Title: Diametrically Opposed

Author: mony2208

Rating: PG-13 for occasional bad words

Summary: Lily Evans has always detested the very sight of James Potter and up until fifth year, James thought he felt the same way. But circumstances arise that begin to make James look twice at his so-called enemy… & now he can't seem to get her out of his mind...

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Forewords: That's right everybody, I have finally come back to life. I am now available for comment, meetings … the odd killing if anybody desires ;).

Nah … just on a serious note, I do apologise for the delay. I never intended to leave the story like this, but real life dealt me a major blow, and the past few months have been absolutely horrible. However, now that it is over and I've finally recovered from my ongoing illness, the periods between updating will be a lot quicker than before. I am now also on holiday until like March, so I'll be writing as much as I can in that time. For all of my stories.

If anybody reads my other stories, you'll notice I changed the presentation of them – and also of this chapter. I do want to go back and fix all the other chapters of this story, so this is just a calling for a beta if anybody is interested. I want to be able to fix up all the little spelling and grammatical errors, like I have done for my other story. So if anybody wants the horrendous job, can you please leave me an email or a review? I won't necessarily be going for the first person asking for the job, I do want to know if you've betaed before, or how long it might take you, etc, etc.

Well anyway, here's the long awaited chapter!

Diametrically Opposed

Chapter Twenty-Four

The dinner date

If Lily had thought Petunia had flown the coop when she'd been informed of the auror's coming to their house, she had been dead wrong.

The scene she was currently watching in front of her was infinitely worse.

"Dinner?" Petunia shrieked rudely, facing her two parents by the staircase. The veins on her bony neck were clearly visible, practically popping out in red, angry looking lines. "You want me to go to dinner with those freaks?"

"Now Pet-" In a familiar scene from earlier, Lily's father Mark was desperately trying to placate her.

But Petunia's face was red with anger and nothing their mother or father could do was helping.

"There is no way you're getting me to go to one of her kind's for dinner." she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Lily. "It will be a complete freakshow." The last bit ended as a wail, and she stomped her foot rather childishly.

Lily fumed inwardly at the display, standing off to the side and fighting to keep her mouth shut. She might not be entirely eager to go to the Potter's house either, but she wasn't going to make a big deal about it. It was obvious her parents were stressed enough as it was, and Petunia's selfishness and obvious discrimination about Lily's so called kind was getting on everyone's nerves.

For what had to be the third or fourth time that evening, Lily's mother stepped forward to offer a conciliatory smile.

"It won't be a freak show, Petunia." she said gently. "The Potter's were kind enough to offer us a place to go for dinner and your father and I thought it might be good for all of us to get out of the house for a bit, while the aurors work outside. They will be working back a bit later tonight – something to do with other houses needing the same work - so it might be good to just relax, don't you think?"

The guilt tactic - or the mention of Lily's kind still working outside – seemed to do the trick and Petunia at least stopped waving her arms around to look at her pleading parents.

Several heartbeats later, Petunia sighed exasperatedly. "Fine! I'll go." she exclaimed finally.

To the collective sighs of reliefs from their parents, Marie beamed and took another step forward to envelop Petunia in a hug, but with another sigh, Petunia dodged it; stepping off the staircase and into the adjacent dining room. "But at least let me do one thing." She threw over her shoulder as she sat down on the couch.

Following dutifully after her mother and father, Lily caught her sister eyeing the set of car keys lying on the coffee table in front of her, and had the strangest feeling that the argument wasn't quite over.

Unfortunately, her father didn't seem to think the same. "Sure, Pet." he grinned. "Whatever you want."

A triumphant smile appeared on Petunia's thin lips as she crossed her knobbly knees. "At least let me be the one to drive us to their house." she declared, reaching forward to pluck the car keys off the table. "Only Dudley ever lets me drive now."

Uh oh. Lily averted her eyes, making an indistinct noise at the back of her throat as she locked gazes with her now frowning mother. Why did I have to be right?

Other than the jingle of the keys in Petunia's hands, an uncomfortable silence grew in the room, until Mark replied hesitantly, "Uh – actually … Petunia, we won't be going by car."

