Golden Girl- James Potter Love Story

Hope

Ella sat between Lily and Portia, the girls giggling behind their textbooks at Marlene's latest scandal. They were in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Ella jotted a quick note to her friends before looking up. Professor Gilly was staring at them disapprovingly.

"Ladies, do contain yourselves," he reprimanded stiffly. "Normally you are model students."

"Aww Gills, give them a break," James propped his feet on the desk in front of him. "It is our last year."

"They are probably just admiring us and who could blame them?" Sirius winked roguishly. The girls gave him faces of disgust. Ella mimed retching.

Professor Gilly stood even straighter, if that was possible. His bow tie trembled indignantly ashe spoke. "The fact that this is your last year should be even more motivation. Mr. Potter take your feet from the desk, this isn't your living room." James shrugged mischievously and moved his feet to a chair, Gilly pretended not to notice. "Today we are learning the Patronus charm."

The Marauders looked smug and Ella remembered they had already mastered this one. She examined the chapter and her spirits sunk, as this was a spell she could never perform.

Professor Gilly ushered them to one side of the room and waited irritably for the murmurs to die down before continuing. "Think of a happy thought and allow it to fill up your mind. Then repeat the incantation: Expecto Patronum."

Ella looked around at everyone else as they uttered the spell. Besides the Marauders, the student's faces were scrunched in concentration. Ella felt like banging her head against the gargoyle sitting smugly in the corner. This wasn't going to go well.

"Mr. Black, would you care to demonstrate?" Gilly's voice broke the silence. He eyed Sirius carefully, waiting for mayhem to erupt.

Sirius just grinned. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he cried and Ella smiled as a giant, shaggy dog burst from his wand.

Professor Gilly was in shock and his mouth hung open before he closed it. "Very good," he grunted.

"Better than good, that was brilliant," Marlene McKinnon chirped, smirking at Sirius who gave her a wink in return.

One by one the students went, some more successful than others. Gilly would give pointers and have them try again. Portia went up and on her second try, produced a great stallion. Ella watched in awe as it trotted and looked down at her notes before Lily stepped forward. She sucked in a sharp intake of breath, remembering the doe that had connected the red head to James Potter and closing her eyes for an instant, Ella desperately hoped for change. The girl watched in astonishment as a red fox delicately trotted forth from Lily's willow core. She stared, hardly daring to believe this was happening. The future was actually changing.

Portia nudged her side, "Blink, woman. Your eyes are going to fall out." She put on an insulted expression. "Why weren't you this impressed with my majestic horse? That took me many hours of practice I'll have you know."

Ella shook herself, discarding her thoughts. "No that was amazing! I was just surprised Lily was a fox."

"That sly, sly girl," Marlene clicked her tongue mischievously.

Ella attempted to hide toward the back of the crowd as Professor Gilly looked for her a few times. She signaled urgently that she wasn't ready as Peter gazed at her curiously.

"Why are you afraid to go up?"

Ella looked into the boy's blue eyes. They were not watery and pale like when he was Voldemort's follower, but vibrant and full. His rat patronus had been successful, to the shock of everyone but the Marauders. "I can't do the spell, Pete.".