A/N: Hello again! I want to thank all my reviewers, as well as anyone who had read this story or put it on alert... but I had a disappointing number of reviews for the last chapter. I don't want to sound greedy or anything, and the ones I had were great, (love you guys!) but still... do you readers even like this story? Please let me know... I don't want to write stuff no one likes.

So anyways, here is the next chapter of My Thunder!

Disclaimer: I own nothing that isn't mine. Which means I don't own Harry Potter. Which means that I'm sad.

My Thunder

Chapter 5

Quidditch, Insults, and a Faint Hope

James

The first day of school was... interesting. After the prank, which had went over well, I had performed well in Charms, managed to avoid being eaten by the giant stump-like thing that attacked me during Herbology, and struggled, producing a fine Draught of the Living Dead in Potions.

Defense Against the Dark Arts had also been interesting. We had filed into the classroom a little nervously, not sure what to expect from the old silver-bearded man standing at the front of the class.

Dumbledore smiled benignly. "Hello students. I am pleased to be your instructor for Defense Against he Dark Arts this term." Everyone except Lily and I looked surprised. I reminded myself that we had to tell the prefects about the changes being made to the school's curriculum.

"However," Dumbledore continued, "during the year I shall enlist the helped of several of our other teachers to instruct you in performing their favorite and most effective spells for defending oneself and others from Dark wizards or witches."

He turned and, using his wand, wrote in the air several spells. They showed up in gold; Expelliamus, Levicorpus, Protego, Homenum revelio, and Expecto Patronum, along with a few others. He turned back to the class and his eyes sought out each face in the group of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors.

"Now, pair up," he said. "We will start by practicing the disarming charm." He ran us through the motions, and then we began to pair up.

To my surprise, Lily hurried over to where Remus, Sirius, and I were sitting, minus Peter, who hadn't done well enough to make it into the class.

"One of you, work with me. Please," she whispered. I glanced over her shoulder to see Alice and Colleen determinedly hurrying towards her, their faces set. I leapt up.

"You can count on us, Evans. No one deserves an inquiry from your friends," I said, and she smiled, thankfully. Remus grinned at her.

"Come on, Lily, you can work with me."

I moved into place next to them with Sirius. Colleen rolled her eyes at Lily and pulled Mary McKinnon over, and Alice, sighing but not looking too unhappy, pulled over Frank.

I easily disarmed Sirius, and Lily did the same to Remus, Sirius and Remus also completing the task easily. While we waited for the rest of the pairs to finish, I strained my ears, enhanced by my stag animagus form, to hear what Lily and Remus were saying.

"Lily, what's wrong?" Remus was asking.

Lily blushed, her face matching her hair. "Well, uh, I guess Alice and Colleen think that Potter and I were doing something, uh... inappropriate... this morning, which is why we were late."

"And why were you late?" he asked.

Lily blushed even more, the red leeching down her neck. "Uh, well, I sort of... ran-into-him-on-the-stairs-and-knocked-him-out," she said all in a rush.

Remus looked at her incredulously for a moment before bursting into laughter. Lily tried to scowl but began laughing, too. Sirius, who had been listening as well, looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I turned so he could see the bruise on the back of my neck. He grinned.

I concentrated on Lily and Remus's conversation again, but Remus, sensing Lily's discomfort, had changed the subject to the Charms exam next week. I sighed inwardly and turned back to the front of the room, where Dumbledore was gazing at us happily. "Again," he said.

For the rest of the class we disarmed and were disarmed. Finally, Dumbledore said, "All right. You are finished for today. Tomorrow, we discuss the goal we hope to reach by Christmas, a full Patronus, and will practice the levitating charm."

As everyone stood and left the room, chattering and laughing, Colleen and Alice walked quickly to Lily. She looked nervously at them. Remus shrugged.

"Might as well get it over with, Lily," he said.

She groaned. "Right. Well, thanks, guys," she said, and then slipped through the crowd to meet her friends.

I looked at my friends and grinned. "Well, that was a pleasant day, eh?" I said. Sirius smirked and Remus looked at me thoughtfully. I blinked. "What?"

"Nothing," answered Remus. "Let's go, you've got Quidditch."

