Something Like Deception
Disclaimer: still not mine, and hey! Another chapter!
Chapter 7 – dishonest thoughts and rising tempers
"Lily . . . what is this?" Remus said, breathlessly. He looked around the room in awe. There were . . . machines with lights. So many lights. And there were buttons on the machines. Some of the machines were even making sounds!
"It's called an ar-cade," Lily pronounced, slowly. "Calm down. It's nothing dangerous. Just a muggle thing."
"Ar-cade?" Remus said, still in awe. "How . . . does it work?" He tore his gaze away from the arcade to glance at her face. She was beaming.
"I'll show you!" she said, pulling him over to the nearest . . . arcade machine.
Remus watched in fascination as she positioned herself in front of the machine. She put her hands on either side, and then she suddenly clapped her hands together.
"No money! Alright!" she turned to him and gave him a super grin. "See, usually, you would have to pay money to play this, but I guess Hogwarts doesn't think like that! I bet this stuff doesn't even run on electricity. Nope! Look! No wires! Incredible!"
Remus took a deep breath. "Yeah. Incredible," he said, eyebrows raised.
She laughed. "James! Don't look so scared. It's just a bunch of games! Come closer. I'll show you how to use them . . ."
*_*
"Well? Where are they, Sirius? They've been gone for two hours!" James said, almost hysterically.
"Room of Requirement," Sirius said, glancing nonchalantly at the map.
"Still!?" James exclaimed. "What would they do for TWO WHOLE HOURS!?"
Sirius shrugged, not wanting to voice his opinion. James gasped. "He wouldn't! Not Moony!"
Sirius shrugged again.
"I'm going to go get them!"
"You can't," Sirius said, indifferently.
"Why the bloody hell not!?" James glared at him.
"Think. How would it look if Remus went barging in on them? She might start to get ideas. She might get suspicious," Sirius said. "Come on, Prongs. You're the one who wanted them to have alone time, so let them have alone time!"
"But what if he - ?"
"You're the only one around here who's even the slightest bit attracted to Evans," Sirius interrupted. He suddenly gulped, immediately regretting what he had said. "I-I mean – "
"What's that supposed to mean!? Lily Evans is extremely attractive!" James yelled.
"Come on, James! You know I didn't mean - !"
"I don't know what you meant," James snapped. "All I know is, that boy is alone with my girl! And they've been alone for too long." Angrily, James yanked open the dormitory door, Remus's long hair dangling in his eyes. He brushed it out, impatiently.
"Well? Are you coming, Padfoot?" James demanded, stopping in the doorframe.
Sirius stared at him. "I think I'll stay here, thanks. I'm sure you can expose the secret by yourself just fine."
"I'm not going to expose anything. I'm just . . . checking on them is all. That's all it is," James said, exasperately.
"Whatever you call it," Sirius said, shrugging.
James stormed out of the room, and after about a minute, Sirius followed. But he didn't head to the Room of Requirement. Instead, he headed to the library, shaking his head.
"Madness is all it is," he mumbled. "And I need to find an antidote for them before I go mad myself."
*_-
"Kick! Kick, you stupid . . .! Kick him! No, don't! NO!"
"Yes! I win again!" James said, grinning. "I'm sorry, Lily, my dear, but it seems that you simply cannot win against me! I'm undefeatable!"
"You wish," Lily mumbled. "I almost won. You just cheated there on the end."
"Cheated? Me?" James said, still grinning. "Well, if I am cheating, then it's your fault that the machines you thought up are somehow malfunctioning."
Lily glared at him for a minute. His glasses were lopsided, practically falling off of his face, and his hair was damp with sweat, sticking to his forehead. Plus he was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Lily couldn't help it. She suddenly started laughing.
He looked confused for a second, then he smiled. "You know, you're really pretty when you laugh."
Lily abruptly stopped, her cheeks going pink. "What?"
James's eyes suddenly widened, as if he realized what he had said. "I-I, er . . . I-I mean, uhh – " His face was bright red, but hers was even brighter.
"I . . . I think we should go back, now," Lily said, turning toward the door. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting this way? She shook her head. She had a boyfriend! One of his best friends! This was ridiculous. She wasn't even supposed to LIKE James Potter. She shook her head again to clear away the thoughts.
"Yes. Let's go," he said, in a low voice. "Lily?" She turned to look back at him. "Um . . .It was . . . erm, fun, though, wasn't it?"
Lily smiled. "Yes. It was." She turned and started to put a hand on the doorknob, but James gently pushed her hand away, and opened it instead – a very gentlemanly gesture.
"Thank - " The words died on her lips as she came face to face with Remus Lupin standing on the other side of the door.
