A/N: Alright ladies and gents, a day or two off schedule but here it is, the "long" awaited chapter seven!!! The REAL chapter you've all been waiting for (tee hee). In all honesty I had planned on six and seven being one chapter, but when I started writing it it was over double the length of the others, and a break in the middle was just funny to me : ) Anyway, I hope you enjoy! MAJOR plotlines in this chapter, this is the key to the ending after all. Read and review, please please PLEASE!!!
(p.s.- there is a teensy bit of language in this chapter and I can't remember what it's rated, so you HAVE been forewarned…)
CHAPTER SEVEN
There it was. Gleaming in the distance, that familiar golden sparkle that had always drawn him in, like an ardent wave to the beckoning shore. He watched in rooted splendor, lost in the glinting familiarity of his coveted prize. He gazed at the illustrious treasure, longing to close his arms around it- winning the heart of the woman he desired more than any other.
He continued to stare at its graceful form, veiled within a fiery sea of chanting fans. His mind urged him to touch it. To reach out for its shimmering wonder, calling him to catch it. He closed his eyes and reveled in the beauty of its luminous charm, imagining feeling the supple softness beneath his rigid fingertips. It was Lily.
Yes, he should've been searching for the snitch, prowling the skies with a razor-sharp stare like that of his formidable counterpart, who was currently sweeping the pitch like a golden arrow- the 'golden boy.' But he couldn't take his mind off the eye-catching redhead cowering in the crowd, surely sporting a flushing shade of scarlet.
James turned his focus back to the game, watching the grueling bloodbath taking place before him. His troops were fighting with fervent vigor for their indomitably noble captain, transforming the normally pleasant pitch into a dark and vicious warzone. He leaned forward on his slender broom, the polished wood pressing firmly back against his coiled fingers.
The Head Boy took off like a cannon, zipping through the air with the force of a gunshot, his black hair rippling in the breeze- causing Benjy to wildly jerk from his careful concentration. James shot a smirk behind him, clearly bluffing at the sighting of the snitch, and felt they were back on an even playing field. But no sooner had James looked behind him, he witnessed Benjy whizzing the opposite direction, hand outstretched and aching to wrap around the fluttering golden ball.
A blanket of silence fell over the crowd like a dense and steamy fog, immersed within its deafening grasp. Hundreds of eyes amplified in eager anticipation watched with baited breath as Benjy lunged frontward in slow motion, reaching desperately for the jewel that would complete his flawless crown. James tore down the field behind him, barely visible to those below- a scarlet blur of furious determination.
A trembling finger lightly brushed the shining surface, aching to capture the winged treasure, slowly clasping around its sparkling edges when it was forcefully released. Two figures had collided mid-air, tangled in a heated struggle, brutally attacking the other in the scuffle for the snitch. One seeker struck the other with his fist, nearly knocking him off his broom in the process.
In retaliation, the injured seeker rammed the sharpness of his wooden handle into the chest of the other, sending him spiraling backward into the motionless stands. The snitch left free for the taking, the boy delicately reached his arm out toward the hovering miniature sphere, his eyes hungry with lust and desire. Closer and closer he stretched, able to see his reflection in its infinitesimal gleaming exterior.
Like a flash of lightning a bronzen hand from nowhere swiftly seized the incandescent floating orb, enclosing the golden snitch in his grasp, feeling the winged beast struggle frantically within the palm of his hand. Leather glove still outreached, but terminally empty, the defeated seeker stared daggers at the victor, feeling his heart crash and burn on the empty ground below. He batted his dark blue eyes in disgust, and cursed Potter's name under his ragged breath. James had caught the snitch.
"MERLIN'S CROTCH, HE DID IT! THE BLOODY BASTARD DID IT!!! WE WON WE WON WE WON!!!!"
"MISTER BLA-" but before she could finish, Sirius had McGonagall in a bear-like embrace, giving her a sloppy wet kiss on her shocked crinkled cheek.
The crowd stormed the field like a tribe of wild beasts, running and loping down the bleachered stands and across the majestic pitch. A beaming James could be seen hovering mere inches above the grass, fist held high in splendid triumph. A sea of gold and scarlet immediately surrounded him- cheering and waving, laughing and singing, smiling and dancing- springing eagerly on the balls of their feet.
A short time of celebration passed, the entirety of Gryffindor intoxicated with glee. The man of the hour immensely enjoyed the attention, reveling in the shower of commendable praises and vastly encouraging remarks. But still, the picture was somehow incomplete.
James quickly spotted his fellow marauders, beaming up at him with shining eyes, yet could not help but look for someone else. He finally spotted his target, slowly making her way through the fervent crowd, pulling her collar up around her face and avoiding the eyes of the staring mob. After swimming through a sea of commemorating Gryffindors, she sheepishly stood beside a grinning James, not daring to meet his beaming gaze.
