James and Lily Potter : Sixth year

Chapter 8: sixth year

"Oh, Potter, this is beautiful!" said Lily in amazement, as James took her to a nearby table decorated with lavish flowers and colours.

"Yeah...I had it reserved special, too," said James, grinning. "You like?"

"I love it!" she exclaimed, inhaling the sweet scent of the pink sprayed roses.

James sighed contentedly and settled down in the chair opposite Lily's. He tousled his messy-black hair, mostly out of habit, and settled to staring fondly at Lily, hoping that she was having similar thoughts of him as he of her. Which, surprisingly, she was.

For at that moment, Lily was thinking about how sweet James was being to her. Perhaps she was softening up too much to him, since even the toughest girls cannot resist a romantic. But Lily knew, deep down, that James had changed for the better, and was falling in love with him, as much as she denied it.

"Evans?" He cocked his head to one side and peered at her through his round glasses.

"Yes, Potter?"

James' face flamed red. "Er—I hope you enjoy today..." He trailed off, looking embarrassed.

Lily smiled, despite the situation. "Of course I will."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Evans and Potter."

The two turned around and saw Bellatrix Black clinging onto Rodolphus Lestrange's arm, sneering.

James groaned. "Oh, what do you want, Bella?"

"I just thought I'd never see the day when you and the Mudblood are getting along." She sniggered along with Lestrange.

"Why are you with Lestrange?" snapped Lily. "You don't care for him; you just want him because he's a 'respectable, pureblooded family'."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Evans. It's so obvious, isn't it? Purebloods don't marry because they love each other; that's so common. Mother and Father just want us to keep up our pureblood lines. Unlike Andromeda, who went gallivanting off right after Hogwarts with that Mudblood..."

"Probably Bella's lousy cousin told you all those lies," added Lestrange.

"Sirius," she spat, as if it were a swear word.

"Sirius is my best friend," said James, his voice rising, "and I think it's sad for him to be related to a bunch of Death Eater-wannabes! Even his little brother's turned on him! Regulus, that little—"

"Now, now, Potter, I don't think you want to finish that sentence," said Bellatrix sweetly. "After all, I am telling the truth. My sister preferred to marry that Tonks, and now she has a child that's a Metamorphmagus!"

"So?" James frowned at her. "What's so bad about a Metamorphmagus? They're really rare."

"I'll tell you what. Andromeda named her Nymphadora, that's what! Can you believe my ex-sister? Marrying a Mudblood and destroying one of the purest bloodlines is a crime itself, but giving a child a name so hideous?"

"That sister of yours has always been a bad egg, Bella," said Lestrange, shaking his head and putting his arm around her waist. "Don't bother explaining to Potty and the Mudblood."

Bellatrix giggled and hugged her boyfriend in front of Lily and James, who made disgusted faces while they were having their "moment" together. Soon the Slytherin couple left the table, still clinging onto each other.

"That is so wrong," commented Lily in a hushed voice. "Slytherins 'fraternizing' with each other. What'll happen next?"

James snickered. "Soon Sirius will pronounce his undying love for Voldemort, that's what."

"You know, that's not too impossible," said Lily thoughtfully. "When you know Sirius, you'll believe anything."

"C'mon, Evans! I've known him for half my life, and the guy would never do anything quite like that. Not even for a joke, I reckon. Treacle tart?"

"Thank you, Potter." Lily accepted the dessert graciously, along with a glass of butterbeer.

"Would you like some tea, Ms. Evans?" continued James politely. At least he had to change his tone of voice, since Lily did deserve to have a good day without insults.

"What kind of tea?"

"Raspberry or Green?"

"Green, please."

"Jolly good." James handed Lily a steaming teacup of strong tea.

"Why are you acting this way?" Lily raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Hey, it's Valentine's Day, and boys tend to get nicer. It is, after all, a girl holiday."

"Girls get boys presents, too," she retorted.

"How do you know? You don't have a boyfriend," he pointed out.

"That may be true, but Bella, Jen, and Vi bought presents for their boyfriends."

James smiled. "You know, you should get a boyfriend. I mean, one of the smartest and most beautiful girls at Hogwarts doesn't have a girlfriend. Boys are dying to go out with you."

"Only you'd think that," said Lily, returning the smile. "Boys don't pay much attention to me anymore. They're going for girls like Deanna now. 'Sides, I don't need a man. I can stand on my own two feet, thank you. I can't find a good enough boy anyway...Bella, Jen, and Vi all get the good luck."

What about me? thought James silently. Aren't I good enough for you now?

"What about you, Potter?"

"What?" His head shot up in alarm.

"You asked me 'what about me'? Well, what about you, Potter?"

"Er—" James looked around frantically for an excuse, but nothing came to his head. Where was Sirius when you needed him?

"Well?" Lily glared at him with a look of annoyance.

"Er—Happy Valentine's Day and I love you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Nice try, Potter, but I won't be falling for that."

"I thought you were talking about me, so I said 'what about me'?" he suggested hopefully.

"Yuck!" cried Lily, jumping out of her seat.

James stared at her. "What's wrong? What did I do?"

"No...look!" She jabbed her finger toward another side of Madam Puddifoot's.