Mishmash
Chapter 5 – In the Secret Passageway
As they traveled to their classes after lunch, Stephanie and Sirius noticed people staring and pointing at them.
"Last time I tell Logan ANYTHING!" Steph exclaimed irritably. Sirius and herself now had advanced Herbology together, along with Remus and Michelle. Steph tried to act normal towards Remus, but it was a bit difficult for her to forget his eyes. 'Forget it, girl.' She told herself. 'You may have just noticed him, but he is already taken. REMEMBER! You love James!' after this quick conversation with herself, she did find it easier.
"Hey Remmy! Pass me those clippers!" She told him, jokingly, of course, but always serious. (A/N if that makes any sense?) He obliged and she started clipping her plant. Professor Plum had to come and help her, as she was one of the weakest students in the class.
"Ms. Pandersun. You clip like this!" She tiredly exclaimed. "Look how Ms. Seabrook does it. Watch – see? Perfect. Now you try, Ms. Pandersun........ Nooo! Look. Look at Mr. Lupin's! Another fine example.... Aha! Now you've got it!" and she hurried away to assist another. Steph wasn't sure why, but Remus made it look so simple...
BRING! 'Finally!' Steph thought to herself. 'Hell is over!' They all met at break – Dallas, James, Lily, and Peter having all just come from Muggle Studies. James and Dallas were both giving each other mischievous looks.
"What's up with them?" Steph asked Lily.
"Oh Steph!" she said. "They were passing notes and I think they were FLIRTING!"
"So I gave her Sirius for nothing then, huh? Well I don't think so...... not this time!"
"What do you mean?" Lily asked her, concerned.
"Well, remember my plan? Those four Hogsmeade weekends will only make it easier!"
A familiar glint returned to Lily's eyes. "I see your point!" she said, amazed by her friend's brilliance. "It will be so simple. Everyone will get a chance...with everyone. And so close together! This is perfect! You are horribly scheme-ific! I love it!"
"Are you sure you want to say that?" Steph asked her. "I mean, with head- girldom riding on your shoulders?" They both laughed.
"I think tonight me and YOU should spend some time in the common room!" Lily told her.
"Um. Don't even go there Lily! I'm not into that kind of stuff!" Steph cried, shocked.
"No, you weirdo. I have a BOYFRIEND, thank you! What I meant was to make a list of whom with whom, silly! It starts this weekend, no?"
"Perfect." Steph said.
************************************
The last class flew by for them all, and suddenly Michelle found herself sitting down at dinner. So used to sitting beside Remus, she had to think of where to sit. He was beside Lily, of course. She didn't want to sit beside Peter, in light of recent events. Dallas was squeezed in between James and Sirius. She saw an opening between Lily and James, but Steph had yet to arrive from Charms where she stayed late, and Michelle thought she might like this spot. She instead sat down on the opposite end, beside Sirius. (A/N don't ask why I said this, I really have no clue. Guess I am trying to make Michelle feel lonely after she loses Remmy!)
"Hey Michelle." Sirius said as she plopped herself down.
"Hey Sirius. That was a cool Charms lesson, no?"
"Yeah..." Sirius said, looking over his shoulder to the left. He then nudged Michelle a bit. "Mind moving over a bit?" He asked her. "I think Dallas is going to suffocate me! She's been to close lately!" He whispered.
"I noticed." Michelle said, moving over a bit. She saw Dallas give her a disapproving look, but somehow she didn't mind this time. For some strange reason she felt kind of glad that Sirius had rejected her friend.
"You know, Sirius," She started, quiet enough for just them to hear, "I could tell you something now, that I'm not supposed to tell you..." She didn't know why she said it. She wouldn't really tell Sirius that Dallas liked him, would she?
"What?" He asked her, his eyes shining anticipating-ly. She looked at him, wondering, then came to a conclusion. Sure – she MIGHT tell him. But why not tease him first?
"Not telling." She said, flashing him a mock sincere smile. She turned to her food and started to happily nibble her wonderful lasagna. She looked across the table and found she was sitting across from Earl Avery. Immediately she struck up conversation with the handsome beater. 'Gee... I don't know why I am trying to make him think this is a big secret, and then ignore him to make him angry. Am I cruel, or what?'
"So, what's new Avery?" Michelle asked him, staring intently into his face. Deliberately ignoring Sirius.
"Not too much. Quidditch later. I can't believe Hector Wood is making us practice on our first night back!"
"Well, it's actually our second." Michelle reminded him coyly. "Although last night was the feast and sorting."
