The Triwizard Tournament

NatiFcs28

Rating: R
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Lily & James
Book: Lily & James, Books 1 - 6
Published: 14/11/2005
Last Updated: 24/01/2006
Status: in_progress

Imagine if you will, just for a moment, that perhaps there had been a Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts during the MWPP era. Suppose, just for kicks, that perhaps—just maybe—it was the event that brought Lily and James together. Let’s play pretend, let us allow ourselves to let go and dare to dream that perhaps the Triwizard Cup did not belong only to Harry but to his father as well. AU

Chapters

1. The Announcement, the Ride, and the Cup

2. Midnight Conversation

3. The First Task

4. The Yule Ball

5. A Kiss

6. The Second Task

7. The Plot

8. Caught in the Act

9. Ipse Esito Aedes

1. The Announcement, the Ride, and the Cup

Summary: So, imagine if you will, just for a moment, that perhaps there had been a Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts during the MWPP era. Suppose, just for kicks, that perhaps—just maybe—it was the event that brought Lily and James together. Let's play pretend, let us allow ourselves to let go and dare to dream that perhaps the Triwizard Cup did not belong only to Harry but to his father as well. AU (obviously), rating as of yet undecided but probably R, Lily/James pairing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything else thereof belonging to someone else. I did not come up with the idea of the Triwizard tournament, nor did I come up with the other schools. I did, however, come up with any characters you do no recognize and the Tournament tasks. Thank you.

The Triwizard Tournament

Chapter One: The Announcement, the Ride, and the Cup

By Natali K. A.

“This year, Hogwarts will have the great honor of hosting the Triwizard Tournament.”

A buzz of conversation erupted around the hall, while Lily Evans looked inquiringly at her pureblood friend. Yet another disadvantage of having muggle blood.

“It's a competition between three schools—I'll tell you later,” Beatrice Craig whispered. “Just listen for now.”

Lily nodded, wishing not for the first time that she wasn't so utterly clueless about things every other student seemed to know about.

“As before, the wizarding schools of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be competing with us, as we have been for over six hundred years,” Dumbledore continued once the chatter had died down. “Only this time, we shall leave with a group of students who would like to participate and leave for Beauxbatons, where the Tournament shall be held.

“It shall be explained at a later date. For now, classes shall go as planned. The group that shall represent us will be leaving in two weeks' time, and those qualified will be informed about it on the morrow. Off to bed!”

*~*

“The Triwizard Tournament,” Beatrice—Betty to all—told Lily excitedly, “is a competition hosted traditionally where the schools of Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts each have a single student to represent them. There are three tasks, each more difficult than the last. Several students have died in the past, which is why it's been suspended for so long.”

Another of Lily's friends, Ashley Thermont, whose muggle-born grandmother had married into an old wizarding family, added her own knowledge of the events. “It's a game to test your knowledge, skill and courage. Definitely not for the weak of heart. There's all sorts of dangerous creatures involved—multi-headed beasts, giant scorpions, a rabid hippogriff. Just to name a few.”

“Oh, just?” Lily commented dryly. “So because of this, students from here are going to spend an entire year at another school, just because they want to compete?”

Betty and Ashley stared at her.

“You're going, aren't you, Lily?”

“No,” Lily said to Betty. “How utterly ridiculous. Imagine that, a game. A silly, dangerous one at that. This is our last year here, and I hardly think we should be wasting our time when N.E.W.T. exams—”

“Students who go over are exempt from N.E.W.T.s,” Ashley smirked, knowing that would convince Lily to enter. “You just have to keep your grades above average throughout the whole year in all your classes.”

Lily considered this.

Perhaps it wasn't something so totally unthinkable after all.

*~*

Two weeks later, fourteen Sixth and Seventh Years were on their way down the front path to leave to Beauxbatons.

“Do you know how we're traveling, Head Girl?” Betty asked, using the annoying name she now called Lily by.

“I don't,” Lily lied.

“You're lying!”

“Of course I am. I do know but I'm hardly going to tell you. You'll find out soon enough.” She smirked as she saw Betty harrumph.

“Head Boy and Girl share one carpet!” McGonagall called out. “You'll be the very first to arrive and we figured it would be more uniform this way. It's the multicolored one.”

Lily suppressed an urge to groan as she waved goodbye to her mates. Hours on a magic carpet with James Potter?

Damn it.

“Ladies first,” James bowed, sitting down on the green, scarlet, gold, and blue rug. The instant he did so, it jerked and took off.

“Bloody hell I'm going to hate this ride,” Lily moaned, lying down flat and holding on for dear life.

“Oh, don't worry. It's nearly impossible to fall off a flying carpet.”

“I believe it's that word `nearly' that upsets me.”

They passed the remainder of the two hour long voyage in silence. Soon enough, the tiny dark specks that were their classmates were visible.

“Dumbledore mentioned something about the carpets going into a special formation as we're about to land, correct?” Lily asked, trying to distract herself from the thousands of feet of air between her and the rock solid ground.

“Yeah. But we won't be a part of it. We're going to arrive about five or ten minutes before so that they know we're coming. It's supposedly to be a very extravagant thing, apparently.”

Lily raised an eyebrow. “School A trying to impress the pants off School B?”

“Precisely.”

“There it is,” Lily cried, pointing. “My, it really is a beautiful fortress.”

“All-girl school.”

“You must be thrilled.”

James let out a bark of laughter. “I'm more concerned with winning the Tournament.”

“And you are so sure you'll be our champion?” Lily said skeptically. “Rather big-headed of you, isn't it?”

“No, just hopeful. A man can dream, can't he?”

“Yes, that he can. What are we supposed to tell the Headmistress exactly?”

“That the rest of the troops are on their way and to prepare a harem for us!”

“James, you are utterly ridiculous.”

He grinned, stretching out his hand. The carpet had begun its descent. “I resent that.”

Lily humphed but placed her hand in his anyway. She would have to pretend to like him for the time being. “Look, the students are watching. Durmstrang's arrived as well.”

James nodded. There was just fifty meters until they landed.

Once they did, he helped her step off and they walked toward the Headmistress of the French Beauxbatons, bowing or curtsying according to his or her gender.

“The rest of the students and Headmaster Dumbledore will be arriving shortly,” James told her. “My name is James Potter and this is the Head Girl, Lily Evans.”

“It eez vonderful to `ave you,” said she, a tiny bit of a woman really. “I am Madam Olga. Velcome to zee Beauxbatons School of Genteel Witchcraft for Ladies of France.” She clapped her hands and instantly her assistant stepped forward. “Jenna, do get a drink for zees students.”

“Oui, Madam,” Jenna bobbed, going in search of refreshments.

“Ven are zey set to arrive?” Madam Olga asked.

Lily and James turned simultaneously as the magic carpets came into view, the four colors of Hogwarts represented from the streamers hanging from the ends of each.

It was quite a magnificent sight to behold, especially as twenty odd firecrackers exploded in the sky around them, illuminating the evening sky.

“I believe, Madam Olga,” Lily said, turning back to her, “that it is safe to conclude that I may present the selected students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

*~*

Later that night, when Lily had finally sat down in a chair, she finally had a chance to review the day.

The carpets they had flown on had all grown and formed one giant tent, divided into three long halls—one for the boys, one for the girls, and one for them to share. The Headmaster had his own room off of the boys'. McGonagall had come as supervisor to the girls. Her room was separated by a door and was actually quite large.

From what she had seen of Beauxbatons—which was not much—it was a beautiful place. An old fortress restored as a school for girls, it held that powerful mystique that Hogwarts had but with its own feminine character.

Lily was not sorry about having to live a year there.

“It's too bad that all schools speak different main languages, eh?” Betty sighed dramatically. “It would've been such a riot to have classes with the boys of Durmstrang.”

“The men of Durmstrang,” Ashley amended. “I daren't even dream of that. As it is, I'm sure our studies will suffer. They're positively gorgeous! One of the older ones was looking at you, Lily.”

“I noticed,” Lily muttered, staring at the group of three Gryffindor boys who were busy chatting quietly around the fire. What were they up to? “He had a big nose.”

“Gave him charisma!”

“Made him look like a bird.” She pushed herself off the armchair, eyes still trained on James. “If you'll excuse me, I've got something to take care of.” As she approached the three Marauders (Peter had been left behind because his grades had not been good enough to merit such a reward), James noticed and stopped their chatting.

“What can I do for you, Miss Evans?” his asked smoothly.

“I thought it would be a good idea for us to initiate this whole Goblet business,” she explained. “Should we head over now and insert our slips of paper?”

“Sounds great.” He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “I've got mine. Have you?”

She pulled out her own. “I do. Just let me get my cloak and we'll head over.”

They did just that, traversing through the steep mountain side to get to the fortress. Thankfully, the snow season hadn't set in yet. Once they were inside, people began to notice. Some of the Durmstrang students were still there, as were some of the Beauxbatons girls (naturally).

“You are `ere to put in zee paper?” asked a blonde, blue-eyed girl near the front. “No von else `as.”

“Then we'll be the first,” James said, walking straight to the goblet and throwing in his paper with his name written on it. The flames glowed extra brightly for a moment then died down again. Lily did the same.

“May the best student win,” James said congenially. “If it can't be me, I hope it's you. But it will be me.”

She turned on her heel and strode out of the fortress. “It would serve you right, James Potter, if that statement came back and bit you in the arse.”

*~*

A/N: Ah, now. Funny story this. I was watching The Goblet of Fire (yes, I did see it five days earlier than the rest of the US!! Ha ha!), during the part of the Yule Ball when I got this little thought bunny in my head.

How would it be for James and Lily to have had a Tournament of their own?

I don't know how long this will be, as usual. I don't think it'll be very long, as most chapters will be strictly about things concerning the Triwizard Tournament. Of course, there is a little romance involved and I should think it will be very like the Harry Potter version—only without the tragedy of Cedric dying.

So, please read and review. And whilst I understand I posted this originally on a Sunday, I will not post Sundays but on Mondays. They are just better for me.

Much love,

Natali K. A.

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2. Midnight Conversation

Chapter Two: Midnight Conversation

By Natali K. A.

Lily was huddled over her homework late one Saturday night, the second Saturday spent at Beauxbatons. The champions for each school had not yet been chosen—the Goblet of Fire had not made up its mind. She found it amusing that it held so much power.

While most students were anxious about it, Lily couldn't have cared if they'd had to wait another two months to find out. She was simply having a nice, relaxing time at Beauxbatons. Just that.

She was working on the assignment she and the rest of the Seventh Year students had been given last Monday, which she'd put off until now.

Amazingly, she was the only student left awake, which meant she was the only student who hadn't finished, which was testament to what kind of Head Girl she was. It was true they still had tomorrow to finish, but no student was that stupid—besides, they were all so tired from a day full of flirting and giggling and winking and snogging and perhaps even something else.

Or, as in her case, chatting it up with a quite handsome student of Durmstrang whose name was Horace.

Heh, heh.

“I didn't think anyone else was up,” said a deep, sleepy voice she instantly recognized.

“Nor did I. But from the sound of it, you've just woken up,” she replied, a little irritated at the fact that her precious privacy had been violated. She'd begun to feel the effects of claustrophobia, inevitable when sharing a tent with thirteen other students and two professors.

He gave her a lop-sided grin that she didn't see. Actually, she hadn't even glanced up at all. “You're right. I don't know, just wanted to get out of bed for some reason.”

“Want to swap? You do my essay and I'll go sleep in your stead?” she asked dryly. She finished writing a sentence and finally looked up at her intruder.

Her nearly naked intruder.

“Er, want to put a shirt on, maybe?”

“I told you I didn't think anyone was still up.”

“So you make a habit of strutting around naked?”

“You're lucky I even bothered to put on my boxer shorts.” He laughed at the face she pulled. “Only joking. I don't sleep in the nude. That's a Sirius thing. Does it bother you to see me shirtless? Too steamy for you?” He cheekily kissed one of his bulging biceps. “Grr, baby, grr.”

Lily sniffed indignantly. “Don't flatter yourself. I was just thinking of what people would say if the Head Boy and Girl were found up late at night, one in her jammies and the other with just his shorts and no slippers to boast of.”

“They'd say what a very lucky fellow that Head Boy was—Triwizard Champ and a breath-taking girlfriend? With an arse so tight you could bounce a galleon off it to boot. Care to try?”

She didn't doubt that his arse really was that tight. Damn him.

