Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. All characters belong to a woman with a great imagination and determination, capable of creating this world that is the center of so many stories.
Sins of Angels: This is actually an altered chapter from another story of mine that I liked so much I had to put it in. I know I said I'll lean away from author's notes, butI figured a couple here and there wouldn't hurt. And, while I will in no way obsess with getting lots of reviews, they are greatly appreciated, especially ones where you point out my mistakes so I can avoid making them again. Enjoy!
Chapter 4 – All Hell Broke Loose
Stunned, James began to blush, cursing his body for this reaction. However, Lily let go.
"Sorry. I–I didn't mean to," she started. James stepped closer and put his hand behind her head, leaned in and kissed her. For a moment, Lily closed her eyes and kissed him, savoring the moment and feeling her heart race as she experienced her first kiss with…with…Potter? Her eyes sprang open and she pushed James so hard he sat back down. "Potter! I can't believe what a disgusting pig you can be! I got a little carried away and you take advantage of the situation!"
"So you won't go out with me then?" James asked, putting his hands behind his head. Lily let out a cry of frustration and walked out of the carriage. James smiled to himself, closing his eyes and remembering the feel of Lily's lips on his. He got out of the coach and walked to the great hall. He entered to see Lily sitting with Alice and across from Cassidy. Katie was nowhere to be found, but three Marauders joined the three seventh-year Gryffindor girls. However, Lily looked distracted, her eyes darting around the room. James gave a brief sad smile at the fact that no matter how many people she crowds around, she was always alone. He would have to change that. He walked over and sat next to Remus and across from Sirius. Peter had disappeared again, as he had been doing for the past year or so.
"Say, where has Wormtail run off to?" Sirius said, looking around. James shrugged. The sorting ceremony started, with another song about the importance of unity from the Sorting Hat. James yawned as the first years each had a turn to sit on the stool and then gladly went to their houses as soon as the whole ordeal was over. As the feast was nearing to a close, Wormtail had shown up again and James was satisfied for the moment. He would need his appetite for later.
"Well, Potter?" Lily said impatiently from behind him. James turned and grinned.
"Ah, Evans. Can't wait to have me all to yourself again, can you?"
Lily sighed. "Look, Potter, I have the password and the map to find our housing, if you do not come with me now I will not feel bad in leaving you outside for the night, if not for the week."
"Fine, I'm coming," James said, getting up. As they walked out the great hall, he turned to Lily and grinned.
"Don't even start, Potter. Here, just read the rules and shut up, will you?" Lily said, handing him a piece of parchment with a description of their dorm.
"There are doors leading to all the Common Rooms?" James asked, after reading it for a while.
"Yes. There are also portraits that determine if we can pass through in any dorm whose house we do not belong to. If you noticed, there are no visitors allowed and the staircase leading up to my room behaves in the same way that the stairs leading to the girls' dormitories do. The password is "Hades" and this would be our dorm," Lily finished, coming upon a door engraved with flames. She said the password and the door opened to reveal a living room quite like the Gryffindor Common Room except with a wall devoted entirely to a library. Lily immediately migrated to the books, smiling at the thought of her own library. James looked around and smiled.
"Well, I think I'll be going to the Gryffindor Common Room," James announced and went towards the appropriate door.
"I think I'll come," Lily said, smiling as he paused in his way to the door.
"Wonderful," James said, fake optimism blatantly obvious. As they walked through the door, the Common Room exploded with cheers as James entered. Banners were hung from wall to wall and James's smiling face was visible next to the words "Congratulations Head Boy!" and there were plenty of sweets and butterbeer. James turned to look at Lily, only to see her eyeing the banners with disgust and-could it be?-jealousy? She turned her eyes on him, sighed, and went to the small corner desk, opening a Transfiguration book. James shrugged it off, determined to have a worry-free night. He sat down on the couch, next to Sirius. Remus was sitting with his back to the window and Peter had taken the seat closest to the fire. James smiled often and laughed at jokes, but he found himself glancing at the mess of curly red hair in the corner. After seeing this for the twentieth time, Sirius frowned.
"Stop looking at her, Prongs," Sirius said with a sigh. James gave him a puzzled look. "She's just going to ignore you like the last six years."