"Don't call me Avery." He told her. "You can call me Earl." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. She risked a quick glance over at Sirius and noticed him glaring at them suspiciously. 'This is bad.' Michelle told herself. 'Now I've made him think I like him! Why is this a problem, though? Me and Steph used to talk about how cute he was... but it bothers me now to ignore Sirius. He is my friend. Am I crazy?'
"Ok?" He asked her, confused at why she wasn't answering him. He was cute, very intelligent, fun and studious, but not always very bright. 'oh well.' She thought. 'might as well continue...'
"Perfect." She told him, smiling.
"Hey! Do you want to come watch practice?" Earl asked her brightly, as if he just thought of what she had been thinking all along.
"Ummm. Sure. I don't have anything better to do then watch seven people get sweaty on broomsticks tonight!"
"Good. I'm going to go get changed now. I'll see you later, Michelle?"
"Yeah." She smiled again. She had him –hook, line, and sinker. 'But why am I treating Sirius like this?' she wondered, and then a thought struck her. 'I don't – I couldn't – I never!' But she looked over at him, now sadly listening to Dallas' ramble, and she couldn't confirm her denial.
Just then Sirius looked over and saw Michelle looking at him. He quickly brushed Dallas off and hissed at Michelle. "What was that all about?"
"I don't know. What's you and Dallas all about?" She hissed back, guiltily knowing it wasn't his fault.
"That wasn't my fault! She just kept talking to me!"
"Humph."
"Whatever. Why am I fighting with you anyways? You are one of my best friends!"
"I am?" Michelle asked him innocently, knowing he would forgive her flirting with his teammate.
"Of course you are, Michelle. Now what were you going to tell me?" Sirius asked.
She smiled mischievously and stood up. "I'll see you at practice, I guess." She told him and walked from the Great Hall to the common room.
"Whew! Glad that's okay!" She mumbled to herself.
"Pardon?" Lily had come up beside her and was now walking with her.
"Oh. Uh. Nothing." Michelle said. "I didn't see you there!" She said, playfully slapping Lily's arm.
"Oh well! Do you want me to come to practice with you? So you are not lonely?" she asked Michelle.
"You stole the words out of my mouth!" She exclaimed, and they laughed together.
~*~*~*
"What is taking you so long?" Lily whined as Michelle changed her clothing for the fourth time. 'Doesn't she realize I have to look good if I want Earl to talk to me?' she wondered to herself. Even though she knew it was wrong, she still wanted to make Sirius think he wasn't as important as Earl. She didn't know why...maybe... NO!
"Fine. Let's go!" Michelle said, finally deciding on tight denims and a white tank top, with her favourite green sweater. They walked down to the quidditch pitch hurriedly, so that they wouldn't be late.
They were five minutes early.
"Well. This should be fun!" Michelle said, unenthused.
"Then why did you want to come?" Lily asked her, bewildered by her usually assertive, not conned into anything friend. "Do you really like Avery?"
"Hmmm... I don't know if I do.." she said, and then added. "But don't call him Avery, call him Earl." They both burst out laughing at this mock.
"Okay, I guess I probably don't like him – but that doesn't mean he doesn't look good!" Michelle told her friend, still giggling.
"Michelle! That is so low!" Lily scolded her friend. Michelle gave her a look, and she started to laugh. "Okay! Okay! I like your thinking already!"
Just then, the quidditch team strode onto the field. First was Hector Wood, then James Potter, Earl Avery, Fileesha Jones, Ursula Wei, Manny Fondue, and Sirius Black. When the last player walked across the field, Michelle felt her face redden a bit. 'What's wrong with me?' she screamed inside her head.
Earl caught her eye and grinned at her. She smiled flirtatiously back, making sure first that Sirius was watching. 'Why am I doing this? I think I am crazy. Wait... haven't I thought that before?'
They watched the whole quidditch practice without getting to bored. Finally it was over and they walked onto the field to meet the team.
"Good practice guys!" Earl was saying, but then spotted Michelle. "Seabrook! Over here!" he shouted. She walked to his side and talked to him.
"Nice beating." She told him, smiling yet again though she couldn't bear to.
"Yeah. But I will not beat around the bush." He told her. At this Sirius looked over. She could feel her hands start to sweat. "Michelle, I really like you." He told her.
"You're right." She said. "You didn't beat around the bush." He smiled. Before she knew it his face was getting closer, and closer, but she wasn't moving away. About a second before his face collided with hers she ducked under his arm and took a step back.
"I don't like you like that, Avery, nor will I ever. Friend – sure. Nothing more. Goodbye!" She walked away calmly but inside her stomach was doing joyful flip-flops. She had just turned Earl Avery, one of many school heartthrobs, down! 'And wait!' she thought. 'It gets even better! Sirius saw the whole thing. Lily caught up to her and they walked back to the dormitories laughing at the look on his face.
