Chapter 1: Herbology Nightmares
Lily glanced at her new schedule and sighed. Once again she would have all her classes with that Potter. It had been that way since first year and it never failed to dampen her mood. James Potter was probably the most perpetually annoying person in the entire wizarding world. And muggle world for that matter. She headed for History of Magic dejectedly. Most likely he'd take a seat behind her and whisper to her. It was their seventh year and he hadn't evolved into a more mature human being. Her friend Adielle came up behind her.
"All classes with Potter again?"
"Unfortunately." Sighed Lily "What do you have first?"
"History."
Lily brightened, "Me too."
Adielle hugged her, "Now you won't have to suffer through Pothead alone!"
They compared schedules.
"We have everything together except charms and transfiguration," commented Lily "I can live with that. I only have two classes of suffering. Of course Potter's atrocious at transfiguration so that should be amusing."
An all too familiar voice shouted her name, "Hey Lily! We get the same classes again?"
Lily rolled her eyes and turned around. Standing above her on the grand staircase was a tall, handsome boy with unruly black hair. He was grinning expectantly down here.
"Since when do we not, Potter?" she grimaced at him, pointedly using his surname. His grin broadened.
"Looking forward to it." He turned and bolted up the stairs shouting "Hey Remus, Sirius wait up! She's in all my classes."
Two equally handsome boys stopped. Sirius laughed and pushed his black hair out of his eyes. Remus looked somewhat apologetically at Lily, then congratulated his friend.
Lily gritted her teeth and muttered, "Come on. Let's get this over with. We don't want detention on the first day." She and Adielle sprinted up the stairs and past the laughing boys.
Potter called behind them, "Hey Evans, will you go out with me?"
"Ask me again and I'll jinx you." She snarled.
Thankfully, Alantra and Sophilia were both in History of Magic too. Lily sat on the end row next to the windows so her friends could surround her on all sides.
Alantra raised an eyebrow, "I take it Potter is in all your classes again?"
"See for yourself." Lily replied gesturing towards the door where James, Sirius and Remus had just come through.
Alantra gasped, "You didn't tell me Sirius was in this class too! Oh god, how do I look?"
Sophilia rolled her eyes, "As good as ever, Al. Don't sweat it."
James looked a little disappointed that there were no empty seats next to Lily so he sat down diagonally behind her instead. Remus sat behind him and Sirius behind Alantra who was blushing madly.
Remus muttered, "Binns is taking an unusually long time isn't he?"
James grinned, "Maybe he died!"
Just then professor Binns came in, but not through the door like any other teacher; through the blackboard! He had indeed died and become a ghost.
The class gasped, all except for James, Sirius and Remus who burst out laughing.
"You should pay more attention in Divination, James, you'd make an excellent seer!" snickered Sirius. Professor Binns picked up a text book and began reading; completely
unaware of the fact that he was suddenly transparent.
"Poor bloke!" Remus smiled "He appears to be in denial."
"If he even knows he's dead." Laughed James.
Lily twisted around and glared at him, "Will you shut up! Some of us are actually trying to pay attention."
James smirked and glanced around the room, "Oh I highly doubt that Evans."
Indeed, most of the class seemed fascinated by the fact that their teacher had died and hadn't noticed. Lily turned back around and began taking notes furiously. He was so arrogant and pompous. Not to mention vile and annoying.
The class ended on a lethargic note like it always did and Lily made her way to Herbology. Adielle was the only descent person in her class so she was forced to endure sharing her table with James and Remus. Sirius had Defense Against the Dark Arts with
Alantra.
Lily could hardly concentrate on her Wiggly plant she was supposed to be cutting. James was not taking his eyes off her, doing all his work with only his hands.
"It'll bite you if you don't keep your mind on what you're doing." Lily snapped. He seemed to wake up from a trance.
"How can I when you're right next to me?" he asked mildly.
Lily glared at her plant and began cutting doggedly.
'If you ignore him maybe he'll leave you alone.' She chopped a large branch off the carnivorous plant. It caught her wrist, and snapped its jaws around her hand, sinking its teeth into her palm.
"Ahh!" she cried. The thing wouldn't let go of her hand.
"Stupefy!" James shouted pointing his wand at the plant. It froze. He leapt over the table and helped her pry the Wiggly plants jaws open and remove her hand. Blood poured down her arm. Professor Sprout ran over saying, "What happened?" she saw the blood "Potter, take Miss Evans up to the hospital wing before the poison gets too far into her system."
James grabbed Lily's good arm and helped her up to the castle.
"Sorry," he said softly, not meeting her eye. For a second she considered yelling at him, but the look on his face told her that he truly was sorry. And she was beginning to feel very woozy and seeing double slightly. She leaned against his arm.
"It's fine." She murmured. Then she fainted.