Lily threw her Transfiguration textbook down on the table between Alice and Marlene before letting out a disgruntled growl. Alice shot backwards, her quill and inkpot scattering to the floor.
"Give us some warning," Alice yelped.
Lily pointed her wand to clean the ink stain. She really wasn't in a good mood right now and that could all be explained using three words – Transfiguration, Potter and patrols. Although, to be fair Potter was only included in the list because he now held a permanent spot there. Maybe he should be moved to the front? Lily thought. Or should she have a permanent and fluctuating list?
"What's wrong?" Marlene asked, lifting Lily's textbook off from her Potions essay. Thankfully the thing wasn't crumpled too much.
Looking sorry, Lily pointed her wand at the parchment and the thing was perfectly straight again. Marlene nodded before waving her on. "I don't understand the theory of Animagus transformations and I have patrols with Potter in ten minutes," Lily said. Now her list could be compiled into a single sentence.
"I actually know a solution to all three problems," Marlene said.
Lily turned slowly to face her friend. There was something in Marlene's voice that Lily recognized instantly. Noticing the sly grin that was now spreading across her cheeks Lily shook her head. "Oh no," she said. "Two problems," she reiterated. "Only two problems."
"Hear me out," Marlene said, laughing.
"I suggest you just listen," Alice warned as Lily started to walk backwards towards her room. "Unless you'd prefer your hair green again."
Lily shook her head again, feeling slightly like a crazy person. "Nahh uh this is my common room and…" catching the look on Marlene's face she stopped. "Fine, spill your advice. But I'm not taking it."
"Okay here it is," Marlene started. "You become friends with James."
Lily blinked. "You just solved an imaginary problem," she said. "That problem didn't even exist. That's not helping."
Marlene held up a finger. "James is ace at Transfiguration. You finish essays faster. You patrol corridors with a friend. You actually have a good time."
"Thanks but if Dumbledore hadn't lost his marbles I'd be patrolling with Remus and he's actually already a friend unlike that Potter prat," Lily said, half wondering as she spoke why her friends were shaking their heads and looking over her shoulder as if someone had just walked in on them. Oh Merlin. "But I do enjoy patrolling with Potter." She added lamely.
"Thanks for the sentiment Evans," Potter said.
Lily turned around slowly, trying to figure out his tone. When she saw his blank face she shrunk back against Marlene. Maybe she had gone a little overboard – Potter had shown he could be a good leader and team member when he was made Quidditch Captain in sixth year – okay so she'd gone overboard but Marlene wouldn't stop pestering her about being nice to him. It was okay for her to say – they were cousins. They had to get along.
Fine, that was a lie too. Risking another glance at his face, Lily froze. He wasn't angry or annoyed or even pissed at her – he just looked hurt. Lily instantly regretted her words, swallowing a deep breath before taking a tentative step forward. Blasted, she thought angrily, if this was fifth year she wouldn't have even cared. Why had it suddenly changed? Usually there fights started the same way this one should've but with Potter shouting something back. Somehow him just standing there was worse.
"Umm you ready?" She asked, sounding small.
You got yourself into this one Evans, Lily told herself forcefully. You get yourself out of it.
James could've pointed out that he was the one collecting her but for some reason he didn't and Lily found herself relaxing a little. But then he spoke and she folded back into herself all over again.
"Sure," he said icily. "Lead the way Evans."
Lily nodded, trying to ignore the venom he placed on her name or the varnished way he waved her forward. Outside, the corridor felt too wide and dark. Potter kept an unusually distanced gap between the two of them as they started walking towards the Astronomy Tower. And he didn't bother trying to start a conversation.
What could she even say to him? Marlene was right – this hatred wasn't constructive if they were planning on working together all year. Lily sneaked a quick glance over at him from the corner of her eyes. He walked causally but his fingers were in fists as if he was trying to hold something back. A piece of scrap parchment stuck out from his jeans pockets – tattered and blank by the look of it. His glasses were falling down the bridge of his nose and his lips were pinched tightly together. Lily could clearly understand why most of the girls – okay all of the girls – swooned over him but Lily could never find herself to be that shallow. Sure he was good looking but to her that had never mattered. She needed to know the inside pieces and with Potter she only had the flaws.
