The Unexpected Victory…
"Really, Janice, I don't see any qualifications in the Marauders except Remus," said Lily, "First, there's Black going around telling girls about how much he loved them just to get them onto bed! Then there is Peter, who had a stupid look on his face every time and kept clinging onto everyone he knows! Lastly…"
"Lastly, there's the mighty James Potter who knows everything but he needs his maiden's love to guide him," interrupted a messy black-haired boy.
"James! Sirius! I-I mean we didn't know you two were here," exclaimed Janice, surprised.
"I wanted to know what my beloved Lily Evans says about me," said James, flashing his infamous smile at her.
"Lastly, there's Potter that has a big ego and is always self centered! I wonder how his broom can fly with his big head on it," continued Lily as she gave him death glares.
"Janice, what's the time?" asked the other boy who happened to be quite good-looking.
"3.30pm. Why?" she asked curiously as Sirius took out a small notebook muttering,
"3.30pm...I knew it…It's the time!"
"What time?" asked Janice.
"It's the time where James and Lily will start fighting over how big James ego is, how lovely Lily looks tonight and yadda yadda yadda."
"You better keep your mouth shut, Black!" shouted Lily.
"Yeah!" shouted James before turning back to her, "Come on, Lily, I mean…Why couldn't you like me? A little?"
"Because you are worse than a…a…a…a tortoise!" shouted Lily.
"Oh, right…A Quidditch Captain and Chaser can actually be slower than a tortoise," replied James.
"I'm not talking about the speed you dolt! A tortoise is gentle yet adorable," shouted Lily as her tone started to lower, "Very much unlike you, Potter, you are rough and so un-gentleman like."
"You haven't seen the real side of me!" exclaimed James.
"Stop it, guys," said a bespectacled boy, "Can't you two give it a break?"
"I suppose…NOT!" said Lily, "Look it my way, Remus, he and big ego keeps on popping out whenever he sees somebody."
"Hey!" said James.
"Cut it out, both of you," said Remus, giving out as exasperated sigh before he continued, "Is there anything…or any way you two can stop this quarrel?"
"Yes!" exclaimed Sirius suddenly.
The four of them looked at him then turn away.
"There is a way!" said Janice, raising her hand.
"What, Janice?" asked Remus, calmly.
"Hey! I raised my hand up first!" pouted Sirius.
"Anyone in their right mind wouldn't pick you," said Lily, "You are too known in being a playboy."
"Go on, Janice. What did you want to say just now?" asked Remus.
"Sorry Lily, James, but…but I want to suggest a game of Truth and Dare!" she said it quickly.
"Truth and Dare!" Lily suddenly burst, "Are you out of your mind!"
"It's a good way of knowing my little Lily flower a lot better," James said, grinning.
"Stop CALLING me Lily Flower!" shouted Lily.
"Will you two stop for once, at least?" said Remus.
"We did stop…just now," said Lily.
Remus sighed again.
"I suppose both of you know how to play Truth of Dare," said Remus.
"I know how to play the game!" exclaimed Sirius.
"Shut up, Sirius before I turn you into a monkey," snapped Lily, "And no helping him, Janice. Janice?"
Her eyes was glowing as she spoke,
"I see great danger heading towards you. Your true love is drawing closer to the conclusions."
Then she returned to her normal state, looking at the crowd who were looking at her.
"What?" she said.
James was the first to recover.
"Why, Lily! I didn't know you were thinking about me," said James, grinning widely now. He placed an arm around her.
"Get your filthy hands off me," she said, ducking the arm, "The person could be anyone. It could be Remus. It could be Sirius. (Which is certainly impossible!)On the other hand, it could be Peter. (Who wants him? He's so stupid and ugly!)"
"Can we get on with the game?" asked Sirius.
"Certainly, Padfoot," said James, still grinning, "Glad you said that."
"Padfoot? Sirius?" Lily exclaimed, "It's such an ugly name!"
"Hey!" said Sirius, sounding offended.
"I was just…stating the fact," said Lily as she started to smile.
"It's a nice name," said Janice.
Sirius just smiled at her.
"Who wants to go first?" asked Remus, ignoring them.
"Oooh! ME!" exclaimed Sirius, "Let the pro handle it!"
"You want to go first, Janice?" asked Remus, ignoring the exclamations made by Sirius.
"Okay," she said as she took the bottle from his hand. Sirius pouted.
She spun the bottle. The tip of the bottle turned with all eyes on it. Then it stopped on Remus.
"Truth or Dare, Remus?" asked Janice, politely.
"Truth," he replied.