-_*
James stared at Lily, then Remus, then Lily again. Maybe if he looked hard enough, he could tell what had happened in that room without having to ask them, because now that he was face to face with them, he couldn't think of anything to say.
Lily sighed. "Remus . . ." she said, softly. "It's not what you think."
James stared at her. She was talking to him, yes, but what was she talking about? Why wasn't it what he thought? It was supposed to be what he thought! But he had come to the Room of Requirement because he was jealous and he wanted to stop it from being what he thought it was. Then again, if he stopped it, he . . . James shook his head. He was suddenly very confused.
"I don't know what I think," he mumbled. "I don't even know why I'm down here. Mo – uh, Prongs? I'll see you in the room. Evening Evans. I mean, Lily." He walked away in a state of confusion.
"That was . . . strange," Lily thought aloud. "Remus never . . ." She suddenly seemed to realize that 'James' was still standing next to her, and she jumped. "Oh! Um, goodnight, Potter! I mean, James!"
She ran ahead to her room, so she wouldn't have to walk with Potter. Something felt a little off . . .
-_*
James paced back and forth, waiting for Moony to come in. Sirius was missing, too, but he barely noticed.
Finally, the door to his room opened, and he turned around. Moony.
"Hi, James," Remus said, tiredly. "Goodnight, James." He headed for the bathrooms.
"I don't think so," James said, sharply. "What happened? You were in that room for two hours, Remus! Two hours!"
Remus nodded slowly. "Yes. I suppose we were." He turned away again.
"Well!? What were you doing in there for two whole bloody hours!?" James exclaimed.
Remus turned toward him again. "Honestly, James. Two teenagers in a closed, soundproof, locked room all alone for two entire hours? What do you think we were doing?"
James gaped, his mouth wide open. He seemed unable to form words. "Studying, right?" he finally said, when he had found his breath again. "Tell me you two were studying."
"Right, Prongsie," Remus smiled. "We were 'studying.'"
@_@
hahahahahahaha! I love the ending there! James mind is in the gutter if you ask me . . . and Lily! Looks like she may be starting to suspect something . . .
And hey! If you wanna read another james/remus switching story, read "My Best Friend's Skin" by Indiangurl. It doesn't have many chapters, but it's really good so far! I love it! Heehee – hope she doesn't mind that I'm advertising for her . . .
Ariana S.
Disclaimer: still not mine, and hey! Another chapter!
Chapter 7 – dishonest thoughts and rising tempers
"Lily . . . what is this?" Remus said, breathlessly. He looked around the room in awe. There were . . . machines with lights. So many lights. And there were buttons on the machines. Some of the machines were even making sounds!
"It's called an ar-cade," Lily pronounced, slowly. "Calm down. It's nothing dangerous. Just a muggle thing."
"Ar-cade?" Remus said, still in awe. "How . . . does it work?" He tore his gaze away from the arcade to glance at her face. She was beaming.
"I'll show you!" she said, pulling him over to the nearest . . . arcade machine.
Remus watched in fascination as she positioned herself in front of the machine. She put her hands on either side, and then she suddenly clapped her hands together.
"No money! Alright!" she turned to him and gave him a super grin. "See, usually, you would have to pay money to play this, but I guess Hogwarts doesn't think like that! I bet this stuff doesn't even run on electricity. Nope! Look! No wires! Incredible!"
Remus took a deep breath. "Yeah. Incredible," he said, eyebrows raised.
She laughed. "James! Don't look so scared. It's just a bunch of games! Come closer. I'll show you how to use them . . ."
*_*
"Well? Where are they, Sirius? They've been gone for two hours!" James said, almost hysterically.
"Room of Requirement," Sirius said, glancing nonchalantly at the map.
"Still!?" James exclaimed. "What would they do for TWO WHOLE HOURS!?"
Sirius shrugged, not wanting to voice his opinion. James gasped. "He wouldn't! Not Moony!"
Sirius shrugged again.
"I'm going to go get them!"
"You can't," Sirius said, indifferently.
"Why the bloody hell not!?" James glared at him.
"Think. How would it look if Remus went barging in on them? She might start to get ideas. She might get suspicious," Sirius said. "Come on, Prongs. You're the one who wanted them to have alone time, so let them have alone time!"
"But what if he - ?"
"You're the only one around here who's even the slightest bit attracted to Evans," Sirius interrupted. He suddenly gulped, immediately regretting what he had said. "I-I mean – "
"What's that supposed to mean!? Lily Evans is extremely attractive!" James yelled.
"Come on, James! You know I didn't mean - !"
