Chapter 4 - Nice One James!

                                    

                                          
September 12th 1976
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A few days had passed sincs the little 'incident' as McGonnagall called it with Snape in potions and I found myself walking towards Dumbledore's office. Oh I was really in for it now. 
I was just given directions as I had never actually been there but having followed them, I found myself at the end of the corridor by a golden Griffin no entrance to the office in sight. I sighed exasperated and looked around to see none other than Regulus Black walking towards me, we were alone in the corridor and we hadn't properly spoken since we first met at the tree.
"You here for Dumbledore too?" He asked me raising a dark eyebrow. 
I nodded, wondering why on Earth he was there. His voice was cool as a winter evening but deep and rich. "That's right, what could Dumbledore possibly want that concerns the both of us?"
He shrugged clearly as clueless as me. "Well I don't know but it gets me away from Severus whining about that trick you and Loony Lu-"
"Don't call him that" I cut in.
He held his hands up as a sort of apology, I think calling him that was a habit. "You and Remus pulled." he corrected himself "rather funny I must admit but he's going to get you back you know." 
"Sure he will." I shrugged, we had a rivalry since first year it was nothing I wasn't used to. "But I'll get him back worse." I said simply and he smirked "So uh do you know where his office actually is?" 
"Yeah easy, jelly slugs." He said and looked at me with amusement as I frowned in confusion and jumped when the Griffin started to turn. It turned and rose upwards into a spiral staircase.
"Well here we go." I sighed hoping I wouldn't get in too much trouble.
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Dumbledore's office had a little balcony above his desk with two stone pillars at each side, the walls were covered in book shelves and paintings of past head teachers and the sword of Gryffindor and the sorting hat lay on display. His chair looked more like a throne and there was a gold cabinet full of little glass jars of a silver looking liquid.
"Ah Miss Potter, Mr Black." Dumbledore greeted us with a kind smile as we entered. His dark eyes twinkled, it was strange how I should probably be intimated by one of the most powerful wizards of our time but he seemed so kind I wasn't scared at all. "You're probably wondering why I called you both here. Well it has a little something to do with potions-"
"I promise it was all my idea please don't blame Remus I didn't think the foam would make that much of a mess and Severus deserved it-" I began, I didn't exactly want to get told off too badly by the head master but even worse if Remus did. 
Dumbledore just laughed softly "It isn't about the incident with Severus's potion, I'm sure it was a common accident. Instead the matter I would like to discuss is your grades y/n. They are outstanding in everything except potions. Therefore, I think it would be fitting if a more accomplished student were to tutor you. A student like Regulus." 
I looked over at Regulus and he looked just as displeased by the idea as I did. 
"But Lily is great at potions and she's my friend we don't need to go to all that hastle" I offered trying to get out of it. "I'm sure she'd be more than happy to help."
"Miss Evans is indeed but we need a bit of unity between the houses I think. You are of course Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and so on but you are all Hogwarts students. You two can work out the timings between yourselves." Dumbledore said to us with a warm smile but he spoke in a tone that told us the conversation was no longer up for discussion. 
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"Well I suppose we don't have much of a choice." Regulus said bluntly as we made our way down the corridor. 
"Yeah I suppose so." I felt bad, I was failing now he had to tutor me he probably found me so annoying.
"Meet me in the library every Monday and Wednesday after class at 5 OK?" He didn't seem too bothered which made me feel better. 
"Yeah alright. Sorry about this." I apologized and tucked a lock of y/h/c hair behind my ear that had come loose. 
"Don't be." He shook his head and looked at me, they say eyes are windows the soul. That's not true. It's always impossible to see what he was thinking. "There are worse people to tutor." 
Just as I was trying to work out what that meant, he had disappeared down the corridor that lead to the Slytherin common room. For some reason I really wasn't that upset that Regulus would be tutoring me, it was a great excuse to talk to him when I wouldn't be able to otherwise. And Sirius would have no reason to be cross because I didn't choose this. I felt a pang of guilt for wanting to even talk to him. He was rude and obnoxious but still, I could not stop hoping to catch him alone. 
I walked out into the courtyard, the sun was shining and some sparrows were flying around happily. Students were dotted around, some having a chat, some throwing round a ball. Some people enjoyed the sun by playing quidditch, James was probably trying to convince Peter and Sirius to fly with him. There was no convincing Remus. Remus on a broom was like an elephant on a tightrope in the worst circus in the world. 
Walking over the bridge and past the stone circle, I saw the familiar ginger hair of Lily Evans, accompanied by Sirius's curly mop of brown hair. That's how I found my friends in a crowd. James was leading and the boys seemed to be walking to someone sat by a tree. Severus.
I quickly ran down the hill and nearly crashed into Remus "What's going on?" I asked, out of breath from my run. 
"James is being James." Remus sighed. 
I was all for having beef with Snape but approaching him for the sake of arguing? That was below me.
"Alright Snivellus?" James grinned, Severus reached for his wand but James was quicker. "expelliarmus!" 
Severus's wand went flying "levicorpus!" Snape started to levitate into the air, his usually pale cheeks red with humiliation. My brother wasn't cruel, but this was too much.
"Nice one James!" Sirius laughed.
"Stop it!" Lily yelled looking like she would cry. 
"Oh back off Evans, just because he doesn't pick on you because he fancies you. You just don't like to admit he's actually a wanker." Sirius shook his head. 
James smirked in amusement watching Severus hang upside down "I say we pants him."
"Go on!" Peter cheered him on, he would agree with James on anything. 
"James stop it that's enough." I said to him quietly. 
"I thought you were my friend you filthy little mudblood!" Severus spat at Lily out of pure rage and James dropped him in shock. He hit the ground with a thud.
James and I exchanged glances, he looked genuinely guilty and I shook my head in disappointment. This had gone too far. Lily stormed off in tears and I could almost see James's heart sink to the floor. 
"Nice one James." I sighed.