Ch.8 Congratulations and Insults

Lily and James made up their minds not to be wed until they had finished school. They didn't think it was allowed, really. They also tried to keep their engagement secret from the teachers, but this proved completely impossible. Everywhere they went the younger students would run after them chanting, "James and Lily Potter!" at the tops of their voices. They supposed that people reacted this way because they were the first couple to ever become engaged while still at Hogwarts. Most people didn't have the guts to do so under the watchful eyes of Headmaster and teachers. Thus, they were constantly flanked by well-wishers. Sirius later speculated that this was Professor Dumbledore's way of finding out about Lily and James' engagement. He summoned them to his office from their N.E.W.T. Charms class on Wednesday to offer them his personal congratulations.

" Erm.......uh.......... thank you, sir." James said uncertainly. Lily was too red to speak. She simply stared from Dumbledore to James, then back to Dumbledore again, wide-eyed and red as a tomato.

They were both extremely anxious to leave Dumbledore's office, but he wanted to impress upon them that they still had duties to perform as Head Boy and Girl. It was a full quarter-of-an-hour before they could escape. They hurried to their Transfiguration class.

" Sorry we're late Professor," James panted, pulling Lily into the classroom after him." We had to see Professor Dumbledore."

" That's fine Potter," she replied briskly," but might I ask you what the Headmaster wanted to see you about?"

" He probably wanted to congratulate them, Professor!" Sirius called from the back row. "Potter and Evans are getting married!" The class began to clap and cheer as he spoke, and Professor McGonagall silenced them with a stern wave of her hand..

" Is this true, Mr. Potter? Miss Evans?"

" Yes Professor." they answered together, surprised that she hadn't already heard.

" Well, then Congratulations. Now will you please take your seats?"

James sat down next Sirius, Lily next to James. He took her hand under the desk as usual, then turned to Sirius. " What the bloody hell did you do that for?" he whispered, clearly annoyed.

" It's my job as Best Man, Prongs: embarrass the bride and groom as much as possible." He grinned and all three laughed heartily.

Lily and James continued to fight off their supporters as they clawed their way from class to class over the next week. However, not everyone they met wished to offer them congratulations.

" Well, there goes Potter and his precious fiancé," Snape called as they passed him in the hall.

" Just ignore him," Lily whispered urgently.

" Really I'm quite surprised, Potter. You know, it's not too late, yet. You could still have your pick of some of the less hideous and slightly less talented Gryfindor girls. Still, if you'd prefer a mudblood-" Before anyone had a chance to realize what had happened, James had Snape pinned against the wall, his wand at Snape's throat.

" I thought I'd told you NEVER to call her that," James growled, his voice low and deadly. Lily was quite sure that she had never seen James so angry, unless you counted the time in 3rd year when she had 'accidentally' broken the handle of his broomstick.

" Apologize," James spat at Snape, his voice still deadly low and even. Snape tried to fight, muttering a string of hexes and swear words, though his wand lay on the ground several feet away. Lily heard the curses that he muttered, including one of the Unforgiveables. She had to stop this, James could get hurt.

" James please," she called, taking a few steps toward them. " He's not worth it." Lily laid a hand on James's shoulder. She gave him a pleading look and James could see the fear and panic in her eyes. He slowly lowered his wand, and took his soon-to-be-wife's hand. They turned together and kept walking down the corridor, hand-in-hand.

" You were right," James muttered as they walked, " I'm glad you stopped it."

" I am too. You could have been hurt!" Lily scolded, playfully, but James knew that this was an act.

" Lils," he began, reassuringly, " You know that the other Maurauders would never-"

BANG! A spell had hit Lily from behind. Snape had tried to hit James with a tripping jinx, but he had missed and over-powered his spell. Lily flew down the corridor, hitting her head on a stone gargoyle at the end of the corridor.

" Lily!" James said breathlessly. He ran towards her, not knowing what he would find, but he felt the weight of coldness in the pit of his stomach and had to get to her as soon as possible. He knelt by her side and shook her gently. " Come on Lily. Please!"

The other three Maurauders had jumped on Snape before he realized what had happened. After a few moments of cursing him blindly, Remus ran to see what he could do to help James bring Lily around. Sirius and Snape continued to duel, and Peter simply stood in the middle of the hall, as though he was waiting for someone to give him instructions. ( A/N:I hate Peter, but I'm trying to portray him realistically).

At the other end of the hallway, James and Remus had made some progress with Lily.

" Uhh..." she moaned softly, "James?"

" I'm right here, Lils," He replied, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, " Try to stay still." she winced, and put a hand up to the back of her head in pain. Her hand was immediately covered in blood. " Oh, god! James!" she cried desperately, her eyes filling with terrified tears., James squeezed her hand even tighter as Lily tried to hold back her tears.

At that exact moment, Professor McGonagall came sweeping down the corridor. " What on Earth!-" she exclaimed, seeing Snape and Sirius, frozen with their wands raised, James and Remus, bent over Lily, who was obviously injured, and Peter standing alone in the middle of the hall, looking quite close to tears. " Miss Evans will need the Hospital Wing." She said, tersely.

" I'll take her Professor," James said immediately. McGonagall eyed him fiercely.

" You have a half-hour, Potter. And then I want you in my office. The rest of you, come with me."