The Parents Who Died

The Parents Who Died: Part II of Tale #1

Show Me the Meaning of Bein’ Homely

Have you heard the one about the boy

Who moved into the henhouse to sleep?

He woke up with egg on his face

When he found out all the hens had crossed the street

--the Barenaked Ladies, “The Humour of the Situation”

James Potter was a very good Quidditch player, and great asset to the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Since he had joined as Chaser in his second year, four years before, they’d won every cup. He was fairly good looking, had charm and spunk, and showed no lack of self-confidence. So it was of no surprise that he was, by far, the most eligible bachelor in the school; Sirius Black, cuter than James but no match in Quidditch skills, fell a close second.

Girls tagged along with them everywhere, and though the numbers had decreased quite dramatically when James and Kaye Song had started going out, one could always spot a girl mingling along with the famous trouble-making bachelors of Hogwarts: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and, sadly, the clumsy Peter Pettigrew.

Lily Evans found this quite disgusting, as the thought of a girl bowing to a cute guy’s wishes annoyed her, even though she was on friendly conditions with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. But at Quidditch matches, it was all Lily could do not to gag. 

All girls but Slytherins (though some couldn’t hold back near the end of the matches) brought banners that said “Potter for President” and “Black is the Best” that they waved around while giggling madly.

At these times, Lily steamed silently while glaring at James and Sirius.

The Quidditch match this particular evening was Gryffindor against Hufflepuff, and Lily would have skipped it if she, herself, hadn’t been a valuable player. She was Keeper.

The game was at seven, so Lily left the common room at six forty-five with her teammates. They were all bundled up in sweaters, as it was quite chilly out in late November. In a small huddle, they headed down the corridors. 

“This game’s going to be a piece of cake,” Nicki Bell commented to Lily. She was a short fifth year girl with cinnamon skin and long dirty blond hair pulled back in a tight French braid. Though she didn’t look it, Nicki was a better Beater than even Sirius. “Hufflepuff bufflepuff.”

Lily laughed. “I’m sure you’ll scare them all away with that.”

“I know,” said Nicki, crystal eyes glinting. She threw her hair over her shoulder. “I’m going to be sure to hit Amos Diggory with the Bludger.”

“What’d he do now?”

“Nothing,” said Nicki. “And that’s just it.”

A blast of cold air slipped in through the front door as Julie Sparks pushed it open. The team ambled through easily, though James Potter made sure to let the door fall on Lily Evans. Nicki, luckily, to the notion along with Lily to curse him, and James’s hair was the color of Lily’s as they headed to the Quidditch field. He didn’t even notice.

“Hey, Potter, want me to get the fire extinguisher from the building?” Lily asked seriously. 

Nicki giggled. “Yeah. You really need it.”

James shot them a confused look over his shoulder. He looked positively awful with red hair. It clashed with every bit of him, from his skin to his eyes to his glasses.

“I don’t get it,” he said.

“Oh, you wouldn’t,” said Lily with a grin. “It’s a crying, weepy girl thing.”

“What?”

Lily didn’t answer, just slipped past him. Not before reaching up (he was a good bit taller than her) and rubbing his hair, though, with Nicki following. Skipping ahead of the rest of the team, they entered the locker room falling over with giggles.

“What?” James wondered. He reached up and touched his head. “Sirius!”

Sirius, busy flirting with Julie, hadn’t noticed his friend’s hair yet. But when he turned and caught sight of it, he shrieked with laughter. “Love the hair, Prongs m’dear.”

James ran his hands through his hair. “What’s wrong with it?” he asked worriedly.

“What? The Lily color isn’t deliberate?” Sirius asked innocently.

“What are you on about?” James snapped impatiently.

“Prongs, buddy,” Sirius said sadly, placing a friendly hand on James’s shoulder. “Buddy you’ve been had.”

“Huh?”

“You’re hair is red.”

“No. Lily’s hair is red,” James pointed out.

“Well, so is yours.”

James stared. “You’re joking.”