****************************************
MEANWHILE while Lily, Michelle, Sirius, and James were at quidditch and Peter and Remus were in the library, Steph and Dallas were in the common room playing exploding snap. Steph was furious with Lily, but she couldn't let Dallas know that they had a meeting planned yet. She couldn't know yet.
This plan, besides being for fun – major fun! – Was for helping to cool Dallas off. Originally it was not, but the two had decided that it wasn't fair to try and manipulate Sirius as well as James, Steph's heartache.
'Geez!' Steph thought to herself. 'She is the one that suggests tonight, and then she blows me off. Humph!'
Just then Lily and Michelle entered the common room laughing. The laughter pissed Steph off even more.
"What's so funny?" She asked her two friends.
"Oh!" Lily exclaimed. "Real good! Remember the whole Seabrook/Avery episode at dinner? WELL after practice Avery is like, 'I really like you Michelle.' And then he tries to kiss her! The day after she breaks up with the boyfriend she has had for three years! And with twenty people around! And then Michelle lets him get real close – for the kiss- and then slinks away at the last second. She tells him she doesn't like him, and then walks away!"
"You are cruel, Mich!" Steph said, her anger now dissolving rapidly. They all burst out laughing again. While Michelle continued to chat to Dallas, Steph leaned to Lily's ear and whispered, "Secret passageway now? Or common room tomorrow?" Lily thought for a moment, and said, "Well, I don't have any homework yet. You?"
"Nope." Steph told her.
"Then now it is." Lily said. She then addressed her friends, "Hey? I am going to go show Steph the head girl washroom, ok? She's been bugging me!" Steph grinned sheepishly, an act, of course, and the others nodded. "Sure! We were just about to play a game of exploding snap, anyways!"
So Lily and Steph snuck out and proceeded to a statue, which Steph tapped with her wand and said a word. It moved a little and they squeezed behind it.
"Thank Sirius for that one, eh?" Steph said. Lily laughed. The two girls made sure the entrance was sealed and then traveled down a little ways, perhaps 200 feet, so that they absolutely could not be found where they so clearly should not be.
"Flamous." Lily muttered, and the lantern she was holding suddenly lit.
"I am so glad you are so smart." Steph told her. She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about being caught, but they were positive Ogg didn't know of the passage.
Lily took out the bowl they had brought and guided the flames into it. "There." She muttered. "All set." She added to Steph as she took out a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Ok." Stephanie started. "Meeting one of scheduled four. What are we doing this for?" Lily continued to scrawl on the parchment, "Well, we are doing this for fun. First and foremost. Fun. But why else? To get to know each other better, us and the marauders, that is. We are doing this so that you and Remus can spend a day in Hogsmeade without feeling guilty. We are doing this so that I can get to know James better, so that he will be mine." At this point they both started giggling.
"This sounds so low and scheme-ful, Steph." Lily told her, still kind of giggly.
"Hush!" she told her. "This will be fun! Remember my plan? This is also to get Dallas with Sirius, remember? That is another main reason. To strengthen our relationships. But to get Dallas with Sirius! I gave him up for her, which brings me to our final, newly found reason. We want to make sure Dallas gets what she wanted. Meaning we have to make sure that she gets with Sirius and stops flirting with James. She didn't like James, remember? Well, now we have to stop her manipulative behaviour. She's turning evil." Steph stopped. "So. Do you think we are doing this for good reasons?" She asked Lily.
"Fair enough." She replied. "At least this way Peter will actually be seen with a girl!" They both started laughing, but then suddenly went silent. Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Is someone coming?" Lily mouthed to her friend, her face white and clearly saying 'ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!' Thump, Thump.
"I think so!" Steph told her panic-stricken friend.
"Do you think they know about the passage?" Lily asked, but just then they heard the creak of the moving statue. In one swift movement, Steph snubbed the fire and pulled her friend silently down the passage about another fifty feet at top speed. Suddenly Lily felt herself walking down a few steps and being sat down on the floor. Stephanie closed what looked like a hidden door in front of them, and they waited.
"Lumos." Lily muttered, and Steph quickly spun her around so her back was to the door.
"If you are going to light your wand," Steph told her, "At least make sure there is no chance of them seeing it."
"Where are we?" Lily asked her, still nervous but greatly relieved.
"Well, I guess me and Sirius were keeping it a secret." She said, blushing. "One night last year we decided to sneak into Honeydukes, and on our way back we started to make out. All of a sudden we kind of fell through the wall, and landed here. It's a secret room, I guess built for the idea of hiding from other troublemakers. As you can see, it isn't very big. It could probably hold ten if we were all sitting next to one another."
