Chapter One
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or plot lines that have been previously conceived by JK. Rowling.
"Ah, James!" Lily shrieked.
A smile flashed across James' face as he heard her footsteps trickle down the stairs that led from the girls' dormitories. Lily's patience had been growing thin over the past couple of weeks. The Marauders knew her to be a very kind and giving girl, but James had taken to making her the target of his pranks recently. Remus didn't quite understand it and Peter never had much to say against his role models. Sirius, of course, was willing to go along with anything that might turn out to be funny. Marlow, Lily's best friend, sat across the room working on her Potions' assignment. Remus met her gaze, and she rolled her eyes.
"You rang, Evans," James retorted in a snarky manner.
Lily held a pile of ashes in both of her hands, and the look that crossed her face was one of immense frustration.
"James, why did you disintegrate my book? I had just reached a big cliffhanger," her voice was calm but annoyed. James just smiled and leaned back in the big, comfy armchair that he was currently occupying.
"What makes you think that I did it?" James asked, innocently.
Lily crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side. It was like she was dealing with a mischievous toddler.
"Are we really going to have to play this game?" Lily asked. "Of course it was you, James. You've been pulling little tricks on me for a while now, and I really think it is just about time that they stop. Please, reassemble my book." Her voice was simple but firm.
There was silence for a moment as James appeared to be thinking about his options. Remus was reading his own book, Peter was watching the situation intently, and Sirius was ready to play sidekick if needed.
"You know, Evans," James began, "I don't think of will reassemble that little book of yours."
"Is that so?" She replied, clicking her tongue, "And why is that?"
"Because you need to live. You need to experience life instead of reading about it. I have a feeling that if you were busy living life you would realize that you are a Gryffindor and your little Slytherin friend is not ideal company." Lily rolled her eyes.
"Why is it that you cannot see that what house we are all in does not matter? I know that you take great pride in being a Gryffindor, but so do I. I will associate with members of other houses, and I think that that makes me especially brave. I'm not afraid of what others may say. If I find someone who I see as a worthy friend, I will accept them as such." Lily explained.
"I'm merely operating through history, Evans." James argued, "There's a value in being kind, but there is ignorance in being too kind. Face the reality of the situation. He is a Slytherin. Slytherins are notoriously evil. When you join their house, I'm surprise that you don't get your own manual on how to be evil and corrupt small children. I'm just surprise someone as smart as you cannot see through the obvious disguise that this sniveling friend of yours in putting on."
Lily's eyes widened with each word she heard come out of James' mouth. Remus thought to himself how harsh James was coming off.
"James Potter, I never knew that you were that cold-hearted. You like to have your games, and it's funny how you think those don't hurt others. For as long as I have been at Hogwarts, I have seen you and your groups of misfits attack others much more than I have seen Severus do anything harmful to another student. Maybe you need to re-evaluate yourself before you pass judgment on others." She continued, before walking away, "Don't worry about my book, I'll fix it myself."
She left through the porthole, and James smirk, as she walked away, disintegrated ever so slightly. Sirius patted his friend on the back.
"Don't let her get you down, mate," Sirius began. "She just doesn't understand that you are trying to look out for her."
"I wonder if she even knows about all the muggle attacks recently," James replied frustrated.
Remus put his book down, feeling that now what as good a time as any to jump in with his two cents.
"Guys, do you ever think that pranking Lily is not the way to convince her to trust your opinion?" There was silence for a minute.
"No," James and Sirius responded in unison.
"We are the Marauders," James added. "We use pranks to teach lessons to others."
Sirius chimed in, "Plus, the pranks we pull on Evans aren't really cruel. If anything, we are giving her the easy stuff. Only cause Prongs has the hots for her." As Sirius shook his best friend around the shoulders, James slapped his hands away.
"I do not!" James laughed. "I'm just looking out for my fellow Gryffindors, and with all the muggle violence happening, I'm starting to worry that she's in a lot more danger than she realizes. She's too smart and kind for her own good, and I'm just going to have to be that villain that helps her see that she needs to be careful."
Remus shook his head.
"If you say so, Prongs." He replied, "But don't be shocked if that doesn't bring you two closer together."
As Lily walked down the Grand Staircase to the Library, she found herself thinking about the conversation she had just had. How could it be that dangerous to be friends with a Slytherin? They were just like everyone else. Weren't they? Obviously, they were a little different. That is the whole point of the sorting anyone, right? Gryffindors are brave. Ravenclaws are wise. Hufflepuffs are kind. Slytherins are... What are Slytherins again?
"Lily," came a familiar voice, "fancy running into you here. That's a curious pile of ashes you're toting around. May I ask why?"
Severus had a light tone, and Lily pushed her previous thoughts out of her mind.
Lily sighed, "It was the current novel that I was reading," Severus watched as a frown appeared on her face. "I was headed to the library to see if Madame Pince could restore it."
Severus put his hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Don't bother. I can fix that," he pointed to the ashes in her hands, "if you fix this," his pointed to her frown.
Before Lily could speak, Severus waved his wand over her hands. The book reappeared from the ashes and a lily appeared right on top of it.
"There," he said, "That's better."
Lily was thankful for what Severus had done, but the flower was a bit much. Maybe she was imagining it, but recently she'd started to notice something different in the way he acted around her. She wasn't sure she liked it sometimes.
"Thanks, Sev," she replied, picking the flower off the book and placing it in one of the decorative vases along the windows. "Where are you headed?"
"Oh, nowhere in particular," he replied with a bit of a frown. "Say, how did you set your book on fire in the first place? I thought you were a friend to all literature."
Lily rolled her eyes at the thought of what happened earlier.
"I didn't do it; James did."
"Potter," Severus muttered in disgust. "He is a plague upon this school."
"I don't understand him," Lily began.
"What's there to understand? He's a cruel little worm that enjoys nothing more than inflicting pain and misery on others. No matter how innocent they are."
For some reason, Lily thought she'd heard this little speech before in the Gryffindor Common Room. She was starting to get annoyed with all these lectures. How long would it take them to learn that so much hate could not possibly make peace.
"Yeah, well, thanks for fixing my book, Sev," Lily said, "I'm off to devour it up before someone sets it on fire again." With a little laugh, she sprinted off before Severus could say another word.