“No, Prongs, bud, I’m not,” said Sirius solemnly with sparkling eyes that clashed with his expression.

There was a moment of silence in which James stared blankly at Sirius and Sirius stared blankly back and Julie Sparks and Casey Baker, the other players still outside, tried not to giggle, as they all waited for James’s reaction.

He burst out laughing. “I love it,” he gasped.

“What? Your hair?” Sirius wondered.

“No! You!” James said happily.

“Excuse me?”

“No! Not you! Her!” Quickly correcting himself, James was laughing so hard he had to lean on his knees for support. 

“You love Lily?”

“No!” James snapped. 

“Then what do you love?”

“Nothing!” James cried, twirling around and skipping off to the door of the locker room.

Sirius looked around at Julie and Casey. “He’s my friend,” he explained.

Julie and Casey looked at each other. They grinned.

“Oh,” they said. “That explains it.”

~^~^~

With damp hair and high spirits, Lily made her way through the cold night air to the castle with Padmavati and Frank. She felt clean and refreshed after both a good match (in which she let no balls by, thank you very much) and a hot shower. The rest of the team, with the exception of Casey Baker (who’d run off somewhere with her boyfriend immediately following the game), were still in the locker room singing a song led by Sirius Black and James Potter.

Lily had left instantly thereafter and joined Frank and Padmavati, who were waiting for her by the locker room door, to trek on to the castle, and, most likely, a celebration for their victory.

“That was an awesome game, Lil,” Frank gushed. “You were spectacular.”

“Thanks,” Lily said, grinning. “Be sure to add that to my record books so I can tell my grandkids.”

“Pat and I are meeting in the library at ten,” said Padmavati off-handedly. “For a candle-lit- study date.”

Lily rolled her eyes.

“Who gives a da—?” Frank started.

“I do,” snapped Padmavati. “He’s my soul mate, I should know ” She sighed. “We have the same shoes ”

Lily squinted at her. “He has pink tennies too?”

“No! I’m talking boots, here.”

“He has platforms?” Lily snorted. “Poor boy.”

Padmavati sighed. “I pity your intelligence or, should I say, lack thereof ” She swerved out of Lily’s slapping range, giggling. “Anyway, I hear you and a certain Cha-ser,” she sang, “have a hot date tonight after the Quidditch match celebration.”

Not for the first time in her life, Lily was at a loss for a grand comeback. “Hot date?” she repeated lamely, trying to sound cool. “Yeah, right. My God, how could they pair me up with Potter?”

“He had red hair!” Padmavati giggled. “He likes you so much he dyed his hair red!”

“Actually,” Lily said, “me and Nicki dyed his hair red for him.”

Both Padmavati and Frank stared.

“So he’ll most likely want to kill me.”

More staring.

“What?”

“A perfectly cute guy,” Padmavati whispered. “And you torture him ”

“No wonder you don’t have a boyfriend,” Frank said, laughing.

Lily groaned. “Why is it that, suddenly, James and I are the most likely couple in the school?”

“Because you’re so obviously made for each other.”

“Honey,” Lily said, grabbing Padmavati’s shoulders. “Sweetheart? Darling? Dear? The day James Potter is made for me will be the day I cry on his shoulder.”

“Ooh, so romantic,” Frank teased.

“And there is no way in the great big blue that’s going to happen,” Lily finished in satisfaction. 

“So you’re telling me that if you ever cry on someone’s shoulder you’re in love with him?” Padmavati suggested tentatively.

Lily laughed, hopping up the steps and pushing her way into the school. “Yeah. Whatever you say.” She looked around at them. “But I hate Potter. He’s the most annoying, perverted guy in the school. He thinks he’s funny. He’s arrogant and conceited. He flirts with other girls when he has a girlfriend. He stole my grade. He picks on my hair.” She paused. “The day I cry on his shoulder will be the day my world ends.”

She went inside.

~^~^~

The celebration party ended around 10:30 p.m. Early, for this Gryffindor House, especially considering it was a Friday night. But a Hufflepuff victory had been expected, and as they hadn’t beaten down any Slytherins in the process, they weren’t overly ecstatic, and most people were just plain tired. 

