Change Of Heart
By Tempest Break
Disclaimer: The Marauders, Lily, Hogwarts, Dumbledore, and anyone else that you recognize don't belong to me, so don't sue me! Only a few things belong to me, like the plot and Louiza Levene (the girl Sirius had a dream about), though she probably is completely irrelevant to the plot.
Summary: James obviously likes Lily, but she hates his guts. This is the way it's been for six years. However, in their last year, James finally has a chance, as he and Lily are Head Boy and Girl, and share a tower all to themselves. While James rejoices, Lily would rather kill herself than spend more than a nanosecond with James, who, in her opinion, is a conceited jerk. James has nine months to reverse six years of hatred for him, and will Lily have a change of heart?
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Chapter Three: Head Boy and Girl
In a little less than a month since the day three of four Marauders had assembled at the Potter abode, James found himself back at King's Cross Station, awaiting a lull in the Muggle pedestrian traffic so he could casually slide through the divide between platforms nine and ten. He could hear the Muggle girls giggling as they passed him, but he was accustomed to it; it was the same in Hogwarts, with all the girls swooning over him in the hallways, cheering louder than seemed humanly possible when he stepped onto the Quidditch field – not to mention the Fans of James David Potter Association, although those girls admittedly fell short of desirable. Still, he smirked, thinking of all the female faces he had seen gazing in awe at him at last year's final Quidditch match, as he dove straight down to retrieve the Snitch, hurtling toward the turf, and stopped just half a foot from the ground.
Evans never did any swooning, OR cheering, OR gazing in awe, he thought suddenly, his mood darkening. In fact, he couldn't remember a time he had seen her looking at him other than in Defense Against the Dark Arts, when they sat next to each other, and even then he could only remember glares. He stood straighter, realizing something. "Has she even ever come to a Quidditch game?" he wondered aloud.
"Hi, Prongs," said a squeaky voice. "Is there something wrong with the platform?"
James looked down to see the last member of the Marauders, Peter Pettigrew. Peter had already-thinning blond hair and a pointy nose, with some freckles dotting his cheeks. He was the one to appreciatively clap and cheer for James and Sirius whenever they did something particularly rebellious, and, while sometimes he got on Sirius's nerves, James thrived on the attention.
"Hey, Wormtail," James greeted. He waved his hand dismissively at the barrier. "Nah, there's nothing wrong. I was just thinking. Let's go, eh?"
Peter nodded. They both slid through the divide with their luggage, and they were on platform nine and three-quarters. "Well, this is the last time we'll take the Hogwarts Express to school," James remarked. "Kinda sad, huh, Wormtail?"
"Practically the end of an era," Peter replied gravely.
"Better leave our imprints all over that school," James commented. "Are you prepared to inflict some permanent damage, my good man?"
"If you're prepared to look the other way while Padfoot, Moony, and I wreak general havoc and mayhem," he replied with a sigh. "James Potter, Head Boy. Who woulda thunk it?"
"Not I," said James.
"I suppose you'll just have to live vicariously through our stunts, eh?"
"You'd better make them worth living, Pettigrew," James warned, "or maybe I won't turn my back."
Peter laughed squeakily. "There's Moony," he said, pointing out Remus, who was standing with a rather thick tome near his luggage.
Remus was looking his best again, as the August full moon had passed about two weeks ago. James knew that, while Remus never looked forward to the full moon, he especially hated it during the summer. His mother would lock him up in the cellar until he turned back again, and he had no companions, as their house was near the woods and there was no one around for several miles. By comparison, the Marauders' visits to the Shrieking Shack were a holiday.
Remus looked up as James and Peter approached and closed his book after carefully marking his place. "How is your Apparition coming, Wormtail?" he asked.
"Good!" said Peter excitedly. "I think I'll pass the test this time!"
Remus smiled. "Well, let's get on the train. Padfoot is always late, as you know. It's no use waiting for him."
They boarded the Hogwarts Express and found their usual compartment. There were a couple of first years occupying it, but they scurried out when they caught sight of James. One of them whispered to another, "That's James Potter, the leader of the Marauders. My brother told me about him..."
