“It’s not fair,” James grumbled, flopping into an armchair. “Why can’t first years go to Hogsmeade?”
On this late Saturday morning at the end of May, the Gryffindor common room was nearly deserted. Most students, taking advantage of the sunny weather, were outside lolling about on the castle grounds, or at Hogsmeade. A few swots were presumably huddled in the library, preparing for their upcoming finals.
“You’re still sore you lost that last Gobstones game,” Sirius remarked casually, his voice drifting up from the thick, dark red rug he was comfortably sprawled on.
“Am not.”
“Are too,” Peter cut in. “And I win, again.”
Remus groaned and dodged the stinking, greenish liquid the Gobstones squirted in his direction, then pulled out his wand to clean the smelly green puddle on the floor.
“We’ve got finals coming up,” James remarked, his eyes closed as he leaned back in his armchair. The sun was bright on his face and he breathed deep, inhaling the sweet summer breeze that drifted lazily into the room.
“You want to study?!” Sirius looked horrified. He prided himself on getting excellent marks with a minimal amount of studying.
“Nah.” James grinned. “I mean, we’ll have to study sometime, I suppose, but not now.”
“We don’t have to be holed up in here all day,” Peter said. “Why don’t we go outside to our tree?”
“Because,” Remus replied, frowning as he pushed his bangs aside and gazed out of the window, “someone’s using our spot.”
James’ head jerked up. “Really? I thought we’d made it clear enough that whoever insisted on sharing that tree with us would pay.” Grinning at the memory of the frogs and various insects they’d planted in the book bags of the students that had stolen their spot during the last few weeks, not to mention the hexes that had followed; he stood, stepping over an unmoving Sirius, and joined Remus at the window.
The grin slid off his face. “No way.” Nearly everyone in their year and some girls from the years above had been intimidated by their little demonstration, which the boys been happy to repeat whenever the need had arisen. But not quite everyone had been impressed . . . though that didn’t necessarily have to make much of a difference.
Some students just didn’t care for the spot under the willow tree. And some liked it well enough, but didn’t think it worth arguing for. But then, there were people who did like it, and also thought it worth the bother . . . and it didn’t help that these particular students weren’t much affected by a few commonplace frogs or spells. And these particular students had proved themselves quite capable of defending themselves . . . .
James groaned loudly.
“Oh, come on,” Sirius grumbled. “You two are blocking all the sun. And making me darn curious.” He pulled himself to his feet slowly, stretching his arms, then ambled leisurely towards the latticed window, pushing himself between James and Remus.
There was a moment of silence as he gazed out the window. “Oh, Merlin. You think they chose that spot on purpose?”
“I wonder,” said Remus pensively, his eyes dancing. “Let’s go find out.”
Lily threw herself onto the grass under a willow tree. “This seems like a good enough spot,” she called to her friends, who were standing at the edge of the circle partially enclosed by the drooping willow branches. Tami and Dani nodded and came over to where Lily lay, settling themselves comfortably.
Scott was already there, leaning against the tree trunk with a drawing pad on his lap. He had chosen this spot. Dani propped her head on one elbow as she turned onto her stomach, and sucked slowly on a Sugar Quill as she watched him draw.
Tami sat with her legs stretched in front of her, her palms on the grass behind her as she raised her head to the dappled sunlight filtering through the branches. The arrival of the summer sun had increased her freckles, so that now they were scattered all over her face instead of just on her nose and cheekbones.
She was one of those rare girls that actually liked freckles, and always held her face up to the sun so that they should multiply. She didn’t like her bushy curls as much as she did her freckles, though, so it was a good thing the sun didn’t affect her hair.
Lily, lying on her back with her hands under her head to cushion it, closed her eyes and inhaled the air perfumed with flowers and grass and sun and the Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans she was sampling. The Beans always smelled sweet and sugary, no matter how delectable or terrible they actually tasted, and that was part of the allure of eating them. You never knew what you were going to get . . . it was a chance you took every time you ate one.
Lily frowned as she considered a red bean. Come on, what are the chances of this actually being cherry -flavored? She considered for a moment, then bit off half the bean. “Oh, gross,” she said aloud.
