*okay so I'm suffering from an acute case of writer's block at them moment, but what else is new?  Forgive me if this chapter sucks and review anyway! Merci beaucoup to all of you who reviewed last time, luv ya muchly!

Responses

Manny ~ yeah, Madeline is kind of going behind Lily's back on this, but it adds a nice twist.  And I wouldn't really say she's helping James...more like she and Remus are helping each other help their friends (and helping to save each other from possibly insanity should this go on...). did that make sense?

~Disclaimer~ nope, don't own any of it.

Chapter 6

Never Transfigure Dust Bunnies

"He's such an ass." complained Lily to Cara.  They were on the couch in the common room and Lily was still agitated by James.  She had her face buried in her hands at the moment.

"Shh, Lils, I know." soothed Cara, rubbing Lily's back. "But don't you think it's time you got out of this temper you're in? You're scaring the first years!"

Lily grinned into her hands. "Am I really?"

"You're scaring everyone."

"Good."

"I'm serious, Lily.  You need to calm down. It's not good for your blood pressure." chided Cara.

Lily lifted her face out of her hands and looked at Cara. "What are you, my doctor?"

"Yeah. I am." she responded sarcastically. Then, in an attempt to change the subject, she said, "Well, tomorrow's your big date with Adrian!  Have you decided on what you're going to wear?"

The effect it had on Lily was instantaneous. "Nah, I haven't." she said. "I'm still torn between my denim bellbottoms with the little rainbow on the back pockets and my pink button down blouse or my black bellbottoms with my white blouse."

"I think the black and white outfit seems a little overdressed for Hogsmeade." advised Cara. "What about wearing the white blouse with the denim jeans?"

Lily considered this.  "I could wear that white tank-top I have under the blouse and leave it unbuttoned." she said slowly.  "I don't think I want to wear those jeans though."

"You're right." agreed Cara. "The rainbow might be a bit tacky for a date. What about those dark denim flares you have?  They're pretty decent.  It'll be less dressy than the black flares but more dressy than the regular denim jeans."  Inwardly, she sighed with relief.  Lily was distracted...if only for a little bit.

*

Remus led Madeline down the hallway on the seventh floor.  "Good, they're here." he said.

"I didn't know there was a room up here..." Madeline said, with a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Well, technically there's not.  Or there is, it's just not noticeable."  Noticing Madeline looking at him in askance, he smiled.  "It's the Room of Requirement." he explained. "It becomes whatever you need it to be.  Now come on, they're probably wondering where I am."

Still feeling rather confused, Madeline followed Remus into the room.  James, Sirius, and Peter were sitting in cushy red chairs around the fireplace.   She noticed pictures on the walls of various animals, but mainly of stags, wolves, dogs, and rats.  She shuddered involuntarily.  She didn't like rats.

"Mooony, what's she doing here?"  Sirius asked, peering around his chair at Madeline.  "Not that I'm complaining, mind you, she's very very pretty. But, I thought we had a pact, you know,"

"Not letting any outsiders know about this..." finished James.

"Oh, relax you guys." Remus said, leading Madeline to an armchair. "Here, sit down.  She can help us with the Lily Problem.  We need another armchair."

Madeline jumped slightly as a chair appeared next to hers.  "The Lily Problem?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.  "That's interesting."

"It was the first thing I thought of." muttered Remus.

She nodded. "Ah." Then, turning to James, she said, "Alright, so you're going to send her chocolates next?"

"Er, yeah." James said, slightly taken aback by her take-charge mode. "How much did you tell her, Moony?"

"Pretty much everything. Don't look at me like that, you guys.  She's exactly what we need!  She's our inside to Lily, which is something you're in desperate need of, James.  She can help you understand Lily a little better."

James' eyebrow twitched.  "O-kay." he said slowly.  "Yeah, I was going to transfigure and send her chocolates."

Madeline cringed.  Guys.  "First off," she started. "Spend mon-ey on her.  Don't just transfigure the chocolate, buy it!  Like I told Remus, yes, I know it sounds superficial, but it shows you made an effort, therefore showing you care."

Silence greeted this remark.  The Marauders were all staring at Madeline with looks of complete and utter confusion in their eyes.  She bit her lip.  This was going to take some work.

Sirius raised his hand hesitantly.  "Erm, how will she know the difference?"

Madeline shrugged.  "Dunno.  However, in the off chance she finds out how you got it, she'll be more pleased finding out you bought it than finding out you waved your wand a bit and turned a dust bunny into a box of chocolates."

"I wasn't going to transfigure a dust bunny!" exclaimed James indignantly.

"I know." said Madeline patiently.  "It was an example."

"Oh."  James settled back in his chair.  Dear God, he thought.  This whole courting business is more work than I thought!

