And quite suddenly, it was the fifth week of the program. Lily wasn't really sure how that had happened, how she had not noticed the continual passage of time. It seemed like only yesterday that she was first meeting Emma and Healer Lanwick, first settling herself into the work station that would be hers for the next three months. But more than a month had passed since then, and she was only a week away from the midpoint of the program.
She had made progress. Not much, but a little. The theory was so convoluted, the magic so advanced, that it took all her time and effort to make sense of the bits and pieces Damocles Belby had written about the Wolfsbane Potion. Most of her ideas had turned out not to work, but that hadn't discouraged her as much as she thought it would. Every now and then she would stumble across some small success, and that was enough of a reason to keep going.
Her mother's words had helped, too. It had still taken her some time to come to the decision, but in the end, she had realized that she couldn't walk away from this potion. It might mean giving up the chance to fight other battles, but this was one time that she would not surrender. This was one time that she would not give up.
Healer Lanwick still glared at her, and Eliza Greengrass still made snide comments, and Emma still watched the entire situation with unease, but Lily refused to let any of it stop her from doing what she knew was right.
And if things with Emma were still a little tense, they could usually avoid any problems by not talking about werewolves. It meant that any discussion of potions was taboo, something that irritated Lily greatly, but she was willing to let it go.
For now.
She hadn't had any more run-ins with Potter or his friends, for which she was remarkably grateful. She did seek out Remus once or twice, poking her head into the bookstore he worked in just to make sure that he was alright. She wanted to tell him what she was working on, but also didn't want to get his hopes up. She might not have any success, and it would hurt him even more to have yet another dream handed to him and then destroyed.
Besides, she'd have to tell him that she knew he was a werewolf, and she had a feeling that if he had wanted to have that conversation with her, he would have brought up the topic himself.
In some ways, it felt like nothing had changed.
Still, five weeks had passed. Her dates with Caradoc had grown more frequent, and they had fallen into a steady and pleasant routine with each other. Alice was knee-deep in plans for her wedding to Frank, and showed up often to complain to Lily and Mary about her fiancé's overbearing mother. And Mary was her usual gossiping, giggling self.
Petunia, on the other hand, was her usual bitter self, and had refused to allow Lily to be in her wedding. That bit of news had come on the same day that Alice had asked Lily to be a bridesmaid, and the juxtaposition between how she was treated by her sister and how she was treated by her friend was startlingly clear.
And so life went on.
"You did well at practice, James."
"Why, thank you, Vanessa. Now put that parchment and quill away. This is a date, and I don't want you reporting on everything I do."
Vanessa laughed at James' comment, and he felt a little bit of pride at how easily he was talking to her. The rest of the team was watching, of course, and he had to appear suave and debonair in front of them. They had all been skeptical - the two female players in particular - about his date. Dumare had even suggested that Vanessa was still manipulating him, still looking for more scandal. He had to prove them wrong.
Of course, he hadn't actually told any of them about the bet.
Vanessa rested her fingers on his arm. "Don't you want to say anything about your amazing talent at Quidditch? A reserve Chaser just out of Hogwarts - that's practically unheard of. Well… unless you're the Chudley Cannons. Then I suppose anyone can make the team."
That comment earned her quite a bit of appreciative laughter from the listening Quidditch players. The Cannons were not known for having any particular skill at Quidditch. In fact, their only claim to fame seemed to be their eighty-year losing streak.
James grinned.
Vanessa tapped her quill against the parchment. "That was a nice little scrimmage you played, James. You had a few spectacular moves. Are you sure you don't want me to write about that?"
But James just waved his hand dismissively. "I only managed to score so many times because I had some very good setups from other players," he answered. "It's a team sport, Vanessa, remember?" He ran a hand through his hair and added, "Besides, I scored six goals, so that's sixty points. Carlotta caught the Snitch, so that's a hundred and fifty points. You want to write about the most valuable player? You should write about her."
Vanessa shook her head in amusement, and tucked the quill and parchment into her purse. "Maybe I will," she said, giving Prewitt an appraising look.
