Disguised as a Good Girl: Chapter 5
It was a while before James's mind could process the fact that the Marauder's prank had gone wrong once again. The reality finally hit him in the middle of his next class, Transfiguration. He was staring at the blackboard, thinking of Snape in pink, and snickering to himself, when he suddenly remembered that dressing Snape up had not been the original prank. No . . . wait, what was it? Oh . . . the Itching Potion. James could feel his blood start to boil. Who dared to interfere with the Marauders pranks?! They would suffer for that. He would make them rue the day that they had ever decided to take over his prank! There was only one drawback . . . who was it?
James nudged Sirius in the arm. "Hey, Sirius!" he whispered while McGonagall's back was turned.
"Hmm? What is it?" Sirius asked.
"Do you know who did the prank on Snape?"
Sirius looked confused. "What are you talking about, James? Don't you remember planning it? You know, the prank of the century, the creation of Lady Snapey by us, the Almighty Marauders? Don't tell me you forgot!"
"No, Sirius, we were planning on exploding Snape's Itching Potion, but we didn't add anything else to it."
Realization dawned on Sirius's face. "But then, who did it?" he said, panicking slightly. "I mean, we're the Marauders at this school! There's no way that some little upstart prankster is going to outprank us! It just can't happen! Ouch! What was that for? Err . . . I mean . . ." Sirius subsided into silence when James's poke alerted him to the deathly glares that McGonagall was shooting in his direction.
After a few minutes, James thought it was safe to reopen the conversation. McGonagall was occupied with some incompetent Hufflepuff who had just transfigured her nose into a tomato, and who was presently wailing at the top of her lungs.
"Listen, Sirius, we need to find out who it was!"
Sirius, who had been chuckling at the poor girl's mishap, immediately sobered. "I know."
"Let's call an emergency meeting of the Marauder's for next period."
"But we-"
James cut in before Sirius could finish his sentence. "Yes, I know we have class, but who cares about History of Magic anyway?"
"I suppose you're right. Besides, since when have the Marauders let a little thing like class keep them from more important matters? I'll go tell Peter; you tell Remus, okay?"
James nodded. "You don't need to tell them all about it now. Just make sure that they come to the meeting."
That was why fifteen minutes later the four Marauders were huddled outside of the Transfiguration classroom.
"So what are we doing here?" Remus asked. He had an expression of undisguised annoyance across his face at the moment; after all, James and Sirius didn't have to study for their grades, and Peter honestly didn't care, but he wanted to pass History of Magic. And skipping class wasn't going to help his grade at all.
"I'll tell you when we find a place that we can talk," James hissed.
"We can go to one of our secret passages!" Peter squeaked.
Sirius shook his head. "No, we don't need to go that far. We can just go to the Gryffindor Common Room. Nobody would be in there during class."
"Okay, let's go then," Remus said impatiently. And with that, the four boys started the walk up to Gryffindor Tower. Just outside of the portrait hole, they paused.
"Umm . . . what was that new password again?"
"It was changed?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Why don't you try 'pheonix'? That was the last one. It can't hurt."
"Okay . . . pheonix?' The Fat Lady snored gently. "She's asleep again." James leaned in near her ear. "Pheonix!"
The Fat Lady awoke with a start. "Goodness, dears, you startled me. Now go away. If you don't have the password, there's no need for you to disturb my beauty sleep."
The four sighed simultaneously. There was no way to get into the Common Room without the password.
"You guys, we could just talk here," Peter said. "No one would hear us."
"I guess you're right, Peter," Sirius said. He looked at James. "Are you going to tell them?"
"Right . . . well, you know that prank in Potions this morning? Where Snape showed us his . . . ahem! . . . feminine side?" The group chortled quietly. "You guys might have thought that Sirius and I planned that without you. But the truth is that neither of us took part in the prank. Did any of you do it?" Remus and Peter shook their heads. James sighed. "Then it seems that we have another prankster in our midst." Remus and Peter gasped in shock. "The question is, what are we going to do about it?"
