The next day, which was a Saturday, was a good day, and not just because they got to sleep in and eat breakfast whenever they wanted. No, it was because James and Lily entered the Great Hall smiling, hand-in-hand. The Slytherins, naturally, looked thoroughly disappointed that someone else was happy. Lily noticed that Snape, especially, looked downcast and had bags under his eyes. Then, remembering James’s idea, she looked forward to the Gryffindor table. Stacey Wilson was not there.
Her steps faltered for a moment, and James seemed to understand.
“She’s not there. I know.”
He put a hand on her back, and continued walking. They reached their spot along the table, and took their seats. Lily had begun to smile at the sight of everyone else. They greeted her, and returned the grin.
“Hey, James!” called a voice from down the table. James turned his head sharply, looking for the voice. It was Sam’s.
“Yeah? What is it?”
“Um, I was wondering if I could help you with Quidditch?” he asked. (Monica, who was sitting across from him, rolled her eyes. Apparently, she had heard this speech before.) “I can’t play, but I was thinking I could help out with strategies or something?” He spoke quickly, then looked up at James.
James was frozen in shock. “Quidditch?” he asked, his eyes wide. “Oh, blast! I have completely forgotten about it!” he cried, grabbing his head with his hands.
“There’s a first,” muttered Josey, “He forgot about Quidditch.” Nikeia sniggered.
“I have to go and talk to McGonagall.” James got up and rushed to the staff table, leaving a confused Sam behind.
“What was that all about?” he asked Remus.
“Well, Quidditch has for once been completely wiped from James’s mind, what with what has happened. He’s up there now, talking to McGonagall, to get the pitch reserved for practice for sometime during this week,” Remus explained to the kid. Sam’s mouth formed an ‘o’ and he nodded. Before he could ask another question, James returned smiling. He reached over and ruffled Sam’s hair.
“Thanks, mate! I would’ve completely forgot about it had it not been for you!” remarked James, resuming his meal. Then he paused, and looked back. “Well, maybe not completely forgotten about it”I couldn’t ever completely forget about Quidditch, but it might have taken me a while to remember.”
After a bit, he turned back to Samuel. “I wasn’t paying attention; what did you ask?”
“Can I help you and the team out with strategies or something like that? I can’t play so I just want to help.”
Josey covered her eyes because of the rather irresistible look on Sam’s face. Nikeia covered her ears to stop from listening to Sam’s adorable voice. Lily covered her mouth to keep her smile undercover. Monica rolled her eyes again, both at Sam and at the three seventh year girls.
James, not really affected by Sam’s puppy look, chewed thoughtfully and then nodded. “Well, I don’t see why not. We could use some help. I’ll have to ask McGonagall, though. I can’t promise anything.”
Sam smiled a smile quite reminiscent of Potter’s old smirks.
“That is not fair!” cried Monica.
“What’s not fair?” asked Lily, taken aback at her fervent cry.
“That he used puppy eyes to get his way.” She crossed her arms over her chest and her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “He’s a boy! He should fight for it!”
“It really isn’t quite fair,” agreed Nikeia. “He could get anything with those eyes. We better watch out.”
Sam was smirking at Nikeia’s words, but the smirk left his face at her next statement.
“But I agree with you; he should face it like a man.”
Through his laughter, James managed to speak. “Well, then Sam. I guess you have to earn it.” He leaned down and said, in a voice that was supposed to be a whisper but wasn’t very soft: “I’ve learned to listen to Gryffindor women. I tend to avoid getting slapped when I do.”
Lily let out a rather unladylike bark of laughter. Nikeia and Josey joined in, and Alice winked at Sam.
“So,” continued James, straightening. “How about we play a game of Quidditch? You and me against, say, Remus and Sirius? If we win, Sam’s proved himself and he can help out the team. If we lose, then Sam can’t help out. Is that fair?”
Josey, Nikeia and Monica looked at each other and thought it over. Then they nodded.
“What? Two seventh years against one first year and another seventh year?” said Lily, confused. She was also a small bit disapproving at the idea of such an uneven playing field talent-wise, especially when it came from the Captain of the Quidditch team.
“Why not?” asked James. “Remus is... well, not the best player, and Sirius is fair, so it evens out!” A piece of hash hit his cheek, and he recoiled. “Hey!” James glared at Remus as he wiped the hash away.
“I’ll have you know that I am a fair Quidditch player, James!” said Remus, hiding a smile.