James slid his arm out from underneath her fingers and took her hand in his own. "Shall we go?" he suggested. "Not that having a data at the Quidditch pitch in front of my entire team wouldn't be fun and all…"
If he was being honest with himself, he was a little bit nervous about this date. Vanessa was older than him, and more experienced than the girls he had dated at Hogwarts. More importantly, it had been over a year since he had dated anyone at all. He'd tried to date other girls during his fifth and sixth years at school, but by the last year, it had become impossible. He couldn't help but compare them all to Lily, and they all fell short.
He'd not gone on a date since the end of sixth year.
Vanessa had wanted to start the date after his Quidditch practice. It had been a good practice, though he had been distracted in the beginning. He'd finally warmed up enough to play well - not spectacularly, as she had claimed, but still quite well - and she had been in the stands watching. They had finished practice with a scrimmage, dividing the team and the reserve players into two groups and having them play each other, and James' side had won.
But now he was sweaty, his hair was mused and sticking up and out more than it usually did, and most of his clothing was covered in dirt or dust.
Vanessa, on the other hand, looked stunning.
Why had he agreed to go right after practice?
Vanessa squeezed his hand. "Looking forward to this," she murmured.
Then they both turned on the spot and were gone.
They reappeared in Diagon Alley, and James quickly waved his wand at himself and muttered a spell, siphoning off the dirt and dust and sweat. He still didn't match Vanessa's silky hair and red lips, and his somewhat rumpled robes weren't quite the same as her periwinkle blue sundress, but at least he felt clean.
Vanessa smiled at him. "Stop worrying about your appearance," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I didn't know what you would look like after Quidditch practice." She reached up and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Besides, I like your hair all windblown like this. It's just another reminder of how good you are at the game."
Lily didn't. Lily hated it like that. Lily hated it when he messed up his hair, and she hated it when he talked about Quidditch, and she hated it when he talked about his own talents.
Vanessa turned away from him and looked around the twisting, cobblestone street. "So, what's the plan, James?" She looked back at him sharply. "You do have a plan for this date, don't you?"
"Of course I do," James answered, rolling his eyes. "Honestly. Do you really think I would make this kind of a bet with you and then not plan out the date?"
Vanessa shrugged, then said, "You know, if you want me to agree to a second date, it's probably not a good idea to bring up the fact that this is really just a bet."
"It isn't just a bet," James protested. "It's a date, too. Maybe you only came because of the bet, but I'm the one who asked you out, remember? So clearly, I wanted to go on a date, regardless of the terms of the bet."
"Do you always turn everything into an argument?" Vanessa demanded, smirking. James looked surprised at the question, and she elaborated, "I was just offering some advice, and instead of accepting it, you argued. I was trying to help you win."
"Ah… habit, I guess," James said, shrugging awkwardly. Vanessa didn't answer, and James lopped his arm casually around her shoulders. "Come on, let's start at Sugarplum's Sweets Shop," he said, guiding her towards the nearby store.
The place was crowded. James was still wearing his Wimbourne Wasps robes, and quite a few people stared at him as he entered. He was used to the stares - he was James Potter, after all - but usually his notoriety came from either the fact that he was a Marauder, in which case the stares weren't always friendly, or the fact that he was a Potter, in which case the stares were often appraising. Now people were pointing at the team emblem emblazoned onto the center of his robes and whispering to each other.
A moment later, the proprietor of the shop appeared and hurried over to James and Vanessa. He looked flustered and a bit awed.
"Welcome, welcome," he said enthusiastically. "Can I help you find anything?"
"We're just browsing at the moment," James answered with a smile.
The owner nodded, then looked at James' robes. "Are you…?"
"Reserve Chaser," Vanessa cut in before James could answer. "Just made the team. Right out of Hogwarts."
"Oh… wow…" There was definite awe in the shop owner's voice. He continued to stare at James for another moment, then realized what he was doing and flushed bright red. "Right… well, I'll let you get back to… to looking at things," he stammered. "Let me know if you… need anything."
And he practically scurried away.
"Well…" James said quietly, "that was different."
