Heartbeat

Dos

“Pathetic.”

“Truly pathetic.”

“Really, truly pathetic.”

“Terribly, really, truly pathetic.”

“ENOUGH! I think we all get the idea,” Lily screamed in annoyance.

Madeline and Caroline looked at each other and shrugged.

“If you say so,” they said in unison.

“Yeah, well, I do say so! Poor Oscar was a llama for a whole two hours! Whatever potion Potter used was so well crafted Slughorn couldn't figure it out, and McGonagall couldn't transfigure him back! It was awful. Dear Oscar, he ate three sweaters and Slug's toupe.”

The twins sniggered at the memory of Oscar the llama chewing on Slughorn's toupe.

“James Potter made one good point, though,” Caroline said, smirking.

“…Oscar was an adorable llama,” Madeline finished, also smirking.

Lily sighed and put her fingers to her temple.

“Why must everyone think everything that that git does is brilliant? Why can't you see the many flaws of James Potter? And when I say many, I mean a huger than huge amount of flaws!”

The two girls shrugged.

“We happen to think his “flaws” aren't flaws at all,” Madeline explained simply.

“He's funny,” Caroline said.

“And charming.”

“And handsome.”

“Ohhh, and don't forget he's so athletic,” Caroline said, practically drooling as she daydreamed of James Potter flying on his Silver Phoenix 390 Quidditch broom.

“Those are all bad things. Is he kind? NO. Is he mature? NO. Is he concerned with anything but Quidditch and how bloody windswept his hair looks after getting off his broom? DEFINITELY NO. See, I just proved right here and now how bad of a person he is,” Lily ranted, hardly pausing to take in a breath; she was turning red from lack of air.

“Lily! Lily love, breathe. That's it…breathe,” Madeline said, holding up her thumb. “Good job! You deserve a pat on the back.”

Lily rolled her eyes.

“He makes me so ruddy mad, that's all,” Lily growled. She folded her arms and glared out the dormitory window. “He's so infatuated with me it's so utterly pathetic and aggravating! He's jinxing my dates into llamas! Don't you think this has all gone too far? I've tried to convince him I'll never, NEVER return his feelings! What more does the stupid bloke want from me?”

“Marriage.”

“To spend the rest of his life with you?” Caroline answered as if this weren't a big request at all.

Lily growled again, this time muffling her growl into her pillow.

“Well, it's too bad!” she shouted. “I only go for gits that actually care about important things! Like Oscar. And James Potter isn't Oscar. He's the exact opposite and he always will be.”

“Yeah, James is actually attractive.”

& & &

“So how badly are you two in trouble?” James asked as he and his Marauder pals walked slowly to Advanced Potions.

Peter shrugged. “My mum doesn't really care. She says she's given up.”

“Welcome to the club, Wormy, `cept my mum's cursed me to hell and called me the biggest disappointment of her life. But it's more or less the same, right?” Sirius said, shrugging.

They entered the classroom and settled down at their table (the Marauder table) far at the back. No one else was allowed to sit here during their period but them. As James passed the table where Oscar Macmillan usually sat, he pulled a folded piece of paper out and set it down right on the desk.

He and Padfoot shared a secret grin before taking their seats.

“Look at him,” James whispered to the other three, his hazel eyes fixed on Oscar as he entered the dungeon with his friend Rodney. “He still looks like a ruddy llama. And that's without the potion.”

Peter snickered. “Brilliant, Prongs!”

Oscar took his seat and stared curiously at the folded piece of parchment in front of him. He looked to Rodney, but Rodney merely shrugged, so he picked it up and unfolded it slowly.

It was a drawing of a llama (Oscar the llama specifically), and he was chewing on a sweater hungrily. Just above the drawing the words, “Macmillan, fancy some sweater?” were scrawled.

Oscar turned to the back of the class where three of the four Marauders were all laughing loudly, Sirius even wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. Oscar turned a bright red, but little did the poor bloke know that his torture wasn't over yet.

