I'm so glad that we shall be writing to each other. It'll be good to be able to talk to someone honestly. You probably realise that men don't share much between each other.
As for your problems with 'a certain Mr Potter' I wouldn't worry. He's terrified of you really.
In answer to your question… I am not sure if I prefer the studies of Defence Against the Dark Arts or Potions. I am of course, able at each – although I do not wish to sound boatful, because I assure you I wish not to be – and each have their own merits. Both subjects fascinate me. Potions, of course, are a vast subject. From healing potions to poisons, and from Felix Felicis to the darkest of mind-bending concoctions – they are all so mysterious and yet fathomable.
And yet the Dark Arts hold yet more mystery and intrigue… it is a subject that however much I study, I can only skim the surface. There is little more I can say on the subject.
Ok, now it must be my turn to ask you a question. So, who is your best friend?
"I do not," muttered Lily at Jenni across the Gryffindor breakfast table.
"You do so!" exclaimed Jenni.
"We've been fighting since five in the morning," yawned Lily, "If I did don't know thing I'd have admitted it by now?"
"Are you ladies fighting over me again?" sighed Sirius, thumping down next to Jenni and reaching for toast, "I told you ladies, I'm simply far too good for both of you. Well maybe I could see you both on the side," he added with a wink.
"Yeah right!" laughed Jenni, "While Lily may feel the need to snog you every three minutes, I do not. And for another thing-"
"Hey!" interrupted Lily, "That was just to annoy Potter."
"And it worked my Lily flower," said James, "But now I really think it's my turn for a kiss. You even kissed Peter."
"Well he is so much nicer when he's all scrubbed up and shiny," smiled Lily, indicating Peter who was seated on the other side of Sirius, still in his new state of cleanliness, "But fine then Potter; it's your lucky day. Close your eyes."
James, stupidly, closed his eyes obligingly and puckered up. He quickly snapped his eyes open again when he heard everyone laughing at him. Conjuring up a mirror, he was horrified to find that Lily had transfigured his head into a large square of chocolate.
"Who can take a sunrise? Sprinkle it in dew. Cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two? The Candyman!" Sirius began to sing – loudly. Remus joined in for the chorus, "Oh the Candyman can! The Candyman can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good!"
James turned very red – or at least he would've done if he hadn't had a very brown face due to the milk chocolate it had transfigured into. As the entire Great Hall (and even Dumbledore) burst into song, Lily took pity on James, and was about to transfigure his head back to usual, when into the hall swept a hundred owls. When the whiff of fresh chocolate reached them, they dive bombed James, and he ran screaming from the hall to roars of laughter.
"Err… Peter…" asked Remus after the laughter had died down, "Where did you get that chocolate?"
Lily found James eating himself in the Seventh Year Boys' Dormitory.
"Don't, that's going to hurt," she said, transforming his head back to its normal shape. Unfortunately there was a small problem.
"James," said Lily slowly, "You know how those owls – and Peter – ate some of your head? Well it's caused a bit to be missing from your own head…"
"What is it?" asked James anxiously.
"I'll tell you when we're in potions brewing you a remedy," said Lily firmly, grabbing James by the wrist, "I think the shock might kill you. Put on a hat."
Luckily they met no-one on the way, although James was set to murder Lily by the time they reached the dungeons, since she still wouldn't tell him what was wrong. Then the pair of them had the misfortune to find Snape sitting in the dungeon, mixing his own potion in a cauldron.
"Dear god Potter!" he exclaimed, "Where the hell is your hair? You're almost completely bald!"
James gave a high-pitched scream and conjured up a mirror. Seeing his egg-like head, he gave an even higher-pitched scream and ran around the dungeon in panic.
"Shut up Potter!" yelled Lily, setting a fire under a cauldron and throwing in some ingredients, "Stand still, the hair replacement potion is a simple one."
"Don't give him his hair back yet Evans," pleaded Snape, "He looks so wonderfully ridiculous."
"Get lost Snape!" snapped Lily, adding the final ingredient and stirring it quickly, "Come here James and dunk you head in that – but close your eyes and don't swallow any!"
James was so eager to get back his hair that he overturned Snape's half-finished potion on the way. The potion on Snape caused him to develop painful boils, and Snape fell to the floor screaming and clutching an area that James didn't like to think about developing painful boils on.
"I'm sorry," apologised James, feeling happy as hair re-grew on his head.
"Stupid… bastard…" squealed Snape in pain, attempting to hex James. James just laughed and grabbed Lily's hand to keep her away from the evil red potion and swept her from the dungeon in pride. When they entered the halls however, James became very conscious of the fact they were holding hands and, remembering his pledge to get over Lily, dropped hands at once. This was not quickly enough to stop Jenni seeing though, and she quickly mouthed at Lily, 'You so love him'.
