“Not really,” Peter frowned, considering. “Probably just stay home with mum.” He searched the hall, perhaps looking for James. “Do you reckon something about running naked spooked him?”
“Nah,” Sirius replied. “He’s done it before.” He sighed and began to butter his toast. “I just wish I knew why he’s been acting so weird lately.”
The boys sat in silence for a while, eating their toast, until they were interrupted by Remus.
“Why is James chasing Lily?” he asked, joining the table.
Sirius sighed but didn’t look up from his food. “Let’s think about this for a moment before we accuse. James has been chasing after her, but it’s not the only thing he does. Plus, he’s tried to stop, okay? Maybe one day he will finally give up but until then we have to be...”
“No,” Remus cut him off. “I mean literally.”
Sirius looked up to see ‘Lily’ running from the Great Hall. A few moments later, ‘James’ rushed passed, right on her tail, his face contorted with rage. Sirius watched as James reached the end of the Great Hall, paused to catch his breath, before setting off in pursuit of Lily once more.
Shrugging, Sirius turned back to his toast. “Remus, my friend, I have no idea.”
Sprinting through a secret passageway, James stopped to breathe as he pulled out from behind a tapestry of three monks. Lily wasn’t unfit, but her body didn’t quite have the stamina that he had. She obviously didn’t run away from angry people as often as he did.
He wasn’t stupid -- he knew that his ‘plan’ would have consequences. He also knew that the only reason he was still alive was that Lily didn’t want to permanently damage her body. Still, he knew that she could still administer a large amount of pain. Thus, he planned on keeping out of her way until she cooled off.
Lily obviously had other ideas though. Even when he thought he had managed to lose her, she would suddenly appear near him again, a vengeful look in her hazel eyes. Luckily, he had managed to avoid any confrontations, using a combination of secret passageways, bribery and his invisibility cloak that he had cunningly stolen from the bottom of his trunk while Lily had been sleeping. It hadn’t been easy though and Lily didn’t seem to be getting any less angry. He couldn’t avoid her forever, but he could damn well try.
Putting his bag on the ground to grab out the invisibility cloak, he noticed his shoe lace was undone. As he bent down to tie it up, a flash of red light shot past him, narrowly missing his head.
Under attack, he rolled to his feet, avoiding three more bright flashes. Lily was standing at the end of the corridor, her glasses askew, her hair standing up on end. They stood in silence for a moment, on opposite sides of the empty corridor. He looked directly into her eyes, his hands twitching, the silence enveloping them both. Then, James, being the brave Gryffindor he was, turned on his heel and ran away. He was prepared to fight and die in the rising war, but an angry Lily; that was just plain dangerous.
Reaching an intersection, James dove around the corner, narrowly missing a bright orange spell. Rolling to his feet, he had just enough time to check himself out in the mirror, before taking off again.
As he ran, he could see the three monks from the portrait pushing people out of the way to follow him. Soon, a whole crowd of assorted characters were running through the portraits, creating a running commentary.
“Oh! The young man nearly hit the girl with a hex then! Did you see how she dove out of the way just in time?”
“In my day,” screeched an old woman, who sounded suspiciously like his grandmother, “Boys did not chase girls! Scandalous!”
“Oh, hush, Magnesia,” hissed her companion, waving her cane. “You’ve always been such a prude. I love chases, they don’t happen enough these days!”
The monks were whispering bets to each other. “My bets are on the girl, she did know our secret passageway…”
“But did you see how angry the boy was? Rage is a good motivation, Friar John…”
James ignored the cat calls and jeers, focusing instead on his impending doom. As he ran, James could hear Lily closing in on him. Why am I so fit again? James mentally cursed. She was taller than him after all. He shot a tickling charm over his shoulder, but it missed, causing a suit of armour to keel over in laughter.
They rounded another corner into a deserted corridor. James began to zig-zag, to avoid Lily’s spells that were being shot thick and fast.
