Lily sat in the Common Room, going over the transfiguration homework that Professor McGonagall had assigned: a report on Animagi. She was in the middle of researching the life of one famous Animagus; Sam Clanderbuilt, who had transformed into a fox, and was almost immediately shot by his best friend.
You can train for years to become an Animagus, and yes, there are risks, She wrote, her quill flying across the yellowed parchment. Transforming can be an agonizing process, and not always complete…
After what seemed like an eternity, the last sentence was written, and she was free to go. Sighing, she put down her pen, and began to gather her equipment together. She looked up to see Robert striding up to her, and she allowed him to wrap her tightly in a comforting goodnight hug.
On the other side of the Common Room, James scowled venomously, slouching on his chair with his arms folded. Lily tried to ignore him, and she only glanced back once before she left the Common Room.
James watched as Lily left the Common Room, sadly, trying as hard as he could to not let his emotions show on his face. What I wouldn’t give to be Robert right now, he thought self-pityingly.
Well, Robert and Lily wouldn’t be together forever, and Lily practically promised to go out with him after Robert, hadn’t she? Yes, he told himself. Well, close enough anyway.
“How are you going with your transforming?” Sirius asked him curiously, pulling James away from his daydream.
“Great, watch,” said James excitedly, straightening up in his chair.
James concentrated like he never had before, he wasn’t sure exactly what on, he just seemed to know instinctively what he was aiming for. His hands tingled slightly, and he opened his eyes hopefully.
The top of his hands had turned from their usual soft peachy colour to a rough, cracked grey surface. His fingers had shortened considerably in length, and now resembled stumps. He also had thick brown hair on his left wrist.
“That’s amazing!” said Remus admiringly; leaning in closer to inspect James’s outstretched hand. James smiled proudly, looking over to Sirius to see his reaction.
Sirius pouted, jealousy showing on his face. “The most I’ve been able to do is make the bottom of my hands grow really rough,” he admitted.
“I haven’t been able to do anything!” Peter wailed, wringing his hands and sitting forward in his chair.
“Come on Peter, how hard have you been practicing?” Sirius questioned.
“About once a week…” Peter estimated.
“Ok, now, every night before you go to sleep, concentrate on pushing fur out of your skin, or getting smaller or bigger, or whatever, you’ll know when the time comes,” James advised him.
“Ok, thanks James!” Peter said jubilantly, brightening up considerably.
“No problem,” James smiled, momentarily forgetting that he was supposed to be feeling rotten.
Sirius, however, raised his eyebrows. “You know, Peter, I’ve been thinking. I really can’t be sure if you’re going to be alright coming with us on the full moons.”
Peter bristled. “What do you mean?” he demanded sharply.
James joined in. “You know, he’s got a point,” he teased, grinning broadly. “I mean, we might be spending whole nights in the forest; you might not be up to it...”
“I would so!” insisted Peter, who was working himself up into a frenzy. Remus looked on disapprovingly, but did nothing to stop James and Sirius.
“It was just a thought,” said Sirius casually, brushing a stray strand of soft black hair out of his dancing grey eyes.
Peter scowled almost as darkly as James had earlier, when Lily had ignored him.
After awhile, the boys decided to head upstairs to their dormitories. As they trudged sleepily up the seemingly never-ending staircases, James let out a yawn and remarked, “We should get top marks in this Transfiguration essay.”
Remus smiled. “You and Sirius will, anyway,” he allowed, shrugging, and then he cringed, realizing what he'd said.
It was too late though: the damage had been done, and Peter didn’t say a word to them for the rest of the night.
The next day was the first Quidditch match that Gryffindor played that year. Alanah Taliban, had both left Hogwarts the year before, and one of James’s fellow Chasers, Byron Justin, had filled her place as Quidditch Captain.
Logan Koror had also left, and Danny Clostner, who was, to be quite honest, pathetic at flying, had filled the place of Seeker.
Byron had chosen a second year girl to replace Alanah: Florence Coliprio, who was quite good at Quidditch and very pretty, with thick, dark brown hair and large blue eyes.
This match was against Slytherin, and James was eager to beat them as hard as they could, as he was quite sure Justin would be murderous if they dared slip up.
Justin was as strict a coach as Alana, if not worse, and they’d spent hours and hours training for this event. James had the feeling that he wanted to prove, to himself more than anyone else, that he was a good choice as Captain.
Not far into the game, James noticed Danny hovering in midair and looking around uncertainly, unsure of what to do. James felt a warning run through his body, and he called anxiously out to Danny.
“Move, or you’ll get hit by-”
“OW!”
“-a Bludger,” James finished, wincing as Danny clutched his leg in pain.
James shook his head, and turned back to the game to see Florence catch a pass skilfully, and turned to look at James, her piercing blue eyes cutting right into him.
Florence passed the Quaffle to James, and James scored a goal with ease, but he barely even noticed the crowd’s cheers; he was far too busy watching Danny chase a butterfly that had so rudely landed on his nose.
“That guy is hopeless,” he whispered to Jaslyn, before intercepting Liam Nodding’s attempt at scoring a goal.
“James!” a voice cried, and he ducked as a well-aimed Bludger narrowly missed his head. James shot a grateful glance at Florence, and then turned to scowl at Ciaran Rowen, a Beater on the Slytherin team.
Rowen just shot a smirk at him and flew off.
After five hours of roughly the same thing, James was starting to get annoyed. It was a slow game, and the Seekers on both teams seemed to be lost in their own little world.
