Disclaimer:We all know I'm not JKR, and that I'm not trying to take credit for her ideas!
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Chapter Fourteen: In which Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff
James bit his lip. "Give us a try?" he repeated doubtfully.
Inside, his stomach was tumbling about in excitement. Was Lily asking him out? Or, as his head seemed to think, was Lily asking for his friendship?
His eyes searched her face: her cheeks were pink, the look her eyes enchantingly hopeful.
Lily nodded earnestly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"I've been a bit stupid," she admitted ruefully, making James laugh.
James' laugh made Lily feel warm. She watched his eyes light up in delight.
"A bit?"
"A lot," she conceded, looking at him questioningly. "What do you think?"
James scratched his head, and made a split-second decision that he waspositive he was going to regret. "I think you're at the tail end of the world's biggest hangover. I think you've just stumbled out of a very messy relationship. I think that as much as I want to say yes, I don't want to be rebound boy."
Lily frowned, blushing. He was saying no?
"I'm not saying no," James quickly countered, reading the look on her face so well that Lily was amazed. "I just want you to be sure that I'm – that I…"
"That you're the right choice?" Lily supplied helpfully, before kicking herself. "But I am sure, James. I'm just… seeing things clearly for once."
James smiled. His hazel eyes regarded her fondly, and his thumb stroked her hand. Lily watched him, amazed. He'd been after her for years, and all of a sudden…
James drew a deep breath, fully prepared to tell what was possibly one of the bigger lies of his life.
"Lily, I've fancied you for years. A few weeks here or there isn't going to make much of a difference to me, is it?"
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"She asked you out?"
Sirius looked skywards, as if fully expecting for the clear blue day to come crashing down on their heads any minute now. James sighed, and ruffled his hair, frustrated. How their talk had changed so suddenly from Quidditch tactics for the upcoming match, to Lily, James didn't know, but he certainly didn't like it.
Remus and Peter were watching him with similarly shocked expressions.
Sirius shook his head. "Mate, if it was me, I'd be looking a lot more cheerful right now."
James shrugged. "It's complicated," he muttered unhappily.
Remus rolled his eyes, regarding James suspiciously. Suddenly, realisation hit him, and he choked.
"You said no?!"
James lay back on the grass of the Quidditch Pitch and closed his eyes. The question had been inevitable, and yet he found himself unprepared to face it. And, really, the boys had a point. Why had he said no? Lily Evans, object of his affections, had asked him out!
Really, it all came down to her reasoning. Why on earth did she want to go out with him, all of a sudden?
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Emmeline sat back and set her quill down, looking both satisfied and amused. "Good," she said, pushing her homework away with a satisfied sigh.
"Good! He said no, Em. Not even Potter likes me anymore," Lily ended, looking despondent. Frowning, she picked up Emmeline's homework and began to read it, fully intending to be as critical as she could. Then she'd see how much Emmeline liked criticism.
Emmeline smiled and rolled her eyes. "Look at this from James' perspective, Lily. You ask him out hours after you break up with Scamander. Why do you ask him? He doesn't know, and I'm guessing you don't either."
"He wants to make sure it's really him I want to have a relationship with," Lily finished, sighing. Defeated, she set Emmeline's homework back on the table, her urge to edit suddenly dissipated. "I know, he told me. I just don't know why I'm not suddenly allowed to have an epiphany, you know?"
Emmeline shrugged. "Prove it to him," she suggested, quirking her eyebrow in a dare. "What do you have to lose?"
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"Right, troops! We've been practicing for weeks, and this is it. Tomorrow, we're facing Hufflepuff, and we want to win."
Remus leant against the wall of the change room, standing removed from the team. He couldn't help but admire Sirius' uncanny impersonation of a general going to war. Peter perched on the bench beside him, adding the finishing flourishes to a Gryffindor poster.
"How's that, Moony?" he asked, tongue poking out between his teeth in concentration as he added a touch of gold to the lion's mane.
Remus grinned. The lion was looking particularly fearsome as it reared over the cowering badger.
