Chapter 44 Can We See a Movie?

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"So, could you explain this movie thing to me?" James asked as he and Lily headed out of the castle.

They had decided to use their free period after Transfiguration to take a walk out on the grounds. The weather was starting to change for the better. There was still a slight chill in the air but the sun was shining and the sky was a beautiful cerulean blue.

Lily laughed and slid an arm around James's back. James put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close placing a kiss on her temple. Lily sighed contentedly and buried her head in his shoulder as they walked. She loved the feeling of safety and contentment she felt in his arms.

"Well?" James asked again.

"You are ridiculous," Lily said with a laugh.

James loved her laughed.

"Remember how my dad was watching football on the television?" Lily asked.

"Yeah," James said.

"Okay, well that was showing a game while it was happening," Lily said. "But a movie is different. A movie is like a play but they take a long moving picture of it."

"But, I thought Muggle pictures didn't move," James said confused. "None of the photos in your house moved."

Lily smiled. He looked so cute when he was confused. She stretched up and kissed his cheek.

"Muggle photos don't move," Lily said. "The cameras they use to film, um take pictures of, movies take lots and lots of still photos one after the other. They take them on this big roll of film and when they show them quickly one after the other it looks like the picture is moving."

"Huh?" James said.

"Sorry, it's hard to explain," Lily said. "Anyway, they record the movie on these long strips of film along with the sound. They take pictures, we call them videos, of the actors acting out the story. Then they can show them to lots of people later."

"So what is a cin, a cin, I forget. Moony said you can watch movies somewhere else besides the television," James said clearly annoyed that he couldn't remember all the proper terms.

"A cinema?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, that's it," James said happily. "Can we go to one?"

"Are you planning on going home over the Easter holidays?" Lily asked.

"I usually do," James said. "Are you?"

"I hadn't actually decided yet," Lily said. "It'd be easier to study for my N.E.W.T.s here but my parents would probably be disappointed if I don't go home."

"You'll do fine one your N.E.W.T.s, you're brilliant," James said. "As I recall you got top scores on your O.W.L.s."

"Only because I studied," Lily retorted sounding slightly annoyed. "We can't all be naturally brilliant."

"Lily," James said, "I know you work hard but you are also brilliant. And I will let you in on a secret," James whispered in a low voice in her ear.

"What?" Lily asked a hint of annoyance still in her voice.

"I did study for my O.W.L.s," James said quietly nipping playfully at her ear. "Even Transfiguration."

Lily snorted. The idea of James having to study for Transfiguration was ludicrous.

"So, how are you feeling?" James asked in a more serious voice.

"I'm fine," Lily said.

"Lily," James said sounding more than a bit skeptical.

"No, really I'm fine," Lily said trying to sound convincing.

"You can talk to me," James said running his hand through her hair.

"I just, I can't," Lily wasn't sure how to put what she was feeling into words.

James stopped walking and turned to face Lily wrapping both his arms around her and pulling her closer. Lily pressed the side of her face into James's chest.

"I just don't understand why someone would do that," Lily said. "Despite the fact that I know exactly why they did it."

James could feel Lily shaking slightly. Or maybe it was him who was shaking he wasn't sure. Lily turned her face and buried it in James's chest. James kissed the top of Lily's head and then rested his chin there.

"I'm sorry, love," he whispered. "I wish there was a spell to fix it."

"Magic can't fix everything," Lily said quietly.

"No," James agreed.

"Have I told you lately how amazing you are?" James asked quietly.

When James didn't receive a response he removed his arms from around Lily and placed them on her shoulders lifting her off his chest. He placed his hands on either side of her face and gently tilted her face up so she was looking at him.

"You are brilliant," he said kissing the top of her head.

"And sweet," he kissed her forehead.

"And funny," he kissed her noise.

"And beautiful," he kissed her lips gently.

"Shall I continue?" he asked smiling.

"I love you," was all Lily could think to say. It never failed to amaze her how sweet James could actually be.

"I love you, too," James said sliding his hands from Lily's face back to her waist. "And I could go on if you like. I have plenty of adjectives left."

In response Lily wrapped her hands around James's neck and stretched up on her tip toes to kiss him.

"So, are you planning on staying at Hogwarts for the holiday then?" James asked as they walked back up to the castle.

"Well, I probably will get more studying done here," Lily said. "But honestly I think it might be nice to go home. And then we could go to the cinema and see a movie. Assuming you go home, of course."

"Could we?" James asked excitedly.

"Yes," Lily said laughing.

"It's a date then," James said.

"Padfoot, Wormtail, Moony!" James called as they entered the Charms classroom. "Guess what!"

"What?" Sirius and Peter asked.

"Lily is going to take me to see one of those movie things over the Easter Holidays," James told them excitedly.

"Can we come?" Sirius asked.

"Um, no, you are not invited on our date," James said.

Sirius and Peter both made pouting faces that caused Lily to laugh.

"You boys can come another time. I promise," she said still laughing. "Remus, you have to come too. I don't know if I can keep all three of them under control in such a Muggle environment."

"I'm not sure how much help I'll be," Remus said laughing. "We'll have to keep our wands hidden up our sleeves just in case."

"We'll be perfectly well behaved," Sirius said in what he clearly intended to be an offended voice.

"Please, you'll be like small children at Christmas," Remus said.

"Moony's right," Lily agreed.

The four boys turned to look at her.

"You're clearly spending way too much time with us," Sirius said laughing.

"Shut-it, Padfoot," Lily said grinning cheekily.

"If you're going to start calling us by our nicknames we're going to have to give you one," Sirius threatened.

"What about Red?" Remus suggested smirking.

"Don't you dare," said Lily holding up her wand threateningly.

"Miss Evans, Mr. Lupin, please save the dueling for later. I don't feel like giving either of you detention today," came Professor Flitwick's voice from behind them.

"Good morning, Professor," Lily said smiling pleasantly.

Professor Flitwick smiled and proceeded over to his desk.

"How do you do that?" James asked.

"Do what?" Lily asked.

"Charm them like that?" James said.

Lily shrugged and grinned at James, "No idea."

"Shame it doesn't work on McGonagall," James said thoughtfully.

"Alright, let's come to order," Professor Flitwick called.

Lily, James, and the other Marauders took their seats.

"I would like to begin by reminding you that your N.E.W.T.s are less than three months away," Professor Flitwick began.

By the time class was over Lily was beginning to wish that Madame Pomfrey had kept her in the Hospital Wing another day. All the talk about N.E.W.T.s were starting to make her slightly nervous. Lily knew that she was near the top of her class, it was pretty much down to her, James, and Sirius. Although to be honest she wasn't particularly concerned with which one of them was first. Still she couldn't help worrying about the upcoming exams. She knew she belonged, knew she was good, and what James had said earlier was true, she had done really well on her O.W.L.s.

She actually hadn't found them overly difficult, with the possible exception of Transfiguration, which she had still received an E in. But she still worried. If she didn't do well people would say it was because she was Muggle Born. She knew she shouldn't care, that it didn't really matter, but the truth was it still bothered her. She still felt the need to prove herself.

Later that evening Lily and James were in the Gryffindor common room with their friends when Lily was hit with an idea. She took a blank piece of parchment that was meant for James's Potions essay.

"Um, Lily why did you just cut my parchment into lots of little squares?" James asked. "It's going to be very difficult to write my essay on it that way."

"You'll see," Lily said waving her wand and causing the little squares to bind themselves together like a book.

Lily grabbed her quill and began drawing pictures on each page.

"Um, Lily," Katie said curiously, "What are you doing?"

"Hang on," Lily said focusing on her drawing.

When she finished she looked up at James grinning.

"Are you going to explain now?" James asked.

"Okay, remember earlier I was trying to explain to you how Muggles shoot moving pictures?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, and I still have no idea what you were talking about," James replied.

"So, this book is going to help me explain," Lily said.

She held up the book so everyone could see.

"So, do you see how each page has a slightly different picture on it?" Lily asked slowly turning each page.

"Yes," James said. "It looks like he's turning a cart-wheel. But really slowly."

"Exactly," Lily said. "Each picture is one picture of someone doing a cart-wheel at different moments in the movement. Now watch what happens when I flip through the pictures more quickly."

Lily held the book up so everyone else could see and made the pictures flip through very quickly.

"Hey, it looked like he was actually doing a cart-wheel!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Right," Lily said. "This is how Muggle video cameras make it look like the picture is moving. Only they do it with really fancy cameras and not bad drawings on bits of paper. But the idea is the same. Lots of pictures put together and viewed really quickly make it look like the people are moving. It's a trick. The pictures are moving by so fast that your eyes see them as moving. Even though what you are really seeing is lots of still pictures."

"Muggles are kind of brilliant sometimes," Peter said.

"Muggles aren't stupid," Lily snapped. "They just do things differently."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Peter said quickly.

"Honestly, Wormtail," Sirius said with a roll of his eyes.

"I just meant that this whole movie thing sounds kind of cool," Peter said.

"So, does anyone have a piece of parchment I can write my essay on?" James asked.

Everyone laughed.