Chapter 4- How else would you know?
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling or entities associated with her.
The next morning Lily rose early, showered, dressed, and went to breakfast. The Gryffindor table was almost empty. Some first and second years were seated here and there, but very few students in older years. Among the older students scattered about, was James Potter eating his breakfast of porridge and kippers alone. Lily sat next to him and filled her plate with toast, eggs, and bacon. They ate in silence until James could bear it no longer.
"Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish," James blurted out.
"What?" Lily said a confused look on her face.
"I smell Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish. In the Amortentia, you know," he said quickly.
"Oh, I understand now. You caught me off guard. Um, I guess that means I have to tell you one as well," Lily replied. James nodded, taking a drink of his orange juice.
"I smell um, don't laugh, I smell new ink," she said, and quickly looked down at her plate, feeling her face go red. She felt very silly. How bookish and dull, what type of person smelled new ink she thought to herself.
"Why would I laugh?" James asked.
"I don't know, it just sounds very silly to me. One of the smells that attracts me the most is the smell of a bottle full of new ink. How unexciting can one be? I am such a swot, this just proves it."
"You are not a swot, and there is nothing wrong with the smell of ink. I like the smell of broomstick polish for crying out loud. Broomstick polish, Lily!" James said.
Lily raised her head a bit and glanced over at James. He noticed that her eyes looked very watery, as if she were about to cry. James gave Lily a bright smile, and as she smiled back her eyes crinkled shut and a tear leaked down her cheek. James couldn't help himself. He reached up and wiped the tear away with his thumb.
"Prongs, Prongs! I found it!"
Sirius was running though the Great Hall at break neck speed towards Lily and James, holding one of his school robes high in the air. James turned his eyes away from Lily, and gave Sirius an angry glare.
"You found your robe Padfoot? Why I didn't know you had lost it. I am ever so proud," James said edgily.
"Cheeky this morning aren't we Prongs? I found out what the clean smell was. Here, take a whiff," Sirius said sitting down and holding the robe towards James' nose.
James smelled it, shook his head, and shrugged his shoulders.
"It's my laundry. Your mum had the house elves do our wash before we left. It's the detergent your mum has them use. I was searching for a clean robe, and when I checked this one I realized what it was," explained Sirius.
"Checked? What do you mean by checked your robe," asked Lily, who was clearly puzzled.
"You know you have to smell clothes to see if it's the clean pile or the dirty pile," Sirius replied matter of factly. "How else would you know if they're clean," he asked noticing Lily's look of slight disgust.
"You put the dirty clothes in the hamper and the house elves bring them back clean," Lily said very slowly, as if she were explaining something difficult to a child. "Do all boys smell their clothes, or is it just you Sirius," she asked.
"Not all boys," Remus answered, joining the others at the table.
"Here's my theory," began Sirius, "if you only have the elves do your laundry when everything is dirty they don't have to wash your clothes so much." James and Remus laughed and shook their heads. Sirius had been struck by this epiphany during their first year.
"Sirius they wash the same amount either way. They just wash less at one time, if they do it regularly," Lily replied. Sirius shook his head.
"Lily, we've tried to tell him that, it's no use," said Remus.
"That is kyarny Sirius," Lily said as she left the table to head to her first lesson.
Fifteen minutes later, the boys had joined Lily on the third floor for Charms. Professor Flitwick had them practicing Human Invisibility Charms again, since it seemed that many students hadn't grasped the concept. Lily and Remus were the first to master the charms, and were now watching James and Sirius' attempts.
"Lily, what does keyanry mean," James asked.
"What does what mean, James? Oh kyarny, not keyanry. Key-ar-nee, kyarny. It means nasty, really nasty. It's a word my mum, my aunt, and my gran use. Can't believe you lot hadn't heard that before."
That evening as Lily and James made their rounds they heard a noise from a seldom used side hallway. With a gleam in his eye, James jumped around the corner to catch a rule breaker. He was hoping for it to be a Slytherin or the arrogant Amos Diggory, who had been chasing after Lily lately. He was in luck, there were two of them. Now to find out who they were.
"Ha! Please raise your wand hands over your heads, and step into the light," James said.
"Moony? What are you doing down here?" James was astonished to have caught one of his best mates sneaking around.
Sirius and Remus always told him if they planned to sneak out while he and Lily were patrolling. James looked over Remus' left shoulder to see who was with him, and could plainly see a very scared looking girl.
"Kitchens, I hope," said James solemnly. He knew that he would have to take points from Remus and the girl, whom he now recognized as a sixth year Gryffindor named Katherine Tarbeck.
"Yes, tonight they have an excellent treacle tart, a great chocolate cake, and a cheesecake that is, well beyond words. That is if you want to stop by Prongs. Now, I believe that Katherine and I are going to lose some house points, you must be fair James," said Remus.
"Yes, yes. That's got to be twenty points a piece, right Lily," James said looking over his shoulder at her.
"No James, I think twenty should do it, twenty all together. Now I'm sure you will both head immediately to the common room," she said. With a nod to James and a single thanks to Lily from Remus, and several thank yous to each from Katherine, they were off at a quick pace.
"Thanks Lily. I hated taking points from Remus, but I really can't play favorites. I'm glad you cut them some slack," James said as he stepped back onto the main hall.
"You don't have to thank me James. I did it because you were willing to give your friend the same treatment and the same punishment that you would have anyone else. I think that was very admirable," she said. James stopped to look at Lily, a silly grin on his face.
"You really think that was admirable?"
"Yes, I do."
"Thanks again though."
"If you really want to thank me, I wouldn't mind a trip to the kitchens. I've never been to the kitchens, and I am quite fond of cheesecake."
Lily and James walked quietly down the corridor. When they got to the painting of the bowl of fruit, James showed Lily where to tickle the pear to open the doorway. James seemed to know each house elf by name, Lily noticed. He asked an elf that was nearly as wide as it was tall to bring a slice of cheesecake and some treacle tart. They sat down at a small table near the fireplace to eat their desserts.
"Is Remus seeing that sixth year, Katherine?"
"I don't know," said James "looks like it." He suddenly noticed what appeared to be a hurt look in her eyes at his words. James stomach fell. He could feel the treacle tart rising in his stomach, he fought to keep it down. Lily liked Remus, not him.
"Fancy Remus?" James was a glutton for punishment, and he knew it.
"Me like Remus?" she laughed, "no, I don't fancy Remus."
"Is there anyone that you do fancy?"
"Maybe"
"Keeping secrets, are we?"
"No, I'm not keeping secrets. I'm just not answering your question." Lily said. She then took another bite of her cheesecake, which was a Remus had said, beyond words. Lily had to admit to herself that the company was nearly as enjoyable as the cheesecake.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed. Until the next installment! ~T
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