Authors Note:
Well don't I feel like an idiot – I make a whole speech about summer and hot weather and the next day it isn't even that warm -.- As an apology I've written an entire chapter in one day I deleted that stupid summer thing because it was there saying "Hey Hannah, guess how much you've let people down?" and now I look a bit mental so I'm going to stop talking before I say something stupid.
The gang sat around the table at Breakfast on Monday in complete silence. Sasha was missing. Everyone had just avoided each other the day after the incident, not wanting to discuss what had happened, and Remus had been in the hospital wing to be treated for the burn marks that had formed all over his body after being tied up; Peter had spent the day in the kitchen eating cake after cake that the elves made for him out of pity; Lily and Remus had retired to opposite ends of the library sat in a corner transfixed in books so they could escape Saturdays events; James had taken his frustration out on the quidditch pitch, pelting bludgers as if they were the Slytherin's face; Sirius had just spent the day asleep on his bed, not being able to get off because the blamed everything on himself; and Kara had just sat under the oak tree wishing for Sasha's safety as none of them knew where she had been taken. But now they had to face each other.
"This bagel is nice" Remus said desperately trying to break through the painful silence. Nothing.
"This is ridiculous!" James finally spoke up after another five minutes of silence "This is exactly what those gits want, us apart! Well we can't let them win, guys, we know we're right to instead of avoiding each other we should be getting our own back on them for what they've done to us!" He just received a bunch of blank looks. It clearly wasn't the time to start making amends.
That evening everyone had scattered to opposite ends of the common room, Lily was sat by the fire reading her book peacefully when James appeared out of no-where and jumped onto the other side of the couch.
"Heyya Lils" He said brightly.
"James, it's really not the time right now" she mumbled, inside she was still worried about Sasha.
"It'll never be the right time" He said, hurt because of her dismissal. "Anyway shouldn't you be on your prefect rounds at the moment?"
"Since when have you ever cared about prefects?" Lily didn't believe James at all.
"Well luckily for you tonight I changed my mind, I'll have you know one of my best friends is a prefect! Now I can't have you dismissing your duties so I'm going to have to come with you to make sure you do them" He smiled and held out his hand. Lily cautiously took it and they strolled out of the common room. They walked in silence for a while.
"Why did you change your mind" James randomly said as they walked past the Great Hall.
"Why did I change my mind about what" Lily asked with a puzzled expression.
"About hating my guts, why did you suddenly like me?" Lily was shocked as this question because she didn't actually know the answer herself.
"A lot of things you didn't even realise you were doing" Lily put vaguely, getting an extremely confused look "Ok, Ok, did you really expect me to believe your story about that damn spider forever?"
"You knew?" James cursed Sasha and Kara for not helping him out.
"It's not a bad thing! Anyway that's what changed my mind. You never bragged, old you would have spent weeks claiming you're my knight in shining armour and I was forever in your debt like you did when you stopped that pork pie hitting me"
"Oh yeah, you never did pay me back for that" James braced himself for the moment Lily realised he was still a total idiot and ditched him there and then but luckily she just laughed it off.
"Hang on, we don't do round outside" Lily said suspiciously.
"Well we do now" was all James said as he pushed open the door and lead Lily outside and to the lake.
Underneath the willow tree was a picnic blanket with a basket carefully placed on top, a vase brimming with lilies was next to it. Surrounding the blanket was what looked like a hundred candled which gently flickered in the pitch black.
"James?" Lily asked as he lead her over to the blanket and sat her down on it "what's all of this?"
"Well Lily, I was sat in a charms lesson today and it suddenly came to me that we hadn't actually been on a date yet, and I couldn't wait until we could go to Hogsmeade – how overdone is that? So I did this" He beamed down at his hard work.
"It's amazing" Lily said, gobsmacked at the effort as James pulled out a plate of jam donuts "I see you're playing up to my love of food"
"What can I say, I treat my girl right" James led her down to the blanket, chuckling as she bit into a donut making the jam spurt down onto her top. After awkwardly cleaning herself up Lily looking around them smiling.
"I mean it is beautiful, but I do feel a bit iffy being sat around candles with a Marauder, plus to be honest I never really understood how something as deadly as fire, when placed on top a stick of wax, is suddenly supposed to become romantic"
"You really know how to kill the mood don't you" James blew out some candles around him "Although Sirius did help put these up so I would be wary..."
Getting up without taking her eyes off the candles, Lily moved out of the danger zone and sat cross legged facing him "Yeah I'm going to be here because I do really value life"
"Running away from me already Lils" James sniffed, fake crying.
"Who would have thought mocking and terrible pick up lines weren't enough to keep a girl?" Lily went into a fake deep thought mode before laughing at the hurt look on James' face.
"There was me thinking it was the manliness practically radiating off me" As if to prove him wrong an unlit candle behind him fell over, making him leap into the air squealing and stamping on it.
