February 1974
The opening salvo in the Gryffindor Prank War was unintentional, really. I mean, Sirius fully intended to make it rain in the common room – he was far too good at Charms to make it rain by accident – but it was late, and he was just showing off for his friends, and he didn't expect anyone to be around to actually get caught in the deluge. But Lily and Dorcas just happened to be sneaking back in after some innocent mischief of their own (procuring a late-night snack from the kitchens to cheer up Mary, who'd just been chucked by her boyfriend), and Sirius' storm cloud opened over their heads right as they tumbled through the portrait hole. The Marauders roared with laughter, and the girls shrieked and spluttered and, in the face of Sirius' smirking refusal to apologize, vowed vengeance.
Vengeance came just under a week later, when the girls levitated a five-liter bucket of glitter to the hover over the entrance to the boys' staircase and, with a discreet flick of her wand from behind the sofa, Lily dumped it on James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter as they came thundering down the stairs for breakfast.
"Well, don't you lot look festive!" Dorcas said cheerfully, when the boys entered the Great Hall a few minutes later. There were shiny bits of pink and gold glitter decorating their hair, stuck to their clothes, and spotting their faces. "What's the occasion?"
James joined her at the table, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "It was you, wasn't it?
"Me?" She blinked up at him innocently.
"And where's Evans?" Sirius demanded, as he and Remus took seats next to Mary. "Back at the scene of the crime, I imagine?"
"Crime? What crime?" Mary laughed. "You sound potty."
"This! This is criminal!" James gestured at himself, and Dorcas and Mary held back giggles. "I look like a damned party cracker!"
"I think it multiplies every time you touch it," Peter moaned. "I tried to brush it off my shirt, and now it's on my hands, neck, face…" he trailed off. "I think I've got some in my teeth!"
"That's the thing about glitter," Mary said, picking a piece off Remus' nose, "you'll be finding bits of it all over you for weeks."
Remus scowled and shook his head. "You know what this means, don't you?"
"What what means?" Lily asked, appearing beside Dorcas. If she had been a cartoon, a halo would've appeared above her head to complement her sweet smile and fluttering eyelashes.
Unmoved by Lily's innocent act, Sirius leaned across Remus and flashed the girls a devious grin. "It means war."
...
AN: Thanks for reading! I enjoy trying to write these little things, instead of only writing later, romantic Jily, but sometimes I struggle with ideas. But I like this one, and I hope you did too! Comments welcome :-)