"You beat yesterday's time by a whole minute!"
James collapsed onto his back breathing heavily. "I feel like my lungs are trying to crawl out of my chest," James admitted and Lily laughed.
"You did good," she assured him, "In fact, I think it's time to get on a broom."
James looked up. "I don't think I'm ready."
"James, you don't need to be a top runner to fly a broom. Just get back on, see what mobility you have."
"I don't want to yet."
"Too bad it's not up to you. I'm your personal trainer remember?" Lily held up the clipboard, to show James the training schedule she'd made for him. "Now, up," she demanded. "You have to do five laps of the pitch on a broom." She summoned his and Sirius' broom from the broom shed and handed him his.
He took it reluctantly, almost as though he was scared though Lily knew better than to think he was scared of the broom. No, he was scared that he won't be as good as a flyer as he used to be. It was complete bullocks, she'd done plenty of reading in the library since she'd designated herself his personal trainer and most experts agree that stamina is only a small part of flying.
"Are you sure about this, Lil?"
"You're not scared, are you?" she goaded, raising an eyebrow.
James muttered incoherently and mounted his broom. Lily kicked off and James, not one to be left behind, followed suit.
Lily hovered in the middle of the pitch watching him as he sped around the perimeter of the pitch. He was made for flying. There was nothing quite like James Potter on a broom, Lily thought. He looked so free, as he twisted and looped, whooping the whole time. Lily laughed because he was such an idiot.
Her idiot boyfriend, moments ago terrified of being on a broom was now whooping as he flew through the air, zig zagging around the Quidditch posts and his laughter floated through the air.
He skidded to a stop next to her and she smiled. "So?" she asked.
He kissed her cheek and grinned. "You were right."
"What was that?" she asked, "Couldn't quite hear you."
"You were right!"
"What was I?"
"You, Lily Evans," James shouted, "My beautiful, talented, smart girlfriend, were right!" Lily laughed as he leaned over to kiss her again, "Wanna race?"
Normally, Lily would say no because it would just boost his ego and she'd never hear the end of how he beat her in a flying race but today, well today she couldn't bring herself to say no.
"Fine," she sighed already knowing she'd lose.
They spent the rest of the afternoon flying together, having races and testing James' strength and aim with a quaffle, James said Lily was a lousy keeper and flipped him off and said, "Not a quidditch player, remember?" She checked the time and gasped. "Merlin, James it's past seven! We've been out here for two hours."
"Oh come on," James pleaded, "Just a bit longer!"
"We're going to miss breakfast," she shouted, already descending. "We'll come out again tomorrow."
James took his time descending, much to Lily's chagrin but when he finally did land next to her, he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on the mouth.
"You're the best," he told her.
"I know," she sighed dramatically. "How will you ever compare?"
Lily and James sat separately in Herbology, Lily electing to sit with the girls and James with the boys and as Professor Postumus announced a partnered assignment. In that moment, students could be seen glancing at their preferred partners across the room. For Sirius glanced at Ella, who glanced at Adaline who glanced at Alice who looked rather put out. Marlene glanced at Nate. Remus and Peter glanced at each other and James and Lily leaned forward ever so slightly to glance at each other.
In the seconds it took everyone to glance, Professor Postumus announced, "I will be assigning partners," and all at once everyone slumped in their seats, waiting now, to see who they would be doomed to work with.
Professor Postumus called out pairs, one by one.
"Dearborn with Black." Ella slumped into her seat as Black grinned triumphantly.
"Lupin with Adams." They glanced at each other and nodded — there were worse partners.
"McKinnon with Burke." Nate pulled a face at Marlene who shrugged.
"Bonham with Potter." James leaned forward to glance at Lily and drew a tear running down his face.
"Vance with Piggens." Alice shrugged — Polly was a gossip but so was Alice.
"Bennett with Pettigrew." Peter finger gunned at Adaline who shook her head in an attempt not to laugh at his antics.
"Evans with Fortescue." Lily froze. James froze. Sirius laughed.
It's not that she hated Andrew Fortescue, couldn't stand him and did her best to avoid all interaction with him, it was just that she hated Andrew Fortescue, couldn't stand him and did her best to avoid all interaction with him. Not to mention the teasing Sirius would force on her. What would Lily even say to Fortescue? Ha, how about that? I'm madly in love with the bloke you told me not to talk to and I was right about him so suck a dick! Yeah no, she didn't think that would flow so well with him.
After class Lily found James immediately and held a finger up to Sirius, "Not a god damned word, you hear me?"
Sirius shut his mouth as James wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple. "It's only two weeks. You guys meet for a half hour, pick a topic and decide who's going to do what. Then you meet a few days before its due to put it all together and there done."
Lily sighed, "I suppose but Merlin, it literally could've been anyone else."
"Yes, I feel that way too," a sour voice said from behind her and Lily shut her eyes in dread.
She turned and said, "Fortescue."
"Evans," he said looking at her and then at the arm still wrapped around Lily, "Potter."
"I, uh, suppose we should pick a time to meet."
"I've Quidditch practice most days … how's Sunday afternoon?"
"Brill," Lily nodded. "Library at three?"
He nodded and then without further ado, walked back to his mates and Lily shuddered involuntarily. "I hate this so much."
"Oh, James!" Helena Bonham called out, running over to them. "We should probably meet up some time to get started."
"Ah, sure," James agreed. "Sunday at the library?"
"Yeah, sure what time?"
"Is three good for you?"
Lily nudged him and he just wagged his eyebrows at her.
"Three's perfect!" she enthused, "See you then."
Bonham walked off back to her friends and Lily sighed, "Wanna swap partners?"
"Not sure you wanna do that, Evans," Sirius smirked.
"Why? Helena's perfectly lovely."
"Yes, Prongs' thought so too all through summer."
"Padfoot," James huffed before turning to Lily. "It's not a big deal."
Her eyebrows raised though at the new information. James and Helena had been a thing during the summer and judging by Helena's warm tone towards James, it ended amicably.
"Yeah, 'course," she coughed slightly, "I just didn't know you two had been a thing."
"It was nothing, just a few snogs in a few bars."
"Right," Lily nodded again. There were things Lily could have said, things she probably would have said if Sirius hadn't been standing right there but he was so she didn't. Instead she said, "Let's head to the pitch yeah? We can knock off today's hour of flying so we can do homework after classes."
"You've been weird," Sirius declared catching up with Ella after Herbology seeing as they were partnered together.
After weeks of sitting together in classes and having meals together, she'd suddenly felt the need to do everything alone or with one of the girls. She sat in between Marlene and Nate during breakfast and yesterday in Charms she made some lame as excuse to go sit with Adaline and Alice when he sat next to her. She had made it pretty obvious that she was avoiding him.
He had foolishly expressed his concerns to his dorm mates last night and they all were extremely unhelpful by asking why Sirius cared for anyways until Remus ended the conversation with, "Maybe she can't stand your ugly head anymore."
"I'm not," Ella frowned.
"You are," Sirius informed her. "Why?"
"I'm not being weird. In fact, you thinking I'm being weird is weird."
Sirius narrowed his eyes. "You're trying to psych me out of my analysis."
"Is that what this is?" Ella asked. "I thought it was you being weird."
"Want to hear my theory?"
"Nothing would make my day more," Ella said sarcastically.
"You're avoiding me."
Ella scoffed, "I am not!" She was but she wasn't going to tell him that.
"You so are. Don't know why though."
"You're delusional. I'm not avoiding you."
Sirius frowned. It wasn't that he was upset that she was avoiding him just that if he had done something to make her want to avoid him, he'd like to know what exactly he'd done because they'd been fine. They had been hanging out like normal up until she decided to start avoiding him.
