Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and events from J.K. Rowling's wonderful Harry Potter books. I am writing this for my own enjoyment and hopefully for the enjoyment of readers. Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. The rest belongs to me.
Chapter 69: Captain 'Love'
Lily and Remus boarded one of the last carriages to Hogwarts, having stayed behind with the other prefects and Heads to make certain everyone made it off the train and found their way to school. As the carriage drove on, Remus gazed out the window and looked up at the dark sky, feeling his strongest during the new moon. He smiled to himself, relieved that the lack of light from the moon prevented him from seeing the creatures that pulled the carriages.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Lily.
Remus looked at her and, not wanting to reveal his darkest secrets, decided on another topic. "I was thinking about the train ride, when James was trying to flirt with you."
Lily blinked and shook her head. "What do you mean?"
Remus laughed and said, "I should think it was rather obvious, Lily. He kept smiling at you and there were those not-so-subtle winks in the compartment."
"He said he was cursed by Snape," Lily protested.
"You mean you actually believed that?" Remus asked dubiously.
"Well…" trailed Lily. "I realize he may have had a tiny crush on me a while ago, but he gave up on that
a long time ago," she said, remembering his annoyance at her last year during a Hogsmeade trip when she had
presumed he had started a fight with Snape.
Remus chuckled and said, "I hate to break it to you, Lily, but James still likes you. In fact, he seems more determined than ever to get you to notice him."
Lily studied her hands as she replied, "He'll lose interest once he realizes nothing is going to happen between us."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he muttered, remembering the look of determination on his friend's face. He studied Lily, remembering how she was once good friends with James during their first year. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "Why won't you give him a chance?"
Lily looked up at Remus, surprised at his direct question. She reached up and nervously fiddled with the locket her father had given her, twisting and untwisting the chain. "It's just that-"
There was a loud knock on the door to the carriage and both students jumped in surprise, not having realized the carriage had reached its destination. The door opened and Amos Diggory, the Head Boy, directed them out of the carriage and into the school.
Lily saw Marlene seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Rushing over to her, Lily sat down next to her and gave her a quick hug. "So where's Michael?" she asked, referring to Marlene's latest boyfriend, a sixth year Hufflepuff.
"Catching up with his friends over there," Marlene replied, indicating the tall blond boy seated at the Hufflepuff table with a group of boys. "He didn't have much time on the train with them to catch up," she added with a guilty smile.
"I wonder why," Lily added dryly.
"Thanks, by the way," said Marlene. "For not…you know…"
Lily smirked and said, "I should have. I am a prefect, after all!" Seeing Marlene's innocent smile, Lily added, "If I catch you two snogging again during my patrols, though, I will deduct points and give you a detention."
Marlene decided to change the subject. Looking around, she asked, "Where's Alice?"
Lily glanced up and down the table. "I don't know," she replied. "She was supposed to save me a seat."
"I suspect she's off with Sirius somewhere…catching up," came an amused voice from behind Lily.
Turning around, Lily was surprised to see James grinning down at her. To her shock, he sat down next to her, closer than she was comfortable with. Lily looked across the table to see Remus and Peter seating themselves across from her.
Remus gave Lily a knowing look before he studied his empty plate, waiting for the inevitable to happen. After all, Peter had just told him about how Sirius had given advice to James during the carriage ride on how to approach Lily. This was bound to prove interesting…
James leaned a little closer to Lily and, in what he hoped was a deeper voice, suggested, "Why don't you and I do a little 'catching up'?"
"What?!" exclaimed Lily, glancing again at Remus, who was determinedly avoiding her gaze. Trying not to look at James, who was still lingering rather close, she asked him in a tight voice, "Exactly what is that supposed to mean?"
James smiled and innocently said, "I wanted to hear about your summer, Evans. Why? What did you think I meant?"
Before Lily could think of a reply, Alice and Sirius appeared hand-in-hand, looking somewhat flushed. "Sorry we're late," said Alice. "We got…er…sidetracked." She glanced at Sirius who had a smug grin on his face.
As they sat down, Marlene muttered, "Great, now they've managed to ruin my appetite for the feast."
"What was that, Marlene?" asked Alice.
"I said it'd be great if they'd hurry along the feast," lied Marlene.
The doors to the Great Hall swung open allowing the latest batch of first years to promenade between the tables to the front. The Sorting Hat performed another original song and one by one each of the new students was sorted into his or her new house. As usual, Professor Dumbledore spared the students from a lengthy speech and instead opened the feast.
During the meal, James tried to further his progress in charming Lily, however she made a point of focusing her attention on Marlene. James sat there, frustrated that once again he was getting nowhere fast. He needed something to really impress her, to prove that he was a worthy guy for her attentions. He didn't even realize the feast had ended until he heard his name being called. Turning around, James was surprised to see Professor McGonagall standing behind him, her face as stern as always.
"Mr. Potter," she said, "I need to see you in my office right away." Without waiting for a reply, she turned and strode out of the Great Hall.
"Geez, Prongs," said Sirius. "I think you beat my record. Having to see McGonagall before the end of the first day…" Sirius shook his head, a look of awe appearing on his face.
James shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't even know what I did this time." He made his way down the familiar route to the deputy headmistress' office. His stomach gave an uneasy turn. It was one thing when James had to go to her office for something he knew he had done. It was another when he didn't have any idea. How was he supposed to wheedle his way out of punishment when he had no idea of the crime he had committed?
Once he reached her office, he found the door open and cautiously stepped inside. Professor McGonagall was seated behind her desk, searching through one of the drawers. When she looked up and saw James standing just inside the doorway, she said, "Hurry up, Mr. Potter, and sit down. I don't have all evening." Once James was seated in one of the crimson chairs, she gave him a serious look and said, "I suppose you have some idea why I have called you here at this hour, Mr. Potter."
James' eyes widened and he shook his head. "Honestly, Professor, I didn't do it this time! Just ask Sirius." Seeing McGonagall's look, he said, "Okay, bad example. Ask Remus! I didn't do anything!"
"Mr. Potter, this is a very serious matter, and if I don't handle the situation appropriately there will be consequences," she said.
James was at a loss. He honestly didn't know what he had done. Was it something that had happened at the end of last term? "Consequences?" he croaked.
"Yes, Mr. Potter. Consequences!" she reiterated. After a pause, she added, "After all, I don't want to have to look into Professor Pilon's snooty face if Slytherin wins the Cup this year."
James nodded, then realizing what she said, said, "Huh?"
Professor McGonagall continued, "I expect you to prevent that from happening." There was a faint glint in her eyes.
James felt a tug at his stomach as he started to realize the hints she was giving him. "What are you saying, Professor?"
"I am saying, Mr. Potter, that Carlton Wood graduated and we need a new captain," she replied. Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a badge that said Gryffindor Captain and placed it on the desk in front of James. "I trust you will not disappoint me?"
James stared at the golden badge, excitement building up inside him. "I'm the new captain?" He looked disbelievingly at his Head of House, who had a rare smile on her face. At that moment, James could have sworn that she purposely tortured him with the thought of getting into trouble as revenge for some of the stunts he had pulled during the past four years. Not really caring at the moment, due to the thrill of being chosen captain, James picked up the badge and said, "Don't worry, Professor. We'll get the Cup!"
"Good," she said. "Now go and get to bed before curfew. I don't want the new captain getting into trouble this early in the year. The password to the common room is Amicus Fidelis."
James grinned and practically skipped to the common room. This was certain to be his best year at Hogwarts yet. He was captain, he would soon be meeting Remus during the full moons as a fully transformed stag, and he had the Marauder's Map as well as his invisibility cloak - which would prove invaluable during their adventures about the school.
Once he stepped through the portrait hole he immediately spotted his friends seated by the fire. Peter was stifling his laughter while Sirius sent well aimed tickling hexes across the room to Marlene, which would give the back of her neck a little tickle, causing her to scratch at it and turn around, only to find nobody standing near her. Looking frustrated, she would turn back to her friends and start chatting until she felt the familiar tickling sensation start up again.
Remus was the first to notice James' return. "Prongs! What'd McGonagall want?"
Sirius and Peter temporarily stopped their long-distance hassling of Marlene to get the goods on what James had gotten in trouble for. "What is it you have to do this time?" asked Sirius. "Polishing trophies? Dusting library books? Cleaning bedpans in the hospital wing?"
James scrunched his nose in disgust. "No, I didn't do anything this time." Pulling the badge out of his pocket, he proudly displayed it, saying, "I'm captain of our team!"
Sirius snatched the badge out of James' hand and studied it closely, as if he were checking its authenticity. With a broad smile, though not lacking a little envy, he slapped James on the back and said, "Congratulations, Prongs! You deserve it."
Remus shook James hand and with a genuine smile said, "Way to go, Prongs!"
Peter, looking awestruck, echoed Sirius', "Congratulations, Prongs!"
James took his badge and pinned it onto his robes, displaying his title proudly. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the familiar deep red of Lily's hair as she chatted with Marlene and Alice about her summer. He gave his mates a grin, and feeling the confidence that came with his new title, strode over to their table.
"Hello, ladies," he greeted with his familiar grin.
The three girls stopped their conversation and looked up at him. "Hi, James!" said Alice. "What can we do for you?"
James took a deep breath, trying to stick his chest out a bit so that his badge would be more prominently displayed. "I wanted to tell you the great news," he replied.
"Potter," asked Marlene, "why are you wearing Remus' badge?"
James leaned closer so that Marlene could get a better view and said, "It's not a prefect badge."
Alice caught sight of it and shrieked, standing up and giving James a congratulatory hug. "That's famous, James! We're sure to win the cup this year." With a small grin she added, "Just don't make us practice as much as Wood did. I want to have time to finish my homework and have some fun."
"Now, now, Lyons," admonished James, "if we want to win then we have to get our priorities straight - Quidditch first, then fun, then school."
Marlene snickered and then sighed, "Well, good for you, Potter. Better you than Black. We need a captain who doesn't have the highest record for detention in the school, even if you come in a close second."
"Thanks, I think," said James. He looked at Lily, who had been silent so far. She sat with a slight blush about her cheeks, looking at Alice. "So what about you Evans? What do you think?"