Tami, who had been watching her out of the corner of her eye, grinned. “What was it?”
Lily sighed. “Blood. You’d think they’d try to put at least one good flavor into every bag . . . I haven’t had a single decent flavor today.”
“Blimey, I don’t know why you bother,” Dani said, shaking her head. “Want a Quill?”
“No. Thanks anyway,” Lily replied, inspecting another bean, black this time. Why on earth should I exchange the adventure of Beans for the ordinary sweetness of a Quill?
Tami rolled onto her side, supporting her head on one elbow and facing Scott. “Can we see your drawing?” she asked.
His face relaxed from its focus on the pad for a moment, and he smiled. “Soon. I’m almost done.”
Tami reached into her pocket and drew out a pack of Exploding Snap cards. “Anyone fancy a game?”
“Wait for me,” Scott said absently, his gaze still focused on the parchment he held. “I’ll be done in a few minutes.”
“Okay,” said Dani, “I’ll set up meanwhile.”
Tami shrugged and handed over the cards, which Dani began counting and dealing out. Dani was elated that Lily and Tami had finally warmed up to Scott. After months of hesitation, they were finally all comfortable with each other, and had been so for the past three weeks. Dani had never felt happier than she did at that moment, sitting with her legs crossed under her on the sun-warmed grass of the Hogwarts grounds.
The grass was dotted with dandelions, and Lily picked one, holding it in front of her face and letting the soft fluffs brush her cheek. She sat up slowly and reached for another one, then took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she blew softly, freeing the seeds from their stems. They floated about her, landing on her hair and clothes like a memory of snowfall.
Tami and Dani soon followed suit, picking their own dandelions. “Make a wish,” Dani said, and winked before she blew half the seeds off with one breath.
Tami puffed lightly at her dandelion several times, experimenting with harder blows and softer huffs, till all but one seed were gone. No matter how much she blew, it held fast to the stem. She shook her head, smiling ruefully.
“Does that mean I don’t get my wish?” Sighing in resignation, Tami finally plucked the tiny white ball of fluff with her fingers and let go, watching it spiral away.
The dandelion spores floated in the breeze, swirling around them. They brushed off the few that stuck to their hair and robes and watched them drift slowly, spinning and dancing on an updraft of wind. Then they were gone.
“Nice,” Scott said, smiling to himself, almost as if he were amused.
Well, pardon me if he thought that was funny, Lily thought, her face heating up.
“Easy, Lily,” he said quietly, his light blue eyes centred on her face. “I wasn’t laughing at you. Look.” He held up the drawing pad, and Lily’s mouth fell open in surprise when she saw the wild dandelion sketched there, its spores free and drifting around it.
“Blimey,” said Dani, after a pause. “But that sort of thing happens all the time. To us, anyway.”
“That doesn’t make it any less extraordinary every time it happens,” said Scott, still smiling slightly as he tucked the piece of charcoal he’d been using into his back pocket. “And that drawing would’ve been dreadfully commonplace and boring if not for you all holding its real-life counterpart just a moment before.” He shook his head to get a stray golden lock out of his eyes. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“It wouldn’t have been commonplace, anyway. I like it,” Tami remarked, her head tilted as she inspected the drawing with a seriousness unusual for her. “It’s not perfect, but then, does anything ever look exactly the way we think it should? When we can understand that not everything has to appear unblemished, and that what appear to be flaws are actually part of the wholeness, that is when we realize that the . . . situation had always been more perfect than we thought it was . . . perfect for that time, or that place, or that . . . person.”
Lily frowned for the tiniest second before carefully masking her expression. She doubted Tami was still talking about dandelions. Does this mean she’s finally accepting the death of her mum, and not just masking misery with cheerfulness?
The circle was silent for a few minutes, and Tami flushed slightly. “Whoa, did I just say that?” she asked, wrinkling her freckled nose and grinning.
Scott smiled widely and winked at her as he placed the drawing pad on the grass beside him. “Well, are we going to play? Who’s first?”