“Run, run as fast as you can,” James called, as a purple spell barely missed him. “You’ll never catch me I’m the gingerbread…woman?”
“That book was a present from my mother. And I will catch you, you gingerbread fool! Just you wait. You’ll be sorry.”
James ducked to avoid a violet ray of light. “If I let you catch me, will you bake me gingerbread man every Friday when we are married?”
“No,” Lily called, shooting a spell so quickly that James was required to dive out of the way.
“Chocolate cake?”
“No!”
“Rhubarb crumble?”
“NO! Potter, how can you think I’ll ever marry you?” Lily laughed in an evil sort of way. “You are nothing but a stupid, stupid, stupid little boy.”
“Hey, at least one of those stupid’s was uncalled for.” James panted. “But if you won’t promise me dessert, you’ll just have to deal with the healthy consequences.”
Smoothly, James transfigured one of his bobby pins into a banana peel and threw it over his shoulder. Lily’s eyes widened as she saw what was coming for her, but she was running too fast. It was too late to avoid. With a guttural cry, she began to slide.
For a moment, she was suspended in mid air, hovering over the ground. Unnaturally, she stayed there, defying reality, her eyes a mixture of shock and rage. But gravity soon took its toll and she crashed to the ground with a gut wrenching thump.
Unfortunately for James, he was laughing too hard to see Professor Slughorn. Running at full pelt he bounced off his large stomach and crashed to the ground. Before Slughorn could say a word, James rushed an apology. Taking only a second to recover himself, he quickly stumbled to his feet and ran off down an adjoining corridor. The chase had resumed.
“Attacking innocent students in the corridor, Mr. Potter,” he called after a yellow spell narrowly missed him. If she was going kill him, he decided, he may as well have fun as he went down. “I always thought I hated that.”
“You do,” Lily called back, barely even out of breath. Damn all the exercise he’d done over the summer holidays! Lily’s voice was even closer as she called, “Quite clearly you are not an innocent student.”
“Admit it,” James laughed. “You love breaking the rules. I’ve shown you how good life is.”
Lily seemed to slow. James grinned, his plan of annoying her was actually working in his favour. “Don’t you for one second think you have any influence over my life,” Lily called back. “I broke rules before you came along moose-boy. I’m just not stupid enough to get caught.”
“Liar!” James yelled as he reached the Entrance Hall. Ducking under a stream of dangerous looking spells from Lily’s wand, he made it to the doorway unharmed and slammed it shut. Lily crashed into it with a bang, allowing James precious seconds to sprint towards the greenhouse. When Lily finally burst through the doorway, if possible, even more mad, he called back.
“I bet you loved it. I know the first time I had a shower in your…”
“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!” Lily roared, sprinting towards him. James had no chance. Like an airborne pie, Lily jumped through the air and knocked James to the ground, quickly sitting on top of him so he couldn’t get away. A few watching first years cheered, but Lily shot some smoke at them, causing them to run off.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” muttered James.
Lily ignored him. “Why?” she asked simply.
“Because tackling you to the ground always seemed like it would be great fun.” James’ voice was muffled, due to the fact that Lily was sitting on him. “Firstly because the whole touching you thing. You’re always so unobtainable. I mean, I’ve seen you hug some of your male friends but never me. Secondly, tackling is fun whoever is involved and …”
“Shut up. Why didn’t you tell me what would happen if I agreed to the plan? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that your punishment was to run naked.”
“Bah, but you did it, didn’t you?” James argued from underneath Lily. “You needed a way to get out of the plan and I provided you with the only option. You never would have agreed if I told you what would happen.”
“Of course not!” Lily spat. “I…”
“Point proven,” James cut her off. “I did what needed to be done.”
“You are so annoying!”
“Obviously, I’m now also quite fat,” James groaned, trying move under Lily’s weight. “Was I always this heavy? What have you been eating these last three weeks?”
Lily ignored him. “Do you have anything to say before I kill you?”
