James Potter and the Year of Chasing

Days turned into weeks, and autumn into winter. Preparations for the Reality-Reflecting Ink went well, aside from one or two minor mishaps such as Sirius getting caught sneaking around the edge of the Forbidden Forest during the quarter-moon to pick feverfew. Fortunately, the person who caught him was Hagrid. Sirius managed to avoid detention by swearing he'd simply been curious about the rumors of a colony of giant spiders living in the forest. Hagrid nervously declared this to be rubbish, but Sirius used the distraction to deflect the conversation towards interesting monsters, and within minutes Hagrid forgot that Sirius was out of bounds.

"I'll have to thank Bastian for telling me that rumor," Sirius said afterwards, in the Gryffindor common room. "You don't suppose it's true, do you?"

"Giant spiders?" Peter said, with utmost skepticism. "What would giant spiders be doing in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Whatever they want, I'd imagine. And why not?" Remus wanted to know. "I wouldn't be surprised by anything we found living in that place."

James privately doubted that there was such a colony, but arguing over whether or not it existed made for an interesting evening, particularly after Remus suggested that the spiders had a school of their own deep in the heart of the forest, where they learned arachnid-style wizardry. The mental image of hundreds of spiders in Hogwarts-style robes learning to turn cobwebs into compasses made all four boys laugh so loudly that a seventh-year prefect threw a cushion at them and threatened to take away points if they didn't shut up.

As winter drew closer, so did the Christmas holidays. Unfortunately, before the holidays came midyear exams, and classes became more and more difficult every day. Even talk of the map was shelved in favour of revising. Peter practiced his worst subject, Transfiguration, for hours on end, swearing non-stop under his breath as he changed umbrellas into flamingoes and back. Remus threatened to throw his Potions text through the window--and actually did, after his Congeniality Potion exploded in class. Sirius barely did any revising; he preferred to do all his work at the last possible minute. This earned him dark looks from classmates who knew that Sirius would still get top marks despite an apparent lack of effort. Instead, he kept busy coming up with tricky lesson plans for the Defense Against the Dark Arts, which he was still helping to teach, and hexing his students outside of class to make sure they'd been practicing curse-blocking. James studied until he felt his eyeballs would shrivel up, then set about organizing a massive Gryffindor-Hufflepuff snowball fight for the last day of term so that they'd all have something to look forward to after exams.

Two weeks before the holidays began, an announcement was made which altered James' view of them. It occurred during Transfiguration; Professor McGonagall had been telling an attentive class about the dangers and difficulties of human Transfiguration, and how this differed from the Animagus transformation. That is, most of the class was attentive; Remus was half-asleep at his desk, Sirius was sketching pictures of dragons with very large teeth in the corner of his textbook, and James and Peter were taking bets on what would be served for dinner. It wasn't until Professor McGonagall transformed Sirius' quill into a haddock that the boys realized the discussion had moved away from classwork. The class laughed at Sirius' attempts to hold on to his quill-turned-fish, until Professor McGonagall fixed them all with a stern glare.

"In one week I will pass around the sign-up sheet for those students who wish to remain at Hogwarts over the holidays," she announced crisply. "Before making your decision, you should all be aware that the town of Hogsmeade hosts an annual Midwinter Dance in the week before Christmas. Any students fifth year and above who are staying in the area are welcome to attend if they wish, so long as they behave themselves in a manner befitting the dignity of Hogwarts School."

She frowned directly at Sirius as she said this, but he only shrugged and looked innocent. James grinned to himself, remembering that Sirius had stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas the previous year. He vowed to ask Sirius exactly what had happened at the last dance to make McGonagall wear that expression; it must have been quite an event, for her to look so stern.

Professor McGonagall continued. "The dance will take place on the twenty-second of December; a sign-up sheet will be posted in your common rooms. Dismissed."

"Honestly," Sirius declared as they left the classroom. "McGonagall could make Christmas itself sound dull. Do you think she’s ever let herself have any fun at all?"

