Title: The Bet
Chapter 3: Persistence Summary: It's James' turn to test his charm on Lily.
James woke up early to the sound of Peter's disgusting snores. He sat up and the world was blurry. He tried to stand up, but he bumped his head and fell back down. "That's going to leave a mark," he mumbled. Half of him wanted to just go back to sleep, but the other half was telling him he had something important to do. He couldn't quite remember what it was as he reached over and grabbed his glasses. He didn't bother to get dressed before he made his way sleepily down to the common room. Only a few other people were down there. Caroline and Lily were giggling loudly near the fire.
"And then I put the bat-boogey curse on him! It was wonderful."
"Whoa. I didn't know you hated him so much."
Caroline's voice dropped to a whisper. "Well, I don't hate him. I think what he was doing was really sweet, but I had to get back at him for second year."
James stood at the bottom of the stairs staring at the girls. Lily glanced over and rolled her eyes.
"Don't look now, but idiot of the month, no year, has awoken."
James in his sleepy stupor thought her look was one of inviting and pranced over. He plopped down next to Lily and put an arm around her. She turned and looked at him with loathing. "Excuse me?" she questioned. She stood up and moved to an armchair across from the couch. Then James remembered what he was supposed to do that day. Naturally he didn't have anything planned so he just went for his classic way.
"Hey Lily. Wanna go out sometime?" She looked repulsed. This was the millionth time he had asked and she wasn't about to give in now.
"James Potter I will never go out with you. Get it through your thick skull."
"I don't know if that's possible Lils. It probably gets caught in that rats nest he calls hair."
His hands raced up to the top of his head. He could tell that his hair was being even more stubborn than usual as he tried to pull his fingers through it. "My hair is not a rats nest." He was imagining Wormtail sleeping on his head, drooling. The idea was grotesque, though the two girls had no idea.
"He is getting less and less clever. He didn't even bother to change this time. At least before he was fully clothed. I tell you Caroline, he is more and more of a slob each day."
James wasn't sure what to say so he just tried again. "Evans, we are meant to be. Let's not oppose fate."
"Potter," she said earnestly "even fate isn't that cruel." She turned back to Caroline. "He is revolting. All of that idiocy in one person."
"I wonder how he can stand it." James was actually starting to be annoyed with her. He wasn't stupid. He made good marks in all of his classes. If it weren't for the bet he would have turned the scene into a screaming match.
"Go out with me."
"No."
"Please?"
"I'd rather kiss Snape."
"Ew. You must be confused. My name is James, not Snape."
"You wish."
"Go out with me."
"How about no?"
"What about yes?"
"No."
"Give me a chance!"
"Chances are for the deserving, Potter."
Eventually she started to ignore him, though about once a minute he would ask her again. After about the fiftieth time Remus and Sirius came down. James was too busy asking Lily constantly to notice. Remus came up behind him and shoved his hand over James' mouth. "Could you give it a rest? You know it's not working right?"
"Persistence my friend, persistence," he replied before asking again. Lily glared at him and went back to her conversation. Caroline was ignoring Sirius completely, other than a few glances he received nothing.
"Annoyance is more like it mate," Sirius said.
"And I suppose you two have a better plan."
"Of course I would," said Sirius.
"Anything is better than this. You're more likely giving her a headache than a desire to be with you."
"If you two are so great what are the better plans to tame Ms. Evans?"
The two of them faltered. No one had ever been able to woo her. She was the one who made the move and she liked it that way. "Well...I would..." Remus trailed off.
"Er...I'm not telling, old boy. That would help you on the bet. Unfair advantage to know one of my plans."
"The unfair advantage would be yours after what happened last night. That reminds me...Go out with me Evans?" She did not respond.
Sirius rubbed his face. "Shut up! It still kind of hurts." Caroline saw this and laughed from he seat. Sirius smiled charmingly at her.
"Is that emotionally hurt or physically?" teased Remus. "You know, I could make this much much harder on you two." He smirked at their dismayed faces.
