This is a plot bunny that hopped into my mind after watching an episode of Family Matters, lol. Let me know what you think!
Phoenix
MUGGLE STUDIES
CHAPTER 1
"Mr. Potter, would you please pay attention?" Professor Hoyt said.
James, who had been staring absently across the room, namely at Lily Evans, snapped to attention. "Sorry, what was that?" Professor Hoyt just rolled her eyes.
"Class, I am about to tell you the details of your summer assignment. This project will be worth one third of your grade for next term, and not bothering with it will have serious consequences to your grade.
"Now, most of you here in Muggle Studies are those who have been brought up entirely in the wizarding world. Now is the time for you to see how ordinary muggles manage everyday life, without magic.
"Now, this is a new project, so it may seem a bit odd to a few of you, but I feel it is the best way for you to understand and appreciate the ways muggles do things. So on to what you are going to do. For ten days this summer you will be living entirely like a muggle. I will be putting you in pairs, a boy and a girl, who will become husband and wife," Professor Hoyt said, smiling a bit evilly. "You will be living together in a cottage in an all muggle village, and you will also have a child," Professor Hoyt announced. "Don't worry, it will be a doll, but it will act exactly as any baby would, it will cry, need changing and feeding, et cetera. You and your spouse will have to manage living a muggle life for ten days, and will be graded according to how well you manage.
"And now for the wedding ceremonies," she continued. "I have all the boy's names written down and in this box," she said motioning to the box in front of her right hand, "and all the girl's names written down in this box," motioning to her left. "Now, luckily we have equal numbers of boys and girls, so there will be no same sex pairings," she said darkly. She reached a hand into the boy's box, and the other into the girl's box, and pulled out two slips of parchment. "And our first couple is…Sirius Black and Molly Zertan!"
Molly Zertan looked as though she was about to faint, and fluttered her eyelashes at Sirius as he turned to smile at her.
"This should be fun," Sirius said to James, as Professor Hoyt read out another couple's name. "All alone for ten days…brilliant."
Professor Hoyt continued calling out couples. In her head Lily was hoping she wouldn't get stuck with—
"James Potter and Lily Evans," Professor Hoyt read out. The entire class went silent, and turned around to see Lily and James' reactions.
James just gave a slight smile, and Lily only swore very quietly under her breath. The whole class was surprised at how well they were both taking it.
Professor Hoyt finished reading the last three couples, then said, "The dates on which you will complete the project will be posted on my office door tonight. Good luck."
"Oh bloody hell," Lily said once she got back to her dormitory.
"What?" Lily's best friend, Kira asked.
"I got paired with James Potter for the Muggle Studies assignment," she answered. She was leaning against the door with her eyes shut and a pained expression on her face.
Kira couldn't help but chuckle. Lily glared at her. "Oh, come on it won't be that bad," Kira said encouragingly. "He's changed a lot over the last year, he's not nearly as conceited as he used to be. He's intelligent, a good leader, and it doesn't hurt that he's quite good looking," Kira said sensibly.
"Yeah well of course you would say that, he's the Quidditch captain," Lily said derisively.
"Look, just because I'm on the Quidditch team doesn't mean I'll say stuff like that about him. I'm not one to lie to make people feel better," she said as she took down her poster of Puddlemere United Quidditch team, rolled it up and put it in her trunk.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"When do you have to do the project?" Kira asked.
"In two weeks…We have to spend ten days living entirely like a muggle."
"Well, that shouldn't be too bad for you," Kira said bracingly, "But I doubt Potter has ever gone a day without using something that is magical or doing some sort of magic."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Lily muttered.