Wonderful Emotion
Chapter 1
The four Marauders, wearing black tuxedos, stood at the front of the church as the flower girls and maids of honour came down the centre isle. A young man with messy, raven black hair stood in the centre of the platform just in front of the priest. He nervously rubbed his sweaty palms together.
He felt a hand on his shoulder giving him an encouraging squeeze and heard a whisper in his ear. “Calm down James! You’re a bloody mess!”
James turned and gave Sirius, his best man, a weak smile.
Suddenly, a loud fart echoed around the building. Remus, a dirty-blonde boy on the other side of Sirius, quickly turned and slapped Peter, a small mousy looking boy with light brown hair, upside the head. Peter quickly mouthed “sorry” to James and looked down at his feet. James tried to laugh but found that his mouth was too dry.
The doors at the back of the church opened and out stepped the bride, with her father on her arm. James fell in love all over again as he awaited the arrival of his bride at the altar. He just wanted to run up to her, throw off her veil, see her beautiful face and then kiss her… He stopped himself; he had to be patient.
She gracefully stepped up and took his hand. Chills ran down his spine as she gave his hand a light squeeze. He just stared at her. He still could not see her face but was mesmerized by her beauty all the same.
The whole ceremony went by in a blur. Finally the priest said the phrase that James had been waiting for:
“You may now kiss the bride.”
James reached over and began to lift up the veil, desperate to see her stunning face; he saw one fiery-red curl...
“JAMES! YOU HAVE TO GET UP! THE TRAIN LEAVES IN TWENTY MINUTES! AND IF WE MISS THE TRAIN YOUR MOM IS GOING TO HAVE OUR HEADS!”
James rolled over, squinted, and then gave a loud groan. Of course, Sirius had to interrupt him just before he saw her face! He grabbed his pillow and threw it at his best friend, who was leaning over him, grinning.
Sirius easily dodged the pillow and in a high-pitched, mother-like voice, screamed “GOOD MORNING, SUNSHINE!” He then grabbed the pillow and threw it right back at James, who got it square in the face.
James, remembering that he was going back to Hogwarts today, jumped out of bed, elbowed Sirius out of the way and then raced to the bathroom. He was just about there when Sirius, who was right behind him, muttered something under his breath. James fell face first into the cold hardwood floor, hit by Sirius’s Trip Jinx. James got up just in time to have the bathroom door slammed in the face and to hear Sirius yell out, “Prongs, you still haven’t beaten me. I’m disappointed.”
James laughed. “Next time, Padfoot, next time!”
Turning, he jogged back to his room. He hastily grabbed his trunk and stuffed all of his books and other school-supplies in it. He then went over to his bed, kneeled down, reached under his mattress and found what he was looking for. In his hand he held a small box, not much bigger than a ring case, with outlines of a dog, a stag, a rat, and a moon carved into the wood. He carefully placed it into his trunk knowing that he couldn’t afford to break any of the “special equipment” that was held in it.
After he was finished packing, he raced upstairs and jumped in the cold shower. He knew that he would miss the train if he spent the time trying to fix his hair; so, slightly unenthusiastically, James just put a pair of beige cords and a light blue t-shirt on, grabbed his trunk and ran downstairs.
Sirius was already in the kitchen, everything he could reach in his mouth. Since he obviously didn’t bother to dry his wavy black hair, the water was slowly dripping off the ends, landing onto his now soggy-looking toast.
“Padfoot, all you have to do is cast a simple drying spell. I still don’t understand why you always just ‘leave it to nature.’” James laughed and did an impression of Sirius.
“Prongs, ‘ole boy, it is something, I fear, you will never understand.” He paused and sighed for effect. “The ladies love it, and who am I but their humble servant?” Sirius grinned and went back to eating.
“You’re right. I will never understand how a wet-dog looks good.” They both started laughing and James grabbed two pieces of toast and put one in his pocket for later. “Mum!” he yelled out, “We’re about to leave!” He quickly inhaled his toast as his mom rushed into the room.
Cindy Potter was a tall, lean woman with curly brown hair and warm brown eyes. “OK, boys. Let’s be on our way, the train leaves in five minutes!”
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
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Once on Platform 9 ¾, James and Sirius quickly said their good-byes to Mrs. Potter. As the train whistled loudly, they rushed onto the train to find Remus and Peter, wanting desperately to discuss their start-of-the-year prank.
After being attacked by the “fan club,” Sirius and James quickly found Remus and Peter in the self- proclaimed Marauder compartment near the back of the train. James sat down right next to Peter, who was staring out of the window and humming a song, and faced Remus and Sirius.
“They get worse every year!” James complained (he had never really liked having a fan club). “It’s like they don’t understand what ‘back off’ means!”
“Prongs, my poor fellow, you’re just complaining because you know that my fan club is bigger then yours… All because I’m the better-looking one,” Sirius stated.
James just rolled his eyes. It was somewhat true: Even though James, Sirius, and Remus were the most sought after and popular boys in the school, the girls always liked Sirius the best… it had something to do with the fact that he had ‘mysterious gray eyes’…
James’s thoughts were interrupted as the compartment door swung open and the one person the Marauders despised the most stepped in. A young man with greasy black hair and hooked nose stepped inside and looked around the compartment- Severus Snape. Snape shot James a dirty look, and then turned to Remus.
“You have a meeting in the heads compartment,” Snape said quickly, in a cold voice. Then he added to James, “Better not keep the Mud blood waiting.”
