Awh I just got a really nice review. Thank you so much CountessMel! At
least I know someone's enjoying it!!
*****
Chapter 6 : Tension and Turmoil
The first few weeks of the new term were rough on James. He couldn't stand watching his friend tear himself apart in front of him. Ever since Caitlin's remark about Sirius being a dog, Remus had become paler and weaker by the minute. He was convinced that any day now Caitlin would spill the beans on his condition, and he would be turned into an outcast.
"Listen Moony, I sorted it, I promise. She won't tell, you'll be fine." They were huddled together in their usual spot in the common room. Sirius had sprawled himself across one of the sofas, he had his eyes closed and appeared to be half asleep. Remus sat across from him in an armchair, his head held in his hands, staring deeply into the fire that roared beside them. James was sitting on the arm of Sirius' sofa, whilst Peter was sitting cross-legged on the floor between them, his back to the fire.
Remus had ignored James' first attempt to console him, so he tried again.
"Look even if she did tell Lily, would it be that bad? Lily knows you, she wouldn't judge you." Remus grunted, he didn't seem to share James' optimism.
"Prongs no offence, but the way things are now, I might as well tie a bell round my neck and hire some guy to walk about in front of me shouting 'Werewolf! Getcha werewolf here!'"
"Nah mate, Prongs is right," Sirius had interjected. "At least Evans LIKES you." This was obviously a jibe at James. Sirius still had his eyes closed when he said it, and so didn't see James' reaction.
"Right it's late, I'm going to bed." With that James hurriedly left them to it, and climbed the stairs to his room. He knew Sirius was only trying to mess him about but his recent remarks had begun to really sting James. After all, it was his stupidity that had got them all into this trouble in the first place, and yet it was James that was left to sort it out. Oh yes, as soon as Caitlin had made her cutting remark Sirius had come bolting up the stairs, and practically punched a hole in the lion cub's portrait trying to wake James up. James had then been forced to go and try sort things out, Sirius hadn't wanted to loose face by having to talk to Caitlin himself. If Sirius would just swallow his pride and go make it up with Caitlin then that would be an end to this whole sorry affair. Unfortunately he was too concerned about loosing his 'Man's man' image, to go and talk to a girl about her feelings, and so the whole situation had only worsened. Caitlin was now so frustrated with him that she had stopped making sly comments to the Marauders, in fact she wasn't talking to them at all. This made Quidditch practice particularly difficult, as Caitlin had stopped yelling to James whilst he had the quaffle, therefore messing up their positioning.
As James walked into the private common room he was surprised to see that Lily was still up. She was busy working at one of the desks, so consumed by her studies she didn't notice him walk in. He stood and watched her for a moment, she looked so cute, with her nose crinkled in concentration as she tried to work out some particularly difficult Arithmancy.
"Lily, it's past one," he whispered. Lily gave a jump of surprise and then looked at her own watch.
"I have to do this for tomorrow, but I – just – don't – understand – it!" She rubbed hard on the parchment with an eraser as she said each word, and then slumped back into her chair defeated. "Oh I give up!"
"Maybe I can help?" James knew he would be useless, he had never studied Arithmancy, but he hated seeing her so annoyed with herself. He walked over and knelt down so he was the same height as her sitting in the chair. He took off his glasses and cleaned them before having a look at the textbook she had open in front of her. "Pfft! You can't figure that out? Honestly that's easy-peasy!" Lily smiled at bit at this.
"Oh really? What does it mean then?"
"Seriously Lily, to me that just looks like a pile of numbers," James admitted. Lily gave a very audible laugh at this.
"Is that the legendary James Potter admitting he doesn't know everything?"
"Uh huh, why don't you explain it?" James mumbled. He wasn't really listening to what she was saying, he was just trying to buy a little time so he could pull himself together again. 'She laughed. I've never made her laugh before.'
Lily stopped midway through her explanation.
