A/N: This is a really old fic that I found lurking around in my documents and decided to revive. In honor of Fantastic Beasts coming out in less than a month, I'm resurrecting some old Harry Potter fics. I'll probably be posting a few more here and there until the premier. I hope you guys enjoy!
Remus and Lily were on prefect duties patrolling the corridors shortly before curfew. They hurried along a few third year Hufflepuffs outside the library. "I'm so dreading this stupid Christmas party of Slughorns." Lily was saying, "I have no one to go with but I promised him that I would help out, so I can't not go."
They rounded a corner and passed a portrait in which several wizened old witches were getting tipsy. "Why aren't you going with Severus. Don't you two normally go to those together?" he asked.
She stopped in front of one of the windows and leaned against it, drinking in the night air. "We're fighting again," she replied without looking at him.
"Oh. Sorry I didn't know," he replied, quickly dropping that line of questioning.
"Of course you didn't, I hadn't told you yet," she answered dully.
A strange awkwardness encroached the two companions as they continued their rounds. For Remus this was unusual around Lily. As one of the few individuals he could be around without feeling like an exceptional oddball, Lily usually symbolized comfort and peace. The fiery red head might get onto him on occasion, usually in relation to the latest prank of the Marauders, but, overall, he and Lily remained firm friends. Which is why the current situation left him with such unease. Especially considering he didn't know why he suddenly felt so awkward.
"Why can't you go alone?" he tried. The look she gave him in return answered that line of questioning.
Remus leaned against the window beside her and looked out on the sprawling grounds. The majority of his being knew that his next proposition would not be well received and he knew what the answer would be, but he was, of course, duty bound to ask. "You could always ask James. You know he'd say yes." The majority of his being had been right, the glare she gave him at that was enough to petrify a basilisk. "Sorry," he added hoping that would be enough to subdue her rage.
"I don't want to encourage him for one and I would rather take the giant squid, Filch, or any other fearsome beast." For a moment she continued glaring at him and his obligatory attempt to help his friend, but then a mischievous glint found its way into her eyes. "Or I could go with you."
Remus wasn't entirely certain he had heard her right. Him? However, the question remained on her face and he knew he had heard correctly. "Oh what so you say fearsome beast and I'm the first thing that pops to mind." He quipped trying to distract her and give himself time to think.
"Oh come on Remus this is perfect!" she exclaimed excitedly. He strained to find the perfection in her proposal. "I won't have to go to Sluggy's party alone and you can benefit from the free food and socializing that a good party provides."
The awkward feeling from other expanded tenfold. He had absolutely no idea how to properly react. Though he knew that, given the chance, most boys would have jumped at the chance to do anything with Lily Evans, one of his best friends was firmly in the same category as those males. Wouldn't it be breaking some kind of male code to go to a dance with a girl your mate fancies?
"Yeah I would enjoy myself right up to the point when James found out and decided to kill me," Remus pointed out. This however only seemed to excite Lily more.
"Good then I'll have a rock solid reason to never speak to him again. This all works out wonderfully," she exclaimed with a glowing smile.
"Yes except for the part where I'm dead."
"Yes, well you will be admittedly missed, but your death will have been for the greater good." The smile spread across her entire face, making her eyes dance in the dim light.
"For your greater good you mean!" Remus argued fighting back his own smile.
"Which is to say everyone's greater good," she winked at him. "Look Remus please don't make me go to this party alone," she continued. "My reputation as a popular and outgoing person will be ruined, my grades will suffer, and I will be kicked out of Hogwarts."
He smiled despite himself no longer able to keep a straight face, "It seems that you do have a lot riding on this party. I apologize I didn't realize it's importance."
"Yes it could make or break my entire livelihood as a witch," she replied seriously. "You couldn't refuse me now could you?"
"Well if the fate of the free world and your own life reside upon this dance then I guess that, against my better judgement of life preservation, I will go with you," he relented. Lily beamed up at him and clapped her hands. "But on the condition that we cannot tell James," he added.
