TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE

"And Ravenclaw has possession of the ball once more; the score is 30-70 to Ravencla-Bloody Hell! Another foolish mistake made by Rose Weasley, allowing the Claws yet another goal. The game stands 30-80 to Ravenclaw. My hopes and dreams have plummeted, just like Gryffindor's chance at the cup."

James screams echoed throughout the dormitory, waking Fred, Leo, and Archie. He sat up, on the verge of tears. He took multiple deep breaths, clearing his head and remembering that it was just a dream. He had never lost a Quidditch game since he became captain. He would be fine. The game would be fine.

"Dammit, James! Why in the name of Merlin's underpants do you have to have your bloody pre-game nightmares!? It is bloody 4 am, I am tired, and there is no one I hate more than you!" Leo threw his pillow at James' face, and brusquely covered his face in his blanket once more.

James stifled a laugh; Leo always became extremely aggressive when tired. James couldn't blame him, however. He would have acted the same way. That was exactly why they were friends.

Fred exchanged a glance with Archie, who shrugged and cuddled up next to his pillow. Fred was about to do the same when James motioned him forward. Fred knew what James wanted before he spoke the words.

"What do you say we sneak into the kitchens, grab some food, and disturb the ungodly peace that surrounds us?"

Fred grinned. "I thought you'd never ask"

XX

"JAMES! I HATE YOU, YOU…YOU…"

James laughed, directing his words to the top of the staircase. "Me what, Rose? Remember this next time you want to show up late to practice!" He turned and hi-fived Fred, who sat on the floor munching on a treacle tart. They guffawed as they heard the yelp of frustration coming from the girl's dormitories. By now, most of Gryffindor Tower was awake, and they had trailed down the stairs to see what James had done this morning. The answer came in Rose Weasley, who stomped down sporting bright pink skin that clashed horridly with her hair.

"Don't worry Rosie Posie! It'll wear out in a day…or two…" Fred smiled kindly at her, only seeing the amusement in the situation.

"Yeah Rose, at least now you actually look like your namesake."

Rose took a deep breath, the calm before the storm. In a second, her wand was pointed directly at James, and her shout of 'Levicorpus' had him hanging from his ankles. Those watching snickered, while Fred hid behind the nearest couch. Rose threw him a sickly sweet smile.

"Now Fred, if you want James here to be set free, you know exactly what you have to do."

Fred gulped, but did nothing.

"Don't give in, Fred! Don't do it! We never end a confrontation unless it's on our terms!" James yelled frantically, searching for a solution. He glanced around, and began to smirk. He knew exactly how to get out of this one.

"Rose, even if Fred wanted to, he can't help you. Only I know how to get you back to normal." James smiled reassuringly at Rose, but there was a glint in his eyes she didn't quite like.

Rose narrowed her eyes, and spoke through her teeth. "How do I know you aren't lying to me?"

James snickered. "Well that's a chance you'll just have to take, darling cousin. I won't disappoint you, I promise."

Rose looked at Fred who smiled unsurely back. He seemed rather confused about what was going on as well, and that perturbed Rose. Something was telling her that James was lying, but she didn't know what else to do. She took a few seconds to contemplate her next move, and there laid her error. In that time, James gave the signal to Fred, who quickly disarmed Rose. He then released James, who caught Rose's wand. They both ran towards the portrait hole, but before he escaped James turned back to yell,

"Don't worry, cuzzo, it'll wear off soon! And if not, I'll give you this tip; Scorpius knows how to fix this little trick as well! Love ya!" He tossed Rose her wand back, and then he was gone. Rose stood in the middle of the common room, fuming. There was no time to try to fix this mess herself; class started in 30 minutes.

She gulped, and climbed back up the stairs towards the dormitory to change. There were only a few Gryffindors left, and they had thankfully stopped staring at her. She braced herself for class, however, since she knew she was likely to meet more stares there. Her roommates glanced at her, and Teresa shot her a small smile, trying to sympathize. Rose smiled back stiffly, and dressed quickly. None of the girls had ever dealt with James' antics firsthand, but they had always been there to witness the havoc he caused to others. His favorite targets were Lily and Rose, followed closely by Albus. They assumed that was how he relieved stress, due to his excellent grades and Quidditch reputation. He had to let it out somehow.

Many times they let James be, at least Albus and Rose did. Often his pranks were funny anyway, so it was hard to stay angry. Lily on the other hand, never took being James' punching bag quite as well. They would begin screaming matches that lasted an eternity, and almost always ended with Lily in tears. James loved to poke the bear, however, so he would be back at it within hours of their quarrel. Right now, Rose sided with Lily more than ever. She had finally had enough, and wanted a taste of revenge.

Really, it was only a matter of time. Just this week alone James had set her hair on fire, filled her shoes with never ending water, and magically stuck a whoopee cushion to her backside. All this because Rose arrived a few minutes late to practice two weeks ago. She had to beg all day for James to remove the stupid whoopee cushion, and even then he waited until the end of the day to do it.

