After the boys let out a few stifled chuckles, Peter slipped in a comment and said, "She doesn't really seem like your type Sirius. I mean she doesn't have extremely large…assets and she's not forward or sultry or…"
"I think the word Peter is looking for is slutty."
All the boys laughed at James' remark, even Sirius. He knew he past and reputation and was proud of it. But he was determined to get Rose. He wasn't sure how but his mission this year was her and it would be accomplished. He turned towards her leaving back and spoke.
"Rose, how is Lily?" She turned and saw who is was and her look became one of impatience instead of lust, which Sirius had honestly expected after using his sultry voice.
"Why do you care?"
"Because I am a Gryffindor, she's a Gryffindor, you're a Gryffindor. We should all be united. You and I should be united, closely."
"Are you implying something Sirius Black?" She gave a wry smile. He took this as a good sign and rose quickly to stand before her. He lowered his voice to speak so only she could hear.
"I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime. Maybe to Hogsmeade together?"
"And what would we do there?" She continued to smile.
"Whatever you would like sweetheart."
With that line he chucked her under the chin. She smiled sweetly before kneeing him in the groin, causing him to double over in pain. The three other marauders almost fell to the ground laughing.
"I would prefer to not be just another notch on your bedpost thank you. Nice try though Sirius. Maybe some other time."
She then turned and Sirius watched her retreating backside go up the stairs towards her dormitory.
"God, she has a nice arse," he groaned while still in pain.
As the boys lay on the floor from laughter and Sirius lay there in pain, the portrait door swung slowly emitting only a tiny squeak. None of the boys heard the motions as the sound of their own voices drowned out the door closing and the footsteps slowly crossing the floor. James suddenly stopped and turned and saw Lily Evans creeping across the room so as to not be seen by anyone.
"Well if it isn't Lily Evans. How is your arm Evans? Better I hope."
"Well enough to punch you in the other eye. Why don't you come over here so both eyes are sealed shut."
"Your punch just happened to cause us to do poorly today."
"You mean lose right? I know it's hard for you to comprehend losing but you'll just have to. You think you would understand the concept especially after I beat you in that duel this afternoon."
"You did not beat me. Someone from the ground helped you. Without that you would have been humiliated in front of everyone."
"But they were there weren't they? And it was you who was humiliated. Just leave me alone. I never want to see your face again." Lily turned to go to her room.
"I'm afraid you'll have to at our lesson after school tomorrow." The boys behind him let out muffled giggles and James smiled a wry grin."
Lily stopped in her tracks and whipped around to face Potter. She was inches from his face. When she spoke, Potter could hear the edginess in her voice. "You agreed to do it Potter?!?"
"Well, I kind of had no choice. I was forced to do it. You think I would willing spend so much time with you? This is my punishment just as it is yours. I was part of the duel as well, you know?"
Lily had never thought of that. She stood there momentarily, looking at Potter and the small smirk that was spread across his face. She then quickly turned and ran up the stairs towards her dormitory. She had to talk to Rose, she had to talk to someone who knew what she was feeling. Rose would know what to do about this. Rose would understand.
The last thing that Potter heard was a slamming door and then only silence. He turned around to his friends who were all shaking their head at his stupidity. He glared at them all before slumping down on the couch, crossing his arms and a scowl coming across his face. The other Marauders couldn't understand his tactics. They could see what James couldn't see; James liked Lily. It was blindly apparent to them all, even Sirius.
"Smooth move Prongs!"
"What are you idiots talking about. I hurt her feelings and that is exactly what I was trying to do."
The boys stared at him with looks of amazement. Remus was the first to speak up. "Was it? I think that hurting Lily is not what you want to do. You actually want to do something else to Lily. Why don't you just admit it?"
"I don't like Evans! I mean she is cruel and down right hideous!"
The boys once again could not believe what they were hearing. Sirius had had enough. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, you think Lily Evans is ugly? Are we talking about the same girl? Lily Evans is probably the hottest girl at Hogwarts and even you have to see that."
All the other boys nodded their heads vigorously in agreement. They all knew she was beautiful.
"Maybe I am too blinded by my hate of her to see it."
"Whatever you want to tell yourself James. I'm going to bed."
Peter and Remus spoke similar responses and headed up to their rooms. James was left alone in front of the fire, looking over the events of the day. He saw Lily's face in his mind and his body became hotter. He blamed it on the fire, rose, and went to bed, not knowing whether to look forward to the next day's lesson or dread it.
Lily awoke the next morning and stretched like a cat beneath her down bedspread. She opened her eyes to see the sun shining through the transparent coverings around her bed. At the end of her bed sat her spunky kitten, Calli. She whistled softly and Calli's chubby head sprung up and looked at Lily. Before Lily could make another signal, the kitten was romping towards her, having trouble with her fat belly almost touching the ground as she came towards Lily. This kitten had probably become her most loved possession and Lily watched over her like an eagle watches over her chicks. She would take out anyone who dared harm her.
She wiggled her toes and Calli pounced upon them, trying desperately to gnaw them off through the thick blanket. But to no avail. Lily slowly moved her feet from the warm of her bed to the coldness of the stone floor. She walked towards the bathroom awkwardly as the sleep had not quite left her limbs yet. She entered the bathroom clumsily after slightly running into the wall and creating quite a racket. She was in the bathroom groggily staring into the mirror when Rose shouted something incomprehensible at her. Lily walked out to her room with a toothbrush stuck in her mouth and asked her to repeat herself.
"I said that you seem to be in a better mood this morning."
"Why shouldn't I be? I have not a worry in the world. I am living in pure happiness."
