Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the first line that James
says. We all know they belong to J.K. Rowling.
Scene: The 5th years of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had just finished their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam and were now heading out to the school grounds to relax and enjoy before their next exam. Just then, James Potter and Sirius Black started "playing around" with Snape. Lily Evans comes and starts yelling at James. When she leaves, James is a bit disturbed by what Lily says but brushes it off.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?" James yelled to the audience.
The crowd cheered and whistled in agreement, anticipating what they might see.
But just as James was about to flick his wand, he saw a very red and angry looking McGonagall try to make her way through, to the center of the crowd.
"Mr. Potter! Release him this instant! 50 points from Gryffindor! And detention! For harming another student! I expect more from you!" And with that, she turned and stormed back to the castle.
When she was gone, James noticed a deafening silence.
"Serves you right, Potter." a female voice interrupted the quiet atmosphere. Everyone turned and saw Lily with her arms crossed.
"Serves me right? Serves me right? How is it right that I was the only one who got detention when Snivellus called you a -- a -- you-know-what? I defended you, Evans!" James yelled in frustration.
"You see, that's where you're wrong, Potter. I don't need defending, seeing that the word mudblood doesn't affect me at all. Whereas if people insulted you, you get mad easily and start hexing away. But it's okay if you insult other people, right? You're weak. Not to mention a conceited, pompous git. And you never admit it if you're wrong. If you'd just deflate your head a bit, I'd probably consider you a real person." Lily then turned on her heel and walked towards the castle, her friends trailing behind her. James continued staring at the spot where she had been.
"Hey Prongs!" Remus snapped him out of his daze.
"What?" James said, shaking his head.
"I think you forgot something..." said Remus, pointing behind him.
"Oh yeah! Hmm... Maybe we should keep him like that. He landed me in detention after all. I think he's turning red. It makes him look less pale. It looks good on you Snivelly!" James continued to mock Snape until he got a disapproving tutting sound from Remus.
"Fine. I'm getting sick of staying around Snivellus anyway," said James. He muttered the counter curse and beckoned the rest of the Marauders to go back to the castle, leaving Snape lying on the grass in a heap.
***
Dinnertime with the Marauders was usually an amusing event because they always made it fun for.. well... most people. But this time, James, who usually very loud, was now silent and deep in thought. It caught his friends' attention when some students congratulated them for a job well done on Snape. Usually James would start boasting about his latest antic, but this time, it seemed that he didn't hear what they said.
"Prongs? Prongs? Hell-o? Prongs? Hey Prongs!" Sirius waved his hand in front of his friend. He had just finished talking to a group of girls who "happened to pass by".
"What?" James snapped.
"What's with you? You've been like this since we came in the castle! You didn't notice that girl who was trying to talk to you! You haven't even touched your food! Something's wrong, James. What's up? Come on, you can tell me." said Sirius.
James smiled. This was the side of Sirius that most people didn't see, his caring side for his friends. 'That's why he's my best friend.' He thought. "I'm alright, but there is something bothering me. I'll tell you later."
"Okay, as long as you aren't dying or anything." Sirius said with a chuckle.
"Hey when's your detention? Too bad you got caught by McGonagall. She gives bad detentions." Peter said, looking sympathetic.
"I don't know actually. Guess I'm going to have to go to her office and ask." James replied.
"You're going to do what? Don't go to her office!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Oh come off it, Padfoot. McGonagall would give James extra detention for not asking. You know that." said Remus.
"Moony's right. Besides, I think I deserve it..." James said thoughtfully.
This made Remus spit out his drink, Peter gasp and Sirius choke. Other people sitting near them looked to see what was going on.
"E-excuse me? Did you just say what I think you just said? Are you admitting defeat by saying you deserve it?" Remus said incredulously.
James was silent for a moment. "Yeah." he replied after a while.
"Okay, who are you and what have you done to my best friend?" Sirius demanded. Then, a realization dawned on to him. "Wait, is this about what Evans said, because you know she --" he cut of his sentence when he saw James' silencing look.
"Not here!" He hissed. He made a sign to go up to the dormitory.
As they were standing up, people around them looked to see where they were going. Lily was one of them. And it was another unusual thing that James didn't even mind her when they walked passed her. He just stared forward, and something was definitely bothering him.
"What are those boys up to now?" she muttered to herself.
