Chapter 18: Hogsmeade
A week later the word was spread around that a Hogsmeade weekend was coming up. This was very exciting news for the Thirds Years to whom this was a still a relatively new and exhilarating experience.
For the Marauders, however, it was merely another opportunity to refill their supplies of troublemaking aids, and warm themselves over many an inviting Butterbeer. That being said, this would only occur if they were ahead of their workload, something which was increasingly overpowering the Seventh Years. Many, Lily included, took this very seriously, and much as it was a great pain to spend every spare moment in the library or re-writing passages from essays, the alternative was much worse.
So it was with great trepidation that James approached Lily at her desk in the common room, where she had taken up camp over the last few days.
“Lily?” he asked precariously.
“Mm?” Lily answered reflexively, without looking up or pausing from her work.
“Did you hear about the Hogsmeade visit this Saturday? I’m looking forward to going, aren’t you? It’ll be nice to have a few hours break from work, won’t it?”
Lily sighed and put down her quill. “You know, James, if you want me to go with you, you just have to ask. But I’m not so sure I can afford a few hours break, it’s all piling up on me and I don’t have much time for shopping.”
“OK, sure. But I think it would be a good idea to get away from the castle for a bit. A few hours won’t hurt and you can leave whenever you like.”
“Gee, thanks,” Lily said sarcastically. Then she rubbed her eyes wearily. “Sorry James. I will try to set aside some time to come. I know I haven’t exactly been the best girlfriend recently.”
“That’s all I ask. We’ll have fun, I promise.” He smiled reassuringly. “And you’re a fabulous girlfriend.” He winked at her and left her to her own devices.
It seemed a long and tedious week before Saturday arrived. Work increased yet again and nobody seemed to have much time at all for anything recreational. Even so, on Saturday morning, when it was time to leave for the Entrance Hall and meet the others going for an indulgent day of no work, most of the Seventh Years seemed to be thinking along the same lines as James, that it would be as good a time as any to take a day off from work and worry, and concentrate on being young and free. The Seventh Year Gryffindors, together with Alice, all met in the common room and walked down together, buzzing excitedly due to the chance to get out of the Hogwarts grounds and stretch their legs in the fresh spring air. It was a relatively cool March day, and yet the sun straining through the clouds meant that the students were barely out of the Hogwarts gates before they had shed their cloaks and thrown them over their shoulders.
By the time they reached Hogsmeade the clouds had dispersed and the weak sun was shining more strongly than it had in months. Spring was in the air. They spent the first hour revisiting their old spots of Honeydukes, Zongos and the like, which was more fun for the boys than it was for the girls. Lily and Ellie then met up with Yves who had left them on arrival to wander round with Michael Younge. They then proceeded to drag the boys round all the shops that interested them the most, such as Madame Tilly’s Perfumery and Moonshine Evening Wear. Sirius found all this very boring, and made several indiscreet signals to suggest as much. James however made a great show of being very interested in whatever it was that Lily found intriguing, as it was he who had made her come and he didn’t want her to have to spend the whole day testing out the All New Extreme Dungbombs and Exploding Sherbets.
When the sun disappeared again behind a huge wall of cloud and the wind returned with a chill behind it, the four Marauders with Lily, Yves and Ellie decided to visit Madame Rosmerta in the Three Broomsticks and warm themselves with mugs of Butterbeer. They seated themselves round a table by a crackling magical fire, which was emitting just enough heat to be comfortably warm at this time of the year.
Sirius jumped at the opportunity to order drinks for everybody, and even heroically offered to buy them. He was, of course, only interested in the attentions of Madame Rosmerta, the new, young and very pretty barmaid who had a head of curly black hair and stunningly beautiful large eyes, which she made a show of battering at all her young admirers.
“Men,” Lily said despairingly, as she watched from their table as Sirius attempted to get her attention by laughing loud and deep at something that Peter had said. By the look of shock on Peter’s face, it hadn’t even been funny. He’d probably just told Sirius what drink he had wanted to order.
“What about men?” James asked, putting on a falsely confused expression.
“They’re all the same,” she replied, not taking her eyes off Sirius. “Look at him! He’d jump off the top of the castle if she asked him to.”
“Well it’s hardly our fault,” Remus countered. “If girls weren’t so bloody pretty we’d have a much easier time of it. As it is there are too many of you out there who look gorgeous but with whom we don’t stand a chance in hell.”
“Speak for yourself,” James said, putting his arm around Lily proudly.
Just then, Peter returned to the table with their drinks. He raised his eyebrows when Ellie asked him what was taking Sirius so long. “Have a guess,” he said, handing the drinks round and sitting down in an empty chair. He took a breath. “Whilst he’s not here I might as well take the chance to tell you… I saw Bella this morning.”
“And?” James asked, although it was pretty obvious what had happened by the look on Peter’s face.
“She threatened me again.”
