"underneath it all" by marauderyears
Chapter 3
Lily's POV
Lily smiled as she watched Lena disappear into the bathroom. She heard the shower turn on. Lena was her best friend and hoped it would stay that way forever. Lily sat up fast as she heard the dormitory door open. Giggling voices filled the room. Lily raised an eyebrow at the two girls who just entered the room.
One was a giggly, gossipy blonde, named Arianna. She went by Anna. She was sweet and loyal, but was prone to flirting. Like every other girl in the school, she loved the Marauders. She had a major crush on James. However, James was not interested in any girl but the one he can't get. Lily Evans.
The second girl was also giggling and listening with sparkling eyes. She was Gwen. She had short, dark brown hair. Also pretty, she loved the Marauders, but was best friends with Anna. They usually gossiped. Not exactly Lily's type, but they all got along well.
Anna saw Lily and smiled. Gwen waved, "Hey Lily!" Lily acknowledged them by nodding and smiling. The gesture was only seen by the ceiling, seeing as she was laying on her bed looking at it.
Anna jumped on her bed, squealing, "Oh Lily, Lily! We saw James standing in the Common Room, dripping Butterbeer. Dare we ask why? Though I must say he is very fine when he is wet...." She giggled rather girlishly.
Gwen laughed, "Did you turn down poor Jamesie again? He will just not leave you alone...."
Anna frowned at Gwen, and than looked at Lily. "You're lucky Lily, at least he notices you...." She sighed, than grabbed a book on her dresser and sat down while she furiously wrote stuff in it. At a glance, Lily noticed it was a diary. A muggle one.
Lily glared at the ceiling. "Well Gwen, you're right. He does not leave me alone. Anna you're not right. I am not lucky that I have an arrogant stalker." Gwen rolled her eyes. At this statement, Anna just wrote faster.
After a few awkward minutes, Lena came out of the bathroom. She had a towel wrapped around herself. Lena noticed Gwen and Anna sitting on the bed talking quietly, and greeted them cheerfully. Lily watched her as she sorted through a pile of junk, looking for her clothes. After a second, Lily noticed that Lena was struggling with her towel, to keep it from....getting ripped off. The towel pulled and Lena held it closer until Lily had the sense to realize it was hexed, and unhexed it. Lena found her clothes, and pulled them on quickly.
Anna giggled, "I bet it was the Marauders, hexing things as usual...." She said this in awe, not annoyed at all. Lily muttered something, and went downstairs to find the Marauders surrounded by a group of first years. She heard Sirius speaking loudly, while standing on the table.
"These are our new and improved 'Absconding Toffees'."
James, holding back a laugh, added, "We think you'll find them very ravishing. They make you feel at ease. You'll want to....shall we say 'fade' right into a nice nap...." Sirius turned his laugh into a cough, which he choked on.
James elbowed him and Sirius started to pass the candies out to the curious first years. They are unaware of the Marauder's reputation. Lily walked up to James and Sirius, glaring.
"What are you giving these poor first years?!" Lily tried to grab a toffee away from a random boy, but he plopped it into his mouth. The others did the same. For once, nothing happened. Lily's jaw dropped.
Sirius attempted to stick a toffee in it, but she smacked him, "I don't want your tampered with candy." James held it out for her to take.
"You sure? They're....ravishing. You heard me, I'm sure--" James stopped and watched one by one, as the crowd's pants disappeared. Everyone was standing there in either briefs for boys or knickers for girls. The Marauders burst out laughing. Lily appeared to be fuming......and blushing.
Lily started to say, "POTTER AND BLACK!! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! I AM GOING TO TAKE THIS STRAIGHT TO MCGONAGGLE--" Lily was about to ask for backup from her fellow Gryffindor prefect, Remus Lupin, when she noticed he was not there....
Through his laughter, Sirius was able to say, "Hey Evans, don't you have a prefect thingie today--"
Lily gasped, "OH SHIT!!" As she ran through the portrait, she heard Sirius imitating her, "EVANS, THIS LANGUAGE IS UNACCEPTABLE, I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS STRAIGHT TO MCGONAGGLE--"
She didn't hear the rest of what he said as she sprinted down the halls and up staircases until she ran into the room she was looking for. She saw the other seven prefects and Headboy and girl sitting in a circle of chairs. Next to Remus was an empty seat. She sat next to him, as he smiled at her.
"Well Miss Evans, I'm glad you have decided to show up to this meeting!" Professor McGonnagle said, standing behind her.
Lily blushed, "I'm sorry Professor, the Mara- I mean James Potter and Sirius Black had these Absconding Toffees and--" She heard a bemused voice behind her.
"Aww yes, I have had the unfortunate event in trying one of those sweets. Yes I do remember quite well how long I had to search before I found my pants hiding in a cupboard of the kitchens...."
The group turned around to see Professor Dumbledore.
"Now on to business...I have called you all here to tell you the wonderful news. There is to be a Winterball!" He paused for a second, as everyone (excluding the Syltherin prefects) whispered excitedly. The whispers died down and Dumbledore continued.
"Yes, it is great. To be precise this is the 25th annual Yule Ball. You will all help decorate and organize this celebration of the new year. It will be on New Year's. Let's just say to celebrate the New Year. Who would of guessed?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he continued with his small speech.
The meeting ended and all the prefects headed back to their own dormitory. The Headboy and girl walked to their Head dormitory. It was now late and Lily and Remus walked back together.
Remus smiled at her, "So James and Sirius tried out their newest invention. I hope they didn't give you a hard time."
