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Author: Lady Chi Story: With All My Love Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 9 Words: 60,540
James was annoyed. Very, very annoyed. Remus had told him before that prefect meetings were boring, generally useless, and time-consuming. He had been correct. After sitting in the same chair for an hour and a half listening to the rest of the prefects go on and on about rules that were perfectly clear to him, as one had to know all about the rules to go about breaking them correctly, he was ready to go to his dormitory. For once, James Potter was ready to retire early. A soft kick under the table from Lily let him know that he was looking half-asleep. Glaring, he sat up straighter and paid attention, once again, to what was being said. "I think we need to go over magic in the corridors again, Professor McGonagall," a sixth-year prefect from Ravenclaw said. "I'm not entirely sure all of our members know exactly what it entails. Particularly those notorious for breaking that rule." As she said this, she looked up significantly at James. Davis Hambuf, the Slytherin prefect in their year, leaned back in his chair and glared smugly at James. "There are those among us with a certain reputation for… shall we say, disregarding the rules?" James narrowed his eyes, about to rebuke him, when Lily spoke up. "That will be quite enough from you," she said firmly. "Head Boy appointment is made directly by Professor Dumbledore, who had the good sense to leave here a half hour ago. If you would like to take the matter up with him, be my guest. However, do not waste our time on pointless, entirely trivial matters when we have other things to discuss." "Excuse me," Davis said, and lowered his eyes, trying to hide the sarcastic gleam they held. "You are excused," Lily said, and then added, "from the meeting. In fact, we all are. James and I are both too tired to keep going. You know the rules, ladies and gentlemen, and I have complete faith that you can keep it all together until our meeting next week." "Congratulations, Potter," Davis said after most of the other prefects had left the room. "I hope you enjoy your status. While it lasts." "Hambuf," James said, drawing the name out on his tongue like a dirty word. "I intend to enjoy my status for the entire year. I'm afraid you're stuck with me." "Not for long. Those who keep ill company will be punished soon enough." "Make your threats someplace else, Hambuf. You bore me." Ignoring the tone of James's voice, Davis leaned even closer. "It won't be long now. Muggle-borns and Mudblood-lovers will pay for their treason." "And what, exactly, have I committed treason against?" With that, James rose and leaned even closer to Hambuf. "I have no intention of letting this conversation go unnoted, Hambuf. I dare you to make one wrong move in front of me. I have no tolerance for those who show no tolerance to others. Now get out of my sight before I do something we'd both regret." Davis turned and left the room quickly, muttering under his breath about Gryffindors and Muggle-borns. Silently, James turned his gaze to Lily. What Dumbledore had said was right. It wouldn't be long now. Voldemort was rising to power, and evidently gaining supporters. They were on the verge of something here that seemed entirely too big at the moment, and people like Lily would be the first to suffer. Feeling the strain of his gaze, Lily looked up from her notes. "What? Is there something on my face?" "No," James said and drummed his fingers on the table, never once blinking. "James, it's really scary to have you looking at me like that, okay? Stop it, please." Quickly, James stood up and crossed the room to stand next to her. "I'm sorry. It's just… you seem different this year." "Well," Lily managed, "so do you. Changes happen over a period of time. You of all people should know that." Feeling useless and tired, uncertain of what to do or say, James wordlessly opened the door for Lily so they could both exit the room. For a time, they walked in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. Lily noted the way that James would do the politest things without thinking about it, like opening doors and letting her go first up the stairs. It was strangely endearing. If she wasn't careful, she might actually start to like the boy, and then where would she be? Meanwhile, James contemplated the way that Lily took in everything, like she couldn't believe she was really at Hogwarts. She whispered greetings to the portraits who recognized her, and sometimes, if she happened to be thinking really hard, her lips would move with her thoughts. "James, I – I wanted to tell you that I think we're going to be all right this year." At the look on James's face, she rushed on to complete her thought. "I mean, I had my doubts. I wasn't entirely certain why Professor Dumbledore would pick you, but I think I know now, after the incident on the train, and I also think we're