James found himself on his feet, growling dangerously. “How dare you “!” he snarled as he reached quickly for his wand.
“Jumping to the rescue of your little girlfriend?” Snape interrupted. “Oh, that’s right,” he continued, upon seeing the look in James eyes when he said ‘girlfriend’. “Even a Mudblood won’t go you with you. Filthy blood traitor.”
Remus quickly placed a firm hand on James’ shoulder. No good would come from hitting Snape (other than feeling a great deal better), and they all knew it.
When James didn’t reply, Snape smirked.
Sirius, who had been trying to find his wand on the floor, jumped up and started towards Snape, wand in hand. “Why you little gre “”
James put a hand in front of Sirius, pushed him back, and shook his head.
Snape glared malevolently at the Marauders once more before turning and slamming the door in their faces.
Remus quickly moved and blocked the doorway so that James couldn’t get out. Several things were obvious here. First, everyone in Hogwarts knew that James fancied Lily Evans; it was even clearer that a girl as smart as Lily Evans would become Head Girl, and was therefore understandable that James would react the way he did when Snape called Lily a ‘Mudblood’.
Remus pushed past and said, in a very calm voice, “Prongs, you did the right thing.” After an undying pause, James nodded “ albeit stiffly “ and Remus exited the compartment.
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James pretended to be watching Sirius and Peter play wizards’ chess, while imagining how he could murder Snape (in the slowest and most painful manor possible).
Bury him alive? Lock him in the astronomy tower? Feed him to Moony? James began to mutter to himself, cursing Snape. Eventually, after resting on dull hedge clippers James’s mind slowly but surely drifted to a more enjoyable topic… Lily Evans.
Lily was the smartest girl in their year, and, in James’ eyes, the prettiest too. James had always fancied her. He thought everything about her was attractive… right down to her fiery red hair (complete with matching temper) and sparkling emerald eyes that radiated with warmth, compassion, and knowledge, and that lit up when she was frustrated. Like every time she saw James…
James didn’t understand why Lily hated him. He was the second most popular guy in school (Sirius being the first). He was the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team! He was good looking, well built… Smart… though, admittedly, he didn’t share that quality with the greater student body. Why wasn’t all that enough? Every other girl in the school seemed to think that it was, but then again, Lily wasn’t every other girl.
If this was going to be his year, James realized, he would have to make some changes, especially if he was going to have a shot with Lily. Nothing was going to get in his way!
Pictures of Lily in his mind were abruptly ended as Sirius threw a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans at him.
“Oi, Prongs, quit day dreaming!” Sirius said jokingly.
“Shut up Padfoot! Can’t you give me a couple of minutes without your constant yapping?” James retorted, a grin creeping onto his lips.
“AHA!” Sirius screeched, “NEVER! Now, will you accept a Wizard’s Chess challenge form the Wise and Powerful Sirius Black?”
James lips curled into an all-out smirk. “Wise and powerful?” he repeated incredulously. “More like mad and pathetic.”
Sirius tried his best to look insulted as he replied in an indignant tone. “Sir, thou art a mad man, not I! Wilt thou accept my challenge, or art thou a spineless stag?”
“I accept thy challenge with pleasure,” James replied. “Prepare to feel the wrath of the Great and Mighty Potter!”
Sirius scoffed. “Is that all you could think of, Jamesy? ‘Great and Mighty’?”
James rolled his eyes, as Sirius continued.
“Fine then, young foe let us BEGIN!”
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Outside the compartment yells of joy and anger, as well as the occasional bark-like laugh, could be heard. Halfway through the intense chess game, Remus re-entered the compartment and sat next to Sirius and watched the conclusion of this game.
“Please give it up for the exceedingly handsome and intelligent Wizard Chess Champion, Mr. Sirius Black!” Sirius yelled, a large grin plastered across his face. Peter was jumping up and down and clapping his small chubby hands together while staring up at Sirius in awe.
“Shut up Padfoot,” James said calmly. “You too, Wormtail. So, Moony,” he continued, eyes rolling, trying his best to change the subject from his embarrassing defeat, “how did the head meeting go?”
“Well, Lily did all the talking, and I just sat there while she talked to Professor McGonagall… duties, upcoming balls,” Remus replied, stuffing a spirited chocolate frog into his mouth and obviously not wanting to talk about it for some reason.
“Well, sounds rather boring! Glad I don’t have to do it!” James replied lightly, not wanting to press him. “Now, on to important Marauder business…”
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Lily Evans sat quietly in the head compartment thinking over what Remus had just told her and Professor McGonagall. What would the Headmaster do? Had this ever happened before?
She dismissed the questions as she realized that she would find out soon and that there was no point in guessing. She decided to stay in the compartment not wanting to be reminded that two of her best friends, Alice Carnahan and Frank Longbottom, had graduated the year before. Lily quickly changed into her school robes, picked up her book and started to read, while hoping that Amanda would understand why she wanted to be alone.
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The rest of the train ride went by quickly for the Marauders, and they soon found themselves entering the Great Hall. They quickly sat down at the end of the table “ where they always sat “ and watched the Sorting Hat sing. Watching the first years get sorted, the Marauders would clap and cheer when one was placed in Gryffindor.
As the last girl (“Zail, Carolyn!”) was sorted into Ravenclaw, James chanced a glance over at Lily. She smiling and clapping, looking gorgeous. She had grown even more beautiful over the summer it seemed. James quickly looked away, not wanting to get caught staring. What have I gotten myself into?
A/N: Thanks for reading! PLEASE Review!
Leanne