This is getting very dramatic. I hate drama. Irony's a bitch.
Chapter 36: Aftermath
"Mary!" Jamie shouted up the stairs. Ivy shook her head at Sirius following Mary and Ivy up the stairs. Sirius watched as the girls ran up the stairs.
"You are officially dead." James told him. Sirius laughed patting James on the back.
"Haven't been hexed yet."
"Yet being key."
"Come on Prongsy. How much harm can they do?" James looked over at him with a worried expression.
"You're toast." Sirius just blew this off.
"I'm ready for some food."
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Lily came down the stairs from the tower to find Mary pointing her wand at Jamie and Ivy standing off to the side trying to calm her down.
"Mary?" Lily asked. "What happened?"
"YOU SLUT!" Mary screamed.
"Oh jeez." Lily said going down the stairs. "Ivy?"
"Um, well, see, er..."
"Yeah?"
"She kissed Sirius." Mary said.
"Again?" Lily asked.
"I didn't kiss him! He kissed me." Jamie corrected.
"Like it makes a difference." Mary growled stepping forward. Jamie also took a step back running into the wall.
"Um, Mary. Calm down. This is a misunderstanding right?" Lily asked. Jamie nodded desperately putting her hands up on the wall.
"I'm sure." Mary spat. Upstairs Remus was coming down to find out what all the commotion was about.
"Lily?" he asked seeing the scene.
"Hey Remus." Lily said. "Nows not really the time."
"Obviously."
"You will pay." Mary said to Jamie who was closing her eyes waiting for the wrath.
Mary raised her wand ready to hex Jamie, if not kill her. But so quickly Lily wasn't sure how it happened, James was there, tackling Mary then they were both on the floor. Remus quickly reached down taking Mary's wand.
"James?" Ivy asked.
"Hey." He said slightly breathless.
"Hi." She replied.
"GET OFF!" Mary screeched. But James just adjusted himself holding her hands down.
"Sorry," He said.
"Oh thank God." Jamie breathed.
"Prongs, what's going on?" Remus asked.
"Long story."
"Were you at the match?" Ivy asked him.
"No." He admitted. "I haven't been feeling good." Just as Ambre showed up at his elbow. Ivy nodded her head fighting a smile.
"Hello." Ambre said greeting the crowed. "Why's James on top of Mary?"
"To keep Mary from killing Jamie." Ivy answered.
"Oh?" Ambre said sounding confused.
"I want you to know, that Sirius is an ass." James told Mary. She just glared at him.
"Awesome." she scowled. "Now. Could get off of me?"
"Are you going to attack Jamie?" he asked.
"No."
"Alright then." he said swinging his leg over and sitting on the ground. Mary sat up crossing her arms like a petulant child. Jamie dropped her arms. They all stood in a circle for a moment with Mary and James in the middle.
"I'm sorry." Jamie said eventually.
"Whatever." Mary said. Jamie sat down on the other side of James, across from Mary.
"I really am. It was stupid of me to kiss him. Or return his kiss. I don't even like him like that. Or at all." Jamie told her. Mary looked at her. She still looked angry, but less aggressive than before.
"I swear it will never happen again." Jamie said. Mary's face slowly wavered to sadness.
"Okay." Jamie smiled holding her arms out. Mary leaned over hugging her. Remus handed Lily Mary's wand.
"Here." he said going down the corridor.
"See ya." Ambre said following him. James stood up to stand beside Lily.
"That was close." he said.
"Sure. Thanks." She smiled. He shrugged acting embarrassed.
"Sirius isn't going to give up though." he warned.
"I know. But I think he'll loose this one." Lily said.
"Right. He doesn't have seven years." James joked putting his arm around Lily's shoulder. She rolled her eyes.
"Let's go get some food." Lily suggested.
"Let's wait." James countered.
"Why?"
"Sirius is down there."
"We don't have to avoid him."
"No. But he is being pretty stupid right now."
"Come on." Lily said pulling him down to the Great Hall. While at dinner James and Sirius argued a bit, but then by the end they were the best of friends again. Lily wasn't paying much attention. There was a Hogsmeade visit the next day, it had been a long weekend and she was supper behind on her study schedule. She'd planned it very carefully over the summer and then neglected it. She was going to fail her NEWTS if she didn't pick it back up.
The way Lily figured it she could just catch up on some studying before classes Monday. She'd been to Hogsmeade plenty of times. James wouldn't mind too much...
ooooo
Sunday morning Lily woke up early and went straight to the Library. Nearly breaking her back with the study load. Sure her assignments were caught up. But what did that matter if she wasn't memorizing it and really knowing it for the test.
It was quiet and she got really into it, to the point she was almost freaking herself out with failure worry. Added to that was hunger and an increasing amount of fatigue.
"Hey baby." James said standing behind Lily.
"Can't talk. Must study." She said highlighting another passage and scribbling out add on notes in the empty space.
"Valentines Day is today." he whispered in her ear causing hairs to stand up on the back of her neck, she tried desperately to ignore them. "There's a Hogsmeade visit."
"Can't. NEWTS." she answered.
"Take a break. You've been in here all day." James persuaded.
"Can't. Have to Study."