going to work well together." "Oh?" James sounded a little more interested than Lily felt was warranted, so she rushed on ahead. "I mean, you and your friends are always breaking the rules, and such, but I know now that you're really quite good at magic, and I'm sorry for thinking ill of you." James stuffed his hands in his pockets and they strolled in an awkward silence for a time, until he decided to speak. "You were right about a lot of those things, you know. I was a prat… I mean, I still am a prat from time to time, but most boys are. I just went over my limit, sometimes. You're a really talented witch, too, but everyone knows that so you really don't need me to tell you, do you?" Lily chuckled a little, and the strained silence remained until they reached the portrait hole. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways," Lily muttered, somehow reluctant to leave James's presence, and even more reluctant to consider why. "Mm." James nodded and stood facing her for a moment, his hands still in his pockets. "I really don't go ‘round trying to kill myself all that often, you know." Surprised, Lily let out a laugh that seemed a bit too loud to even her ears, and all the eyes in the common room turned to look at her. "Well, it would certainly seem so to an outsider," she whispered, and blushed. "You're not really an outsider, Lily." The compassion in his eyes was nearly her undoing, but she grabbed hold of her emotions with the ironclad grip she had learned in the aftermath of her mother's death. "Sometimes it feels that way." Frustrated with her inability to make her voice register any louder than a whisper, Lily turned away from him and looked out the window. It was so dark she could hardly see anything, which made her feel even more foolish than she already did. "Sit with me tomorrow at breakfast." It wasn't a question -- it was a demand, and from the look on Lily's face, James was afraid he'd said something wrong. "Don't be a prat, James," she shot back without much venom. James sighed. "All right. I won't. So, are you going to sit with us tomorrow?" Unable to help herself, Lily laughed. "I suppose that's a little bit better. I might." "We'd love to have you. Remus always complains there isn't enough intellect in the conversation we have in the morning. Or anytime, really." Laughing together, James and Lily seemed pulled physically closer by some magnetism unknown to them, and they were powerless to stop it. "Well, I'll, um, see you in the morning then," Lily said finally as she broke her eyes free of his gaze and deliberately took a step away from him. "Yes," James said quickly. "At the breakfast table, right?" "You're insufferable." "You've told me that once or twice," James retorted, and then laughed at the look on her face. "Well, I do hate to repeat myself. Good night, James." "Good night, Lily." She walked away, and though James had told himself very firmly over the last few hours that he was not going to do anything particularly prat-like, he couldn't stop himself from checking out her derriere. "Nice view from here," Sirius Black said, appearing, as was his habit, seemingly out of nowhere. "Sirius," Remus reproached mildly, without bothering to look at the target of his quiet sarcasm, "some women actually would enjoy a moment of their lives when they aren't being ogled by the male part of the species." "And they can enjoy that time," Sirius responded in a more intense manner than usual, "away from me." "Actually," Peter spoke up, and all three sets of eyes swiveled to him, "I think Lily Evans wouldn't mind being appreciated every now and again." Shock reigned over James, Remus and Sirius for a moment. Unfortunately, that moment was ruined when Sirius opened his mouth. "I'm appreciating her, all right!" "Sirius, old friend," James started quietly, "I would not continue along that vein of thought if I were you." Shrugging, Sirius nodded. "Of course, if it means that much to you." Remus stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I agree with Peter." James looked carefully at one of his oldest friends. Remus was tired, feeling ill in anticipation of the new moon and irritable, but there was something different in his voice… "Why would you say that, Remus?" "I just think that people look too closely at the surface when they look at Lily. I did, anyway." "Did? That's past tense," Sirius teased. "Hey, everyone!" James announced to the entire common room, "Sirius has just passed nursery school! He now knows tenses!" Obligingly, all the older students in the room gave Sirius a standing ovation. Like a trooper, he bowed and accepted their congratulations. "You're a prat," he said conversationally to James as he found a place to sit near the window. "Why, thank you," James said, taking it in the fashion it was meant – as a compliment. "I've got a serious question to ask," Sirius said and leaned forward, forgetting intentionally the pun he'd slipped in inadvertently. "Serious?" Remus's