At first, Petunia just sat there without responding, mouth slack, but then her face seemed to regain some colour and she closed her mouth then opened it again to speak. "Then how are we going to get there?" Her voice was strangely quiet as though she was saving her voice for something catastrophic …

"The aurors working here connected us through the - fireplace-"

… Which, of course she was.

"FIREPLACE!" Petunia screeched hysterically. Lily could have sworn the nearby window rattled from the force of it. "FIREPLACE! How do you expect us to get anywhere with a fireplace?"

Their father cleared his throat uncomfortably as he gingerly walked over to the fireplace. "You – er just stick your body in the fireplace, see," Mark stepped inside it, avoiding the soot, then ducked his head lower and looked at Lily as if for reassurance.

Lily nodded in return, but before she could say anything else, Petunia dropped the keys on the table with a loud crash and screeched again.

"You expect me to stick my body in a fireplace? How stupid do you think I am?"

Pretty stupid, Lily answered in her head, but outwardly, she maintained a blank expression as she stepped forward and locked gazes with her sister.

"You could always travel the other way." She adopted a carefully casual tone as Petunia stopped her screeching to look at her, and then smiled sweetly. "I'm sure the aurors will have a few spare brooms that you can ride on if I were to ask."

The next night, just before 7pm, Petunia stood sulkily in between their parents, shooting Lily and the fireplace equally filthy glares.

Of course - after overcoming the brief urge to silence Petunia with a good Silencing Charm - Lily remained unaffected by it, choosing to find the situation quite amusing …especially after she had earlier witnessed Petunia so vehemently protest that she wear a yellow raincoat to protect her from the fireplace and its freakishness.

Lily couldn't stop the small snort as she saw the bright yellow colour of the raincoat out of the corner of her vision. Her parents hadn't managed to convince Petunia to discard it, but in Lily's opinion, it would be worth having to put up with Potter and Black just to see their faces when Petunia would turn up wearing that. She even wondered if Potter might have a camera handy, so she could send some pictures to Sionell and Bella.

"Now," her father said, shaking her out of her thoughts. "are you sure we aren't wearing anything inappropriate?"

Sighing exasperatedly, she looked her family up and down; her father nervously adjusting his tie, her mother brushing a speck of dust from her long skirt, and her sister wrapping that horrible raincoat tighter around her bony body.

Fighting back another bout of amusement, Lily shook her head. "Apart from wearing that raincoat, I'm sure you'll all be fine." she smiled sweetly at her sister, not being able to resist one last good jab.

Petunia only scowled back, before turning to glare at the fireplace again.

Her smile disappearing, Lily made a small face before too turning her attention towards the fireplace. Although she was trying hard not to think too much about it, Lily couldn't help but wonder what a whole night with Potter and Black would entail. Would Potter be the complete bastard he'd been for much of the five years she'd known him? Would he and Black play an endless amount of practical jokes on her?

Or would Potter start acting like the boy he'd been at the end of the year, the one who stared at her during all their classes, the one who tried to protect her from dirty, unscrupulous boys … the one who kissed her and asked her out and danced with her?

Lily bit her lip at the last. When she put it together like that, it almost seemed romantic and – and well, rather endearing actually. As she had thought before, to have a boy like her was rather flattering obviously, even though it was a boy she'd tried to maim - or kill on occasion.

However – and here Lily frowned – there was no way she could forget how he'd gone about doing those things and how, up until now, he'd always acted around her. She couldn't forget that prank from first year, the prank that had hurt more than she had ever wanted to admit. She couldn't forget all the other pranks since, as well as the constant insults towards her and Snape and all things Slytherin. It just wasn't that easy.

He might be smart, and good-looking, and really, really charming when he wanted to be, but Lily meant what she said that day after the exams, both outside and later on in the common room.

Lily had loathed Potter for five years - with good reason too - and frankly, it felt weird to think that there could be anything more between them when Potter still acted like that arrogant, immature, selfish little first year she'd met on the train all that time ago.

