CHAPTER ONE
"POTTER!"
"Miss Evans, what is the matter?" Professor Flitwick asked as he scurried away from a group of sixth years practicing Sticking Charms.
"I-he-the-ARGH!" Lily Evans angrily pushed her flaming red hair out of her eyes with her left hand, as her right was currently occupied. Frustrated by the sudden absence of her usually articulate vocabulary, she tried again. "Professor, it's all Potter's fault, he -"
The boy with impossibly messy black hair sitting beside her exploded. "All MY fault! This is most definitely not MY fault!"
Lily snapped. "THIS ISN'T YOUR FAULT?" She abruptly shoved off the table edge and stood up. She immediately fell backwards, taking the bench and one James Potter with her. When the nearby classmates saw why they fell, reactions were varied.
Sirius Black, James' best friend, immediately doubled over laughing hysterically, his long dark hair falling in front of his face in a way that was often imitated, but never duplicated.
Remus Lupin, a sandy haired boy with peculiar golden eyes, merely stared at his best friend, mouth agape.
Peter Pettigrew, a blond, slightly chubby boy, broke out in a fit of giggles, alternating glances between James, Sirius, and Remus, his role models and friends.
Fina Parker, one of Lily's best friends, shook with silent mirth, but had the decency not to burst out laughing.
Paige Losen, Lily's other right hand girl, was a different story. She was doing the same as Sirius, except her hair was curly instead of straight, and she was wearing glasses.
When the various guffaws, hoots, and snorts subsided, Remus finally found his voice.
"James…what did you do?"
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? Sirius said, looking as though someone had told him his two favorite colors (tangerine and chartreuse) really did go well together. "Dear Jamsiekins' Sticking Charm went terribly wrong, joining himself and Lily at the – at the -" here he collapsed into giggles so severe he could barely choke out the rest of his sentence – "at the hip!"
Rolling his eyes heavenward in supplication, Remus muttered "Silencio!", effectively shutting Sirius up.
In the meantime, Professor Flitwick had done his best to reverse James' Sticking Charm.
"Oh dear, Mr. Potter, you've done something very odd, very odd indeed. I just hope Madam Pomfrey can fix it, go on now!" he squeaked, prodding them in the back.
James made to stand up, but Lily wasn't quick enough and they crashed back on the floor, triggering a fresh wave of laughter and a new bout of angry miming from Sirius to Remus. Angrily, and clumsily, Lily and James stalked/hobbled towards the Hospital Wing. Their shouts echoed down the corridors to a highly amused Charms class.
"This is all your fault!"
"If you had just helped me when I asked -"
"You're second in our year in Charms, Potter!"
"Well, forgive me for having a momentary lapse of talent -"
"Momentary lapse of talent, there's your ego running unchecked again -"
"Well, you were the one trying to pry us apart with your bare hands -"
"I was frustrated, Potter, not that you would understand that -"
"Oh that's rich, you think you understand me -"
"Well there's not much to understand, is there!"
"I swear if you weren't so gorgeous I'd give you a kick right up the -"
"If I didn't think I'd cause serious damage to myself in the process I'd kill you right now!"
"If I didn't think I'd cause serious damage to myself in the process I'd kiss you right now!"
"ARGH!"