Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter series.
Chapter 1: A Rose in Hogwarts
"7th year! I can't believe it's finally here..." James Potter exclaimed, walking into the Gryffindor common room.
James Potter was a tall, skinny boy, with untidy black hair, and hazel eyes. He was never seen without his best friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and on occasion, Peter Pettigrew. Sirius was tall, with grey eyes, and black silky hair. Remus was on the tall side, with light, sandy brown hair, blue eyes, and a killer smile. All the girls dreamed to be with any one of the Marauders except for the oddball...Peter Pettigrew. Peter; he was short, plump, and with beady, watery eyes. He scared easily, and stammered when he became scared, which was a good piece of the time.
James, Sirius, and at times Remus were known for playing pranks. Mostly everyone at their school was experienced with their pranks. They didn't do simple pranks; no....that would be too easy for the Marauders. They were brutal when they played pranks, very brutal indeed. James was especially brutal to Lily Evans, while the rest of them were brutal towards Severus Snape. Lily Evans was another Gryffindor 7th year, and both Lily and James couldn't stand each other.. It was very ironic that they were both Head Girl, and Head Boy.
They'd hated each other since their first year at Hogwarts. All because, James had played a simple, as he stated, prank on her. If you call blowing a plate of mashed potatoes, and peas, up in her face, simple. Although James was deeply in love with Lily, he wouldn't allow himself to admit anything of the sort. They didn't stop there, no one expected they would. One prank, led to another, and another, and so on. Of course, Lily never did any of the pranks, she never even retaliated, but somehow she involved.
Lily was petite, had Fairburn hair, and piercing green eyes. She was extremely pretty, and was rarely seen without her best friend, Melodie. Melodie was athletic; played beater on the Qudditch team, loved the Marauders practical jokes, and could get along with James. Lily could get along with Remus and sometimes Sirius, but it was another story for James. Melodie was tall, lean, with brown wavy hair, and shimmering blue eyes. Lily was quiet, yet Melodie was loud. You wouldn't imagine such a different pair being best friends, but no one spoke their thoughts.
"Going to have to make this a memorable one..." Sirius replied to James.
"Heh, a nice trick on Snape would be good to start..." Remus added, grinning slyly.
Severus Snape was evil, and cunning; nothing short of what you'd expect a Slytherin to be...
"Don't even mention him" Melodie said, coming over and crashing in a chair.
"Why?" James questioned.
"He's evil, and cunning, and-" Melodie started.
"And has an abnormally large nose and greasy hair..." Sirius finished.
Mel laughed, while Lily came over and joined them.
"If it isn't Evans! Oh joy!" James exclaimed sarcastically.
"And if it isn't Potter!" Lily replied. Melodie rolled her eyes.
"Man, can't you guys come up with a nicer way to greet one another?" She asked, sighing.
"No" Lily and James said together.
It caused them to laugh...to some extent. It was an awkward moment until Melodie broke the silence.
"Hey, did you guys hear about the attacks on those muggles?" She asked the group.
"Yeah, ol' Voldy is back and running" Sirius said.
Lily shivered. Lord Voldemort was their most recent evil wizard. He hated Muggles, and that was usually who he carried his attacks out on... Lily was worried for sometime now...because she was Muggleborn... Remus seemed to sense that she was worried.
"Lil, you're a witch now, he's not going to touch you . . . or your family. Besides, he won't come to Hogwarts, everyone knows Dumbledore is the only Wizard who he fears...." He told her.
She smiled with a struggle, and nodded.
"You're right" She said.
The rest of the evening passed uneventful, unless you count the Marauders turning Peter into a frog with pink dots with a new transfiguration spell they learned over the summer.
Melodie and Lily lay awake in the girls dorm, talking late into the night.
"I really don't like James" Lily said, after Melodie rambled on about him and the others for ages.
"I don't understand why you don't. He's so sweet, and caring. He's a prankster, and he's Captain of the Qudditch Team! Not to mention gorgeous...every girl in school lines up for him!!" Melodie exclaimed, causing Cheyalla, a fellow Gryffindor, to stir.
"Well yeah, but he just doesn't do that for me, I don't see James Potter has...that" Lily told Melodie.
"Alright Lily, whatever you say. Goodnight!" Melodie whispered.
"Night" Lily whispered back.
With that Melodie drifted off to sleep...but Lily lay awake thinking to herself...I don't like him. I hate James Potter. I always have, and I always will. Lily thought, finalizing any doubt she had...
The next morning, they were gathered in the great hall for breakfast.
