Chapter Four: Pay Attention!

*James cracked his knuckles and grimaced. He hated it when he had to, but sometimes his hands were so tired form writing with that quill that he had to- or face dire consequences. An auror without hands was a useless auror to be sure. Looking down at the stack of papers, he blinked. Auror work was not what he had expected. What he had expected was brilliant adventures, fighting evil face to face, and capturing Death Eaters and bringing them to justice. And now, here he was, sitting at his desk, with mounds and mounds of paperwork. His eyes were so heavy… all he wanted to do was fall asleep.

“James Potter!” He groaned.

“I’m busy.” He gruffly stated, burying his head below the papers.

“Now, now James! You’re too busy for little old me?”

“Ms. Skeeter. I’ve told you time and time again. We here in the Defense Against Dark Arts Department do not have time to fool around answering your questions.”

“Hmm.” She turned to her quill. “James Potter is a little touchy…” He sighed and read what the quill had copied onto the scroll.

“James Potter, one of the top aurors here in our Ministry’s Defense Against Dark Arts Department, lashes out against reporter in a violent temper. He comments that he will never share information on the safety precautions being taken, nor about the whereabouts of that horrible He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

“Ms. Skeeter.” She looked up and smiled charmingly at James. He fought the urge to groan- lord only knows what the quill might take that noise down to mean.

“Yes Mr. Potter?” She chirped.

“I’m sorry, but I thought that the Ministry had made it very clear, those quills are absolutely forbidden within this building.”

“Oh James! The Ministry doesn’t bother with me! I’m just a little old nobody here!”

“With a big mouth.” He muttered. “Look.” His voice grew louder again. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave. I have great deal of work to get done-boring paperwork- and having your pretty face around will be too distracting, so if you don’t mind…?” When in doubt, flattery always worked on women like Rita Skeeter. Thank God Lily wasn’t like that!

“Oh Mr. Potter!” She giggled. “Well, when you put it that way… I suppose my face might be a little distracting to you! Shame on you, what with you being engaged and hitting on me and all!” She laughed again, wagging her finger in front of him. He had to grin at her stupidity.

“Yes, shame on me. Please, Rita…”

“Alright then, I’ll leave. But I’ll be back, rest assured!” As soon as she was gone, he growled. She’d be back? Heaven help them all!

“James Potter!” This time James jumped at his desk. This voice was not Rita Skeeter’s annoyingly high pitched and whiny voice, but a deep, very angry voice.

“Sirius? Look, whatever I’ve done that’s wrong, I’ll deal with it later. I’ve got all this paperwork to finish and…”

“Damn that paperwork you pompous idiot!” Sirius yelled, waving his wand. James’s quill went flying from his hand, and the papers scattered about the desk.

“Sirius! You mutt! I had just finished organizing those!”

“Tough. You should have given them page numbers then. The way you did to Lily.”

“What are you going off about? I’ve never given Lily a number.”

“You so much as told her to take a number and wait in line if she wanted to speak to you! In my opinion, they’re the same thing.”

“You’re flipped. I never told Lily that.”

“You didn’t have to say it. Body language is everything.”

“Sirius, I don’t have time for this.”

“You don’t have time for anything anymore James! Let’s face it! You don’t have time for me, you don’t have time for Remus or Peter- and Peter disappeared two weeks ago, some friend- you don’t have time to prank anymore, or to laugh, you don’t have time to eat dinner, or talk to Ara, or sleep, and know something? You don’t have any time for Lily, your fiancé either!”

“You blockhead! I have plenty of time for Lily. That’s where I was last night, remember? She made me dinner.”

“Did she sit with you?”

“She was tired, she went to bed!”

“You were over an hour late!”

“A mistake. Anyone could have made it. I just lost track of time is all.”

“Okay. So that’s why she’s so upset about it?” James took off his glasses and began to rub the glass with a corner of his robe.

“Sirius, Lily is not upset! She understands perfectly well how important this job is to me. She knows.”

“Keep telling yourself that James. This isn’t the first time you’ve done this, you know, but it is the worst of all the other times you have. She’s not going to stand for it much longer James.”

“Shove off Si. She isn’t mad. Lily doesn’t get mad.”

“Fine. Look here. Maybe I’m wrong. But maybe I’m right. Why don’t you just call her and ask her out to dinner, just incase. That way you can make it up to her, or at least surprise her.”

“Is that all you want? If I make reservations at some restaurant, will you leave me in peace?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. I’ll make reservations and then take Lily out tonight.”

“Now.”

“Now?” James gulped.

