Chapter Two
Patrols
October came, and with it patrols.
I didn’t know what would happen during the patrols. I didn’t know if Potter would act all mature or not. I really didn’t know anything about it.
It was breakfast on September 30 when Professor McGonnagal came up to me and said, “Here are your patrol schedules. You need to check in with Mr. Potter and see if this is all right with him. I need your O.K. by tommorrow before patrols start.” I nodded and she left. Just then Potter and his pals came strolling in. I looked over at Mary and I said, “Well I better get this over with.”
“How often do you have it? Everyday?” Mary’s eyes seemed to gleam as she said it. I could tell she was holding back laughter. Maybe I need a new friend.
“Once a week. I’ll be back. I got to get this over with.” Mary snorted.
“I know you’re just dieing to get over there!” I rolled my eyes and started to head over to where Potter, Black, Pettigrew, and Remus were sitting. Pettigrew’s eyes bulged when he saw me coming. Black started to chock on his breakfast. Remus looked slightly amused, and Potter didn’t look up from his breakfast. When I reached them I was standing right behind Potter. Before I could say anything Black started, “What can we do for you on this fine day, Miss Evans?”
I didn’t even dignify his question with an answer. “Potter.” He turned around to face me. “Here’s the patrol times. I need you to check and see if they are O.K. with you, they’re fine with me. You need to tell Professor McGonagall by tommorrow, before patrols start, if they are fine with you. Got it?” Potter nodded, then said, “Do you want to meet in the common room at 9 before we set out?” “Sure.” I said and I walked back to Mary.
“What happened?” Mary asked eagarly.
“Black needs to grow up.” Mary laughed.
~***~
After classes I made sure that I would get my homework done before 9:00, when our patrols started. When I told Mary about patrols she wished me good luck. I swear, that girl has a bad case of optimisum. Why would I need good luck?
~***~
8:00. I was done with my homework. I sat in my dormitory, not knowing what to do. I thought that maybe I could read for an hour, so I picked up one of the books I got from the library.
I looked up at the clock. 8:55. I put a bookmark in my place and walked down into the common room. There were still people in there, but I didn’t see Potter. I sat down by the fire. It seemed like five minutes had passed. Most people had gone up to bed. I checked my watch. 9:00 excatly. Where was he? I looked around the common room. Potter was coming out from the boy dormitories. I stood up and watched as he approched me. When he got there I asked, “Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.” I lead the way out through the portrait hole.”We’re supposed to patrol the third floor.” I said remembering the patrol sheet. Potter nodded and started to walk towards the third floor. I followed.
As we patroled no one said anything. We would occasionaly check an unused classroom or broom closet, looking for any late night snoggers. It went like that for the entire two hours. It was almost unbearable, but I had nothing to say to him. I guess he had nothing to say to me either.
I figured something out then. I didn’t like this distant Potter and I didn’t like the immature, arrogant, annoying prat either. Was he changing for me? If he is, I feel sorry for the poor guy. He’s becoming someone different, someone who almost fits my perfect boy criteria, but not quite.
When we reentered the Grryffindor common room, I did something without thinking. Something I would have never done before. Something that would have made Mary jump and celebrate. Before I walked up the stairs to the girls’ dormitories I said, “See you, Potter.”
~***~
Mary screamed when I told her a breakfast. Heads from all over the Great Hall turned to look at her. Oh, Mary got one mean look from Professor McGonagall.
“Mary, quiet down. I wasn’t even thinking. It was nothing, just a goodbye.”
“Yes, but it wasn’t a, “Leave me alone!”, “I hate you!”, or you stomping off. Really, that’s got to mean something.”
I was getting seriously annoyed. “It was a, you-were-decent-to-me-so-I’ll-be-decent-too goodbye. Special? No.”
“Lily, Lily, Lily. It was a casual goodbye. That means something.”
“Ya, it means that I was too tired to be all formal. If I really wanted to be casual I would have called him James.” Mary glared at me.
I looked up slightly to see Black “casually” standing behind Mary. I raised one eyebrow. Black started to whistle, rock, and look up at the ceiling. I glared at him. He rose up his hands in defense and walked towards his friends. Mary and I watched him walk away. He said something to Potter who looked over our way, just a bit, but then looked quickly away when he saw us looking.
I looked over at Mary and asked, “I think I’ll change his hair green. What do you think?”
“Oh I think his nose hair is too short.” Mary giggled, “I’ll think I’ll give him some more. Shall we?” We both raised our wands at Black and cast our spells. We walked out of the Great Hall trying to contain our laughter as we hear Black yelling at Remus to fix it.
~***~
The next week I was waiting for Potter to show up for Patrols. When he did show up and we left to patrol he said something, “What was that?”
“What was what?” I replied, confused.
“Why did you and Mary curse Sirius?”
I laughed. “He had it coming.”
“He did?” Now it was Potter’s turn to be confused.
“He was eavesdropping on us.”
“I guess he did deserve it then.” Potter laughed.
“You mean you didn’t know why he was ever so casually standing behind us?” I said in mock shock.
Potter chuckled, “Nope. I was just as confused as you were.”
“I wonder if he will ever grow up.” I thought out loud.
“At this rate, I don’t think he ever will.” We both laughed. And for once I was comfortable in Potter’s presence.