"Transfiguration, Double Divination, and then lunch. I think I can stand that..." Melodie read aloud.
"Yeah...." Lily said examining her own Timetable.
Just then a Brown Barn Owl flew down and landed in front of Lily's cereal bowl. Lily, too indulged in her timetable, didn't notice.
"Lil...! There's an owl here for you..." Melodie prodded her, and said.
"Oh! Okay" Lily said while folding the timetable.
"What the . . . " Lily muttered.
"What's wrong?" Melodie asked.
"This isn't my owl from home, and you know that's the only place I get mail from... " Lily said taking the owls package, and staring after it as it flew away.
"Oh well, open it!" Melodie said over excited.
Lily picked the parcel up gently. Whatever was in the parcel, seemed to be long...as the light pink paper was wound down it . . . Slowly, she carefully took the paper off and gasped in shock. An elegant pink rose fell into her lap; it seemed to be crystal-glazed, shimmering forever more.
"Aw, that's awesome" Melodie commented, breaking into Lily's submerged thoughts.
"Who sent it?" She questioned, as Lily turned the thorn less rose over in her hands.
"Ummm . . . " Lily muttered reaching in for the card, which was the same shade pink as the rose.
She cleared her throat and read it aloud to Melodie.
"'Lily Evans. All is not what it appears to be. This rose, so gentle, and innocent looking lies among these. All is no what it appears to be, indeed'" Lily read to Melodie.
She looked puzzled, as Lily did.
"It doesn't say whom it's from?" Melodie asked.
"No..." Lily replied, frowning slightly, feeling confused.
"Odd . . . it's not your birthday, is it?" Melodie asked.
"Mel, if it was, you'd know" Lily told her.
"Well . . . is it any special occasion??" She asked again.
"No . . . nothing..." Lily said.
"Hmm..." Melodie seemed to be thinking.
"It's gorgeous...I've never seen a shade of pink like that before..." Melodie said, abandoning her thoughts.
"I know..." Lily agreed.
"You know what?" James voice said, as the three joined the table.
"Look what Lily got!" Melodie exclaimed.
"Mel..." Lily warned.
"A rose" Sirius observed.
"Very good Sirius!" Remus joked.
"Haha....Ha..." Sirius replied.
"A pink rose!" James said as if it was the biggest discovery.
"You guys are a riot" Remus said to them sarcastically.
"You are too" James said patting him on the shoulder.
"It doesn't say who sent it. None of you did, did you?" Melodie said to them.
Remus and Sirius shook their heads, but James had to comment something to it.
"Of course I didn't send it. It doesn't even have thorns! If I had sent it, I would've made sure it had thorns...Make Lily imperfect, for a few seconds...." James sneered.
Melodie glared him down. Lily was too curious about the rose to care.
"Curious..." She spoke her thoughts.
"Was there a card?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah!" Melodie said whipping the card from Lily's clutch.
"It says!" Melodie began to announce. "'Lily Evans. All is not what it appears to be. This rose, so gentle, and innocent looking, lies among these. All is no what it appears to be, indeed'" She finished.
"Hmm" Sirius shrugged turning to his scrambled eggs.
"Hmm" Remus mocked his tone.
They then began fighting over the plate of scrambled eggs. But James was staring at the rose, unblinkingly. Finally, he seemed to come back to reality, but only with a sharp remark.
"I don't like it" He said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Don't Like what?" Lily questioned.
"That rose" He said.
"Why?" Lily said, puzzled.
"There's something about it...." James began. "That makes me uneasy..." He finished biting into the toast.
"Nah, it's just you" Lily replied sarcastically.
James shrugged his mouth too full to speak. But in her mind, Lily felt the same way as James. As she turned the rose over, and over again in her hands she thought..... James is right, though I hate to admit it, there's something about this flower the gives me a feeling of unease.... As usual, her thoughts were interrupted by Melodie.
"Class time!" She said brightly, tugging Lily's sleeve.
"Coming" Lily said gathering her things up, still holding the rose, and the note, tightly to her. They learned about...the theory behind human transformation...Lily, for once, wasn't really paying attention. James kept cracking jokes, making Remus and Sirius laugh heartedly, and Professor McGonagall to deduct points...Just the usual. Lily was still thinking about the rose...there was just something about it.
"I'm going to Professor Dumbledore" Lily said slamming her books, a tad too hard, down on the table in Divination.
Melodie held the table steady after it shook. "Why?" She asked, seeming confused.
"This rose!" Lily exclaimed waving it around carelessly.
"Careful!" Melodie said.
"Why? I don't think I like it either" Lily said.
