Ohhhhh the JOYS of two reviews! Okay requested by Bree, even though I already had this planned :3 More Lily and James interaction, I really had to get the introductions in though, so now that's all done and dusted it's time to get to the nitty gritty.
Look out for some genuine interaction between the pair, doing what we know they do best. Fight!
ALSO: Check my homepage because there's a poll in regards to the direction this story will take. Please vote.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other affiliated characters, places, objects etc. I am not JK Rowling however much I would wish to possess her literary talents.
Always, Eleanor x
PS. Just clearing up something, when Vivian talks to Olivier and it looks like she's saying Oi! all the time, she's actually saying Ol, as in a nickname of Olivier. I realised that's what it looked like after I published it!
The light pushed its way forcefully through the iron welded windows, misty from the morning dew, and casting a red glow on the already red and gold room. The light was an unpleasant reminder to the rooms inhabitants of the world, time and place.
The boys grunted in their sleep, the dawning sun disrupting their previous content. One boy however, rose from his bed, drawing aside the curtains of his four poster to stare, bleary eyed around the room. Remus was still asleep, head to the side and arms splayed out on the mattress. Peter was hidden beneath a ball of sheets, only recognisable from one grey sock covered foot gutting out of the side of the bed. Sirius was flat on his back, the sheets cast aside hastily throughout sleep, his hair covering his eyes in a comedic way, his mouth agape. James rubbed his eyes, and putting on his glasses, snorted at the sight of his friends. Rising from the bed, he moved over to the window and bent down to stare out, wiping away the mist with his hand.
James hadn't slept well last night, and leaning his head against the window pane, letting his warm breath cast fog against the smudgy window, he reviewed all he had run over in his brain.
Lily had an approximately 90% majority over all his other thoughts; What did she mean with muttering Snape's name at dinner? Why was Aurelia lying about it, what did she have to hide? Why was Lily friends with Snape?
And the final, most excruciatingly painful thought moved to the front of his brain, causing a grimace to form, having nothing to do with the cold window or his lack of sleep.
What does Snape have that James doesn't?
Other than a complete fetish for the Dark Arts and You-Know-Who, in which James was quite proud of not sharing those with Snape, he was at a loss to know what would actually make Lily like him?
James furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember if there was ever a time in which Lily did not look at him with scorn. His eyes flew open, a memory occurring to him. Lily's stare last night. Although her eyes did seem glazed, she may not have been looking at him at all. But James decided that for his purposes, she was.
'Wha's goin' on?' Sirius muttered from his tangled sheets.
'What? Oh, sweet mother of Merl-', in his struggle, the sheets caught on his feet and Sirius twisted off the side of his bed, landing on his back. 'OW!'
James's thoughts snapped back to the ends of his brain, locking the thoughts away with a key, and laughing unashamedly at Sirius' blunder.
Remus jerked awake, and taking one glance at James laughing hysterically, holding onto the banister of his bed for support, and the sight of Sirius splayed out on the floor with his legs still caught in his sheets, he could only roll his eyes and let a small smile play about his lips.
'I have absolutely no idea what happened, nor do I believe I would like to be informed,' Remus announced getting out of bed and smoothing down his hair. He walked over to his calendar above the chest of drawers shared by the boys.
His heart plummeted.
James, who had finally regained his senses, moved towards Remus, and looking at the distraught look on his face, his lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, he looked up at the calendar.
He could not hide his guilt when his heart swooped a little with excitement.
'One week until full moon...' Remus trailed off.
Sirius, who had somehow managed to untangle his legs, but tangle the sheets around his torso in stead, looked up (with difficulty) and grinned pleasantly.
'Excellent!' He attempted to stand up, and failed. 'Hey, Prongs, would you mind?' He motioned with his head towards the sheets strapping himself down.
As James went to help Sirius, Remus could only stare at the calendar in fear. Each new moon brought on new fears and trepidations. Would he attack someone? What if he inflicted his disgusting disease onto another innocent person? Or, Merlin forbid, a child?
Remus shuddered, and instead, brought to light the selfish point of view of the animagus'. Nothing would happen if Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail were with him, keeping him in check.
