Hi. So I started writing this when I suffered from writer's block with my other fanfic, Breaking Potter's Heart. I'll be flipping between these two fanfics so posting may seem weird. I will give you a warning: I plan on changing the writing style for the rest of tale. Just needed to set the scene, ya know? Please enjoy and, if you love or hate it, it would still be lovely if you could review.
The cheers of students rebounded throughout the corridors of Hogwarts as they exited exams for their feast. Everyone had some reason for celebrating the end. Seventh years were leaving, first years were no longer first years, fifth years had survived O.W.L.s, sixth years were now sevenths, and everyone else was just happy to no longer be studying. Summer was here, fun was in, and happiness…well, some people were happy. Only one thing was ruining the moment: the screams of James Potter and Lily Evans.
"I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU JUST DID!" screamed the red haired Gryffindor prefect. She was facing James, wand out, as her friends crowded behind her in support.
James Potter was standing strong, unarmed, as he took on Lily. The Marauders were unfazed by the screaming match as they eyed the scene from behind James. "WHAT I JUST DID? DO YOU SEE HOW YOU'RE REACTING? IT WAS ONE LITTLE-"
"OH YES, 'ONE LITTLE' PRANK! YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN ME EXPELLED!"
"YOU COULD GET YOURSELF EXPELLED RIGHT NOW EVANS! DO YOU HEAR YOUR VOICE?"
"MY VOICE? YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO USE YOUR WAND TO WIPE MY ENTIRE ANSWER SHEET CLEAN! I HAD 30 MINUTES TO GO BACK AND TRY TO REENTER ALL MY CAREFULLY ENTERED ANSWERS!"
"IT'S NOT LIKE YOU COULD FAIL EVANS! 'OH LOOK AT ME, I'M A PREFECT AND I'M BLOODY PERFECT!'"
"ARE YOU REALLY SURPRISED AT MY ANGER POTTER? AFTER ALL YOU HAVE PUT ME THROUGH? YOU MADE ME LOSE A FRIEND, THEN MY DIGNITY WITH YOUR PATHETIC PRANKS AND SENSE OF HUMOR, AND NOW I APPEAR TO HAVE LOST MY SANITY! ALL THANKS TO A FILTHY, DIGUSTING, GORMLESS, BLOODY GIT!"
"OH, SO NOW WE ARE THROWING INSULTS? WAY TO BE MATURE PREFECT," spat back James. Lily couldn't take it any longer. Six-nearly seven-years of misery caused by James Potter were coming boiling out in a way no one could have imagined. Tightening the grip on her wand, Lily used her proficiency at nonverbal spells to send a Bat-Boogey Hex at James, which he quickly dodged. James also used the time to pull out his own wand.
"EVANS! I DON'T WANT TO HURT-" Already another curse was being shot at James before he could finish the sentence. It was time to fight back. Unfortunately, James wasn't very talented with nonverbal spells so was forced to give Lily an advantage. For the future of Hogwarts, this duel would go down as a legend. It was their version of the Dumbledore and Grindelwald duel.
Red, green, blue, yellow-the colors being cast lit up the halls, some hitting the school and others hitting the students. By this point the on lookers were retreating to protect themselves; all entertainment was gone. James and Lily were still dodging left and right until a new sound entered the melee.
"JAMES POTTER AND LILY EVANS! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Professor McGonagall shouted. The two students didn't appear to hear the professor though; they just continued dueling. By now more professors had appeared and, finally, the Headmaster.
"Enough." James and Lily lowered their wands, glowering at each other. Lily couldn't believe she was in this predicament, that she had started a duel with James Potter. James couldn't believe that he had attacked the woman he loved. Not that he loved her anymore.
The professors had gathered around the students in a circle as Professor McGonagall silently took their wands. Lily refrained from crying tears of frustration; if only they understood the misery James had put her through. James wondered if he were going to be expelled.
"Professor Slughorn, could you check the students in the Hospital Wing who were hit during this fight?"