"I don't know what you meant," James snapped. "All I know is, that boy is alone with my girl! And they've been alone for too long." Angrily, James yanked open the dormitory door, Remus's long hair dangling in his eyes. He brushed it out, impatiently.
"Well? Are you coming, Padfoot?" James demanded, stopping in the doorframe.
Sirius stared at him. "I think I'll stay here, thanks. I'm sure you can expose the secret by yourself just fine."
"I'm not going to expose anything. I'm just . . . checking on them is all. That's all it is," James said, exasperately.
"Whatever you call it," Sirius said, shrugging.
James stormed out of the room, and after about a minute, Sirius followed. But he didn't head to the Room of Requirement. Instead, he headed to the library, shaking his head.
"Madness is all it is," he mumbled. "And I need to find an antidote for them before I go mad myself."
*_-
"Kick! Kick, you stupid . . .! Kick him! No, don't! NO!"
"Yes! I win again!" James said, grinning. "I'm sorry, Lily, my dear, but it seems that you simply cannot win against me! I'm undefeatable!"
"You wish," Lily mumbled. "I almost won. You just cheated there on the end."
"Cheated? Me?" James said, still grinning. "Well, if I am cheating, then it's your fault that the machines you thought up are somehow malfunctioning."
Lily glared at him for a minute. His glasses were lopsided, practically falling off of his face, and his hair was damp with sweat, sticking to his forehead. Plus he was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Lily couldn't help it. She suddenly started laughing.
He looked confused for a second, then he smiled. "You know, you're really pretty when you laugh."
Lily abruptly stopped, her cheeks going pink. "What?"
James's eyes suddenly widened, as if he realized what he had said. "I-I, er . . . I-I mean, uhh – " His face was bright red, but hers was even brighter.
"I . . . I think we should go back, now," Lily said, turning toward the door. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting this way? She shook her head. She had a boyfriend! One of his best friends! This was ridiculous. She wasn't even supposed to LIKE James Potter. She shook her head again to clear away the thoughts.
"Yes. Let's go," he said, in a low voice. "Lily?" She turned to look back at him. "Um . . .It was . . . erm, fun, though, wasn't it?"
Lily smiled. "Yes. It was." She turned and started to put a hand on the doorknob, but James gently pushed her hand away, and opened it instead – a very gentlemanly gesture.
"Thank - " The words died on her lips as she came face to face with Remus Lupin standing on the other side of the door.
-_*
James stared at Lily, then Remus, then Lily again. Maybe if he looked hard enough, he could tell what had happened in that room without having to ask them, because now that he was face to face with them, he couldn't think of anything to say.
Lily sighed. "Remus . . ." she said, softly. "It's not what you think."
James stared at her. She was talking to him, yes, but what was she talking about? Why wasn't it what he thought? It was supposed to be what he thought! But he had come to the Room of Requirement because he was jealous and he wanted to stop it from being what he thought it was. Then again, if he stopped it, he . . . James shook his head. He was suddenly very confused.
"I don't know what I think," he mumbled. "I don't even know why I'm down here. Mo – uh, Prongs? I'll see you in the room. Evening Evans. I mean, Lily." He walked away in a state of confusion.
"That was . . . strange," Lily thought aloud. "Remus never . . ." She suddenly seemed to realize that 'James' was still standing next to her, and she jumped. "Oh! Um, goodnight, Potter! I mean, James!"
She ran ahead to her room, so she wouldn't have to walk with Potter. Something felt a little off . . .
-_*
James paced back and forth, waiting for Moony to come in. Sirius was missing, too, but he barely noticed.
Finally, the door to his room opened, and he turned around. Moony.
"Hi, James," Remus said, tiredly. "Goodnight, James." He headed for the bathrooms.
"I don't think so," James said, sharply. "What happened? You were in that room for two hours, Remus! Two hours!"
Remus nodded slowly. "Yes. I suppose we were." He turned away again.
"Well!? What were you doing in there for two whole bloody hours!?" James exclaimed.
Remus turned toward him again. "Honestly, James. Two teenagers in a closed, soundproof, locked room all alone for two entire hours? What do you think we were doing?"
James gaped, his mouth wide open. He seemed unable to form words. "Studying, right?" he finally said, when he had found his breath again. "Tell me you two were studying."
"Right, Prongsie," Remus smiled. "We were 'studying.'"
@_@
hahahahahahaha! I love the ending there! James mind is in the gutter if you ask me . . . and Lily! Looks like she may be starting to suspect something . . .
And hey! If you wanna read another james/remus switching story, read "My Best Friend's Skin" by Indiangurl. It doesn't have many chapters, but it's really good so far! I love it! Heehee – hope she doesn't mind that I'm advertising for her . . .
Ariana S.