"Yup, radiating" Lily giggled crawling over to him and pulling him back down to the blanket, almost kissing him before James rolled over on top of her.
"Aha! The points go to mocking and terrible pick up lines!" He cheered, enjoying how beaten Lily looked.
"I have to admit James 'I Dumble-ADORE you' was one of your greatest"
"Really?" James' eyes lit up, that one had taken him and Sirius days to come up with.
"No." Lily ruffled his hair "But it was a damn good try"
"It was" He pouted, before smiling and pulling Lily back towards him, finally kissing her.
"Oh my God" Was all her mind could think about as she walked up to the castle I can't believe this – Lily and James?!"
Shanice had gone back down to the lake to fetch her hair brush which she'd left down there the day before when she'd heard laughs coming from the willow tree. Ever the most nosey person at Hogwarts she hid in the bush behind where the noise was coming from.
"Running away from me already Lils" She heard a deep say, completely shocked that Lily Evans might actually have a boyfriend she took a moment to compose herself and think over what sort of snide remark she was going to make as she leapt out at them, but before she could she heard another voice say:
"I have to admit James 'I Dumble-ADORE you' was one of your greatest" Hoping that it wasn't James Potter Lily was talking to she peered through the bush to find Lily Evans and James Potter surrounded by candles making out underneath the willow tree. Unable to hold in her jealousy, disgust, and urge to gossip she ran up to the castle, and that's when she found herself stood on a table in the common room shouting to everyone in there.
"People I have an announcement you'll all love!" She shouted over the noise.
"Are you finally leaving?" Sirius shouted back, expecting the Marauders to all laugh and high five him, then realised they were all spread out over the common room not wanting to speak to each other.
"No Sirius, you dick, more important than that!" She had the whole common room hanging on her every word. "Lilly Evans…"
"Oh God what now?" Sirius thought to himself.
"Is currently snogging the face off none other than James Potter!" The whole common room erupted into laughs of disbelief, and shocked mumbles. everyone in the school knew about their on-going feud. Sirius leapt up off his chair and laughed jokingly.
"Oh haha Shanice, good one, nearly had me there" he laughed trying to pull her off the table.
"Yes. What a totally incomprehensible accusation you have made there" Remus stuttered awkwardly, getting up as well and walked over to her, he and Sirius met eyes and smiled at each other for the first time in three days.
"Don't you dare try and pull the wool over my eyes, I just went outside and saw them!"
"God James moves fast," Sirius thought to himself before dragging Shanice off the table and whispering in her ear.
"How on earth is it any of your business you cow! Just because you're jealous because Lily has James and you're a lonely freak who has to do things like this to get attention"
"Sorry Sirius, but I've clearly won here!" and with that she flounced out of the newly shocked common room and skipped up the stairs.
Lily walked into the Great Hall the next day and it went completely silence. As she walked to the spot where everyone was sat there were whispers, the odd wolf whistle, and someone shouted "Slag!" at her.
"What on earth's going on?" She asked the Marauders who just looked down shamefully and their breakfast and didn't say anything.
"Hi Lily" Some random Ravenclaw waltzed up to her smirking "Are you Ok today? It looks like you slept outside!"
"What?" She looked confused.
"Hey Lily!" a Slytherin yelled "fancy a snog sesh' with me?"
"Shut it you prick!" Sirius yelled at them "You don't know the half of it!"
"Ok, Sirius tell me what's happened, NOW" Lily said sternly, looking him straight in the eye.
"Oh no, is poor Lily confused?" Shanice giggled as she skipped over to her "Let me give you some advice, next time you start kissing people don't do it in the open where, oh I don't know, a gossiping person might see you?" before Lily could reply she walked off laughing.
"Lily, we tried to stop her…" Sirius started.
"No, no it's fine. People were going to find out anyway, and…" Lily's voice was cut off by the ever imminent sobs that were escaping her mouth. "Sorry I need a moment" and with that she ran out of the room to chimes of "Slag!"
"Hey guys have you seen Lily?" James started to ask as he plonked himself down next to the Marauders, a massive smile on his face.
"Uh, James" Sirius wanted to explain but before he could the group of girls that they called 'James' fan club' stormed over.
"HOW COULD YOU JAMES?" one of them yelled "WE WERE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER!"
"I thought you were different" one sobbed.
"Can I get an explanation please?" James looked at them all completely baffled.
"That bitch Lily" one of them scorned "Of all people James, God she's such a slag snogging you on the first date"
"Lily's not a slag!" James argued "Don't you dare say that again"
"God what a witch, she's got him completely fooled" The second one sobbed. "Come on girls lets go, he's not worth it!"
"Hi Sirius!" One smiled as they walked off.