“Oh yeah? Well, then I guess you’ve got something to prove too!” James made no effort to hiding his beaming smile.
“Yeah, I guess so!” said Remus, with a sly smile.
Remus, James and Samuel stood from their seats, and started to walk out of the Great Hall to retrieve their brooms. But, as they started to walk, they noticed the forth member of the soon-to-be match was not with them.
“Sirius! Come on! We’ve got a match to play!” said James loudly.
“Not until after I eat, thank you very much!” said Sirius between spoonfuls of porridge. The other three groaned, and James wasted no time in pulling Sirius off the seat and out of the Great Hall amid laughter from the other Gryffindors.
“Darn you, Prongs!” shouted Sirius as he walked down to the pitch. “That was really good porridge you pulled me away from!”
“Oh shut it, Padfoot!” shouted James back, who was walking in front with Lily, smiling beside him. “You love Quidditch and you love me for suggesting a good ol’ game of it!”
Sirius growled, but didn’t say anything in rebuttal for it really was quite true. Nikeia, who was walking beside him, laughed and grabbed his hand.
“Do me a favor and push him off his broom,” she said. Sirius vigorously nodded, and Nikeia managed to place a kiss on his cheek. After that, Sirius seemed to puff up, and he pranced”for lack of a better word”to the stadium, swinging his and Nikeia’s clasped hands between them.
As they walked, Sam asked, “What’s with your nicknames? Prongs and Padfoot?”
The two boys to whom the names belong faltered slightly in their steps.
“Oh, we just came up with them one day. You know, ‘Padfoot’ because Sirius has such big feet, and-”
“’Prongs’ because his hair sticks up in the back,” threw in Sirius, rather insulted. “And I do not have big feet. ‘Padfoot’ comes from my ability to step quietly and sneak up on people.”
James barked in laughter, and shook his head, ceding the argument.
Sam was nodding slowly, as if debating whether to believe them. He didn’t ask anything else though, and continued walking.
When the whole group, including Josey, Monica, Frank and Alice, reached the Quidditch pitch, all but the players went up into a stand to watch the game.
Samuel borrowed one of the school brooms, and then flew up to one set of rings, having agreed that he would play Keeper first. Remus flew to the rings opposite him. Sirius and James remained on the ground, smirking at each other. Then James, reprising his normal position of Chaser, threw the Quaffle up into the air, and the game was started.
Sirius grabbed the Quaffle first and started racing toward Samuel, who had a hard and determined look on his young face as he flew back and forth between the posts. He watched Sirius’s movements but just as Sirius was about to throw, James appeared suddenly and took the Quaffle from Sirius. He let out a cry of anger. James was laughing as he juggled the Quaffle back and forth. Bad move.
“James! Look out!” shouted someone from the stands, and before James could realize who it was, he no longer had the Quaffle. He turned fast and noticed his black-haired mate shooting off toward the other side. James smirked and followed along behind. But he didn’t make to steal the Quaffle back; instead, he watched as Sam dived quickly to the side and blocked the Quaffle from entering one of the hoops. James gave a loud whoop and flew over to Sam.
“Well, you definitely have potential. Show me a few more of those, and I’ll admit it’ll be a shame you’re not on the team. Now,” he said, smiling at Sam, “give me that Quaffle and we will win this game!”
“Don’t be cocky James!” shouted Sirius from a few feet above. “The last time you were you were stuck with a handprint on your face for quite awhile!”
James glared at him and soared off to Remus’s side of the pitch. Sirius laughed and followed. Below them in the stands, Lily blushed.
And as the game continued, others out enjoying the crisp late October air, came over to the pitch and joined sides. And after an hour or two, there was a full game of Quidditch”minus the Bludgers. James even managed to Accio a Snitch from inside the changing room. Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors flew and fought against a number of Slytherins. A number of people sat and watched the impromptu game, even a few teachers. Everyone laughed and shouted at the game, but it was nevertheless ended when the air became downright frigid.
“Well played, Sam!” shouted Lily as the young boy made a victory lap with the other Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Sam punched the air and flew back around to stick his tongue out at Monica. She shrieked and looked ready to throw something at him. Sam laughed and flew down to the floor of the pitch. Just as he was touching down, Sirius pushed James off of his broom. He went sprawling onto the grass. Nikeia laughed and whistled loudly to Sirius. He bowed and as soon as James got up, helped lifted Sam onto their shoulders.