“What are those jerks laughing about?” Lily growled, sighing and rolling her eyes.

“Probably more jokes about Oscar,” said Caroline, opening her book bag.

“Yeah. They won't leave him alone `till you two stop dating, you know,” Madeline said simply.

“Well, I'll have to punch Potter in the face next time!” Lily said angrily.

“He'd love that.”

“I'll never throw these broken glasses away for as long as I live!'” Madeline imitated in James' dreamy voice.

Caroline and even Lily couldn't help a small laugh, as they both knew it was perfectly true; if Lily ever were to punch James in the face he'd treasure his broken glasses for all of eternity and more, as pitiable as that was.

“Good morning ladies and gents!” Slughorn barked to the class.

He set down his leather briefcase and turned to the blackboard. He lifted the screen from the board, and what was drawn beneath it made the whole class explode into laughter.

It was Oscar. And he was in his llama-form. His eyes were wide and starry-looking, giving him an insane appearance, and his long and sopping tongue was between his giant teeth as he stupidly attempted to chew on it and eat it.

Oscar sunk so low in his chair only the very top of his red forehead was visible.

“What's this?” Slughorn asked over the loud laughter ringing through the dungeon.

Below the drawing on the blackboard in messy scrawl that was unmistakably James Potter's, “What Oscar Macmillan REALLY looks like.”

“Oh! Haha, genius!” Slughorn exclaimed once he recognized the handwriting. He laughed for a short while before he cleared his throat and realized he was the teacher; he had to call order. “Ahem! Attention! Attention, class! Yes, yes, it's hilarious, but it's time for class to begin.”

“Can you believe this?” Lily whispered to Caroline and Madeline.

“I never knew James drew so well,” Caroline replied thoughtfully.

Lily let out a sort of frustrated snort, putting her hand to her forehead. Was she insane? Was she the only one that saw James Potter as nothing more than a complete and total arse? Or was she the only one that was bothered that he was?

Once the bell rang, James was first up his seat, purposely walking right past Oscar's desk before he could get up.

“Macmillan,” James said as he stopped right in front of him. “I think you know what we want you to do. And soon or else you may find yourself chewing on more sweaters than you ever believed you would.”

Oscar said nothing; he merely made a gulping noise and looked down at the floor.

James winked and grinned, and continued to the doorway of the dungeons.

“James!” Slughorn said, hurrying over to one of his favorite students. “Excellent artwork! Good luck at the opening Quidditch game of the season! I have betted four Galleons on you! Shhh…don't tell, I am the Head of Slytherin, you know.”

Slughorn winked at James Potter, simply simpering as he got that greedy look in his eyes.

“Well,” James said, turning to look at the other three Marauders. “This has shaped up to be a good day already, hasn't it?”

“Oh Prongs,” chuckled Sirius. “When the four of us are together, it's always a blast.”

& & &

“Can you two not swallow each other's faces? It's pretty disgusting,” Peter said, a sickened look on his face.

Sirius and Sadie Miles broke apart from their long and wet snog, and looked over to Wormtail.

“And it's not disgusting to snog a pillow?” Sadie asked, her left eyebrow high.

Peter's cheeks blushed.

“That was only once!”

“Liar!” Sirius snorted, laughing. “I caught you last week snogging your pillow in the dark! And you may have been doing some other things, too. I dunno…frankly, I was too afraid to find out.”

James and Sadie burst out into uncontrollable laughter, as Peter looked too embarrassed to ever speak again; Remus said nothing, he only turned a page in the book he was reading.

“Yeah, but you know what? I do kind of agree with Petey,” James said, after he calmed himself. “I don't much fancy seeing you and Sadie trying to scarf down each other's faces.”

“Prongs! You're one to talk. Remember Caitlin Timberlake? Holly Daniels? Yeah, `cause I do. And I remember you-”

“All right, all right. Shut your gab. I see your point,” James interrupted sulkily.