“Yeah,” James held up a pink envelope. “This letter arrived for you.”
Lily immediately snatched the envelope away from James and stood up. “It’s from my mother,” she answered before James could ask. “She usually only writes once a week,” she continued, only just loud enough for James to hear, before tearing the paper open. “I wonder why she is writing now.”
Lily stood in silence, reading over the words. For what seemed like a very long time, she stared at the elegant writing on the page. James was about to ask what it was about, when he noticed a single tear slide down Lily’s face and onto the page. With horror, James saw Lily sink to the ground, the letter still clasped tightly in her hands. Soon, sobs were taking over her body.
Immediately, James feared the worst. In dark times, a letter could mean a whole assortment of awful things. Things he couldn’t bear happening to Lily.
“Lily,” he whispered, moving to her side. “What’s happened?”
“It’s my sister,” Lily whispered.
James went pale. “Is she okay?” he asked, fearing the answer.
“Yes, she’s fine. Better than fine.” Lily sucked in her breath, her hands shaking. “She-she’s getting married.”
This was the last thing James expected. “What?” he managed to splutter. “I don’t understand.”
By this stage Lily was crying too hard to answer. Instead she thrust the letter at him. He began to read.
Lily,
I have such wonderful news! Your sister is engaged!
I know we’ve all been waiting for it since your sister and Vernon started dating last year. Anyway, today he popped the question to Petunia with a beautiful one carat diamond ring. The ring looks stunning, I’m sure you’ll love it. Your sister is over the moon.
Petunia would have written to tell you herself, I’m sure, but she has of course been rather busy with all the arrangements. She has already picked out her wedding gown, with all the traditional trimmings. She’s so organised, I know at my wedding I was all in a dither till the last moment. The bridal party has too been chosen. Just one bridesmaid, her friend, Rhonda, will be attending her. She’s going to look gorgeous in the green dress that Petunia picked out.
We’re having a small, family only, party to celebrate this Christmas. I thought it would also be a good time to induct him into the family and tell him all about your powers and school. How exciting! I’ll bet he’ll be so proud that we have our own little witch in the family.
I must finish now, as Petunia is calling. We are going around to the florist to look at bouquets.
Write Soon,
Love Mum.
James finished the letter confused. “What’s wrong with your sister getting married?” he asked. Everyway he looked at it, he couldn’t see why Lily was so upset. Unless she was in love with Vernon. James shook his head. He wasn’t even going to consider that.
“Don’t you see?” Lily sniffed, unable to raise her head from her hands. “Read the letter again.”
James glanced at the paper. “Is it something about Petunia?” he asked. Her mother seemed to think she was fine, but perhaps it was some sort of code for something. Maybe Petunia wasn’t getting married at all.
To his surprised Lily nodded, before choking out. “She doesn’t care. She didn’t even write to tell me herself.”
James glanced though the letter, trying to see through the lines. Taking it from a new angle, he could see how she could get that impression. But why would her own sister not bother to invite her to her wedding? He’d never even heard Lily talk about her sister before. Seeing her anguish was like having someone grab a hold of his heart and squeezing it until he choked. There had to be another explanation. “So? Maybe she really was busy.”
Lily sobbed harder, leaning into James for support. “Where did everything go wrong?” she gasped, “When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be a beautiful woman. And the moment I would show everyone how grown up I was, would be at my big sister’s wedding.”
Just at that moment a few members of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team walked past, obviously on their way to practise. Upon hearing James’ comment, they burst into laughter.
James grimaced. It wouldn’t be long until that comment was over the whole school.
“I wanted to be my sister’s bridesmaid, I wanted to be the one in the long green dress and the high heels…”
She sobbed harder, causing some more passers by to stare. “Why not just do it now, James?” one of them called, making the rest laugh. James knew that his popular reputation was going down the drain. Yet, he found that he was much more concerned about Lily’s feelings.
