All Of Me | A Jily Love Story

Chapter Fourteen: Quidditch Trials

- JAMES -

The constant, shrill ringing of my alarm clock pierced my ears in my deeply submerged sleep, causing me to lurch up in alarm. A croaky groan escaped my lips as I blinked, trying to make out my blurred surroundings. I seized the nearest cushion and tossed it at the round black object that was the beeping source of noise, it's ringing immediately abating. After a few moments of struggling to remember the recent night's events, I gingerly got to my feet and staggered around in the dark room. I groped for the coffee table, fumbling blindly upon the honed wood in search of my glasses. I seized them and jammed them onto my nose firmly - just as a large, red pillow came soaring directly to my face. I staggered backward from the blow, painfully ramming my glasses into the bridge of my nose.
"I don't care," I groaned in reply, squinting in the darkness. "We have to."
Sirius whined like an injured pup, the sound coming from somewhere on the floor. I glanced down to my watch to see that was 8:45. Breakfast tended to drag on til 9 on weekends, meaning we still had a little bit of time.
"Trails are in forty five minutes," I said hoarsely as feet away from me, Marlene began to stir. Her face scrunched up as she rolled right into her wand, poking her directly in the eye.
"For fucks sakes..." She cursed underneath her breath, showing no immediate urge to move from her bundle of blankets on the loveseat. As Sirius stumbled over to rouse her, I became painfully aware of the thudding, loud throb thudding in my temples.
"Where the bloody hell did I put that hangover cure?" I muttered to myself, each of my movements fatigued as I turned on my heel slowly in search for it. A small delicate hand tapped me on the shoulder, and I drunkenly spun around on my heel - meeting eyes with a fully dressed, beautiful as ever, Lily. I let out a long sigh of relief as my gaze travelled to what she held out in her extended palm. A clear vile of familar pink liquid, glowing at me in the darkness.
"You asked me to keep it safe last night." She chuckled lightly, gently brushing a stray hair behind her ears. Her bright green eyes sparkled as she smiled up at me, tucking her free hand into her back jean pocket.
"You're a gem." I said weakly, accepting the vile and savouring the slight inch of soft skin that grazed my hand. "Thank you again, for brewing this." I pulled a hand through my hair absentmindedly, yanking the stopper out the vile.
"Oh, it's nothing." She replied airily.
"Bloody brilliant, you are, Lils." I sighed, wincing at the throbbing in my head. "Merlin...I've got a banging headache." I massaged my temples and knocked back the vile, taking a small gulp of the oddly fluorescent potion. It tasted very strange - hot, but also cold...and very pepperminty. The strange brew burnt my tongue like numbing ice. My head felt extremely foggy for a few seconds, as though clouds had seeped through my ears. Suddenly everything halted, giving the feeling of an intense brain freeze - and then, nothing. I immediately felt much better, my body cleared of the previous dull ache.
"Woah." I shook my head, disorientated, and turned to toss it over to Sirius. But he wasn't standing by the loveseat, so I glanced around in confusion. I could've sworn he'd been standing -
"Pathetic." Lily said with a sigh, folding her arms. I grimaced at the sight of him out cold on the nearest table, dribbling onto an open book. I staggered over and hit him over the head with the back of my hand, watching in satisfaction as he choked on his snore and bolted upwards. I tossed the bottle to Marly, who was now staring in horror at the large knots in her not-so-silky blonde locks. My eyes were swollen with sleep as I moved in slow motion towards my room. I staggered slightly, digging in my drawers and wardrobe for my Quidditch robes, trousers and jersey. Before stumbling out the door way I glanced into my dusty mirror for 0.2 seconds. I gave myself a disgruntled look, proceeding to traipse towards the bathroom where I intended to drown myself in the shower.
When I emerged from the steamed room, hair dripping wet, my eyes were once again met with Lily. She sat cuddled up in her armchair with a large leather book and fluffy red coloured blanket wrapped around her small frame like a cocoon. I felt my lips tug up into a smile as I watched her, admiring how cute she was when concentrating. She was cute all the time, mind you. I glanced to the book binding, and let out a quiet laugh. She glanced up to me distractedly, before almost instantly returning her intense gaze back to her page.
"Hm?"
"Romeo and Juliet, huh?" I asked, running a hand through my wet, tangled hair. She looked up in surpise.
"People prejudice it too often." She said defensively, clutching the book to her midriff tightly. "It's underestimated."
I shook my head, still smiling widely.
"You misunderstand me. Never said it was bad, Lily-Flower." I chuckled, shaking my hair out like a wet dog. "Well, it is very sappy. And toxic." I added.
Lily gaped at me.
"What?" She laughed, seemingly flabbergasted. "You've read Romeo?"
I felt my cheeks warm as a wave of regret washed over me. That may have been the wrong thing to say.
"I saw you reading it in third year," I muttered sheepishly, shrugging. "Recognised it from my Mum's bookshelf. She loves shakespeare."
Lily cocked her head at me with an unreadable expression. Although she did look rather impressed, I thought. It was an effort to surprise my smug smile
"You are such a softie!" She laughed again, closing the book with a soft thud and sliding it onto the coffee table. "And stalker, mind you."