"Why? You're not actually going to listen to James! You hate him...or so I thought..." Melodie said, grinning evilly.
"You're as bad as the boys" Lily said rolling her eyes.
Melodie shined with pride.
"No. Seriously, why?" She asked again.
"It gives me the creeps...just the way that it's...it's so...so...perfect..." Lily told her.
"It's just the idea that James has planted into your head!" Melodie insisted.
"Besides it'll die in like a week or less, and then it'll be out of your way!" Melodie said.
"But what if it's Magical?! Then it won't die, will it?" Lily said accusingly.
"Umm! Well you're going to Dumbledore, supposedly, ask him!" Melodie defended.
After the uneventful lessons of Divination were over, Lily quickly left the classroom, ditching Melodie to Remus. Man, there's something going on. Lily thought, as Mel gushed and giggled with him. Lily was headed straight for Dumbledore's office. She had been here many times before. She had been there almost as many times as the Marauders had. It seemed that every time they played a prank on Lily, they somehow managed to get her dragged into trouble as well. Lily shook her head and concentrated on remembering the password.
"Umm, buttered potatoes?" Lily guessed nervously.
"Flying Flies" She said to the statue.
"Bewitching Wands? Oh come on! I'm not here for a bad reason" Lily said, finding herself grabbing onto the statue, trying to pry it open.
"Practicing pinning down the Marauders?" Said an old voice from behind her.
She immediately let go of the statue, and spun around. "Professor Dumbledore, sir!" She exclaimed nervously.
"Yes, Miss Evans..." He said intriguingly.
"I was just looking for you!" She told him briskly.
"Ah, it was me you were looking for? I thought you seemed rather attached to my statue..." The old wizard said, placing a hand on the statue.
Lily laughed nervously. "Impatient, I guess. Anyways, I was here to see you about something I received...." She inputted.
"Indeed, follow me then" Dumbledore said, nodding.
He said the password and they entered the passage to his office. When arriving Lily sat in a chair across from his desk, and Dumbledore stood.
"So?" He questioned.
"Oh! Well this morning, when I received post, I received something...well something without a name. I don't know who could've sent it, I mean..." Lily continued rambling on about not knowing until Dumbledore held a hand up to stop her.
"What, may I ask, did you receive?" He asked her.
"Oh! Well-" She then reached into her bag, and carefully pulled out the 'thorn less rose'. "This." She finished, brandishing the rose. Dumbledore seemed to be interested.
"It has, been a while, since I had seen a rose, of such a shade...and they're very uncommon in the Wizarding world. Perhaps...this is magical..." He said, pulling his wand out from his robes. He seemed to be doing a number of spells, and then he looked dumbfounded.
"Is something the matter?" Lily questioned nervously.
"It's not magical, it seems...it seems to be...just an ordinary rose" Dumbledore told her, peering over his spectacles.
"Oh" Lily said.
"Was there a note?" Dumbledore asked her, peering down again at the rose.
"Oh yeah" Lily said, giving him the small piece of parchment.
He read over the words, mouthing them as he went.
"Ahhhh...these words..." Dumbledore began.
"I came to see you about it, because this...this rose gave me a funny feeling...James too..." She added. Dumbledore appeared startled.
"You are actually listening to the opinion of James Potter? This is a miracle..." He muttered, smiling.
Lily smiled back. Even the headmaster could crack jokes she thought.
"Lily, I see nothing at all wrong with it. It's a real rose, and these words...are just...to confuse you, so you don't know who sent it...But...it's not right...." Dumbledore said, for once, unsure of his own self.
"I know..." Lily replied.
"I'll run it by a few more...well I'll...send it to Professor McGonagall and Flitwick...see if they can spot a hex on either thing...Yes, go on to lunch, and...you'll be informed..." Dumbledore told her slowly.
Lily nodded, feeling almost relieved to be away from the perfect presence of the rose.
The next day around the end of class, Lily felt rather...different. She didn't know what it was, but it wasn't right. Maybe I actually did like the rose. Lily thought to herself and then the bell rang. While entering the Great Hall, those thoughts still stammered in her head. She made the feeling go away and she hurried to lunch. She found everyone where they usually were seated.
"We don't want any" James said, though a mouthful of pork.
"Oh well, just for today" Lily replied, surprised at herself for being nice to James, she didn't even have it in her to be hateful to him. This also seemed to surprise James, as he choked on his pork.
"Something the matter?" Sirius asked, as James choked, like it was nothing at all. James then spat the chewed pork out, and glared at Sirius.
"No, nothing" He replied thickly.