***
"Okay Prongs. What's up? Why did you make us stop eating dinner and why did you make us leave the Hall?" Remus inquired. He was, after all, still pretty hungry.
They had just entered the Gryffindor common room and were now heading their dormitory.
"It's what Evans said earlier, isn't it? Why do you even care what she thinks when clearly she doesn't care what you think?" Sirius asked, exasperated.
"Because I just do! Alright? I care what she thinks about me because I like her!" James yelled, surprising his friends. They knew that James had an infatuation on Lily, but they never thought this was serious.
James thought back to what Lily had said. Despite the fact that he hated admitting it, her words had stung him.
"I don't need defending, seeing that the word mudblood doesn't affect me at all. Whereas if people insulted you, you get mad easily and start hexing away. But it's okay if you insult other people, right? You're weak. Not to mention a conceited, pompous git. And you never admit it if you're wrong. If you'd just deflate your head a bit, I'd probably consider you a real person."
Is he really weak? Is he really a conceited, pompous git as Lily says he is? Why did he even care? Sirius was right, he shouldn't care what she thinks because she doesn't care what he thinks anyway. But he knew. He knew he cared a lot.
"Bloody hell." he said out loud.
"What?" Sirius asked his friend.
"Nothing, it's nothing..." Said James.
"Oh come on James, you drag us out of dinner to do what? To think? We're your friends, and we're supposed to help you out. Now how can we do that if we don't even know what's wrong?" Remus said wearily. He was getting sick of waiting for James to share what was on his mind.
"Alright. But you guys promise not to tell. Especially you, Wormtail. Yeah, Padfoot's right, it is about Evans. Every time I ask her out, she always puts me down. I know I can have any girl here but I had to choose the one that I couldn't get. I don't understand. I'm smart, a great Quidditch player, a good-looking --"James was suddenly interrupted by Remus.
"See, that's your problem, Prongs. She's right. You are a bit conceited sometimes. You proved it to us just now. And you do have a temper. I don't think there ever was a time you didn't hex someone just because they said something bad about you." he said.
James couldn't say anything to this. He knew Remus was right.
"I know! Why don't you date one of Lily's friends to get her jealous?" Peter said, happy that he had given some input in the conversation.
"Don't be stupid, Wormtail, she'd just be happy to get James off her back." Sirius said.
"Urgh. I forgot, I have to go to McGonagall's office to get my detention date. See you guys later." James said as he trudged out of the dormitory.
"I still think you're insane for going!" Sirius called after him.
***
Lily was walking up to the Gryffindor tower when she bumped into James.
"Hey Evans." James said, and continued walking.
'Strange...' she thought. Before she could stop herself, she turned around to face his retreating back and started yelling.
"Alright, Potter! What are you up to? And don't say 'nothing' because when you do, it always means something! Now spit it out! What mean thing are you going to do now?"
James stopped walking and turned to face her. "I was just going to McGonagall's office to get my detention date." he said simply.
"I don't believe you." Lily said unsurely.
"You can come with me if you like." he replied. This was, after all, his chance to show Lily that he did admit when he was wrong, even though he still thought he wasn't.
"I don't think so. You might be off to do something dangerous and I'll have nothing of it." she said, although she wasn't really believing what she was saying.
"I told you, I'm just getting my detention slip. It was my fault after all, right?" he said innocently.
She gasped at this statement. Did he, James Potter, pompous prick, admit that he was at fault?
But seeing the smug look on James' face, she immediately regained composure. "Wipe that stupid smile off your face, Potter. You may be confessing that you're wrong, but that still does not make you less of a big-headed prick!"
She turned and was prepared to continue her way to the tower, but then James stopped her.
"Wait! Evans! Go out with me!" he asked her.
Lily took a deep breath and continued walking up.
"Evans! Evans!" James yelled after her.
'Urgh! Why does she have to be so difficult?' He wondered. It was very frustrating.
He started walking to McGonagall's office again. He recalled the little encounter and tried to see why she had insulted him again.
"Wipe that stupid smile off your face, Potter. You may be confessing that you're wrong, but that still does not make you less of a big-headed prick!"
Was it because he smiled when he saw that he could surprise Evans? It was then that he realized that it was because he smiled! And not just smiled. He had smiled smugly. He had shown his egotistic self again, just when he was doing so well in hiding it!
