Chapter Two: Loathing

Disclaimer: This one's "Loathing" from the show "Wicked." (my personal favorite!)

A/N: Three words: I like reviews!

"Ugh." I sat down in the empty seat next to James, closing the door as I stepped into the compartment. "Let's just get this over with, okay?"

"If you say so," said James, smirking.

"So what do you think the theme should be? I have a few ideas already," I said, pulling a notepad and quill out of my pocket, where I had already taken about nineteen pages of notes.

"Wow. You really don't have a life," said James, looking at my notes.

I rolled my eyes. "I thought the theme should be something with snow. LOTS of snow. The magic kind. And winter flowers."

James crinkled his nose in disgust. "No way. Way too girly."

I glared at him, closing my notepad. "Fine. What do you suggest we do?"

James grinned slyly. "I think there should be mistletoe everywhere. And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere." Then, he added with a smirk, "That should keep you and your date happy."

For a moment, I didn't know what he meant. "Date?" I asked blankly. Then it dawned on me. "Oh no… oh no… no, you are NOT going to be my date, Potter!"

"Actually, I heard somewhere," said James, still smirking. He glanced down at his Head Boy badge meaningfully. "I heard that Head Boy and Girl have to go together."

I stared at him. What the hell was he playing at? Nowhere in my letter had it said that I would have to go to the Yule Ball with Prat Potter, Git Potter, Potter-Whom-I-Will-Despise-Till-My-Dying-Day!

"No way. No WAY."

"Yes, way," said James smugly. "A dream come true, isn't it?"

"Where did it ever say that we had to go together?"

"It didn't," replied James, shrugging. "I heard it from last year's Head Boy. Apparently, he and his Head Girl are getting married soon." He added with a smirk, "Think that'll happen to us?"

I couldn't think of anything to say. This couldn't be happening. I hate irony.

"Of course," said James, "if you want, we could always do something together before then. To get used to everything, you know." He looked extremely pleased with himself.

Finally, I found my voice. "Never."

"Never is a long time, Evans," James said. "Come on, Evans, go out with me."

Cold fury was coursing through every inch of my body. I know that I should have been used to the age-old question by now, but under the circumstances, it just infuriated me even more. And I'm not pretty when I'm angry.

"No," I shouted. "Potter, how thick are you, really? You think that four-hundred-and-ninety-fourth time's the charm, huh? Well, get this through your tiny brain! You're so full of yourself you can't stop and think that there is a slight chance that there is a person out there who doesn't worship you! Potter, here's some news! I. HATE. YOU. And I always will! You're a git, you're a prat, you're a bully, and I can't stand you! I'll never go out with you! Deal with it!"

Panting as though I had just run a race, I realized that sometime during my rant, I had stood up. My fists were clenched at my sides so tightly that my knuckles were turning white. It felt like a huge relief to have these thoughts off of my chest, and I expected that these truth-filled words would just bounce off James's enormous ego like they usually did. However, his reaction was nothing I would have expected. His face fell and it looked like someone had punched him in the stomach. For a moment, he just sat there. Then, quite abruptly, he stood.

Not looking at me, he mumbled, "I'm going to go patrol the corridors. I'll see you around, Evans." He turned and opened the compartment door.

"P-Potter," I stammered. I had no idea that he would have taken it this way. I almost felt bad for saying those things to him. "I… I'm…" But I couldn't bring myself to apologize.

"It's okay," said James shortly, his hand still on the door handle, facing the nearly-empty corridor beyond. "I deserved that. I'll talk to you later, Evans." And he left.

I sat there, dumbfounded, for a moment. Unthinkingly, I sat down, then stood again. I walked out of the compartment as well. I patrolled the corridors for about a half an hour. James and my paths never crossed.

Once I was done patrolling, I entered the compartment that my friends and I had claimed earlier. I flopped into an empty seat and took a handful of chocolate frogs that were on a seat nearby.