And honestly, Lily doubted he'd ever change. Not just for a girl that he had a crush on.

As the clock struck 7 o'clock and began its first of seven chimes, Lily pulled herself away from her thoughts, and straightened herself slightly as she looked expectantly at the fireplace. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that her parents had also followed her move, straightening themselves up, but that Petunia had taken a noticeable step back as if she was about to bolt at any minute.

Momentarily distracted, Lily smiled, then almost jumped as the fireplace roared to life and two fast-moving shapes came stumbling into the now soot-filled room.

"Evening," Sirius chirped cheerfully after everyone had rushed to open the windows so to let the soot clear from the room.

Lily coughed, shooting him and an unusually silent Potter a filthy look as she snapped one window closed. "Have you ever heard of using less than one bowl of floo powder when you come trampling through the fireplace?" she asked sarcastically.

"Lily," her mother warned, but Sirius merely smiled.

"No worries, Mrs Evans." he said cheekily, "Lil just says that to be affectionate because she loves us so."

Lil. A scowl now crossed her face, but her parents' presence stopped her from retorting. "Yes mother," she said instead, forcing out through gritted teeth. "Siri-" Sirius winced. "and I are practically as close as Petunia and myself."

Out of the two, only James understood that comment, softly snorting before brushing off the soot from his robes.

At that movement, Lily heard Petunia gasp loudly, and she turned to see Petunia's already fair skin pale even more.

"Why are the boys wearing dresses?" she asked out loud, looking horrified at the formal dress robes the two boys were wearing. Uncaring of the two boys in front of her, she rudely turned her back on them to pull childishly at her father's sleeve. "Daaad." she whined to him, Lily only just managing to overhear her. "They don't even know how to dress properly. Don't make me go."

"Don't be silly, Petunia." Mark said firmly. "This is what all wizards wear in their world."

"But they're dresses." Petunia protested, her voice growing louder. "They look like those two cross-dressers on the corner of Portland and Maryburne St."

Lily had to turn away to conceal her giggle at the thought of Potter and Black in high heels and black hosiery like the two men Petunia had mentioned.

When she turned back, her face maintaining an even expression, she noticed that her father was hardly amused, and his jaw was tightening.

"I'd like you to treat them with respect Petunia," he stated in a low tone, then turned back to the two boys who had started talking to Lily's mother. "Gentlemen," he said louder, gaining their attention. "you've already met my wife and myself, but I'd like you to meet Petunia, Lily's older sister."

He gestured beside him, where Petunia was standing with a scowl.

Sirius and James first looked at Petunia, taking in her bony frame and horse-like face, then looked back at Lily, with her fiery red hair and shorter, more delicate features. Their eyebrows simultaneously rose.

"You're Lily's sister?" James repeated in disbelief.

Petunia puffed herself up snootily and though her bony frame was shorter than James, she managed to look down at him as though he was a mere insect that she was about ready to squash. "Unfortunately, yes I am."

"But Lily's so much more beau-" Lily blushed, and James hastily corrected himself, "different – you look so much more different from one another."

"Well I should hope we look different than one another." Petunia sniffed, not catching James' mistake. Sirius had, and he winked at Lily who continued to blush. "I would think that we have nothing in common with each other."

"Yes, you would, wouldn't you?" Lily muttered cynically, getting over her blush long enough to give a slight roll of her eyes.

James snorted again at Lily, then bowed dramatically at Petunia. "Well – it's nice to meet you, Petunia." Sirius followed suit, an evil grin on his face.

Lily caught sight of it and frowned. She recognised that grin. It was one that meant a detention or an extreme loss of points was not far around the corner. It was his Marauder's look. She opened her mouth, about to ask him what exactly that grin was all about, but at that moment her parents cleared their throat rather pointedly.

Still frowning, Lily reluctantly shifted her gaze from Sirius and looked back to her parents; her mother smiling nervously, and her father jerking his head in the direction behind Lily.

She turned around, getting the hint and saw, surprised, that James had extended his arm in a rather gentlemanly manner. As her mouth dropped open, she saw Sirius doing the same to an unimpressed Petunia, who took his hand after another glare from their father.