James, Sirius, Peter and Remus strolled across the grounds, heading for their favorite spot under the willow tree. Sirius had gotten hold of Peter’s Gobstones and was tossing them into the air, not really making an effort to catch them, but swearing under his breath every time he had to bend to pick up a fallen one.
The edges of the willow’s branches brushed the ground in some places. Leaves brushed their heads as they entered the wide, shaded circle surrounding the willow trunk.
James looked over at the spirited group sitting nearby. Judging by the sounds, they were playing Exploding Snap. Lorens, that freckled Gryffindor first year; and McAllen, a blonde Ravenclaw he didn’t know too well, only that they shared the same Care of Magical Creatures class; looked up and waved.
Evans and Cruz hadn’t noticed the boys’ arrival“they were intent on their game. But at a nudge from Lorens, they looked up as well. Evans grinned, tossing her red hair over her shoulder as she raised her head. Cruz waved, her eyes dark and twinkling, then they bent once more over the cards they held.
James smiled back and cleared his throat, preparing for a long speech, during which he told them exactly why this spot could be held by no one but himself, Remus, Sirius and Peter. As he started to mentally go through all his reasons, he found himself, surprisingly, at a loss for what to say. What could they say? The girls and McAllen had been here first, and there was no way anyone could put a claim to any spot on the Hogwarts grounds.
If we would be able to prank them . . . James sighed. He hadn’t yet found an area where the girls were vulnerable, and he couldn’t decide if it was worth jinxing them over a patch of grass. Besides, they would probably jinx back, and what would be gained? A few detentions and perhaps a bed in the Hospital Wing, if the spellwork got nasty. And the boys’ spot still wouldn’t be secured.
He shook his head, then led Peter, Sirius and Remus around the trunk and settled himself on the other side, out of view and earshot of the girls and McAllen.
“Um,” Peter started, “weren’t we going to send them packing?”
“Nah. I changed my mind,” said James comfortably.
“Oh?” Remus inquired, smirking slightly. “Care to tell us why?”
“Well, the thought occurred to me that it isn’t fair to monopolize this spot,” James began.
“Right,” Sirius said slowly, his eyes still on the Gobstones he was juggling.
“I mean,” James continued, “it’s a really good spot, and other people deserve to enjoy it, too.”
Sirius dropped a ball, swore softly, and let the other ones scatter in all directions. “You mean to say,” he said, “that you, James Potter, are actually that self-sacrificing?”
James flushed. “Well, maybe! I mean . . .”
Sirius laughed. “Sorry, but that’s a load of troll boogers. I think I know the real problem.”
“And what exactly is the problem?” asked Remus. “I thought you’d do anything to protect this spot, James. Or at least that’s what you said less than two days ago.”
“Go on, tell them,” said Sirius spiritedly, now chewing on a blade of grass. “I’m surprised they haven’t yet realised it for themselves, but perhaps we can blame this infernal humidity. It’s bound to make anyone woozy.”
“I like the summer sun,” Remus protested, frowning at Sirius. “And what’s with the high vocabulary? And because you, for once, clued in on something before I did does not mean that I--”
“‘Infernal’ is my new word for this week,” Sirius interrupted casually. “Do you like it? It describes so many things around Hogwarts. Robinson, for one, and that ugly kid Snape, and this humidity . . .”
“It’s too strong a word,” Remus replied, shrugging. “No, I don’t like it.”
“Ah,” Sirius sighed, “at least you know what it means, so you can appreciate me using it. I’ll just have to utilise it without your approval, then, won’t I?”
“Oh, shut up, mate,” Remus grumbled. “You know you don’t need my permission. And you don’t have to use big words to impress me.”
“Yeah, you’re impressed even without--”
“What have you got to tell us, James?” Peter asked, calmly breaking up their light quarrel as he searched around in the grass for the Gobstones that Sirius had carelessly dropped.
“He has nothing to tell us,” Sirius said decidedly. “Let’s do it, James.”
“Give me a few minutes to think it over, Sirius. I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it.”
“Why not?” Sirius asked recklessly. “It’ll make this boring, hot morning a bit more exciting.”
James gazed at him for a moment as he considered dueling the girls. His parents had taught him all about honor and nobility, and those ingrained lessons were making it hard for him to agree with Sirius. “It’s only one patch of grass. There are others we can claim.”
