Lily saw her husband leap out of the way as the spell hit a door, blowing it away. A dark blue beam shot out of James' wand in return.
Malfoy shouted something, and a green snake lunged in the way, taking the blast. It fell to the floor, before starting to wither away.
“This is the best you can do?” James asked, smiling. He shouted something and a huge lion emerged from his wand.
The lion had a golden mane and sharp pointed teeth. It roared, and Lily couldn’t help but smile…Only a true Gryffindor could produce a lion that big and strong.
“Hah…” Malfoy jutted his wand in a forward motion, and a huge snake, several feet thick and at least a hundred feet long, shot out of his wand.
It had two fangs the size of a broad sword. It lashed out at the lion. The lion moved quickly out of the way, and then, with its gigantic paw it smashed it’s fist into the snake’s head. A sickening thud was heard as the snake became green smoke.
“Can your lion take the killing curse?” Malfoy asked, sneering at James. Out of his wand shot a bolt of green light, and the lion instantly became red smoke.
“Malfoy…you will not win…we’ll defy the dark lord a million times, and even then we wouldn’t even consider giving him the pendant,” James replied. Not to mention you’re a bad dueler and my great, great, great Grandmother could beat you in a duel.”
Lily smiled…maybe the old James wasn’t truly gone. She felt something move, and looked down to see baby Harry shift to his side. She smiled and looked back up.
“Your self-centered, arrogant mind will kill you,” Malfoy said icily, reminding Lily of what she said when she had found out who the head boy was.
Lily walked into the compartment hoping to see Aaron, but instead seeing her worst nightmare staring out the window.
“What in the world are you doing here? Where’s Aaron? Don’t just sit there, tell me!” Lily cried out.
“You are so mean, talking to me, of all people like that; you know I’m the most lovable character out of the Marauders,” James said grinning.
“You truly are a freaking SELF-CENTERED, ARROGANT, GIT!” Lily shouted furiously.
“I see you’re taking this well,” James replied, putting his feet up on the table in front of him.
“How…what…why…Dumbledore…why…crazy…Aaron…why?” Lily babbled.
“How-Dumbledore assigned me this post, what- I’m head boy, why- no idea, Dumbledore-yes, he must be crazy, why-once again, no clue, crazy- yes, Dumbledore is crazy, Aaron was not assigned Head Boy, why-no idea,” James said calmly.
“Oh can you teach me how to babble like you’re clueless, when the answer is right in front of you?” he added.
Lily shot him a shut-up-before-I-throttle-you glare.
Lily couldn’t believe it, why in the world would Dumbledore put…put him as head boy?!
This is completely crazy, she thought.
Okay Lily, its just one more year, you can get through one more year…no you can’t! She closed her eyes then thought of something else.
Aaron...I can make sure Aaron’s around me, so James won't be on my back all the time…I hope he proposes...not only will I be happy, but then James won't talk to me. She smiled to herself, as she sat staring out the window.
James looked at Lily, steadily watching her face expression change from 'I can do this', to, 'I’m not going to make it', to, 'I know what to do'.
I’m glad Dumbledore put me as head boy, but why did he do that…to keep the marauders in check? He laughed silently to himself.
He should have picked Remus…or Aaron. He growled to himself.
Aaron didn’t have the charm that Sirius carried, and was way out of his league. All James knew was that Aaron was smart…in making Lily to his homework for him, and was taller than he was.
Aaron had long, sandy brown hair, and innocent brown eyes. But James knew for a fact that he was very cunning, despite his innocent features. Aaron was a muggle-born, and while he was a muggle, he was a football star. James never did understand the logic of football…it’s sounded so stupid.
Pretty boy Aaron won’t have much to smile about if Lily catches on to how bad he truly is. Of course that isn’t going to happen, he has her fooled…she doesn’t even know he’s cheating on her with that quarter-veela girl Hanna. Too bad she would never believe me. James sighed to himself looking out the window; maybe this year would be better than the rest.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before they heard loud noises coming from outside. James was the first one out, to see Christopher shooting spells at the small first years.
“Look, Potter and his Mudblood freak have joined the party,” Christopher, a 7th year bully Slytherin said smiling at them.
“Shut up Christopher before I personally see to it that that stupid smile is wiped off your face for good,” James retorted pulling out his wand.
“James, we’re head boy and girl, we don’t need to start a duel,” Lily said grabbing his arm.
James melted at the touch and lowered his wand.
“That’s right Mudblood, control your boyfriend or I’ll see to it that he won’t be able to make little Potters,” Christopher said jabbing her wand in James’s direction.
James felt his face heat up, and he ripped out of Lily’s hold. “You are going to regret the day you were born...no, wait.... the day your parents were born. They’re nothing but filthy trash, like you.”
