I've been wanting to do this fanfic for awhile. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
It's Potter! Why must he do this today? I have a potions essay due tomorrow, and a herbology exam Wednesday!
"Evans, I have a proposition for-"
"No, Potter, I will not go out with you, nor will I ever, because you are an arrogant, irresponsible, idiotic git." I say without looking up, in a monotone voice.
"Just hear me out this time."
"Why should I? Nothing you say could possibly be of any importance to me." I look up and glare at him. "We have nothing in common, what can you possibly say that I could possibly care about? Anything involving you is off the list already!" I realize this is a tad harsh when his face falls, and he slumps a little. "Okay, what is it Potter?" He brightens up right away.
"I propose we play a game of wizard's chess." I snort at this.
"Like I don't have better things to do, such as arm wrestle the giant squid, paint my owl pink, or anything really!"
"AND the winner," he pauses for dramatic affect, "gets to ask fifteen questions of choice to the loser, who answers, after taking veritaserum!" I think this over. There are a lot of things that I've been wanting to catch Potter on, various pranks, lies, and cover ups. And I never have lost a game of wizards chess.
"You're on."
"Yes! I've never lost a game of wizard's chess!"
Although I hate to admit it, Potter is actually rather good at wizard's chess. Still, an hour later...
"Check mate!" I shout victoriously. "So where's the veritaserum?" James is just staring, dumbfounded at me.
"I've never lost...how?" Poor Potter, so pathetic in defeat. "It's under my bed, I'll just go get it. Meet me in the common room in five minutes."
When he gets back, he has a small flask with him. Once I can see him close enough, he uncorks it and drinks a small amount, licking his lips afterwards, in a manner not fit for a school (I roll my eyes at this: typical Potter). He then casts a few spells around us such as muffliato, and a few more complex ones I wouldn't have thought he could do.
"I don't want to be overheard." he explains, "So let's get this over with." I've already chosen my first question.
"When you ask me out, are you being serious?"
"No, I'm being James! But yes, I do really want to go out with you when I ask." he grins at my shock. I'd never thought he meant it, I'd always thought that if I'd said yes, he would have laughed at me for falling for it. And when did his grin get so... non-idiotic?
"Next question. How much do you like me?" Damn it, a waste of a question, I don't really care. But then...why did I blurt it out?
"I love you Lily, more than anyone else in the world, and always will." He says somewhat reluctantly, like he would have lied if not for the potion. We both blush at this. I really can't believe it, I'd never thought it possible for him to actually like me. And when he asks me out, I always insult him! I never actually considered it an option, more like a joke.
"I'm sorry Po-James, I'm going to stop insulting you, I'd thought you were kidding, that's the reason I say those things." I hurry on, "Question three...how many girls have you shagged?" Did I really just ask that? Why should I care, or want to know? He probably can't even remember.
"Let's see...three? No four! Four girls, one twice."
"Wait what? Do you mean this week? What about all of those infamous stories about the marauders' sex lives?"
"No Lily, that's Sirius, not me. Sometimes Lupin...anyways, I haven't shagged a girl since last year, after I shagged your friend Mary, and you called me some quite nasty names." Wow, Potter had changed...somewhat. He's still dumb as dirt.
"Question four, how many O.W.L.'s did you get? I heard rumors of three."
"Three? Try ten. Mostly E's. And "O" in transfiguration. I think I might have spread the rumors of only three though. I have to uphold my reputation!" I roll my eyes at this.
"Next question. Do you pull pranks purely to annoy me and the teachers, or is there some, more diabolical, alternate motive?"
"The rest of the marauders and I pull pranks to make people happy. I never hurt anyone with my pranks, it's always just for a laugh."
"What about with Snape?"
"He deserves it! I wouldn't call those pranks, more like revenge for all the times he and his friends hurt me and my friends! And anyways, they're future death-eaters, so it's my job to hunt them down as a future member of-" he suddenly stops.
"Question six, what were you about to say, and elaborate." Potter struggles to stop the words from coming out of his mouth, trying to keep it from opening. I roll my eyes, and pinch his nose, until he is forced to open his mouth to breath and answer.
"As a member of the Order of the Phoenix." he gasps out. "All of the marauders are going to be members, and we're going to fight the death eaters and take down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-
Named." That was not what I'd been expecting. Nothing nearly as noble. I thought something more like a member of the bully club...