Maybe she figured out he wanted to snog her.
"Oi! Sirius, Lil and I are going out on the pitch after Transfiguration, want to come?" James shouted across the corridor and the time that it took Sirius to turn his head, Ella slipped away and out of sight.
Sirius sighed as Lily could be heard scolding James. "Why don't you just magically enhance your voice next time? I think there were some owls that didn't hear you in the Owlery."
"He was far away!" James defended.
"He was literally ten steps away," Lily deadpanned.
"Exactly," James said as they reached Sirius. "So you in?"
"In for what?" Sirius said absent-mindedly.
"Maybe you should've magically enhanced your voice. I thought dogs were supposed to have good hearing."
James rolled his eyes. "He's zoned out. He thinks Dearborn's avoiding him."
"He is right here and can hear you," Sirius said pointedly.
"Oh, so now he can hear," Lily teased.
"What do you want?" Sirius huffed.
"Quidditch pitch after Transfig, you in?" James asked.
"Yeah, yeah, you need a decent keeper if you really want to test your aim accuracy."
"Besides, I think I'm going to give it a miss," Lily announced.
"What?" James said, "Why?"
Lily shrugged. "I want to go over my Charms essay again."
"You went over that last night," James furrowed his brows. "In fact you went to Flitwick and spoke to him for twelve minutes about it."
"There's just a few things I'm not happy with yet and this free is the only time I'll have to look over it once more but Sirius is going with you so it's fine. Not a big deal."
"Haven't you heard, Evans? Quidditch isn't just a game — it's a way of life! You have to be there to see Prongsie score."
"Yes," Lily smiled tightly, "Well, apparently it's not a big deal when he does score."
"What's that supposed to mean?" James asked incredulous but Sirius caught the double meaning.
"Nothing," she shook her head. "Come on, we're going to be late."
"I don't want to go to class," Sirius whined.
"I can be your new BFF since your old one is ignoring you."
"Hey, I'm not ignoring him!" James countered.
"I didn't mean you."
"Oh, Ella."
"Ha! You admit it, she is ignoring me!" Sirius cried in victory.
"Only if you admit you want to snog her," James countered.
"You," he lowered his voice, "Don't think she's figured it out, do you? And that's why she's avoiding me."
Lily's mouth dropped and she exclaimed, hitting James' arm, "He wants to snog her! Holy fuck, you fancy her!"
He wasn't even going to bother denying it.
"Shh, would you?" Sirius grumbled before shaking his head, "I'll see you guys on the pitch."
"Just James!" she called after him.
Valentine's day, Lily thought with dread, the one day of the year when there was a spike in detentions because of young couples being found in broom closets and empty classrooms, snogging and shagging.
"We have got to do that patrol," James grinned. "I want to see who's shagging who."
"I will gladly tag along," Sirius had offered but Lily had put her foot down.
"We're doing the patrol," Lily agreed, "But Sirius can't come."
"Wench," Sirius pouted.
It went without saying that they ignored Alice's dot sneaking into a secret passage out of the castle. She'd be meeting up with Frank and Lily and James weren't about to spoil her fun.
"This is incredibly boring," James groaned. "How late do these people want to wait? Even Alice has snuck out already."
"They'll be out soon enough," Lily assured, popping a strawberry in her mouth. "Once the teachers have gone to bed."
Seeing as their date for Valentine's Day had been overrun by patrol, they'd set up a picnic of sorts in the Head's Office. Lily had picked up a basket of fruits and cheeses and a bottle of wine for later from the kitchens and the two sat propped up against the couch, map spread between them.
Lily and James allowed all couples who inevitably snuck out after curfew a half hour before bursting their bubble and sending them back to their common rooms — they weren't complete monsters after all.
"So what did you mean today?" James finally asked her. He and Sirius had talked about it and Sirius had said she was most likely pissed about Helena but Lily wasn't the jealous type and James had already told her it was no big deal.
"Hmm?" Lily asked, still studying the map — Alex Blake was sneaking out. It was odd to know that people could face such tragedies, such as their sister being murdered, and they still went on living.
"When you said 'apparently it's not a big deal when he does score'," James clarified.
"Oh," Lily said flatly.
"Because you know, it was nothing just a few snogs-"
"In a few bars," Lily finished. "Yes, I remember."
"O-kay," James said slowly. "So why do you seem pissed?"
"It's stupid," she huffed.
"Spit it out."
"Well, we — we started as just a few snogs in a few broom closets."
"Lily," he sighed, appalled.
"I know," she exclaimed, "I'm being ridiculous but it's just there. I mean, what makes me so different to Helena Bonham?"
"Lils, I have literally been crushing on you since fourth year. If I ever decide to leave you, hell if you leave me, just avada me and get it over with."
"James," she said, not impressed.
He looked at her for a moment, gauging her cast down eyes and tight jaw. "The difference is I love you."
"You could've loved Helena," Lily argued. "She's pretty, and kind and flawless."
"Please, her food is gossip and she's blonde. I much prefer red heads … and I couldn't have loved her. I've been in love with you since last May." He paused and then cursed. "She was a lame attempt at a rebound, Lily. I wanted to get over you, but I couldn't."
"Oh."
"Alright, Evans?" James asked.
Instead of answering, she propped herself on her knees and leaned over the map, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.
"Alright," she said and he grinned, cupping her face and running his thumb over her cheek before kissing her again.
She pulled back, sitting down on her side and James pointed to the map.
"Your newest friend is sneaking out."
"She said she was with someone," Lily murmured, "Wouldn't tell me who. Movement in the Slytherin common room," she announced. They had each taken charge of two houses, Lily: Hufflepuff and Slytherin, and James: Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Lily rather detested her pick in houses when she spotted Peyton Aitken sneak out to meet Andrew Fortescue. Together they had made their way to the greenhouses where they'd most likely shagged for a half hour before they headed back to their common rooms. Honestly, it was just information she hadn't wanted at this point.
"Ah, Marlene and Nate have finally dared to venture out … looks like their heading to the Room of Requirement. We should crash their date later," James grinned mischievously.
Lily rolled her eyes. "We'll give them an hour. Update on Mia?"
"She looks like she's heading out to the greenhouses. Your Slytherin?"
"Gabriel Lemaire … huh, he's heading to the greenhouse as well."
James raised an eyebrow. "She didn't mention who's house her mystery bloke belonged to?"
"No but she wouldn't get with a Slytherin … would she? Lemaire," Lily considered, "I don't recognise the name."
"He's in sixth year," James told her. "Sirius did a bit of research on his family since Reg and Lemaire became tight in first year. Pure-blood and not the good sort though most of his family is still in France. His parents moved to London when Lemaire's mother got a job as the French Ambassador for the Ministry of Magic."
Lily frowned. Slytherin and pureblood. She couldn't fathom what Mia would be doing with a pureblood Slytherin, one who was a year older than her, she had to be meeting someone else. She wouldn't be stupid enough to get involved with anyone in that crowd.
"So what's on the training agenda tomorrow morning?"
"We get a morning off. We'll go out in the afternoon instead," Lily told him. "Any other sneakers?"
"Quiet. Mia's at the greenhouse and what do you mean in the afternoon?"
"Exactly that — it's meant to be dreadful weather tomorrow morning anyways. Lemaire's approaching … James, what if she's in danger?"
The two dots collided on the page and James raised an eyebrow, "They're definitely snogging."
James watched Lily's anxious expression and stood up, dusting his pants, "Come on. Let's go bust them."
She crawled out of the passage way in the alley behind the Three Broomsticks and Frank was waiting, leaning against the wall and a smile flooded her face as she pounced on him, his lips catching hers easily as he spun her around.
