a/n-as it was so much more fun than studying for finals like I should've been doing, this is the end result of spending my time unwisely (academically speaking, of course). Enjoy the chapter!
disclaimer-I cannot recall a time previously when I've ever claimed to be J.K. Rowling. Sadly, I still cannot claim to be her, so go sue somebody else.
Chapter Ten
As Lily Evans made her way slowly to class after breakfast, her mind couldn't help but wander to one Mr. James Potter. Or, as she had lovingly referred to him for years as a bullying old toe rag.
Now, however, she couldn't help but notice how much he had changed from the person he once had been. It was rather startling, really, how different he was from just a few months ago at the end of their sixth year. Although, speaking of the end of sixth year…that had been when the beginning of the strangeness had occurred.
They had talked on the train for a bit, and James hadn't been happy until she had sworn she hated him. And then at the beginning of this year, when he had shown up with the Head Boy badge, she had seen a more responsible side of the dark-haired, be-spectacled boy. Remus had said he was trying to prove himself to someone. And whoever that person might be, Lily thought James was definitely doing a good job. And then there was that theory Sirius had had, which was just the craziest thing Lily had ever heard. Why would James spend so many years trying to get Lily to go out with him, only to suddenly want her to hate him?
But there was one thing that was really starting to bother her now.
Lily found herself wishing, beyond all belief, that the person James was trying to impress and prove himself to was her.
Even as the thought came unbidden to her head, Lily couldn't help but think that she didn't mind it at all. Gone was the girl who hated every fiber of James Potter's being. Gone was the teenager who wanted nothing more than to blast James to a million tiny pieces. All of the animosity towards him was gone, and Lily wasn't quite sure what the thing that was replacing it was. And to be truthful, it rather frightened her.
But, temporarily forgetting all of that for just a moment, one thing was startlingly clear, to her at least: Lily Evans no longer hated James Potter.
It was surely a sign of the impending apocalypse, in which the world as she knew it ceased to exist in any way, shape, or form.
Blinking suddenly, Lily found herself in front of the closed door to the classroom she had been headed towards. She suddenly felt a small smile come unbidden to her lips. James was behind that door.
Reaching a hand out slowly, she twisted the door handle and pushed the door open. Walking inside, she saw that Remus and James were the only two people yet in the room, as it was still a good ten minutes before class was going to begin. The two were sitting in the back of the classroom, heads bent over their books. James looked up when she entered.
On any other day, in any other year previously James would have smiled at Lily. Or rather, he would have given her one of his smirks that she had so detested for so long. He probably would have run his fingers through his already messy hair. He might even have said something to her; and it probably would have been something along the lines of 'Go out with me, Evans.' It wouldn't have been a question, but not a command either, more of a statement. It still wouldn't have happened.
However, on this day, not too far into their seventh year, what did happen when James and Lily made eye contact in their Charms classroom was nothing. Or, more precisely, James looked up when Lily entered the room and promptly resumed looking at the open textbook on the desk before him.
Lily frowned in part confusion, part frustration over this. Over the years, she had been accustomed to most, if not all, of James Potter's strange habits, and the annoying things he did. Needless to say, Lily was not the type of person to find studying strange or annoying. She did, however, find it immensely odd that James Potter was studying, and apparently out of his own free will. All was definitely not right with the world.
And Lily Evans was determined to find out why that was so. So, mind finally made up, and determined not to think about her decision any more than was absolutely necessary, Lily nodded her head in firm resolve and entered the classroom. Only pausing to shut the door behind herself, she continued in what looked like a very determined march toward the back of the classroom. Not wanting to push things too far, and also not wanting to regret her decision later, during class, when paying attention was quite imperative to future success, Lily took the open desk next to Remus.
Remus, unlike James, had not looked up when Lily had entered the classroom, and therefore was not aware of the identity of the person currently seated next to him.
"You're awfully early for class today, Peter," Remus said, without looking up from his notes.
"That'd be because I'm not Peter," Lily said, pulling her textbook out of her school bag. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that James was still bent over his book, but she had a great suspicion that he wasn't reading it any longer.
At the sound of her voice, Remus looked up and turned to his right to find Lily sitting there.