Christopher shot a spell at James, but James dodged as it spiraled into a compartment door. Christopher shot another spell at James, but he dodged it once again. The spell hit another compartment door, making it explode, to reveal a couple of second year girls talking. They screamed and ran out to another compartment.
“Stop the fighting, or I’ll be forced to give you a detention,” Lily yelled so she could be heard.
Christopher shot her such a glare, that Lily backed away, bumping into the wall. “You think you’re such hot stuff Mudblood, but you’re a disgrace to all wizards, even to the muggle freaks. You will pay. Lord Voldemort will make sure you’re first to die...he doesn’t accept people like you.”
Lily was frozen, and couldn’t think of a reply. Suddenly Christopher's face turned from a look of hatred, to a look of pain. She doubled over, revealing James standing behind him, his arms raised and his face red.
Suddenly James’ body seemed to lurch forward, and he was thrown into the wall where Lily was standing. She jumped, as he collapsed on the floor right by her feet. He stood up, his jet-black hair actually looking neater than usual, but his clothes torn. He ran his fingers through his hair once or twice, then glared at Christopher.
“How can you manage to make sure you’re hair is messy when Christopher is threatening us?” Lily asked, rolling her eyes.
“I don’t know…it’s a bit of a habit,” James replied.
.
“Where did you learn it?” Lily asked.
“Uhh, when I learned that girls fell for that,” James replied wincing, knowing that he was saying something wrong right as he was saying it.
“You really are something James,” Lily stated. “Thanks for saving me. It was nice of you to stand by me. Maybe you’re not half bad.”
“Lily…you just said six whole sentences without insulting me…it’s a record, last time it was only four!” James exclaimed, smiling.
“I just said thanks...and you’re counting my sentences?!…freak,” Lily retorted.
“Sorry to break up this heart warming moment, but I’m getting sick to my stomach,” Christopher said.
“Chris, I’m about a second away from hexing you into another year,” James replied menacingly.
“Well, since that is said, let’s see how your girlfriend takes the Cruciatus Curse,” Christopher replied coldly.
“Crucio!”
James leapt in front of Lily as the Cruciatus Curse hit him. He fell on the ground, writhing in pain.
Lily raised her wand angrily, and yelled
“Expelliarmus.”
A bright red beam came out the tip of her wand.
“Rebounda Protego!” Chris shouted.
An invisible shield appeared in front of Christopher, and the red beam rebounded off it, hitting Lily in the chest. She flew back against the wall, leaving an imprint of herself. She fell to the ground unconscious.
Lily woke to voices above her head. She kept her eyes closed, and was about to sit up, when she realized that she was with Elsie and May, and they were talking about James.
“Can you believe James Potter, jumped in front of a Crucio curse for a girl who hates him!” Elsie said in awe.
“I know, and can you believe that her boyfriend saw the whole thing and didn’t want to go help?!” May said furiously.
“He was too busy…” Elsie began
“Hush, Lily might be waking up,” May said warningly.
“Oh come on…she was knocked out cold,” Elsie replied disbelievingly.
“I just have a bad feeling that what we will say will send her into denial,” May said quietly.
Lily felt herself shiver…May’s feelings were almost always right.
“Its okay, she’s out cold,” Elsie retorted.
“Remember when you broke your nose?” May asked.
“As I said, it won’t matter, she’s out cold,” Elsie said, ignoring May’s last comment.
“No, we will not say it.” May replied, her eyes flashing with warning signs.
“She’s out cold, its okay if we say that Aaron’s cheating on her with that quarter veela girl Hanna,” Elsie said.
Lily jolted up, her eyes brimming with tears. “He’s what?!”
“I told you,” May said sadly to Elsie. “Now it’s up to you to tell her.” With that, May stalked out.
May kept walking until she was back in the Marauders compartment.
“Sirius, I need to talk to you outside,” May said seriously.
“Looks like I’m making progress,” Sirius said, smiling and glancing at the other Marauders, before walking out of the compartment with May. “So I’ve finally made an impression on you.”
“Not in your dreams,” May replied.
“So…is it about helping you win the bet?” he questioned.
“Yeah, she found out Aaron was cheating on her...we need James to find out her inner-thoughts…maybe a spell or something,” May said.
“Sure, talk to me in the common room at midnight tonight,” Sirius said.
“To talk, only to talk…nothing else,” May said seriously, even though her heart was thumping loudly in her chest.
He turned around and walked out, and May backed up against a wall and slid down it, smiling. She couldn’t believe it…she was falling for Sirius’ charm. She shook her head. I’m sick, just sick, I need a nap.
She walked back to her compartment shaking her head.