"This is so cool, Steph!" Lily whispered to her friend, but just then they heard voices.
"So why did you want to come here?" They heard a female voice say.
"To be with you, of course." A male voice replied.
"Oh, what. The common room not good enough for you?" The female asked.
"No." He replied. "I wanted to be alone. So we can talk."
"Oh Jamsie, you're so sweet." At once they both recognized the voice.
"Speaking of which." Lily told her friend. "Weren't we just talking about them?"
"Why does he want to come here, with HER?" Steph asked Lily, looking hurt.
"Just listen." Lily told her.
"I guess you know I like you, Dallas." James was saying.
"I got that drift." Dallas said in a too flirtatious voice for Stephanie to handle.
"But I want to know what is up between you and Sirius. Do you like him?" They heard Dallas sigh, sounding regretful.
"I must admit I think I do." She said.
"Well then why did you come here with me?" James asked, hurtfully. "Do you like me?"
"Of course I do! I wouldn't come into a secret passageway alone with you at nine o'clock if I didn't." Dallas told him, laughing.
"Don't laugh." James told her. "Would you rather be here with me or Sirius?" He asked her firmly, indicating she could not joke. She did not answer, but they heard James let out a little gasp. Steph made to open the door, but Lily held her back.
"You shouldn't!" She mouthed, but Steph unlit her wand and opened the silent door a small crack. She saw James and Dallas a few metres away, and Dallas was sort of on top of James, who was up against the wall. She was kissing him so ferociously that Steph was disgusted. 'Of course,' she told herself. 'He is kissing back just as much.' This made a tear slide down her cheek.
She could see Dallas push him off and she pulled away. She made to walk away and leave, but James stopped her.
"So do you want to be my girlfriend?" He asked her breathlessly.
"I don't know." She told him coyly.
"Well do you like me more than Sirius, then?" He asked her, kind of desperately.
"I'm not sure. I haven't kissed him. – Yet." She walked away and left through the entrance. She saw James punch the wall, and say, "Shit!". He then walked away and out into the hall again.
"Are you ok?" Lily asked Steph, as she lit the flames in the bowl again.
"Oh, I will be. Just wait!" Steph maliciously told her friend. "Now, where were we? We have some planning to do."
"Rightio." Lily told her friend, admiring her courage.
"Alright then. Now for the arrangements. We have to make sure that this is planned out right. If I am going to get James I am going to want to go after Dallas, right? That way he won't be thinking that much about the day he will spend with her, because he already will have. That will leave me free to open his eyes on me!" Lily giggled.
"Hush!" Steph reminded her. "Ok, so say James goes out with Michelle on the first one, okay? No threat there. Date two, Dallas is matched with James. On the third date, I will go with him, and make him realize how much better for him I am than Dallas. Date four you will go with James and gush about how wonderful I am. Ok?"
"Ok. Got it." Lily said.
"Okay. Now for Sirius. Day one he will go with you, okay? You can just hang, no biggy there. You just have to mention how wonderful Dallas is a few times. Day two he will go with me. I will do the same as you, ok? Day three he will go with Dallas. This is good because Dallas is trying to manipulate James and Sirius, and on the third day she will be with Sirius, will already have been with James, and I will be with James. A'ight?"
"Got it. Day four he is with Michelle?" Lily asked.
"Yes. They are good friends, so there is no threat of her taking a hopefully Dallas' Sirius. Ok. Remus. Dallas gets him first, as she is so not interested in him."
"Don't know why..." Lily mused.
"HUSH! Ok. Day two you get him, fun, fun, fun for you. Day three we stick his old girl back with him. He already broke up with her, so you are fine, and day four your trusting friend, me, will go out with him. Now, are you making a chart?" She asked Lily.
"Yup." She said.
"Good. Then I suppose you can see whom Peter is with? He is just our filler, by the way."
"I assumed as much. Hmmm. Let's see – day one with you, day two with Michelle, day three with me and day four with Dallas?"
"Perfect. Our scheme is coming along great." Steph said happily.
"It's not a scheme." Lily told her. "It is a plan to start our year off right, right?"
"Yes. Yes. Now how?" Steph asked. "It's getting late and this is the only part I haven't thought about.
"I have." Lily told her friend. She continued to elaborate as Stephanie wrote down the information.
"So tomorrow is Friday, right?" Steph finally asked.
"Yes." Lily replied.
"Then tomorrow it is." Steph concluded and they packed up to go back to the common room.
*****************************************~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~ ***********************************
Hey! If you are reading my story, please review! Don't just sit there like bumps on a log, tell me you hate it! (Or like it...)
