A/N: First Chapter, It's a little bit short but I'm just trying to establish different relationships, I swear it gets better.
12/2 Update: Okay I know I haven't updated in forever and I'm working on the next chapter now, i just need to quickly look over it then I'll publish it for you. But re-reading over this one I saw so many mistakes so It's getting them fixed before posting the next one. The amazing work of a beta [which i don't have]
Crashing Down Around Them
Chapter 1
Of Assignments, Arguments and The fine line
"You know who's hot?" Sirius asked his roommates as they lay around in their dorm one Saturday afternoon.
"I don't know, but I'm sure your going to tell us." Remus sighed from his desk where he had been trying to write his potions essay for the past three hours.
"Damn right I am." Sirius smiled
"Wait, by any chance is it Keira Rose?" James asked his friend, not bothering to look up from the Quidditch magazine he was reading.
"Aww, how did you know?" Sirius whined.
"Umm maybe because she's your latest obsession and you've been talking about her non-stop for the past week."
"But she's really hot."
"And she's rejected you twenty times. Give up." Remus interjected
"You've kept count?"
"No."
"But I have." Peter piped up "and it's actually been twenty-three times." The other three boys turned around to stare at their friend in shock. "What?" He tried to defend himself "We always have these arguments and I thought I could stop it for once." His friends continued to stare at him, this time in awe.
"How come I never thought of that?" Remus asked, slapping himself in the head.
"Because I'm just smart like that." Peter said smugly, the expression falling off of his face at his best friends laughs.
"Anyway back to Keira, Isn't she smoking?"
"And back to the point, not really. I've known her since she was 7 or something." James said, putting down his magazine. There was no way he was going to be reading anymore that afternoon.
"Remus, you agree with me right?" Sirius said
"Well I would have to be blind not to see she's pretty." Remus agreed, cautious as to where this conversation was going.
"And I am obviously the most handsome guy in this school."
"I dunno about that one." James chuckled, Peter and Remus soon joining in.
"Ok, you've had your joke back to me." Sirius huffed "We're obviously meant to be together so you have to help me woo her Moony." At the end of his speech his friends, who had been trying to contain their laughter fell into hysterics.
"Nice, joke Padfoot." Peter gasped
"Like that would ever happen." Remus chortled. Sirius sat with his arms crossed as he waited for his friends to quieten down. Just when they had all regained their breath James chocked out "He said Woo." And sent them back into another round of hysterics. This time Sirius couldn't help but join in, his wording choice had been pretty funny.
"So will you guys help me?" Sirius asked his friends again once they had finally calmed down.
"I'm thinking not." James shrugged "Keira would never forgive me for being involved, and I'd rather not have a next-door-neighbour who harbours a grudge against me, sorry mate."
"Fine, betray your friend then." Sirius gasped, clutching at his chest. Remus snorted at his friend's antics, reminding Sirius he had yet to reply
"Moony old friend, please help me win her favour." Sirius cried, throwing himself at Remus
"How about you let go of me and I might consider it." Remus said, unamused.
"Okay." Sirius cried, letting go of his friend.
"Hmm, I considered it and No." Remus snickered at his desperate roommate.
"Fine if none of you guys are going to help me…"
"What about me?" Peter interjected.
"What about you." Sirius sneered, "Would you have helped me?"
"Well no."
"So why did I need to ask you?"
"Because you asked everyone else." Peter pointed out.
"True, what where we talking about again?" Sirius asked.
"About how you've decided to give up on Keira and go do some 5th year." James said.
"Hmm, good idea." Sirius smirked "I'm feeling especially Horny today."
"Okay, now that is to much information." Remus groaned as James got up.
"Where are you going?" He asked James curiously.
"To work on the Herbology assignment with Liz." He shrugged at his friend.
"Crap we still have to do that." Remus sighed, looking at Sirius meaningfully
"Meh, we can do it on Thursday morning."
"It's due Thursday afternoon." Remus pointed out.
"Exactly my point." Sirius shrugged as he lifted himself off his bed
"What about those little things known as classes that take place on Thursday morning."
"Ever heard of a little thing called skipping?" Sirius asked Remus as if he were stupid. "Or if you're so worried you can do the whole thing yourself."
"No thank, as much as it tempts me I wouldn't want to take away the homework you love so much." He stated dryly.
"Okay well as much fun as listening to you to argue about this assignment is I'm going to go meet Liz now." James sighed at his friend's familiar quarrel, he wasn't sure if they had even heard him. Oh well he would leave them to sort out their own problems.
"Sorry I'm late." James panted as he flopped down into the seat opposite Liz
"Nah it's fine I was late as well." She smiled at him "Roommates again?"
"When is it not?" James snorted "You too?"
