A/N: These characters belong to JK Rowling. I only lay claim to the plot and my own OC's.

Hello everyone,

Did you miss me? I'm back!

I decided to write this story because I have recently become obsessed with historical romances. Please note that I am in no way an expert on the Regency era. There will be some historical inaccuracies. I will try to avoid them as much as I can but like I said I'm not an expert.

Depending on the response I'll get for this story, I might turn this into a series. (I already have a title and plot ideas for Sirius' story!)

I am not a native English speaker, so spelling and grammatical mistakes will be unavoidable. This is why I am working together with my lovely beta, Ali, to avoid most of them. But we're only human... If you come across any mistakes or inaccuracies, feel free to point them out to me.

You can find a short glossary/summary (of sorts) at the end of every chapter. It can be rather hard to keep up with all the titles and this should make things a bit easier for you all.

Depending on your response I will upload a new chapter every Friday!

I hope you enjoy this, and PLEASE let me know what you think!

Love,

Kelly

Chapter 1: Plan Potter

Lily Evans stared out of her window, her needlework lay forgotten on her lap. She had read the most interesting novel and her thoughts were now taken over by the glorious Lord Travis and how he had won the heroine's heart. It was most extraordinary, indeed.

"What is?" asked her best friend and confidante, Marlene.

"Hm?" She absentmindedly picked her needle up again.

"You said that something was extraordinary."

"If you are talking about my needlework," grumbled Alice, "I can assure you that it is not." She stared at her work with such a disgusted face that Lily could barely muster the decency not to giggle.

Marlene, of course, wasn't bothered by such things as propriety and laughed wholeheartedly. "No one would ever suggest such a thing, Alice," she assured her with a playful smile.

"Oh hush," huffed Alice, but it was clear as day that she thought the whole thing highly amusing as well.

"So what was it then? If not Alice's needlework?" Marlene prodded, curious. Marlene McKinnon was the kind of girl that made one believe in angels. Her blond hair and sparkling blue eyes made most men weak in the knees but it was her wit that Lily treasured most. She had often wished that she was as carefree as her best friend, and even though Lily Evans had more than enough witty banter of her own, she could never find the courage to wield it as Marlene did. Sure, Lily was clever and humorous with her friends but the ton frowned upon such things. Individuality was not necessarily a thing to be praised.

As her father often said; ladies are to be seen and admired, not heard.

As if Miss Lily Evans, daughter of Baron Evans, and doomed not to inherit her own title, would ever settle for being a trophy on some fancy Lord's arm.

"I was thinking of a novel I had recently read," Lily finally replied with a small smile.

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed. "It was 'Romelza's Road To Love ' wasn't it? I told you you would love it, Lily. I am so glad."

Lily shook her head enthusiastically. "It was amazing," she gushed. "Not in the least bit realistic, of course, but oh so entertaining."

Alice frowned. "Why on God's good Earth wouldn't it be realistic?"

"Have you seen the title?" smirked Marlene in her usual unladylike fashion. "Any novel with a title such as that is bound to be miserable."

"But it wasn't," Lily butted in, "it was a lovely story."

"But," Marlene said on the exact same tone Lily had previously used, "unrealistic."

"Well, yes." Lily gave Alice an apologetic look.

The latter sighed. "I just don't understand why you two don't believe in a love like that. When Lord Travis sacrificed his own good reputation to get the woman of his dreams... I wish I had a man like that in my life."

Lily exchanged a look with Marlene and sighed. In all honesty, she couldn't disagree with Alice. She wanted a love like that in her own life as well but one had to be rational in situations like these. There were hardly any Viscounts out there that would gamble away their inheritances because they were so smitten with their fiancées. Members of the ton simply did not do such irrational things.

Besides, every Viscount Lily knew was either really old or friends with Lord Potter and she most certainly would never associate with that crowd.

Unless they addressed her of course. She could hardly give them the cut. Oh, how the ton would gossip!

"Lily? Are you feeling well?"

Once more Marlene had brought her back to reality. "Yes, I apologize. Just gathering wool, I suppose."

"I know what wool you were gathering," smirked Marlene again. "What did His Grace do this time?"

"His Grace did nothing this time," Lily glowered, brandishing her needlework like a weapon.