Raw~Bean
Chapter 5 – In the Secret Passageway
As they traveled to their classes after lunch, Stephanie and Sirius noticed people staring and pointing at them.
"Last time I tell Logan ANYTHING!" Steph exclaimed irritably. Sirius and herself now had advanced Herbology together, along with Remus and Michelle. Steph tried to act normal towards Remus, but it was a bit difficult for her to forget his eyes. 'Forget it, girl.' She told herself. 'You may have just noticed him, but he is already taken. REMEMBER! You love James!' after this quick conversation with herself, she did find it easier.
"Hey Remmy! Pass me those clippers!" She told him, jokingly, of course, but always serious. (A/N if that makes any sense?) He obliged and she started clipping her plant. Professor Plum had to come and help her, as she was one of the weakest students in the class.
"Ms. Pandersun. You clip like this!" She tiredly exclaimed. "Look how Ms. Seabrook does it. Watch – see? Perfect. Now you try, Ms. Pandersun........ Nooo! Look. Look at Mr. Lupin's! Another fine example.... Aha! Now you've got it!" and she hurried away to assist another. Steph wasn't sure why, but Remus made it look so simple...
BRING! 'Finally!' Steph thought to herself. 'Hell is over!' They all met at break – Dallas, James, Lily, and Peter having all just come from Muggle Studies. James and Dallas were both giving each other mischievous looks.
"What's up with them?" Steph asked Lily.
"Oh Steph!" she said. "They were passing notes and I think they were FLIRTING!"
"So I gave her Sirius for nothing then, huh? Well I don't think so...... not this time!"
"What do you mean?" Lily asked her, concerned.
"Well, remember my plan? Those four Hogsmeade weekends will only make it easier!"
A familiar glint returned to Lily's eyes. "I see your point!" she said, amazed by her friend's brilliance. "It will be so simple. Everyone will get a chance...with everyone. And so close together! This is perfect! You are horribly scheme-ific! I love it!"
"Are you sure you want to say that?" Steph asked her. "I mean, with head- girldom riding on your shoulders?" They both laughed.
"I think tonight me and YOU should spend some time in the common room!" Lily told her.
"Um. Don't even go there Lily! I'm not into that kind of stuff!" Steph cried, shocked.
"No, you weirdo. I have a BOYFRIEND, thank you! What I meant was to make a list of whom with whom, silly! It starts this weekend, no?"
"Perfect." Steph said.
************************************
The last class flew by for them all, and suddenly Michelle found herself sitting down at dinner. So used to sitting beside Remus, she had to think of where to sit. He was beside Lily, of course. She didn't want to sit beside Peter, in light of recent events. Dallas was squeezed in between James and Sirius. She saw an opening between Lily and James, but Steph had yet to arrive from Charms where she stayed late, and Michelle thought she might like this spot. She instead sat down on the opposite end, beside Sirius. (A/N don't ask why I said this, I really have no clue. Guess I am trying to make Michelle feel lonely after she loses Remmy!)
"Hey Michelle." Sirius said as she plopped herself down.
"Hey Sirius. That was a cool Charms lesson, no?"
"Yeah..." Sirius said, looking over his shoulder to the left. He then nudged Michelle a bit. "Mind moving over a bit?" He asked her. "I think Dallas is going to suffocate me! She's been to close lately!" He whispered.
"I noticed." Michelle said, moving over a bit. She saw Dallas give her a disapproving look, but somehow she didn't mind this time. For some strange reason she felt kind of glad that Sirius had rejected her friend.
"You know, Sirius," She started, quiet enough for just them to hear, "I could tell you something now, that I'm not supposed to tell you..." She didn't know why she said it. She wouldn't really tell Sirius that Dallas liked him, would she?
"What?" He asked her, his eyes shining anticipating-ly. She looked at him, wondering, then came to a conclusion. Sure – she MIGHT tell him. But why not tease him first?
"Not telling." She said, flashing him a mock sincere smile. She turned to her food and started to happily nibble her wonderful lasagna. She looked across the table and found she was sitting across from Earl Avery. Immediately she struck up conversation with the handsome beater. 'Gee... I don't know why I am trying to make him think this is a big secret, and then ignore him to make him angry. Am I cruel, or what?'
"So, what's new Avery?" Michelle asked him, staring intently into his face. Deliberately ignoring Sirius.
"Not too much. Quidditch later. I can't believe Hector Wood is making us practice on our first night back!"
"Well, it's actually our second." Michelle reminded him coyly. "Although last night was the feast and sorting."
