Hello, long time no see. I'm so sorry, as I'm sure you could have predicted, but I hope you like Chapter. I have an import message (again) at the bottom, so please, please read it.

Chapter Nine: The Badges

James sat in a large armchair in the Gryffindor common room, watching the orange flames crackle in the fireplace. The transfiguration book he was supposed to be reading lay forgotten on a small table beside his chair. Though his school text books almost always lay around somewhere (usually in his bag underneath his bed) this time it was not the lack of keenness for studying or doing homework. It was because he was thinking about the row he'd had with Lily earlier that day. Something he would ordinarily brush away with an apology; this time however, he had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn't do.

James reckoned Lily was expecting more, something more along the liners of him heading her words and "grow up", have a go at being Head Boy. The idea caused his mouth to twist into a scowl. This was not an option however if he had nay hopes in winning the bet, something he expected would be rather hard to do with Lily still upset with him.

But was it worth it? Questioned a voice in his head.

At this thought, a film started playing in his head, like the silent film's Professor Binns had shown them during a lesson. Davies was standing in front of James, a smirk that the non-film James wished he could hex off, twisted his mouth. The film James handed Davies a broom, but not any broom, his broom. Davies clutched the Nimbus 1000 triumphantly, before turning around and mounting the broom he kicked off into the sky and flew away, leaving James alone watching after him. A warm feeling broke out in the pit of James's stomach, his face became set and he decided yes. Yes it was worth it.

xxx

November had arrived, bringing the winter season along with it. The weather had gotten noticeably colder, and the sun hadn't been seen for days, taking to hiding behind clouds instead. This particular Saturday, however, was a different story compared to the last five days. In fact it was the complete opposite. The slowly setting sun was shining brightly in the early evening sky and the air was a comfortable cool breeze. Though most students found the slightly warmer air nothing to fuss over, Lily had decided to take advantage of it and, rather then sitting the common room with a book, she sat on the grounds.

It'd been a tiring week and being able to relax underneath an oak tree by the lake's edge, thinking of more than school work, was refreshing. Of course that wasn't to say she didn't like a good lesson or fascinating studies for homework. She did but this week had been too much of a good thing, so to say. Admittedly it was more her fault than the professor however. Lily had buried herself in studying and preparing for things not needed for weeks, all to fight the feeling of loneliness she now possessed. Lily hadn't spoken to James since Halloween.

Not a word had passed between them, though she supposed the decision to ignore each other was more James's doing than her own. She still returned the favor seeing as she was still upset with him. There was no doubt in her mind, nor a guilty thought about telling him off; she'd been right. How could she not have been? What James had done hadn't been fair, letting her defend him and leaving her with not only her responsibilities but his as well. It wasn't fair and she'd been right to tell him so. Lily tore a piece of her toast off and threw it as far as she could into the lake, immediately the giant squid stuck a tentacle out and pulled it underneath the water for himself.

Or herself, reminded Lily silently. She wasn't quite what the squid was; it wasn't something that came up in normal conversation after all.She supposed though if she really was concerned, Hogwarts: A History might say something. She tore another piece of toast and instead ate it herself. As she chewed, casting her large eyes around the grounds something caught her gaze. A red blob was levitated in the air, zooming around near the Quidditch pitch, and it appeared to be chasing a small brown speck. Lily watched as it gained speed and caught the speck, the red blob looked like it was beginning to have a conniption. Whatever it'd caught was putting up a rather gallant fight. The red blob didn't seem to mind though and made a beeline for the Quidditch pitch, disappearing seconds later.

Curiosity about the blob began to tug at Lily. She rose from her cross legged position on the grass and made her own way to the Quidditch pitch. Standing in the shadows of the stands, she peered up into the sky and immediately realized what the red blobs were; for what other house Quidditch team wore red robes but the Gryffindors? Curiosity took another tug at her, and seconds later she was climbing the stands for a better view. After all, she reasoned, Gryffindors first match of the season was against Ravenclaw tomorrow, and since half of the team had had to be replaced (seeing as they'd finished school last year), who wouldn't be curious to see how the Gryffindor team was doing?

Nearing the top, Lily finally stopped climbing and settled for a seat. Well hidden in shadow from the setting sun, she continued her spying. Peering around the pitch her gaze landed on the chasers, only one of the three she recognized as Amy Collins, as for the other two they must've been two of the new team mates. One of them, a bloke with fire red hair, tossed the Quaffle in his hands to the other girl. In one quick swoop, without warning, she had swung upside down on her broom and caught it. Impressed, Lily sincerely doubted whether the Gryffindors would have complaints about her at the match tomorrow.

Straightening, the girl flew off to the goal posts where the Keeper (another unrecognizable person) was pacing. They watched each other for a few moments and then the girl tossed the Quaffle toward the middle goal, it soared through with ease, escaping the tips of the Keeper's fingers as he dived for it. The girl let out a cheer and just as she pushed her fist into the air, a loud whoosh sounded and a Bludger came hurtling toward her. Before anyone could blink, it'd made contact with side of the girl's head, causing her body to fly to the side from the force. Lily stifled her loud gasp at the same time Amy Collin shrieked.

