Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.
Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Feel free to back out if that's you.
Author's Note: I honestly have no idea why I have three twelve-year-olds acting like three different versions of idiots. Young Dumb Kid Syndrome?
Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 10); MC4A
Individual Challenges: In a Flash; Gryffindor MC (x3); Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux; Ethnic & Present; Seeds
House: Hufflepuff
Assignment No.: Term 10 – Assignment 7
Subject (Task No.): Transfiguration (Task #5: Write about someone trying to become an Animagus.)
Other Hogwarts Challenges: Constellation Club (Cassiopeia) [Gamma Cassiopeiae] ("Did you hear anything I actually said?"); Auction [1.4] ("I'm right here.")
Space Address (Prompt): 5B (Fire)
Representation(s): Lily Evans; Marauders; Furry Secret; Sirius Black
Bonus Challenges: Peddling Pots; Bee Haven; Found Family; Zucchini Bread; Second Verse (Not a Lamp; Ladylike; Persistence Still); Chorus (Pocky Pockets; Odd Feathers)
Word Count: 884
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Sneaky Studying
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James let his head fall onto the opened book on the table in front of him. This plan was not working out the way he had hoped when Sirius had first suggested it. They had found out about Remus' furry issue over a month ago, and they weren't any closer to figuring out the Animagus process than they had been when they had started. Of course, it might have gone faster if they could ask Remus or even McGonagall for help. But they were wanting to surprise Remus, and McGonagall would just tell them that it was a post-NEWT level skill. As it was, they were lucky that Madam Pince hadn't caught onto what they were researching yet. James groaned in frustration.
"Books are typically easier to read when not acting as pillows," Evans commented. James rolled his head so that he could glare at her out of the corner of his eye. "You'll bend your glasses if you keep doing that. Where's your shadow? Black usually follows you like a dog."
"Could ask you the same," James answered. If Snape had been anywhere near, Evans would never have approached him. He forced himself to sit up; Evans did have a point about his glasses, after all. Mami wouldn't be happy if she had to replace his glasses because he had bent them out of shape through carelessness. "Snape's Sticking Charm wear off?"
"Severus is hanging out with his Slytherin friends," Evans said. Her tone betrayed how suspicious she was about his use of Snape's actual name. James was just too tired to put up much of a front, not even his normal attempts to show off for her. Her green eyes flashed as she examined him. At the first sign of mockery, she wouldn't hesitate to strike like a viper. He should be wary of her, but he still found himself drawn to her like a moth to the flame. Her very presence wrapped around his senses like a constrictor around its prey. "What are you doing? And without Black?"
"Rude, Evans," Sirius announced as he rounded the last bookshelf to catch her last question. He made a motion like he was tossing his hair over his shoulder. It might have been more effective if his hair was long enough to actually reach his shoulders. Instead, it ended up looking like he was a dog trying shake water from its fur. "I'm right here."
"How could anyone miss such a pretty princess?" Lily asked with a roll of her eyes.
James had the random thought that her eye color at that exact moment matched the toads Slughorn had him and Sirius pickling during yesterday's detention. It was a nice shade, but pickled toad was not an association James wanted to make with the girl he was maybe starting to crush on, just a tiny bit. He much preferred snake (no matter how proudly Gryffindor he was) over toad.
"Don't be jealous, Evans," Sirius countered. "You're pretty, too, I guess."
"You really know how to compliment a girl, don't you, Black?"
James let them snipe at each other, shifting his attention back to the passage he had been reading. The instructions made no sense. How was keeping a mandrake leaf in their mouth suppose to help with the transformation? And for a whole month? They would literally die. If the hunger and thirst didn't kill them, ingesting the poison trapped in the mandrake without any kind nullifier certainly would. This didn't read like valid instructions on how to become an Animagus. It read like a very complicated way to commit suicide.
"Did you hear anything I actually said?" Evans' voice cut through again. It took James longer than it probably should have to realize that the sharp words hadn't been directed at him. Sirius gave a wolfish grin, looking utterly unrepentant about whatever Evans was scolding him about this time. "I'm insulting you, Black, not giving you beauty tips!"
"I'd believe you more if you hadn't agreed to facials later, Evans."
"I agreed to nothing."
"See you after dinner, then," Sirius called as Evans turned to stomp away. Just before she rounded the corner, she called back, clearly expecting Sirius to just agree.
"An hour before dinner works better, ducky."
Sirius looked extraordinarily pleased with that. James just stared until Sirius noticed. Then Sirius' gloating expression turned to confusion.
"What? Do I still have pickled toad on my face?"
"You have the weirdest friendships."
"You're one of those friendships, you know."
"I do," James agreed. He eyed his best friend for a moment. "I'm weirder, right?"
"Oh, definitely. The weirdest. Hands down."
"Good." James then shoved the textbook towards him. "This is what I've found, but it doesn't make sense."
Sirius pulled the book closer, and they quickly became absorbed in the surprise they were preparing to help their friend with his furry little problem.
Surprisingly, they still managed to make it to Sirius' facial date with Evans on time, even if the redhead promptly shoved a book against James' chest and told him to buzz off until dinner.
The textbook had instructions that were more sensible and didn't risk death.
Merlin, the girl was sneaky, even if she seemed to hate his guts most of the time.
Yeah, it was definitely a crush.