James smirked as the first years left the compartment, happy that his name was already feared and awed by the underclassmen. It's for their benefit, really, he thought to himself as he took a seat and stretched his legs out before him, ready to casually look through his glasses at anyone who entered.
Just as the train began to pull away from the station, Peter spluttered so hard that pieces of the Chocolate Frog he'd been eating sprayed across the train window. "P-Padfoot!" he stuttered, pointing shakily out the window.
James and Remus leapt from their seats to watch as a huge black dog bounded alongside the train, causing several of the remaining parents to scream and clutch their younger children protectively. Tongue lolling, the dog managed to leap sideways and catch the train just before it left the station. It let out a triumphant howl to mirror the Hogwarts Express's whistle.
Remus shook his head. "Wizards don't come more reckless than Sirius Black," he said.
Moments later, Sirius burst into their compartment with his trunk and his obnoxiously loud owl, who was appropriately named Siren. He sighed in relief. "Wow, that was close, eh?" he said. "I had to turn into Padfoot to catch it." Upon noticing Remus's disapproving look, he said, "Oh, don't worry. Nobody saw me."
"How can you even say that?" Peter asked. "At least a dozen women screamed for animal control. I'm fairly sure some bloke with an elephant tranquilizer gun will show up any minute."
"I meant nobody saw me transform," Sirius clarified, tossing a cloak over Siren's cage to hush her and shoving his trunk above the seats with the others.
"Good," said Remus, "because you know what would happen to you if they find out you're all unregistered Animagi."
"Don't worry so much, Moony," said Sirius, waving it off. He sat down on the bench, throwing his arm over the top of it and adopting a lazy grin.
"I wouldn't worry so much if you wouldn't pull stunts like your recent train-station marathon," Remus retorted. "If you had any sense, you would've got here earlier to make it on time."
"I did get here early, thank you very much," Sirius replied indignantly. "How d'you think I got my stuff on the train, huh? Can't very well tie myself to it like a sled dog. I put it all on the train before any of you slackers got here."
"So where were you, then?" asked James.
"There was a cute Muggle girl on the other side of the barrier," he said defensively.
Remus groaned and rolled his eyes, but apparently decided to give Sirius up as a lost cause. "Prongs," he said, "shouldn't you be going to a Head Student meeting? I remember there's always a prefect meeting on the train to Hogwarts..."
"A meeting?" asked James, sitting forward in his seat. "Aw, I'm gonna have responsibilities, aren't I?"
"They usually come along with the Head-Boy territory," Remus said drily.
James groaned. "Okay, Moony. Where do I go?"
"Up front, there's the prefect carriage, the very first one. I've heard it's great. I think you're actually supposed to stay there for at least part of the ride," he said, "then you patrol for the next."
"Sounds like a certain redhead firecracker with a penchant for rules will be up there, too," remarked Sirius with a waggle of his eyebrows.
James smiled a little. "Is that so? Well, if Evans is there... I'll see you losers later."
"Go get her, Prongs," Peter called as James exited the Marauders' compartment.
James made his way to the front of the train, where he found the prefect carriage. He was amazed at how nice it was. The carpet was soft underfoot, colored red and gold for Gryffindor, as both he and Lily were from that House. There was a small food cart just for them, filled to the brim with Chocolate Frogs, Exploding Bubblegum, and Every-Flavor Beans. There wasn't a vendor there, but James suspected the cart was spelled to keep the students from stealing – although presumably they had access to this prestigious carriage for their honor. He hoped, for the school's sake, that they'd taken precautions for this year. James knew that if it hadn't, the Marauders would be on permanent sugar high until Christmas.
He heard the door to the carriage opening behind him, and a girl's voice saying, "Oh, hello. You must be Head Boy. I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier. Have you been waiting long?"
James turned around, preparing to savor the moment that realization dawned on Lily's pretty face. "Hey, Evans," he greeted with a casual grin. "How's it going?"
Lily Evans's mouth dropped open in shock. James watched the seventeen-year-old girl work her jaw while no sound came out. Her emerald green eyes were wide. "Potter?" she gasped incredulously, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Look, Potter" – she spat out his name as though it left a bad taste in her mouth – "I know you think you're royalty, but this is the prefects' carriage. If you don't get out this instant, I will have to give you detention."
