Disclaimer: JKR's is JKR's. Mine is mine. Read it, remember it, live it.
A/N: 17 reviews in total... wwooooww... ::hands out Ice Mice to the reviewers:: Thanks!
moonlizard – Hehe, I agree... way to go, Prongs! But don't worry, this is truly, most definitely, and unquestionably an L/J fic, no matter how otherwise it would seem.
DeoxyriboNucleic Acid – Yes, I have rued making James seem so sugary in the past chapters. But these are probably the most sentimental chapters in all the plot, so for those soft-hearted readers out there, enjoy them. I agree that I probably killed all of James masculinity, but again, he'll be less sensitive in the chapters to come. And don't worry, James isn't stupid and I have no intention whatsoever of bringing his IQ down in the slightest bit... although you know he becomes incredibly gullible around Lily without any of my strong doses of sugar. I beg barrels of pardon for this, really I do, and he will be harder in the next chapters, really. I appreciate your honesty :)
allie – Thanks! I'm glad it was very informative and eventful. The rest will be just as busy, if not more.
Babigirl2246 – You reviewed again! ::hands you extra Ice Mice:: I was aiming for insightful, hopefully, and you don't know how relieved I am that it came out like that. Please forgive me for this, but James will be tougher, since I am worried that his masculinity is vanishing because of me. And I also beg pardon of Lily's many issues... unless you enjoy them. I honestly can't say I don't... hehehe.
Babigirl2246 – Two reviews... ::hands you more Ice Mice and Chocolate Frogs:: I am running out of candy, lol. I love reading your reviews since they're so consistent, so if I keep it up, will you?
A few mornings after, Lily woke up instantaneously when someone savagely threw back her the curtains around her bed, allowing the bright morning light to affect her. There was a great fuss about how Lily can never wake up in the mornings without any drastic acts that included Mona and Phyllis and a little of bit Eleanor's sarcastic remarks before Lily stuck her tongue out at all of them and reluctantly slipped out of bed.
"Don't drag your feet, Lily-poo," Mona smirked. Lily threw her a dirty look and deliberately inched slowly to the bathroom before the other four girls graciously took the time and effort to just push her to there. The sooner, the better.
"She is impossible," Ramona said grimly, shaking her head. "Couldn't have said it any better," contributed Eleanor.
"You know what's impossible?" Phyllis said suddenly. "Her issues with James."
All four girls exchanged dark looks. They constantly brought it up at the most random times, especially when Lily and James weren't around. From what little they've heard, they guessed that Sirius, Remus, and Peter were no different about it.
"James is still avoiding her?" Mona said. Ramona and Eleanor nodded, but Phyllis was thoughtful. The blonde grimaced at Ramona and Eleanor and gave a more lengthy answer.
"I wouldn't call it avoiding, Mona. He's just... not being his usual around her. He gets cheeky and persistent around her usually, but now he treats her no different than he treats us. He's not avoiding her, alright?" Phyllis insisted, to the chagrin of the other three girls who thought differently.
"Fine," Mona repaired, nettled. "He's not so different around her anymore. What should we call that?"
A thoughtful silence from Phyllis.
"He's..." she struggled, tapping her foot unconsciously. "He's... just James around her, if you know what I mean. Just James. Usually, he's Stupid James around her. Now he's just James. And... yeah."
This raised eyebrows among Mona, Eleanor, and Ramona but they stayed quiet. "Just James," mumbled Mona, trying to see if she could get used to it.
Before anyone else could say another word, Lily strode in, freshly dressed and wearing a bright smile. After showers, Lily was always a bit... chipper... but this bothered no one. She never got mad when she was feeling chipper and for this reason no one complained.
"Hey, girls," she said cheerily, beaming at all of them. "Whatcha talking about?"
Ramona opened her mouth to give a smooth lie (she was always the best liar of them all) but Phyllis stopped her by asking unexpectedly, "Mona, what's that under your bed?"
All the other girls turned to look intently at her before simultaneously turning to look at Mona's bed. Indeed, the ruffle had been moved and something had been slipped under it roughly. Mona frowned and pulled whatever was there from under her bed, but then sucked in her breath as she pulled off the brown paper covering the items.
There was a four-pack of Butterbeer accompanied by thick caramel cubes, with a small, waterless vase of blooming irises and marigolds, Mona's favorite combination of flowers. She admired how the cool purple complimented the vivid gold, but this was not known by anyone out of Gryffindor. And Mona certainly had no suitor out of Gryffindor, since she rarely flirted outside of her House. A defect that is barely noticed.
The five Gryffindor girls stared at them, half amused (well, except for Mona) and half marveling at how any boy could've gotten in the girls' dorms. Unless the person wasn't a boy, but they weren't going to get into that. For the sake of decency.