"Hey come on, Just because a male reads a romance book, doesn't mean -"
"Actually, Lily-Flower, he cried in the Titanic film."
I turned to the portrait hole, glaring. Sirius had unnoticeably and stealthily slid into the room, and was now leaning against the wall with one leg crossed over the other. He was grinning from ear to ear, a cheeky, annoying glint in his eye.
"Whatever." I scowled, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue.
"Watched it once with Remus and Euphemia." He continued, waggling his eyebrows at Lily. "Poor fellow couldn't cope...." Jack didn't deserve this!'" Sirius cried out, mimicking someone's (who wasn't me) high pitched voice. Sirius barked out a loud laugh, Lily's snorts synchronising with him as she threw her head back in amusement.
"Oh darling," She grinned, shaking her head. "You are too much for this world.." She pat me on the back sympathetically, getting up from her seat and stretching onto her tippy toes, barely reaching my jaw. Lily was dressed in a khaki green woolen jumper, faded denim flares and her usual chuck taylors. Her wild mane of auburn hair was thrown up into a perfectly messy knot on top of her pretty head, with adorable curly strands hanging loose by her ears. I rolled my eyes at her, a faint blush creeping back into my cheeks.
"C'mon." Sirius snorted, turning on his heel. "Let's go meet the others."
We wound our way through the castle's ghostly corridors, Lily mostly staying silent but snorting every now and then at me and Padfoot's choice of conversation. When we arrived in the great hall, I found myself being held back by Sirius warningly as a cluster of kids from the Slytherin table yelled something indistinguishable, their jeering gaze focussed on Lily. Whatever it was, it made a third of the house howl and bang their fists on their plates. She scowled by my side, but otherwise remained unabashed. As soon as I'd seated myself at the Gryffindor table I swallowed a tall glass of pumpkin juice in one go, and proceeded to chug down three pieces of scrambled eggs on toast. Sirius shovelled down four, but Marlene could only manage two. After a short few minutes of casual chatter, we cheerily headed down to the pitch in high spirits from last night, summoning  our brooms from our dorms.
I watched in anticipation as my gleaming nimbus came soaring through the morning breeze. The weather conditions were alright, but could be better. A few patches of rain clouds caressed the west side of the sky, with blinding rays of sun streaming down on us from the east. I leaped onto my broom mid air as it hurtled towards me, pulling up sharply and shooting fifty feet into the open wide sky. I let out a loud, shrieking cheer as I looped around the goal posts and down past the stands; where Remus and co, excluding Peter, sat watching in the top row. He had to run a few errands, apparently.
My red and gold robes flew out behind me like an eagle's wings as I soared higher, higher and higher above the vast pitch. I wrenched my eyes shut at the familar cold rush of air whistling past me, filling me to the brim with adrenaline. Here, in the sky, on my broom, was where I felt the strongest. It was where I was the most vulnerable, too.
I looped one more leave circle around the pitch, before zig zagging back to the ground where Sirius, Marlene and the rest of the previous years team members  were now joking around and laughing freely. I pulled into a steep dive a hundred or so feet for the ground, streaking for them like a jet of lightening in the sky. I swiftly landed upon the neatly groomed grass, windswept and grinning like a fool.
"James!" William Coote, the third chaser in our team greeted me ecstatically.
"Hey, blondie." I grinned, giving him a sweeping look. "You're looking fit, have you been working out?"
The sixth year flashed me a cheeky grin, his pale blue eyes twinkling.
"Sure have, captain."
I winked at him, clapping him on the back and ushering the four remainders of our team into a huddle.
"Alrighty, then." I grinned around at my glowing players, more then relieved to be back on these clean sweeping lawns. "Thanks for getting your arses over here on time. Let's find us some new players, yeah?" Sirius whistled loudly and clapped me on the back.
"Aw, last year with you gits." He sighed, Will scowling in reply.
"Aw, Willie." Marlene said sympathetically, pulling her tangle of curls up into a thick, bouncy pony tail at the top of her head. "Surely you'll get captain next year."
"That leaves George." Will chuckled, patting George Wood, a fourth year and our seeker, on the shoulder. He was an excellent player, with the perfect build for seeking. Small, speedy, and a good laugh too.
"Yeah, but it'll be bloody dull without you buggers." He scoffed, folding his arms. I grinned at him, and turned to look at the stands just in time to see a stream of red and gold out onto the pitch and stands. I rolled my eyes at the amount of multicoloured robes that were mixed in with the red, exchanging an exasperated glance with Sirius. Quidditch trials were always popular with Black and Potter.
"Every year." I muttered, strolling past a group of thick headed looking boys to hoist myself up onto the bottom stand. I turned to the face the crowd of players that were here to trial for the team, and had to fight the urge to sigh. I could clearly, even with my impaired vision, spot random clusters of yellow and blue, and even a few emeralds amongst the group. Many of the students had stopped chattering at the sight of me, a few elbowing their friends and hissing at them to shut up. Several were only just now arriving, having walked down the long way from the castle.
"OI!" I thundered, my voice echoing around the empty pitch effectively. The people who had still been talking animatedly quietend down almost instantly, everyone else already watching me with great attention.