"What is your…nickname?" she asked.
"Moony," he replied.
The two boys stared at him. He was not supposed to tell it to the girls. But the Truth is the Truth, right? It was Remus's turn to spin the bottle. Then, it stopped on James.
"Truth or Dare?" he asked.
"Dare," James replied with a worried feeling growing inside him.
"I dare you to…"
"Kiss Lily!" Sirius interrupted.
"You are going to be a head shorter after this, Black," Lily said, angrily.
James flashed his infamous smile once more.
"You too, Potter," added Lily.
"I dare you to persuade Prof. McGonagall to let us off early when prefect's duty," Remus said.
Janice gasped.
"What's wrong with that?" he asked.
"You're a prefect, Remus, and skipping isn't why you can call yourself one," she told him.
Remus just chuckled.
"You won't want to call yourself one," said James, "You have to make sure no one sees you doing a prank or else you'll be dead."
"Taking the challenge, Potter?" asked Lily.
'Anything for you, dear," said James as he went out of the common room.
Several minutes later, James came back saying,
"Done it! She reclined but in the end, she agreed. And the bottle is mine to spin now."
The bottle turned and turned until it reaches to the last person on Earth you will ever want it to be…because the person coincidentally happens to be…SIRIUS BLACK!
"Truth or Dare, mate?" he asked.
"Truth, duh!" he said.
"Who is the best girl you ever shagged?" he asked.
"Ew! Potter! He is a pervert and we all know it! You don't have to ask him to tell it," said Lily.
James laughed.
"Well…I think her name's Karen. Man, she was awfully beautiful," said Sirius." She-
"I think we know it already. So SPIN the bottle already!" Lily exclaimed.
"Gee, Lily," said Sirius, "You're burning hot today."
"And in more ways than one," said James as he wiggled his eyebrows.
"Shut up!" she told him.
The bottle turned and turned for quite some while until it pointed at Lily.
"Can you spin the bottle again?" asked Lily, "I'm afraid someone shook the table, causing the bottle to turn to me instead of Janice."
"Hey!" Janice exclaimed, "How could you say that! I'm your friend! The one who's suppose to be your guidance in life and also-"
"You talk as though you're Sirius," Lily said, "Besides, can't you see that the bottle has some personal problems that none could solve?"
"I don't see any problem with it," said Sirius, grinning, "Truth or dare, mademoiselle?"
"Dare!" she replied to quickly.
"You are one brave girl I tell you," said Sirius, smiling his smile. There was a faint blush on Janice's cheeks but it went unnoticed.
"Hmmm…a dare, eh…Ah-hah! I dare you to kiss James beside the lake. If you don't do it, then I suppose you have to pick another person," said Sirius, "To go to the room alone. With a boy except for Remus here. He's still immature in this stuff."
"Do you know that you're a pervert, Sirius?" Lily said.
"You already mentioned it. Taking the challenge?" asked Sirius, "Or are you going to bed early?"
"I swear I'm going to make you pay, Sirius," gritted Lily as she stormed out of the common room. Then she said to James, "Coming, Potter?"
Sirius gave him a nudge on the ribs while Remus and Janice shook their heads. James got up, not believing it. He was actually going to make out with her. Both of them left for the lake. James wanted to place an arm around her but Lily had already said,
"Touch me, Potter, and you'll be dead next."
Both of them reached the lake. No one was there because nearly the whole school went back home for Christmas. She stood immobile, facing the lake.
"It's a dare, Lily. So can we get started now?" he asked her, nervously. He might have waited for these six years to kiss this beautiful maiden but…
Lily turned to him, a devious plan formed in her mind.
"James…Come closer," she said in that sweet tone of hers. James obediently came forward. They were an inch or two away.
'Some people have to do some sacrifice sometimes, 'she thought, 'Here goes.'
She closed the gap between their lips. She placed her arms around his neck. He was a good kisser, to tell you the truth. The kiss was soft yet loving. Lily quickly regretted of doing what she was going to do next but still…Before he even got to put his arms around her waist, she used her girl power to push him. Without meaning to do so, his head hit against the tree nearby and he stumbled into the lake.
"Oy! Lily! I dared you to kiss him, not toss him into the lake," shouted Sirius from the Gryffindor common room window.
"Quick! Save him, Lily, he's drowning!" shouted Janice.
"H-h-help…Lil…lily," he said as he gasped for air.
"You're a good flier but a bad swimmer," teased Lily, "What an odd combination."
"My…l-l-leg…I can't…," he said as he went underwater.
"Enjoy the sight below," she said, thinking that the famous James Potter was joking with her. He is after all a prankster.