"No wonder you two don't believe in true love with that attitude," Alice intervened quickly before Lily could throw it at Marlene's lovely head.

They both looked away guiltily and Lily slowly lowered her arm. As if it were perfectly normal to hold one's needlework high in the air like a Highlander would wield a sword.

She could always pretend she was just exercising, Lily thought, if her mother decided to barge in.

"Honestly," Alice sighed mockingly, "what would your mothers say?!"

Their gazes met and Lily smiled cheekily at her until Alice finally cracked and laughed.

Marlene soon joined in, and it wasn't until Alice had tears in her eyes from laughing too hard that they finally calmed down again, and rang for some more tea.

"Lady Marlene will be with you shortly, miss. She asked me to let you wait in the Green Room."

Lily smiled politely at the McKinnon's new butler. George, Lily believed he was called, had not been employed by the McKinnon's long enough to know that Lily had known the Green Room as the Yellow Room at some point in her youth.

Not his fault of course, and she could hardly blame him for being so utterly correct and polite. Needless to say, Lily liked the man immediately. "Thank you."

She allowed him to lead the way to the Green Room and removed her coat before she sat down.

"Oh dear Heavens," exclaimed George – or was it Henry? - as he rushed towards her again. "Shall I take your coat, miss? I am terribly sorry-"

Lily interrupted him before he decided his "great and terrible offense" needed to be dealt with on his knees. "It's quite fine. We were planning to take a stroll in the park anyway but thank you."

"Will you be taking any tea?"

Lily smiled again. It was a miracle, really, that her cheeks did not hurt as much every evening as one would expect. On the other hand, every lady and little miss had been trained to smile as if salvation itself was waiting for her if she smiled just a little brighter. Needless to say, Lily had hated her governesses even though their nagging had obviously paid off. Lily Evans could smile a hundred different ways, even if she was screaming on the inside. "No, thank you."

The butler nodded, looked around one more time, before he nodded again and finally left.

She sat there for a while, a little bit bemused. What a peculiar man.

"I'm sorry I've kept you waiting, my dearest Lily," Marlene said as soon as she entered the room. Her green gown flowing in behind her. "My maid made such a fuss about my hair."

Lily eyed the subject in question and grinned mischievously. Marlene's hair looked absolutely ridiculous. "Yes, I can tell."

"How bad is it? Tell me it's not so bad as I think it is."

"Why do you let her experiment on you so?"

Marlene gave her friend a look so fowl, Lily started to wonder if it would dirty her own gown.

"You're otherwise so well... versed, Marlene," Lily teased her, "just tell her you do not care for Paris' latest hairstyles."

"But I do care!" she exclaimed. "I just do not think that this is the latest style in Paris."

Lily couldn't help but agree. Those horrendous curls looked like it would be more in style for a poodle.

"Well, my own maid is waiting for us in the carriage," she offered.

Marlene bit her lip. "I couldn't possibly... Not while she is still upstairs..." She hesitated a moment more. "It would hurt her feelings, Lily."

"Well," Lily said practically, "we still need to go to Alice's. We could do your hair there. Your maid need not know."

"Brilliant," Marlene exclaimed with a clap of her hands, "and when I return with a different hairstyle I can simply say that it got loose."

Lily highly doubted that that contraption would loosen on its own in this century or quite possibly the next. They made their leave of the McKinnon Mansion, and it was only in the carriage that Lily spoke up again. "Marlene, you need to tell your maid."

She sighed. "I will when the moment is most opportune."

Meaning never. "What if you were to go to a ball like this?" Lily stared at her blond curls in mild envy. Marlene really had wonderful hair, especially compared to her frisky red hair. Hers was nearly impossible to tame, and took hours to look even mildly presentable. It was horrible, truly.

"Myra knows I like the classics." She waved away Lily's concern calmly. "I just want her to be a bit more classical when it comes to the French hairstyles. I thought the French loved classics?"

"Hardly," Lily shrugged, a nasty habit she had picked up from Alice over the years. "Maybe she is thinking a little more regal in style."

"I am not Marie Antoinette," muttered Marlene.

Lily gave her hair piece one last look. "You cannot deny that's who she is basing herself on, my dear."

"I do not like Marie Antoinette," she muttered again.

"Neither does France," Lily replied promptly, causing Marlene to slowly smile mischievously again.