Sirius shook his head. “It’s not about this clearing so much as the fact that they’re rubbing this in our faces. No one will ever bother listening to us again if we can’t stop a few petty girls from stealing our spot. And if we can’t protect one spot, how will we guard a different one?”
James pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. He hated making such decisions. If they challenged him first, he would fight them, but he hated being on the offensive with a bunch of girls.
“Besides,” Sirius coaxed, “we never paid them back for that snowball fight.”
“That’s true,” James said slowly, wiping a drop of sweat that was trickling down his neck, still frowning. Then his face brightened. “Okay. We’ll go over there, but remember, they’re girls. No serious hexes or curses. Just small stuff.”
Sirius nodded. “Blimey, I don’t want to hurt them. Only . . . er . . . overpower them. We just have to prove our point.”
“Exactly,” James agreed. “And also, we won’t start the duel. We’ll do our best to provoke them. Then, if they start, fine. If they don’t, we walk away. Is that clear?”
Sirius grinned and stood up, pulling out his wand. He inspected it for a moment, then stashed it back into his pocket. “Crystal. But you know, you’re way too noble sometimes. They deserve to get beaten, and trust me, we will beat them. Last time they challenged us, the circumstances weren’t fair.”
“Hmm,” said Remus, raising an eyebrow. “A duel.”
“Nice,” Peter added. “This should be interesting.”
“So,” Remus turned to Sirius. “You’ve taken it upon yourself to entertain us all on this infernally hot morning?”
“Exactly,” said Sirius smugly. “Do you have any objections?”
“Not at all,” Remus replied tranquilly. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it’ll shape out. And I’ve been wanting to try out this new charm for a while.”
With that agreed on, they all stood and strode over to where the girls and boy sat, contentedly playing Exploding Snap.
“Good morning!” James called, smiling widely as they drew closer. “Are you having fun?”
Tami looked up at them suspiciously, the freckles on her forehead jumping as she frowned and raised her eyebrows. “As a matter of fact, yes. But I doubt you care. What do you want?” she asked curiously.
James stared at her, his eyes narrowed. “You’re right, actually. I don’t really care if you’re enjoying yourselves. I’m just here to warn you that if you don’t move, you’re definitely not going to be having fun.”
“And why should we move?” Scott demanded, standing and facing them, his cards scattered on the grass behind him. “Because you decided so?”
“Precisely,” said James. “This is our spot. We warned that anyone who sat here would have to face the consequences.”
“You knew about this, Scott?” Dani inquired, still sucking on her Sugar Quill. “You intentionally sat here?”
“Oh, yeah,” Scott said disgustedly, his blue eyes flashing. “I heard about their selfishness concerning this place. And it’s about time this idiocy was stopped.”
“Watch who you’re calling an idiot,” Remus said softly, waving a hand to discourage a passing fly from landing on his shoulder.
Sirius pulled out his wand.
“No!” James shouted, taking hold of his wrist. “Wait.” He glared at Scott’s furious expression and questioned, “You’re not planning on moving, then?”
Scott almost smiled. “No, it’s not on my agenda for the near future.”
“How about we duel for the spot?” Sirius asked. “The winner get rights to it forever.”
“You’re going to fight the girls?” Scott narrowed his eyes.
“No,” Lily said, her bright green eyes stormy. “They’re not going to fight us.” Her face began turning red in anger.
“Uh oh,” Tami muttered to Dani. “Last time she looked like that, she ended up being grounded for a month.”
“What happened?” Dani asked, grinning.
“Remind me to tell you sometime when we’re not being threatened by a bunch of overheated boys,” Tami replied, turning back to the argument.
“And why in Merlin’s name shouldn’t we fight you?” Peter was asking, with raised eyebrows and a smirk.
“Because,” Lily replied, nodding decisively to her friends as she stood up and pulled out her wand, “we are going to fight you.”
A/N: Wow, these kids are really being obnoxious. I got bored of all the sugary sweetness and decided to exchange my Sugar Quills for Every Flavor Beans. If you disapprove, blame the infernal heat. ^_~