Lily grunted, torn between blushing prettily, agreeing to bounce that galleon (tempting indeed), or getting angry at his arrogance and overall hotness. “You're just as bad as you were in Fifth Year, James,” she told him disgustedly. Ah, anger won out.

He raised an unbelieving eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe. You lower yourself to calling me `James' now.”

She had nothing to retort with, as he was totally correct. Blast it.

With no other option, Lily went back to her essay, thankful that he remained silent as she did so. She was unaware, however, that James was staring at her most intensely.

She finished eventually and stood to head in the direction of her warm, soft, inviting bed.

“It will happen, you know,” he called after her. “People will say that about me.”

She stuck her nose in the air and snorted. “What, that you'll get the Triwizard Cup and me as a girlfriend? How can you be so bloody sure?”

He looked at her seriously. “I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Good night, Lily. Sleep well.”

She sighed, almost in a sympathetic way. “'Night, James. Go to sleep so you can dream a fool's dream.”

With that, she went to bed, leaving him to lust after her on his own.

But even asleep, she just couldn't forget the confidence his voice had held when he'd told her it would happen—or how much she wished he'd never put on another sodding shirt.

Oh, bugger.

*~*

“It's supposed to happen tonight,” Ashley whispered in a hushed voice as they headed in to the Dining Hall to eat. “I overheard the headmaster and McGonagall discussing it. The Goblet's made up its mind finally.”

“It doesn't have a mind,” Lily muttered, wishing she hadn't agreed to come along. N.E.W.T.s weren't such a bad thing and she really did miss Hogwarts, as much as she loved the enchanting school of Beauxbatons. Also, in Hogwarts she didn't have to share a tent with James.

Bugger.

“I just know you're going to get it,” Betty told her. “If not you, one of the Marauders. I can't imagine anyone else being Hogwarts champion, can you?”

“No fair! How come you can't imagine me being champion?” Ashley whined.

Betty laughed. “That goblet might not have any mind to speak of but it's not stupid either!”

“Stop it,” Lily sighed, putting an end to the ensuing argument that would no doubt crop up. She sat between them at the table offered to them by the host school in order to decrease the chance of a later fight as well. “Shh, Dumbledore's going up.”

The Dining Hall fell silent as Professor Dumbledore went up, two of the gentlemen from Durmstrang pulling the Goblet behind him on a wagon.

“Students, students! The time has come. The Goblet has decided which student shall represent each school!” He turned to the Goblet and said a few sentences in a language no one in the giant room understood, though Lily suspected it was an old form of Troll mixed in with Gaelic.

Down the table, James was leaning forward and winking at her, giving her the thumbs up as if to wish either of them good luck.

He just would not win, she decided. He would never let her live it down.

The entire hall stared in wonder as the flames changed colors and a piece of parchment was spat out. Dumbledore took it and read it, smiling as he shouted, “Horace Ivanov of Durmstrang!”

Several girls shrieked and clapped hysterically as Horace—the same Horace Lily had been speaking to on Saturday—made his way to the front, to the room where the Headmistress of Beauxbatons was directing him. As he passed Lily, he smiled at her and she returned the favor.

Once again, everyone turned their attention back to the flames as they changed colors and spat out another name.

“Evette Godenot of Beauxbatons!”

A pretty, fit-looking blonde with strawberries and cream skin jumped up and headed after Horace to a chant from the Beauxbatons girls. You could tell, even if you couldn't understand what they were saying, that Evette had been a favorite among them to represent them.

“Just the Hogwarts champ left, Lils!” Betty giggled, poking her in the ribs. “Good luck, mate. Here goes nothing!”

Suddenly, Lily regretted very much putting her name in that stupid Goblet.

But she had nothing to worry about, she soon discovered, as something even worse happened.

“James Potter of Hogwarts!”

Oh, bloody fuck.

But she cheered and clapped and congratulated him anyway. If anyone could win for them, it would definitely be him.

“Sorry, Lily. Wasn't meant to be. But maybe that Horace fellow will ask you out and you'll be dating one of the champions!” Ashley said excitedly, biting into a turkey leg.

Oh. Joy.

*~*

James got back into the tent after most were asleep. Only Remus and Sirius were still up, waiting for him.

“What happened? What'd they say? You're so lucky. I wonder, if I kill you, can I go in your stead?” Sirius asked excitedly.

“Nope. If I die, that's it. No one else represents Hogwarts,” James smiled, high-fiving Remus. “The first task is a month from now.”

“Any hints?”

“Not one. Though Dumbledore did say something about the possibility of things getting off to a rocky start.”

“Hmm. Wonder what that was about,” Remus mused. He broke into a spontaneous grin. “Well, no worries, mate! You need your rest, however, so we can charm all the ladies of Beauxbatons tomorrow. You know they'll all be after you. And once you choose one, they'll go after your best mates.”

“Yeah, and they'll love Remus and his wolfish qualities,” Sirius snickered, climbing into bed. He slipped off his boxers. “'Night.”

*~*

A/N: Ha, short, I know. But… Yeah. I want the first task to have its own chapter, you see. I'm so very picky that way. Thanks for all your reviews, they were just lovely and I adored them! I have a few things to reply to in general, of course, so I'll just post it here.

Yes, I know. Boo boo in the very first line. I had originally planned for Hogwarts to host it but then changed my mind as Beauxbatons would be such a nice thrill. So, yes, I am aware of it, and thanks to all of those who were so keen to catch that and mention it, more specifically Alicia78 and loonymoony8.

On another note, did anyone catch in the first chapter the possibility of jealousy and heated arguments between Lily and James concerning the other schools since they're either male or female? I know that UnbirthdayGirl did!! Yay!! I was hoping someone would mention it. Shall Horace be a factor? Oh, you betcha!

Another thing. Several reviewers pointed out that in the books, Beauxbatons is not an all-girl school and Durmstrang is not an all-boy school, but only in the movie. Whoops is all I can say. But, I do think this is so much more interesting. All I can do is ask forgiveness for my little mistake and promise you all that rereading Goblet of Fire is on my To Do List.

And I had to restrain myself from making a Sirius pun in this chapter, can you figure out where? Oh, it was so tempting! But I won!!

Otherwise, te veo el lunes!

Much love,

Natali K. A.

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3. The First Task

Chapter Three: The First Task

Natali K. A.

Nearly a month later, the Marauders were lounging about underneath one of the indoor trees in the grand fortress of Beauxbatons with roughly fifteen girls about them. While the matching outfits were a tad dramatic and silly, it made for a very nice male fantasy.

Just as James glanced up from the adoring face of some girl—Jenny, June, or Carla, he couldn't remember—he saw Lily pass by with her two mates, looking positively disgusted with them.

The conversation McGonagall had held with the three champions last week came to mind. The Yule Ball. He was supposed to have a date—had to have a date. The other students didn't know about it yet (for which he was grateful, as the girls had already been suffocating him without that looming in the near future), but it wouldn't be long.

He had to ask her soon. He didn't like it one bit how all the Durmstrang blokes were oh-so-attracted to her. They flocked to her like bloody flies to a bright light at night. It was positively revolting, if only because she was going to be his and he was a very possessive person.

He'd never mastered the “sharing is caring” principle they'd tried to teach him back when he was younger. Never saw the point of it. Why should he share with others what was his?

But what especially irked him was that he knew for a fact that Horace Ivanov had his beady little eyes on her. The idiot had told James himself, right after the meeting with McGonagall, that he was thinking about asking “the redhead” to the Ball.

Over James' dead body.

“Be right back,” James muttered as he stood up and brushed off his backside, leaving behind the gaggle of girls and walked in the direction of his lady love.

He was damned nervous. He hated it.

“Lily, could I have a word?”

She turned around at her name and seemed to debate denying him that small pleasure. But in the end, she nodded and waved her friends off.

“Yeah?”

“In private?” Without waiting for an answer, he took her elbow and directed her to a corner behind a pillar where they could be somewhat apart from the rest. Had it not been negative ten degrees Celsius outside, he probably would've preferred that.

“I don't think that you've heard about this, but there's a ball coming up. It's called the Yule Ball and it's traditional to hold it on Christmas Eve during the Triwizard tournament.” He paused for breath then continued. “As a champion, I need a dancing partner. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me.”

It was hardly an articulate proposition and his voice had been too high for his comfort, but he felt it had gotten the job done.

Now why did she have that look on her face? That look could not bode good news. She needed to drop that look.

“James, I'm sorry. Horace asked me yesterday and I agreed.”

His heart plummeted. “Oh.”

She smiled sympathetically and reached out to pat his arm. “But you won't have any trouble finding a date, and she'll probably be a better dancer than I. I have two left feet,” she admitted.

He nodded, silently thinking that he didn't give a fuck if she have five left sodding feet, so long as she went with him.

“Totally understandable. He's a very nice person,” he said instead.

“I'll save you a dance though. Got to run, I told one of the Beauxbatons girls I'd help her hem her robe. It tore when she fell today. See you around and I truly am sorry.”

James watched her run off, his earlier task of flirting with the other girls gone from his mind.

What he needed now was chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

*~*

“James, cheer up,” Sirius said, smacking him on the back jovially. “You've got a task to look forward to in just five minutes! Aren't you excited?”

“Thrilled,” James muttered dryly. “Just bloody thrilled.” They reached the tent where the champions had been told to meet. “See you lot later.” He waved off Remus and Sirius, stepping into the tent. The warmth felt good against the contrast of the ice cold air outside. His eyes instantly fell upon Horace, the only champion to have arrived yet.

“Congratulations. I heard you and Lily are going to the Ball together,” he said sharply, realizing too late that he sounded like a jealous boyfriend.

But the dense Bulgarian didn't seem to catch on.

“Yes. I am very glad.”

Sure you are, you ugly oaf, James thought, throwing down his bag. Can't see why on earth Lily would agree to go on your arm. Maybe she thought no one else would ask her out and she was desperate?

It took only a moment for him to realize the improbability of that idea. Not only did Lily never lack for dates, she wasn't that sort of person. She had a confidence that was beyond even him, though she wasn't a bit conceited. No, she'd accepted his offer because she had wanted to.

That wounded him even more for some reason.

“Bonjour!” Evette said chirpily. “Good day, non? Bit chilly.”

“A bit, do you think?” James asked sarcastically, in a thoroughly sour mood. “Surprisingly, my toes weren't completely frozen this morning.”

“'Zactly! Varm day,” Evette smiled, pulling on some kid gloves.

He was surrounded by complete idiots.

At that moment, Dumbledore stuck his head in. “Ready? Would anyone like to volunteer to go first?”

“That'll be me,” James said immediately, unable to stomach the idea of possibly having to be in the same tent with Horace any longer. “I'll volunteer.”

Dumbledore nodded at him encouragingly as James practically ran out. “Mr. Ivanov, you may go next then. Good luck to you both. I'll come fetch you when it's time.”

He turned to James and squeezed his shoulder. “Now, James, I just wanted to let you know that I believe you can do this. I've seen what you're capable of, and if those ingenious pranks of yours are any indication, this should be a piece of cake for you.”

“What's the task exactly?” James asked, but the question died on his lips as he saw precisely what was to come. It was a wide field with stands on either side, brimming with students. He could see the Hogwarts students. Dotting the field were large, heavy rocks that must be more than two tons each.

Dumbledore put his wand to his throat and his voice rang out through the stadium. “And now, our first champion will go through the Field of Fears, where his worst nightmares will come true. In addition, there are very large rocks that he has to maneuver around. He must reach the other end within ten minutes still conscious and be able to determine which of the apparitions before him is actually a bogart. Whichever of the three champions is able to complete this first task in the shortest amount of time will get a head start in the second.

“If you fail to complete the task in the given ten minutes, you will not receive the hint for the next task and will most likely be unable to complete it as well as be given a time penalty. If you're unable to determine which of the apparitions is a bogart, you will also be unable to receive the hint for the next task.”

Dumbledore nodded towards James and walked him to a bright yellow circle drawn on the white snow.

“May you have the very best of luck, James,” his headmaster smiled warmly. His eyes darted to the Hogwarts stand where his classmates were cheering him on, Lily amongst them. “Perhaps this will even elevate your standing in the eyes of a certain young witch?”

Having become accustomed to Dumbledore's amazing ability to read between the lines in even the most private of situations long ago, James only averted his eyes. “She's agreed to go to the Yule Ball with the Durmstrang champion.”

