Turning Tables

Chapter 21 - Arguments

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The three weeks after the Dementor attack on Hogsmeade were probably the strangest time James had ever spent at Hogwarts. Rumours were rife about the target and intended purpose of the attack – exacerbated by the Daily Prophet's somewhat sensational reporting - and there was a feeling of low-level panic crackling through the air. Students had begun to travel in groups as a precaution, and many carried their wands out at all times; this had resulted in a number of accidental injuries, as the slightest thing caused people to unleash curses in all directions without a second thought. The suspicion and hysteria was rising daily, and even the calming (or occasionally stern) words offered by the teachers did not seem to be having much of an effect. The school was a powder keg, and every day James worried that something would spark it off.

They'd had an emergency meeting of their Anti-Voldemort group –which so far remained nameless, since they seemed incapable of settling on one - soon after to find out what everybody knew. Which was almost exactly nothing as it turned out. He, Remus and Lily had been far more involved than anyone else and they hadn't much of a clue what had happened; his dad had told him more than he probably should have, but even with that information they were still very much in the dark. Suspicions about certain Slytherins were at an all time high after the events in Hogsmeade, and members of the group were watching Snape, Mulciber and Avery at all times; James was also having Remus and Peter give lessons on how to produce a patronus, something he now considered essential.

Julia had been introduced to the group and had proven to be extremely funny and level-headed when she wasn't shocked and traumatised; the events with the Dementors had forged a strong bond between her and Remus, and the two of them had spent quite a lot of time buried in the library together recently, working on Agrippa knew what. James had chosen not to question Remus on any of this, recognising that his friend was a more private person than the rest of them, and that he would choose if and when to discuss something with them. With Sirius you yelled, with Peter you teased, but with Remus you just waited.

He walked up the stairs to the fourth floor, his footsteps weary. He felt like he'd been patrolling for hours, even though it was only – he checked his watch – 10 pm and he'd started at nine. He'd spent the day, like so many others this month, completely on edge, hyper-aware of every little thing and trying frantically to keep on top of everything and it was exhausting. He continued his rounds on automatic pilot, staring at his shoes as he scuffed them along the floor, fantasising about his bed, and how much he wished he was in it right now, and then that became how much he wished he was in his bed with Lily, and that was not going to help him get through his rounds calmly now was it?

'You bloody great prat!'

The shout came from the far end of the corridor and he jerked his head up quickly. Lily was storming down the hallway towards him, red hair flying, green eyes flashing and his heart did its usual little bounce when it saw her; it didn't matter that she was apparently angry with him over something, she was his and she was here and everything seemed easier, better, when she was in touching distance. He stopped and waited for her to reach him, the smile on his face refusing to fade even in view of her current temper, which seemed impressive even by her standards. He stood his ground and waited for the outburst as she steamed to a stop in front of him.

'What...were...you...thinking...you...complete...p illock?' She demanded, interspersing every word with a blow from her open hand, on his shoulder, his chest, his stomach.