Throughout the entire day, Rose plotted how to get back at James. She hardly cared about the stares, really, but she wanted to prove to James that enough was enough. She wasn't the twelve year old girl that allowed him to do as he pleased with her anymore. That was why as soon as the bell rang after her last class, she rushed to the one person she knew would help her.

Lily was sitting beneath the tree next to the great lake when a vibrant pink blob approached her. She turned to Scorpius, who was beside her along with Albus, and raised one eyebrow. He looked at the looming figure, and snorted. James had put their little experiment to work, hadn't he?

"Hullo Lily," Rose practically growled; her anger had been brewing since early morning. "I need your help."

Lily sat up straight, brushing grass off her shirt. "Of course! I suspect James has something to do with this," she waved her finger around in Rose's general direction, "And you know I never back down when it comes to him."

"Finally had enough, huh?" Scorpius smirked, looking Rose up and down. She glared darkly back, remembering all too clearly his laughter when she fell. It did not brighten her mood.

"Yes, I certainly have. I'd watch out if I were you, Malfoy; I know all about the part you played in this." She eyed him venomously, but he just laughed.

Albus rolled his eyes; Rose wasn't intimidating. Anyone with eyes could tell you that. "What do you want to do, anyway? You know he won't leave you alone, no matter what plan you've dreamed up." He said.

Rose sat down in front of them, a determined glare in her eyes. "First, I want Malfoy here to turn me back to normal-James told me he could. Second, I want to make James pay. I-"

Scorpius snorted. "Who says I'll help you, Weasley?" He emphasized her surname; Up until today, she had always addressed him as Scorpius. He thought they were above the stupid family name drama.

He was satisfied to see a blush creep up her face as she spoke again. "Because, I'll make it up to you. I'll…I'll…I'll tutor you in Transfiguration!" Scorpius shook his head.

"No can do. James takes care of that." He grinned at her. James' helped him in Transfiguration, he helped James in Potions. That's how they started to work on the potion that changed Rose's skin in the first place. James had been slipping it into her pumpkin juice for days.

"Then I'll chaperone the Halloween Ball!"

"Nah, I already got McLaggen to do that for me."

"Pay for your ticket to the Halloween Ball!"

"Rose, we're prefects; we get in for free."

"Oh yeah…Then I'll take over your prefect duties for a month!"

"Tempting…but no."

Lily smacked Scorpius' shoulder. "Merlin's underpants! Just change her back!"

"OW! Alright Lily pad, I'll do it for you." Scorpius ruffled Lily's hair, and rummaged inside his satchel. Albus snorted; Lily could always get Scorpius to do what she wanted.

He faked a cough that sounded suspiciously like "whipped." There was a tinge of pink on Scorpius' neck as he turned back with a vial of violently purple liquid. Lily shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Scorpius' eye.

"Here," he said." This should get you back to your usual, pale self."

Rose glared at him, but drank the entire potion. "This actually tastes…good. Like grapes." She handed the empty bottle back to Scorpius, who tucked it into his pocket.

Within seconds, the pink tint disappeared from Rose's fingertips. It receded up her arms and neck until there was only a hint of pink on her nose. That too vanished moments after. Rose sighed happily.

Albus pouted slightly. "You know Rose, you looked better as a pygmy puff."

Rose slapped him over the head as Lily and Scorpius burst into laughter.

XX

"So, what are we going to do about James?" Lily asked in a bored voice, lying upside down on Rose's bed. Rose busied herself cleaning the dorm, her hair slipping out of her messy braid.

"I dunno; I thought you were the mastermind when it came to this kind of stuff."

Lily rolled over on the bed. "Well yeah, but this was your idea to begin with."

Rose sat down next to her, plucking her hair out of her face. "I know, but I suck at being…vengeful."

Lily laughed. "Really, Rose? Don't pull that crap with me. You're the girl who made wasps follow Velma Willow in 3rd year simply because she called Hugo a 'stupid git.' And no one ever found out it was you."

Rose smiled at the memory. There had been nothing more satisfying then hearing little Velma's constant whimpers through the halls. That was years ago, and not only that, she just wasn't the same girl anymore. She was completely and totally disciplined.

Sort of.

"Lils, I just don't have it in me anymore. Can't you think up something?" Rose did her best puppy eyes. Lily squished Rose's face with the palm of her hand, pushing her away as she laughed.

"Rosie, you know perfectly well that all my efforts against James have been unsuccessful. He's a 7th year and in all this time I've never been able to get him! What makes you think that's changed?" There was a note of bitterness in Lily's voice.

Rose smiled at her wickedly. "Well, this time you've got me. And, I bet you could ask Scorpius to help too. You'd have a man on the inside. Something tells me there's nothing Scorpius would deny you, Lily pad." Rose burst into a fit of giggles.

