Change of Heart

By Tempest Break

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, but I have a long list of things I DO own! I'm gonna list 'em, 'cause it makes me happy! Okay. I own... Selena Silver, Colleen O'Brian, Jake Bell, Lee Butterwick, Cady Morris, David Gilmore, Liz Hamilton, and Professor Ares! Go me!!! I'm so proud. sniff

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?

- - - - - - - - -

Chapter Seven: A Healthy Distraction

For the next few weeks, James talked to Colleen every practice about Lily. Although Colleen was admittedly still apprehensive about giving James information regarding Lily's general stats, she did so anyway.

"Because, after all, there is something so sweet about this," she explained. "Disturbing, yes, but sweet all the same."

So that night after James emerged, refreshed, from the lockers, he called Colleen's name.

Colleen turned from Cady and Jake and then muttered a quick excuse for going with James and ran to catch up with him. "Yes, O Wonderful Captain?" she said, as if she didn't know what he wanted to talk with her.

"Just thought I'd walk you up there," he said nonchalantly, as always, and pivoted toward the castle, knowing that Colleen would follow him, and she did.

They continued walking to the castle, making small talk, until Colleen leaked the information the way she always did – in the middle of a sentence.

"Yeah and then I saw this really awesome her favorite candy is Chocolate Frogs thing in Zonko's joke shop while I was there, I just had to get it..." She continued with the story without a glitch, as though the information was part of the sentence. The method was completely unnecessary, as no one else was around – and it probably would not have fooled even Edmond Jugson – but crazy ideas seemed to come with the territory around Colleen.

"Why are you going along with me, anyway?" James inquired when they reached the castle corridor where they always parted ways.

She stopped and looked at him. "Let me explain 'walking to the castle'…" she began.

"No, no, no," he said. "I mean why are you doing what I asked? I know you think it's 'sweet', but it's still stalking."

"Glad to see you're calling a spade a spade, Cap'n."

James grimaced at the realization of what he'd just done.

"To be honest, I don't know why I'm helping you," continued Colleen with a one-shouldered shrug. "I guess I feel sorry for you."

James was offended – this girl felt sorry for him? James Potter? If anything, he should feel sorry for her. As far as he knew, she was a poor half-blood who lived with her Irish Muggle father and four younger siblings. James, as a rich, pureblood, only child with both parents, was much better off than her. And she felt sorry for him?

James said a quick goodbye and strode away from Colleen, confused as to why this comment got to him.

As he was hurrying back to the Head Tower to ask Sirius about it, he crashed right into someone. He immediately stood and helped her up and found that the person was Selena Silver, Lily's other close friend. Selena's complexion was pale, as were her gray eyes. Even her brown hair had a strange, faded look to it, like a shirt that had gone through a washing machine too many times. She was thin, but almost too thin – her cheekbones stood out in her face and her shoulders jutted out like she had a spear across her back. James thought she looked rather sickly and frail, and the heavy black school robes seemed to hang off her body as if she were a coat hanger.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said James, concerned that she might have broken a bone. "Are you okay?"

Selena nodded. "I'm fine, thank you," she whispered, her voice small and quiet.

"You sure? I'm really sorry," James said again.

"Yes, I'm sure," said Selena. "It's no trouble. Go on with your business, sir." She smiled weakly but insistently. As James was hesitantly walking away, however, she stopped him. "Wait," she said. "You're James Potter, aren't you?"

James was surprised she had to ask. Other than the fact that they'd had classes together for six years, he and the other Marauders were celebrities at Hogwarts. "Um, yeah," he said. "Why?"

"I'm Lily's friend," Selena told him with a faint smile. "She's told me some things about you."

"Really? Like what?" James asked eagerly.

"She says that you're a pompous, conceited jerk, and your head is too inflated," she told him. As James was deflating like an old balloon, though, she continued with a smile: "But she thinks if you would just let your ego slip, that maybe – just maybe – she would give you a chance."

James's heart soared. "Really? Wow, thanks, Silver!" James exclaimed. "I could hug you right now!"

"Please contain yourself," said Selena with a faint giggle. "And keep what I said in mind, if you really want to be with her." She turned to leave.