Mona cleared her throat quite audibly, her dark eyes never leaving the bouquet and treats, and she tilted her head in wonder.
"Uh, does anyone here have any clue how these got here?"
The shakes of their heads were alarmingly simultaneous.
Lily's lips cracked into a taunting smile.
"Ooooh, Mona's got an admirer... have you been flirting lately, Mo?" This jerked laughs out of Phyllis, Ramona, and Eleanor, but Mona said nothing. For once in her life. Better yet, her tan cheeks blushed a little as she gently picked at the bouquet in thought.
"But really, how could anyone have gotten in here?" Eleanor mused. Lily shrugged in puzzlement and Phyllis shook her head. Ramona was thoughtfully silent, however, much like Phyllis was when discussing how James was presently like around Lily.
"They would have to be extremely clever, to know how to do stuff like that," Ramona said finally. Eleanor raised her eyebrows skeptically, probably about to say something sarcastic.
"Nah, really, Ramona? They'd have to be a dolt to get in, it's that easy..." Eleanor grinned broadly. Ramona scowled.
"There's a note," Lily voiced, reaching for a sheaf of parchment that was laying unnoticed under Mona's bed. It was folded in two, to hide its contents, which consisted only of a single paragraph in a hurried scrawl. Mona snatched it so fast from Lily's fingers that it nearly left a papercut.
Mona read it silently to herself, paled and flushed furiously, then handed it wordlessly to Lily, a small smile tugging at her lips. Lily took it with great gusto and read it aloud, with Phyllis, Ramona, and Eleanor clambering eagerly behind her.
"My Mona Lisa, Grand Masterpiece of Da Vinci,
Okay, that was pathetic. But I can't think of anything else, so I'm leaving it at that. I hope you liked the candy and flowers and Butterbeer. Never mind how I figured out about your liking for those. I can't pen how I got in your dorm either, since it's a very useful secret," – eyebrows were raised at this – "but if you want to meet me, be at the Three Broomsticks on the next Hogsmeade date at 3 o'clock. You're probably itching to see me," – there were definitely some snorts of amusement there – "and I must confess that can't wait to see you. Tell no one of this, unless the other girls are reading over your shoulder. Which I bet you a Galleon they are.
Forever yours,
A Very Secret, Handsome, and Creative Admirer."
"He doesn't even bother to be modest," Phyllis said with amusement the instant Lily finished reading.
"A very useful secret?" Ramona quoted, her eyebrows still raised. "Can he be more perverted?"
"Mona Lisa, Masterpiece of Da Vinci!" Eleanor laughed out loud, howling with mirth.
Lily was quiet, shaking her head and smiling as though her amusement couldn't be express in a more perfect way than that. All eyes turned to Mona, imploring and taunting.
"Are you going?" Lily inquired sweetly, blinking innocently. Her eyes spoke differently, however.
Mona squirmed uncomfortably, biting her lip. She usually didn't mind being in the hot seat, charismatic and unaffected as she was, but situations like these were of a different matter. And Mona treated it so.
"Depends, really. He seems like a git, but he sounds fun, but he still sounds like a great prat, and I don't know what to do, because I'll probably make an arse of myself with this guy, but what if this is just a joke? Then that'll be a nightmare, and I don't wanna risk it, but not taking this chance is maybe losing a future or something – "
She cut off when Lily deliberately threw a pillow at her, to end her uneasy rambling. This ordeal was certainly already making an arse of Mona, since she was always so reassured about what she was doing and always found a way to deal with the consequences of any wrong decisions.
"Mona, relax! Just go, and we'll follow from behind and if he tries anything we'll protect you, or if it was a joke, you'll be avenged. Just... take this chance, and we'll see what goes on from here."
The other girls nodded vigorously in agreement. For a long stretch of time, Mona was quiet, before flushing and staring defiantly at the floor.
"Can I be honest with you guys?"
Ramona, Eleanor, Phyllis, and Lily all nodded in unison.
"Don't hold a grudge, but... I don't want you there."
This had quite an impact; Ramona and Eleanor blinked, offended. But Lily and Phyllis felt worse, as Mona's best friends. Phyllis frowned, uncomprehendingly or disbelievingly it was hard to tell. Lily flushed and her lush lips tightened into a stern line. They were supposed to be trusted with anything, supposed to help Mona is any way possible. But here she was, refusing them as though she didn't know them well enough. They did not expect this, or anything close.
"Well, fine," Ramona said, scandalized. "Whatever suits you, Bishop. We just thought it fit to offer, you know, but if you prefer otherwise... whatever suits you."
Mona barely had any time to breathe before Ramona and Eleanor rose and trudged out of the dorm, whispering urgently as they shut the door.
