I already said that I'm planning to write anoter L/J fic. Here it is. And it has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with 'Nail a pudding on the wall!'. So maybe you liked 'Nail' and hate this series. Or the other way round. Just to warn you. And yeah, I'll stop babbling now.
Er, sorry, there's one thing I have to add: Maybe you think that some parts of this story are vaguely familiar, at least if you've read 'The Parents Who Died' by Someone the First (if you didn't, then you really should!). But I swear to you one thing: I didn't copy! I was thinking of forcing Lily and James to work together although they were hating each other a long time before I read the 'Parents', really. Just to make this clear.
On with the story!
I'd love you to hate me
I
I hate her. I hate her!
I hate her!Clenching his hands to fists, James Potter lay in the hospital wing of Hogwarts and glared at the chair that was standing next to his bed, imagining it to be his worst - or maybe only his second worst - enemy: Lily Evans.
Most students of Hogwarts would describe Lily Evans as beautiful, popular, charming, smart and perfectly nice. James would describe her as Severus Snape's kindred soul, with the difference that she was disguised as an angel. Which was just about the most horrible thing he could imagine to insult a person - if Lily wasn't his worst enemy, then it was most definitely Snape. At this moment, he didn't think of Snape, though, all he was thinking of was Lily and how to pay her back. A love potion, maybe, so that she would finally become Snape's girlfriend. But he quickly corrected himself: They hated each other, and he liked it much better this way. It was bad enough to have such enemies, but if they were united against him... No, definitely nothing he would appreciate, he loved to be alive. Besides, even though she was his enemy, she was a fellow Gryffindor and it would be too much of a shame if she were dating a Slytherin like Snape. No, there had to be something else he could do...
His thoughts were cut off as in this very moment, the aim of his fury was entering the hospital herself, giving the school nurse, Ms Petterson, a warm smile that could melt icebergs, one of those smiles that made her able to get away with everything as it was impossible that such a beautiful, polite girl could do any harm.
James knew it better.
When she approached his bed, the smile now replaced by a grin, he narrowed his eyes and glared at her, wondering what she was planning to do to him this time.
"Hello Potter, how're you doing?" she asked him cheerfully while seating herself on the chair he imagined to be her just a few minutes ago.
"Evans. What are you doing here?"
Lily's grin broadened, but she was waiting with her answer until Ms Petterson had left the room with a last sympathetic look back at the two sixteen-years old Gryffindors, a smile on her face. Then Lily turned her attention back to James. "I told her that we needed some time on our own, young love and so on, you know."
James choked and stared at her, wondering vaguely if she had lost her mind. Not that there was much to lose, he thought. "Young love?" he repeated lamely.
Lily nodded, looking smug. "But of course, Jamie-darling. - Actually" she became a bit more serious - "I wanted to give you something that should help you to get rid of those ugly warts."
"You were the one who made them grow!" he said, feeling the urge to yell, but he didn't want Ms Petterson to come back.
"Yeah, right. And I think they really suit you." Lily smirked, completely ignoring the murderous glares she was given. "But as you might have some problems to play Slytherin tomorrow as long as you're covered in warts, I thought it would be better to visit you to give you a potion that should help."
"Should?" he asked suspiciously.
Lily sighed. "Look, Potter. I don't exactly like you." He snorted, knowing that this was an enormous underestimation. "But I know that we need to be three Chasers on the team, and as you're also our captain, I don't think it would be a good idea to try it without you, not if we want to win."
"Don't tell me that it's more important for you to beat the Slytherins than to embarass me." James's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
She looked thoughtful for a moment, considering carefully the two possibilities, then she shook her head. "Actually, it's my devotion in life to embarass you. But on the other hand, I might hate Snape even more than you..."
"Thanks a lot. I'm feeling soooo honored now. You like me more than Snape!" He bowed ironically. As he was lying in one of the beds in the room, it was more like sitting up, but Lily knew exactly well what he wanted to say and grinned.
"Well, at least you're able to wash your hair. Not able to brush it, though." She shot a look at his messy black hair that was sticking up like it always did.
"Evans, if you're here to insult me, then I think it's better if you go now!"
She sighed in exasperation. "You're not very quick today, are you? - Potter, I already told you that I'm here to help you to get back your peach skin."
"I don't have peach skin!"
"Oh, really?" Lily smirked. "I was sure I heard Eliza saying something about you having it to Cecile... - She's missing you, by the way."
James blushed. "I don't care if she's missing me!"
Lily ignored him and was searching in her bag, then pulled out a bottle, filled with what seemed to be green slime.
"You don't expect me to drink this, do you?"
"Yes, I do." She placed the bottle on his cover.
"Why the hell should I drink something you gave to me?"