He's friends with Remus, she told herself. And Marly and Alice seem to like him. Lily mentally growled, racking her brains for something to say. This was Potter's job – charming the words out of every girl he talked to, joking, teasing and Lily sucked at it. Pick a safe topic. That's when an idea sprung onto her.
"So," she started, looking at Potter. "Umm Quidditch season. Any spots open on the team?"
Potter's expression didn't change. "Thinking of trying out Evans," he asked in the same icy tone. "I don't think the broom will be able to handle your big head."
Anger bubbled instantly in Lily's chest. She tried telling herself that Potter's words only held that much venom because of her – she'd started all of this. But her ignoring Potter's jabs wasn't something that happened often – alright ever. The word's exploded from her before she even had a chance at holding them back. "If I did would you have a problem with that?" She snaps, glaring at him angrily. "You can't stop me from trying out."
James cocked an eyebrow. "Didn't think you had it in you Evans." Lily caught the challenge in his tone immediately. Part of her knew he was just trying to tease her into making a decision she would regret later, but the other part of her fell for it.
"Who are you to make those kind of assumptions," she told him. "You haven't even seen me fly before."
She swore she spied a smile twitch on the edges of his mouth, but it was gone before she had another chance to figure out what it might've meant. "And what spot will you be flying for?" He asked. The icy tone was gone but he still wasn't bothering to look over at her.
Okay, Lily thought slowly. She could figure this one out. Most sports had a goal post. In soccer they called that player a goalie but she had a feeling they used a different word in Quidditch. Maybe she could trick him into telling her some of the position names. "Well what spots are open?" She asked, trying to adopt a haunty voice.
"Two chasers," Potter replied swiftly.
Lily nodded as if that actually meant anything to her. She vaguely remembered Marlene telling her that chaser passed the main ball around to score goals. That didn't sound too hard. "Well I'll be trying out as a chaser then," she told Potter.
"Trials are on Saturday Evans," Potter told her.
Lily nodded, swallowing the clump in her throat. She was so going to regret this later. Maybe Marlene could help her since she was on the team – a beater or something. She was so busy worrying about making a fool of herself that she barely registered the fact that Potter had drawn his wand from his belt.
"Lumos," he muttered, slowing his steps.
Startled, Lily quickly copied him. With her added wand, light washed down the corridor and fell onto two students pressed up against the wall. She could practically hear Potter rolling his eyes. Of course the prat would find breaking rules funny. She thought angrily. Lily inched closer – she wasn't sure if it was the sudden light or the sound of metal clashing as she accidently steps too close to a coat of armor, but the couple sprung apart instantly – their eyes wide and unblinking. Lily recognized the girl as a sixth year Ravenclaw – Josie Parker – since they used to do patrols when Remus fell sick. The boy, on the other hand, only looked vaguely familiar.
Potter stepped forward. "First night of the year and we already have prefects breaking the rules, huh Josie?" He said. Lily wanted to say that his tone was mocking or teasing, but he simply sounded serious. "And you Benjy – don't be getting too many detentions, we have trials coming up soon."
"Sorry Captain," the boy named Benjy said. "Won't happen again."
"Make sure of it," Potter told him. "Ten points from both of you will be warning enough."
Hearing those words, Lily stepped forward. "That's a bit much, don't you think?" She asked Potter. "Usually it's only five points each for being out after curfew."
Potter frowned, his expression turning into one of anger. Now what had she done? Lily thought. "Five points is it?" He asked – his voice was level, blank – nothing like the growing resentment spreading across his face.
Lily nodded cautiously.
"You heard her," Potter told Josie and Benjy. "Five points each then. Clear off."
Both sixth years scuttled away from each other and back to their respective towers, Benjy throwing Potter a mischievous smile over his shoulder. Lily braced herself, waiting for the usual argument to blow up – Lily could recognize that look anywhere – but to her own surprise Potter simply continued back down the corridor, tucking his wand back into his waist band. She watched him walk around a corner before realizing that she was supposed to be following him.
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Lily hurriedly buttered a piece of toast, holding it in her mouth as she pulled two textbooks from her satchel. One she propped up in front of her plate, the second she opened on her right side. Then she pulled a quill and parchment from her bag. Lily knew that opposite her Marlene was rolling her eyes, and Alice was most likely stifling a laugh and that most of the school thought of her as overly studious – why else would someone do homework at breakfast – but Lily never really cared what people thought of her.
