Story Title/Link: Hedge your bets!
School and Theme: Mahoutokoro/Competition
Mandatory Prompt: [Dialogue] "This is going to sound controversial, but I think that went well."
Additional Prompt(s): [Word] Worse
Special Rule: Incorporate a rare pairing into the story- [Platonic or Romantic Pairing] Arthur Weasley/Narcissa Malfoy(romantic)
Year: 4
Word count: 1891
Special note: AU-ish, Arthur is not with Molly Weasley like in canon and Hogwarts era. In the case the judge reading this is European, glamor/glamour are the same word. I am American, we do not use the letter U in words like color, favor or glamor.

Lily Evans was slack-jawed as she stared at her long time friend with an expression that could only be a mix of amused horror, incredulity and exasperation. "Can you repeat that for me, Marlene? I don't think I heard you right. I can't have heard you right because it almost sounded like you said you were going to seduce the Slytherin Seeker to put him off his game. Tell me that I heard something different. Please tell me I heard something entirely reasonable and different than what I thought I did," she begged in a near pleading tone. It was too early for insanity to be striking her down.

"What? It's not a bad idea, Lils. We both know that even though he's a Pureblood bigot, he has the hots for me because I'm the smoke that wafts off the Incendio lit fire. It's not like I'm actually going to do anything with him. What do I look like, his Pureblood first cousin or sister?" Marlene asked while rolling her eyes. "Puh-lease Lils. Plus, I'm dating Sirius remember? Listening to him whine about the stupid cup is driving me absolutely, positively spare. I swear Lils, if I didn't love that man, I'd strangle him unconscious with his own Quidditch jock strap just to shut him up about that dumb game."

Lily considered for a moment that perhaps she needed to check Marlene into the hospital wing for a mental evaluation. "Marlene, I really don't think you're hearing yourself right now. Jordan Nightshade is, like, four generations inbred and a misogynistic bastard with the basilisk amongst a den of garden snakes. The only way you could even begin to seduce him was if you flashed him, and I highly doubt that Sirius would be pleased with you in the aftermath of this harebrained scheme of yours," she said slowly.

Marlene said nothing, her head tilting with a look of feigned innocence.

"Marlene, don't tell me that he actually approves of this idea of yours."

"Nope," Marlene said, the 'p' coming out with a pop. "He suggested it. Sort of. I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but the suggestion did escape his lips. Your boyfriend was in agreement and even gave his own two knuts about how I could seduce the blighter."

Lily stomped off with gritted teeth to go pound some sense into James and Sirius for masterminding this idiocy. Intentional or not, the chaos those two caused had far too much collateral damage for her liking. "You stay there until I get back. Those idiots are going to get a piece of my mind if it's the last thing I do!" she yelled over her shoulder.

Down in the common room a single young man with red hair and green eyes peered over the edge of his book when he heard the frustrated cursing of Gryffindor's own resident firecracker Lily Evans. He faintly made out snippets of her cursing her boyfriend and his friend for 'convincing her friend to flash the idiot Slytherin'. Ah, so the Marauders were up to something. Now if only this was the mutterings of a frustrated girlfriend and not truth, his bet was in the bag.

Abandoning the thought for now, he returned his gaze to the text in his hands. Being prepared for the exam Professor Slughorn was ensured to more immediately make his future easier than trying to anticipate the action of a bunch of pranksters like James Potter and his friends.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this... There is no way in Merlin's baggy y-fronts that should have worked, the idiot only passed by the stand twice during the chase for the snitch!"

Marlene had a rather pleased look on her face as she looked to her best friend. "And you thought I was actually going to do something," she crowed, humor coloring her voice. "Say it, Lils."

"Say what?" a pair of male voices asked, nearing the girls.

Lily and Marlene turned their heads to see James and Sirius approaching them, James wiping sweat from his brow from the fierce final match of the season.

"This is going to sound controversial, but I think that went well," Lily said with a sigh. "I thought you were bloody mad for telling your girlfriend to seduce the Slytherin blighter, and I'm still mad at you for giving Marlene tips for how to flash her breasts without getting caught," her eyes were hard emerald gems glaring at James as she crossed her arms over her chest, "but it damn well worked. Don't get me wrong, it could have bloody well gone a lot worse like snapping his neck on impact rather than just breaking a leg."

"It was a very clever glamor charm actually. The only person who gets to see these puppies outside of my top i-"

"And I am killing this train of conversation before it goes any further. I am your friend, not your sex journal, Marlene," Lily said, slapping her hand over her best friend's mouth only to tear her hand back after a moment with an undignified yelp escaping her lips. "Did you seriously just lick my hand?! Sirius, contain your girlfriend!"

