A/N: Hey everybody! I hope you had a good week...or weekend, whichever applies to you. I think this chapter is an improvement on the last chapter, and I hope you really like it. (BTW, now all A/N’s will be signed by the Pit.) Um...R&R!!!
Chap. 2
James looked up at the castle. He wasn’t sure why he felt so bad. He had just finished pulling the usual first-of-term prank on Lily Evans, but this time, it didn’t give him the same pleasure as it always had before.
James snuck outside of the compartment before the prefects could dismiss everybody else. He had to hurry if he wanted to get Lily in time. He ran off the train, turned back just in time to see Sirius, Remus, and Peter, and gave them a thumbs-up. He dashed out of the station, and to the gates of Hogwarts.
“Alohomora,” he whispered. He ran up the path and hid behind the trees near the usual stopping area of the school carriages. He waited silently as the carriages came into view. With a wave of his wand, he conjured a water-balloon shaped like an enlarged poodle.
"Padfoot," he moaned under his breath. Ever since they had become Animagi, Sirius had forced the Marauders to swear that they would always conjure dog-shaped things whenever they conjured non-living things. Just to bug him, he made James swear to conjure poodle shaped things. James laughed at the memory, but stopped just as suddenly as he started, for the carriages had pulled to a stop just in front of him. He watched as Lily opened the door of the carriage right across from his hiding tree.
“Wingardium Leviosa,” he whispered. The balloon rose into the air and moved over the spot where Lily stood, waiting for her friends. Then, with another flick of his wand, the balloon fell with a great splash on Lily.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” screamed Lily. The look on her face made James burst with laughter.
“JAMES POTTER, I HATE YOU!” Lily cried at the top of her lungs. She ran from her carriage to the castle, her eyes overflowing with tears. Or was that water? Nope, just water. James looked from Lily to the carriages and immediately stopped laughing. Every single person (with the exception of Sirius, who was on the ground laughing) was staring at him in disgust.
“Heh, Heh. Oops,” he stammered. Maybe I shouldn’t do that anymore, he thought. He turned away and started towards the castle.
James stepped into the Great Hall and instantly saw a head of red hair. Lily was over near the professors’ table, telling Professor McGonagall exactly what James had done. James suddenly remembered that the Professor had told Lily to tell her exactly when and what James had done to Lily.
“And then, he ruined my hair-do with that silly water-balloon of his,” Lily explained to Professor McGonagall. The strict professor turned, saw James, and marched towards him.
“Good evening, Professor. How are you this fine-“
“I’m not here for flattery, Potter. Why do I have to repeatedly remind you that you are not to prank anyone, especially on the first day of school?” scolded Professor McGonagall.
“Um...I don’t know,” murmured James.
“Well, if you can’t provide a reason, you have detention Saturday with me,” said the professor.
“But that day is Quidditch tryouts!” James protested.
“Fine, Sunday! You always manage to make the team anyway,” Professor McGonagall said.
And with that she walked away.
“Hey Prongs!” called Sirius.
“Hey guys!” James called back.
“Prongs, that was the worst prank in the history of mankind,” nagged Sirius, a huge grin on his face.
“Yes, well...um...when have I ever backed down from a bad idea?” retorted James, slow on finding a comeback. He had never been really good at comebacks, even when Sirius tried to give him lessons.
“Ah, James, you’re so bad pulling solo pranks. See! It didn’t affect her at all. She’s just sitting there, waiting for her friends like an innocent little school girl. So sweet and perfect. Ugh, it makes me sick,” said Sirius, shuddering as though the very idea made his skin crawl like dozens of insects.
James shrugged and turned to look at Lily. As James watched, he felt that Sirius was right. She was perfect in every way, from her long red hair to her clear green eyes. So stunning yet so sweet. As much as he wanted to agree with Sirius, he felt another pang of that odd emotion that he had never felt before.
‘What’s going on with me?’ thought James. ‘I have never felt...like this for Evans in my whole life. I guess I never really saw her in this light. Instead of the girl who is the first raise her hand in class or to hex me, I see a sweet, kind, calm girl, who is considerate of others. She kind of looks pretty with her...wait...URGH! James, what is going on with you! You don’t like Evans...do you?’
James was snapped back to reality when he saw Lily’s friends go to comfort her, though as he watched, he could tell that she didn’t want comfort. Then he realized that Lily had been glaring at him the entire time. He gave her a hesitant smile, which he instantly regretted. For a reply, she gave him the coldest stare he had ever seen.
‘Oops. Scratch that last thing about considerate.’
As he looked away, Dumbledore stood up. As usual, the entire hall fell silent, waiting for his words.
“Tuck in,” echoed Dumbledore’s voice. The golden plates on the table filled with food and the normal dinner chattering began. James looked over at Lily’s group of friends gossiping, some of them ignoring Lily.
“James! Are you even here today?” Sirus barked. James once again snapped out of his reverie.
“What were we talking about?” James asked, fighting to keep his eyes from straying over to Lily’s group.
“We were saying,” interrupted Remus, before Sirius could make a comment, “that we think you should pull a better prank on Evans since that one turned out to be a flop.”
“Nah, I don’t feel like it. Maybe pranking Evans isn’t my thing,” said James.
“It’s taken him four years to realize that, you know,” joked Sirius.
“No, Sirius, I’m serious,” groaned James.
“No you’re not, I am!” Sirius cried indignantly.
“I mean that-I really mean it right now! I don’t want to pull pranks on Lily!” James shouted.
All the Marauders fell silent at this.
“Since when do you call her Lily?” asked Remus suspiciously.
“Umm...I...umm h-have always called her that!” announced James.
“No you haven’t. You’ve always called her Evans! What’s wrong with you today?” asked Sirius.
“N-nothing! I have to go!” yelled James, and he left as fast as he could.
“Has anyone besides me noticed that James was staring at Lily?” asked Peter.
“Merlin, Peter! You’re slower than James today!” exclaimed Sirius.