'This is going to take a while.' he thought.
Scene: The 5th years of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had just finished their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam and were now heading out to the school grounds to relax and enjoy before their next exam. Just then, James Potter and Sirius Black started "playing around" with Snape. Lily Evans comes and starts yelling at James. When she leaves, James is a bit disturbed by what Lily says but brushes it off.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?" James yelled to the audience.
The crowd cheered and whistled in agreement, anticipating what they might see.
But just as James was about to flick his wand, he saw a very red and angry looking McGonagall try to make her way through, to the center of the crowd.
"Mr. Potter! Release him this instant! 50 points from Gryffindor! And detention! For harming another student! I expect more from you!" And with that, she turned and stormed back to the castle.
When she was gone, James noticed a deafening silence.
"Serves you right, Potter." a female voice interrupted the quiet atmosphere. Everyone turned and saw Lily with her arms crossed.
"Serves me right? Serves me right? How is it right that I was the only one who got detention when Snivellus called you a -- a -- you-know-what? I defended you, Evans!" James yelled in frustration.
"You see, that's where you're wrong, Potter. I don't need defending, seeing that the word mudblood doesn't affect me at all. Whereas if people insulted you, you get mad easily and start hexing away. But it's okay if you insult other people, right? You're weak. Not to mention a conceited, pompous git. And you never admit it if you're wrong. If you'd just deflate your head a bit, I'd probably consider you a real person." Lily then turned on her heel and walked towards the castle, her friends trailing behind her. James continued staring at the spot where she had been.
"Hey Prongs!" Remus snapped him out of his daze.
"What?" James said, shaking his head.
"I think you forgot something..." said Remus, pointing behind him.
"Oh yeah! Hmm... Maybe we should keep him like that. He landed me in detention after all. I think he's turning red. It makes him look less pale. It looks good on you Snivelly!" James continued to mock Snape until he got a disapproving tutting sound from Remus.
"Fine. I'm getting sick of staying around Snivellus anyway," said James. He muttered the counter curse and beckoned the rest of the Marauders to go back to the castle, leaving Snape lying on the grass in a heap.
***
Dinnertime with the Marauders was usually an amusing event because they always made it fun for.. well... most people. But this time, James, who usually very loud, was now silent and deep in thought. It caught his friends' attention when some students congratulated them for a job well done on Snape. Usually James would start boasting about his latest antic, but this time, it seemed that he didn't hear what they said.
"Prongs? Prongs? Hell-o? Prongs? Hey Prongs!" Sirius waved his hand in front of his friend. He had just finished talking to a group of girls who "happened to pass by".
"What?" James snapped.
"What's with you? You've been like this since we came in the castle! You didn't notice that girl who was trying to talk to you! You haven't even touched your food! Something's wrong, James. What's up? Come on, you can tell me." said Sirius.
James smiled. This was the side of Sirius that most people didn't see, his caring side for his friends. 'That's why he's my best friend.' He thought. "I'm alright, but there is something bothering me. I'll tell you later."
"Okay, as long as you aren't dying or anything." Sirius said with a chuckle.
"Hey when's your detention? Too bad you got caught by McGonagall. She gives bad detentions." Peter said, looking sympathetic.
"I don't know actually. Guess I'm going to have to go to her office and ask." James replied.
"You're going to do what? Don't go to her office!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Oh come off it, Padfoot. McGonagall would give James extra detention for not asking. You know that." said Remus.
"Moony's right. Besides, I think I deserve it..." James said thoughtfully.
This made Remus spit out his drink, Peter gasp and Sirius choke. Other people sitting near them looked to see what was going on.
"E-excuse me? Did you just say what I think you just said? Are you admitting defeat by saying you deserve it?" Remus said incredulously.
James was silent for a moment. "Yeah." he replied after a while.
"Okay, who are you and what have you done to my best friend?" Sirius demanded. Then, a realization dawned on to him. "Wait, is this about what Evans said, because you know she --" he cut of his sentence when he saw James' silencing look.
"Not here!" He hissed. He made a sign to go up to the dormitory.
As they were standing up, people around them looked to see where they were going. Lily was one of them. And it was another unusual thing that James didn't even mind her when they walked passed her. He just stared forward, and something was definitely bothering him.
"What are those boys up to now?" she muttered to herself.
