I'll Take it Shaken, Not Stirred

Chapter 19: The Snitch Snatch

History: I am to Harry Potter as... damn it, I suck at analogies. I don't own anything but some ice tea and a jar of olives (for which I am very grateful).

The Much-Loved Recap: (Chapter 6) Eden's father comes to Hogwarts and Lily sees that the two are at odds. (Chapter 10/11) James and Lily suspect respectively Praedam and Silth of being death eaters, but the pair searches their offices, which is inconclusive of Silth, but brings them to believe Praedam is not in Voldemort's services. (Chapter 12) Lily flashes back to second year when she first started to hate James and remembers circumstances with her first almost-date. (Chapter 18) Lily begins to regain some of her memories from the forest, as does James (slightly).

Long Chapter alert!
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"Be careful that victories do not carry the seeds of such future defeats." –Ralph W. Sockman

"What if we lose?"

"We're not going to lose."

"Right. But what if we do?"

"We won't."

"I know, I know, but if we do...?"

"Damn it, Worms. With that attitude, we will! Merlin, you're a pessimist."

James and Peter sat by the lake on the very last day of April. Flitwick had let them out early, they still had half an hour till dinner, and the two Marauders were spending it in the speculation that had occupied so much of the school's thought lately. The Quidditch Final was only a few weeks away and a constant, nervous sort of thrill had settled in James's stomach. This made the wait only more nerve-wracking; if Gryffindor won, James knew that he would look back on the feeling with fondness. If Gryffindor lost... well, they weren't going to lose. He wished he could make himself feel as confident as he sounded.

"Prongs!"

Sirius came rushing up to the two Marauders a moment later, looking a little flushed form the run. "What is it?" asked James quickly, seeing the urgency in his friend's face. "What's the matter?"

Breathing loudly, Padfoot sat on the grass, facing James, and said: "Well, Moony and I were stuffing Filch's bag with dungbombs (y'know... just to stay on our toes), and I had a thought..."

"My God, you're kidding me!"

"Oh sod off. I meant that I had a thought that... well, I'd never even considered it but... well..."

"Spit it out, you great prat."

"What if we lose, Prongs?"

James groaned. "We're not going to lose!" he said at the exact same time as Peter. "Now go back to your old ways of 'not thinking' before you get yourself in trouble. Besides, stupidity suits you."

"Har, har," said Sirius sardonically, standing and walking over to the tree James was propped up against. He jumped and grabbed hold of one of the thicker branches, from which he began to swing. Remus appeared walking towards them a short distance away, and Peter was quick to point it out.

When the fourth Marauder came up to them, he sat in Sirius's former patch of grass. He was laughing loudly. "Merlin, Padfoot!" he said, composing himself ever so slightly; "Why'd you leave? It was a classic Filch moment!"