Disclaimer:I own nothing.
Author's Note: Hello everyone! Long time no read! Oh,I just crack myself up! I probably crack just me up and no one else. . .-anywho,I am stress free now and am capable of updating without having a really crappy chapter. If you have no idea what I'm talking about right now,then read the paragraph that says,'My Reason'. That will explain everything. I'd also like to show you the summary for the story I will be starting very soon(well,one of them). Here it is:
'I Do'. . .
15-year-old Lily had yet another row with James Potter. That night,when she goes to sleep,Lily despises James Potter more than ever before,but when she wakes up. . .she still despises James Potter more than ever before,it's just. . .she's 18 and engaged to be married to him. . .
How does that sound? I've been wanting to start it for a very long time. Okay,well,that's about it. Oh,one thing. I'm going to write a Christmas one-shot,starring Lily and James,of course. That will be soon,obviously.
My Reason
I'd like to apologize to everyone for my lateness. If you haven't read my account page(that's where I put when I'll update,etc.)I couldn't update because I was stressed out over my semester tests I had to do in all 7 of my classes. I tried to update earlier,but I just couldn't concentrate. So,in a way,you should be happy I didn't update till now. If I'd updated earlier,the chapter would probably be crappy,lol. Thanks for being patient.
Replies to my wonderful reviewers:
-ShIvErInG sMiLe-:Thanks!
The Female Nerd:-)
Zestycrouton:Thank you!
Agnes1014:That will be very soon. Very soon.
Petroleumjellydotone:-Bows-Thanks so much!
dragonriderhp:Yeah,Lily will come around soon. Very soon,actually.
Lily and James Love 4 ever:Thanks!
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Chapter 7-Bowtruckles or Logs or Tree Branches
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"Mr.Potter,Ms.Evans! A word please?"
Lily's head snapped up at the sound of Professor Mcgongall's voice,as did James'. . .just,instead it didn't exactly snap up. More like slowly and unenthusiastically. . .
It was now February 2nd for our characters. James still had no memory,but Madame Pomfrey said the potion would be ready soon.
Lily and James stood up and came from opposite sides of the Gryffindor common room to stand in front of the professor. It was 8:00pm,just after dinner. Patrol started in an hour.
"Yes,Professor?" Lily asked professionally after glancing at James.
Lily and James had a tense relationship right now. James would try to make conversation. Lily would stiffly reply to him and continue doing whatever she was doing. Leaving James to sit a while,waiting to see if Lily would start a conversation. Which,usually,never happened.
Professor Mcgongall looked anxious about something. "Somehow about 20 bowtruckles have gotten into the castle. We need your assistance in finding them."
James raised an eyebrow,"What's a-"
"I'll explain later,James. What do you need me-us to do? Lily asked.
The professor paused for a moment,"Well,we need you to start patrolling early and,also,speak to all of the prefects. Instruct them to make sure no one leaves the common rooms. No one."
Lily's brow scrunched up,"Professor,if I'm correct,bowtruckles aren't suppose to be dangerous to humans unless-"
Mcgongall cut her off,"I know. We would just like to take precautions,that's all. Thank you for the help. And stay alert." She added. Mcgongall began to walk off,stopping once to tell someone off for 'standing on the furniture'.
"Well,that was a rather short visit,wasn't it?" James joked after a few seconds.
"Yeah. . ." Lily trailed off. She cleared her throat,"We should probably round up all of the prefects. Let's start here and tell all the Gryffindor Prefects to make sure no one leaves,then head to the other three common rooms."
"Alrighty." James replied.
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"Urgh,I'm tired,Lily. Can't we take a break?" James whined.
It was 11:30 and still no sign of any bowtruckles.
"Where exactly,James? There's no where to 'take a break'." Lily pointed out. They were walking aimlessly in the middle of a dark,deserted corridor,probably on the 5th floor. They weren't sure. . .
James stopped abruptly and plopped down on the stone floor. He patted the floor and lopsidedly grinned,"There's the floor."
"The floor? Honestly. . ." Lily muttered and stood in front of James,looking down at him in exasperation.
"Aren't you going to sit?" James asked.
"No thanks."
"Why not?"
"Because it's probably dirty." Lily explained.
"Yes, it's just littered with rat droppings and other gross stuff." James said sarcastically.
"I didn't mean rat droppings. Just dust and stuff." Lily said lamely.
James laughed,"I'm sure you can get your clothes cleaned,Lily,if it bothers you that much."
Lily sniffed,"I'm sure I could."
"I know you could. So sit down." James persisted,tugging at the bottom of her jeans.
Lily sighed dramatically,"I suppose if I must." And sat down delicately next to James.
"There,see? That's not so bad,is it?" James asked in amusement.