Lily sighed, "Yes, they did. But I realized I was late for the meeting when everyone's pants vanished. And I forgot to ask for McGonaggle to deduct points....."
Remus glanced at her, "Oh sorry about that.....so what do you think of this upcoming dance?"
Lily looked up to see him smirking. She laughed, "All I think of is Potter asking me to go with him every five minutes...ughhh..." She sighed as he laughed.
"You know he really fancies you." She looked up at him to question him, when she realized he had left and headed to a cozy armchair by the fire. Lily shook her head, and headed up the girl's dormitory.
James' POV
"I think the Absconding Toffees was quite a success, don't you?" Sirius said pompously, as he threw a pair of pants into the fire. No one knew whose pants they were.
"I must agree completely, Padfoot."
"Why thank you, Prongs."
"You are most certainly welcome, Padfoot."
"Of course I am welcome, Prongs--"
"Oh, give it a rest you two....I'm trying to do that History of Magic essay, Binns gave us...." Peter said, sounding rather irritated. He crumpled up a piece of parchment and tossed it into a pile, with other crumpled pieces of parchment.
Sirius and James exchanged a look before they all turned around, when they heard the portrait swing open. Remus was talking quietly with Lily. Lily appeared to blush, and Remus headed over to them.
James eyed Remus suspiciously, "What were you doing with my girlfriend?"
Remus raised an eyebrow, "Your girlfriend? I would love to see the look on her face when she realizes that you think she's your girlfriend. Anyways, nothing. I was putting in a good word about you. God knows you need one."
James patted Remus on the back, "Thanks Moony."
They all watched as Lily headed up the girl's dormitory staircase. Sirius broke the silence.
"So Moony, how was your Prefect meeting thingie-mobbober?"
Remus sighed, "It was okay. We went over details for the Ball....." Remus looked weary.
Sirius patted Remus on the back, "Aww, cheer up Moony. Prongs? Earth to Prongs?!" Sirius waved his hand in front of a dazed James.
James smacked Sirius, "I've just had an idea....a plan."
Remus rolled his eyes, "Uh-oh....."
Sirius ignored him, "For what?"
"For getting Lily to go to the ball with me, of course."
Later that night...
"I got the map, but why do we need it? Who would go into the girls' dorm at 3 in the morning?" Remus asked.
"Well first of all, someone like our dear ole' Padfoot, here--" James earned himself a punch from Sirius.
Remus sighed, "Alright, good precaution. Padfoot, didja get the cloak?"
Sirius shook his head, "No, I went all the way up to the boys' dorm, and came back down here with nothing......of course I got the cloak!"
"Prongs, I still don't see what we're going to do-- Prongs! That's the girls dorm!" Remus exclaimed as James cautiously climbed the staircase.
James nodded. "Yes, I know, that's usually where Lily sleeps...." He winked at them, and Sirius laughed.
Remus gave a long suffering sigh. "Lily's right. You are concieted."
James snickered, "Why thank you darling, it's what I do best."
The stairs shuddered and folded into a slide. James however was ready for this. He jumped and grabbed on to the railing. He pulled his way up. Sirius followed with a hesitant Remus.
They got to the sixth year girls and opened the door. It was dark with all the candles out. James walked in first. He hopped over a few mislaid items on the ground and went over the nearest bed. The curtains were closed, just like the other three. He quietly opened them. He had to bend close to the girl to see who it was, it was not Lily. It looked like Gwen.
He heard a quiet crash and jumped. He saw Remus sprawled on the ground. He appeared to have tripped over a trunk.
Padfoot snickered quietly.
Remus appeared to have turned red. With little light, it was hard to tell.
"Sorry, you know...the fullmoon is close....so I'm clumsy...." James nodded to his apology.
James went over to the next bed and opened the curtains.
"Damn." He whispered as he saw the blonde. Anna.
Sirius went over to the next bed, and bent over the girl, looking closely at the hair.
The girl turned over, facing Sirius and muttered, "Hmmm...No more hot chocolate...hmmm...."
Sirius, holding back a laugh, looked at the other two and winked. He whispered into the girl's ear.
"I'll give you as much hot chocolate as I want to..." He continued to whisper in her ear, but the other two boys ignored him.
James assumed that the girl was not Lily, and headed over to the last bed with Remus behind him. James opened the curtain, and to his delight saw a flash of red hair.
James grinned and bent over and whispered, "Lily, you love James....you love James....you know you love him....you really, really, want to go out with him.....and go to the WinterBall with him...you love James Potter..he's so hot with his nice ass and--"
Remus elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to choke.
James glared at Remus and continued, "Lily, go out with the hot James...you won't regret it....."
Lily turned over, facing James. She started to mutter, "Hot James.....go out with......him.....hmmm..." She was soon quiet.
James stood up, looking very pleased with himself. Sirius and Remus were standing by the door, ready to leave. James looked back down at Lily with a soft expression. He stroked her hair, and left with Sirius and Remus. They got to slide down the folded stairs.
After they were safely in the boys' dorm, Sirius spoke, "You know, I didn't know Lena thought so highly of me. Maybe she's shy..." He grinned.
Remus rolled his eyes, "You think Lily is going to like you now?"
James yawned as he got into his bed, "Moony, my friend, she's always liked me. She's just never given into me. It's her redhead nature. Now she'll finally admit it...."
He turned over, and promptly fell asleep. Remus and Sirius exchanged a glance, before climbing into their own beds.
A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed (very few):
Elspeth Renee: Thanks!
Amandinka: Yes he is, lol! He'll be less arrogant later, though.
clyana: It will be interesting. I've got it all planned out.
Keep reviewing! I'll update more often, I've just been so busy.