17 August 2012
James Potter? Head Boy? He wasn't even a prefect. And that meant- oh god, I had to share a dormitory with him. Just him.
Just great. The arrogant, idiotic, insanely attractive nutcase I was attempting to hate. This year was going to be hard.
He ran a hand through his hair.
'Oh, hey Lily. Head Girl? Why does that not surprise me? God knows how I got Head Boy. Sirius says he's gonna have serious- wait no- sirius words with Dumbledore.'
'So I guess we need to go to the prefects compartment to do some briefing then?'
My friends were sniggering uncontrollably behind me and Sirius murmured (loudly) that James wished that wasn't all we'd be doing to Remus and Peter. I made sure to give them all a scary death glare before I marched off to the prefects compartment with James in tow.
'Sorry about Sirius. He's a retard.'
'I'd noticed.'
'So we what? Sort out patrols? Or do we do that when the other prefects arrive?'
I ignored him. I just stated at the wall for a bit, not thinking.
'No offence or anything but how in the name of Merlin did you get Head Boy?'
'I already said, I dunno. As if we needed any more proof that Dumbledore's loopy.'
The conversation died again.
'Look, Lily-' he started but was interrupted by the prefects entering.
I greeted them and read a register to check they were all here.
We sat down and chatted for a few minutes then sent someone to find the absent Slytherins.
Once they were all here we sorted out patrols and I lectured them about not abusing their power and received eye rolls from everyone except Remus and a few new fifth years.
I found my friends as we were getting off the train and we ended up filing into the hall with The Marauders because Melissa wouldn't detach herself from Sirius's side. I decided not to tell her she was reminding me of Sylvia Bates since I valued her friendship too much.
We watched the first years being herded in and I defended them against my peer's patronising remarks about how small and cute they were. We all cheered madly as Jody's third brother was sorted into Gryffindor.
Sirius was complaining about how he wouldn't be there to see his cousin's (well, cousin's daughter's) sorting next year. He explained to us about how his cousin Andromeda was a fellow Black family reject after she married a muggleborn.
At the end of the feast Dumbledore announced that James and I were Head Boy and Girl and Filch's new rules.
I had to remind James that we were meant to be showing the first years to the common room and then drag him by the wrist to actually get him to come.
Once that was done I explained the dormitories to them.
'And guys, unless you want to make complete fools of yourselves, don't attempt to go into the girls dorms, the stairs slide you back down and land you on your arse, I learnt the hard way in third year.' added James.
This earned a laugh and I rolled my eyes at him, I remembered that all too well, it was back when chasing me was just a game to him. Trust James to play comedian.
None of us mentioned that him and his friends seemed to have found a way to get in there without falling on their arses.
I reminded him we were supposed to go to Professor McGonagle do she could show us our dorm.
She congratulated us and showed us to a portrait that was on the way to Dumbledore's office.
'Lily.' I looked over at the door that adjoined my room with James's.
'Yes?'
'Why do you hate me?'
His question confused me.
'What do you mean? I don't hate you.'
'Then why do you act like you do?'
I'd unknowingly walked over to him.
'I don't act like I hate you. It's just- easier like that.'
He took my hands and I didn't resist.
'Why? What are you afraid of?'
He genuinely cared.
'James. I just lost so many people I care about this holiday. I need friends. I don't need to have anything more than that with anyone.'
He didn't seem convinced but he didn't push it. Why did he have to be so likeable? It would have been so much easier if I could just be constantly irritated with him like before.
About a month later Dumbledore invited me to a meeting. When I arrived there I felt really out of place. Everyone there was adults, all out of school. I recognised Frank Longbottom and he looked just as confused as me.
'Hello. Welcome to the Order, Lily and Frank. We are a group dedicated to fighting Voldemort and we believed you would want to be a part of it.'
My parents. He knew I'd want revenge. This just seemed too good to be true.
I looked around at the other people here. There were twenty or so of us and I recognised Alistor Moody's scarred, disfigured and definitely legendary face along with about five other aurors, a few teachers and some people I didn't think I knew.
'I have made sure the false records fell into the hands of the spies.' said a man who looked curiously like the Deputy Minister of Magic.
The adults began talking about that sort of thing and no matter how hard I tried, I could understand a word of it.
I looked at Frank and felt reassured that he looked as bewildered as I felt.
'Lily' Dumbledore's brought me out of my stupor and I blushed at my uncharacteristic inattentiveness, 'I know most of this means nothing to you and that is understandable however I would like you to listen as I have a job for you.'
'Sorry Professor.'
'Thank you Lily. Now as you are Head Girl, I would like you to use your patrols to not only find misdoers but suspicious deatheater behaviour as well. Essentially I would like you to find the deatheaters within our walls.'
Okay. Of course I knew there were deatheater students at Hogwarts but I just didn't make the connection in my head between deatheater and threat.
I could do that.
'Sir, don't you think we should have other students in the Order? I don't think I could do all of this myself and I know some people who would want to be in on this.' As soon as I'd said it I regretted my phrasing but Dumbledore ignored it. Thankfully.
Of course when I said it I was thinking about James. I knew all my friends would want to be a part of it but in a part of my brain, the part I was desperately trying to shut out, James Potter would always come first. And I kind of hated him for it.
17. Eau De Fanfic ( Don't Ask ) • Opuss № I