"How could you possibly make this anymore difficult?"
"Well, for one, I could say something like," he started talking louder "Sirius and James don't really like Caroline and Lily, it's just a horrible, evil bet."
Sirius dived on top of him growling. Several first years that were passing backed away. "You wouldn't."
"I would," he said evily. James pulled his wand and pointed it a Remus' throat.
"I'll make it so you can't. What curses do you suppose I should use, Padfoot?"
"Silencing charm?"
"Too weak. How about the bat-boogey?"
"Too familiar," he grimaced. "I think a good teeth growing charm and jelly legs combination would be a good way to go."
Remus reached up and casually pushed his wand away. "That's not necessary. They," he gestured to the girls, "didn't hear. But..." Once again his smile was devilish. Before they could stop him he hopped up and went over to the girls. After whispering something in their ears he came back smirking. The girls kept glancing in their direction and giggling.
"What—What did you tell them," stuttered James who looked positively horrified.
"Only about the time when I found you both huddled in James' bed whimpering and holding onto each other for dear life."
Their mouths dropped open. "You wouldn't."
"I would."
"You wouldn't."
"I did."
"But! That was first year."
"There was a storm outside," James protested.
Remus shrugged. "That's where threats will get you. And now, I'm going to breakfast. Tah tah." He turned around still chuckling mischievously.
Behind his back James mouthed, "I'll get the Jelly-legs."
"I'll get the teeth growing." They both pulled their wands out and pointed them at the boy's retreating back. Sirius held up his fingers. "3, 2, 1." He curse shot out and hit the boy. They burst into silent laughter as Remus started to wobble around and his teeth grew down past his chin. He tripped and fell. His legs were still wiggling around like worms out of the dirt.
"That's where telling peoples secrets will get you," said James with a smirking sneer.
"And now, we're going to breakfast. Tah tah." Sirius gave a little fingers bent wave and the two of them climbed laughing out of the portrait leaving Remus to fend against a growing crowd of first-years himself.
Chapter 3: Persistence Summary: It's James' turn to test his charm on Lily.
James woke up early to the sound of Peter's disgusting snores. He sat up and the world was blurry. He tried to stand up, but he bumped his head and fell back down. "That's going to leave a mark," he mumbled. Half of him wanted to just go back to sleep, but the other half was telling him he had something important to do. He couldn't quite remember what it was as he reached over and grabbed his glasses. He didn't bother to get dressed before he made his way sleepily down to the common room. Only a few other people were down there. Caroline and Lily were giggling loudly near the fire.
"And then I put the bat-boogey curse on him! It was wonderful."
"Whoa. I didn't know you hated him so much."
Caroline's voice dropped to a whisper. "Well, I don't hate him. I think what he was doing was really sweet, but I had to get back at him for second year."
James stood at the bottom of the stairs staring at the girls. Lily glanced over and rolled her eyes.
"Don't look now, but idiot of the month, no year, has awoken."
James in his sleepy stupor thought her look was one of inviting and pranced over. He plopped down next to Lily and put an arm around her. She turned and looked at him with loathing. "Excuse me?" she questioned. She stood up and moved to an armchair across from the couch. Then James remembered what he was supposed to do that day. Naturally he didn't have anything planned so he just went for his classic way.
"Hey Lily. Wanna go out sometime?" She looked repulsed. This was the millionth time he had asked and she wasn't about to give in now.
"James Potter I will never go out with you. Get it through your thick skull."
"I don't know if that's possible Lils. It probably gets caught in that rats nest he calls hair."
His hands raced up to the top of his head. He could tell that his hair was being even more stubborn than usual as he tried to pull his fingers through it. "My hair is not a rats nest." He was imagining Wormtail sleeping on his head, drooling. The idea was grotesque, though the two girls had no idea.
"He is getting less and less clever. He didn't even bother to change this time. At least before he was fully clothed. I tell you Caroline, he is more and more of a slob each day."