"Don't call me Avery." He told her. "You can call me Earl." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. She risked a quick glance over at Sirius and noticed him glaring at them suspiciously. 'This is bad.' Michelle told herself. 'Now I've made him think I like him! Why is this a problem, though? Me and Steph used to talk about how cute he was... but it bothers me now to ignore Sirius. He is my friend. Am I crazy?'
"Ok?" He asked her, confused at why she wasn't answering him. He was cute, very intelligent, fun and studious, but not always very bright. 'oh well.' She thought. 'might as well continue...'
"Perfect." She told him, smiling.
"Hey! Do you want to come watch practice?" Earl asked her brightly, as if he just thought of what she had been thinking all along.
"Ummm. Sure. I don't have anything better to do then watch seven people get sweaty on broomsticks tonight!"
"Good. I'm going to go get changed now. I'll see you later, Michelle?"
"Yeah." She smiled again. She had him –hook, line, and sinker. 'But why am I treating Sirius like this?' she wondered, and then a thought struck her. 'I don't – I couldn't – I never!' But she looked over at him, now sadly listening to Dallas' ramble, and she couldn't confirm her denial.
Just then Sirius looked over and saw Michelle looking at him. He quickly brushed Dallas off and hissed at Michelle. "What was that all about?"
"I don't know. What's you and Dallas all about?" She hissed back, guiltily knowing it wasn't his fault.
"That wasn't my fault! She just kept talking to me!"
"Humph."
"Whatever. Why am I fighting with you anyways? You are one of my best friends!"
"I am?" Michelle asked him innocently, knowing he would forgive her flirting with his teammate.
"Of course you are, Michelle. Now what were you going to tell me?" Sirius asked.
She smiled mischievously and stood up. "I'll see you at practice, I guess." She told him and walked from the Great Hall to the common room.
"Whew! Glad that's okay!" She mumbled to herself.
"Pardon?" Lily had come up beside her and was now walking with her.
"Oh. Uh. Nothing." Michelle said. "I didn't see you there!" She said, playfully slapping Lily's arm.
"Oh well! Do you want me to come to practice with you? So you are not lonely?" she asked Michelle.
"You stole the words out of my mouth!" She exclaimed, and they laughed together.
~*~*~*
"What is taking you so long?" Lily whined as Michelle changed her clothing for the fourth time. 'Doesn't she realize I have to look good if I want Earl to talk to me?' she wondered to herself. Even though she knew it was wrong, she still wanted to make Sirius think he wasn't as important as Earl. She didn't know why...maybe... NO!
"Fine. Let's go!" Michelle said, finally deciding on tight denims and a white tank top, with her favourite green sweater. They walked down to the quidditch pitch hurriedly, so that they wouldn't be late.
They were five minutes early.
"Well. This should be fun!" Michelle said, unenthused.
"Then why did you want to come?" Lily asked her, bewildered by her usually assertive, not conned into anything friend. "Do you really like Avery?"
"Hmmm... I don't know if I do.." she said, and then added. "But don't call him Avery, call him Earl." They both burst out laughing at this mock.
"Okay, I guess I probably don't like him – but that doesn't mean he doesn't look good!" Michelle told her friend, still giggling.
"Michelle! That is so low!" Lily scolded her friend. Michelle gave her a look, and she started to laugh. "Okay! Okay! I like your thinking already!"
Just then, the quidditch team strode onto the field. First was Hector Wood, then James Potter, Earl Avery, Fileesha Jones, Ursula Wei, Manny Fondue, and Sirius Black. When the last player walked across the field, Michelle felt her face redden a bit. 'What's wrong with me?' she screamed inside her head.
Earl caught her eye and grinned at her. She smiled flirtatiously back, making sure first that Sirius was watching. 'Why am I doing this? I think I am crazy. Wait... haven't I thought that before?'
They watched the whole quidditch practice without getting to bored. Finally it was over and they walked onto the field to meet the team.
"Good practice guys!" Earl was saying, but then spotted Michelle. "Seabrook! Over here!" he shouted. She walked to his side and talked to him.
"Nice beating." She told him, smiling yet again though she couldn't bear to.
"Yeah. But I will not beat around the bush." He told her. At this Sirius looked over. She could feel her hands start to sweat. "Michelle, I really like you." He told her.
"You're right." She said. "You didn't beat around the bush." He smiled. Before she knew it his face was getting closer, and closer, but she wasn't moving away. About a second before his face collided with hers she ducked under his arm and took a step back.
"I don't like you like that, Avery, nor will I ever. Friend – sure. Nothing more. Goodbye!" She walked away calmly but inside her stomach was doing joyful flip-flops. She had just turned Earl Avery, one of many school heartthrobs, down! 'And wait!' she thought. 'It gets even better! Sirius saw the whole thing. Lily caught up to her and they walked back to the dormitories laughing at the look on his face.