"ANYONE THAT IS NOT FROM GRYFFINDOR, AND IS HERE TO PLAY QUIDDITCH - PLEASE, LEAVE." I roared, pointing in direction of the castle.
Sirius snorted loudly as an entire third of the multicoloured group broke away, many of them sprinting off the pitch giggling. A fair few had he decency to look sheepish, but most, I noticed, were silly girls who looked about thirteen. Marlene was stifling a snigger at the look on my face as I shouldered my broom, waiting patiently for two remaining Hufflepuff girls to stop bickering and leave so I could get on with the damn thing.
"But you said he'd talk to me!" One, the brunette, was saying hotly. "What do you mean, we can do it another time?" Her voice was very whiny.
Her raven haired friend was bright red in the face with anger, and opened her mouth to retort, when I interrupted them.
"Girls," I sighed tiredly, raising a single eyebrow at them. The two looked up at me with alarmed, petrified expressions, seeming to only have just noticed that the rest of the group had been silent and watching them argue with great interest.
"Oh -" The brunette gasped, a furious blush complimenting her cheeks. "We were just leaving, I'm s- sorry, Potter -" she stuttered, shooting her friend a desperate glance. The fed up friend merely rolled her eyes and grabbed her by the arm, steering her in the opposite direction from us.
"Felicity, please - let's just go, before we humiliate ourselves anymore."
I stared after them in utter bewilderment as they hurried from the pitch, wondering what on earth had just happened, when someone from the crowd yelled out,
"They want your autograph, I overheard them talking in charms!"
A ripple of laughed journeyed through the awaiting triallers, Sirius, Marly, Coote and Wood cracking up.
"That is so pathetic." Marlene was snorting, slinging a hand on her hip. "Honestly, get a grip on yourself."
"It's not the first time." Sirius replied darkly.
"ALRIGHT!" I bellowed over the loud chatter that had fired up again after the strange Hufflepuff girls' conversation. "Now, assuming that you're all here to actually play Quidditch -" Marls snorted. "- I want you to split up into groups of, er..."  I did a quick headcount, noting precisely thirty beaming Gryffindors. I cleared my throat, wishing for the first time in my life that I was known by fewer people. "Into six groups of five, and then we'll see from there."
It took several agonising minutes to do this whilst everyone fussed about with who they wanted to be with, before Sirius and I exasperatedly began to grab people and stand them together in our own groups. As we did so, one second year gave Sirius cheek behind his back - and soon regretted it, after he had ended up on his arse several feet away.
"Padfoot, please," I sighed weakly, wondering when the actual trial would ever begin.
"He said I had greasy hair." Sirius hissed to me furiously, shooting the petrified boy daggers. "You know how I get about my hair, Prongs."
"Yes, yes I know -" but I was interrupted for the millionth time as a certain girl, dressed in a tiny scarlet skirt that was not at all suitable for Quidditch, called out to me. I noticed with increasing annoyance as she headed over with an insufferably smug expression, that it was merely Jessica Vane. She smacked her bright red lips, batting her eyes at me.
"Here we go again..." I heard Marlene and internally groaned.
Jessica quickly pretended to laugh loudly at something that a girl next to her had said, the blonde shooting her friend an exasperated look, and strutted over to me slowly. I raised my eyebrows and willed my expression to reflect nothing but boredom, as she leaned forwards to suggestively stroke a pointed finger down my chest.
"Hello, Potter." She winked, biting down on her bottom lip in what she must have thought was a seductive manner.
"Still not available, Vane." I grimaced, swatting her hand away and folding my arms irritably. Sirius barked out a laugh from my side, but Vane merely laughed an 'annoying girly giggle' as Marlene liked to call it."
"Oh, well, that's really a pity." She sighed dramatically, still batting her clumpy black eyelashes at me.
"Something in your eye, Vane?" Marlene asked in a falsely sweet voice, plastering a smile to her cheeks. All pretence down the drain, Vane scowled at irritably.
"Something stuck up your arse, McKinnon?" She snapped back haughtily, flipping her hair and returning her gaze to me with a wide, devastatingly fake smile.
"Maybe next time, huh Potter?" She winked and then spun around, flaunting her hips as she skipped back over to her giggling friends.
"Thank Merlin." I let out a breath of relief. Besides me, Sirius was slowly cocking his head, watching her walk away from us.
"Huh," He muttered, frowning. "You'd think, that being Latina, she'd have a big arse."
I glanced to Marls in discreet and saw her smirk rather triumphantly.
"Godric, she's horrible." She shuddered after a moment, mimicking my expression of disgust. "When will she learn that guys aren't actually attracted to that bullshit she pulls?"
"When her husband divorces her and abandons their spoilt kids." I replied absentmindedly, scanning the groups of five to ensure no one had mixed anything up already. With Vane and her friends now, apparently, uninterested in the actual trials, we only had twenty five - which kept a perfect, rounded number. Sirius was choking on his laughter, and ended up having to lean on his thighs for support as George thumped him on the back.
"Okay Gryffindor, LISTEN UP!" I bellowed loud and clear, grinning around at the hopefully promising group. I winked at a beaming third year boy, who practically glowed with happiness at the fact that I'd acknowledged his existence.