So the common room began emptying as people wandered off to bed, and soon it was just sixth and seventh years left.

Lily sat in a corner with Frank, playing wizard chess, a game she was quite fond of yet quite bad at. She held her chin in her hand and stared, hard, as the board, as if forcing the best strategy to come to her. Frank was a master at this game. He could beat anyone, anytime at least, this year he could.

Last year, Arthur Weasley had beaten him every time. But as Arthur had graduated the year before, Frank was the master now.

Frank leaned back easily in his chair, looking at Lily with a straight face and wide, innocent blue eyes. His blond hair fluttered around in the slight breeze coming from a vent above. His hands lay, crossed, over his lap, and his lips twitched every now and then (when Lily let out steam by yelling at her figures) into a smile.

“If I move there ” Lily muttered. She fingered her king. “He’ll get me But if I move there ”

“Move your pawn,” a voice whispered in her ear. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and lizards slipped down her back. “You can take his knight that way.”

She looked around her shoulder, though this wasn’t necessary, as she’d recognized the voice. James Potter stood by her pouf, leaning over her shoulder to study the chessboard. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, and he wore a rare look of thought and intelligence on his face. If he looked like that all the time, it would have been easy to believe he was smart. But he normally was grinning and teasing, so it was much more easy to believe him dumb.

“Why should I?” she said stiffly. “How do I know you’re not lying ?”

“Use your eyes,” James suggested. He winked. “They’re big enough.”

Before doing this, though, Lily decided to slap him. This done (James yelped and wheeled back), Lily turned to the board and realized that James was right.

Frank nervously wet his lips, sitting up a bit.

Lily moved her pawn to take Frank’s knight.

Letting out a tremendous string of curse words, the knight glared at Lily and galloped off the board. Frank looked shocked and uneasy.

“What? No thank you?” James was back, undaunted, hint untaken, and a big red mark on his left cheek. 

“No,” Lily said evenly. “You lost it by that comment.”

“It could’ve been worse,” James said solemnly. “I could have made a comment about your shapely butt—”

SLAP.

“Ow.”

“Go away,” Lily said through clenched teeth.

James smiled at her in a sympathetic way. “It’s that time of month again, isn’t it?”

SLAP.

“Ouch.”

“Go away,” she hissed, trying to concentrate on her match. Frank had a strange gleam in his eyes as he watched the two of them interact, and she feared that the next morning at breakfast she’d never hear the end.

“No, Evans, m’dear, no can do,” said James with that same sympathy.

Frank took three of her pieces. “Ahah!” he cried.

“Why won’t you go away?” snapped Lily.

“Because we have a project date,” James said, grinning. “I’m not one to be stood up.”

She made a really bad move, and the next second Frank had every single one of her pieces and she only had one of his. “Augh,” she moaned. “I suck at this game.”

“And I am the master,” said Frank. He stood, stretched, and got together the set. “Good game, Lily.”

Lily narrowed her eyes.

“I think I’ll retire now,” he went on, eyeing James, who sat, without consent, on the arm of Lily’s chair, legs crossed in a feminine, mocking way, and arms crossed over his chest, glaring at everyone through pouting lips.

Lily jabbed her elbow into his thigh. “No, please, don’t leave me.”

“Oh, but I’m so tired,” said Frank, eyes wide and innocent. “Sorry, Lily. But I’d better get to bed.”

“No, Frankie,” Lily wailed. She grabbed his arm. “Don’t leave me ”

James, still acting deaf and femininely pissed, ignored them.

Frank pulled his arm away. “Good night, Lily,” he said with a grin. He strolled off, skipping every few steps.

“Nooo,” Lily moaned. She gave a mighty shove on James’s side and set him flying.

“Whoa, Evans,” James said, laughing. “If you want me so bad, just say it.”

She slapped him again.