"You're... sure you don't want us there?" Phyllis said quietly, uncertain and hurt. Lily still said nothing. There was an awkward silence, which Mona broke by getting up and forcing a laugh.
"I've really got to go, it's lunch, see you later." And she disappeared behind the door as she scuttled out.
Phyllis and Lily exchanged looks, the same thoughts rushing through their minds.
Mona didn't talk to anyone all day, and the little of her that her House saw was subdued and thoughtful. James couldn't begin to wonder what in Merlin's name could get her so quiet, since she was rarely like this. The last time she had been like this was when her parents died... but James refused to think of that fiasco. Lily wouldn't talk to him for a week after that. He didn't think he would survive.
But his answer came sooner than expected. And less pleasantly, too.
After dinner, he and the rest of the Marauders all headed to the common room, to find a Lily who liked ready to throttle someone. Seeing her less-than-amiable mood, Sirius and Remus and Peter all surreptitiously (in a way) scurried to their dorm, while James was the only one brave enough to talk to her. He had faced worse... unless she decided to set him on fire. Then he would call it a tie.
"Lily?" he asked carefully, watching her mope on the couch. She didn't look up at him, or acknowledge her awareness of his presence in any way. James tried again.
"Are you okay?"
"What do you care?" she shot back, still staring defiantly at the carpet as though hoping it'd burst into flame.
"You and Mona weren't talking to each other today... can I ask why?"
"If you don't mind looking like hell just paid you a visit, then you can ask."
James flinched; whenever Lily said stuff like that, she never kidded. He learned that the hard way.
"Just thought I'd ask... she hasn't received any bad news lately, has she?"
"Oh, no. It wasn't her. More like us, really."
"From who?" James demanded, suddenly desiring to strangle whoever made Lily this upset. Lily turned and arched an eyebrow his way, until James rolled his eyes. "I won't kill anyone. But I won't promise any new patients in the Hospital Wing either."
Her emerald eyes went round, almost angry. "No, James! Don't lay a hand on her. You hurt her and you ruin all your chances with me. Every single little possibility..."
A sort of outraged noise emitted from James's throat, accompanied by a mortified expression. He could practically see the possibilities fluttering out of the window, their delightful little children giggling their way out. He wanted to fling something at Lily for the insufferable little smile she wore. She was finding this entertaining. Entertaining.
"Not a hand on her," Lily repeated, with a smug grin.
Her?
"MONA made you guys this upset?"
Lily's lips tightened into a thin line and her glare was now with icy strictness. James heaved a sigh.
"Fine. I'll leave her alone. But what's the matter?" He sat on the couch beside her, while she stared at the floor, frowning with a little furrow between her eyebrows.
Lily shrugged half-heartedly. Comprehension dawned over James, and after increasing his hazel eyes he remained a little shell-shocked. He couldn't have... he had talked about it often, but he couldn't have.
Not when Lily was actually talking to him civilly! That boy was ruining all his chances with her intentionally, James was sure. The thought made him grit his teeth.
"Did she... receive any gift?"
The message took a while to get to Lily, whose eyes on the floor widened. Her head whipped up and she glared at him accusingly and dumbfounded.
"That was you!?"
Anger heated up in James, warming the back of his neck. How could she make such a misconception? Was that even possible? Him falling for a girl who wasn't Lily? And one of Lily's best friends!?
If that didn't insult him to no end...
"Lily! How could you even think that? You're the only girl for me," he finished dramatically, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She paused, relieved, for a second that almost made him believe that his arm could remain where it was, until she shrugged it off impatiently.
Spitfire.
"You know?"
James hesitated for a second; he knew he would never forgive him if he told, but this was Lily. Lily Evans. The girl he's chased for forever, and is still chasing now. He couldn't keep anything from her if he wanted a chance.
He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. When he leaned back, Lily was barely breathing and looked as if James had swung a metal weight into her face. Slack-jawed, she mouthed something too quiet to be legible.
James nodded, understanding Lily's shock. The redhead leaned back in her chair and sighed, her head lolling onto one shoulder, her green eyes staring into the fire.
Mona could never guess who it was.
A/N: Bwahahahaha! Very evil cliffhanger there... yeah. School is currently wearing me out like a prune, so I'm writing in all the spare minutes of the day. And Hurricane Frances (I live in Florida, to let you know) gave me no chance to go online, so I had to content myself with merely brainstorming, which becomes steadily irritating after doing it with any chance to write it out. Hurricane Ivan is coming up soon (Oh, joy!) so I'm trying to finish as much as I can... ::checks notes and sighs mournfully::... which won't be a lot.
Reviews are, of course, recommended. And desired. And welcomed.
