James And Lily Potter: Third year

Chapter 2: Third Year

James breathed a sigh of relief, but unfortunately, everyone heard it. Sirius and the girls, minus Lily, sniggered loudly, and Remus and Peter smiled thoughtfully. Lily, however, was blushing as red as James was.

"Why would you care, James? You don't even like her!" snapped Amos.

"Well, we're getting along better than we used to, Diggory," said James, frowning.

"Whatever."

"You sound like a girl when you say that, Diggory," said Sirius angrily.

"So do you, Black."

"Well, I don't say 'whatever' all the time, Diggory."

"So...James," said Amos, sneering. "You like Lily, huh? I thought you only went for the blondes."

James reddened. "Shut up, Diggory. I've never dated before in my life."

"What about Miss Deanna Jackson?"

"She was the one who gave me a Love Potion!"

"Yes, yes. And now Lily has caught your attention?"

There was a tense silence as James' knuckles tightened. Sirius squirmed uncomfortably and Lily's green eyes were wide. When James was mad, he would take any action. To their surprise, his arms lowered, though still glaring at Amos.

"Get away, Diggory, before you'll be sorry."

Amos' eyes looked frightened, as he slid open the compartment door and slammed it shut behind him.

"Bloody brilliant, Jamie-boy!" cried Sirius, impressed. "You didn't even use violence?"

"Why would I, Sirius? It would frighten the ladies." He smiled warmly at the girls, who were hunched back near Remus and Peter, shaking.

"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

Arabella smiled. "Yeah, James, we're fine. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For not using violence in front of us. You know—er—how we don't exactly like violence."

"LILY LOVES JAMES!" cried Sirius suddenly, startling them all.

"Er—Sirius? That was totally random," stated his girlfriend, wrinkling her nose.

"I know that, Bella dear, but I am a random person, after all."

"And I don't love Lily," added James grumpily.

"Yeah, you do," said Remus, now joining the conversation.

"Why are all you guys' favorite conversations about us?" asked Lily rather snappily. "Do you ever give us any peace around here? And we're not even at Hogwarts! Goodness!" She collapsed into the chair again and took out Hogwarts, A History.

"Why do you bother reading that stuff?" asked James lazily, as he stared into the clear, blue September sky. "It's so...boring."

"It's fascinating, once you start reading it," mumbled Lily, her nose almost touching the page.

"Don't you read it every year, Lils, on the Hogwarts Express?"

"Well, you should re-read books, you know. It's good for the soul."

"I think that Quidditch Through the Ages is a good book," said James proudly. "I've read it twice."

"I've read Hogwarts, A History twenty times," said Lily loftily, her nose still in the thick book. "Of course, I would have read it twice as much if you didn't bother me at Hogwarts twice as much..."

"Twenty times? Bloody hell, that's too many times!" cried James. "Why don't you have fun in life? Haven't I showed you fun yet this summer? I told you on the train home in our second year that I'd invite you over the summer to show you what fun really is about. And has all that time been wasted by schoolwork?"

Lily slammed her book shut and opened her mouth to speak, but then clamped it shut. It was true that she had learned what fun really meant that summer—and all thanks to James.