All thoughts of History class forgotten, Remus spoke up. "Do you have any idea who it is?"
"Unfortunately, no."
"Maybe we should think over the most likely people in our class to be a prankster," Sirius suggested.
"That's a good idea!"
"But it could take a while."
"Well, why don't we all sit down. My legs are getting tired, and you're right, this could take quite a while."
The four boys sunk to the floor. But just as he was getting comfortable, James noticed a small lump under him. It wasn't comfortable. He stood up, and bent down to see what he had been sitting on. "A book?" he said out loud.
The others looked up at him. "What?" Sirius asked.
"Oh, nothing. I just sat on a book, that's all." James moved to place it back against the wall.
"What book was it?" Remus interrupted him.
"I don't know; it doesn't have a title."
"Here, give it to me." James handed Remus the book. He started leafing through it. "Lily's Journal," he read.
"Lily? Lily Evans? As in my girlfriend?"
Remus looked amused. "I suppose so, considering that she is the only girl named Lily in the whole school."
"I shouldn't read it. She must have dropped it on her way to the Ravenclaw common room . . . I saw her writing in it last night."
"Let me see it!" Sirius exclaimed.
Remus held out the book for Sirius to take. James grabbed it.
"James! What do you think you're doing? I was just going to look at it!"
"Sirius, what would she think? I'm sure she wouldn't want you reading her journal."
Now Sirius looked truly astonished. "Since when do you care what a girl thinks of you? Don't tell me that you actually like her!"
James blushed slightly, but quickly returned to his normal color. "I like all of my girlfriends, Sirius."
"No, I mean do you really like her? More than the other girls? It's the only time that I've seen you going out with a girl that wasn't a total airhead."
"No, I don't."
"Well then why do you care whether or not we read her diary or whatever it is?"
"Fine, I don't care. Happy? Take it." James tossed the book to Sirius and leaned against the wall casually, apparently engrossed in inspecting a small crack in the ceiling.
Sirius opened the book and started flipping pages. As he progressed through the book, his eyes grew wide, and his face paled until it looked almost transparent.
"What is it?" Remus asked. James stopped staring at the crack, and looked at Sirius, concerned.
"Do you want me to go get the nurse?" Peter asked.
Sirius shook his head violently. "No, no, don't do that!"
"Then what is it?" Remus inquired.
Sirius turned to look at James squarely in the eyes. "James, it's her. Lily is the other prankster."
Now it was James's turn to blanche. He staggered backwards and leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. "Lily . . . you can't mean Lily my girlfriend?"
"I'm afraid so, James. Here, I'll show you. Look." Sirius pointed to a certain page near the end of the book.
September 1, 1980
Original Prank: Feeding the Slytherins a Coughing Potion.
Improvements: Add in a bit of your Bunny Concoction.
James was turning a light, pasty green as he read through this exerpt. In fact, he looked as if he was going to faint any minute. Quickly, Remus conjured a large bucket of water and dumped it over James's head. James looked up at Sirius from under the bucket, streams of water pouring down his face. He looked bewildered, and rather ridiculous.
"But--I don't understand--" he stuttered weakly.
"Don't you see, James? Lily is the one that has been interfering with our pranks all along. It was her, James. Your girlfriend is a prankster at heart."
I can finally celebrate my first rather pathetic attempt at a cliffhanger! Not much, but it's a start. The next chapter will let you know exactly how James reacts to this interesting piece of news. Also, there will be more of Lily in the next part.
You can expect a thank-you list every couple of chapters from now on. To all of you reviewers out there, a big hug to all of you! This is my first story to go above 113 reviews . . . I'm still in shock. You are the reason that I wrote this chapter so quickly. If you want me to review one of your stories, just tell me so in your review, and I will.
To UnforgivenChild: I don't think that JK Rowling ever said anything about Lily having been in Gryffindor. If she did, then this is all just artistic liscence, I suppose. As for her class, go back to last chapter's A/N. I tried to explain it there. Thank you for your reviews!
