The Transfiguration room was at a low buzz, all the students bent over their parchments while quills scratched with purpose. Those who dared to whisper to their neighbours were almost instantly hushed by the beady eye of the professor, standing with importance at the front of the room.
Professor Angus McEwen was an aging Scotsman standing at an intimidating 6,3". While he had nothing on Hagrid, it was the way he looked at you that left you with an impression of insignificance. He was almost always grumpy, but was fair in his grading. However, any misbehavior in his class, no matter how mild, was treated with a week's worth of detention.
At the front of the class, Lily stared uncharacteristically out the window, traced with frost with snow resting upon its sill. Before she realised what was happening, the side of her head with hit with a piece of parchment. Instantly, thinking it from either James or Nate, she ripped into it, glancing to the unfamilar cursive.
Potter,
You weren't at breakfast. Trying to catch up on your beauty sleep? It'll take longer than an extra hour, I'll assure you.
You'll be disappointed to know that McGonagall called the Heads to her table this morning. Since you were unavailable, it was only me. (Slytherin was awarded five points for this, did you notice?) The point is, she's noticed some slack in some of the student's grades. Her theory is, with Christmas fast approaching, everyone's turned to the holiday rather than their papers. She's eager to set up a tutoring session, with us, naturally, being the tutors.
Seems we'll be spending more time together than initially made out.
The note was unsigned, but it did not take a genius to figure who sent it. Peering over her shoulder, she took the time to glare at Atticus, who was watching her with interest. When he grinned and wiggled his fingers in a mocking greetings gesture, she felt a flush rise up her neck and settle into her cheeks. He was so completely infuriating! Whether it was his business or not, Lily had skived off breakfast so that she could go to the Library before classes. Due to her daydreaming in Charms the previous day, she had to finish up her essay that had so stupidly been ignored. It was hasty, and not as well done as usual, but it would earn her at least a decent pass.
With bitter humour, Lily thought if she continued being distracted in her classes, it would not be too long until Atticus was tutoring her, and wouldn't that just be a ball?
With a sigh, Lily quickly whipped around to face the board at the front of the room. She found that her place in the notes had been erased to make room for additional information. She gasped audibly, afraid to fall behind in any more classes, and glanced desperately to Sarah's paper to find what she lacked.
Sarah looked up in surprise, blushed, and quickly made to cover the parchment. It was this action more than anything else that brought Lily's attention to the drawn heart in the corner of the paper, bearing initials Lily just couldn't make out.
It was at lunch in the Great Hall when Lily noticed two very peculiar things that formed an unpleasant feeling in the pit of her stomach.
The first was that Sarah was saying very little to her, and hadn't since Transfiguration that morning. When Lily had questioned about the initials on the paper, her friend either changed the subject or treated Lily with the idea that there was no such thing, and that she had merely been mistaken. When Lily asked if she could see the paper anyway, so that she could copy Sarah's notes, Sarah in turn replied that her notes were most likely wrong and that she would be better off to borrow James' or Nate's.
So Lily had done as suggested, and approached James. He had grinned up at her, and slid down the bench, which Lily took to believe was meant for her. However, as soon as she had made a move to sit beside her brother, she was shunted aside by Darla LaFolle, who quickly took the position for herself.
"Good afternoon, Lily," the girl had greeted with every indication that this afternoon was not good at all, and this was because of Lily.
With a raised eyebrow, Lily responded the same, and held her hand out as James placed his parchment in it. His notes looked legible, so Lily thanked him and was about to turn around when the second peculiar thing occured.
Darla, with no regard for any watching professors, leaned over and kissed James on his lips, which he happily accepted.
Nate looked unalarmed and continued to eat, but Lily was taken aback, and pointed her finger at the pair while colour filled her cheeks.
"You're.. you're.. James! There's a girl on your lips!"
Around them people erupted into laughter. The sound, which barely registered to Lily, was coming not only from the Gryffindor table, but from Ravenclaw's, Hufflepuff's, and Slytherin's as well. Whispers ventured around soon after, and many curious looks were sent to the trio's direction. It was an odd reaction come from calm and collected Lily Potter, as James had had girlfriends before.