One by one I sent the groups to fly around the pitch a couple of times each, just to see how their flying technique was. After that, I had to send about twenty people away and thank them for coming, but I just didn't think they were cut for the team - but they should definitely trial again next year. They gloomily traipsed off to the stands to watch with the rest of the spectators, some of them tiny second years who could barely fly a metre off the ground. The remaining bunch I had left were good enough at actually staying on their brooms, some a bit more questionable, but options all the same . I decided to play half a pitch with them, trialing two people at a time to see who coped with the rest of us. After many rematches and spot switching, one bitter girl even storming off, I finally got it narrowed down to four people: Anthony Sloper, a fourth year, Amy Cooper, a fifth year (who I remembered from previous trials, she'd only just not made it in) Cameron Spinnet, a sixth year and Elye Smith, a third year.
Anthony was okay, except he was very tall, gangly and floppy for a beater, and didn't put much effort into his hits at all. He'd trialled last year, and obviously, hadn't made it for a clear reason.
Elye was sticky, but quite short, and as he was trialling for keeper, I didn't think it too suitable. Plus, he was excessively whiny. I involuntarily shuddered when watching him sulk on pitch about missing a goal. We'd had a stroppy seventh year team member last year and I'd just about cursed his head off by the end of the season.
Amy was fast, fiesty and sarcastic, which suited me well. She was very talented with a bat - and had experimented that extremely well against me. Passion and fire was definitely what we were looking for to represent this kind of team.
Lastly, Cameron; a very talented yet shy girl who had always been too intimidated and insecure to trial. She had told us this, when Marlene, surpised, asked why she never tried to make the team. After that I went out of my way to compliment her style, as improving players' strengths was the most gratifying part of being captain. She was strong, and really put in her all when she got on her broom.
Eventually, I ended up saying goodbye to Sloper and Smith, (the team backed me up one hundred percent on this, thankfully) so I was incredibly ecstatic with our new players.
"Welcome to the team, ladies!" I grinned at our two beaming new team members, beads of sweat gleaming on their foreheads. "You both played exceptionally well and deserve these places, so congratulations."
"Good pick, captain." George was grinning, winking at Amy. She blushed slightly but gave him a flustered smile.
"Good lord." Marlene muttered.
"First rule," I eyed George for several moments before he noticed my stare and stopped watching Amy, turning away to whistle innocently. "Don't bring your personal problems onto the pitch."
"What a tongue twister." Sirius muttered to Marlene out of the corner of his mouth.
"As much as I love you all - and I do," I gave my beaming team members a grin. "I don't need to hear about your little dramas, such as what Vane said to you in charms last Tuesday. Her existence haunts me enough." Amy, Cameron and Marlene snorted at this. "I simply don't give a shit. And also," I added. "It affects our play, so please, just leave it for the after party where I'm sure Sirius and I will have plenty to say about it."
"They will." Marlene vouched reassuringly.
Sirius grinned. "We always do."
"Secondly," I continued with a grim smile. "Technically we're better than everyone and don't like to pick fights, but if a Slytherin pulls some bullshit during a game, I give you full permission to hex them into oblivion."
"Fuck 'em." Will grinned.
"Or punch them in the nose." Sirius suggested.
"We've all done that." Will shook his head. "Even Marly had a swing at their seeker last year."
"And I don't regret it." She grinned proudly.
"Training starts next week, Tuesdays and Thursdays." I shouldered my broom, nudging my glasses up the bridge of my nose. "If that doesn't work for you, I'm afraid you're going to have to sort something out 'cause Lily will have my balls if I miss patrols."
"Cute, Prongs." Sirius winked at me.
"Shut up."
"Do we have a kind of fitness routine to follow outside of trainings?" Amy asked confidently, folding her arms. I blinked at her, noticing Will and George exchange a glance in my peripheral vision.
"No ones ever asked me that before." I said in surprise, scanning her tanned face. "I've tried, but no one ever seems to give a shit."
"Hey," Will said indignantly, turning to me. "I stuck to that bloody training all term."
"So did I." George defended. "Well, sometimes. When I felt like it."
"George, you didn't do it once."
He gave me a sheepish smile. "Nah, I didn't."
"Neither." Marlene snorted with a grin at Sirius, who said unashamedly,
"Didn't even read the bloody thing."
I rolled my eyes, turning back to Amy. "You're not obliged to do any additional other exercise outside of our assigned trainings, which are pretty gruesome. Unless you're reasonably unfit and can't keep up with us, in which case I'd tell you to jog laps of the grounds until you feel like you're going to vomit."
"That's the spirit I missed." Will muttered underneath his breath.
"He's kidding." Marlene said to Cameron, who was starting to look as if she were regretting trialing at all.
"Trainings are two hours." I added, glancing between Cameron and Amy. "And I expect each and every single one of you to turn up, I don't care if you have detention, be there."
"Or be square." Sirius added.
"Helpful, Padfoot."
"Anytime."
"And If you're sick?" Amy asked with a small frown.
I folded my arms. "We don't get sick."
"That was another bad joke." Marlene whispered to Cameron.
"It's fun, I promise." Sirius joked.
"Fuck yes, it's fun." I grinned, ruffling a hand through my hair. "'But It's my last year as Captain and I don't intend on breaking our winning streak, so please don't let me down."