"I don't think 'fun' is in her vocabulary," Remus replied. "No one who knows about fun could possibly be cruel enough to assign us this essay."

"That's rich coming from you," Sirius retorted. "You'll be in the library in an hour working on it, you always are. Nobody in class gets to work on their essays as fast as you do."

Remus glared back. "You know perfectly well that’s because I hate writing them and try to get them out of the way as quickly as possible. Writing a three-scroll essay about how to transfigure a hat-rack into an ostrich doesn’t teach us half so much as just doing it, so what’s the point? It's a complete waste of time."

"You're still an eager beaver," Sirius said airily. "What's the difference if it gets done today or tomorrow, so long as it's in on time in the end?"

"You're awfully quiet, Doctor Wormtail," James said hastily, sensing an oncoming argument and hoping to change the subject. "What's on your mind?"

Peter had been scowling, completely oblivious to the ongoing conversation; but he looked up when James said his nickname. "It can’t be Christmas already," he moaned. "I haven’t even thought about presents."

Sirius smirked, jumping easily to this new topic. "Should’ve been picking ‘em out last Hogsmeade weekend instead of wasting time in Honeyduke’s."

"Who are you to talk?" Remus pointed out. "You were with him. You spent three hours rooting through that gigantic barrel of Every Flavour Beans looking for vomit-flavoured ones, remember?"

"Doesn't count; I need those for a present."

"You want vomit-flavoured Beans?" James asked; he'd missed that Hogsmeade weekend because of Quidditch practice. "Who on earth for?"

"My cousin. I hate the prat, but Mum said that if I didn't get him a present I'd be eating nothing but haggis for the entire holiday. I thought I'd give him a bunch of really nasty Beans."

"Clever," Remus allowed. "He'd never be able to prove it was deliberate."

Sirius' answering smirk was positively wicked. "And if I'm lucky they'll put him off food before he realizes what's up, and I'll get his share of the turkey."

"That's well and good Sirius, but it doesn't help me at all," Peter returned. "I can't very well give my mum Every Flavour Beans and call it a present, not unless I want coal for Christmas supper."

"We could sneak in to Hogsmeade this weekend," James said thoughtfully. "I haven’t done any Christmas shopping either. What do you lot have planned for the holidays?"

"Back home to London," Peter answered, looking mournful. "It's our turn to host the family gathering this year, so all the relatives will be flocking in to stay with us. It wouldn't be so bad if I had some cousins, but it's all batty great-aunts who pinch my cheek and crotchety old uncles who smell like cabbage. It's the same nightmare every year."

"We know," Remus retorted. "You complain about it every year. I half expect you to run off to Greenland to get away from them, the way you whinge on and on. If it's that much of a chore, why not do something else?"

"I can't, Mum would never forgive me. And then she'd rail on to Dad about it and he'd never forgive me either."

Sirius sniggered. "Your own fault for being a mummy's boy."

Peter glared. "Where are you lot going, then?"

"Nowhere," Remus said, too lightly. "While you prats are off being tortured by your relatives, I'll be blissfully safe here at school, playing games with the ghosts and sneaking into Hogsmeade every night to go to the pub. Bet I find six new secret passages by the time you get back."

James felt a sudden pang of sympathy; he wasn't at all fooled by the other boy's easy words. Remus’ parents were supportive, but couldn’t help being afraid of his transformations. Worse, he had an eight-year-old sister who didn't believe that her brother's wolf form was dangerous; one of Remus' worst nightmares was that Rahne would break into the cellar he was locked in during the full moon. All in all, things were so tense whenever he was at home that he’d given up going back for Christmas, preferring not to strain his relationship with his family further than was necessary.

"Lucky git," Peter said to Remus, envy written in the words. "If I'm not home for Christmas, Mum will never let me hear the end of it. I wish I were staying here; I bet Hogwarts is brilliant with all the students gone. The holidays are going to be horrendously dull, they always are."

