Their Seventh Year

Chapter 11- A Little Help from My Friends

“James?” He turned at the sound of a feminine voice. Flora McKinnon was standing behind him as he exited the Great Hall with his friends, clutching her transfiguration book. “I was wondering if you could help me with Transfiguration? I’m having a little bit of trouble with today’s homework, and you’re so good at it…”

James was frozen somewhere between amusement and horror. Was she actually trying to flirt with him? She was always naturally a bit of a flirt, but in a normal, cheerful, friendly kind of way, not in this annoying, giggling, hair tossing kind of way. Besides, he’d never given her much thought outside of the context of “Lily’s friend” and she’d never shown much interest in him either. So why was she suddenly acting bizarre?

“Flora, do you have something in your eye?” Remus asked, genuinely concerned. She shot him a dirty look.

“Uh, sure, I guess.” James agreed, shooting a puzzled glance at his friends, who all looked equally mystified. “After dinner?”

She nodded. “Meet me in the library?”

“Uh, sure.”

She grinned at him and turned away to go sit with some other Gryffindor girls.

“What was up with that?” James asked as soon as she was out of earshot.

“Something is strange.” Agreed Remus.

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Flora gave a great sigh as she sat next to at the Gryffindor table. “I think I actually felt my IQ drop several points.”

“I didn’t know you knew how to flip your hair like that.”

“It’s a gift. Do you think they bought it?”

“I hope so, we really need to find out what is going on.”

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“Hey, I’ll catch up with you guys later. I left my…uh, transfiguration book.” Sirius lied. He caught a glimpse of Slytherin colors and black hair rounding a corner and followed, leaving his friends confused.

“Hey.” He caught up and fell into step with her. She gave him a raised eyebrow.

“Someone might see you talking to a Slytherin Black.”

“I’ll take my chances. Besides, it’s not like they’d know who I’m talking to. You know, I’d feel pretty bad if I’d spent six years at this school, and still nobody in my own house knew what my name was.”

She nodded, thoughtfully. “Yes, I can see that might make you feel bad. But I think there is an angle you haven’t considered. Is it that no one knows my name, or is it that someone suggested it might be in their best interest not to tell you my name?”

He stopped dead in the middle of the hallway. “You didn’t!”

She smiled sweetly. “I was just saying it was an angle you hadn’t considered. Excuse me Mr. Black, I have class.”

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When James entered the library he was definitely on guard. He considered himself a pretty smart wizard- he could figure out transfiguration, potions, charms…but he was sure not even the most brilliant wizard in the world could figure out women. Whatever it was McKinnon wanted, he was pretty sure it did not have to do with transfiguration. She’d never had any trouble with that class before.

But she was there, sitting at one of the tables in the corner that were often used by “couples” because they were hidden from Madam Pince’s view by shelves. James felt a little uncomfortable. Did she actually fancy him? He took the seat across from her, a little nervously. She wasn’t acting stupid and giggling at least.

“Relax James, I won’t bite you. I might, however, have to hex you.”

That got his attention, and he finally noticed she did indeed have her wand pointed at him, discreetly from under her book. His own wand was sitting uselessly in his pocket.

“Well, to be honest McKinnon, I’d rather have you threaten me than try to flirt with me.”

“Oh that? Well, we had to figure out a way to get you apart from your mates. I’ve been bugging them all week, but either they don’t know, or they’re circling the wagons and protecting you. I’d guess the former since I don’t think Lupin is a very good liar. So I figured I’d have to find out from you personally. What did you say to Lily?”

He eyed the wand, trying to guess if she’d risk a detention by using it in the library, or if she was bluffing. “I don’t really think that’s any of your business.”

“Not my business? I have to live with her Potter, and it has not been fun these past few days. She’s moping around and crying at the drop of a hat, and Lily does not cry.”

“I just said…” He settled on telling a partial truth. “I just said I wasn’t going to bother her anymore.”

She looked aghast. “Why would you do a stupid thing like that?”

“Are we talking about the same Lily Evans here? Red hair? Green eyes? Hates me passionately?”

Flora pinched the bridge of her nose like she had a headache. “Men. Are. So. Stupid.”

She sighed and withdrew her wand, putting it in her bag. “She doesn’t “hate you passionately” as you put it. I suspect she doesn’t really hate you at all, if you would just stop acting like a prat long enough for her to realize it. But whatever you said, it really hurt her. You need to apologize.”

“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.” He replied defensively.

“Maybe not, but nobody likes to have all their faults thrown back on their face. People in glass houses Potter...”

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When James got back to his room, Peter was the only one there. He only needed to give a questioning look, since James already knew what he wanted to ask.

“She was just cornering me to ask what I did to Lily.”

“What did you do to Lily? Padfoot is still convinced you snogged her and you’re holding out on us.”

“If I had snogged her, I’d be hanging banners in the halls, not holding out on you, believe me.”

“So then?”

James considered. It had been nagging at him, he felt almost guilty. He hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true, but he had been harsh, and that was no way to treat someone he claimed to care about. Lily was never going to speak to him again, and with good reason. And while he had insisted he didn’t care, he did. He still liked her, still wanted to get to know her, wanted to get to know the Lily he had caught glimpses of who wasn’t all uptight and perfect and easily offended. Since Wormtail was there, and willing to listen, James told him everything. He felt better just getting it off his chest. Peter listened patiently, and then was silent for a moment when he finished.

“Well….Remus is better than me at this sort of thing, but…I think you should talk to her. I know you don’t feel like you should have to apologize, but you could at least tell her what you were feeling, maybe then she’ll understand why you were so harsh. I don’t know James, she’s definitely got a temper, but I think Lily Evans might be more understanding than you give her credit for.”

James considered this for a moment, then nodded and jumped up. “You just might be right mate.” He pulled the invisibility cloak out of his trunk. “Don’t wait up.”