He grinned, and, finally, acting his age, plopped down on the pouf across from Lily. His legs were way too long for this short table, and his knees banged against the top. He looked cramp, but feigned comfort, weaving his long fingers together on the tabletop (he had very nice hands, Lily thought, didn’t much match his personality, though). He would have looked serious if his eyes hadn’t sparkled behind his glasses and had his hair not fallen over those eyes in a childish sort of way.

“Do you have the papers?” he asked. “The objectives?”

Lily bent over and heaved her bag onto the desk. She shuffled through it, with James studying her, until she retrieved a manila folder with their jobs in it. She placed it neatly on the table and scooted her bag out of her way. “Yes,” she said, brandishing them.

“Lemme see ‘em.” He snatched them from her.

“Watch it,” she snapped. “You’ll tear them.”

James just arched an eyebrow at her as he opened the folder. It was then that Lily realized that she hadn’t yet looked in it herself yet, and though dreadfully curious, she didn’t want to scoot any closer to James in order to read with him.

No need for that, though. James had such a big mouth he decided to read it aloud.

“Objective number one,” he read, letting his glasses slide to the end of his nose like reading glasses. “‘Who is Lord Voldemort?’”

Lily blinked at him. He’d just said Voldemort’s name. As far as she’d known, she was the only one brave enough to do that. But James just had, and he hadn’t paused or flinched either.

She found herself looking at him in a different light. A slightly different light.

“Two: ‘What is the Dark Side?’” James gave a derisive snort and looked up at Lily. “What kind of question is that?”

Lily shrugged.

“‘Three: What would one joined the Dark Side for? Discuss ulterior motives, feelings, and reasons for such a turn. Explain. Go in depth.’ Hmm Maybe for some hot witches?” James chuckled appreciatively at himself.

“So you wouldn’t join, right?” a high-pitched voice asked. 

Lily and James looked up simultaneously.

Kaye Song, black, straight shoulder-length hair shiny with glitter, sidled up to James’s pouf. Her black eyes sparkled promiscuously at him as she took his head in her hands and ran her piano-hands over it lightly. “You already have your hot witch.”

“Damn straight,” James said gruffly, nodding. 

Kaye giggled, plopping down in James lap. He kissed her.

“Oh, get a room,” Lily snapped.

James pulled back and grinned at Lily. “We just had one.”

Lily raised an eyebrow.

Kaye slapped him lightly. “Oh, Jamie-poo, you’re such a cutie.” She giggled.

James smiled in a silly way at her. “And you’re so sexy.”

Kaye giggled even more.

Lily gagged.

Catching sight of this, James raised an eyebrow. “Do we disgust you so, Evans?”

Kaye looked up with interest.

“Yes.”

James grinned. “I guess I’ll be polite ” He gave Kaye a slight push off him and she stood up by him, pouting. “I have to work on my project,” James explained. 

She sniffed. “Is that more important to you than me?”

“No, of course not,” James said seriously. “But Lily will kill me if I don’t work. See? She’s shooting daggers at me right now So if you value my life, I beg you to let me work.”

Kaye smiled, bent, kissed him with a great flourish, and straightened. “’Kay. Nighty night, Jamie-poo,” she said, giggling.

She skittered off to the staircase leading up to the girl’s dormitories, leaving Lily and James alone with the fire.

“Jamie-poo?” Lily repeated shrilly. “Jamie-poo? Oh my God.”

James looked slightly sheepish. “She kisses good and she has a nice chest,” he offered.

Lily’s eyes were slits. “Is that all you care about?”

A thoughtful look passed across his face. “Yep,” he said. “Just about.”

“You disgust me,” Lily said, making a face. She gathered together her things, seizing the folder from James’s grasp and placing it neatly into her bag in the process. She threw is over her shoulder and started leaving without another word.

“Hey!” James cried. “What about the project?”

“What about it?”

“You can’t just leave like that!”

Lily turned up her nose. “Watch me.”

She swept haughtily from the room, leaving James sitting, a solitary figure, by the fire.

He wasn’t grinning. He didn’t look at all amused.

For once in his life, he was the actual James Potter inside.

And it was only because no one was there to see him mourn a hidden loss.