James and Lily potter: Fourth Year

Chapter 16:fourth year

Lily's eyes filled with tears. "B-Bella..." She started sobbing.

James put his arm around her, comforting her. For once, she didn't object and cried in his arms. Jennifer and Remus looked at each other, and then at Violet and Peter, who were completely bewildered by the sudden events that had occurred in less than ten minutes.

"Shall we all go back now?" asked Jennifer quietly. There was a murmur of assent and everyone went back to the castle, the euphoric at winning the match completely forgotten.

For the next few days, Arabella sulked in the fourth-year girls' dormitory for nearly all day, except to go to classes. She wouldn't talk to Lily, Jennifer, or Violet and lay in bed reading tragic love novels, like Romeo and Juliet. Her three best friends tried talking to her, but she ignored them. What was the good of even having friends when you couldn't get the boy you liked back because for fear, he may break your heart again?

Life was definitely not far, especially for Arabella Figg. She had twisted ideas of maybe asking Dumbledore to change her into a Muggle or a Squib, so she could live in Surrey, be an old maid, and have twenty cats living with you, loving you, injuring you, etc. Bella had a suspicion that Dumbledore would refuse, even though he would probably be able to do it. In fact, she had gone so far with her plan that she actually asked Professor Dumbledore about it while passing him and McGonagall in the hallway.

Bella had gotten a light chuckle from the old wizard and a stern glare from McGonagall. Obviously, she didn't understand Bella's feelings, so the whole idea was thrown into the trash.

When she had finally consoled herself to speak to her friends, they were alarmed at her idea about being a Muggle or Squib. Or, at least Jennifer and Violet were alarmed, while Lily was snickering quietly to herself. The latter thought that she had a very, very odd best friend, though lovable just the same.

"McGonagall looked at me like I was insane," Arabella confided, frowning. "I don't know why, though."

Lily burst out laughing. "Oh, God, Bella, that's the most HILARIOUS thing I've ever heard in my life!" She had tears coming down her eyes.

"Er—" Arabella looked quizzically at her friend. It was a perfectly normal idea to her, but then again, she wasn't quite normal as far as "normal" standards go.

Lily wiped her eyes. "I mean, really, Bells, not many people at age fourteen want to be turned into a Muggle or Squib and live with cats all their lives. You can imagine the obvious humor in this."

Arabella thought about it. Well, it was a bit odd. Suddenly, she pictured herself ten years older, tripping over one of her cat's tail and breaking her leg, causing her to walk with crutches for a month. She rolled on the floor and went in hysterics along with Lily and were joined by Jennifer and Violet.

When the Marauders came into the girls' dormitory for a bit of entertainment, they were surprised and alarmed at four Gryffindor girls laughing their heads off about God-knows-what. They stared at them.

Lily was the first to recover, since she was the first one in the hysterics. "Oh—hi—guys."

"Hi Lily," said James, staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh—hi—James. You know—Bella—came—up—with—the—most—hilarious—idea—ever."

"Really?" said Sirius sarcastically. "Please enlighten us."

So, Lily went off to tell the boys the hilarious idea of Arabella's. James and Sirius were laughing too, Remus chuckling, and Peter just smiling like an idiot. After five minutes, everyone had calmed down and decided to play a game of Exploding Snap. However, the girls and the Marauders, with the exception of Arabella and Sirius, were plotting to get them together again.