"Good point." she admitted.
"See?"
"Potter, drink it already! It's the only chance to win the match tomorrow."
"Thanks, but no."
"Do you want us to lose?"
"It's your fault if we lose."
"No, it isn't. It's your fault if you're too wimpy to drink this potion."
"How do I know that you're not trying to poison me, Evans?"
"Potter. Drink it already. I want us to beat the Slytherins, and I already told you that it's more important to me than to see you covered with warts."
"How calming." James was looking back and forth between the bottle and the red-haired girl, then, he finally decided that she was serious about the game. Lily hated him, right, but she, being one of the three Chasers on the team as well, was determined to win the Quidditch house cup, therefore it was likely that she would even help him, just to win it. Although he wouldn't need any help if she hadn't cursed him, in the first place. But he decided nevertheless to give the potion a try.
With a disgusted look, he took the bottle out of Lily's hands and was surprised how good it smelled when he opened the stopper. Almost like... hot chocolate, maybe? (A/N: *waves at Temptress*) Closing his eyes in order not to see the liquid, he swallowed it with one gulp, all the time watched by Lily, who was looking quite satisfied. It even tasted like hot chocolate, except that there was an odd aftertaste... He felt his skin tingling for an instant, and when he glanced down at his arm, he was pleased that he was no longer looking at a countless number of warts, but at his skin, and it looked just like it always did. He was less pleased when he examined his hair, though.
Catching his furious glare, Lily giggled. "I forgot to tell you about the side effects, didn't I? - Anyway, I have to go now." She grabbed the bottle and rushed out of the room, just to be replaced by Sirius a few seconds later. He was watching her hurrying down the corridor with keen interest and therefore nearly ran into an armchair. When he finally turned his attention to his poor friend, Sirius burst out laughing.
"Was this Lily's idea, Prongs? You look just like an angel!"
"I'm not looking like an angel!" James said crossly.
"Oh yes, you are." Sirius leaned closer to study his friend's hair. "Blond curls... How sweet! I love this girl!"
"And I hate her."
"No, you don't."
"Of course I do."
Sirius shook his head, grinning. "You don't hate her, James. You're just afraid that you might find yourself liking her more than she likes you."
James stared at his friend, a furious expression on his face. "Are you on some type of medication, Sirius? You should be, you know. I. Don't. Like. Lily. Evans."
"Yeah, sure."
"Just because every boy in this school, you included, is crazy for her, it doesn't mean that I like her as well."
"Whatever you say, Prongs..."
"What does this mean?"
"Nothing."
"Tell me."
"No. Why don't we leave the hospital wing, now that your skin's just as wonderfully tanned and clear as it was before Lily accidentally hit you with this spell?"
"You call this accidentally?"
"Well..."
"Exactly. Sirius, how can I pay her back? D'you have any idea?"
"You want to pay her back? You sure?"
"Padfoot, has Evans done something to your brain?"
"I'm a gentleman, Prongs. I don't like playing pranks on girls."
"You don't like playing pranks on cute girls."
"So you admit that she is cute?" Sirius grinned.
"No. Will you help me or not?"
"I'll think about it."
***
"You did what?"
"I turned his hair blond and curly." Lily repeated grinningly, sitting cross-legged on her bed, absent-mindedly stroking her teddy bear, Snozzles.
Her best friend, Anatasha Kinsky, was gazing at her, mouth hanging open.
"What?"
"Lil, why do you torture this poor boy so much?"
"Because I hate him, maybe?"
"And why exactly would you hate him? Did he ever anything bad to you? He's good looking, clever, funny,..."
"Yeah, that's the point of view of every girl. It's also Potter's point of you, speaking of that."
"Why would you hate him?"
"Because he's got the biggest ego I've ever seen, and I hate people that are too pleased with themselves."
"He's not that bad, Lil."
"Yes, he is."
"You're just annoyed that there are always girls tangling along with him and Sirius."
"Not true."
"It is."
"No. And stop trying to make me admit that I'm madly in love with James Potter."
"Just..."
"Stop it."
"But..."
"I said: Stop it. I hate him about as much as Brussels sprouts, and I really hate Brussels sprouts."
"Why's that?"
Lily shrugged. "I think it's because my sister loves it and so we ate it quite often at home. It reminds me of Petunia."
"Just a moment... You hate Brussel sprouts 'cause it's reminding you of your sister?"
"Exactly."
"You're insane, Lil. Completely, totally and positively insane."
"Why are you my friend, then?"
Anatasha wrinkled up her nose. "I have no idea. Probably, I'm insane as well."
"You can say that."
"Hey! You're supposed to tell me that I'm totally sane."
"Why?"
"'Cause you're my friend, of course."
