CHAPTER 8- Under the mistletoe
November passed quickly enough for most of the students at Hogwarts. Homework was still hard but Quidditch and the steady feeling that the Christmas holidays were nearing had distracted most of them. The only ones that were not allowed any excuses were the Head Girl and Boy, who had to patrol the corridors of Hogwarts almost daily, leaving them no time to study or practice with the Gryffindor team.
“I am honestly sorry, Potter, but there is nothing I can do. Professor Dumbledore has specifically asked that all Prefects and Heads patrol and give out reports and I personally could not agree more. With the stories we have been hearing and what we have read in the Prophet, these extra safety measures are to ensure the students are in no danger - at least at Hogwarts.” Professor McGonagall finished and gazed haughtily at the not-so-satisfied Lily and James who were sitting on the uncomfortable chairs in her office. Lily was busy munching a Ginger Newt that the teacher had handed them from a small tin box; James had argued with the professor for a good ten minutes before finally taking one grudgingly.
“But, Professor, we will patrol, we want to, but it’s not that easy for us. We don’t have time to study and I’ve missed the last four practices of the team. At this rate me and Lily will end up bottom of the year and Gryffindor bottom of the TABLE!” James shouted angrily, bits of Ginger Newt flying in every direction. Lily kicked him and smiled apologetically at their teacher.
McGonagall clicked her tongue in a disapproving way.
“Do not raise your tone at me, Potter. I understand the situation. I’ve heard it all too many times. All the Prefects have appealed for more free time. I had Mary McDonald in yesterday and Severus Snape has also expressed his fatigue.”
James didn’t bother hiding a snort and Lily looked away distractedly. The Professor, showing no sign she had noticed, went on.
“But there is nothing I can do except appeal to the Headmaster for him to grant you a certain amount of free time each week which you can spend either revising or doing anything else you see fit. I will not be the one to prevent Gryffindor Quidditch team from practice. However,” here McGonagall stood up dauntingly and Lily swallowed her biscuit with some difficulty, “you should have expected this amount of responsibility on receiving word of your new post. Seeing as you had been notified beforehand you could have easily rejected it - although I believe most Prefects only consider the numerous advantages when accepting the position. The use of the bathroom and the right to hand out detention most prominent among them. Now, you two have handled the difficulties well enough so I shall do my best to grant you this favour. Do you have any other questions or “” McGonagall gave a warning sniff, “- requests?”
“Yes,” James said. Lily threw him a warning glance. “Professor, what did you think of the match against Hufflepuff? It was good, wasn’t it? We’re in first place now, fifty points over Slytherin.”
McGonagall looked at him for a second coldly, as though about to shout. Then her face broke into a very small smile and she ofeered them yet another Ginger Newt. She stood up and opened the door for them, still holding the tartan box.
“Considering your lack of practice, Potter, it must have been a near miracle that you scored five goals. Although perhaps the novelty of Miss Evans cheering you gave you a boost of newly found energy.”
“I couldn’t agree more, Professor,” James said, winking at Lily, who shook her head with the pointlessness of it all. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Martha! It’s Martha! She’s going to use a Love Potion on me! Please, please, Prongs, help me!”
“Wha-what am I supposed to do?” James spluttered with difficulty, trying not to join in the fit of giggles that Sirius’ appearance from the portrait hole and mad shouts had caused. He glanced at Lupin, who was not going through the trouble of hiding his laughter along with everyone else in the Common Room; painfully, James tried to keep a straight face. Showing some loyalty to your best friend could be hard at times; especially when that friend happened to be Sirius Black.
Sirius ignored the small crowd of Gryffindors that were listening in on the conversation and grabbed James’ shoulders. His eyes opened madly. “Love potion, Potter, love potion! How would it look if I, Sirius Black, started acting like you when you’re drooling after Evans or like Moony when he’s sulking after-”
“Stop it right there, Sirius.” Remus had parted from the silently chuckling throng and was smiling a little too kindly at Sirius. He sat down next to James, who was frowning at Sirius and clapped his hands together. “So, what seems to be the trouble, Padfoot?”
Sirius put a hand to his forehead and fell to the floor in mock indignation. “Even Evans’d be more helpful, I mean, Merlin, what have I done to deserve that girl’s bloody attention?”
James and Remus grinned at each other.
“Well-”
“-well-”
“-erm-”
“-you, see, Sirius-”
“-when you act-”
“-like-”
“-like-”
“-like, like God’s heaven-sent gift to women-”
“-Yeah!-”
“-yes, good choice of words, wasn’t it? Anyway...”
“-yeah, anyway-”
“-well-”
“-well-”
“-you’re not helping, James-”
“-right-”
“-well-”
“-well, it doesn’t work on only certain women-”
“-yes, not only on certain blondes who tend to have a reputation of being called strange-” This was said in a whisper that James silenced by aiming a kick at Remus.
“-yeah, Padfoot, you can’t blame the girl for dreaming, can you?” James smiled apologetically at his best mate.
“Yes, Sirius. And I seriously doubt she’ll descend to the level of Amortentia Potions. I don’t think they’re allowed, anyway...” Remus patted Sirius lightly, leaning to the floor.
Sirius stood up and sighed. “Well, if the worst comes to the worst, I’ll count on you to fix me up, eh?” The other two glanced at each other, once again grinning.
“Well-”
“-well-”
Sirius’ eyes widened dangerously again. “If you dare leave me in a state like that, I swear I’ll stick your wands-”
The rest of his sentence was drowned as James and Remus fell upon him, pummeling every bit of his body that was visible to them. They only stopped when Peter entered the Common Room and, while trying to pull them apart, he got punched in the eye, causing it to go a dangerous purple colour.