"Well, Miss Evans," said James, breaking the silence. His hand was still outstretched, making Lily realise she'd almost drifted off again. "allow me to guide you into the fireplace."

For a moment, as Lily's eyes were raised to meet Potter's, she saw James' father, rather than James in front of her, and she was suddenly struck with the realisation how familiar they were when they wanted to be.

It also made her realise that perhaps, it wasn't so improbable for Potter to change after all … if he really was that serious about liking her that is.

Nevertheless, that rather startling thought lingered in her mind when Lily took Potter's hand and allowed him to lead her into the fireplace.

"Well," James' mother began cheerfully. "This is nice." She cast a grin around at the table's occupants.

After the usual introductions and greetings, the Potter and Evans family had almost immediately moved to the dinner table, which was set out as followed; Flo sat beside her husband and Lily's mother Marie. Mark, Lily's father, sat on Marie's right, with Petunia on his left. Next came Lily, and due to Flo's meddling, James was strategically placed on Lily's right. Sirius finished the round, and was seated between both James and Flo.

The only answer Flo received was a frosty silence on Petunia's part, a small smile from Lily and an apologetic smile from the two other parents. James and Sirius merely sniggered into their hands at the sight of Lily's sister sticking her abnormally long neck up into the air as she sniffed in distaste.

Nonetheless, Flo seemed undeterred, her grin remaining stubbornly on her face.

James wondered briefly if she really had been a Gryffindor in her school days; she seemed to enjoy the torture of the dinner a bit too much for one. That was for sure.

"Shall we begin?" she asked, and at the polite mutterings she heard, she clapped her hands briskly.

Similar to Hogwarts, plates bearing foods of all sort automatically appeared in the centre of the table, causing Lily's parents to jump, and Petunia to screech in an extremely unflattering manner.

The boys upped their sniggers into full blown laughter, their faces turning red, and they only stopped when Flo levitated a wooden spoon over to James and whacked him on the upside of the head.

That time, Lily couldn't stifle her own giggles that emerged as James let out a yelp and he glared back, momentarily forgetting who he was sitting next to. Lily returned the glare, and doing the opposite that James was, she remembered exactly who she was sitting beside; the boy who had made her life hell before he decided that he suddenly and irrationally liked her. With a sniff, she forcibly tried to stop her mind from connecting Potter with his rather charming father and turned her head away to reluctantly calm Petunia, who was about ready to bolt again.

"Behave, gentlemen." Harold warned whilst James rubbed his head ruefully.

Summoning the spoon back to her hand, Flo acted as though nothing had happened, motioning for everyone to dig in. Slowly - apart from Sirius - everybody did so, piling food onto their plate, including a reluctant Petunia after Lily saw their father nudging her meaningfully.

Conversation was brief and polite as the dinner progressed; the two married couples conversing the most about the muggle and magical worlds, leaving the teenagers to strike up their own conversations.

However, the rest of the table's occupants remained mostly quiet. Petunia ate in complete silence, ignoring any and all conversation around her, and Sirius too remained focused on his food, although for completely different reasons.

As for James, he tried his best not to put his foot in his mouth, and as such only asked Lily little things, like to pass the salt or the potatoes. He was too nervous about being in such close presence to Lily to talk about anything else, especially the questions that he most wanted to ask.

For Lily's part, she put her most politest manners to the test, not saying anything biting or insulting to the boy that had caused her grief for the past five years … something that she now couldn't stop repeating in her head, if not to get the image of Potter's face by the fireplace permanently out of her mind.

Unsurprisingly, all conversation had pretty much dried out by the time the food disappeared off the table; Petunia's constant negative presence making everybody particularly uncomfortable.

"Anyone for dessert?" Flo asked when everybody had stopped eating.

The only one to answer was Sirius, who, ignoring the downbeat atmosphere, cried out a resounding and enthusiastic "Yes!"

After dinner, James approached Lily as his mother told him – with another wink - to lead her and her sister to the bathroom so they could wash up.