"When we lost to Slytherin in fifth year he cried himself to sleep." Sirius said to Amy quietly, pursing his lips at the glare I gave him. She snorted, hastily straightening up.
"I don't care if you've got homework, either." I added. "Transfiguration test tomorrow? Well you know what, fuck transfiguration."
"Fuck it." Marlene echoed.
"Thanks, Marly."
"Basically, put the team first or you'll find yourself back in the chess club with your nerdy Ravenclaw friends." Sirius snorted, folding his arms.
"Arguing with your boyfriend?" I grimaced with a dismissive shrug. "Training comes first. And If he tells you that's selfish, then you should dump him, because he's obviously a blithering wanker."
"James takes his Quidditch very seriously." Marlene was now murmuring to Cameron, who's cheeks had turned pink.
"Occasionally I'll add in an extra weekend training if we've got a particularly big match coming up." I added, not missing the occasional lustful glances being exchanged between Marlene and Sirius. "Which start early in the morning ranging from seven - of which I expect you all to come."
"Except me."
"Right, except Sirius."
Marlene's mouth twisted into a smile. "We do like to have a bit of fun as well, don't worry. A bit of team bonding, a good laugh."
"Oh yeah." I grinned, noticing Cameron's eyes brighten. "I know it might sound otherwise, but this teams all about actually enjoying yourself, I promise."
"He's lying." George winked at Amy, and I rolled my eyes.
"Shut up. I'm fun."
"He's fun." Marlene smiled at Cameron assuringly.
Sirius snorted. "He's a wanker, actually."
"Thanks, Padfoot."
"Yup."
"And if you have any ideas about the team, trainings, positions, whatever it may be," I waved my hand distractedly. "Please, I'm all ears."
"Do we have subs?" Amy asked curiously.
"Sloper and and Smith will have to do." I grimaced, exchanging a glance with Padfoot. "A whiny pair, but there's not much I can do about that."
"Pratts." George muttered.
"Agreed." Marlene said darkly.
"Alright," I clapped my hands together, grinning around
at my shining team. "Bugger off and get some food in your bodies, it's been a long morning. And I'll see you all on the pitch, four thirty, Tuesday. If you want to ask me anything, I'm always around - also, if your boyfriend cheats on you, Sirius and I will knock them out with a beaters bat."
A ripple of laughter filtered through the group, Cameron's shy face cheeks into a wide smile.
"Cheers, Potter." Amy grinned at me as Will and George clapped my on the back, turning to ask Sirius something about his new broom.
"Thank you." Cameron said to me with a shy smile before departing with Amy, the two girls exchanging a wide grin.
"That was fun." Will was saying, shouldering his broom. His golden blonde hair looked rather windswept, pale cheeks tinged with pink from exertion. "I've missed this team, although it'll never be the same without Leo and Adam."
"Never." Marlene agreed solemnly, shaking her head. "Christ, Leo was fit."
Sirius raised his eyebrows at her. "Leo?"
She glanced to him, lips twitching. "You're not the only good looking lad around here, Black."
"Nice pick, Jamesie." George was whistling, craning his neck to watch as Cameron and Amy climbed the hill leading up from the pitch. Sirius, Will and I howled with laughter, Padfoot elbowing George in the rib playfully while Marlene rolled her eyes at us.
"It'll be bloody nice to have some girls around here." She muttered to herself.
We headed back up to the great hall after a few more moments, joking about the abysmal behaviour of the other houses who'd turned up. As soon as we arrived to the house table, I ravenously devoured my enormous helping of cottage pie and chatted happily with Sirius about more Quidditch.
"What where those two Puffs doing there for so long?" Mary asked curiously, referring to the brunette and blonde girl. "Before you started off the trial? They hung around for ages."
I swallowed my mouthful with a grimace. "Long stor -"
"Wanted his autograph," Marls cut in with a grin, waggling her eyebrows at me. "God you're irresistible, James."
Lily choked on her juice.
"How pathetic can you get?" Mary snorted.
"They were humiliated." I justified sheepishly, rolling my eyes. "Bloody irritating, though."
"I remember when a Ravenclaw friend of mine offered to get me Sirius's autograph in fourth year," Lily snorted, setting her goblet down.
"What did you say?" Sirius demanded.
"That I bloody live with the bastard, why would I want a reminder of his existence on parchment?" She grinned at him, pouring herself more juice.
"Could've been a book." He retorted. "Or your arm. Or boobs, even." He winked at her.
"You repulse me."
"Tell me you haven't done that before?" Marlene asked him flatly. He avoided her eyes, offering a slight grimace.
"Merlin, even James never reached such low standards." Peter grinned, nudging me in the rib.
"Ghee, thanks Wormtail."
"Do you guys realise how much homework we have?" Remus interrupted us, his eyes preoccupied with scanning our class timetable. He looked up at us wearily, shoving it back into his bag. "We have so much to do." He groaned, dragging a hand down the side of his paling face. "What if we just...don't do it?"
"You fail." Lily replied lightly, neatly clearing her plate and looking up at us expectantly. "Then you'll fail your NEWTS, have to redo the year, everything will be ruined, you'll be full of shame, your friends will leave you behind for bigger and better things, McGonagall will hate you, and nothing is worse then McGonagall hating you, you'll never get a worthy job, and basically - you'll end up living in a cardboard box underneath the Slytherin dungeon."