However, he could not fully quench the strange feeling that this new found monthly excitement could not last for long. He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of squealing, and looking up in alarm, turned to see Peter on the floor surrounded by a laughing James and Sirius.
'I don't want to know...'
And the four boys went down to breakfast, lighthearted, and completely at ease with the world.
The inhabitants of the fifth year girls dormitory awoke to a much more tame morning. Lily awoke first, and getting changed into her uniform and fastening her cloak, she began to pack some of the final pieces into her trunk, clasping it shut with a small click!
Lily had done a lot of thinking the night before, and she agreed with Aurelia. She could do this, she could live her life without Severus. She gave him multiple opportunities to follow the light, but he preferred the dark. They had chosen their paths. She was determined to look him in the eye and let him know it.
Swooping her hair into a high pony tail, letting a few strands fall out around her fringe, Lily turned to wake Aurelia when another girl entered the dormitory with a towel in hand.
'Good morning, Marlene,' Lily smiled. Marlene McKinnon was another fifth year student from Gryffindor. Bright, vivacious and sharp, mixed with her blonde long hair and playful eyes, she was sorely sought after. But her interests, much to the dismay of many boys in the school, were purely academically based. Lily and her friends got along very well with Marlene, but she usually kept to herself.
'Morning!' she replied brightly, flashing a toothy grin and drying her hair the Muggle way. 'All set for the holidays?'
'Pretty much, I've just packed the last of my things,' Lily motioned to her pristine trunk. 'I'm sure going to miss this place though,' and sighing sadly, she heaved an unwilling Aurelia from the bed and, thrusting her uniform into her hands, pushed her towards the bathroom.
Marlene didn't comment, it was a well known fact that Aurelia was not a morning person and that this was a normal occurrence.
'Would you like to sit with us at breakfast, Marlene? You're more than welcome!'
Marlene shook her head sadly, motioning to a book she picked up off her bed side cabinet. 'I've already made plans.' Lily nodded and added, 'The offer is always open, if I don't see you, have a good summer,' and with that, Lily, a grumbling Aurelia in tow, made their way down to breakfast.
The Great Hall was filled with the sound of clinking cutlery, rapid conversations and the smells of bacon, egg and burnt toast. Lily and Aurelia sat on the Hufflepuff table today, between the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables. As they sat down, cloaks swishing from the movement, Celeste looked up from a plate of toast and strawberry jam to welcome them with a grin.
'Fancy seeing you two here on this side of the hall!' she joked, blue eyes sparkling, then as if she had just remembered, her grin turned to a frown and she looked over Lily concernedly as if she was sickening for something.
'How are you feeling?'
Lily just disregarded the question with the wave of her hand, she wasn't getting into the details now, not when everyone was excited for the holidays. As they tucked into their deliciously warm breakfasts, Lily glanced up to the teachers long table that sat overlooking the four houses.
Her eyes were drawn to a vacant seat usually filled by Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse.
Lily's was confused, 'Aurelia,' she said abruptly, 'Mary is out of the hospital wing isn't she?'
Aurelia looked up, lips pouted in confusion. 'Lily she wasn't in the dormitory this morning, her bed didn't look touched either.'
Celeste turned her head towards the pair, 'Maybe her parents picked her up last night,' she looked around to see if anyone was listening, 'you know, after what happened.'
Lily bit her lip and turned to look at the Gryffindor table, James was staring at her. It unnerved her, so she continued to look around the table searching for the familiar sleek and shiny brown hair of Mary Macdonald. She couldn't see her anywhere.
'Look, I'm going to go to the hospital wing okay?' Lily stood up.
'Lily, no! Look I'm sure she's fine, and you'll miss the carriages to Hogsmeade station if you go now! Everyone's leaving in half an hour.'
But Lily, ignoring their protests, sped full speed towards the hospital wing, not stopping as she rushed through secret passages and behind tapestries until she entered the stark white room, her nose filling with the smell of pepper up potion (left over from the hoard of students suffering from hay fever).
Sitting alone in the bed closest to Madam Pomfrey's quarters was Mary Macdonald, sitting up in bed having her bandages dressed by the nurse.
'James,' Sirius drawled. 'Ja-ames!' He waved his hand in front of James' face, finally getting his attention.
'Merlin, you still aren't pining over Evan's, are you?'
