Chapter III
Lily Evans yawned widely, it was the day of the auction and no one but herself and James was here yet. She looked over at the teenager who was enthusiastically working on making the auction look good; they were outside in the Courtyard.
"Pass us some spellotape Evans," James asked, trying to fix the banner back up.
Lily rolled her eyes, "James, I'm a supervisor not a spellotape distributor!"
"You called me James," the boy replied, searching the ground around him for the reel of spellotape without letting go of where the banner was meant to be. "I knew you liked me deep down," he smirked. Lily snorted and kicked the spellotape away from James's hand.
"I wouldn't bet on it," Lily retorted, leaving James to struggle helplessly with the banner. She looked at the red and gold banner from a distance, on it 'Help Save the Shack!' was written in bold, impossible to miss letters.
"I really need that tape," James said, sounding agitated. The Gryffindor was tall and it obviously was a nuisance to bend down too much, his jet black hair was everywhere as usual. Lily could hardly believe James could possibly believe anyone would bid on him.
"Lunch time," James said, dropping the banner and grabbing a sandwich, eating it at about 100 miles per hour.
"It's feeding time at the zoo," Lily commented, looking disgusted. James ignored her and continued to eat like there would be no tomorrow.
"Did you skip breakfast… and dinner… and brunch?" Lily asked, frowning at James's less than attractive eating habits.
"Possibly, I just eat a lot and have a quick metabolism so I don't pile on the pounds," James told her.
"Some people eat less than you and end up looking like an overgrown balloon… much like the ones you put up here," Lily said as Juliana joined them, she looked up at balloons.
"They're not that big," she said, looking slightly offended. Juliana wasn't the thinnest person in the school, and she knew Lily understood that. After all Lily has been a little on the chubby side herself when she joined Hogwarts, and as her size diminished James's crush grew. Lily had found this somewhat offensive seeing as if she was still the size she had been 6 years before James would most likely of shown no interest in her… which would have suited her fine of course. She brushed red hair from her face so Juliana and James could both see her almond shaped bright green eyes clearly.
"Breaks over Potter," she snapped. "Get to work," she told him, a little over enthusiastic at the prospect of ordering James Potter about.
"You could order me about even more if you were to say, bid on me Evans?" James suggested as he finished off his sandwich.
"In your dreams Potter," Lily told him. "I'm here to supervise, and not auction on low life scum like you."
"You hurt me... right here..." James joked, putting his hand over his heart and getting up to work.
"Won't be the only place I hurt you in if you don't get back to work," Lily snapped. James sighed and took the spellotape in his hand, taping the banner up and turning to Lily for next instructions.
"Well?" he asked, standing back, "looks great, ah?" James put his elbow on Lily's shoulder and she stepped away so he stumbled.
"Looks like Potter-flog-it work," Lily said, although she was slightly impressed.
"I know you're joking, Lils, you love it really," James beemed.
"Maybe in your dreams," Lily said, smirking.
James looked up from the list to see he was on next, poor Juliana hadn't got any bids and Sirius had raised a whole 85 Galleons already. He handed the list to Remus who nodded his support as James stepped onto the stage.
"Go for it mate," Sirius called, smirking. James had bearly opened his mouth to speak when a girl stuck up her hand.
"I bid 40 Galleons!" She cried.
"50!" Another shouted.
"I bid 65!" came another shout from the back of the crowd.
"75!" Came the shout from the original bidder, she had paired with a friend now.
"80!" Came another shout.
"90!"
"100!" The crowd gasped as the bid suddenly became 120 within a matter of seconds.
"I bid 140," came the bored voice from the back. James could see the person clearly now, he was a stocky Slytherin. The girls shrugged, all out of money; the Slytherin came forward and handed the money to Remus who smiled thankfully.
"Thankyou Mr-" Remus stopped, he didn't exactly know the name of the boy; the Slytherin, however, ignored him and walked to James.
"Come with me," he said, dragging James away. Lily watched with relish as she watched James get dragged off stage.
"That was a brilliant idea, Lily," Juliana smiled.
"Huh?" Lily asked, still marvelling as James struggled against the Slytherin's hold. "I didn't bid on Potter," she said, looking at Juliana. "I have no idea who did." Juliana didn't detect a trace of a lie in her voice and she sighed and watched James and the Slytherin talking under a tree.
"You come to Courtyard tonight," the Slytherin said, handing James a note. James frowned and looked down at the note.
'Potter,
Come to the Courtyard at 10:00 tonight, that is your first order as my slave.'
"That's it? A note?" James asked, bewildered. "Oh man," he looked over the Slytherin's shoulder to the bemused Lily. "Oh we'll see whose playing hard to get tonight Lily.."
Sirius came jogging over as the happy looking Millicent Bagnold took the stage, "wonderful Prongs," he said, "who on earth paid one hundred and forty Galleons just for you?"
