James sat on his bed the next morning, feeling restless. He doubted that he had even slept for more than six hours last night (and as he normally struggled to actually wake up for his alarm that was saying something). His thoughts were not - as they usually were - of a certain red-haired girl either.
No, he was thinking about himself and how his life had gotten stuck in a rut. His parents, as lovely as they were, couldn't do everything for him forever, and he knew he would eventually have to become completely independent. He simply felt at a loss. Gradually he was realising that although everybody found his pranking and joking hilarious, there would be a time when he would be too old for it.
He was seventeen. Surely he wasn't going through a mid-teens crisis?
He jumped up from his bed, crossed the room, and pulled out some parchment. He then sucked on the end of his sugar quill and thought as he wrote.
Dear Sirius,
Don't worry about waiting for me before you go into Hogsmeade today. I thought I would get some Quidditch practise in. Of course, you could always bring me back some products from Zonko's. Annoying Filch with dung bombs never seems to get old. Oh, and if you see Evans around… tell her… (he paused, and scratched his chin thoughtfully.)…tell her that Slughorn is looking for her and that she's still welcome to come to the Slug Club meetings. (His love for her will never die. I think I have competition, mate.)
Have a good day,
James.
PS. I have the mirror with me, if you need me at all.
James gathered his Quidditch robes and rested his broom on his shoulder. He hadn't really been intending to practise Quidditch, but now that he had told Sirius, he might as well. He walked down the entrance hall, glancing neither left nor right, until he reached the changing rooms. He pulled his Quidditch robes over his head, donned his broomstick and marched out onto the grassy lawn.
He was just flying in and out of the hoops, chasing after the obstinate Snitch, when he heard a voice calling his name quietly from down below, almost as if whoever it was didn't want to be heard.
"James!" called Lily at the top of her lungs. Why was he outside on the Quidditch pitch by himself? He wasn't allowed! What if something happened to him? Then what would she do? She needed him as the Head Boy. It would take too long to teach somebody else the ropes.
And if she admitted it to herself, she quite liked having him around so often. Not that it would do to admit it to him, of course. It would give him far too high an opinion of himself. She was getting impatient now. Why did he seem to be frozen in mid-air? Had he not heard her? Was he completely oblivious to the fact that she was freezing cold, standing in the middle of a Quidditch pitch calling his name? Honestly, she had only come out because he was breaking the rules. This wasn't quite what she had bargained for.
"POTTER!" she shouted more vehemently. "Get down here now!"
"Hey," he smiled, coming down to meet her. "Sorry, it's hard to hear from up there. It feels like I'm lost in my own little world sometimes, you know?"
"Which is exactly why you shouldn't be out here alone. For your safety," she replied.
"Oh. So I'm breaking the rules then?" he grinned wickedly, raising his eyebrows.
"Yes," she said.
"So you are too?" he asked.
"Well… I suppose that I am," she said slowly.
"I never thought I'd see the day that Lily Evans broke the rules," he whispered, leaning in a little closer to her.
"This isn't the only rule I've broken!" she said indignantly.
"Care to share any more that you have? You can tell me on the way back to the castle," he suggested, holding out his hand to her.
She wrinkled her nose up in disgust at it. "You have mud on your hands," she said disdainfully. But instead of pulling her hand away, she kept it loosely within his and let him pull her back into the castle.
Sirius walked back up to the castle with Peter and Remus beside him. Peter had forgotten his coat, so when it began to get chillier, Remus suggested that they head back for it and then return to Madam Rosmerta. Sirius put up no objection to that as he had a slight crush on her ("No I don't, she's too old!").
But as they headed through the dewy grass they could see two figures, side by side, holding hands.
"Sirius… is that James?" asked Remus.
"Uh huh. With none other than Miss Evans," replied Sirius, smiling.
"You know, I'd withdraw that bet," said Peter through his chattering teeth. "He'll win her over by the end of the year, you mark my words."
"Oh, I agree," said Remus delicately. "That was the whole point of the bet -"
"To give him a kick start," said Sirius.
"Although she doesn't look that happy," said Peter thoughtfully. "I suppose we should put your plan into action, Sirius."
"We'll put it into motion once we've stopped you from getting frostbite," said Remus.
