Chapter 2: It's All Happening So Fast

Lily

McGonagall is in a prickly mood today. First, she changes all of our seats, then she goes on an hour long lecture about all the illegal animagi that supposedly exist out there without us knowing. I'm so bored it hurts. I fiddle with my hair, trying to revisit that hysterical time at the lake with Mary and Keiko. Everyone else was looking at us like we were crazy. We probably are. I imagine Marlene attempting to communicate with the Giant Squid by calling it a 'High and Honorable Cephalopod', who could win a battle against any octopus. I giggle a little, but then quickly shush myself.

Furtively, I glance to see if anyone has noticed. James did. I lock eyes with him, and he smiles for a second, the dimple in his right cheek sticking out. Oh great, he's laughing at me. I quickly look away, covering my face with my hand. Jerk. He's really more arrogant than I thought. I mean, what right does he have to go around laughing at other people? I mean, here I am, minding my own business, thinking about my happy times with my friends, and he has the nerve to be all condescending! Not to mention, he asked me out last year on that awful day. He thinks he's all that because he's good looking and he's soo smart and he's got cool friends and he's some biiiig Quidditch star. But at the end of the day, he still goes to Hogwarts with the rest of us. James Potter isn't really all that.

Oh, who am I kidding? A tiny part of me screams. He's Remus's friend. And Remus has excellent judge of character, he would never befriend someone unless they were just as good of a person as he is.

The rest of class passes by without a hitch, until the end, where McGonagall asks us to write a 5 foot paper and discuss our learning with our closest neighbor. Reluctantly, I adjust my chair so I face James.

"So... I got to be honest, this whole animagi thing- it's kinda interesting don't you think?" James asks, running his fingers through his hair.

I eke out a "No, not really. It's so boring," in the most unfeeling, stone cold voice I can. It's what James deserves.

His face falls, and I see the light dim in his hazel eyes. I think his tall frame even slouches a little. "Oh I mean, I guess the way McGonagall was talking about it today, yeah. Totally boring," he backtracks.

I immediately feel really bad. "I can't believe she's being so stern today," I say, trying to switch the conversation over to something lighter.

His dimple starts sticking out again. "Yeah, I can't believe she made us all switch desks," he gripes. "Now I have to sit next to you." With that, he pokes me in the shoulder teasingly, and a laugh escapes me.

"You never know. Many people say I'm a riot," I joke.

James raises an eyebrow at this. "You could probably stop a riot with that prefect badge of yours," he offers. "But I guess I'll find out soon enough."

I open my mouth to add something else to the conversation, but before I can, McGonagall dismisses us, saying that class is over. James is over with Remus in a flash, and they both have already headed into the hall. I'm left packing my quills into my bag when Keiko comes over.

"Hey," she says. "Ready to go?"

I shove everything into my bag in one smooth movement, and tell her, "Yeah, let's get going."

Keiko and I are in the library, writing our Transfiguration papers together. "So I'm totally lost on animagi," Keiko says, squinting at her book. "I'm usually pretty good at that class, but it's been killing me lately."

I pull a book off of the stack that sits between us and frown. "I didn't pay attention at all during the lecture. Is that bad?"

"Well, I didn't understand anything either way," she says, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "We learned about them in third year, but now it's so much more complex. The mandrake leaf, lifespan, form. Ugh, why couldn't I just say 'I wanna be a cat' and then become a cat?"

"Why would you want to be a cat? You hate them," I point out.

"Yeah, yeah," Keiko surrenders, "I just want to pass the next exam. I've asked everyone, and no one understands what in the Merlin she's talking about."

James probably does. "What about Amelia?"

"Bones? Oh she only understands all the registration and legalities. And I tried to get her to explain that, but she's really confusing."

"Sam Boot?"

"I don't think he's taking Transfiguration."

"Really? I thought he wanted to be a Healer."

"He changed his mind after he had a finger grown back. Skele-Gro is nasty, apparently."

"Well, what about James?"

"Potter?"

"Who else?"

"I mean he's smart, but he spends every Transfiguration class staring at you." Keiko is still flipping through her book, a smug smile creeping onto her face.

I open my mouth, and I don't know what to say. "Not today," I tell her. "He was actually listening today. He said it was interesting." I nod a little, trying to convince her.

She looks up, closing the book. "Well of course he's paying attention now. He can't stare at you when you're two feet away. That's just creepy. Face the facts Lily. He likes you, and he has since second year."