James and Lily potter: Fourth Year

Chapter 15: fourth year

Sirius was no help to his problems, either. Even though they were best friends, and first mates, Sirius couldn't help him in the Department of Trying to Make Lily Go Out with James Potter. Sirius offered to spy on "Lilikins" for him, but it turned out with disastrous effects.

Next, James tried to console himself with Remus, only to find that he was even worse than Sirius. Remus only told him, very wisely, that he should just forget about impressing Lily and get on with trying to redeem himself as a good person with good intentions and integrity. James had pondered over Remus' words and finally concluded that Remus did not understand his need to impress Lily...but then again, he didn't understand it himself either.

He found no desire in seeking Peter for answers. For one thing, it would ruin his reputation to be asking Peter for help. It was usually the other way around, when Peter desperately begged James for advice, which mostly consisted of Potions homework and exams. For another thing, he had a shrewd suspicion that Peter would be an even worse adviser than Sirius and Remus put together—which was really saying something.

So, James decided to let it go—for now, at least.

"James, here's the Quaffle!" cried Johnson, one of the Gryffindor Chasers.

James grabbed it, zoomed past several Ravenclaws, and spotted the Keeper, Bradley Kingston. He thought of shooting it directly, but thought better of it, since Kingston was an outstanding Keeper. James feinted his most complex and confusing feint and shot the Quaffle easily through the left hoop. The cheers of Gryffindors were heard easily, even if you were miles away.

"He's so dreamy," said a second year to her friend. "I wish he was my boyfriend."

"I heard he likes Lily Evans, though," said her friend, sighing. "I wish I was her—but they say she hates him. But Lily's so pretty and smart, she could have any boy in this school."

Lily, fortunately, had not heard this, because she was too absorbed in the game itself. Even though she barely understood Quidditch, she knew the basic rules and felt light and giddy that Gryffindor was in the lead. If they beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin both, they would have the Quidditch Cup and have a good chance of winning the House Cup as well, as they have done for the past three years.

Violet noticed her friend's excitement. "Impressed with James' little feint, are you?" she teased.

Lily flushed. "Oh, Vi, stop it." But her cheeks burned with pleasure.

"James is looking at you, Lils," whispered Jennifer, while giggling with Arabella and Remus. "It's so romantic."

"Jen," said Lily warningly. "I've no sort of good feelings for James Potter; he's an insufferable prat."

"Ah, well, we all have our faults," said Arabella, nodding, when Jennifer told her what happened woefully. "It's the simple disease of blindness."

"And Black makes an astounding hit that sends the Bludger to Davies!" cried the commentator. "Way to show those brains, Black!"

Sirius grinned at the comment and waved at his fellow Gryffindors, narrowly missing the Bludger that was sent back at him in revenge.

"Sirius!" gasped many of his fan-club members and ex-girlfriends. Arabella rolled her eyes.

"He's quite popular with the ladies," mused Jennifer.

"Of course," agreed Remus crisply. "Sirius has always been the ladies' man..."

"Except when dealing with ex-girlfriends," snapped Arabella. She was in a testy mood at that very moment.

"Oh—er—of course," stammered Remus, surprised at the outburst.

"AND BRACH CATCHES THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS TWO HUNDRED TO SIXTY!" cried the commentator, jumping up and down with excitement

All the Gryffindors stood up and cheered wildly. They streamed out to the field to hug all their team members, namely, James Potter and Sirius Black.

"Here we go again," murmured Lily disgustedly as many girls swooned over James and Sirius as they kissed them impulsively.

"Good show, mate!" cried Remus, forgetting his usual reserved self. "Brilliant feint, James! Excellent hit, Sirius!"

James and Sirius merely chuckled at their friend's unusual behaviour.

"So, Lily," said James, leaning against his broom casually. "How did you think of my feint?"

"It was satisfactory," said Lily haltingly, though she was rather amazed and impressed with it.

"Oh, Lily, don't lie," said Jennifer teasingly. To James, she said, "She loved it."

"I did not!" exclaimed Lily hotly. "I mean—I didn't say—"

"Oi, Flower, chill," said Sirius soothingly. "You don't have to get so worked up."

"Oh, but—"

"—take a deep breath now—"

"—I never said it was bad, I said it was all right—"

"—forget all your worries—"

"Sirius, shut UP," snapped Lily in frustration.

Sirius and James both sniggered at Lily, and even Remus smiled slightly.

"Prats," she muttered under her breath.

"Now, now, Lily, no bad language," said Sirius seriously (no pun intended)

"Oh, no, Sirius, I leave the bad language to you," said Lily mockingly. "Really, you say f—" She stopped. "Never mind."

"What?" teased James. "Too good to swear?"

"In fact, yes, Potter. Swearing is for the weak and the uncontrollable."

"Huh?" Sirius was confused and scratched his head. No surprise there—Sirius was always confused about one thing or another.

"Yes, Sirius, we know you're confused," said Remus gently. "Don't work too hard now."

Everyone laughed except Arabella, who looked extremely indignant.

"He's not that daft!" she exclaimed, offended. "He has his moments...I mean, after all, he is one of the cleverest students in the school."

Lily and James noticed how Bella never said Sirius' name, but always referred to him as "he".

"Now you're talking to me," said Sirius sourly, "after I tried about one hundred times to even look at me this past year."

Arabella turned red. "Well, you were rotten," she said loftily.

"Humph. Yeah? Well, does it matter if I say that I still like you?"

There was an eerie silence. Even the cheers in the distance from Gryffindors were muffled. Arabella couldn't believe what she was hearing, and Sirius turned bright red at what he said, but everyone else, especially Lily and James, their best friends, grinned knowingly.

"E-Excuse me?" she stammered.

Sirius was still in a ranting mood, because he continued on. "Bella, I really, really like you, and I can even go to extremes to say I love you. But my point is, I really miss you, and I know it was right rotten of me to snog Lori Paterson while telling you I was going somewhere different. I was seeing her for a week, but I guess my hormones at the beginning of the year were going haywire. I haven't dated a single girl in ages, because I'm thinking of you."

Arabella glared at him. "Hel-lo! Sirius! You've been making lovesick faces at girls since we broke up! You don't care about me, and I don't believe you one bit. Nice speech though. It almost did convince me for a second there." She dashed inside the castle without another word.

Everyone stared at Sirius, seeing his reaction. But he only muttered, "Should've known." He walked slowly and dejectedly back to the castle, not noticing many girls watching him with a lovesick expression. Because there was only one girl for him, and she hated him.