It was with anticipation that they headed back to Hogsmeade: the Marauders were back in action and with fresh plans.
At the beginning of the year, the seventh-years sat in the Gryffindor common room together debating James' love life.
"I'm telling you that you won't be going out by the end of the year," said Sirius, laughing at his friend.
"Oh, really?" said James, raising an eyebrow. "I bet you I will."
"I'll take that bet," said Remus. "I and Sirius say you won't. You say you will. Five Galleons to the winner."
"Alright then," said James, his mouth twitching in amusement. "Want to raise the stakes?"
"No, no, I think we're comfortable with that, right, Moony?" asked Sirius.
"Just one question: prepared to lose, James?" asked Remus.
"No," he said doubtfully. "Although I think I'll be five Galleons poorer by the end of the year."
"James, meet Lissy. She's a sixth year Ravenclaw, and -"
"Plays for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as Chaser. I know," said James, smiling. "Want to go then, Lissy?"
He reached out for her hand, took it in his, and walked with her down into Hogsmeade. Trips were banned, but James, being a Marauder, ignored the rules. Lissy, being so flattered that James was actually interested in her, hadn't given it a second thought. She had to admit that he seemed distracted this evening. Even though his eyes and conversation were focused upon her, it was as if his mind was somewhere else completely.
"So what's your favourite Quidditch team then?" asked Lissy when the conversation began to dwindle.
"What's yours?" asked James.
"Tornados," she replied, grinning. "I know yours already. I just wanted to keep the conversation going."
"I'm a little distracted, I'm sorry," said James, looking stricken. "What with all the news recently I find it hard to concentrate."
"I know what you mean," replied Lissy sombrely. "Doesn't seem that a day goes by without more ominous signs of him taking over. My auntie went missing a day or two ago. I guess we won't be seeing her again."
James put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "We'll fight to the end," he whispered.
"You know, you've changed," she remarked. "I didn't think you were capable of being serious for more than a minute."
"Times have changed," he smiled, "And I'm capable of a lot more than you give me credit for."
"Like what?" replied Lissy, leaning in a little closer.
In response he kissed her firmly on the lips.
It was meant to remain a secret that Lissy and James were seeing each other, the Marauders said. Of course they really wanted everybody to be aware, but by saying it was a secret they knew that the entire school would find out the same day.
Lily found out when she walked into the Great Hall the next morning. Lissy had crossed over to the Gryffindor table and was now sitting beside James in the place that was normally reserved for Sirius. But Sirius, she now noticed, was sitting opposite them both, looking at them with amusement. Lissy's eyes were sparkling at something that James had just said. She threw her head back and laughed in delight.
Lily's stomach churned with anger. She felt sick for a reason that she couldn't quite place. Was she bothered by this development? No. Of course she wasn't. It was just a shock - after years of chasing Lily, James Potter had finally moved on. She had asked him to go away numerous times, hadn't she? He had finally proved that he had matured. He had moved on just like she had asked him to. Yet it didn't give her the satisfaction that it would have once.
Just a few days ago, she had been holding his hand, walking back from the Quidditch pitch. He had clearly looked interested in her then, hadn't he? She knew he had from the way he'd given her his undivided attention. He'd laughed at everything she had said, whether or not she was cracking a joke. They had parted with a last lingering look before she had walked up to her dormitory. She had finally been warming to him, thinking that he was decent. She had just been able to see the qualities that everybody else had been speaking of all along.
She stood there for a few more seconds, dumbfounded, before her friend called her over. "Lily!" called Sarah, "Over here!"
Lily walked sedately over to her corner of the table and stared at her plate, suddenly no longer hungry. "You know about them then?" asked Lily, jerking her thumb to where they both sat.
"Yeah," grinned Sarah, "They look cute, don't they?"
"Particularly gag-worthy, I'd have to agree," said Lily, "Almost like one of those sickening romance novels you like to read."
"I seem to remember that not so long ago you were fond of them too," she said. "Anyway, you finally got your wish. I bet you're relieved, huh?"
"Of course. Never been more delighted or happier. I'm really very happy for James. I just hope it doesn't distract him from his Head Boy duties," responded Lily in a monotonous voice.
"I'm glad," said Sarah. "It's just I remember you saying the other day that you might even be warming to him. Does this… change anything… for you?"