Another whoosh sounded and Sirius Black came streaking after the Bludger, beaters bat in hand. As he became nothing but a speck in the sky, the other team mates had flown over to the girl, James among them. He was speaking to the girl, when she waved a hand at him as though to state she was nothing to fuss over. He made a face and grabbed her around the waist. Pulling her onto his broom, he said something to Amy Collins and then headed toward the ground.

Amy grabbed the girls floating broomstick and then she and the others followed behind James. Lily stood up and quickly began clambering down the steps of the stands, reaching the bottom only moments after they landed. Trying to control her ragged breathing, she peered over the banister, looking down thirty feet where James, the girl, and the rest of the team all stood.

A bloke with a beaters bat in hand, was apologizing profusely to the girl, who had her left arm around Amy Collin's neck to stand, seeing as she was still wavering from side to side.

"Somebody, shut him the bloody hell up," groaned the girl.

"Kenneth," said James, looking at the bloke with the beaters bat. "Bonnie will be fine. She just needs to go the Hospital Wing for a look—"

"I certainly do not," interrupted the girl, Bonnie. "I don't need the Hospital Wing. What I need is an ice pack and a kip in my dormitory."

"Are you mad? You could have a concussion," said the other chaser.

"Or worse yet, cracked your skull." Another boy spoke.

Lily had to agree, Bonnie was mad she thought all she needed was an ice pack and a nap after being hit by a Bludger. Meanwhile, Kenneth had made a noise rather like a squeak and had immediately begun apologizing again.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie, really. I wasn't trying to hit you," he was saying.

"Graham's right. You have to go to the Hospital Wing," said James, ignoring Kenneth this time and speaking over him.

"No." refused Bonnie. "I won't go. Pomfrey will want to keep me overnight and tomorrow she claim I'm unfit to play tomorrow's match with you lot. You won't possibly find someone to replace me on such little notice, and we'll end up having to forfeit and I will not allow it."

Lily scowled, this was ridiculous. Bonnie had to go the Hospital Wing. She'd been hit in the head by a Bludger. She had to be looked over by Pomfrey. Lily looked over at James, who, she was horrified to admit, looked as though he was contemplating Bonnie's words. Lily's face took on a look of outrage, was that what all had to be said , the word "forfeit" and James was willing to even consider letting her skive from Pomfrey. Well, if he decided she could, then Lily was going over there. She was Head Girl and she was not letting any one walk away with a possible concussion.

"Wilson, you are going to the Hospital Wing, full stop. You're swaying worse then a drunkard and your head is beginign to swell," said James, his face set firm.

Lily stared at him. Bonnie scowled but as opened her mouth to protest, her face suddenly lost all emotion, her eyes rolled back and she fainted, leaning limply against Amy Collins. Kenneth made another nose.

"It's all right," said James, quickly. "She's just unconscious. Graham take her up to Hospital Wing and tell Pomfrey what happened. Don't mention we waited to take Bonnie to her or she'll have my head. Then I need you to wait in the Hospital Wing until I get there."

Graham, who turned out to be the third chaser, nodded and mounted his broom. Then Amy Collins helped him put Bonnie on, and holding her around the waist Graham flew off toward the Hospital Wing.

"Alright," said James, turning to the rest of the team. "It's almost time for dinner, so why don't we round up the balls. Collins and Wilson, fetch the trunk from the broom shed and Kenneth, just a quick word before you go and help Sirius round up that Bludger."

Collins and Wilson both mounted their brooms and flew away, and Kenneth turned to James looking frightful, as though worried he'd be kicked off the team.

"Do yourself a favor, mate, and tell Wilson you fancy her before you manage to accidentally kill her," said James, with a mischievous quirk of the lips.

Kenneth turned a smashing shade of beet red. He nodded before mounting his broom and flying off toward Sirius, who was still chasing the mad Bludger. James smirked after him briefly and began toward the fallen Quaffle that lay in the grass by the goal posts.

Lily straightened and sat in the bench behind her. That was it. That right there had been it. That was precisely her point! Why couldn't he see that the way he acts, the way he just acted as Quidditch Captain, is exactly how he should act as Head Boy. It was practically the same thing. It is the same amount of responsibility and authority he just demonstrated.

So then ... why was he making such a big deal out of being Head Boy?

Lily looked up from where she'd been staring at her knees, she realized she was alone. The Gryffindor team had disappeared, probably off to dinner. But as she stood and lifted a leg to begin walking out of the stands, a soft whooshing sounded. Hoping against hope that the Gryffindor team hadn't forgotten to lock a Bludger away, the whooshing sound became louder and louder until soaring overhead like an airplane flew James, low on his broom and robes flapping behind him. Lily sighed in relief, not have being to keen on the idea on ducking a rogue Bludger. She followed James as he continued rocketing down the stands.

Couldn't stop practicing when practice itself was finished, she tutted.