Albus Dumbledore sighed and gave him a pat on the back. “Don't let that get you down. You'll find, if you haven't already, that females like to play cat and mouse games at times. But it's time that you focus on the task before you. I shall see you on the other end.”

James was left alone and he waited for the bell to sound. When it did, he took off running into the maze of stones. It was going very well until he came upon the very first fork in the road.

“Left or right?” he asked himself, staring around and wondering if it would be illegal to fly over the whole damned thing. “Lily's right-handed.” A stupid reason, but it helped him to decide nonetheless. There was a time limit after all.

In the second split, there were four directions he could head in. However, the decision of which to take would have to wait a few moments.

One of his fears had been presented before him.

His old nanny.

“James, what are you doing here?! That will be two hours in the oven for you!” the old woman shrieked, coming towards him with a wooden spoon in her hand.

Gah, what to do? What type of creature could this be, anyhow? He vaguely recalled something about a magical species of serpent that had been cursed by the goblins of the Himalayas long ago that could hazard a guess at one of your childhood fears. While James wasn't so much afraid of old Nanny Castoski any longer, it certainly didn't cheer him any to have to look at her ugly old face again.

But what did you do? When that happened, what were you supposed to do? Kick it in the shin like he used to do to the vicious old nanny? Somehow, James didn't think that would work.

He wondered if the Killing Curse would work at all.

“James Potter, it's into the oven for you!”

The old threat made him wince. Granted, his parents figured out after about a month that he wasn't lying when he said that he had spent hours in the oven as punishment and had promptly made sure she was sent to Azkaban for mistreatment of children.

She was advancing steadily, the old hag, and there was not a thing he could do about it.

Except, of course…

“Gangrenesso!” he shouted, hitting her with the very same disease that had killed her: gangrene.

After much high-pitched wailing and moaning and cries of “I'm melting!”, the old nanny returned to the dead form of the serpent he'd suspected.

“Never did like snakes,” he muttered, taking the path furthest to the left for lack of anything better to do. He knew the maze of rocks wasn't really that large and that the four apparitions had to be somewhere at the end in the middle.

It was going fairly well (he had to wonder why, it was quite odd) until suddenly the ground beneath his feet was no longer solid but liquid.

Water.

He should have, of course, expected it, but he was caught off guard. Drowning. One of his worst fears. At the age of ten, he'd gone swimming in a lake on his own and had gotten tangled in some of the enchanted seaweed there. Had it not been for Sirius, he wouldn't have been alive.

(It had been, quite obviously, the beginning of their friendship.)

The water closed about his head, dark and cold. His lungs struggled for breath, but he only choked. The light from above was slowly fading away and his head was feeling fuzzy.

It was the gnarled hand that encircled his ankle that snapped him out of his daze. Glancing down, James could see some odd sea creature cackling and bringing him deeper and deeper. There was a sharp burn on his right arm, but he didn't wait to see what it was. He knew he was bleeding.

“Propello,” he said with a mouthful of water, choking even more. Thankfully, it seemed to do the trick. He flew out of the water and onto firm ground, gasping and coughing up water. He wanted to lie there for a few minutes, kissing the ground, but knew that his time was running out. There must be only about four minutes left.

He turned his head sideways and saw that his skin had been ripped from wrist to elbow.

“Hope that doesn't leave a scar,” he groaned, throwing off his shirt—a hard thing to do with only one uninjured arm. Wrapping it as best he could around his wound, he continued on his way, dripping blood as he did so.

After a couple dead ends and wild guesses, he reached four doors. They were opened by four different men—helpers from the Ministry sent to keep the apparitions in check.

They were extremely good at what they did. James could feel his heart turn cold.

There lay Lily, on her side and very clearly dead, with a pool of blood all around her. It was so bright red, so… unreal. He felt nauseated.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, he told himself, trying to dig around for one. But what was happy enough to counteract Lily's death?

Why, Lily of course.

He conjured up in his head an image of him dancing with her at the Yule Ball, the dance they had saved for each other. It wasn't a memory, but it was something. He hoped it would be good enough.

“Expecto patronum!” he shouted. He didn't wait to see if he'd gotten the bogart—the world had gone black all around him.

*~*

“James, you did splendidly today,” Lily said, sitting down beside him in an armchair. She handed him a cup of hot chocolate, blowing on her own. “Do you feel alright?”

He looked down at his arm, caught up in a sling. It was still rather sore, though it was the experience that haunted him the most.

“Fine.”

She glanced around nervously, as if she wasn't very comfortable sitting next to him and unsure of what she should say.

“I saw what the bogart turned into.”

His eyes snapped up and he was half-afraid to find pity or disgust or—heaven forbid—mocking in her bright emerald green eyes.

But there was none of that. It was an emotion he couldn't pinpoint, but one he'd definitely ponder about later on. He made himself memorize what she looked like then, because he was sure it would have some sort of important impact on him in the near future.

“You did.” It wasn't a question.

“I did,” she affirmed, sitting back. “I… Well, I don't know what I think, but…” She smiled at him nervously. “I truly am sorry that I can't go with you to the Ball. You would have been a lovely date. It would have been a good time.”

“It's fine,” he shrugged. He was in an extremely dark mood and wished he could just be alone to wallow in his misery. It did not matter to him that he had come out on top in the first task—though that feeling of elation of triumphing over that dickhead Horace had been rather nice. The thought of the box he'd been given after he'd come to rose to the front of his mind. But he pushed it away, unwilling to think about the second task anytime soon.

“No, it's not,” she argued. “But that's fine. I'll let you be alone now, as I can tell that that's what you really want. Just get to bed soon, alright? You've had a very long day and you need your beauty sleep so you can flirt with all the Beauxbatons girls on the morrow, eh?” She jumped out of her armchair, leaving her mug on the table.

He watched with miserable eyes as she headed for that part of the tent sectioned off for the girls, where males were not permitted. Where his Lily slept and where she giggled late at night with the others, gossiping over who did what (or in some cases, who) that day, having the occasional pillow fight in just their underwear…

“I'm saving you a dance,” he called after her. Her head whipped around to look at him. “I'm expecting you to save one for me too.”

She grinned at him. “I am.” She had almost reached the door when she turned around once more. He was still staring after her.

“I was so scared for you today,” she admitted in a whisper, as if it was some sort of secret she thought very dear to her heart. “And I will never forgive you for doing this.”

He nodded. “Understandable.”

“If you live through this, James Potter, I will make sure you are castrated.”

A slight smile touched his lips. “Also understandable. I'll have to pray that you abstain from giving into those rather mean urges though. I'm rather attached to that part of my anatomy.”

“If you promise me that you'll be more careful in the next two.”

He studied her for a moment, speculating whether he should just get up and start snogging her like she deserved. But then the moment had passed.

“You have my word. Trust me, I'm not trying to die here.”

With a shaky sigh, she entered her room and shut the door, leaving him alone to try to decipher what that look in her eyes had been.

*~*

A/N: No complaining, hear me?! I totally made up for the short chapter last time! Seven and a half pages on Word! Oh, I do hope that first task was alright. Never have been a very creative person…

I'd originally planned to include the Yule Ball here, but decided against it for one of two reasons: A) too much information and events in one chapter and B)I don't have it all written just yet and I'm not going to write it either. Not for a week or so. But I have started it and I do like where it's going so far.

Now, when I'd first started writing this, I had planned on James and Lily going to the Ball together. Changed my mind! Why? Ah, because it makes for a good story and much jealousy between Lily and James and Horace and Josette (you'll find out who she is in the next chapter). [For those of you who know me a little better, yes, that is my dad's girlfriend's daughter's name. But I needed a French name and was too lazy to look it up. My apologies.]

So, review because you love me and because you want me to update!

All my love,

Natali

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4. The Yule Ball

Chapter Four: The Yule Ball

By Natali K. A.

“Josette!” James called out, hailing a seventeen year old girl from Beauxbatons. News of the dance had finally spread and all the giggling girls were getting just bloody annoying. She was the single one who hadn't totally disgusted him.

The black-haired beauty turned around with a smile and walked towards him, insisting her friends continue on their way to dinner.

“Oui, James?” she asked. “'Ow can I `elp you?”

“As I'm sure you've heard, champions require a date for the Ball,” he said flatly, though she didn't seem to notice. Lily had just passed behind her, glancing over her shoulder to look at the two of them. Had she heard him calling Josette over? Was she jealous?

“Oui,” Josette giggled. “'Oo are you taking?”

“I was going to ask you, actually.”

“Vy, I vood love to go vith you. I shall meet you by zee door on that night. Bon?”

“Bon,” he agreed, bowing a little. “I'll take you in to dinner.”

“Merci.”

After dropping her off at her table, James went to join Sirius and Remus, who had already gone through an entire hen on their own.

“Got a date then?” Remus asked.

“I have.”

“Hmm.” But Remus did not elaborate on what that was supposed to mean. James couldn't work up the enthusiasm to ask.

But Sirius knew exactly what Remus had meant by that “hmm”. He knew that James was unsatisfied with his date and would much rather have gone with another.

*~*

Finally, after much waiting, it was Christmas night and everyone turned out in their dress robes. James picked Josette up by the door and had to admit she did look quite attractive in white, flowing robes that really brought out her coloring. She looked like one of heaven's angel and he told her so.

“James!” she blushed. “No vonder all zee girls are all over you and so jealous. You are such a flatter.”

He took that to mean that he was a flatterer, and did not see the need to correct her. There was an abrupt wave of murmurs in the hall.

“Look, isn't she just lovely? I vonder `oo she is,” Josette mused. James followed her eyes to the vision entering the hall. “I `ave `eard many of zee boys talking about `er.”

And by God, she was lovely. She had taken a risk by wearing dress robes of a deep orange and red that on any other would have clashed horribly. Only Lily could have pulled that off. It seemed to have been designed in the Oriental style and James made a mental note to find out who made it so he could send them a Christmas gift.

His throat tightened with anger—at himself. How could he have waited so long and in doing so let her get away? He should have sought her out immediately after finding out about the Yule Ball and ordered her to accompany him. But now because he'd been such an utter fool, he would have to watch her be in the arms of another man tonight. And sure enough, there was Horace in this ridiculous getup of fur and tassels and all sorts of shit. He was wearing more jewelry than most of the girls there!

Suddenly, he didn't want to be there at all. He would wait for that dance she had promised him and then he'd proceed to cry off with a blinding headache. A girly excuse, but a worthy one.

“Come! Vee start zee dance,” Josette said, dragging him forward. “They call us.”

*~*

About an hour and a half into the dance, Lily excused herself from Horace and made her way determinedly to the Head Boy. And the Head Boy was being Head Arse at the moment, speaking to absolutely no one or if he had to, in a very rude tone.

She couldn't imagine what had gotten his wand in such a knot that he'd even dared to talk back to Dumbledore, who'd seemed to understand James was not himself and hadn't been offended.

“James,” Lily said softly, coming up to stand next to him. “You promised me a dance.”

He looked at her, staring deep into her eyes. But they didn't tell him what he had wanted to see—that she wished she'd had the foresight to come with him. It was a pity dance.

Fine. That was just dandy with him. He wanted it. He wanted that pity.

The tune on was a lively one, but it soon changed to one of the slowest, most romantic songs of the age: a mix between a waltz and a tango. Somewhat hard to imagine, but beautiful and very sensual to do.

He took her into his arms brusquely without words and walked briskly to the floor. He knew he was not being very gentlemanly or at all nice, but his mood was so dark and so utterly bitter that he couldn't bother amending it.

It was a quiet, awkward, stiff few first minutes until Lily broke the silence.

“You're being just terrible. Poor Josette ran off crying nearly ten minutes ago and you haven't gone to see what's the matter. How could you ignore her like that?”

“I'm sorry it offends you so. You're probably grateful that you didn't have to come with me then,” he snapped.

“James, don't be foolish.”

“Your opinion of me must be very low if I'm a fool now as well.”

She looked away from him, her anger radiating off of her. He wanted to tell her he didn't really mean it, that he was just upset that he hadn't asked her first.

“He's a perfectly nice guy—”

“Lily, I hope you'll forgive me if I really don't want to listen to you rave about some other bloke,” he interrupted.

She glared at him, dropping her hand from his and stepping away. “If you'd let me finish, you would have known that though he was perfectly nice, he is not nearly as attractive to me as you are, though I don't mind telling you that you're not my favorite person at the moment.”

