.chapter two.
James Potter had been daft. So daft, in fact, that it amazed him that he could have put up with himself. He wondered why he had been so stupid, and decided it was the fact that Lily Evans was so smart and beautiful and clever and redheaded that it had just made him a lot less intelligent. So, after a long summer of analyzing the situation and chewing his best pal Sirius Black's ear off about the whole event, he finally decided that he needed to approach the situation from a different angle. He had been too much too fast; she wasn't ready for that nor was she interested in it. He decided that from now on, he was going to play it cool. He wasn't going to go around teasing her about her hair or how brainy she was - though sometimes an occasional teasing was okay, it added suspense - but rather contrary to all of that. He was going to pretend like he didn't like her.
This was going to be no easy feat, of course. He was going to need the help of his three best friends, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and of course Sirius, to keep him on track. It would be hard, but he was absolutely sure that by the end of the seventh year, Lily Evans would be his girlfriend and all would be spectacular.
He just sort slipped though, accidently, during the openning feast when he said that she was ugly before, or something like that.
That night, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James were sitting around the fire in the common room, in their favorite spots. It was rather quiet, as many of the students had drifted off to bed long ago. Lily and her two friends, Jackie Storms and Jena Jacobson, that seemed to be joined at the hip, had disappeared rather quickly. Lily was Head Girl this year, along with James' friend Remus (though James had been hoping for the privelege, he had simply had far too many detentions and wreaked too much havoc to become Head Boy). They had trouped up together, debating some issue that was of no relevance to James or the rest of the Marauders, which is what they called themselves. Their secret club that no one else had a chance of joining.
"It's our last year," said Remus suddenly, his blue eyes becoming bright with thought. "I think you should all try to finish on a good leg."
"Damn it! I ruined my last good leg during the summer," replied Sirius sarcastically. "You sound like James' Mum." He chuckled, dodging the pillow that was sent flying at him. He raked a hand through his chocolate brown locks and grinned smugly. Sirius was the most playful of the entire group, a very liked guy. He was friendly and outgoing, which was what attracted so many people to him. He was a magnetic force.
"I'm being serious," said Remus in a serious tone. "You guys are never going to get work if you don't start getting worried about your academics and not just girls you fancy or what have you." He folded his arms over his chest and cocked up an eyebrow at James, who he could much more easily guilt into promising to look after his grades, but not without much help from outside sources that didn't need to know about being sources. "Lily is never going to go out with you if you don't start paying attention in class."
"Prongs doesn't need to pay attention in class!" exclaimed a timid Peter Pettigrew, using the groups top secret nic-names, which only they knew what th names meant. "All he has to do is hear it, and it practically gets permanently imprinted on his brain. He's much smarter than Evans." Peter was the round faced baby of the group, who was rather daft but still good at heart. He had thin blonde hair and wide blue eyes that made him seem younger than them.
"If that's true, why did he only get an 'Acceptable' on his O.W.L's?"
"Because I don't like to show off too much," replied James. Sirius and Remus turned to look at him, as this was a blatant lie, than began to snort with laughter. James pulled a face like he was hurt and pouting, then started laughing as well. It was just something that he couldn't deny, nor could anyone else in all of Hogwarts that knew him. Except for maybe the first years, as they were naieve and would never expect to wake up to the smell of manure in their dormitory....
"Well, all I'm saying is that you lot had better shape up. Otherwise, it'll be you who is sorry later." With that final note, Remus stood up, stretched slightly, then traipsed up the boys' staircase to their room, which would be empty except for Frank Longbottum, who was probably already asleep.
:::......:::
There was a silent still over the common room when Lily Evans swept through very early that morning. She headed down to the Great Hall, where she would eat a quick breakfast and then round up the prefects to begin handing out schedules to the other students. When she arrived, the smell of pancakes and sausage hit her and she felt her stomach rumble. With a grin she spotted Jena sitting by herself at the long Gryffindor table, which was nearly empty as it was so early. With one leg tucked beneath her, she was obviously drawing like she usually did in the morning; she said it was her best time to work because there was no one around to look over her shoulder.
"Good morning," said Lily brightly as she plopped down across from her. She immediatly poured herself some orange juice and grabbed a few pieces of sausage and a couple pancakes. She buttered them and drenched them in sweet syrup like normal. "Sleep well?"
