A/N: Okay, here you go NatalieLovesCookies, I am done with this story. It was at the bottom of my documents so I had to finish some things. Sorry if it's a bit crued. I know it isn't my best of works, this is from earlier in my writing career.
I don't own Harry Potter World
Italic is Lily and bold italic is James.
James was staring at the girl in front of him. She was jaw dropping. Literally, his jaw was open. The girl was beautiful. He rushed forward towards her.
Lily saw him coming and she promptly turned away.
"Lady!" called James. "Lady what is your name?"
"Aschenputtle," Lily answered, naming the fairy tale she had read the night before. "I am Aschenputtle."
"Really?" James asked.
"Yes, kind sir," she answered.
Over the course of the rest of the ball James grew more and more intoxicated by Lily or Aschenputtle.
"Good bye my fine prince," Lily mused.
"Good bye my fine lady," James answered with a twinkle in his eyes. Lily walked out of the Great Hall's doors towards her dorm.
"Fine girl isn't she James," said a girl dressed like Death.
"Yes, Jen, she is the most wonderful thing on earth!"
"Sure, James," muttered the girl named Jen.
A boy appeared next to the two. "I wish this would get over soon," the boy muttered.
"You could leave Sirius," said Jen.
"Or stay and eat food," said James.
"Shut up you too," mumbled Sirius. "You're aren't helping."
"Wasn't the ball amazing?" asked Lily. The two girls were spread out in the common room watching the fire. The common room was empty except the two of them. Heck, the entire girl's dorm was empty except for them and one other girl who was out on the grounds having a chat with Hagrid. The only other people in the tower were four boys.
"Yea, it's great to know my brother is crushing on my best mate," the other girl laughed.
"Oh? James was the prince? I already knew that, I just had my doubts because he didn't ask me out once!" Lily exclaimed. "Not once, Jen!"
"He doesn't know who you were."
"No, he doesn't know who Aschenputtle is," Lily corrected.
"Who is this Aschenputtle anyway?" Jen asked.
"Accio Grimms' Fairy Tales!" She caught the book when it came to her. "This. It's the Grimm's version of Cinderella, that's what I gathered. But instead of Cinderella, it's Aschenputtle." Lily tossed the book to Jen. "Page 118. I found it odd when in Hansel and Gretel it was Hansel and Grethel instead. And Mother Hulda instead of Mother Holly."
Jen looked up from the book. "How old is this?"
Lily stretched out her hand. "My dad gave it to me for Christmas last year, you know before-" Lily broke off before her eyes could betray her and make her cry.
"Oh Lily, it's okay, you aren't going to-" Jen was cut off by the four boys coming down the stairs who were singing loudly.
"Only one more night 'till Christmas Day!" sang a boy with shining black hair and gray eyes.
"Shut up Sirius!" yelled Lily and Jen.
"Anyway! It's about eight more days until Christmas you knot head!" yelled Jen.
"Why didn't you tell me that he was going to be here?" Lily hissed to Jen.
"Slipped my mind," Jen answered with a smile as James plopped down on the couch with Lily on it. Remus joined Sirius and Jen on the other. Peter sunk out of the common room to go down to the kitchens.
"So what do we want to do today?" asked James putting an arm around Lily, who pushed away the offending limb.
Jen sat up. "I have an early Christmas present of all of us. I didn't have enough money to give Ava and Peter one too, but as soon as Emma gets here I'll explain." Five minutes later the girl named Emma walked in and striped off her robe.
"Hey guys!" she said cheerfully.
"Okay," Jen said and began handing out a package. "I have wrapped these at random so whoever you get was totally random. The person with the opposite book is already connected to the one you receive. You can contact other people, but you have to get their names and book number. You can just use a regular quill and ink. I think we should spread out and find out who our contact is!"
"How'd you do this?" asked Lily, thoroughly impressed.
"Oh a spell and some old notebooks in a Muggle shop," Jen answered, taking her book with her as she walked over to the girl's dorm steps.
Lily moved to Jen's seat as Remus went over to the window and Sirius claimed the other couch. James moved to the floor by the fire, and Emma dropped her book on one of the tables.
Lily carefully opened the new book, it was red with gold enamel, much more expensive than anything she could ever give as a gift to five other people. Whatever, at least she wasn't trying to provide for Lily, well she already was, since Lily was staying at the Potter's house ever since the end of fifth year and her parent's deaths. It had been a year, a whole year since that had happened. She shook her head and looked at the page before her.
Who are you?
Merlin, it was Potter!, thought Lily. She took a deep breath and watched the letters slowly form.
Are you there?
Yes. How are you Prongs?
Best off pretending it wasn't her.