Along the corridors, Lily fell into step alongside him - Petunia trailing behind - choosing not to say anything as James prattled on about his house. She rather preferred the chance to not have to say anything.

However, as it was the first opportunity James had had that night to talk to her relatively alone, it wasn't long before he stopped talking about his house and finally approached the subject that had been on his mind for the past couple of days.

"So how are you?" he asked in a soft tone that Petunia wouldn't be able to overhear.

Her answer was almost predictable in James' mind.

"I'm fine," replied Lily, quickly, turning her head away to look at a nearby moving portrait. She never imagined she'd be having this conversation with Potter of all people. She'd hardly been able to talk to her parents about the whole situation, much less anyone else.

However, as always, James proved to be different from anyone else, and he didn't stop there. "You sure? It must have been-"

"I said-" Lily interrupted firmly. "I'm fine, Potter. Just leave it."

James held both hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I just wanted to see how you were handling everything." he said. "I know that – I mean I imagine that it must have hit you pretty hard … you know, with all that stuff back in first year and everything." He then shrugged. "Thought you might appreciate another person to spill your troubles too."

Well, Lily thought, taken aback. This is different. Potter's actually sounding rather sincere and concerned … and about someone other than himself too.

Looking up at Potter, who had stopped walking, she waited for him to say something arrogant that would completely ruin the moment, but when he didn't, looking back at her in obvious concern, she struggled for some words to say.

"Um – well – no thanks – b- but thank you for – for offering, I guess. I do appreciate it." At Potter's shocked look, she elaborated. "Just -apart from Bella and Sionell, you're really the only one who – knows how much all this – might be affecting me." She took a deep breath and evaded her gaze to the ground. She couldn't believe she'd just admitted that to Potter. She'd practically put him in the same league as her two closest friends.

"Well, regardless what you think of me, I do care about you," James stated earnestly, his face softening. His hand itched to squeeze Lily's shoulder in consolation. "and I was worried when I'd heard you'd been targeted." He laughed, the sound echoing throughout the hallway. "I even tried to write you a letter, but I – I could never find the right things to say."

"Oh," Lily breathed, once again stunned. There was definitely one large part of her that would have honestly ripped the letter to shreds had she got one, but there was a small part of her that appreciated the gesture.

The same part that realised it was nice to have someone so concerned about her.

Lily opened her mouth to reply, unsure of what exactly was going to come out, but then luckily a high-pitched voice sounded from behind them, reminding them that they were not alone.

"Are we going to reach the bathroom anytime soon?"

It was James, who reluctantly tore his eyes away to focus on the unpleasant sight of Lily's sister.

"Right now, Petunia," he said, trying to sound as polite as he possibly could.

However, he couldn't help rolling his eyes after pointing towards the door.

Not noticing, Petunia "hmmphed", retreating into the room that Potter pointed at, and with an almost apologetic look, Lily quickly followed.

James smiled to himself as the bathroom door closed. Something extremely important had just happened between Lily and himself. They'd just had a meaningful conversation and unlike other times that had happened, he hadn't done anything stupid, and Lily had actually walked away without cursing him to the lowest depths of hell.

He leant against the door, hearing the murmured voices behind it.

There may still be hope for me left.

"So when do we get to leave this stupid house?" Petunia asked, once they'd both finished in the bathroom. Lily had bitterly seen that Petunia made sure not to touch anything in the wizarding bathroom - other than the few objects recognised as being muggle-like - and wasn't happy.

Lily sighed inwardly. "It probably won't be too long now." she answered, gritting her teeth.

Petunia tossed her bony blonde head disdainfully. "We wouldn't even have needed to come here if it wasn't for that stupid letter you got." she sniffed. "To think that mum and dad were so proud of having a witch in the family. If they had known how much trouble this magic stuff was going to be, I don't think they would have been as pleased."

"Just lay off, Pet." Lily snapped irritably. "I'm not too happy with everything going on right now either. I didn't ask to targeted by a psychotic murderer, nor did I ask to come to this dinner tonight."

