A/N: The customary thank you to lita and madame-knight, our INCREDIBLY
faithful reviewers, and aurora-borealis too. Lita - James DOES like Lily,
he is just in denial. Madame-knight - here you go!
And now I hand over to Eihwaz...
B/N: Worship Sev No, seriously, I am so happy! I got rid of Maria!
*grins evilly* Yup, that's right folks, if the 'Egypt' scene seems awful
to you, that's cuz I hijacked it! And dealt with her once and for all!
(You can tell how happy I am by the excessive use of exclamation marks!)
...Why Egypt? Ask Lourdaise. Her idea. Everything else came from my
twisted imagination, though. Camels and lavender-scented paper included... Chapter 11
I was spectacularly bored. My parents, with their rather individual ideas on the subject of a relaxing holiday, had insisted on a three-week trek across Egypt. On camelback.
Which was why I was now soaking my poor, agonised body in warm, bubbling water, muttering to myself about the injustice of it all. Why couldn't I just ride my broomstick? It would be a lot less painful, and Mum could cast a glamour charm to make it look like one of the evil creatures in case any muggles were around - but no. Both parents were unanimous: we were to absorb some local culture, and how better to gain an understanding of the native customs than by taking part in them? At least our tent had all magical mod cons, including the jacuzzi I was currently lounging in.
Yet all good things must come to an end, and eventually I hauled myself out. I was towelling off when Neptune swooped into the tent, carrying a letter. A letter on lavender parchment. I groaned. I could guess who it was from. I rummaged around for some owl treats and filled a dish with water, then unrolled the scroll.
I gagged. Lavender-scented as well. Without breathing, I skimmed through the first paragraph.
'Dear James,
I'm so sorry about next Saturday. I know I promised you that I would come and see you. And honestly, I do want to, but my tutor has just entered me for a dance competition. And it... kind of overlaps. It's not that you're second-best or anything, but you know how important this kind of thing is to me. I knew you'd understand!'
Understand? I was furious. What gave her the right to just brush me off like that? Just because she was my girlfriend didn't mean she could treat me like this. I had never really liked her that way anyway, I realised. She was, as Sirius had said, so... prissy.
Not bothering to read the rest of the letter, I scribbled a reply to the effect that I no longer wished to be associated with her. She obviously had no respect for me and besides, a girlfriend out of school where no-one could see her - it didn't fit my image. Finishing with a formal 'Yours sincerely, James Potter', I rolled up the parchment and tied it to Neptune's leg. She flew off, and I heaved a sigh of relief. No more Maria to deal with. No more lavender-scented parchment. Things could only get better. Now all I had to contend with was one more week of sand. And camels.
I returned to school in September as a third year with tanned skin, a hatred of all quadrupeds with humps and a wish to lock Snape in a pyramid. I had not seen Sirius or Remus since July, but unlike last year they had not changed much. The only difference was that Sirius and I paid the girls that were hanging over us again more attention. Last year Sirius had only been trying to look cool with his new look - this year we had been told to buy dress robes for a ball at Christmas, and we were both looking to go with pretty girls.
Third year started off much like the last, except now there were a couple of new subjects. I had chosen to take Muggle Studies and Divination on the basis that they would be easy - Sirius, of course, was with me, but Remus had taken Arithmancy instead of Divination.
"I see no reason to want to spot death in a tea cup," he said.
"But Arithmancy..."
"Yes, it's challenging, but I like it. Like I say, not all of us want to see happiness in an upside down bowler hat," he commented, staring at my text book with markedly raised eyebrows, "and depression in everything else." He had a point. The first lesson had been a joke, with Professor Misty predicting that Sirius would die, I would run away from home and one of the Hufflepuffs would be expelled. Only one person had been granted a happy forecast.
"Exploding snap anyone?" I suggested weakly.
We were officially told about the Yule Ball a couple of weeks before Halloween. It was open to third years and above, or younger if you had an eligible date.
"I suppose it would be noble to ask a first or second year," Sirius sniggered one evening.
"Yeah... who are you really going to ask?"
"I dunno. I'll take my pick soon. Who do you think is prettier - Rosanne Night or Emma Bones?"
I considered. "Emma," I said. "Probably."
"Yes... yes, I'll ask her then."
"But Rosanne's a Gryffindor."
"Oh, don't make this complicated, J. I'm going entirely on looks!" he scolded.