I nodded and hurried to my room to change into my Quidditch robes and to grab my broom, as Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I met Sirius also uniformed, at the pitch.

I surveyed my team, proudly. We had been working hard and were the best team in years. Alice, a sixth year guy named Bryan McMahon, and myself were Chasers, Frank was Keeper, Sirius and Mary McDonald were Beaters, and Seeker was second year Jacob Thomas. I smiled. They deserved a treat. "Scrimmage, anyone?"

They cheered and teamed up. Alice, Sirius, Frank, and Jacob formed one team, each going to play their usual position. Mary, Bryan, and I were on the other team. I volunteered to play Keeper, then looked up at the stands where Colleen, Lily, Peter, and Remus sat. "One of you want to play Seeker on my team?"

Colleen shook her head. "You don't want to see me on a broom." Remus too declined, holding up his book as an excuse. Peter rolled his eyes, as if to say, "Me, on a broom? Come on, Prongs." I looked imploringly at Lily.

"Please, Evans? For me?"

She glared at me. "I would never do anything for you, you git," she snapped. "I'll do it for Alice and Frank and Mary." She stepped down from the bleachers and hurried to one of the broom lockers by the changing rooms.

While we waited for her to come back, I pulled from my pocket my special Snitch. I had never used it in a scrimmage before, and the only person who had touched it before was me, and occasionally, Sirius.

But Lily was going to be playing Seeker, and that meant my Snitch, not the worn out practice Snitch.

I also grabbed a case holding two practice Bludgers and a scuffed Quaffle. We were set.

When Lily came back and had swung a leg over the broom, I said, "Ready, everyone?"

"Ready!" everyone answered, and I released the balls.

The Bludgers flew into the air, hovered for a moment, and then soared after Frank and Mary, both of whom swore. Mary swung her bat and sent one flying at Alice, who ducked, while Frank dodged and headed to the goalposts. The Snitch, going unnoticed by everyone, soared into the air.

I headed to my goalposts, watching Lily and Jacob soar above us, squinting around, searching for the little golden Snitch. Turning my attention back to the game, I saw Alice coming at me, Mary chasing after her, Quaffle in her grip. She threw it and I caught it, tossing it to Bryan who soared away, whooshing past Sirius.

Frank, however, stopped the shot, and passed the ball to Alice, who caught it, hugged it to herself, and shot forward, only to be hit on the arm with a Bludger. "Nice, Mary!" I shouted, as Alice dropped the Quaffle and Bryan dove, catching it and heading for Frank.

The game went back and forth, Remus, Peter, and Colleen, on the ground keeping score. Finally, I saw Lily dive for the ground, followed by Jacob. I clenched my fists and yelled, "Go, Lily! Go!" She stretched out her hand... closer... closer...

"Yes!" she screamed, and she held up her hand. Caught in her fist was my Snitch, its wings fluttering tiredly. I laughed and pumped the air with my fist.

The team landed on the grass, everyone congratulating her. When I landed I grinned at her. "Nicely done," I said approvingly. "When did you learn how to play Quidditch like that?"

Her green eyes were sparkling with happiness, and due to said happiness, she answered me quite civilly with, "Mary and Alice taught me."

"They taught you well, then," said Sirius, patting her on the back.

I nodded in agreement and then held out my hand. "Can I have my Snitch back, please?"

She nodded and placed it in my outstretched hand. I tucked it away in my pocket and turned to Peter and Remus, (who had walked down from the stands) and Sirius, and said, "Let's get going, mates. I've got a ton of homework..."

Remus frowned sourly. "You really shouldn't complain, Prongs," he said. "I have to do my work, andPadfoot's."

Sirius patted Remus on the shoulder. "That's tough, Moony. But don't be so serious."

Remus smirked. "I don't have to be. You are."

Sirius sighed as everyone laughed. "Don't you ever get tired of that?" he asked despondently. I roared with laughter.

"Nope. Sorry, Paddy," I gasped, doubled over.

"Don't call me Paddy!" he shouted. "It makes me sound young and immature."

Everyone looked at him for a moment, and then started howling again. "Oh, yeah, that make sense, because you, Black, are the most mature person I've ever met," sputtered Lily. As everyone cracked up again, we waved and left, before poor Padfoot could be abused any more.