However, he did not return after ten minutes. Lily started to feel worried. This is not a joking matter. She look up at the common room but Sirius and the others had went back inside, probably talking of how lovely the sight where James kissed her. In addition, maybe talking about how James was going underwater to enjoy the sight below. Didn't they feel worried about him going underwater headfirst? She would not have cared or bothered but it was James Potter, drowning from that evil plan of hers, in her very own bare hands? It was a no way for her! She was not going to let him die!
She dived into the lake headfirst using a Bubblehead charm on her. Where was he? She went deeper, into the midst of the lake. The lake was so big; you would have even thought you were swimming in an oversized aquarium. Then she spotted his spectacles on the rocky bed. When she reached out for it, she saw something pulling her leg. She took out her wand and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" The creature was flying a few feet above her. Now where could James be? He couldn't have been eaten by a man-eating creature…right? The thought made her shudder as she continued her search. Then, she saw him, lying unconsciously on the sea corals. She tried pulling him up but he was too heavy.
"Big, heavy brat," she muttered to herself.
She took out her wand, pointed it at James and said, "Levitatus," unsure whether it will work underwater. James body levitated off the ground and started trailing after her as she swam upwards to the surface. She conjured a stretcher to carry him when both of them got onto the dry land. She brought him to the Hospital Wing, surprising Madam Promfrey, the nurse with the state of their robes. It was torn and tattered, caused by the sharp reefs at the bottom of the lake.
"My, my, look at both of you and what happened to Mr. Potter?" she asked.
"He err… he hit a tree and um… stumbled into a lake…," Lily told her, feeling a surge of guiltiness inside her.
"Quick, bring him to the bed," said Madam Promfrey as she dried their clothes, "This is not a good sign, Ms.Evans."
Madam Promfrey disappeared into her room and appeared with a bottle containing a weird kind of liquid inside.
"Help him drink this," she told Lily, handing her a cup of the green-bluish substance.
Lily took the cup from her hands and opened James's mouth to allow the liquid to flow into his internal organs.
"Professor, if you don't mind me asking, what's wrong with James? Why is he not waking up?" Lily asked.
"He's in coma," she replied her off-handedly.
"What!" Lily exclaimed as she stumbled backwards.
"You see, he hit the tree a little too hard. This could have made him faint but he is physically strong so he had survived from the damage. But because he fell into the water and allowing too much water into his lungs, it made his brain to shut down for a while," Madam Promfrey explained. Then, she left for her room.
One simple but evil plan can cause the mighty James Potter to fall. Suddenly, Lily felt so contaminated. Contaminated with evilness and hatred. Then, Sirius, Peter, Remus and Janice came into the Wing with a basket of fruits in their hands.
"I thought I dared you to kiss him not toss him into the lake," said Sirius, talking as if James was conscious.
"You're lucky he survived, or else I'll give you a punch in the nose," squeaked Peter.
"Quiet, Peter," said Janice.
"I didn't mean too but he's…" she started but she could not continue it.
"Because he's James Potter?" Remus asked soothingly.
Lily just bent her head down. The four of them left her alone with the unconscious Potter. She looked at the handsome face better she started to pour out everything.
"I'm sorry, James. I did not mean to do it. But kissing you was not exactly my choice of showing you how much I…I…I…I love you!"
The face remained expressionless just as before. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"James…I…I love your adorable puppy-eyed look when you used to plead me. I loved your hazel brown eyes for I could stare at it forever. You may be an egoistic jerk but you are the cutest, most charming and best Quidditch player I have ever seen. You give me that look when I scold you. I could have died right there but you soon got happy again. I cry when you are sad, I smile when you are happy. Let me share your joy, your tears and your anger. Let me be apart of you!"
Still no sign of ever waking up. She stopped crying.
"Get up, James! This is a command! Wake up!"
She shook him vigorously. He shook and shook when she heard him reply.
"Stop it, Lily. My head aches."
"James?" she croaked, eyes still red from crying, "Y-y-you've been listening to all w-w-what I've said?"
"Yeah. And I did not know you love the way my hazel eyes look," said James as Lily turned into an interesting shade of red.
"I-I better leave you," said Lily before she turned into the color of a ripe tomato.
"Don't go," he said.
He tried standing up but he fell to the ground. Lily helped him back to the bed.
"Stay with me," he whispered into her ear.
She just smiled.
"Come closer, Lily," he said.
She went forward. James raised his hands and cupped her face. Then he closed in for a kiss.
"I love you, Lily," said James softly through kisses.
"Me too," she told him.