"What are you talking about? Flying lessons with Potter are not my idea of pure happiness."
The toothbrush in Lily's mouth suddenly fell to the floor as her mouth stood agape. Rose looked up from playing with Calli and stared oddly at her best friend.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I had forgotten."
"Forgotten what?"
"My punishment. I must have completely blocked it out."
"Well you do have a nasty habit of purposely forgetting the bad things that have happened to you. Ouch!"
Rose shook her bitten finger at the tiny kitten before rising to pick up the soapy toothbrush lying on the floor. She handed it to Lily, who absently took it from her, and continued to walk into the bathroom. Lily remained where she was standing, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. Rose's words were the only thing that brought her back to reality and that her from standing there all day.
"I'm right, am I not? You block out your most embarrassing moments, right?"
"Yeah, you're right."
Lily thought about it and knew it was the truth. Someone had once asked Lily what her most embarrassing moment had been and Lily had honestly said she couldn't remember ever having one. It was Rose, who had been standing beside her, who told about the time she had accidently turned her skin green for two days after a potion went awry. Lily had protested, saying that had never happened but she got many more witnesses who all retold the story with the same goofy smile on there face. Rose then continued to help Lily recall her other embarrassing situations like the time she fell out of her chair and revealed her underwear to all in the classroom. Rose's favorite however had been the time she had dressed up for the Yule Ball as a belly dancer after James had told her it was a costume ball.
Lily had also talked to her mom and her mom had mentioned something about her grandma's funeral a year early and Lily had no idea what she was talking about. Her mom had gone hysterical, saying it wasn't funny to make fun of the dead and it wasn't healthy to act like it had never happened. All she knew presently was that her grandmum had passed away and apparently she had gone to the funeral. Oh well, everyone had their faults. Lily was okay with it. She now took Rose's word on such matters and forgot them again soon after.
She would probably wake up tomorrow morning with the same happy mood only to be let down with the news of her horrific punishment once again. Now that she recalled the events of the previous day, she remembered that when she came up to her room the night before in desperate need of consolation, Rose had already fallen asleep. Lily suspected that she had been faking sleep, not wanting to discuss the matter again. No matter. They would discuss it now.
"So what should I do?"
Rose continued to look in the mirror and wash her face. She knew that Lily was dreading this but she secretly hoped that something would happen between the two. She along with all the other Marauders was aware of James' subconscious feelings for Lily. But Rose thought that Lily honestly hated him with the heat of a thousand suns. She only hoped that James could use what he had to change Lily's mind. She laughed inside and muttered under her breath that James could change her own mind anytime.
"What did you say?"
"Um, I said nothing," Rose said innocently.
She returned to her thoughts to James. There was a reason besides Quidditch that every girl in school wanted him. He was gorgeous. With his boyish black hair that's unruliness made him look more charming, he was subject of many girls' fantasies. He had amazing blue eyes and the body of a pro seeker. His charm was easily as powerful as Sirius' except more immature. While Sirius used hushed words and innuendos, James used the classic grade school way. He joked and poked fun at the girls he liked, trying his best to appear as if he didn't. If James was slightly mean to you, then it was a good sign. Most girls in the school would kill to be called a name by the dashing James Potter. So the fact that James was willing to duel Lily meant it was more than just a slight crush.
She personally did not enjoy this form of flirtation. She actually enjoyed the innuendos provided by Sirius. That was her own preference and kneeing him the groin last night had been hard to do after hearing his husky words and feeling his light touch on her face. It had taken all of her might to not submit to him. But she managed. Like she had said to him, she refused to just become another on Sirius' list of conquered.
"Earth to Rose. What should I do?"
She turned towards and Lily and gently grabbed her shoulders.
"Lily, do not take offense but you are being quite a baby about this entire thing, freaking out and whining. This is your punishment and you have no choice but to do it. So you shall show up this afternoon to the Quidditch field and you will look great."
"Why do I need to look great? It's James, not some wizarding model."
"Well, you should always look presentable."
"Whatever. I think I will go smelling of sulfur and spoiled milk to make his punishment worse." As she said this, a smile spread across her face.
"No! Do not do that!"
"Rose, why are you so worried about this?" Lily gave her best friend a scrutinizing look while Rose simply shrugged her shoulders and shifted her eyes, not wanting to be under that powerful stare.
"Fine, I will look decent."
"Well, that's all I ask. Good, now let's get ready and go to breakfast."
They finished getting dressed in their traditional Gryffindor robes and walked down to the Great Hall, both craving pancakes and pumpkin juice. As they walked over the threshold of the Great Hall, they were surrounded by the noise of the four different tables joking, talking, and eating loudly. They smelled the familiar scents of the Hogwarts' kitchen and saw their classmates enjoying breakfast as they had every other morning. To them, it was just another morning but to Lily, it was a day of dread. But as her mind smelled the delicious aromas, her thoughts drifted to her morning meal and she was content with the thought that she did not have to deal with James until after school.
However, that thought was once again looming in her mind as the day slipped away. The classes that usually seemed to last an eternity, slipped through her fingers and before she knew it she was leaving Hogwarts, headed for the Quidditch field. She took her time, thinking it both wise to prolong this as long as possible and to make James wait for as long as possible.
She finally reached the entrance and pulled open the wooden door that was usually wide open during the hectic Quidditch season. She searched the ground for the little Potter but saw him nowhere. She suddenly heard a large thump behind her and quickly turned to see a sweating James Potter behind her.
"Where the hell did you come from?"
"Did I scare you? A little nervous, are we? The thump was me landing. I was doing a little practicing."
"Oh okay. Well I'll have you know that I am not nervous. You simply snuck up on me."
"Right…"