James And Lily Potter: Third year

Chapter 13: Third Year

"My dear," said Trelawney mistily, as she gazed with her overlarge spectacles at the foggy crystal ball, "you do have a very misfortunate future, yes, very misfortunate indeed..." Her eyes welled with tears.

"You will be dying, my dear girl," she said to Lily. Lily rolled her eyes.

As if I needed her to tell me that, she mused. Honestly – even Dumbledore hates the woman, though he obviously wouldn't say such.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were writing something on a piece of parchment and talking quietly to each other. Suddenly, Sirius let out a snort of laughter, causing the whole class to look their way.

"My dears, is there a problem?" asked Professor Trelawney, peering at them with her bat-like eyes and gilded towards their table. "What do you see when you gaze into the orb."

"A load of foggy stuff, Professor," said James earnestly, and Sirius, Remus, and Peter fell over their poufs, laughing.

Professor Trelawney stiffened. "You four don't have the aura of a stargazer. It is not everyone that possesses the Inner Eye." Her voice sounded oddly like Professor McGonagall's just then.

Jennifer stifled a giggle, and Professor Trelawney looked her way. "Ah...yes, Ms. Dean. What do you see in your orb?"

"Erm—" She peered into the crystal ball. "Nothin'." Lily coughed.

Professor Trelawney clearly was not having a wonderful day, for she bit her lip and shook her head. Then she went towards the other side of the room to where the Ravenclaws were sitting, and seemed more pleased at their progress with the crystal ball.

"What sort of rubbish is she talking about anyway?" hissed Lily. "No one needs a stupid aura and an Inner Eye to see the future. All you do is mope around until the first prediction you think is going to happen in the near future." All of the girls at their table giggled uncontrollably just then.

Meanwhile, at the Marauders' table, the boys were curious to what the girls were discussing.

"Isn't Bella dreamy, Siri-boy?" asked James slyly. "Perhaps you should go—talk to her?"

"No." Sirius' voice was as cold and empty as the fog in the orb.

"Well, I know for a fact that she's still pining for you." James thought that just then he saw Sirius inclines his head towards his way with interest, but it could have been his imagination, too.

"Lupin...I see sad things in your future, sad things," came Professor Trelawney's misty voice. "You will reject the only girl you love to keep her safe from what you are...Then you will find happiness, finding a job when you will be rejected all your adult life."

Remus was startled, and looked over at Jennifer, who blushed furiously at her comment. Was she making a real prediction? Because it did seem awfully real to him—

"Hello? Remus?" Sirius was waving his hand around in front of Remus' face. "Class is over, come on. We have to ditch this place as soon as possible; I think I'm suffocating."

Remus snorted and followed everyone out of the stifling, perfumed room, still pondering over Professor Trelawney's prediction.

It was Christmas Day, and Lily jumped out of bed and started to shake awake her friends. She giggled when she saw the state they were in. Arabella's curls were all tangled together into one big mess, while Jennifer's neat, blond hair was—er—not so neat. Violet was as clean and organised as ever, but there were red ringlets under her eyes.

"Come on, you lazy people, wake up!" cried Lily, jumping on Arabella's bed. "It's Christmas, we have presents to open; wake up already!"

"Lils, you're way too energetic sometimes," grumbled Arabella, as she attempted to brush out her tangled curls.

"I know, ain't it great?"

The girls all dug through their presents. Lily had received a large Charms book from Arabella, a real live kitten from Jennifer with grey fur and stripes, stunning new dress robes from Violet, and a whole bag of assortments from Hogsmeade from Sirius, Remus, and Peter. She hadn't expected anything from James, though she bought him something herself, but she gasped when she opened the present he got her. It was a medium-sized book made of real, genuine pink leather, and stamped across the cover, it said, "Lily Evans". She opened the delicate cover and inside, James had written:

Lily—

I hope this journal comes in use. You can write in it as a diary, or whatever you'd like. Look, I know we don't exactly like each other, but I thought I'd get this when we went for our holiday shopping at Hogsmeade. It's an enchanted journal, diary, whatever you want to call it, so it can obey whatever you tell it to do. I hope it comes in handy someday.

—James

"What's that, Lils?" asked Arabella curiously, as she peered over Lily's shoulder. In a flash, her three friends were gushing over the present like it was a priceless piece of jewelry.

"Who gave you that?"

"Can I hold it, Lils?"

"Aww...James is so sweet, isn't he?"

"That must've cost a lot! James sure does care about you, Lils."

Lily snorted and rolled her eyes. But she fingered the journal lovingly, smiling at the thought of James ever getting her such a beautiful and wonderful gift.

Meanwhile, at the boys' dormitory, there was wrapping paper and boxes littered all over the ground. The boys were all surrounding a very red-faced James, who was holding the present that Lily had given him. It was a large pin with a Gryffindor lion head on it, about the size of his palm. Its eyes were made of real red rubies, the nose was made out of a large emerald, and its mouth was made out of ebony. It was copper and surprisingly light, and James was admiring it, surprised at Lily even giving him even a present.

"Wow," was all he could say.

Sirius grinned. "Lily sure does like you, Jamie-boy, giving you such a present."

James snorted. "Hospitality, maybe, who knows."

As the boys reached the Great Hall for the Christmas feast, the girls were already there. Lily immediately blushed when she saw James entered, and slid back in her seat, hiding behind Jennifer. James also turned a nasty shade of red when he saw Lily...Both their friends noticed, of course.

"When are those prats getting together," whispered Jennifer to Remus, as the boys sat down.

"Forget them, what about Sirius and Arabella? Their pride is just as large as Lily and James'." He sighed. "People these days, they just..." But before he could properly answer, Jennifer kissed him square on the mouth.

Lily cheered. "Aww...how sweet. So when's the wedding?" Jennifer glared at her.

"Next year."

"Who's going to be the maid-of-honor?" piped up Arabella.

"My sister," replied Jennifer sourly.

"Little Katie?" Arabella was surprised. "Why?"

"Bells, I'm only joking," she said, rolling her eyes. "Remus and I are not getting married; what gave you such a ridiculous notion?"

"It wasn't a notion, look at you guys. You are so in love, it's so obvious, the way you guys look at each other after you kiss and—"

"Way too much information there, Bella, thank you," said Lily loudly. Jennifer smiled gratefully at her friend.

"Well!" Arabella was insulted.

"I wouldn't be talking anyway, Bella," continued Lily, looking at Sirius. Arabella blushed.

"I told you, we're just friends."

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious!"

"I thought your ex-boyfriend was Sirius."

Arabella rolled her eyes. "That's got to be the lamest joke now. Will you stop it?"

"Nope!"

After the Christmas feast was over, James pulled Lily aside. They were zigzagging across corridors until they reached Gryffindor Tower first, and James pulled Lily towards a darker corner of the room, both trying to avoid any stray mistletoe.