"If you want some excitement, you could always get those hameh wings for us while you're in London," Sirius said slyly. "We still need them for the Reality-Reflecting Ink."

Peter glared at the other boy. "Just go to Knockturn Alley and buy hameh wings. Oh, of course, that’d be no trouble at all. I’d be happy to risk life and limb for the sake of some dodgy ink. Do let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with, so I won’t miss the opportunity to tell you to sod off."

"Coward."

"Prat."

"Sod off, both of you," James said. "Besides, Sirius, I thought your uncle said he'd pick up those wings for us?"

"He did," Sirius admitted. "But he won't be in London again until February, and I hate waiting."

"I'm sure you'll manage somehow," Remus said in his driest voice. "What are you doing for the holidays?"

Sirius grinned in obvious anticipation. "The usual family gathering for Christmas, and then Greece directly afterwards. My parents want to see the Labyrinth, so I’m going to tag along and see if I can find some pretty sirens to sing to me."

"Capital," James said. "If we’re lucky, perhaps you’ll get gored by a minotaur."

"In your dreams, Hornhead."

"I’d like to go Greece," Peter said enviously. "They really know numbers there."

"I’ll bring you back an abacus," Sirius promised. "Poppycock."

This was still the Fat Lady's password to Gryffindor Tower. The four boys climbed through the portrait hole to find the common room largely deserted, aside from a few second-years playing Exploding Snap by the fire. Remus walked to a nearby table and dropped his books onto it. "What about you, James?" he asked, as the other boys joined him. "Staying or going?"

James flung himself into one of the cushioned armchairs. "Staying."

"Bet I know why," Sirius said immediately, ignoring the chairs in favor of sitting on the table.

James blinked, nonplussed. He was staying because he knew things would be easier for Remus if one of them were there to keep him company; there was a full moon right after Christmas. But this wasn’t the sort of thing they usually mentioned aloud, particularly not in front of Remus himself, so what was Sirius playing at? "Why, then?"

The other boy broke into a smirk. "You want to ask Lily Evans to that dance."

To his horror, James felt his face redden. "I do not!" he retorted, but it was too late. All three boys were now staring at him; Remus was wearing the same knowing grin as Sirius, and Peter looked amazed.

"You’re not still hung up on Evans?" Peter asked. "I thought she turned you down."

"She did not," James said defensively; he didn't need to be good at Divination to see his immediate future was now filled with unavoidable teasing and that he might as well accept his fate. He sighed and admitted, "She blew me off before I could give her the chance to turn me down."

"That’s worse," Remus said, wincing in sympathy.

"I thought so."

"But you know what they say," Sirius said sagely.

James glowered at him. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again?" he asked sarcastically.

"Of course not."

"All's fair in love and war?" Peter offered.

"Closer, but no."

"What then?" Remus asked.

Sirius grinned broadly. "That any woman who can bluff Peter at poker is worth keeping an eye on, and therefore James should ask Evans to the dance."

"Since when do they say that?" James demanded.

"Since I said it just now. You should have another go, James. I still think she fancies you."

James pretended to lob one of his textbooks at Sirius. "Why would I voluntarily ask a girl who doesn't like me to go to a dance I don't even want to go to? There are much quicker ways to make a prat out of myself."

"Quicker maybe, but not as much fun," Peter said, grinning. "I've seen you dance. Definitely pratlike."

"Thanks so much, Peter."

"But really, your lack of dancing ability aside, why not go, James?" Sirius said. "It's not so bad. Remus and I went last year, while you were off touring France with your father and Peter was trapped with the Pettigrew clan. Remember, Remus? You went with that blonde Ravenclaw witch, whatsername--"

"Amanda," Remus supplied. "And you took Demeter Demaris but practically ignored her all night in order to pull that prank with the musicians, and by the end of the evening she was threatening to hex your--"

"Yes, well, up until that point it was fun," Sirius said hastily. "Good food, attractive girls everywhere, more good food, and the music wasn't bad either. So why not go, James? Just make sure not to take Demaris and you should be fine."

