I Want You Back

By Snuffles4Eva

Chapter 1: The Dare

It had been a dare. A simple, stupid dare. In a game the Marauders often liked to play: Truth or Dare. Now the Marauders were a group of young, teenage Gryffindors, and everybody knew Gryffindors were never ones to back down from a dare. Another part of it had been pride. The Marauders (mainly two young rouges by the names of Sirius Black and James Potter) prided themselves on being able to date any girl that graced the floors of Hogwarts. So when James Potter (less formally, to his closest friends, nicknamed 'Prongs') was dared to ask out a girl he didn't think much of it.

Until that girl turned his whole world upside down.

14th December 1973, Gryffindor Common Room

'Mooooonnnnyyy' whined handsome Sirius Black from his seat so close to the fireplace, he was practically sitting in it. 'Whyyyyyy?' Sirius' alluring face was screwed up into a childish pout, his dark curls framing his expression perfectly. His attractive grey eyes now had a teasing tinge to them as another boy sitting across from Sirius continued the whingey tirade. This boy had thin, dirty blond hair, and watery blue eyes, which were often following Sirius with an awed expression. 'Come on Moony, we do it evvveeerry year. You can't stop tradition!' Pleading was Peter Pettigrew's best asset. He did it so often. The boy could plead for England. 'He's got a point you know' muttered the boy in the armchair, who was watching all this with an amused glint in his hazel eyes, accentuated perfectly by his wire-rimmed glasses. James Potter was a handsome teen, with untameable raven hair, and plenty of muscle, from both his escapades, and Quidditch practice. He and Sirius were Hogwarts' two most wanted men (in all senses of the phrase). 'Oh, don't you join them' the forth, and final, Marauder snapped, exasperated. 'We do it every year, and every year we get into another pile of trouble'. Remus Lupin was the sensible one. He wasn't without his fun-loving, prankster side, but classes and exams were never far from his mind. He knew his O. were only a year and a half away, and deciding he wanted to pass them, he got his head down and worked even harder than he usually did. The rest of the Marauders only passed exams from copying his notes. Currently, he was reading a Muggle book – Oliver Twist. He found Muggle books fascinating, and for this sole reason had he taken Muggle Studies. It was for that sole reason the rest of the Marauders also took Muggle Studies.

'You can't deny them tradition, Moony. It's like Christmas with no presents. It's just not right.' James piped up from his seat across from Sirius' position. Peter was sat at his feet. Remus was lying on the sofa opposite him.

'Speaking of presents, you guys better shut up, or you won't be receiving yours this year!' he yelled, currently feeling annoyed about this whole 'tradition' rubbish.

That shut them up. For about a minute. Still, it was a serine, peaceful minute. Minutes like that were very rare with having the Marauders as best friends. Remus savoured that minute, before Sirius went back to his whining and pouting, and James with his dry comments, and subtle urges.

'All right, All right!' He'd had enough 'I'll let you have your stupid tradition, but don't blame me when you are caught by Filch and cleaning the potions classrooms for a month!' He hesitantly put his book down, as he and James sat on the floor from their elevated positions. They sat in a rough square shape, as they did every year, Sirius closest to the fire, as always, Remus on his left, Peter on his right and James opposite him.

'Ok' Sirius took the lead in his favourite game, as usual. 'I'll go first. Wormtail! Truth or Dare?'

The Marauders all looked to Peter, who was currently debating which option was worse: Telling Sirius one of his most coveted secrets, or doing something potentially life-ruiningly humiliating. He went with 'potentially life-ruiningly humiliating'. It would probably be the safer option.

'Dare' he said in his squeaky voice. It wasn't breaking; it'd just always been like that.

'Ok' Sirius grinned wickedly. 'I was hoping you'd say that.'

'Oh dear' squeaked Peter, as he waited with baited breath to hear what terrible thing Sirius was making him do this time.

'Ok..' Sirius hesitated, and then grinned evilly again 'I dare you to go downstairs and moon Slughorn...'

Peter's eyes bulged as it sunk in, what he had to do. But Sirius hadn't even finished yet.