“Do you want me to fix you a date with Cady Patil? You'd love her. She's just your type,” Sadie asked.

“Are you kidding? He still hasn't washed his bloody cheek!” Sirius exclaimed.

“Hey, Padfoot, I told you I'm considering it!” James said defensively.

Sirius and Sadie both nodded their heads before they continued with their long game of tonsil hockey.

James turned his head, realizing Peter was very right. It wasn't exactly delightful to sit next to a couple making out while you were trying to eat a nice little lovely lunch.

“See! Now who's feeling guilty about teasing me about the pillow incident!” Peter squeaked.

“Peter, shut up! You snogged a ruddy pillow!” James cried in disbelief.

Wormtail blushed yet again. “It was only once, Prongs.”

James's eyebrows rose.

“Okay, okay. Twice. Maybe three times, possibly four. But that's all, I swear!”

& & &

“Welcome to the opening match of the season! The ever classic Gryffindor versus Slytherin!” Ian Hooper cried into the magic microphone. He held the microphone in both his hands as he continued, “But down to it it's Potter versus Flint, the two seekers! Who will win? DUN, DUN, DUN! Though it better be Potter `cause I put a whole Galleon on him and I'm bloody broke!”

“Hooper! Please stick to simple commentary, no need to discuss your gambling on school grounds, which is illegal!”

“Oh. Really, it's illegal? Well, professor Slug's been taking bets all week and - I mean, erm, back to the match, yeah! The balls have been released and the players are off!”

James shot up high into the air, the crowd clapping and cheering, as he impressed them with some spins and flips and other skillful tricks he knew.

“Isn't he brilliant?” asked one fourth year girl, sounding as if she wanted to swoon.

Lily rolled her eyes, tempted to gag. She hadn't even wanted to come to the game; Madeline and Caroline had made her. Now here she was stuck high up in the Quidditch bleachers watching Potter the fool be idiotic.

“Yeah, isn't he brilliant, Lily?” Madeline asked teasingly in the same sort of dreamy voice as the fourth year.

“Shut up.”

“Don't you just want to kiss his lil' nosey?”

“No. Break his “lil' nosey” is more like it,” Lily replied angrily.

James hardly ceased with the tricks. The crowd was going wild for him, most of the girls paying more attention to his dazzling efforts than to the actual game. The Slytherins were beginning to become extremely annoyed, particularly Flint who everyone seemed to ignore.

“And the score is thirty to ten!” Ian announced after twenty minutes of the game had gone by. “But I have to tell you, Potter and his tricks are much more interesting. All the girls go mental for him, anyway. But hey, if I were a girl I'd definitely take a run at him. Ahem, moving on.”

“Yes, please, please do, Mr. Hooper,” McGonagall said, nodding her head.

There it was, the golden Snitch. James' eyes widened as he grinned smugly and immediately dove for it. A single split second later Flint had spotted it, too, and he was diving as well.

“You can't beat me,” James muttered arrogantly, his hands tight around his broom handle as he continued to dive. “Dives are my specialty, you idiot!”

Just as both seekers came in close proximity of the golden Snitch it swerved and spun upwards, shooting straight towards the Gryffindor bleachers. The crowd was wild and crazy now, most people on their feet as they jumped and cheered.

James pulled upward on his handle, stopping midway through his what-would-have-been spectacular dive, and he followed the Snitch back up, towards the high bleachers. Flint, however, had much more trouble. He tried the same thing as James, only he pulled a little too hard and spun upside down.

Hanging from his broom by one hand, he was saved by courteous Madam Hooch, who flew up and helped him back onto his broom.

“Here I come!” James screamed, full of adrenaline.

“Look, the Snitch is coming this way!” Caroline shrieked, pointing at the golden ball.

“And so is your sweet Potter, Lily,” Madeline mocked.

Lily sighed, folding her arms as she too watched Potter chase after the Snitch headed their way.