Lily placed the feeling as jealousy. Could she be jealous of Lissy? No, she must have misplaced her judgement for a second. And why was Sarah staring at her like that?
"So does this change anything?" repeated Sarah.
"God, no. It just makes me feel relieved," said Lily, but her eyes were on the end of the table where the happy couple sat together.
Sarah just gazed at her sadly. "You've missed the train, Lily," was all she said. But it was enough as they both knew it to be true.
"Oh no, I can just catch another," said Lily, smiling. But the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
The rest of the day, of course, followed as disastrously as it had begun.
Later that day, Remus came up to her, "Hey, Lily."
"Hello, Remus. Can I help you with anything?" she asked.
"No, I was just wondering why you're not getting ready for the Quidditch try outs. They're on in ten minutes. I was just about to head down to the pitch. You can come down with me, if you'd like."
"Sure," she replied. "I'll just get my things."
She ran back to the dormitory, gathered her Quidditch robes, and headed back to see Remus waiting outside the portrait hole. They walked down to the pitch in relative silence. All attempts at conversation that Remus started were dismissed by Lily's one word answers. She didn't mean to be rude to him but she was simply in a world of her own.
"Lissy's going to be there," said Remus conversationally as she put her hand on the door knob. "It seems we have our own cheerleader."
"James does, you mean," said Lily acidly.
Remus just smiled and opened the door for her to pass through. "So you've noticed." It was a statement rather than a question.
"It was hard not to," said Lily.
"Discretion has never been James' strong point, I'll admit," said Remus.
"Which is painfully evident," said Lily. "Look, Remus, I'm not bothered."
"I never said you were," he answered with a frown on his face. "Why would you be? Anyone could see you hated his constant attention."
"I'm glad you understand," said Lily.
"Oh I understand perfectly," said Remus, watching her get on her broom. "Perfectly," he repeated.
Ten minutes later, it was Lily's turn for her tryout. Even though only one member of the team had left last year, James had still called for tryouts for the whole team. He insisted that by sticking with the same people year in and year out that they were more likely to become stagnant and miss out on the new talent.
And Lily, determined not to be put off by Lissy cheering for James in the crowds, tried to play her best. Something wasn't quite right though. From the moment she got onto her broom she felt stiff and awkward. Normally she felt completely natural in the air but today she was afraid, tentative, and lacking confidence.
"Something wrong, Lily?" called James, looking at her worriedly.
She shook her head in response and continued to fly around the pitch at leisure. Her grip on the broom loosened slightly and she began to feel more comfortable. James unleashed the Quaffle and passed it lightly through the air to her. She caught it one handed and did a reverse pass to Beth who was directly below her. The play continued to build up in a similar manner until they reached the goal hoops. Lily went to score and it flew straight through the left goalpost.
Her tryout continued for a few more seconds before James said she could leave. "We'll be seeing you on the team again this year, I see," was all he said.
Lily gave him a half smile before stomping off to the changing rooms. Why had her broom been acting so odd? She didn't pay it another thought, though, her mind too occupied with the high-pitched squeals of a certain girl in the crowd. A few weeks ago she had thought Lissy a sensible, intelligent student who was capable of her Prefect duties. Now it seemed that her apparent adoration of James had turned her brain into mush.
It was with a heavy heart that Lily got into bed that evening. She wasn't jealous as her friends suggested, but nor was she particularly glad of the new arrangement, and she doubted that she would be able to play properly during the coming Quidditch match with that girl cheering for the Gryffindor team.
Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny. As Sirius liked to say: perfect conditions for Quidditch. The ground was springy and good for a fast take-off into the air. Although it was mild and warm, the sun wasn't so blinding that the teams' vision would be obscured. In fact, James was quite pleased with the weather. It seemed today could finally be the day when Gryffindor steamrollered Slytherin. It had been too long, Professor McGonagall said, since the trophy had been gathering dust in her office. James was determined to win it back for her.
He got to breakfast and was just tucking into some bacon and eggs when he saw Lissy striding over to where he was sitting. He inwardly groaned. He really liked Lissy. He did. But she wasn't the same girl he had been on a date with a week ago. Oh no. She was now staring at him adoringly, laughing loudly at all his jokes, and cheering for him in the stands (in a rather cringe-worthy manner).