"Great" Sirius muttered "I'm not signing autographs like you did"
"Great pretty much sums it up Pads, people now hate Lily and it's all my fault! I better find her before they do" Before James got up Remus stopped him.
"They kind of already did" He took pity on his friend, he was always in the public eye.
"Then she'll be on the balcony" James knew for certain and he was off.
"Lily?" He asked as he put his head around the door of the balcony.
"What?" She said through the waterfall of tears pouring down her face.
"Oh Lils, it'll be alright!" James sat down next to her and embraced her in a massive bear hug "I'll always be here to protect you. Don't listen to those girls, they're just jealous"
"Don't flatter yourself" she managed to chuckle.
"I mean if anything you've done me a favour, Amos' wardrobe was almost full up of soft bears and love letters"
"You saved them?" Lily rubbed away tears and raised her eyebrows at him.
"I mean, they spend a lot of money on them, and some of their poems are truly touching..." He started to explain before realising it wasn't exactly helping.
"Why are they so stupid?" Lily punched the floor "I hate teenagers, they're so bloody judgemental and bitchy. I refused to let any of them get to me but it's pretty hard doing that when you're surrounded by a large group of people all hurling abuse at you"
"If it helps you'll always have a group of four idiots at your service. We specialise in beating people up who mock and belittle you, I think Sirius punched five guys in the face for calling you a slag, they won't be doing it again"
"Wow this is too much power, I could essentially become mafia boss of the school" Happy that Lily's mood had lifted James took her hand and pulled her up, putting on his worst gangster accent.
"Well baws, tell us who and where and they'll be swimmin' with the fishes" before leading her out through her jokes about his terrible accent.
"Sasha!" Kara screamed that evening when they were all sat in the common room when Sasha stumbled through the painting. Lily and Kara leapt up out of their chairs and threw her into their arms.
"Tell me what happened. Are you alright? Where were you? What's going to happen? Did you tell them what they did? What's going to happen now?" Lily babbled all of these questions that had been playing on her mind.
"I don't know" Is all Sasha said as she shuffled up the stairs to her room desperately trying to hold in her tears whilst they were in front of the rest of the common room.
When they were up in their dorm that's when she broke down.
"They wouldn't listen!" She wailed "They said that no matter how serious it gets the teachers should always be the first people you go to, not attack the people back with one of the worst curses imaginable. They called me incompetent, untrustworthy, and they're seriously considering snapping my wand" That's when the tears just took over and she couldn't say any more.
"Oh Sasha" Lily couldn't think of anything else to say "It'll be alright, we're here to help you," Although she was just reeling off a load of comforting words she'd heard on TV.
"But it won't!" She sobbed "Being a wizard is my life, they can't take it from me! I have no idea what I'd do if I didn't have magic. I'll find out what's going to happen next week"
"Just try to forget about it, Sash, no matter what happens we'll always be there for you. You don't want people thinking the Slytherins have won so just hold your head up high, and we'll be here to catch you if you fall" Say what you want about Kara, but when she puts her mid to it she can be the best friend ever.
"Thanks Kara" Sasha forced out a smile.
"Anyway, there's a Quidditch match on Saturday, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and after what happened last time they played I'm pretty sure the Slytherins are going to be pretty annoyed" Sasha smiled at this.
"It doesn't really help, but thanks anyway. If it's all the same I just want to be alone now" Sasha crawled into her bed and fell straight asleep.
The gang were all sat around the table stuffing their faces with hot chocolate and croissants when the owl mail came. The daily profit landed directly In front of James.
"Thanks John!" James called up at his owl as he through it a bite of croissant before putting the money into the pocket attached to his foot.
"You called your owl John?" Lily looked quizzically over at James.
"Sirius" Was all James had to say and Lily understood.
"Oh my God!" James jumped as he read the headline of the paper "Have you seen this!"
Minister of Magic Announces War
The Minister of Magic announced this morning a war against dark wizards, the leader Voldemort. Wizards are encouraged to stay inside and keep to safe places. Any suspicious activity should be reported immediately to an Auror. This is not to be taken likely, anyone wishing to join the Aurors should report to the Auror office in the Ministry of Magic.
"No" Lily exclaimed, throwing her hand over her mouth.
"It's too soon" Remus exclaimed, grabbing the newspaper from Harry's hands.
"Guys, it's a sign" Sirius said seriously "We need to fight for this, I've met some of these people through my family and it's not going to be easy, but I think we should fight"
Everyone nodded apart from Sasha, but no-one noticed as a roar of laughs and cheers came from the Slytherin table. Bellatrix Black even got up onto the table and did a cartwheel.
"Calm down Slytherins" the Headmaster boomed down at them, not realising they'd just read the same headline as James.
Authors Note:
OMG I was watching the first Harry Potter while I was writing this – I JUST BURST OUT CRYING. It's hard writing about James and Lily when you're watching Harry surprised to get Christmas presents
-Mischief Managed