"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetie," he grinned, kissing her lips once more.
"Mm, happy Valentine's Day," she smiled back. "So," she drawled, "What's the surprise?"
He laughed and studied her for a minute, "You seem happy."
Her smile dimmed ever so slightly at the very indirect mention of her mother. She shrugged. Grief had been a fickle thing. Sometimes it was all she could think about. It deterred her from listening in class and she couldn't bring herself to read the chapter assigned. Other times, she was … well, she was how she was before. She was happy and she could laugh and make jokes. Today, well today was one of the other times.
She kissed him sweetly and he smiled into the kiss, pulling her close. "Hope you don't mind us apparating?"
"We're not staying in Hogsmeade?" she asked.
"Please, Hogsmeade is so Seventh Year."
She laughed and pushed him away, "Prat!" He pulled her with him and she landed on his chest, her face merely an inch from his. She soaked his face in, his mouth, his eyes, the way his hair fell over his forehead. She frowned ever so slightly at the new addition to his face that was hidden under his fringe.
"What's this?" She pushed his fringe away from his forehead where a bumpy pink line streaked down his forehead above his left eye.
"It's nothing."
"Frank, that's scarring! It's not nothing. What happened?"
"Auror mission," he said immediately. "Top secret."
"Mission? You're in first year training. You're not supposed to be going on missions until second year."
"It's the fast tracked program."
"You're lying," Alice accused because she knew he was. She had been pouring over the fast tracked Auror Training program for almost four weeks now and fast tracked or not, no one starts assisting in missions until they've had a year of training. First year trainees were only allowed to help with paper work and to go on distress calls. They weren't allowed to go on missions, much less top secret ones.
"Al," Frank sighed.
"What happened?"
"Was it during training?"
"Y-yes."
"You stuttered," Alice noted. "You only stutter when you're not sure."
"Al, I'm telling you it's nothing but I can't tell you what happened."
"Why? Did it even have anything to do with the Auror office?"
"I — of course why would you ask that?"
Alice eyed him. She knew what she was thinking. She was thinking that he joined a certain group of people who fought against Voldemort. He would tell her, right? Emmeline would have told him that Alice knew.
"Is that really a question you need me to answer?" Alice raised an eyebrow. "Just admit it."
"Er … what?"
"It's okay, Frank," Alice insisted, "Emmy told me about it."
"Emmeline told you about what?"
Alice leaned back to look at him better, searching his face. "You really don't know?"
"Know what?"
"I — Dumbledore-"
"What about Dumbledore?"
Alice cocked her head, searching him one last time for any signs that he knew exactly what he was talking about. Finding none, she shook her head. "I — nothing. Don't worry about it." She pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Let's go."
"What don't I know?"
"Nothing," Alice assured him. "Nothing at all."
James and Lily crept up the side of the greenhouse, muttering at each other.
"I don't understand why we can't just bust them?" James sighed, as they ducked under the windows — Lily didn't want to be seen.
"Because then she'll see me as an authoritative figure not a friend and I won't be able to help her."
James watched as Lily peered into the window and wrinkled her face. Lemaire definitely wasn't attacking her then.
"Urgh," Lily groaned. "Look at them!"
"I'd really rather not," James informed her as he made himself comfortable sitting against the greenhouse. "Perving on fifth years making out isn't my idea of a good time."
Lily whacked his arm and slid down next to him. "This relationship has 'no good' written all over it."
"You once said that about me," James pointed out.
"I can be wrong about some things," Lily conceded. James grinned, using his hand to bring her chin and in a moment he had her soft smile on his grin and her fingers threaded through his. She swung her body over his, straddling him as his hands went up her shirt, she hissed at his icy fingers and retaliated by placing her own icy fingers under his collar.
She rocked her body slowly against his, knowing it drove him crazy when she did just that, and pressed her lips against his more roughly. His hands tightened around her hips and she nipped his lip before pushing her hair to one side and moving down to his neck where she nibbled and sucked softly.
"Lils, you gotta stop," he moaned in a way that Lily knew he wanted the exact opposite of what he'd just said. She smirked a smirk that she only could've learned from James himself and asked, "Why?"
"Gotta stop unless you wanna have a go right here." But he pushed her hair back and kissed her lips holding her to him and in that moment, Lily didn't care that they were outside, on damp grass outside the greenhouses or that they were meant to be on patrol.
"I don't wanna stop," Lily murmured into his lips and within a second, James flipped them so Lily was lying on the grass and she let out a squeal followed by a series of giggles that James cut off with his lips.
"Shh," he instructed, pressing kisses all down her neck. "If anyone catches us…"
"Scared, Potter?" she asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
He swooped down and kissed the smirk right off her face, slipping his hand under her skirt and —
"Lily?"
James froze for a moment before fixing Lily's skirt and rolling off her, grateful that his cloak would've blocked the girl's view of what exactly they had been doing though James was sure she got the general idea.
"Mia," Lily said brightly, sitting up and acting as though she hadn't been caught snogging and half way to shagging with her boyfriend outside the greenhouses where Mia herself had been halfway to shagging with her mystery who-wasn't-so-much-a-mystery-now beau.
"What - what are you doing out here?"
"Oh, uh, James and I are on patrols."
"Patrols?" Mia said doubtfully.
"She's quite distracting," James offered, standing up and landing a hand to Lily to pull her up as well.
"It is Valentine's Day," Lily nudged him and from the corner of her eye she could see him biting down his smirk. "Meeting your mystery bloke, Mia?"
"Oh, yeah — we, uh, we heard noises."
"You heard noises and he let you come out alone?" James arched a brow, glancing at Lily.
"He's checking the other side," she explained.
"Oh," Lily nodded as if in understanding. "Well, as Head Girl and Boy… if we catch you out again, we'll have to give you detention."
"Best get back to your common room," James advised. "Anyways we should — we've got stuff to do."
"Yes!" Lily seized the safety line, "Lots and lots of stuff — patrols and all. You know there are some closets on the first floor we still haven't checked yet," Lily said slipping her hand in James' and pulling him away. "Bye, Mia!"
"Some closets we still haven't snogged in yet, I hope you mean," James whispered in her ear.
They could barely contain their laughter as they ran back to the castle as though they had been the ones to be caught out of bed, out after curfew and out of bounds by the two Head Students.
The night was lovely. Frank took her to a fancy restaurant in wizarding London and they ate a pretty meal and everything was perfect … except it wasn't.
Alice re-entered the castle wishing she had never left it in the first place. She wished it was twenty-four hours ago and everything was still the same as it had always been.
The dorm was quiet when she entered, Lily's bed was empty but then she did think she heard faint laughter from the corridor where the Heads Office is. At least someone was having a nice Valentine's Day. Alice stripped her clothes, her cloak thudding against the floor but Alice ignored it and went to the bathroom.
Turning the water on hot, she stepped into the shower and attempted to just wash the entire day away as though the water could clean her life as easily as it cleaned the sidewalk. It didn't but it was a nice delusion … at least until the water went cold and someone was knocking on the door.
"Al?" Ella's voice asked. "Is that you?"
"Y-Yeah," Alice's voice shook from the cold and she noticed the goosebumps on her arms.
"How long have you been in there?"
She really couldn't say. It had been hours. The grey light was creeping through the windows and Alice knew she should be tired and yet, she wasn't. She was wide awake.
"I'm finishing up now," Alice called back.
She stood, shaking from the cold water hitting her and turned the tap off. She pulled a fluffy towel around her and stepped out of the shower and out of the bathroom.
"Merlin, Al! Your lips are blue."
Alice grabbed her wand from off the floor where she'd dropped it the previous night and placed a warming spell on herself.
"Hot water is out," was all Alice said before climbing into her bed and shutting the curtains.