That you Padfoot? Moony?
No, can't a girl have her fun?
Jen?
You have got to be kidding me. I am not Jen. I can't believe you thought I was Jen. I'm Aschenputtle.
Really? Oh I've missed you! I want to hold you in my arms forever!
As much as that thought delights me I'll have to decline.
Why?
'Tis no fun in poking fun at a gent in waiting.
Give me a clue to who you are!
Oh fine.
Think of words ending in -GRY. Angry and hungry are two of them. There are only three words in the English language. What is the third word? The word is something that everyone uses every day. If you have listened carefully, I have already told you what it is.
Angry and Hungry? That's not my answer. Three words in the English language...the...English...LANGUAGE! Right?
Yes. Is that enough for today?
But what does your name have to do with LANGUAGE?
You'll figure it out James.
If you don't tell me first.
I'll never tell you.
So Atchenputtle, gal?
Aschenputtle.
What's the clue today?
Ripped from my mother's womb,
Beaten and burned,
I become a bloodthirsty killer.
What am I?
Okay, strange riddle. Ripped from my mother's womb…burned and beaten…a killer. Okay what kills? A knife, diseases, people, weapons. Knives and weapons are made of steel. Steel or Iron. Iron Ore!
Okay, that's it for today.
Language and Iron Ore? What does that mean?
Everything.
Hello kind sir, do you want your next clue?
Yes, kind lady. So for it is:
Language
Iron Ore
What's next?
Here:
I am, in truth, a yellow fork,
From tables in the sky,
By inadvertent fingers dropped,
The awful cutlery.
Or mansions never quiet disclosed,
And never quiet concealed,
The apparatus of the dark,
To ignorance revealed.
-Emily Dickenson
That's lovely.
But what does it mean Sherlock?
It can't be a fork because that would be too simple. Night, what lights up the night…the moon, stars…light….apparatus…LIGHTNING?
You're getting good.
May I please have a clue? I know you either have to be Emma or Lily.
Keep guessing my sweet one.
What goes up but never comes down?
Hope?
No. Think.
Love? Age?
More specifically what age?
Your Age?
Yes.
Language
Iron Ore
Lightning
Your Age
What does these things mean?!
The answer's right in front of you James. It's in plain sight in the answers.
Is not.
So, Aschenputtle, what's the clue today?
I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?
Confusion, no, don't say no. I know that's not right. Beginning of end, end of time and space…E!
You are getting creepily good. See you tomorrow. I have to leave.
Why can't you see that I love you?
I nearly dropped this notebook Jen so lovingly gave me. Shame on you. Don't scare me like that.
I can't say I love you? I know I do.
Well, that's crazy. Get some sense into your brain.
What three letters English word has an odd start, an even finish and an infinitely long middle?
Now that's just crule.
Cruel. And no it isn't, not if I give you a clue. Think Roman.
Think Roman?! What kind of clue is that?
I thought you were smart! Think Roman numbers for the first and last things. And you've already guessed the middle letter.
I really hate cryptic girls. 11 13 15 17 19…an odd start…I III V VII IX XI XIII XV…a v has to be the first letter. Yea?
Yes.
And an x for the end, that's even. V..x…e! VEX!
You got it at last. Now remind me, what is it that you've gotten so far?
Language
Iron Ore
Lightning
Your Age
E
Vex
That's it. What do these things have to do with you?
Everything.
Kings and queens may cling to power,
And the jester's got his call,
But, as you may all discover,
The common one outranks them all.
Easy, it's the Ace of cards.
Don't cheat Remus, I know James talked you into this.
I didn't give him much choice, I was fretting over it for so long, I was beginning to worry the guys. Why can't you just tell me who you are.
Just two more days, then you'll see. And Remus, don't you dare tell anyone who I am, I know you've figured it out.
Riddle please?
It is greater than God and more evil than the devil. The poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it you die. What is it?
Power? No, the rich already have that. Hope? No…Nothing?
I'm surrprised. Until tomorrow. See you James. I hope you can figure it out. You'll find me somewhere when you figure it out tomorrow.
I can't wait.
I think you'll find the day will go very quickly.
At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen.
Bats.
NO.
Stars?
Yes.
So it has something to do with:
Language
Iron Ore
Lightning
Your Age
E
Vex
Ace of Cards
Nothing
Stars
LILY EVANS!
I'm in the common room, James. :)
Needless to say it was the best Christmas either of them had ever had. Even Jen and Sirius had a little bit of fun throwing snowballs at the newest couple. And how that coupled faired is an entirely different story. THE END.
A/N: TADA! Done! The normal text is outside of the notebook and italic is Lily and bold italic is James.