***
"Okay Prongs. What's up? Why did you make us stop eating dinner and why did you make us leave the Hall?" Remus inquired. He was, after all, still pretty hungry.
They had just entered the Gryffindor common room and were now heading their dormitory.
"It's what Evans said earlier, isn't it? Why do you even care what she thinks when clearly she doesn't care what you think?" Sirius asked, exasperated.
"Because I just do! Alright? I care what she thinks about me because I like her!" James yelled, surprising his friends. They knew that James had an infatuation on Lily, but they never thought this was serious.
James thought back to what Lily had said. Despite the fact that he hated admitting it, her words had stung him.
"I don't need defending, seeing that the word mudblood doesn't affect me at all. Whereas if people insulted you, you get mad easily and start hexing away. But it's okay if you insult other people, right? You're weak. Not to mention a conceited, pompous git. And you never admit it if you're wrong. If you'd just deflate your head a bit, I'd probably consider you a real person."
Is he really weak? Is he really a conceited, pompous git as Lily says he is? Why did he even care? Sirius was right, he shouldn't care what she thinks because she doesn't care what he thinks anyway. But he knew. He knew he cared a lot.
"Bloody hell." he said out loud.
"What?" Sirius asked his friend.
"Nothing, it's nothing..." Said James.
"Oh come on James, you drag us out of dinner to do what? To think? We're your friends, and we're supposed to help you out. Now how can we do that if we don't even know what's wrong?" Remus said wearily. He was getting sick of waiting for James to share what was on his mind.
"Alright. But you guys promise not to tell. Especially you, Wormtail. Yeah, Padfoot's right, it is about Evans. Every time I ask her out, she always puts me down. I know I can have any girl here but I had to choose the one that I couldn't get. I don't understand. I'm smart, a great Quidditch player, a good-looking --"James was suddenly interrupted by Remus.
"See, that's your problem, Prongs. She's right. You are a bit conceited sometimes. You proved it to us just now. And you do have a temper. I don't think there ever was a time you didn't hex someone just because they said something bad about you." he said.
James couldn't say anything to this. He knew Remus was right.
"I know! Why don't you date one of Lily's friends to get her jealous?" Peter said, happy that he had given some input in the conversation.
"Don't be stupid, Wormtail, she'd just be happy to get James off her back." Sirius said.
"Urgh. I forgot, I have to go to McGonagall's office to get my detention date. See you guys later." James said as he trudged out of the dormitory.
"I still think you're insane for going!" Sirius called after him.
***
Lily was walking up to the Gryffindor tower when she bumped into James.
"Hey Evans." James said, and continued walking.
'Strange...' she thought. Before she could stop herself, she turned around to face his retreating back and started yelling.
"Alright, Potter! What are you up to? And don't say 'nothing' because when you do, it always means something! Now spit it out! What mean thing are you going to do now?"
James stopped walking and turned to face her. "I was just going to McGonagall's office to get my detention date." he said simply.
"I don't believe you." Lily said unsurely.
"You can come with me if you like." he replied. This was, after all, his chance to show Lily that he did admit when he was wrong, even though he still thought he wasn't.
"I don't think so. You might be off to do something dangerous and I'll have nothing of it." she said, although she wasn't really believing what she was saying.
"I told you, I'm just getting my detention slip. It was my fault after all, right?" he said innocently.
She gasped at this statement. Did he, James Potter, pompous prick, admit that he was at fault?
But seeing the smug look on James' face, she immediately regained composure. "Wipe that stupid smile off your face, Potter. You may be confessing that you're wrong, but that still does not make you less of a big-headed prick!"
She turned and was prepared to continue her way to the tower, but then James stopped her.
"Wait! Evans! Go out with me!" he asked her.
Lily took a deep breath and continued walking up.
"Evans! Evans!" James yelled after her.
'Urgh! Why does she have to be so difficult?' He wondered. It was very frustrating.
He started walking to McGonagall's office again. He recalled the little encounter and tried to see why she had insulted him again.
"Wipe that stupid smile off your face, Potter. You may be confessing that you're wrong, but that still does not make you less of a big-headed prick!"
Was it because he smiled when he saw that he could surprise Evans? It was then that he realized that it was because he smiled! And not just smiled. He had smiled smugly. He had shown his egotistic self again, just when he was doing so well in hiding it!
'This is going to take a while.' he thought.