Failing Charms Has Its Perks

Failing Charms Has Its Perks (1/2)

**Before you read** You might think Professor McGonagall is behaving rather... uncharacteristically in this story, but really, I'm not a good characterizationist (if that's even a word) for adults. Besides, I think she may have been more laid-back when she was a bit younger, and it's a known canon-fact that she's a fan of Quidditch... so, yeah. Forgive me if her character is not up to par. Also, this is just to cure some writer's block I have for another story of mine, and this is how it just flowed out naturally.

Turn around... Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming 'round
Turn around... Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears
Turn around... Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by
Turn around... Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes
-Bonnie Tyler, Total Eclipse of the Heart

~*~*~*~*~

The best thing that has ever happened to me in my seventeen years of life occurred in the first term of my sixth year. Of course, I didn't think it was the best thing at the time; it was quite terrible, if truth be told. At that point in my life I would have given up all my dates for an entire year to get out of Professor McGonagall's Godawful arrangement, but now I'm very grateful for what had transpired to get me into the mess. Excuse my ramblings... you're probably terribly confused at this moment, so I'll just start from the very beginning: December 5, 1975.

~*~

"Mr Potter, just the student I was hoping to see," Professor McGonagall said, stopping me in the middle of the nearly-empty corridor. She regarded me with a hint of disgust, probably because I was sticky with perspiration as I'd just come from a three-hour Quidditch practice.

"Good evening, Professor," I chirped, wondering what in the world the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts wanted to talk to me about. I hadn't set off any dungbombs in a while, nor had I played any pranks on anybody. Call it my "off" time, but life was hectic with Quidditch, and Quidditch came before pranks. Quidditch came before practically everything.

A faint smile adorned McGonagall's face. "Yes, now that the pleasantries have been exchanged," she said. "So that we won't be disturbing anyone, shall we go to my office to have a talk?" Without waiting for an answer, she started down the hallway at a brisk pace, her shoes making a pitter-patter sound against the floor, her bottle green robes billowing out around her ankles. Wordlessly, I followed. What other choice did I have?

We reached her office in just a few moments. It was few more, mere seconds before I was seated in the stiff, high-back chairs in front of her desk. She took her seat on the other side and peered at me, pityingly, over the tops of her square-rimmed glasses.

"James, it has come to my attention that you --"

"I didn't do it, honestly, Professor!" I cried out, abruptly interrupting her. "I swear. I haven't bought any dungbombs to set off in the bathrooms, I haven't hexed any Slytherins, I haven't even been out of my dorm after hours!"

A small, uncharacteristic chuckle escaped McGonagall's lips, and she smiled warmly at me. Warmly? How could "warmly" describe a smile of McGonagall's?!

"I'm sure you haven't," McGonagall said, gently. "That's not what I wanted to discuss with you, Mr Potter." She folded her hands and placed them on the top of her desk, staring at me intently with her beady, dark eyes. "You know I'm a fan of Quidditch. That's no secret. I'm even more of a fan when my House team wins a match, no?"

I wasn't following what she was telling me, so I just nodded dumbly.

"Professor Flitwick has reported to me with his classes' standings in marks, and, I'm sorry to say, you currently have a failing mark in Charms. You know the rules, James; you fail a class, you don't play on the Quidditch team until you bring that grade up."

"What are you saying?" I sure hoped she wasn't saying what I thought she was saying...

McGonagall sighed, pursing her lips. "I'm saying that you are no longer the captain, nor a member, of the Gryffindor Quidditch team." She paused, as if to let her words sink in.

"So, I'm off the team?" That wasn't possible! How would the team win the match against the Slytherins in two weeks if they didn't have me?

"Unless," Professor McGonagall continued. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. There was an "unless"! "Unless you bring your Charms mark up to a passing grade -- and no, I'm not saying a D that's a borderline F --, with the help of an assigned tutor, you don't play."

A tutor? James Potter did not do tutors; he was a tutor, for Heaven's sake!* There was no way...

"Are there any other options that will still allow me to play?" I asked meekly.

