[2]
Hand in hand, Harry and Ginny dove headfirst into the magical repository of memories, landing with a soft thud on a patch of neatly trimmed grass encircling the lake. The two inhaled the aromatic scent of freshly cut grass that had begun to dry out in the sun and looked around their new surroundings.
Soon enough, the pair spotted an unaccompanied girl seated nearby, book in hand, with her back against a willow tree. The wind teased the flowing locks of titian hair that framed the girl's pretty heart-shaped face. From the distance came the confident swagger of an approaching male—with a shock of raven black hair and a lanky frame, this was, with no doubt, James Potter.
Ginny raised an eyebrow in surprise as James came closer; his broad chest was deliberately puffed out, and he seemed to wear a permanent smirk that openly exhibited his arrogance. She exchanged a look with Harry, who sighed helplessly at his father's infuriating behavior. "Remus always told me that Dad matured—eventually, anyway."
"So, Prongs, where'd you just come from?" Peter asked unconvincingly, as if he had not noticed James's clearly unkempt hair and the broomstick in his hand.
"Oh, you know. Quidditch practice." James turned his head and gave an offhanded glance around his surroundings. He cast a look pointedly in a certain redhead's direction and raised his voice, "I've been putting in a few extra hours, and I'm completely confident in Gryffindor's win against Slytherin this Saturday. The team has me – the most talented Chaser Hogwarts has ever seen – after all."
Behind him, Harry and Ginny saw Lily roll her eyes.
Moments later, James sauntered up to the redhead from behind, while the three other Marauders loyally trailed after him. When their friend neared his target even more, the trio expertly dodged into a thorny bush, but still nevertheless failed to go unnoticed by passersby.
With a widening smirk snugly in place, James squatted down next to the girl and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
"Care to go out with me, Evans?" James asked nonchalantly, his hazel eyes fixated intently on Lily.
Without even looking up to glance at the speaker, Lily coolly responded, "Again, Potter? No, thanks."
James blinked in confusion, his smirk vanishing faster than his usual voracious consumption of Chocolate Frogs. "But it's me. James Potter. You know, the incredible Quidditch prodigy. Not to mention my godly body."
At James's words, Ginny tried to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter, but Harry was already shaking his head and laughing openly at his father.
James looked back at his friends, who were still attempting to hide in the mass of prickly leaves, for some nods of agreement; instead, he only registered a wide-eyed Remus, who was shaking his head furiously and mouthing 'no' over and over again.
"What?" James mouthed back, his face twisted in annoyance. His hand shot up expertly to rumple his already windblown hair.
Remus just heaved a sigh of frustration.
At this time, Lily looked up to face James. Her face, which was normally either annoyed or completely emotionless in the presence of James, was replaced with a deadly scowl. "I have three things to say to you, Potter. One, I don't care about Quidditch. Two, I don't care for your godly body." Her fingers formed dramatic air quotes as she said the word, 'godly' before she continued her tirade, "And three, I don't care about you as a whole either."
With complete apathy, Lily resumed her reading of Hogwarts, A History, while James stood there in silence, completely stunned at what she just said.
Finally, words came to him. "You don't like Quidditch? How can that even be possible?"
Lily opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but some extremely loud snorting interrupted her. Sirius, along with Remus and Peter, came out into view from the tree and started dragging James back to the Gryffindor Common Room.
Ginny and Harry trailed after the Marauders as they noticed the memory fading from Lily's perspective.
As they caught up with the Marauders, they could hear Sirius mimicking James in an unnaturally high voice. "You don't like Quidditch?" Sirius gave a hearty chortle as the group stepped past the portrait's frame to enter the Common Room.
Remus chuckled lightly as James shot Sirius a glare. "Important matters to Prongs, I reckon."
"Oh, will you two just shut it?" James said through gritted teeth. "Why did Evans reject me again?"
"Well, maybe your way of asking her out was not the best method. You should try a different tactic."
"Tactic! You make it sound like war, Moony," James laughed and returned to his good-natured self, but quickly turned mum when he saw Remus's serious face.
"It is war, Prongs," Remus said solemnly, with no trace of amusement left in his face. "Get ready."