"Okay! Just checking!" Remus answered for Sirius, quickly going back to his potatoes.
Lily noticed that he was staring at Melodie as she laughed with a fellow Gryffindor.
"You like her, don't you?" Lily asked him, not really knowing what come over her.
Melodie, not knowing, what her, she was talking about, didn't take notice of this conversation.
"Who?" Remus snapped, surprised.
"Her" Lily said nodding her head in the direction of Melodie, while helping herself to some potatoes.
"NO! I don't know. And if I did, umm well it wouldn't matter" Remus replied looking down at his plate.
"Okay, okay. Just wondering" Lily said lightly, picking her goblet up and taking a sip.
"What's come over you?" Remus asked, all of a sudden.
"Hmm?" Lily said.
"In the 6 years I've known you, you never have come out and said something like that, right in front of the person....And you're acting all...not Lilyish...." Remus explained, looking repulsed at whatever was up with Lily.
Lily laughed, a real laugh, a friendly laugh. But Remus looked horrified.
"I'm not feeling...Lilyish...today, Moony" Lily told him, shoveling potatoes into her mouth.
"Moony?" James and Remus said at the same time, apparently James wasn't totally hooked on food.
"That is his nickname right?" Talking with food in her mouth, totally not something Lily would do.
"Our nickname, for him" Sirius said joining the conversation, butter smeared on his forehead.
"Oh well! I thought I'd try something new!" Lily said reaching over to Sirius' forehead and wiping the butter off with her finger.
Not only was this surprising, as one would expect her to leave it there and make a mock of it, but she also licked it off her finger. She then gathered her books and said she was off to the Common Room.
"C-ya!" She said, planting a kiss on Remus' cheek, who was sitting next to her.
"Bye" Remus and Sirius said, in a bemused sort of way.
"What about me..." James said sulkily.
"Awww" Remus and Sirius chorused, causing James to hit the two of them over their heads.
They grinned evilly, like it hadn't bothered them, which it probably hadn't, as the satisfaction of annoying James to that extent was enough to wipe pain away. Lily's strange behavior kept up all that night, and into the next day. James was almost annoyed at the thought she wasn't being mean to him when he tried to pull a prank. Three days after start of term, the weekend came. Sirius, Remus, and James, as usual, spent the day planning what to do to people that year, they also snuck out to Hogsmeade. The rest of the day was uneventful, except for when they came back from Hogsmeade.... After everyone had gone to bed, James sat up making a chart of when Quidditch Practices would start. Lily sat in a chair across from him reading a book. James kept following her gaze; she kept looking up from her book at him.
"Stop it!" James said, standing up and putting his charts away.
"Stop what?" Lily said, standing up as well.
"Making me scared" James replied.
"Haha. Why are you scared?" Lily asked, moving closer to James, her hand outstretched.
"Why shouldn't I be?" James said, staying frozen to the spot.
Lily didn't reply, she just stepped closer to him, smiling a way that the normal Lily didn't smile. James followed the direction of her hand.
"Are you going to like hit me, for putting that acid stuff in your hair in Potions?" James asked nervously, although he was very much built, and 17 years old, he knew what Lily was capable of.
"No..." Lily told him, placing a hand on his chest.
"Um...this isn't right, Lil..." James said to her, his voice cracking.
"Why ever not?" Lily whispered.
James leant close to her.
"Because we hate each other" James whispered to her.
Lily just smiled that new, twisted smile.
Whoa, she's making the moves on me. James thought, staring into Lily's emerald eyes.
Before he knew what had happened, Lily had pushed him on the sofa.
"Whoa" James muttered, struggling to sit up.
Lily sat next to him, running her hands up and down his chest.
"Stop it" James told her.
"Why?" She whispered.
"Because" James whispered, weakening.
Lily smiled, making James' heart come to his throat, even thought he knew, that he hated Lily, but for some reason, not this Lily.
"Come here" Lily said indicating with her finger for him to come closer.
Although, surprised at his actions, he pulled closer to her. She stared into his eyes, making him wonder what she was going to do. She leant in to him, and kissed him. Lightly at first, but James deepened it. His hands sat frozen at his side, but Lily's were roaming all over James. Lily pulled away from the kiss, taking James' hand and placing it on her cheek.
"Why are you doing this?" James asked quietly.
"Because...I don't hate you..." Lily replied.
Lily removed her hand from James', but James kept it on her cheek, feeling the warmth that was spreading to his fingertips. He stared into her eyes for a few more moments, and saw what he had been looking for. There was something in her eyes that was never there before. A glint of red perhaps...the sign he had expected...There was a sure trace of evil in the girls eyes...that Lily had not possessed when he looked into those eyes before...when he looked into those eyes to annoy the hell out of her...not kiss her.
