James Potter could not stifle a snicker as he carefully set the dungbomb in Lily Evans' bed The Hadshi Family Normal The Hadshi Family 2 5 2001-11-05T01:44:00Z 2001-11-05T01:44:00Z 6 1490 8498 70 16 10436 9.2720

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James Potter could not stifle a snicker as he carefully set the dungbomb in Lily Evans' perfectly made bed.  Behind him, an equally gleeful Sirius Black nudged his back with whispers of "hurry up!" while smirking and looking around the girls' dorm with barely suppressed interest. And finally, Remus Lupin, standing guard at the portrait hole, watched anxiously everywhere at once, with worried mutters about "things blowing up in your face."  Remus had always been the worry rat of the group.

James checked the bomb one last time, making sure it would go off at 9:00 PM - Little-miss-perfect never missed her bedtime by a second – and spun around, expecting to see Sirius' happy face.

Cold green eyes met his. 

"James Potter," Lily said quietly, shaking her head. "Dear, dear James.  Do you really think me that unaware?  Don't answer that!" she added sharply, noticing his half-open mouth. " It's rather hard not to think that you're up to something when Sirius tells the whole school"- James shot Sirius a baleful look, which was studiously ignored-"or when Remus looks around as though expecting a Dementor to leap up behind him and perform the Kiss." Remus who had entered the room, blushed furiously and mumbled something, but Lily did not stop. "So.  The question now is: What shall I do with you?"

James, who had somehow ended up sitting on the bed – wasn't it amazing how women managed to look inches taller when they were angry? – cast her his most defiant glance, daring her to do her worst.  At this, she burst out laughing, and his face darkened even more.

"Aww, widdle Jamsie is a widdle scawed!" she said teasingly.

She had become totally unaware of Sirius, still behind her, and Remus, wringing his hands.  Sirius looked at James and winked, a rueful look on his face.  James wondered what he was up to, but he had no doubt it would get them into even deeper trouble than they already were. 

". . . then, after I report you to Dumbledore, I'll need to teach you a little lesson myself . . ." Lily continued in a lecturing tone, completely oblivious to the devious boy behind her.

Sirius pulled out his wand as slowly as humanly possible so he didn't make any noise to remind Lily of his being there.  He pointed it at her back and whispered, "Dishabirimius."

Lily's eyes popped open, and outrage painted her every feature.  Remus, shocked, had buried his red face in his hands and was whimpering fitfully about getting killed by a redheaded female.  Sirius had dropped to the floor and was clutching his sides, laughing uncontrollably.

James was as stunned as Lily.  She stood in front of him, clad only in her bra and underwear, with her mouth dropped open.  Come to think of it, though, James thought as he cocked his head, she didn't look half bad.  She had quite some curves, for a girl that age, and . . .

"You'll regret this, Potter.  I swear you will," Lily said in icy tones, gathering her robes in front of her.

James only grinned and hopped off the bed before she could say more.  Remus had already gone, and Sirius had somehow managed to roll down the stairs while laughing.  He could hear faint moans of pain getting louder as he neared the common room.  He smirked and rubbed his hands.  Humiliation was always better than a physical prank.  Always.

                                                            ***

Lily dropped onto her bed, infuriated.  How Sirius had learned that spell was the one thing she really wanted to know. Because where there was one spell, there were others.  Oh, yes there were.  And she would find them.  James was going to pay for doing this to her, even if it had not been public humiliation. 

She snatched another robe from her closet and yanked it on before proceeding to brushing her hair, her mind working furiously.  Obviously no teacher could have possibly taught him that spell, and she didn't think Sirius had somehow invented a new spell.  The very notion was ridiculous.  It was Sirius, after all.  So, boring down the possibilities, that left a book.  Sirius must have bought a book of prank spells.

The question now was how to get to that book.  Oh, she could sneak in, but she knew how creaky those chests were, and James was a very light sleeper.  She had found that out the hard way.  No.  After all, Lily Evans was not all smiles for the teachers and perfect grades.  She did have a devious side. What she needed was for someone to give her the book, so she would not have to through this business of snooping around.  And she knew just the person.

                                                            ***

"You want me to get you the book Sirius used for that spell?" Remus asked incredulously.  "Why?"

"Why?" Lily asked in a slow, sultry voice. "Why?  Because, sweet Remus, you don't mean to tell me you're going to let Sirius and James get away with what they did, do you?"  She hopped from the cushy sofa she had been sitting on and sat on Remus' lap, which in truth made him feel quite uncomfortable.  She looked up at him through long lashes and stuck out her bottom lip slightly. "Please, Remus?  I know you had no part in it; I trust you.  Don't you think what they did was wrong?"