"What for? There’s nobody I’d want to go with."

"Not even Lily Evans?" Peter asked slyly.

James scowled and didn’t answer.

"Give it another go," Remus advised. "Maybe she didn’t mean it."

"You weren’t there to hear her," James said in a sour voice. "She made her lack of interest perfectly clear, believe me."

"And you're going to let a little thing like that stop you?" Sirius said, mock-incredulous.

James smiled despite himself. "What am I supposed to do, just pick her up and carry her off?"

"Ah, the caveman approach," Peter said, snickering. "A tried and true method. Been used for generations."

"Somehow I don't think she'd take too well to that. And who says I want to go to this bloody dance anyway?"

"I do," Sirius said. "Because I've been your best mate since we were seven and know what's good for you. Besides, you obviously weren't listening when I mentioned the food."

"That's because I was wondering what you did to the musicians." James looked over at Remus. "What did he do, anyway?"

Remus smiled. "I'm sworn to silence."

"You helped, didn’t you," Peter guessed.

"Of course." Remus grinned broadly. "But I managed my part without alienating my partner in the process, thank you very much. That was a fun night."

"Rub it in, why don't you," Sirius grumbled.

"Not my fault you haven't any sense of priority. Why you abandoned a fit girl like Demaris in order to play yet another prank is beyond me."

Sirius grinned. "Because it was a good one."

James threw up his hands. "You're both hopeless. And I will get the whole story sooner or later, see if I don't."

Remus grinned broadly. "Tell you what. I'll reveal the whole, unvarnished story, complete with a description of Sirius wearing the punch bowl on his head--"

"Remus!" Sirius protested. "Don't you dare!"

Remus continued unabated, ignoring the interruption. "--if you go to the dance this year."

"Merlin, Moony, not you too," James groaned. "Why are you so keen for me to go to this dance?"

"Because I'd like to go, and it's more fun with a group," Remus said easily. "If we’re both going to be here, we might as well. Besides, you obviously still have a flame for Lily, so why not have another try at her? The worst she can do is say no, and you lived through that once already."

"Or maybe she’ll turn me into a frog," James retorted grumpily. "Anyway, what about you? Where are you going to find a partner?"

"Maybe Tamatha Davis will be around?" Peter said slyly.

Remus smiled at the mention of his own Hufflepuff crush. "Maybe. Come on, James. What's the point in sitting around in the common room over the holidays when we could be out somewhere?"

James flung up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll swallow my pride and give Lily Evans another chance to humiliate me. Now can we please talk about something else? Here, we can't do much else with the Reality Reflecting Ink until we get those hameh wings, but what else can we do to work on this map we're all so keen on? We'll have time to think about that again once exams are over."

From there conversation digressed into the map and the various charms they were planning to try on it, and Remus' discovery of a new passageway behind a tapestry by the marble staircase on the main floor. It led directly into the Ancient Runes classroom, and they were trying to figure out the best way to make use of it.

Sirius suddenly nudged James hard in the ribs. When James glared at him, Sirius gestured with his head. James turned to see Lily Evans sprawled on a sofa on the other side of the common room; they'd been so involved in plotting that he hadn't noticed her arrive. Sirius nudged James again; the motion was plainly meant to indicate that this was James' chance, and if he didn't take it Sirius would never let him live it down.

James scowled and cuffed Sirius on the shoulder, but walked towards Lily, resigning himself to his fate. Behind him, Remus began to coerce Sirius and Peter into coming to have a look at the newly-discovered secret passage. James made a silent note to thank Remus later; asking Lily to the dance would be difficult enough without his friends snickering at him from across the room.

