Here we go! Thanks to both powerofthename and Lee Kyle for reviewing!
Lee Kyle: Yes, the beginning years of Lily and James are going to be rather short snippets until we get to 6th or 7th year. Just to get the jist of things. In the beginning I don't think they were in each other's social circles much, and James was kind of a jerk, so . . .
That being said, I did try to add more detail in this chapter. Hope you like it.
***If you guys want something more in-depth, please, please, please check out my Gruff Impressions story (edited version)! It's my pride and joy.
Chapter 7: Year Three
James' POV
"Hufflepuff Hippies."
"The Puffs' Puff."
"Peace n' Puff?"
"That's the one!" James declared. "The Peace n' Puff." He stuck a chip in mouth, grinning. Peter chuckled, looking rather pleased with himself.
"What are you lot doing?" Remus appeared clutching his school bag and stood behind the couch James was laying on. Pete was in the plush red armchair next to him. The one closest to the fire, Sirius' normal spot facing James, was characteristically empty.
Pete grinned. "Hattie Hill and Elizabeth Abbott convinced Professor Dumbledore to let them start a yoga club."
"What?" Remus shoved James' legs off the couch and, ignoring his protests, plopped down. "Why?"
Peter shrugged and James rolled his eyes. "Something about connecting to the earth or outer peace begins from within or —- oh who the hell knows, let's be honest. We're just trying to come up with names for their yoga studio and MJ pub when they've finished at Hogwarts."
"We like the Peace n' Puff." Peter said with a hint of pride.
"Are only Hufflepuffs showing up to this yoga club?"
"Only ones dumb enough to."
Peter and Remus chortled. Their laughter died as Sirius exited the dormitory and headed straight for the portrait without so much as glancing at them. They were quiet for a moment. Remus spoke.
"You should -"
"No."
Remus glared at his stubbornness.
"But if you just -"
"Nope. Moving on." James stuck a chip in his mouth and looked at the clock on the wall. "We should get going if we want to beat the Hogsmeade crowd." Peter looked at the clock and sighed.
"Lets go," he sighed, picking up his jacket. Outside, the snow bit their cheeks and noses and the air was windy.
"I hate Valentine's Day," Pete muttered, rubbing his arms and looking around. The town was decorated with floating pink hearts that bobbed up and down the street slowly. Some sparkled and others sang.
"Why?" James asked. "Sure it's girly as hell, but The Three Broomsticks is always less packed on Valentine's Day. Everyone's in Mrs. Puddlemores or out in pairs doing couple-y stuff."
"We should have taken the secret entrance," Peter complained while he blew on his hands and the wind picked up.
"Agreed," Remus chimed in, also rubbing his gloved hands. "I know -" he said as James opened his mouth. "That's what Sirius took. Speaking of," he looked around. "I'm supposed to meet him now. Pete, you'll switch with me in an hour?" Peter nodded. Remus glanced darkly at James. "This whole bloody thing is ridiculous. We're sick of all this going back and forth."
James stuck his hands in his pockets and kicked some snow. Remus sighed and rolled his eyes upward. "Meet us outside Zonkos in an hour."
"But I wanted to go to Zon-"
"An hour, James." And with that, the young bookworm turned and left.
"Fine," James said tartly. He kicked some more snow and said to Pete, "C'mon. Let's get those butterbeers."
As predicted, The Three Broomsticks was not overly packed and they were able to get their drinks fairly easily. So easily, in fact, that there was still a quarter of an hour when James got bored enough to leave.
"But what are we going to do?" Peter chattered. "It was so warm in there . . ."
"We'll go to Honeydukes," James shrugged.
"If you think it's a good idea . . ." muttered Pete. He trudged after James, jogging to keep up. They walked the length of the town and avoided running into any bobbing hearts in their way (especially the sparkly ones). The atmosphere in Honeydukes was very different from that of The Three Broomsticks.
"Golly," Pete muttered with raised brows. Everything was pink. The whole store. Every item - chocolate, hard candy, sugar quill and cluster - was dusted in pinks ranging from light to magenta. "It's a bloody nightmare . . ."
"Let's grab and go," James agreed with a disgusted look on his face. Within a few short minutes they were out. There may have been some line cutting, but technically Nick Busse stepped out on his own accord after his laces were tied together and he tripped out of line. And the Gaspar sisters were really just trying to be nice after James flirted a bit with Adeline and hinted he might take her to Hogsmeade sometime.
"Are you really going to take her?" Pete asked when they were outside. He unwrapped his giant lolly as they headed towards Zonko's.