Lily turned to James and, seeing his enthusiasm and joy from the news, gave him a small smile and said, "Congratulations."
James' face lit up at her smile, even if it was a small one. He knew it! He knew that if he tried hard enough to impress her with his talents, she would start to like him! Continuing along those lines, he added, "Yeah, I have a lot of ideas for the team. With me as captain, there's no way we'll lose to the slimy Slytherins."
Lily stood up and said, "I have to go patrol."
Not really noticing her sudden frown, James watched as Lily walked over to meet Remus for their patrol of the corridors. As far as he was concerned, Lily Evans had smiled at him, and that was the first time since the end of first year she had shown any friendly signs toward him. He knew that if he continued to show off that she would soon swoon at his presence.
Sirius made his way toward James, who still had a goofy grin plastered on his face. Shaking his head, Sirius said, "C'mon, 'Captain Love'. We have things to discuss upstairs." He nodded toward Peter, who was making his way toward the stairway to the boys' dormitory.
James nodded and, double checking that Frank was still in the common room, followed Sirius and Peter upstairs. Locking the door, he said, "Remus should be gone for at least an hour but I don't know when Frank will be coming upstairs. We'd better make it quick before we get any unexpected interruptions."
"Agreed," said Sirius. "I'll go first." He closed his eyes and screwed up his face in concentration. A minute later, the palms of his hands thickened signaling the beginning of his transformation. In practically no time, a large shaggy black dog was trotting around the room triumphantly. He ran over to James and grabbed a piece of his robes, pulling at it in a game of tug-of-war.
"Quit messing around, Padfoot!" laughed James. Sirius growled and James waved at him, saying, "I know, I know! My turn!" James followed the same steps and a minute later a stag was standing in his place.
The stag nudged the dog with his antlers, but ended up getting a prong of one antler caught in the dog's fur. The dog yelped while Peter ran over to help free the stag. Once free, the dog turned around and growled menacingly at the stag who, if it was possible, now had a sheepish look about his eyes.
Finally, the two Animagi looked expectantly at the last boy standing and Peter gulped, knowing he had to take his turn. He took a few deep breaths, nervous because he had only been successful once before they had left for the summer. He pushed the fear down, realizing that in order to stay in the 'loop' he would have to accomplish this task.
After all, James and Sirius were popular as well as Quidditch players, and now James was team captain. Remus was prefect and book smart. Peter was left grasping for something to keep him worthy of the title 'Marauder'. He knew that if he didn't complete this task his friends would go on their adventures and leave him behind, gradually forgetting his existence.
It took Peter a few minutes of deep concentration, but with his determination, he was able to transform into a rat. He let out a loud squeak, thrilled at his accomplishment. The stag tilted his head in acknowledgement while the Grim-like dog wagged his tail.
Suddenly footsteps could be heard echoing up the stairway to their dormitory. The stag and the dog immediately transformed back and unlocked the door. As James and Sirius glanced around the room, they saw the rat scurrying about the floor in panic and realized Peter had yet to transform back.
"Wormtail!" hissed Sirius. "Hurry it up!"
The rat let out a loud squeak and continued to move about. James suddenly looked worried. "I don't think he's able to tranform back, Padfoot. That's why he's going crazy."
The door to the room swung open and Frank walked in, smiling at his roommates. "Hey guys, how was your holiday?"
Sirius stepped in front of the rat, blocking it from Frank's view. "As wonderful as ever, Frank. How about you?" he replied, hoping he sounded casual.
"Same as always," replied Frank. He walked to his trunk and leaned over, opening it up. "This year Mum decided to take me to India…"
As Frank rattled on about his holiday while searching through his trunk, James waved at Sirius frantically. Sirius shrugged, not knowing how to fix the problem. As the two boys continued their silent argument while Frank continued to describe his trip, Peter scurried about the floor getting more panicked by the second. Suddenly, the rat grew into Peter, who was still on the move. Not expecting to be human so suddenly, Peter stumbled into Sirius, who was able to catch him before they could fall onto the floor.
"…so then Mum was able to pay for the damages and we took a portkey home," finished Frank, finally finding his night clothes and turning around. "Oh, hi Peter! I didn't see you there."
Peter, looking flushed and a little sweaty, laughed nervously as he fibbed, "I was just in the bathroom brushing my teeth."
"Alright, then," said Frank, still unsuspecting as he walking into the bathroom.
Letting out a large sigh, James sank onto his bed in relief. That was close, too close…
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A/N: Phew! There you go. Sorry it took a few days, but there was an unexpected emergency at work that had to be taken care of. A warning - there are only a few prewritten chapters left. After that- the updates will be much less frequent (as in - not every day or every few days). Prepare yourselves. So tell me what you think of this chapter - I live for reviews…well, that AND chocolate.
Thanks to my latest reviewers: Chayse, Mani12191, AshleyM, Jo Bob, Mrs. Pendragon, Anu, PottersPrincess, Golden Phoenix, Potterhead, Alicia78, Remus'sweetie, granger1191 (x2), tigerfairy, Jules, and sun-obsessed.
Next chapter: Moony gets a surprise.