A Little Birdie Told Me: Lily Evans (James's girl) (Middle sixth year added to our story seventh year)

Okay, I'm not an official Marauder, but the boys showed me this piece they put together, titled: "To whom it may concern" and I thought it needed to be a bit more complete. So this is my two cents.

It started out with my first major crush. My target was Remus Lupin. I loved how smart he was, I also loved the slight mysteriousness about him. I am one who was always for a man of mystery. I have to admit I thought he was ruggedly handsome also. There was something about those big mysterious eyes, the muscular arms, and that wavy hair, that immediately drew me in. I have to say, for the record, I was never one of those drolly girls that gawked at guys; I had my own methods of admiration. So when the Yule ball came around in our sixth year I was determined to make Remus my date.

My execution turned out to be a bit off. I attempted to find any and all excuses to single Remus out, which wasn't too hard, Remus and I had been good friends from day one. I started out catching up with him after every class. I would start small talk and occasionally threw in some brainy comment. Remus had previously mentioned something about being drawn to people of intellect. After every conversation I would mention something like how excited I was about the Yule Ball, but how depressing it would be to go without a date. Remus seemed to leave those comments unnoticed. Every time I started to push a bit harder, Sirius Black would show up and interrupt the conversation. It was obvious I needed a new approach. I wasn't one of those desperate girls who would go to all extremes to get their man, and was too nervous to flat-out ask him, but I was determined to force him to ask me.

My new approach would be to join him in one of the lounges. I would at first sit by myself pretending to be deeply into my work. Of course we eventually ended up looking over the material together. Remus was too polite not to include me. This approach didn't work very well either. Sirius Black had managed to track us down each and every time. He also insisted on joining our little study group. I was annoyed at Sirius because he never took the hint that I wanted alone time with Remus. On the other hand he also seemed annoyed with my presence as if he too were seeking alone time with Remus, but I immediately brushed those thoughts aside.

Finally I was running out of options and time, I had turned down at least three or four perfectly suitable dates, due to my determination to have Remus. I now understood how frustrated James must have felt every time I turned him down, (Or perhaps not, James seemed to take rejection as encouragement and assumed my no's meant try a little harder you're cute and I like this game).

My last approach was point-blank. I found the courage that I didn't think I had. I corned Remus in the hallway, he looked a little startled to say the least, "Remus Lupin," I said with a bit of bitterness, "are you going to take me to the Yule Ball or what?"

"I," Remus looked shocked, "I, well, already have a date Lily."

"Oh," I said surprised with his answer.

"You have to understand Lily," Remus grabbed my shoulders, "I really would have liked to go with you, but James, well he's my good friend and…"

"I understand," I smiled, "hey, save me a dance."

He nodded, "No hard feelings then."

I had to admit I was disappointed but I understood. I couldn't be mad at Remus. Never my sweet, adorable, Remus, James however!

"Oh course not Remus," I started to walk away and then I quickly turned around to ask, "so who are you going to take to the Yule Ball then?"

Remus shrugged and glanced at Sirius Black, who had once again taken that opportunity to find us, "Oh just a girl from Raven Claw that transferred sometime last week."

That comment took me off guard a bit. To be honest it kind of hurt that Remus would choose a girl he only meant last week over me, (James Potter and me were definitely going to have words!).

"Hey," Sirius put his arm around his friend, "what's up?"

"Nothing much," I shrugged. I was beginning to get really frustrated at Black for popping up all the time. "I've got to go," I waved goodbye to the guys and stalked down the hallway in search of Peter, who would lead me to James, or to find James himself.

I finally found James chatting with a bunch of guys from the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I took a deep breath and marched straight towards him and tapped him on the shoulder. He didn't even turn around. He brushed my hand off, "Later Pete ,I'll talk with you later. I'm busy now."

The guys, including James, didn't even look up. They were concentrating on some game plays James had drawn. I tapped him on the shoulder again, "Peter!" James said bitterly, "bug off I'm busy."

"And you," I said harshly, "wonder why I won't date you. James Potter if you treat your friends with this much negligence and rudeness, how on earth are you going to manage to keep a girlfriend happy? Certainly not by telling her to bug off!"

This must have caught James off guard because he spun around and seemed tongue-tied. "Evans," he ran his hand through his messy hair, "I, I um, I."