"How did you guess?" She asked "Although Keira technically isn't my roommate. Her and Lily were arguing about god knows what." She giggled, "If Lily wasn't constantly fighting with someone it would be actually be quiet amusing. At one point there was something to do with Lily's nail polish matching her hair. Pathetic really"
"Well Lily seems to have a lot of practice in tearing strips off of people." James sighed, thinking back to the familiar incident they had at breakfast that morning.
"Yea, she seems to really hate you." Liz sighed in sympathy for the boy "Although you know the invariable asking her out doesn't really endear you to her. In fact it seems to unendear her."
"What did you just say?" James laughed
"I just said the constant asking her out means she doesn't like you much." Liz sighed
"Yea well even before I started asking her out she hated me."
"True that, maybe it had something to do with your hating of Snape."
"Maybe." James grunted, indicating to Liz that the conversation was over.
"So what were your roommates fighting over today?" She asked curiously
"Sirius homework habits, the second most common argument." He sighed
"When will Remus ever learn?" She chuckled
"Who said he was arguing with Remus?" James smirked
"Because Peter doesn't have enough backbone to argue with Sirius over something as trivial as homework for so long." Liz pointed out "and he's almost as bad as Sirius. I mean at least he knows where the library is."
"Your right, as appose to Sirius who probably doesn't even know what a library is." James chortled
"How does he pass school?" she wondered around
"A lot of help from friends and a freaking photographic memory." James grumbled, "Bloody git."
"Now, now language." Liz fake chided him "You never told me why Remus tried to do the impossible."
"Because I reminded them of this assignment, and Sirius wanted to leave it till Thursday morning." He chuckled, remembering the scene in his bedroom.
"It's due Thursday afternoon." Liz pointed out
"Remus' point exactly, but the sad thing is Sirius could probably scrape together an E doing just that."
"Well, whatever Sirius may be able to do we won't so I suggest we get this assignment done now." Liz smirked "The less time I have to spend with you the better."
"Oh ha-ha," James quipped as he flicked a piece of paper at Liz. "You're a real comedian."
Later that night Liz and James entered the common room together talking and laughing, attracting the attention of quite a few curious Gryffindor's.
"So we're meeting again on Monday night to finish up." James asked Liz as they stood just inside the portrait hole.
"Defiantly. Thanks for everything James." She smiled up at him.
"No problems sweetie." He smiled back comfortingly, leaning forwards to give her a quick squeeze before they parted ways, James towards the small alcove where the other Marauders sat planning a prank and Liz towards Katy and Lily who were sitting by the fire.
"Where have you been?" Katy demanded as Liz fell backwards onto the couch next to Lily.
"Doing my Herbology assignment with James, like I told you I would be yesterday evening, and this morning and at lunch and before I left." Liz told her friend patiently
"Why weren't you at dinner." She asked again, not satisfied with her friends answers.
"We got caught up in the project and when we realised what time it was dinner was almost finished." She sighed
"And that was half an hour ago." Katy pointed out.
"I know, James took me to the kitchen because he felt guilty, we ate then returned to the common room." Liz stretched the truth, hoping her friend would stop with the questioning.
"And why did he hug you?" She asked, her voice betraying the fact she had run out of questions and was grasping at straws."
"Because we are having a secret affair." Liz cried, attracting a few curious glances. "What do you think?" She lowered her voice slightly "It was a friendly farewell, he does it to Keira all the time."
"Well okay I suppose," Katy sighed "Sorry about prying." She told her friend gently,
"Don't worry about it." Liz threw her arm over Katy's shoulder "I know how you get about these things and I know your working on it."
The group was quiet for a moment and Liz glanced at Lily, wondering why she hadn't said anything yet. Being quiet was defiantly not a good sign with Lily.
"How was your day Lily?" Liz asked her friend cheerfully
"Not a good idea." Katy whispered to her friend, before she dashed off towards their dorm shooting a sympathetic look over her shoulder.
"HOW WAS MY DAY?" Lily suddenly shrieked, startling Liz. "HOW WAS MY DAY? WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW? YOU WERE TO BUSY RUNNING AROUND THE SCHOOL WITH JAMES EFFING POTTER TO CARE."
"Lily. What the hell?" Liz asked her friend calmly but firmly.
"DON'T WHAT THE HELL ME ELIZABETH YOUNG. You were running around with James Potter. Of all people James Potter"
"Lily…" Liz said again, noticing all the eyes in the common room where now focused on the two of them.
"Don't Lily me. He is the enemy here. JAMES POTTER IS THE ENEMY." Lily shrieked.
"Lily, everyone is staring." Liz tried to keep calm. Out of the corner of her eye she saw James shrink down in his chair, trying to avoid notice. He had a peculiar expression on his face.
"I DON'T CARE."
"Lily. SHUT UP." Liz finally screamed before raining her temper in.