Lily groaned. She had been trying to avoid the topic of Scorpius. She suspected he had some minor feelings for her, ever since she caught him and Al having a serious talk concerning her. It had been over the summer, after the family gathering. Scorpius had been worried that what Ron said could have affected the way Lily saw him. That was, of course, complete rubbish. Everyone in the Potter household had come to terms with Scorpius' past. They knew he was not at fault.

"Dude, chill. No one here cares about what Uncle Ron said! He's always putting his foot in his mouth, just forget it." Al told Scorpius earnestly. Lily was behind the door, about to enter the kitchen and reassure Scorpius herself, when she heard her name.

"But what about Lily!" Scorpius' replied. His voice made Lily uneasy.

Albus had turned sharply to look at him. "What about her? She's my sister, Scorp. She won't care either." His voice was careful and guarded. He sounded remarkably like Harry when he spoke that way.

"I…I know. I know. I'm just being silly." Scorpius looked down at his hands as he spoke.

Albus stood facing Scorpius. "Listen, Scorp. I don't know what your newfound concern with Lily is about, but I do know this; she's my sister. You're my friend. And as my friend it would do you well not to mess with my sister. But hey, if she agrees with whatever you want to have with her, there's nothing I can do. As far as I know, she isn't interested, though. Just keep that in mind."

Albus turned and walked out the kitchen. He bumped straight into Lily. She murmured a quick 'thanks' and walked away briskly.

Since then Lily had been a bit apprehensive when it came to Scorpius. She saw him as an older brother; it was weird to ever think of him as anything more. He clearly didn't feel the same way.

"Hello, Lily? Sorry about what I said about Scorpius. I didn't know it bugged you that much…"

Lily shook her head. "No, no, don't worry. He'll get over it." Or at least she hoped he would. That's when she had an idea.

"I gotta go! We'll talk about this later, Rose. I'll ask Scorp, too! Bye!" With that Lily rushed out of the room, leaving a perplexed Rose behind. She headed straight to the Slytherin dungeons. Lily silently thanked Scorpius for telling her the password to the Slytherin Common room earlier as she stepped up to the portrait.

"Severus Snape" she said, and walked in. Scorpius was sitting down next to the window, laughing with Benedict Nott and Penelope Parkinson. He looked up as she walked in, and she smiled and headed toward him. His eyebrows scrunched up,

"Hey Lily…what are you doing here?" He asked quizzically.

"I'm looking for Dom. Have you seen her?"

"Yeah, she just went up to her dormitory. You know where it is, right?" Scorpius replied, looking slightly disappointed.

"Yup. Thanks Scorp! I need to talk to you about something, too, but later…bye!" Lily waved goodbye to Scorpius, and climbed up the stairs to the 6th year Slytherin girl dormitories. She found Dom lying next to a pile of Witch Weekly.

"Lily!" she squealed, happy to see her favorite cousin. Lily returned Dom's hug. "What's up?"

Lily took a deep breath. "I need your help. I have a plan, but it's a bit…devious? And highly immoral, if I'm being honest. It involves trickery, lies, and a lot of sneaking around."

Dom looked intrigued. "Is this about your Slithering Romeo?" Dom had taken to calling Scorpius that since she found out about his crush on Lily.

"Yes. I think we should set him and Rose up." Lily rushed the last bit. Dom burst out laughing.

"Really? You want Rose Weasley daughter of Ron Weasley to date Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco Malfoy? They hate each other! And I doubt Rose and Scorpius like each other much, either" Dom added skeptically.

Lily rolled her eyes. "This is where you come in, duh. I know you can get them together; you've worked with impossible couples before. They don't have to like each other now, anyway. They'll just have to fall in love later. Think about it! I get Scorpius off my back, Rose gets a boyfriend, and James gets what he deserves!"

"Hold up, how does James fit into all this?" Dom was beginning to worry about Lily's mental health.

Lily looked at her impatiently. "Well, Rose wants revenge for James' prank this morning (he turned her skin pink) and she suggested we ask Scorpius for help. While they plan how to get back at James, we make sure they fall in love. BAM! It's foolproof, Dom! Absolutely foolproof!"

Lily had gained the gleam in her eye that let everyone else know she was not backing down. It was too late to change her mind. She was breathing hard, her face had a severe blush, and her grin had become a bit scary. Dominique was left with no choice but to agree. Lily squealed in delight.

"Great! I'll go ask the others! We're gonna need everyone's involvement if this is going to work. I'm so excited! OH! Dammit, I have to make sure Scorpius will help Rose with her revenge against James… See you later, lovely girl!" She kissed Dom on the cheek and skipped out of the dorm and down the stairs. Luckily, Scorpius was still where she had seen him last.

"Scorp, I need you to do me a favor."

XX

Chapter two is now complete! Please review or favorite the story (or both) it will be greatly appreciated. I'm almost as excited as Lily about watching her plan unfold. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.