-(ANSWER TO CHALLENGE BY ANONYMOUS REVIEWER)-
Chapter One: Crash and Burn
Hogwarts was in a whirl.
Muggle Studies had set up a new project, an extra-curricular, point- awarding game, which caught the student's interests right away.
Soon the whole school was involved.
Gossip never seemed so universally. Trifle news about who had asked whom was practically everywhere, and the Professors were going slowly mad.
Filch had trouble breathing (allergic to happy students), McGonagall was in a foul mood ("CONSENTRATE YOU FOOLS!"), and Gammond had deducted no less than 458 points the last week for the sole mistake of gibbering about the game.
*
Florence Watters from Hufflepuff ran through the third floor corridors in search for her victim.
She caught sight of him as he sauntered out from DADA class, with his friends right in front of him. She waited for them to pass.
"Remus?" she called.
He turned around, looking surprised to see her.
"Yeah?"
"Er. I was just thinking that, if you, if you want to that is.. I was wondering if you could.. smile.. for me? I mean, if you like me or ... If you don't then just.. I'll just."
Remus was caught completely off guard. Of course he knew about this game of dare, but he hadn't thought some pretty, shy Hufflepuff would ask him to smile.
He frowned shortly, and looked down at his shoes and swallowed hard.
Florence thought he looked very contemplative, and she feared rejection coming any second now.
Remus looked up and his serious amber eyes held her gaze.
He smiled very shyly. Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and chuckled nervously.
Florence bit her lip. "Really?" she asked stupidly.
He nodded. "Thanks", she said softly, before looking over at his dumbfounded friends, who were gaping quite rudely at Remus.
She hesitated, and then smiled warmly at him again before turning around and walking towards Hufflepuff Tower.
Remus stood there, hands in his pockets, slowly burning a deep red on his complexion. His neck never looked so tan.
He chanced a look at his friends, and found James with his arms across his chest looking very pleased with himself.
James smirked and said: "About bloody time you smiled. That Ravenclaw fourth year almost cried, you know."
Sirius rounded him from the other side.
"So. " He lifted his head stiffly. "Florence now, is it? What happened to Miss Merryweather, might I ask?"
Remus looked down again, and Lily noticed his blush peeping out on his hands.
He mumbled.
"Sorry Moony, didn't catch that?" Peter prompted.
"I said, I was going to ask her."
"I think that's a great idea Remus." Lily said, shooting a glare at her boyfriend, and an evil look at Sirius so as to put an end to this conversation. Remus had enough problems already if the lads weren't teasing him about some girl he'd been moping over for a couple of years.
"I heard they're having rice pudding at dinner tonight. Care to join me?" She asked Remus, and he smiled very gratefully when she offered him her arm.
*
Remus let out a huge sigh of relief, and smiled widely while he meandered into the Common Room later that evening.
Evelyn Merryweather had smiled at him.
In fact, she hadn't just smiled; she'd given him a kiss as well.
"On the lips", he thought, swollen with pride.
He had been stumbling across his words, when she had stared at him wide- eyed, realizing what he was asking her.
He was trying to get the words out properly, but he couldn't bring himself to be so straightforward as Lily had coached him in.
But when she kissed him, he guessed that being a bit reclusive wasn't so bad after all.
When she opened her eyes again, she said very clearly, almost as if reciting poetry: "Dear, you know I love you, and only you can make me smile."
Only a Ravenclaw would keep to the rules so strictly, and only Evelyn would blush so hard after.
She had looked into his eyes, reddening further down her neck, and then leaning her head against his shoulder.
Murmuring in her ear, holding her close, smelling her hair, Gryffindor Tower was the furthest thing from his mind.
Such a pity Mrs. Norris didn't approve. At least she'd meowed and given them a fair warning. He didn't like hasty farewells.
*
Sirius was sniggering to himself.
Lying on the bed, looking at the canopy, but not really seeing it, he thought of what his friends' reactions might be.
Lily would laugh. And giggle that sexy, feminine way, that laugh so few of Hogwarts' femme fatales mastered.
Peter would snort and hit his knees in-between cackles.
Remus would. grin dryly, and lift his eyebrows in that very intelligent manner. Sirius never understood how he did that.
James, on the other hand was the mystery reaction.
Well, you never know unless you try it.
He leaped out of bed, and flew down the staircase.
He jumped high over the low table beneath the painting of a green rose, skipped three steps across the shaggy carpet between an armchair and a foot- rest, leaped over the foot-rest and ran across the room towards the fireplace where his friends were sitting doing their History Essay ("Point out the major victories of the Dwarf-troopers in the 7th century").