Lily peered around her and ran a hand along a crack on the floor,"I suppose not. . ." She sighed. "Well,this is exactly what I wanted to be doing at 11:30 tonight. Sitting in the middle of a deserted corrior."
James sighed mockingly,"Yeah,me too."
Lily clucked her tongue and push him with one of her arms.
James laughed and put an arm around her shoulders,"How can you not enjoy this? It's so romantic." He looked down at her with a straight face,although a smirk was threatening to play.
Lily glanced warily at his arm around her shoulders and shrugged it off. Then looked up at him with a what-are-you-talking-about expression,"Romantic? Why would it be romantic?"
James just shrugged,"It's dark,deserted. Just us. Alone." He nudged her with his shoulder.
Lily scoffed and laughed in spite of herself,"Yes,then,it is romantic."
"I made you laugh."
"Yes,you did. I was laughing at how ridiculous your previous comment was." Lily said,staring straight ahead.
James took her hand in his.
Lily looked at him,"What are you doing?"
"Trying to charm you,what does it look like?" James asked back.
"Well,it's not working,so. . .stop." Lily said prying her hand from his and scooting away.
James didn't move,just stared at her with a grin,"Oh,come on,Lily. I know you like being with me. . .uh,sometimes. . ."James trailed off. "I mean,there was the time in the chocolate room. I know you liked being with me then. Admit it. You like me."
"What?" Lily asked. "Just because I laughed and joked around with you in a room made of chocolate,I like you?"
"Yeah."
'Well,your wrong,James Potter. Because I don't like you." Lily stated.
"Is that so?" James asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes." Lily answered,looking just over James' shoulder. Then her eyes moved to his face,"Why do you care anyway?"
"Who said I cared?"
Lily gave an irritated sigh,"Why would you be asking if I liked you unless you actually cared."
"Maybe I was just curious."
"Curious?" Lily asked.
"Yeah. Curious." James replied standing up.
Lily watched him through the dark for a moment before standing up as well. "Okay,then. Let's get going again." And began to walk.
James followed.
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"Why again do we have to actually capture a bunch of harmless stick things anyways?" James asked 15 minutes later.
"They aren't completely harmless. They can be dangerous sometimes."
"Really?"
"Yes. If the tree their in is threatened by someone,then the bowtruckle will try to gouge their eyes out." Lily explained.
James scoffed,"Ah. I see now. We need to round up the logs because they could gouge someones eyes out if they attack their tree."
Lily nodded.
"I see perfectly now. I mean,there are so many trees around here!" He said enthusiastically,holding his arms out and looking around.
"I'm just doing as the professors say,Potter." Lily snapped.
"That's all you ever do."
"Pardon?" Lily asked.
"You always do what the professors say. Why not try something new?" James asked.
". . .Like what?" Lily asked.
"Oh,you know. Not do what the professors say." James stated calmly.
Lily looked up at him,"I'd get in trouble."
"Exactly! That's doing something new! Getting in trouble,Lily. Trouble. I know that's a strange concept,but I'm sure you can learn." James teased.
Lily huffed.
James looked around,"But what could we do to get in trouble?" He mused.
Lily rolled her eyes,"That's kind of hard considering we're allowed to be out and about past curfew."
James laughed and look in a classroom,"Oh,we can do other things than be 'out and about' after curfew,Lily,and still get in trouble."
"As long as it's not illegal. . ." Lily muttered to herself.
James heard,"Oh,so,your willing to risk getting in," James paused dramatically and whispered the next word like it was a sin,"trouble?"
Lily's mouthed dropped,"Wait! I-I never said that! I was just commenting that when you risk-bowtruckles!" Lily hissed looking over James' shoulder.
James also looked behind him to see about 20 small stick figures running around behind them. "Those are bowtruckles?"
Lily nodded.
"Their bloody ugly,they are." James commented.
Lily pinched him.
"Ow! Lily!" James hissed rubbing his arm. He brought his arm up,which was pinched,closer to his face to examine it,not paying attention to his surroundings. "I think you made me bleed,Lily!"
Lily's only reply was,"JAMES,HELP!"
James stopped whining about his arm and looked up to see Lily being carried away,on her back,by the bowtruckles. "Woah. Lily-"
"Help me!" She called,"My wand's-hey,that hurt!" She hissed rubbing her elbow and glaring at one of the bowtruckles,"My wand's on the ground. I can't get to it. Stun them,James!" She commanded.
James uncertainly brought out his wand. He hadn't exactly gotten the stunning spell down,Remus had just taught it to him a few days ago. Besides,the stupid logs were jumping around too fast and he could stun Lily on accident.
"Take your time,James! I'm only being carried away by a bunch of sticks that might possibly gouge out my eyes soon-hey!" She said,glaring again at one of the bowtruckles.
"I'm trying,Lily. Wait a second!" James called,pointing his wand at the sticks.
"I don't have a second!"