"She does talk to me."
"Yes, but only as a last resort. Does she even call you by your first name?"
James sat in his seat, at a loss for words. Sirius nodded in triumph.
"Face it, James. She's not worth it. She's just a cold-hearted bitch who will never give you the time of day."
James's fist connected cleanly with Sirius's face, sending his friend to the floor. As Sirius stood up, so did James. "Don't you ever say that! She's worth everything!"
"Is she worth your friends, James? Your personality?" Sirius yelled. "You've been changing ever since last Christmas! After that silly fight by the lake in fifth year, you just weren't the same. I want the old James back. The one who dyed Snape's hair purple! The one who doesn't ignore his friends for three days straight. No girl is worth a change like that! I want Prongs back, James. What happened to him?"
"He's gone, Sirius. He grew up," James said and sat back down. The few spectators quickly dispersed after one look from Sirius.
"I'm sorry to say I have no choice but to leave, gentlemen. You'll resolve this. You always do," Remus said and went up to the seventh-year dorms, with Peter following. Sirius sighed and went up as well. Soon a thud was heard and Lily got up. After determining she was the only one to hear it, she went up to the only dorm room occupied, the seventh-year boys' dorm.
"James has lost his wits," Sirius declared, slamming the door and sitting on his bed. Remus smiled as he took out his books and put them on his nightstand. Peter walked to the window and drew the curtains apart to let the moonlight flood the room.
"Full moon tonight," Peter said, staring at the bright satellite.
The door opened as Lily entered and closed it behind her. "Is everything alright up here?" she asked.
Peter turned around, petrified. Sirius's eyes widened in terror as he turned to Remus and then to Lily. "Get under a bed, Evans!" he screamed, panicking.
"What?" Lily said, confused and backing against the wall as she saw the look on Sirius's face.
"Get under a damn bed!" Sirius yelled again as he sprang from his seat. Remus turned to look at him, then turned his eyes to Peter.
"You fool!" Remus growled through his already lengthening teeth. The werewolf screamed.
The Gryffindors in the Common Room all looked towards the boy's dorms as the scream rang out over the noise. James sprang up and looked for Lily, and, not finding her, sent out sparks with his wand. The scream was abruptly cut short. The students turned their attention to the newly appointed Head Boy.
"Everyone to their room, and keep the doors shut!" he commanded. "I'm afraid that my friends have given the Head Girl a little scare and she, not approving of the whole party from the start, will not be in a good mood at all. Quickly now, we don't want to give her any reason to yell, she is rather good at that."
This seemed to work as everyone scrambled in the hope to avoid the wrath of Lily Evans, especially since she was Head Girl. As a Prefect, she had been harsh and gave out detentions at the drop of a hat. And by now they had all heard of her fight with the infamous Sirius Black. As the Common Room emptied, James was quickly climbing the steps two by two, his heart racing as he opened the seventh-year boys' dorm and quickly shut the door behind him.
He turned to locate Lily, against the wall and wand raised in a trembling hand, shaking with fear. A mouse scurried in front of him and his eyes came to rest on a silent fight between a changing werewolf and a black dog. His eyes widened as he realized that they had all been so stupid as to forget the full moon tonight, and he quickly transformed into a stag, ramming the werewolf against the wall. The curtains, shut by Peter in a hurry, shed no light into the room as the dog limped slightly to the struggling werewolf. Lily's trembling wand let out a burst of sunshine as she crossed her fingers, hoping it will work. The transformation into the werewolf had stopped, if only temporarily. The black dog became Sirius once again and he quickly grabbed his wand, petrifying the werewolf. He took the rigid creature, disfigured from the half-finished transformation, and quickly left the room, heading to the hospital wing before it wore off. Peter went with him, just to be sure one of them could call for help. The stag turned slowly as Lily sank to the floor and closed her eyes, trembling. James transformed back, sinking down on the floor next to her, panting.
"What just happened, James?" Lily asked, her heart threatening to jump out of her body. She turned to look at him.
James opened his eyes and looked at the scared face of the one girl he had tried to protect from this secret for the past four years, ever since she had seen him on the forest edge. "All hell broke loose," he said quietly, closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall, exhaling deeply.