“Write her and leave send it off now. That way I know you’ll go through with it.”

“Alright then.” James placed his glasses back on over his coffee eyes and brought out a new quill. Quickly he scratched out an invite to Lily for dinner that evening. “You want to give this to her, or should I send it with an owl?”

“Owl. I have to get to work myself.”

“Right.” He whistled, and his owl, Entrepreneur, flew into his office through the open window. He tied the message to his owl’s leg, and then sent him off, whispering that he was to go to Lily.

“Good. Don’t forget about it tonight James. Or it might be the biggest mistake of your life.” James gave up a short laugh.

“Sure Padfoot.” Sirius shook his head, but he had done all he could do. He had done what he had promised Ara he would, and all he could hope was that James listened to him.

>>>)(<<<

Lily had just returned home to her apartment and taken off her coat when the owl began to knock at her window. Recognizing the markings on the owl, her heart soared. James! James wanted to speak to her! He was thinking about her! She couldn’t possibly describe how wonderful she felt. It was as if it was the first time James had told her he loved her. The fresh feeling of being loved and wanted made her warm and giddy, and knowing it was James made her heart flutter and her stomach turn with anticipation. James!

Quickly she flung open the window and let the owl in. Petting it and whispering words of praise, she gave it a little water before she finally untied the letter and unrolled the scroll. The scratchy lettering was a little hard to read- she knew James had written it in haste, but didn’t mind much- but when she deciphered the writing, she began to twirl around.

Dinner tonight! He wanted to take her out to dinner tonight. He must have known she had been unhappy with his actions the night before and decide to make it up to her! Oh, how could she have ever doubted him? James was James! He loved her!

“Hey Lily! Why are you so happy? Inventing a new dance?” Ara entered their apartment and shut the door behind her.

“No! James is taking me out to dinner!” She squealed.

“He is?” She asked surprised. Sirius must have gotten to James quicker than she had though he would.

“Yes, is he is! And to think, I was just telling Hagrid how I was sure James didn’t love me anymore, and how I wanted to leave the wizarding world…”

“Well, I guess James has great timing then, doesn’t he?”

“He’s great!” Lily collapsed on their couch. “Hey Ara?”

“Hmm?” Her friend joined her.

“Remember at Hogwarts when you were getting ready for that ball, and I did your makeup? When we were seventh years?”

“Sure I do.”

“Do you remember what we were talking about while I was working?”

“No, not really.”

“I do. I remember, we were talking about you and Si, and how he had confessed his love for you, and how he had gotten into so much trouble because he had, well, whatever that bet he made for Snape was. Remember?”

“Vaguely. I remember you didn’t believe in love.”

“And you said it was like a fairy tale.”

“I do remember that.”

“Well, that’s how I feel right now. I feel like I’m living in a fairy tale I’m so happy. And to think, I was worried that James didn’t love me anymore!” She gave a short laugh. “Pretty crazy, huh?”

“Crazy.”

“Hey Ara, what’s wrong? You seem a little down.”

“Oh, Lils. Its just… look. I had a chat with Sirius this morning.”

“About?”

“Nothing in particular. We just had breakfast.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad. Why are you so sad?”

“Lils, remember when Si and I broke up? How we decided we were just too, brotherly/sisterly for each other?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I have to say. For the first time in a long time, when I saw Sirius today, he wasn’t just my brother. I felt so… attracted to him I guess.”

“Ara…” Lily breathed. “Does this mean you’ll be getting back together?”

“No. I mean, it’s Sirius! Even if I did think he was more handsome, and that his eyes had such a dangerous glint, and that his hair was just so… well, even if I thought all that, he still sees me as just Arabella Figg, his ex.”

“Somehow, Ara, I don’t think that’s how he sees you. I mean, it’s been a while since I was an observer, but even I can still see the attraction between you two. It’s blatantly obvious.”

“But he’s… always dating other witches, and he never compliments me any more, and he…”

“Maybe so. But I still see him looking at you. His eyes linger too long for him to be simply glancing. He misses you too.”

“I wish.”

“It seems like both of us have had it with our men, huh?” Lily tried to smile. But she felt guilty at the fact that at least she had her man.

“Yeah, I guess so. I’m going to take a bath. I’ll see you when you get back from your date tonight, alright Lils?”

“Okay.” And Lily turned around and looked into her closet. What should she wear? *

~~~Hello all! I’m terribly sorry about this taking so long- I finished my first real novel, and I was so wrapped up in it and getting it ready to send to a publisher that I neglected other works. But I’m back, so let’s do this! Lol! Much love, Vixen~~~