Vanessa laughed and tapped the team emblem on his robes. "Why do you think I wanted to go on the date right after Quidditch practice?" she asked lightly.
"You… you knew… you knew that this would happen?" James demanded, surprised. "You planned it?"
Vanessa sighed. "James, I'm Quidditch reporter. Do you really think I don't know exactly how people respond to seeing Quidditch players wandering about? Particularly those still wearing their uniforms?" She glanced around the shop, lowering her voice so as not to be overheard by the other patrons. "And the Wimbourne Wasps are good. You play for a popular team now. Of course people are going to be in awe of you."
"I can't believe you planned this," James said, shaking his head. "That's so… sneaky." He smiled. "I'm impressed."
Vanessa considered this for a moment, then asked, "Have you never had people treat you like a celebrity? You were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and I know that they won the Cup a few times while you were there."
James shrugged. "Sure, but that was Hogwarts. I didn't realize it would hold true here as well." He paused, then added, "Besides, people always treat me differently, but usually it isn't until they've learned my family name."
"Ah, yes… Potter," Vanessa remarked as she picked up a miniature unicorn made entirely of crystallized sugar and inspected it. "It must be something to have that name."
The unicorn tried to nibble at Vanessa's hand.
"It is… something," James agreed with a grin. Having the surname Potter meant that, when he was older and - as he liked to think of it - a real adult, people would always listen to everything he had to say. It meant that he would always have influence over politics, and people would always want to know his opinion on important matters. Being a Potter meant being a leader in society. It meant being able to get everything he ever wanted without much effort. Even the people who hated him and his parents for their less traditional views would at least respect the name he carried.
He knew exactly what it meant to be a Potter, and he loved it.
He had a feeling he was going to like being a Quidditch celebrity, too.
"Would you like me to buy the unicorn for you?" James asked, nodding to the sugary confection that Vanessa was still holding.
The auburn-haired witch shook her head and replaced the candy on the shelf where it belonged. "Thank you, but I don't know what I would do with a sugar-spun unicorn."
There were several other animals made from sugar on the shelf. A miniature dragon stretched its wings and huffed sugary puffs that were probably supposed to be smoke or fire. A cat curled into a ball and purred. A tiny lion roared fiercely, and an eagle sat perched on a sugar-spun tree stump, preening.
"I imagine you're supposed to eat the candy," James suggested. "Just like Chocolate Frogs."
"I don't like Chocolate Frogs," Vanessa replied.
"You what?" James demanded, outraged. How could anyone not like Chocolate Frogs?
"It just seems… weird. It feels like eating a real frog. I mean, they jump all over the place and then you're just supposed to pop them in your mouth like it's no big deal?"
"It isn't a big deal. They're chocolate!"
"Chocolate shouldn't move," was Vanessa's response. "It's just… wrong."
They continued browsing in companionable silence for a few minutes, then James asked slowly, "Did you see anything here you want to buy?"
"Not really," Vanessa answered.
"Do you want to go somewhere else?" James asked, grinning ever so slightly with anticipation.
"Do you have other plans for the date?"
James shrugged. "I was going to suggest ice cream, and then I created a fireworks show for us, but…"
"A fireworks show?" Vanessa asked, sounding both confused and intrigued.
"A couple of my mates and I have been playing around with this for a while," James explained. "They were useful distractions at Hogwarts when we wanted to set up pranks and things like that, and I think we actually got fairly good at it." He smiled fondly, remembering a particularly amusing incident in which they had set off fireworks on the Great Hall as a distraction to allow them to charm all the suits of armor in the castle to stand in front of the Slytherin common room and bar entry to the House's students.
It had taken Slughorn, McGonagall, and Flitwick the better part of an hour to remove all of the spells, and several Slytherins had been chased by the suits of armor through the corridors and up a few flights of stairs.
"So you want to get ice cream and watch fireworks?" Vanessa asked, interrupting James' thoughts.
"Not really," James admitted. "I will happily do it if you want to, but I thought…" He looked at her, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Fancy a stroll into Knockturn Alley?"