My jaw dropped in surpise at Lily and her, what seemed like it had been well rehearsed, speel. Sirius shuddered by my side, scrunching his face up in distaste.
Peter laughed nervously as Remus's eyebrows knit together in concern.
"Don't worry Moons." Sirius said, but he sounded rather gloomy himself. "If we fail we can be muggle bakers together and eat pastries all day."
"I'm never going to get a job." Alice said suddenly, placing her cutlery down mid meal and glancing around at us in panic. "I'm a solid Acceptable student. I don't even get Exceeds expectations anymore."
Ali that's good! Plus, we have some time to turn it around -"
"Exactly. Calm down, you lot. We still have a few months." Marlene rolled her eyes and helped herself to a large chocolate cookie.
"A few months?" Mary echoed faintly.
"Despite it all, the seven of you will be off earning. I'm the one who'll never get a job." Remus muttered miserably. "Don't exactly look the part, do I?"
"Alright then," Lily said m, straightening up in her seat. "Then I'm stupid, James is uncoordinated, Marlene is socially awkward and Sirius is ugly."
Mary slowly leant back in her seat, raising her eyebrows.
"Huh." She muttered, inclining her head slightly.
"What?" Sirius exclaimed indignantly, reaching for his hair.
Lily blinked at each us in surprise. "Oh, Sorry - I thought we were saying things that weren't true."
Remus scoffed, continuing digging in his bag. "You're funny, Lil."
"Oh Remus, of course you'll get a job." Mary said impatiently, frowning at him. "You're smarter than some of the Professors here , and very capable." 
He glanced up to her, as though considering protesting - but after a moment of her piercing glare, sighed in defeat.
Iet's go outside." Alice suggested, raising her eyebrows hopefully.
"Sounds good." I replied, giving her a smile as the rest of the group shared miserable glances. She shot me a grateful look.
"Why don't you go ask Frank to come?" Lily was grinning as we traipsed into the entrance hall. "I -" but Lily never managed to finish her sentence. A huddle of shrieking sixth year Slytherin girls pushed past her and Marlene roughly, their high pitched voices blending together into one irritating buzz of nose. Both Sirius and I tensed slightly, and watched his gaze follow a particular black haired girl with intense dislike. Apparently they'd said something to Lily, because she'd abruptly halted in her pace to glare at them.
"Christ." Remus muttered underneath his breath.
"Hey - no, excuse me," She exclaimed indignantly, holding an arm out in front of the bitter looking girls when they tried to shove past her. "Did I hear that right?"
They scowled and tried to laugh it off, pushing against her arm as though they were going to actually get past her. Lily, getting more and more riled up, shifted so that she now stood in front of them defensively.  Despite being shorter, one of the Snakes actually cowered at the look of incredulity on her face.
"No, I'm sorry," Lily said flatly, folding her arms. "Do you think you could repeat that?"
Marlene made an indignant noise at the back of her throat, but Lily instantly silenced her with a single look. The Slytherins seemed irritated at being caught - trying tried to push past the girls again, but Lily held her ground.
"Parkinson, is that your name?" She asked casually, cocking her head. The dark haired girl Sirius had been throwing daggers nodded rather snobbishly, flicking her short hair over a shoulder with such an attitude that it made me want to vomit.
"What did you say, Parkinson?" Lily pressed hotly, her bright eyes flaming with anger. I exchanged a confused glance with Remus, both of us watching Lily's expression contort in fury. The girl merely rolled her eyes and looked away teasingly, muttering something that I couldn't hear.
"Sorry, didn't quite catch that." Lily said in a falsely sweet tone, cupping a hand over her ear. Despite the situation, I found myself stifling a grin. The woman I loved was a bad larvae.
"I said," Parkinson got out eventually, irritated. "Oh look, theres Mckinnon - the Gryffindor slut." She deliberately emphasised on the name, cheeks warming slightly as if embarrassed at being called out for it. I supposed snakes weren't used to not being able to merely slither away with things. The girl and her scowling cronies pushed past Lily roughly with their bags, who grudgingly let them go.
"Dock points, James!" Sirius thundered furiosuly, staring after the girls with storming eyes. I straightened up, frowning after them.
"OI!" I bellowed as they scampered back into the hall, giggling amongst themselves and nudging eachother. "Thirty points from Slytherin!"
"Some of these Slytherin girls, honestly." Lily was fuming, throwing dark locks over her shoulder. "What a cow."
"Lily." Marlene said, looking rather annoyed. "I've told you before - It's fine, I don't care. I'd rather you didn't."
"Well, I care. And it most certainly It is not fine." Lily replied firmly, as we headed down the steps into the grounds. "They had no right."
"She's right." I said to Marls, meeting her eyes. She gave me a grateful look, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"Thanks Potter." Her lips twitched as she glanced up to the cloud skies. "I suppose I've brought it on myself, though, havent I?"
"No," Lily said instantly, turning to scan her face. "You like to fool around and have a laugh. It's a preference. I know we joke about it, but Marls, there's a difference."