"Uh James are you listening? Sorry it's late I shouldn't be boring you with this."
James subconscious suddenly kicked in. 'Shit! The first time we've ever had a normal conversation and she's going to finish it because of your lack of interest! Waken up Prongs!!'
"No no, it's fine, please continue." Lily laughed again and closed the textbook. She turned round to face him.
"Arithmancy's hard to grasp at the best of times, let alone half past 1 in the morning. James is everything all right? You seem a bit subdued." In that moment James had the strongest inclination to tell her everything. Tell her everything on his mind, she would understand wouldn't she? She'd never asked him if everything was all right before. They had spent much more time in each other's presence over the past few weeks, due to the fact James had been hiding out because he didn't want to face the rest of the Marauders. They hadn't exactly hit it off, they spent most of the time working silently at their desks, but James had taken the fact that she could stand to be in the same room as him for hours on end as a good sign; she had even lent him a quill. Was Lily Evans finally warming to him? His hopes were immediately dashed. "It's just strange not to see you being your usual cocky self!" Lily laughed at her own joke. James had not joined in. He stood up slowly, took off his glasses and cleaned them. His purpose for doing this was so he could squint up his eyes, so that Lily couldn't see the hurt in them.
"Lily when you see Caitlin, could you tell her I want a word?"
"Sure." Lily turned to go back to her work. James noticed that she now sat more rigidly in her chair, and seemed to wishing him out of the room. For a moment he thought he had broken through, but he had obviously been mistaken. Lily Evans was as uncomfortable around him now as she ever had been.
He walked morosely to his room, but stopped as he reached his doorway.
'Should I?' he questioned himself.
'She'll be expecting it,' said a voice in his head.
'From your usual cocky self,' said another. He turned round to see that Lily was sitting at the desk perfectly still. 'Here goes it.'
"Evans!" She looked up at him, a small smile creeping across her face. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Uh... night!" He quickly turned back and hurried into his room, without looking back.
*****
Ok that was ever so slightly depressing. It'll lighten up next chapter promise!! R&R!
*****
Chapter 6 : Tension and Turmoil
The first few weeks of the new term were rough on James. He couldn't stand watching his friend tear himself apart in front of him. Ever since Caitlin's remark about Sirius being a dog, Remus had become paler and weaker by the minute. He was convinced that any day now Caitlin would spill the beans on his condition, and he would be turned into an outcast.
"Listen Moony, I sorted it, I promise. She won't tell, you'll be fine." They were huddled together in their usual spot in the common room. Sirius had sprawled himself across one of the sofas, he had his eyes closed and appeared to be half asleep. Remus sat across from him in an armchair, his head held in his hands, staring deeply into the fire that roared beside them. James was sitting on the arm of Sirius' sofa, whilst Peter was sitting cross-legged on the floor between them, his back to the fire.
Remus had ignored James' first attempt to console him, so he tried again.
"Look even if she did tell Lily, would it be that bad? Lily knows you, she wouldn't judge you." Remus grunted, he didn't seem to share James' optimism.
"Prongs no offence, but the way things are now, I might as well tie a bell round my neck and hire some guy to walk about in front of me shouting 'Werewolf! Getcha werewolf here!'"
"Nah mate, Prongs is right," Sirius had interjected. "At least Evans LIKES you." This was obviously a jibe at James. Sirius still had his eyes closed when he said it, and so didn't see James' reaction.
"Right it's late, I'm going to bed." With that James hurriedly left them to it, and climbed the stairs to his room. He knew Sirius was only trying to mess him about but his recent remarks had begun to really sting James. After all, it was his stupidity that had got them all into this trouble in the first place, and yet it was James that was left to sort it out. Oh yes, as soon as Caitlin had made her cutting remark Sirius had come bolting up the stairs, and practically punched a hole in the lion cub's portrait trying to wake James up. James had then been forced to go and try sort things out, Sirius hadn't wanted to loose face by having to talk to Caitlin himself. If Sirius would just swallow his pride and go make it up with Caitlin then that would be an end to this whole sorry affair. Unfortunately he was too concerned about loosing his 'Man's man' image, to go and talk to a girl about her feelings, and so the whole situation had only worsened. Caitlin was now so frustrated with him that she had stopped making sly comments to the Marauders, in fact she wasn't talking to them at all. This made Quidditch practice particularly difficult, as Caitlin had stopped yelling to James whilst he had the quaffle, therefore messing up their positioning.