She stalked off before he could say a word. After a few seconds, what she'd said sunk in and he ran after her. It was quite a sight to behold and there were many whispers around the hall.

“Lily, you'll catch your death if you go out in that weather without a shawl or anything!” he yelled after her, running. God willing, the tent would be clear of people and they could hold a genuine private conversation.

She shrugged, ignoring his comment and stomping out of the fortress with clear intent. He groaned, following her.

Even in her heels and dress robes, she was making wonderful time and it took him about a minute to catch up (he'd fallen down the stairs when he'd slipped on a chip of ice). Without a word, he threw off his outer jacket and put it on her shoulders.

She stopped walked—which was utter insanity to him, but he refrained from mentioning it.

“James, you'll die of pneumonia. Put it back on.”

“Keep it.” His teeth were chattering. “Though I do insist we get to somewhere warm now.”

They walked on in silence—Lily because she was angry and had nothing to say, James because his teeth were chattering far too much for his words to be understood. Once inside, James hurried to the fire and warmed himself up.

“Thanks,” Lily said bitterly, draping the coat on his shoulders. “I'm going to bed now.”

“What about Horace?”

“He'll be fine. I told him I might leave because I didn't feel well.”

“I'm sorry I was such a prat.”

She whirled around to face him. “Yes, you were quite a prat. I felt like hitting you. I still do. I suggest you stay on that side of the room as I've never in my life exhibited much self-control.”

He didn't say anything for a moment. “Tomorrow I'll go apologize to Josette. I was just angry at myself.”

“For what? What on earth could have made you so damn crabby that you ruined her night?” Lily snapped, stepping closer to him despite her warning to him to keep away. “There might never be another dance and you've wrecked this one for her. She'll look back on tonight with pain and bitterness and she will hate you, James.”

She took a deep breath.

“It's no less than I deserve,” he said softly, turning his face away from her. “But I've never claimed to be perfect. What I can't understand is why, after you saw what the boggart turned into, you still accepted Horace's proposition.”

She seemed surprised at the question, but then her face cleared. “I should think that should be obvious.”

“I suppose not, eh?”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “Don't get snippy with me. He'd told me that you'd known for days. You hadn't asked me. I didn't think you were going to. Maybe next time you won't procrastinate and leave it for the last moment? Or didn't you think anyone would ask me?”

He closed the distance between them, about eight feet, and stood toe to toe with her.

“You know I think that about as much as I think that it's hot outside,” he said slowly, in a dangerously low voice.

Lily shook slightly and her breathing increased. “I don't know what that little thing at the first task was about, James, but you're being utterly ridiculous. It's always been a joke, your `asking me out' so don't make it into a big drama.”

He raised an eyebrow, fighting to maintain his cool. He was not joking in the least. “I promise you that I'm not trying to.”

“It was alright, that you had wanted to ask me to the Ball. But it stops here, Potter,” Lily said sternly. “It goes no further.”

“What doesn't?” he asked, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. “There's nothing here, or I would definitely be in a much better mood.”

“No, you're perfectly right,” she said in a falsely light voice. “There isn't anything between us. I'm glad you see it that way.” She turned on her heel and strode for her room.

“Remember, Evans. One part of prediction has come true. How long will it take you to give in to the second?”

Lily ignored him, deciding that the question did not merit a response and she wouldn't waste her breath.

Or had she simply nothing to say?

*~*

It was soon thereafter that the students of Hogwarts as well as the other schools began to notice that the Head Boy and Girl were very upset with each other. Not that they didn't talk, but their tones were so chilly and formal that they might as well have tried to hex each other.

Indeed, there was a rumor flying about that Lily had found her dress robes from the Ball all torn up under her bed. (Her friends knew this was not true, that Lily had torn up the robes herself after her discussion with James that night, incensed and crying wildly.)

December left, and January came and went along with it. It was the first week of February when James received his clue for the second task, to take place on February the twenty-seventh.

It would be the second task that would bring the two back into each other's good graces, when James went humbly to Lily to ask her for help.

Only there were a couple problems and their names were Horace and Josette. After James had apologized, she'd been quite forgiving and had accepted him with open arms and they had been seeing each other on and off since without any obligations to each other of any kind.

The relationship between Horace and Lily was a little more complicated. Horace wanted very much for Lily to be his girlfriend and to commit, but she didn't see the need to give up her solitary freedom that she had in requiring no permission to talk to this boy or that or to go out on a date with someone else. It had been the topic of several arguments, but each time Horace gave in. He figured it was better to have some of her than none at all.

Somehow, it came as no surprise what transpired in one of the empty classrooms in the beautiful fortress of Beauxbatons. No one knew the hard facts but many speculated—most times correctly.

But before that, James first had to swallow his pride and ask Lily—who still held his heart and was still the only person he really wanted to be with—to help him.

It came to happen on the third morning that he had his clue, which shall be brought up later. By some miracle of God, he had found her alone—Horaceless and mateless. For once.

“Evans,” he said, striding up to her. (They had taken to calling each other by their last names again as if to erect a wall.) “Could I have a word?”

She looked up from the letter she was writing. “Yes, of course. Does Dumbledore want us for something? Is he back from Hogwarts yet?”

“Er, not last time I checked. Actually, this is for a personal favor. As you probably know, the champions received their clues on Monday.”

Her face clouded. “Yes, I do know,” she said tersely, and he wondered if he should ask. Though, he couldn't understand why the mention of the clue had changed her mood so much.

“I know that… that Horace and you are—”

“We are not anything,” she interrupted with a shrill voice.

He blinked, startled. What had happened that she'd said that with such vehemence? “Sorry. Um… I realize that I put you in a difficult position asking you to help me, but I don't know who else to ask.”

“Ask what?”

“I need your help to develop a potion. I know how good you are at it, and… Well, it's quite a complex potion.” He straightened, averting his eyes. “But if you're helping Horace, then I'll understand.”

“Get one thing straight, Potter. My loyalty lies to Hogwarts and its champion—you. I don't care that other people seem to be under the impression that Horace and I are a couple. When the second task rolls around, I will be in the Hogwarts stand, cheering you on and no one else.”

He let his face break into a grin. “I am extremely happy to hear that.”

“And as for your question, yes. I'll help you.” She stood up off the stone bench and dusted off her skirt. “Only remember that you'll be in my debt.”

“Very well.”

“I'll have to leave you. I have to get ready for dinner.”

“Dinner's not for hours.”

She looked at him, her face expressionless. “I'm going out for dinner, to the village in the valley to the east of here. We're eating early.”

His heart sank. “You and Horace?”

“Yes, me and Horace.”

She walked off toward the giant Hogwarts tent, currently surrounded by many of its students hanging around with some of those of Durmstrang.

Durmstrang. Huh. James would rather have done without it. Maybe then he and Lily wouldn't have grown even further apart and they would be together now.

Somehow, James had this niggling idea that if he had been in Horace's position—dating Lily or whatever it was they were doing—she would be much more enamored of the idea of being exclusive.

That thought comforted him.

*~*

A/N: Who's an idiot? Ah, yes, I am! I do realize now, afterward, after nearly every reviewer reminded me it was “riddikulus” and not “expecto patronum” and whoops, guess who's decided she needs to reread all the books because she is just plain dumb?

So, allow me to name some of those (I tried to save most) who reminded me: Holly Muse, KaiserDragon (who so sweetly told me I'd fail the DADA OWLS. Incidentally, I agree with you! Lol), loonymoony8, nlovewithHP77, Chelle-Lynn, zomgprongs (glaring canon errors, I know. So like me to screw up the big things and yes, James is quite sexy, isn't he? Then again, he always is!), Tappeh (who has thoroughly chastised me).

There were others, and I'm so sorry that I deleted your review before I thought to thank all my vigilant readers. But you know who you are and I did read each and every one and roll my eyes at myself and just want to kick myself… So no worries. Hopefully, I'll be able to go through just a single chapter without one major mistake? We can hope.

I had this written a week ago, lol. Well, a couple scenes from the Ball, anyway. I very much like it and think this is definitely my favorite chapter so far. So read and review my lovelies—and notice that I didn't put any named spells in this chapter! Lol.

Much love,

Natali K. A.

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5. A Kiss

Chapter Five: A Kiss

By Natali K. A.

“Lily? You're quiet,” Horace said shoving a piece of cod into his mouth.

Lily grimaced. No table manners. She couldn't help thinking that James had always exhibited excellent manners at the table—and everywhere else.

“Hmm.” She shoved her potatoes around, appetite long gone.

“I know this is not best time to ask, but about clue—”

“Horace, don't start,” Lily interrupted, closing her eyes. What a horrible, horrible evening. She should've stayed and worked on her essay. She didn't even like the food. Even worse, she would end up paying for it, just as she always did. He'd say he forgot his wallet or that he didn't have enough or that he understood she wanted to be equals so he'd let her pay tonight.

Bull shit. He was cheap. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why she was wasting her time. Deep down inside, she knew very well—she just didn't want to admit it.

“I am your—”

“You are my nothing, unless you mean the pain in my arse,” she snapped, throwing down her napkin and standing up. “I'm heading back. This food's terrible.”

“Lily!”

“I'll see you later, Horace.” She grabbed her fur cloak and threw it around her, heading out into the white world outside of the little village restaurant. Blimey it was cold!

She was moping, she knew it. It had been such a boring, boring year, and she wished she'd stayed behind. Every morning, getting up was such a hassle because she knew that Horace—who was increasingly clingy day by day—would be waiting for her to have breakfast or to eat lunch or to sneak out for dinner. He was like a terrible fungus that she just could kill.

“Bastard,” she muttered under her breath. Should she just Disapparate outside of Beauxbatons or walk the entire way? She didn't know how far it was, but she couldn't imagine it'd be terribly far. Besides, she needed some time alone so she could think.

Lily knew she should pick some other helpless bloke to make James jealous. No one else would have the same effect. The effect was quite was she was looking for.

Of course, the jealousy that overcame her whenever she saw Josette anywhere near James was probably exactly what he was looking for as well. Though she'd kept telling herself that she only thought the girl was an idiot after staying with James after the way he'd treated her, her heart told her something else.

It was cold and lonely lying in bed, consumed with jealousy.

What had made it all worse was the fact that she kept glancing at him whenever no one was looking. One particular Friday, when everyone was up at Beauxbatons having a grand old time partying in one of the dorms, Lily had stayed behind to avoid Horace (who had come to the door and knocked and called out her name, to which she didn't reply).

After reading about one hundred pages in a book she'd borrowed from Betty, she'd decided to get something to drink.

So that the students wouldn't have to walk over to Beauxbatons in the freezing snow every time they desired something to drink, Dumbledore had installed a sort of refrigerator—though it didn't run on electricity. Truthfully, it was difficult to explain, but a refrigerator was all Lily could liken it to.

Surprise, surprise when she'd stumbled upon James Potter, asleep on one of the couches with his button-down shirt open to his navel. Her eyes lingered a little too long on the hairs on his chest and he shifted, as if aware she was studying him. Scared he would awaken and jump to all sorts of conclusions—all of which would be correct—she hurried back to her bed and promptly lay there, trying to keep that vision of him out of her head.

He'd looked so much like a lion lounging in his lair—king of everything around him. Sadly, it was true.

His sleep was undisturbed and he'd looked like a fallen angel with that dark, shaggy hair and sooty eyelashes.

Suddenly, Lily heard some talking to her right. She stopped, peering around in the darkness, her hand going automatically to the wand in her pocket. It was then that she realized that she recognized the voice.

“But James, I vas just trying to—”

“Josette, it's alright,” he muttered. To Lily, he sounded disgusted and disgruntled. She wondered what they were doing here.

“I thought vee could have a leetle fun.”

“Your idea of having fun is very different from mine.”

Lily cringed, even though she was not the one getting reprimanded. What had happened that James sounded so repulsed?

If Lily cringed, it was understandable that Josette was crying. She sniffled periodically during the next couple sentences.

“James, do not be mad. Eef I zought for a moment you vould be so upset, I vould never—” She stopped, choking down a sob. They came into Lily's view, James heading back to Beauxbatons and Josette trying to hold him back. “You blame me for trying to make you interested?”

“What are you talking about?” James snapped, stopping and turning around to face the sobbing French woman. No, she wasn't much more than a girl, if truth be told. She was sixteen, but her face made her seem fourteen. And while James had thought her mature at first and capable of handling a no-strings-attached relationship, he had been very wrong.