The few steps across the common room seemed to take forever, but oddly, the closer he got to his goal, the less resentful he felt. Sirius, Remus, and Peter might have harried him into giving Lily another try, but there was no denying she looked very appealing. She was lying on her stomach on the sofa, wearing a dark green sweater that looked marvellous against her hair, and was very pretty for all that she was scowling slightly at the book she read. As James approached she glanced up, her expression changing to surprise. "Hello," she said, sitting up properly and laying the book down.

James glanced at the book; Ancient Charmes in Ancient Tongues was inscribed in gold letters on spine. "I don't remember that being assigned to us in class," he said, by way of an opening.

Lily glared at the book again. "It wasn't. Professor Flitwick loaned it to me, to help with a project I'm working on. So far it's much more a hindrance than a help."

James grinned. "Is it as dreadful as it looks?"

She smiled back. "Worse. It could be written in Greek for all the sense it makes, just listen to this..." She picked up the book and thumbed through the pages, then read, "Do you raise thine wande into the aire, and intonne: 'Brogovi sunt macresculi momi rasti strugitant!' while turneing it widdershins thrice. After the third circle be compleate--"

James winced; he could see the misbegotten spelling as clearly as if it were written in the air. "Stop, stop, it hurts my ears just to listen."

She shut the book. "Oh, it gets better, the whole book's like that. I'm tempted to use a translation charm on it; whatever this language is, it can't be English."

"Definitely not. What's that spell supposed to do?" he asked, sitting down on the floor next to the couch.

"I don't know; I haven't deciphered that part yet."

James chuckled. "Well, at least you'll have time to work on it over the holidays. How are you spending them?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I'd thought of going home, but I don't really want to deal with my horrible sister."

"Is she really that bad?"

"A nightmare. She's the most Mugglish Muggle there could be." Lily smiled, as though to say this didn't bother her. "We didn't get along even before I came to Hogwarts; now that I'm studying magic, she thinks I'm the worst sort of freak. She alternates between calling me names and refusing to speak to me, and lives in constant fear of her friends finding out I'm a witch. I can handle that for a while, but we share a bedroom when we're both home, and it gets a bit tiring."

"I can imagine," James said sympathetically. "Why not stay here then? Hogwarts is fun at Christmas."

Lily shrugged. "I might. But most of my friends will be away, so I won't have much to do here. And my parents would like it if I went home."

James had been trying to direct the conversation without being painfully obvious about it, but this was too much of an opening to resist. "There's stuff to do at Hogwarts. The Christmas Feast is good, and there's always something going on in Hogsmeade. You could go to that dance McGonagall was telling us about." He took a deep breath and plunged in. "I'll be here. You could go with me, even."

Lily stared down at him, her eyes narrowing. "You're asking me to the Hogsmeade Midwinter Dance? After what I said in the library, back in November?"

James shrugged. "Well, yes."

"No." She eyed him coolly and crossed her arms over her chest. "You think I don’t know why you’re asking? I must be the only girl in school who's ever turned you down. You see me as a challenge."

"That’s not it!" he retorted, indignant and a little hurt. Did she really think that was the only reason he was interested in her? After all those weeks he'd spent staring at her across the Great Hall? Not that he'd ever admit to that, of course, but still...it stung to think that she'd have such a low opinion of him.

Lily looked skeptical. "No?"

"I won’t deny that you’re a challenge," James allowed, trying to pick his words carefully. "I can’t figure you out. You’re intelligent and witty and extremely pretty--"

"Flattery won’t get you anywhere."

"--but you don't seem to be involved with anyone," he continued without pause. "You’re honest, but you were perfectly willing to lie to a teacher in order to keep me out of trouble. You're friendly to me so long as I don't show any interest in you, and then almost insulted when I do. I don’t get you at all."

"I really don’t see what’s so difficult," Lily said mildly. "I don’t dislike you; I told you that before. I’m just not very impressed by you. And I certainly am not going to go to a dance with you just because you've decided you're tried of the James Potter fan club."