Of course, the person who I had in mind for taking to the dance was Lily Evans. Yes, I had tried to hate her last year, but it had not been very successful. All I needed to do was dazzle her with my smile, and I'd have her exactly where I wanted her. Wouldn't I?
"So, Evans," I said, working my way to her side after Charms one day in early November. She eyed me suspiciously.
"Yes, Potter?"
"I was thinking... about this dance..."
She frowned. "Yes..."
"Would you like to go with me?"
She continued to pack her bag. "Thanks," she said at last, and I began to smile, "but - no."
"No?"
"That's right. Sorry to shock you," she said, walking off. "But I don't find your personality attractive."
So. My first rejection. It left me down for a few days, but then that I decided to lift my image a little further. I couldn't be bothered to try and hate Lily Evans again, but I wasn't going to mope. I would just ask someone else.
I waited until a fortnight ahead of the dance before asking Annie Griffiths, a Ravenclaw in my year, to come with me. She was pretty, and rather more receptive to the idea of coming with me than Lily had been.
"I'm amazed no one else has asked you," she giggled.
"They have," I said truthfully. "But, you know... I had my eye on someone else."
She need never know that that someone else had actually been Lily Evans.
Our first Quidditch match as reigning champions was against Slytherin. They had reshuffled their team a little, as had we, but despite the fact that they were stronger, we won again.
"Don't let's get cocky, though," Geoff Bones warned. "I've heard that Ravenclaw has a very strong side this year, and even Hufflepuff has that Amos Diggory bloke. I'm glad we've beaten Slytherin, but just because they were the deciding match last year doesn't mean they are this year. Please keep a sense of perspective and realism."
"Party pooper," muttered Arthur Weasley. I grinned in agreement.
"I heard that, Weasley! Please bear in mind the fact that you're sweet on my sister!"
Arthur grimaced, but also reddened.
"What, Emma?" I asked.
"No - Molly," he muttered. "He wasn't supposed to know!"
I smiled. "Well, never mind. Ask her to the Ball - then there'll be no risk of her finding out from him first."
"It's not that easy!"
"Yeah, it is."
"Who're you taking, then?"
"Annie Griffiths."
He looked perplexed, then replied sagely, "Yes, well, that's different. Isn't it?"
Yes. I supposed it was.
Three days before the Yule Ball, Sirius and I were leaving the Great Hall after dinner when we heard whimpering coming from the entrance to the dungeons. We exchanged glances.
"Let go of me, Snape!"
"I want you to promise," snarled a familiar voice.
"No! I won't!"
"Then let's just stay here for a while longer. Why won't you spy on them for me? Oculos lumos!"
"Copycat," I muttered to Sirius. "Can you tell who he's bullying?"
We listened intently. "Because they're - they're better than - aaaaaaggggggghhhh!"
"It's that Peter Pettigrew, I think. Three guesses who Snape wants him to spy on."
I grinned, but then frowned. "We'd better rescue him."
"Yeah."
We drew our wands and approached the source of the noise. It was indeed Peter, his eyes blazing light and his hands scratched. His feet were doing the maniac tap dance that Snape had made us do.
"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, and caught Snape's wand while Sirius sorted Peter.
"Next time, Snivellus," Sirius said cruelly, "pick on someone your own greasiness. Oh, I'm sorry - everyone else here washes, so you wouldn't be able to bully anyone, would you?"
"Give me my wand!"
"I see no reason to," I said slowly. "I could just walk off with it. As far as I can tell, all that can be achieved by your having it back is your using it on us. Whereas like this - well, it's armed three versus unarmed one, isn't it?"
He lunged towards me but Sirius was quick. "Impendimenta!"
Snape fell back.
"Peter, come with us," I said. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," he said. "Yes, I'm OK. I don't know what he would have done next, though. Thank you for rescuing me. I'm not a very good wizard, I don't think."
"I can assure you, neither is he. He wouldn't have managed to do you any lasting harm, would you, Snivellus?" I snorted with laughter. "Here, have your wand. We're leaving. The impendimenta will wear off soon - goodbye!"
And after that, Peter became one of our group; one of the Marauders, as we were now called - the one-off nickname had stuck. We had gone from three to four and I was happy with the change. Peter had been right, he was not a very good wizard, but he admired Sirius, Remus and I, and so he stayed. We looked after him in return for support and deference.
