James and Lily Potter: Second year

Chapter 16: second year

Spring passed quickly, as did the Easter holidays. Lily had gone home as she had promised Mum, and now it was May, summer fast approaching. The second years had more homework than ever, and it was a common sight to see Lily bent over a book and writing viciously with her quill. Still, she managed to get the top grades of their year- at least, so far. James was gradually failing every subject except for Transfiguration. Professor Flitwick was especially displeased at his indifference and inability at Charms, and even Professor McGonagall got impatient with him when his attention lapsed again in class. He ended up having even more work to do than Lily.

“James?” Lily asked timidly, as he worked furiously fast at his nasty Charms essay.

“Yes?” he answered curtly. James was not in the mood to talk to anyone, especially Lily.

“I was wondering...if you need any help,” continued Lily, her voice unusually small. “Since, well, Professor Flitwick did give you more homework than the rest of us-”

“So you’re here to jeer and make fun of me.” finished James angrily. “Really, Lily, if you had anything better to do, you’d get started on your own work. Oh wait! I forgot! You already finished all your homework, so you came to make fun of me instead! Ha!” With that, James gathered all his books, parchments, quills, and ink and left for the boys’ dormitory.

“Sorry about James, Lily,” said Remus quietly, as he watched James storm up the circular staircase. “He’s a bit strained at this moment.”

Lily looked after him, astonished, but then her face turned angry as well. “He didn’t have to be so nasty about it. I mean, I was only trying to help after all. Besides, it’s his own fault that he stays up late every night marauding around the school and not getting any of his homework done. Really!” her face was bright red , and she was breathing very quickly.

“Don’t worry about Potter, Lils, he’s a real jerk.” said Arabella, trying to calm down her friend.

“He’s not!” cried Sirius hotly, who was scribbling on his parchment as well. “He’s just stressed like the rest of us. It’s not his fault he thought Lily was making fun of him. After all, she does do it all the time, and she is done with all her homework.” He shot Lily an extremely nasty look.

“Sirius Black!” shrieked Arabella, making the whole common room silent. “Don’t you dare insult my best friend!”

“Well, you insulted mine!” Lily felt her eyes sting with tears. Arabella and Sirius were fighting...because of her! Suddenly, without warning, she took a leaf out of James’ book and stormed up to her dorm as well. Behind her, she heard Jennifer and Remus’ voices mingled in the argument also.

Lily started crying as soon as she reached her four-poster bed. It was empty, since her friends were still in the common room,arguing. She suddenly heard knocking on the door, and thinking it was Arabella or Jennifer, she called “come in.” It wasn’t them. It was James.

“Go away Potter!” Lily cried, and sobbed once more.

“Lily?” he asked. “Why are you crying?”

“I’m not crying!” shouted Lily, wiping at her tears furiously.

James rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure, and i’m the Minister of Magic.”

“Why are you here anyway?”

“I just came to apologise,” he said rather awkwardly, blushing. “I-didn’t mean to lash out at you like that. Must’ve just...slipped my mind. All that homework is a bunch of cra-” he stopped, noticing that his language was slowly slipping. “Sorry.”