James and Lily Potter: Fifth Year

Chapter 21: summer of fifth year

"Arabella? Sirius? Lily? Vi?" James peered at them through luminous light. "We found Jen!"

Jennifer stepped forward, looking pale. "I'm so sorry!" she squeaked. "I didn't mean to run away! I just went outside to think something over, and then Voldemort grabbed me."

"Voldemort?" repeated Lily faintly.

"Yeah. He told me to hand over James, and when I refused to, he—he—"

"Tortured her with the Cruciatus Curse," whispered Remus, standing next to James and Jennifer.

"Oh, Jenny!" The three girls threw their arms around Jennifer and hugged her tightly.

"He only wanted you?" asked Lily, regaining posture once more and looking over at James. "He didn't want to kill me, too?"

"Well, he didn't mention it. I don't even know why you'd care, as I've never heard anyone wanting to get killed."

Remus elbowed James sharply on the ribs, releasing an "Ouch!" from the latter.

"Why does Voldemort want you again, James?" said Sirius, as they got back inside the house.

It was Mr. Figg who answered. "I do believe that Voldemort wants you because of a child."

"But then why not want Lily?"

"Well, you see, James is more powerful than Lily, and Voldemort thinks that James would stop him from killing this child, because he's strong enough."

"I am too as strong as Potter!" exclaimed Lily indignantly.

"Of course, you are, dear," said Mrs. Figg absently.

Lily sniffed but didn't answer. After all, why complain? Her friend was safe and out of the clutches of Voldemort...for now.

"I HATE YOU, POTTER!" screamed Lily, as she stared at the mirror. Instead of seeing her pale cheeks and green eyes, she was staring at the reflection of a cat.

"Why, Lily, I didn't know you had such great taste in fashion." James sniggered along with Sirius and Peter.

"Prongs," warned Remus.

James' eyes widened and he shrunk back and hid behind Remus. Which wasn't too hard, adding to the fact that James was very small in size.

"Now look what you've done, Prongs," he hissed. "Lily hates you more than ever!"

"Oh, you're so optimistic, Moony. She loves me, remember?"

Remus snorted loudly but said no more. Instead, he dragged the three other Marauders to their room, and shut the door.

"Prongs, you will now begin deflating," he announced.

James blinked. "Excuse me?"

Sirius spoke up. "Prongsies, Lily hates you, so what Moony is trying to say—"

"—is that you have to act like a gentleman for Lily to like you," finished Peter.

"Did you guys plan this all out?" inquired James in disbelief.

Sirius shrugged. "It was all Mooney's idea!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Remus, who rolled his eyes in response.

"But why do I have to 'deflate' or whatever you call it?"

Remus groaned. "No offence, Prongs, but you're an arrogant and bullying egotistical prat."

"Then why are you friends with me?" he said sarcastically.

"Because you're probably one of the only people who accept me as a werewolf." Seeing the look upon James' face was priceless. "Nah, I'm just kidding with you. But that is what Lily thinks."

"I don't care!"

Peter raised an eyebrow. "I thought you loved her."

"I—all right, what do you I have to do?"

Remus grinned at Sirius and Peter, and told James all about Operation Matchmaker, and how he was going to try to get Lily to fall for him.

Nearly half an hour later, the four boys were drenched in sweat as the heat of August drifted into the house. But all four of them were smiling widely.

"This has got to be our best plan yet, Moony," said Sirius, sighing happily.

"I know, it must be. A job well done, fellow Marauders. Now, Prongs, have you memorised everything we've told you?"

"Sure. But what about you and Jennifer? When are you two going to make up?"

Remus' good-natured face hardened. "I think that she should apologize first before we even begin rebuilding any of our relationship again."

"And you call Arabella and I stubborn!" hooted Sirius.

"I am not stubborn, thank you."

James remained silent the whole time. He was thinking of "Operation Matchmaker" as Remus and Sirius called it. Would it really work? They had told him to stop hexing people in the corridors (Snape was an exception, of course), stop call Lily "Evans", and to not show off (except in Quidditch), which meant that he had to give in his beloved Golden Snitch that he had "snitched" from Madam Hooch last year.

He sighed dismally, but his hazel eyes brightened at the thought of Lily. He loved everything about her: her long, dark red hair flowing down her back; her brilliant green eyes; and her personality...everything. But what hurt him the most was that she would never love anything about him.

Meanwhile, back in the girls' room, Lily was pondering on her own thoughts while her friends were giggling over a Love Potion. Ever since the Marauders came to Arabella's house, she had a strange fluttery feeling in her stomach whenever James passed her.

Bloody hell, Lily thought miserably. I'm not falling in love with the git, am I?

Of course, you are.

Who the hell are you?

Remember me? Your conscience?

Oh no, not you again.

Of course, it's me. And you are falling in love with James Henry Potter, so there's no use denying it. Besides, he loves you; why break his heart?

Because he's an arrogant jerk!

Surely you don't think so. Haven't you noticed that whenever you say that, you never say it directly to his face like before?

What?

I mean, you never say those things about James in front of his face. You just say them in denial to your friends. You've fallen for James, Lily, and there's no way to get out of it.

"I have NOT fallen in love with James Potter!" she declared.

Arabella looked at her in surprise. "Er—Lily? Are you all right?"

"NO!" Lily sniffed dejectedly and plopped herself down on her bed. "Why does everyone keep insisting that I love James Potter?"

"Because you do," said Jennifer, with a small smile. "And James loves you as well. How many times do we have to tell you?"

You're going to have to tell me for the rest of my life, thought Lily, as she stared at the pile of holiday homework that was untouched for the past weeks. Because if I've fallen for James, I know he hasn't fallen for me.

A/n Another story has come to a close. Until the new year when book 6 will be starting! 

Also side note: i appreciate everyone reading my books, but please stop writing comments like 'this didn't happen' my version is different, whether some bits of the characters aren't the same. Please appreciate that!