The plump professor nodded vigorously. "Of course, of course. Anything to help. Now, if this occurred with students of my house-"
"Professor McGonagall, could you escort Mr. Potter to your office until I am ready for him? I think it best if we keep these two apart."
"What about their wands headmaster?"
"I shall take them," Professor Dumbledore said, holding out his hand to take the two wands. He quickly slipped them into his robes. James dutifully followed his Head of House to her office.
"Miss Evans, if you will be so kind as to follow me?" Lily wasn't sure what scared her more, her future punishment or Dumbledore's ability to be so calm. How could this happen to her?
Once they were up in the office (the password was "Snickers"), Dumbledore had Lily sit across from his desk. "Tell me, Miss Evans, what the school just witnessed."
"I lost my temper with Potter," Lily replied, her eyes downcast. Folding his hands on his desk, Dumbledore inclined Lily to continue with a raised eyebrow. "He's always pranked me-always! And it isn't just his pranks! He lives to make my life miserable and I just couldn't take it anymore! I snapped! He…he…" Lily burst into tears.
"There, there. The added stress of examinations must not have made it any easier. You must understand though, I cannot have my prefect dueling in the school halls."
"I understand sir."
"Now, could you please go down to Professor McGonagall's office and have her send Mr. Potter up? You will wait in her office while I speak to him." Lily nodded her head slowly as she stood up and exited the office.
After a short walk, she reached the Transfiguration classroom. "Professor?"
"Miss Evans? The headmaster would like to see Mr. Potter, I presume?"
"Yes professor. I am to stay here with you while Potter is speaking with him." James could be seen sitting in the corner of the classroom fiddling with a quill. It must have been awkward in here with an angry Head of House. Lily was about to find out.
It was a short walk, or so it seemed, to the Headmaster's office. The gargoyle leapt to life when he arrived so it was obvious that James was expected. He walked up without hesitant, telling himself that he wasn't spending what could possibly be his last few hours as a Gryffindor only to be a coward.
"Sit down James," Professor Dumbledore said. James sat down without question.
"I remember the first time you were called up here," Dumbledore said fondly. "Placing a dungbomb in the compartment of the train before your Sorting. Perhaps one of the earliest pranks in the history of any student. You had only known Mr. Black for, what was it? Fifteen minutes? But, back to what brought us here today."
"The duel," James replied.
"Yes. Please tell me about it."
"Evans was upset with a prank. It got out of hand. I didn't want to fight her sir."
"I don't think it was just the prank James. You have been harassing Miss Evans since first year."
"Harassing? I don't harass Evans!" James defended.
The headmaster gave James a sad smile. "As unhappy as I am to say this, you have harassed Lily Evans. I let the problem get to far and, unfortunately, it had side effects on Miss Evans. You brought her to the end of her wits."
"She has never been particularly kind to me either professor."
Dumbledore sat in silence, running a hand through his beard in thought. "Please bring Miss Evans up here-with Professor McGonagall to supervise you-so that I may give you both your punishments."
Within a few minutes Lily and James were seated in front of Dumbledore's desk while McGonagall stood behind them. "Now, you two will have many objections for this punishment but remember: this was your own fault. I have already cleared it with both your parents."
"Our parents?" James exclaimed, already panicking. Lily's face went pale. She would be in so much trouble.
"Yes, your parents, both of your parents. They seemed to agree that this would be a very good idea for the both of you."
"You told my parents about Evans?"
"It seemed they already had a good idea of who she was Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, reverting back to what he called James around others.
"What is this idea Professor Dumbledore?" Lily asked tentatively, thinking that maybe she wasn't going to be expelled.
"Well," Dumbledore began, a twinkle in his eye, "Minerva has heard all about it. You could say I've been waiting some time to use it."
"Not-?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Dumbledore nodded. "In the Muggle world they have exchange programs between countries."
Lily's eyes widened. "You can't possibly expect-"
"What is an exchange program?" James exclaimed impatiently.
