Perfectly Imperfect
By The Kat
"We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."
-Sam Keen
Chapter One
Professor Milburrow was quite content with his collection of priceless gold gobstones. In fact, as he readily recalled for anyone willing to listen, he had been the reigning national champion seven years in a row when he was in his prime, and had a glittering set of trophies on display to prove it- one of which was handed to him directly by the Head of the Professional Gobstones Guild himself, Donahue Jennings. Settled right between the priceless set of gobstones and his shimmering trophies, was a photograph of Jennings shaking hands with Milburrow. Milburrow was the rather large boy on the left, face ruddy with glee. He wrenched Jennings' arm up and down roughly, Jennings' glasses bouncing dangerously close to the tip of his nose.
Milburrow beamed with pride as the memories came flooding back, as they did every evening when he viewed his priceless possessions before he headed off to bed. He flicked the tassel of his nightcap and yawned. Just as he was turning from the mantle, the precious photograph of Milburrow and Jennings burst quite suddenly into flame.
Milburrow shrieked in the most unmanly way and dove for it. "No!" he gasped, attempting to douse it with his wand. But for some reason, the fire seemed to be repelling the water, and instead began jetting out the opposite end of the wand into Milburrow's left eye. "Argh!"
He swung around wildly, juggling the burning photo while trying to avoid his own wand's relentless blast of water.
"Confounded thing!" he hissed, finally gaining control and putting out the flame. Luckily, there wasn't too much damage done, and he was able to fix it with a quick "Reparo!"
"Good heavens," he grumbled, placing the photo lovingly back in its rightful spot.
Nothing this strange had ever happened to him in his entire career until he began teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And this wasn't the first occurrence. In the first two months teaching, he'd experienced a number of these oddities, ranging from random fires, to loss of bodily control, to just plain clumsiness on his part. In fact, he was beginning to think the rumours were true…perhaps the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was indeed cursed…
But Milburrow didn't have a chance to finish this thought, for his gobstones began leaping up, one-by-one, from their positions on the display board, and began firing sickly green goo randomly at his face.
"ARRGGH!!" The foul-smelling stuff stuck to his forehead, his clothes, and one squirt got him in the right eye.
Partially blinded and squealing, he began dancing around his office, knocking papers and trinkets from his desk in his frenzy. Important objects crashed around him. "Imobulus!" he cried desperately, waving his wand in what he believed was the general direction of the hexed gobstones, for he was blinded by goo. "Imobuluuuuuus!" In one swift motion, he hurled his beefy form over his desk for cover, and crashed into his wooden chair, sending splinters about in every direction. But he was not safe for long. The gobstones whizzed after him, randomly spurting their foul goo. He leapt up, covered his head and lumbered out of his office, flinging open the door with a bang. The gobstones followed suit, zooming in formation out after him.
The office fell silent, now a complete disaster. Papers, broken objects, and busted furniture were scattered about, and bits of green goo clung to the floor and walls.
And then, sudden laughter burst from an ominous source. Two dark haired boys materialized in thin air, practically rolling on the floor.
"That was bloody excellent, James," one of them gasped, throwing his arm around his slightly taller companion. His hair was shiny and layered like raven feathers. He had to shake it from his glimmering gray eyes.
The taller boy, James, grinned and ran a hand through his mussed hair. "Thanks. But I must say, that backfiring charm was ingenious, Padfoot."
"Why thank you," he took a bow. "Ahhh…what would we do without this?" He held up a bundle of silvery material in reverence.
"Invisibility Cloaks are quite handy, Sirius," James smirked, taking it and slipping it into his cloak pocket. "For Marauders."
"Indeed," Sirius grinned, and began shuffling though Milburrow's desk. "And I do believe it's safe to say Professor Milton E. Milburrow won't be back next year."
"Good," James glowered. "No one gives James Potter a 'Dreadful' on his essays."
"Aha," Sirius nodded gravely. "So that's how you became Head Boy. You conned your way there." He slammed one of the desk drawers shut irately and continued digging.
"It's all part of my charm and talent." James sniffed and pocketed his wand. His hazel eyes glimmered mischievously. "Plus I'm bloody brilliant and that's all there is to it."
"Yes, well," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I'm sure there are a few…or one…who would disagree."
James' face turned dark briefly, as if Sirius had hit a touchy subject. "Right. Well she's going to get what's coming to her, if I can help it."