Lily was so stubbornly feisty when it came to just about anything. That's something I loved about her the most, especially regarding the people she loved. Someone so calm, and placid, yet ragingly defensive - I needed someone like that, to keep me grounded.
We passed groups of laughing students on our way across the wide lawn, chattering away.
"Well, that was fun. Gotta love a little drama with those snakes." Sirius said comfortably, bending down to lay upon the grass by the lake. He rested his arms behind his head and crossed his ankles comfortably as Marlene wrinkled her nose in disagreement.
"Could have been avoided. You really didn't have to dock points." She rolled her eyes, settling down on the grass besides Sirius. "I get called that all the time. And besides," She turned to Lily. "Why didn't you dock points from the Slytherins for calling you a mudblood?"
I frowned, narrowing my eyes as Lily sat down at the roots of the beech tree.
"That's different." She said lightly, brushing the dust from her skirt.
"How?" Alice retorted and I simultaneously as Mar joined her on the fresh, neat grass. Lily glanced to me and held my eyes for a short moment, before merely sighing and looking up at the clouded sky morbidly.
The way she got treated by snake scum sickened me, and the way that she held herself, insisting that she was used to it and there wasn't much else she could do made me want to throw something. It was all so disgustingly unfair. What was worse, I couldn't do much about it. Docking points did nothing in the real world.
"We should play truth or dare." Marlene said eagerly, breaking the abruptly terse silence.
"Only if I'm allowed to choose truth without being bullied." Remus said as I stretched out upon the soft springy grass besides Lily. She remained gazing up at the sky, deep in thought. I scanned her paled face, wondering what was going on in that pretty head of hers. A sudden piercing scream rung through the air and I jolted upwards, panic surging in my gut. I scanned the grounds anxiously, only to discover that it was Alice. She screamed again, but this time, it turned into a shriek of hysterics as Frank swung her around and pretended to toss her right into the icy lake. Sensing imminent danger, I automatically glanced to Sirius. He was grinning at me devilishly, a wild, wicked sparkle gleaming in his dark grey eyes. He mouthed something indistinguishable, gesturing to Lily, then himself, and then the lake. I felt my eyes widen in dawning comprehension, and moved my hand underneath my neck swiftly in warning.
No, I mouthed desperately, repeating the motion. Sirius narrowed his eyes at me, a smirk playing at his lips. He turned to Lily, who was sitting so peacefully with her eyes closed and head tilted back against the soft breeze. I tried to get his attention, beg him not to wake the beast, but it was long gone.
"Sirius, dont even - "
But before I could reign his sense he'd leapt to is feet, hoisted Lily up by the waist into his muscled arms, and swung her over his shoulder in one fluid motion. He pelted across the neat lawns in dizzying circles as Lily screeched loudly, repetitively punching his back with both fists.
"Shit." I muttered as Remus crossed his heart, glancing up to the sky as if in prayer.
"PUT ME DOWN!" Lily shrieked furiously, her flaming hair flying behind her in the wind as he sped up.
"Oh, but you have to go for a swim first!" Sirius yelled out, letting out a devious cackle at the deadly silence that followed.
"Death wish." Marlene mumbled to herself, shaking her head at the both of them.
"I warned him." I said darkly, dragging a hand down the side of my face.
Sirius was now zig zagging across the grass, raising his hand and spanking her backside loudly, emitting a loud shriek from her as she sagged from his back like a sack of potatoes. I sniggered slightly at the scene, thinking that I actually was quite enjoying it.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF M - OH, DON'T YOU DARE, BLACK -" Lily screamed as Sirius abruptly halted in his tracks, laughing manically.
"SIRUS, IF YOU- " But Lily's screams were one second to late, and abruptly cut off as he made a beeline for the rippling water. Just as his shoes kissed the lake's edge, he halted, Lily still pummelling him like a punching bag.
"One!" He yelled out as passing by students shooting us concerned looks.
"It's fine," Mary called to one of them, waving an absent hand. "They do this all the time."
"Godric." Remus muttered.
"No they don't." Alice said faintly, wincing at the scene.
"PUT ME DOWN, YOU DOG -" Lily was screeching, flailing and squirming in his arms like a worm. The five of us howled with laughter at her words, Marlene leaning on my shoulder for support.
"Two-oo!!" Sirius sung teasingly, gripping her firmly by the calves.
"BLACK, I AM WARNING Y-"
"THREE!" He roared, swiftly reaching for her waist. Within a second -he had thrown her into the depths of the black lake, cutting her blood curdling scream short. We burst out into another fit of laughter at the sight, Frank and Alice now sitting feet from us on the grass, wiping at their eyes. 
"Och, I'll be surprised if she doesn't give him a right flogging." Marls chuckled, clutching her stomach. I waited in anticipation, watching the way the sun rays reflected on the lake. After a moment, Lily abruptly emerged to the surface, splashing frantically and dripping wet hair plastered to the sides of her pale face. An expression of pure, trembling rage replaced her expression of shock. And then Lily screamed,
"SIRIUS ORION BLACK I AM GOING TO MURDER YOU!"
We roared with laughter as she cursed again and attempted to swim to the edge. Her drenched robes slowed her down as she struggled to move with the current, which was when I began to take pity on her. Lily pulled a vulgar gesture with her hand at something Sirius said, before suddenly halting mid sentence and turning around in the water. She looked down into the depths of the forbidding black lake, her soaking wet hair curtaining her face from our view.
