A/N: I'm terribly sorry it's been so long, but the college applications are done!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing, and therefore, also sadly, I am more than slightly broke.

Chapter 4: Evans

December 1970

Prongs

"Excuse me, you're in my way."

I turned to look into a pair of the brightest green eyes I had ever seen. I stared at this orange-haired girl. Odd, I thought, that the first girl who didn't seem to be impressed my looks or talent would be rather unattractive.

"Sorry?" I ran a hand through my hair.

She raised her eyebrows. "You're in my way."

"Just hexing some first years," I grinned, regaining my normal million-watt smile. "Carry on." I stepped out of her way, but she didn't move.

"Hexing first years? Can I ask why?"

"Because I want to." I flashed my most heart-melting smirk.

"You do realize you're a prat, right?"

A prat? No one had ever called me a prat before.

"Not really." I messed up my hair again and the girl hit me with the leg-locker curse. "Hey!" I yelped. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because I wanted to," she retorted, striding past me before I could notice her witty sarcasm.

"Oy, Prongs – what was that?" Sirius called from the opposite end of the hallway with Remus and Peter right behind him. They got over to me, Remus performed the leg-locker counter-curse and we trudged up the staircase to Muggle Studies.

"Some girl just called me a prat!" I exclaimed.

"A girl?" Peter asked.

"No, a whale," I replied.

"Hogwarts has whales? Where? Aren't they dangerous? How do they fit through the door?" Peter asked, his eyes wide. Sirius snorted and Remus elbowed him in the stomach.

"I'm kidding, Peter. Yes, a girl. She's in our year and house and we have classes with her, I think, but I don't know her name."

"I saw her," Sirius said. "Lily Evans, 5th year Gryffindor, muggleborn, orange hair, green eyes, smart and fairly talented, not pretty or popular – she's kind of unnoticed, obviously, best class is Charms, when she gets out of school she wants to be a curse breaker at the Ministry of Magic, she's also good at Potions and Slughorn loves her, she's a member of the Slug Club – you should know her, Prongs – pet peeves are arrogant people, weak handshakes, and people who blame their bad mood on PMS, best friends with Mundungus Fletcher and Pearl Scout in Ravenclaw; she's Gryffindor prefect – you should know her too, Moony, and she has a hell of a temper."

Remus, Peter and I stared at Sirius.

"Why is it," said Remus, "that you know everything about a random girl in the hall when you failed your History of Magic final last year because you couldn't remember the names of any of the goblins?"

"It's called selective memory, mate."

Peter unsuccessfully tried to hold back a most unflattering snort.

"I dare you to date her."

"Who?"

"Evans. I dare you to date Lily Evans."

"What?"

"You're always bragging about how you've never turned down a dare," Sirius smirked. "I dare you to date her. Ask her out. No girl can refuse a Marauder. Then make her life miserable. Make her wish she'd never laid eyes on you. Make her wish she'd never been born. Make her see that nobody hexes a Marauder without paying for it."

I sat straight up on the bed. Maybe Sirius was right. It was payback time. I grinned. I'd teach her. I would teach this Eva or Elena or whatever her name was – I would make this girl see that nobody hexed James Potter.

"It won't work," Remus said.

"Shut up, Moony," said Sirius. "'Course it will."

"Who says she'll want date you? Sirius said she has a hell of a temper."

I looked at Remus like he was insane. "Of course she'll want to date me. Everyone wants to date me."

"Humble much?" Remus muttered.

I shot him a glare.

"Time to break out the old Potter Charm, my friend," Sirius said, slamming me on the back and bringing me to my knees.

"Oi, Evans." She didn't turn around. That was her name, right? "Oi, Evans!" I yelled a little louder. Maybe she hadn't heard me? "OI, EVANS!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The entire student body turned to stare at me.

"What do you want, Potter?" Her voice was half amused at my outburst.

I inwardly grinned. She knew my name. But of course she knew my name. I was the Minister of Magic's son, and Marauder extraordinaire. Hell, even the Daily Prophet knew my name. "How've you been?" I asked her.

"Not too horribly." Her tone was civil and I smirked. She wouldn't be able refuse me.

"What are you doing for Christmas this year?" I asked her, trying to be conversational.

"I'm Jewish."

"Oh." Come on, Potter, I told myself. Keep smiling, don't loose the charm – she can't refuse you. "Hanukah then?"

