "I'm Head Boy, of course."

…

Lily's arms dropped from where they were held across her stomach and she laughed. Potter? Head Boy? That's hilarious! She thought, grinning as she chuckled to herself.

"Funny, Potter." She stopped laughing, but still had a grin on her face.

"Not really. I'm really not joking, Lily, look," he unpinned something from his shirt. Lily's grin started fading as he held his hand out to her, palm-up, with a silver something right in the middle of it.

Lily hesitated, then took it from his hand in one slow, suspicious motion. She glared up at him disbelievingly, and then laughed again.

"Alright, alright, what'd you do with him?" she asked, growing somewhat very impatient.

"Who?"

"The Head Boy? Is it Remus? I bet he's standing right out here—" Lily stood, walked past him and opened the door, smiling.

But nobody was there.

She stopped, turned around, and stared at him, open-mouthed. Dumbfounded. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Oh. My. God.

"No way," she whispered, her playful tone suddenly gone, and was now filled with anger and remorse. "There's no way in hell…"

James looked right back at her, determinedly, as if he was trying to prove it to her. He put his badge into his right hand and then reached his left into his other pocket, where he pulled out a piece of folded parchment. He didn't force her to take it, but instead held it out and turned away.

Lily took it, with a shaking hand. "No…"

She unfolded it. Her hands trembled with anger, with almost too much force, and she almost dropped the parchment. Her knuckles turned white as she read the scratched writing of a slow, careful author. Oh god. There's no way…

Dear Mr. Potter,

Firstly, I would like to say congratulations. I am very pleased to inform you that you have been given the privilege and duty of being Head Boy of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! It is a huge honor, James, and I know in my heart that I can trust you with this task. Your duties include…

But Lily could read no more. Her grip was so tight on the paper that it nearly ripped under the strain. She knew he could see her shaking. She knew he could see her face turning red, and that he was probably laughing it up on the inside.

So she did the first thing she could think of.

"I refuse…"

"Pardon?" James asked once more. That arrogant, stupid, loathsome, superficial….

"I absolutely refuse to be Head Girl if you are Head Boy, Potter," she spat. The letter fell from her hand. She threw her hand up to start to take off the pin that shined on her chest. "I refuse—"

…

"Don't—" James said, interrupting her and grabbing her hand. He pushed it away from her badge gently. "Just—don't. Let me explain. I wrote to Dumbledore the second I got that letter. I told him that I knew you would be Head Girl (because who else would be, right?), and that I didn't want to…

"I didn't want to ruin your last year at Hogwarts. I know you hate me, Lily, and I know you think I'm some sort of prick, but just hear me out. I told Dumbledore I wouldn't take it because you don't like me and you were sure to react… like you are, and I sent the badge back to him. But he wouldn't hear it. He sent it straight back and said, and I quote, 'If you don't take this badge, James Potter, then I am going to have to offer it to Severus Snape.' And, well, I obviously didn't want to put you through that either, so… so… here I am," he finished lamely. Smooth, James. Just ramble on and on about this and she's sure to like you now.

He let go of her hand and backed away slightly, determinedly looking at anything but her face. He felt his ears go red. Crap, he thought, not now, don't blush, you're just telling the truth.

The silence between them was long, and deafening. James didn't say anything. Don't be mad, don't be mad, don't be mad…

…

Wow. Did he really turn down the highest honor you can get at Hogwarts, just because I don't like him? That's almost sweet…She was dazed.

…

Suddenly, she stood up and walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" James asked, bewildered.

"Well, we've got a meeting to attend, don't we?" she said shortly, glancing back. James grinned.

"That we do," he responded, and with that, he followed her out the door. Perhaps this year will be my year…

………….

Author's Note: Ah, I like that chapter, a bit, don't you? I hope you did. It took a while to write. And I hope it is still as good when I go read over it tomorrow. Sorry about the delay, but I am not going to be able to post every day or every two days or anything like everyone else. Busy school schedule, I'm sorry. But please, don't let that stop you! Maybe I'll have to keep you lot in suspense… -wiggles eyebrows- Anyway, I guess this is enough for now. Please, review!