****************************************
MEANWHILE while Lily, Michelle, Sirius, and James were at quidditch and Peter and Remus were in the library, Steph and Dallas were in the common room playing exploding snap. Steph was furious with Lily, but she couldn't let Dallas know that they had a meeting planned yet. She couldn't know yet.
This plan, besides being for fun – major fun! – Was for helping to cool Dallas off. Originally it was not, but the two had decided that it wasn't fair to try and manipulate Sirius as well as James, Steph's heartache.
'Geez!' Steph thought to herself. 'She is the one that suggests tonight, and then she blows me off. Humph!'
Just then Lily and Michelle entered the common room laughing. The laughter pissed Steph off even more.
"What's so funny?" She asked her two friends.
"Oh!" Lily exclaimed. "Real good! Remember the whole Seabrook/Avery episode at dinner? WELL after practice Avery is like, 'I really like you Michelle.' And then he tries to kiss her! The day after she breaks up with the boyfriend she has had for three years! And with twenty people around! And then Michelle lets him get real close – for the kiss- and then slinks away at the last second. She tells him she doesn't like him, and then walks away!"
"You are cruel, Mich!" Steph said, her anger now dissolving rapidly. They all burst out laughing again. While Michelle continued to chat to Dallas, Steph leaned to Lily's ear and whispered, "Secret passageway now? Or common room tomorrow?" Lily thought for a moment, and said, "Well, I don't have any homework yet. You?"
"Nope." Steph told her.
"Then now it is." Lily said. She then addressed her friends, "Hey? I am going to go show Steph the head girl washroom, ok? She's been bugging me!" Steph grinned sheepishly, an act, of course, and the others nodded. "Sure! We were just about to play a game of exploding snap, anyways!"
So Lily and Steph snuck out and proceeded to a statue, which Steph tapped with her wand and said a word. It moved a little and they squeezed behind it.
"Thank Sirius for that one, eh?" Steph said. Lily laughed. The two girls made sure the entrance was sealed and then traveled down a little ways, perhaps 200 feet, so that they absolutely could not be found where they so clearly should not be.
"Flamous." Lily muttered, and the lantern she was holding suddenly lit.
"I am so glad you are so smart." Steph told her. She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about being caught, but they were positive Ogg didn't know of the passage.
Lily took out the bowl they had brought and guided the flames into it. "There." She muttered. "All set." She added to Steph as she took out a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Ok." Stephanie started. "Meeting one of scheduled four. What are we doing this for?" Lily continued to scrawl on the parchment, "Well, we are doing this for fun. First and foremost. Fun. But why else? To get to know each other better, us and the marauders, that is. We are doing this so that you and Remus can spend a day in Hogsmeade without feeling guilty. We are doing this so that I can get to know James better, so that he will be mine." At this point they both started giggling.
"This sounds so low and scheme-ful, Steph." Lily told her, still kind of giggly.
"Hush!" she told her. "This will be fun! Remember my plan? This is also to get Dallas with Sirius, remember? That is another main reason. To strengthen our relationships. But to get Dallas with Sirius! I gave him up for her, which brings me to our final, newly found reason. We want to make sure Dallas gets what she wanted. Meaning we have to make sure that she gets with Sirius and stops flirting with James. She didn't like James, remember? Well, now we have to stop her manipulative behaviour. She's turning evil." Steph stopped. "So. Do you think we are doing this for good reasons?" She asked Lily.
"Fair enough." She replied. "At least this way Peter will actually be seen with a girl!" They both started laughing, but then suddenly went silent. Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Is someone coming?" Lily mouthed to her friend, her face white and clearly saying 'ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!' Thump, Thump.
"I think so!" Steph told her panic-stricken friend.
"Do you think they know about the passage?" Lily asked, but just then they heard the creak of the moving statue. In one swift movement, Steph snubbed the fire and pulled her friend silently down the passage about another fifty feet at top speed. Suddenly Lily felt herself walking down a few steps and being sat down on the floor. Stephanie closed what looked like a hidden door in front of them, and they waited.
"Lumos." Lily muttered, and Steph quickly spun her around so her back was to the door.
"If you are going to light your wand," Steph told her, "At least make sure there is no chance of them seeing it."
"Where are we?" Lily asked her, still nervous but greatly relieved.
"Well, I guess me and Sirius were keeping it a secret." She said, blushing. "One night last year we decided to sneak into Honeydukes, and on our way back we started to make out. All of a sudden we kind of fell through the wall, and landed here. It's a secret room, I guess built for the idea of hiding from other troublemakers. As you can see, it isn't very big. It could probably hold ten if we were all sitting next to one another."