"Is there something you want, Potter?"

"Yeah, actually there is." I ran a hand through my hair and those shockingly green eyes narrowed. "Do you want to go out with me?" I asked her casually.

"What?" She looked frightened at the prospect and I frowned a bit. "You want me to go out with you?"

"Well, yeah, that was the idea." I deepened my voice. Much more masculine and appealing, right?

"But – I hexed you."

"I'll forgive you. So, will you? Go out with me?"

"Sorry, Potter. I'll let you know when I'm desperate."

She was already out of my sight before I realized what had happed (she'd been doing that a lot lately, hadn't she? I noticed).

A girl had refused to go out with me. No girl had ever refused me before. But she had. This Evans girl had refused me. A girl who wasn't even popular had refused me. In front of an entire student body, who currently happened to be staring after her, dumb struck. As much as I hated it, I respected her for it. She wouldn't date just any old bloke who happened to march her way. I made a vow then and there that I would do whatever it took to be more than any old bloke who happened to march in Evans's direction. I wasn't even thinking about the dare. Evans was my challenge and I happened to love a challenge.

"How'd it go?" Sirius asked me once I was back in the dorm room. Noticing my overcast look he added, "Not too well, eh?"

I glared at him.

"Ooh, was Mr. Prongs finally turned down by a girl?"

"Sod off."

"No need to get all huffy with me." He looked slightly put out. "It's not my fault Evans doesn't want to date you."

I glared again.

"You should find something out about her," Remus said, ever the practical Marauder. "Besides the fact that she doesn't want to date you, I mean." He had the nerve to smirk. The kid was as bad as Sirius. "The fact that you don't know her may be somewhat related to why she won't date you."

"She doesn't celebrate Christmas," I said dully.

"Doesn't celebrate Christmas?" Sirius yelped. "What do you mean she doesn't celebrate Christmas? How can you not celebrate Christmas?"

"She's Jewish," I explained.

"Jewish," Sirius repeated. "No presents? No Christmas puddings? No Christmas pies or pork or ham? No cranberry sauce? No Christmas pranks? No mistletoe? How does she survive?" Sirius fell back on the couch.

"I think you're being a bit melodramatic, Padfoot," Peter laughed.

"Do you even know what 'melodramatic' means, Wormtail?" Sirius asked with a smirk. Peter turned red and bit his cheek.

"Lay off him, Sirius," Remus told him.

After a pause Sirius said, "I'll add something to this dare and make it a bet."

I raised my head off my hands. "What's that?"

"If you get Evans to date you by the end of the week I'll give you 30 galleons and profess my undying love to McGonagall in front of the whole school."

Peter gasped and Remus said with a snort, "Now that is tempting."

"If Evans doesn't date you by the end of the week," Sirius continued, "you pay me 30 galleons and profess your undying love to McGonagall in front of the whole school. Deal?"

I paused. "Deal."

"So, Potter, darling, are you ready?"

"I hate you."

"You should hate Evans, not me."

"Sirius, you're drunk," Remus stated.

"I'm always drunk, love."

"Eurg," Peter said.

"You did promise, James," said Remus.

"Of course I did. Anyway, it'll get people laughing." I thought about it for a moment. "Maybe Evans will want to date me after she sees!"

"Why on earth would Evans want to go out with you after you professed your undying love to McGonagall?" Remus asked.

"Yeah," added Sirius, "maybe it's just me, but that might be kind of a turn-off. Hey, there she is! You're on! Merlin, I can't wait to watch this."

As always, I was ready for the laughs. Jumping out of my chair, I ran up to the staff table. "Professor," I said, breathlessly, "Professor, I simply must tell you something." I watched McGonagall's eyebrows raise and noticed Sirius' giddy, silent laughter out of the corner of my eye.

"Well, Potter, what is it?"

The hall was silent. I bent down on one knee.

"I love you! I'm sorry, darling, but I simply had to let you know. I couldn't have gone on if you didn't know. I might have killed myself if you didn't know that I loved you! Really, I truly, truly love you, Professor."

The hall burst into laughter. Mission: accomplished.

"That will be a detention, Potter."

"Will the detention be with you, dear Professor? If I could see your beautiful face, all the world would have a reason to exist!"

"Potter."

"Yes, my love?"

"That's enough."

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