James And Lily Potter: Third year

Chapter 26: summer of third year

Arabella's crying broke the silence. "Oh, Lily, James, I'm so sorry that Sirius and I ran off! If we stayed together..." She trailed off, sobbing.

Lily went to put her arms around her best friend. "It isn't your fault, Bella. I mean, that Voldemort could have easily taken any of us without the others knowing. Don't cry, please."

James shook his head. "No, it's my fault. It's all my fault." He looked at everyone. "Yes, I am the Heir of Gryffindor, and ever since I was born, I had magical powers that normal wizards could never obtain wandless magic, the ability to learn and know magic easily without having to study too much." He looked straight at Lily when he said this.

"That's why Voldemort is after me. He wants me to join his Dark Side, so that I can help him revive the Dark Order again, because of my powers. But I'll never join the Dark Side. It's only for wizards and witches who are too cowardly to not become evil."

Lily clutched his hand in comfort. "Come on, let's go home."

"This is a beautiful sunset," murmured Lily, smiling, as she stroked her golden retriever's fur. Goldie looked at her imploringly and put her face in Lily's hands.

"Lils?" She turned around to see James smiling nervously at her. "Can I join you?"

"If you have no one to snog with, then sure," joked Lily, looking over at her friends, who were all snogging...even Violet and Peter.

"Does that mean I can't snog with you?" he asked teasingly, seating himself next to Goldie.

"Nope. If you came here to snog, I suggest you go find Petunia's friends. Poor Petty had a hard time yesterday convincing her friends to hate you, but it was no use; they're totally in love with you now." Her voice sounded oddly bitter.

James smiled. "Is our ickle Flower jealous?"

"No!" cried Lily, a bit too quickly. "Why would you say that?"

"Lily, Lily, Lily." James shook his head. "How would you like—to become friends?"

Lily looked at him, surprised. "Well, we're not ready yet, I know, but when the time comes, we'll be the best of friends—besides with Arabella and Sirius, of course." She referred to their best friends hastily.

"Good. We don't...hate each other like we used to back in our first and second year, do we?"

"Of course not. We're just on speaking terms at the moment. But—James, I think we can be friends someday. Just not now."

"Can we at least call each other by our first names occasionally instead of never?"

Lily snorted. "What kind of a question is that? We already do!"

"Oh, do we? Because it's been more than one hundred occasions when you've called me 'Potter' with a vengeance."

"Well, Mr. Potter, if we stop playing pranks on each other, perhaps we can reach some sort of agreement."

James looked horrified. "Impossible!"

"Then we'll be calling each other 'Potter' and 'Evans' for the rest of our lives, then. I thought you didn't want that."

"I don't."

Lily sighed. "Then perhaps a truce? Not to be pure enemies again?" She held out her hand, and James shook it.

"Truce."

"Why," came the incredulous voice of Sirius, "is this Lily Evans and James Potter shaking hands, agreeing to be friends, or at least on speaking terms? Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed an extraordinary event here!"

James grinned. "Oh, shove it, Siri-boy."

"And what's this? James Potter becoming playful and Lily Evans not retaliating? Oh, ladies, perhaps the James you've all been fighting for has only eyes for Lily Flower!"

Lily looked at Sirius with amusement. "Oh, really Sirius?"

"Wait—what's this? Lily Potter hasn't said anything to make the famous lady-killer, Sirius Black shut up. Five...four...three...two...one..."

"SIRIUS BLACK, I AM NOT LILY POTTER AND WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT UP!"

"There we have it, ladies and gentlemen," said Sirius in a smaller voice. "Lily Potter screaming at innocent bystanders, who only have witnessed she and James bonding together under the sunset...how romantic..."

Arabella walked over to her boyfriend and cuddled against him. "Really, Sirius, I think this is enough teasing for one day. It's getting late, we should be getting to bed."

"And look at this, ladies and gentlemen! Sirius Black's very own gorgeous girlfriend, Ms. Arabella Figg is telling him to quit it for the night. All right, I will be seeing you tomorrow, folks, do not fret!"

Arabella shook her head and giggled as the friends headed back into the house. "Oh, Sirius, now I know why everyone loved the Quidditch commentaries when you did them in our first year."

"Hey!" cried Remus, who was walking with Jennifer behind them. "I resent that!"

She laughed. "Oh, Remie, it's not that you're bad or anything, it's just that, well, it's a bit dull when you do it. You sound like Professor Binns when you say the commentary and not as enthusiastic or funny like when Sirius does it. Put in more life when you do it for the first match of the season this year."

Remus shrugged. "I don't like exhibiting my weirdness in public, unlike Sirius."

James laughed, and Sirius pretended to look hurt. Arabella shook her head once more and dragged a pouting Sirius inside.