"I had a dream that I was marrying Snape and you and Jackie were my co- maids of honor. And you kept telling me that we were the perfect couple and that you were so happy for me. I kept asking you, "Have you gone nutters?" And you would just laugh..." she trailed off, not really ending the story. It was a tradition, when one of the three told pointless stories, to say, "Good story," at the end. Then they would chuckle for a few moments.
"Good story." They giggled. "What're you drawing today?"
"Nothing," she replied mysteriously, which was pretty much her reply for anything she didn't want to show anyone. "Anyway, did you sleep well last night?"
"Yeah. I don't remember what I dreamed though - probably about murdering James or something." She shrugged off handishly and began eating, then lowered her fork again in that thoughtful way. "D'you suppose I've got a chance with Ben?"
"Lily. Every guy in the school likes you - well, they think you're hot at least - and I'm sure Ben likes you. He would probably be very pleased if you asked him out." Jena didn't glance up from her sketch as she said this, but seemed rather intent on shading something.
"You think so? I really was kind of hoping you would say that... you're not just saying it though, right?" Lily didn't even need to ask. Jena was sort of the designated advice - giver, and it was often very accurate. She was wise beyond her years, Lily had decided years ago. She might have only been seventeen, but her soul was much older.
"Of course not," she replied, tucking a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ears. "You know me, Lils." And Lily did; Jena was the most beautiful girl that she had ever met, with her mocha hair hair golden - tan skin that was flawless. She was an exotic looking girl and her personality was just as beautiful as her looks. She was blessed with the talent to see something and then draw it exactly as she had seen it, realistically, and that was something Lily would be eternally jealous of. But she was often quiet and observant, sometimes causing Lily to wonder if there was something wrong. But after a while, she just realized that was how Jena was, how she functioned.
"Yes, I do," replied Lily with a grin as she shoved a piece of pancake into her mouth. "I wonder what's keeping Jackie?"
:::......:::
"Jackie!" said Sirius Black loudly, as though the girl was deaf. He put his large hands on her shoulders and steered her away from the portrait hole and back towards the fireplace, where the fire was warming the chilly common room. Jackie gave him a quizzical, suspicous look, but allowed him to guide her away. "My friend!"
"Since when?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well... that's beside the point. We've always been buddies, right? Making fun of Professor Binns, poking Snivellous in the back with our wands... great times. Anyway, before I get derailed, I have a great big favor to ask of you." He gazed at her innocently, fluttering his eyelashes in a feminine way, pouting his lips. Jackie cocked an eyebrow at him.
"What do you want?"
"You make it sound like I want something bad." She pulled a 'You - Always - Want - Something - Bad' face and he ignored it. "Okay, you know my buddy Prongs -"
"Prongs is James right?" she asked, having always had some trouble with the Marauders' nic-names. "Or is he Remus?"
"No, Remus is Moony, James is Prongs," Sirius corrected her, then shook his head to clear all thoughts that were not about what he was asking her. "Anyway. So James has a crush on your best friend, and we all know that they are destined to be together. Because look at James' Mum - red head. And his grandmum? Redhead. And fiesty at that," he added thoughtfully. "Plus, James always wants something that is out of his reach and eventually gets it. So I was hoping that you could make my life -" He put his arm around her shoulders and began leading her away from the staircase to the portrait hole as he said all of this, Jackie nodding as she processed the information. By now they were outside of the portrait of the fat lady in the pink dress and strolling down the corridor like old friends. "A whole lot easier," he finished.
"By..?"
"Well, I was wondering if you could please tell me a few things to tell to James to make him more attractive to Lily." He turned to face her, pleadingly. "You don't understand how hard it is - all he talks about is how she will be his, and then when she is he's going to be so happy and -"
"I'm really sorry," replied Jackie genuinely. "But Lily really interested in Ben Corners, and I definitely think that James is on a pointless crusade. But I'm really sorry," she repeated. She patted his shoulder lightly, then headed off without him, her blonde ponytail bobbing cheerfully behind her.
"It's okay," he said, after her retreating figure. "You just helped me out tons..."
A/N: Didn't I tell you that this chapter would be sooo much better? Wasn't it?
Disclaimer: Nope. I don't anything, 'cept for Jena and Jackie. And Ben. Has anyone picked up on him yet? I'm being really brilliant, you know!