Please Review!
It was a while before James's mind could process the fact that the Marauder's prank had gone wrong once again. The reality finally hit him in the middle of his next class, Transfiguration. He was staring at the blackboard, thinking of Snape in pink, and snickering to himself, when he suddenly remembered that dressing Snape up had not been the original prank. No . . . wait, what was it? Oh . . . the Itching Potion. James could feel his blood start to boil. Who dared to interfere with the Marauders pranks?! They would suffer for that. He would make them rue the day that they had ever decided to take over his prank! There was only one drawback . . . who was it?
James nudged Sirius in the arm. "Hey, Sirius!" he whispered while McGonagall's back was turned.
"Hmm? What is it?" Sirius asked.
"Do you know who did the prank on Snape?"
Sirius looked confused. "What are you talking about, James? Don't you remember planning it? You know, the prank of the century, the creation of Lady Snapey by us, the Almighty Marauders? Don't tell me you forgot!"
"No, Sirius, we were planning on exploding Snape's Itching Potion, but we didn't add anything else to it."
Realization dawned on Sirius's face. "But then, who did it?" he said, panicking slightly. "I mean, we're the Marauders at this school! There's no way that some little upstart prankster is going to outprank us! It just can't happen! Ouch! What was that for? Err . . . I mean . . ." Sirius subsided into silence when James's poke alerted him to the deathly glares that McGonagall was shooting in his direction.
After a few minutes, James thought it was safe to reopen the conversation. McGonagall was occupied with some incompetent Hufflepuff who had just transfigured her nose into a tomato, and who was presently wailing at the top of her lungs.
"Listen, Sirius, we need to find out who it was!"
Sirius, who had been chuckling at the poor girl's mishap, immediately sobered. "I know."
"Let's call an emergency meeting of the Marauder's for next period."
"But we-"
James cut in before Sirius could finish his sentence. "Yes, I know we have class, but who cares about History of Magic anyway?"
"I suppose you're right. Besides, since when have the Marauders let a little thing like class keep them from more important matters? I'll go tell Peter; you tell Remus, okay?"
James nodded. "You don't need to tell them all about it now. Just make sure that they come to the meeting."
That was why fifteen minutes later the four Marauders were huddled outside of the Transfiguration classroom.
"So what are we doing here?" Remus asked. He had an expression of undisguised annoyance across his face at the moment; after all, James and Sirius didn't have to study for their grades, and Peter honestly didn't care, but he wanted to pass History of Magic. And skipping class wasn't going to help his grade at all.
"I'll tell you when we find a place that we can talk," James hissed.
"We can go to one of our secret passages!" Peter squeaked.
Sirius shook his head. "No, we don't need to go that far. We can just go to the Gryffindor Common Room. Nobody would be in there during class."
"Okay, let's go then," Remus said impatiently. And with that, the four boys started the walk up to Gryffindor Tower. Just outside of the portrait hole, they paused.
"Umm . . . what was that new password again?"
"It was changed?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Why don't you try 'pheonix'? That was the last one. It can't hurt."
"Okay . . . pheonix?' The Fat Lady snored gently. "She's asleep again." James leaned in near her ear. "Pheonix!"
The Fat Lady awoke with a start. "Goodness, dears, you startled me. Now go away. If you don't have the password, there's no need for you to disturb my beauty sleep."
The four sighed simultaneously. There was no way to get into the Common Room without the password.
"You guys, we could just talk here," Peter said. "No one would hear us."
"I guess you're right, Peter," Sirius said. He looked at James. "Are you going to tell them?"
"Right . . . well, you know that prank in Potions this morning? Where Snape showed us his . . . ahem! . . . feminine side?" The group chortled quietly. "You guys might have thought that Sirius and I planned that without you. But the truth is that neither of us took part in the prank. Did any of you do it?" Remus and Peter shook their heads. James sighed. "Then it seems that we have another prankster in our midst." Remus and Peter gasped in shock. "The question is, what are we going to do about it?"