"Ah, the question of the hour. Yes, you two will be switching places."
"WHAT?" came their horrified responses. McGonagall tried not to crack a smile.
"It will be a good learning experience for the both of you. Since Miss Evans is Muggle born she will get to experience life in the wizarding world. This means that you, Mr. Potter, will get to live out a truly Muggle life."
"So how long will it last Professor? A week?"
Professor Dumbledore laughed. "A week? Oh no, this will be for the summer."
"It's the summer before our final year! You can't take it away from us Professor!" James argued.
Lily stiffened, taking it all in. "Will we have any visitations to our home? To our own lives?"
"In the Muggle community, they do not do it that way. Both of you will see your families when you get off of the Hogwarts Express but you will not be going home with them. I expect no trickery, Mr. Potter. If you want to communicate with someone, you will do so by owl. Mr. Potter, you could even use a telephone."
"What is a telephone?"
"It is beside the point Mr. Potter," McGonagall said. "Albus sir, they are both of age. They can use magic."
"That is the key point. I am quite glad you asked. In her normal environment, Miss Evans cannot use magic since she is in such close contact with Muggles. Therefore Mr. Potter, you will be unable to use magic. Miss Evans, since you will be in a wizarding environment you will therefore be able to use magic." A triumphant smile appeared on Lily's face as, once again, James began to argue his case.
"Now, now. Mr. Potter, since this will technically not be during summer hours I cannot hold onto your wand to make sure that magic is not used. Luckily," he added as James began to look victorious, "your parents will gladly guard it. For the time being, here are your wands." Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled out their wands, handing them to the respective owners. It was nice for Lily and James to feel at least a little in control.
"There is another key point to this. You two will be expected to owl each other on a regular basis, perhaps twice a week or so."
"What could I possibly write to Potter?" Lily asked.
Dumbledore leaned forward, excitement twinkling in his eyes through his half-moon spectacles. "I would hope you two will get to know each other. That is the point, you see. I would like the two of you to become friends or, at the very least, no longer be dueling."
"Minerva, I expect you'll escort these two back to their respective dormitories. You two will be spending the last week of the term in the dormitories and your food shall be brought to you." Lily only nodded as James looked infuriated. He could find a way out though, he always could. "I will know if either of you try to leave. I have my ways. Have a good evening and a good summer term."
In silence, the strange trio trooped back to the Gryffindor Common Room. When they entered an unbroken silence fell over the students. Even the other Marauders stopped making noise. Lily went up to her room and James to his. When McGonagall walked out, their friends quickly ran up to see them.
"LILY EVANS!" shouted Mary MacDonald when she got into the dorm. "What did you think you were doing? You dueled. You are a prefect. You got down on Potter's level of dung!"
"I snapped, ok? I just couldn't take it anymore. He just got to me. And now, I get to spend the summer leaving with Potter's family at his house while he lives with my family at my house."
One of the other sixth year girls spoke up. "Ooh, I bet you'll have to spend time with Black too!"
"What?" Lily asked.
The girl sat up straighter, realizing she had the attention of the dorm. "Sirius spends most of his time at Potter's house. His family is full of Dark Magic supporters. Of Slytherins."
As the girls debated about what would happen and pitied Lily, the Marauders were busy getting into their own conversations.
"So I have to spend my summer leaving with her family. Evans will leave with mine. We have to owl each other too."
"I'll come visit you mate," Sirius said, popping a Chocolate Frog into his mouth.
James shook his head sadly. "Can't. I have to live like Lily does. It also means no magic, as in my parents will hold onto my wand."
"That bites," Remus said.
"Ya, it bites," Sirius said, "Now what am I supposed to do all summer? Live in some Slytherin breeding ground?"
"You could still go over there Padfoot. Make sure Evans doesn't go digging through my stuff."
"Isn't that what you would want?" Peter asked.
James squeezed a Pumpkin Pastry so hard in anger that it began to ooze onto the floor. "I'm done with Evans. For good."