Chapter 2

                                    

                                          


                          
The next few days went by in a very similar fashion. Lily would stay with Marlene, and Marlene would eat, and sleep and talk more. Almost a week went by and Marlene was getting just about as good as she could be, considering all that has happened to her. On Monday, Lily coaxed Marlene out of her room and they ate breakfast downstairs.
                          
"Look you rose from the dead," Sirius said as they came into the Potter's ironically small kitchen for the size of their home. James hit his best friend up the back of the head. "Watch it!"
                          
James rolled his eyes and the two girls sat down at the table. Lily sat between James and Marlene. "I'm glad that you are down here," James told Marlene. For some reason Lily felt a large swell of pride for James. They made eye contact and Lily gave him an appreciative smile. Lily wasn't 100% sure of what she saw, but she was pretty sure he blushed.
                          
"Let's do something fun today," Marlene said. "I need a distraction." Marlene noticeably didn't make eye contact with any of them. She looked down at her bagel and started ripping it. 
                          
Lily pouted out her lip a little. "Of course we can. We will do anything you want."
                          
James and Sirius raised their eyebrows at each other. Marlene's head snapped up and she had a huge grin on her face.
                          
"No," Lily insisted. "No, no, no, no, no. I will not."
                          
"Oh, come on Lils," Marlene complained. "You said ANYTHING I want."
                          
"And she wants to play quidditch," Sirius insisted. Marlene nodded her head vigorously in agreement.
                          
James chuckled at Lily's misfortune and Lily glared at him. "This isn't fair all of you play quidditch," Lily complained. It was true Marlene, Sirius, and James all played quidditch on the gryffindor team. James had even become the captain last year.
                          
"Yeah," James agreed. He didn't seem bothered by that idea though.
                          
"Since James is, well I hate to say it, but he is the best player," Marlene admitted.
                          
"Hey-" Sirius started, but Marlene put up a hand to silence him.
                          
"It's true. That means that he is stuck with Lily," Marlene explained. 
                          
"Yep," Sirius agreed quickly. James let out a long groan that sounded a bit like a sigh. Lily was a notoriously bad quidditch player.
                          
"Hey," Lily said, a little bit hurt. "I'm not that bad."
                          
"Lily," James said. "You know that, I will always support you." Lily rolled her eyes. "But, yes, you are that bad." Lily scoffed.
                          
She had promised that she would do whatever Marlene wanted to do, so they went into the Potter's expansive backyard. Lily changed into a pair of red leggings and matching sports bra with a muggle football jersey over it. Marlene changed into an almost exact replica of Lily's outfit, but in navy blue and her gryffindor jersey. 
                          
"Let's play!" Marlene sounded excited. Lily really did not want to crush Marlene's happy spirit because it had been the first time she had smiled in days, but Lily really hated flying. The girls walked downstairs and outside to where the boys were already standing with four brooms in hand.
                          
"How long does it take you two to get ready?" Sirius complained.
                          
"Almost as long as it does for you do to your hair," Marlene clapped back. Sirius rolled his eyes,but handed Marlene the broom in his left hand. She took it and stepped to his left side. 
                          
James held out the broom in his right hand. Lily nodded grimly and stepped to his side. Lily looked across the large opening. It seemed as though they had conjured rings into the sky to serve as hoops. She thought that it was pretty well done. 
                          
She and James walked to the far side of their makeshift field. "Um, James," Lily said hesitantly.
                          
"Yeah," James inquired.
                          
"Three things. Number one, you have been really cool since I got here."
                          
"I'm always cool," he told her.
                          
Lily tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. "Of course you are," Lily said sarcastically. "But seriously. You've been really great, like not hitting on me or anything."
                          
"Don't jinx it," he told her with a careless shrug. Lily let out a light laugh and James smiled. "What is the second thing?"
                          
"If you ever need anyone to talk to about your aunt and uncle..."
                          
"Evans," James said. "I'm fine." Lily looked at him pityingly. 
                          
"I'm serious Lily. I promise," James looked sincere so Lily dropped it. He raised his eyebrows as if asking her what the third thing was.
                          
"Three, I have never played quidditch," Lily told him quickly and honestly.
                          
He laughed at her until he realized that she wasn't kidding. "Seriously Lily?"
                          
"Um, yeah" Lily said guiltily. "I barely know how to fly." He started to laugh at her. "I mean, I know all of the ideas and stuff. I have seen a bunch of games when we are at Hogwarts. I have just never played," she told him blushing.
                          
"Because you hate flying," James finished.
                          
"Yeah," Lily said guiltily.
                          
"Don't worry about it," James told Lily. "I play well enough for both of us." lily scoffed, but did not comment. She knew that he was a great quidditch player, best in their year for sure. Although Lily was not 100% certain that he could beat out the second and third best players in their year with her help. 
                          
"If you say so," Lily said unconvinced.
                          
Lily and James looked across the field. Lily couldn't see that well because of the sun. But when she shielded her eyes she saw Sirius and Marlene, with their arms wrapped around each other. She couldn't make out either of their faces. She was confused until she heard James start wolf whistling at them. Then Lily gasped loudly and covered her mouth as soon as she heard the sound she had made. Marlene and Sirius broke apart from their kiss and Marlene looked more red than Lily's hair.
                          
Lily looked at James with her mouth hanging open. James looked back at her and he started to laugh very hard. "Did you know?" Lily asked.
                          
"Not for sure," James admitted. "But I had a feeling." 
                          
"And you didn't tell me?" Lily asked and slapped his arm."What is the point of tolerating you?"
                          
James shrugged, but on the inside he was ecstatic, he and Lily were tolerating one another. "For someone who is the smartest person in our year, you are clueless when it comes to your best friend."
                          
"Well," Lily said, starting to get defensive. "I've never had to. She had always told me everything."
                          
"Ha," James laughed at Lily. Lily scowled at him and he quieted down quickly. "Sorry," he said unregretfully.
                          
Lily blew air through her nose in a scoff type of way. "Right," she said sarcastically.
                          
"Let's play," James called.