James missed this, and therefore was quite surprised when Lily transfigured Jenni into a toad.
"My dear McKenzie!" exclaimed Sirius, transforming Jenni back to her human self.
He gently took her arm to check if she was ok, but she took it away quickly saying, "Hands off the material Black."
"Honestly Padfoot, you're about as bad as James," muttered Remus.
In a mood of graciousness, Lily had let the Marauders join her and Jenni in the Heads' Common Room. She supposed it was probably only fair though, since James was Head Boy.
"Have you actually done any Head Boy activities yet James? Or do you just spend all your free time thinking up ways to get detention?" she laughed as they all once more mocked James for being the worst Head Boy ever. Never had a previous Head Boy had thirteen detentions – in one week.
"I'm not badly behaved; I'm just interested in the effects of certain deeds. You could call them experiments," James attempted to justify himself.
"Ha!" laughed Jenni, "You'd have to be as mad as Dumbledore to think that – which is the only reason you haven't been chucked out so far…"
"Shut up McKenzie," sulked James, earning a threatening look from Sirius, who seemed to have developed a heavy love interest in his classmate.
"Wormtail seems to have found the Firewhiskey we hid last week," said Remus suddenly, and everyone turned to look at Peter who did seem to be wobbling unnecessarily. Suddenly he toppled over on the sofa and began to snore. James eased the bottle from his hand.
"Looks like Peter has developed a taste for Mr. Daniel's Extra Strong Firewiskey," chuckled James.
"Mr. Daniels?" asked Sirius in alarm, "Wormtail's going to be out for a month!"
They sat in silence for a few moments, listening to Peter's snores. Finally Remus broke in with, "Usually Prongs, this is where you break the silence by asking Lily out and then she kills you."
"Yeah, what's with that James?" asked Jenni, with a wink in Lily's direction, "Aren't you missing the love of your life?"
"Err… well you see I don't fancy Lily anymore," said James, feeling rather embarrassed. Remus's, Sirius's, Jenni's and even Lily's mouths all hung open.
"What?" gasped Sirius hoarsely after a moment, "But you were just joking about that mate! Weren't you?"
"No," said James confidently, "I haven't asked her out in over a week."
Lily quickly counted her James-free days and realised this was true. She had expected to feel elated at the prospect of a free existence, but to be honest she felt a little empty. Not that she would ever have admitted that to anyone. As far as she was concerned, Lily and James were like oil and water – they would never mix.
"Well…" Lily said uncertainly, "Well good."
James nodded at her with a smile, but he had an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He didn't want to do this. But he would, because he loved Lily, and if friends were all they could ever be, then he loved her enough to let it stay that way. He wanted to be as close to her as possible.
Lily still felt a bit uncomfortable, so she quickly changed the subject, "I assume McGonagall or Dumbledore has told you that we will be arranging the Halloween Senior Party?"
"Party?" asked Sirius quickly, his ears naturally attracted to any words that could result in him getting lucky (which he did more often that not).
"Yes, I know we don't usually get one at Halloween," nodded Lily, "Just at Christmas. But this year with so much going on, Professor Dumbledore decided we would do well to have some recreation."
"Something to take peoples' minds off the Death Eater for a while," shrugged James, "But yeah, Dumbledore told me a couple of days ago."
"Right well good stuff," said Lily attempting to smile, "Well since it's a nice night I'm going for a walk." With that she got up and walked calmly out the portrait hole.
Everyone looked at each other, but no-one knew what was going on.
"What the bloody hell was that about?" demanded Sirius.
Lily sat in her usual place under the tree and composed her reply to HBP.
I would like to tell you that my personal favourite subject is Charms. I like everything about it. I'm good at Potions, but sometimes Professor Slughorn gets on my nerves, what with his 'slug club' and all! It's really interesting to hear you talk about Potions and Defence; you talk about them both with such passion. I think it's really cute how you like it so much – it certainly makes a change from Potter and Black and even Jenni who dislike most subjects because they actually have to work.
And as to your question, my best friend is Jenni - well and Alex, but she doesn't come to Hogwarts anymore. Anyway I'm not going to write much since I'm really pissed off, but don't worry it's not at you. But hey… what's your pet peeve?
Lily read over her letter quickly and nodded – it would do.
She looked up from her letter and straight into the hazel eyes of a man watching her. He was about twenty five, and Lily felt an immediate familiarity with him that almost scared her, as she was sure she'd never laid eyes on him in her life.
"Who are you?" she asked quietly, quickly looking around, but there was no-one in sight. Everyone else was snuggled up in their respective Common Rooms.
He didn't answer though, and turned to walk away, but Lily got to her feet, her beautiful red hair streaming out behind her as she ran to catch up with him.
"How do I know you?" she demanded, "Who are you?"