A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and read the last chapter! You all make me so happy, and I hope this one makes you guys happy as well =)
Songs:
Strawberry Swing by Coldplay- Now the sky could be blue, I don't mind…without you it's a waste of time.
Till you come to me by Spencer Day- 'Cuz I want you, I want you back again, I can't remember when you and I were one…
Chapter 6: In Which Lily is Ignored
So here's how it happened.
Mr. Potter had been having Mr. Johnson over at least every other night during the summer to work on new legislation the Wizengamont had to pass. Mrs. Potter, who had once treated Mrs. Johnson's brother Peter at the hospital, and who had become acquainted with the family, invited all of the Johnson's over for dinner. She became fast friends with Mrs. Johnson, leaving James to entertain their haughty, daughter Adaledaie practically every night for the next two months.
James Potter spent the first three weeks "entertaining Adaledaie" in his room by pulling out all his Chocolate frog cards and bashing all the Slytherin witches and wizards known to wizardkind he could find, beginning with Merwyn the Malicious. He then amused himself by insisting that Adaledaie had cheated her way into getting an O on her Divination exam, and kept asking her to see into his future. He shut down her favorite Quidditch team. He asked her about her favorite books, would read them by their next meeting, and would bash them for all they were worth. Adaledaie, who had secretly harbored a crush on James for years, became angrier and angrier. James, meanwhile, thoroughly enjoyed the way the pretty girl's face flushed red, the way her teeth ground behind her full lips, and the way her chest heaved as she yelled at him.
When he made her play Quidditch with him one day in his backyard she "accidentally" slammed into him, lost balance, and then ended up on the ground on top of him. James stared up at her, his arms gripping her hips tightly, his face red.
James began to act oddly civilized towards Adaledaie after that incident, but Adaledaie was sick of him. It was midsummer, and she was becoming extremely hot and bothered by his presence.
One day, she brought a book and spent a good four hours trying to ignore James Potter as he tried to talk to her; no mean feat as he kept pulling her book out of her hands and pulling her hair. He attempted to sit on her lap, whispered secrets in her ear, and then finally, three hours in, he shoved her book down and kissed her straight on the mouth.
Adaledaie slapped him.
The next day, James apologized, arriving at her doorstep with a bouquet of tulips (when had she told him they were her favorite flower?). He said he had only teased her because he liked to see her angry; he didn't hate her or anything. In fact, he really did like her, and admire how smart she was, and how hard working, and yes, even how ambitious she was…
She kissed him. He kissed her back.
And they lived happily ever after.
Or at least, that was the way Marlene had relayed the story she had heard straight from James Potter's mouth as she walked back with him after Quidditch practice.
"Thanks for all the gory details," Lily said, wincing.
"Hey, I was being mild compared to the gory details he gave me."
"Yeah, well, I'm happy for them," Lily said absentmindedly, turning back to the book in front of her, whose pages she hadn't turned in the last hour. "And maybe Ada will be able to stop him from being—"
The library exploded.
"You were saying?"
A foul stench permeated the air; books were scattered helter-skelter, and prominently, on Madam Pomfrey's desk, was written in ice-green, permanent ink:
Welcome Back, From the Marauders!
Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs bid you good day and would like to advise that you enjoy the rest of your day, preferably not studying. Right, ho!
"I really didn't want to learn more about Wendelin the Weird anyway," Marlene said, who always found ways to do anything but study. She tucked her brand new school supplies into her bag, pulled her slick blond hair into a pony tail, and looked at Lily.
"I think I'll go enjoy the summer day outside. Coming?"
Lily looked around at the few first and second years (why were they in the library already?) running towards the door, at the annoyed-looking seventh years and the relieved-looking fifth years who had lost their books and parchment somewhere in the library. She turned to look at the fuming Madam Pince, who was frantically looking for a spell to remove the ink from her desk. Lily shook her head, sighing.
"I should probably help them clean up," she said, rather virtuously.
"So who do you think did it?" Marlene asked conversationally. Marlene was heading towards the exit along with many excited fifth and sixth years. Despite herself, Lily followed.
"Aren't those the nicknames that—?"
Marlene walked out the door and straight into a laughing James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Lily felt her heart beat inexplicably faster as she watched James laughing, his head bent over, his teeth flashing, his hazel eyes sparkling. It took a surprising amount of willpower for Lily not to smile at him. Marlene, however, smiled and gave James a dainty high-five.
"Nice one!"
Lily rolled her eyes.
"It's nice for people who don't have to clean up," she said, pointedly. James didn't even look at her" he and Sirius continued to smile at each other. It was the third time in the past few days he had deliberately ignored her existence or any comments she had made, and despite herself, Lily was starting to get annoyed. Remus, however, smiled at her.