Lily rolled over, expecting to land on James but found nothing but cool blankets and mattress. She opened one eye and sure enough, the bed was empty. She pushed the curtain open and looked around the quiet dormitory. His sport shoes were missing. The rain pelted against the window and how she ended up with such a stupid boyfriend, she did not know because only stupid people elected to go running at six in the morning when it was raining this fiercely. She nestled back into the pillows, letting the music of the rain lull her back into sleep.
By the time she woke again, James was nestled into her, freshly showered and warm. No evidence to suggest he'd been doing something as ridiculous as running in torrential weather. She smiled softly and brushed a damp lock out of his eyes.
"You're insane," she whispered. "Absolutely insane."
"Mm not."
She giggled softly. "You so are."
"Gotta keep my strength," he mumbled without even opening his eyes, "Game."
She shook her head. That bloody Quidditch game was all he ever went on about lately and she'd be lying if she didn't say she'd be glad when the blasted game would be over and done with.
"You're still insane," she told him, checking her watch. It was her birthday and Valentine's day gift — James' excuse at buying her an obscenely expensive gold watch though it was pretty and Lily may love it more than James. The band was a thin, flat rope with an oval face attached — really it was quite a simple watch but there was just something about it that Lily adored even if it was telling her she had already missed breakfast. She sighed and kissed his nose. "Time to get up. We've already missed breakfast."
"Table."
She pushed the curtain open and grinned at the chocolate chip muffin on the bedside table. She kissed him on the nose again. "You still gotta get up." She broke a piece off the muffin and stuffed it in her mouth. "Mmm."
His arms snaked around her, pulling her under him as he nuzzled his face into her neck. "Let's skip."
"Absolutely not!" Lily declared still chewing. "Come on, insane person. Up."
"Too loud," he groaned, as she rolled them over so she was on top. She pressed soft kisses to his mouth.
"A hangover and waking up at six a.m. Will do that to you. If you were normal, like me, and slept in, you'd feel better."
James groaned and pulled her down, hugging — squashing — her to him.
"James!" she groaned. "We gotta get up."
"You're killing me," he mumbled into her neck and she laughed.
"You're killing me!" she corrected. "We're gonna be late!"
"I don't want to go to Potions."
"Too bad you have to."
She tried to get up but his grip was like a vice and she grumbled, "You're half asleep, why are you so bloody strong?"
He smirked and she narrowed her eyes. "Skip with me."
"Get up," she demanded. "Look, even Sirius is up!" She gestured to Sirius' empty bed.
"He's not hungover," James argued.
"James," Lily deadpanned. "Let me up."
"Lily," James mimicked her tone. "No."
She fought to shake out of his arms to no avail. "James," she complained in a whining tone.
"Stay in bed," he pleaded.
"James," she said exasperated. "I'll bite you."
"Oh, kinky. I like it."
Lily clucked her tongue. "You're not even sleeping anymore! You may as well get out of bed."
He rolled them over again and grinned, "Nope. I like it right here."
She bit her lip, "You're infuriating. And insane."
He swooped down to kiss her, letting his lips linger. "So many thing we could do right here…" James tempted, moving his kisses down her neck.
"So many things," she said, "To learn in Potions." She pushed him off, using her legs to keep him at bay. She climbed off the bed taking several steps back. "Get dressed. Meet me in fifteen."
"You might need an extra five minutes for that hair!" James called after her as she reached the door.
She felt her hair and sure enough, it was in all sorts of knots and tangles. "Sod off!" she shouted back. "Fifteen minutes!"
Helena sat down next to James quite unexpectedly and James greeted her with her last name.
"No friends, James?"
"They ditched me," James sighed. "The woes of being the last one to finish my Charms essay. I thought we agreed Sunday?"
"We did," she agreed. "I just wanted to make sure that we'll be okay working together, you know with what happened during summer and all."
"Yeah, I'm good if you are."
Helena smiled dazzlingly, "Perfect."
"James Potter?" a nervous boy asked and James and Helena both turned to see a small first year holding a piece of parchment in his hands. "This is f-for you."
James took the parchment the boy held out to him and thanked him before reading it quickly. James had received a summons to Professor Dumbledore's office via a nervous first year and James did wonder why Dumbledore bestowed these menial tasks to nervous firsties — the prospect of having to send a message from their Headmaster to the Head Boy clearly terrified them.
"What is it?" Helena asked.
"Meeting with Dumbledore." James swore. "I was supposed to meet Lily for dinner."
"I can tell her," she offered.
"Do you mind?"
"Not at all. I was just about to head to the Great Hall anyways."
"Legend," James praised, already starting to pack up his things.
After being seated in the Headmaster's office, James asked, "I'm not in trouble, am I Professor?"
"No, Mr Potter, not at all. Rather, I've summoned you to talk about your future."
"My future?" James asked furrowing his brows. "I already had my meeting with Professor McGonagall." It was quite illuminating. She had asked James what he wished to do for his career, he said professional Quidditch player and she nodded her head in approval and said, "I'll contact some scouts to attend the next Quidditch match." If James' heart had stopped in that moment no one would know but James and he'd never tell — it totally, one hundred percent did though.
"Of course, I merely wish to follow up on her notes and gather some insight."
"Right, er, of course."
"Professor McGonagall informed me that you intend to go on to play professional Quidditch."
"That's correct," James confirmed, wondering why on earth Dumbledore would even be slightly interested in this yet alone enough to summon James to his office for a private conversation.
"You possess the talent," Dumbledore encouraged or complimented, James really couldn't tell. "What are your plans to help the war effort?"
James was stunned. "I — I mean I want to help, of course I do."
"Yet you don't want to become an Auror."
James furrowed his brows. "I mean, I thought about it but I didn't want to be an auror before the war so I reckon I shouldn't want to be an auror now just because there's a war."
"But you want to help."
James nodded. "Yes."
"Like you helped at Flamel Hall on New Year's Eve?"
James cocked his head ever so slightly and said, "Yes," once more.
"Would I then be correct in assuming you are willing to fight for the cause even if you don't want to fight for the Ministry?"
James ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "Yeah, yeah I suppose if the opportunity came, I would fight."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "And what about your friends, Miss Evans, Mr Black, Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigrew?"
"Er, I mean I can't speak for them but as far as I know, they'd be interested in fighting."
Dumbledore nodded and stood. "Thank you, Mr Potter. This conversation was most illuminating."
Was it? James thought because honestly he had more questions than answers at this point. "Of - of course," James agreed. "Thank you, Professor." Though what he was thanking the Headmaster for completely escaped him.
Lily did not like to be made a fool of, especially by people who she was already inclined not to like, such people included Helena Bonham. You see, Lily Evans liked to think she was a good girlfriend. She and James agreed on all the important stuff and she woke up at the crack of dawn to help him get his fitness back up to what it once was. They had sex often and it was pretty mind blowing — Lily didn't think she'd ever get over sex with James. They told each other everything. They were solid. So Lily liked to think she was a good girlfriend.
And she was. I mean which other girlfriend would arrange secret meetings with their boyfriend's best friend to organise the biggest party Hogwarts has ever seen for said boyfriend's birthday? Not a lot so Lily maintained she was a good girlfriend. It was at one of these secret meetings where things started going awry.
James had needed to go to the library to finish an essay and Lily and Sirius took this as their perfect opportunity to actually plan his birthday party, even though it was over a month away so they agreed to meet for dinner. Only he didn't show for dinner.
Lily waited patiently for five minutes and then ten minutes and then fifteen minutes before she started questioning his absence out loud.
"Where is he?" Lily said anxiously. James wasn't the type to keep her waiting — even when she didn't know she was waiting for him.