Lily's fingertips were lingering on James' chest.
"Stop fighting it, James..." Lily whispered.
Taking her hand a placing it on his cheek. James wanted this to happen...but not with Lily...not with this Lily...not with what he thought to be the evil Lily.
"I'm going to tell you one more time...Stop it!" James said to her, taking her hand off his cheek, and looking one more time into her green eyes...with unmistakable coldness...before walking away.
Lily didn't look hurt, she sat there, grinning slyly, looking evil. She continued to sit there, and moments after James disappeared up the staircase to the boys dorm, he quietly crept back to peer down the staircase, she again had picked up her book...and was reading...sitting in the same spot...Very unusual...for Lily...to stay up...after everyone else went to bed. James tore off into the dorm, he woke Remus and Sirius, the only other person in the room, being Peter, James talked loudly, not caring if he woke him.
"Shaddup!" Sirius said sitting up abruptly, after James had started yelling in his ear.
"I'm going to kill you! You're ruining my beauty sleep!" Remus bellowed, before turning a bright shade of red.
"Guys, this is important! Official...Um...Marauder business!" James told them quickly.
This didn't brighten their faces anymore.
"Peter, out" James said giving him a blanket and opening the door.
He was barely awake and headed in the direction of the Girls dorm.
"That was stupid" Sirius commented.
"He'll end up at the end of some poor girls' bed..." Remus agreed. "Some poor...hot girls' bed...which I should be in..." He added as an after thought.
"It's your turn to shut up" James snapped at the two.
"Me-ow" Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Sirius, be serious!!" James yelled.
Sirius and Remus stared at him straight faced; they exchanged glances and burst out laughing at James' stupid remark. James sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands to let them have a good laugh. Finally they stopped laughing, and just giggled scatter fully.
"Finished?" James asked sarcastically.
His two friends exchanged glances and burst out laughing again.
"Okay done!" Sirius said cheerfully.
"Yup!" Remus agreed.
"You know how Lily has been acting, really odd, lately??" James questioned.
"Uh Huh, she's acting like most of the girls I date...an air head...only...she's...smart...and...stuff" Sirius said.
"Oh that made sense" Remus told him.
"Well at least I tried" Sirius said sulkily.
"Okay! Shut it!" James yelled.
"Yeah I know what you mean...she's been acting all...bitchish...differentish..." Remus said.
"What is it with you and the ish man?" Sirius asked.
Remus shrugged.
"Gay" Sirius said bluntly.
"Ha" Remus said sarcastically.
"Anyway...what about Lily?" Sirius questioned, ignoring Remus.
"Well, when I was down in the Common Room, working on my Qudditch stuff, she was still up too, reading." James began; they didn't look too hooked on the story.
"So, fine, I was okay with that" James continued, sounding much more like an 80-year old woman gossiping, then a 17 year old boy telling his friends something.
"But then she started looking up from her book...and-" James started to continue but was cut off by Sirius.
"Ooh! That's awful!" he said sarcastically.
"Shut up. And then I told her to stop it, because she was scaring me, and she just smiled at me. And then she put her hand on me. She like, pushed me down onto the sofa...I was like...whoa, someone's putting the moves on. Anyways she told me to come closer...and then she came closer...and then she kissed me...she was like...evil or something" James rambled on.
"Kissed you?" Remus said disbelievingly, ignoring the evil part.
"Pure and simple. Well...not really simple, but you know what I mea-.." James said.
"Lily Marie Evans...kissed you?" Sirius asked, choking down a laugh.
"Yes" James nodded.
"Seeing things, again?" Remus asked.
"No!" James exclaimed.
"Well we will just see about that..." Sirius said marching up to the door of the dorm and opening it. Peter was huddled in the doorway, sucking his thumb.
"Move out of it" Sirius said nudging him, and gesturing that it was okay to come back in.
He whimpered slightly, and ran back to his bed. Remus and James followed Sirius to the staircase. Each stuck their head out, looking easily odd. There sat Lily, the fire still a glow, the book still in her hand.
"Oh yeah...she looks evil" Sirius muttered peering down at Lily.
She was sitting in an armchair, now. Her legs curled up beneath her, smiling while reading over the words. The flames from the fire danced on her face, making her seem to be glowing.
"She's beautiful" James murmured.
"Yeah" Sirius nodded.
"Thought you hated her??" Remus asked, looking at James.