The park was buzzing with people strolling about in small groups. They were, as usual, unchaperoned since there were three of them - Lily's maid had only joined the ride to enjoy her day off in town. Alice's coat was a work of beauty, with its golden and blue ornaments. She blushed when Lily told her so.

"Thank you, my dear Lily, but have you heard? The whole ton is talking about it!"

Lily frowned but it was Marlene who spoke. "Well, out with it then! What has got the ton excited now?"

"Well," Alice said softly so they would not be overheard, which seemed silly to Lily. They were strolling in a park for Heaven's sake. Who could possibly overhear but the birds and trees?

"Well, the Duke of Newcastle and Lord Mansfield were heard exchanging the most curious of names at the ball yesterday."

Lily was still sour that Petunia, her elder sister, had deliberately organised her dinner party to coincide with the event, thereby forbidding Lily from attending. Even though Lily had only made her entrance into society last season. She would not enter her third season, she simply would not. Could you imagine? What if she got shelved as an old maiden?

She did not care to acquire such a title. She didn't care for any title, to be utterly honest, and she didn't even know why she had refused last season's proposals, really. One of them from the duke himself.

Like every girl, she was an ocean of contradictions, her mind changing with the tides.

Lily could feel a scowl crawling on her face and shook it off. Marlene would immediately know who she was thinking of and wouldn't that be embarrassing?

"Oh dear," she therefore simply said but the amused look Marlene gave her told Lily she wasn't fooled in the least.

"Do tell, Alice, don't leave us hanging like this," Marlene uttered dramatically. "The anticipation might prove too much for me!"

Lily nudged her playfully in the side, to which Marlene tapped her invisible hat. Incorrigible, that one.

Alice shook her head in good humor before she continued her story. "Well, Lord Mansfield referred to His Grace as Prongs. Is that not most peculiar?"

"I find the lot of them peculiar," Lily muttered under her breath, causing her friends to giggle.

"Yes, only you would refuse to marry a duke, Lily," Alice teased her.

"Well, I refused to marry that duke."

"Honestly, Lily, maybe it is time to let that go," Marlene offered softly.

That was rich, Lily thought. Marlene McKinnon grudge-holder extraordinaire giving her advice to forgive someone who had wronged her.

"I disagree."

"His insult wasn't even directed at you," she sighed.

"Well, Mr. Snape and I are close friends. Anyone who insults my friend, offends me as well."

"You and your principles," sighed Alice, "how will you find a husband now that the ton thinks you believe yourself even above a duke?"

"I don't believe myself above a duke!"

"So you agree that His Grace is better than you?" asked Marlene disbelievingly.

Lily snorted at that, and immediately stopped when she imagined her Mama smacking her on the head for it. She needed to practice her manners more, Lily thought sadly. "I agree to no such thing. That is as ridiculous as that name Lord Mansfield called him by."

Alice ignored her completely. "I just don't understand you," she sighed. "He's so... grand."

"That is his title, love."

"Lily!" gasped Alice with a shaky laugh, as Marlene tried not to smirk. "People can hear you, you know!"

Lily closed her eyes for a few breaths and prayed for patience. "Can we change the subject, please? You know very well how peculiar he makes me."

"If by peculiar you mean rude..." Alice let her sentence die as it should.

"Don't you think these roses are lovely?" Lily exclaimed, trying to sound enthusiastic but failing miserably. "I think they are stunning. Maybe I should suggest to my mother to have some planted in our own garden. What do you think, Alice? Would Petunia like it?"

"Petunia lives with her husband now, doesn't she?" her friend responded.

"That won't stop her from commenting on my roses," Lily rightfully pointed out.

Alice nodded at that. "True enough."

"No, no, no," Marlene finally spoke up, stepping in front of the other two and thus effectively blocking their path. She turned around and first looked Alice in the eye, before she stared at Lily. "I am intrigued."

Lily had already said it today, and she would say it again. "Oh dear."

"Prongs?" Alice offered knowingly. "I knew it would intrigue you. Indeed, I did! I would love to know where it comes from."

"Maybe His Grace has difficulty eating with forks," Lily offered snootily. "Maybe Lord Mansfield calls him so, so he would remember to eat with utensils."