"Nah, we Prefects can let the teachers handle this one, I think." At Lily's blank look, he added, " A Catterwalling Charm sets off if anyone but a Professor tries to enter after leaving."
"Clever," Lily said dryly.
"Isn't it? That saves me a world of trouble," Ada called, walking towards them. James immediately stood up straighter.
"How's that for a harmless prank, A.J.?"
"Eh. Could have been worse," she said, stopping short and smiling at him. James smiled back elatedly, and with a great effort, it seemed, stopped himself from hooking an arm around her and kissing her. Lily was relieved; she didn't want to see them snogging ever again. Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Alright you two, that's disgusting."
"A.J." looked startled.
"We didn't even do anything," Ada said.
"The way you look at each other," Sirius said, his lip curled in a grimace.
"You're just jealous James doesn't look at you that way," Ada said, laughing. Despite herself, Lily laughed along with Marlene and the boys, even though a tiny part of her brain whispered the word ironic.
Apparently, no proof had been left that four Gryffindor sixth years had been responsible, but that hadn't stopped McGonagall from throwing the lot in detention, at least for talking back to a Professor, and unnecessary cheek.
A rather subdued Transfiguration lesson had passed the next morning. James Potter sat with his head bowed over his notes, and Sirius occasionally flashed white smiles at a fuming McGonagall.
And then, Peter Pettigrew's cauldron exploded in Potions.
Peter let out a yell as his potion swirled angry pink fumes that spelt words out in mid-air, the kindest of which was dung breath.
Professor Slughorn looked warily amused.
"I'm sure The Draught of the Living Death couldn't be transformed into a Swearing Potion without the addition of…ah yes, of course, Mr. Potter, I see the bat membrane and bowtruckle thorax under your cauldron there. Clever trick, my boy, very clever." He waved his wand, and the potion emptied.
"Sorry sir…I was just being a curious potioneer?"
Slughorn chuckled.
"I'm afraid you'll have to restart your potion Mr. Pettigrew, and in the meantime, Mr. Potter, curiosity is not a sin, but how about you sit in the front so I can observe any other inspirations that happen to float your way?"
James shrugged, and picked up his things. Lily glanced around- there were no empty seats near the front…
"Ah, Severus, why don't you switch with Potter in the back there? You're Draught looks most promising already."
Lily tried to remain impassive. Show no emotion, show no emotion. She had sat next to Severus out of habit and because she always sat in the front but this, this was too much…Show no emotion. Be impassive. Be calm. And goodness sake's, stop being a drama queen Lily Evans.
"Are you alright, Evans? You look mildly like you're having a seizure," James Potter said casually over the clatter and chatter of the classroom as he worked on setting up his Potion over a fire.
Lily glared at him from the corner of her eye. Before she could stop herself, she spoke to him.
"So have you decided that you aren't ignoring me?" What had compelled her to say that?
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw James raise an eyebrow. He began cutting into his shriveled bean with a knife.
"Ignoring you? Who said I was doing that?"
Lily pursed her lip in what she knew was a Petunia-like fashion.
"I did," she said obstinately, trying to cut into her own shriveled bean, which was giving her some difficulty.
"Well, that's a bit obstinate of you, since I say that I'm not ignoring you." He ran a hand through his hair, and his knife slipped with the other. "And by the by, I thought you wanted me to ignore you." The back of his silver knife hit the bean which immediately squirted more juice that Lily imagined the little bean could hold.
"And since when did you listen to anything that I wanted, Potter?" Lily asked, annoyed that her tone sounded rather breathy and genuinely curious. She copied his trick with her silver knife, and her bean squirted juice which she scooped and dumped into her potion.
James was already stirring his Potion, his brow furrowed. He didn't respond, and Lily thought he looked angry.
"Look, Potter," Lily guiltily reached out and touched his elbow. James' elbow jerked immediately, and he stirred his potion in the wrong direction. It immediately turned the appropriate shade of lilac. James blinked at his Potion.
"And time!" Slughorn called. He began walking around the room, looking into people's Potions. He blinked in delighted surprise when he reached James and Lily's desk.
"This is remarkable, Potter! I'm very impressed- you are the clear winner of today's prize, Felix Felicis! Ms. Evans, you must be having a remarkable effect on Mr. Potter, let's make this seating arrangement permanent, shall we?"
James took his Felix with only a small smile, and began packing his things. The rest of the class filed out. As he headed for the door, James looked back at Lily.
"Thanks, Evans," he said with a small smile. Lily looked down so he wouldn't have to see her smile.
Well, maybe that means he isn't ignoring me anymore, at least…
A/N: And that's a wrap! What do you guys think of the pace/plot/characterization so far? Reviews= Love!
Lots of Love,
Science and Food
!Science joke of the day: All the good science jokes Argon.