"Oh come on he won't really kill you."
"Oh come on yes, he really will."
"It's settled then James will never find out." She said finally and extended her hand which he awkwardly shook. The two laughed at the absurdity of the moment and continued down the corridor to finish their rounds.
The four Marauders trudged through the snow back from the green houses as Lily hurried to catch up with them. "Sirius Black I need a word with you," she demanded.
"Oh dear I believe I might be in trouble," he said turning to James with a smirk. James and Peter let out laughs in reply and Remus settled for his usual look of long suffering.
Lily ignored him and continued, "You are going to Slughorn's party tonight if I have to drag you there by force."
Sirius let out a barking laugh, "That sounds kind of kinky there Evans. I like a powerful woman," he winked. James and Peter again laughed encouragingly while Remus attempted to make himself as small as possible. They were entering dangerous waters.
Lily rolled her eyes and waited until they reached the entrance hall before continuing, "Look I'm tired of him always complaining to me that you're not there and this year he even threatened to move it to accommodate you. I've told him I'll talk to you, which means I'll blackmail you into coming." She was hitting full stride now continuously talking to keep him from interrupting. "So if you don't want everyone to know my slightly embellished story about that miraculous evening you and James spent together on the common room couch then you had better show up."
"Evans stooping to blackmail, this must be serious," Sirius replied with feigned indignation. "It's a good try honey, but you're going to have to do better than that. James and I have zero qualms about people discovering just how intimate our relationship is. I will whisper sweet nothings in his ear whenever I won't and I don't care who sees." He said this with confidence and James laughed along with him.
"Whatever," Lilly replied. "You can bring him as your date then. You'll make a lovely couple."
"Evans, I don't think Sirius being our third wheel would be very cool," James chimed in, "his feelings are fragile
"Besides," Sirius replied "What kind of a friend would I be if I ditched Wormtail as my date? He's hopeless as a dancer and needs all of the expert help that I so willingly provide." As he said this he draped an arm around Peter.
"Umm," Peter began, "actually I'm going to Slughorn's party already." Four sets of his turned to Peter in surprise at that announcement.
"Pete how can you break my heart in this way!" Sirius replied in his usual overly-exaggerated tone.
"Wait Peter are you serious?" Lily asked.
To which Siruis replied, "No that's me," and everyone ignored him as usual.
"Why are you all so shocked?" Peter asked defensively.
"We aren't shocked Peter." Remus said venturing out into this safer territory, "We are just surprised that you didn't tell us that's all."
"Well I wanted to make sure she was for real and then I planned on telling you all tomorrow. And enjoying the looks of jealousy when you heard that I was going with Marissa White!" Peter replied with a smug grin.
"Peter you dog!" James exclaimed
To which Sirius replied, "That's me too," which everyone again ignored.
"Well congrats Pete. I'm glad you're coming." Lily said before redirecting attention back to her original topic. "Sirius this means that now you have to come to make sure that Pete does well on his date. So find a date and come on."
"Evans if you won't me to come so badly you could have just asked me to be your date," James said stepping in closer to her.
"I don't care if you come or not James, but Sirius has to be there or I'm going to hurt him. So bring James as a date and then you'll at least have each other."
Sirius replied, "But I can't bring James if he's going with you-
"He's not coming with me!" she replied cutting him off
"So I guess that leaves me and you Remus," Sirius continued as if Lily had never spoken. He moved over to Remus and draped an arm around his shoulders as he had done with Peter.
The moment had arrived just as Remus had known it would. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet and refused to meet Sirius's gaze. "Er…" he began.
"Not you too!" Sirius exclaimed exasperatedly.
"Well…" Remus shrugged.
"For Pete's sake you guys are killing me. Well Evans if Peter has a date, Remus has a date, and James is going with you then that's three out of the four Marauders which is usually more than enough fun for one party. So I'll sit this one out" Sirius said moving his arm to a propping position on Remus's shoulder.
