Bonjourno. Welcome to my world. (Le monde de Coeur De Lion.) This next story is another work in progress (I KNOW, I KNOW, SORRY! Sheesh...) and was started a long, long time ago, but has not been worked on at all for quite a while. So suggestions, comments, (CONSTRUCTIVE comments) are welcome and appreciated. NO FLAMES because I will just use them to roast marshmallows.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Harry Potter. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling (and Warner Bros., I think.) I only own the plot. (Yes, arranged marriages have been done before but this is MY perspective of it.)
Lily Evans smiled at James Potter. He smiled back, somewhat surprised.
"James, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out in Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"
"What? Oh, sure! I'd..." James trailed off, glaring over Lily's shoulder.
Lily spun round and was met with Lucius Malfoy's smirking face in front of hers.
"What do you want?" she hissed.
"Lily dear, I must say I'm surprised. We're engaged and you go making dates with other boys," he said.
"We're not married yet, Malfoy," she spat. "And if I have my say, we won't be married at all."
"But, my dear, that's not how it works," Malfoy sneered. "You don't have any say in the matter."
"We'll see," she hissed, and walked down the hall, dragging a bewildered James with her. She pulled him into an empty classroom and shut the door behind them. James opened his mouth to say something, but Lily cut him off.
"Yes, I'm engaged to Malfoy," she said. "It's an arranged marriage. He has money, influence, and power in the wizarding world. Rest assured, I hate his guts with a passion."
James stared.
"You can't tell anyone!" Lily cried, suddenly alarmed.
"Gryffindor's honor," James swore.
Just then, the door flew open in walked Sirius Black, best friend of James and Lily, Marauder, prankster and all-around mischief-maker of Hogwarts.
"Ah-ha!" he exclaimed, as a mischievous glint appeared in his eye. "Caught in the act! I knew I'd find you snogging in some classroom or other!" He winked at James as he held up a piece of parchment.
"No, Sirius, dear, you've got it all wrong," Lily said. "We were... erm, planning for the... uh, Yule Ball."
Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, come off it, Lil," James said, winking. "We might as well tell the world that we're madly in love." He grinned and pulled her into a kiss that left her tingling.
Sirius burst out laughing. James laughed too, and Lily blushed furiously. 'It was a joke,' she thought. 'It didn't mean anything to James.'
"That was quite convincing, you too," he said. "You'd better watch out, Prongs. You might soon have the whole of Slytherin house trying to break your nose if word of that smooch gets out."
"What do you mean?" asked Lily, the color draining from her face.
"Well, right after your little chat with Mr. Malfoy, he told the Slytherin house quite loudly that you two were engaged. What a laugh, eh, Lil?" Sirius had to stop, as he was in danger of choking from laughing so hard. His laughter, however, died away as he looked up at Lily.
"Lil? Are you okay?"
Lily's eyes were wide and the color came rushing back to her cheeks. She gave a muffled gasp and ran from the room.
"Is it true, then?" Sirius asked James, shocked. James glared at him, and ran of in the direction Lily had gone.
He eventually found her in the darkest corner of the Common Room, staring blankly at the rug. He sat down next to her, pulling her into a hug.
"Lil, are you okay?" he asked. "Are you crying?" He wiped a tear from her cheek.
"I'm so angry, and scared, and... Oh, I don't know. I hate my parents for controlling my life, and I hate Lucius Malfoy, and I hate myself for..." She trailed off.
"For what?" James asked. Lily hesitated.
"For... For falling in love," she finally whispered.
James started. He hadn't expected that. He had been in love with Lily since First Year. And now she was in love. He barely managed to cover his surprise and pain. "With who?"
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Harry Potter. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling (and Warner Bros., I think.) I only own the plot. (Yes, arranged marriages have been done before but this is MY perspective of it.)
Lily Evans smiled at James Potter. He smiled back, somewhat surprised.
"James, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out in Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"
"What? Oh, sure! I'd..." James trailed off, glaring over Lily's shoulder.
Lily spun round and was met with Lucius Malfoy's smirking face in front of hers.
"What do you want?" she hissed.
"Lily dear, I must say I'm surprised. We're engaged and you go making dates with other boys," he said.
"We're not married yet, Malfoy," she spat. "And if I have my say, we won't be married at all."
"But, my dear, that's not how it works," Malfoy sneered. "You don't have any say in the matter."
"We'll see," she hissed, and walked down the hall, dragging a bewildered James with her. She pulled him into an empty classroom and shut the door behind them. James opened his mouth to say something, but Lily cut him off.
"Yes, I'm engaged to Malfoy," she said. "It's an arranged marriage. He has money, influence, and power in the wizarding world. Rest assured, I hate his guts with a passion."
James stared.
"You can't tell anyone!" Lily cried, suddenly alarmed.
"Gryffindor's honor," James swore.
Just then, the door flew open in walked Sirius Black, best friend of James and Lily, Marauder, prankster and all-around mischief-maker of Hogwarts.
"Ah-ha!" he exclaimed, as a mischievous glint appeared in his eye. "Caught in the act! I knew I'd find you snogging in some classroom or other!" He winked at James as he held up a piece of parchment.
"No, Sirius, dear, you've got it all wrong," Lily said. "We were... erm, planning for the... uh, Yule Ball."
Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, come off it, Lil," James said, winking. "We might as well tell the world that we're madly in love." He grinned and pulled her into a kiss that left her tingling.
Sirius burst out laughing. James laughed too, and Lily blushed furiously. 'It was a joke,' she thought. 'It didn't mean anything to James.'
"That was quite convincing, you too," he said. "You'd better watch out, Prongs. You might soon have the whole of Slytherin house trying to break your nose if word of that smooch gets out."
"What do you mean?" asked Lily, the color draining from her face.
"Well, right after your little chat with Mr. Malfoy, he told the Slytherin house quite loudly that you two were engaged. What a laugh, eh, Lil?" Sirius had to stop, as he was in danger of choking from laughing so hard. His laughter, however, died away as he looked up at Lily.
"Lil? Are you okay?"
Lily's eyes were wide and the color came rushing back to her cheeks. She gave a muffled gasp and ran from the room.
"Is it true, then?" Sirius asked James, shocked. James glared at him, and ran of in the direction Lily had gone.
He eventually found her in the darkest corner of the Common Room, staring blankly at the rug. He sat down next to her, pulling her into a hug.
"Lil, are you okay?" he asked. "Are you crying?" He wiped a tear from her cheek.
"I'm so angry, and scared, and... Oh, I don't know. I hate my parents for controlling my life, and I hate Lucius Malfoy, and I hate myself for..." She trailed off.
"For what?" James asked. Lily hesitated.
"For... For falling in love," she finally whispered.
James started. He hadn't expected that. He had been in love with Lily since First Year. And now she was in love. He barely managed to cover his surprise and pain. "With who?"