"Why should I tell you that you're sane when you just told me that I'm completely insane?"
"Point taken. - Let's go down, time for dinner."
"D'you ever think of anything else but food?"
"Yep. I'm thinking about food, boys, you and the Magical Musicians. Exactly in this order."
"I'm coming after 'boys'?"
"There's only a tiny distance between you and them."
"Gee, thanks."
Anatasha grinned, got up and stretched out a hand to pull Lily to her feet. "Coming?"
"Coming."
***
"Someone's watching you."
Lily gulped down a mouthful of her cake. "Really? That's completely new. Who?" she asked carelessly.
"James."
She looked up at once and met James's eyes, giggling quietly about his hair.
"He looks as if he were about to kill you." Anatasha stated.
Lily shook her head. "No, he's not going to kill me. At least not before the match tomorrow."
"Are you ever worried about something?"
"Nope."
"How come you're my best friend?"
"You don't have much choice, An." Lily smiled at her friend. "Or would you prefer to spend your time talking about clothes, make-up and boys?"
"No, I guess."
Their conversation was cut off as Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster, got up and raised a hand to stop the first students that were already about to leave the Great Hall. "May I have a word? I ask the Sixth Years to stay a little longer, please. There's an announcement I have to make."
Lily sighed. "Not again another thing that was added to Filch's list of forbidden objects!"
"Can't be. Then it wouldn't be only for us."
"Oh, yeah, right."
At the other end of the table, James tore his eyes away from Lily and turned to Sirius, Remus and Peter. "You don't think that this has anything to do with the prank we played on McGonagall, do you?"
Remus shook his head. "No. They wouldn't give us detention in front of all the Sixth Years."
"True, true." Sirius grinned. "We might corrupt them."
Dumbledore raised from his seat once again, seeing that there were only the Sixth Years left now, and beamed at his remaining students. "Very well. Once again, I wish you all a good evening. I'm sure you all want to know why I asked you to stay a little longer. So straight to the subject. Everyone of you knows about Lord Voldemort."
Anatasha sighed and leaned towards Lily. "Not again. Not another death."
"I don't think it's something like that. He wouldn't look so cheerful."
Lily's friend nodded. "Right."
Meanwhile, Dumbledore had continued talking, and when the two girls were turning their attentions back to him, he was about to pull out a parchment while going on with his explanations. "As it's something that should show your abilities to work together on a subject, even if you don't get along very well with one another, you won't be surprised that we didn't put the best friends together. It's our intention to teach you how to respect one another, if not as a friend, then at least as a person with the same rights." He paused for a few seconds, waiting for the students to calm down. Most were making sour faces.
"I bet he'll put me together with Snape." Lily muttered, shooting a dirty glare at a boy with oily hair who was sitting at the Slytherin table, engaged in a conversation with Rosier, a tall boy who was looking as if he had just eaten a lemon.
"Better than Winer. She's the worst that could ever happen to me." Anatasha nodded her head in direction of a girl who was also sitting at the Slytherin table by herself, shooting daggers at everyone.
Several feet away, Sirius, Remus and James were arguing about which one of them would have the pleasure to work together with Snape. At the moment, Sirius was having the upper hand. James crossed his arms before his chest. "Okay. Maybe you'll have to work with Snape. That leaves me with Evans. Great."
"We could change partners, you know." Sirius offered hopefully.
"We're supposed to work on our assignment with the person we've been put together."
Sirius smirked. "You want to work together with Lily."
"No, I don't. But you just want to get near her."
Sirius didn't have to answer as Professor Dumbledore had decided that this had been enough time for them to calm down. He was now looking down at the roll of parchment. "When I call out your name, you'll get up and go to Professor McGonagall. She'll tell you what you'll have to do.
Jason Antony - Peter Lestrange!"
Two boys rose, one from the Ravenclaw, the other one from the Slytherin table, and by the glances they exchanged, everyone could tell that they weren't really friends. Both made their way to where a stern looking woman, Professor McGonagall, was standing. She looked down at a list, then shuffled through her papers. After she had talked to them for a minute, the boys headed off in different directions, not even saying a good-bye to each other. Dumbledore cleared his throat once more.
"Andreas Avery - Peter Pettigrew!"
Lily felt a bit sorry for the little boy when she saw the grim looking Slytherin who was getting up at the other table and gave him an encouraging smile when he passed her, but it seemed to frighten him even more. Obviously, he wasn't used to get any attention, even less from girls.
The next one was Sirius Black, and when Lily heard with whom he'd have to work together, she was half happy and half sorry. Happy because she wouldn't have to work together with Severus Snape. And sorry for Sirius because he was the one who would have to endure him. Sirius didn't startle when he caught Lily's smile. He stopped to grin at her, and after hesitating for a second, he bent down to her, eyes sparkling.
