The Chaser: a Marauder's Era Jily Fanfic

Chapter Four

I wondered, and kinda hoped that James wouldn't talk to me because he was angry I got him put in detention. I should've known better, I thought as he strut over to me later that evening.

"Er... Evans?" He sat down in the empty chair across from me.

"What'd you want, Potter?" I said, nonchalantly.

"McGonagall says that you're giving me detention," He informed me.

"W-What?" I spluttered, looking up at him to see if he was joking.

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Well, here's a note to you about it. I read it on the way here." He handed me a slightly torn bit of parchment.

"I bet you were allowed to do that, right?"

"Evans!" James looked at me pretending to be astonished. "I would never break the rules!" At this, I scoffed. I read the note. Potter, as much as I hate to admit it, was right. This was a worse punishment for me than him. Two days of detention. At least I could boss him around, that'd be nice. James was looking at the diagram and page I had just finished for Herbology.

"No copying!" I warned him. He set the page down, and held his hands up, showing his innocence. Then, he did something that surprised me. He started a normal conversation.

"Evans, what did you get on your Herbology OWL?" I might have answered that it was none of his business, but I was taken aback by his question. The only other questions he had ever asked me were some variant of "Will you go out with me, Evans?" and "Evans, why won't you go out with me?"

"An E," I responded.

"Oh, I got an A." He said, rather disappointed.

"Well, and A isn't bad! It's passing," I said. Then I realized, I was trying to make James Potter not feel bad. He grinned, realizing it too.

"Yeah, s'pose not." He said. "I bet you were disappointed with and E, though!" He chortled. "Were all the rest Os?"

"No, I got a P in Divination!"

"Lily Evans, you didn't pass Divination?" He asked me, agast.

"Nope!" I said, smiling. This was weird. I was talking to Potter, and not completely loathing him at the same time. He smiled, too.

"I failed Divination, too," He remarked. "Got a T, though, for troll. So, technically I have the brains of the troll, does that mean you'd kiss me? I mean you said you'd kiss a troll..."

"I--What?" I said. Here, the real James was back. I remembered I had said that in the Great Hall. "I said kiss a troll I would only before I went out with you!" He dodged my indignant slap.

"Oh, and your first detention is tomorrow, at 6 o'clock. Eat dinner first, obviously. I won't be letting you out until 8." I informed him, turning to my History of Magic essay on the Goblin Rebellion.

**********

The next evening at 6, I was waiting for James in an unused classroom at 6:30, his detention was supposed to have started a half hour ago. He rushed in a couple minutes later.

"You're late!" I told him.

"Sorry!" He told me, sitting down at a desk. I looked at him expecting an explanation. He didn't offer one. "What?" He asked me.

"Why?" I asked him. He frowned.

"That doesn't really answer my question, Evans." I sighed.

"Why were you late?" James shrugged. "Alright, well, we will start forty-five minutes earlier tomorrow, and end at the same time." I informed him.

"But that'll cut into Quidditch practise!"

"Do I look like I care? You will come to detention at 5:15. You will still have fifteen minutes for dinner." I assumed a well-you-did-get-yourself-detention look. James mouthed wordlessly. "Okay, you will be doing lines, today. I flicked my wand, and a quill, an ink-bottle, and a roll of parchment flew from the professor's desk onto Potter's table. He didn't do anything. "You can start now." He picked up the quill and started. Actually, it wasn't that bad. I just sat there and did all the rest of my homework for the two hours, telling him off every time the quill stopped for more than a minute. Eventually, there were only five minutes left, so I began packing up. I told him he could three minutes later.

"Alright, Potter, Trophy Room tomorrow, 5:15. Sharp." I informed him, motioning that he could leave.

"I'm not polishing all of them, again, am I?" He asked with an expression saying he sincerely hoped not.

"Yeah. Again?"

"That's what I had to do yesterday!" He exploded. "How often do they need to be cleaned?"

I laughed, then quickly stopped. "Well, I guess, next time you are about to break the rules you should think about things like that. And missing Quidditch." I left, and he followed me. I just ignored him.

All of a sudden, the rug came from beneath my feet. If it was Potter, I swear was gonna give him another detention. Then I heard a cackle.

"Peeves!" I thundered. I attempted to get up, but he started dropping a collection of walking sticks on my head.

"Epoximise," I heard the voice belonging to James say behind me. Immediately, the walking sticks were glued to Peeves's hand. Peeves zoomed away, attempting to free himself of the walking sticks, while blowing a raspberry. I looked up and saw James's hand extended to help me up. I decided to take it. Was I really gonna dissuade him from being polite?

"Thanks, James," I said, with a quick smile. "Ventus," I muttered pointing at the rug. The blast of wind straightened it. James noticed that I called him by his first name.

"Yeah, no problem, Lily," He said, accenting my name. We walked down the rest of the corridor, and told the Fat Lady the password. Marlene and Mary looked strangely at us, as we walked in togther.

" 'Night, James," I said, walking over to join my friends.

"See you," He left. Marlene cleared her throat.

"What?" I asked her, pretty sure I knew the answer.

"Er...You were talking to Potter?" She said, as if it was obvious. Well, it was.

"Yeah, well, he didn't just ask me out for a change!" I said, defensively. They both giggled. "And besides, you're dating Sirius!"

"Well, I didn't completely hate them in the first place!" She said. Mary raised her eyebrows. "Just really disliked." Marlene added. I wondered if James would return to his usual annoying self in the morning. I hoped not.

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Hi!

James was actually nice in this Chapter. Finally. :)

-Ginny