"As if you haven't enjoyed those freaks practically falling over your feet for you," Petunia spat, and Lily was stunned silent. "What?" Petunia laughed bitterly. "You didn't think I'd notice how that messy haired one drools at you? Come on, his eyes were glued to your pathetic face all evening."

"I'll have you know he's one of the most popular wizards at Hogwarts." Lily grumbled out of spite. She knew it was rather hypocritical to defend Potter, but Petunia made it sound as though it was abnormal to have someone like her. Besides, he had been treating her rather well that evening.

Petunia made a sort of snorting nose as she reapplied her horribly red lipstick. "Wizard." she scoffed. "As if that's worth much. He might as well be a drunk on the street with the way he's going to end up." Lily heard the unspoken as well as you as Petunia smugly finished, and wanting to rip off the smirk that now adorned Petunia's face, she swallowed her anger to snatch up her bag.

"Well," she said evenly, turning towards the door. "I'd say that being with a drunk would be better than being with a guy in some dead end job like an office job or a worker at a drill bit place." Not turning around, Lily deliberately stopped for a long moment so that what she said would sink in, then added in a nonchalant tone, "How is Vernon, by the way?"

And before Petunia's splutters turned into anything coherent, Lily reached for the door, and walked out, slamming the door after her.

Potter, who was just a little bit down the hall, snapped his head up at the loud noise, and asked her if everything was fine.

"Yeah, Petunia's just – not feeling so well." Lily said, hiding her smirk. "Had a bit too much to drink."

Returning back from the bathroom, the rest of the evening actually passed by relatively uneventful; Petunia following her father's wishes to be as polite as she could possibly be, and Lily managing to get along pretty well with Potter and Black.

The only moment that almost seemed to ruin the moment was when Flo and Harold gave Lily's parents the tour of the magical house, leaving the four teenagers to themselves in the dining room. Almost immediately, Petunia had opted to storm out into the nearby hallway, her expression making it clear to Lily that she was no longer going to pretend she didn't mind staying there, at least not now that their parents had disappeared.

After Petunia had left, Lily sighed, and sank lower into the couch she was sitting on. "Stupid Petunia." she mumbled softly, looking down to the ground. Her little jab at Petunia in the bathroom had given her a certain amount of amusement for a little while, but as always her sister somehow managed to darken her mood.

James turned his head towards her. "Is she always like that?" he asked, curious.

Lily nodded wearily. "Worse – usually." she answered. "You should have heard her scream when she found out she'd have to floo here."

Sirius spoke up. "Is that why she was wearing that weird yellow robe? Or is that just some sort of fashion in the muggle world?"

Snorting, Lily shook her head, her gaze still focused on the floor. "She didn't want to get anything abnormal on her when she went through."

"Abnormal?" James echoed rather irately. Lily's sister was sure a piece of work. "She doesn't honestly believe that?"

"That and when I finish school yo- I'll probably end up being a drunken idiot living on the street." Lily decided not to mention that Petunia had originally said that about him.

"That's stupid." James exclaimed indignantly. He was just as annoyed as if Lily had told him that Petunia had said that about him. "There's loads of jobs available for witches and wizards. Right Sirius?"

When there was no immediate answer, Lily lifted her head over to the couch where Sirius had been lying comfortably on. He was no longer there though.

"I – where – where's Sirius gone?" she asked, her forehead creased in confusion. She never noticed when he had snuck away.

James frowned. "I think he might have gone to talk with your sister-" He stopped at Lily's stricken face, who had suddenly remembered Sirius's earlier evil grin. "What?"

"I have to stop him," she blurted out urgently, rushing to the door. "before he does something he's going to regret."

She ran back into the dining room and out into the hallway without another word, James left behind with a curious look on his face.

A few minutes and a shrill scream later, Lily entered the kitchen again, but this time followed by a red-faced, fuming Sirius, who she firmly had by the sleeve of one arm. When they grew closer, James also noticed that Sirius also had unusually wet hair.

