We swooped back down to the ground an hour and a half later cheering, laughing, whooping. Victorious. It’d been a very close thing - just ten points in it, but Sally had managed to rise to the occasion and secured us the win. Masses of red swarmed onto the pitch, Peter and Remus found Sirius and I and we walked back up to the castle, spirits lifted. Sure it wasn’t an important win but every one counted and we had to fight against the cheering Gryffindors in the common room to get to our dorm.
After we’d washed and changed back into our normal robes Sirius, Remus, Peter and I headed down to the kitchen to get some food, emerging ten minutes later laden down with sticky chocolate gateaus, biscuits and crisps. Taking the secret routes back to the common room we deposited the food on two tables pushed together. Everyone cheered and attacked the food like a flock of ganets.
After eating my fill I had a sudden urge to know how Lily was. I looked at Remus, he’d told us that he’d seen her earlier and that she was fine, but I wanted to see her myself. I had no idea why. I took a slice of gateau and some lemonade and stole out of the common room. I arrived, there minutes later at the door of the hospital wing out of breath. Why was I in such a hurry? I knocked sheepishly at the door, and, hearing a murmur behind opened it and walked in still wondering what I was doing..
“Heya James.” Lily said, putting down the book she was reading and smiling at me. It unnerved me somehow how could she be so calm?
“Hi. I brought you this - we won by the way.” I grunted handing over the cake.
“Yeah I know, Madame Pomfrey let me watch. You scored some really good goals. It was such an exciting match. I was worried that we would loose at first, Ravenclaw having such a good lead an all.” She gulped some lemonade down and continued. “Sirius played really well too, which was surprising. He didn’t fall of his broom once.” She giggled, her eyes dancing. I managed to chuckle too.
“Yeah well Sally gave him a lecture before and he wouldn’t dare argue with her. She’s a true Gryffindor and as fierce as a lion.” I looked out of the window absently.
“And he’s totally smitten with her.”
“Is he?” I asked surprised. I hadn’t noticed, and Sirius was usually so transparent. “He’s not told me anything about it.”
“Oh like he needs to, its so obvious! If she said jump - he’d do it, it’s quite sickening actually.”
“I didn’t know you’d been studying him.”
“Oh I study all of you, you’re all so interesting.” she smiled. Again it unnerved me but I didn’t know why. Was she being serious? “You’re uncomfortable around me James.” she said suddenly catching my eyes. I couldn’t look away, they seemed to bore into me.
“Well I wonder why that is?” I said sarcastically, forcing myself to break her gaze.
“Yeah well, ermm I’m sorry about that James, you know I am.”
“Well I’d better get back to the party.” I said eager to be out of Lily’s presence. There was something strange about her. Those eyes of hers, they seemed to be able to see everything. They seemed to search inside you and discover everything you kept inside. It was really quite disturbing.
“No wait, I need to talk to you, about Remus.” I stayed where I was somehow, though I really wanted to leave I couldn’t. “Look I still really like him, truly. So I’d be very grateful if you didn’t tell him anything, I mean any of this.”
“Goodness Lily, you’re making it sound like we’ve actually done something to be ashamed of! Oh all right!” I said reluctantly. We didn’t keep secrets in our group, but somehow she managed to manipulate my thoughts and speech. I had to get out of there, she was too spooky. I didn’t know what had made me want to come up here in the first place.
***
I lay in my bed, wide awake and staring at the drapes above me. Soft snores drifted over from the six other beds, telling me the others were all safely asleep. My thoughts were whizzing round crazily in my head.
I fancied Lily.
No I most certainly didn’t! She was too creepy.
But on the train...
On the train I didn’t know what she was really like!
My head ached. It was like I was torn in two, one side hated Lily, the other was sympathetic to her.
Why?
Because she’s a really nice girl!
No she’s not she’s a nasty cow!
I groaned, clutching my head, my fingers digging into my skull. I’d go to Madame Pomfrey, she’d give me a potion of some kind.
No! I won’t go there that’s where Lily is.
I felt like screaming. I tumbled out of my bed jerked my cloak up around my shoulders and stumbled out of the dormitory. Stepping outside the portrait hole I was torn again. I wanted to go to the medical room, towards Lily. No! I forced my body to obey me and I walked down to the entrance and slipped outside.
The freezing midnight wind ripped through my cloak and made my eyes smart. Water blurred my vision as I picked my way slowly to Hagrid’s hut. I was half way there when a wave of pain rippled through my body. I crumpled to a heap and blacked out.