"Hey, can I help you get to where you want to go?" James offered. He didn't want to remark on her apparent frailty, but he wanted to help her if she needed it. "I'm not doing anything right now."

Selena smiled weakly. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine. I have to go to the Infirmary, but maybe I'll see you later, Potter."

"Yeah, see you," said James, still on cloud nine. His confusion at Colleen's remark had disappeared, and he practically floated to the Head Tower.

Lily was sitting in the common room doing Potions homework when James entered. She ignored him when he came and stood over her, watching her quill fly over the paper.

"So, Evans," he began.

"No," she interrupted firmly. "Whatever it is, no."

"Really? Because I was just going to ask you if you still hated me," said James with a grin, sitting down in an armchair. "Thanks, Evans. Why the change of heart?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "I would ask you to leave me alone, Potter, but I actually need to speak to you, much as it pains me."

"Where?" James sat forward eagerly. "I could massage it for you."

She gave him a look of the least amusement that James had ever seen on someone's face. "Potter, I'd like to have a civil conversation with you, but you're making it rather difficult," she told him.

"All right, all right," said James. "Converse away."

"While you were out at practice, I met up with some of the prefects to discuss a potential activity for those staying for Christmas to participate in, and we decided that a Christmas dance would be a nice way to bring the Houses together and take everyone's mind off You-Know-Who and life outside of Hogwarts. Just last week two brothers in the forefront of the movement against You-Know-Who, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, were brutally murdered by Death Eaters. It's hard to ignore just how horrible this war is becoming." Lily shook her head sadly. "Anyway, Dumbledore suggested that we think of a healthy distraction that would double as incentive for students to stay at Hogwarts over the break, so… but you've got to agree to it, too." She looked at him expectantly.

"Sounds like a smashing idea," said James. "Far be it from me to disapprove."

"Well, you do have some compassion in you, I suppose," Lily remarked with an appraising glance at James. She turned back to her Potions homework. "Well, we'll have to put a lot of work into this, you know. I've already put together a few ideas with Annette and Angelique, so I'll write them all down and present them to Dumbledore tomorrow."

"If you need anything, you know where to find me," James offered.

"All right." Although it didn't sound as though she would take him up on that offer.

They sat in silence for a few moments, James trying to think of something to say that would prove to Lily that his head was "deflating", just as Selena Silver had suggested he do. Finally he said:

"Lily, you're right."

"I'm right?" Lily repeated, looking up from her homework.

"I mean, you're right about me," he clarified. "That I'm, er, pompous and conceited, if that's what you said."

She blinked at him. "When did I ever say that to you?"

"Well, not to me," James conceded, "but to Silver."

"Selena? When did you talk to her?"

James shrugged. "I ran into her in the hallway outside. She looked pretty sick, but she was going off to the Infirmary, so I suppose she'll be getting the help she needs, right? However much that may be."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "You leave Selena alone," she growled warningly. "She has far more problems than you could imagine, Potter."

James was surprised at Lily's anger and intrigued by her words, but he didn't want to undo all the good work he'd just done. "Sorry," he said quickly.

She stared at him for a few short moments, apparently trying to judge the sincerity of his apology, before turning back to her homework, leaving James in a thoughtful silence that this time remained unbroken.

- - - - -

"Moony?" said James at dinner the next day.

Remus looked up from his untouched food. It was only a few days after the full moon, and his appetite always took a blow near to his transformation. "Yes?" he asked, his milky eyes rather milkier than usual.

"I need some lessons in humility," said James.

Sirius cracked up beside him. "Lessons in humility?" he repeated incredulously through his guffaws. "Oh, man. I need to see this."

"Say it, don't spray it, Padfoot," muttered Peter, wiping some steak-and-kidney pie off his face.

"Please?" James continued, ignoring Sirius. "You have to help me, Moony."

Remus was about to reply when Dumbledore stood up at the teachers' table. A blanket of silence fell over the Great Hall. Dumbledore spoke in his normal voice, but it carried throughout the hall, resonating on the stone walls. "I'm pleased to announce that, through the good graces of our prefects, we will be holding a Christmas Dance this year."

Cheers rang out through the Great Hall.