“That’s probably the colour Martha’s Love Potion will be, Sirius. I’d watch out for it, because she’s an abysmal Potions maker,” murmured Remus and James had to take out his wand to stop them both from getting into another fight.
“Martha, how many times do I have to tell you not to prowl around looking for more gossip to spread? Especially after nine!” Lily snapped at the guilty-looking Hufflepuff.
Before Martha Jorkins could reply, Lily’s wand vibrated slightly in her hand and emitted a few white sparks. Lily inwardly thanked James for calling her. She didn’t fancy giving a detention tonight; she was too tired.
“Listen, Martha. If you go to your Common Room now, I won’t give you detention. I’ll forget this ever happened. So make sure nobody sees you. Good night.”
“Thanks, Lily. Oh, and, by the way, there has been a rumour about that Nat Pattinson, so, what’s the story-?”
“Goodnight, Martha.”
“But, I have heard from Sirius that-”
“Goodnight, Martha!”
Lily watched her go towards the kitchens where she now knew the Hufflepuff quarters were and then began to make for the Prefect’ Quarters, where she guessed James was, siriously doubting whether Sirius Black had ever spoken a word to Martha Jorkins other than maybe an occasional yell. Before she reached the hidden room though, she heard a noise in the corridor behind her. She hesitated; judging by the sound, the two people that were inside didn’t want to be disturbed. But she was Head Girl, for Merlin’s sake; she had to check whether or not students were out of bed after curfew. She approached the door of the corridor, until she recognized one of the voices. It was Bellatrix Black.
“If only Rodolphus knew…I’d love to see you two fighting over me! Ha!” Her voice was full of irony.
Lucius Malfoy replied sickeningly. “I’d do a lot for you, Bella. And I can do a lot more to you, if you get my meaning…”
Lily drew herself away, a look of disgust on her face. She did not want to interrupt that particular scene. Shaking her head and wondering why Malfoy was after Bella, when every single Slytherin fawned over him, Lily made her way to the Prefects’ Room. I mean, she’s such a…a…Luna and Alice were much better at finding what exactly Bellatrix Black really was. She walked away, not noticing a shadow following.
At the tapestry, she felt a hand cover her eyes. For perhaps a fraction of a second, her heart thumped with unnecessary panic. Then she recognised the warm hand holding her. She struggled to stop herself from laughing and twisted her body to face James. He grinned at her and Lily noticed that he was very close to her. She gulped and drew away, playing with a strand of loose hair.
“What did you want?” She continued looking downwards as though intently interested at the stone floor.
“What? Oh, right,” he looked highly disconcerted for a moment ,“er, McGonagall just found me to say we’ve half an hour of patrol and then we’re free for tonight. I reckoned we could do it together. It’s a bit boring walking around on my own.”
Lily smiled with embarrassment and nodded at the floor. Since the event at Hogsmeade she and James had come a lot closer, though she knew James wanted it to become even more so. Lily, on the other hand, was enjoying this new and more responsible James too much to let him spoil it by letting him admit to fancying her.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Lily smiled as they walked together towards the Great Hall in silence. “I think Hagrid’s put up the Christmas trees. He did it after dinner. Let’s go and see them.”
James nodded and followed her to the closed door of the Hall. He took out his wand and tapped it three times on the lock, just as Flitwick had told them a few nights previously. The huge oak doors creaked open and the moonlight from the windows flooded through. The two Heads went inside and couldn’t stop the gasps that escaped their mouths, as they looked upon the decorations of the Hall. The live fairies that the Charms teacher had promised were asleep and although they were not brilliantly sparkling, a faint white glow came from their wings. The snow that had piled out the windows gave the room an even more mystical magic. Lily couldn’t help laughing with delight and clapped her hands together like a small child. As she did, James seemed to make a decision. Her bracelet’s charms jingled as he grabbed both her wrists and nodded with his head at the ceiling. Lily didn’t look up; she didn’t have to. She had been the one organising the Christmas decorations with the Prefects.
“Only this once. And I promise to forget it ever happened,” James whispered.
Lily bit her lip. She knew he was telling her the truth. And she knew that she would consider it a dream in the morning. Slowly, reluctantly, she nodded.
James cupped her chin and made her look into his eyes. Lily tried to hide her sorrow for not returning the feelings. For a second, James seemed to hesitate. Then he leaned down and kissed her; just once…on the lips…softly.
Jealousy was not a familiar feeling for Severus Snape. And yet, he was experiencing it, not for the first time. And for the wrong person. He left for the Slytherin Common Room, not looking once back at the Great Hall.
A/N: It was very short, I know, but still the kiss made up for it. Didn’t it? No? Fine, fine, OK, it was a bit short. But I swear it was shorter at some point and I added a scene or two. Now, ahem... *leighpotter imagines angry readers throwing things at her any moment now* I may not be able to post for a while now because of school “ but before anything sharp hits me (!!!), I’d like to assure you that I have written a few chapters throughout the summer (I’m not going to tell you how many because that’s when the real throwing will begin!) so don’t worry, I will post whenever I have the chance and you will be able to enjoy more of the story! Now, how about some motivation for speedy chapter-updates “ you all know what I mean! (Review!!!) Oh and check out the banner I made for Thrice Defied in my bio!
Thrice Defied by leighpotter
Chapter Notes: Hello, everyone! I'd just like to keep you updated on the few minor changes to "Thrice Defied". I'll be putting an AU warning because I've realised (thanks to the great mods that check our stories-subtle flattery there!) that two of characters (Lucius and Bella) are older than James, Lily and everybody else. In my story they're in the same year. I hope this stops any confusion I may have caused! Enjoy!