“I can't be zat Lily Evans!” Josette cried out, stomping her foot in outrage. “You lust over her, don't zink I don't see it every time you look at her. Everybody in zee damn school can see it!” Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. “Do you understand vat it is like to valk around with everyone vispering `There goes zee girl `oo tries to be zat Potter's girlfriend'?”

James was almost sympathetic. She was genuinely ailing, but there wasn't really a thing he could do about it. She was completely right—she could never be Lily and he didn't want her to be.

Lily leaned forward to get a better view around the tall tree and in the process of doing so, stepped on a dead branch. The crack resounded through the snow-covered forest.

Both James and Josette whipped their heads around wildly trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. Lily silently prayed they wouldn't come upon her. James, however, with his Chaser's eyes sought her out almost immediately.

“Josette, go back and get your cloak and then get back to the school,” he said firmly, averting his eyes from Lily's still form momentarily. “This isn't a discussion to have in this weather.”

Josette sniffed loudly, wiping the tears away from her eyes and did as she was told. While she was gone, James' eyes never once lifted off of Lily, preventing her from running in the other direction.

When Josette returned, she had her cloak in her hands instead of on.

“You're going to get frostbite. Put your cloak on,” he commanded, trying to snatch it from her.

“No,” she said, side-stepping him. “I vill freeze, zank you. Per'aps zen zee pain inside me vill numb…?” She Disappareted before he could change her mind.

“She's so dramatic,” he called out, heading for Lily's hideout behind the tree. “You were spying?”

“I was not,” she said indignantly. “I was on my way back, minding my own bloody business, when I stumbled upon the two of you arguing.”

“But you didn't make your presence known.”

“To be quite honest, I'd hoped to get away without you ever knowing I was here.”

He nodded, noticing that she was shaking from the cold. “You really must make it a habit to warm yourself up better.” Without her permission, he swept her under his cloak, holding her against his body for warmth.

Lily suppressed a shudder, trying to push away from him. His hands wouldn't let her, however.

“She was trying to seduce me,” he said, anchoring her against him. “Stop fidgeting, you're cold.”

“I didn't ask what you were doing here. It's none of my business,” she muttered. “This isn't at all proper, you know. You've got Josette and I've got…” She let her voice trail off.

“Speaking of the dim-witted fellow, where has he got to? Or was he spying from behind yet another tree?”

Lily narrowed her eyes at him. “That's of no matter to you.”

He raised a brow. “Very well. Shall we get back to our nice, warm tent? I don't think I feel my nose.”

Unable to resist, Lily reached up and cupped her hand around his strong nose, heating it up with the warm of her palm. He closed his eyes in pleasure.

Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she dropped her hand and tried to pry herself out of his grip one more time. As before, it was useless.

“I came this way to be alone and clear my mind,” she said, gritting her teeth. “Horace seemed to understand.”

“Probably because he didn't want to look stupid, but I doubt he gets half of the things that come out of your mouth. Do you know that he asked me one day what you meant by a refrigerator? I don't care how pureblood your family is, you've got to be a moron not to know what a refrigerator is.”

“What right do you have to judge him?” Lily retorted. “Let me go, Potter.”

He fell silent for a moment as if contemplating something. And indeed, he was.

“On one condition. Kiss me.”

Lily scowled. “How pathetic are you? Have to blackmail girls into kissing you now, eh? Oh, how the mighty have fallen!”

James let out a bark of laughter. “Don't be stupid, Evans. Or did you forget that just five minutes ago Josette had her naked body on display for me with her arms wide and beckoning me to join her?”

The instant the words were out of his mouth, he knew he shouldn't have said them.

“If you could be a gentleman for two minutes and please not tell me things like that, I'd very much appreciate it. Let go of me or I will accuse you of sexual harassment.”

Very slowly, he pressed his warm lips against her cool, unresponsive ones. As she hadn't yet tried to bite him, James pushed forth. His tongue slipped out and licked the corner of her mouth. The corresponding shudder pleased him. He continued to move his lips against hers, but still she didn't move. Finally, he picked her up and pushed her against the bark of the tree.

Perhaps it had been the pressure of his body against hers or just that she didn't see the point in resisting, but either way her defenses were no longer defending. Her arms rose up to encircle his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at his neck. Her long legs went around his waist, bringing him even closer to her.

Their tongues entwined, lips caressing each other's. It was one of the most incendiary kisses she'd ever experienced—if not the most. Though her mind seemed almost separated from her body, it was still running. For instance, she was still very aware of where his hands were and what they were doing.

Abruptly, they'd Disapparated, at what she supposed was his own volition. The kiss ended soon thereafter, with him placing one last tender peck on her swollen lips.

“Tomorrow, we'll meet in an empty classroom to work on the potion?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.

“Hmm.” She was incapable of forming coherent words. He let her slide down his body—gosh that was a painful, pleasurable experience for them both—and it took her legs a moment to remember how to support her.

Without a goodbye of any sort, she stepped to the side and walked away, crossing her arms and bending her head against the cold. Unable to resist, she turned around after walking about fifty feet and met his gaze.

He was right. They would one day be more than just Head Boy and Head Girl. Something inside of her told her the last thing she wanted to admit:

Lily Evans would someday, without fail, fall madly in love with James Potter. The worst part of this?

He had already fallen for her.

*~*

“So, let me get this straight,” Ashley said, munching on a caramel apple. Where it had come from, Lily had no idea. “You're going to help Potter.”

“Yes.”

“After what happened after the Yule Ball?”

“Yes.”

“Even though you're… whatever it is you're doing with Horace?”

Lily grimaced as she remembered Horace. “Yes.”

“And he kissed you last night?” Betty piped up.

“Yup.”

“Just minutes after being seduced by Josette?”

“Well, she tried. Apparently he hadn't liked the idea, which is when I came upon them arguing.”

“You kissed him back?” Ashley asked slyly, already knowing the answer. Of course Lily had kissed back. If she hadn't or hadn't really wanted him to kiss her, he wouldn't've had any male parts to speak of.

“Yeah.”

“But you're going to keep stringing Horace along.”

Lily was about to ask why Betty had phrased it as a statement and a question, but then decided she didn't really want to know. She had a feeling the response wouldn't please her.

“Exactly.”

Betty and Ashley fell silent, giving each other meaningful looks in the meantime.

“What's the point?” Ashley groaned, rolling onto her back on her bed. “Lily, he's so bloody boring and clingy and just… Well, he's lovely to look at, but then he opens his mouth and it's all over!”

Lily snickered. “You're terrible. He really isn't that bad, if a bit cheap. And stupid.”

“Lils just wants a trophy boyfriend,” Betty teased, smiling. “Two champions at her every beck and call. Had the Beauxbatons champion been a bloke or a lesbian, Lily would've—”

“Alright, you've had your fun,” Lily interrupted, shrugging on her mink coat. “As for me, I've got an appointment to help Hogwarts receive all the glory. Do try not to get into trouble, will you?”

“And if Horace stops by? Do we tell him that even though you refused to help him, you're off helping James—who he's terribly jealous of?” Betty asked, stealing a bite of the caramel apple.

“No!” Lily hissed. “Please, if you do, I promise you'll pay for it. I can't stand just the thought of hearing him rant about how my entire life revolves around Potter, and—”

“Has this rant occurred before?” Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because while you have been a bit of a skank around Potter lately, I can hardly say your life revolves around him. You talk about Horace more. You'd think he'd be happy.”

Lily laughed cruelly. “Ash, the only reason I talk about Horace more is because I complain about him so much. And yes, he's given me that lecture a couple times, once after the Yule Ball because I disappeared with Potter. He's such a… bother, really.”

“So dump him,” Betty said exasperatedly. “We've been telling you to for months!”

“I can't! Then Potter will think I broke up with Horace for him!”

“But that is why!”

“I know, but I can't go around inflating that big head of his anymore than I already have. He's going to think that he can just up and snog me anytime that he wants—”

“And he would be perfectly right,” Ashley interrupted, sniggering evilly along with Betty. “You whore.”

Lily smiled. “Bite me.” With that, she walked out the door to meet James at the fortress.

*~*

A/N: Well… I'm not quite sure what to say about this chapter or what my feelings about it are exactly. I don't know why they kissed. Actually, it had started off as that this chapter would be the one that comes next—what happened in the empty classroom that no one was surprised to hear about.

But I think it's better that I put this little bit here, as I think that jump from the Yule Ball to February sort of threw a few people off. So… here it is!

Leave a comment or a chocolate or Josh Groban wearing just that cute smile of his. Either way, I'll adore you for it.

Much love,

NKA

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6. The Second Task

Chapter Six: The Second Task

By Natali K. A.

“The task is what?” Lily asked, staring hard at James. “It can't be just that. It's too easy.”

James narrowed his eyes at her. “Would you like to see the missive for yourself? It says it quite plainly. I have to be in combat with another person, using either swords, wands, or knives. What I use will be chosen out of a hat.” He pulled out a chair for her which she sat in.

“But what's so hard about that?”

“Well, for one, if it happens to be a giant that I'm combating, I can see it being very difficult. It warns that the other opponents will be fighting for my death, but I'm not to kill them. Not if I can help it, anyway. Accidents do happen.”

Lily looked at him. “But the chances of your fighting a giant is very small. Remember, they're very unstable creatures, and I don't think they'd be willing to be a pawn in the matter of wizards.”

James shrugged. “For all I know it's over a ring of fire or something equally as difficult.”

“If it's combating, why do you need a potion? You told me that you wanted me to help you with the formula,” Lily said, looking at the box of ingredients James had had shipped over by his parents. “I can't exactly make a sword that kills on it's own. That's too advanced, not to mention illegal. The magicking of weapons to kill without a human wielder was prohibited in 1876. I will do a lot for Hogwarts, but I won't risk imprisonment.”

“Nor would I,” he informed her. He stood from his seat and opened the box, taking out a sheet of parchment that looked worse for wear. He handed it to Lily.

She looked it over, scanning its contents. It was indeed it a very complex potion that would require a total of about five days to complete. Timing was very crucial here which made Lily cringe. The problem with timed formulas was that just a mistake of two minutes could have horrible consequences.

Such as death, should it have to be drunk.

“This is risky,” she told him somberly. “Potter, I don't think it's smart to do this.”

He nodded, playing with the cap to one of the vials. “I have no other choice. If it's a battle with wands, I'll win. Fencing I'm pretty good at too. But what if it's the knives? My father doesn't agree with such crude forms of fighting and refused to have me taught in boxing or wrestling or anything of the sort. It's not a gentleman's sport.”

Lily raised her brows. “But the chances—”

“I don't trust the numbers, Evans,” he told her softly, eyes averted. “And whilst I'm not afraid, that doesn't mean that I'm absolutely jumping at the chance to get killed.”

Lily's green eyes met his hazel ones and he saw something unreadable in them. It was as if a spark had passed between them, though he knew that was impossible.

“You won't die,” she said, full of conviction. “You are the one of the champions who would never die in this.”

He stared at her. “You don't know that.”

“Of course I do, Potter. You're too stubborn to die.”

One of his black eyebrows rose up. “I think it's okay if you call me by my first name. As we're going to be spending a lot of time together for the next five days.”

Lily smiled slightly. The thought almost scared her.

“But that would involve admitting I'm ready to be friends with you. Our apathy for each other is such a fun thing, you see. I look forward to our arguments.”

A wolfish grin spread over his face. “I feel a lot of things about you, Lily Evans. I don't think apathy is one of them.”

Though it didn't show on her face, Lily could feel herself flush throughout her body. It unnerved her that he was so calm while professing such things to her.

“I suppose we should get started. I just thought I'd mention that if you get poisoned it's not my fault,” she muttered, sitting up straighter and looking through the box. “It says here to start with the eye of a red-back grasshopper.”

He reached into the box and came out with a little bottle with a single eye floating in it. “Got it!”

This would no doubt be interesting.

*~*

Lily tapped her quill against her desk, checking her watch anxiously. If she didn't add that bile of eel in the next five minutes, the potion would be ruined. She raised her hand and said when McGonagall called on her, “Professor, please. I really need to use the toilet.”

The professor raised her eyebrows, and Lily guessed that she didn't necessarily believe her. But for whatever reason, or perhaps no reason at all, the head of Gryffindor nodded her consent.