James Potter had been daft. So daft, in fact, that it amazed him that he could have put up with himself. He wondered why he had been so stupid, and decided it was the fact that Lily Evans was so smart and beautiful and clever and redheaded that it had just made him a lot less intelligent. So, after a long summer of analyzing the situation and chewing his best pal Sirius Black's ear off about the whole event, he finally decided that he needed to approach the situation from a different angle. He had been too much too fast; she wasn't ready for that nor was she interested in it. He decided that from now on, he was going to play it cool. He wasn't going to go around teasing her about her hair or how brainy she was - though sometimes an occasional teasing was okay, it added suspense - but rather contrary to all of that. He was going to pretend like he didn't like her.
This was going to be no easy feat, of course. He was going to need the help of his three best friends, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and of course Sirius, to keep him on track. It would be hard, but he was absolutely sure that by the end of the seventh year, Lily Evans would be his girlfriend and all would be spectacular.
He just sort slipped though, accidently, during the openning feast when he said that she was ugly before, or something like that.
That night, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James were sitting around the fire in the common room, in their favorite spots. It was rather quiet, as many of the students had drifted off to bed long ago. Lily and her two friends, Jackie Storms and Jena Jacobson, that seemed to be joined at the hip, had disappeared rather quickly. Lily was Head Girl this year, along with James' friend Remus (though James had been hoping for the privelege, he had simply had far too many detentions and wreaked too much havoc to become Head Boy). They had trouped up together, debating some issue that was of no relevance to James or the rest of the Marauders, which is what they called themselves. Their secret club that no one else had a chance of joining.
"It's our last year," said Remus suddenly, his blue eyes becoming bright with thought. "I think you should all try to finish on a good leg."
"Damn it! I ruined my last good leg during the summer," replied Sirius sarcastically. "You sound like James' Mum." He chuckled, dodging the pillow that was sent flying at him. He raked a hand through his chocolate brown locks and grinned smugly. Sirius was the most playful of the entire group, a very liked guy. He was friendly and outgoing, which was what attracted so many people to him. He was a magnetic force.
"I'm being serious," said Remus in a serious tone. "You guys are never going to get work if you don't start getting worried about your academics and not just girls you fancy or what have you." He folded his arms over his chest and cocked up an eyebrow at James, who he could much more easily guilt into promising to look after his grades, but not without much help from outside sources that didn't need to know about being sources. "Lily is never going to go out with you if you don't start paying attention in class."
"Prongs doesn't need to pay attention in class!" exclaimed a timid Peter Pettigrew, using the groups top secret nic-names, which only they knew what th names meant. "All he has to do is hear it, and it practically gets permanently imprinted on his brain. He's much smarter than Evans." Peter was the round faced baby of the group, who was rather daft but still good at heart. He had thin blonde hair and wide blue eyes that made him seem younger than them.
"If that's true, why did he only get an 'Acceptable' on his O.W.L's?"
"Because I don't like to show off too much," replied James. Sirius and Remus turned to look at him, as this was a blatant lie, than began to snort with laughter. James pulled a face like he was hurt and pouting, then started laughing as well. It was just something that he couldn't deny, nor could anyone else in all of Hogwarts that knew him. Except for maybe the first years, as they were naieve and would never expect to wake up to the smell of manure in their dormitory....
"Well, all I'm saying is that you lot had better shape up. Otherwise, it'll be you who is sorry later." With that final note, Remus stood up, stretched slightly, then traipsed up the boys' staircase to their room, which would be empty except for Frank Longbottum, who was probably already asleep.
:::......:::
There was a silent still over the common room when Lily Evans swept through very early that morning. She headed down to the Great Hall, where she would eat a quick breakfast and then round up the prefects to begin handing out schedules to the other students. When she arrived, the smell of pancakes and sausage hit her and she felt her stomach rumble. With a grin she spotted Jena sitting by herself at the long Gryffindor table, which was nearly empty as it was so early. With one leg tucked beneath her, she was obviously drawing like she usually did in the morning; she said it was her best time to work because there was no one around to look over her shoulder.
"Good morning," said Lily brightly as she plopped down across from her. She immediatly poured herself some orange juice and grabbed a few pieces of sausage and a couple pancakes. She buttered them and drenched them in sweet syrup like normal. "Sleep well?"