“I wanted to smile coyly at my sister as she said her vows. I wanted to help her get ready. I wanted to dance with the most handsome groomsman there was…”
A passing group of girls bust into laughter as they heard his words, but James just hugged Lily closer to him. Some part of him begged him to get up and move from where they were sitting, the only pathway to the Quidditch Pitch and Hogwarts grounds. But this was greatly over-shadowed by the need to comfort Lily and to make everything okay.
“Lily, you can still go to the wedding…”
Lily looked up at him, her hazel eyes shining with tears. “But my sister thinks I’m a freak. It can never be the way I imagined it in my childhood. When her Vernon finds out, he’s going to think I’m a freak too.”
“Lily, you’re not a freak,” James shushed, pulling Lily to his chest. To an outsider it must have looked strange, a girl comforting a much larger, sobbing man, but James was concentrating on what Lily was saying.
“Petunia certainly seemed to think so,” she sobbed, her tears seeping though James’ robes. “But I’ve always loved her. For her thirteenth birthday I bought her a locket. It cost me all my pocket money. It was right before I got my Hogwarts letter. She promised that she would wear it always and never take it off.”
James’ memory immediately went back to the moment in the cupboard. It was the first time he’d felt truly connected to Lily, not just liking her from afar. Everything had been going well until she had seen that he was wearing the locket.
Lily continued talking, bringing him back to the present. “A week after I arrived at Hogwarts, I received an envelope with her handwriting. Eagerly, I opened it. I thought maybe she would apologise for all the words she said, and tell me that we would be sisters again.”
She paused, the tears falling faster against his chest. “There was no letter inside, only the locket. It was smashed. I repaired it easily, hoping that one day she would wear it again, but when I got back for the holidays, she wanted nothing to do with me. I tried to show her some of the things I learnt, but she just screamed and called me names. I got a warning from the ministry too, but I didn’t care. I’d lost my sister. Every since I found out I was a witch, there was no hope.”
James now knew why she had been upset in the broom cupboard. The locket was her sister’s betrayal, the cold dismissal of someone she had looked up to. It was the end of the close bond that should never have been broken. James couldn’t believe that Petunia would throw Lily’s love away.
“Sometimes,” Lily murmured, almost inaudibly, “I feel like there is nowhere I belong. In this war, I’m worthless to the Death Eaters because I’m a Mudblood. Yet, to my sister, I’m a freak because I have magical powers.”
“Shhhh,” said James, drawing her in closer. “You’re not a freak, or a Mudblood. Anyone who thinks so is wrong. You are Lily Evans, a smart and sassy witch. Well, you actually look a strapping young wizard at the moment, but under that handsome, rugged exterior, you are just Lily Evans.”
Lily finally smiled briefly, and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I don’t know if I can face this engagement party or the wedding. It will just be a reminder of what’s lost between Petunia and I.”
James knew in that moment that he would do anything to ensure he could make Lily smile again. An idea came into his head. “I think I can help. I know Alice is busy over the holidays.” He paused. “I’ll come with you.”
Lily opened her mouth to protest, but something stopped her. The thought of James helping her through, making her laugh seemed so much more bearable than going alone. “I’d love that James.”
“Great,” James clapped his hands together. “If Vernon is mean to you, I’ll put him in a leg locker curse!”
“No, James! You can’t do that!” she said outraged, but lost the illusion when she grinned. “Besides, he’d still be able to speak.”
James joined in the laugher, slapping her lightly on the back. “Fine, if he upsets you, I’ll turn into a stag and we can ride into the sunset.”
Lily blew her nose on her sleave. “I said you could come to dinner,” she giggled. “Not take me to the sunset.”
“Give me time, Lily,” James said standing up, “and you’ll be begging me to carry you into the sunset. The only question will be Hawaii or Australia for our honeymoon.” He pulled Lily to her feet. “Sorry, for making you run naked.”
“Sorry for chasing you,” Lily replied with a smile.