"Probably got caught up," Sirius suggested, the first time.
A few minutes passed.
"Seriously, where is he? I'm hungry," she complained.
"I'm sure he won't mind if you eat," Alice said from across the table where she was pushing the food around on her own plate with her fork, "It's not like you're married."
Lily furrowed her brows wondering what marriage had to do with eating food. "You all right, Al?"
She nodded.
Lily ate half her food and then asked the golden question again, "Where the hell is James?" right when Helena Bonham walked passed her table.
"Oh, you don't know?" Helena asked.
"Know what?" Lily asked, a million possibilities, and none of them good, running through her mind.
"He's in a meeting with Dumbledore."
"Oh." A meeting with Dumbledore hadn't been one of her possibilities and she was caught off guard. "How do you know?"
Helena shrugged. "He told me."
"I thought you guys weren't meeting until Sunday."
"We bumped into each other in the library. He was doing an essay."
"Right," Lily nodded and everything would have been fine. It really would've if Helena had just decided to walk on but instead she asked, "He really didn't tell you?" with a pitying look before walking away.
Lily turned back to her friends. "Please tell me someone saw that!"
"What?" Sirius asked.
"That - that pitying look she gave me like I should be worried that James didn't tell me about the meeting with Dumbledore."
Sirius shrugged. "She seemed fine to me."
But it didn't take long for rumours to start flying. Rumours claiming that Lily had 'grilled' poor Helena on the whereabouts of James and made Lily seem like some sort of pathetic girlfriend who couldn't trust her boyfriend with an ex-girlfriend — if you could even call Helena that.
"Animals," Lily changed the topic. "Muggle and magic. Go."
"Niffler."
"Rhino."
"Occamy."
"Yeti."
"Imp."
"Pig."
"Gnome."
"Elephant."
"Troll."
"Lion."
"Nundu."
"Unicorn."
"I didn't realise Potter would be joining," Fortescue ruined their fun and Lily's smile faded ever so slightly as James whispered, "Newt."
Lily nudged him but said quietly, "Thunderbird," before addressing her ex-boyfriend. "James is actually meeting with Bonham for their assignment. There weren't a lot of tables left so we thought we'd share."
Andrew, unable to fight her logic as the library was rather full, took a reluctant seat opposite Lily and James just as Bonham approached the table.
"Sorry I'm a little late," she gushed sitting in the seat next to Andrew and opposite James. She smiled warmly and said to James, "Shall we start?"
Lily glanced at Helena unable to find a fault in the girl other than her pretty shade of blonde bangs fell into her gorgeous eyes but Lily's gut knew that Helena Bonham was not a girl Lily should trust.
"So I was thinking we could do the report on the Venemous Tantacula since we covered it last year," Andrew suggested, grabbing Lily's attention.
"Oh, actually I rather hoped to do it on Sleeping Snare."
"We haven't even covered that in class yet," he argued.
"I know but there are plenty of books in the herbology section and I think it'd really impress Professor Postumus if we do a plant we haven't covered in class yet."
"Just because you've been failing classes since break doesn't mean we all have been. I want this assignment easy as possible."
Lily stiffened at Andrew's remark as James glanced at her. She'd made up all her marks in extra credit projects and with Sirius' help had managed to keep that she'd been starting to fail quiet from James.
"What do you think, James?" Helena asked, bringing James' attention back to whatever conversation they'd been holding.
Lily replied to Andrew, "Fine. Venemous Tentacula. I'll do the analysis on benefits and impacts to society and the ways it can be defeated. You can do the introduction, description — with a diagram — since you want this assignment as easy as possible." She grabbed her pile of books leaning over to James telling him she'd be in the common room before leaving the library all together.
Before Fortescue could leave, James leaned on the table. "What did you mean failing?"
"What?"
"You said Lily's been failing."
"She didn't tell you," he realised, "At least I know why she was so pissed."
"She's pissed because you're a dick," James clarified. "And what do you mean she's been failing? Her marks are fine."
Helena nodded, "I heard from Polly who heard from Cecilia Paris who overheard Black telling Bennett that he was helping snap Lily out of it."
"Out of what?" James asked.
"Isn't she your girlfriend?" Fortescue asked sourly.
"Out of what?" James repeated.
"She was a bit," Helena pursed her lips for a bit, "Like depressed or something. Black and her made a scene one morning in front of the Great Hall. Oh, and then there was the whole rain incident that rumours have it, say that Black instigated and people are saying it had something to do with Lily but no one knows what exactly."
James nodded, "Right, 'course. Uh, so we're set to do the report on those cool gravity resistant trees?" James asked.
"Yeah, absolutely."
"Brill," James found himself saying and then shook his head. Lily's slang had creeped up on him. "Uh, I'll do benefits and impacts to society, conclusion and description."
"And I'll do the remainder. Meet up next week, same time?"
"Yeah, brill," he said again and picked up his books. "See you later."
With that he too left the library and didn't stop walking until he spotted Lily in the common room by the fire. She spotted him back and slumped as he approached.
"You were failing," he stated.
"It was nothing," Lily insisted.
"You don't fail, Lils."
"I know, I just I couldn't focus and I didn't want to but-"
"Why didn't you want to?"
Lily sighed. "I don't really want to talk about this again. Sirius already chewed me out — multiple times — and I'm fine."
"I'm not Sirius and I'm also your boyfriend which is my next question. Why didn't you write me about this?"
"I — you were basically learning to walk again, James and it was nothing. I was just unfocused and I didn't see the point in classes and everything. I just — I had a bad few weeks but they've passed and I'd really rather not talk about it."
"What about the rain incident?"
Lily clicked her tongue. "How did you find out about that?"
"Bonham."
"Glad to see you two are getting so friendly," Lily snapped.
"Lils, you know it's not like that. I was grilling her for information and she's a natural gossip."
"Well, what'd she say about it?"
"That Sirius instigated it and that it had something to do with you — and if rain incident means what I think it means, don't tell me it was nothing because clearly it wasn't nothing."
"I was trying to sneak out. I took the map and the cloak and I was going to sneak out. Sirius found out, did what he did best and made a diversion, found me and talked me out of it."
"You wanted to sneak out. To go where? Lily, we're in war! How could you think about doing something so stupid and if the teachers found out, you'd be expelled! What the hell would you want to sneak out for?"
She looked down and said softly, "To see you."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"It was still dumb."
"I know."
"And stupid."
"I know."
"And incredibly dangerous."
She took his hands. "I know James. You don't have to worry. I'm fine."
"But you weren't and you didn't — you didn't tell me."
She pushed his hair off his face and smiled softly, "I didn't want you worrying about me. I wanted you to worry about getting better. Besides," she smiled softly, "I had the best guard dog."
James grinned back and said, "That's true and speaking of animals, demiguise."
Lily leaned back with laughter and retorted, "Eel."
"Leopard."
"Dog."
"Grindylow."
"Walrus."
"Snake."
"Echidna."
And the game went on.
"All right, Lupin," Marlene said in an all business voice. "I need to get an 'O' in Herbology to qualify for healer training and I intend to get it."
"Okay," Lupin said slowly.
"I've narrowed our choices down to the gravity resistant trees, the Sleeping Snare or the Blue Bush."
"How about you choose?" Lupin suggested quite wisely.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
"Let's go with Sleeping Snare."
"I'll go get us some books so we can start." Lupin got up and left Marlene alone at the table in the library. The table in front of her had Lily and James seated opposite Fortescue and Bonham and if that wasn't one awkward table, Marlene didn't know what was. Marlene shuddered at the thought of her and Nate sharing a table with Mia.
"Okay, these are the most notable books about them," Lupin dumped a stack of three books on the counter.