Peter piped up, 'She made her intentions pretty clear yesterday afternoon didn't she?'
The trio stared at him collectively. Peter promptly sunk into the stool, clamping his mouth shut.
Remus looked at James, and openly said, 'I know what you're thinking, Prongs,' earning a sceptical look from James in his direction.
'You're wondering why she chose Snape.' And Remus resumed eating his breakfast.
Sirius was staring at James, and didn't miss the flash of disbelief and hurt that lurked behind his horn-rimmed glasses, and he opened his mouth in surprise.
'You're kidding, Prongs,' whacking him on the back, 'Snape is a disgusting old slime ball,' he laughed.
Peter piped up again, 'All he has is an excess amount of grease!'
Sirius looked proudly at him and ruffled his hair so that it stood on end.
'Good work, Pete.'
Looking down on his watch, Sirius let out a shout of joy, 'Only half an hour left to pack and get back down here, boys. Operation pack in 10 minutes is about to begin!' And racing from the table, not forgetting to flash some of the older sixth year girls a grin and a wink, rushed from the Great Hall, Peter trailing after James and Remus.
Aurelia looked at Celeste. 'Sometimes I don't know what I see in them.'
Vivian trudged her way towards the Hufflepuff table. Thursday being "Sit at Hufflepuff house table day". Packing her bags the night before, Vivian had a restless night, mixed faces and dreams messing up her thoughts and feelings. With one recurring couple, Olivier and Rachael.
If only she knew why.
Lily's stomach churned, the cuts now looked weeks old, but the bruising was still fresh, yellow and green around her stomach region, and she winced when Madam Pomfrey drew her wand near her.
'Miss Evans!' Lily jolted and looked up to see Madam Pomfrey drawing the curtains around Mary.
'I'm with a patient, and this really isn't visiting hours-'
'I know,' Lily interrupted. 'I'm sorry but we're leaving soon and I just wanted to say good bye.'
The nurse's stern eyes warmed and with a humf she waved Lily in an act of admittance.
Rushing around the curtains, Mary was watching Lily with a smile and watery eyes.
'Thank you for visiting, Lily.'
Lily found herself surprised to find her own eyes watering and her voice unstable.
'I had to see you, Mary.' Lily took a shuddering breath, closing her eyes and letting the tears flow freely down her cheeks.
'I feel responsible, I knew what Seve-' she breathed, correcting herself, 'Snape was capable of, but I never said anything-'
'Lily!' Mary scooted over and patted the side of the bed, Lily sat. Mary had always been the mothering type, and took Lily in her arms, rubbing her back.
Mary continued, 'I'm okay you know,' Lily sobbed, 'Oh honey! I don't blame you! No one blames you! As if they could, you're Lily Evans for goodness sake! You stand up for everyone.' Lily looked up at her, wiping her eyes.
'You even stood up for Snape when Potter and Black were torturing him like that. You didn't have to, but you did.'
'No one blames you, Lily.'
Lily finally smiled, and hugging Mary gently, wished her a lovely holiday and felt the weight of the world lifting ever so slightly from her shoulders.
The Hogwarts bells chimed. Ten... Lily counted. Ten... thirty. 10:30am! Lily gasped, she was late, and rushing to grab her trunk from her dormitory, panicking at the lack of people around, she landed, wheezing, at the foot of the stairs in the entrance hall.
Lily, lost for breath, couldn't even groan at her luck today.
James Potter stood staring at her quizzically, one eyebrow raised, his eyes unfamiliarly stony behind his glasses, no smile playing about his lips.
For the second time in one day, James Potter unnerved her. And feeling suddenly self conscious, she tucked some bright red hair behind her ear and walked with decidedly less noise than before.
'There's only one carriage left,' James was still staring at her. 'Unless you fancy walking to the station.'
Lily's eyebrows contracted in confusion, she didn't know how to react to this version of Potter. The arrogant, egotistic Potter she knew; this one, she was left speechless.
She motioned towards the carriage as if to say, well let's go then; and the two walked in silence, James' easy grace countering Lily's tense grace.
Only when she had sat down in the carriage, wordlessly thanking Potter for placing her trunk in the luggage compartment did he look at her again.
'You'll be pleased to know, Lily, that I will no longer be troubling you.'