'…and that new charms teacher… what's his name? Flickering? Flickit? Or am I just associating here?' (James' eyes grew wide at Sirius even knowing the word 'associating') '… Is it Bogeys or Booger or something like that? Oo, oo, I know what it is, it's-'

'-Flitwick' Cut across Remus, before his poor ears had to suffer anymore verbal diarrhoea. 'His name is Flitwick'

'Yeah, anyway, him' Sirius continued 'I dare you to moon him, and Slughorn. Well get going!'

Peter scampered off with Sirius at his heels, to make sure he did the dare. Five minutes later Sirius came back with tears rolling down his face and a red faced Peter shuffling embarrassedly at his heels.

'He….. He actually did it! The look on Flitick's face… It was to die for!' Sirius collapsed down next to Remus, still in hysterics, even as the game continued, and Peter took his turn.

He picked Sirius, who picked Truth, deciding he couldn't do a proper dare, because of his present state (recovering from his last fit of hysterical laughter). Peter never had been good at picking either Truths or Dares, so all Sirius had to answer was 'Who was the ugliest girl you have kissed?' Still this question turned to be another mocking point for James and Remus, as Sirius, flushing, muttered 'Edna Bulstrode'.

Remus and James burst out laughing. 'You've, you've kissed…' began Remus through his barking laughter. '…Edna Bulstrode!' Finished James, through his own tears of mirth.

'Well, shut up about it, it's not funny' snapped Sirius, abashed.

'.. What were you thinking?' asked James, still laughing.

'I was desperate, ok. I needed a good snog, and she was just the nearest girl. Don't prejudice against people just because they're the size of a small whale. And anyway she wasn't a bad smooch. Quite good actually. The way she –'

'Ok, Ok Padfoot, that's enough' Remus cut him off quickly, before he could get any further with one of his avid descriptions.

James however, had not quite finished mocking Sirius. 'Still mate, Edna Bulstrode. Do you even have standards?'

'Oh shut it, I know for a fact, that your standards a lower than mine. Example! Take last month when you were eating the face off… whatshername... That player girl that will have anyone and everyone…'

'Hypocrite!' James exclaimed, intending to go further with his accusation before Remus butted in.

'JAMES, SIRIUS! Honestly, you'd think you two were three. Now either get on with the game, or let me read my book in peace!' Remus shut them up.

'Thank you' he continued 'James, it's your go'

James glanced round at them all, then, accompanied by an evil grin, he announced 'Sirius!'

'Why is it always me?' groaned Sirius.

'Because you're the one stupid enough to actually do the dares' answered Remus, helpfully.

'Truth or Dare?' James' eyes had acquired a maniacal glint to them as he inquired of Sirius.

'Dare' Sirius smirked right back at James.

'Here we go' muttered Remus.

'I dare you…' James paused for emphasis '… to kiss Remus!'

'WHAT?' bellowed Remus and Sirius simultaneously.

'You heard me' James replied 'Unless you're too…. Chicken?!'

'Never!' denied Sirius, just as Remus exclaimed again: 'What?'

Sirius leaned in. Remus leaned back.

'What do you think you're doing?' he demanded of Sirius.

'The dare, of course'

'Not with me, you're not'

'But I've never backed down from a dare before, and I'm not starting now. It's, like, against my morals!' whined Sirius.

'No! I don't care about your 'morals' or whatever, we are not kissing!'

'Ok' replied Sirius, looking annoyed at Remus' refusal, as it spoiled his perfect record.

'Well, it's my turn to choose…. Jammmf!' Remus was suddenly cut off by Sirius choosing to complete his dare. After about a second after Sirius had started kissing him, Remus pushed away.

'That was the most disgusting thing I've ever experienced' Remus proclaimed, disgusted. Sirius looked likewise, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his robes. They both looked at James who was staring at them, eyes wide and jaw slack. He seemed speechless. Peter ,however, wasn't .

'That's the worst, most disturbing thing I've ever watched. Watching your best mates…. Eww' he squealed. James suddenly regained his voice.

'Wormtail's right. When I gave you that dare, I only expected you to break your record of never refusing a dare. Instead, you broke mine of most disturbing thing ever seen.' He said, still in shock at the fact that Sirius had actually kissed Remus. And by the looks on the faces of Sirius and Remus, he was in for one heck of a game. He'd better watch his backside now.

