our last winter || james potter

26

"They're fine. Madam Pomfrey said that I needed to start exercising, so... you know." Donna shrugged, awkwardly.

"Yeah, it will be good for the both of you, I'm sure." She stared at the brunette for a while longer, before turning to James. "Come on."

She left without giving James time to answer. The boy sighed tiredly, and sent a look to his friends, who were staring at him with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

"Talk to you later." He sighed, before following the red head.

Neither of the three said anything for a while, until they were joined by Peter, Casey and Alice.

"What was that about?" Alice asked, looking at the same direction the couple had left.

"I have no idea." Remus said, and he looked at Sirius. "But you were right. Something is not right with Lily."

As the weeks drew by, everyone had seem to notice that the Head Boy and Girl were constantly arguing.

At the prefects reunions, Remus said they couldn't even look at each other without one of them starting a fight, usually that being Lily.

They also wouldn't sit together on the classes that they shared anymore. James was always surrounded by the Marauders, and Lily would always sit close to her friends, and, sometimes, even Severus Snape.

Most people thought that they were both under a lot of stress, and this caused all the fights. But others were sure it was Donna's fault.

Not that the italian gave them any mind. People would barely tease her after the Professors' threats, and those who dared make fun of her were the next target of one of the Marauders' pranks. A sixth year Ravenclaw made a snarky remark that Donna was the Hogwarts' version of a Scarlet Woman, and, the next day, his hair, skin and clothes were painted in a deep crimson tone. The spell lasted for a whole week.

That month also brought Remus and James' birthday, and the Gryffindors, for everyone's surprise, decided to have a small get together for both occasions, only with their closest friends.

On Remus' birthday, the scarred boy wasn't feeling very well, something about a stomach ache, according to the other three boys, so the seventh year Gryffindors spent the night at the Marauders' dorm, talking and laughing till the first rays of the sun appeared through their window. Donna, unsure of what to give to him, asked her Nonna to make one of her famous italian's chocolate desserts (and Remus was absolutely on the moon with this).

James' birthday was spent pretty much the same way as Remus'. The bespectacled boy made his friends play Quidditch with him for the better part of the day (with the exception of Donna, for obvious reasons), and at night, the group of teenagers stayed at the common room, just enjoyment it each others presence. The italian, however, thought it would be best if she kept her distance from the boy, not wanting to upset Lily. This was also the reason why she didn't buy him anything, and she was worried the boy would be annoyed at her, but, for her luck, he seemed to understand her.

Between all the fighting, gossiping, partying and attending the Quidditch games the boys would force her to go (claiming that she had to see them winning), the italian was focusing on herself. Studying for the NEWTs, caring for her health and spending time with her friends. Obviously, those sometimes got mixed, and she would exercise with Sirius and James and study with Remus, Peter, Regulus and, most often than not, Theodore. Her meals were always accompanied by Alice and Casey, so they were also very much present on the girl's life.