Vanessa's eyes widened. "Sure," she said somewhat hesitantly.
"Don't worry," James said with a cocky grin, draping an arm over her shoulders and leading her from the sweets store, "I'll protect you."
"What makes you think I'm the one who will need protecting?" Vanessa shot back with a smile. Then, as they turned down a side street and made their way towards the alley in question, she asked, "Had you ever even been in Sugarplum's Sweets Shop before?"
"Once," James replied. "I've been in Honeydukes plenty of times, but Sugarplum's always seemed a little bit too…"
"Frivolous?" Vanessa suggested.
James nodded. Honeydukes sold decent chocolate and candy instead of delicate sugar-spun animals and other elaborate confections. Even the sugar quills at Sugarplum's seemed more ornate than normal.
But Lily had been there on her date with Dearborn, and she had seemed to enjoy it, so James had assumed that other girls would as well.
He wasn't sure if that assumption was accurate, though.
"We're here," Vanessa murmured.
Simply crossing over the threshold between the two alleys was like entering a completely different world. The streets were narrower in Knockturn Alley, and the buildings were taller. They nearly blocked out the sun and cast long shadows along the twisting pathways. The brightness and the bustle of Diagon Alley was gone, replaced by a feeling of secrecy and danger.
James loved it.
Vanessa scooted a little closer to him and asked in a hushed whisper, "Do you come here often?"
James shook his head. "I snuck in a few times when I was younger. My parents forbid it, but…" He trailed off with a half-shrug.
"You've never been one for following rules?" Vanessa finished for him.
He inclined his head. "Something like that."
The street they were on spilled out into a main thoroughfare. There were a few witches and wizards shopping. All of them were dressed in black cloaks that at least partially obscured their faces from view. They clung to the shadows of the buildings, moving quickly. This wasn't a place where most decent people wanted to advertise their presence or identity.
James, pulled out his wand and quickly transfigured both his robes and Vanessa's dress into clothing similar to what the others in the alley were wearing. At least this way they would blend in.
Vanessa fingered the coarse material of the robes she was now wearing and wrinkled her nose.
"I'll change it back when we leave," James promised, rolling his eyes at her expression.
Vanessa was about to reply when she stopped, her mouth hanging open as her eyes focused on something else. James followed her gaze and his gut clenched tightly.
Lucius Malfoy was walking through Knockturn Alley with his hood thrown back to reveal his gleaming silver-blonde hair and pale features. Walking beside him was Severus Snape and someone else whose hood was pulled up over his head, placing his face in shadow. The three were walking briskly and without paying any attention to their surroundings, as though they were too good for everyone else.
James pulled Vanessa further back into the shadows.
As they drew nearer, James heard Malfoy say, "…pity, really. I know Bella is looking into it, but it seems almost like a lost cause."
Snape seemed to agree with that. "I don't see why we bother with either of them."
"Black is an embarrassment to all of us," Malfoy replied, "but especially to me, now that Cissy and I are married. It's a pity he didn't turn out more like his brother."
The third person nodded and said in a rough voice, "His idiotic Gryffindor ideals have made sure of that."
"True, Rabastan," Malfoy agreed.
James glared at he third man in disgust. He had never met Rabastan Lestrange, but he had heard enough stories to truly despise the other wizard. He was little more than a petty criminal now, but his pureblood fanaticism, combined with his ties to his far more powerful brother and sister-in-law, made him dangerous.
"I cannot allow this to continue. I am a Malfoy, and it will not do for anyone carrying my name to be affiliated with someone who holds such misguided beliefs. Black and Potter are causing far too much trouble."
Vanessa glanced up at James, eyes wide. James guided her forward so that the two of them were following the three Slytherins, staying just out of sight as they crept along. Vanessa's hand was now wrapped tightly around his wrist, and he could practically feel her anxiety.
"James…" she whispered. "Why are they talking about you? Who is Black? Are you friends with a Black?"
"I'll tell you in a minute," James answered in a hiss. "I want to hear what they're saying." He had tensed a little at the disgust in Vanessa's tone when she mentioned the Blacks, and wondered how much she knew about the family. Sirius was different, of course, but the rest of his family…
Well, they did deserve the disgust Vanessa so clearly felt for them.
