James and Lily Potter: Fifth Year

Chapter 15 : fifth year

"Lily? You there?" Arabella sat up groggily, wiping her eyes and blinking at the blurry redhead.

"What's wrong?" asked Violet, concerned. "Did you have another vision again?"

"Yes."

"What was it about?" said Jennifer curiously.

"Oh, you won't believe it. Potter and I were sitting next to each other, and we were saying words of love. It was so sick; I swore I was going to throw up or do something drastic. Surprisingly, Potter was actually—I don't know—pleasant in the dream, and he was a romantic, just like Frank had said. What does it all mean?"

Arabella rolled her eyes. "Well, what do you think it means? James is going to change, obviously! He's going to grow out of hexing innocent people and strutting around the school like he's a king or something. Well, that's a good thought, at least."

Lily snorted. "Impossible! Potter...changing? That's as unlikely as Gryffindors and Slytherins becoming chummy with each other."

"Don't think like that," warned Violet, shaking her head. "James is a nice guy, and you should give him a chance, Lily. You never did let him change."

"Well, I hope he's not going to change for me! I just want him to change because he realises that hexing people, especially Snape, doesn't do good, and it makes you stoop low to the same level as Slytherins."

Jennifer sighed, exchanging exasperated looks with Arabella and Violet. Suddenly, she gave a dazzling grin, showing off all her teeth, and it reminded Lily strongly of Gilderoy Lockhart.

"What're you grinning at?" she demanded.

"You love Potter, that's what. Merlin's beard, you really do love him! Oh, this is brilliant!" Jennifer was nearly in hysterics.

"Well, of course she does, Jen," said Arabella matter-of-factly. "Where have you been?"

"No, no, not that. It's just that Lily loves James. It's not just a simple crush; it's true love that's unbreakable in any way. It's a simple, pure, beautiful love."

"Yes," agreed Violet dreamily, her eyes shining. "It's so romantic."

"Vi!" Jennifer scoffed.

"What?"

"Don't be a goose. You're always in for romantic things."

"So are you! Ever since you started dating Remus, that is, in our second year. It's been three years and you two still haven't had a fight yet. Quite a miracle, in my opinion. Sirius and Bella have gotten into three fights and a million bickers."

"Don't jinx it, then. As I was saying before Vi rudely interrupted—"

"Lily and James are madly in love," supplied Arabella.

"Oh, yes, right! Lily, you and James are in love with each other. It's that simple. Don't look at me like that! There's nothing to argue over; it's so obvious."

"Why do you keep insisting that I love Potter? Do you love to torture me so?"

"Yes," replied the other three girls simultaneously. Lily rolled her eyes and threw her pillow straight across the room, hitting Violet square on the face.

Soon there was a jumble of pillows flying about the room, while the four fifth year girls squealed and shouted, waking up nearly everyone in Gryffindor Tower. Girls from other dormitories dragged their sleeping belongings to their dorm, flustered and angry, and yelling for them to stop disturbing their "beauty sleep".

Finally, McGonagall had come into their dormitory with her usual stiff black hair in curlers and wearing a tartan nightdress. She squinted at them through her spectacles and her eyes widened when she realized that Lily was one of the occupants.

"Ms. Evans!" she exclaimed in horror. "You are a prefect! You know better than to wake up Gryffindor Tower at one o'clock in the morning. I do expect better of you."

Lily flushed. "Oh, please, Professor, I really didn't mean it. You won't deduct points from Gryffindor, will you?"

McGonagall sighed. "I suppose not, at least not today. But I do hope this won't happen again."

"No, Professor," the four girls chorused, amid snickers and finger-pointing.

"Well," began Jennifer, as everyone left, "that was interesting."

"Very."

The dreaded O.W.L.s were finally over with as the fifth years headed outside for a well-deserved break after their last exam. The Marauders and the girls went to different directions: the former to the shade under a tree and the latter next to the lake. The main reason for their ignorance with each other was because of Lily and James, whom were both furious with the other.

Nearly two days ago, James had hexed Snape openly after an O.W.L. exam, and Lily had intervened, having not able to stand the tyranny of the latter any longer. The result was not wonderful; Lily had not "deflated" James' head, and James got even more rejection from the girl he loved. Life was not going well for the both of them.

The Marauders had taken refuge under the very same tree where a famous trio would be under twenty years later. They were planning their summer and decided to not have anything to do with the girls, for the two groups were not getting along well at all. Arabella and Jennifer were still Sirius and Remus' girlfriends, respectively, of course, but they weren't as close as they were before the lake incident. They did, however, agree that they should be over at James' house for one week that summer just to plan more havoc.

The girls had also agreed to a reunion during the summer, and it was decided that it would be at Arabella's house, since Jennifer's parents were going to France for their wedding anniversary. They readily decided not to invite the Marauders over, for there was still a stiff, unsettling tension between them now, and the chummy feelings were gone.

Now Lily and James have come to an unsettled agreement and hadn't talked to each other ever since the "incident" with Snape. After Lily had stalked off when James refused to listen to her and was planning to take off Snape's pants, they had started an argument in the common room that night. It had ended when Lily finally shouted at James that Snape would hate Harry when he grew up because of the poor treatment James had given the former in their old school days. So now the two used-to-be-friendly groups were on in their own worlds, discussing topics unrelated to each other.

"Snivellus was lucky that Evans was there, or I would've done something even more drastic," said James, yawning, as he played with his Snitch carelessly, while Peter gasped and applauded once more.

"Definitely," agreed Sirius, sighing. "But I wish that the girls would speak to us; I mean, it's all over now, isn't it? Arabella won't even look at me when we pass in the corridors or something."

"Then that's her problem, isn't it? I don't know why they won't speak to us, Padfoot, since this is only between Evans and me. You guys should just go back to being good friends with each other."

"But they don't want to," put in Remus, looking rather wild at not having talked to Jennifer for more than he could stand.

"Well, like I said, it's their problem."

"Prongs, why don't you and Lily become friends?" asked Peter, exasperated.

"Exactly my point," agreed Sirius. Remus nodded emphatically as well.

"Wormtail, you do know that I really like Lily—maybe even love her. But she hates me. I may as well give up. I mean, how can she not hate me?"

Remus smiled. "That, Prongs, is called the process of deflating and becoming a gentleman."

"Excuse me?"

"No offence, Prongs, but your ego is a bit—er—"

"Bigger than it should be," finished Sirius.

"And that's the main reason why Lily doesn't like you—or so she says. She's seeing the façade that you put on to hide your real self. You're seriously trying to belie yourself, Prongs. Show Lily the real you...the James that was determined to help my transformations get better by going against the law and endangering yourselves. And the James that is caring and thoughtful and always helping whenever he can. That's the James you have to show Lily in order for her to care for you."