Dumbledore held up his hand for silence and continued: "Years four and up are allowed to participate. It will be on Christmas Day and will begin at seven-thirty at night. Please be there on time – and don't do anything that might force you to miss it." He looked straight at the Marauders, this time.

As soon as Dumbledore sat again, the Great Hall was abuzz with excitement. Even the Marauders could barely mask theirs with their usual calm.

"What'd he mean by that, Prongs?" asked Peter. "'The good graces of our prefects'?"

"Yeah, Lily told me about it last night," said James. "Must have slipped my mind."

"Yes, your mind is rather slippery these days," Peter replied with a head-jerk in Lily Evans's direction.

"So," said Remus, before James could reply, "any of you got a girl you want to take in mind?"

Sirius shrugged. "Doesn't matter. They'll be swarming all over me by the time dinner's through."

"What about you, Moony?" asked James. "Wormtail?"

Remus and Peter both shook their heads. "But we all know who you want, Prongs," said Sirius. "Better pounce on her right after dinner."

"James Potter doesn't need to 'pounce'," said James indignantly. "Besides that, we're Head Students. It's expected of us to go together."

"I think that's one expectation Evans might ignore," said Sirius.

- - - - -

That night, James was awakened once again by Lily's nightmarish screams. This time, though, he didn't dare run in to stop her and risk her wrath. He just lay on his back in bed, staring at the ceiling, flinching every time she let out another cry.

Finally, he admitted that he would never be able to get to sleep while Lily was going on like that and got up out of his bed. He took his Invisibility Cloak out of the drawer it was kept in and threw it about his shoulders. He checked in the mirror to see – or rather, not see – if it was covering him. Then he opened the door to the bathroom, crossed that room, and entered Lily's.

She was tossing around on her bed, letting out loud whimpers and the occasional shriek. James leaned over her bed, and reached out his hand and shook her awake.

Lily bolted straight up in bed, looking around for whoever it was who had touched her. James backed away silently to make sure she wouldn't reach out and touch him.

Then she sighed and relaxed. "Just a dream," she murmured. "Why do I keep having that dream? I don't want to see it anymore..." She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. She lay back down on her bed and turned on her side.

James waited for a good half hour before her breathing turned deep and regular, and then he cautiously went back into his room, being sure not to make a sound. He came out from the Invisibility Cloak, put it away, and then climbed into bed. Within moments, he was asleep.

He woke up, however, earlier than usual. When he emerged from his room, Lily was still in the shower, so he had to wait for her to finish, which took quite a while. When the sound of running water ceased, and he heard the door to her room shut, he quickly took his own shower and headed down for breakfast.

As he stepped into the common room, though, Lily was still there, staring at the fireplace, although there was no fire.

"Um, good morning, Evans," James greeted. "Sleep well?"

After a moment, Lily shook her head absently. She seemed lost in thought and unwilling to answer James with her full attention.

James cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, I'm heading down to breakfast, would you like to come with me?" he asked.

Once again, it took a while before Lily responded. This time she turned to James, her green eyes vapid. "No, thanks," she said as if in a trance. "I think I'll stay up here a bit longer."

"Er, okay," said James, not used to Lily's acting this way. He almost preferred it when she was telling him to get away from her. Just as he was about to exit, he turned back and asked, "You okay?"

She was back to staring at the fireplace, but she nodded slowly as an answer. James frowned, but, against his better judgment, left her alone in the common room.

- - - - - - - - -

Tempest: There. I wrote something where James wasn't completely himself. Have you ever been in one of those sorta trance-like things where you just stare at something without really seeing it, and it takes you a while to process what people say? I do that all the time... Usually when I'm thinking really, really hard.

As for whether or not Sirius or Remus get girlfriends, mostly people said that Sirius should have one, but not Remus. Some people wanted it to be Colleen and some wanted it to be some other original character that wasn't Lily's friend. All I can say is that Colleen and Sirius will definitely be friends, but even I'm not sure whether they'll be together or not. Next chapter is the Quidditch match. Gypsy Lupin-Black: Sirius isn't on the team (as you probably surmised), but he DOES have a special role to play during the games... Anyway, review please!

8-01-07: This chapter has been revamped! I hope you enjoy it more than before.