"Well, that's okay I guess, meanwhile I'M going to be sewing together the fabrics of the universe, but your little club is a start."
"Hey! Wait...was Lily Evans joking? Was that an actual joke? Directed at me? Or are you actually going to be making a dress out of the universe?" I laugh at that.
"Okay, question...seven? Do you play Quidditch for the attention and the popularity?"
"Well, a little for that, but mostly I just love the feeling. When I'm out there flying, it's just me and the sky, and it makes me feel so free, and happy, you know?" I nod slowly. It's how magic makes me feel.
"Question eight. Do you and the marauders do everything together? Or just everything in public?"
"We do all of our pranks together, and we hang out, but we do a lot by ourselves too. But why do you care?"
"I'm asking the questions, not you!" I say, blushing. I know why I asked that, but I'm not even telling myself. But it shows I'm wrong about James.
"Question nine," I get an idea, "What's the real reason Remus disappears a lot due to sickness? And where do you guys go?" James covers his mouth and runs from the room. I chase after him and see him go behind a statue. "You have to tell me." I say once I've caught him. He struggles, but is forced to say,
"He's a werewolf, and we go under the Whomping Willow."
"How?"
"We're Animagus. I'm a stag, Sirius a large dog, and Peter is a rat. Peter sneaks under the willow and presses a knot in the tree, so Sirius and I can get in. We're safe from werewolf-Remus as animals. Are you happy now? I've told a dark secret of one of my best friends that I've managed to keep for years." He looks angry, but I'm still in shock.
"Snape knew. I guess I also sort of suspected. I'm glad I know for sure now. But poor Remus, it must be so hard for him to balance his schoolwork and his transformation." James stares at me incredulously.
"What?"
"So this is what you're thinking about? How he manages to do his schoolwork?"
"Well, how does he?" I am curious...
"Is that a question?" Not that curious...
"Nope, question ten, why do you hate Snape so much?"
"Easy. His dream is to become a death eater, and to put muggles and muggle-borns in their "rightful place," below wizards. Also, I though you liked him, and it made me jealous of him." He makes a face at that. I wouldn't have believed that James could be jealous of Snape yesterday, but today...today's different.
"Question eleven. Do you remember that time in the fifth year I caught you hiding under the stairs, and you wouldn't tell me what you were doing, and the next day the third floor vanished? How did you do that?" James turns white, and looks away from me.
"I wasn't planning anything, Sirius was the one who vanished the third floor."
"Then what were you doing."
"I'd...I'd just gotten an owl saying my dad was...gone. It was a death eater. And I didn't want to be seen crying." I didn't know his dad had been killed.
"Couldn't you have told your friends? I'm sure they would have comforted you."
"Well, Sirius found out, but only because he found me..." he trails off.
"Found you what?"
"That's not part of the original question!" he says stubbornly.
"Question twelve..."
"Because he found me...Lily please don't make me say it, I can't. Can't you, for once, not hurt me? Just guess what he found me doing, Lily. I've done it before, because of you. Sirius caught me though, and it's done."
"Okay, fine." I can't believe he'd do something like that. Especially because of me. I don't want to know the details of what he was doing, but whatever it was, it was bad, and, besides that time with his father, my fault. But I don't know what to say, so I plow on.
"Question thirteen. Why do you love me?" I blush. But I do want to know, I really do. What could someone like James love about someone like me?
"I love you because you're the kindest, bravest, most caring person I know. You protect and help others with a passion, you're brilliant, and also the most beautiful girl I've ever met. You'll always be my Lily to me." I interrupt there.
"Even after how I've treated you?"
"That just proves that you're human. And it did help me. I really did have to deflate my head a little." I laugh.
"Question fourteen." I gather up my courage. Do I really want to do this? Definitely. "If I kiss you, do you promise not to tell?" James answers by leaning in and pressing his lips against mine, first softly, then more insistently, slipping into my mouth, him tasting like sunny days and sweetness, our tongues dancing together. I have my hands in his unruly hair. Then I pull back.
"Question fifteen, was I worth the wait?"
"Definitely." And thus starts a love that will end in the saving of the wizard world.
I don't know if I got parts of it quite right, so review if you have suggestions about how to improve it.