“The winds outside are ferocious, Miss Evans. Mr. Potter, would you accompany her? I fear she will get knocked off her path if she goes on her own.”

Lily had to hand it to her professor. She was slick and sly. With a little smile, Lily and James exited the classroom.

Though the ladies of Beauxbatons had been so nice as to borrow two of their classrooms so that the students could learn, they had been very finicky about their restrooms, as girls often were. Something about the boys dirtying their spotless toilets. But because of this, they were asked to use their own toilets. She didn't understand the French.

Or Bulgarian jocks who were overly clingy, for that matter.

“She knows what we're up to,” James informed her. “I think she came upon us sneaking into the classroom earlier today and went in after to check what it was that we had there.”

“Why do you think that?” Lily asked, nodding her thanks as he held the door open for her.

“I found a breach in the security spell. It was neatly covered up, and had I not been searching for it specifically, I would never have noticed it.”

Lily shrugged. “She's not going to turn us in if she hasn't yet. I think McGonagall wants to win just as much as the rest of us do.”

“More. Her cousin is married to the headmistress of Beauxbatons. They've a bet,” he chuckled, undoing the spell they'd formed around the brewing potion. “Is it supposed to be that bright purple color?” he asked nervously.

Lily smiled. “Yes. Do you doubt my Potions ability?”

“Not at all, my dear.”

They had spent nearly three hours the night before, doing everything precisely as the directions indicated, only preparing the brew. It was early this morning at six that they'd added the first ingredients. The eye of the grasshopper had to be in the liquid hours before everything else.

Lily checked her watch after adding the bile. “Just in time. With a couple minutes to spare. You need to ask special permission to be excused from class, P—James. People are going to notice and start saying things.”

“What things?”

“It's odd how we keep disappearing together.”

James didn't reply, only concentrated on stirring the potion fifty times counter-clockwise.

“Do you mind what they'll say? I already heard one of the Beauxbatons girls asking Sirius if it was true what one of the Ravenclaws had said that we disappeared to a classroom to shag. I'll understand if you don't want that blight on your name.”

His eyes were still on the cauldron, so Lily couldn't read the expression on his face. Even if she did have a clear view, she didn't think she would be able to tell what he was thinking.

“People will gossip. I don't care what they think,” she told him quietly, looking away and out the window.

Having reached fifty, he put the stirring stick down and turned to look at her, only to find her face averted. He stepped closer to her, trapping her between the table and another. “Lily…”

Her green eyes snapped back. “No. There are people who will be hurt. No, we can't do this. I'll be back to add the nail clippings from the dragon at seven thirty-three this evening. Can you add that elixir we brewed yesterday at eight-oh-six?”

“Yes.”

She left without another word. Her self-control angered him—especially when he had difficulty restraining himself from throwing her down on his bed and having his evil way with her.

He would wait it out.

*~*

The morning of the second task bloomed dark and cloudy, an all-around ugly day. Ever since the potion had been completed, Lily had avoided him as much as she possibly could, which he didn't understand since they'd only grown closer.

“'Ello! Vell, choose your vepon, please!” the headmistress of Beauxbatons chirped. James found her way too perky for it being nine A.M. on a Saturday.

Horace and Evette looked at James expectantly. “Mademoiselle Gademot, I insist you go first.”

She smiled flirtatiously at him and muttered her thanks with a titter. She placed her hand in the bag and pulled out a little paper. Opening it, she read, “Zee sword.”

James went next and pulled out a scrap of parchment that read, to his disgust, the word knife. Of course. It was just his luck.

Something Dumbledore had said nearly three years ago entered his mind unexpectedly then.

I stopped believing in luck a long time ago, James. There is nothing that doesn't happen for a reason. It depends on the person whether it would be some Higher Being or some scheming misfit that's out to ruin your life. But never think it's pure luck.

James smiled. How very correct that was.

“Twenty minutes until we go,” Dumbledore said, popping his gray head in. “Alphabetical order, by surname.”

Thinking quickly, James determined that it would be first Evette, then Horace, then him.

Last, again.

*~*

In the stands, Lily wasn't talking like the rest of her classmates. She didn't call out for popcorn or for so-and-so to sit next to her. She was worried. Very, very worried.

“Your potions have never failed yet, Lily. It'll be fine. Potter's too strong to get any more than a little scratch on his arm,” Ashley said soothingly, patting her friend's back. She shared a glance with Betty over her head. “Relax and enjoy the sport.”

“I have a feeling something bad's going to happen,” Lily whispered, scanning the field before them, where they would battle their opponent. Lily's intuition always seemed to be dead on.

“Don't jinx it,” Betty hissed. “Oh, look! The Beauxbatons champion just came out. Is that a sword? Yes, it is. Ooh! Look at her opponent. A knight? Oh, she's doomed.”

Lily closed her eyes, unwilling to watch. How could they ever give this challenge to the champions? Of course, she knew that Dumbledore would never allow them to battle to the death, but she nearly started hyperventilating when the girl was run through the arm by her opponent's sword.

Then Horace came, and she gave a lame shout of encouragement for appearance's sake, as he'd looked her way. She saw the wand in his hand and instantly went into a cold sweat.

James had gotten the knife.

Though many mean things could be said about the oaf that was Horace, that he was a terrible wandsman was not one of them. He actually beat his adversary in nearly under five minutes with some spell Lily thought came from a long ago Dark Lord. She didn't question it.

Then James stepped out as Dumbledore's voice boomed throughout the stadium.

“James Potter is next and all he has to do, like the other champions, is disarm his challenger and pin him for seven seconds.” A big shout went out from the Hogwarts stand, but Lily couldn't join in. She felt nauseous suddenly.

He did not appear to be nervous. On the contrary, he grinned boyishly and winked at his schoolmates. She wanted to slap that smart smirk off his face as she hardly thought it was a time to be cute.

“Lily, don't watch,” Betty murmured. “Just look down.”

“I have to.”

The champions had been allowed to use whatever spell, potion, or charm they wished on themselves, as long as it wasn't dangerous to the person they would fight. From the hard look of his skin, she guessed he'd already downed that nasty-looking potion.

It all went well for the first few minutes. The man opposing him was tiny and wearing a mask. Just by the way he moved, Lily could see he was agile and very good. She was generally fine until she saw blood spurt from the two, though she couldn't tell which. There was a shallow gash along James' right arm that had crossed a major vein and caused blood to spatter everywhere.

He did get his revenge though, as a deeper wound was cut into his contender's leg. It didn't bleed as much, to his dissatisfaction.

Lily looked away then, unable to bare it. The crowd cheered, and groaned, and gasped. They shouted advice and they made her so nervous. A simultaneous “No!” went around so unexpectedly that Lily glanced up, knowing she'd see James, lying dead on the floor.

She was only half right. He was on the floor with a knife stuck somewhere in his stomach. As her mouth opened to let out a scream, the man bent over and drew out the knife, grinning maniacally.

James felt the hard ground beneath him. He'd never felt such pain, not even when he'd fallen nearly ten meters from his broom to the grass below. It was a struggle just to take in a breath. He saw the man looming over him, realizing then that this man did indeed intend to kill him. He wondered who had sent him. There was no such thing as luck, after all. Everything happened for a reason.

With the last ounce of his strength, he rolled over just as the man made to shove the knife through his chest. Somehow—James never knew how or where he got the idea from—the Gryffindor flipped into the air and over the man's head. Disoriented, it took the assassin a moment to figure out where he'd disappeared to.

In that short, crucial moment, James reached around the man's neck and pulled his knife across the man's neck, hard as he could. Just as his world went black, James pushed his would-be assassin away, disgusted.

*~*

A/N: Sorry. Yeah. Beat me with a stick. But I'm here again. Actually, I came up with the second task in Orlando on New Year's Eve, from inspiration from Tamora Pierce's In the Hand of the Goddess. Great book, great series, go for it! I totally recommend it.

So… Yeah. I had to finally devote a chapter to the Second Task. The next chappie should be about James' recovering.

And I need ideas for the Third Task. I have this crazy, nagging feeling that between the chapter before that task and the chapter of the actual task that there will be about two weeks in between any posting. Sorry. Love you all. On the bright side, I bought two finches to add to my zoo!! Their names are Isabella and Aleksandra, though I call them Bella and Allie for short. They're too cute. They're now sisters to my doggie Papito who I think is a bit jealous. He was barking and sniffing at them and yeah…

All my love,

NKA

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7. The Plot

Chapter Seven: The Plot

By Natali K. A.

Just as James Potter had hit the ground, he had registered a lot of people running toward him and one voice above the din of the crowd that he recognized. She had been just the fifth to meet him, though by then he was out cold, blood gushing from the wound in his stomach.

The previous year, Lily had taken a special lesson with Madam Pomfrey for a project from Defense Against the Dark Arts. She had studied old, ancient spells of healing and cures long forgotten. Though she had never memorized any of the long, complicated—dangerous—spells, she seemed to know it by heart when she uttered one of the spells. Bending over the fallen man, unable to worry just yet, she pressed a hand against the profusely bleeding cut.

“Lily,” said a gentle voice, pushing her hand away. “Let me.”

She removed her hand from the most severe injury to one on his arm, bleeding nearly just as much. The ground around them was smeared with blood, all one bright red mess. Her favorite cloak was ruined, though she didn't spare a thought for it. Her prayers all went toward his recuperation.

The potion they'd made—meant to harden his skin against cuts, bruises, and scrapes—had done what it was intended to do. He skin felt leathery beneath her fingers, skin she knew was softer than eider down.

“We need to get him to the medical tent, Miss Evans,” McGonagall said, placing a hand on her student's shoulder. “You must release him.”

Lily's emerald green eyes met the eyes of her headmaster, across from her and applying pressure to the lesion that might kill him. She hadn't realized until then that she was crying.

“Headmaster… Will he…?” Her voice wouldn't let her complete the sentence. Some part of her hoped that so long as no one mentioned it, the problem would just go away.

“I cannot say, Lily,” the man with the half-moon spectacles replied somberly. “I'm not sure whether a major organ was punctured or not.” With that, he stood, James levitating before him.

From the ground, the redhead watched them disappear. Her eyes strayed to the bright red liquid on her hands. It hit her then. He might die, while the other two champions walked away with minor scratches.

They hadn't finished whatever was going on between them, had barely started. She wanted to continue. What if she never got the chance?

“Lils, come on,” Betty said, trying to pick her up from the ground. “You have to wash yourself off.”

But Lily shook her head and rose, ignoring the comments and questions thrown at her. Somewhere along the way, she thought Horace might have stepped in front of her, but she only sidestepped him and continued.

There were a lot of people running around the tent wildly, trying to save a life they hadn't thought they'd have to save. Dumbledore was helping, pouring different liquids into different vials.

Surprisingly, no one tried to stop her, for which she was thankful. Perhaps it only seemed natural that she be there, next to James. Whatever it was, it allowed her to walk to the bed where he lay and pick up his hand. One of her hands rose to brush his hair out of his eyes. The pallor of his skin was frightening.

“I'm here,” she whispered, kissing his forehead. “You'll be fine.”

*~*

Bloody fuck, my head hurts. I must've drunk like mad last night to have a hangover this bad, James Potter thought. Slowly, it sunk in that something wasn't right. He was too stiff and his very bones hurt.

Trying to move his fingers, he found that someone's hand was clutched in them. It was then that he popped an eye open, then closed it quickly, the light bothering him. Slowly, he tried again.

I must be dead, he thought grimly, if Lily Evans is next to my bed holding my hand. That or near to it.

Lily, who had been staring out a window, turned to face him suddenly when she felt the pressure on her hand.

“James?”

He tried to make a noise, but his voice was dry and unused to functioning.

“Shh, I'll get you some water.” She stood and made to retract her hand, but he held on firmly, not quite ready to let his fantasy slip from his grasp.

She looked at him oddly, covering his hand with her other hand. Lily sat back down and moved the chair beside his bed closer so that she was leaning right over him.

“You were stabbed,” she told him. “From the marks on your abdomen, they speculate that because of the potion, the knife didn't enter where the man had intended but instead slid along your skin until the angle was correct for entrance. Just two more inches to the side and you would have been dead on the spot.

“Or if not, you would have bled to death before anything could have been done for you. As it is, I don't think you'll be playing Quidditch for quite a few months.”

He gave a short, jerky nod and tried to clear his throat.

“How long've I been out?” His voice didn't sound like his own.

“Five days this morning.”