"I just suggested to James that we could change partners. Then he could work together with Snape, and you and me, we could enjoy this whole thing a lot more as we'd be working together then."
Lily liked Sirius, therefore she grinned back broadly. "Great idea. What about Potter? Did he agree?"
Sirius shook his head sadly. "No. He can't wait to work together with you."
She snorted. "You bet. Then he'll get more opportunities to kill me."
Smirking, Sirius was about to say something when the voice of McGonagall caused him to turn his head back and he continued his way to her, waving shortly.
"He's kinda cute..." Anatasha remarked to Lily, watching Sirius talking to the Professor (he avoided to glance at Snape). "Anyway. D'you think he's right about you and James?"
Lily darted a glare at James - he didn't notice, though, as he was busy talking to Remus - then she turned back to face her friend. "I guess so. Apart from Snape, he's the only person I really don't get along with."
"Except the whole lot of Slytherin house, maybe." Anatasha stated sarcastically.
"Except them, of course." Lily agreed.
Thanks to to their conversation, the two girls had missed a few names, and after the two students that were standing now with McGonagall had parted - they didn't look as unhappy about being paired up as the students before them, they even gave each other a smile - Dumbledore consulted his parchment, then called out the next names.
"Lily Evans - James Potter!"
Both had expected this, but still it was quite a difference to expect something and to actually know it. Lily was getting up reluctantly, making Anatasha promise to wish her luck while James shrugged, surrendering to fate and nodding at Remus, then he made his way through the seats, reaching Lily just when she was about to set off. He sarcastically offered her his arm, and after thinking for a moment, Lily accepted.
"You don't look happy about us being paired up." he remarked.
She smiled wryly. "That's the basic idea of this whole thing, Potter. They're trying to make us feel bad."
"Zero points, Evans. They're trying to make us see the abilities and positive characteristics of each other."
"I highly doubt that there's something like that to discover as far as you're concerned."
"Thanks. I'm thinking the same of you."
"Keep it like that. I don't want you to like me. Considering how awful your taste is, I might take it as an insult."
"Don't worry. The moment I find myself liking you, I swear I'll kiss Snape."
"Promise?"
"Yep." James showed both hands to prove that he wasn't crossing his fingers behind his back.
Lily grinned at him, an evil spark in her emerald green eyes. "You know, this is changing everything. Maybe I'll even try to be nice to you from time to time."
"As if you're able to be nice to me."
She shrugged. "Guess you're right. You're much too annoying. I wouldn't stick it out for more than five minutes, probably."
"Are you ever nice to anyone?"
Lily couldn't come up with a reply as they had reached a rather impatient looking McGonagall now. She was peering at them through her glasses. "Ms Evans, Mr Potter, I know that you're not happy about the pairing."
"You can say that!" Lily and James muttered at exactly the same time, but the Professor ignored them and searched for a certain parchment while continuing her little speech.
"But no one's too happy about it. So I expect your result to be above average, no matter how bad you get along with each other."
"What's our assignment?"
McGonagall pushed her glasses that had slid down her nose back to where they belonged and examined the two teenagers for quite some time, then she nodded. "Well, it's the most difficult one you got, Professor Dumbledore thought it a good idea to let you work on it. You have to find a counterspell, a potion, whatsoever, something that could make a person survive the 'Avada Kedavra' curse."
"Er... - What?"
The Professor nodded. "It's possible that there is none. But I want you to try your best. Read every book about it. Discuss to find a way."
"Um, there are no papers or something that might help, are there?"
"I'm sorry, Mr Potter, but there's nothing. You'll have to work all by yourself. But I have to tell you something from the Headmaster, he said that you should think of something that's more powerful than death."
"That's it?"
"Yes. There's no need to explain to you how helpful it would be to know how to defeat 'Adavra Kedavra'. Good luck!"
*****
Did ya like it? *looks hopeful* If you did, then please review! 'Cause I won't continue if I don't get enough reviews. Why should I waste my time in writing on this story when nobody wants to read it? Therefore: If you want me to go on with it, then tell me or I'll drop it.
In 'As we gon on...', I didn't write a disclaimer, and no one complained about it. No one tried to sue me. Which just proves that all these disclaimers we're writing are completely pointless. But anyway, I'll write one this time, dunno why I'm bothering, though, but anyway:
I don't own Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Wormy (I wouldn't want him!), Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Avery, Rosier. Did I forget someone? The character can complain to me, if he/she/it (I mean, would you call Wormy a human?) wants to. Or he/she/it can snitch on me to Joanne K. Rowling so that she can sue me. No problem, there's not much to get from me.