"Why would I get out, though?" James asked innocently. "I have just as much right to be here as you."
"In case you haven't read my letter, I'm Head Girl," said Lily, almost prissily. "I'm supposed to be here for a meeting with whoever is Head Boy."
"Well, let's get started, then," said James happily. He sat down on the cushioned bench and enjoyed Lily's look of complete surprise, with a touch of anger.
"You can't mean to tell me that you're Head Boy?!" she nearly shrieked.
James blinked, telling her that he didn't want to waste breath explaining it to her.
"This is – this is – awful!" exclaimed Lily, as she began to pace quickly. "I can't believe it. I'm going to have to share Head duties – with you?"
"Oh, come off it, Evans," said James uncomfortably, wary of her nearly manic pacing. "It's not as bad as all that."
"Yes, it is," said Lily, still pacing. She didn't seem to notice she was doing it. "Well, there's a simple solution. I'll just have to request not to have to do anything with you. Quite simple, actually."
James nodded. "Yes, simple," he agreed. "Now let's work out bathroom privileges. I say I take my showers first in the morning, and then you. How does that sound? Or are you the type to go first?"
Lily looked as if she couldn't comprehend what James was saying. "Stop talking rot, Potter," she said.
"I'm not talking rot," he answered with a smile. "We should figure out what times we each get to the shower, since we'll be in the Head Tower together..."
For the second time that day, Lily's mouth fell open. "No..." she whispered. "No, I have to share the Tower with... you?! That's just – not – I can't – "
"Really, this is getting old fast, Evans," said James. "Just admit it. You pine for me, you just don't want to give in to the Potter charm. It's a very clever ruse, really. Your seemingly complete abhorrence of me really draws me in. Bravo."
Lily actually looked offended. "Me? Pine for you? I've never heard such a ridiculous thing in my life," she said, nearly laughing.
James frowned a little. He could not detect even a hint of a lie. It was exactly the way someone would respond if it wasn't true... But it has to be! She must like me, it's impossible not to, James thought. His frown disappeared so as not to let Lily see he had been upset.
"I utterly despise you, Potter," she said, and James was reminded of what Sirius had said, "She completely despises you? Well, I'd have to agree with that." "Now, I'll just have to request a room change, then. Still quite simple."
"Do you really want to cause that much trouble for Dumbledore?" asked James, desperately hoping that another of Sirius's predictions wouldn't come true – one was scary enough as it was.
Lily hesitated for a moment, and James knew he had her. "I mean, he's busy enough with Voldemort out there..." He looked for her to flinch at the sound of his name.
But Lily didn't flinch. She stood quite still, and if James didn't know better, he would have said she was Petrified. "Evans?" he asked. "What's wrong with you, huh?"
A muscle clenched in her jaw, but she said nothing. Just as soon as the strangeness had come over her, it was gone. "For once, you're right, Potter," she said, as though admitting defeat. "Professor Dumbledore has enough on his mind. I won't bother him. But you had better not bother me, either."
James just smirked, declining to make any promises.
Lily sighed and tugged at her thick red hair anxiously. "Well, I can't deal with this right now," she muttered, almost more to herself than to James. "I think we're supposed to go talk to the prefects in the next carriage down. Or are you above that, Potter?"
James shrugged nonchalantly.
"Can't you answer with words like a normal person?" she hissed impatiently. "Well, I'm going to the holding carriage. If you won't deign to join us, I won't wait up." She turned and swept away, her robes swirling around her legs.
James smirked and stretched languorously before standing up from the comfortable benches and exiting the same way Lily had. It was truly interesting, watching that girl yell at him. No other would have the audacity to, and that's what intrigued him.
As soon as he entered the next carriage, all faces turned towards him, and only Evans's wasn't admiring. The fifth- and sixth-year prefects all gazed at him in awe, and James rediscovered what he'd been sure of all those years at school: that all the girls wanted to be with him and all the boys wanted to be like him, and he was proud of it.