“My parents…?”

“Arrived the same day. I sent them to go sleep a little. They've been by your bed the entire time. I'll go fetch them.”

“No.” He took a deep breath, realizing it hurt him to do so. “No, stay. Little while longer.” He looked into her eyes. “You're here.”

“Of course I'm here. You—I…” Her words faltered. “I've never been so afraid in my life. Don't you ever do that again.”

He smiled weakly, squeezing her hand. “Didn't do it on purpose.”

“No matter. You're forbidden from volunteering in any more Triwizard Tournaments, James Potter.” She gave a little sigh and turned her face away. “I broke up with Horace. I didn't see the point anymore.”

“Josette?”

“Hooked up with Horace. Figures she wasted her time on a man that will probably die anyway.” She grimaced. “Tell me you didn't shag her, James. I couldn't stand it.”

“That would constitute as cheating on you.”

“We weren't—aren't—dating. You're not bound to me.”

“That's what you think. I'm more bound than you could ever imagine.”

His parents chose that moment to open the door and exclaim over their son. Lily waved goodbye and left the room, feeling as if she was intruding on something.

“Where has that lovely girl got to, James? Your girlfriend? She was in here just a moment ago,” his mum said, littering kisses all over his face.

“She'll be back. You can meet her properly then.”

*~*

The creak of the door roused Lily from her musings. She whipped her head around to find James at the door, leaning on a crutch.

“Are you mad? You just woke this afternoon!” she hissed, jumping up. “I'll take you back to the medical wing right now.”

“I let it slip to the nurse that I'd be escaping, and she assured me that it was perfectly alright. If she's asked though, she'll be furious and concerned about the state of my health,” he told her, opening his arms to her. “I wanted to see you.”

She practically ran into his arms, careful not to hurt him. With inquisitive fingers, she pushed aside his robe until she found the gash on his stomach. A scar had formed.

“That looks so painful,” she gasped, running her fingers along it carefully.

“It's a scar to boast of,” he said proudly, puffing out his chest. “What a story to tell my children, don't you think? I'll be a hero.”

She covered the gash again, snaking her arms around him and looking up at him. “You're already my hero. Don't do any other heroic stunts, please. It's not worth it.”

“But you said it yourself. I wouldn't die.”

“I was wrong. You could have quite easily died.”

“Your potion saved me.”

She poked his chest. “If your stupidity hadn't gotten you into this tournament, I wouldn't've had to make that potion.” She released a shaky sigh.

He tipped up her chin and kissed her. “You were scared.”

“Naturally! Do you blame me?” she asked, haughty. “You weren't the one crouching over a still body, warm blood on your hands, your clothes, your face…” She buried her face in his chest. “You lost so much blood.”

Hearing the tears in her voice, he hugged her tighter and placed his lips against her temple. They stood like that for a few minutes as Lily sobbed, finally. She had not cried since he had fallen to the ground.

“We'll talk about what happened later,” he told her softly, pulling her face away from his wet robes. “Now, Lily. Many women can cry and still look gorgeous. You're not one of them, sweetheart.”

Lily laughed, wiping little droplets away from her eyes. “You're so cruel.”

“Love me, Lily,” he whispered, slowly backing her up against the very table where they'd brewed his potion. “Give in.”

He made it sound so good and so tempting that she did just that—she gave in. Their lips met and melded together, hands ripping off each other's clothing. It seemed to them that, without a single word spoken, they were now together. (Literally, though that was not meant as a pun.)

The other students from the three schools agreed. But how did they ever find out about what happened in that empty classroom, you ask?

Ah. But that's just it. It's who spotted them that made it so juicy.

Shutting the door as quickly and quietly as possible, Josette gave a depressed sigh. After all these months, that Potter hadn't slept with her. Yet on the very same day he wakes up, he's sticking his prick into that red-haired whore.

She stuck her nose into the air, heading for the Dining Hall. Very well. She'd show them both that no one made a fool of her.

In French, one of her friends asked, “Where have you been? Dinner began ten minutes ago.”

“I was busy,” Josette explained.

“With Horace?”

“No. Spying on Potter and that redhead.”

Her friend smiled evilly. “Ah, I see now. Have your plans changed then?”

“Yes. Horace no longer serves his purpose to make Potter jealous. I'll have to hurt him some other way,” Josette mused, smiling. She changed the topic to the newest robes from the designer Jadelle.

*~*

At the Hogwarts table, Sirius and Remus changed places with someone in order to sit next to Betty and Ashley.

“Where's Lily?” Remus asked.

“No idea,” Ashley shrugged. “She'd told us that she'd be at dinner tonight since James had woken up.”

“We went to see James just now and he's not there,” Sirius informed them, smirking.

“What do you mean he's not there? He has to be!” Ashley exclaimed. “He died for thirty seconds just five days ago!”

“The nurse hinted that he might be out,” Remus chuckled. “Just thought you should know the whereabouts of your mate and not worry your pretty little heads.”

Betty humphed. “Figures they'd shag soon as they could.” Her eyes caught a glimpse of Josette, that French girl James had been dating off and on, as she sat down with her friends. “Why is she late, do you think?”

But none of them knew the answer, nor did they spend much time trying to figure it out. After all, food was to be eaten.

And Sirius did nothing better than eat.

*~*

A/N: Here I am, even though I've a mountain load of homework to do. Ah, my devotion! My dog, Papito, is equipped with a brand-spanking new sweater and looks just too adorable!

This chapter? Yeah. Mindless fluff, because I'm too lazy to come up with what I really had in mind. Next week you'll find out why he was nearly murdered.

Ah, the suspense!

Buh-bye, my lovelies!

NKA

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8. Caught in the Act

Chapter Eight: Caught in the Act

By Natali K. A.

“Incredibly humiliating,” Professor McGonagall was saying as James hobbled into the room next to the Beauxbatons' infirmary. Lily was already seated, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.

“Everyone” consisted of: the headmaster of both Beauxbatons and Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall, James' parents, and two confused-looking adults James guessed were Lily's parents.

He had been having such a lovely day, too. He'd woken up this morning in the infirmary with Lily asleep next to his bed (or in it?) and had dozed until about noon. Then this nervous looking, ugly little French girl had told him to come to this room immediately, that it was urgent. Even when using the excuse he'd just woken up the day before, he'd been forced to come.

“You called for me, the ailing patient who had been stabbed just six days prior?” he asked dryly, walking over to the somber-looking group.

“Apparently, not zat `ailing',” the headmistress of Beauxbatons sniffed, turning to Dumbledore. “I vill leave you, Albus. I `spect zis to be cleared up—you cannot `ave your students frightening my little vons! If zis is `ow you teach zem to be'ave—”

“I assure you that it is not. It will be taken care of, my dear,” Dumbledore said, seeing her to the door.

James, somewhat nervous now—what could they have done?—looked at their parents and saw that Mrs. Evans was crying and Mr. Evans was glowering at him. His own father looked ready to spank him until his skin bled.

“Will anyone tell me what it is that I've done, or do I have to guess?”

“Caught in the act of… of sexual intercourse with another student,” Professor McGonagall said, blushing slightly. He hadn't thought anything could make the old hag blush. Now he knew. His stomach dropped to the floor.

He cleared his throat, sure that his cheeks were turning scarlet. “And who made this accusation?”

“One of the Beauxbatons girls, who had gone into the classroom where the act was committed to fetch something for a teacher,” McGonagall replied.

James blinked, rubbing the back of his head. “Her name…?”

“Not important.”

“I think it's rather important, actually. Someone could have lied.”

“I already admitted to it,” Lily muttered, staring even harder at the floor as if wishing it would open and swallow her. She probably was. “No point denying it.”

“I wasn't going to deny it,” James snapped, his face turning another, deeper shade of red. “Never entered my mind. But you know as well as I do that no one saw anything—”

“He seems to be more upset by the fact that he got caught than that he ruined my daughter's reputation!” Mrs. Evans shrieked, waving her handkerchief at him angrily.

“Mum, please,” Lily begged, but Mrs. Evans cut her off.

“Don't speak. I did not raise you to act like a tramp, Lily.” She looked at James. “What have you to say for yourself?”

“You were exactly right. I am sorry we got caught. But you can't expect me to regret it. Well, you could, but the fact is that I don't,” he shrugged.

“James!” his mother gasped.

“I helped bring you into this world, boy, and I can sure take you out of it,” his father—angrier than James had ever seen him, including the time he'd spilled all of his expensive French brandy—growled, advancing on him. James held his ground and both Dumbledore and Mrs. Potter restrained him.

“This is the result of too much spoiling,” Mrs. Potter said, turning to her husband. “I told you, didn't I? We would spoil him rotten until he thought that the world revolved around him, that the rules don't count where he's involved.”

“I don't see what the big deal is here,” Lily said softly. All the adults turned to stare at her. She still hadn't brought her gaze up from the ground. “You lot act as if you hadn't done it when you were our age. Mum, I happen to know that Petunia—”

“Alright, Lily. Point taken,” Mrs. Evans said, clearing her throat. “But this is a big deal.”

“Too right,” Mr. Potter agreed. “You two need to understand that you can't go around… er, sleeping with people. It isn't wise.”

“Especially when your future is so bright Lily,” Mr. Evans interjected.

“I don't sleep around.”

“Nor do I,” James added. “Anyway, that student must have been lying. That was the room we used to make the potion I used in the second task. It was completely empty, locked even. There was dust all over the place before I came in and tidied it up. I think the poor heating in the winter made it a bad classroom.”

Professor Dumbledore nodded. “That's true.”

“And we locked the door,” Lily added, still hanging her head. “Both James and I put a spell on it. I don't think any girl older than 16 would have been able to undo both of them. And why would she have tried so hard?”

“You think you were framed?” McGonagall asked skeptically. “Honestly, who would waste their time?”

I can think of a couple people, James and Lily thought, sharing a quick glance in which both knew the other thought the same.

“This is still a very big issue. I had to leave work to come here and resolve this, Lily,” Mr. Evans said, voice deep. “That is not the girl I raised you to be.”

James, who often suffered from FIMS (Foot In Mouth Syndrome), felt an onslaught of effects due to that coming on.

“It wasn't just a quick shag.” All three females squeaked. “I've liked Lily for months.”

“But I thought you were dating that nice young fellow Borace!” Lily's mother said. The fact she didn't even remember his name made James smile.

“Technicality… Long story,” Lily explained.

“And if she's pregnant”—here Lily covered her face with her hands and shook her head—“then I'll marry her.”

An eerie silence fell on the room. Dumbledore, who had remained silent throughout most of this, was the first to snap out of his daze.

“You shouldn't say such serious things without considering them, James,” he told in him in a stern yet gentle voice.

“I mean it. If she'll have me, then I'll marry her, if it makes you all feel better.” He turned his gaze onto Lily who was staring at him with wide eyes. “Only I'd rather do it at our own pace, and perhaps not be forced into things?”

She averted her face to hide a smile. Silly, silly boy.

“I will hold you to your word, Potter,” Mr. Evans said severely.

“So will we,” the elder Mr. Potter assured him. “You have our word.” He took his wife by the hand and gestured for the Evanses to lead the way out. Dumbledore winked at them, followed by McGonagall.

“For heaven's sake, can't you do it in secrecy like all the rest?” She shut the door behind her.

“That has got to be the oddest conversation I've ever had in my life,” Lily said, staring at the closed door. “They've got to be mad. We've got to be mad. The entire bloody universe has got to be mad. Some planet must be off its orbit.”

James shrugged. “What about Horace and Josette?”

“Horace doesn't have the brains or guts to do this,” Lily grimaced. “Leave Josette to me, eh?”

“She's treacherous.”

“She won't know what hit her,” Lily promised. “I wouldn't make you marry me. You shouldn't have said that.”

“But I meant it.”

“James, stop it.” She glared at him. “You're making this into a bigger deal than it has to be.”

He rolled his eyes, too tired to bother arguing. But he couldn't resist saying, “You weren't asking me to `stop it' last night.”

The blush crept back to her cheeks. “Bite me.”

He grinned, limping over to sit in the chair across from hers. “You know someone sent that guy to kill me, right?”

“I figured. They weren't supposed to do anything but scratch the champions. He'd used Polyjuice Potion—the real man was found at his flat, near to death. We've no idea who he was, probably thanks to innumerable scars on his face. They were recent.”

James leaned back, closing his eyes. “So someone's trying to kill me.”