"Oh get off of it James," I laughed, "I just need a couple of minutes of your time." I looked at his teammates and none of them seem as if they were going to move. "Alone!" I said forcefully.

Some of them left, others smiled and gave James a wink and then left, others still let out those very grown up taunting Ooos! then left. Regardless of how they left soon they did leave and finally I was alone to confront James.

A bit of a cocky, I, the Magnificent James Potter, have finally won you at last, smile came to his face. "What is this about my sweet? Finally going to admit you love me and will of course be my date to the Yule Ball."

I rolled my eyes, "Now, why on earth would I say something that stupid?"

James play-acted and clenched his heart, "Ah, that hurt Evans. So what do you want?"

"I want to know what you said to Remus to make him not want to ask me to go to the Yule Ball," I attempted to keep my cool. "You darn well knew that he was going to ask me. Now he seems so afraid of you that he asked some new girl to go."

James' face went blank, "I didn't know he wanted to ask you."

"Come on James," I was beginning to lose it a bit, "admit that you were jealous, that I pay more attention to Remus than you and that you sabotaged my chances with him."

James looked even more confused, "Hold on Evans. I didn't have a clue that you wanted Remus to take you to the dance and if I did, why would I sabotage it? If you weren't going with me I'd rather have you go with one of my friends than any other stupid bloke. Honestly Evans," James looked me straight in the eyes, "I said nothing to Remus ."

I felt as if I had been slapped in the face, it was obvious that James was telling the truth, "but," I mumbled, "Why would he lie?"

James shrugged his shoulders, "maybe he was embarrassed?"

"Embarrassed?" it was my time to be confused.

"Yeah," James laughed, "he and Sirius got forced or shall I say blackmailed into taking two new transfer students to the dance."

"What do you mean?" I couldn't possibly fathom the two agreeing to something like that.

"McGonagall," James said looking around as to see if anyone was listening, "wanted someone to help make the girls feel welcomed to Hogwarts. Sirius had about a bazillion detentions for being tardy, among other things, and Remus had at least two for covering for Sirius. McGonagall said she would drop all of them if the boys agreed to take the girls to the Yule Ball. But hey, it's suppose to be a secret, don't say anything okay?"

I nodded, it made sense to me, but I was still hurt that Remus had lied. I started to walk away when James yelled, "Evans!"

I swung around quickly, "what is it James?"

"The dance is tomorrow."

"Yeah so," I was a bit annoyed until it sunk in the dance was tomorrow and I had wasted all this time chasing after Remus, because I was sure he would say yes.

"You must not have a date since Remus turned you down," James strutted towards me.

"Crap," I thought to myself. He was right and I can't show up by myself, that would be humiliating.

"So you want to go with me?" James eyes sparkled with triumph.

I saw nothing triumphant in the situation. My head screamed "NO!" but my mouth rebelled and squeaked out, "Fine Potter I'll go with you."

"Ha, Ha," James wrapped his arm around me, "won your heart at last."

I pushed him away, "Whatever Potter. Think what you want, won my heart or last resort. Same thing right?"

"Ugh," James placed his hand to his head, "bashing me again. Maybe I shouldn't take you."

"Yeah, like you would give up an opportunity to show up with me at the Yule Ball and rub it in the faces of all those people who have told you it would be a cold day in hell before I would go out on a date with you," I laughed and turned away from him, "See you tomorrow Potter and you better pick me up at seven o'clock, on time James, with a corsage. I'm wearing an emerald-green gown."

I walked away then. I didn't want to give James a chance to even think about saying some other smart remark. I honestly had a headache and didn't want to deal with James Potter more than I had to in one day. It was bad enough that I had agreed to do the one thing I had sworn I would never do, go on a date with James Potter. True James has his good points, he's fairly smart, he's not bad-looking (I thought him to be rather handsome, in a rough sort of way), and he's an excellent Quidditch player, and despite his earlier outburst when he thought I was Peter, James is very good and loyal to his friends. Matter of fact his only real downfall was his big head that was inflated three times the normal size. It didn't help he had his group of admirers ,not to mention Peter Pettigrew, who just hung on James' every move with a hero-worship like awe. I still knew I'd rather be going to the ball with Remus Lupin.