All thoughts of History class forgotten, Remus spoke up. "Do you have any idea who it is?"
"Unfortunately, no."
"Maybe we should think over the most likely people in our class to be a prankster," Sirius suggested.
"That's a good idea!"
"But it could take a while."
"Well, why don't we all sit down. My legs are getting tired, and you're right, this could take quite a while."
The four boys sunk to the floor. But just as he was getting comfortable, James noticed a small lump under him. It wasn't comfortable. He stood up, and bent down to see what he had been sitting on. "A book?" he said out loud.
The others looked up at him. "What?" Sirius asked.
"Oh, nothing. I just sat on a book, that's all." James moved to place it back against the wall.
"What book was it?" Remus interrupted him.
"I don't know; it doesn't have a title."
"Here, give it to me." James handed Remus the book. He started leafing through it. "Lily's Journal," he read.
"Lily? Lily Evans? As in my girlfriend?"
Remus looked amused. "I suppose so, considering that she is the only girl named Lily in the whole school."
"I shouldn't read it. She must have dropped it on her way to the Ravenclaw common room . . . I saw her writing in it last night."
"Let me see it!" Sirius exclaimed.
Remus held out the book for Sirius to take. James grabbed it.
"James! What do you think you're doing? I was just going to look at it!"
"Sirius, what would she think? I'm sure she wouldn't want you reading her journal."
Now Sirius looked truly astonished. "Since when do you care what a girl thinks of you? Don't tell me that you actually like her!"
James blushed slightly, but quickly returned to his normal color. "I like all of my girlfriends, Sirius."
"No, I mean do you really like her? More than the other girls? It's the only time that I've seen you going out with a girl that wasn't a total airhead."
"No, I don't."
"Well then why do you care whether or not we read her diary or whatever it is?"
"Fine, I don't care. Happy? Take it." James tossed the book to Sirius and leaned against the wall casually, apparently engrossed in inspecting a small crack in the ceiling.
Sirius opened the book and started flipping pages. As he progressed through the book, his eyes grew wide, and his face paled until it looked almost transparent.
"What is it?" Remus asked. James stopped staring at the crack, and looked at Sirius, concerned.
"Do you want me to go get the nurse?" Peter asked.
Sirius shook his head violently. "No, no, don't do that!"
"Then what is it?" Remus inquired.
Sirius turned to look at James squarely in the eyes. "James, it's her. Lily is the other prankster."
Now it was James's turn to blanche. He staggered backwards and leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. "Lily . . . you can't mean Lily my girlfriend?"
"I'm afraid so, James. Here, I'll show you. Look." Sirius pointed to a certain page near the end of the book.
September 1, 1980
Original Prank: Feeding the Slytherins a Coughing Potion.
Improvements: Add in a bit of your Bunny Concoction.
James was turning a light, pasty green as he read through this exerpt. In fact, he looked as if he was going to faint any minute. Quickly, Remus conjured a large bucket of water and dumped it over James's head. James looked up at Sirius from under the bucket, streams of water pouring down his face. He looked bewildered, and rather ridiculous.
"But--I don't understand--" he stuttered weakly.
"Don't you see, James? Lily is the one that has been interfering with our pranks all along. It was her, James. Your girlfriend is a prankster at heart."
I can finally celebrate my first rather pathetic attempt at a cliffhanger! Not much, but it's a start. The next chapter will let you know exactly how James reacts to this interesting piece of news. Also, there will be more of Lily in the next part.
You can expect a thank-you list every couple of chapters from now on. To all of you reviewers out there, a big hug to all of you! This is my first story to go above 113 reviews . . . I'm still in shock. You are the reason that I wrote this chapter so quickly. If you want me to review one of your stories, just tell me so in your review, and I will.
To UnforgivenChild: I don't think that JK Rowling ever said anything about Lily having been in Gryffindor. If she did, then this is all just artistic liscence, I suppose. As for her class, go back to last chapter's A/N. I tried to explain it there. Thank you for your reviews!
Please Review!