A/N: Well here’s the third chapter. I found this quite hard to write, so I hope it’s okay! Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to review!
Chapter Three “ Consequences
Sirius stared after Lily’s retreating back in horror. He couldn’t believe what he’d just done. James was going to kill him when he knew. Sirius had to tell him what had just happened, otherwise Lily would go up to him tomorrow, and expect him to know what had transpired.
Glancing at his watch, Sirius saw that his hour was almost up, and decided to wait in the empty classroom until the potion wore off. He was angry with himself for not giving the plan more thought. He’d known he was taking a risk, but how was he supposed to know that tonight was the night Lily was going to confess her feelings to James?
He kicked the leg of a desk moodily, wincing in pain when his foot connected with it.
A couple of minutes later, he felt his hair growing longer, his height shortening and his vision blurring beneath James’ glasses. Dejectedly, he left the classroom, making his way towards the cupboard he’d left James in, prepared for the consequences when he’d told James the truth.
Lily entered the dormitory apprehensively. She knew Dorcas and Alice were going to be waiting for her, waiting to hear what had happened with James. She still couldn’t believe it herself. Okay, he hadn’t said much, but he hadn’t told her he hated her! He’d kissed her!
Of course, Dorcas and Alice squealed when she told them the events of the evening, and they asked her all sorts of questions; “What did he say?”, “Is he a good kisser?”, “Is he your boyfriend now?”
Lily felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders after talking to James, and she went to bed feeling more content than she had in weeks.
Sirius skidded into the dormitory, taking a moment to collect his breath, and then looked around him wildly. James wasn’t there, only Remus and Peter.
“Where’s Prongs?” he asked.
“Dunno,” Peter replied, “he came in about fifteen minutes ago, muttering ‘stupid, idiot Padfoot’, then took the cloak and map and left again.”
“Why?” Remus asked, “did you do something to him?”
Sirius bit back the ironic laughter that threatened to escape, before answering his friend, trying to play it casual. “Oh, y’know, I just locked him in a cupboard.”
Remus raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything and went back to reading his book.
Sirius decided to just sit up and wait until James returned, after all, he couldn’t stay out all night.
Unfortunately, like many of Sirius’ plans, this idea failed spectacularly. He fell asleep, and so didn’t notice when James returned to the dormitory at around midnight. And he overslept, and so didn’t get a chance to talk to him before breakfast either.
At a quarter to nine, Sirius could be seen running towards the Potions classroom, trying to simultaneously do his tie up and brush his hair. He needed to speak to James before Lily did. He was convinced if he explained what had happened “ that it was a misunderstanding, James would be able to talk to Lily and sort everything out. It was all going to be all right “ he knew it.
He skidded into Potions five minutes late, mumbling an apology to the professor and sliding into his seat next to James.
“Where’ve you been?” James whispered, as the professor continued the lesson.
“Slept in, listen James, I need to talk to you about something,”
“What?” James frowned slightly.
“Potter! Black! If you would kindly stop talking and pay attention to my lesson, perhaps we could continue?” Professor Hylton turned back to the blackboard and carried on explaining the properties of the silencing potion they were studying.
Sirius made a face, and tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying, vowing that he would talk to James as soon as the class ended.
“Right,” Professor Slughorn said, “that’s the theory. Hopefully, you’ll all be able to brew the potion. You have…” he checked his watch, “thirty minutes to complete the potion. You may begin.”
Everyone began to busy about, fetching the ingredients for their potions. Sirius was partnered with Peter in this class (Remus was with James), and so he once again had no opportunity to explain everything to his friend.
The silencing potion they were brewing, a variation on the charm, was used mainly by weary mothers when they needed peace from their wailing children. It was a complicated potion, requiring precise measurements and timings.
Sirius sighed. Being partnered with Peter in potions was generally not conducive to great work. They got to work on the potion, Sirius taking charge, but about fifteen minutes into the brewing, he was becoming increasingly frustrated with his friend.
“For goodness sake Wormtail! How many times do I have to tell you the toad liver goes in after the beetle eyes?”
Peter smiled apologetically and held something out to Sirius.
“Peace offering?” he said, handing him a chocolate frog.
“Hmm. Thanks Wormtail.” Sirius leant over the cauldron to take the chocolate, but somehow, it slipped from his fingers and plopped into the mixture.
“Damn!” Sirius exclaimed, and then he picked up a ladle and fished the chocolate out of the cauldron, wiped it on a cloth, and then examined it critically. “Wrapper’s intact, it’s not melted. Should be okay.” Then he unwrapped it, and ate it.
“Padfoot that is disgusting!” Peter exclaimed.
Sirius smiled open mouthedly, showing a mouthful of chewed-up chocolate. He gulped it all down, and then opened his mouth to reply.
But no sound came out. He tried again. Nothing.
“Why are you gaping like a fish, Padfoot?” Peter asked, stirring the potion anti-clockwise four times.
Sirius made a flapping gesture, pointing at his throat, then mouthing words, then pointing at his throat again.
“Huh?”
“What on earth are you doing Black?” Professor Slughorn had noticed something was amiss and now stood behind Sirius, who was jumping up and down, flapping his arms wildly in panic.
“Well? Answer me, or it’ll be detention for you!”
Sirius held his hands at his throat and made a pleading face to Peter. By now, the rest of the class had abandoned their potions and were watching curiously.
Peter looked at the chocolate frog wrapper, then at the potion, then at Sirius pointing at his throat. Then he understood.