"Hey," she said, bounding up to him. "Nervous?"
Her friends stood in a cluster behind her, giggling noisily at the interaction between them. James couldn't really see the funny side. He was all for a joke, a prank but - laughing at this? It was too much.
"Not any more so than the other matches I've played," he said through clenched teeth.
"Well, make sure you win. I want to see you at the after party," she said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek before running back to her friends.
Sirius walked up to him, observing the look of distaste on his friend's face. "What happened to her?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.
"Confounded," said James innocently. "It would be better if she was. Somebody swapped the mind of the Ravenclaw Prefect for a giggling monster."
"Popularity went to her head," said Remus, looking over at her.
"Popularity?" said Sirius incredulously. "Is that what it's called when you have friends like those?"
"Unfortunately so," said Remus gravely. "Right, James, eat up. We need to go out. Sirius I need you to take the charm you put on the Beater's bats off."
"Charm? I didn't put a charm on them!" said Sirius indignantly. "Okay, well, I did when I heard the Slytherins had their Quidditch practice booked for the time we wanted ours."
Right on cue, a motley group of Slytherins walked past the Gryffindor table, some with suspiciously purple bruises on their eyes and lumps on their heads. Remus stifled a laugh by putting his hand over his mouth. James just groaned and pushed his plate away from him.
"Where's Peter gone again?" he asked.
"Library," said Sirius, his eyes glazing over at the mention of the word. "Again. I think he's becoming all studious."
"No," said Remus in mock horror. "God forbid! He should be out pranking with us instead."
"Exactly," said Sirius, believing him to be perfectly serious. "Still, can't help but think something might be wrong."
"Of course not," scoffed James. "What could Peter be up to?"
His question was rhetorical, but as they walked out onto the Quidditch pitch a little while later, he paid it less attention then it deserved.
"The Gryffindor team! Presenting… Black, Evans, Donaldson, Kass, Moldovan, Prewett and Potter!"
Wild applause met Lupin's final words. Up from the commentating post he could see Lissy standing up on her feet, holding a huge banner. He couldn't decipher the words, and he deduced that was a perhaps a good thing.
"Introducing the Slytherin team: Higginbottom, McCauley, Prince, Frances, Montague, Winberg and Black!"
Booing erupted from one end of the stands (notably the Gryffindor's) and applause from the green and silver side. Remus saw his friend shake hands with Winberg, the Slytherin captain, and grimace. It seemed to be an unspoken rule that each captain had to try to break the other's hand.
"Potter reverse passes to Evans, who drops it. Montague picks it up and flies on, before passing to Winberg, who also drops it. Evans picks it up, passes to Potter, who shoots -"
Cheers and roars came from the Gryffindor supporters. "AND HE SCORES! Ten points to Gryffindor!"
Moldovan, the light and speedy Gryffindor Seeker, was searching for the Snitch. Circling just below was the reserve Slytherin seeker, Prince. Their first choice Seeker had been one of those hurt by Sirius's prank.
"And still no sight of the Snitch! Did Moldovan just see something? No! Spectacular hit from Black who nearly knocks his brother off his broom -" boos from the Slytherins punctuated his commentary "and play is resumed. Evans scores! The score stands at forty-nil to Gryffindor. Could this be Slytherin's first defeat by Gryffindor in years?"
Moldovan had seen the Snitch. She went into a fast dive, almost colliding with the ground in her haste to reach the elusive Snitch. She pulled up at the last second triumphantly with the Snitch in her hand.
"GRYFFINDOR WINS! One hundred ninety to ten! Slytherin's harshest defeat in two seasons!" called Lupin over the megaphone.
"I'll see you at the after party, Moldovan," he grinned before heading down onto the pitch.
James stayed airborne for a few more seconds, feeling the wind whistle through his ears, the joy of triumph coursing through him. He jumped down from his broom and joined the tangled hug that was the Gryffindor team.
He saw Lily's face look up into his and for one joyous moment it looked like she was going to kiss him. Then she turned away to Sirius who pointed to Lissy. She was staring at him with a mixture of incredulity and confusion on her face.
He smiled half-heartedly at her before joining the rest of the team heading back to the castle. He could deal with her tomorrow.