He could almost feel Lily's hesitation.

“I found a rattlesnake in my bed night before last,” she muttered, turning her head away. “I was seconds away from lying down. I would have been dead—everyone was still up at the fortress.”

His eyebrows snapped together with worry. “What stopped you?”

She sighed. “No idea. But it occurred to me that something didn't feel right. I pulled back the covers to find that bugger there, hissing at me. I burned it to a crisp and hid it behind the tent. I didn't tell anyone.”

“You sleep with me from now on,” he said immediately. “Never go anywhere by yourself.”

“Don't be ridiculous, James. For one, it would never be allowed. Two, you can't be with me every hour of every day.” She met his eyes seriously. “A girl's got to use the loo, you know.”

He grinned at her. “We'll work something out. I'm starving.”

“Of course you are. I'll go to the Dining Hall and bring you back something. Should be around lunch time. Hobble back to your bed on your own, alright?” She lay a gentle hand on his shoulder as she left.

After she'd gone, James let the litany of curses he'd been holding loose. He'd have to bring this to the attention of his father and Dumbledore.

*~*

Lily, scooping up some things onto the plate she was going to take back to James, listened as Betty and Ashley chatted it up with her.

“Oh, then also Josette was late to dinner—about ten or fifteen minutes late,” Ashley said, nibbling on a piece of corn.

Lily nearly dropped the plate. “She was, was she?”

“Yeah. Then right after she ran her ugly little arse over to Horace and started whispering in his ear. I suspect they went off to her room together, the little whore.”

“Did they both seem… pleased?”

“'Course,” Betty laughed. “They were about to—”

“Josette's the one that spotted us,” she hissed, saying a foul curse that would have had even most of her classmates gasping. She'd filled Betty and Ashley in on the way to lunch. “She must have followed me! That little bitch—” She took a deep breath and grabbed a bread roll. “Never mind. We'll take care of this, won't we girls? Be ready at two o'clock, yeah? Must run, James is starving.”

Betty and Ashley shared a look as Lily ran off, then smiled.

Someone was going to get a nasty earful from Lily Evans and company.

*~*

A/N: Ah, nearly forgot that I had to post tonight. But worry not my darlings! I am sick, however, with a nice little cold that gives me a cough that rattles my very bones. :-D. The joys.

I received my sewing machine last Friday, and have proceeded to making a cute little cover for it, of which I am terrible proud. Rather hard, too, as the material was a bit difficult to work with. Came out deliciously perfect!

I saw Tristan and Isolde—which is just a great movie, if the ending is a bit angsty. Very bloody. But I enjoy that kind of weird stuff. So yes…

Um, review? Because you love me? Yes. Spank you all!

NKA

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9. Ipse Esito Aedes

Chapter Nine: Ipse Esito Aedes

By Natali K. A.

“Corner her,” Lily murmured, voice barely above a whisper. “I don't want anyone to be around to help her, even if it is a bit foul. Best we not involve anyone else.”

“What are we supposed to do, lure the girls away?” Betty huffed. Suddenly, she got an idea. “Hang on right here. I'll be back with reinforcements.”

“What—?” Ashley asked, but couldn't finish her question as Betty had already gone. She turned to Lily, who was crouched beside her behind the boulder in a side courtyard of Beauxbatons. “Do we just wait?”

“Yeah. Betty's evil enough to come up with something wicked,” Lily smiled, positioning herself so she was more comfortable. “I just hope she doesn't take too long.”

They didn't have to wait very long, much to their relief. Their free period would be over pretty soon, and they most certainly didn't want to face the wrath of McGonagall—Lily especially, considering the events earlier in the day.

Sirius and Remus stepped out of the corridor off of the courtyard, smiling handsomely at the Beauxbatons girls. Instantly, they all jumped up off their seat and practically ran towards them. How terrible to go to an all-girl school, if they were that desperate.

Only Josette remained seated, not really interested in the best friends of James Potter.

A grin spread across Lily's face slowly, giving her a wicked look. Betty rejoined them then, snickering.

“What're your plans?” she asked Lily. “You're not going to beat her up or anything?”

“Not sure,” Lily shrugged. “If she's difficult, I'll have to.”

“You'd get expelled. The Triwizard Tournament could be called off entirely for misconduct between schools,” Ashley hissed. “Look! Hurry up, she's getting ready to leave.”

Lily stood then, walking into the view of her enemy. The chit smiled, reclining against the wall she'd been sitting by as if to tell Lily that she wasn't afraid of her.

“That was low of you,” Lily said in a frighteningly soft voice. “And to think that I once defended you.”

“Is it my fault zat you two got caught fucking?” Josette snapped. She'd said fucking with a long u, so that it sounded more like foocking. It was enough to make Lily smile.

“Yes, it is your fault, incidentally, you little French whore.”

“Is it not enough zat you got zee Potter vile I am left alone?” Josette spat, letting Lily see for just a fraction of a second the hurt in her eyes. “'E vas alvays comparing me to you.”

Maybe this is just a case of a jealous ex-girlfriend taking her revenge a little too far, Lily thought. I mean, I did steal her boyfriend, didn't I? They were technically dating when I let James kiss me—those multiple times that he kissed me. She cocked her head to the side, staring at her newfound foe.

“And what did you accomplish by being a tattle tale?” Lily asked, narrowing her eyes. “Don't answer. There's no need. But if you'd hoped to get one or both of us expelled—or even suspended—you failed miserably.”

Josette's maniacal laughter rose alarm from Lily.

“Is zat vat you zink? That all I did vas `tattle tale'?” she asked, smirking. Lily was thankful that Betty and Ashley were there as witnesses. As if reading her mind, Josette's eyes came to rest on her best mates. “Is zis supposed to scare me? Zree leettle school girls `oo probably aren't vorth zeir weight in magic.” Her eyes glinted. “Zen again, Lily, you are looking a bit fat.”

“What else have you done?” Lily growled, stepping toward her and reaching for her wand. “You need to learn to let go of things, Josette. Jealousy and bitterness doesn't become you.”

“Come closer,” Josette whispered, grabbing Lily's arm and pulling sharply so that Lily nearly fell. Her ear was right next to Josette's mouth. For a second, Lily was worried that the crazy witch would try to bite off her ear. “'Oo do you zink set it up so zat `e vaz nearly killed?” She leaned back, shoving the pretty redhead from her. “A woman knows ven she is being lied to, non? `Ow about zat time `e kissed you under zee tree?”

Lily was genuinely sorry. This girl was completely out of her mind.

“It was wrong, but that's no reason to kill him.” To be honest, she didn't really believe it of her—that this girl would actually try to kill him… No. She couldn't imagine it.

“You no believe? Very vell. `Ow about zat snake you found in your bed? Mmm?”

Lily instantly wanted to blast that smart little raised eyebrow off Josette's face.

“Snake?” Ashley gasped. “Lily, leave it. She's nuts.”

But Lily didn't hear her. How dare she try to kill them both?! What the bloody hell was this lunatic playing at? She made to raise her wand.

Josette was just a step ahead of her. “Intestinus flagro!”

Lily managed to dodge the spell, but it still grazed her left shoulder. An unbearable heat flared through the upper left part of her body. Her hands shook. She knew that if had hit her square in the chest as Josette had intended, her internal organs might have caught fire. She would have burned to death from the inside out.

“You little skank!” Ashley shrieked, whipping out her wand, Betty just a nanosecond behind her. “I'll kill her, Lils, I will!”

“Don't waste your energy,” Lily muttered, swallowing with difficulty as the heat died down within her. “You want to fight, Josette? Very well.” It took her not an instant to know what she wished to do. “Ipse esito aedes.”

Unlike most witches and wizards who liked to shout out curses, Lily never raised her voice above “indoor voice”. She didn't need to shout to derive her power from her anger. Her blood was boiling enough as it was.

The curse, an old Dark spell, was designed so that the cells of the human body would eat itself alive. Lily had never dared to try it, wasn't sure she was even capable of such magic, but it seemed to work. The shrieks and wails coming from Josette were positively terrifying. But she didn't lose face.

She ambled slowly to her. It was a slow-acting spell, as to cause pain. She was in no danger of eating herself into non-existence.

“Mess with me again, Josette, and you'll regret it,” she said in a deadly whisper. “You said that he was always comparing you to me. I feel offended.” She spat on the floor in front of the agonized girl. “As if you could ever measure up. Finite.”

The girl on the floor stopped writhing, sobbing hysterically. Her breathing was ragged and stilted.

“Lily…” Betty said, her voice shaking. “Let's go.”

Lily stared hard at the girl that had supposedly tried to kill James and then her. Had she almost killed her? No, she'd be fine. She would. And Lily would not let herself feel guilty.

“Remember what I said,” she told Josette in a whisper. “I'd advise you not to tell anyone about this. Stay away from me and James and our mates. If I see you fifteen feet near any of us, I'll repeat what happened today.”

*~*

“She's bloody avoiding me,” James growled, throwing his pillow across the room. This was the first night he'd get to spend outside the infirmary. He hadn't seen Lily since she'd dropped off his food the day before yesterday. She'd been on her way to do something then and had left promptly. She hadn't been to visit him all day yesterday or earlier today, even though Sirius had told her he wanted to see her.

Now he'd have to go hunt her down. Only he was feeling tired, which hurt his pride. James Potter did not let a silly little thing like getting stabbed in the gut slow him down.

“We'll kidnap her when no one's around,” Sirius shrugged. “We'll bring her here, tie her up, and leave you to your own devices.”

James ran a hand angrily through his hair. “Still doesn't explain why she's been avoiding me. I was perfectly gentlemanly, thanks.”

Remus turned the page of his History of Magic book. James raised a brow at him, wondering.

“Women are fickle creatures,” Sirius said as if it answered everything. “It's encoded in their DNA.”

James continued to watch Remus, who hadn't moved to say a thing. Usually he was very opinionated. He was such a terrible liar, even if he was lying by omitting.

“What do you know, Moony my boy?”

Remus didn't raise his head but looked at James over the rim of his reading glasses. “Not a thing.” He watched James for a moment before sighing. “Alright, I heard it from her mate Betty that she cornered Josette on her own. Turns out that she used a Dark incantation on her and feels pretty terrible.”

“How come you know this and I don't?” Sirius whined.

Remus rolled his eyes. “Oh, fine. I was eavesdropping.”

James chuckled. “That's my boy.”

Remus grinned. “They were asking for it.” He sobered up immediately. “James, she used the Self-Cell Eating Spell.”

“What's that mean?”

“Your body's cells eats itself. You basically… eat yourself. Until you're gone.”

“So? What does that have to do with anything?”

Sirius coughed. “Er, I thought you said she was just going to tell Josette to back off for spying on you two?”

James turned that over in his head. It did seem a bit… extreme. But there had to be some good explanation.

“Find her, let me know where she is. I'll ask her myself,” he said finally. “Will you?”

Sirius and Remus gave him an annoyed look, chorusing, “As if you have to ask.”

It didn't take them more than twenty minutes to discover what James should have been told by Lily herself.

She hadn't been at Beauxbatons since the evening before last.

Somehow, it wasn't too surprising when James picked up the object closest to him—a heavy volume of Chin-Chin the Greater and the Invention of Quidditch—and threw it halfway across the room to hit the door.

*~*

Lily, back at home, picked up the bread roll that had been left warming in the oven and headed for her front parlor room fireplace. Taking the little silk bag that held the Floo Powder out of the vase that hid it, she threw some over the flames, waiting for it to turn green. When it did, she said the name of the person she wanted to talk to.

After a somewhat lengthy conversation, she got the information she wanted.

“Try the Leaky Cauldron,” the man sighed. “Ask Tom to show you to the Back Room. Go hidden, Lily. It's not a safe place. Keep your wand handy.”

“I will. Thank you.” With that, she stood, signaling the end of their conversation.

*~*

A/N: Ok. So I've officially screwed myself. Once again. As I always do. I really gotta stop doing this to myself. I'll never finish a freaking story if I don't stop this. But here I am. Getting myself into yet another long story. Sorry. Five chapters? Yeah. Right. I'm so full of it.

But I really do enjoy this. I guess. Blah. What a bother. Lol. I really will try to be faithful to updating!!!

I finished Rude Awakenings, so go on and read it—tis beautiful (just kidding. Not conceited, promise).

But do review, no? Free chocolate covered strawberry to anyone who does.

All my love,

NKA

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