As James walked into the private common room he was surprised to see that Lily was still up. She was busy working at one of the desks, so consumed by her studies she didn't notice him walk in. He stood and watched her for a moment, she looked so cute, with her nose crinkled in concentration as she tried to work out some particularly difficult Arithmancy.
"Lily, it's past one," he whispered. Lily gave a jump of surprise and then looked at her own watch.
"I have to do this for tomorrow, but I – just – don't – understand – it!" She rubbed hard on the parchment with an eraser as she said each word, and then slumped back into her chair defeated. "Oh I give up!"
"Maybe I can help?" James knew he would be useless, he had never studied Arithmancy, but he hated seeing her so annoyed with herself. He walked over and knelt down so he was the same height as her sitting in the chair. He took off his glasses and cleaned them before having a look at the textbook she had open in front of her. "Pfft! You can't figure that out? Honestly that's easy-peasy!" Lily smiled at bit at this.
"Oh really? What does it mean then?"
"Seriously Lily, to me that just looks like a pile of numbers," James admitted. Lily gave a very audible laugh at this.
"Is that the legendary James Potter admitting he doesn't know everything?"
"Uh huh, why don't you explain it?" James mumbled. He wasn't really listening to what she was saying, he was just trying to buy a little time so he could pull himself together again. 'She laughed. I've never made her laugh before.'
Lily stopped midway through her explanation.
"Uh James are you listening? Sorry it's late I shouldn't be boring you with this."
James subconscious suddenly kicked in. 'Shit! The first time we've ever had a normal conversation and she's going to finish it because of your lack of interest! Waken up Prongs!!'
"No no, it's fine, please continue." Lily laughed again and closed the textbook. She turned round to face him.
"Arithmancy's hard to grasp at the best of times, let alone half past 1 in the morning. James is everything all right? You seem a bit subdued." In that moment James had the strongest inclination to tell her everything. Tell her everything on his mind, she would understand wouldn't she? She'd never asked him if everything was all right before. They had spent much more time in each other's presence over the past few weeks, due to the fact James had been hiding out because he didn't want to face the rest of the Marauders. They hadn't exactly hit it off, they spent most of the time working silently at their desks, but James had taken the fact that she could stand to be in the same room as him for hours on end as a good sign; she had even lent him a quill. Was Lily Evans finally warming to him? His hopes were immediately dashed. "It's just strange not to see you being your usual cocky self!" Lily laughed at her own joke. James had not joined in. He stood up slowly, took off his glasses and cleaned them. His purpose for doing this was so he could squint up his eyes, so that Lily couldn't see the hurt in them.
"Lily when you see Caitlin, could you tell her I want a word?"
"Sure." Lily turned to go back to her work. James noticed that she now sat more rigidly in her chair, and seemed to wishing him out of the room. For a moment he thought he had broken through, but he had obviously been mistaken. Lily Evans was as uncomfortable around him now as she ever had been.
He walked morosely to his room, but stopped as he reached his doorway.
'Should I?' he questioned himself.
'She'll be expecting it,' said a voice in his head.
'From your usual cocky self,' said another. He turned round to see that Lily was sitting at the desk perfectly still. 'Here goes it.'
"Evans!" She looked up at him, a small smile creeping across her face. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Uh... night!" He quickly turned back and hurried into his room, without looking back.
*****
Ok that was ever so slightly depressing. It'll lighten up next chapter promise!! R&R!