“But she hasn’t been near you since the beginning of the year! What’s she up to this time?”
“I don’t know. She just told me that she’s in league with You-Know-Who now and that I’d better keep my wits about me if I know what’s good for me. Which basically means I have to stop being friends with such Dumbledore lovers and join her circle of friends.”
James laughed. “I wonder what she’ll come up with next.” At the look of indignity from Peter he added, “Oh come on, Wormtail, it’s obviously a bluff. She has to stretch her need for authority over people once in a while. Leave her to do it, but don’t think anything of it.”
Peter opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment Sirius approached smiling with his drink in his hand and Peter cast his eyes down and dropped the subject.
“Had a little trouble pouring your drink, did she?” James asked mockingly.
“Hm? Oh, very funny Prongs. You know I was just making polite conversation. She can get lonely in here sometimes.”
“I’m sure she does, what with all that male attention.” He signalled over to the bar, where Madame Rosmerta was openly flirting with a group of locals, ten years their seniors.
Sirius furrowed his brow and turned back to the table, his face pink. “What do I care?”
Just then, Ellie stood hastily, grabbing her mug of Butterbeer and stalking off to sit with a group of Ravenclaws across the room.
“What’s eating her? James asked, taking his arm from around Lily and pulling out his Zonkos purchases for inspection. “You know, I think we’re a little old for this stuff now. Waste of money, really.”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Lily retorted.
“Understand what?” James asked, repacking his goods and putting the bag back under the table.
“Never mind,” Lily sighed, reaching for her drink. James stopped her by putting his hand over hers.
“What?” he asked quietly. He was keen to have a very communicative relationship with Lily following their argument when she had come back from her parents’ funeral. But Lily shook her head warningly, before looking cautiously at Sirius, who was deep in conversation with Remus. Lily gripped James’s hand in a way that said “I’ll tell you later” and he released it, to join in the conversation with Sirius and Remus.
Lily immediately turned to talk to Yves, their heads bent in earnest discussion.
The rest of the morning passed pleasantly. Most of the Seventh and Fifth Years with impending exams decided to return to the castle in time for lunch so that the whole day of revision time wasn’t wasted in Hogsmeade.
As James and Lily walked hand in hand along the lane towards Hogwarts, James picked up their previous conversation.
“What was all that about back in the Three Broomsticks?” he asked casually.
Lily looked confused. “What was all what about?”
“When you said I wouldn’t understand.”
“Hmm? Oh, that. It wasn’t really that important, but if you must know, you have to promise not to tell anyone first.”
James raised his eyes. “Girls…” he said, sighing. At the look on Lily’s face he quickly changed his expression. “Sure, I promise.”
Lily smiled. “Ellie’s madly in love with Sirius.” She looked aside as she said this, as if the lack of eye contact would placate Ellie’s anger at having her secret revealed.
James stopped where he was so suddenly that a couple of Third Year girls walked right into him. They giggled very loudly and ran off, looking back at James several times before they were out of sight. James raised his eyes at them and then turned to Lily. “Ellie? And Sirius? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure that she worships the ground that he walks on, yes. I’m not so sure how he feels about her though.” She took James’s hand in hers again and they continued walking.
“Well, much as I hate to say it, lots of girls worship the ground that Padfoot walks on…”
“Not like Ellie does.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Between liking someone because they’re sporty, popular, and incredibly handsome and liking someone because they fit you’re personality perfectly and you can’t sleep at night for thinking of them? I would have thought you would have known the difference, James.”
“Well that’s different. I had six long years to fall in love with you.” He stuck his tongue out at Lily, as if this proved his point, before continuing with: “Ellie’s never shown any interest in Sirius before.”
“She has, you’ve just never noticed it. Apparently neither has Sirius.”
“Well then I’ll tell him-“
“No! You promised! Ellie would absolutely kill me if she knew I had told you about this. She just wants it left alone.”
“That’s ridiculous, she’s never going to do anything about it? I don’t understand the logic in that. She’ll just be miserable. Seems to me that if Sirius knew, he might take a bigger interest in her. They’re quite a well-matched pair actually…” he trailed off, clearly imagining them together as a couple. “Well anyway, it’s better to know one way or the other where Sirius stands. It’s torture otherwise.”
“It didn’t seem to make a difference with you,” Lily said, smiling. “I’ve lost count of the number of times I told you I wasn’t interested, but that didn’t seem to deter you.”
James chuckled. “That’s because I knew you really were interested. You’re just a good actress. Besides, it kept me on my toes.”
The pair passed through the castle gates and into the Hogwarts grounds.
“So you won’t tell Sirius?” Lily asked.
James sighed. “OK, I won’t tell him. But I still fail to see why not.”
They walked the rest of the distance to the oak front doors chatting about what it would be like to go on a double date with Sirius and Ellie.
Love Conquers by dumbly_dorr
Chapter Notes: Hope you like this one... Please review, I'd love to know what you think!