He caught his breath.
Lily looked up questioningly, feather held up by her hand in an inquiring manner.
Nerve-wrecking really.
Sirius hated to hesitate, but there he was, wavering over Peter's chair. Remus raised an eyebrow, and Peter was trying to peek at Lily's essay while she was busy looking at Sirius.
James didn't look up though.
Naturally, since he was the one Sirius wanted to talk to.
He coughed subtlety. James put his quill in the ink bottle and stretched languidly over the sofa. Finally he looked up.
Sirius regained his composure, and found the ironic grin again.
That made things a lot easier. Especially since the whole Common Room was straining to see what was going on. Sirius was never this quiet. In public.
"So, James. I have been meaning to ask you something." Sirius said vaguely.
James wasn't the least suspicious. Yet. But he did look annoyed when he didn't continue.
So he started again. Now grinning pretty madly.
"James, honey, if you love me, will you please, please smile?"
The room was eerily quiet for about two nanoseconds, before it erupted with laughter.
When Sirius winked conspiratorially, James was already howling. Soon he was chortling over Lily's lap, looking as if he had trouble breathing.
Lily was still smirking.
Sirius folded his arms across his chess and gave James a superior, arrogant look.
"You smiled. Now say the magic words, I have fulfilled my destiny, and after I hear you say you love me back, I will diminish and go into the Forest."
James was still wiping tears from his face in Lily's arms, but he managed to choke out hoarsely: "You know I love you, and only you can make me smile."
Then he started laughing again, and Lily rolled her eyes.
"Fabulous!" Sirius smiled, and crashed into the nearest couch looking too aloof for having just caused so many tears (of laughter).
*
A/N: Next chapter: James' turn! Read and review!
If you haven't gotten the gist of it yet, the rules are:
Person "It" has to tag another person by asking him/her to smile if they love them.
If they answer: "You know I love you, only you can make me laugh/smile" they're "It" and have to ask another person.
If they answer: "You know I love you, but I just can't smile!" the "it"- person has to ask someone else.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns the wizarding universe, and recognizable charcters, others are figment of MY imagination, and other stupid awkward moments belong to me. I think this is supposed to be funny, by the way.
Chapter One: Crash and Burn
Hogwarts was in a whirl.
Muggle Studies had set up a new project, an extra-curricular, point- awarding game, which caught the student's interests right away.
Soon the whole school was involved.
Gossip never seemed so universally. Trifle news about who had asked whom was practically everywhere, and the Professors were going slowly mad.
Filch had trouble breathing (allergic to happy students), McGonagall was in a foul mood ("CONSENTRATE YOU FOOLS!"), and Gammond had deducted no less than 458 points the last week for the sole mistake of gibbering about the game.
*
Florence Watters from Hufflepuff ran through the third floor corridors in search for her victim.
She caught sight of him as he sauntered out from DADA class, with his friends right in front of him. She waited for them to pass.
"Remus?" she called.
He turned around, looking surprised to see her.
"Yeah?"
"Er. I was just thinking that, if you, if you want to that is.. I was wondering if you could.. smile.. for me? I mean, if you like me or ... If you don't then just.. I'll just."
Remus was caught completely off guard. Of course he knew about this game of dare, but he hadn't thought some pretty, shy Hufflepuff would ask him to smile.
He frowned shortly, and looked down at his shoes and swallowed hard.
Florence thought he looked very contemplative, and she feared rejection coming any second now.
Remus looked up and his serious amber eyes held her gaze.
He smiled very shyly. Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and chuckled nervously.
Florence bit her lip. "Really?" she asked stupidly.
He nodded. "Thanks", she said softly, before looking over at his dumbfounded friends, who were gaping quite rudely at Remus.
She hesitated, and then smiled warmly at him again before turning around and walking towards Hufflepuff Tower.
Remus stood there, hands in his pockets, slowly burning a deep red on his complexion. His neck never looked so tan.
He chanced a look at his friends, and found James with his arms across his chest looking very pleased with himself.
James smirked and said: "About bloody time you smiled. That Ravenclaw fourth year almost cried, you know."
Sirius rounded him from the other side.
"So. " He lifted his head stiffly. "Florence now, is it? What happened to Miss Merryweather, might I ask?"
Remus looked down again, and Lily noticed his blush peeping out on his hands.
He mumbled.
"Sorry Moony, didn't catch that?" Peter prompted.