“Well, apparently,” started Monica through clenched teeth, “Sam’s going to be helping out the team this coming season!” She crossed her arms again and walked away.
Lily and the others looked at each other and smirked. “There are times when I think they could make quite the couple one day.”
“They do have a slightly Lily-and-James feel about their relationship,” stated Frank, laughing.
Lily gave him a look, but laughed and they made their way off the pitch.
Inside, the Marauders and their friends gathered in the Head’s common room for a few games of Exploding Snap. Peter was once more in the corner, reading the same book. At least he was near the end.
“So, Peter,” started James, placing a card on the top of the pile of cards, with a look that said he was ready to duck behind Lily’s armchair when the cards exploded. “How is that book? You’ve been reading it for quite some time. What is it even about?”
“Huh? Oh, um,” stammered Peter, straightening in his chair and looking at James, “It’s about the story of the Wizarding world. All about it; all the way through modern day. I mean, it speaks all about You-Know-Who.”
“’You-Know-Who?’” James questioned, his teeth gritted slightly. “No, I don’t know who.”
Lily, who had already been told to not use the nickname, figured that this was quite a sore point for James.
“Lord V-V-Voldemort,” Peter stammered the name as he shuddered.
“Why are you shuddering? It’s just a name,” said James, with a tiny bit of malice in his voice.
Seeming to understand him, or maybe it knew who that ‘Lord’ was, the tower of cards blew up.
James fell backwards as everyone laughed. Everyone that is, except Sirius, who had been about to put another card atop the tower. He was flailing his hand and there was a bit of ash on his face.
“Oh, you poor thing,” crooned Nikeia as she came over to his side. She grabbed his hand and kissed the burnt spot. Sirius flushed slightly and smiled. James rolled his eyes, and got up from his position on the floor. Nikeia took his chair, and resumed playing Exploding Snap. James sat against Lily’s legs, and turned back to Peter.
“Anyway. It’s just a name. A name belonging to a creature that shouldn’t have the breath he does. And fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. I won’t allow any friend of mine to shudder at a name.” There was such a quiet ferocity in James’s voice that Peter huddled back against his chair. Lily ran her hand through James’s hair, and he turned to look at her.
“I agree. No one should cringe at some stupid name,” said Lily, looking away from James and turning her gaze onto the other people in the common room. “Peter, there should be no reason for your fright of his name. True, he is a terrible man, and can do terrible things, but you must be strong.” Lily’s voice seemed to sooth Peter, and he nodded in response to her words.
No more was spoken of Voldemort, or evil, for there was another loud explosion and Sirius yelped. His eyebrows were singed, and there was a bit more ash on his cheeks. Nikeia knelt down beside him, and started kissing every bit of his face that looked hurt. The other six people (not including Peter who was still engrossed in his book) looked at each other thoroughly amused. They forced back their laughs.
“Is there anywhere else?” asked Nikeia, one hand on each of Sirius’s shoulders. He raised a finger to his lips, and, without hesitation Nikeia leaned forward and kissed his lips very quickly. She pulled away and smiled, as if she thought all she had kissed was his nose.
Then, she realized what she had just done. Her eyes widened and her smile dropped off her face, as did Sirius’s.
And then, Sirius put a hand under her chin and pulled her closer. He kissed her and she didn’t pull away; rather, she returned the gentle kiss.
When they finally did pull away, silence hung thick over the room.
Abruptly, for fear of suffocation, the others burst. In no time at all, James was rolling on the floor; Lily, Alice and Josey were holding pillows to their own faces, attempting to muffle the sound; and Frank and Remus were holding their sides, laughing unashamedly loud. Peter had started, dropping his book out of the armchair.
Nikeia and Sirius just looked at each other, before realizing the thunderous sound permeating the room. They blushed magnificently.
“Let’s go... down to... dinner,” cried James, amid his tears of laughter. Lily helped pull him to his feet, and they were the first out of the room. Laughing hysterically, Alice, Frank, Remus and Josey exited the room with arms slung over each other’s shoulders to keep from falling. Peter, who had missed the whole thing, walked out, bewildered.
Sirius held Nikeia’s gaze, before standing and pulling Nikeia up with him. They walked hand-in-hand to the door and, as they were about to walk out, Sirius leaned over and pressed his lips to hers in a lingering kiss. She smiled up at him when they separated, and followed the laughter of their friends to the Great Hall.
.