Jily | I Can't Love Him

Frogspawn Soap

A group climbed through the portrait hole. Mary was grasping Jackie's arm desperately tight as they followed Alice and Marlene into the common room.

"You guys can never leave me again!" She was saying. "I've never had a longer, more boring Christmas break. I had to sit next to Professor Kettleburn at dinner and all he wanted to talk about was how he lost all three of his limbs. In graphic detail." Mary recoiled slightly, scrunching her button nose before continuing her woeful recount of the holiday.

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The following morning found the sixth-year Gryffindors huddled in front of the notice board as the rest of Gryffindor house poured out of the common room. They were scanning the sheet of parchment Professor McGonagall had just pinned up.

"If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st of August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week Apparition course run by an Apparition Instructor from the Ministry of Magic," Remus, who was looking particularly pale, read aloud. "Please sign below if you would like to participate. Cost 12 Galleons."

"We get to learn how to Apparate." Marlene gaped, signing her name under Alice, Jackie and Mary's who had all left the girls dormitory half an hour earlier.

"Not all it's cracked up to be, you know," Sirius said, frowning at the notice.

"Oh, yeah?" Marlene turned around to face him. "And how would you know?"

"I have my ways." He smirked at her, bending slightly to meet her eye level and snatching the quill out of her hand.

"Can't be worse than Flooing."

"I wouldn't bet on that," James cut in. "Last time we Apparated Pads chucked it."

Marlene burst out laughing and Sirius went bright pink, starring bloody murder at James.

"To be fair, you weren't much better," Remus interjected. "I happen to recall you on the ground with your head between your knees; full foetal position."

Marlene's laughter intensified and Sirius barked with laughter.

"Don't tell me you've been illegally Apparating." Lily, who had finished meticulously scribing her name, crossed her arms in front of her chest, one eyebrow raised.

"Not at all," James said smoothly. "We were with my parents."

Lily hummed, nodding thoughtfully, before linking arms with Marlene and striding out of the portrait hole to breakfast.

Breakfast was a noisy affair. Lily and Marlene joined their friends—who had left before them—at the Gryffindor table along with Frank Longbottom who was engaged in conversation with two other Gryffindor seventh years, Mason Bishop and Eoin Wiggins. The Marauders joined them shortly after and James slid onto the bench beside Lily.

"In a hurry this morning, Evans?" James asked, cocking an eyebrow mockingly.

"Not at all." Lily shook her head. "I was just hankering for some tea." She motioned to the half-drunk teacup before her.

James snorted and turned to face his plate which he began loading with everything in arms reach.

"What have you got first-period, Prongs?" Sirius asked from across the table after the morning owl post.

James shrugged, swallowing a mouthful of baked beans. "Haven't checked my timetable since last term. Barely remember what classes I take."

"Double potions," Remus answered for James. "And Sirius you have Muggle art."

Sirius smiled, "Brilliant!"

"Why's that brilliant?"

"Don't be daft, Moony. It's brilliant because we can ask about our little gift, and I don't have to suffer the repercussions."

"What little gift?" Marlene lifted her head from the letter she had received, peering at Sirius curiously.

Sirius leant down to her ear and whispered, "We got greasy old Snivellus a Christmas present."

It was Lily's turn to look up at the mention of her ex-best friend, "What did you send him?"

"Frogspawn soap. It was Peter's idea, genius if you ask me."

"Thought he could use it to wash his hair," Peter chuckled, blushing lightly at Sirius's compliment.

Lily scrunched her nose momentarily. Deciding not to comment on how unkind their 'little gift' was she went back to reading the front cover of her Daily Prophet.

As their plates cleared and the Great Hall began to empty, they all stood and started making their way towards their respective classes. Lily, Marlene and Alice wandered down the spiral staircase that led to the Dungeons corridor. Jackie, who had a study period, walked with Mary to Muggle art on the third floor.

The four boys hung back, standing on a bench in the corridor and peering over the heads of the students flooding past. Remus tapped James on the arm as Severus' unmistakable head of hair made its way down the corridor causing James to snort, sending Peter into a frenzy of laughter.

"Oi, Snape!" Sirius shouted over the heads of the students. "Get any good gifts for Christmas?"

Severus swivelled around and his eyes searched the corridor, quickly locking on Sirius. His sallow cheeks flushed as he remembered the gift he had received on Christmas morning. He opened his mouth, as if to shout a collection of profanity but—aware of the teachers dotted around—he thought better of it and clamped his lips shut, slouching off towards the dungeons. Sirius grinned widely at Severus's angered expression.

"Well done, lads." James clapped his friends, two of which were now bent over with laughter, on the back.

He jumped down off the bench, narrowly missing Professor Eikenhorst, who had just walked in front of the four.

"Sorry, Sir." James's eyes went wide as Eikenhorst picked the book he'd dropped.

"All good. No harm done, James." Eikenhorst smiled, continuing on his journey before calling out, "Get to class, boys!"

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☞ We're starting to get into the grit of this story and I'm so excited! So much is planned for the next few chapters. I can't wait to explore the interactions between further between Lily, Petunia and Vernon—and eventually James!

Also, does anyone else have this problem? I have sooo many chapters that are either ready to be published or developed but they're set further down the plot so I can't post them yet because they won't make any sense... This is the bane of my writing existence.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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