Chapter 12: A Sluggish Day
The rest of the holidays went smoothly. Lily and Yves, glad that the majority of their homework had been done, spent their free days sleeping in late, lounging around in the Common room, and taking walks around the crisp, white grounds.
Whilst it was pleasant to have such a restful holiday, Lily found that she missed James immensely. Even though she had only agreed to go out with him just before the holidays, she found she couldn’t wait for his return.
They spent much of the time sending letters to each other. On the day that the pupils were due to return to school, Lily received another letter from James. His owl, Prime, brought it to the window of the Gryffindor common room, tapping on the glass with his beak. Lily rushed over and let him in to release him of his parcel. He nipped her finger affectionately and took off, no doubt to the Owlery, as James would be returning at any moment on the Hogwarts express.
Lily returned to her seat by the fire, where Yves was sitting with her head buried in the latest edition of Witch Weekly. She tore open the envelope and began to read, just as Yves folded the magazine and leant in to read over her shoulder
Lily,
Thanks for your letter. Sirius found the idea of you and Yves ice skating on the lake very amusing. He says he’d never heard of Muggles sliding around on blades before…
We’ve decided to get the Hogwarts Express back to school. I have to be there anyway as Head Boy, to patrol, and Sirius is far too lazy to fill out the Apparition form. Besides, It’s our last year, so we want to make the most of the lunch trolley! That means we’ll be back with the rest of the school tomorrow (Sunday) in time for the Feast. Save me a seat!
Yesterday I showed my mum that picture Remus took of us at the Christmas Feast. She says you are very beautiful and I can’t possibly deserve you! Mothers!
Anyway, I had better go. Sirius and I are going to the field to practice Quidditch. I got a Snitch for Christmas, the newest model made for the Leagues. It’s really fast and light and … well, I won’t bore you with Quidditch talk. And Sirius is yelling at me to hurry up!
Can’t wait to see you!
James x
Yves smiled and nudged Lily warmly. “He’s so sweet!”
“Yeah, someone might think he actually likes me!” Lily said sarcastically.
“You lucky girl, I wish I had someone like James.”
“Lay off, he’s mine!”
The girls laughed and packed up their things, ready for the start of term feast.
They were a little early, as were the rest of the pupils and the teachers who had stayed at school for the holidays. Yves and Lily took their usual seats on the Gryffindor table, and before long, the doors were opened wide, and a flood of pupils entered.
As the five long tables began to fill, the Hall was filled with the buzzing sounds of people catching up on holiday news. Ellie rushed to Lily and Yves’s side and embraced them both, a big smile on her face. “How are you both?” she asked, sitting down on the other side of Yves. “Good holidays? I’ve got so much to gossip about! Did you hear about Simon and Rachel from Ravenclaw?”
At that moment, James appeared at Lily’s shoulder, along with Remus, Sirius and Peter. She turned and stood to greet him in a huge hug.
“Did you get my letter?” he asked, sitting down next to her, as the other Marauders filed in next to him.
“About twenty minutes ago! Did Prime not come back to you? He must have gone to the Owlery.”
“Yeah, he only thinks of his stomach.”
“Like some people I know!” James had already heaped his plate full of the food that had appeared on the table. “Where did all this come from? Dumbledore hasn’t welcomed us back yet!”
Yves turned to Lily. “Yes he has. You two were too busy talking to notice…”
Lily smiled sheepishly and pulled a bowl of roast potatoes towards her.
Once everyone had caught up on news and satisfied their hunger, the pupils and teachers filed out of the Hall slowly. The Gryffindors wandered up the their common room, where only a small handful sank into armchairs. Most of the others were sleepy from all the food and the long day of journeying, so bed was immediately sought.
After a few minutes of sleepy fireside chatter, Lily rose from the sofa to make her way to bed with Yves and Ellie. She turned to James.
“I missed you, Potter. I’m glad you’re back.” She swiftly kissed him on the cheek and then stood, linked arms with the others, and proceeded to the girls’ stairway.
***
The next day began with Potions, which Lily and the Marauders walked to together after breakfast. James took Lily’s hand in his and led her down the stairs to the dungeons. They joined the queue with the other Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs waiting outside the Potions classroom.