Still, the conversation he'd need to have with Vanessa didn't matter as much as the conversation he was listening to now, and he turned his attention back to Malfoy. It was clear that the aristocratic blonde was talking about Sirius and himself, and James wanted to know why.
"Sirius Black has been disowned by his family," Snape said silkily. "I doubt you will convince him to return. And Potter, well…" There was just the slightest inflection of disdain in his voice.
"Greasy git," James muttered under his breath, scowling at Snape.
Vanessa's lips quirked upwards in amusement. "Is this how you spend all of your dates?" she murmured, nodding her head towards the three Slytherins.
"No," James answered airily, still keeping his voice quiet. "I only take the girls I really like to Knockturn Alley to spy on slimy Slytherins."
"Is that so?" Vanessa whispered in reply.
"Charlus Potter is far too prominent," Malfoy said after a moment of silence, "but he's old, and rumor has it that he is not doing well. He will not be with us much longer."
"That's your father," Vanessa said. It wasn't a question, but James nodded anyway, unable to stop the fear from coalescing into a hard knot in his stomach. It was true that his father was old and sickly, and it was also true that despite his ill health, he still retained quite a bit of influence at the Ministry.
Old money and pure blood could buy a wizard pretty much anything, and the Potters had plenty of both.
"I still don't understand what you think we can do about any of this," Lestrange said. He jerked his head towards Snape and continued, "He's only just out of Hogwarts, and you and I have only been out for a few years ourselves. Our fathers would be much more likely to succeed."
"And I assure you that they will be playing large roles in this as well," Malfoy answered. "Well…" he cast a derisive look towards Snape and added, "my father will, at least."
Snape flushed but said nothing.
"I have spoken at great length with my father, Ignatius Prewitt, and dear cousin Araminta about the views of the Ministry. But we are the next generation of leaders, Rabastan, and we are the ones who will ultimately decide the fate of our esteemed Ministry." Malfoy smirked coolly. "And if we are to persuade the Ministry to adopt more appropriate viewpoints on Mudbloods and the like, we will need to ensure that James Potter does not attempt to follow in his father's footsteps."
"Potter is far too interested in Quidditch and other trivial things to do any real work," Snape sneered. "His father understands politics. He does not. We have no reason to fear him. Or Black."
"Be that as it may," Rabastan said, "there is no reason to take chances."
"There are others to worry about, too," Snape added. "It appears that Arthur Weasley is even a greater Muggle-loving fool than his father."
Malfoy snorted disdainfully. "The Weasleys have no money and never will."
"The Vances, then? And the McKinnons? They both have money and Joseph McKinnon is well respected in the Ministry," Snape pressed. "And what about the McMillans? Arnold McMillan is on the Wizengamot."
"Bloody Hufflepuffs," Rabastan growled.
Severus inclined his head in agreement, then added coolly, "I would enjoy seeing Potter taken down a peg or two… in fact, I would venture to suggest that I would enjoy this quite a bit more than either of you… but there are other families to be concerned about as well."
"True," Malfoy consented. The three Slytherins were silent for a moment longer, then Malfoy added lightly, "My father has drafted a bit of legislation you'll enjoy, Severus."
"Oh?"
"About werewolves."
Snape's eyes glittered malevolently. "Indeed?"
It was a good thing that Vanessa was still clutching James' arm, because otherwise James would have undoubtedly reached for his wand to hex Snape and the other two without any thoughts to the consequences. But this wasn't Hogwarts, this was Knockturn Alley, and a duel here could end with something far worse than a visit to the Hospital Wing.
But James was seething, and without really thinking, he slammed his fist against the nearest wall to let out some of his pent-up rage. His skin slapped against the cement with a dull thud, hardly loud enough to draw attention.
But Snape must have been on guard for anything out of place, because he spun around almost immediately, wand held high.
James tensed, but Vanessa was faster, and a moment later he felt something cold and wet trickle down the back of his neck and realized that she had cast a Disillusionment charm.