Alecto Carrow, a fifth-year Slytherin and prefect only by merit of her sycophantic ways, smiled nauseatingly at James. James was a pureblood, and therefore Alecto – a die-hard follower of the anti-Muggle-born creed – considered him fair game. James, however, looked upon her with the utmost distaste. She persecuted Muggle-born wizards and witches, and James suspected that she was eager to graduate and join her brother Amycus among Voldemort's ranks.
"You're Head Boy, James?" asked fifth-year Jake Bell, who was a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"That's right," said James with a grin. "Softer punishments for everyone!"
The prefects cheered, still not used to the idea that they could issue punishments rather than endure them.
Lily frowned. "Potter, I hope you'll take your job seriously – "
"Mudbloods should be seen and not heard," snickered the sixth-year Slytherin prefect in a whisper that was obviously meant to be heard.
"They shouldn't even be seen," scoffed Carrow in an equally exaggerated whisper.
James frowned at the two of them. "Ten points from Slytherin," he said immediately, "for inappropriate name-calling."
Carrow and her older partner scowled, but said nothing. To James's surprise, they weren't glaring at him, but at Lily.
"Potter..." Lily began, but James saw with surprise and delight that she seemed to appreciate his sticking up for her, even if she didn't want to admit it.
"Yes, Evans?" asked James innocently, batting his eyelashes. Jake Bell laughed appreciatively.
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's just get down to business," she said, turning to the other students in the car. "As prefects, your job is to make sure no students cause problems. You can deduct house points and give out detentions, as long as you clear them with a teacher first. If you abuse your duties as a prefect, you will be stripped of your badge and lose your status. I don't want to hear of any of you misusing your rights.
"On the bright side," she continued, "you have your separate bathrooms and a common room for prefect meetings. Both are near the Astronomy tower, near where – Potter – and I will be staying in the Head Tower. Don't hesitate to call a meeting, if you feel it's important."
"Yeah," agreed James. "If it's not important, don't bother me and Evans, 'cause we're gonna be busy." He raised his eyebrows suggestively at her.
The prefects – except the Slytherins, who looked slightly ill – laughed. Lily grimaced, and said, "Potter and I will not be 'busy,' so don't worry about contacting us. But ironically enough, Potter, you have reminded me of something we actually need to talk about. If you find any students after hours participating in... displays of affection, let's say... you may give them detention without assent from a teacher, as long as you get both students to sign the detention slips."
"But if you catch me and Evans, we can overrule you," James put in with a grin at Lily.
Lily frowned at him as the prefects, again without Carrow and her House-mates, laughed appreciatively. "If you're done, Potter," she said angrily, "I'd like to at least see my friends before we reach the castle."
"Oh, I'm done," said James. "You wanna bring your crew over to the Marauders' compartment?"
"No. In case you've forgotten, we have a duty as Head Boy and Girl to patrol for the remainder of the ride," Lily said. She looked back at the prefects. "You may go back to your friends' compartments, if you want, or you may stay in the prefects' carriage. We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in about twenty minutes, so you might want to get your robes on. Potter and I will see you at the castle. Good day." Lily made her way out of the prefects' carriage and into the regular train.
"See you," James called as he made his way after Lily.
"Bye, Cap'n," yelled Jake Bell. "Good luck!"
Lily was walking quickly, but James managed to get in front of her. He braced himself against the wall of the train corridor with his arm and grinned at her. "So, Evans," he began, "you sure you don't wanna come with me?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I would rather be trapped in a closet with Alecto and Amycus than go anywhere with you," she retorted. "Now kindly get out of my way." She tried to push past him, but James, at nearly six feet, was much taller than she was.
"Where are you going, Evans?" asked James.
"Away from you," she answered primly. She stepped back and glanced from James's face, to his arm, and back again. "You going to get out of my way, or should I hex you?" She reached threateningly for her wand.
"No need," said James, knowing full well the power of her hexes. He turned and strode away from her. "Hey, I'll see you soon, eh, Evans?" he called over his shoulder. He heard an angry groan issue from her, and he smirked. He hadn't even reached Hogwarts yet, and already he was having fun.
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Tempest: Hiiiii. I'm so happy with this fic... I like it a lot. Now I'm convinced that Harry Potter fics are the only way to go... Anyway, review, review, review!!!
7-31-07: This chapter has been revamped! Hope you enjoy it more than before.