"That was fast."
"Used Lily's spell that searches for books under certain key words."
Marlene huffed, "I could never get that to work for me."
"Took a bit of practice," Remus admitted. "Dead handy though. Shall we start?"
"Yes," Marlene agreed grabbing the first book and flicking it open.
They were reading for not even ten minutes when Lily made a distracting exit from the library and Marlene glanced at Lupin who was looking at Lily.
"You gonna give me the goss on that?" Marlene gestured.
"What goss?"
Marlene raised an eyebrow. "Oh come on, you, Peter, Sirius and James are thicker than a pair of girls who've made a blood promise to tell each other everything."
"Girls do that?" Remus said aghast.
"My point is, you know what's going on there."
"I may know some of it … but, I'll need a trade."
"A trade," Marlene grinned, "Remus Lupin I didn't know you were such a gossiper!"
"Do we have a deal?"
"I've got something," Marlene admitted. "But you first."
"James snogged Helena Bonham during the summer. Andrew and Lily used to date. I'm guessing there's some tension."
"Oh come on, you have to know more. I mean, Lily's convinced that Bonham hates her."
"All I know is that Helena herself started the rumours."
"How could you possibly know that?"
"I have my ways. She told Piggens who told everyone else. Now, your piece of gossip, please."
Marlene wagged her brows, "I found a ring box in the dormitory."
"A ring box?"
"I looked at the ring … it was an engagement ring."
Remus looked surprised. "Whose was it?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "It was on the floor the morning after Valentine's Day."
"That's like half a gossip."
"So was yours," she retorted.
"You owe me more."
"But I knew most of what you told me."
"And I just want you to confirm something," Remus said innocently.
"Name your price."
"Ella's thoughts on Sirius."
Marlene narrowed her eyes. "Why? What's Sirius said?"
"You first."
"She's maintaining just friends but we all think she fancies him. What's Sirius said?"
"Not much though he's been distracted ever since she started avoiding him."
"Interesting."
"Quite," he agreed.
And so a new friendship formed in that library that day, the one of Remus Lupin and Marlene Adams. Of course, if you asked them they'd say they've been friends for seven years but this was when it truly started, bartering for gossip in the library when they should've been writing an essay, a whole six and a half years after knowing each other.
Ella sat down next to Sirius at the common room table and crossed her arms grateful that Peter had enough tact to make himself scarce. She really had wanted to avoid this but it had to be said and he had to hear it. After all, her avoiding him had nothing to actually do about him and it sounded so cliche but it was the truth. Ella avoiding Sirius had everything to do with what Alice had said about Ella fancying him and it was stupid and not fair.
"Okay, I was avoiding you," she said straight off the bat.
"Why?" He got straight to the point and Ella liked that about him.
"Alice thinks we like, like each other which is completely ridiculous because we're just mates and even though I told myself I wouldn't let it get to me, it did and it's completely stupid because you're my best friend and there're things I need to tell you because you're my best friend — I mean, Marlene is too but she has Nate now and, I don't know, you like always know what to say to make me feel better and right now I could use something to make me feel better."
Sirius was struck dumb from the word vomit he'd just heard and the twist in his stomach it had caused. Best friend she'd said but he didn't want her like a best friend. But they were mates first before anything and everything else so he held his mouth shut.
"Besides we've got to do that stupid Herbology project," Ella said breaking the silence.
Sirius nodded, "Yeah so," he paused, "What's been going on with your brother?"
A decidedly safe, much safer, topic, because she was right, they were mates, good mates and he didn't want to ruin that by telling her he sometimes thought about snogging her in a broom closet.
Her worrying about her brother was something he could handle so he listened as she explained very vaguely about the Order of The Phoenix and how her brother was tight lipped on the whole thing.
Sirius shrugged, "Can't say I blame him. If Dumbledore asked me to join a super secret organisation that kicked Death Eater butt, I'd join in a heartbeat."
"Really?"
"Are you kidding me? It would make my mother so angry and I'd get to hex Bellatrix and say it's for the 'greater good'."
Ella shook her head at his reasoning. "That's barbaric."
Sirius smirked. "You know what's truly barbaric? You cared what Alice Vance thought."
Ella hit him and said, "Piss off. She got in my head with her knowing smirks and I just-" Sirius couldn't help his laughter and she hit him again. "You're a right prat, Sirius Black."
Your prat, he thought. "Don't you forget it."
"Oh, James!" Helena called from across the hall. She jogged over to him and landed her hand on his arm. "I was hoping to catch you!"
James took half a step back, she took half a step closer. "What's up?"
"I know we said we'd do our sections and then put them together at the end but I just want to make sure we're both on the right page so I was hoping we could meet tomorrow to see what we've got so far."
"Oh, uh, tomorrow's actually not good. Lily and I are heading out to the pitch after classes before the Hufflepuff's have training."
"You can't do after?"
"I've got homework to do," James explained.
"You couldn't re-arrange with Lily?" she suggested, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind."
"I can't. Lily's got me on a strict flying schedule," he said fondly.
"Oh, I hope she's not overworking you. It'd be a shame if you were to burn out in the match against Hufflepuff — you know, except it wouldn't."
James laughed. "Lily's actually slowing me down. If I had it my way, I'd be in the air every second I could. She was sick of losing me to the pitch so she made me a schedule and helps me train — get my stamina back up since the, er, incident."
"She sounds supportive," Helena said and though she smiled, she didn't seemed quite so supportive of the fact that Lily was a supportive girlfriend.
"Look, I'm sorry, I can't meet up tomorrow but the next day we can meet up after classes."
Her smile widened and she almost purred, "Perfect."
"Great," James agreed. "I'll meet you in the library."
"It's a date," Helena agreed before practically skipping off and before James even had time to reflect on Helena's choice of words for their study plans, Alice appeared next to him.
"She likes you," Alice noted once Helena was out of ear shot.
"What's not to like?"
"No, I mean she wants to shag you, likes you."
"The only person I'm interested in shagging is Lily," James told her.
"I'm just warning you that Bonham has other intentions besides doing a Herbology assignment with you. I mean, seriously? It's a date? No one says that about assignment meet-up plans."
James ran a hand through his hair. "Thanks for the heads up. You seen Lily?"
"She forgot something in the dorm. She said she'd catch up."
"Her mum just died, Ella," Marlene reminded her as if anyone needed reminding. "She's allowed to have a few bad days."
"She's been like this since she came back from her date with Frank on Valentine's Day. That was over a week ago!" Ella argued. "People don't shower until the hot water runs out and then sit in it cold for hours."
"You don't know it was hours," Lily pointed out.
"Her lips were blue — they may as well have been ice!"
"I think you're exaggerating," Marlene said.
"It was dark and you were half asleep," Lily added. "It was probably just a shadow."
"Oh, what would you two slags know? You weren't even in the dorm that night."
"Don't hate just because we had better places to be," Lily wagged her finger.
"Better people to shag," Marlene coughed under her hand, correcting Lily. "I mean, you've got a perfectly good bloke to shag if you just admitted-"
Ella rolled her eyes. "Oh please! Can we not make this about whatever you nutters think is going on between Black and I? Can we focus? This is about Alice," Ella reminded them desperately but Lily was checking her watch and Marlene was reading yet another information pamphlet titled Healer Training Entry Requirements.
"I gotta go. Need to meet James at the pitch."
"See you," Marlene farewelled as Lily pushed pamphlets into her own bag and left. "I really, really need to pick up my Herbology marks," Marlene said glumly. "You need an 'O' and I'm averaging at an 'E'."
"Oh, shut up about NEWTs for five minutes," Ella demanded. "Something is wrong with Alice."