'But,' thought Lily, now glancing around with a startled expression. 'It had never been Darla LaFolle before!'
"Oh, that's right," said Lily's female enemy, who seemed to have disconnected her liplock with Lily's brother. "You've never been in a relationship before, have you Lily? This must be so difficult for you." The statement was dripping with amusement and cruel satisfaction, and Lily was disappointed to remember Atticus had said something along the same lines the day before.
And before she knew it, Lily had grabbed James' arm and pulled him from the Great Hall and into the corridor. When they were finally alone, she turned to face him, her features lined with anger.
"You're kissing LaFolle?" she exclaimed, feeling her blood boil as James merely regarded her with crossed arms and his face adorned with an amused expression.
"Dating her, actually."
"Well, how could you! You know I hate her, you know she's driven me up the wall since our first year! You know that we argue almost daily, and that she's condescending, rude, and completely ignorant. I can't believe you'd do this to me! I'd be more satisfied if you were dating Malfoy!"
Sure that she was finished, James finally opened his mouth, anger stiffening his movements. "It's always about you, isn't it Lily? It's obvious that you're dismally picky, because Darla was right when she said you've never been in a relationship. The only boys you associate yourself with is myself and Nate, and that's because you've known us your whole life and wouldn't get away with it if you ignored us. You're making nothing into a huge, gigantic, big deal, because you always do that! You always over-react."
"I do not always over-react. I react to things in a proper proportion," Lily huffed, hands placed dangerously upon her hips. "This is huge. You've never showed an interest in Darla before. In fact, you were nearly as distasteful of her as I was, up until fifth year, and I don't think I need to delve into why that may be."
"If you're suggesting it's merely physical then-"
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting!" Lily interrupted. "What else could it be? Her intelligence? Her humour? Darla is an air-headed dolt! She sits in the Common Room, batting her eyelashes and giggling, fawning over the boys in Witch Weekly while the rest of us strive to get good grades and plan strategies for sports! Others meet to play chess, an intellectual hobby I should add, while she questions her girlfriends over what shade of nail polish will bring out the colour of her eyes! She's a horrible candidate for a girlfriend!"
"I don't like you telling me what to do and who to be with," spoke James between clenched teeth, his hands in fists at his side.
"I'm not trying to be the boss of you! I'm looking out for you! For Merlin's sake, we're not only brother and sister, we're twins. I would think you'd like my opinion on things like this."
"Well I don't," snarled James. "And maybe I wouldn't like to be your twin brother either, at least not while you're like this."
And then Lily was alone in the corridor, breathing hard as she watched the back of her brother, until it disappeared behind the large oak door.
For the rest of the day, Lily barely managed to get through her classes with a steady mind. Her arguement with James was now the newest gossip floating around the school, and she was getting very many sympathetic glances sent her way. More disturbing were the angered ones coming from Darla and her girlfriends, though she hadn't seen either a trace of James or Nate.
The one good thing coming from the arguement was that Sarah was talking to her again, and was comforting when she did so. The blonde called Darla every foul name in her vocabulary, and assured her that James would get over the arguement sooner than she thought.
But later that night, Lily excused herself to bed much earlier than usual, and was undressing when she noticed a crumpled paper in the otherwise empty wastebasket beside Sarah's bedtable. With a strong urge of curiosity egging her on, Lily found herself picking the wad up and unfolding it.
It was Sarah's Transfiguration notes, which struck Lily as odd, as they were supposed to hold onto them and study for an upcoming test, not to mention N.E.W.T.s. After skimming her friend's writing for a moment, she noticed the heart in the corner for the second time, and was able to finally read the initials that had been hidden from her earlier that day. She finally understood why Sarah had been so protective of her paper, and the red-head felt her heart fall to the bottom of her stomach.
And this was because, in the neatly drawn heart, were the initials J.S.P.
James Sirius Potter.
A/N: Don't forget to review and let me know what you think! =D
A Legend Continued by Meryl Montgomery
Chapter Notes: Disclaimer - This world belongs to J. K. I just venture in it.