The Marauders: Year Seven Part Two

The Challenge Continued

"OH BLIMEY LOOKOUT!" 

Lily didn't even have time to register the words that had come out of James's mouth before she felt herself hit the floor, laying on her stomach, James sprawled over the top of her protectively, his head bent over hers, his arms shielding her... Overhead, something roared past. Multiple somethings.

"WHAT IS THAT?" she shouted.

"BOULDERS!" James yelled. Great big boulders were zipping back and forth, as though on a pendulum, sweeping over the space just above them. James waited 'til one had passed, then flopped off of Lily, laying on his back beside her. He watched the movement of the boulders.

Lily flipped over, too, so that they lay side by side. Lily was reminded of the minutes after their encounter when they laid staring at the ceiling. Well, this was much different. The giant stones that passed over them were rough hewn and zipping with such speed as they couldn't even dream of standing up. "What sort of challenge is this?"

"Dunno," James answered. "But at least we aren't on fire and there's no cackling psychopaths, yeah? I'd take a rock over Bellatrix any day... Simulated or not, she's terrifying."

"Oh I agree," Lily said.

They lay contemplating for a few moments. "Alright," James said finally, "There's a pattern to it. Watch. This one comes diagonal-like... then that one from the left over there... and here's the one that comes over our heads... then the left one goes back... the diagonal one goes back... and finally... yup, there it is."

"So the left one goes the fastest," Lily mathed out. "The diagonal one is the slowest."

James glanced at her, "You can tell that?"

"Yeah. It's simple math James..."

"Well blimey." He looked back up as the stones swept past them. "Reckon we could just use that shattering charm on them? Explode them?" he questioned.

Lily thought for a moment, "Most likely -- but," she added quickly, seeing his wand hand twitch, "We have to do it as they go away from us at their furthest point on the axis."

"What?"

"When they swing away from us, we have to hit them when they're furthest away so the trajectory keeps them going away from us and they don't just... fall straight down and squash us."

James looked dumbfounded. "Well bloody hell I never would've thought of that."

"I've got your back," Lily answered.

"And I've got yours," James replied.

They looked at each other and smiled for a moment, the stones passing over them ruffling their hair slightly. James's lip hung up on that tooth of his and she felt butterflies in her stomach. Even in the middle of a challenge such as this, James Potter still managed to look as handsome as ever... She wished they weren't being attached by gigantic boulders, or else she would've rolled right over and kissed him, right on the spot. He looked as though he was thinking near to the same thing.

"When we get out of this," Lily promised, "I'm taking advantage of our continued shared custody of the Trophy Room Passageway, Potter."

James's eyes gleamed. "Then let's bloody get out of this!" And he turned to look up at the stones. "I'll aim my wand, and you tell me when to cast the spell."

"Alright."

James took aim.

Lily held her breath, her heart pounding deeply in her chest. If her math was off, the stone could be cast the wrong way and could squash them (at least theoretically, seeing as it was only a simulation and Urquart wasn't that insane as to put them in real danger, right?). James had his wand raised for the diagonal-swinging stone and Lily watched it swing back... and forth... back... and forth... back... and... "NOW!"