Slughorn appeared from the door and smiled. “Enter, dear pupils, a wealth of learning awaits you!” he proclaimed cheerfully.
He smiled and winked as Lily walked past him into the room. Lily smiled back politely and hurried to sit down next to James at the back of the class.
“I trust that you all had a restful and pleasant holiday! But now, back to work, if you will! Scales and potions kit out and turn to page 472 of your books,” Slughorn chirped, his enormous moustache bouncing up and down as he spoke.
A squeal of delight was omitted from a pupil at the front of the class. “Oh thanks Professor! I’ve been waiting to do this potion since Third Year!” came the voice of Charles Bug from Hufflepuff, an abnormally small boy who, it was rumoured, had dwarf blood somewhere down his family tree.
Sirius chuckled and called, “Bet you have Buggy!”
“That’s right, boys and girls, the Incrementum Potion. Now can anyone explain exactly what it does?” Slughorn asked.
A few hands rose to the air, and although Charles Bug was almost jumping up and down in his seat in a bid to be chosen, Slughorn’s eyes went immediately to Lily, who sat patiently with her arm up.
“Yes, my dear?” he sang, as Charles grumpily slumped forwards in his chair and put his head in his hands.
Lily smiled, “The Incrementum Potion has the ability to extend the height of a person whilst still maintaining proportion.”
A grin split Slughorn’s round face. “Correct my dear, as usual. Ten points to Gryffindor! And well deserved they are, too.”
James raised his eyebrows at her. “Teacher’s pet!” he whispered.
“Its not my fault he always picks me!” she exclaimed.
“Oh no, its not like you constantly batter your eyelashes at him,” James said sarcastically, as she began gathering the correct ingredients for the potion.
“Now now, before you start, boys and girls, remember to allow exactly 14 minutes for the brew to settle before adding the Lizard Juice. This is not a particularly challenging potion at face value, but can go disastrously wrong if not correctly planned. And as it’s not one we have covered so far in the course, it is compulsory that it go right today, if you are to have any chance of mastering it before N.E.W.Ts begin. I hope I don’t need to remind you that we have only one full term ahead of us before the exams start.” He raised his eyebrows at them, as if it were their fault that time had trickled past in such a hurry. “Now, please begin, and feel free to ask any questions along the way.”
James looked to Lily, who was already scrawling away on a piece of parchment, and simultaneously arranging ingredients along the desk in front of her cauldron. “Uh, where do we start, Lily?” he questioned.
“Well I would recommend reading page 472 of your book first, it might give you an idea,” she replied sarcastically but affectionately, and James grumpily reached for his book and began finding the correct page.
“You know,” he declared, “I did think, once we started going out, that you might cut me a little slack and share your brains.”
“I do!” Lily claimed, “I reminded you of the page number, did I not?”
“Oh yes, well I suppose that is progress, for you. There was a time when you would have slapped me for even talking to you.”
“Can you blame me? You were, it has to be said, an unfathomably annoying arse at times. Although you did persevere, so I guess I should give you some credit for that,” Lily teased.
“I’d rather have the help,” James replied, turning away and muttering something that sounded like ‘bloody page numbers’.
“Quiet at the back there, Potter! No time for chit chat if you are going to get this potion right. And why have you not got any ingredients out yet? Too busy making puppy eyes at Miss Evans!”
Sirius roared with laughter. “Ah sir, got it on the button.” He then pinched his nose and dropped something slimy into his cauldron, which was emitting a green trail of smoke. He leafed through Advanced Potion Making, and read: Your brew should now be a tinted shade of pink. He raised his hand. “Ah.... oh Professor!”
By the end of the class, Slughorn had on his desk twenty samples of very different looking potions. Sirius’s had never recovered from its state of putrid green, but he eyed it with pride. “And no help from anyone, either,” he smiled.
“Yes, yes, well done Black, it’s progress indeed. It took me hours to clean up last term’s explosion,” Slughorn said, looking sceptically at Sirius’s vile, which was still slowly bubbling away.
Love Conquers by dumbly_dorr
Chapter Notes: The gang are reunited after the Christmas holidays, and soon settle back into normailty as the new term begins. Shorter than the last chapter, but still fun to write! Let me know what you think...