PERFECT // JAMES POTTER

10. Expecto Pratronum

"Just focus, Scar!" Sirius called to the green eyed girl who stood in the middle of the room, wand in hand.

"I'm trying, you toss-pot!" She shouted back, frustrated that the three other boys had managed to produce a a small, wispy animal that protruded from the end of their wands.

"What memory are you using?" The hazel-eyed boys said calmly to her.

"When I got my Hogwarts letter." She answered, "I thought that it was the best thing that ever happened to me."

James shook his head with a frown, "It's not strong enough."

Scarlet sighed and blew a stray piece of hair from her face. Focusing really hard she tried to recall another very happy memory. 

"Okay, I think I have one." She nodded.

"Go ahead." Sirius smiled from the side lines while Peter gave her a thumbs up.  

The girl shut her eyes  tight and thought of when she first clambered onto the Hogwarts Express. When she was struggling to get her heavy trunk on top of the over-head rack. When she heard someone offering help. When she met her four best friends.

"Expecto Pratronum!" She shouted.

A small wispy light emerged from her wand but it was gone as fast as it came.

"Good! Try again! Maybe a certain part or someone from that memory provoked it." James encouraged. 

Scarlet nodded. Suddenly, she got an idea but was quickly disgusted at how she could think of such a thing.

It's worth a shot she thought

She pictured his wide, goofy smile that somehow managed to light up the whole room. She recalled his playful yet flirty banter. She thought of his thick, black locks that still managed to look messy and untidy no matter how much styling product you put in it. She remembered his stunning, hazel eyes that sparkled with mischief.

"Expecto Pratronum!" She finally yelled.

A small sparkled protruded from her wand. That small sparkled grew bigger and bigger until a graceful, majestic doe started bounding around the room, happy to be free and ready to defend her caster. Scarlet couldn't help but watch in awe until it eventually disintegrated into nothingness.

"That was amazing!" She snapped out of her trance due to Peter happy squeak.

Scarlet blushed, remembering who she had thought of.

"Thanks.." She mumbled.

"It's almost time for dinner, let's go to the Grand Hall." Sirius said, remembering the time.

Scarlet nodded along with the two other boys and together they secretly exited the mysterious room and hurried to the Grand Hall for the meal.

-=+=-

Throughout the rest of the week, the four friends had almost became animagi. There was one final step.

"Okay, so the book says that the final step is to keep a mandrake leaf in our mouths for a whole month." Scarlet read.

"Good thing it's the start of February, then." Sirius remarked.

Scarlet glared at him in annoyance, "Where and how are we going to get a mandrake leaf?!" She cried.

"It's simple." James joined in, "Use my invisibility cloak, sneak into the greenhouses and pick four mandrake leaves."

"That's.......A GREAT IDEA! GOOD ON YOU JAMES!" Sirius shouted loudly, slapping the black-haired boy on the back.

"No it's not, you tosser!" Scarlet exclaimed back, whacking Sirius in the back of his head with the heavy book.

"Why not?" Peter chimed in.

"WHY NOT?! BECAUSE SPROUT GUARDS THOSE THING LIKE A FREAKING GUARD DOG! HOW ARE WE GOING TO SNEAK IN?!" Scarlet shouted at all three boys.

"Scarlet, darling," - Scarlet shot him an icy glare at the nickname - "that's why we have invisibility cloak, it kinda makes you invisible, which means other people can't see you." Sirius stated in a matter-of-fact way.

"I know that but she can still hear us!" She seethed, gritting her teeth.

"Then we'll be extra careful." James said,

Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Either way, I'm not coming so if you get caught, have fun in detention." She said finally, walking out of the room with her book and bag, being careful to slam the door behind her as loud as she could.

-=+=-

The next day, Scarlet was at at breakfast with Lily, Marlene, Dorcas, Alice and Mary. She was about to bite into her toast when Remus came up to her.

"Hey Scarlet, Dumbledore said he wanted to see you in his office. By the way, he told me that the password is Sherbet Lemon." He said.

"Oh...uh....okay.." She said, bidding a quick goodbye to the girls and hurrying out of the Hall. 

When she finally arrived at the Headmaster's office she took a deep breath and recited the password. The eagle started to raise, revealing a staircase. When she got to the top, she knocked four times and entered when she heard the scratchy 'come in'. 

She entered quickly and quietly and turned around to see the Headmaster smiling at her from his desk, though there was a small bit of pity in his eyes. Curious, Scarlet stepped closer to the desk.

"Professor? Remus said you wanted to see me?" She questioned.

"Yes, but I think you may want to sit down first." He replied, gesturing to the two cushioned armchairs in front of of his desk.

Hesitantly, Scarlet sat and made herself relatively comfortable.

"In holidays, when your parents . . . passed, a team of aurors were sent to investigate the house." Dumbledore stopped so Scarlet could gather herself. She swallowed the forming lump in her throat and gestured for the Headmaster to continue.

"Go on."

"They found something that we thought you might want."

Dumbledore pulled out a small box from his desk and gently placed it in the girl's hands. Gingerly, Scarlet opened the box and immediately felt the tear welling up in her eyes. Inside the small box, was her mother's most treasured possession, she could still remember her reaction to it even though she was very young at the time.

A young woman, around her mid-twenties was rocking her three year-old daughter on her hip. A man, around the same age as her appeared in the doorway, sporting a rather large grin. 

"Happy Anniversary, Sweetie." He said to the woman, kissing her before bending down and kissing his daughter's forehead.

"Oh! Micheal!" The woman gasped in surprise, setting down the small toddler and taking the neatly wrapped package and the beautiful flowers. She undid the red ribbon and lifted the lid of the cream coloured box. Happy tears sprang into her eyes and she ran to her husband and engulfed him in a tight hug.

"You shouldn't of. How much did it cost?" She whispered to him.

"Nevermind that, put it on." He dismissed.

He took the necklace and attached it to his wife's neck. A rather large diamond and a small, golden heart sat on a thin, silver chain. It may not of looked like much, but it meant the world to Anne Winters.

For the rest of the day, the young couple sat on the sofa, Micheal with his arm around his wife and Anne, fiddling with her new, expensive necklace. The both smiled as they watched their young daughter play with her Barbie dolls, a big smile on all of their faces.

I didn't know if I had already given them names so I made up some new ones, instead. Sorry if I have already given both of them names and you got confused. <3

-lucyrose757      xxx