"Perfect, Wormtail."
Peter grinned. "Good."
Drawing out his wand, the smaller boy waved it over the banner, and immediately the caricatures came to life. The lion yawned; its jaws huge as it displayed its teeth. The badger shot him a look of apprehension and backed away, but all the lion did was curl up and fall asleep.
Sirius surveyed his team as they reclined around the change room. James and Emmeline were talking in soft whispers. Jordan was throwing a Quaffle to Reaser, who was beating it to keeper Williams with his bat, and Wood was playing with the Snitch, as always. And there were Moony and Wormtail, leaning over a banner… Sirius leant back against the wall with a sigh and closed his eyes. Immediately, his mind drifted back up to his dorm, to the letter hidden beneath the false bottom of his trunk. Thankfully, what with all the drama surrounding Scamander, everyone seemed to have forgotten about Sirius' little episode. Everyone but Sirius, that was. In his mind's eye, the letter unfurled, the word inheritance leaping from the page to engulf him…
"Padfoot, you all right?"
James' voice cut through his thoughts, and Sirius opened his eyes to see that the team was regarding him strangely.
"Yeah, fine," he mumbled, before smiling. "So as I was saying before,tactics…"
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"Haven't seen much of Snivelly lately," Sirius remarked casually as the Marauders made their way back up to the Gryffindor tower. "I'm starting to miss him."
"Well I'll be sure to pass on your sentiments," a snide voice replied from behind them.
Spinning, the four boys came face to face with Regulus Black.
Peter looked between the brothers, fascinated. Their relationship had always intrigued him; being an only child, he found it odd that anyone with a sibling would despise him so mercilessly.
"What do you want, Regulus?" Sirius snarled.
Peter watched his friends. Remus' face was carefully impassive, although Peter couldn't help but notice he kept his wand was within his reach. James looked frightening, wand already gripped in his hands. His face was unreadable, hazel eyes glittering coldly. Sirius looked furious, hate etched into every contortion.
Regulus smiled. "Father was wondering if you received your letter," the fifth year announced silkily. "He wants you to know that he is ashamed that you of all people was made Alphard's heir, and to ensure that you put your inheritance to… good use."
"Inheritance?" James countered sharply. "What inheritance?"
Sirius winced, and Regulus' smile broadened. "Oh," he said softly. "Didn't you tell them? Don't want your friends to know? Ashamed, are you?"
"What's he talking about, Sirius?" James asked quietly.
"I… er… inherited some money, from my… my uncle, Alphard."
Regulus raised his eyebrows. "Some money? Oh, Father will be pleased. Lets not call a mudblood a wizard, brother. You inherited a fortune of dirty Black money, and you don't want your precious friends to think of you any worse. But as much as you try to deny it, you are a Black, Sirius, and one day you'll have to accept that, and our dirty money."
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"When were you going to tell us?"
Remus' voice was soft, gentle even. Sirius was going to be sick.
"Eventually," he mumbled, unhappily. "Once I'd gotten rid of it."
"Surely any money is good money?" Peter ventured tentatively.
Sirius shook his head, miserable, and then dared to look at James. His best friend had been silent the entire trip back to the dorms, and Sirius was mentally preparing himself for James' anger.
Much to Sirius' surprise, James met his eyes and grinned. "I think it's brilliant."
"Youwhat?" Sirius' voice cracked.
"You're free! They've been sitting smugly waiting for my parents to get sick of you, which they won't, by the way, and for you to come home with your tail between your legs. Don't you see? You'll never have to ask them for anything ever again!"
Sirius blinked. Well it certainly wasn't the reaction he had expected.
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"You know, I don't think we've had such a good feast in a while," Sirius announced happily, making Tibby the house-elf beam with pleasure.
Peter grinned. "Didn't expect anything less," he reassured the elf, scratching his sandy blonde head.
Snape made a noise of displeasure from the ceiling, where he had been levitated and gagged some half hour previously.
"Don't even think of spitting in our food," James told him sternly.
"Well, here's to inheritance," Remus grinned, raising his bottle of butterbeer.