"This is so cool, Steph!" Lily whispered to her friend, but just then they heard voices.
"So why did you want to come here?" They heard a female voice say.
"To be with you, of course." A male voice replied.
"Oh, what. The common room not good enough for you?" The female asked.
"No." He replied. "I wanted to be alone. So we can talk."
"Oh Jamsie, you're so sweet." At once they both recognized the voice.
"Speaking of which." Lily told her friend. "Weren't we just talking about them?"
"Why does he want to come here, with HER?" Steph asked Lily, looking hurt.
"Just listen." Lily told her.
"I guess you know I like you, Dallas." James was saying.
"I got that drift." Dallas said in a too flirtatious voice for Stephanie to handle.
"But I want to know what is up between you and Sirius. Do you like him?" They heard Dallas sigh, sounding regretful.
"I must admit I think I do." She said.
"Well then why did you come here with me?" James asked, hurtfully. "Do you like me?"
"Of course I do! I wouldn't come into a secret passageway alone with you at nine o'clock if I didn't." Dallas told him, laughing.
"Don't laugh." James told her. "Would you rather be here with me or Sirius?" He asked her firmly, indicating she could not joke. She did not answer, but they heard James let out a little gasp. Steph made to open the door, but Lily held her back.
"You shouldn't!" She mouthed, but Steph unlit her wand and opened the silent door a small crack. She saw James and Dallas a few metres away, and Dallas was sort of on top of James, who was up against the wall. She was kissing him so ferociously that Steph was disgusted. 'Of course,' she told herself. 'He is kissing back just as much.' This made a tear slide down her cheek.
She could see Dallas push him off and she pulled away. She made to walk away and leave, but James stopped her.
"So do you want to be my girlfriend?" He asked her breathlessly.
"I don't know." She told him coyly.
"Well do you like me more than Sirius, then?" He asked her, kind of desperately.
"I'm not sure. I haven't kissed him. – Yet." She walked away and left through the entrance. She saw James punch the wall, and say, "Shit!". He then walked away and out into the hall again.
"Are you ok?" Lily asked Steph, as she lit the flames in the bowl again.
"Oh, I will be. Just wait!" Steph maliciously told her friend. "Now, where were we? We have some planning to do."
"Rightio." Lily told her friend, admiring her courage.
"Alright then. Now for the arrangements. We have to make sure that this is planned out right. If I am going to get James I am going to want to go after Dallas, right? That way he won't be thinking that much about the day he will spend with her, because he already will have. That will leave me free to open his eyes on me!" Lily giggled.
"Hush!" Steph reminded her. "Ok, so say James goes out with Michelle on the first one, okay? No threat there. Date two, Dallas is matched with James. On the third date, I will go with him, and make him realize how much better for him I am than Dallas. Date four you will go with James and gush about how wonderful I am. Ok?"
"Ok. Got it." Lily said.
"Okay. Now for Sirius. Day one he will go with you, okay? You can just hang, no biggy there. You just have to mention how wonderful Dallas is a few times. Day two he will go with me. I will do the same as you, ok? Day three he will go with Dallas. This is good because Dallas is trying to manipulate James and Sirius, and on the third day she will be with Sirius, will already have been with James, and I will be with James. A'ight?"
"Got it. Day four he is with Michelle?" Lily asked.
"Yes. They are good friends, so there is no threat of her taking a hopefully Dallas' Sirius. Ok. Remus. Dallas gets him first, as she is so not interested in him."
"Don't know why..." Lily mused.
"HUSH! Ok. Day two you get him, fun, fun, fun for you. Day three we stick his old girl back with him. He already broke up with her, so you are fine, and day four your trusting friend, me, will go out with him. Now, are you making a chart?" She asked Lily.
"Yup." She said.
"Good. Then I suppose you can see whom Peter is with? He is just our filler, by the way."
"I assumed as much. Hmmm. Let's see – day one with you, day two with Michelle, day three with me and day four with Dallas?"
"Perfect. Our scheme is coming along great." Steph said happily.
"It's not a scheme." Lily told her. "It is a plan to start our year off right, right?"
"Yes. Yes. Now how?" Steph asked. "It's getting late and this is the only part I haven't thought about.
"I have." Lily told her friend. She continued to elaborate as Stephanie wrote down the information.
"So tomorrow is Friday, right?" Steph finally asked.
"Yes." Lily replied.
"Then tomorrow it is." Steph concluded and they packed up to go back to the common room.
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Hey! If you are reading my story, please review! Don't just sit there like bumps on a log, tell me you hate it! (Or like it...)
Raw~Bean