By now, James was sporting several bruises from where the Bludgers that Rowen had been repeatedly pelting his way. James couldn’t help but wonder whether he knew Snape.
“Clostner!” James cried to the daydreaming boy. “Are you even looking for the Snitch?”
Danny hung his head. “Yes, but it’s hard, there are people watching,” he protested.
“People watching? Danny, it’s a Quidditch game, of course there are people watching!” he cried in frustration.
Before Danny could reply, James was passed the Quaffle, and he effortlessly scored a goal.
“Slytherin Seeker Ryrie Hilleway has caught the Snitch, earning 160 points for the Slytherin team, however, Gryffindor win!” Claire blurted out quickly, sounding relieved that the match was over.
A cheer erupted from the crowds, even from the Slytherins, which was a surprise to James. Finally,thought James, as he landed his broom and kicked his legs about, trying to get the circulation flowing again.
Once he had achieved this, he ran over to join Sirius and Remus, who were waiting for him by the stands. “Where’s Peter?” he asked.
“He went inside to attempt to catch up on his homework,” Remus laughed.
“If I didn’t know better, I would think that he was bored with Quidditch!” Sirius remarked in mock disbelief.
James looked serious. “No one gets bored with Quidditch, it isn’t possible...” he whispered.
Lily brushed past him, holding hands with Robert, and giggling girlishly, making a point not to look at James.
James pointedly kept his head down, refusing to look at them in return. Sirius noticed this, and threw his arm around James shoulder. “Don’t worry about them, they won’t last forever,” he reasoned.
James pulled Sirius’s arm off his shoulder, and shoved him playfully. Sirius banged into Remus with a yelp, which caused Remus to fall sideways, grabbing onto Sirius. Sirius wildly snatched onto James right arm, and the three boys fell into a laughing heap on the grass.
Lily pulled her knees up to her chest, and rested her head on them sleepily. It was late at night, and she was glad for the quietness of the near empty Common Room. She needed some time to think.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get thoughts of James out of her head. She was incredibly mad at herself; she felt so disloyal to Robert.
They weren’t so much thoughts of how much she liked him, more thoughts of whether she did or not. Lily was incredibly confused. She knew that she shouldn’t, but she had already learned during her life that it wasn’t your own decision who you liked, it just happens.
A movement out the corner of her eye caused her to look up, breaking out of her thoughts, and she saw that Robert was making his way towards her. He sat down on the arm of her chair and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Lily, are you alright? You seem a bit preoccupied tonight,” he commented, his features concerned. Lily shook her head and forced a bright smile, which probably turned out as more of a forced smirk.
“I’m fine, really,” she assured him, standing up. He stood up as well, and looked sadly towards the door.
“If you’re sure you’re alright, I should be heading off to bed then I suppose,” he murmured uncertainly, giving her a knowing look. He quickly made his way to his dormitory, leaving Lily to sit in silence.
Robert entered the dormitory with such a confused look on his face that Sirius felt compelled to ask him what the matter was.
Robert sprawled onto his bed, and looked over to him. “Lily’s been acting really strange lately… I think she doesn’t like me anymore!”
This caught James’s attention immediately, and he sat straight up on his bed.
“I always knew it wouldn’t last,” Sirius drawled with a melodramatic sigh. Robert looked at him sharply.
“She’s probably just having a girl moment,” Remus observed, in an attempt to be comforting.
“Where’s Peter?” James asked suddenly, noticing his absence for the first time.
“He’s probably still in the Common Room,” Sirius yawned.
“Actually, I don’t think I saw him in there…” Robert commented.
“I’ll go down and get him,” James sighed dramatically, getting slowly off of his bed. He was the only one not in his pyjamas, so he figured it made sense for him to go.
As he entered the Common Room, however, he saw straightaway that it’s only occupant was Lily, who was staring so intently at the fire that she didn’t even acknowledge his entry into the room.
James approached her slowly, tilting his head onto the side cautiously. He waited until he was close enough to touch her before he asked, “Lily?” in a loud voice.
Lily jumped almost a mile and let out a yelp. James jumped backwards and swore. “Merlin, Woman, calm down!” he cried.
Lily looked embarrassed. “Sorry, but you didn’t have to sneak up on me like that!" she snapped.
“I didn’t sneak, I-”
“What is it?” Lily interrupted him, folding her arms.
James was flustered. “I…er, have you seen Peter?”
“No, why?” Lily asked absently.
“Oh, no reason, just we can’t find him,” James said casually, examining the fireplace mantel top. A faded, yellowing piece of parchment caught his eye, with the letters S J R written on it.
He picked it up curiously, and turned it over. He scanned the words written, and then dropped it as if it were on fire. “That idiot…”
Lily looked up. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
James didn’t hesitate before running upstairs. Lily sat for a moment before standing up and grabbing the letter. She scanned it quickly, and finished reading just as James came running down the stairs, now with a thick jacket on.
“What did you say to him?” she demanded.
“It was Sirius!” James defended himself. “Are you coming?”
Lily looked stunned. “You can’t be serious! It’s after dark, what if we get caught? It’s not just a night-time stroll James!”
“Are you coming?” James repeated looking her in the eye. Lily hesitated, then sighed. “Do I have a choice?” she asked, defeated.
James gave her a quick smile.
I hope you liked the chapter! Sorry it took so long! review challenge, quite an obvious one.
What has happened to Peter??