“Give me that!” Flint roared, elbowing his own Beater. He grabbed the bat from Goober and hit the moving Bludger as hard as he could, sending it soaring Potter's way.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle but it was too late; the Bludger was on its way and it was going to hit James right in the back of the head!

“HAHA!” Flint hooted, as did all of the other dozens of Slytherins.

Everyone took in a breath as they watched in suspense; most were ready to cry out in concern if James were to get hit by the awry Bludger.

“Sweet Merlin, the Bludger's gonna hit James!” Sirius yelled, rising to his feet with Sadie, Peter and Remus.

Lily was on her feet as well, her mouth dropped and her eyes following the Bludger.

“POTTER!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “LOOK OUT!”

At the last possible second James swerved out of the way, escaping the Bludger and everyone let out a sigh of relief.

But the unfortunate set of events weren't over just yet. The Bludger was still heading straight for the Gryffindor bleachers! Everyone ducked and screamed in terror, and James turned right back around, to watch in shock whom the Bludger would hit.

“LILY, LOOK OUT!” barked James. He never remembered flying so fast. But the second he saw that the Bludger was going to hit Lily, as she crouched down on the stands, ignited a sort of wondrous power and determination inside of him. In almost a blink of an eye, James was level with the Bludger.

He went to grab it, to stop it, but he missed. He sped further and he did the only thing he could.

Praying he got it right on his first and only try, he hooked his arm around Lily's waist, pulling her along with him. She screamed, the Bludger missing her and exploding into a thousand pieces after a jinx finally caught it, and James swung her fully onto the broom right in front of him,

As Lily swung onto the broom she felt something collide with the palm of her hand. It was cold and round and it fluttered in her hand.

The whole crowd was wilder and screaming louder than anyone had ever heard it. James steered the broom to the ground; it was a difficult feat considering he was steering the broom from behind, and that Lily's long and thick red hair kept flying into his face.

Lily hopped off of the broom, as she opened her palm and realized she had caught the Snitch! The crowd erupted into even more cheers, and everyone hurried off of the stands and onto the field, carrying all of the Gryffindor Quidditch players above their heads.

“I caught the Snitch!” Lily exclaimed happily. She was smiling at James, realizing how handsome he looked with his Quidditch broom in his hand and his hair windswept. “And, you caught me, James.”

James grinned and nodded. “I did, didn't I?”

“You were spectacular, James,” she said in admiration.

James realized how close they were; so close their noses were almost touching.

“I was?”

“Yes.” Lily leaned in even closer, as if about to kiss him. “James,” she said softly. “Potter...”

James grinned goofily and replied, “Yes, Lily?”

“…Get your hand off my waist!”

James' eyes popped open and he realized he and Lily were on the ground, still on the broom and James' hand was still wrapped around her waist. He quickly withdrew it, going red, and realized he had imagined all of Lily's admiration for him.

Instead she was throwing him filthy glares, trying to fix her messy, windswept hair.

“Look,” she said, opening her hand. “I caught the stupid Snitch!”

“Ladies and gents Lily Evans has caught the Snitch! Gryffindor wins!” Hooper announced to the crowd.

The Slytherins booed and hissed, and claimed the Gryffindors had cheated; Lily Evans wasn't on the team. Yet the boos and hisses were matched with cheers from the Gryffindors themselves, and even some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.

“You caught the Snitch!” James said in surprise and disappointment.

“Yes, I did! And so what if I did?” Lily snapped. She released it from her grasp and said, “And never grab me like that again, understand Potter?”

She spun on her heel and marched off without another word.

“I was trying to save you!” James called after her. He took a few steps forward, tempted to go after her.

“Don't I at least get a slap this time?” he shouted hopefully.

She didn't reply and his shoulders slumped in dissatisfaction. He felt like an utter idiot, and this idiot knew one thing: his fantasy was a tad better than this!

& & &

A/N: Thank you for all of the wonderful feedback last chapter. Please review this one with feedback as well. Thanks and have a nice day!