A/N: This story has nothing to do with my previous lily/James story; you can read that too if you want, but it's not necessary to understand this one.
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling and I do not own Harry Potter. Anything you do not recognize is of my own creation.
When Lily Evans burst through the portrait into the Gryffindor common room that snowy afternoon, she had no idea what dreadful thing was in store for her that evening. She could not possibly have known; in the years after, she found there to be little that was predictable about the Marauders, and most especially about James Potter.
She and Alice were still bundled in coats and hats and scarves from being outside, where they had been enjoying the first real snow in weeks.
When the cheerful pair came bustling into the common room from their icy excursion, they were greeted by the sight of almost every Gryffindor in Hogwarts crammed into the room, talking, laughing, and dancing to loud, energetic music. Spotting Sirius Black in the thick crowd, Lily called, "Hey, Black! No one told us about a party!"
Sirius laughed. "We only came up with this an hour ago, to celebrate the start of the holidays. C'mon, join us!"
Lily hesitated. She was eager to join the party, but desperate to avoid a certain insufferable person, so much so that she barely noticed Alice's voice saying, "Totally! Let's go change, Lily!" Her mind distracted by a whirl of conflicting desires, Lily allowed Alice to grab her hand and drag her upstairs to the girls' dormitory.
Come on, she told herself. It's just a party. Go have fun. It's the first day of the Christmas holidays.
Potter will almost certainly be down there, and I can't stand the sight of him anymore. Not after today.
Lily grimaced as her head filled with images of the Marauders laughing as frozen mudballs flung themselves at Severus; James' roguish, overconfident grin as her Charms homework formed the words "DATE ME, LILY" on the library ceiling.
His antics that day had driven her to the brink; she felt like she was just waiting for the last drop, the last straw that would break the camel's back. It would be better just to avoid the stupid git altogether.
You can avoid him at the party, she argued stubbornly with herself. You always do, anyhow.
Finally Lily allowed herself to be swept up by Alice's flurried excitement and outfit indecision. Almost every item of clothing they owned was picked up and tossed aside a few times before Lily settled on an emerald green, V-neck sweater that Alice said made her eyes pop, and paired it with straight-leg jeans. As she tugged on her favorite orange canvas sneakers, Lily assured Alice over and over how incredibly flattering her new silver dress and black flats looked, and at last they were ready to go.
Just before descending the staircase, though, Lily stopped and took a deep breath. The tantalizing idea of turning back dangled in her mind.
No, she thought firmly. You're not letting that Potter boy ruin the afternoon for you. No matter what he and his stupid friends try, they will NOT ruin this party. You aren't going to let them.
"Are you alright, Lily?" Alice looked suspiciously at her. "You're not ditching out now, are you?"
"Absolutely not." She allowed a wide smile take over her features. "Come on. Let's go party."
As Lily and Alice descended the staircase, Lily resiliently shoved any and all thoughts of Potter to the back of her mind, and placed the fun of the party at the front.
Grabbing a butterbeer, she took Alice's arm and began mingling in the crowd. After chatting for a while with a couple of other sixth-year girls, Lily got the acute feeling that she was being watched by particular a pair of hazel, glasses-framed eyes. With deliberate firmness, she refused to look back at the owner, though she could feel his gaze burning into her skull.
Then, suddenly, an idea was born out of Lily's growing annoyance and tension. With a small, triumphant smile on her face, she grabbed Alice's hand and led her across the room to the Jaffett brothers, a pair of reasonably good-looking, seventh-year twins. As she talked and laughed with the two boys, she could feel, to her satisfaction, the gaze on her growing hotter, jealous, and more frustrated.
With this mini-victory, her mood became lighter and her temper more calm, and soon she quite forgot about the aggravated gazer. Time flew by, and soon the first wave of home-goers had left for their destinations.
Lily felt like it was almost too good to be true; so far the party had been fun for her, and absolutely free of annoyances. Then, just as she started to let down her guard and believe that she might go one party without any drama or stupidity from James Potter, the dreaded voice rang out.
"Come on, everyone, it's time to play…" There was mixed laughter and amused groaning among the Gryffindors.
"Truth or Dare!"
Lily almost turned to the staircase instantly. Just from those three words, she could see innumerable ways that this game, especially if directed by the Marauders, could lead to her ultimate humiliation and destruction. But, ironically, her pride kept her rooted where she was.
If I go up now, I'll get called chicken. If I stay, I'm a sitting duck. She sighed. I guess I have to decide which edible fowl I'll be. She stole an uneasy look at the Marauders. The one with the power of flight, I suppose.
She settled herself on the arm of Alice's chair, slightly edgy. Well, I'm not getting out now. Better go through with it. How bad could it be, anyway?
Lily was just about to learn how bad it could be.
Review, yes? Tell me if you like it or hate it…