Word count: 652
Written for:
Hogwarts June Funfair Treasure Hunt - [pairing] James/Alice - platonic
Hogwarts June Funfair Hedge Maze - left: Alice Longbottom
The Game Is On Challenge - The Sign of the Four: Write about any of the Marauders.
Bad Movie Tuesdays - [dialogue] "You're [character name]?"
Marauder Mischief
"Huh," said a voice. "I didn't think you'd look like that."
Alice looked up to see a boy leaning against the bookshelf, peering at her. His rumpled clothes and scruffy hair carried the air of trying too hard, but he was otherwise unobjectionable to the eye.
To clarify - she wasn't interested. But it was useful to keep track of these things in case Lily or Marlene came gossiping. Alice always tried to see the real version of people instead of who they pretended to be.
"Interesting," she replied, "because I hadn't the faintest idea you were so obnoxious. I happen to be studying." Alice smirked, reopening her textbook and ignoring the boy.
"Really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Really."
"Then why do I see the coral-nail-polish-stained pages of an illicit school magazine?"
The boy stepped forward and snatched the stack of parchment from where Alice had hidden it. Running away with the pages, held aloft in his hands, the boy did a victory lap of the room before the librarian caught up with him.
"What-" she yelled- "do you think you're doing, Mr. Potter?"
Ah, so he was the mystery boy Alice had heard so much about.
"Celebrating my discovery of banned materials," Potter answered smoothly.
The librarian looked as if she hadn't heard him at all. "Detention!" she shrieked.
The library, which had been shocked into silence, broke into whoops and laughter. Alice decided to take advantage of the moment to steal her pages out of Potter's hands. She had just grabbed them and tucked them into her loose robes when- BAM! They shot out of her hands and onto the desk.
"Detention for you, too, Miss- Miss-"
"Oh, call me Alice," she quipped.
Alice waved her wand, casting Wingardium Leviosa. The magazine pages were sent airborne, scattering all across the room. As she sprinted out the door, Potter racing at her side, she turned back to see students crowding around her bits of parchment. The librarian (Alice still didn't know her name) stood frozen by her desk.
"That was the best prank I've ever seen... by a girl," Potter told her grudgingly as they turned a corner and collapsed against the wall, panting.
"Hmph. It's a shame to lose the pages," Alice replied, "but there were some lovely articles in there. One about the life and times of Professor Dumbledore's beard, one about the stupidity of all Gryffindor males..."
"Hey," said Potter. But he was grinning, so Alice knew it was all right.
"Now all we have to do is avoid all teachers and people of authority for the next few weeks, so those pesky detentions don't go through."
Potter laughed, in a friendly sort of way. "You're Alice?"
"Who else?"
"I'm just so used to girls being lame and goody-goody. You know?"
"And I'm used to boys being dumb and girl-crazy. Ya know?"
"Well I'm glad at least one of us has broken the stereotype, if it couldn't be me," Potter said. "I pride myself on my skill with the ladies."
Alice snickered. "Like your little show in the library? You think that'll get you girls?"
James looked worried all of a sudden. "It won't?"
"It probably will," Alice admitted, rolling her eyes. Most of her housemates were airheads who would be perfectly happy with any wizard who looked their way. But she didn't think Potter was that kind of boy, somehow. He wasn't as stupid as he acted.
"Call me James. Anyone who acknowledges my greatness should be my friend."
"Alice," she replied, giving James a playful shove.
"I'm glad we had this talk, friend," James said mock-seriously, staring deeply into her eyes.
"Anything else? I actually have to study. Dumbledore promised a quiz for today and I don't know if he was joking or not."
"Well..."
A pause. James actually looked nervous, for the first time in the whole conversation.
"...What do you know about Lily Evans?"