James sighed and leaned forward, meeting her eyes squarely and throwing caution to the wind. He might have been prodded into this, but he did like Lily, and he did want her to go to the dance with him, and most particularly he wanted her to believe that he wasn't stuck-up. Now was not the time for half-arsed gestures. "Look, Lily," he said firmly, "in case you hadn’t gathered, I like you. I like you a lot. I’m not asking you to be my girlfriend. I’m not asking you to join the bloody James Potter fan club, if there really is such a thing. I’m not even asking you to like me, much less be impressed. I’m asking if you'd be willing to go to the dance with me, and I'm asking because I think it would be fun and I'd really like to go with you. That's it."

Lily’s gaze measured him for along time. "And why should I believe you’re serious?" she said finally. "For all I know, this could be part of a particularly elaborate prank on your part. I wouldn't be at all surprised."

"Did you miss the bit where I said you were intelligent and honest and extremely pretty?"

"Mm," she said in a noncommittal tone.

He threw his hands up in the air. "What does it take to convince you?"

"I doubt you can."

"You can’t deny I’m trying. Come on, Lily," he said in his most coaxing voice. "Give me a chance."

The pretty redhead eyed him musingly for a long time. "All right," she said finally.

James’ heart leapt despite himself. "You'll come?"

Her eyes twinkled. "No, I'll give you a chance. Professor McGonagall will be passing around the sign-up sheet for students who want to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays in a week, so you have until then to convince me of your sincerity. Otherwise I’ll go home as I’d planned, and you’ll have to find another girl to con into going to the dance with you."

James blinked. This was definitely not something he'd expected. "A week?"

"Yes." Lily gathered up her book and stood, smiling at him. "One week to convince me. Then we'll see." With that as her final word, she walked across the common room to the stairs that led to the girls' dormitories.

James watched her go, slightly confused; once she was out of sight, he took her spot on the sofa and stared into the fireplace, trying to puzzle out what had just happened. A week to convince her? What was that supposed to mean? He scowled, glaring at the flames as though they were the source of all his troubles. She'd accused him of seeing her as nothing but a challenge, and then deliberately set a challenge, and what was the point of that? If she didn't want to go with him to the dance, why not just say so? And if she did, why make him work for it?

His scowl deepened. She wanted him to chase her!

The idea was, initially, humiliating. He was James Potter! He didn't need to chase anyone! He damned well didn't have a fan club, but it was true that most of the girls in school would be happy--ecstatic!--to go out with him. So why should he waste his time on someone who didn't have the sense to say straight out whether or not she liked him?

James groaned and ran a hand through his hair, already knowing the answer. Most of the girls in school would only be interested in him because he was a Quidditch player. It had never bothered him before; but then, he'd never really been interested in any girl before, not like this. They were pretty, they were fun, they stoked his ego...but at the end of the day, girls were just another game to him.

And he already knew Lily was something else.

James' mind went racing. How was he supposed to convince her to give him a chance? What did he know about impressing girls? Usually they were impressed without any effort on his part; he’d never had to work at it before. Between Quidditch, his good looks, and his good grades, he had their attention without even trying. But Lily was clearly unimpressed by his dating record, his intelligence wouldn’t help much against a girl as smart or smarter than he was, looks didn’t seem to be a key factor, and as for Quidditch...

Suddenly everything snapped into focus--so clearly and simply that he nearly burst out laughing. Lily wanted him to chase her? Fine. He would. And furthermore, he'd catch her. This was just another game, even if the stakes were higher than usual.

And James Potter was very good at winning.

He considered. Goal: Lily as a date for the Midwinter dance. Rules: none. He grinned, realizing that she hadn't set any restrictions in that respect. Difficulties: a time limit, possible competition from other prospective dates, and a complete inability to read his opponent's intentions. Advantages: no rules, the guarantee that she wouldn't make up her mind for a week, and he had her attention.

James stood and walked towards the Fat Lady's portrait while mapping out his strategy, well pleased with himself. It was time for Lily Evans to learn what being a Chaser really meant.

And the first step was to gather together his team.