"Well I never." Sirius breathed, amazed, once he and Lily reached James. He sat down with a dissatisfied grunt. "She could give my mother a run for her money."

"What'd she do?"

"I just thought I'd introduce her to the wonder of magic." Sirius explained, still looking rather dazed. "Sionell told me once how your sister knew hardly anything about the world, so I thought I'd – educate her … She just – didn't take too well to it."

James shook his head ruefully, and groaned. "Please tell me you didn't conjure that prank bouquet of flowers from Zonko's?"

"You mean the bouquet of flowers that tends to squirt water straight at a person's face when they accept them?" Lily said sarcastically, before Sirius could answer.

"That would be the ones," James admitted, shooting a sly grin over to Sirius, who at least had the grace to look shameful. "Why is he the one wet though?"

At that point, Sirius had regained his voice. "I never knew she'd be such a prude." He said grumpily. "I thought she needed a good joke to get her to lighten up. I mean she wouldn't even accept them – just threw them right back in my face, and poof!"

James stifled a snigger at that, covering his mouth with one hand, and Sirius scowled at him, shaking his head indignantly so that a spray of water hit James full in the face.

James would have cried out at that, but his attention was soon diverted back to Lily, who was moving to sit down with a morose look on her face.

"Believe me, nothing's going to get her to lighten up about magic." she muttered under her breath. She eyed the doorway in which Petunia was standing beside and scowling, adding even quieter. "Ever."

But James heard her, and following her gaze to her sullen looking sister, he had to silently agree.

A/N: Well, finally there is Chapter 24. I'm really hoping the other chapters don't take as long to write, but HP and the GFT has to be updated as well, so you might have to wait another couple of weeks.

As I heard that you're no longer allowed to respond to reviewers, and it honestly takes up a lot of time, I'm sorry to say that other than thanking everyone who reviews, I won't be doing any extended replies to them at the end or beginning of each chapter any longer. I guarantee I read through every single one though and your feedback is very much appreciated!

But anyway, I definitely can't go without thanking all those who have reviewed (and there were so many, I was very shocked):

Earwen Colonel, Hufflepuff1234, MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus, Hey, Angel Street, swimwiththestars, PhoenixTears13, Opal Flames, Some 12, Virgin Mari, Lily and James Potter, child-of-scorpio, Pigwidgeon188, Abby123, Xunderdogx, HPDisorder, Anonymous, On-A-Rainy-Day, DK Lili, SoulAvenger, Gizelle, Red-Emerald, kitty, Shayley Rain, Ally37, MaraudersAreMyGods, limbo-gal, Midnightprowler, Spiffy Pixie, pingpong5, sour-peach, kris250, Laurana Starbreeze, Daedreamer, ByeByeBirdie, FireLizard, Black Cherry Lipz, shortie-sez, ayse, Musicstarlover, azura, Crystal56, Hannah, orangish, Goldilocks31890, beth, Tika wayalan, glaz, Anonn Lee, a nagging reader, rockersbb13, Pink Garfield, Hermione, Kat44, Marz rulz, Drusilla, Merlyn Britainnicus, LivingDreams, Rose of Darkness, Star, Jack Robinson, Wise Man Domingo, Imscble, Vickiicky, Ginny Potter SilverForestPrincess, James And Lily 4eva, tails, mymagic, Kit49, Lost My Marbles, Lily Christie, Pline, Lily, Smarty Pants, CooCooMe, siriusforeva, jump-ball-girl (I am really sorry for taking so long), TheGoldenQuillEnquirer, Padfootz, banshee-kk, cHayE710, Leaping Cow, dawnarising, Nadine, Who Really Cares, Erotic Dreams, reagan-felton, azura, sealednectar, burtonesa and Cotokeet for reviewing.

After reading all of your lovely reviews, I just felt so guilty for not being able to update for so long. So once again I do have to apologise to all you people out there! I never intended to take so long and I really did read every review that came my way.

Oh just one last thing. I read a few reviews where people told me that James Potter was a Chaser. However, in my opinion, according to the fifth book, James Potter was in fact a Seeker because why else would be nick a snitch to play around with?