DISCLAIMER: I'm just playing in the Harry Potter sandbox. If you recognize it from elsewhere, I don't own it.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story was written in response to Mini Marauder's Shuffled story challenge. The idea was to shuffle the songs on your iPod and, shuffling those songs in any order, write a ten-chaptered short story based on those ten songs. Don't laugh at the songs I have on my iPod, all right?

Also, I want to give a huge "thank you" to my wonderful Beta-reader, IrishEspressoGirl from Perfect Imagination.

Dissonance in A Minor

Chapter One

"She Drives Me Crazy"

The ingenious plan had hatched over the summer. At first, it was little more than a niggling thought in the back of his mind. But finally it was fully formed and ready to be put into action. Everything had been carefully planned and executed.

As Head Boy and Girl, they had instructed the new prefects in their duties on the Hogwarts Express. And he hadn't asked her out. They had shared a carriage on the ride up to the castle. And he hadn't asked her out. They had shown the first-years to Gryffindor Tower. And he hadn't asked her out.

But now, it was time for the ingenious plan to be put into motion.

"Hey, Prongs," Remus Lupin began, "why are you staring at Lily like she just stole your precious filched Snitch?"

James Potter turned towards his friends. Breakfast was laid out along the table. Tureens of every kind of fruit, plates full of bacon, and steaming scrambled eggs sat in front of him. But all of his attention had been focused on Lily Evans, who was sitting down the table with her friends. He hadn't been daydreaming or fantasizing or doing any of his normal activities when he stared at her. He had been calculating the best time to execute his brilliant plan.

"I have a plan," James said.

All three of his friends were sitting opposite from him. Their reactions to his statement might have been comical if it wasn't such a serious matter. Wormtail perked up and leaned over the table eagerly. Padfoot grinned mischievously. And Moony rolled his eyes.

"Prongs, you're Head Boy. You can't go around making trouble all the time. You're being held to a higher standard," Remus said reasonably.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Sirius Black retorted. "Now, you were saying you had a plan."

James took a deep breath. He hadn't said a word of this to anyone, but it was the first day of classes—a Friday this year—and that was an opportunity he could not pass up. He looked at Evans again. She was sitting there all pretty and alluring, eating her eggs and bacon with a pleasant expression on her face.

Merlin, she was amazing.

"I've made a decision," James announced to his friends. "Evans is going to fall in love with me tomorrow or I'm giving up on her for good."

Wormtail nodded eagerly, but he did that whenever James said something. He turned to Padfoot and Moony. They would give him some helpful feedback. Padfoot looked crestfallen, as though James had taken away his broomstick. Moony kept a neutral expression on his face.

"Good for you, mate," Sirius said finally, with a note of forced enthusiasm in his voice. "She's been passing up a generous offer of butterbeer and snogging for too long."

Moony just rolled his eyes again, so James continued with his rehearsed speech. Wormtail's head began bobbing right away.

"I'm going to spend a whole day with her and let her see how great we would be for each other. Then, I'm going to ask her out. If she says yes, well, great. But if she says no, then that's it. I'm done with her."

"So, the plan is to ask Lily out. Again?" Remus questioned.

"Basically."

James was beginning to see a slight flaw in his ingenious plan. But it was, on the whole, the best idea he'd had for getting Evans to date him, so he was going to forge ahead bravely.

"She's going to say no," Remus stated.

"Thank you for your encouragement, Moony," Sirius spat. "Don't bother with him, Prongs. He's just having a tizzy fit because he's not Head Boy."

"That's not—"

"The point," Peter said firmly. He cast an apologetic look at Remus. "But I agree with Padfoot. She'd be crazy to pass up her last chance. She's only been playing hard to get anyway."

Padfoot seized on the statement and began a long, rambling diatribe about how girls were always doing mad stuff like that. Moony went back to his breakfast with a sad little shake of his head. But James wasn't really paying attention to either of them.

Evans had just ladled more eggs onto her plate and pulled the platter of sausages towards her. She wouldn't be heading off to class for a little while longer. They had Herbology first thing Friday morning. That meant he could pull off his brilliant plan in the Entrance Hall.

But there was one catch. One huge catch that could make or break his entire haphazardly formed, halfway-thought-out plan. The success or failure rested on three people—well, one person and two beings—happening upon the right place at the right time.

And that was where the Marauders came into play. He couldn't leave it to chance. His future with Evans was at stake. James needed certainty. He needed precision. He needed Padfoot to stop ranting and Moony to stop eye-rolling.

"All right, look," James interrupted.

Padfoot fell silent, not a touch of annoyance on his face. James suspected that he may have been talking just to talk and keep Moony from lecturing. Wormtail put down his utensils, knowing something important was about to happen. Even Moony, with a reluctant sigh, gave his attention to James.

"Wormtail, I need you to go to the fifth floor landing."

He pushed something into Wormtail's hands. The blond boy's eyes widened. James didn't need to say anything more. He knew exactly what was expected of him and what the consequences would be. He nodded solemnly with tightened jaw, like a solider going off to war who knows he will not return.

"Moony, you're the most respectable one of us. I need you to report a misbehaving student. You know to whom."

Moony closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He shook his head, not in response to James's request, but out of sheer disbelief. He was going to do it, of course, but there would be Hell to pay. Actually, there would be points, detentions, and Howlers to pay.

"Padfoot," James said grimly. "You've got the most crucial job of the lot. If you fail, the whole mission is ruined. We'll be serving detentions until we graduate, and I still won't have Evans."

"Just name it, Prongs."

Despite his disappointment, the idea of doing something that broke so many rules and with such severe consequences had sent a spark of electric anticipation through Sirius. He was willing to do almost anything to help Prongs get Evans.

"You've got to find Our Nemesis and make sure that both of you are in the Entrance Hall exactly when Evans is walking to Herbology."

James watched his friends leave the Great Hall. He gave each of the Marauders a grim nod. His fate was in their hands.

And now for his part in the plan. He would have to exercise extreme patience while Evans finished her breakfast. And then, inconspicuously as he could, stalk her out of the Great Hall. He would have to get close enough to take what he needed without alerting her to his presence. If everything went according to plan and all the players were in motion, James Potter would make Lily Evans fall in love with him.