James wasn't sure what to say so he just tried again. "Evans, we are meant to be. Let's not oppose fate."
"Potter," she said earnestly "even fate isn't that cruel." She turned back to Caroline. "He is revolting. All of that idiocy in one person."
"I wonder how he can stand it." James was actually starting to be annoyed with her. He wasn't stupid. He made good marks in all of his classes. If it weren't for the bet he would have turned the scene into a screaming match.
"Go out with me."
"No."
"Please?"
"I'd rather kiss Snape."
"Ew. You must be confused. My name is James, not Snape."
"You wish."
"Go out with me."
"How about no?"
"What about yes?"
"No."
"Give me a chance!"
"Chances are for the deserving, Potter."
Eventually she started to ignore him, though about once a minute he would ask her again. After about the fiftieth time Remus and Sirius came down. James was too busy asking Lily constantly to notice. Remus came up behind him and shoved his hand over James' mouth. "Could you give it a rest? You know it's not working right?"
"Persistence my friend, persistence," he replied before asking again. Lily glared at him and went back to her conversation. Caroline was ignoring Sirius completely, other than a few glances he received nothing.
"Annoyance is more like it mate," Sirius said.
"And I suppose you two have a better plan."
"Of course I would," said Sirius.
"Anything is better than this. You're more likely giving her a headache than a desire to be with you."
"If you two are so great what are the better plans to tame Ms. Evans?"
The two of them faltered. No one had ever been able to woo her. She was the one who made the move and she liked it that way. "Well...I would..." Remus trailed off.
"Er...I'm not telling, old boy. That would help you on the bet. Unfair advantage to know one of my plans."
"The unfair advantage would be yours after what happened last night. That reminds me...Go out with me Evans?" She did not respond.
Sirius rubbed his face. "Shut up! It still kind of hurts." Caroline saw this and laughed from he seat. Sirius smiled charmingly at her.
"Is that emotionally hurt or physically?" teased Remus. "You know, I could make this much much harder on you two." He smirked at their dismayed faces.
"How could you possibly make this anymore difficult?"
"Well, for one, I could say something like," he started talking louder "Sirius and James don't really like Caroline and Lily, it's just a horrible, evil bet."
Sirius dived on top of him growling. Several first years that were passing backed away. "You wouldn't."
"I would," he said evily. James pulled his wand and pointed it a Remus' throat.
"I'll make it so you can't. What curses do you suppose I should use, Padfoot?"
"Silencing charm?"
"Too weak. How about the bat-boogey?"
"Too familiar," he grimaced. "I think a good teeth growing charm and jelly legs combination would be a good way to go."
Remus reached up and casually pushed his wand away. "That's not necessary. They," he gestured to the girls, "didn't hear. But..." Once again his smile was devilish. Before they could stop him he hopped up and went over to the girls. After whispering something in their ears he came back smirking. The girls kept glancing in their direction and giggling.
"What—What did you tell them," stuttered James who looked positively horrified.
"Only about the time when I found you both huddled in James' bed whimpering and holding onto each other for dear life."
Their mouths dropped open. "You wouldn't."
"I would."
"You wouldn't."
"I did."
"But! That was first year."
"There was a storm outside," James protested.
Remus shrugged. "That's where threats will get you. And now, I'm going to breakfast. Tah tah." He turned around still chuckling mischievously.
Behind his back James mouthed, "I'll get the Jelly-legs."
"I'll get the teeth growing." They both pulled their wands out and pointed them at the boy's retreating back. Sirius held up his fingers. "3, 2, 1." He curse shot out and hit the boy. They burst into silent laughter as Remus started to wobble around and his teeth grew down past his chin. He tripped and fell. His legs were still wiggling around like worms out of the dirt.
"That's where telling peoples secrets will get you," said James with a smirking sneer.
"And now, we're going to breakfast. Tah tah." Sirius gave a little fingers bent wave and the two of them climbed laughing out of the portrait leaving Remus to fend against a growing crowd of first-years himself.