"Ah, Lils, don't you just love the fresh air?" Mary smiled widely, spreading her arms and closing her eyes. "I do, actually," Lily agreed reluctantly, "Though I would've picked any other place than the Quidditch pitch." Mary rolled her eyes, "That's where the tryouts are going to be, stupid. I'm not sure which house, but nevertheless--" Lily sighed in exasperation. "Lily, it's fifth year," Mary said frustratedly, "Come on. Time to stop acting so proper. I've got my eye on someone and you better too." Lily's eyes widened at this new piece of information and she poked her friend, "Oh, Mary MacDonald, you've been holding out on me!" They both giggled like third-years ("I really thought we'd grown up," Lily said absently, "Oh, well.") and became so engrossed in their conversation, they barely noticed the small group of teenagers dressed in the Gryffindor scarlet and gold walk out on the pitch.
As Mary finished giving a highly detailed description about a handsome seventh-year Hufflepuff called Amos, Lily suddenly realised the stands had gotten very crowded. Though there were a few boys watching enviously, and a few Slytherins glaring daggers, most of the population consisted of girls. They reminded Lily vaguely of those excitable little dogs her neighbours had; screaming at a high-pitched voice and eyes zeroed in on their target. As she followed their line of vision, she groaned in annoyance; of course this would happen.
"Ooh, look, Lily, it's--" Mary said excitedly.
"I know, I know," Lily said in a hard and tired voice; why won't he fall off a cliff and leave her alone? "Let's just go, please?"
Mary pleaded, "Just a few more minutes, Lil, please?" Lily turned around fiercely, when she noticed Mary's real reason. "Oh," she huffed, with a look of realisation, which had something to do with a certain seventh-year Hufflepuff walking towards them, looking for a seat not occupied by a frenzied girl with 'Potter' written across some part of her body.
"All right, Mare, but just a few more minutes, OK?" Lily whispered hurriedly, and Mary sighed in relief and nodded.
Right on schedule, the boy, Amos, sat down on the only available seat (courtesy of Lily having to hold her breath and squeeze in tightly with her crazed best friend) and struck up a conversation with Mary. Bored, and not wanting to pry, Lily gazed, uninterested, at the field. Their team wasn't very good, no point denying it, and rarely won any matches, let alone the cup. The Slytherins were getting much too big for their britches, and even Severus couldn't control his pleasure at the fact, Lily remembered. So, they better be picking a darn good team, she mused to herself.
After watching the Chaser tryouts for a few minutes, Lily had to begrudgingly admit that Potter would be a helpful addition to the team. Though why the Captain, some boy called Johnson, would want an arrogant berk to be on his team and dictate every single thing was a mystery. If only he were a nicer person, she thought wistfully, with all his talents and all his potential... Lily was pulled out of her musings by an uproar caused due to a wink sent by James in the general direction of his audience, and later, a flying kiss ("It seemed like he was aiming for you though," Mary said later, holding up her Charms textbook as protection), which made any thoughts in favour of this disgusting boy, disappear.
As promised, Lily left after a few minutes of watching the Chaser tryouts, after Mary and Amos were well and truly oblivious to anything apart from each other, and found herself meandering towards the library. There was a new potion she had had her eye on recently, and she was wondering if she could ask Professor Slughorn for extra credit, because she simply didn't want to do that dreadful assignment on bezoars--
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she cried, so wrapped up in her thoughts that she had bumped into a boy and knocked the books out of his hands.
"'S all right," he muttered, bending down to pick them quickly. As Lily noticed, for the first time, his caramel hair, she wondered where she'd seen him before. As she waited curiously for him to pick up his books and show his face (which was taking a ridiculously long time), she remembered where she knew him from. "Hey," she said in her moment of enlightenment, "You're that boy, aren't you? His friend, that Potter's friend?" She absolutely loath to say his name but when she did, the boy raised his head in surprise and displayed a few, small scars on his face. When he finally took her in, her red hair and freckled nose, he understood immediately. Nevertheless, he decided not to hold his friend's funny obsession against her, because she had been nothing but nice to him.
He smiled a wry smile, "That's not how people usually refer to me; the term 'strange lad' comes to mind." Lily looked concerned as Remus chuckled humourlessly. "Shouldn't you be outside with the others, screaming yourself hoarse for, as you put it, that Potter?" He saw the unrestrained disgust flash in her eyes as she said loftily, "I'm not an idiot. Besides, I don't even like Quidditch. Shouldn't you be there, with the rest of his... posse?" She looked a little afraid that he might take the joke the wrong way, but Remus just laughed loudly in the open hallway, after what felt like weeks.
"Not a fan of Quidditch either, are you?" Lily asked conversationally, walking slowly towards the library. Remus shrugged, "Not particularly. Of course, the rest of them would have me hung by the toes if they heard me say it," he chuckled yet again, becoming more and more comfortable with this outspoken and friendly girl. "Well, you'll find an ally in me," she grinned. "What're you upto anyway?" he nodded at books, or lack thereof, and she replied, while browsing the worn-out books, "Well, I thought I'd turn in a new type of potion for extra credit instead of that boring essay Slughorn assigned," she rolled her eyes and Remus' interest was suddenly piqued. "A new potion? Wow, can I help?" His eager eyes and friendly demeanour were all Lily needed to conclude that though Potter was an insufferable toerag, perhaps his choice in friends wasn't too shabby.
----
A/N
I just realised -- James Potter during his arrogant years would be exactly like Cormac McLaggen.
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Chasing Lily Evans
FanfictionJames/Lily fanfiction She hates his inflated head and he hates her puncturing his happiness everytime she sees him and yet, she's the only girl who didn't bow down to him. She was the only one who didn't swoon at the sight of his messy hair. The onl...