"Alright there, Evans?" James cooed with a cheeky smile, shooting a quick glance at the marauders below.
Lily quietly hung her head, staring blankly at her muddy sneakers, pointing her toes inward and scuffing the hollow ground.
"Why didn't you just say yes,"
He asked her his question in a mischievous tone, his hazel eyes alight with knowing laughter. His cheeks were a rosy pink from the cool September air, and his wire frames had slid formidably down his elongated nose, enabling him to gaze over the thin golden brims. James looked at his prize with a lop-sided grin, sitting aloft his handsome windswept face. And for once, Lily was glad to be looking at it.
"Alright, Potter," she straightened up, her voice in a tone that read strictly business, "bottom of the staircase at eight pm. Saturday evening. Don't be late," And she whipped her lengthy red hair in the opposite direction, striding off toward the shining castle bathed in afternoon sun.
"She wants you, Prongs."
"Oh, sod off," James retorted, whacking Sirius in the back of the head with a scraggly bushel of twigs, courtesy of his manicured broom.
On the outside she was neutral, although hardly congratulating the 'winner,' she could not conceal her substantial embarrassment. Lily was losing a battle within herself, the battle to hate James Potter forever- which she solemnly vowed the second day of third year. It had been easy to hate him for a while; arrogance to her was such an appalling turn off. But his arrogance was fading away…
She stood on the stone steps leading up to the castle, watching the remnants of crowd dissolve to the rest of the grounds. James was heading toward the entrance now, walking the long winding path from the near-empty pitch with the marauders in tow. She couldn't help but think how cute he looked, forgetting to change out of his robes and simply bouncing up the walk like a git.
The foursome made their way to the large mahogany doors, halting abruptly at the sight of Lily apparently guarding them. James' face broke into an even wider grin as he eyed the Head Girl with a cock of his brow, leaning casually on the broomstick standing upright beside him.
"Not know how to open the doo- OW!!"
"Sorry 'bout that, m'lady," James apologized as he threw Sirius a warning look, who was currently rubbing the back of his head.
"Do you know how many times I've been hit today, let alone this week?"
"It's not like you didn't deserve any of it," Remus replied with a roll of his eyes.
"Don't even get me started on YOU, you've got issues you need to work out."
"Tell me about it," he said through gritted teeth.
"Not that, that's not a proper excuse-"
"Oh, it isn't? Well, why don't you try it then-"
James quickly stepped in front of the argument, hopelessly trying to conceal it behind his back, and looked at Lily with an extremely forced smile, darting his eyes rapidly from left to right. Peter simply watched the events unfold, carefully licking his Shifting Sherbet ice cream, and nearly broke in to tears as a considerably large scoop fell to the ground with a 'plop.'
"So, er- how've you been?"
"Since fifteen minutes ago?"
"Erm, well, yeah?"
"THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN HIT ME ALL THE RUDDY TIME-"
"WELL YOU SHOULD LEARN TO FILTER WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT DIRTY MOUTH OF YOURS-"
James felt his eyes lift upward in desperation, trying to keep the corners of his mouth pulled in to a smile. Lily politely ignored the vociferous conversation behind him, tilting her head slightly to the left and looking James in the eye. His gaze found hers and their eyes briefly locked before Lily flushed and turned away.
"AND YOU NEVER PICK UP AFTER YOURSELF, YOUR BED SMELLS LIKE A BLOODY ZOO-"
"So- er, what are you doing out here?" James asked awkwardly, wishing with all his might that a bolt of lightning would strike either him or the three idiots in his wake.
"Oh, well I just wanted to say congratulations," she said in embarrassment, quietly walking towards him, "and to give you this." And Lily did something she thought she'd never do. She leaned forward on the balls of her tiny feet and briskly planted a kiss on James Potter's cheek.
She turned without a word and entered the silent castle, putting an end to the heated argument that transpired on the near desolate front lawn. Near desolate, however, for a pair of sinister eyes were watching from afar, blending in to the shadows of the neighboring pines. The eyes continued to gaze at the stupor of the four marauders, watching their jaws drop in incredulity as James slowly brought his hand to his dumbfounded face, gently pressing it against the 'never-to-be-washed-again' side of his bright blushing cheek.
A/N: Well, there you have it. MUCH more to come (and you thought it was over…) and LOTS more marauder dialogue! Sorry for the wait, but this was another BIGGIE in the chapter dept, had to come out juuuuuust right : ) Anway, sincerely hope you liked it and that it was worth the wait, please read and review I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback!!!! <3