"James is not going with me!" Lily shouted, startling a few first years walking into the Great Hall for dinner. "And you have to go Sirius. Please." She added the last on in a strained voice.
"So," James cut in before Sirius could continue his sarcastic responses, "if you aren't going with me then who's taking you, Snivellus?"
Her face reddened slightly, "That's none of your concern," she responded.
"Oh come on Evans," he and Sirius said at the same time. Remus's face was just as red as Lily's and he felt as though it was very hot in the hall despite the snow outside.
"I don't have to tell you who I am going with. Come tonight and find out yourself."
"Tell you what," James proposed, "if you tell me who's taking you then I will make certain that Sirius is there tonight."
"Or," she countered, "If you're so curious make him bring you tonight."
"Curiosity only goes so far," Sirius chimed in.
She looked helplessly from the determined sets of Sirius and James's faces to the blushing face of Remus, "I… oh you two." She began spluttering her face revealing more and more of a blush.
Finally, Remus took pity on her, "It's okay Lily," he said before turning to face James, "She's going with me."
A look of utter betrayal crossed James's face followed closely by ferocity. Sirius, however, looked as though his favorite program had come on. "Oh come on," the latter said. "You're telling me that you, Evans, talked him, Remus, into attending a social gathering? That is marvelous!" His laughter at the matter offset James's continued fury.
"So now you know and you'll both come to make sure that Remus and I don't sneak off into a dark corner somewhere." Lily said to Remus's dismay.
"It's just as friends." Remus appealed to James whose glare was deepening as the conversation continued.
Lily rolled her eyes and tried to make Sirius focus, "Now James is without a date to the dance so you'll have to take him."
"I'm still trying to figure out how you talked Moony here into going!" Sirius rambled on. "He wouldn't go to his own birthday parties if we didn't force him."
"Bloody hell Sirius will you just drop it and show up tonight!" Remus said in an aggravated tone.
Sirius looked from Remus to James, noting the unbridled anger in one and the awkward dismay of the other. "I wouldn't miss this for the world!" he exclaimed.
"I'm holding you to that." Lily replied. With that she turned on her heel and walked into the great hall. The four boys followed her in and sat in uncomfortable silence through lunch. After so many attempts to lighten the mood, even Sirius had to admitt defeat and suggested that they skip class to take advantage of the potentially empty common room. They all agreed and walked back to the common room quietly.
As they entered through the portrait hole, Remus rounded on James before the fuming teen could properly tell him off. "Look I didn't ask her, she asked me. She implied that her own life and the free world depended on the fact that she did not go to this party alone and, I being the gentleman I am, agreed. She and Snape are fighting and she knew he would be there. She just wanted someone she knew to go with her and occupy her time so she could ignore him."
James was obviously surprised by Remus's outburst at first, but he quickly recovered his anger. "I could have been that someone!" he said rather loudly.
"I mentioned you and she declined. I had no idea she was going to round on Sirius like that."
"So you never wanted me to find out," James stated glad to finally have sure footing for his argument.
"I was planning on telling you tonight on the way out so that you didn't hound me or kill me. But I did plan on telling you," Remus answered honestly holding out his hands in a placating gesture.
James was about to continue his tirade when Sirius cut in, "This is brilliant!"
James turned a stunned face to his obviously mental best friend. "Oh sure it's brilliant! Absolutely spiffing!" He exclaimed.
"Come on Prongs think about it," Sirius continued, placing his hands on James shoulders. "Remus here can talk you up a bit and I can provide you a few opportunities to get to Lily. You can prove that you aren't a complete toerag and maybe even earn some credit with her." Odd though it was to see Sirius talking James down off the cliff, Sirius flashed him a go along with it look and Remus was now able to see a way out of the fight.
Remus nodded his agreement with Sirius and after another encouraging nod from Peter, James relented. "Fine," he said, "but this better work."
A/N: There is a part 2 to this, it just has to be fixed up. So never fear, the cliffhanger is temporary.