Marlene burst into laughter and even Alice giggled.

"You are unbelievable," she offered.

Lily sighed. "I have to agree with Marlene. It is a strange name to call someone."

"It is, isn't it?" mused Alice. "But how will we find out what it means?"

"None of us have an in with them, and I would not have a reason to address him at all."

Slowly they turned to look at Lily. For a moment, she couldn't look away from Alice's gorgeous coat – which really was an eye catcher – before it dawned on her why they were looking at her so smugly.

"Oh no," she said instantly. "I will not."

"Please, Lily, to satisfy our curiosity."

"Besides," Marlene said smiling like a devil with a plan, "what else do you have to do?"

"Read," she replied, "and – and needlework! I could plant my roses and..." She bit her lip. It wasn't the season to be planting roses, and besides they had a gardener for that. Oh, blast it. She didn't have anything else to do at the moment. Petunia's wedding was last year and therefore not a valid excuse anymore.

"Very well," Lily sighed.

The girls squealed. "I love a good mystery," Marlene said a bit too loudly.

Lily nodded her head smilingly at the lady that gave them disapproving looks. "Good morning!" she greeted her merrily.

The woman gave them a faint smile back, before she steered her husband away from them.

"Oh dear," Lily said for the third time that day, a feeling of impending doom looming in her stomach. This really was not going to end well.

James Potter, Prongs to a few, and Duke Newcastle to everyone else, was not amused. "You're a cheating bastard, Sirius Orion Black."

"Oooh," Remus said, grinningly. "He invoked the middle name."

Sirius Orion Black, or also known as Viscount Mansfield, shot his best friend daggers the size of Russia. "At least I have one."

"Oooh," Remus said, in unison with Peter this time.

The four men had been friends since their attendance at Oxford University, where they had been legends. James Potter, the Duke of Newcastle, was bloody sure that their story was still being told to the newcomers.

To say that they had been a bit excessive in their mischief might be an understatement. Their knack for getting into trouble had even reached the ears of the army. The boys decided to enlist, against their fathers' wishes of course.

It would not do to have an heir enlist the army, his father had shouted more than once. In the end James had gotten his way, as always, but it would have been better not to have to deal with the whole hassle to begin with. Sirius' family, on the other hand, had been eager for him to leave.

Maybe, they probably had thought, their eldest son would die, making way for their youngest to inherit the title.

The Blacks were bastards, James Potter had concluded more than ten years ago, the whole lot of them. He still agreed with the old sentiment.

"You know, James, that I never cheat, and my mother would highly protest against your other accusation. You, my friend, are just bad at cards," Sirius accused playfully.

James threw his stack of cards at his friend's hat, causing a card throwing fight to break loose. They only stopped when the butler knocked on the door.

"Come in," James called, fishing an ace out of Remus' hair.

"Your grace, I am sorry to interrupt," Michael said, bowing his grey head.

"Not a problem at all, my dear man. What is it?"

"There is someone here to see you, your grace."

Sirius frowned as he threw his last card in Peter's face for good measure.

James tried not to laugh. "I would rather not be disturbed at this time, Michael."

"I have told him that, your grace, but he refused to leave without seeing you."

James pushed himself out of his chair and looked at his friends sternly. "Do try to leave my home whole while I am away."

"We wouldn't dream of destroying anything, Prongsie," grinned Sirius.

"I'll keep them in line," Remus promised after shaking his head at Sirius and Peter who had started throwing cards again.

"Thank you," James grinned, before following his butler out. "Did he say who he was then?"

"He refused to give me a name," Michael said apologetically. "I tried to get him to leave, but he wouldn't budge. He said it was a matter of grave importance."

"It always is," muttered James, before he righted his jacket and entered the room Michael had stationed the visitor in. "Good after-" James' words died on his tongue.

No, he thought, as he felt himself whiten, this could not be good.

List of Characters and Titles

Alice Prewett, daughter of the Earl of Kent.

James Potter, the Duke of Newcastle.

Lily Evans, daughter of Baron Evans.

Marlene McKinnon, daughter of the Earl of Surray.

Petunia Dursley, born Petunia Evans, daughter of Baron Evans, married to Mr. Vernon Dursley.

Sirius Black, Viscount Mansfield.

Note: All characters currently reside in London for the season.