A/N: REVIEW! REVIEW! And prepare for a vote in the next chappie's A/N... mwahahahahaaa
*grins evilly* Yup, that's right folks, if the 'Egypt' scene seems awful
to you, that's cuz I hijacked it! And dealt with her once and for all!
(You can tell how happy I am by the excessive use of exclamation marks!)
...Why Egypt? Ask Lourdaise. Her idea. Everything else came from my
twisted imagination, though. Camels and lavender-scented paper included... Chapter 11
I was spectacularly bored. My parents, with their rather individual ideas on the subject of a relaxing holiday, had insisted on a three-week trek across Egypt. On camelback.
Which was why I was now soaking my poor, agonised body in warm, bubbling water, muttering to myself about the injustice of it all. Why couldn't I just ride my broomstick? It would be a lot less painful, and Mum could cast a glamour charm to make it look like one of the evil creatures in case any muggles were around - but no. Both parents were unanimous: we were to absorb some local culture, and how better to gain an understanding of the native customs than by taking part in them? At least our tent had all magical mod cons, including the jacuzzi I was currently lounging in.
Yet all good things must come to an end, and eventually I hauled myself out. I was towelling off when Neptune swooped into the tent, carrying a letter. A letter on lavender parchment. I groaned. I could guess who it was from. I rummaged around for some owl treats and filled a dish with water, then unrolled the scroll.
I gagged. Lavender-scented as well. Without breathing, I skimmed through the first paragraph.
'Dear James,
I'm so sorry about next Saturday. I know I promised you that I would come and see you. And honestly, I do want to, but my tutor has just entered me for a dance competition. And it... kind of overlaps. It's not that you're second-best or anything, but you know how important this kind of thing is to me. I knew you'd understand!'
Understand? I was furious. What gave her the right to just brush me off like that? Just because she was my girlfriend didn't mean she could treat me like this. I had never really liked her that way anyway, I realised. She was, as Sirius had said, so... prissy.
Not bothering to read the rest of the letter, I scribbled a reply to the effect that I no longer wished to be associated with her. She obviously had no respect for me and besides, a girlfriend out of school where no-one could see her - it didn't fit my image. Finishing with a formal 'Yours sincerely, James Potter', I rolled up the parchment and tied it to Neptune's leg. She flew off, and I heaved a sigh of relief. No more Maria to deal with. No more lavender-scented parchment. Things could only get better. Now all I had to contend with was one more week of sand. And camels.
I returned to school in September as a third year with tanned skin, a hatred of all quadrupeds with humps and a wish to lock Snape in a pyramid. I had not seen Sirius or Remus since July, but unlike last year they had not changed much. The only difference was that Sirius and I paid the girls that were hanging over us again more attention. Last year Sirius had only been trying to look cool with his new look - this year we had been told to buy dress robes for a ball at Christmas, and we were both looking to go with pretty girls.
Third year started off much like the last, except now there were a couple of new subjects. I had chosen to take Muggle Studies and Divination on the basis that they would be easy - Sirius, of course, was with me, but Remus had taken Arithmancy instead of Divination.
"I see no reason to want to spot death in a tea cup," he said.
"But Arithmancy..."
"Yes, it's challenging, but I like it. Like I say, not all of us want to see happiness in an upside down bowler hat," he commented, staring at my text book with markedly raised eyebrows, "and depression in everything else." He had a point. The first lesson had been a joke, with Professor Misty predicting that Sirius would die, I would run away from home and one of the Hufflepuffs would be expelled. Only one person had been granted a happy forecast.
"Exploding snap anyone?" I suggested weakly.
We were officially told about the Yule Ball a couple of weeks before Halloween. It was open to third years and above, or younger if you had an eligible date.
"I suppose it would be noble to ask a first or second year," Sirius sniggered one evening.
"Yeah... who are you really going to ask?"
"I dunno. I'll take my pick soon. Who do you think is prettier - Rosanne Night or Emma Bones?"
I considered. "Emma," I said. "Probably."
"Yes... yes, I'll ask her then."
"But Rosanne's a Gryffindor."
"Oh, don't make this complicated, J. I'm going entirely on looks!" he scolded.
Of course, the person who I had in mind for taking to the dance was Lily Evans. Yes, I had tried to hate her last year, but it had not been very successful. All I needed to do was dazzle her with my smile, and I'd have her exactly where I wanted her. Wouldn't I?