Glancing around briefly for the familiar gold glint of the snitch, but being unsuccessful, she turned her eyes back to James who was now doing loop-de-loops in midair in the middle of the pitch. Something Lily was quite sure was not the best idea if he was trying to catch something as sneaky as a snitch. After a few seconds he stopped and without so much as a warning he dived downward, suddenly as though a bird shot by a hunter. And just before he hit bottom he pulled up into a slow, lazy glide, his toes skimming the grassy earth, and landed, jumping off his broom. A grin that stretched from ear to ear, one might say it even looked rather painful, was on his face. It resembled a little boy who'd just been on his first broom ride.

Lily titled her head. That must've been the same grin he'd worn when he'd pulled his Quidditch caption badge out of his Hogwarts letter. Something tingled in Lily's mind at the thought, and she found herself wondering suddenly, was it the same? Was being Head Boy really the same as being Quidditch captain? But as she looked at the grin on James's face she realized that it wasn't the same. Being Head Boy was not the same to him, and it would never be, because what mattered to him was flying, the joy and fun of flying, the adrenaline of diving down fifty-feet, and with Head Boy there was none of that.

Lily blinked a few times. Perhaps she had been unfair to him, expecting him to think the same as she did. So, perhaps she had made a mistake as well, and he was not the only one who owed an apology.

xxx

The common room was full, the smell of butter-beer heavy in the air amongst the loud chatter. Gryffindors where spread on every piece of furniture and most of the floor space, all wearing the same red and gold striped scarf around their necks proudly. Gryffindor had just returned merely an hour ago from the Quidditch pitch, where their match against Ravenclaw had unfolded into a rather interesting game, ending in Gryffindors capture of the snitch and wining with two hundred and seventy points to one hundred and eighty.

"Ha!" Lily exclaimed in a whisper, as she managed to grab a foaming tankard of butter-beer from one of the many levitating trays floating by. Relaxing back into her armchair, she took a long draft of her drink, meanwhile looking over the rim of her tankard and gazing around the common room. Her eyes fell on James, as they had been doing ever since yesterday evening. He was talking to Kenneth and Bonnie, (who had not been allowed to play in the match that afternoon, but had been released from the Hospital Wing by Madam Pomfrey), who had their hands entwined together on the table. Bonnie turned her head suddenly and caught Lily's eye.

Lily lowered her tankard and gave a friendly smile to Bonnie; though never have speaking to her before. Bonnie seemed to think this a bit odd, but returned the gesture before turning back to Kenneth and James and saying something. Both looked up over at Lily, who quickly snapped her head down and gulped a mouthful of butter-beer, her eyes watering from the hotness. As she wiped her eyes on her sleeve, something caught her hearing.

Looking up, she looked around for the source, and found it to be two fourth-year blokes. Both had their wands out and where throwing hexes at each other, though it didn't seem as though they where truly trying to hit each other, since both where smiling. Lily sighed, she didn't like being a kill-joy but she couldn't allow another student to get hit by a stray hex. Standing up, Lily neared the two boys and as she opened her mouth to call to them, someone else's sharp voice cut across.

"Oy! Harper, Andrews, knock it off or I'll take house points!"

Lily's head snapped right. James had left the table with Kenneth and Bonnie and was now standing a few feet away from the two fourth-years. He didn't look cross, in fact he looked rather like he had on the pitch, his face set into a firm look.

Andrews and Harper lowered their wands, looking rather disappointed as they pocketed them.

Lily's feet felt rooted to the ground as she stared at James, like many of the on-lookers just as surprised at what James had said as she was. James, however, didn't seem to care about the on-lookers except for Lily, for who he returned her stare. After a few seconds, when the other Gryffindors turned back around and continued their previous acts, Lily found control of her legs and made her way over to James.

"Finally caught on, have you?" she said lightly, as though commenting on the weather.

"To what?" asked James.

Lily inclined her head toward the gold "H" and "B" engraved badge, pinned on his robes on the left side of his chest.

"I still hate it," James reasoned, looking down at it.

"Then you have caught on," said Lily.

"You where right. I was being stupid and I'm—" began James but Lily cut across him.

"Forget it. I was wrong too," said Lily, and before James could ask what about she said smiling, "So, congratulations on winning the match."

James grinned back at her, and seeming to understand, didn't press the matter but instead began to talk about the match with as much enthusiasm as a five-year old.

End of Chapter Nine, i hope you liked it as much as you seemed to like the last one. :)

Jade – I'm afraid I'm a copy cat because I can't remember if I replied to you, lol. So, just to be safe. Thank you, that's really sweet, I'm glad you think so.

¡¿TheSortingHat!? – thanks, it was fun to write Lily on the rampage I'm glad you liked it too!

Jenny, ekalicious, and no-named anonymous – thank you, I'm glad you liked Chapter 7!

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! And thank you to my beta, Michelle!

Love,

GoddessoftheMaaN

Important message: I am leaving for vacation for a month maybe a month and a few weeks. Internet access will be scarce but I will try check up and reply to any reviews even if I cannot update. However I do plan on writing there so is should have the next two Chapters by then and when I come back I will update my story.

Thanks again to all my reviewers, please read and review this one.