Sirius and I went to our respective dorms and changed, then met Peter and Remus in the Great Hall for dinner. We sat by Lily, Colleen, Frank, and Alice. When we had finished, we all walked out of the Great Hall, and after bidding good-bye tothe Marauders, I followed Lily down the corridor to the Head Tower. I smiled slightly. I might as well ask her out, while we were alone...

"Evans! Hey, Lily!"

She stopped and stood with her back to me for a moment, then turned. "What?"

"Will you go-"

"No!" she shouted. "For like, the six MILLIONTH time, NO! I will NOT go out with you!"

"Why not?" I yelled back. This really was annoying. She had not reason to NOT go out with me. I had a feeling she just said no now out of habit.

"Why not?" she asked, her voice rising, nearing an octave that only dogs, Sirius, and Remus would be able to hear. "Why not? Because you're an arrogant toerag! Because you're cocky and you snog everything that moves and wears a skirt! Because you hex people for no reason!"

My jaw dropped. "I do NOT snog everything that wears a skirt!"

"See? You're only fixated on yourself. Now get away from me, before I hex you," she hissed, raising her wand.

I raised my hands in defeat, but could not resist taking a step towards her. "Lily-"

"You asked for it!" she shouted, and her wand moved. Suddenly, I felt my hands being yanked behind me, and bound with and invisible rope. Her wand moved again, and this time my face felt tight. Lily stepped back, and then turned and ran.

I squirmed and shouted, "Sirius! SIRIUS!"

Sirius came around the corner, quickly enough that I knew he had been there the whole time. I sighed. "Who else is there with you, and for how long have they been there?"

Remus, Alice, Colleen, Frank, and Peter stepped out from around the corner. Remus sighed, withdrew his wand, and set about letting me down. This was routine- he and Sirius had been helping me after bouts of Lily-wrath since I had first asked Lily out all those years ago.

Sirius was guffawing when I finally was free. "What?" I asked, annoyed. He grinned and waved his wand. A mirror appeared in front of me. I groaned. My face was a bright shade of pink. Lovely. I turned to Remus. "Help, Moony," I begged. "Please."

He smirked. "No."

I gaped. "You choose NOW to be a Marauder?" Remus nodded. I glared. "I hate you."

Sirius sighed. "Fine, I shall pity you, Prongs," he said, and with a wave of his wand, my skin felt much less tight and was restored to its natural tan. I sighed with relief.

"Thanks, Padfoot," I said, and then turned to the rest of the group. "Now, can anyone tell me what the heck Lily was just talking about?"

Alice and Colleen shook their heads at my stupidity. "Well, James," answered Alice, "she hates you, plain and simple. She thinks you're a conceited, arrogant toerag."

"Um... why?" I asked.

Colleen groaned. "Think!" she cried. "All you've ever done is ask her out, and hex her one-time best friend, and go around acting like you're the best thing ever."

I blinked. "Really?" Hmm... now that I thought of it, I did do those things... but was I that bad?

"I have a good side, though!" I protested, pulling myself out of my reverie. "I'm loyal to my friends, I helped that third year this morning... well, it was part of my duties as Head Boy, but still..."

Alice shook her head. "Of course she'd think you're conceited. Because honestly, if you have a good side, you never show it."

"So what can I do?" I asked despondently, sinking to the ground and putting my head in my hands.

Colleen looked at me. "You really do care about her, don't you?" she said softly. I nodded.

"I do," I said to my knees. "But I don't know how to make her understand that."

Colleen knelt next to me and put her hand on my shoulder. "Just talk to her the way you talk to us. Be her friend. Then you can try to be her boyfriend." I looked up at her skeptically.

"You still think I have a chance to even be her friend?" I asked.

Alice grinned. "Of course you do. Give it a try. See what happens."

A/N: So what do you think? Let me know by clicking that little purple button. All I need is one word, if that's all you want to write! Please!!

(P.S. Does anyone know what form Remus's Patronus takes? I think that it might Moony, like, a werewolf or just a regular wolf, but I can't seem to find the answer anywhere. So PM me or put the answer in your review! Thanks!)

))Riiko Shea((