"Well,get one!" James called back.
The sticks carried Lily around a corner.
James followed,of course,only to find an quiet,empty corridor. "Wha. . .?"
He walked further until he saw that another corridor started in the corridor he had enter. Just as he looked down the new corridor,he also saw a door close. The bowtruckles. And Lily.
James began to run,"I'm coming,Lily! I won't let those tree branches gouge out your eyes!" He yelled heroically,then stopped for a moment,a pain in his side. He bent over panting,"-Huff-I'll save-huff-you. Just let me-huff-catch-huff,huff-catch my breath-huff-."
He gulped and nodded his head in determination,standing straight,"Okay-huff-,I'm coming." And once again began to run,uh,jog,uh,speed walk,uh,walk-stumble. Yeah,stumble towards the door. James stopped in front of it and breathlessly yank it open.
He stopped for a moment sizing up the scene before him,"Er. . ."
In front of him Lily was sitting on top of a desk trying desperately to slap away the bowtruckles,not really succeeding. Actually,not at all. Instead they were all climbing on top of her like monkeys.
"Er. . ."James repeated.
Lily heard him,"James!"
'Er. . .Lily,what are they doing?"
"Well. . .from the way their acting,I'd say they think I'm a. . .tree." Lily stated awkwardly,"Get off me!" She yelled in frustration,shoving one of the sticks off her shoulder.
James laughed weakly,"Well,at least,they won't gouge your eyes out,right?. . .hahaha. . .haha. . .ha. Ha. Uh,I'll shut up." He said after seeing Lily's glare.
"Help me." She stated calmly through gritting teeth.
"Right." James said walking forward only to be met with a bunch of 'hiss!' 's from the bowtruckles. He stepped back cautionously,"Er,Lily,we have a slight problem."
Lily growled and kicked one of the bowtruckles that was crawling up her leg,off her. "What?"
"Uh,well,you know how you said that bowtruckles protect their trees,you know,by gouging the attackers eyes out? And you know how they think your a tree?"
"Get to the point!" Lily shouted,standing on the desk now.
"Well,I think,they think,I'm the 'attacker'. And I think,they want to gouge my eyes out,Lily. I like my eyes. Really I do. I might not see too well without glasses on,but I still like them." James explained watching warily as two bowtruckles walk slowly towards him,hissing every once and a while.
Lily rolled her eyes in exapseration,"Men!" She muttered to herself. "Just throw a few stunning spells,James!"
"What if I stun you?"
"I can be unstunned!"
"Right." James said pulling out his wand again pointing it at the two nearby bowtruckles that were walking towards him. "Here goes nothing." He said to himself. . .
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"I still don't understand how you stunned yourself." Lily said in amusement later as James and herself were walking back to Gryffindor Tower.
James had not heroically saved Lily. No,instead,Professor Flitwick,who was nearby,heard their shouts and came to investigate. Meanwhile,James had somehow,as Lily said,stunned himself.
Professor Flitwick had gotten to the room just in time. The two bowtruckles that had started towards James earlier,were about to give a go at the wonderful technique of gouging.
"Well,I,uh,meant to do that." Lied James.
Lily shook her head and laughed at his expense.
"You know,to,er,distract them."
"Well,you did a wonderful job." Lily complimented.
James shot Lily a look then turned his head forward again.
There was a comfortable silence for a while.
"I'm not even tall." Lily stated out of the blue.
"What?" James asked in bewilderment.
"How could those bowtruckles think I was tree?" She asked quickly. "I mean,I'm not tall-"
"Not all trees are tall."
"Most are and-nevermind. That's not the point. Anyways,I"m not tall and I'm definitely not green."
"Not all trees are green." James pointed out.
"Well,most are! And again,that's not the point."
"What is your point?" James asked.
"My point is that I'm not a tree."
"Okay. Your not a tree."
. . ."Stop that." Lily said after a pause.
"Stop what?"
"Your mocking me."
"I am not."
"Yes,you are."
"I was just repeating what you said." James explained.
"That's the same thing as mocking-oh,well,will you look at that. We're back to the," Lily whispered the rest,"Fat Lady." Lily always whispered the Fat Lady's name in front of the Fat Lady,afraid it would hurt the portraits feelings if she called her fat.
"Password?"
"Oh,hello,Fat Lady." James greeted her pleasantly.
Lily nudged James hard in the ribs,"Hello,Ms.uh,Lady." She said with a nod.
Meanwhile,James was rubbing his side shooting glares at Lily every once and a while.
"Hello. Password?" Was all that Ms.Lady said.
"Bowtruckles."
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A/N:There it is. Interesting little chapter,I suppose. I plan to update 'An Off Course Bet' tomorrow or the next day,then do my Christmas one-shot and start 'I Do' after that.
Thanks for Reading,
Just Another Harry Potter Fan