"Thought so, too" James whispered.
Remus and Sirius both rolled their eyes.
"Took you 10 bimbos, 5 brunettes, 11 blondes, and a whole bunch of air heads to realize that..." Sirius commented.
Remus and him exchanged glances, and they burst out laughing, as they always did lately. James rolled his eyes, as they caught Lily's attention. She smiled warmly, not moving from her spot in the armchair. The three boys walked slowly down the staircase, and around to where Lily was sitting.
"Hi Lily!" Sirius said brightly.
"Fancy meeting you here" Remus added.
"Hi guys..." Lily said sarcastically.
James looked into her eye...the evil...didn't seem to be there...
"James just told us a funny story, Lil" Remus said.
"And we'd like you to confirm it" Sirius added.
"Um...okay, shoot!" Lily said softly.
"James said you 'kissed' him...and made moves on him..." Sirius began.
"Is that true?" Remus finished.
"Ummm no..." Lily said disbelievingly.
"We hate each other....Remember, James?" Lily said, sweetly...the Lily way.
"She's not acting differentish...she's acting Lilyish.." Remus muttered to James and Sirius.
"Gay" Sirius quoted again.
"Ummm we didn't think it was true." Remus told her, punching Sirius hard.
"Yeah..." Sirius wheezed.
"Night!" The three said at the same time.
"Night..." Lily repeated, a small smile on her face, although a confused small smile.
"Why did you punch me?" Sirius asked.
"You keep calling me gay" Remus pouted.
"I always call you gay, duh" Sirius replied.
"Is it because my abs are better?" Remus questioned.
"Ah no."
"Firmer stomach?"
"Ah, no."
"More muscles."
"Ah, no."
"Then why?" Remus whined.
"Because...you're my friend." Sirius said at last. "And I really think he is gay" he added to James.
James wasn't listening though, because one minute...Lily was kissing him...the next...hating him...Had he really fantasized the kiss? Or was it her? Was she really turning bad without knowing it? The three came into the Dorm. Remus collapsed on Sirius' bed, not really thinking, and James collapsed on his own. Still dressed in his day clothes the unusual events of the passed 3 days flew through his mind...
"James" Remus was croaking. "Get it off of me" He begged.
James snapped out of it, and saw the transformed Sirius, the big bear-like dog, attacking Remus. James lunged at Sirius pulling him off of Remus.
"Phew" Remus said, as though friends often transformed into dogs and attacked other friends.
"Move, now" Sirius ordered.
"Umm, okay" Remus obeyed this time.
James had to laugh at the behaviors of his friends.
"Girlfriend, Sirius??" James found himself asking, out of the blue.
"Ummm huh?" Sirius questioned, confused.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Remus said, translating.
"Um...no..." Sirius replied, blushing.
"Oh..." Remus said.
"Why not? Who do you like?" James asked.
"I think your both gay" Sirius muttered before throwing in.
"You guys know who I like"
Remus and James exchanged glances in the dark.
"Yeah, but do you still like her?" James and Remus said in usion.
"Yeah" Sirius answered.
"Who did he like again?" Remus asked James in a curious way, as if Sirius wasn't in the room.
"Um...Lil and Mel's friend...what's-her-name..." James replied.
"Oh! Yeah...what's-her-name...er-...who?" Remus said.
Sirius rolled his eyes, while James cracked up.
"Her name is Julia Shaw!!" Sirius bellowed.
James and Remus snapped their fingers and said: "That's it"
"Oh yes"
"WHY?! Remus...who do you have it in for??" Sirius asked.
"Melodie" Remus replied promptly.
"...Do you still have it in for that dumb blonde in Ravenclaw, James??" Remus asked him.
"Nahh" James replied, feeling himself blush.
"Oh" Remus enquired.
"Who do you like?" Sirius asked.
"No one" James replied, not wanting to tell them the truth.
Remus and Sirius exchanged glances then nodded and agreed: "Lily" The two said in usion. James sighed.
"Listen to us! We've been here for 4 days and we're hitting on girls already!!" James exclaimed.
"Um...right...that's like...slow for us..." Sirius said.
"Extremely slow. I have a girlfriend in one day last year...." Remus agreed.
"Shaddup!" James called.
"Tsk, Tsk" Remus and Sirius said.
"Goodnight" All three of them said at the same time.
Boys seemed to be weird that way. James lay staring at the shadowy figure of Peter's bed, through his hangings. All of a sudden he had an idea. He jumped out of bed and high-tailed it back to the Common Room.
"Where do you think he's going?" Remus asked sitting up.