"Lily?" I called out, hiccuping on my chuckle. I scrambled to my feet, joining Sirius by the lake's edge. She spun back to face us, her mouth opening to form words -
And then she was gone. Lily had disappeared underneath the surface faster then she'd been tossed in.
"Where did she go?" Alice asked nervously, standing up from where she had been laying and craning her neck anxiously.
"Shit." Marlene said from behind me, hurrying to my side. "Was she pulled under?"
We waited in baited breath for her to pop back up to the surface, snarling in utter fury. Almost fifteen seconds had passed with no movement, not a single ripple in the water, when panic started to set in.
"Is she a good swimmer?" I asked anxiously. I'd been thrown, fallen and climbed into this lake what must be hundreds of times, and had always been left alone by the inhabitants. What if she didn't come back up? What if she were drowning at this second, anxiously fighting the wreaths and desperately trying to yank herself to the light?
"A superb swimmer." Alice murmured in confusion.
"LILY!" Mary yelled out, now ankle deep in lake water. Nearby students had begun to wander over now, many craning their necks and wearing concerned expressions. There was a loud, sudden splash and break in the surface as Lily's paled face reappeared, gasping and choking as she struggled to reach for to the bank. Where she had been only moments ago, was twenty feet away to where she was now - flailing her arms wildly.
"Lily!"
"Sirius, quick -"
I blocked out their voices as I hastily threw my glasses to the ground, sprinting directly into the water and diving head first into the icy black lake. My Quidditch robes weighed me down, flapping uselessly at my sides me as I glided underneath the numbing water. I broke the surface with an enormous, heaving breath, only one thing in my mind as I performed one arm stroke after the other, my legs pumping and breathing ragged: Lily.
The pitch black water pierced my skin like small knives as I fought through the reeves, distant shouting only fuelling my adrenaline to reach her. Her face abruptly broke the surface once more, water bubbling from her mouth and suffocating her. I reached for her clammy hand just in time and gripped her other flailing arm, yanking her out of the creature's grasp firmly. I pulled my wand from my back pocket, sending a blast of fire into the icy depths; causing the creature, whatever it was, to let her slip rather reluctantly. She gurgled a mouthful of lake water, rasping noises issuing from her as I eased her into my side. My arms gripped her
against me tightly as I sent a second collective burst of fire through the swirling currents. I heaved her through the water and swam us back to shore, praying that the thing wouldn't come and nip us from behind. After what seemed like years of Lily choking on my shoulder, struggling for breath, we reached the muddy bank of grass and weeds. I fell into the mud, arms already reaching out and lifting Lily up by the waist. Internally cursing myself, I tried not to focus on how her thin frame felt beneath my hands as she lurched forwards. Lily choked and spluttered, her chest racking as lake water emptied out from her system. She fell to her hands and needs, her head hanging loosely. I pulled back the sheet of dripping wet hair from her face, waving my wand and instantly drying every inch of her, removing all traces of dirt.
"Merlin Lily, I'm so sorry." Sirius was saying from where he stood before us, staring at her in shock as she retched into the lake bed. Then he burst out laughing and fell over onto the grass, rolling around like a madman. Lily looked up, brushing her now dry hair from her eyes to scowl at him fiercley. Sirius had just gotten to his feet again when she swung her right leg up, pushing him directly into the shallows. He soared backwards, landing on his arse. I howled with laughter as he emerged, spluttering and cursing.
"Well that doesn't happen everyday." Remus said mildly, not knowing where to looks
"Who knew the giant squid liked to eat people?" Frank laughed nervously, shooting Lily a worried glance.
"Yeah, I've swum in there a hundred times," I painted, drying myself with my wand."The squid's never shown any interest in us. Whatever it was, it put up a fight." I frowned and picked up my glasses, pushing them onto the bridge of my nose. I scrambled to my feet, still panting slightly.
"Maybe it joined Voldy." Sirius sniggered as I offered Lily a hand, scanning her attire desperately. She shot him a dark, venemous look and accepted, letting me pull her to her feet gently.
"Are you okay, Lil?" Marlene asked, putting a hand on my shoulder and mirroring my expression.
"Fine," she gasped slightly, massaging her throat. "Slightly shaken, but..." She shook her self, leaning into my arm as I wrapped it around her shoulders comfortingly - not allowing my thoughts to stray to what I would do if she hadn't bobbed back up to the surface.
"It was a couple Grindylow." She said to Sirius hoarsley, flashing him a grimace. "Not the squid."
"Ah." Sirius mumbled, shooting me a desperate glance. I merely looked at him as if to say, 'Look, you got what you asked for, mate.'
"Thank you," Lily murmured to me, squeezing my waist tightly. "For diving in...I thought I was a goner. I couldn't reach my wand -"
"Anytime, Lil." I cut in, flashing her an easy grin. Her rosy, full lips pulled up into a grateful smile, those emerald eyes glowing.
"Now." Her smile turned bitter as she turned on her heel to face Sirius, twirling her wand between her fingers tauntingly. "Do you think the bat bogey hex will suffice?"

...