voice was draped with unnatural sarcasm, making Peter wince visibly, and causing James to blink. "Yes, that's what I said. Serious. I am capable of being serious, you know," Sirius shot back, defending himself against Remus's not-so-subtle attack. "Of course you can be Sirius. It's your name," Remus said, more mild than he had before, knowing that not being confrontational would infuriate Sirius. "Look, Remus…" "This is not a good time to have this conversation," James said softly. "Every eye in the common room is on you two. Take it outside if you have to, just don't endanger anyone else because you two can't be man enough to discuss this civilly." "James, you git, I don't think it's your place to get involved…" Sirius started, teeth clenched. "I don't think it's your place to say or do anything more that will hurt any of us, do you?" James shot back, and took a step towards Sirius. "I think that, of the four of us, since Peter won't, I'm the best qualified to stand in between you two and stop you from doing anything stupid." Sirius was growing madder by the second. At the end of the conversation, he too took a step towards James and bunched his fists together. "James, I…" "Um, h-h-h-hey, you lot…" Peter stuttered, raising his hand halfway to his shoulder, like a frightened student in Transfiguration, "if the object of the conversation was not to attract attention, I think that we've failed." Sure enough, the entire common room was now trying to listen to the conversation. Some of them were trying to be subtle about it, but most of them weren't even bothering to hide their interest, leaning forward in their seats and straining their ears. Feeling abruptly tired, James sighed deeply and then said, "Gentlemen, I suggest a swift and very sudden change of subject." "I say she's perfect," Sirius said, immediately brightening and unclenching his fists in his almost manic-depressive manner. The rest of the Marauders, used to quick changes of subject in conversation, eased their bodies, too. "Who's she, and what's she perfect for?" Peter asked, a little clueless. "Lily Evans. She's perfect for The Project," Sirius explained a little impatiently. "Do you think so?" Remus asked, tapping his fingers lightly on a windowsill. "Do you think she'd do it?" "I think she could be persuaded," Sirius said thoughtfully, stroking his chin in a way he thought was attractive. "I don't know. She never really does anything, you know, out of line…" Peter commented, though his voice came out almost as a whine. "Obviously, you don't know Lily very well," Remus rebuked him. "I think she'd do it, given the chance." "So, we're two against one at the moment. James has yet to tell us what he thinks." Sirius turned and looked and James, flashing him a brilliant smile that was full of mischief. "Well, there's no question she could do it," James said, and then grinned suddenly. "No question at all. Would she do it? That's an even better question. I think, if we asked her the right way, and explained what we wanted…" "What?" Sirius exclaimed. "Explain it to her? The whole thing?" "From the beginning," James responded calmly. "That would have to be Remus's decision, though." Sighing, Remus leaned back and closed his eyes. "Why does it always have to be my decision?" James raised his eyebrows, knowing that the question really didn't have to have an answer. "I'll have to think about it," Remus said finally. "I just don't know." "I think that you, of all people, would be more than willing to give Lily a chance." "I would! It's just that it's not that easy…" "I know. You've got all night to think about it, though." All of the Marauders looked up at James, and his grin could have nearly split his face. "She is going to sit with us tomorrow at breakfast." "How'd you get her to do that?" Sirius asked, thoroughly interested. "I thought she hated you." "Not hated. Intensely disliked" was all James would say in response to that. "C'mon, James… tell us," Peter whined. "Peter, be quiet…" Sirius whined back at him, and was rewarded with a sufficiently dirty look. "Would you believe it? I wasn't a prat and she actually listened to me." Remus looked stunned for a moment. "I suppose stranger things have happened." Sirius let out a low whistle. "You may just stand a chance, Jamsie-boy. You may just stand a chance." ** Thanks, Carissa and Lizzie, for being MWPP sounding boards. I appreciate all of your input, particularly regarding Snape and Regulus Black. You've given me a great deal to think about. Thanks also to Anne, who is again beta'ing for me. I would think eventually she would tire of it, but she keeps on plugging away, making sure I stay in the seventies and well out of the new century. A big shout-out goes to Daily Prophet Reporting, a.k.a. KC Allen, for being so willing to take me on over at Phoenix Song in addition to his other beta'ees. Without him, my story would be littered with unnecessary commas.
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