"I said, I was going to ask her."
"I think that's a great idea Remus." Lily said, shooting a glare at her boyfriend, and an evil look at Sirius so as to put an end to this conversation. Remus had enough problems already if the lads weren't teasing him about some girl he'd been moping over for a couple of years.
"I heard they're having rice pudding at dinner tonight. Care to join me?" She asked Remus, and he smiled very gratefully when she offered him her arm.
*
Remus let out a huge sigh of relief, and smiled widely while he meandered into the Common Room later that evening.
Evelyn Merryweather had smiled at him.
In fact, she hadn't just smiled; she'd given him a kiss as well.
"On the lips", he thought, swollen with pride.
He had been stumbling across his words, when she had stared at him wide- eyed, realizing what he was asking her.
He was trying to get the words out properly, but he couldn't bring himself to be so straightforward as Lily had coached him in.
But when she kissed him, he guessed that being a bit reclusive wasn't so bad after all.
When she opened her eyes again, she said very clearly, almost as if reciting poetry: "Dear, you know I love you, and only you can make me smile."
Only a Ravenclaw would keep to the rules so strictly, and only Evelyn would blush so hard after.
She had looked into his eyes, reddening further down her neck, and then leaning her head against his shoulder.
Murmuring in her ear, holding her close, smelling her hair, Gryffindor Tower was the furthest thing from his mind.
Such a pity Mrs. Norris didn't approve. At least she'd meowed and given them a fair warning. He didn't like hasty farewells.
*
Sirius was sniggering to himself.
Lying on the bed, looking at the canopy, but not really seeing it, he thought of what his friends' reactions might be.
Lily would laugh. And giggle that sexy, feminine way, that laugh so few of Hogwarts' femme fatales mastered.
Peter would snort and hit his knees in-between cackles.
Remus would. grin dryly, and lift his eyebrows in that very intelligent manner. Sirius never understood how he did that.
James, on the other hand was the mystery reaction.
Well, you never know unless you try it.
He leaped out of bed, and flew down the staircase.
He jumped high over the low table beneath the painting of a green rose, skipped three steps across the shaggy carpet between an armchair and a foot- rest, leaped over the foot-rest and ran across the room towards the fireplace where his friends were sitting doing their History Essay ("Point out the major victories of the Dwarf-troopers in the 7th century").
He caught his breath.
Lily looked up questioningly, feather held up by her hand in an inquiring manner.
Nerve-wrecking really.
Sirius hated to hesitate, but there he was, wavering over Peter's chair. Remus raised an eyebrow, and Peter was trying to peek at Lily's essay while she was busy looking at Sirius.
James didn't look up though.
Naturally, since he was the one Sirius wanted to talk to.
He coughed subtlety. James put his quill in the ink bottle and stretched languidly over the sofa. Finally he looked up.
Sirius regained his composure, and found the ironic grin again.
That made things a lot easier. Especially since the whole Common Room was straining to see what was going on. Sirius was never this quiet. In public.
"So, James. I have been meaning to ask you something." Sirius said vaguely.
James wasn't the least suspicious. Yet. But he did look annoyed when he didn't continue.
So he started again. Now grinning pretty madly.
"James, honey, if you love me, will you please, please smile?"
The room was eerily quiet for about two nanoseconds, before it erupted with laughter.
When Sirius winked conspiratorially, James was already howling. Soon he was chortling over Lily's lap, looking as if he had trouble breathing.
Lily was still smirking.
Sirius folded his arms across his chess and gave James a superior, arrogant look.
"You smiled. Now say the magic words, I have fulfilled my destiny, and after I hear you say you love me back, I will diminish and go into the Forest."
James was still wiping tears from his face in Lily's arms, but he managed to choke out hoarsely: "You know I love you, and only you can make me smile."
Then he started laughing again, and Lily rolled her eyes.
"Fabulous!" Sirius smiled, and crashed into the nearest couch looking too aloof for having just caused so many tears (of laughter).
*
A/N: Next chapter: James' turn! Read and review!
If you haven't gotten the gist of it yet, the rules are:
Person "It" has to tag another person by asking him/her to smile if they love them.
If they answer: "You know I love you, only you can make me laugh/smile" they're "It" and have to ask another person.
If they answer: "You know I love you, but I just can't smile!" the "it"- person has to ask someone else.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns the wizarding universe, and recognizable charcters, others are figment of MY imagination, and other stupid awkward moments belong to me. I think this is supposed to be funny, by the way.