“Professor! He dropped his chocolate frog in the potion and then ate it!” Peter said all of this in a rush, omitting the fact that it was his chocolate frog, and that he had given it to Sirius in the first place.
“I see.” Professor Slughorn pursed his lips. “Black! Go up to the hospital wing and explain to Madam Pomfrey what has happened. She may not be able to help “ the potion mixing with the chocolate may mean it takes longer than usual to wear off.”
Sirius frowned, then pointed at his throat again.
“Oh yes, I see. You won’t be able to explain yourself. Pettigrew! Go with him.”
Sirius and Peter left the classroom and Professor Hylton turned to the rest of the class.
“What are you all standing around like idiots for? Bottle up your potions and label them ready for marking.”
By lunchtime, Lily was very confused. James had been acting as though last nights kiss hadn’t happened. He was acting the same way he had before they’d kissed. At the moment, he was sitting with Remus and Peter, laughing about something, probably Sirius’ predicament.
She sighed, and dragged her gaze away from him. Alice giggled.
“What?” Lily snapped at her friends.
“You! Mooning over James.” Dorcas replied.
“I am not mooning! I’m wondering why James hasn’t even mentioned last night. He hasn’t said anything to me, hasn’t even looked my way today!”
“It is a bit strange,” Alice admitted, “maybe he’s just shy?”
Lily snorted. “James Potter? Shy? Next you’ll be telling me the Pope’s not catholic!”
Her friends exchanged a confused glance.
“Huh?” Dorcas said.
“Never mind “ Muggle thing. But forget about that “ what am I going to do about James?”
“Why don’t you go and talk to him. You made the first move before, you can do it again.”
“Maybe. But what if he’s decided he doesn’t want to be with me? What if he’s changed his mind but doesn’t want to tell me?” Lily replied, panic rising in her voice.
“You need to stop all these ‘what ifs’! Of course James still wants to be with you “ he’s been trying to get you to go out with him for the past three years! Though I must admit, it is a little strange that he’s not dancing on the tables in happiness. Or at the very least, trying to kiss you again.” Alice said thoughtfully.
“That’s why I’m worried,” Lily sighed, “Maybe I should just go and talk to him.”
“Yes! Do that!” Dorcas replied, smiling slightly.
Lily carefully put her knife and fork together on her plate, and then stood up. She took a deep breath, and walked slowly to the other end of the table where James was sitting. He didn’t seem to notice her approach, or if he did, he gave no indication of it.
She tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around.
“Hey Evans,” he said, smirking slightly.
Evans? Lily thought, why is he calling me Evans?
“Could I talk to you James?”
He frowned. “Well, I’m eating lunch right now. Can’t it wait until later?”
“No! I need to talk to you now.” Seeing Remus and Peter hanging on her every word, she added, “in private.”
James frowned again. “Fine, I’ll come now! See you two later.” He followed Lily out of the Great Hall and down the corridor until she found an empty classroom. Lily shut the door, and turned to face James.
“James. I want to know why you’ve been ignoring me all day.”
“What? I haven’t been treating you any differently than I normally do!” James replied, brow furrowed.
“Exactly! I mean, I would have thought…y’know, something might have changed between us.” Lily stumbled over her words, and bit her lip, awaiting James’ response.
“Why would anything have changed? I mean…” James was silenced by the look on Lily’s face.
“Why would anything have changed?” Lily repeated, slowly…dangerously.
“Well, yeah…” James looked distinctly uncomfortable now, he was finding it difficult to meet Lily’s gaze.
“I can’t believe it! I can’t believe I thought that we…I mean, you’re a prat! You don’t care about anyone’s feelings but your own. I don’t know why I thought it would be different now! I really don’t!” Lily was shouting by now, and James felt himself getting angry. What had he done to make Lily so upset? He’d not spoken to her very much that week, there was no reason for her to be angry with him.
“I have no idea what you’re on about Evans! Of course nothing’s changed! Why would you think so?”
“Why would I think so? Urgh! Potter, you are the most despicable, arrogant, infuriating idiot I’ve ever met! You can’t just mess someone about like this!” Lily screamed at him.
“I don’t have to stand here and listen to this,” James said, frowning at Lily, and he went to leave the classroom.
“Don’t you walk away from me when I’m shouting at you!”
James ignored her, and went to open the door, only for it to start to open of its own accord.
“I mean it Potter! This isn’t over!” she pushed James on his chest, causing him to stumble backwards, and fall through the open doorway, landing next to a pair of feet. Unfortunately, Lily didn’t notice and continued shouting. “You are going to listen to me you arseho-”
“Miss Evans! I do not expect to hear you using such profanities! Or physical force against another student. You are Head Girl, you’re supposed to set an example to other students! You too Mr Potter!” Professor McGonagall nearly shouted.
Lily blushed and stared at her feet. “Sorry Professor.”
“I don’t want to, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to discipline the both of you the same way I would other students. That means detention.”
“Professor!” Lily looked up in shock.
“I’m sorry Miss Evans. Detention, for both of you. I’ll send you the details. Now get to your next class.”
A/N: I can’t tell you how long it took me to write this chapter! First I had to find a way of keeping Sirius from talking to James, and then the argument at the end “ I had to write it in a way that James would have no clue as to what Lily was talking about. I’m still not completely happy “ although I did manage to sneak in the genius (in my opinion) line I borrowed from the BBC’s recent “Much Ado About Nothing” “ ‘Don’t you walk away from me when I’m shouting at you!’ I heard it in the programme, and just had to use it in this fic! Review please, I’ll get the next chapter out ASAP. Thanks!