"Leave it alone," Sirius sighed. "She's not going to say yes to you, which I believe she's made quite clear many a time now."
James looked bitter. "I just don't understand her! Everyone loves me!"
Sirius cocked an eyebrow.
"Almost everyone likes me…" he revised and plopped down on Milburrow's desk. "I'll make her say yes, I've just got to figure out how."
"Well good luck then. A-ha!" Sirius held up a stack of papers triumphantly. "Old exams. These'll get a hefty price. I'll cut you in. What d'you reckon, James? 80/20?" Sirius wiggled his eyebrows expectantly.
"Don't let Moony see you with those." James flicked a bit of lint from his sleeve and began tossing an odd-shaped gold gadget about in the palm of his hand. It began vibrating and then exploded in a puff of smoke. James raised an eyebrow and dusted off his hands.
"Oh, he's just sore that you made Head. He should have been more aggressive."
"He's not sore," James murmured in his defense, "he's just sour that we have all the fun. He really should loosen up, you know."
"I'll leave him a memo." Sirius shoved the last few tests into his bag and tossed James a bottle of firewhiskey. "Let's get going."
James took a generous gulp, wiped his mouth and tossed it back to Sirius who did the same. James slid lightly off the desk and the two sauntered out into the corridor, leaving the hideous mess behind them.
---
"Come on, Lily," a tall, willowy brunette beckoned her friend. Her face was painted red and gold to match her outfit, and the charmed painting of a lion on her cheek roared ferociously. "We'll be late!" She was dancing on her toes now.
A petite redhead emerged from the loo, slicking her locks back into a ponytail. Pinned neatly on the collar of her cloak was a gold badge on which the words 'Head Girl' proudly gleamed. "Coming, Audrey," she mocked. Her emerald eyes gave her friend the once-over and she balked. "Am I underdressed?"
Audrey grunted and wrenched Lily by the wrist. "Let's move!"
The halls were a blur as they sped past glimmering banners of black, yellow, and red, and pushed through crowds of students, all headed in the same direction as them: to the Quidditch Pitch. It was the first game of the season, and blasphemy to miss. Not that Lily was particularly fond of Quidditch, but Audrey, a die-hard fan, didn't give her best friend Lily much of a choice in the matter.
Lily gasped for air as they emerged from the masses and slipped behind the stands. The crowd was already rumbling with chatter and excitement. Audrey tugged Lily's sleeve impatiently, gesturing toward her wand.
Lily sighed. Audrey had forced Lily to learn this charm specifically for Quidditch matches. "No one else can do it as perfectly as you!" Audrey had pressured, her perfectly straight teeth glittering charmingly. Lily resentfully pulled out her wand and swished it in a complicated fashion. Immediately a spiral of silvery smoke emerged, and she manipulated it into the general shape of a make-shift staircase.
Audrey grinned and pulled Lily along, scurrying up the magical steps. Though Lily reproved of the method, it was Audrey's way of getting the prime seats. And sure enough, it succeeded once again as they plopped down right in the center, able to see every metre of the field perfectly.
"We really shouldn't be doing this," Lily grumbled, tucking her wand away discreetly. "I'm Head Girl. I should be setting an example."
"Rubbish," Audrey murmured, scanning the field with wide eyes for any sign of the players. "No one's perfect."
Lily frowned. "I beg to differ…"
"Of course you do," Audrey voice was deadpan. "Oh, look!" She perked up, nearly knocking Lily over as she leapt from her seat. "There's James!"
Lily sighed and rolled her eyes. But before she could retort, everyone in the bleachers jumped up alongside Audrey and began cheering wildly. Lily didn't bother to join them. She knew exactly what was happening.
James Potter, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team would be showing off on his broom right about now, followed by his teammates including the miscreant Sirius Black. The Hufflepuffs would zoom out and shake hands with the Gryffindors and wave to the crowd. Then James would turn around and make some sort of obscene gesture at the other team right about…
The crowd roared with laughter, and the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins booed.
Right on time.
The viewers returned to their seats, getting situated while the whistle was blown for the game to begin.
Immediately, Lily reached into her robes, pulling out a concealed textbook. Audrey was so emmersed in the game she'd never notice. Lily delicately tapped the air around her with her wand to muffle the noise and began reading. She stayed like this, oblivious to the game, for quite some time. What with her N.E.W.T.S. coming up, she couldn't spare a second just sitting around watching some game.