James was doing his best to not laugh as Sirius and Marlene were bursting out in laughter as Lily fumed at them. "Lily Flower, let it go. You know getting mad only encourages them," he said as he managed to contain his laughter but failed to contain the amused smirk that broke out on his lips. "Come on, let's go celebrate in the common room. This victory means the Quidditch cup is ours in a last hurrah before the real world is thrust upon our shoulders. Have a little fun, why don't you? I snuck in the good firewhiskey from my dad's stash so the last party will be a bang." He slung an arm around Lily's shoulders before pulling her into his side.

Lily's nose wrinkled as she pushed James away. "You really need a shower first," she said, shooting him a look. "On top of that, you're going to brazenly tell me you snuck in high proof alcohol? I am Head Girl, James. Do you really think that I will let that slide without action?" she asked dubiously.

"Oh come on Lily Flower, it's the last shebang we got in this place. Final exams are coming up and Gryffindor has five hundred points over the other Houses which means we are a shoe in to win the House Cup in addition to the Quidditch cup, live a little! Don't be like Petunia, that hag wouldn't know the meaning of fun if it came up and smacked her on her-"

Lily shot a withering look at James to shut him up. It worked spectacularly. "She might be a rotting cow with the personality of a melting plastic teaspoon but she is still my sister and you will not speak down your nose at her. That is my job and my job alone," she said in a crisp tone. "Secondly, there is fun to be had without the aid of alcohol to impair the senses. Do you remember Jolene McDuffy and what happened to her? Ring any bells James, dear?" she asked, tapping her foot.

"You can hardly blame anyone but her for that, everyone knows the Duffers are lightweights. No one made her drink after that den of badgers got overly excited at beating an injured Ravenclaw team, not like it was a fair win anyway. Their main Beaters with any modicum of skill were on the injured list and their backups were absolutely atrocious at doing their part. I mean, how hard is it to hit a bloody bludger at the Seeker. Look at Fabian and Gideon for Merlin's sake" James said defensively.

From a nearby alcove, a pair of students watched the bickering with amusement etched on their faces. Well, the female part of the pair looked amused if the sparkling blue eyes were anything to go by. "I told you that those Gryffindor nuisances your House is infested with would do something stupid, Arthur dear. Now pay up," she said as she extended her hand out, golden blonde hair dancing around her shoulders as her head tilted the most minute degree to the right.

"I swear if you weren't my betrothed, Narcissa..." A red-haired young man, the one called Arthur, rolled his eyes as he dumped five Galleons in her hand.

"You would what, Arthur?" Narcissa asked as her fingers closed around the golden coins and pocketed them. "I'd love to know." Her tone was coy as she began to walk away, her gaze cast over her shoulder.

"That's to be saved for the wedding night, Ms. Black," Arthur said as he followed after her. "No, I had something vastly different in mind. Something more of a golden opportunity if you would."

"Mr. Weasley, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were sounding more and more like a proper Pureblood. Have you been spying on Proper Etiquette lessons again?" Narcissa asked, sounding more than a touch amused. "My Father would be most pleased. His reservations regarding the contract were founded in your forefathers lack of adherence. A right shame considering the source of the wealth House Weasley possesses."

"Ah, but I am not my grandfather nor am I my father. Grandfather was a fool sitting on the contract so long without acting on it and my father, to be polite, cannot see the Bowtruckle from the stems on the Devil's Snare. No, Ms. Black, this golden opportunity has strings attached to it. All good things do and this one is rather simple," Arthur said with an impish look overtaking his eyes.

"And what strings would this golden opportunity of yours entail? Dangling such an intriguing proposition in front of me and failing to elucidate is quite mean-spirited of you, Arthur. Quite a departure from your usual standing. I'm starting to believe you are far more Slytherin than you let on to anyone, I like it." Narcissa's lips took up a quasi-coquettish grin as she turned to completely face Arthur and stopped.

"Nothing too out of your wheelhouse." Arthur raised a hand to Narcissa's face and tipped his fingers under her chin so that their eyes met. "Double or nothing," he said with a challenging tone of voice.

"On what? You haven't named the opportunity to me," Narcissa said as her eyebrow arched at Arthur.

"Gryffindor winning the House Cup as well."

Narcissa scoffed at the notion. "Everyone knows Dumbledore favors you lions and not so subtly despises us snakes, what with the overly extravagant end-of-year point donations for the mundane of little things. Two hundred and fifty points alone were given at the end of last year due to James Potter breaking the Chaser record of scored points for any house team, one point more than what was needed to tie Slytherin for the House Cup. It would be a fool's bet," she said.

"Fair enough. Though it would be quite sad, a proud daughter of House Black admitting defeat without trying to prove me wrong. Imagine it, the shame your parents and sisters would feel. But if you wish to not take i-"

"You're on!" Narcissa declared with the amusement in her eyes turning to determination.