The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

The Quidditch Team Dinner

The Quidditch Team Dinner

Lily was on her way down to the dinner when she heard the storming sound of fast-moving feet behind her. She paused and looked back and saw James Potter careening down the hall toward her, only just managing to stop before knocking right into her. "Evans," he said, "Hey, at least I know I'm not late." He laughed breathlessly.

"Well, honestly, we both are a bit," she said with a shrug, "But I doubt Slughorn will notice."

James made a face. "I wish it wasn't in his office."

"Trust me, I certainly do, too. It's going to be just like those Slug Club parties he holds now and then." She sighed, "You've been to one of those, haven't you?"

"Yeah, last Christmas," he answered. "Remus brought me along."

As soon as he'd said it, Lily remembered the night. It had been a terrible night, all stuffy and overpacked in Slughorn's office, eating lamb kebobs. James had made fun of Severus and upset him and it had ended in a horrible fight in the corridor between Lily and Severus. "Oh, yeah, I remember now," she said, her voice a bit chillier than it had been.

James glanced over at her as they walked on down the stairs toward the dungeons. He turned away when she would look over to see if he was looking at her, but his eyes kept finding their way back to her, looking at the way her eyelashes curled out from the lids and the turn of her mouth. "So how's it going with you and Remus?" he asked as they were descending the staircase into the entrance hall.

Lily shrugged, though the question made her stomach flip-flop a little bit within her. "Oh," she said quietly, "I don't know. It's going well, you know. He's very good at, er, studying." Her cheeks turned pink instantly. Studying? Really? That was the most intriguing quality of her boyfriend she could think of to say?

James seemed to be thinking along the same lines as a smirk danced across his lips. "Oh?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied simply, too embarrassed to try to back out of it now.

James chuckled, "He didn't seem like he knew a whole lot about, uh, studying when he told us about it after."

Lily paused, confused for a moment, then her mind clicked together and she understood the euphemism James was employing and her eyes widened. "Hetold you about our - our studying?" she demanded, heart rate picking up.

"Sure," James said, "He told us loads about the studying." Lily scowled as James went on. "Said he bloodied your lip. Is that true?"

"Yes," Lily answered reluctantly, then, when James snickered, she snapped, "And don't you go making fun of him for it, either. It wasn't his fault and he was positively mortified when it happened!"

James solemnly dragged his finger across his chest, "Cross my heart, love."

"Don't call me that," Lily replied in disgust.

"What? Love? Don't call you love?" James asked.

Lily glared at him.

"Blimey, I won't call you that, then," he said, relenting with two palms held up. "Relax, Evans." He smiled. "Hmm... What shall I call you, then?"

"You may call me Lily," she answered.

James shook his head, "Blimey, no, that's boring."

"It's my name," she said.

"Doesn't mean it isn't boring," he answered.

Lily frowned, stopping at the mouth of the doorway down to the dungeons. "Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you needn't be calling me anything, honestly, because you don't even have to be speaking to me for all that I care."