---
James scanned the crowd. Aha. There she was. Lily Evans, smack dab in the middle of the stands. Wait a minute! She wasn't even paying attention! How was she going to see any of his brilliant moves if she wasn't watching? He growled bitterly and turned his attention back to the game. Must focus. Right.
"What's the matter, Potter?" A curly-haired blonde zipped by wearing the Hufflepuff uniform. "Love got you down?"
James glared and grinded his teeth.
"LARSEN PASSES THE BLUDGER TO HIGGINS," the commentator proclaimed. "OH!"
There was a sharp gasp from the crowd. Jane Osmond, James' fellow Chaser had just been knocked from her broom. James growled in fury and sped toward the falling Quaffle. But he was too late. A Hufflepuff Chaser had snagged it.
"OSMOND IS KNOCKED FROM HER BROOM BY AN EXCELLENTLY HIT BLUDGER BY HUFFLEPUFF'S OWN GREGORY HIGGINS! AND- HUFFLEPUFF SCORES!"
The crowd screamed for joy, minus the Gryffindors who grumbled sourly. Higgins was glowing, and he waved his bat in the air.
James beat the air angrily with his fist and cursed himself. He glanced over at Higgins. Gregory was doing flips in midair, and twirling his bat. James frowned and followed Higgins' line of vision…and there was Lily smiling back, those emerald eyes of hers glittering in the setting sunlight, her sleek red ponytail laid neatly over her right shoulder, one hand holding a book and the other waving. Not at James. At Gregory Higgins.
"Oh, so she pays attention for him, does she?" James grimaced, whipping the tail of his broom around and zooming across the field towards the Quaffle.
Sirius zipped past him, twirling his bat. "What d'you say we knock that prat Higgins off his sorry Cleansweep?"
James smirked to himself and gave Sirius the faintest of nods. In a flash, James pushed his broom into a nosedive.
The crowd gasped audibly at his brave move.
"POTTER MAKES A DIVE FOR THE QUAFFLE- AND…HE'S GOT IT!"
James clutched the Quaffle in the crook of his arm, speeding toward the goal posts. From the corner of his eye he could see the Hufflepuff beaters Higgins and Larsen gearing up to knock him out. The Bludger was passing speedily between them, closing the distance between them and James. Then, suddenly, Sirius dove between them, smacked the Bludger lightly with his bat, and the Bludger soared toward James.
James passed the Quaffle to another Chaser, spun around shortly and smacked the Bludger with the end of his broomstick. The great Bludger sailed through the air, right toward the wide-eyed Higgins' head. James smirked triumphantly.
"GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"
But Higgins ducked unexpectedly at the last second, and the Bludger buzzed right past. He laughed and shook his bat tauntingly.
---
Lily frowned. Her charm wasn't strong enough. She could still hear the faint screaming voices. Someone must have scored again.
It was quite a lovely day, she observed. The grounds were peaceful, and the cool November sky had just the right amount of clouds. Dusk would come soon. She really hoped the game was close to being over, she-
CRACK!
The crowd gasped and screamed as Lily collapsed into darkness.
---
The room was spinning. Lily opened her eyes. Odd. This wasn't the Quidditch Pitch. In fact, it wasn't even outdoors.
Lily frowned up at the worried face of Audrey. "Where…am I?"
Audrey gasped. "She's awake!"
"Oh thank heavens," Madame Pomfrey scurried over and pushed Lily right back down as she was beginning to sit up.
"What happened?" Lily asked angrilly. Why was she in the hospital wing? And- ow! Bloody hell! She clutched her forehead.
"Now, I healed the gash, dear, mind I haven't cleaned up all the blood…but a good stain-removing spell should do the trick," Madame Pomfrey explained as she began mixing some sort of potion at Lily's bedside.
Lily looked desperately at Audrey.
Audrey shook her head. "You were…well…"
"Knocked out by a Bludger." Another voice, male, cut over Audrey's timid one. Lily was suddenly aware of the small crowd huddled on the opposite side of the room, watching her. "It was a nasty one too…" Sirius Black was speaking, propping himself up with his broom. A few of the Gryffindor team were there as well, ones that she knew. "Sorry 'bout that."
"Sorry my bum," Audrey grumbled low enough for Lily to hear, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.