"Someone who obviously appreciates fine men," James smirked, he peered over at Lily Evans, her red hair shining in the dying sun.
"You think Evans did this?" Sirius asked, a smirk on his own face now. He laughed quick and fast, much like a dog would bark, "please, if I had a Galleon everytime you thought she was coming on to you we'd all be millioniares."
"You are a millioniare, Sirius, just your family kicked you out of their house and their family, locking their doors on you forever and never want to see your face again," James smiled, knowing he didn't make his friend feel any better.
"It's a good job I have my faithful Prongs to turn to it my time of need," Sirius said, his hair casually flopping over his forehead. "Let's grab some food and watch the teachers go on and sell themselves," Sirius grinned before leading them both away rom the Slytherin.
"Sirius!" Came a sqeaky voice, Sirius turned to see Florence Waters, looking pleased with herself. "Spit shine my shoes," she ordered.
"Oh man, this is going to be a long week..." Sirius sighed. He looked at James who was smirking at him, "what?"
"Your owner is calling you go to her boy," he joked as Sirius sighed and started to walk towards Florence. "Good boy!" James called with a laugh then turned back to look around, finding himself for the first time ever utterly and completely alone.
Remus was with the girl who had bid on him, who was looking at him starry eyed and bombarding him with questions and Peter was hanging around with Berta Jorkins, who had paid 4 Galleons for him as a slave.
Lily strode over, a smirk on her face.
"Your date stand you up Potter?" She asked, grinning. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Could it be because you were the one bidding on me Evans?" James asked, arrogantly.
"I'd rather kiss a squid," Lily said as behind her Professor Evelyn Banks took the stand.
"I wonder if I could bid on someone else and make them do whatever my mystery girl asks me..." James muttered.
Lily held up a clipboard, "I'm afraid, Potter, your own rules state clearly that under no circumstances can a person that has been bid on bid on anyone else. Better luck next time, Potter."
Lily left to supervise the bidding with Remus when Juliana strode over to James.
"You raised a load of money James, but still, altogether we don't have enough to pay to save the Shack just yet," Juliana told him.
"I wasn't planning on just saving the shack on the money we raise tonight," James told her, smirking knowingly.
"Oh really?" Juliana asked, "how else were you planning to raise money?"
"I sponsored hex-athon," James replied, casually.
"I'm sorry?" Juliana replied, frowning.
"I get sponsered to hex Snivellus," James joked. "Snape," he said once seeing Juliana's confused face.
"Oh... Oh! Lily wouldn't allow it," Juliana said. "She'd give you a weeks detention per hex."
"Who said Lily was going to know about it...?" James asked, before walking off, leaving Juliana to her rather confused thoughts.
James walked over to Sirius, Florence's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Your first task is to tell your best mate where to shove it," Florence snapped at Sirius, who was looking at James. "Oh, and it has to be with feeling, and it has to be truthful!"
"What? I can't say it truthfully because I don't want to tell James where to shove it," Sirius replied. "Prongs, isn't there a rule against this kind of treatment?"
James stood silent for a second, then sighed, "no, Padfoot, there isn't."
Sirius looked between his best friend and his owner for a week and sighed, "fine!" He turned to James and looked painful for a second.
"No type of any remorse on your face, Black, mean it and mean it good!" Florence snapped.
Sirius's face turned to a smile and crossed his arms, "You know, Potter, you have your head shoved way too far up your ass," he said, hoping that would please Florence because apparently it was pleasing Lily Evans who was standing watching them from the stage. She was grinning broadly at the sight of James being told this by his best friend.
James listened to what he was saying, completely unfazed, he had heard it a hundred times from Lily, but never actually from one of his friends, maybe from Remus but not as bluntly as this.
"Keep on going," Florence said.
"I think you're a conceited arrogant berk who cares more about his broom than the rest of the world," Sirius said, thinking back to a couple of 'nice' things Lily had said about James once. "Oh, and I hope you choke on the snacks."
Sirius did not share Florence's amusement for this antic, he just glared at her when she wasn't looking and gave James an apologetic look when she was.
"Who needs veritaserum when you have James's idiotic auction idea?" Florence asked, dragging Sirius away.
James sighed, "maybe it was idiotic," he looked a group of crying girls who hadn't had anything bid on them, part of him wanted to comfort them, but his Marauder conscience and pride crushed that like a bug. He watched them for a second, smirking every now and again before turning away. He could see Severus Snape working his way towards the courtyard and he drew his wand, happy once again.
Severus had seen his wand though, "do that today and later you'll pay..." a rough voice said from behind James, it was the big, burly Slytherin who had handed him the note.
"Yeah, whatever," James smirked, moving off to go pay Severus a nice visit...