Sirius grinned. "No. Here's to us winning the game tomorrow. That's much more important."
"To Gryffindor!" James echoed, clinking his bottle with relish
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James stumbled up to bed, hoping to Merlin that Lily hadn't waited up for him. He had decided during the course of the day that Lily probably wasn't lying: if she said she wanted to go out with him, she probably meant it. Nevertheless, James' parents had brought him up as a gentleman, and if one disregarded the pranks he pulled as a Marauder, he had more or less honoured that upbringing so far. Now was not the time to change.
Lily had indeed not waited up for him, and although James was secretly relieved, he was also a little disappointed. He prepared for bed quietly, and just before he drifted off to sleep, he made a secret resolution: if he was going to woo Lily Evans, he was going to go about it the right way.
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When James emerged from his room the next morning, he found Lily waiting for him on the lounge.
"Morning," she smiled brightly, eyeing his messy black hair with what she found to be a surprising amount of fondness.
James grinned. Lily's hair was down, rich red waves cascading over her shoulders. Her cheeks were pink, and her Gryffindor scarf hung loosely around her neck.
"Coming to the match today?" he asked hopefully.
Lily's eyes glittered. "I wouldn't miss it," she said, so sincerely that James' stomach gave an uncomfortable yet pleasant flutter.
"May I walk you to breakfast, Miss Evans?" he asked gallantly, offering his arm to her.
Lily laughed. "You may, Mr. Potter. It would be my pleasure."
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"And it's Barrow with the Quaffle – passes to Fletchley – Abbott – Barrow – narrowly avoids Reaser's bludger – Potter intercepts! – Back to- Fletchley intercepts, flies for Wood, and it's Fletchley, Fletchley… Hufflepuff scores! That's 160 – 0 to Hufflepuff."
Lily winced. The Gryffindor team regrouped in mid air, all looking solemn. Peter, next to her, shook his head and loosened his Gryffindor scarf.
"This is just embarrassing," he muttered. "I've never seen Prongs play so badly."
Lily looked at him, startled. "I thought he was doing well!"
Indeed, James had spent the better half of the last hour swooping around the Quidditch pitch in a remarkable display of flying prowess; in fact, Lily concluded that it was very unfortunate that he had not managed to score any goals. For that matter, it really was very unfortunate that no one on the Gryffindor side had managed to score any goals.
Peter gave her a dark look. "Lily, James is the best chaser Hogwarts has."
"Really?"
"Don't tell me you've never seen him play before," Peter mocked, shaking his head again. "I don't know what's wrong, but he's showing off today and Padfoot looks pissed."
Lily blinked. "Sirius does look rather angry, doesn't he? No, I haven't seen James play before, actually," she countered.
Peter choked. "Good Merlin."
Peter stood. Grabbing Lily's hand, he took off through the stands, and they raced toward ground level, a very confused Head Girl hanging on for her life. What on earth has gotten into him? She wondered, slightly alarmed as she watched him send red sparks into the air to catch Sirius' attention.
The sparks, Lily noted, seemed to do the trick, as Sirius finally noticed the pair approaching the pitch and called for a time out. As one, the Gryffindor team turned and flew downwards, landing on the pitch with a soft "thump."
Lily looked at Peter questioningly.
He nodded at her, looking strangely determined. "James is showing offfor you. Talk to him. I'll take care of the rest."
The Gryffindor team approached Lily and Peter, looking confused. Peter called Sirius forward, and the two of them bent their heads together, talking furiously.
James coughed from behind her, startling Lily. She met his eyes, surprised.
"What's going on?" he whispered into her ear, breath tickling her neck.
Lily shrugged. "I don't know – actually, could I have a word?"
James nodded curiously, and Lily lead him a little further away from the team. He watched her cheeks, smiling. He'd made her blush!
"Peter tells me you're showing off," Lily said flatly. "He says you're the best player this school has, and that you're being an idiot trying to impress me."
Now, it was James' turn to blush. "I – I don't-" he stuttered.