"Does it matter?" Sirius retorted.
"Okay, I'll give him 5 minutes...he doesn't come back...we do the usual..." Remus replied.
"...tell everyone we don't know which girls' bed he'd be in this time..." Sirius finished.
"Gotcha" Remus said staring up at this canvas.
Lily's still there! James thought to himself. He hurried down the stairs, and breathlessly ran up to Lily.
"Hey, Lil" James said, through sharp breaths.
"What're you doing up, again?" Lily asked, surprised.
"Ummm I needed to ask you a question..." James said, quickly looking into her eyes. He saw nothing that could tell her that she was evil at that moment. He was safe...for now.
"What's your book called?" He asked before he found himself too indulged in the depths of her emerald eyes.
"Blood and Family" Lily replied, flipping the cover over to show him.
"What's it about?" James asked quickly.
"Its poetry...see?" She said, hanging him the book, with a page open.
"Okay!" James replied. "I was just wondering."
"Alright then." Lily replied, sounding worried, like on would, but casual.
"Night." James said softly.
"Goodnight, James. Take it easy, you conceited ass." She said smiling.
That's our Lily. James thought smiling, and walking back to the staircase.
What is up with him? Is he like...crushing on me? I'd hope not. I mean we've hated each other for so long, I think it'd be impossible. But then again, what am I thinking...it is James Potter.... Lily thought to herself, with her pointer finger and her thumb cradling the side of her face, the two fingers made a slight 'L' the way they were positioned. Haha! My name's Lily, and I made an 'L!'. Lily exclaimed to herself, before turning the corner of the page she was reading over and setting it down on a nearby stand. She then stood up and left, the fire, which was lit for light only as it was September, slowly extinguishing as she walked away. James collapsed again on his bed.
"He came back" Remus whispered.
"Shitty luck" Sirius replied.
James laughed silently at this.
He had wished that the book Lily was reading had something to do with her evilness. That if he could prove that she was reading a Dark Magic book, they'd believe she was going bad...but she was back to normal...for how long...James wondered...As he drifted off to sleep, and silence pressed upon him...two words floated across his mine... The rose...James slept restlessly that night, he had a dream....
"Lily! It's the rose! I know it is! You were right; there is something wrong about it. It's changing you. You have to get it back from Dumbledore, and destroy it...before it destroys you!!" James was yelling in his dream. "I'm sorry James" Said a soft voice. An angel Lily...floating towards him...smiling sweetly...like nothing happened..."Lily" James croaked. James was standing in the middle of a deserted wood. There was a little clearing in the forest...and bright sunlight poured in...James reached for Lily...and took her hand...he held it in his..."I'm so sorry I let it get you" James heard himself say. "I'm so sorry" He repeated, tears, flowing down his face, in the dream. "Shhhhh" Lily soothed. "The rose, already destroyed me, but it won't destroy you, not if you fight the Darkness within it..." Lily whispered. Wiping James' tears away. "I won't let it destroy me, I'll fight it" James promised. "James...I won't let it destroy you, either..." She whispered placing her other hand on his face. She leant in and kissed his eyes, kissing away his tears. She was so beautiful. So gentle...yet so fragile. James was afraid to lose her...Even though; for so many years...they hated one another...He was too afraid to lose her. "Shhhhhh" She repeated smiling still. "I'm so sorry"...Lily then began to float away. Smiling, James knew she was going to somewhere else...somewhere she'd get the treatment she deserved..."I'm sorry. So sorry"...
"I'm sorry! So sorry! Please don't leave me! I'm sorry I let it get you! I'm sorr-" James was screaming the words to his dreams out loud.
"James!"
"Chill" Remus and Sirius could be heard above James, he opened his eyes.
"Wh-what happened?" He asked groggily.
"You were screaming in your sleep saying 'I'm sorry'" Remus informed.
"Go the hell back to sleep" Sirius said.
"Okay" James said, as they were meant to be kind words.
He tossed and turned that night, wondering if his dream...had meant something...And Lily....he hated Lily for 6 years of his life...and now...what was happening in Hogwarts?...what was going on...After that 4:30am wakening, James couldn't get back to sleep. So, he staggered down the stairs, after a half-hour of tossing and turning. He placed his glasses on his head as he got to the staircase, and he nearly tumbled down them, because he was in for the surprise of a lifetime. Sitting in the armchair, by the fire, was Lily.
The same armchair, yet no fire alight yet on this Sunday morning. She was also reading the same book. James couldn't tell if this was good Lily...or bad Lily...
"Lil?" He said sheepishly.