"So," said Audrey, "what happened? You don't look very well…"

She was quite right. I was still quite white, though my eyes were still full of considerable fury. I told my three friends what happened in the Head Boy and Girl compartment. They looked quite astonished.

"Yeah," I said dully. "I have no idea why he took it so badly. Not that I care or anything…"

Viv smirked. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you actually felt sorry for Potter."

"Never in a million years," I said. I took a bite of chocolate and immediately felt tons better. I smiled. "I still loathe Potter as much as I ever did. And that's a lot."

"That's our girl," laughed Jeannie, moving to the seat next to me and slinging her arm around my shoulders. "I knew we trained you well."

We spent a very pleasant afternoon talking and laughing on the Hogwarts Express. When we finally reached Hogsmede Station, it was the first time I didn't want to leave the train. I really didn't want to know what awaited me this year. Exams and Potter. Joy.

My friends and I trooped to the horseless carriages. There's a boy, Armillian Lovegood, in our year in Ravenclaw, who says that some creatures called thestrals draw the carriages, but everyone says he's mental.

We filled into a carriage and continued our enjoyable conversation. All too soon, we reached the wrought iron gates of the school. We walked through the great oak front doors of Hogwarts castle and entered the magnificent entrance hall. Potter and the so-called Marauders were walking a few paces ahead of us. I noticed that James didn't seem to be talking much. I heard someone call my name.

"Evans? Potter? A word, if you please," said Professor McGonagall, walking through the crowd to reach James and me.

Silently, James and I followed Professor McGonagall to her office, avoiding each others' gaze. We entered the room and sat down in the straight-backed wooden chairs, arms crossed, not looking at each other. Professor McGonagall sat down behind her desk and addressed us.

"As you obviously know," she said, "you are our new Head Boy and Girl."

James and I nodded.

"I am now going to tell you some of the things that will be required of you this year. You will be patrolling the castle corridors every few nights from eight o'clock to nine-forty-five in the evenings to make sure that students get back to their common rooms by curfew. Miss Evans will patrol on Mondays and Thursdays. Mr. Potter will take Tuesdays and Fridays. You will patrol together, as a pair, on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays."

I gaped at her. Three nights a week, stuck for an hour and forty-five minutes with Potter?!

"Yes, Miss Evans, together," said Professor McGonagall, answering my unasked question. "You must stay together. And I know your history, the pair of you. If I catch wind that you two have been bickering at all while you patrol, or any other time for that matter, I will remove your badges and we will choose a new Head Boy and Girl personally."

This couldn't be happening. Sucks to be me.

"You will receive further assignments later in the term. I will, of course, want regular reports about your progress with the Yule Ball. Do either of you have any questions?"

James and I were silent.

"Then, if that is all, I will accompany you down to the feast."

Mouths still tightly closed, James and I stood. The three of us left the office and walked silently down to the Great Hall. I couldn't believe my ears. What fun was it to spend time with Potter and not fight? Not that it was any fun anyway, of course.

Minutes later, I was sitting alongside Viv, Audrey, and Jeannie, telling them what Professor McGonagall had explained to James and I. They all laughed. Again. Such wonderful friends I have, no?

No fighting with James.

How could I not fight with him? I still loathed him and would loathe him my whole life long.

This was going to be interesting.

Loathing

Unadulterated loathing

For your face,

Your voice,

Your clothing

Let's just say

I loathe it all

Every little trait however small

Makes my very flesh begin to crawl

With simple, utter loathing

There's a strange exhilaration

In such total detestation

It's so pure, so strong

Though I do admit, it came on fast

Still, I do believe that it can last

And I will be loathing,

Loathing you

My whole life long…

A/N: Okay, it gets better! Maybe… o.O I'm also working on two other new ones: "Stuck on You" (another James/Lily) and "Harry Potter and Now for Something Completely Different" (a Trio-era humour fic). I'll update soon… and I like reviews! -Hermy528