She'd rather hand in her essay on time and avoid getting into trouble than maintaining this air of sophistication at the breakfast table. That was Potter's job. Besides, Lily had always enjoyed finishing off her work whilst surrounded by people and now she no longer had that. That was the one main thing she missed about having her own common room and bedroom – she missed the bustle and activities of the Gryffindor's.
So, ignoring Marlene's attempts to knock over her balanced textbook by throwing grapes at the back cover, Lily vigorously threw herself into understanding the theory of Animagus Transformations. McGonagall had hinted that Animagus transformations were a commonly used question by examiners to distinguish O students from EE students.
Looking down at her pathetic excuse of an essay Lily growled. They were supposed to fill 40 inches on the subject and Lily barely had twenty. Sure the basics were easy enough to wrap her head around it, it was the tiny details that derailed Lily to no extent.
"You could always ask Potter," Marlene hinted, peering over the top of Lily's textbook.
Lily threw her quill at Marlene's head, causing the blonde to duck and nearly topple to the ground. Startled by the noise, Lily grabbed her textbook and dumped it atop of her essay. But on seeing Marlene laughing her head off, Lily rolled her eyes.
"Sorry," she muttered, now searching for a new quill.
"Sound it too," Marlene teased.
"Potter's the last thing I need right now," Lily continued, not caring how harsh she was sounding. Not after he'd blown up at her last night when they returned to their dormitories. Sure, she might've used to take ten points off him last year when she caught him out after curfew, but he was always up to worse things than snogging. Him and Black.
"No surprise there," Alice interjected, causing Marlene to laugh harder and Lily to scowl deeper.
"Oh don't act so shocked," Marlene said to Lily. "If you hadn't of said that I'd been worried."
Lily rolled her eyes. "I actually need you," she said. "Kinda desperately too."
Marlene blinked at that, then, noticing the expression on her friends face her eyes narrowed. "What have you gotten yourself into now?" She asked, only too used to Lily making stupid challenges with Potter to prove something.
"Well I'm kinda trying out for the Quidditch team," Lily said, unable to hide her grin. "As a chaser."
There was a short moments pause where both girls were staring at Lily as if trying to figure out if she was joking or not. When Lily didn't add anything else, they both broke into peals of uncontrollable laughter, Marlene clutching onto her ribs so hard Lily thought she might break them.
"I'm not sure whether the best part is the fact that you can't fly or the part were you aren't joking," Marlene said between gasping breaths.
"Ha, ha, ha," Lily said in mock annoyance. "Laugh it up."
"Definitely the not joking part," Alice said, an ear-to-ear grin spread across her face.
"You do realise its Thursday today?" Marlene said.
"I was aware of that," Lily told her. "Thanks."
"And trials are this Saturday?" Marlene continued.
Lily sent her a pointed look.
"And you can't just not show up because?" Alice asked, now looking sincere.
"Because it's Potter, right?" Marlene answered for her.
Lily nodded, looking glum.
"Right, well I have third period free," she told Lily. "We'll practice then."
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"Your essay's please," McGonagall said, waving her wand.
Lily watched dolefully as her essay wriggled its way out from where she'd jammed it between the pages of a textbook, and as it joined her classmates essay's in the air. From the back of the room she could hear someone laughing – no doubt it was either Potter or Black.
After McGonagall piled their essays on top of her desk, she directed her wand to the blackboard behind her. White chalk words began to write themselves across the board – instructions by the looks of things. That meant another dreary theory lesson. Settling herself properly into her chair Lily waited for their professor to finish, tuning out the whispering of Black in the corner and the scratching of a quill by Remus on her right. Surely he wasn't copying down notes already? Lily thought in surprise. But as she watched him roll the note into a small ball and charm it to land on Potter's desk, Lily's mood shifted from surprise to irritation.
Irritation that was aimed squarely at Potter. At the beginning of fifth year, McGonagall had separated each Marauder to a different corner of her classroom in an attempt to stop any forms of misbehaving or pranks. Remus and Potter the front two, Black and Pettigrew the back corners. Not that that ever stopped them, she thought to herself as she watched Potter flatten Remus' note onto his desk.