"You know, you'll have to form complete sentences on the test." James said sitting down in the seat next to her.
"Shh." Lily said hunching over the parchment.
"Lily." James complained.
"Shh." Lily repeated.
"Take a break." He whispered.
"No."
"Come on."
"No." she repeated underlining a sentence.
"Your so tense, take a break." James said rubbing her neck with his hand. She found herself instantly relaxing under the pressure, her eyes closing.
"James," she groaned looking over at him. He smiled at her. "Please, I need to study."
"You're the smartest person I know. They'll have to come up with a new grading scale because you'll break the one they have."
"I'm serious." Lily said turning back to her notes.
"So am I." James said moving his hand down her back, continuing make massaging circles.
"Let me finish."
"How much more do you have to do?" James asked thinking it wouldn't take too long.
"I'm almost done with Potions, then I have Transfiguration and Ancient Runes."
"You finished Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts?" He asked.
"I wasn't done with my list." Lily said biting her lip. James frowned at her.
"You're going to kill yourself."
"I will not." Lily said angrily forcing the hair that was hanging out of her bun behind her ear.
"Come on. Just a quick break." James coaxed maneuvering his hand over her shoulder and down her arm.
"Later."
"How long have you been in here?" He asked looking at the books that had accumulated around her.
"Um," Lily thought back to the last time she'd seen a clock, "Seven?"
"Seven?"
"I think so."
"Lily, it's after one."
"So?"
"You need a break."
"I do not."
"Come on it's Valentines Day. Let's go down to Hogsmeade."
"It is not." Lily said reading over a sentence in her notes that wasn't making too much sense.
"Yes it is."
"No. It's not."
"Yes. It is." James said.
"No time for this." Lily said trying to figure out what the sentence meant. It couldn't have been that complicated.
"I'm going to take away your highlighter." He threatened. Lily set the pen in question on the table.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Wouldn't I?"
"James. I really don't have time for this."
"You have all the time in the world. Now come on."
"I told you. Later." Lily said picking up her quill again. James waited a minute.
"It's later. Let's go." James suggested pulling on her wrist.
"No." James sighed putting his chin on the table and looking at her sadly. At first Lily didn't notice. But then she needed the parchment he was resting on. She tugged at it, but it wouldn't budge.
"James, please move your head." he shook his head.
"James." Lily said. James smiled wide showing his teeth.
"Go out with me."
"Not this again."
"This time's different." He insisted.
"It doesn't feel different."
"It is. Because for one: We're actually dating and it's a big couples holiday. For two: It's a Hogsmeade Weekend. And three: This is for your own good."
"And four: You are being just as obnoxious as before."
"You can't add to my list." James said switching his head for his elbow on the paper. Lily glared at him.
"Move your elbow." James thought about it for a second. Then quickly put his face back on the stack causing Lily to exhale irritated.
"Potter." she growled.
"Hmm?" He asked looking up at her with big eyes.
"Move your face."
"Okay." James agreed. But he moved it in a way that did not help Lily. He just moved his jaw up and down.
"You're being a child. Move." He whimpered at her sticking out his lips. "Your going to drool on my notes."
"That's insulting! I do not drool." He protested. Lily frowned at him. Hoping that maybe wishful thinking would get him to move. No such luck.
"If I go to Hogsmeade with you? Will you move?" Lily offered. James sat up holding the parchment with his elbow once more. He raised his eyebrow at her.
"Really?" Lily nodded. "Is this a trick."
"Would I trick you?"
"There's really no answer for that." he said.
"Come on." Lily said.
"Alright." James said slowly. Once he stood however she quickly snatched the parchment and looked over at them. This caused James to growl loudly attracting attention from Madam Pince.
"Shh!" she hissed. James stuck his tongue out at her.
"Lily." James began kneeling down beside her. "You have to leave."
"When I'm done." she insisted.
"This never ends!"
"After the test it will end."
"Lily. Do you know how long that is from now?"
"Three months." She answered instantly.
"That's three months!"
"That's nothing." she told him. James exhaled loudly considering his options.
"If you won't come with me to Hogsmeade, let's at least go down to the lake. It's actually warm today and you can bring a book down." James bargained.
"But I don't need a book. I need my notes."
"All of them?"
"Yes. All of them." she said trying to subdue her voice so the librarian wouldn't get mad again.
"You are a very stuborn girl."
"Yes. I am." Lily said looking at the notes she had in her hand. Of course they weren't the ones she needed. She frowned at them placing them back on the table.
"Please leave!" James said loudly.
"SHH!" Madam Pince warned.
"James. Shut up."
"JUST OUTSIDE!" Lily looked at the librarian who was glaring daggers at them.
"Your going to get me kicked out." Lily hissed.
"That's the point. Or you could just take a break."
"Your a very stubborn boy."
"Is that a yes?" He asked ignoring the insult. Lily looked at her pile.
"One hour. But I bring a book." James rolled his eyes but stood up taking Lily's hand. He would drag her if he had to.
"Yes. Let's go."
"I have to clean up." James threw his head back taking out his wand. He waved it at the pile making everything pile into her bag. The books flying to their shelves.
"Let's go." he said.