The look that passed over her face told me my answer: hell no.

"James, I'm giving you a simple solution and you ask me if there are any other options? What other options could be better than me assigning you a tutor and then allowing you to remain on the team? But, if you think you're above having a tutor, I'll just take you off the team now and let the other players know..."

A tutor wasn't so bad after all... and McGonagall wasn't even harsh about it. I assumed it was because she was such an avid fan of Quidditch, and liked it even more when Gryffindor won, which was a slim to none chance if the team didn't have their captain. One would have never thought that McGonagall was so eager for her House to win that she'd bend the rules for a student.

I shook my head so forcefully that a wave of dizziness washed through my body.

"Are you listening?" McGonagall's voice broke through my rejoicing thoughts. "I said, in case you didn't hear, that your tutor is Miss Lily Evans, a fellow sixth year Gryffindor of yours."

I was immediately confused. Who was Lily Evans? I didn't want McGonagall to know I had no clue who my new tutor was, especially since she was supposedly in my year as well as the same house as me. "Thank you, ma'am," I said, reaching my hand over her desk to shake hers, pumping it up and down rapidly. "Well, I best be getting along. Go study some, you know?"

"Yes, and please do change out of those filthy robes," McGonagall replied, looking at me wearily. "Remember, you must pull that mark up if you expect to play."

The words had barely left her mouth before I said another, hurried goodbye and dashed from the room. Maybe Sirius would know who this Lily girl was.

~*~

"Man, you're screwed."

Sirius' words did little to reassure me as I wondered why he didn't tell me who this Evans girl was, but responded the way he did. What if she turned out to be some fat, pimply, bleach-blonde-haired hag who had only three teeth that weren't rotting? I certainly didn't want to be around someone like that... I mean, what would people think of me if they thought I was friends with people like that? Not very much, I told myself.

"Sirius, thanks for your kind words," I said sarcastically. Before he could say "you're welcome", I continued, "Now, could you tell me why I'm screwed?"

"Yes, do enlighten us, Black," Peter Pettigrew said, smiling wickedly. Obviously even he knew who this Evans person was.

Sirius looked like he wasn't going to say anything, so Remus Lupin intervened. "Lily Evans is easily the smartest girl in our year, if not the whole of Hogwarts," he said earnestly.

"That doesn't explain why, in Sirius' words, I am screwed," I pointed out slowly, after digesting Remus' statement.

"Besides being the smartest," Peter began.

Sirius cut him off. "She's got the worst temper," he finished. "Plus, she's not one of your many fanatics."

"In fact, she's on the side of two whole other people who think you're an arrogant, self-reightous, stuck-up, rich pretty boy who's never had to work for anything in your life," Remus told me, smirking. "So, you're screwed."

I sighed heavily and cradled my head in my hands. Sirius thumped me on my back, a bit too hard, and I coughed. "But if she's the smartest girl in Hogwarts, shouldn't me raising my Charms mark be cake?"

Remus shrugged. "I've worked with her before for prefect duties," he said, "and she likes to have things her way. She'll also probably want something in return for having to tutor you and take time out of her busy schedule."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. It's hard telling with that girl." Once more, Remus shrugged.

A bad mental image** whipped through my mind. Obviously Sirius was thinking the same thing because he put his arm around my shoulders and said, all too seriously, "James, man, when she slaughters you, can I have your stuff?"

~*~

The taunting and ridicule from Sirius, Remus, and Peter continued the rest of that night and I didn't get to sleep till late because of it. In consequence, I woke up a few minutes late the following morning and dashed into Potions seconds before Professor Avery walked out of the back room, smiling -- no, snarling -- sinisterly as he interlaced his fingers and strode back and forth across the room. Needless to say, he creeped me out very much, even moreso than usual.

After a very terrible Potions class, I trudged out of the room with my things and into my next class, Transfiguration. Although Transfiguration was my best and favorite class of all, I found myself drifting off before Professor McGonagall, my persecutionist, even walked in to check attendance.

"Black, Sirius."