"Nothing there," Snape muttered.
"Probably a cat," Malfoy said in an off-hand manner. He glanced down at the ornate silver watch he was wearing and frowned. "I need to return to Narcissa. I will let you both know if Bella has any luck." And without waiting for a reply, he turned on the spot and was gone.
Rabastan followed a moment later, but Snape lingered, his eyes peering through the gloom. He stared straight at James and Vanessa but did not see them. Still, the suspicion remained in his eyes even as he Apparated away.
James let out a breath. "Quick thinking," he said to Vanessa.
She gave him a pointed look and said, "I am a reporter. I know all the tricks of the trade, even if I don't have to use most of them." She stepped away from James, removed the charm on both of them so that they were clearly visible once more, then folded her arms over her chest and gave him an appraising stare. "Are you going to tell me what that was all about?" she demanded.
"I don't even know," James answered, idly mussing up his hair as he thought back over everything he had heard.
"I recognized Lucius Malfoy. He called one of the others Rabastan. Was that Rabastan Lestrange?"
"Yes, and Severus Snape," James answered. "He was in my year, in Slytherin. Clearly, they want the Ministry to adopt more pureblood elitist views." He rubbed at his eyes wearily.
"I know Ignatius Prewitt," Vanessa said, "but who is Araminta Melliflua? And which Black are you friends with?"
"Sirius Black," James explained. "He's my best mate. He was sorted into Gryffindor and refused to accept his family's pureblood ideals, so they disowned him. Blasted him off the family tree and everything."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Vanessa said.
James shrugged carelessly. He knew it had bothered Sirius in the beginning, even if his friend had refused to admit to that. But time had passed and Sirius had accepted and then even relished not being part of the family. "He doesn't seem to mind anymore. Never really wanted to be part of that family, anyway."
"And Melliflua?
"Araminta Melliflua is part of the extended Black family. I think she's a cousin of Sirius' mother. She's old, maybe in her late nineties, and completely batty. A couple years ago, she tried to get the Ministry to legalize Muggle hunting. My dad hates her, but despite the fact that she is an absolute nutcase, people do listen to her."
"And Bella… would that be Bellatrix Lestrange?"
James nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Another nutcase in the Black family." He sighed heavily. "I just wish I knew what they were planning. It's clear that they want the Ministry to adopt more pureblood elitist legislation, but beyond that… I just don't know."
"They want to remove those who disagree with them," Vanessa said. "Abraxas Malfoy and his friends must be plotting to get rid of our parents' generation, and Lucius Malfoy and his friends are determining how to prevent their own generation from joining the Ministry." She furrowed her brow, and added, "They seem only to care about pureblood families, though. The ones they mentioned… you, the Weasleys, the McKinnons, the Vances, the McMillans… I guess they don't see a reason to worry about half-bloods or Muggleborns."
James nodded wearily. "Don't know why. Also don't know what exactly Bellatrix Lestrange has to do with any of this, or what she's working on, but it seems to be related to Sirius and I…" He trailed off thoughtfully, then added, "I guess I'd better warn Sirius."
"It sounded as though she was going to… encourage… him to rejoin his family," Vanessa suggested.
"That won't happen," James answered firmly and without the slightest bit of hesitation. "I'm his family now. Me, Remus, Peter… we're his family."
James glanced down at Vanessa and noticed that while her eyes showed an interest in this particular subject, she was also extraordinarily pale and there was a definite wariness about her expression. It was then that he remembered that they were supposed to be on a date, and it had to be a good date or he would lose the bet.
He grimaced inwardly.
"Maybe we should go back to Diagon Alley," he suggested. "This date doesn't seem to be going so well."
"Actually, I was having a good time," Vanessa replied, giving James a slight smile. "It's definitely unlike any other date I've been on."
"So do I win?" James asked eagerly.
"Hm… we'll see. Date's not over yet, is it? I'd still like to see those fireworks."
James reached for her hand. "Alright then," he said with a cocky wink. "They are very good and it would be a shame to waste them."
And they Apparated away.