BOTH ALIKE IN DIGNITY
By: geekinthepink
Rating: T
Prologue
Love stories are always cliché, and that's not because of any particular reason other than love is cliché. There's always the beginning, which is always rocky and never flawless, there can be hate and sometimes there can be love, but there's never just that intense moment where two people can see each other across the hall and just know that in just a matter of seconds the words 'I love you' will come rushing out and their lips will meet as if sealing the deal.
And then the middle, the middle is the part that's perhaps the least cliché. It can waver between the trials and the tribulations, the breakups and the make ups but the most important part is that love makes it through the middle to pave the way straight to the end. The middle is just a filler; some love stories even skip that part completely because there's no real significance to the middle.
The end. Cursive words written over the last scene of a movie, the ending of a story completely saying a range of things from happily ever after to a simple 'that was that', all love stories contain and ending because people don't really care about love unless they know how it ends, they want to know if love survived all of if it faded away into the woodwork.
In some love stories it's the tragic end, the death of the fair maiden, the loss the handsome prince, which keeps tears in a constant stream and sighs and gasps flowing out freely. Something so unrealistic, something so tragic wears away the hard exterior of the human nature and brings a person to tears about people who are just fictional. People who have never taken a breath, never met each other, never existed.
Whether it is a trick of the pen that's brought these people to life, the reader never really cares, just the simple fact that there's wet, salty pools of tears on their cheeks is enough to deem the love of these people real and true.
However some love stories don't resort to the tears and instead decide to take an easier approach and allow the words 'happily ever after' to grace the last page of the novel in a delicate script. Riding off into the sunset, a kiss, a marriage, a promise, all 'happily ever after's and all things that add to the cliché nature of love stories.
Unfortunately, some stories never seem to manage the cliché of 'happily ever after' favoring the tragic end instead. This is just one of those stories.
Chapter One: In Fair Verona
They were doing it again, though that wasn't much of a surprise to anyone. It was rare to see the Head Boy and Girl doing something other than fighting, and normally it involved someone throwing something whether it was an actual object or simply a hex.
"You inconsiderate piece of scum!" Lily Evans cried out in her frustration with her fellow Head as he simply smirked cheekily at her.
"Aw, Evans, is that really what you think of me?" James Potter questioned her, maintaining the cheeky smile as she glowered at him dangerously. They had been going at it like this longer than was humanly possible.
"I don't think you possess a bone in your body that isn't so completely repulsive and conceited." she snapped out.
"I can show you otherwise if you just come out on one date with me." he suggested to her, ignoring the snickering coming from the rest of the common room, which was where this scene had unfolded.
Without even saying a word, Lily grabbed a book off of the table next to her and chucked it at his head easily but unfortunately for her, he ducked and the book crashed to the floor behind him, nearly hitting a few innocent bystanders who were just here to watch the show.
"I'll take that as a yes." James remarked sarcastically with a wide grin on his face.
"Why would I ever go out with some as low and disgusting as you?" she spat as though the words were venom in her mouth.
"Low and disgusting, you must have me confused with Snape." The carefree manner in which his words were said was almost unnerving and perhaps that's what possessed Lily to pick up another book and throw it at the insufferable Head Boy with all of her might. Unfortunately with his Quidditch honed reflexes he dodged it easily and it hit the wall behind him where a few younger years had just vacated.
"Throwing things is no way to solve this pent up sexual frustration." he continued. As far as the annoyed redhead was concerned he was just digging himself a deeper and deeper grave that she was more than happy to throw him in.
"However, throwing things is doing wonders to relieve my stress over having to deal with such a complete prat as you." She returned bitingly, growing more and more exhausted of his petty little banter as the minutes wore on. Feeling other people around her watching the pair with rapt attention she was just growing more and more angered and decided to take it out on the boy in front of her.
"Oh trust me; working with you isn't exactly my slice of pudding either." Which was complete rubbish, even she knew that as she couldn't really remember a day in which he hadn't at least hinted to asking her on a date.
And once again, a book was sent flying at him; however the promptness in which she had grabbed the book and thrown it had shortened its flight, landing itself at his feet.
"Well, what do we have here?" he smirked in that dangerous and yet somehow wickedly charming way of his as he bent down and picked up the book. She had seen the cover of it and a blush quickly rose to her cheeks.
Looking at the table she realized she had been throwing her own collection of books at him and buried under the potions book as well as the transfiguration ones she had already thrown at him she had buried a book she had been reading for her own pleasure.
"Romeo and Juliet? A tale of star-crossed lovers, connected by fate?" James read aloud as a cheeky look over took his features and he looked at the humiliated Head Girl and decided that the worst had not yet come. Turning the page he came upon the beginning of the tragic tale.
"'Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene.
From ancient grudge break new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean --'"
"Give it back." She cut him off abruptly, not wanting him to quote another word. It was at this point where Lily had reached the point of her rage where her fists were clenching and her jaw was tightening.
"But I'm just getting to the good part." He told her, pushing her directly to the edge. She whipped out her wand quickly and pointed it straight at him.
"Put the book down and leave me alone, Potter." And how did he react? Did he tremble as her want was directed straight at him, as her words were crisp and she appeared to be calculating her next move wisely? No, he actually laughed.
"All of this over some ridiculous romance in which some stupid saps die for love?" he laughed out cynically.
She made a grab for the book but he kept it well out of her reach. "What, fantasize about this sort of thing?" he asked, waving the book in her face before pulling it back quickly. It was all she could do to allow the tears to break through her wall of ice she had built up.
"You couldn't even begin to understand the meaning of that play." She told him coldly, wand still pointed directly at him. She held her stance, not wavering in the slightest. She couldn't give in to that. She couldn't give in at all, that's what he wanted.
"What's there to understand? They fall in love, they die, the end nothing is accomplished. Bloody waste of paper if you ask me. Honestly, I think this Shakespeare bloke is making fun of supposed 'star-crossed lovers', they don't actually exist, Evans." He tormented her relentlessly.
"You haven't a clue." She told him simply. "Now, hand over my book." When he didn't she repeated herself. Again, he still held firm on to the book and smirked at her as though he too was contemplating something.
Not being able to take it anymore she flung a spell at him this time and he blocked himself with the book, however, her spell was strong enough that it penetrated the pages and connected with him as well.
What Lily hadn't been expecting was for James to reach out and grab on to her to try and save himself from falling, but instead the pair both fell to the ground with nothing but a hardcover edition of Romeo and Juliet to break their fall.
Upon impact with whatever was underneath her, James or the book, she couldn't quite tell at the moment, she blacked out. She hadn't even realized that James has as well, and that her spell had gone horribly wrong when it met with the book.