*

That Saturday, at breakfast, Lily could barely eat a thing.  She felt as if her stomach was full of raging butterflies.  Today was the day she was going to go to Hogsmeade with Adrian.  Their first official date!

"Lily!  Eat something!" admonished Shayne.  "You don't want to pass out from hunger do you?  Trust me, it's embarrassing."

"But I'm not hungry." Lily said.  "And how would you know anyway?"

"Long story.  Eat.  Now."  Shayne pushed a French toast stick at Lily with her fork.

Lily prodded the French toast with her finger.  "Eat."  Shayne commanded.

"Do it, Lily.  Think of how embarrassing it would be if your stomach started growling really loudly just as he leans in to kiss you!"  Jessie exclaimed.

Lily's eyebrows shot up. Hastily, she picked up her French toast and took a bite.  "There," she said, putting it back on her plate.  "I ate."

"Li-i-ily."  Cara pestered.  "The whole thing."

Lily groaned.  Sometimes friends were more trouble than they were worth.  "Fine!" she exclaimed, shoving it into her mouth.  "Hagby?" she said through a mouthful.

"Quite." said Jessie, wiping a bit of French toast off her cheek.

"Maddy," Lily said, swallowing. "What's with you?  You haven't said a word...not even to bug me about eating!  Are you sick or something?"

"What?" Madeline jumped. "Oh.  No, no, I'm fine.  Just...spacing."

Cara raised an eyebrow.  "Speaking of spacing, where were you last night"

"What do you mean?" asked Madeline hastily.

"She means, you didn't come up to bed until midnight, several hours after curfew."  Jessie put in.

"Oh, that. I was-was-was in the library." she stammered.

Shayne shot her a look.  "Liar."

"Where were you really?" asked Lily.

"I'm not a liar! I was too in the library." She said, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively.

Cara sighed.  "Whatever.  Let it drop, for now."

"What?" exclaimed Shayne.  "Maddy's hiding something juicy and I want to know what!"

"Me too." agreed Cara.  "But Adrian's coming this way.  Lily, you have a crumb right here."

"Thanks." Lily quickly swiped her cheek and stood up.  "Hey, Adrian." she said, turning to face him.

"Hey, Lily.  You look great." he said. "I love how you mixed the pink top with the white tank."

Lily raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.  However, she did have James' and Jessie's voices running through her head: "He's gay."  Jessie spit out.    "BECAUSE HE'S GAY!!" James had yelled.  Lily shook her head.  He can't possibly be gay, she decided.  He's with me.

*

James watched Adrian and Lily leave with a look of utmost disgust on his face.  "He's gay." he muttered.  "Gay.  Why can't she see that?  Women usually have such good radar when it comes to that stuff.  Is she blind? Is her radar broken? Ergh!"

"Relaaax, Prongs."  Sirius said.  "She'll realize it in time."

"Yeah." agreed Peter.  "Women can always tell the difference between a man and a boy, or in this case, a gay guy."

"Wow, Wormtail, that was deep." Sirius commented.  "Where'd you dig that up?"

"I, er, read it somewhere." Peter confessed.

"Well, it's the truth."  said Remus.  "Or, at least, I think it is."

"Wow, Moony's not sure about something." teased James.  "Did hell freeze over?"

Remus laughed sarcastically.  "Very funny, Prongs.  Did you send the order to your mom for the chocolates yet?"

"Yup!" said James proudly.  "We oughta get them by Monday."

"Good." Remus said approvingly.  "Now, er, let's go catch up with Madeline and Lily's other friends.  Since Lily's not around, this is the, ahm, perfect time to do a little research."

"Fantastic idea, Moony." said Sirius.  "I couldn't agree more.  Especially since that one with the black hair is hot!"

James rolled his eyes. "You know, Padfoot," he said conversationally. "it won't look to good to Lily if you go about breaking the hearts of her friends."

"Yeah, Padfoot." concurred Remus.  "Wait for several months after James gets Lily."

"Several months?!" exclaimed Sirius.  "But that's-that's such a long time!"

"Yes, but Lily and James are most likely going to be having a very unstable relationship for a while after she finally agrees to go out with him, so..."

Sirius sighed resignedly.  "Fine."

*exactly four pages long.  ::feels special::  anyway, yes there are cliffhangers!!! You know I'll never let you down when it comes to them. ::grins::  What's going to happen between Lily and Adrian at Hogsmeade?  Will James intervene?  Will Lily accept the chocolates or will she shove them up James' tush? ::considers:: wow that would be interesting to write...::grins wickedly::  and ow! My mother just smacked my sunburn...paiiin.  anyway, review, review, review!!! Anyone who wants to be notified when I update this and Some Hearts, leave your email in your review or email me at kathleenmavourneen01@yahoo.com.  Same thing for anyone who can help me get a livejournal account...email me, pleeeease!! ::begs pitifully::*