"Well, yeah," Remus answered, shifting uncomfortably. "It's just . . "

"That they're your friends?  And you don't want to betray them?"

"Er. . . yeah, I guess you could say that . . ."

Lily snuggled up against his chest and sighed softly.  Remus was beginning to panic.

"Remus, Remus, Remus.  You're not betraying them, or going behind their backs.  You're just doing me a little favor."  She reached up and stroked the side of his neck softly, giving him goosebumps, and whispered, "Please?"

Remus couldn't stand it anymore.  It wasn't that he didn't like having a girl on his lap - she felt nice, in fact – but this was Lily!  Unfortunately, he had the feeling she wouldn't back down until he agreed.

"Alright," he sighed, "I'll do it!"

"Ooh, I knew you would," Lily cooed.

With a pat on the cheek and a kiss on his nose, she gracefully stood up and walked slowly to her room, hips swaying.

Remus scrubbed a nervous hand through his hair and exhaled slowly.  Did women learn to do that in their cradles?  He could feel his heartbeat beginning to slow, and his breath becoming rhythmical again, but he knew they had been racing for some time because of her.

He stood up and shook out his legs, then took another deep breath before walking unsteadily towards his room. 

                                                            ***

James and Sirius were already sitting on James' bed when Remus arrived, talking rapidly about what they should do next with the famed prank book. 

" I still say we use this one," Sirius said, obviously not for the first time. " 'After this spell has been recited, the person will passionately love the person she hates the most for one full day.' Can you imagine perfect Lily Evans hounding some poor wretch the whole day? It'll be hilarious!"

James sighed.  "Sirius, how many times do I have to tell you how easily that could backfire?  What if the person she hates the most is me?"

"All the better!  We could totally humiliate her in front of the whole school, and she won't even care!  . . . Until later."

James blinked and opened his mouth, then noticed the shape ambling into the room.

"Remus!" he exclaimed. "Where have you been?  The last time I saw you, you were in the common room with Lily Evans" – he managed to put a considerable amount of spite into those two words – "and that was an hour ago!"

Remus looked around anxiously, looking very much like a mouse cornered by a cat, and stammered excuses.

"Well, uh, you see, Lily, she . . .er, well, see, she wanted to, um, yell at me for . . . for what happened, and . . ."

"And you let yourself get caught!" Sirius finished with a laugh. "I swear, the only way to get out of a lecture from her is to slip away when she stops to breathe!"

Remus nodded, looking considerably relieved, and asked Sirius what James thought was a rather odd question coming from Remus' mouth.

"Say, Sirius, do you mind if I borrow that book when you guys are finished with it?  I'd like to read it before I fall asleep . . ."

Sirius waved it off, intent on the book.

"Sure thing, Remus.  But seriously, now.  What do you think of this spell?"

                                                                ***

Lily laughed softly to herself and rubbed her hand together.  It had worked like a charm.  She had doubted Remus would fall for her "playgirl" attitude, but apparently she had been wrong.  She allowed herself another giggle before entering the room she shared with two others, Becca and Kat.

As soon as she entered, Becca leaped up from her spot on her bed, Kat not far behind.

"Where have you been?!" she demanded, hugging her. "I haven't seen you since yesterday!"

"Yeah," added Kat. "You're not . . . you're not…losing us, are you?"

Lily felt guilty not telling them where she had been.  They were her friends, after all.

"Of course no!  I've just been a little . . .busy."

"Ooooh, I know what that means!" Becca squealed. "James did something again, didn't he?  Didn't he?"

"Do tell!" Kat added.

They all sat on their beds while Lily told them everything.  About noticing Remus' sudden avoidance of her and frequent hand wringing all the way to Sirius' wretched spell.

"So now," she concluded, "I have to get back at them."

"And you're going to use that book?" Kat asked. "Brilliant!  Absolutely brilliant!"

"You'll let us help, right?  Right?" Becca added excitedly.

"Of course I'll let you in on it!  This isn't the sort of thing one does alone!"

They giggled agreement and shifted on the beds.

"So when is 'dear sweet Remus' bringing this book?" Kat asked, always the practical one.

"He said he should be able to bring it around midnight, when James and Sirius are asleep.

"In that case, maybe we sleep.  It's another"-she glanced quickly at the alarm clock on the nightstand-"two hours or so until he comes."

Becca grinned. "Hopefully the lovesick idiot will have the sense to wake us up; he probably won't be able to breathe when he sees Lily!"

This provoked a new fit of giggles that only died away completely when everyone was in bed and the lamps turned off.

Lily was just about to fall asleep when Kat mumbled drowsy question.

"Lily?"

"Hmm?"

"Why don't you want to get back at Sirius instead of James?"

"Go to sleep, Kat.  It's late . . ."

                                                                        ***