“Bah,” James grabbed Lily’s hand and began leading her back to the castle. “Every good romance needs an exciting and deadly chase scene.”
“Evidently,” Lily stated in a serious voice, “You’ve never seen a proper romance film.”
“Okay, Miss Lily, what would be a proper romance film?
“You know,” Lily said, stopping. “A movie with lots of romance and beautiful moments. Predictable, but wonderful. They are almost exclusively watched by women. They never contain chase scenes.”
James wrinkled his nose. “Sounds horrible.” He paused. “What’s a movie?”
“Never mind,” laughed Lily, putting her arm around James’ shoulders and moving back to the castle. “Actually, I’ll take you to see one in the holidays…”
In bed that night, Lily pondered her day. After James had cheered her up, they’d spent most of the Sunday just enjoying the good weather. James told her how he had been using the invisibility cloak to avoid her, while she had admitted to using the Maurader’s Map to find him. He had been overjoyed to hear it, regardless that it was his downfall. Under his gentle questioning, she had told him more about her family, particularly her parents and her life in the Muggle world. He seemed very interested in the concept of films in particular, and talked endlessly of what they would do when he visited in the holidays. Yet, even when he joked about his schemes, she didn’t feel any remorse for inviting him. He was just so easy to talk to.
Sighing, she opened a little black diary and skimmed to October. She’d found it when she’d first swapped bodies with James and had been using it to mark off the days until she could return to her own body.
Yet, for some strange reason, it was with sadness that she crossed off the date, “October the 21st”. She’d been in James’ body for twenty-three days, and if everything went to plan, she would be back in her own body in five.
A small voice interrupted her train of thought. Is that really the plan? She gave herself a little shake. Of course that was the plan. What was wrong with her? Did she actually like being in James’ body? That wasn’t it at all. She liked being a girl and she missed her identity. Besides, boys definitely had hygiene issues. However, unlike the days previously, now the deadline was so close, Lily could feel no anticipation.
Sadly, she realised, she was going to miss everything. She was going to miss hanging around with Sirius, Remus and Peter. The way Sirius woke her up in the mornings, down to the way they ate breakfast as a group each morning. Unbelievably, she was going to miss being captain of the friendly Quidditch team, and the comradeship they provided.
But most of all, she was going to miss spending time with James.
Lily brushed the thought aside. True, she had developed a sort of bond with James, but it was almost impossible not to in their situation. No-one could go through what they did without becoming closer. Of course, they’d probably be friends when everything was over.
But was that enough?
The words burned in her mind. Memories of the last three weeks came flooding over her like all the water in the black lake. She remembered the look on James’ face as he told her the story about Remus, and everything he had done. He didn’t look proud, or boastful, only nervous that she wouldn’t accept his friend. He didn’t act as though it was a favour, or brilliance; it was just something that had to be done.
She remembered the careful and caring way he had taught her to play Quidditch. True, he’d pushed her hard and made her work, but he’d been patient and caring too. He had made her believe in herself, yet she knew how worried he had been. The words he had said to her after Quidditch, ‘All I care is that you are safe.’ She knew that truer words had never been spoken.
Reflecting, she thought about the fun they had had, trying to get detentions. The way they had holed up in the broom closet, plotting and planning. It was strange, how looking back, she couldn’t think of a time when she’d had more fun. They’d made a great time, and even though the detentions were meant to be punishment, James made sure that there was never a moment when she felt that way.
She thought about everything he had done for her. Agreeing to keep their plan secret, despite everything he had to go though; how he said that he would do anything for her; and the way he could make her smile, no matter how angry or upset she was.
Mostly she thought about James himself. She now felt as though she knew him, inside out, and how more than anything else, she wanted to be with him forever.
“Merlin’s beard!” Lily gasped, sitting bolt upright in her bed. “I’ve fallen in love with James Potter!”
“No need to be so conceited James,” mumbled Sirius in his sleep, leaving Lily to stew on her thoughts.