"Wands out please," McGonagall instructed them.
She waited patiently for everyone to draw their wands for different places – Lily from the pocket of her robes – before continuing. A few of girls sniggered as Potter pulled his out from behind his ear. Stupid place for a wand really, Lily thought.
"This exercise is merely for my own amusement," their Professor started. Lily groaned. "I will use it to gauge where everyone is up to and how to structure my class from here on. However, in saying that human transfiguration – which I will be teaching you today – is commonly tested on NEWT exams as a indicator of the difference between what defines an Outstanding student and what entails an Exceeds Expectations student."
McGonagall's lecture was followed by another bout of laughter by Black. Marlene, who was sitting next to Lily, was torn between grinning and frowning at her boyfriend. Lily swiveled in her chair to glare at Black but stopped when she caught Potter's expression. He wasn't looking at her exactly but somewhere over her shoulder – most likely at Black – with a look on his face that Lily could only describe as sheer arrogance. How could he just sit there and act so cocky about something they hadn't even learnt yet? She thought furiously.
Suddenly he caught her staring and the look fell instantly from his face, only to be replaced by a scowl. Lily could only imagine the look on her own face – something between a grimace and a glower. She tried to scrub the expression clean, maybe offer a smile, but he wasn't looking at her anymore.
"You know," Marlene whispered to her. "I think you're right?"
"Huh?" Lily muttered back, keeping her eyes on McGonagall as the professor started correcting Janet Holeman's wand grip.
"About this," Marlene told her. "You're right. It makes absolutely no sense."
Lily didn't trust the tone of her friend's voice. "If you're going to do something stupid like call Potter over for help – don't."
As if the professor was suddenly out to get her she turned to the class and said, "since this task works easier in groups I'd like everyone to please form small groups and have one person perform the spell at a time to minimize the risk of accidents." McGonagall began to turn back to her desk before stopping. "I said small groups Kenting – if I wanted all the Ravenclaw's in a group I would've asked."
Marlene sent Lily a cheeky grin before waving both Potter and Black over. Lily sent her friend what she hoped was a convincing death stare as she watched Black drag his chair overtly loudly across the classroom to only prop it down against Marlene's.
"Hey Marls," he said grinning. "Evans too."
Marlene sent Black a sloppy kind of look that made Lily cringe. Suddenly she felt the shadow of someone fall behind her. Twisting in her seat she found herself looking up into the face of Potter. His glasses were hanging so low off the bridge of his nose she was scared they'd fall and land on her face. She was then struck with the weird urge to tell him so.
"I think your glasses are about to fall off," she said, cocking her head as if glancing at him sideways would help. Noticing the confusion on his face, she hastily added, "Potter," before sitting upwards and refocusing her attention to the task at hand.
Furiously ignoring Marlene's gleeful grin, Lily read the first line of instructions on the board. Oh Merlin, this sounded hard.
Black scoffed. "I thought this was meant to challenge us," he said.
Marlene whacked him over the head with her wand.
"Owww," he complained, rubbing his skull. "What was that for?"
"This," Marlene punctuated. "Is not easy."
Black sent Potter a desperate, help-me-out kind of look. But instead of countering Marlene, Potter simply shrugged.
"Fine then," Lily said, ignoring this new, silent Potter and tuning her frustration onto Black. "Show us. C'mon, show us exactly how easy this is."
"Feisty," Black said, winking at her.
Marlene whacked him again.
"Fine, fine," he said, now rubbing his arm. "What would you like?"
Marlene raised an eyebrow. She pinched a lock of his messy black hair between too fingers and pretended to study it curiously. "I think you'd suit a nice shade of yellow."
For a second, Black looked momentarily pained at the prospect of turning his hair yellow that Lily actually found herself grinning a little.
"Don't worry too much Black," she told him. "I'm sure McGonagall can change it back if it all goes wrong."
Black laughed. "What would you say to some purple streaks?"
"I'd say your getting to cocky for my liking," Marlene responded. "But I would also like to see that too."