"So, Evans," I said, working my way to her side after Charms one day in early November. She eyed me suspiciously.
"Yes, Potter?"
"I was thinking... about this dance..."
She frowned. "Yes..."
"Would you like to go with me?"
She continued to pack her bag. "Thanks," she said at last, and I began to smile, "but - no."
"No?"
"That's right. Sorry to shock you," she said, walking off. "But I don't find your personality attractive."
So. My first rejection. It left me down for a few days, but then that I decided to lift my image a little further. I couldn't be bothered to try and hate Lily Evans again, but I wasn't going to mope. I would just ask someone else.
I waited until a fortnight ahead of the dance before asking Annie Griffiths, a Ravenclaw in my year, to come with me. She was pretty, and rather more receptive to the idea of coming with me than Lily had been.
"I'm amazed no one else has asked you," she giggled.
"They have," I said truthfully. "But, you know... I had my eye on someone else."
She need never know that that someone else had actually been Lily Evans.
Our first Quidditch match as reigning champions was against Slytherin. They had reshuffled their team a little, as had we, but despite the fact that they were stronger, we won again.
"Don't let's get cocky, though," Geoff Bones warned. "I've heard that Ravenclaw has a very strong side this year, and even Hufflepuff has that Amos Diggory bloke. I'm glad we've beaten Slytherin, but just because they were the deciding match last year doesn't mean they are this year. Please keep a sense of perspective and realism."
"Party pooper," muttered Arthur Weasley. I grinned in agreement.
"I heard that, Weasley! Please bear in mind the fact that you're sweet on my sister!"
Arthur grimaced, but also reddened.
"What, Emma?" I asked.
"No - Molly," he muttered. "He wasn't supposed to know!"
I smiled. "Well, never mind. Ask her to the Ball - then there'll be no risk of her finding out from him first."
"It's not that easy!"
"Yeah, it is."
"Who're you taking, then?"
"Annie Griffiths."
He looked perplexed, then replied sagely, "Yes, well, that's different. Isn't it?"
Yes. I supposed it was.
Three days before the Yule Ball, Sirius and I were leaving the Great Hall after dinner when we heard whimpering coming from the entrance to the dungeons. We exchanged glances.
"Let go of me, Snape!"
"I want you to promise," snarled a familiar voice.
"No! I won't!"
"Then let's just stay here for a while longer. Why won't you spy on them for me? Oculos lumos!"
"Copycat," I muttered to Sirius. "Can you tell who he's bullying?"
We listened intently. "Because they're - they're better than - aaaaaaggggggghhhh!"
"It's that Peter Pettigrew, I think. Three guesses who Snape wants him to spy on."
I grinned, but then frowned. "We'd better rescue him."
"Yeah."
We drew our wands and approached the source of the noise. It was indeed Peter, his eyes blazing light and his hands scratched. His feet were doing the maniac tap dance that Snape had made us do.
"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, and caught Snape's wand while Sirius sorted Peter.
"Next time, Snivellus," Sirius said cruelly, "pick on someone your own greasiness. Oh, I'm sorry - everyone else here washes, so you wouldn't be able to bully anyone, would you?"
"Give me my wand!"
"I see no reason to," I said slowly. "I could just walk off with it. As far as I can tell, all that can be achieved by your having it back is your using it on us. Whereas like this - well, it's armed three versus unarmed one, isn't it?"
He lunged towards me but Sirius was quick. "Impendimenta!"
Snape fell back.
"Peter, come with us," I said. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," he said. "Yes, I'm OK. I don't know what he would have done next, though. Thank you for rescuing me. I'm not a very good wizard, I don't think."
"I can assure you, neither is he. He wouldn't have managed to do you any lasting harm, would you, Snivellus?" I snorted with laughter. "Here, have your wand. We're leaving. The impendimenta will wear off soon - goodbye!"
And after that, Peter became one of our group; one of the Marauders, as we were now called - the one-off nickname had stuck. We had gone from three to four and I was happy with the change. Peter had been right, he was not a very good wizard, but he admired Sirius, Remus and I, and so he stayed. We looked after him in return for support and deference.
A/N: REVIEW! REVIEW! And prepare for a vote in the next chappie's A/N... mwahahahahaaa