Marlene tsked. "Ella, it's called grief. If she wants space just give her some space. Do you really think no one had questions about your black eye at New Years? Of course, the girls asked but I told them not to bugger you about it because you didn't need them poking their noses where it doesn't belong," Marlene said firmly. "Just let Alice alone. If she wants to let you in, she will."
Ella stood up furiously and walked away. No matter what Marlene said, Alice wasn't grieving — well, she was but the state she'd been in since Valentine's Day wasn't because of grief — something happened. Ella just knew it.
"James!" Helena approached the Gryffindor table where the group was eating lunch and James sighed. He'd met up with her only two days earlier and they did five minutes of work before Helena trapped him into talking. It wasn't even interesting talk, it was mostly small talk about what they wanted to do after school but then rumours had flown about them having a friendly study date.
Lily was taking it like a champ but James — not so much. Of course, he was happy that Lily wasn't getting mad but this wasn't something she should have had to deal with in the first place.
"Oh, Lily," Helena said as though surprised to see the two seated together. James grabbed Lily's hand on the table. "Do you mind moving over, Lily? I need to show James something about the Herbology assignment."
Before Lily could make her own remark, Sirius who was sitting on the other side of Lily jumped in and said, "I mind, actually."
Helena frowned. "Why?"
"Well, for Lily to move over, I have to move over which means Remus has to move over and he's having a lovely conversation with Marlene who's seated directly opposite him and it would completely throw off the table dynamic. Wouldn't you agree, Moony?"
"Completely," Remus agreed, before jumping back into whatever he and Marlene were talking about.
"Don't forget that James gets rather nauseas when he doesn't meet his Lily quota for the day," Ella reminded him.
"Nauseas?" Helena questioned and Lily covered her laughing mouth with her hand, trying to stifle it.
"Sirius complains about it all the time," Ella shook her head.
"Yeah, when James doesn't get enough of his Lily-Flower he just starts vomiting all over the place, right Moony?"
"Right," Remus agreed again, stopping mid-sentence to Marlene before continuing where he left off.
"Merlin, Lils," James exclaimed, "I don't know why you're still with me."
"So high maintenance," she agreed, before turning to Helena. "You can sit." She stood up, trailing her hand up James' arm and snaking her arms around his shoulder, resting her chin on his shoulder so her mouth was by his ear. "Hurry up so we can meet a different kind of quota," she whispered suggestively in his ear, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
She winked at him before turning and leaving and James' brain had turned to mud as he watched her all but skip down the Great Hall, taking no notice of Helena taking Lily's seat.
Almost absently he asked, "What'd you want?" to Helena.
"Oh right," she said. "I wanted to invite you to my birthday. It's the weekend after the match, we're having a party in the Hufflepuff common room."
"I thought you wanted to show me something about the assignment," James pointed out.
"No, I didn't."
Sirius rolled his eyes over Helena's head and James shook his head. "Well, that's — okay. I gotta go," James checked his watch. "Something is urgently waiting — I mean there's someone urgent I need to — I mean, I've got quotas to meet." James hastily stood and made his escape out of the Great Hall, leaving Helena at the Gryffindor table where James kind of hoped Sirius would make her cry like he made Mia Scott cry.
"Merlin, took you long enough." Lily pulled him into her as soon as he entered the Entrance Hall.
James wrapped his arms around her, lowering his lips to hers. "She's more annoying than a fucking flickering light."
Lily raised an eyebrow, "Nice metaphor."
"It's apt," he told her seriously before pulling her closer and lowering his voice, "Now, I remember you mentioning something about quotas to meet…"
James paced in front of his teammates.
"We've got this," he told them, "Our name has been on the cup the last four years in a row and I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be on it this year! We are an excellent team! You are all freaks of nature and we've trained harder than ever before. We've got this!"
"James, calm down," Bennett said, "It's Hufflepuff."
"That means nothing," James said firmly. "Rogers has put together the strongest team I've ever seen from Hufflepuff. They beat Ravenclaw and only lost by ten points to Slytherin. Do not underestimate them. Podmore, if you see that snitch, go for it but only if we are up by thirty. Roberts and Bell, I want you distracting any active players but no fouls. We don't want there to be any reasons for them to score easy goals. Peverell, the Blake chasers mostly favour the right hoop but don't neglect the other two, Alex Blake likes to feint and Daniel Blake likes to charge at the hoops only throwing the quaffle from five meters away — don't call his bluff. Stick to the hoops."
"We know how to play, Potter," Bennett said, "You trained us well."
"Right and chasers," he said, pausing for a moment, "I know I've been fine in practice and training but … if I start to lag behind, you don't think, you just go."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "You're doing triple loops, I think your flying is fine, Prongs."
"Shut it, Black." James turned to the team, "Let's go win us a trophy."
"And if any of you cost us this game, I'll personally hang you upside down off the chandelier in the Entrance Hall," Sirius threatened and the team laughed.
They trudged off onto the pitch, holding their brooms. The Gryffindors in the stands went wild and James smiled when he saw the poster of a lion knowing that Lily was sitting in the crowd there. The wind was ferocious and James was worried, when flying they'd have to adjust flying courses and throw the quaffle harder.
James shook hands with the Hufflepuff captain and then resumed their positions. Mister Jacobs blew the whistle and James kicked off hard. Sirius caught the quaffle and threw it to James who threw it back to Sirius who threw it to Adaline who scored!
"Brilliant first shot by Adaline Bennett!" Chris Abott commentated, "Potter intercepted the quaffle! Doges a bludger from Bones! Passes the quaffle to Black, Bennett, back to Potter and SCORE! Gryffindor up by twenty to zero!"
The crowd went wild with screams and James quickly stole a look to where he knew Lily would be — the lion on the poster roaring — and a red head cheering behind it.
"G Blake off with the quaffle, passes to A Blake, passes to AND INTERCEPTED BY BENNETT! Bennett passes to Potter, to Black, back to Bennett, to Potter and he SCORES!"
Just as the quaffle had left his finger tips a bludger hit his shoulder from behind. At the same time, a gust of wind blew against him, James grabbed his broomstick firmly to keep his balance.
"All right, Prongs?" Sirius asked flying past him. James shot him a thumbs up as he rolled his shoulder. Pain shot through it but he decided he could play through it. He could do this. The pain in his shoulder would still be there after the game.
"Potter seems to be having trouble with that left arm after Bean aimed a bludger at him," Abott commentated. "But he's flying down the pitch determined to get the quaffle out of Hufflepuff hands. Roberts aims a bludger at D Blake, who swerves to miss it but drops the quaffle! Black and Blake race after it AND BLACK CATCHES IT! Black zooms down the pitch and he shoots and HE SCORES! GRYFFINDOR IS UNSTOPPABLE TODAY!"
"And Blake is off with the quaffle, passes to A Blake, passes to G Blake and narrowly misses a bludger, passes back to D Blake who shoots and SCORES! The Blake brothers are keen to prove their power today!"
James flew over to Lottie Podmore, "Catch the snitch. Now. I don't know how long I can play with this arm." Before flying back to where Adaline and Sirius were passing the ball.
"Black passes to Potter, who streamlines down the field and then passes to Bennett who shoots and SCORES! The score is eighty to twenty! Can Hufflepuff catch up?"
The Gryffindor stands go crazy and James high fives Sirius, before they streak down the field to try to get the ball off of Hufflepuff. Just as Sirius intercepted a pass and gained possession of the quaffle, James noticed Podmore and Rogers bolting towards the left goal hoops.
"DEAN AIM A BLUDGER AT BONES!" James yelled out as he noticed Jasper Bones getting ready to aim a bludger at Podmore. "LIZ AIM ONE AT ROGERS!"