"Lily!" Remus said, sounding very surprised. "Erm…sorry. It's just, Peter usually sits there…"
Lily smiled at her longtime friend. "Don't worry about it, Remus. I know you haven't forgotten who I am. I think it's nice that you're using the extra time to get in some early studying for N.E.W.T.'s."
"Finally!" Remus exclaimed, sitting back in his chair, which unsurprisingly did nothing to improve his comfort level. "Someone who appreciates the need for academic success. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to find someone like you, Lily."
Lily merely raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the watch strapped to her wrist. Movement at the corner of her vision caught her attention in time to see James shaking his head slowly, most likely in response to Remus' statement. Lily, surprisingly, found herself in silent agreement with James, for what was most likely the first time in the history of the universe.
"You mean as opposed to about thirteen hours ago when we last saw each other and discussed many things, all of which had something to do with academics?" Lily questioned.
"Ah yes…I'd forgotten about that," Remus said slowly.
Lily frowned. "I really am starting to think there was something funny going on with the food at your end of the table, you know."
"Nonsense," Remus insisted. "The food was perfect, as usual." He turned suddenly to James. "You know, we really should go see the House Elves soon. If something was wrong with the food, that might have been their way of saying that they know we're back from the summer holiday."
James took his time raising his head to look up at Remus. "If you want, we can go tonight."
"Don't we have a patrol tonight, James?" Lily immediately put in.
"I—" James began, but immediately cut off, looking a bit taken aback. He opened his mouth to try again. "What did you just say?"
"Don't we have to patrol tonight?" Lily said, enunciating as if she was talking to someone with bad hearing and giving James a concerned look.
"Erm…yes." James said finally, after a moment of silence, still staring at Lily with a shocked expression upon her face. "Oh, we have a patrol tonight!" He turned back to Remus. "Sorry, mate, maybe tomorrow night. I don't think you can handle Padfoot on sugar with just Wormtail."
Remus sighed. "Do we have to bring Sirius? You know I'd really rather not have to deal with a sugar-high Sirius at all."
James grinned, and Lily felt her heart melting ever so slightly at the sight of it. "Marauders code: Never leave a man behind. Especially when we're going on a kitchen raid."
"If you want to spend time with your friends, you don't have to patrol with me tonight," Lily said suddenly, wondering, even as she said it, why she was offering. After all, she had just discovered that she would much rather spend time with James Potter than away from him.
"Really?" James asked incredulously. "You really mean it, Lily?"
Lily shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."
Now, as James turned the full attention of his broad grin on her, Lily felt her heart melting so much more than it had before.
"That's O.K., Lily," James said with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry, I won't ever abandon you; especially for something unimportant like a kitchen raid."
"What?" Remus hissed under his breath to James. "What are you talking about? Even I know the importance and large significance of the ritualistic kitchen raids!"
Lily saw James kick Remus under his desk, and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Don't worry about it," James reassured her. "It won't be a problem; not at all."
Nothing more could be said, however, because the rest of the class and their professor began filing into the classroom, Sirius and Peter rushing into the room just as the bell to begin class was ringing. Lily passed the class period with a small, secretive smile upon her face as she hurriedly took notes on everything the professor was lecturing about. And so, when the bell rang to signal the end of the class period, it was without even thinking twice about it that Lily hurriedly put all of her things into her bag and gave James a smile, before rushing out of the room.
James, on his part, just sat in his chair, looking flabbergasted.
"You know," he began in a hoarse whisper. "I'm really starting to think that Lily was right about the food this morning."
a/n-ok, so really quick, up above a bit, James mentioned something called 'The Marauder's Code.' If you want to read what the actual code is, then I suggest you go read the story I'm co-authoring with An-Jelly-Ca under our joint penname SiRiUsLyPiNkAnDgReEn. It's called Si Fecisti Nega! If you did it, deny it! This is the link, just remove the spaces, as I'm sure you've heard multiple times before. http : // www . fanfiction . net/ s/ 4276228 /1/ Si_fecisti_nega_If_you_did_it_deny_it
An-Jelly-Ca and I would love it if you went and reviewed that story!
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter!