"I know he's doing it on purpose."
"He can't be. He doesn't even know."
"He can't be that photogenic."
"Well then, that's James Potter."
Lily looked on dejected in the warm air as Potter and his friends where by the whomping willow. Once again, they were trying to reach the trunk of it without being hit. Lily was fascinated by how they tried to do it. Weaving in and out of the branches, dodging and twisting. It reminded of the ballet that Petunia liked to watch.
What surprised her was that even the older years weren't even half as good as Potter. It was almost like he was bred for it; it was probably why he was so good at flying to.
He was up against a third year Slytherin, Davey Gudgeon. They were both waiting for the tree to be still. A girl who had her school shirt tied up so it exposed her stomach walked slowly in front of them, cocking her hips out to show off her body for the baying masculinity. She smiled and looked at the two challengers.
"Ready boys?" she asked.
"For the challenge or you?" asked Potter. She clearly blushed while the other guy rolled his eyes.
"On your marks." Potter smirked
"Get set." Davey leaned in while Potter just stood there with his arms folded.
"GO!" Davey sprinted forward while Potter walked up to it. As Davey went closer, the tree sprang into life. It threw itself at Davey who jumped aside of the branch. The tree then turned to Potter, the branch came down full force, Potter side stepped and stepped onto the branch and jumped onto another one, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Davey had to dodge another branch and it swung towards Potter. He jumped off and the tree smashed into its own branch, causing it to howl in pain. It sent another branch over Potter. But he twisted mid-flight, caught a piece of flailing branch and threw it at the oncoming branch. A sharp crack said to Lily he hit his target to a round of applause.
Then.
"AHHHHHHHHH! My eye!" Lily looked over and saw Davey clutching his face. Potter, who until now had remained focused on the task looked over at him.
"Oh my god!"
"What happened?"
"Did anyone see it?"
"Who saw it?" Potter, had now abandoned all efforts to hit the trunk and ran over to Davey. He picked up another broken branch and threw it at an oncoming branch, it spilt, sprouting another howl of pain. He slid on his knees towards Davey. He pulled his wand out and pointed it at the tree.
"Imobulus!" the tree froze. He then turned back and helped Davey who was still in pain. He picked him and supported his weight and they walked to the group. A couple of people ran over as Lily watched on.
"What is it?"
"It's his eye." said Potter.
"What about-OH MY GOD!" someone fainted as Davey removed his hand from his face.
"Help…me?" he asked weakly.
"Someone help. We need to get him to the hospital wing." Said James, another third year helped take him up towards the castle. The large group that had been watching was now in silence.
"Well…I guess that means no more fun for us."
"Lay of it Davis." Said Black. "The guy had his eye skewered."
"Eww." Really asked Jessica.
"Fraid so." Said Pettigrew looking up.
The Marauders Proudly Present James Potter & Lily Evans In: The Marauders Year One
Chapter Twenty Six
Choices
Written By Chambers10
"And so, on that note. There will be no more, dares, challenges, or forfeits that involve the whomping willow." Said Dumbledore over dinner.
Lily looked round to see some disappointed faces. But really, she didn't care. She looked over at Potter who had his hand bandaged up and was talking to Black.
"You're staring." Said Dorcas in a sing-song voice. Lily drew her face away and looked down at her salad which didn't now look as appealing as it once did. "I thought you said you were over him anyway?"
"I am." Said Lily. "But…I'm aloud to look now and again. Aren't I?"
"That's how it starts." Said Dorcas, "A little now and again turns to all the time. It's like that old saying, the occasional look is actually the most frequent."
"When did you get so philosophical?" asked Mary who had been listening in.
"It comes and goes." Said Dorcas. "Mainly go." Lily forced herself to look at her salad and then over at the Slytherin table where Sev was, she caught his eye and she waved. He did back meekly and went back to his dinner. Lily, who still had her hand up was hurt at how he dismissed her.
"You ok?" asked Dorcas, "You're very quiet."
"I usually am." Said Lily looking down. Dorcas rubbed her back and went to her dinner. Lily looked at Sev, and then back at Potter who was showing of his battle scars to some entranced second year girl. Lily half hoped that he would be showing her that scar instead.
After dinner, she met up with Sev and they went to the library. He was doing an essay and was surrounded by books. Lily smiled and sat down next to him, he looked up briefly and returned the gesture before going back to his work.
Lily got out her things and started to work as well. She looked over and saw him concentrating. It wasn't like her usual fantasies, there were usually a black haired boy. Except it was messy and not greasy straight, the messy one had more chiselled features while the greasy one had a hooked nose.
Lily bit her lip and smiled as she thought of Potter. Well Dorcas wasn't round. She wondered what it would be like to be sitting next to him. Talking to him about all the obscure things, marvelling at how much he knew.
"You ok?" Lily was snapped out of her fantasy.
"Yeah, yeah I'm good." She said smiling.
"What are you smiling at?"
"Nothing." Said Lily looking down, trying to hide her grin from Sev.
"It's obviously not nothing." Said Sev. "Or you wouldn't be smiling."
"It's nothing Sev." Said Lily shaking her head.
"You should tell me." Said Sev, "I am your best friend." Lily laughed.
"No. No I shouldn't." she said.
"Well why not?"
"Girl things." Said Lily, "Stop being so nosy." Said Lily laughing and going back to her work.
"Did you hear what Potter and his gang did?"
"No, what did they do?"
"Those idiots sabotaged the potions room." Lily rolled her eyes. "What was that for?"
"They don't know who did that." pointed out Lily.
"It was them and you know It." said Sev heatedly. "Merlin, why do you always defend them?"
"They haven't done anything!" said Lily. "They don't know who did it, they'll catch them and hold them accountable."
"God you're so blind when it comes to them." said Sev shaking his head. They heard a sharp shush from Madam Prince.
"You're innocent until proven guilty." Hissed Lily.
"I doubt Potter's ever been innocent." Said Sev.
"Lord, stop giving him such a hard time." said Lily, "So you don't like him, get over it."
"What, and you fancy him do you."
"Maybe I do, what's it to you!" As soon as it left her mouth she regretted it. Whatever colour that was in Sev's cheeks drained. His mouth was open and looked at Lily horrified.
"Y-you fancy him?" he said. Lily couldn't say a word. She didn't know what to say, Sev looked like he was ready to kill.
"Sev."
"No." he said standing up. "NO!" Sev packed his things away roughly and barged out of the library.
"Sev!" Lily hastily packed away her things and ran after him.
"Sev! Please wait."
"Of course, I knew this would happen!" she said as she chased after him.
"Sev, stop, please let me explain." Said Lily as she chased him through the corridors.
"No!" said Sev, "No, go and talk to you 'perfect' little man."
"Please, Sev." Said Lily "It's not what you think."
"No, I heard you. You do fancy him. You fancy a self-centred egotistical prick. What is it with fucking girls and idiots."
"Oh please just listen to me!" shouted Lily, "You've got the wrong end of the stick!" Before she knew it they were outside the Slytherin common room.
"No, I understand quite well." Said Sev. "You fancy Potter, end of." He walked into his common room.
"Please wait!" shouted Lily.
"I don't want to talk to you!" he said slamming the door. Lily felt the anger rise up in her. She turned on her heel. Lily stomped away from the dungeons, why where all the men in her life bothering her in one way or another. Lily just wanted to scream and be done with them. She walked up to the fat lady who looked sympathetically.
"Rough day, Red?" she asked. Lily exhaled greatly.
"You don't know the half of it." she said.
"Boys?" Lily nodded.
"Then I think I know." She said opening up. Lily walked in and went straight to her room. She toed her shoes and socks off and threw her robes somewhere on the floor. She threw her bag on her bed and retrieved a hairband from her dressing table. She tied her hair up like she always did for lessons and sat on her bed and drew the drapes around her.
She pulled out some paper and her quill, and ink and laid them down. She dabbed her quill in the ink and began to write.
Dear Mum.
I'd be really grateful if you could keep this letter between you and me. I don't really want Dad or Tuney finding out about this. I've just had a really big argument and don't know where to turn, I was going to call , but remembered about cutting down on that, so I'm writing.
Well you're wondering about the argument, it was with Sev. He figured out I fancied James and I stupidly confirmed his theory. If doesn't seem like a big deal, trust me, it is. They hate each other, it stems from Quidditch and that's something I'm not going into.
But Sev was really angry when it slipped out, I don't know what to do, and I don't want to lose my friend over this. I thought I had moved on from James, but whenever I see him I still get those little butterflies inside me, and I know he already has a girlfriend but I can't help but look at him.
I was hoping maybe you had some experience with this and maybe you could give me some advice. Because at the moment I'm really stuck for anything. Its times like this I really miss you. I remember when you and would talk to Tuney about her boy trouble and I didn't understand. Well, I do now. And I miss the fact that where not there for each other.
Maybe I'm feeling lonelier. I hope you're well as well. And I can't wait to be back home. Love to dad, Tuney and granddad and I'll speak to you soon.
Lots of Love.
Lily.
Lavender was sitting up in bed reading the letter her daughter had sent her. She had sent John down the pub so she could give it her full attention. She sighed and took of her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Oh Sweetpea." She said to herself. She then looked down the letter again. "How could you of got yourself into a love triangle already?" Deep down Lavender knew she had predicted it.
"How? She'll be a goddess to them." she said.
And although this Potter didn't see it now, he had been dragged into an on-going battle. Lily should have really kept her crush quiet, especially to this Snape boy. If he and Potter didn't get on as much as she said, then it was bound to cause friction between to two of them. Even more friction.
Lavender frowned and didn't really know where to begin. She'd never been in a situation like this before. She picked up her pen and paper and began to write.
Dear Lily.
Hello Sweetpea, I'm glad you're ok, apart from your apparent boy trouble. To be honest with you, I've never been in a situation like this before. I always had eyes for your father at your age.
But, you said to me that you were going to get over this trouble of yours. Tell Severus this, it was a little crush, but you are over it, but remembering boys at that age he probably went off in a huff with his pride a little dented.
I'm afraid that's all the advice I can give you, just concentrate on your work and you'll be fine, boys can come much later for you.
Apart from that I hope your lessons are going good. I can't wait to have you home so we can all spoil you rotten. We all send our love and we can't wait to see you again. And well done on writing instead of phoning, I know it must have been difficult but I'm very proud of you. Anyway.
Lots of Love
Mum.
Lily sniffed her blanket as she read the letter, the smell of home still couldn't mask its absence from her heart. Her mother was right. It was just a crush. And Sev needed to see that. It wasn't anything more, no, underlying feelings, no complicated clichés. Lily sat on her bed and looked around the dark room. Dorcas turned over in her bed. She sat back down and placed the letter in her draw where she kept all her letters from home.
"Go away Lily."
"Look, Sev, just let me explain!" said Lily running after him.
"Go away." he said stalking away towards the dungeons. Lily knew she didn't have enough time, if she let him get away from her and into his common room, then it was lost.
"Sev, please, let me talk to you!" she begged.
"No." he said coldly, "Why don't you got talk to Potter, no, sorry, James, about it." Lily huffed.
"Sev, please, you don't understand."
"No, I understand perfectly." He said. "You like him, go ask him out!"
"You see, that's what you don't understand!" implored Lily, still racing after him. "I don't, I don't want him!" Sev stopped. Lily did to. He then turned round to her; she had placed a good amount of space between them.
"Then…who do you want?" he asked.
"I don't know." Said Lily, "All I know is that I don't want him." Sev turned round fully to see her.
"Then…what was…" Lily threw her arms up.
"It was a silly crush, Sev." She said, "I'm sure you've got one on someone." Sev turned away from her. Lily knew he turned, away he did.
"It doesn't mean I want him, how could it?" asked Lily. "But I'm over it now. It was crush, nothing more." Sev nodded.
"Please forgive me." Sev looked down and then back up. But there was something different in his eyes. They were terrifying.
"On one condition." He said. Lily gulped and nodded.
"Stop hanging around with him." he said.
"What?"
"I want you, to stop hanging around with him." said Sev. "If you've really got over him, it should be easy, shouldn't it?"
Lily looked down, a war raged inside her head, the pros and cons of the two boys flying inside her mind. Finally, it came to the fact that for all his charisma and charm, he was a loose cannon. The wild card, the person who for all his positives, couldn't be relied upon when it mattered.
"So…who's it gonna be?" Lily sighed.
"You." She said.
Sev nodded, he then walked off. "Maybe you should tell Potter your choice." His footsteps echoing as he walked away. Lily felt little tears in her eyes, she then turned back round and walked back towards the tower.
As she got in Dorcas was by the sofas, she sat down opposite her.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"He forgave me." Said Lily. "There you go, problem solved." Lily shook her head. "There's something else isn't there." Lily nodded.
"He wants me to stop hanging round with Potter." Said Lily.
"And you agreed." Said Dorcas. Lily nodded.
"He's my friend, what else was I going to do?" Dorcas placed her book down. She then looked hard at Lily
"I didn't have a choice Dorcas." Said Lily.
"You always have a choice Lily." said Dorcas. "But, the damage is done now."
"How do I tell him?" asked Lily.
"James?" Lily nodded.
"The way he likes it." Lily raised a questioning eyebrow, "Straight."
Lily was in the common room waiting for Potter to get back from Quidditch practice. She was changed to go one of Slughorn's parties. But she wanted to tell him face to face, she didn't really care if she was late.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he came through. He ran a hand through his hair and then looked over and saw Lily. He then smiled and walked over.
"Still waiting up for me?" he said sauntering over. Lily tried her best not to smile.
"Hey, what's the matter?" he went to remove a small strand of hair that was in her eyes, she turned away. He looked a little hurt, but placed his hand down anyway.
"Ok, what's up?" he asked.
"We can't be friends anymore Potter." Said Lily, she couldn't see him, she didn't want to.
"What?"
"We can't be friends anymore." Said Lily again, her voice more broken.
"And where's this come from?" asked Potter. Lily sighed.
"Look, I don't need to explain myself." she said standing up and brushed past him. She didn't look back and let the portrait hole close behind her. When that happened she ran, she ran with tears burning on her face.
She eventually made it to the party. After a quick stop at a bathroom the freshen herself up, she looked in the mirror. It was obvious that she had been crying, but right now she didn't give a damn. She made her way to the dungeons. She opened the door quietly, and instantly everyone looked round at her.
"Ah, Miss Evans." Said Slughorn cheerfully. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming." His face frowned.
"Are you ok?"
"Fine professor." Lily plastered on her fake smile. She walked round and sat next Sev. "Why wouldn't I be?" she sat down and tucked into her dinner.
"Is it done?" Lily nodded.
"How did he take it?"
"I didn't stay to find out." Said Lily, not wanting to look at him. But the way he spoke she could tell he was smiling. She looked down at the food in front of her, suddenly she didn't feel so hungry.
James looked back as Evans raced from the common room. James then looked at the floor. What was that all about, they couldn't be friends anymore, where they friends? James shook his head and then went upstairs to his dorm. He walked in and the others looked up at him.
"You ok mate?" Asked Sirius, "You have that vacant useless look about you."
"Evans just said we can't be friends anymore." Said James a little confused. All three looked up at him with confused looks to.
"What?"
"That's what I said." Said James taking off his Quidditch things. "I asked her, but she said that she didn't have to explain herself to me."
"What did you say?"
"That's the weird part." Said James. "I never said anything."
"You always say something." said Remus.
"How long have you known me?"
"Long enough to know you say something." said Remus. James just shrugged and sat down on his bed.
"Why would she do something like that though?" James asked himself.
"Just leave it James." Said Sirius. "So she doesn't want to be friends. Big whoop." Sirius looked over at James whose brain was going into overdrive.
"You know who, don't you." Said Sirius.
"When working murders my dad told me you need three things. Motive, means, and opportunity."
"She's going to be murdered?" Said Peter.
"No, but the same applies here." Said James standing up. He walked around the room, pacing and muttering to himself.
"Ok, think about all of her friends."
"Now excluding you."
"Very funny. Now, I think we can all say that her girlfriends wouldn't have put her up to this."
"Jess?" said Sirius.
"No." said James, "According to Dorcas they don't get on that well. So she wouldn't listen to her. Because that's one thing she is, she's very stubborn."
"Ok, who else?" James snapped his fingers and pointed at Sirius.
"Snape."
"James-"
"No, no hear him out." Said Remus. "Ok, motivation?"
"He hates me."
"True, but she would have done it a lot earlier if that was the case." Remus pointed out.
"Damn." Said James. He paced the room and ran both his hands through his hair. "Maybe something was said."
"Like what?" asked Sirius. James continued to pace the room, he thought about everything that had happened between him and Evans in the last couple of months. They had been civil towards each other. She had been a bit distant at the party but that wasn't-!
…
The party.
"Look, someone was hoping to get to know you a bit better tonight. They saw you with Leanne and there…a little upset."
James was now looking at his reflection in a mirror on Sirius's desk.
"James?" Remus asked. "You okay?" James narrowed his eyes at his own reflection. How could he of been so stupid.
"Because it was her." he whispered.
"What?"
"Evans." Said James looking back. "Remember I told you that there was a girl who was upset that I'd come with Leanne to my birthday party."
"Yeah, and?"
"…Everyone would of known I'd come with her except someone who'd never met her before." Explained James. "And who was the only new person there."
"Lily." said Remus. James sat down on his bed.
"You." said Sirius, "She fancied you." James nodded.
"She told Snape." Said James. "He throws a paddy, she goes running to try and rectify it."
"Why?" asked Sirius.
"Because she has this compulsive need to make everyone happy." That's why she was crying, it was going against what she wanted.
"Opportunity?" asked Remus. James said nothing. "Come on James, your very close."
"When she went to beg for forgiveness." Said James. "That's when he made her the compromise."
"It's a deal." Said Sirius.
"He has her proverbial balls in a vice." Said James. He turned to him. "That's not a deal. That's blackmail."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"Get proof. That's the next step. Dante." The owl took his head from underneath his wing. James wrote a note and tied it to his leg.
"To Dorcas mate." He opened the window. Dante looked back. "Go." Said James prodding him on. Dante swooped out. James sat down on the bed and waited. About five minutes later there was a knock on the door. James opened the door and Dorcas stood there hands on hips with Dante perched on her shoulder.
"Ok, what is so damn important." She said walking in. Dante soared over to his perch, putting his head under his wing and turning his back on the conversation
"I need to clarify something."
"If it's about Lily then she's made her choice." Said Dorcas.
"Was it Snape?"
"Well is wasn't one of us."
"Told you." He said pointing a finger at Sirius.
"What are you going to do?"
"…nothing." Said James. "Well." He placed an arm round her and turned her round and walked her to the door. "Nothing yet anyway." He walked her out and closed the door behind him. He then looked around the room.
"I'm going to pay Snivellus a little visit." Said James, "I don't think he can dictate what friends Evans can and can't have now can I."
James never got the opportunity to see Snape, for someone reason the slimy git was keeping his distance from him. Not that he minded, but it made it more difficult for him to but his plan into motion.
He was outside by the birch tree that overlooked the lake with Sirius, Lupin was at his mother's again (At full moon?) He was looking at the Slytherin marching band practicing on the grounds.
"Why do they need one anyway?" he asked out of the blue. Sirius, who had been snoozing on the trunk looked up.
"Who needs what?"
"The Slytherin's." elaborated James, "Why do they need a band?"
"They need to something to get them in the zone." Said Sirius. "Not that it helps them anyway."
James continued to watch them as they started to play a tune. A small smirk appeared in the corner of his mouth. He looked over at Sirius.
"I have an idea." He said looking over at his bag. "Do you have some of those stink bombs left?" asked James. Sirius nodded and opened his eyes.
"What do you have in mind?" James pointed at the marching band. Sirius's mouth curled into a smile.
"Bubble mixture?" James nodded.
"You bet." He said standing up.
James and Sirius got underneath the cloak and slipped out. Remus and Pete where in the common room and looked at the two suspiciously when they said they were getting an early night. They waited by the door till Alice had to go on her rounds, she kissed Frank good bye and made her way to the door, they slipped out and made their way towards the Quidditch pitch.
"Are you sure they're going to be there?" asked Sirius.
"They keep all that shit in the Slytherin broom cupboard." Said James.
"Maybe we could sabotage them." said Sirius gleefully.
"That's low." Said James, "Never sabotage a man's broom, between a couple of guys, that's personal."
"And sabotaging there band isn't?"
"It's less conspicuous." Said James smirking. They walked out into the night till the spires of the Quidditch pitch came in sight. James picked the lock and they opened the door.
"Potion Sirius." Sirius pulled out some small vials of a bright purple potion while James pulled out some stink bombs from his pocket.
"Good thing were skipping this match." Said Sirius as James pulled out a small knife he smuggled from dinner and cut open one of the bombs. Sirius poured one vial of the potion into the bomb. James then sowed the bomb back up with his wand.
"Half of me really wants to see this." Said James, "But the stench will be unbearable."
"I know. Maybe Dorc can tell us how it is." Said Sirius.
"I wonder if the people playing will go the hospital wing." Wondered James aloud as he sewed up the last bomb.
"If they inhale they will." Said Sirius placing the vials away. They picked up the bombs and placed them inside the brass instruments. James was laughing to himself as he thought about what this was going to the band. James closed up the cabinet and lock it again.
The crowd was shouting, ready for the game to start, Lily looked around the ground. The teams where flying round the pitch in intricate patterns that made Lily's brain hurt trying to keep track of it.
"Enjoying it?" Lily looked to Sev, they were sitting in the Slytherin stand waiting for the game against Hufflepuff to kick off.
"It's good." Said Lily.
"Better than the Gryffindor match?" asked Sev smugly.
"On par." Said Lily as she looked around. She watched as the band came out onto the pitch and the quaffle was thrown up into the air. The game started of brutally, Lily had no idea why Potter liked it so much, but at the end of the day, she could see why, it matched his personality, it was chaotic, and brutal.
The band started to play as the Slytherin's began to chant songs to inspire there team to victory. Lily felt the wind snap at her neck and she pulled her scarf up to stop the chill and the sound of laughter erupted around her. Even Sev was laughing, she looked down and saw that the bubbles were sprouting from the bands instruments. Lily giggled as the purple bubbles came out of the horns. The game stopped as madam hooch scratched her head, wondering what to do.
"Who's done this?" asked Lily smiling. She leaned over the banister to get a better look. Then, one of the bubbles exploded. A green gas erupted from it, sending a small mushroom cloud up. It hit one of the chasers who took a big gulp. He went as green as the gas and threw up everywhere. Lily stopped smiling and turned to Sev.
"Sev, we need to go!" she said tugging his arm.
"What, why?"
"It's a stink bomb!" said Lily dragging him.
Sev laughed and looked out at the bubbles. "It is not."
"Fine, stay." Said Lily as she ran away. Sev looked out at the pitch, the bubbles started to explode, sending green gas into the air, Sev went white and ran out as well. Lily was almost flying down the stairs as she heard the bubbles exploding, and the stampede awaiting behind her. She looked back, only to see people pushing each other out of the way to get to the exit. Lily could see what was making them stampede. The green gas was chasing them down the wooden steps. She looked back again and saw that it had caught up with them, they were on the floor vomiting. Lily picked up her speed not wanting to get caught up in that. The gas though, was now only a few inches behind with the outside in sight. She hurdled the barrier leading inside. She ran till she thought she was a good distance away. She panted, leaning forward so her hands where on her knees, her breath was ragged and she couldn't make a lot of sense of what was going on. The gas, she looked back and gasped. The entire stadium was covered in thick green smoke that now looked like a giant mushroom cloud.
If the stench wasn't so bad she would have been impressed by the concealing magic that was used. She looked at the cloud and then people wearily coming out of the stadium and throwing up.
Lily winced.
James and Sirius were on top of the astronomy tower looking at the giant green mushroom cloud. They clinked butterbeer bottles and looked at the huge cloud go higher and higher into the sky.
"Perfect." Said James.
"Amazing," said Sirius.
"So that's what you guys sneaked out to do yesterday." Said Pete.
"Admittedly, it does look impressive." Said Remus. James smirked and looked at the people below slowly walking back, almost as green as the cloud they were caught up in.
"Looks like you were right." Said Sev. He clutched his stomach which grumbled loudly.
"I know a stick bomb when I see It." said Lily. She placed a book back on the shelf and browsed for a book on vampires. "Besides, it's like the old saying, believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear."
"It was." Stomach grumbling, "Disgusting." Wheezed Sev.
"If you listened to me you could have escaped to." Said Lily, "I always knew sport was dangerous."
"It was-"
"If you say it was Potter I'm leaving you to do my work elsewhere." Said Lily loftily. She could feel him scowl at her, but she was sick of having the same conversation over and over again.
"Oh come on you know it was them!"
"Shh!" Sev scowled at Madam Prince and turned to Lily.
"You knew it was them." said Sev. "It reeks of them."
"Was that a pun?" asked Lily, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"What's a pun?"
"Never mind." Said Lily shaking her head. "It may or may not have been, I'm sure they'll find out who did it."
"You say that, but they never get caught." Said Sev,
"Well then try and catch them yourself." Said Lily. When she turned round he was gone. She sighed and went back to finding her book.
"Potter!" James was outside with the rest of the Gryffindor's in his year when he heard his name being called. He looked from the birch tree trunk he was lying on and saw a skinny greasy black figure coming towards him. How ironic, his prey was now coming to him.
"What do you want Snivellus?" asked James lying back down on the grass. I bet there were a lot of things he wanted to say thought James. Stay away from Lily, get your own prize. Those where just some of the things.
"I just wanted to say that your little prank didn't work." Said Snape, "It's almost worn off now." James laughed and sat up.
"What are you talking about?" he said in his most innocent voice.
"The stink bomb at the Quidditch match." Said Snape. "I know it was you, I'm just telling you that it didn't work."
"Well from what I heard it did." Said James. "But…" he looked over at Sirius who nodded. "I'm sure whoever did do it will be held accountable." The group laughed and patted him on the back.
"So why did you miss it?" asked Snape.
"Miss what?"
"That match." Said Snape. "You've seen every other Quidditch match this year, why not that one."
"Well I guess it was my turn to skip one." said James. Snape seethed.
"You know what I mean!" he said. "The reason you missed it is because you did it, and you didn't want to be caught up in the cloud!"
"Look Snape." Said James. "Not that I'm flattered about you stalking me like you do Evans, but this blaming me for every little thing you've done wrong is getting a little old."
"Then stop doing these insane pranks then." Said Snape, "And people will stop blaming you."
"You're the only one who blames me for those things." Said James. "Again, flattered that I'm the first one you thought of, but this unhealthy obsession with me has to stop." The group laughed at Snape who went red with embarrassment.
"I'm not obsessed-"
"Save it for people who give a shit Snape." Said James waving his arm dismissively. "Even if I did do that bomb. He smirked, "Which I didn't, that's only a taster of the things I can do."
"Back to arrogance I see. Very smooth."
"It's not arrogance if you can prove It." said James.
"Alright." Said Snape. "So…was it you?"
"Yeah, impressed now?" asked James.
"And the cake?"
"Me too."
"And the itching powder?"
"You know it was me." Said James. "So there, not arrogance, proof."
"And all those other things." Asked Snape.
"Well…" said James, "I do have to keep my secrets."
"See, that's your entire arsenal. You don't have anything else." James laughed.
"Snape, I've had to learn things you can only dream of.
"I doubt that." Said Snape, "You can stop trying to impress the crowd."
"My Parents are Auror's." said James, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"…At least my dad's not a lazy wife beater." Snape's face went pale. There was a collective gasp from around the crowd that had formed. James took a step forward.
"Do you want to continue this game, or do you want to walk away." Snape shook his head and flared his anger at him.
"You know nothing about me!" he hissed.
"Are you walking away or are we going to do this?"
"Well everyone knows you're an arrogant arsehole." Said Snape. James opened his mouth but was pulled back by Dorcas.
"James, don't." she whispered. "He's not worth it." James shrugged her arm off.
"You want a lesson Snape, fine, have one. You constantly strive for the approval of your father, though you will never get it because he hates our kind. That's why you always stand tall in the presence of men while you slouch in front of anyone else. You can tell from your stance that you still strive for the attention of both your parents, but when there constantly fighting, your left to own devices." James took another step forward.
"…That's how you got to know Evans." Said James. "She showed you attention."
"James."
"That thing you always wanted." Said James, realisation on his face. "Muggle community, another witch, desperate boy, last hope."
"James, stop it." said Dorcas more sternly. James laughed.
"I don't believe it." he said. "You lo-"
"STOP IT!" shouted Snape, "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME, YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MY LIFE!"
He stormed away. James looking at him curiously as he strode off towards the castle. Dorcas walked in front of him.
"I know you don't like him but did he really deserve that?" James said nothing. He likes her, he thought. That's why he was so pissed at her liking someone else. James frowned a little. What would happen if she ever did go for someone else apart from Snape.
"Are you even listening to me?" James looked down at Dorcas.
"No." said James looking Snape's black cloak disappear into the castle. He felt a little sorry for him. It must have been hard, growing up surrounded by muggles, but unlike Evans who didn't know about magic, he did. He knew what he was doing, he'd seen someone else do it before.
"No, what?" asked Dorcas. "What are you thinking of?"
"Nothing." Said James. He walked back to his bag.
Alec was sat in his room looking at a photo, it was of him and his kids. James was smiling, while Harriet stuck her tongue out to the camera. Alec smiled and looked at the bathroom mirror.
His body was a tapestry of his life, one that was for the best part blinded by violence. Scars, a displacement of his spine that even magic couldn't even heal. He looked at himself in the mirror and looked at the new scar on his collarbone. If he didn't heal it he would bleed out, that would be a fucking mess. Alec picked up his wand.
"Ah, ah." He felt Katherine's hand on his. "No, when you stich yourself." She turned him round so he was facing her.
"You do make a bloody mess." Alec smiled weakly as she got underway with her wand.
"I was missing James today." Said Katherine.
"I am too."
"When are we going to pack this in Alec.
"What do you mean?"
"Alec, where not exactly youngsters anymore." Said Katherine. "And with James now growing up." Alec looked away.
"He misses us to." Said Katherine, "Why can't we just-"
"Kath, I don't know." Said Alec. "The world is still a dangerous place."
"The world will always be a dangerous place." Said Katherine, "We'll never get rid of all the evil in the world."
"It doesn't mean we can't try." Said Alec. "It's our mission."
"You see, the mission." Said Katherine. "The mission has come before anything." She looked down, as she finished the stiches.
"Sometimes, I think it even comes before me." Alec tilted her chin up so her could peer into her brown eyes.
"Nothing ever comes before you." Said Alec, he stroked the side of her face with the back of his fingers. "What's brought on this?" Katherine looked away.
"Where not getting any younger Alec." She said. "I just want to make sure where spending our golden years together." She hugged him resting her the side of her face on his bare chest.
"I want to…I want to be able to have those lazy days where we can have a drink at the farmhouse and watch the sunset. Be able to go out to dinner, be able to go on holidays, be able to tell our grandkids about the adventures we've been on." She looked up.
"Don't you want that?"
"Yes, yes I do." Said Alec.
"Then why can't we, you know, scale back a little." Asked Katherine.
"Kath. There are still things I need to do." Said Alec. Katherine moved away, Alec tried to coax her back, but she just shrugged out of his grasp.
"Are you ready?" Alec sighed, this clearly wasn't over.