"Hello James...I was expecting you..." Lily replied without looking back at him.
James gulped, this was definitely not the good Lily...she would've been scared out of her wits and started killing him... James smiled, and tried to act normal.
"Were you?" He said sitting down opposite her.
"Yes" She said, placing the book down.
"Why?" James asked casually.
"Because..." Lily responded.
Not this again. James thought, while trying to stare Lily down.
"Stop It!" James told her, regaining the place he made last night.
"Stop what?!" Lily exclaimed, appearing frustrated.
"This" James gestured towards her moving nearer him.
She eventually came and sat on the arm of his chair.
"Lily. Stop It!" he said clearly. on I don't hate you..." Lily said, wrapping her arms around his neck, and sliding down into his lap.
"Doesn't this feel right? Us together at last?" Lily asked James, within an inch from his face.
As much as James wanted it...not with this Lily...the other Lily...that would never have him...he couldn't let her do this...there was something drastically wrong with her....
"No" James told her firmly.
"Does this feel right?" Lily asked, taking James' hands and pulling him up off the chair, to a standing position. She then took his hands and put them around her tiny waist.
"No, Lily, none of it will feel right, none of it will feel right....until your back..." James said looking into her eyes.
She put her hands up around his neck.
"Lily..." James said as he gazed into her emerald eyes...still flashing evilly.
"Yes James?" Lily replied.
"Why are you doing this..?" James asked quietly.
"Because I don't hate you..." Lily replied sweetly...but hatefully.
She got up on tiptoe to kiss James, but he pulled away.
"Have it your way" Lily replied resting her head on his shoulder.
"I will" James replied, swaying softly on the spot...wishing this was the real Lily...not the wrong Lily...
"I'm scared right now, Lily" James told her, after a few minutes of cradling her in his arms, and swaying to the non-existing music.
"Why?" Lily raised her head from his shoulder, and smiled evilly, like she was glad.
"Your not the Lily I know...not the Lily I want..." James whispered.
"I'm sorry, James. I'll be the Lily you want if you let me be...wrong..." Lily whispered in his ear.
"What?" James asked, still holding her. While holding on to the evil Lily, he was wishing that the real one would come back soon.
"Like I said...I don't hate you..." Lily replied, taking James' hands in her.
"Stop Lily" He whispered helplessly in her ear.
"I'm sorry James" She whispered back looking into his eyes.
She rested her head on his shoulder again, and James, didn't realize it, until he felt the warmth on his face...that tears were flowing down his face...silent tears...because he truly was scared of this Lily...of her power to seduce him...to stand here like this...but really he hated her...he wanted the real Lily...
"James, don't cry" Lily said trying to calm him down.
"I'm not" James said wiping the tears away quickly.
"James, why do you fight me? Why don't you give in?" Lily asked James, now putting on his face, stopping the swaying movement.
"Because Lily, I have to fight you...I have to bring the real you back...I'll never give into evil" He whispered to her.
"But James...evil can be so much fun..." Lily replied, she seemed to be losing some of her spaz.
"I'm sorry, James. You'll give into evil...sooner or..." Lily whispered hoarsely while resting her head on his shoulder again.
James stood there, his hands on her tiny hips, her hands on his shoulder...and for once that night it felt right...
"Help me, James" Lily whispered.
"What?" James whispered back, surprised.
"I don't know what's gotten into me...one minute I'm me...and the next minute I'm not..." Lily said, uttering a sob.
"Lily, is it you?" James said to the sobbing figure in his arms.
"Yes, James. Don't let it come back...help me James" She said, sobbing uncontrollably now.
"Shhhhh. I want to help you. Shhh..." James comforted.
They began to sway to the non-existing music again.
There were many questions James wanted to ask, but decided to wait.
"Why do you keep saying...'I don't hate you'...Lil..." James asked her.
"Because, I don't. And I don't love you either. I've moved on from our childish differences. But the other me...when she says...I don't hate you...she means...she more then hates you...because I can feel so much hatred at times when I'm with you...and then...others...I'm like this...melting in your arms, like I promised I wouldn't..." Lily whimpered.
"Shhhhh, Lily..." James whispered, stroking her backbone, calming her down.
By this time dawn was showing its face, and James had calmed Lily down enough to sit down.
"You're the only one who knows that something is seriously wrong...James..." Lily whispered her head on his chest.
"We can make the others believe..." James said quietly.
"Not even Melodie...though she tried...I blocked her out...to get to you..." Lily told him.
James sat there, stroking the red hair of the woman he hated, yet the woman he...didn't hate....