Lily leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms. From the corner of her eye she could see Potter staring at her. Usually that would annoy Lily to no ends, but now for some reason she found herself going red. Self consciously, she tried flattening out her skirt; thanking Merlin that Marlene's attention was preoccupied with watching Black. Why was this bothering her so much now? Couldn't he just say something? Silence really wasn't their thing.
Hang on. Since when did they have a thing? Shaking her head, she tried to put her whole focus onto Black but parts of her mind kept slipping back too Potter.
Black pointed his wand at his hand, muttering the spell quietly under his breath. Slowly, starting from the roots, purple and yellow streaks rippled out from his scalp down to the very tops of his hair.
Grinning, he winked at Marlene. "How do I look?"
"Hideous," Marlene replied instantly.
Black faked mock hurt, clutching at his chest and pretending to topple off of his chair. Really? Lily thought. But then she caught herself smiling, laughing even.
"Excellent Mr. Black," McGonagall said from the front of her room. "Even if the theatrics were overdone. Five points to Gryffindor."
"What did I say about easy?" Black said, now performing a fake bow at Marlene's feet.
Lily just managed to stifle a laugh against the back of her hand. Then she caught Potter staring again and all humor vanished instantly at the intensity of his eyes. Was he trying to stare a hole right through her? She thought. His expression looked inquisitive, measured almost.
Only distantly she could hear Black telling Marlene that he might keep his hair how it was.
"Okay," Marlene responded. "But enjoy being single."
Black pretended to flick his hair over his shoulders, battering his eyelids at a mock stern faced Marlene.
Lily turned away from Potter, more confused than ever. "That," she said, pointing a finger at Black. "Is the weirdest thing I've seen all day."
Behind her, she could hear Potter laughing.
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It was lunchtime. Lily was sitting in the Prefects room surrounded by every single Hogwarts prefect. And they were all watching her. Where in the world was Potter? She thought angrily. She glanced up at the clock on the wall.
"Are you going to start?" fifth year Hufflepuff Connor Daly asked. "It's just I have to go somewhere after lunch ends."
One of the older boys wolf whistled. It was followed by a bout of laughter then another round of silence. Lily was already starting to hate these meetings and it only their second.
"Not everyone's here yet," Lily said after a moment.
"Potter and Lupin you mean – what else is new," Narcissa Black sneered.
Lily blinked when she realized she was right. It wasn't just Potter who was missing. Remus wasn't usually late to prefect meetings.
"I'm sure they're on their way," Lily said, sending a forced smile to the Slytherin.
Just after the last word had left her mouth the door banged open revealing a disheveled Potter and a worried looking Remus.
"I told you we were late," Remus told Potter.
Potter, being Potter, shrugged with an air of nonchalance. "It would suck to miss this," he muttered, taking his seat beside Lily.
"Pleasure as always," Lily said furiously. "Just get comfortable while you're at it."
Potter glared back at her. "Oh I plan on it."
Lily was about to snap back when she remembered that they were in a room full of waiting people. Now wasn't the time for this. She told herself. Taking a deep breath, she passed the pile of parchment before her to Remus.
"These are your patrol duties," Lily told them. She'd spent a good half of her free period this morning drawing them up – no surprise that she couldn't find Potter. "If you can't make any of these dates I need a proper excuse at a bit of warning. Any questions?"
A seventh year Ravenclaw – Harriet Jeffery – tentatively put her hand up. "I heard from Flitwick that Hogwarts was hosting some kind of ball this year."
At that most of the boys in the room groaned – including Potter. Lily scowled at him before answering. "Oh yeah. We're holding a masked ball just before term ends. Any ideas are encouraged before then," she told the room.
More groaning from the boys followed. "Is that all?" one of them asked.
Nodding, the room quickly filed clean leaving Lily alone with Potter. The boy was still sprawled comfortably in his seat, flicking his wand high into the air before catching it with the opposite hand.
"Do you want something?" Lily asked him, trying to keep her tone even.
She grew surprised when Potter suddenly bolted upright in his chair, his eyes scanning the room as if couldn't believe it was suddenly empty. If Lily wasn't so annoyed at him, she might've admitted that his startled puppy dog eyes were quite adorable. What was that Evans, she scolded herself instantly.
"Uhh no," Potter said, jumping to his feet. "See you round Evans." Then he dashed from the room.
Okay that was weird.