"I was in the Library doing my assignment with James Potter. I had to do it. It wasn't a choice" in her peripheral vision she saw a look of betrayal flash across James' face and she rushed into the rest of her argument. "But you know what I'm glad I was paired with him. It made me realise he's not half bad and half the stuff you say about him is a load of Bull." When she stopped for a breath she noticed the whole common room, including Lily and the Marauders were staring at her in shock. "If you need anything I'll be in our room." She told Lily firmly before she headed for the Girl's dorm, sending James a quick wink on her way.
"So how did that go?" Katy asked her roommate as she stomped up the stairs.
"Well better than I expected actually." Liz sighed as she jumped on her friend's bed.
"You know I'm trying to do homework here?" Katy groaned her as her bed rocked from the impact of her Liz's body.
"Yea, well duh that's all your always doing." Liz smirked "I'll stop disturbing you then, but I thought you wanted an non-lilyised version of what just happened downstairs."
"Oh, okay I'm listening now." Katy put down her book and looked at Liz expectantly.
"Well." Liz rolled onto her stomach, pretending to think about it "first she started yelling at me about how I would know how her day was if I wasn't running of with James, and I quote 'James Potter is the enemy'-"
"She didn't?" Katy breathed "Isn't that a bit far in the middle of the common room?"
"Well she did, and you should have seen James' face, he looked completely devastated." Liz sighed in sympathy for her newest friend.
"He kinda does bring it on himself, asking her out so often. It makes her think he's joking."
"But even so, everyone but her can see that he actually really likes her. I mean even Keira knows." Liz pointed out "I think it's him trying to get her to notice him."
"True, She never gave him the time of day before he started asking her out and now she talks about him all the time. Granted it's in a 'I hate James Potter' kind of way."
"Yea but, there's a fine, fine line between pleasure and pain, pleasure and pain." Liz sung
"What?" Katy asked her roommate, "Great time to burst into random song."
"It wasn't random, it was relevant." Liz defended. Katy raised her eyebrow at her "Okay, if I'd substituted the words Love and Hate then it would have been relevant."
"So you think Lily likes him as well?" Katy asked apprehensively "Because you obviously don't know her that well.
"No I'm just saying love and hate are very passionate emotions, at one point they may switch and Lily wouldn't know. But James does need to stop being such and asshole to her. And she probably needs to figure out he likes her, which again, she is so oblivious to."
"Maybe she doesn't want him to like her so she thinks he doesn't. Because that would be the easiest thing for her to do, and we all know our Lily likes to take the easy option."
"I suppose so, but I think we've digressed." Liz said
"Who says digressed anymore?" Katy wondered out loud
"I do, so learn to deal with it or you won't get the rest of the story." Liz teased
"Okay, okay I surrender." Katy laughed, putting her hands out in front of her.
"So where were we? Oh yes she ranted about how James was the enemy. Well after that I kind of screamed at her to shut up." Liz said sheepishly
"You didn't?" Katy laughed, when she saw Liz nodding she started to laugh "and your still alive. I'm impressed. So what happened after that?"
"She put me in my place." Another voice said from the door.
"Lily I'm sorry." Liz cried, flinging her body behind Katy, causing all three girls to start laughing.
"I'm the one who should be apologising. I overreacted." Lily sighed "It's not your fault you got paired with Potter for this assignment."
"Okay, can I say something without being fed to a bunch of seven year old cannibals?" Liz asked her friend hesitantly.
"Go ahead." Lily said through her laughter at the weird picture Liz had just painted.
"Well like I said earlier I like James, and I think it's a good thing I got paired with him for the assignment."
Lily opened her mouth to speak but Liz cut her off "He's not a bad person, in fact he's a good person with some bad habits. I'm not asking you to like him, or talk to him. I'm just asking you to open your mind and stop making small uncalled for remarks about him when he's not around. Defend yourself in your fights but don't start them. And remember he's a good person, sweet and funny." When Liz finished she looked hesitantly to her friend expecting her to start yelling instead she had a peculiar expression on her face, as if she was caught in the past. A few seconds later her face returned to normal.
"Ok, I guess I can give him a break. For you not for him." She grumbled.
"That's all I ask." Liz smiled.
Little did she know that Lily was thinking about that night a month ago, when James had been all the things Liz had said and more. And he hadn't harassed her once. Maybe there was some truth in what her best friend was saying.
A/N: Like I said short, pretty uneventful chapter but all stories need to set up proper character relationships. At least during Summer Holidays I WILL update this once a week I'll try for twice or even three times if I'm really inspired. I'm still looking for a BETA so if you could help that would be lovely. Finally on my Profile page there is a link to who I imagine as each character (Except Peter I can't think of a model for him) So please visit that, and if you can't access it/ be bothered if your review and ask I'll tell you.
xoxo
-Lilybet-