Lily held up a hand. "Prove it. I have faith in you: I think you can win this, James. You just have to believe it."
James bit his lip, sighed, and nodded. "You're probably right," he conceded.
Lily grinned. "Go and prove it to me, James Potter."
She gave his hand a little squeeze, and as if by magic, a sudden resolve seemed to fill him. They could win this match: they had to.
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"Did you see that dive?!"
"He just swooped, and scored!"
"Incredible!"
"And how about the dummy goal? Jordan was brilliant!"
"Vance nearly took out their Keeper!"
"Wood's catch, classy as always!"
The Gryffindor Common Room was buzzing with excitement. Peter's banner had been mounted across the wall, along with several duplications, and the Gryffindors were in the middle of their celebratory feast. The portrait hole swung open and James and Sirius returned, their arms once more full of food, to the roars of approval from their fellow house-mates.
James grinned as the roar of the Gryffindor Team song lit on the air:
'Trust in Potter, he's the best!
And Wood can out-fly all the rest!
Williams guards so strong and proud;
And Vance the infallible stuns the crowd!
Reaser will never misjudge his aim;
With Jordan too we'll win the game!
Black, his beater's bat swings true,
Gryffindor are champions through and through!'
"So," said a voice in James' ear. "Can I say I told you so?"
James turned, grinning, to Lily, and picked her up in a hug. Smiling, she hugged him back, feeling that the entire gesture was really quite promising.
"Thanks for believing in me," he told her, setting her down again gently, and taking her hand. His thumb massaged her palm in little circles that Lily found quite distracting.
James' smile broadened as she saluted him. "Never doubted for a minute."
James nodded. "Butterbeer?" he offered. "Shouldn't you be busy celebrating with Vance the infallible?"
"I wanted to see you," she admitted quietly.
James' smile fell, and he frowned at her, suddenly thoughtful. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means… I was serious when I said that… about us."
James sighed, and jerked his head, drawing her away from the party.
"Lily, you know I adore you," he told her quietly. "And I know that you were serious."
Lily bit her lip. "Then what's the problem?"
James pinched her nose fondly. "No problem. I'm just going to go about this the right way, all right? Just… trust me."
Lily nodded, although she couldn't hide the disappointment in her eyes. "I trust you."
James smiled tenderly, and kissed her on the cheek. "Good- gah!"
Lily and James turned to glare at Sirius, who was brandishing a camera and a big grin. "Thought you two might like a happy snap," he grinned. "To celebrate."
Lily glared at him; James, on the other hand, grinned. "Thanks mate. Shall we get back to the party, Lily?" he asked with a pointed look.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll leave you two to it."
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"What does going about it the right way mean, anyway?" Lily muttered darkly to no one in particular as she made her way back to the Head's Wing later that night.
James and Sirius had disappeared from the party some hours earlier, and Lily had the terrible idea that they were up to something again. Even Emmeline's cheerful tipsy-ness and reassurance that James was being romantic hadn't dampened the terrible feeling that something odd was going on.
When Lily entered the Head's Tower, the fire was banked, and the door to James' room was shut. Sighing, Lily cleaned her teeth and went up to bed.
Opening the curtains that hung closed around her four-poster bed, Lily gasped. Rose petals were scattered across her bedspread, and arranged on her pillow was a photo.
Curiously, Lily picked it up. It was the picture that Sirius had taken only that evening: a moving wizard's photograph, where the behaviour of the images reflected their true feelings. Lily hid a smile, watching the photographic likenesses of her and James, and a warm, fuzzy feeling tingled through her chest. The James in the photograph didn't kiss Lily on the cheek: instead he leant in and kissed her long and passionately on the lips. And the Lily in the photograph wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him back.
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A/N: Sorry about the wait, I've been suffering a touch of writers block. Consequently, this chapter isn't as long as usual: but never fear, because next chapter is on its way, full of mischief and maraudering mishaps! I'd like to thank all my reviewers; your continual support means a lot. As always, your reviews /concrit /flames will be appreciated! Lexie xx
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