"Your knight in shining armor is present, madam," Sirius exclaimed valiantly, making McGonagall roll her eyes at him before continuing on with her list.

"Collins, Alyssa." A very small "here" came from the short, plump, blonde Hufflepuff with rosy red cheeks sitting in the back of the room. A few more names, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor alike were called. "Dwyre, Jonathan." When there was no answer from the Gryffindor, McGonagall looked up from her attendance parchment to look around the room. "Does anyone know where Mr Dwyre is?" she questioned. Nobody replied, and she made a clucking sound before marking him absent. "I'll have to check on that later. Evans, Lily."

Before then, I hadn't been paying too much attention to McGonagall. In truth, I was trying not to fall asleep and give McGonagall another reason to kick me off the Quidditch team. But when the words were out of her mouth, I whipped my head around to find the source of the timid yet strong "present".

The girl my eyes located and my brain decided was Lily Evans was certainly not as I had imagined her. She was sitting merely two seats away and one row down from me, so I got a very good look at her pretty face. Long, red, curly tresses of hair protruded out of her crown and spilled elegantly (in my opinion) down her shoulders and stopped halfway down her back. Bright, curious jade-colored eyes were staring straight in front of her to the front of the room. I could even see the light pattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and the faint pink tinge on her cheeks, decorating her otherwise pale, ivory face.

I was... in love. At first sight.

Well, maybe it wasn't first sight, because now that I looked at her I realized I had seen her around before and had wondered who the beautiful girl was numerous times. And maybe I wasn't in love with her, but it was definitely serious like that could have easily advanced and grown to love, in due time. All I knew was that now I was thrilled I was failing Charms and had to have a tutor in order to stay on the Quidditch team.

"Mr Potter?"

I was jolted out of my reverie by Professor McGonagall's irritated voice. Almost everyone in the classroom turned to look at me amusedly. "Yes, Professor?" I asked innocently, trying to pretend that I hadn't just been daydreaming.

"Would you care to join us today, sir?"

"Of course."

"Thank you ever so much," Professor McGonagall replied, sounding just a bit annoyed at me now. She turned back to the class. "Please open your Transfiguration textbooks to page 175 and read what is under the third paragraph, Mr Lupin."

Remus reluctantly obliged. As he read the long paragraph filled with long, ten-letter words that were nearly unpronouncable to everyone but McGonagall, Sirus jabbed me in the side with his elbow.

"If you don't stop drooling, you're going to have a puddle on your desk," he whispered, sounding amused. "Man, you look like you just won one million galleons. Or were snuck a love potion and fell in love."

"I saw Lily Evans," I whispered back, trying to look inconspicuous. "Why didn't you tell me she was hot?"

Sirius shrugged and winked at me. "Must have just slipped my mind, you know?"

"I doubt it."

"Okay, so maybe I just wanted you to find out for yourself."

"Thanks ever so much," I hissed, just as McGonagall turned her eyes to me, undoubtedly intending to ask me a question about what Remus had just finished reading.

"Mr Potter, is there something you and Mr Black are discussing that you'd like to share with the class?" she demanded, reminding me severely of my least favorite elementary school teacher.

"No, Professor," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks burn as everyone turned to look at me for the second time that class period. "I'm sorry."

"Five points from Gryffindor, Potter," she said with a sigh. "And see me after class." Her eyes darted over to the table where Lily was sitting with two other very attractive girls, who both had dark hair. They were chatting quietly, but instantly hushed when McGonagall looked at them. "You too, Miss Evans."

"Yes, Professor," Lily replied glumly, her voice tinkling like chimes.

You may be saying to yourself, "What a lovesick fool! It's utterly disgusting!" (That's what Sirius said when he discovered I liked Lily.) But I'd just had an epiphany and was completely head-over-heels for that girl! I had a right to be a lovesick fool.

Class ended just a few minutes later and McGonagall dismissed us, but not without assigning homework. Of course, we didn't accept it without a groan and she deducted five points from both Houses. Everybody filed out and soon, the redhead I'd found out was Lily and I were the only ones remaining with the professor.