James tore open his cockroach cluster and snorted. "Probably not." Peter chortled and they stopped in front of Zonko's. He started licking his lollipop, gazing around.
"Hey James." He tapped Potter on the shoulder and pointed. James turned around to see none other than Lily Evans standing in front of a shop, red hair sticking out brightly against the snow.
"- had a really good time," she was saying. She was facing a brown-haired kid who looked like a ninny.
She leaned up and kissed his cheek, both turning as pink at the hearts in the town.
Pow!
The snowball hit her right in the face as she was drawing back. Lily whipped around, angry.
"Potter!" she growled, "You jerk, get out of here!"
"Make me," he said in a mock tone and crossed his arms.
"Fine." Lily pointed her wand and James slipped on the ice that appeared under his feet.
"Whoa!" He fell on his back and tried to get up but kept slipping over and over again as the ice re-made itself at his feet. Peter made some failed attempts at helping him but he kept sliding and slipping all over the place, looking like an idiot.
"I'll walk you back," block-nose said to Lily. He was still a little red in the face from her peck. He took her hand and they started heading towards the castle before James could recover.
After finally getting to his feet, James glared, fuming at their backs. All was quiet. Peter shifted his eyes towards him, unsure what to do.
Suddenly James whipped around, startling Remus, whose Hiccup Sweets went flying as he and Sirius approached.
"You're late," he spat, (even though they weren't). He glared at Sirius as he marched past without another word. Instead of heading inside, he walked around the shop to the lean on the fence in the back.
"Sheesh. What's wrong with him?" Remus inclined his head towards Potter. Peter sighed.
"Lily."
"Of course."
"Was with another boy."
"What?" Sirius asked.
Peter's eyes widened, realizing that maybe he shouldn't have said that in front of Black. Sirius thought quietly for a minute.
"Well, I should go," Remus finally said, casting shifting glances between the others.
"No," Sirius spoke up decidedly. "I'll go." Peter looked at him in confusion.
"But I thought -"
Remus interjected, understanding what needed to be done: "Let him go, Pete." Peter looked at them uncertainty. Remus nodded to Sirius who left. He followed the trail of kicked up snow to where James was leaning with both hands on the fence. He walked up and stood by James' side silently.
Black pulled out his pack of cigarettes, where only one was missing. "So . . ." he finally said, lighting one with his wand.
Nothing.
"Lily had a date." He took an inexperienced puff.
Silence. "With Tim."
Disgruntled noise. "And she had a good time?"
James broke his gaze long enough to glower at Sirius before staring straight ahead again.
"I see . . ." Sirius took another puff and offered a cig to his silent friend. James continued to look straight ahead.
"Well if it makes you feel any better, I hexed old Snivelly who was spying on her —the little creep. Hit him with ascendio and gave him antlers about an hour ago. He's probably still floating around in the back alley near the Shack, nobody goes back there. Plus . . ." He withdrew from his pocket a wand that most certainly wasn't his.
James looked at the wand, one eyebrow raised in interest. Then he looked at the tree again.
They sat in silence.
After about five minute Sirius took the plunge again. "You know . . . Evans came to our room," he said.
Light flashed across his glasses as James looked up in alarm. "Was she looking for me?" Sirius gave him a look. "Right." He clenched his jaw and looked at a knot on the tree bitterly.
"She came to see me, actually." James stood very still, holding his breath. "Dunno why, but we talked about Led Zepplin. Oh yeah — and she asked why we were fighting." James couldn't bear what was sure to follow. "And then I told her to get out."
What?
"Well," Sirius said, dropping his fag and rubbing it into the snow, "That's all I had to say, so I'll continue on my merry way now." He put his hands in his dark blue jacket pockets and started whistling as he went.
Sirius has taken five steps when he heard it.
"Wait."
He paused, and turned, hands still in pockets. James looked a little unsure.
"Did you really tell her off?"
Sirius broke into a grin and the tension from the last month lifted.
"Well," he said, "Can't have broads coming after me if you called 'em first."
"You better bet we can't," James warned while grinning. He joined Sirius. "C'mon," he said, jerking his head. "Let's join the others." And there was a finality about the whole thing.
"Yeah . . ." Sirius agreed. "And James?"
"Mhm?"
"If you ever like a girl I fancy I'll kill you."
"You first," James pushed him and they raced back to the main road.
AN: Sorry to my Hufflepuff friends for the jibe at the beginning of the chapter! Hufflepuffs are so nice. And they're particularly good finders. (10 points to whoever gets that reference!)