'As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, I pick James.' James gulped. After the dare he had just set, he was in ready for one heck of a beating. Instead, he got the surprise of his life.

'I dare you to…' Remus paused, as if thinking which dare would be the worst ever to give to James, 'to ask her to Hogsmeade tomorrow.' The 'her' he had indicated to, was a girl by the name of Lily Evans, a small, bookish 4th year. One of those who always turned up to classes on time, with the correct uniform and never forgot her homework. A suck-up, teacher's pet. She wasn't the worst looking in Gryffindor, but she never been one of the prettiest. Her red hair she wore up all of the time, and she had some sort of Muggle contraption on her teeth, a thing she called 'braces'. What their purpose was, the Marauders weren't sure. They only knew that she wasn't that pretty, and not worth their attention. Only Remus knew her name, as she had studied with him once or twice. The rest of the Marauders only realised that she sat at the front of their class by choice. Why anyone would do this, was inconceivable.

'Ok' James boasted, his confidence metre refilled. He was sure he could get any girl in Gryffindor, if he wanted to. 'This'll be a piece of cake.' He ran a hand through his hair, making it ruffled, and then strode over to the corner where Lily sat. Two seconds later, he was back.

'Too chicken?' Sirius inquired, mockingly.

'You wish, Padfoot. No, I am merely back to inquire her name.'

'Lily. Lily Evans' Remus supplied.

'Thanks' James said, and then continued to make his way over to Lily Evans.

'Hey Lily' James began in a voice that was deep and suave. It was his 'Hello Ladies' voice.

'Hey James' She replied, not even looking up from the homework that they had just been set for over the holidays. James wondered why she even bothered – It wasn't due for another two weeks, if he even did it.

'Wait. How did you know it was me? And how do you even know my name?'

Lily smiled up at him. 'James, we are in the same house, in the same year, in the same class. We eat at the same table, share the same common room, and I have spent the last 3 and a half years here. I think that maybe, just maybe, I might have the brain cells to actually know your name. And just because you don't, doesn't offend me any.' She smiled, patronising him, as it took him a few seconds for him to register what she had just said. In that time, she had already packed her things up and started towards the stairs.

'Hey! Wait!' James called after her.

'Yes James?' She turned and sighed, though not unkindly. More like an amused sigh.

'Well. I was just going to ask you, well, to see if you wanted to come to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?'

Tomorrow was the last Hogsmeade before the Christmas break, but Lily was the sort of person who had already got her presents. He hoped. He didn't really want to be dragged around Hogsmeade looking for presents for teenage girls.

'Ok, James, I'll go with you tomorrow' Lily looked him in the eyes. That's when he noticed hers. They were a stunning emerald green, so fascinating, and beautiful. He had to refrain from falling into them as he finished his sentence.

'Ok, er, I'll meet you downstairs then. Well, tomorrow I mean. 8:30 alright?'

'Yeah, see you then'

'Er, ok, yeah. See you then.'

Lily proceeded up the stairs towards the girl's dormitories, leaving James to go back to his game of Truth or Dare.

'Hah! I can't believe you actually did it! And she said yes! That's brilliant! Hah' Sirius laughed.

'Well, at least we have something to do this weekend: Spy on Prongs and Lily' Remus smiled wryly.

'Oh shut up you three. I'd not be surprised if you were related to hyenas or something the way you laugh, Sirius. A high-pitched, girly, nancy boy laugh you have' answered James hotly. Deep down inside, he was quite looking forward to his 'date' tomorrow, although he couldn't imagine why.

And as the boys attention turned back to their annual game, getting into deeper, and deeper trouble, and laughter becoming so loud that it drove most Gryffindors to bed, little did they know, the dare that Remus gave James, and the fact the James actually did it, would change the fate of the Wizarding world forever. But the boys didn't know that. They were too enthralled in their merry game to notice a pair of bright emerald eyes watching James from a dark corner of the common room. They didn't notice it had begun to snow. All they knew at the moment was their dares.

If only it could've stayed that way.