"What did you want to talk to us about, Professor?" I asked.

"I figured that would be quite obvious," Lily spoke bitterly, standing up from her desk and crossing her arms over her chest.

Before I could open my mouth to respond, McGonagall slammed her wand down on the desk in front of us, then stared at both of us nonchalantly. "Now that I have your attention," she said. "I believe both of you know that you, Miss Evans, will be tutoring Mr Potter in Charms for the next few weeks in order for Mr Potter to be allowed to remain on the House Quidditch team. When and where you will meet for tutoring is completely up to the two of you, although I suggest you meet somewhere out of the line of fire of your prankster friends, James, as well as your talkative friends, Lily, as they would surely interrupt your study sessions. If James' Charms mark is not pulled up to a C or higher, he will be off the team and there will be an additional three weeks of tutoring. I wish you the best of luck in helping him, Miss Evans, and you the best of luck in raising your marks, Mr Potter. I will write an admission note to your professors of your next class, as the tardy bell has undoubtedly rang by now. What is your next class, Miss Evans?" Lily told her and McGonagall picked up her wand and conjured a small slip of parchment. Lily thanked her and walked out of the room, wearing a small frown on her face.

After I received the admission note for Divination, I also thanked the professor. I didn't walk from the room at first, however. "Professor, Lily seems very reluctant to tutor me. Maybe you could find someone else that's more willing," I suggested, all the while praying, No, no, no, don't get somebody different!

McGonagall responded quickly, "I thought of that, but it's in your best interests if you have Miss Evans as a tutor, James. Now if you would please get to Herbology, as I have a meeting with the headmaster to attend. Have a good day." With that, she began to walk from her classroom, the heels of the boots she always wore clicking against the floor.

~*~

It was arranged that Lily and I would meet in the Library on Tuesday night at six o'clock sharp. She made it very clear that if I wasn't in attendance on the dot of six, she would leave and would not wait even a minute for me. I had bit back a few smart ass comments, in fear that she would get angry and refuse to tutor me, and agreed to meet her outside of the Library at five till six. She had just rolled her eyes.

Just to make sure I wasn't late, I told Alexander Roberts, a fifth year Chaser, to take over practice and left at five thirty. After changing out of my perspiration-soaked practice robes, I brushed my hair (like it did much good!) and headed straight to the Library. I was outside the doors at five fifty-seven. Lily Evans, looking just as beautiful as she had in Transfiguration that day, was waiting there for me, her arms crossed over her chest. When I stopped in front of her, she looked almost disappointed.

"Oh, so you're here," she said, uncrossing her arms and bringing a hand up to her face to examine a perfectly polished pink nail.

"Don't sound so excited to see me," I quipped, feeling rather put out. If she didn't want to tutor me, why was she here? There was no reason that she couldn't have told McGonagall that she just didn't feel up to tutoring me... but then again, she was a prefect and the top student of the school, and judging by that, she wasn't one to refuse a request of a professor. But still. She could have at least pretended she was a little bit happy.

"Whatever." Her voice was laced with boredom. "Come on, we don't have all day," she instructed abruptly, grabbing my arm and pulling me through the opened door. A warm welcome was exchanged between her and Madam Pince when we passed the checkout desk, but Madam Pince shot me a death glare. Probably because I didn't go to the Library much, and if I did there was some sort of prank involved. Oh well.

Lily pulled me past many tall bookshelves before making a sharp turn and plunking down at a secluded table that looked as though it hadn't been used in years. And it probably hadn't, considering we'd come to a very dark part of the library where every piece of furniture was caked with dust. What, did she not want to be seen with me? Hell, I should've been the one trying to hide us, not the other way around. After all, she seemed to be a social outcast and I was one of the most popular boys in sixth year, if not all of Hogwarts!

I sat down across the table and stared at her.

And stared.

And stared.

She stared right back at me, only taking short breaks to examine her nails, but then her eyes would dart back up to mine. I then realized how expressive her eyes were. Right then, she looked as though she was weighed down with sadness and was about ready to burst into tears at any second.