"I had a dream that I was marrying Snape and you and Jackie were my co- maids of honor. And you kept telling me that we were the perfect couple and that you were so happy for me. I kept asking you, "Have you gone nutters?" And you would just laugh..." she trailed off, not really ending the story. It was a tradition, when one of the three told pointless stories, to say, "Good story," at the end. Then they would chuckle for a few moments.
"Good story." They giggled. "What're you drawing today?"
"Nothing," she replied mysteriously, which was pretty much her reply for anything she didn't want to show anyone. "Anyway, did you sleep well last night?"
"Yeah. I don't remember what I dreamed though - probably about murdering James or something." She shrugged off handishly and began eating, then lowered her fork again in that thoughtful way. "D'you suppose I've got a chance with Ben?"
"Lily. Every guy in the school likes you - well, they think you're hot at least - and I'm sure Ben likes you. He would probably be very pleased if you asked him out." Jena didn't glance up from her sketch as she said this, but seemed rather intent on shading something.
"You think so? I really was kind of hoping you would say that... you're not just saying it though, right?" Lily didn't even need to ask. Jena was sort of the designated advice - giver, and it was often very accurate. She was wise beyond her years, Lily had decided years ago. She might have only been seventeen, but her soul was much older.
"Of course not," she replied, tucking a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ears. "You know me, Lils." And Lily did; Jena was the most beautiful girl that she had ever met, with her mocha hair hair golden - tan skin that was flawless. She was an exotic looking girl and her personality was just as beautiful as her looks. She was blessed with the talent to see something and then draw it exactly as she had seen it, realistically, and that was something Lily would be eternally jealous of. But she was often quiet and observant, sometimes causing Lily to wonder if there was something wrong. But after a while, she just realized that was how Jena was, how she functioned.
"Yes, I do," replied Lily with a grin as she shoved a piece of pancake into her mouth. "I wonder what's keeping Jackie?"
:::......:::
"Jackie!" said Sirius Black loudly, as though the girl was deaf. He put his large hands on her shoulders and steered her away from the portrait hole and back towards the fireplace, where the fire was warming the chilly common room. Jackie gave him a quizzical, suspicous look, but allowed him to guide her away. "My friend!"
"Since when?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well... that's beside the point. We've always been buddies, right? Making fun of Professor Binns, poking Snivellous in the back with our wands... great times. Anyway, before I get derailed, I have a great big favor to ask of you." He gazed at her innocently, fluttering his eyelashes in a feminine way, pouting his lips. Jackie cocked an eyebrow at him.
"What do you want?"
"You make it sound like I want something bad." She pulled a 'You - Always - Want - Something - Bad' face and he ignored it. "Okay, you know my buddy Prongs -"
"Prongs is James right?" she asked, having always had some trouble with the Marauders' nic-names. "Or is he Remus?"
"No, Remus is Moony, James is Prongs," Sirius corrected her, then shook his head to clear all thoughts that were not about what he was asking her. "Anyway. So James has a crush on your best friend, and we all know that they are destined to be together. Because look at James' Mum - red head. And his grandmum? Redhead. And fiesty at that," he added thoughtfully. "Plus, James always wants something that is out of his reach and eventually gets it. So I was hoping that you could make my life -" He put his arm around her shoulders and began leading her away from the staircase to the portrait hole as he said all of this, Jackie nodding as she processed the information. By now they were outside of the portrait of the fat lady in the pink dress and strolling down the corridor like old friends. "A whole lot easier," he finished.
"By..?"
"Well, I was wondering if you could please tell me a few things to tell to James to make him more attractive to Lily." He turned to face her, pleadingly. "You don't understand how hard it is - all he talks about is how she will be his, and then when she is he's going to be so happy and -"
"I'm really sorry," replied Jackie genuinely. "But Lily really interested in Ben Corners, and I definitely think that James is on a pointless crusade. But I'm really sorry," she repeated. She patted his shoulder lightly, then headed off without him, her blonde ponytail bobbing cheerfully behind her.
"It's okay," he said, after her retreating figure. "You just helped me out tons..."
A/N: Didn't I tell you that this chapter would be sooo much better? Wasn't it?
Disclaimer: Nope. I don't anything, 'cept for Jena and Jackie. And Ben. Has anyone picked up on him yet? I'm being really brilliant, you know!