They followed his orders and with the Hufflepuff's distracted by the two well aimed bludgers, Lottie caught the snitch and-
"GRYFFINDOR WIN!"
That was all James heard before a bludger he saw too late smacked into his head.
Frank loved Quidditch. James Potter had fallen off his broom and that was all Alice could think. He'd have been talking about this game for days. For the first time since Valentine's Day — only a small month prior — she pulled out Frank's gift, also known as The Unbearable Weight from her pocket and opened the small box.
It was gorgeous. A round cluster of diamonds on a yellow gold band, simple yet flashy, understated but beautiful. She closed it quickly as the thought of putting it on ran through her mind. It was ridiculous. She was seventeen. People who are seventeen don't try on engagement rings. People who are seventeen count themselves lucky to have a boyfriend let alone think about getting married.
And the proposal was terrible. Alice could not have taken it worse.
"Marry me."
Alice froze. "W-what?"
"Marry me," he repeated and as if Alice's heart needed another reason to stop, Frank pulled out a ring box. "I've been thinking about this a lot and-"
"Stop!" Alice shook her head. "Stop this is lunacy! Completely and irrevocably crazy! We're not even in our twenties! I haven't even finished school and you want to get married! Why don't you ask for a baby while you're at it!"
He grabbed her hands and looked her square in the eye. "You haven't seen the things I've seen, Alice. The world is cruel and - and lives are cut short too soon and the only thing I've learned is that I don't know a damn thing about the world. I don't know who will win the war. I don't know how many more people will die for this. I don't know when it'll end." He licked his lips. "But I can tell you what I do know. I know that I love you. I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know that life's too short to wait. So marry me, Al."
"I don't," Alice shook her head her brain unable to comprehend. "I'm seventeen!"
"That's not an answer."
"I - I - I — This is crazy! You're crazy!" Alice shouted pushing him away. "W-Why? Why would you ask me this? I haven't even finished school! I — I don't even know where this came from! Was this your mother's idea?"
"Alice," Frank said incredulously, "I wouldn't propose to you because my mum wants me to."
"Then why?" Alice asked fiercely.
"I love you and I want to be with you."
"We don't have to be married to be together! Frank!"
"So you're saying no," he said.
"What did you honestly expect, Frank?" she asked before cursing, "Damn it!" she shouted slapping him. "Damn you!" She shoved him away.
"For loving you?"
"No!" she shouted, pushing her hair back. "For proposing!" The water works were going to start. She was newly familiar to the sensation and she had a minute maybe two before the tears really came on.
"Is it really such a terrible idea?"
"Se-ven-teen!" Alice spelled out. "I — I have to go. I've got Potions tomorrow morning."
"Al," he grabbed her pulled her close and kissed her roughly and sweetly all at the same time and it was just her and Frank and she forgot what he had asked her until he pulled away. He shoved the box into her pocket and said, "Just think about it."
She hadn't heard from Frank since, he was clearly giving her space but she could feel the pressure. The pressure to say yes to this crazy idea and he was miles away and no one but the two of them even knew he had proposed and that she'd freaked. She didn't think she was being unreasonable.
Marriage was something that had only ever come up in passing conversation. An understanding that one day, in the far future it would most likely happen. But not now, not at seventeen and still at Hogwarts. Her own parents hadn't married until they were twenty-four. It just wasn't normal to marry so young. They were still kids for Merlin's sake.
Alice hadn't even touched the fact that Frank had most likely joined the Order of the Phoenix. Didn't want to analyse why he could ask her to marry him but not tell her about the Order.
The dormitory door opened and Alice shoved the ring box under her blankets just as Lily walked in.
"Hey, I didn't know you were up here," Lily said, sitting on her own bed, not noticing that Alice had been in deep thought moments before.
"Yeah, just, uh, thinking. How's James?"
"Still hasn't woken up. Sirius sent me away to change my clothes." Now that Lily had mentioned it, Alice noticed the mud smeared all across her clothes. "You all right?"
"Hypothetically speaking," Alice said slowly, "If James were to propose right now … would you say yes?"
Lily looked up and studied Alice. "I never really thought about it."
Neither had I but here I am, Alice wanted to say. "But if he did?" she pressed.
"I think I'd say yes."
"You're eighteen!" Alice protested. "What about your future and aren't there things you want to do before you get married?"
Lily considered, "I know I am and as for my future, there's nothing I wouldn't be able to do if I was or wasn't married." Lily shrugged. "What's brought this on?"
"Nothing," Alice assured.
Lily dropped the subject and after showering and changing left Alice in the dormitory more confused about what she should do than before.
Lily almost collided with Helena Bonham on her way down to the kitchens and Lily frowned at the basket of sweets Bonham held with a massive envelope reading 'James' with a heart.
"Oh, Lily," Bonham said unenthusiastically and then, with a bit of a skip she asked, "How's James? I was just off to see how he is."
"He's still unconscious," Lily informed bluntly. "Madam Pomfrey isn't really allowing visitors right now. I can take that to him if you'd like."
"Oh I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will let me in for a moment to drop this off."
"He's only allowed two visitors and Sirius and I are already there."
Helena looked Lily up and down and said, "Well, you're not there right now. You don't mind if I pop in to drop this off. I mean, James and I are friends after all."
"Friends?" Lily raised an eyebrow. "You had a summer fling and then never spoke to each other again until you became assigned partners in a herbology assignment six months later."
"Oh, you know about, uh, that."
"Yes, I do. James told me." Slight lie but she didn't need to know that and James hadn't really hid it from her, he just hadn't thought to mention it.
"You don't need to feel threatened, Lily," Helena assured her and Lily raised an eyebrow. "I mean James has never held a girlfriend for longer than six months before and you're on what? Like month four now? So I'd say you have about two months before you should start to worry."
Lily laughed, "I'm not worried."
"Really?" she asked seeming genuinely surprised. "James will get over his infatuation with you soon enough like the other girls."
"Yes but none of those girlfriends were me," Lily retorted, hearing James' voice saying 'you're different … I love you' in her head like a mantra.
Helena rolled her eyes. "What makes you so special than all the other girls?"
Lily raised an eyebrow and then what came out of her mouth next, she really had no control over but it shut Helena freaking Bonham up and sent her running with her tail between her legs. She even gave Lily the gift basket.
Lily smiled triumphantly at her victory over Bonham before what she'd said really set in and then there was panic as she wracked her brains for any plausible reason why she said what she said.
She arrived at the Hospital Wing and still had found no good reason other than Helena Bonham being a twat and a tart. If this were the era where people were still titled as Philip the Great, Bonham would be Helena the Tarty Twat.
"Took you long enough," Sirius huffed. "Git still hasn't waken up though. What's that?" he nodded at the basket in her hand.
Lily nodded and then said, "I think I may have started a rumour."
"What kind of rumour?"
"The bad kind," Lily looked at him, and Sirius clicked his tongue impatiently.
"Come on, Evans. Spit it out."
"That me and James, that — Merlin, I should just say it. Okay, okay, um," Lily breathed in, "I may have told Helena Bonham that James and I are married."
Author's Note: Hello Everybody! Super long chapter tonight but I loved it too much to cut it down so I hope y'all like long chapters.
Please follow, fav and review! It really means a lot to me :)
The next chapter is more than halfway done, it's mostly lighthearted though we do get a look at what life is like for Regulus - he won't be a regular POV character but I just feel like this is needed for a plot that happens way down the line.
As always, thank you so much for reading, especially since my chapters just seem to be getting longer and longer ... the next chapter is already over 7000 words, lord help me keep it to ten thousand since this chapter spectacularly failed and made it to just over 12000.
Thank you again! And sorry for being extra ramble-y tonight.
-Natalie xx