And just a second after I realized that, tears began to slowly stream out of her eyes and down her face, leaving a trail in her make-up. She looked down and began wiping her tears away, but she knew I had already seen them and looked back up at me once more.

"What's wrong?" I asked, genuinely worried.

"I don't want to be here," she said plainly, her voice only quivering a little bit.

I was shocked. I had no idea that tutoring me would make her cry. "If you don't want to be here that badly, then don't worry about it." I couldn't help it; my voice had a sharp edge to it.

"It's not you," Lily whispered as she wiped a fresh stream of tears from her eyes. "I was supposed to meet my boyfriend at the lake tonight for our six-month anniversary. It was so unexpected, you know... I had to turn him down because we'd already made arrangements for me to have a session with you tonight, and I just don't back out of things. But he got mad and broke up with me, calling me some nasty names. Six months, out the window, all because I had previous obligations and couldn't make a date!" She sighed.

"If it wasn't for me being stupid at Charms --"

"Oh, it's not your fault!" she exclaimed, reaching across the table and taking my right hand in one of hers. "I mean, if he couldn't make a small, tiny adjustment in order to work with my schedule, then he probably wasn't worth my time. I didn't really see our relationship going anywhere, to tell the truth, so it's probably for the best. I only stayed with him because he's my best friend, Arabella's, cousin and she worked so hard to get us --" Lily stopped and looked up at me, alarmed. "Oh, listen to me! I'm gushing on and on about stuff you couldn't care less about! I'm so sorry!" She dropped my hand and pulled hers into her lap.

"No, it's okay," I told her softly. "I mean, you're upset so you probably couldn't do a very good tutoring job right now. You needed someone to talk to."

A thoughtful look passed across Lily's face before she drew in a quick breath. "You know, about this tutoring business," Lily started, chewing on her bottom lip. "My ex-boyfriend was leaving for the Christmas holidays, so I wouldn't have an escort to the Christmas Ball. I've been searching for someone I could ask that my friends would approve of and all... and I just had this idea."

I was scared to ask what her idea was, although I could take a wild guess and get the gist of what she wanted. "Yes?" I prodded cautiously, watching as her eyes brightened and a smile grew on her face.

"You could take me!"

"I -- uh -- your friends would approve of me?" I stuttered. It wasn't like I was repulsed at her suggestion. In fact, my insides were fluttering about so rapidly I was sure I was about to spontaneously combust.

"Of course they would; you're James Potter," she said, speaking in a tone that said "that's obvious".

"But -- but -- I, uh, thought you hated me. Sirius told me you hated me."

"Hate is such a strong word." Lily waved a hand around. "Utterly dislike is more the case, but you're eligible for a date, am I correct?" I nodded, and she smiled and clapped her hands together. "So it's settled; you'll take me to the Ball!"

"Wait a minute," I protested. "I never said that!"

Lily forced her lips into a pout. "You know, McGonagall said that if you don't pull your marks in Charms up to a C, you are off the Quidditch team."

"What's your point?" I feared the worst.

"If you don't take to the Ball, I won't tutor you." She spoke with such finality that I gave in.

Of course, it didn't hurt that I thought she was hot.

Our "tutoring" session ended just five minutes later, and Lily left me with the promise that we would discuss the Ball the following night.

~*~

"You're taking who to the what?"

Peter sounded so incredulous at my announcement that I had to laugh. Sirius and Remus laughed as well, but it was more a forced "ha ha" kind of laugh than a real one. "Yes, Peter, I'm taking Lily Evans to the Christmas Ball. She asked me last night when she was tutoring me."

"But --" Peter leaned close to me --"she's hot, man."

I shrugged. "It's just one of the perks to failing Charms."

In case you didn't notice, I skillfully avoided telling my friends that I most definitely wasn't her first choice for a date. I probably wasn't even on her list of potential candidates. What mattered was she had eventually asked me to the Ball and that was all they needed to know.

~*~

//end part 1//