Lily was still bewildered by all this. Exactly how did that happen? She was just reading her book and then-
"James is real sorry, he is," one of the Chasers spoke up from behind Sirius.
Lily's face went dark. "I-I'm sorry…did you say James?"
"Er…" Sirius had jabbed the Chaser in the side and he now looked as though he were regretting his words. "I mean…what I meant was…"
But the storm was already brewing in her eyes. "James Potter did this? Another one of his stunts? And it almost killed me?"
"Well…" Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat. "I wouldn't say that…seriously injured, yes, but…"
Lily wasn't paying attention. She jumped out of bed and pushed past the crowd, ignoring Madame Pomfrey's screeches. She burst through the double doors, and there he was.
James was pacing up and down the corridor, an unreadable expression on his face.
"You." She hissed, jabbing a finger in his direction.
"Lily…" he looked up. Something like relief spread across his face. Then he scanned her bloodied robes and bruised forehead. "Er…you don't look so good…"
"Of course I don't 'look so good'!" Lily exclaimed. "You hit me in the head with a Bludger!"
"Right." He cleared his throat innocently. "About that…"
"I don't want to hear it, James," she growled. "Do you know how this must look?"
He frowned. "What do you mean how this looks?"
"I mean," she moved a stride closer, her teeth bared. "You need to start taking responsibility for you actions. You do realize that you are Head Boy, don't you?"
"Of cour-"
"Yet, so far, the load has all been on me. That's right. Me. Because Merlin forbid James Potter actually give up his Marauder days and grow up."
James balked, then glared. "At least I have fun."
"Oh, I have fun. And I would have more if I weren't cleaning up your messes all the time. And now this! You're making our headships look like some big joke! How do you expect me- either of us to get respect from the student body when you're putting Bludgers to the head of your fellow Head?" Lily was fuming. James was opening his mouth to say something but she cut him off. "And don't even try to make a pun out of that."
James closed his mouth, looking a bit put out. Then he frowned and waved a hand dismissively. "Right, because all of that really matters."
Lily took a deep breath, as if trying to supress rage and hurt. "Well maybe it means something to some of us. I'm actually trying. So get your act together, James-" Suddenly she stumbled, clutching her head.
James closed the gap between them, and caught her shoulder. "Lily?" he furrowed his brow.
She blinked and shook her head. Then, coming to, she tore herself from his grasp. "I can take care of myself, thanks."
James concern melted quickly into frustration. He glowered at her. "Go lie down."
Lily returned the glare, her emerald eyes flashing. "I will. Go…grow up." And with that, she stormed her way back through the double doors.
James could feel the rage mingled with guilt boiling in the pit of his stomach. She was so bloody stubborn. At this rate she was never going to give him a chance. And if there was one thing he wanted more than anything at this school, it was a date with Lily Evans.
Fifth year, as he recalled, he was smitten. Sixth, he had been rejected so many times, he was beyond annoyed. In fact, he'd become briefly apathetic…of course until she started dating that weed Menlow Masterson, who, incidentally, had been transferred out of Hogwarts for an incurable case of the black measles and James had been conveniently promoted to prefect. This year…he laughed bitterly to himself…this year he just wanted to prove a point. No one turns down James Potter, and Lily Evans was no exception. There had to be some way to prove himself to her.
The double doors creaked open. Sirius stepped out wearing a frown. "I could hear the yelling. Everything alright then?"
James scoffed and plopped down against the wall. "Oh yes. Perfect. Just fabulous."
"Right." Sirius leaned casually on his broom.
"It's not like I intentionally do these things!" James growled ruefully. "Honestly. How hard can it be to get one sodding date with the girl?"
"Well, that's excellent, James, really. Nothing says 'I want to date you' like a Bludger to the head."
"Har har. Aren't you the bloody Joker today?" James rolled his eyes and slammed his head against the wall.
"Look, Prongs, no one's perfect, not even Evans. Right, mate?" he swept the black locks from his eyes and held a hand out to James. "So let's go get some butterbeer, celebrate our loss, and perhaps…devise a plan?" he wiggled his eyebrows provacatively.
James took his hand and pulled himself up, then grinned back at Sirius. "Alright then. What did you have in mind?"
Sirius waggled his finger. "Ah ah ah! A magician never reveals his secrets. Unless of course, one bribes him with firewhiskey."